Question: First 24, then Lost. I love that we're going to see more of these high-end productions, but do you think the networks will cause viewer burnout since every major network will have new serialized dramas to tout in the fall? I'm sure that money has everything to do with their breaking into new platforms for these shows. Even Lost will have toy figures for its characters!
Answer: It's a fact that just about every network wants to have a show that commands as much media attention, viewer loyalty and branding possibilities as the best of the serial thrillers tend to generate. (It helps when you have breakout stars like Prison Break's Wentworth Miller; you should have heard the screams at the Fox upfront.) It's also a fact that there are going to be a few too many of these continuing mysteries on the fall schedule, more than most will be able to keep up with. Call it a glut. And they sound almost indistinguishable: Vanished. Kidnapped. Runaway. There may well be burnout, and I
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Reunion. Threshold. E-Ring. Invasion. Emily's Reasons Why Not. Love Monkey. Commander in Chief. Heist.
What do these shows have in common? They all debuted at some point during this soon-to-wrap TV season, yet each saw their run either cut surprisingly short or handicapped by irregular scheduling. Was 2005-06 the worst year ever to sample a new show? Were the networks especially hasty in deciding the fate of freshman series? TVGuide.com consulted a panel of experts with unique points of view to examine this strange little season gone by.
Are New Shows Getting Short Shrift?Jeff Bader, executive vice president of ABC entertainment programming and scheduling, dismisses the suggestion that prime time is a crueler-than-ever proving ground for new series. "
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Question: I've been waiting for the show Reunion to return. I thought it was supposed to return sometime in February, but nothing yet, and it's already April. I was wondering if you knew if and when it's returning. Sincerely, a faithful fan.
Answer: I vowed never to utter this show's name again, but because I keep getting questions, especially during this period of mid-season churn, one last time: Reunion is dead. It's not coming back. Fox canceled it before it got to the end of its story, and there's no point in airing any unseen episodes without a resolution. Fox execs have said that one scenario for the solution of the whodunit was that Samantha was murdered by the daughter she gave up for adoption. But they obviously never got to produce the episodes leading up to this reveal. So it's history ...
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SupernaturalWelcome to Thursday-night TV, Supernatural! Yes, this week the show moved to the post-Smallville spot and I'm back to writing about three Thursday shows (remember, I used to cover Reunion, too. Moment of silence, please). Sam's having wacky nightmares and visions about a dark, possibly cursed, family in Michigan. He feels connected to the family's scary son, who's mastered the skill of telekinesis. Meanwhile, Dean tries hard not to freak out about Sam’s new powers. (Add telekinesis to the list.) Two genuinely scary moments: When the guy got guillotined and that whole vision of Max stabbing his mother in the eye. Best Sam and Dean moments: Father Frehley and Father Simmons, anyone? Also, the very last scene in the entire episode.
I'm
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Question: Someone recently wrote in about the poor chances of Invasion getting a second season. That would sadden me (I like the show), but I have wondered where it would even go for a second or third season. Some shows seem to be able to keep it fresh and fun for years, and others burn themselves out quickly. I know networks want shows that keep making money year after year, but do you think they might keep the "Arrgh, they canceled my show!" viewers happier if sometimes they released a show that was only meant to have one season? Some stories are too big for cinema, but they're not long enough to last five or six seasons. Sometimes one season is just about right. (I got this idea from animé, in which stand-alone 26-episode stories are very common.)
Answer: We'll see how this plays out when the networks experiment this summer and into next season with the telenovela format (on My Network TV), which (from what I understand) tells closed-ended soap-opera stories in season-long formats. I
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