Roush on On the Lot, Project Runway and Top Chef
Question: I watched all of
On the Lot'
s episodes, and I really loved the show. The film directors were surprisingly talented, and I found myself voting for favorites. Not to mention the fact that the prize was huge: $1 mil with Spielberg. Yet you and others have bashed the show, and the ratings were apparently low. I don't get it. What went wrong? I am very disappointed that we won't see another episode.
— Sandra
Matt Roush: The biggest problem I had with the show (which I quickly bailed on) was that, at least in the early stages, we never got a sense of the process of filmmaking. I would sit through a bunch of what looked like student films with no idea of the conflicts and challenges involved in getting them made. The process of creation is part of what makes reality shows like
Project Runway and
Top Chef so addictive. If
On the Lot eventually improved in that aspect as it went on, so be it. It was too late for me. Plus I found the live studio aspect off-putting, and the host was simply ghastly.
