"It lacks cohesion." A quote from the season opener of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. This is something that can be said of many shows on TV and is often thrown at new shows in particular.
I've watched most of the new shows that have been aired so far. I've taken a look at the ratings for their debut and in some cases, their second outing. I'm going to loosely predict what shows I think will be cancelled as well as predict some more established shows. The first one on my list was going to be The Beautiful Life but the plug was already pulled before I got the chance to write this.
Lets get one thing straight, though I'm predicting the following, it doesn't mean I necessarily dislike the shows that I've picked, as there are a couple that I like but still think they will be canned.
Ugly Betty - Now this hasn't even been shown yet and that is one of the points of why I feel it will be cancelled. This week ABC announced that Betty's season opener air date has changed. It was moved to Friday which is the least watched week day (I'm looking at it in terms of the highest viewed show per day). CBS so far has that night in the bag with Medium, Ghost Whisperer and Numbers. The viewers were already dwindling before this move.
Hank and The Middle - They're just not as good as ABC's other two new comedies Cougar Town and Modern Family. That and the ratings are reason enough.
Trauma/Mercy - I can't really choose between the two but I think one of them will go. My personal opinion is Mercy but Trauma had the worst debut. Not sure why NBC went for two new shows about the emergency services.
Cold Case - I like this show but there were rumours that this was up for the chop with Without A Trace and it was an either or decision. With CBS cutting costs in both primetime and daytime, I see this as one to go.
Dollhouse - Another show that I like but not enough people are watching this. It also doesn't help when SyFy's Stargate Universe and encores of shows already shown in the week get better rating numbers.
Smallville - I haven't watched this since the first season but like Ugly Betty, it has been moved to Friday. I don't see why it couldn't have been moved into The Beautiful Life's vacated spot instead of a Melrose Place rerun. These are the reasons I have this down plus the length of time it's had on air.
I've had to put the following in a separate section as if they were on any other network, I think these shows would be canned but as NBC's figures as a whole haven't been as good as CBS or ABC this week (in some cases Fox either) then it's hard to tell what they would actually get rid of.
Heroes - I really don't think I should have to explain this one as those that no longer watch it know why. It should have been cancelled last season but they persisted and gave it another go. The characters have become annoying, they've killed off some interesting and popular characters, it's lacked direction and decent story-telling and people are abandoning it fast, including many of my family and friends.
Parks and Recreation - I really like this show but it's the worst performer out of NBC's Thursday comedies.
The following ones I'm debating and could go either way depending on how they do further down the line. I won't go into my reasons, in some cases, you just have to watch them to know.
Eastwick
The Forgotten
Accidently On Purpose
Brothers
Till Death
Melrose Place
Castle
The last one I am mentioning is just what I think should end.
One Tree Hill - I think it should have ended last season as I think it was time and ended on a good note, which I mentioned in a previous post. Now it feels like they are just dragging things out. If you have to have Dan Scott married to Rachel Gatina and another Nathan may or may have cheated storyline, then you need to end it.
Obviously Lost isn't included in any of the lists, as we all know that it will be airing it's last season. I think it was good that they announced a couple of seasons ago the timeline for the show.
We shall see what shows are still on when I do this again, after the mid season shows have aired.
Saturday 26 September 2009
Not A Beautiful Life In The End
Before September has even ended and all the new fall shows were even given their first outing, we have already seen the first casualty. According to reports, The CW has cancelled The Beautiful Life after only two episodes.
The first episode managed to pull in around 1.4 million but the second episode struggled with 1 million. More than half of the viewers from it's lead in show, America's Next Top Model, decided to tune out of The CW. As somebody wrote, people seemed to be more interested in Tyra Banks trying to make a model than a show about models. To put it more into context, more people follow it's co producer, Ashton Kutcher, on Twitter than the combined ratings of both episodes.
I struggled to even write anything coherent about the first episode of The Beautiful Life so I was eager to see if any kind of reaction would come from episode two. With a build up of returning shows aired this week, I had put TBL aside to watch at the weekend. Before I had the chance to watch it, my mother told me that my prediction was right. After the ratings were released for Wednesday's shows I thought that it would be the first show to receive the chop.
Yes the ratings were poor but I think what made The CW act so quickly was probably the success of The Vampire Diaries. The network had already announced this week that they have ordered new scripts of Diaries, Melrose Place and given One Tree Hill a 22 episode order.
Melrose Place has also had less than flattering rating figures but only time will tell if this or another show will be next on the chopping block.
