Irritation with Fox continues
Futurama, Firefly, and now John Doe. I only watch one show on Fox regularly now: That 70’s Show (Red and Kitty are my favorite TV parents since Al and Peg).
I won’t whine too much about this cancellation, though. They did give it a somewhat fair chance in terms of both giving it a full season and promotion. But man, I really wanted to see what would happen next!
Re: Irritation with Fox continues
they cancel good drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat like John Doe and for what? John Doe was the first exciting TV show that I’ve watched in years. the story lines were always good, the season finale was unbelievable and now thats it? we don’t get to find out what happens next? I hate that!
damn them
im starting to hate fox… gah
I wonder if theres any chance of another network picking it up… not very hopeful tho.
too many shows die with a cliffhanger like this.
Re: damn them
im starting to hate fox… gah
I wonder if theres any chance of another network picking it up… not very hopeful tho.
too many shows die with a cliffhanger like this.
I tried to get into Firefly, the timing always bad and poorly advertized, but the last Fox show I watched was Dark Angel.
The Status of Television
With the high ratings available with cheaply producted “reality” TV mixed with current state of the US economy we’re likely to see marginally profitable shows like John Doe, Firefly and Farscape quickly replaced. Reality shows have a high margin and short production time. Exploitive shows that show the grossest type of human behavior and portray it as reality will appeal to the most people. These shows have existed in television for quite some time, it’s just that the current state of finances of the studios that is allowing them to be produced in greater volume.
You see similar things happening on the internet with many marketers using mass email campaigns instead of targeted banner campaigns. It might be a dirtier way to make money, but it works. The long term affects on the brand become a problem that hopefully will bring the networks back in line. Already (above) you see a rip on FOX.
Although I quit watching John Doe once the last Farscape season started, I did like the concept and the shows I watched. Today good story telling on television is in short supply. In the theater, however, we seem to be having the reverse trend. Fantastic stories are being brought to the silver screen.
Fortunately with cable and satellite access gaining a larger footprint we’re able to offset the poor quality of network television with a greater variety of sources. Unless Enterprise is on, I avoid network television for the most part. I’ve never watched more than an episode of “reality” TV.
That’s my rant. Thanks for reading.
Re: The Status of Television: the Rant Continues
With the high ratings available with cheaply producted “reality” TV mixed with current state of the US economy
One thing that may help sustain better shows (though I’m afraid I don’t see Enterprise in that category) is the possibility of long-term profit. Reality Shows, thus far, have not demonstrated much rerun and resale potential. But SF and Fantasy are “cult-prone,” and therefore have huge rerun/resale/marketing potential in the long-term, when the original show is a hit.
And then there’s the issue raised by your reference to dirty e-mail campaigns. The fact that the spammers work to find their way around the filters mean that some people are filtering out spam, and then buying when they get it anyway. I hope what you say about long-term effects on the brand is correct; otherwise, what this says about the paying audience is not encouraging for quality programming, esp SF, which tends to be costly.
(Of course, if I can find a way to make fast money off of people’s stupidity and lack of taste, whole other story…. Anyone wanna buy a Jedi Farm AnimalTM figurine?)
Re: The Status of Television: the Rant Continues
One thing that may help sustain better shows (though I’m afraid I don’t see Enterprise in that category) is the possibility of long-term profit.
Don’t bet on it. For the networks, it’s all about profit now now now now now. Later is nice, but the networks don’t really trust it. Money now vs. money later. What will kill the trend is (1) people getting fed up with it, and (2) one of the network execs deciding to get off the reality boat early, lest they have a “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”-style ratings plunge.
ABC, which used to be on top due to WWTBAM, is now (last I checked) 3rd place. Why? The success of the show. They built up so much of their schedule around it, when interest tapered off they wound up having too much of their schedule invested around it, and their ratings plunged. Think Cabbage Patch Dolls – the company made money while the fund lasted, but went bankrupt afterwards – all their manufacturing facilities were tied up in the dolls and it took too long to shift to some other toy.
Re: The Status of Television: the Rant Continues
Think Cabbage Patch Dolls – the company made money while the fund lasted, but went bankrupt afterwards – all their manufacturing facilities were tied up in the dolls and it took too long to shift to some other toy.
This isn’t so unique, either. Corporate history is littered with companies who failed to see the writing on the wall. So many, in fact, that the exceptions are sometimes better remembered. For instance, the only mechanical typewriter company still in existence is IBM. The last existing company which made horse-drawn carriages was Studebaker. They survived by being able to transition when they saw change in the wind.
Sorry
It’s all my fault. Once I start warching a show it is gauranteed to be cancelled.
Re: Sorry
It’s all my fault. Once I start warching a show it is gauranteed to be
cancelled.
Please start watching Enterprise, any show on Fox with the word
“Mr” in it, and elimidate.
Re: Sorry
maybe be a little selective… get a TiVo then only watch the Enterprise eps that completely ignore continuity (borg)…
Mr. ____ and elimidate you can kill tho
FOX WHO?
WELL, AGAIN THE NETWORK THAT I CONSIDER THE BEST IS NOW TAKING THE BEST SERIE IN THE WHOLE WORLD, JOHN DOE IS CANCELLED? AND WHAT ABOUT THE REALITYS “THE SIMPLE LIFE” AND “JOE MILLONARE” THINK FOR ONE MINUTE “GREG THE BUNNY” ES BETTER THAN THAT PLEASE!!!!
