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Posts tagged as “Science-Fiction”

TV Mid-Season '09: The Complete Review – What is coming back

As we know, who says new year, says new schedule.

Time for The Complete Review’s awesome second part about the mid-season.
Let’s get it on and start things off with what is coming back.
I am not here talking about shows that premiered in fall, rather shows from last year that we have all been waiting for (or not?).

They’re back again. With a full stomach.


– Flashpoint – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 9): As previously reported, including the last 4 episodes from Season One, the second season should be comprised of 22 fresh episodes. Can it still be the hit it was last year? Only time (and Nielsen) will tell.


– Friday Night Lights – Season 3 (premieres Jan. 16): The season that has already been shown on DirecTV. I’m waiting for the HD release to watch it. Has it refound its Season One epicness?


– Scrubs – Season 8 (premieres Jan. 6): If you still haven’t heard, don’t be confused; Scrubs has moved to ABC due to shitty programming by NBC (amongst other things). If you want to get spoiled on the season/series-finale, there’s an interview with Bill Lawrence (the show’s creator) talking about that and what will happen once he and Zach Braff leave at the end of this year (yes, the show will probably continue in some form).
– Lost – Season 5 (premieres Jan. 21): They got off it. Now how do they go back?


– 24 – Season 7 (premieres Jan. 11): 24: Redemption was crap, and so were the first 15 minutes of the Season 7 premiere. Mix that with Tony Almeida coming back from his grave as a villain, and you’ve got another crappy 24 season on your hands. Or perhaps not?


– Reaper – Season 2 (premieres March 17): Cool first season, although I preferred Chuck to it.


– Big Love – Season 3 (premieres Jan. 18): Never saw the point of this show.
– Flight of the Conchords – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 18): I am told it is awesomely great.


– The L Word – Season 6 (premieres Jan. 18): Haven’t watched the show since Season 3 so can’t really comment on it.

The Big Unknown
The Tudors – Season 3 (Spring): How can a historical show continue to reinvent itself? By changing History.


– Battlestar Galactica – Season 4 (or rather 5) (premieres Jan. 16): This show has disappointed me so much since the third season, I just want to get it over with.


– Damages – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 7): The first season was epic and the second is supposed to begin where we last left off our awesome characters. Unfortunately it is quite probable that this second season will be less formidable than the first, though still quite entertaining nonetheless.

The Big Unknown
Rescue Me – Season 5 (Spring): The latest season was just okay with completely useless mini episodes. Let’s hope Rescue Me can wake up (I was about to do a Rescue Me play on word but waaaaay too easy). Michael J. Fox is coming back to TV with a role as Janet’s new love interest.

Now that we’ve seen new seasons, we’ll get a good look at the fresh new shows coming our way for this mid-season.
My guess is: awesomeness is coming.

Nine ideas to save Television – Part Two

Nine ideas to save Television – Part Two

Money, the Internet, ideas, pilots and big names are on the menu today with the conclusion of our 2-part article on nine ways to save the Networks and TV from going bankrupt.

5. Cost efficiency
TV episodes cost a whole bunch of money. That’s one of the many reasons reality shows began to be very popular a few years back.
Now, for better or for worse, shows are trying to get made more and more on the cheap.
An episode that is today made for 1 million dollars might be made tomorrow for 700 000.
Less money might mean more shows and ultimately more critically-acclaimed shows. Dialogue is cheap.

6. Webisodes
Every day brings its new web show it seems. They might not all be Emmy-worthy but they allow people to express themselves in ways that were not even possible a decade ago.
Web series are cheap to produce, a key nurturing element to vector original content.
And let’s not forget that “viral” part where a show generates tremendous buzz, leading them to jump screen.
Sanctuary, a web-based green-screen show, is now on Sci-Fi (starting early October).
Heroes and The Office both made webisodes that were talked about amongst fans, and beyond.
Although it is difficult to say if we will ever have 42 or 23-minute webisodes, the Whedon brothers showed everyone with Dr. Horrible that high-concept ideas could be made cheaply while maintaining that “it” factor.

7. Re-develop ideas and pilots
Not only would it save money in the long run but it would create an immense well of creativity. New perspectives might be endless.
A pilot needs to be tweaked just right to be almost perfect so why not keep it on the page until it is perfect?
HBO does it, so why not the Big Five?
Intervening on a project when there is a problem could be a great idea. The pilot of “Life On Mars” was leaked on the web and suffered harsh criticism, leading to an entire rethinking of its premise. The show may finally be quite different from its UK counterpart, for the better.
Although ideas should not stay in limbo forever, the right amount of “perfectionism” mixed with business could amount to new waves of shows.

8. Big names for big shows
The Big Five might not in a few years have big tent poles shows or even “appointment TV”.
One idea to try to counter that would be to keep banking on big names and linking them to big shows, therefore creating a package that would attract buyers.
Steven Bochco, David E. Kelley, Joss Whedon, J.J. Abrams, ever heard of these guys?
People might just watch the new show made by X instead of switching off the TV to play Second Life.

9. Take chances
No, it doesn’t go against ideas number 7 and 8, on the contrary.
New writers might offer a fresh perspective on a rotten concept.
AMC took a chance on a spec pilot that no one else wanted, and then Emmys were won.
If the Big Five want to get back some of what the cable has taken away from them, they need to take chances.
Chances on stories, chances on writers.
Big risks now means rewards down the road. Originality needs to happen.
Yes, some of the shows might fail, but television is a world of trial and errors. Mistakes are part of life.
If Cavemen hadn’t happened, we would have another horrible show on our hands. Thank God then that… Oh, wait.

Embrace change and get ahead of the competition.