Family Guy returns

[daveNYC]

It will just get taken off the air again anyway. If there weren't enough people the first time, I don't think there will be enough the second time either.

As long as Fox doesn't pull a Futurama on them, they should do OK.  It's not about the total number of watchers anyway, it's all about the 18-24 (or whatever) group.

[Merusk]

It will just get taken off the air again anyway. If there weren't enough people the first time, I don't think there will be enough the second time either.

As long as Fox doesn't pull a Futurama on them, they should do OK.  It's not about the total number of watchers anyway, it's all about the 18-24 (or whatever) group.

When a network wants to cancel a show, this is what they do.  Moving the airing time/ day frequently means someone with power doesn't like the show and wants it canned (granted, that's if it's a good show.)  Moving it around means it'll get shit numbers in the ratings, which are all you need to justify cancellation.   But don't take my word for it, that's directly from Patrick "Puddy" Warburton when he was interviewed on local radio.  It's why The Tick, despite having a good fanbase in key demographics, was cancelled.

[Windurst]

I didn't understand the reasoning for pulling FG off the air in the first place.

Werent the ratings any good for it?

[Windurst]

It will just get taken off the air again anyway. If there weren't enough people the first time, I don't think there will be enough the second time either.

As long as Fox doesn't pull a Futurama on them, they should do OK.  It's not about the total number of watchers anyway, it's all about the 18-24 (or whatever) group.

When a network wants to cancel a show, this is what they do.  Moving the airing time/ day frequently means someone with power doesn't like the show and wants it canned (granted, that's if it's a good show.)  Moving it around means it'll get shit numbers in the ratings, which are all you need to justify cancellation.   But don't take my word for it, that's directly from Patrick "Puddy" Warburton when he was interviewed on local radio.  It's why The Tick, despite having a good fanbase in key demographics, was cancelled.

That's not necessarily true.   For example,  when Everybody Loves Raymond first aired, it was on Friday Nights at 9:00 I think.  The show was good, but the ratings didn't reflect that....  so they moved it to a better timeslot on Monday Nights at 9:00....

and the rest is history.

[MahrinSkel]

One move can mean they are trying to position it better, or have something else they think will do better in the slot (but think the one they are moving can take its audience with it).  When they move it two or three times in the same season, they are trying to kill it.

--Dave

[Jeff Kelly]

I didn't understand the reasoning for pulling FG off the air in the first place.

Werent the ratings any good for it?

Well it was Fox. They wouldn't recognize a good show even if it'd  kick them in the balls.

Same procedure as Firefly or Futurama or $Show_with_promise. The kept changing schedules and moved FG to every conceivable bad timeslot available and also preempted it every week for football. Then it got cancelled due to poor ratings. Go figure.

They then released FG on DVD and were mildly puzzled when it outsold every other Fox franchise available on DVD at that time. They then did the same thing with firefly, which included the same mild puzzlement when the Firefly DVDs outsold every other fox franchise available on DVD at that time.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Jeff

[Rasix]

Well, at least they let them shoot the full 13.  Thankfully, Wonderfalls, another great show they canned will be coming to DVD soon.  I hate Fox, if I like a show there, they either cancel it or turn it into the some sort of craptacular version of itself (see 24).

[kaid]

I love my firefly dvd set but man it also kinda depresses me a bit. They went so far out of their way to drive a steak into its heart to kill it off it was sick.

I tried to watch every episode when it first ran but between time slot flipping and randomly getting preempted and delayed for weeks at a time I could never freaking find when it was on to watch it.


kaid

[schild]

Well, at least they let them shoot the full 13.  Thankfully, Wonderfalls, another great show they canned will be coming to DVD soon.  I hate Fox, if I like a show there, they either cancel it or turn it into the some sort of craptacular version of itself (see 24).

Wonderfalls isn't just coming out soon. It comes out tomorrow.

[HaemishM]

If a show, especially on Fox, gets pre-empted more than once, you can bet somebody at the network wants the show dead. And Fox is just famous for stupid shit. Hell, they haven't learned anything in what, 10 years?

They put the X-Files on Friday nights, thinking it was such a weird show, no one would watch it. BAM, it's a fucking hit, so after about 2 more good seasons, they moved it to Sunday night. Then, they thought that sci-fi/fantasy type fans will watch anything sci-fi on Friday nights. So they start a musical chairs that involves anything they can create sci-fi, almost guaranteeing that any sci-fi show on Fox will eventually end up on Friday nights. Strangely enough, other shows don't catch on, or don't catch on enough, and get pre-empted for "World's Deadliest Police Chases" and other tomfoolery. Nothing succeeds, but hey, the fans DO buy the shit on DVD (see Firefly, Millenium, Family Guy, hell even Harsh Realm).

I'm beginning to believe that the most profitable format for sci-fi shows is DVD. What the TV networks should do is air the shows, then release them the next week on DVD.

[schild]

I thought Harsh Realm would be a robot jesus given the premise. It turned out to be WWIIOL. Who knew?

[Paelos]

FOX continues to be formulaic and pandering. They play to the LCD of human need for entertainment. That is why we get shows with more boobies per half hour than on any other network. Mostly, the sci-fi/fantasy genre scares network execs because its really "out there" to them. They don't get it and they are afraid that because it could be construed as a niche show, that the general public isn't going to support it. So, when they jerk it around on the timeslots they can confirm their fears and write it off. Kind of like how those women who bitch about not having a man sabatoge every date they get a chance to go on.