The first episode managed to pull in around 1.4 million but the second episode struggled with 1 million. More than half of the viewers from it's lead in show, America's Next Top Model, decided to tune out of The CW. As somebody wrote, people seemed to be more interested in Tyra Banks trying to make a model than a show about models. To put it more into context, more people follow it's co producer, Ashton Kutcher, on Twitter than the combined ratings of both episodes.
I struggled to even write anything coherent about the first episode of The Beautiful Life so I was eager to see if any kind of reaction would come from episode two. With a build up of returning shows aired this week, I had put TBL aside to watch at the weekend. Before I had the chance to watch it, my mother told me that my prediction was right. After the ratings were released for Wednesday's shows I thought that it would be the first show to receive the chop.
Yes the ratings were poor but I think what made The CW act so quickly was probably the success of The Vampire Diaries. The network had already announced this week that they have ordered new scripts of Diaries, Melrose Place and given One Tree Hill a 22 episode order.
Melrose Place has also had less than flattering rating figures but only time will tell if this or another show will be next on the chopping block.
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Version 2.0
The popular thing amongst the TV networks seems to be bringing back things to life. Whether it be an old TV show or a film, networks are looking to the past for their future shows.
With CBS resurrecting Hawaii Five O and a number of shows either in the pipeline or already showing, it seems that networks are running out of fresh ideas. Why the case for all the reboots?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dawn Ostroff was quoted as saying "When you do a remake you have built-in fan base and that's a huge advantage for us." But as we know in some cases, a fan base for an old show doesn't guarantee success now. All you have to do is look at the ratings for Melrose Place and 90210. Granted that they are both on The CW but even so, they aren't the most popular shows. Another case, Knightrider didn't last too long on the air. I never watched it myself as I couldn't see myself watching a pale imitation of a show I used to watch as a kid.
You can compare the reboots to a band reforming or giving an old relationship another go. Sometimes the chemistry just isn't there, things are forced and you're going through the motions. With the reboots, they seem to have more to prove than a new show would because everyone is keen to see where things go and what old characters come back. Sometimes when you bring old characters back, it can take things away from the new ones. Then there are some cases where you just don't care about the new characters. Where do you find the balance?
The latest news this week was that William H Macy was going to be in the US version of the hit UK show Shameless. These kinds of reboots at times fail to do anything. Kath and Kim didn't work out last year. To me the US version just wasn't as funny as the Australian version. I won't even mention Coupling's demise. There is always an exception to the rule and in these types of reboots; it would be The Office, which is currently in its sixth series. It isn't as easy to find a TV gem these days.
With a couple of the new shows that are to air, I've never had the opportunity to watch their predecessor. I didn't even realise that V would fall into this category. Even though there might be many reboots, some are just a completely new show to me.
With CBS resurrecting Hawaii Five O and a number of shows either in the pipeline or already showing, it seems that networks are running out of fresh ideas. Why the case for all the reboots?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dawn Ostroff was quoted as saying "When you do a remake you have built-in fan base and that's a huge advantage for us." But as we know in some cases, a fan base for an old show doesn't guarantee success now. All you have to do is look at the ratings for Melrose Place and 90210. Granted that they are both on The CW but even so, they aren't the most popular shows. Another case, Knightrider didn't last too long on the air. I never watched it myself as I couldn't see myself watching a pale imitation of a show I used to watch as a kid.
You can compare the reboots to a band reforming or giving an old relationship another go. Sometimes the chemistry just isn't there, things are forced and you're going through the motions. With the reboots, they seem to have more to prove than a new show would because everyone is keen to see where things go and what old characters come back. Sometimes when you bring old characters back, it can take things away from the new ones. Then there are some cases where you just don't care about the new characters. Where do you find the balance?
The latest news this week was that William H Macy was going to be in the US version of the hit UK show Shameless. These kinds of reboots at times fail to do anything. Kath and Kim didn't work out last year. To me the US version just wasn't as funny as the Australian version. I won't even mention Coupling's demise. There is always an exception to the rule and in these types of reboots; it would be The Office, which is currently in its sixth series. It isn't as easy to find a TV gem these days.
With a couple of the new shows that are to air, I've never had the opportunity to watch their predecessor. I didn't even realise that V would fall into this category. Even though there might be many reboots, some are just a completely new show to me.
Friday 18 September 2009
The Light Has Gone Out
The longest running scripted show in broadcast history aired it's last episode on Friday 18th September 2009. It's hard to think that something has lasted for the amount of time that this show has clocked up. 72 years, which includes its birth on radio.
