Hiyas!
Somehow, what was supposed to be a short hiatus slowly turned into something a bit longer, and truth be told, showed no signs of abating. However, as most things go, so does this. Yesterday, I came up with an idea for a blog post. An idea that actually stuck around longer than the morning drive that it was created on. So, here it is, a nifty post on the fickleness of network t.v., circa the 1990's.
Back when I was Ms. Kitty's age, I used to watch network t.v. I know, it's hard to believe, but unlike today, in which the amount of current network {ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW (?), UPN (?)}t.v. shows that I've watched in the past several years you can count on one hand, I was a devotee of prime time. I always enjoyed discovering new t.v. shows to watch, especially niche shows.
What I mean by "niche" shows, are the ones that have a small cult following. Back then, network execs were more of a breed called "ratings obsessed numbnuts". Which means that if a t.v. show didn't get boffo ratings by the end of the 1st season, they would either cancel the show or tweak the crap out of it to fit a certain formula. Problem was, when they did that, the show ultimately jumped the shark, and was never to be heard from again.
For example, there were two t.v. shows that I'd discovered that absolutely rocked their first season. Problem was, they were a little on the dark side, and unlike today, in which most networks love shows that are a bit dark and realistic, back then the network dweebs didn't take kindly to that kind of drama. So they tweaked and forced them to jump the shark in the 2nd season.
Example #1: The John Larroquette Show. The show was about a recovering alcoholic who manages a big city bus station. Originally, the show was a bit dark, sort of like an unbalanced dramedy. But by the second season, it became more of an unbalanced comedy, and for me, ultimately lost me as a viewer. Somehow, this show lasted about 4 seasons, which with the amount of episodes it had (84), in today's world, would equal about 9.
Example #2: Gabriel's Fire. This show featured James Earl Jones as the lead. He played a cop who was released from prison and was hired by the lawyer who got him out to be a p.l. Again, this show was a very gritty drama from the get go, but like the first one, the ratings weren't there, so the network retooled it for the second season and turned into something more lighthearted. End result was that it become two and done, and done the hard way, as the 2nd season lasted only 12 episodes.
So, do you have any favorite niche t.v. shows, past or present, that jumped the shark due to the inability of network execs to leave well enough alone?
(c) 2015 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.
I remember the first one.
ReplyDeleteFunny how shows from the 70's and 80's tended to last longer as they gave them a chance to build.
I'd have to go with a more recent series, Fringe. First season, great. Second season, going into another dimension, was just too odd. I stopped watching.
Yes, the did at that. I think back then, the really had nothing else to work with, so to speak, which is why they lasted as long as they did.
DeleteHave not heard of that show, but that really bites. Another show that comes to mind was "True Blood". 1st season, boffo, rest of the seasons, not so good.
I really loved the first season of About a Boy, but only watched the first couple of episodes of season two. I think they monkeyed with it too much.
ReplyDeleteHaven't heard about that one (goes to show just how much t.v. I watch these days), but when they start tweaking it for no discernible reason, that can be a really big turn-off.
DeleteI was a fan of The John Larroquette Show too!
ReplyDeleteI thought his show was great follow-up to "Night Court", at least for the first season, as it showcased his talents exceptionally well.
DeleteNah, I can't think of any. I tend to only watch shows after dozens have people have berated me for not watching them for months. Those tend to already be well-established series.
ReplyDeleteI'm like that with only a few network shows. The rest don't even remotely pique my curiosity.
DeleteIt seems lately I have lost most of the new shows that grabbed my attention but not the attention of anyone else. Meanwhile I have to wonder what ingredients cause other shows to continue running after they have "jumped the shark".
ReplyDeleteNone of the new shows have grabbed my attention since I rarely watch network t.v. to begin with.
DeleteFor some that have jumped the shark, a lot of it has to do with ratings. So long as the ratings stay good, they'll keep going on and on.
I've never even heard of those 2 shows you mentioned. There were a couple of decades when I watched very little TV so there's a lot that I never saw. I still don't watch all that much TV, but still probably watch more than I need to. Can't think of a jump the shark situation, but I can think of a few shows that just vanished without resolving the story in any way. I hate it when that happens if I'm really into the show.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I can think of a couple of shows like that too, both on network and cable. Definitely bites the big one.
Delete"V" sci fi- Fantasy is good
ReplyDeleteI think I remember that show. Didn't watch it, but it seemed like a cool one.
DeleteAsk any Cuban my age and they will immediately say "Toqui", an Ecuadorian-voiced, cute, little boy-faced doll that brought much joy to me and people of my generation. Cult? Toqui became cult with the passing of time.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Now those, are the best kind of shows.
DeleteHey! Thanks for the shout out...I think. ;) I haven't watched regular TV reguarly...well, ever. The only show I follow is Dr. Who when it gets to Netflix.
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome. My family has Netflix and they've been semi-binge watching old slasher films from the 90's. I don't do Netflix simply because I don't have the patience to watch a program all the way through.
DeleteI remember about two years back, I decided to stop blogging. I wanted to give up because I felt I was not reaching anyone and started to feel it was pointless. That lasted for all of a month and a half. Then I got the writing bug again and simply HAD to write. And I'm still doing so today.
ReplyDeleteIronic you mention jumping the shark. That was the subject of my r.a.n.t. this month over on my blog. Wow! I remember the John Larroquette Show. I remember liking it a lot the first season. I too thought it had changed. (This is a dark ride). In another ironic moment, I just ordered the first season of Night Court from Amazon. I loved John in that.
Like you, I hate when a network kills a show because of poor first season ratings. I find it dumb because the first season should be all about building the characters. Unfortunately, the general public won't give a show a chance unless it's all action immediatley or they are solving a crime. Honestly, how many CSI shows do we need? I love Sci Fi so when Firefly or V (the reboot) or Alcatraz are cancelled, it really burns me.
PS - I list a few more shark jumping moments in my blog post if you feel like checking it out.
I've been blogging for 8 1/2 years and because of the work related stress for the past couple of months, my blogging has dropped down to almost nothing. I've been thinking about what to do with my blogging for the past few weeks and I'll probably come to a decision in January about it.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I also don't like it when a show does boffo in the first season, then immediately takes a detour and gets lost for a few years, and the network sticks with it in the vain hope that somehow someway, it gets better (True Blood comes to mind).