I always find people's reaction to FOX funny.
I do a lot of Sci Fi genre work and see, obviously, a lot of opinions from genre fans. And I guess because of the sheer number of short-run series Fox has offered up over the last few years, the...engaged fans have a big hate on for Fox.
So, yes. They did cancel Firefly. And...uh Strange Luck and Harsh Realm, and whatever. Other ones I'm forgetting.
But honestly, is there anyone more audacious in their development? I mean, yes, Fox did give us Stacked. But also 24, Simpsons, Family Guy, Arrested Development, House and X-Files. And though they aired on other networks, Fox production also gave us Buffy and Angel. And, sad to say, my guiltiest pleasure of the last couple years: first season O.C.
The Fox current department and the network may drop the ball sometimes, but My God they develop some interesting stuff.
I was thinking this again tonight while watching the premiere of Prison Break. This show grabs you by the throat straight in, and never lets go. The speed with which the plot advances in the first hour is breathtaking. Questions piled upon questions, very few answers. Very little spoon feeding, dynamic three or four scenes to get you into the show, and a few sketches to fill in the characters. But at the end of the first two hours, you still know very, very little.
It almost makes me think that the only way you can develop anything in Canada is to say, "Um, it's a mystery show." Because if you're not developing a mystery show, they want everything explained in, like, the first ten minutes. At least if some of the meetings I've been taking lately are any indication. Perhaps that's unfair. We'll see.
Contrast that with Rome, the new HBO series (which runs in Eastern Canada on TMN the Movie Network.) I was prepped to be disappointed by this show, and the first ep doesn't give you that frisson that your first glimpse of Deadwood, Sopranos, Six Feet did -- but it's got a lot going for it, especially its veddy British pedigree. I still think anyone has stones for trying to go up against I Claudius, but hey, it could be worse. Could be...Empire. (Sorry, Colm Feore. You still rule.)
I will definitely be watching Rome to see how they handle the history and characterization, but it's probably going to be on my viewing palate the same way Huff was: slow simmer, but never a boil. I can't imagine sweating missing an episode of Rome.
But Prison Break? No way. Fox has got my Monday night locked up, again. Even if it's just for those breathtaking first few minutes.
So I guess the TV season's underway. Everyone man your boats.
5 comments:
I agree, though I'm not much of a TV viewer. But most of what I DO watch is on Fox. And though not an absolute favorite show of mine, I still like and recognize the inventiveness of Malcolm in the Middle. Wasn't that them too?
Welcome to the Scribosphere. I got here via Alex E.
I watched PRISON BREAK last night and was struck at how 24 and DVD have changed our tv viewing in the past couple of years.
Remember MURDER ONE? One season covers an entire trial? Then they broke it up into 4 episode stories because they felt the audience wouldn't stick around. Then they cancelled it.
Now we have PRISON BREAK where each episode adds one small piece to the overall puzzle, and damnit I HAVE TO WATCH. This flies in the face of the network "self contained doses" thinking when it comes to TV series.
I couldn't be happier. "Serials" are back in the viewing audiences' consciousness!
Bill:
I love serials too. And I loved that first season of "Murder One."
It's interesting to me that the hourlong market seems to be fracturing now into two halves: shows that heavily serialize like Lost, DH, 24, etc, and shows that are "any episode in any order" like CSI, L&O and the like.
Personally, I have no interest in these latter shows. I don't like resetting to zero every week and I don't like watching stories told in a vacuum.
But it is an interesting trend. I also want to see how Veronica Mars does this year, since they really try to walk both lines: satisfying stand alones combined with an overall arc.
I agree with you about Veronica Mars trying to ride that fine line between serial/mini-arc eps and stand alones. I think they're doing a great job and I'm totally hooked on this show.
I've been experiencing some frustration lately with pitching my series to Canadian prodcos. They get really nervous when I tell them that the show will have (if I have anything to say about it) the same kind of balance between stand alones and serial/mini-arc eps as V Mars. They tell me that the international audience they'll be selling the show to will get confused and frustrated if I have continuing storylines. They want all (or at least 95%) stand alones, just like the slick and impersonal plots found on Law & Order. Personally, I think those kinds of fears don't apply in the day and age of VCRs, Tivos and DVD boxed sets. Charlie Jade did an excellent job of creating multi-layered storylines that stretched across an antire 20 ep season, and the Internet helped fill in the blanks for those who got a little lost. Today's audience is more sophisticated and tolerant of change. I just wish prodco and studio heads would wise up -- and catch up -- with the rest of us.
I can never forgive Fox for killing Futurama....
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