Recently, the television series “Lucky 7” was canceled after 4 episodes. Tonight, the CBS program “We Are Men” was canceled after two episodes. The pilot of We Are Men pulled in a 6.8 million viewership-which ISN’T BAD-and I don’t know the numbers for Lucky 7. While We Are Men fell to 5.4 in its second episode, that still isn’t terrible enough to warrant cancelation TWO EPISODES into its run. This is one of the biggest things that makes me worried for the future of network television.
When Seinfeld premiered in 1989, the ratings for the 1st 3 seasons were basically abysmal and nonexistent. Still, NBC kept the show on the air and by it’s 4th season it became a landmark in tv, and ended up becoming the most famous sitcom of all time. How are we supposed to have character development in 2 episodes of a series, or 4? Shit takes time to build to. Because of these mega hits-that AREN’T GOOD-like Big Bang Theory it makes all other shows on the network have to live up to impossible expectations 2 episodes out of the gate, which, I’m sorry but it’s true, is basically impossible. Shows need to GROW. You can’t expect something to have an audience automatically, even if it’s associated with people who have a built in audience. You have to make reasons for viewers to tune in.
And this has history behind it. Bryan Fuller of the now popular Hannibal series had 3 different series-all critically acclaimed and some award winning-before Hannibal (all original too) that were canceled, one of which after 4 episodes. Hannibal comes on in 2013 and even IT struggles to survive even with his name attached to it. Here’s a guy who is known, who’s work IS popular after it’s gone and he STILL HAS TROUBLE ATTRACTING VIEWERS. Hannibal somehow missed the swing of the cancelation axe, despite pretty rotten ratings, and managed to eke out a second season for the 2014 lineup, but it proves that even with someone famous helming something, you’re not automatically guaranteed a smash hit. Shit, you want an even better example? JOSS WHEDON. Buffy was a smash and ran for 7 (?) seasons and nothing he makes after that stays on the air for more than 2 seasons outside of Angel, which ran for 5 and was canceled anyway. It’s proof. These network executives need to understand that people have to have time to get involved emotionally with characters. Nobody is able to connect to some character right out of the gate. I’m sorry. You can’t.
Granted, Hannibal may have had some trouble because of people being so fiercely loyal to the source material, but look at what’s happened here. Bryan Fuller and Joss Whedon, both very talented people with shows that are very well liked and win awards and neither of them can keep a show on the air. They both come back this year with new programs…and BOTH ARE BASED ON SOMETHING. Fuller now has Hannibal, which isn’t an original concept, and Whedon has SHIELD, again, not an original concept. Because of prior cancelations, the executives have scared creators of excellent original content into making a success off of STUFF THEY DIDN’T MAKE. So that’s where we are now. Granted, Lucky 7 was a remake of a foreign show (because we haven’t had enough of THOSE) but We Are Men was original! Were they good? Well that’s subjective, and I didn’t watch either of them but still, they were more original than SHIELD, or hell, even Hannibal which I’ll admit, for as much as I love it. The network says they want original content, they get original content (a lot of it VERY GOOD), it does moderately well to poorly depending on said content and alot of times on their lack of promotion of it (nobody to blame but themselves), they then PULL original content and blame the viewers for being too stupid to tune in.
There’s something fundamentally wrong with the television landscape right now.
Now factor in networks like FX or AMC. AMC gave Breaking Bad-a critically adored, award winning show with pretty low numbers until the final season-5 seasons. They just kept it going. Similarly, FX has done the same for Wilfred which shouldn’t have gotten a second season, a third and not the 4th they’re getting now purely based on the ratings. Now sure, there could just be the “president loves this program” thing goin’ on here at times, but both shows-especially Wilfred-did pretty damn poorly and still managed to eek out 5 and 4 seasons, respectively. That’s because they recognize there IS an audience for these programs. I said it a while ago, and I’m repeating it here: ratings aren’t the end all be all anymore, but the old networks still haven’t caught up that idea of digital delivery. Sure, they sell DVDS and episodes on iTunes/Amazon/their website players and do the DVR thing and whatnot but in the end they don’t stop and recognize those numbers (well the DVR I’m sure they do), not like FX and AMC do anyway or else these shows would be lasting much much longer. And for the record, 6.8 million viewers ISN’T BAD for a pilot. The blame for ratings doesn’t lie entirely on the executives, because-again as I’ve said before-pirating kills television. If you look at a list of the most pirated shows and how many times those shows were pirated, you’d go “Shit, if these numbers were RATINGS this show would go on INDEFINITELY!”. A lot of people don’t understand that for something to be on TV at ALL, you NEED TO SUPPORT IT, anyway you can. Tuning in live definitely helps that. They don’t count pirates views.