Let's start with CBS pimping out their new daytime schedule without Guiding Light straight after airing As The World Turns. I found it in poor taste to do it before the final nail was even on the casket.
They didn't even show a full set of credits, seeing as it was the last broadcast. To fully list those that worked on the show would have been great.
Lots of people have commented on it was great that certain characters got to have their happy ending but I'm going to comment a couple of things that really got to me. Did there have to be so many weddings in such a short space of time?
Though I think Remy and Christina are cute, but why did they have to waste precious time with them having to get married for the third (fourth, I've lost count) time in less than a year. This time could could have been used to develop/finish other story lines. With scenes being short they seriously didn't need to add in this extra element to the couple. They should have just had them announce their pregnancy to Mel and be done. It perplexed me even more when having read the preview of an episode from CBS' site that there was to be a Doris and Olivia scene, I tuned in to see that the scene wasn't even aired.
Another point was why did everything seem so rushed in the last couple of weeks. The cancellation news came on April 1st and according to an interview with Jordan Clarke (Billy Lewis) they were told in May that there was a 1% chance of the show being picked up by another network and filming ended in August. I'm not a maths genius but there was a little bit of time to sort some stories out properly. This then moves to my next point.
What the hell was with the Jeffrey and Edmund storyline and are they still playing a game of cat and mouse in the one year jump. What was the point of this storyline again other than to keep Jeffrey away from Reva and Dinah away from Shayne. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Jeffrey or Reva fan but I did liked Dinah and Shayne. Plus didn't the scene with Shayne and Marina in the jump scream awkward.
The next thing I'm only gonna touch on briefly, the non Otalia kiss. Yes they should have kissed when everybody else was doing it but this is the thing that bugged me even more. Olivia was allowed to give Doris and Reva a platonic kiss on the cheek but two scenes of Olivia kissing Natalia on the cheek were cut. CBS and P&G have allowed Luke and Noah to kiss on As The World Turns (apparently there was a kissing ban but I won't comment on as I don't know the facts). So why wasn't Otalia allowed - something doesn't quite add up.
I don't know the full Guiding Light history or even past the last few years but it would have been great to see some of the historic characters coming back a little earlier and have more than a couple of minutes on the canvass.
I'm not normally a fan of soaps but this year I became a fan of this show. There was something different about this over the other US soaps that are currently airing. Maybe because it felt more like the soaps produced in the UK or maybe it was the build up of certain story lines and characters (loved Bill, Lizzie and Phillip). It was definitely a sad day for this historic soap and I felt it was fitting for the scene involving Reva and Josh did feature a lighthouse in the background.
So long and farewell. It's a good thing some episodes are online to relive.
Let's start with CBS pimping out their new daytime schedule without Guiding Light straight after airing As The World Turns. I found it in poor taste to do it before the final nail was even on the casket.
They didn't even show a full set of credits, seeing as it was the last broadcast. To fully list those that worked on the show would have been great.
Lots of people have commented on it was great that certain characters got to have their happy ending but I'm going to comment a couple of things that really got to me. Did there have to be so many weddings in such a short space of time?
Though I think Remy and Christina are cute, but why did they have to waste precious time with them having to get married for the third (fourth, I've lost count) time in less than a year. This time could could have been used to develop/finish other story lines. With scenes being short they seriously didn't need to add in this extra element to the couple. They should have just had them announce their pregnancy to Mel and be done. It perplexed me even more when having read the preview of an episode from CBS' site that there was to be a Doris and Olivia scene, I tuned in to see that the scene wasn't even aired.
Another point was why did everything seem so rushed in the last couple of weeks. The cancellation news came on April 1st and according to an interview with Jordan Clarke (Billy Lewis) they were told in May that there was a 1% chance of the show being picked up by another network and filming ended in August. I'm not a maths genius but there was a little bit of time to sort some stories out properly. This then moves to my next point.
What the hell was with the Jeffrey and Edmund storyline and are they still playing a game of cat and mouse in the one year jump. What was the point of this storyline again other than to keep Jeffrey away from Reva and Dinah away from Shayne. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Jeffrey or Reva fan but I did liked Dinah and Shayne. Plus didn't the scene with Shayne and Marina in the jump scream awkward.
The next thing I'm only gonna touch on briefly, the non Otalia kiss. Yes they should have kissed when everybody else was doing it but this is the thing that bugged me even more. Olivia was allowed to give Doris and Reva a platonic kiss on the cheek but two scenes of Olivia kissing Natalia on the cheek were cut. CBS and P&G have allowed Luke and Noah to kiss on As The World Turns (apparently there was a kissing ban but I won't comment on as I don't know the facts). So why wasn't Otalia allowed - something doesn't quite add up.
