Question: What happened to the remaining (unaired) episodes of Book of Daniel? Are they available on DVD along with the first few episodes that were aired? Or is the entire story available in "book form"? It's unfortunate that this program came to a screeching halt. Is it true that the advertisers withdrew sponsorships on their own accord, or was it just made to look like they did? I'm interested. Thanks in advance for your response.
Answer: For a while, NBC had made the unseen episodes available for viewing on its website, I believe. I also know there will be a public screening of two of the episodes at the annual Outfest in Los Angeles in July. And I've heard that there is talk (nothing confirmed yet) of a DVD release of the full series, which would certainly be the best option. As for the advertisers: this was always a tough sell, and the controversy that surrounded the show even before its premiere scared many sponsors away. That plus NBC's ultimate lack of faith in the series
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Question: Thanks for your support of Invasion this season. I was a little sad but not surprised to see that it had been canceled. I consider it a fascinating experiment that yielded some wonderful results, like Shaun Cassidy's other series, American Gothic, although it certainly wasn't for all tastes. Best of all, it brought the talents of William Fichtner, who was able to simultaneously convey both menacing and sympathetic qualities, to my attention. I will miss Sheriff Underlay most of all. I don't consider it a "waste of time" to have taken a chance on a series that had a high chance of failure. It was worth it to see something interesting and a little different. So tell us what you think now that the decision's in. What do you think about Invasion and about investing time and love in low-chance shows?
Answer: I couldn't agree more with the praise for William Fichtner, one of the more original villains-turned-heros I've ever witnessed. I liked Invasion when it was too slow for many,
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Question: Invasion just keeps getting better. After excellent episodes of Alias and Lost, Invasion ends up topping them all, in my opinion. I could seriously feel the storm growing through the TV set — what a great, chilling, suspenseful story that's been unraveling over the course of this season. The thought of not seeing it back next season is the only thing that terrifies me more than an underwater hybrid army. I need Invasion Season 2, or at least a fully realized end to this story!
Answer: I certainly agree with this (well, maybe not Invasion topping Lost), but since it isn't exactly a question, here's this from Chris: "I just want to say that I love your column. I just wonder if ABC is bringing back Invasion. I am starting to really get into the show but I was also into Sons & Daughters until ABC canceled it. So what does the future of Invasion look like?"
I don't want to give false hope here, but what I'm hearing is that the collapse of Commander in Chief (which ABC pulled from
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Question: Matt, I'm a huge fan! My question is about ABC's comedies (According to Jim, Rodney, Hope & Faith, Crumbs, Sons & Daughters, George Lopez, Freddie and Less than Perfect). Which ones do you think will survive another season? I think it's time for According to Jim and Hope & Faith to go. But I love Rodney and Less than Perfect. Creatively, I feel they have a lot to offer. Do you think there is at all a chance for a TGIF comeback? What are your thoughts on this?
Answer: Of all the shows you mentioned, I would only even consider watching Sons & Daughters regularly. But I know I'm in the minority on that one, given the puny ratings it drew this spring, which makes me doubt it will return, barring a miracle. (There are some intriguing comedy concepts kicking around ABC for next season, and maybe ABC would keep Sons & Daughters alive as a companion piece. But that's probably a pipe dream.) Given that Rodney was put on hiatus before it could play out its second season, and that Less
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Question: Love your column. While I am saddened by the apparent cancellation of Sons & Daughters, I am hardly surprised. The first time I saw it, I said pessimistically to myself, "This is an Arrested Development rip-off," but as the shows went on, I had the same thought, only in a more positive light. I normally love David Cross, but his character on AD always seemed a little forced to me, whereas Jerry Lambert (Don on S&D), playing seemingly the same role as Cross, was pure comedic gold. I think he was the most underrated character on the show, with every line superbly understated, and every selfish act completely hilarious as opposed to grating. The cancellation's timing is the only thing that really bothers me. Anyone who saw the fate of AD surely could've predicted the eventual outcome for S&D, but why would ABC hype it so much and bring it in for mid-season, just to show only a handful of episodes and then suddenly cancel it? Why even put it on the air? Did ABC think that America ...
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