And then what happens? The internet throws a gigantic stink, gets a series renewed using the ol’ petition trick, the show comes back next year…AND NOBODY TUNES IN. They just continue to pirate it. Sure, you tricked the network into giving you another 13-24 episodes, but you can’t pull that trick twice, nor was it a good thing to do in the first place. All that time you spent pirating and petitioning you could’ve spent tuning into the live show. And you can’t say “Well I don’t have time to” because you’re clearly watching it, just at a different time. So if you can’t tune into the live show-which is a legitimate thing, people have work and whatnot-buy it on iTunes/Amazon or buy the DVD. DO SOMETHING. Otherwise your content goes the way of the dinosaur.
There’s a viewer/network disconnect. We need to find a happy medium. A balance. Otherwise pretty soon, we won’t have original content at ALL. If nobody tunes in, there’s no money to be made, and if there’s no money to be made, there’s no money to be spent making content that won’t make money, so why make anything at all is how they see it.
Yes, people should tune in and granted I got a bit off topic there but the overall point here is that networks need to give shows more time to grow and develop, otherwise nobody is going to tune into anything anymore because they figure it’ll be canceled anyway and the whole system is futile.
And where does that leave us? With Netflix original series, and outside of the 7/10 rated 4th season of Arrested Development, their shows are pretty bad I must admit. Hemlock Grove is a mess, Orange is the new Black is BORING AS ALL HELL (and this comes from a Mad Men fan, so you can’t say I don’t enjoy slow drama) and House of Cards was just weird, but at least decent. Fuck, their shows AREN’T EVEN ORIGINAL. Everything they have, outside LilyHammer, IS BASED ON SOMETHING.
Is that REALLY the world of content you want us to go to?
Think about that.
When Seinfeld premiered in 1989, the ratings for the 1st 3 seasons were basically abysmal and nonexistent. Still, NBC kept the show on the air and by it’s 4th season it became a landmark in tv, and ended up becoming the most famous sitcom of all time. How are we supposed to have character development in 2 episodes of a series, or 4? Shit takes time to build to. Because of these mega hits-that AREN’T GOOD-like Big Bang Theory it makes all other shows on the network have to live up to impossible expectations 2 episodes out of the gate, which, I’m sorry but it’s true, is basically impossible. Shows need to GROW. You can’t expect something to have an audience automatically, even if it’s associated with people who have a built in audience. You have to make reasons for viewers to tune in.
And this has history behind it. Bryan Fuller of the now popular Hannibal series had 3 different series-all critically acclaimed and some award winning-before Hannibal (all original too) that were canceled, one of which after 4 episodes. Hannibal comes on in 2013 and even IT struggles to survive even with his name attached to it. Here’s a guy who is known, who’s work IS popular after it’s gone and he STILL HAS TROUBLE ATTRACTING VIEWERS. Hannibal somehow missed the swing of the cancelation axe, despite pretty rotten ratings, and managed to eke out a second season for the 2014 lineup, but it proves that even with someone famous helming something, you’re not automatically guaranteed a smash hit. Shit, you want an even better example? JOSS WHEDON. Buffy was a smash and ran for 7 (?) seasons and nothing he makes after that stays on the air for more than 2 seasons outside of Angel, which ran for 5 and was canceled anyway. It’s proof. These network executives need to understand that people have to have time to get involved emotionally with characters. Nobody is able to connect to some character right out of the gate. I’m sorry. You can’t.
