Premature cancellation. It's a problem that is running rampant through the television networks these days. Network executives are hasty with their cancellation orders these days, often axing a show before it has more than a few episodes under its belt. I tell you, if I love a show, it is a good indication that it will be cancelled pretty quickly. Some shows are at least allowed to finish their one and only season, yet often leave storylines in the air, preventing fans from achieving any kind of closure. One of my favorites was Birds of Prey, a series with great storylines, well-developed characters, and fantastic action. It never came back after Season 1. Other shows are given the rare chance at a second season, allowing viewers to get their hopes up, only to dash those very hopes shortly into the season. It was recently announced that another of my favorite shows won't be renewed for what would have been its third season: Pushing Daisies. This show is so clever, witty, and very different from anything else on television. To see it killed when some pretty trashy reality shows survive is disheartening. Pushing Daisies shared a creator with another great series with a low episode count: Dead Like Me. Bryan Fuller infused this show with the same quirky humor and offbeat plots that he brought to Pushing Daisies. It was also cancelled unceremoniously. Some new life was breathed into it when it was re-run years later on teh SciFi channel, but it was too little too late. The cast had long since moved on to other projects, so even if a network bought the show, the chemistry that those actors brought to Dead Like Mewas a thing of the past. Occasionally, a show is cancelled prematurely, but sees new life in a movie format. Fans let out an uproar when shows like Firefly and Farscape were cancelled. We found closure with Farscape when the SciFi channel wrapped up the storylines in made-for-tv movies. Firefly's return was even more spectacular, with feature film release in theaters nationwide. The joy was shortlived, however, when it was made clear that the movie Serenity, even as phenomenal a movie as it was, turned out to be the final death-knoll for that world and those beloved characters. What's the point of all this? Networks are killing themselves with premature cancellation. Think aboutSeinfeld: that show didn't score well in the ratings its first season. In fact, it didn't reach the top 30 until its fourth season. By today's network standards, it would have been cancelled before it really had a chance to find its audience. The fickle nature of tv networks today makes viewers like me reluctant to give new shows a chance. I'm tired of finding great shows that are never given the chance to find their footing before impatient executives trash them and fill the slot with the next new thing. It is rare I'll watch a show in its first season anymore, preferring to see it get renewed at least once before I invest myself in it. Consequently, viewership suffers even further because people like me aren't tuning in. I'm just tired of it. The mindless banality and shameless manipulation inherent in the reality shows that swarm each channel today get renewed season after season, yet shows that have depth to them, real stories, shows that take talent to create and produce are killed off ruthlessly. More and more I turn to other entertainment mediums to fill my spare time. Reading is my primary joy, although I like watching movies as well. Music is a neverending source of joy for me. But television? I find it is now staying turned off more nights than it is on. RIP to some great shows:
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Premature Cancellation Runs Rampant
Friday, November 30, 2007
Jingles & Theme Songs
Hardly anyone has original commercial jingles or theme songs any more. I miss them. Today, they all use clips of hit songs in place of a real commercial jingle, or just a few notes of music with the opening credits instead of a theme song.
I still hear the 'muncha buncha, muncha buncha' lyrics from the old Fritos commercial when I see Fritos. I loved that commercial and when I was a kid, my little sister and I would time it so we'd eat a Frito on the 'Crunch' part of the song! LOL
And who can forget the Oscar Mayer Wiener jingle? I know plenty of people who still sing it and think of Oscar Mayer hot dogs.
Then take shows like Three's Company, The Facts of Life, Gilligan's Island, and The Brady Bunch. I have known every word of those theme songs ever since I can remember. Sometimes those songs come to mind and bring back fond memories of those shows.
Even better example: The song 'Believe it or Not.' You know the one I mean - the chorus goes "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air, I never thought I could feel so free..." Remember the song?
Most people do. A lot of people even remember it was the theme song to the tv show The Greatest American Hero, a largely forgettable program. But it achieved and maintained a greater fame because of its popular theme song.
In my honest opinion, tv producers and product manufacturers are missing the boat by not having original songs that customers and viewers will long associate with their show. Why use a pop hit that sounds cool but already has a place in the pop culture psyche that is not tied to their program or product? I know someone has used one of Supertramp's hits in their commercial, but can I remember who it was or what product? Nope. I still think of Supertramp when I hear any of their songs.
Alright, I'm off my little soapbox... Feel free to chime in with your opinion or just your favorite theme song or jingle! I'll be off singing today's earworm, sparked by mention of George Clooney on the radio this morning...
"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the Facts of Life, the Facts of Life..." (Yep, George C. was on that show in the later years! Remember the hunky neighbor sporting a mullet?)
Jennifer Ray
www.jenaray.com
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Ellen Degeneres calls Gladys again - Hysterical!!!
The first video is the original call to Gladys. You'll want to watch #1 before watching the second video. The second video is the new video from Ellen's call to Gladys this week.
I want to be Gladys.
Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/
Sunday, December 10, 2006
As see on TV - Hilarious!
These two Saturday Night Live skits never fail to crack me up! I don't know how they kept a straight face, although poor Janet Jackson really didn't...
The Schweaty Balls sketch with Alec Baldwin is a Christmas classic:
The Cork Soakers skit is, well, there are just no words:
Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/
Italian Cork Soakers - Click here for more amazing videos
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