Am I wrong for thinking ...
Question: Am I wrong for thinking something as corny as
Ghost Whisperer will be roundly mocked by the critics and still do well? From
Touched by an Angel,
Dr. Quinn and
Diagnosis Murder to, more recently,
Judging Amy and
The Guardian, it seems like CBS has always realized that there is an audience for a certain type of schmaltzy drama and
GW seems to fit the bill. The only alteration seems to be sticking a bunch of really pretty young people in the cast to try to draw some kids in, too. I would like to see it do well for its cast and for
Threshold's and
Numbers' sake. Any thoughts?
Answer: Good points, and you're no doubt right. I also hope
Ghost Whisperer can help, not hurt,
Threshold, which will need whatever boost it can get to attract viewers on Fridays. There is a long tradition of criticproof shows that pander to the viewers' heart-strings in a way that some of us find unbearably sappy, and
Ghost Whisperer at its worst falls right into that pit. But it does have attractive actors (and, in the pilot, a strong guest star in
Wentworth Miller as the stuck-in-limbo ghost of the week) and a premise that might catch on, no matter how critics may scoff. In fact,
Threshold's biggest problem may be its direct competition on NBC: the feel-good, tear-jerking reality show
Three Wishes, which may tap into the same target audience as
Ghost Whisperer and could end up one of the season's sleeper hits. Look what
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has done for ABC.