It’s the end of another year watching TV. I never thought I’d last this long. Yet here I am, ending my sixth year writing “TV Eye.” Seems that after this much time, I should have some special prognosticating powers, right? Well, it seems that the more I watch TV, the more I’m surprised — sometimes pleasantly, but more often not. But let me publicly stick my neck out on some questions I’ve pondered or that have been directed to me by faithful readers.
When Will Reality TV Die? I often get this question by people who first claim not to have much time to watch TV, but can’t help but watch their favorite reality show. Well, the reason reality TV continues to propagate is because people watch it. Lest you think the genre is dying, a reality TV network is set to launch as early as next year, as well as a new magazine devoted entirely to reality TV.
Why Do All the Good Shows Get Canceled?
Well, “good” is in the eye of the beholder, of course. The simple answer is in the previous response. The viewers are there in the numbers the network wants or they’re not. The good news is that low achievers can be made available to fans in new ways. One is to “repurpose” on a sister network (usually cable), or to enter the DVD market. According to an article by Fred Kaplan in last week’s Sunday New York Times, DVDs have become the media of choice this holiday season. Nearly 36,000 films are available on DVD, and half of those were released within the past two years. That’s not including TV DVDs, a niche within the niche, which provides a second life for canceled-before-their-time series. Case in point: Firefly (Fox). The genre-bending Fox series was canceled midseason to outcries by a small but devoted fan base. While there was talk that Firefly would become a feature film, that project fizzled. However, the entire Firefly season (including unaired episodes) is now available on DVD. Other such “back from the dead” projects include Mr. Show, The Ben Stiller Show, and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Anyone familiar with the aforementioned titles will recognize that these programs were not traditional network TV fare, which brings me to the next question.
Will Network TV Ever Be as Good as HBO?
A few years back, some now-forgotten TV exec had a public tantrum about how unfair it was that HBO didn’t have the same restrictions as broadcast networks, and that something should be done. Why not spend time reinvigorating the existing format, I wondered. Finally, it seems broadcast networks are looking to do just that.
First, ABC recently announced that it was ordering next season’s shows written in a five-act format, instead of the traditional four-act. The goal is to keep viewers from wandering off at the end of shows, typically packed with credits, previews, and a bundle of commercials. But they have to put commercials in somewhere, don’t they? Yes, which is why I predict we’ll see even more product placement. How annoying it will be is yet to be seen, but a solution would be to use the old-fashioned “brought to you by” banner announcement. Another is more commercials that play like minifilms, where the product becomes eye candy in a compelling narrative, ending with an invitation to visit a Web site to learn more about the product.
While interactive television has yet to explode as forecasters predicted in years past, it may appear in a way not previously considered: fan fiction. Filmmakers in particular seem to loathe fan fiction, but some TV creators now admit to reading fan fiction and fan sites, taking cues from what they read. According to a Variety article by Wayne Friedman, My2Centences of New York is now pitching FanLib to the TV industry. The new software would allow fans to write an episode of a favorite series that could appear on the air. There are myriad obstacles. However, if stumbling blocks are overcome, I predict that this will be the jolt that interactive TV needs to become a reality (give it two years).
Other things to look for in TV: more serialized programs (following 24) and a reconstitution of the miniseries on network and cable. But more on that next week, along with the burning question: diversity on TV — fact or fiction?
As always, stay tuned.
This article appears in December 19 • 2003.