I don't know the full Guiding Light history or even past the last few years but it would have been great to see some of the historic characters coming back a little earlier and have more than a couple of minutes on the canvass.
I'm not normally a fan of soaps but this year I became a fan of this show. There was something different about this over the other US soaps that are currently airing. Maybe because it felt more like the soaps produced in the UK or maybe it was the build up of certain story lines and characters (loved Bill, Lizzie and Phillip). It was definitely a sad day for this historic soap and I felt it was fitting for the scene involving Reva and Josh did feature a lighthouse in the background.
So long and farewell. It's a good thing some episodes are online to relive.
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Is Life Really That Beautiful?
So Mischa Barton is back on television in The Beautiful Life (not saying it's a good or bad thing). After her character was killed off in Fox's The OC, she has been more known for her life off camera than what work she's been doing. I can't really name anything other than her appearance in St Trinian's and a movie that had something to do with the pop duo Tatu.
The Beautiful Life is co-produced by Ashton Kutcher and also features Elle Macphearson and Corbin Bleu (though I didn't recognise him). It all centres around the world of modelling and the different sides of it. Every model has their own story and some have secrets.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch a drama about the model life and I'm still not sure. I can't say that I went away with with this overwhelming need to watch the next episode but I also can't say that I'm not completely turning myself away from it. The episode didn't draw in even half of what The Vampire Diaries got.
I really don't have many words for this as it really didn't render a reaction from me. I actually struggled to write this because I didn't have anything to say. If it was really good then I would heaping praise about everything and if it was bad then I would go into one but I have nothing. Maybe episode two might give me a response.
The Beautiful Life is co-produced by Ashton Kutcher and also features Elle Macphearson and Corbin Bleu (though I didn't recognise him). It all centres around the world of modelling and the different sides of it. Every model has their own story and some have secrets.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch a drama about the model life and I'm still not sure. I can't say that I went away with with this overwhelming need to watch the next episode but I also can't say that I'm not completely turning myself away from it. The episode didn't draw in even half of what The Vampire Diaries got.
I really don't have many words for this as it really didn't render a reaction from me. I actually struggled to write this because I didn't have anything to say. If it was really good then I would heaping praise about everything and if it was bad then I would go into one but I have nothing. Maybe episode two might give me a response.
A Tree Hill Too Far?
To say I was looking forward to the seventh series would be a lie. I had many questions when I heard that it was coming back for another season but the main one was, where do they go from here.
I wasn’t thinking the best as, in my mind, this would be the moment that one of my top five shows would be bumped off the list.
The main reason for this is I think the season six ender should have been the series ender. Everything seemed to come together in that episode, barring the limbo that Dan Scott was left in. It felt right to me to end it on that note plus sometimes if you continue something for too long then they tend to lose what good about them.
Had a moment of deja vu with Millie's first scene, as it was reminiscent of Brooke's scene in season five when Millie was her assistant, this time Millie is the one with an assistant. At first it made me chuckle but then I asked how far has it moved now.
I know that there was another time jump between the series so where was everyone going to be now. I’m not going into the whole episode but I’m touching upon one thing. Something was missing and that was two of the five main characters over the past six seasons, Lucas and Peyton.
Let's start with no mention of Lucas or Peyton in the previously section. Was it because they wanted a clean slate, money (not sure if they would have to pay the actors if they showed them) or something else?
First mention of Peyton was that she was gone (which we knew) but there was no elaboration. Next mention was Lucas and a birthday note for Jamie, still no explanation. Third mention was regarding Peyton and her famous 'people always leave' line. Mention four was in a conversation between Jamie and Nathan regarding Lucas and basketball. Mention five was a snide comment regarding Peyton choosing motherhood over her record label. Now I do have to give them their dues for not completely wiping the slate of these characters but there could have been something else.
The same question I came with before the start is the same one I left with. Where did Lucas, Peyton and Sawyer go?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the couple (Leyton or Pucas however people want to call them) but they were part of what made me like the show. Their dynamics with the characters I actually like. Lucas and Nathan’s rivalry turned into sibling understanding, Haley and Lucas’s friendship that showed that there are male and female friendships that are purely platonic and the longstanding friendship between Brooke and Peyton, which went through their share of ups and downs.