Granted, Hannibal may have had some trouble because of people being so fiercely loyal to the source material, but look at what’s happened here. Bryan Fuller and Joss Whedon, both very talented people with shows that are very well liked and win awards and neither of them can keep a show on the air. They both come back this year with new programs…and BOTH ARE BASED ON SOMETHING. Fuller now has Hannibal, which isn’t an original concept, and Whedon has SHIELD, again, not an original concept. Because of prior cancelations, the executives have scared creators of excellent original content into making a success off of STUFF THEY DIDN’T MAKE. So that’s where we are now. Granted, Lucky 7 was a remake of a foreign show (because we haven’t had enough of THOSE) but We Are Men was original! Were they good? Well that’s subjective, and I didn’t watch either of them but still, they were more original than SHIELD, or hell, even Hannibal which I’ll admit, for as much as I love it. The network says they want original content, they get original content (a lot of it VERY GOOD), it does moderately well to poorly depending on said content and alot of times on their lack of promotion of it (nobody to blame but themselves), they then PULL original content and blame the viewers for being too stupid to tune in.
There’s something fundamentally wrong with the television landscape right now.
Now factor in networks like FX or AMC. AMC gave Breaking Bad-a critically adored, award winning show with pretty low numbers until the final season-5 seasons. They just kept it going. Similarly, FX has done the same for Wilfred which shouldn’t have gotten a second season, a third and not the 4th they’re getting now purely based on the ratings. Now sure, there could just be the “president loves this program” thing goin’ on here at times, but both shows-especially Wilfred-did pretty damn poorly and still managed to eek out 5 and 4 seasons, respectively. That’s because they recognize there IS an audience for these programs. I said it a while ago, and I’m repeating it here: ratings aren’t the end all be all anymore, but the old networks still haven’t caught up that idea of digital delivery. Sure, they sell DVDS and episodes on iTunes/Amazon/their website players and do the DVR thing and whatnot but in the end they don’t stop and recognize those numbers (well the DVR I’m sure they do), not like FX and AMC do anyway or else these shows would be lasting much much longer. And for the record, 6.8 million viewers ISN’T BAD for a pilot. The blame for ratings doesn’t lie entirely on the executives, because-again as I’ve said before-pirating kills television. If you look at a list of the most pirated shows and how many times those shows were pirated, you’d go “Shit, if these numbers were RATINGS this show would go on INDEFINITELY!”. A lot of people don’t understand that for something to be on TV at ALL, you NEED TO SUPPORT IT, anyway you can. Tuning in live definitely helps that. They don’t count pirates views.
And then what happens? The internet throws a gigantic stink, gets a series renewed using the ol’ petition trick, the show comes back next year…AND NOBODY TUNES IN. They just continue to pirate it. Sure, you tricked the network into giving you another 13-24 episodes, but you can’t pull that trick twice, nor was it a good thing to do in the first place. All that time you spent pirating and petitioning you could’ve spent tuning into the live show. And you can’t say “Well I don’t have time to” because you’re clearly watching it, just at a different time. So if you can’t tune into the live show-which is a legitimate thing, people have work and whatnot-buy it on iTunes/Amazon or buy the DVD. DO SOMETHING. Otherwise your content goes the way of the dinosaur.
There’s a viewer/network disconnect. We need to find a happy medium. A balance. Otherwise pretty soon, we won’t have original content at ALL. If nobody tunes in, there’s no money to be made, and if there’s no money to be made, there’s no money to be spent making content that won’t make money, so why make anything at all is how they see it.
Yes, people should tune in and granted I got a bit off topic there but the overall point here is that networks need to give shows more time to grow and develop, otherwise nobody is going to tune into anything anymore because they figure it’ll be canceled anyway and the whole system is futile.
And where does that leave us? With Netflix original series, and outside of the 7/10 rated 4th season of Arrested Development, their shows are pretty bad I must admit. Hemlock Grove is a mess, Orange is the new Black is BORING AS ALL HELL (and this comes from a Mad Men fan, so you can’t say I don’t enjoy slow drama) and House of Cards was just weird, but at least decent. Fuck, their shows AREN’T EVEN ORIGINAL. Everything they have, outside LilyHammer, IS BASED ON SOMETHING.
Is that REALLY the world of content you want us to go to?
Think about that.
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