I HATE FOX, SERIUSLY THINK FOR ANOTHER SECOND WHAT OTHER SERIE DONT LET YOU STAND UP FROM YOUR CHAIR, NOW, ASK YOURSELF ¿WHO IS FOX? A NETWORK? I DONT THINK SO… I HOPE THAT ANOTHER CHANNEL TAKES JOHN DOE… PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP JOHN DOE.
Irritation with Fox continues
Futurama, Firefly, and now John Doe. I only watch one show on Fox regularly now: That 70’s Show (Red and Kitty are my favorite TV parents since Al and Peg).
I won’t whine too much about this cancellation, though. They did give it a somewhat fair chance in terms of both giving it a full season and promotion. But man, I really wanted to see what would happen next!
Re: Irritation with Fox continues
they cancel good drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat like John Doe and for what? John Doe was the first exciting TV show that I’ve watched in years. the story lines were always good, the season finale was unbelievable and now thats it? we don’t get to find out what happens next? I hate that!
damn them
im starting to hate fox… gah
I wonder if theres any chance of another network picking it up… not very hopeful tho.
too many shows die with a cliffhanger like this.
Re: damn them
I tried to get into Firefly, the timing always bad and poorly advertized, but the last Fox show I watched was Dark Angel.
The Status of Television
With the high ratings available with cheaply producted “reality” TV mixed with current state of the US economy we’re likely to see marginally profitable shows like John Doe, Firefly and Farscape quickly replaced. Reality shows have a high margin and short production time. Exploitive shows that show the grossest type of human behavior and portray it as reality will appeal to the most people. These shows have existed in television for quite some time, it’s just that the current state of finances of the studios that is allowing them to be produced in greater volume.
You see similar things happening on the internet with many marketers using mass email campaigns instead of targeted banner campaigns. It might be a dirtier way to make money, but it works. The long term affects on the brand become a problem that hopefully will bring the networks back in line. Already (above) you see a rip on FOX.
Although I quit watching John Doe once the last Farscape season started, I did like the concept and the shows I watched. Today good story telling on television is in short supply. In the theater, however, we seem to be having the reverse trend. Fantastic stories are being brought to the silver screen.
Fortunately with cable and satellite access gaining a larger footprint we’re able to offset the poor quality of network television with a greater variety of sources. Unless Enterprise is on, I avoid network television for the most part. I’ve never watched more than an episode of “reality” TV.
That’s my rant. Thanks for reading.
Re: The Status of Television: the Rant Continues
One thing that may help sustain better shows (though I’m afraid I don’t see Enterprise in that category) is the possibility of long-term profit. Reality Shows, thus far, have not demonstrated much rerun and resale potential. But SF and Fantasy are “cult-prone,” and therefore have huge rerun/resale/marketing potential in the long-term, when the original show is a hit.
And then there’s the issue raised by your reference to dirty e-mail campaigns. The fact that the spammers work to find their way around the filters mean that some people are filtering out spam, and then buying when they get it anyway. I hope what you say about long-term effects on the brand is correct; otherwise, what this says about the paying audience is not encouraging for quality programming, esp SF, which tends to be costly.
(Of course, if I can find a way to make fast money off of people’s stupidity and lack of taste, whole other story…. Anyone wanna buy a Jedi Farm AnimalTM figurine?)
Re: The Status of Television: the Rant Continues
Don’t bet on it. For the networks, it’s all about profit now now now now now. Later is nice, but the networks don’t really trust it. Money now vs. money later. What will kill the trend is (1) people getting fed up with it, and (2) one of the network execs deciding to get off the reality boat early, lest they have a “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”-style ratings plunge.
ABC, which used to be on top due to WWTBAM, is now (last I checked) 3rd place. Why? The success of the show. They built up so much of their schedule around it, when interest tapered off they wound up having too much of their schedule invested around it, and their ratings plunged. Think Cabbage Patch Dolls – the company made money while the fund lasted, but went bankrupt afterwards – all their manufacturing facilities were tied up in the dolls and it took too long to shift to some other toy.
Re: The Status of Television: the Rant Continues
This isn’t so unique, either. Corporate history is littered with companies who failed to see the writing on the wall. So many, in fact, that the exceptions are sometimes better remembered. For instance, the only mechanical typewriter company still in existence is IBM. The last existing company which made horse-drawn carriages was Studebaker. They survived by being able to transition when they saw change in the wind.
Sorry
It’s all my fault. Once I start warching a show it is gauranteed to be cancelled.
Re: Sorry
Please start watching Enterprise, any show on Fox with the word
“Mr” in it, and elimidate.
Re: Sorry
maybe be a little selective… get a TiVo then only watch the Enterprise eps that completely ignore continuity (borg)…
Mr. ____ and elimidate you can kill tho
FOX WHO?
WELL, AGAIN THE NETWORK THAT I CONSIDER THE BEST IS NOW TAKING THE BEST SERIE IN THE WHOLE WORLD, JOHN DOE IS CANCELLED? AND WHAT ABOUT THE REALITYS “THE SIMPLE LIFE” AND “JOE MILLONARE” THINK FOR ONE MINUTE “GREG THE BUNNY” ES BETTER THAN THAT PLEASE!!!!
I HATE FOX, SERIUSLY THINK FOR ANOTHER SECOND WHAT OTHER SERIE DONT LET YOU STAND UP FROM YOUR CHAIR, NOW, ASK YOURSELF ¿WHO IS FOX? A NETWORK? I DONT THINK SO… I HOPE THAT ANOTHER CHANNEL TAKES JOHN DOE… PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP JOHN DOE.