Now we are left with the Haley, Nathan and Brooke dynamic. There is a Haley and Brooke dynamic that works but we’ve never really been treated to a Brooke and Nathan friendship (there was a brief moment they shared before Q’s funeral and I’m not counting when they hooked up in high school). With the new characters coming in, I feel like I have to get to know the established characters over again because the new characters will be bringing a different side of them. The main example is the introduction of Haley’s sister Quinn, which is a completely different dynamic to what Haley, has with the other sister we’ve seen, Taylor.
With that, the newbies have their own story to tell which in time shall be revealed but I leave with this thought, how on earth did Dan Scott get on television?
I wasn’t thinking the best as, in my mind, this would be the moment that one of my top five shows would be bumped off the list.
The main reason for this is I think the season six ender should have been the series ender. Everything seemed to come together in that episode, barring the limbo that Dan Scott was left in. It felt right to me to end it on that note plus sometimes if you continue something for too long then they tend to lose what good about them.
Had a moment of deja vu with Millie's first scene, as it was reminiscent of Brooke's scene in season five when Millie was her assistant, this time Millie is the one with an assistant. At first it made me chuckle but then I asked how far has it moved now.
I know that there was another time jump between the series so where was everyone going to be now. I’m not going into the whole episode but I’m touching upon one thing. Something was missing and that was two of the five main characters over the past six seasons, Lucas and Peyton.
Let's start with no mention of Lucas or Peyton in the previously section. Was it because they wanted a clean slate, money (not sure if they would have to pay the actors if they showed them) or something else?
First mention of Peyton was that she was gone (which we knew) but there was no elaboration. Next mention was Lucas and a birthday note for Jamie, still no explanation. Third mention was regarding Peyton and her famous 'people always leave' line. Mention four was in a conversation between Jamie and Nathan regarding Lucas and basketball. Mention five was a snide comment regarding Peyton choosing motherhood over her record label. Now I do have to give them their dues for not completely wiping the slate of these characters but there could have been something else.
The same question I came with before the start is the same one I left with. Where did Lucas, Peyton and Sawyer go?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the couple (Leyton or Pucas however people want to call them) but they were part of what made me like the show. Their dynamics with the characters I actually like. Lucas and Nathan’s rivalry turned into sibling understanding, Haley and Lucas’s friendship that showed that there are male and female friendships that are purely platonic and the longstanding friendship between Brooke and Peyton, which went through their share of ups and downs.
Now we are left with the Haley, Nathan and Brooke dynamic. There is a Haley and Brooke dynamic that works but we’ve never really been treated to a Brooke and Nathan friendship (there was a brief moment they shared before Q’s funeral and I’m not counting when they hooked up in high school). With the new characters coming in, I feel like I have to get to know the established characters over again because the new characters will be bringing a different side of them. The main example is the introduction of Haley’s sister Quinn, which is a completely different dynamic to what Haley, has with the other sister we’ve seen, Taylor.
With that, the newbies have their own story to tell which in time shall be revealed but I leave with this thought, how on earth did Dan Scott get on television?
Saturday 12 September 2009
Taking a Huge Bite
The Vampire Diaries' first episode drew in the biggest audience for a debut, for the CW, with 4.8m viewers. With an opening that let's you know that this isn't your ordinary teen show, it sets itself apart from the off.
Many have called it the Twilight of TV but for me that's an unfair comparison. There were vampire stories before Twilight and there will be more after. Let's not forget that Buffy The Vampire Slayer was popular with the teen market. With Twilight being the hot commodity at the moment, it was obvious that comparisons would be made.
Both are based on books but unlike Twilight, I've not read any of the books so I come with no pre conceptions of what to expect.
Having seen Nina Dobrev on Degrassi: The Next Generation, for the past couple of years, I wasn't expecting much as she played one of my least favourite characters. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance and the episode. Other than the interactions between Stefan and Elena, I was also intrigued by the dynamics between their respective siblings. The contrast between them makes for some good and interesting scenes and I hope this will play well throughout the whole season.
Many have called it the Twilight of TV but for me that's an unfair comparison. There were vampire stories before Twilight and there will be more after. Let's not forget that Buffy The Vampire Slayer was popular with the teen market. With Twilight being the hot commodity at the moment, it was obvious that comparisons would be made.
Both are based on books but unlike Twilight, I've not read any of the books so I come with no pre conceptions of what to expect.
Having seen Nina Dobrev on Degrassi: The Next Generation, for the past couple of years, I wasn't expecting much as she played one of my least favourite characters. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance and the episode. Other than the interactions between Stefan and Elena, I was also intrigued by the dynamics between their respective siblings. The contrast between them makes for some good and interesting scenes and I hope this will play well throughout the whole season.
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