On Nov 7, 5:43 am, Bobcat <bob_c...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Headlined "Strikes Halting Production at Seven Shows", this Associated
> Press news item says one of them will be "Back to You":
>
> LOS ANGELES (AP) - Production of the hit show "Desperate Housewives"
> and at least six sitcoms filmed before live audiences will be halted
> as a result of the writers strike - developments that raised the
> stakes Tuesday in the walkout targeting movie studios and TV networks.
> Sitcoms that will stop the cameras include "Back to You," starring
> Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, which will not return from a
> planned hiatus, said Chris Alexander, a spokesman for 20th Century Fox
> Television.
Does "will not return from a planned hiatus" mean the show is being
cancelled? Didn't someone re****t here a week or so ago that it had
beeen renewed for a second season? In my understanding, such
decisions either way are not normally made when a show has been on the
air for barely a month --- unless networks consider there is such a
severe shortage of decent comedies just now, that Kelsey and Patricia
are sufficient to keep this one going.
I've read several items in the NYTimes about the striek, and the
reason comedies filmed before live audiences cannot continue
production is that normally they are subject to further rewriting
while in production, ie at the table read and rehearsal stages. If
the writers, however, are on strike this cannot be done, except maybe
for cuts which the director or editor decide on. This is one of the
points Ken Levine discusses in his blog which Dorcie posted yesterday.
Getting back to "Back To You", I find it difficult to imagine the show
will soon go on hiatus for the rest of the 07-08 season, but return in
September 2008. I don't think the marketing and/or advertising
systems for network TV series can, at least readily, accommodate this
kind of disruption. Even the long delays between seasons for certain
cable series, notably "The Sopranos", caused considerable viewer
dissatisfaction, and I doubt even HBO or Showtime could do this,
except for an exceptionally popular and solidly established series.
Also, for a show like "Back To You", can the actors' contracts be
binding (for the actors or production company) when there are long
delays beyond a normal season's timeframe? What if they find other
work in the meantime?
I doubt anyone from the networks, or other PTB, are lurking here, but
if they're sure the stirke is going to be a long one, instead of just
showing endless repeats of current shows, I'd suggest rebroadcasting
some past shows which only lasted a season or so but, could be
expected to interest viewers.
An obvious candidate would be "The Powers That Be". I'm sure manyh
people would like to see this, if only because David Hyde Pierce
subsequently became such a huge star on "FRASIER". Another one I'd
enjoy again would be "Stark Raving Mad". Neither of these is
available on DVD, and neither lasted long enough to make it to
syndication.
There are a number of interesting short-lived shows which failed
because they were ahead of their time and/or networks didn't know how
to market them.
Just some thoughts...
Charles
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