Haemish is correct though, television needs to move to a more DVD style format. Can you imagine how cool it would be to get full seasons of a show all at once? It would make the market stronger in my view to have those episodes released ASAP.

[HaemishM]

I thought Harsh Realm would be a robot jesus given the premise. It turned out to be WWIIOL. Who knew?

I liked Harsh Realm, at least the first 3 episodes I saw. But it was about 20 times better than Tru Calling, which seems to be the height of "sci-fi" shows Fox can produce now.

[stray]

Since this has already moved to a discussion about Fox, I'll just post this here. Maybe it'll make someone happy.

'Firefly' lands in film afterlife

The short-lived TV series "Firefly" is moving to the big screen. After taking his "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" feature film and turning it into a successful TV series, Joss Whedon is about to do the reverse with another one of his creations. Whedon has teamed with Universal Pictures to turn "Firefly," a TV cult favorite, into a feature film.

[schild]

Calling Firefly "cult" is a bit of a stretch. I don't know a single person, besides myself, who didn't think it was the next robot jesus.

[HaemishM]

I have a buddy who LOVED Buffy, but couldn't stand Firefly. So there goes a segment of 1.

I agree with the Robot Jesus part myself.

[SirBruce]

I believe Robot Jesus was built, and that he was a very well programmed robot, but he wasn't our messiah.

Bruce

[Triforcer]

Did Fox ever put out a Brimstone DvD?  I'd buy it- John Glover was masterful as ol' Scratch.

[Strazos]

I like sci-fi plenty, but I've never heard of "Firefly" before I started to lurk around here...

/shrug

[Bunk]

Yes, but have you watched it yet? That's all that really matters.

[ahoythematey]

I tried watching it when it first aired, but then Fox did that thing they do...

[Llava]

Dear Fox Execs,

Clearly, you do not enjoy success.  As a result, I can only assume that you dislike money.  If you enjoyed money, you would enjoy success and would stop treating excellent shows as poorly as you do.  Because of my ultimately forgiving nature, I wish to help you.  Send your money, which you clearly hate, to me.  In return, I will make sure that it never gets back to you in any way.  I'll even go so far as to pirate DVDs and send the appropriate share of money directly to the show's creators, entirely bypassing the need for you to see a single red cent.

Eager to assist,

-L

[HaemishM]

I think Fox just has the wrong idea about how to use demographics. Fox seems to design shows based purely around what demographics they want to capture.

Lazy, beer-swilling NASCAR redneck = America's Scariest Police Chases
Horny, teenagers with disposable income = The OC
White suburban teenagers who wish they were black or latino, and thus cool = Johnny Zero
Tweener girls who used to like The Backstreet Boys but have moved on to Nick and Jessica = American Idol
Desperate, overspending geeks still living in their parent's basement and masturbating to fake Photoshops of Buffy and writing Willow/Angel/furry fan fiction = Tru Calling

And so on. When their corporate collective hive mind misfires randomly and actually decides to buy a good show that isn't designed to a forumla, it then disregards all current demographical information about timeline and just sticks the show wherever it can find a good open slot. Sometimes, it sticks it in and out repeatedly, like some form of wet dream nervous twitching, constantly poking for what it thinks is the right slot.

Thus, we have Firefly and Family Guy.

[Paelos]

I disagree with your synopsis of the Tru Calling demographic. I honestly can't think of anyone who would find that show entertaining.

[Rasix]

I disagree with your synopsis of the Tru Calling demographic. I honestly can't think of anyone who would find that show entertaining.

My wife and her sister.  Buffy fans that have a tollerance for crappy television.  The show is just BAD.  I can't stand watching more than about 10 minutes of it before I have to pickup a book or leave the room.

[stray]

I disagree with your synopsis of the Tru Calling demographic. I honestly can't think of anyone who would find that show entertaining.

 
Quantum Leap fans, perhaps?

The chick is pretty hot at least.

[Mi_Tes]

I disagree with your synopsis of the Tru Calling demographic. I honestly can't think of anyone who would find that show entertaining.

My wife and her sister.  Buffy fans that have a tollerance for crappy television.  The show is just BAD.  I can't stand watching more than about 10 minutes of it before I have to pickup a book or leave the room.

I like Tru Calling.  Since what you described about Tru Calling is the exact way I feel about Family Guy, perhaps the demographic is the opposite (and no, I don't like Buffy or Angel).  

Only shows I ever bother to TiVo are Tru Calling, Carnivale, Charmed, Penn & Teller's Bullshit, and Mythbusters.

[Rasix]

I like Tru Calling.  Since what you described about Tru Calling is the exact way I feel about Family Guy, perhaps the demographic is the opposite (and no, I don't like Buffy or Angel).  

Only shows I ever bother to TiVo are Tru Calling, Carnivale, Charmed, Penn & Teller's Bullshit, and Mythbusters.

Oddly enough my wife is somewhat similar.  She can stand maybe 2 episodes of Family Guy in a row before she gets tired of it.  I, however, can just sit through the entire DVDs at once.  Maybe she's just humoring me by watching even 2 (she seems to like it though).

[Paelos]

The more I look at comedy the more I find that your average woman doesn't enjoy random comedy. I've also found that they have a very high tolerance for the same rehashed story if it involves women finding love after a long search for "The One." The fact that women as a whole seem to not prefer Family Guy is less than shocking.

Tru Calling is a show built around tits, which makes it pretty similar to most FOX programs. That show fails without Eliza on it, and it ain't because of her acting prowess. To me, that makes a show suck on any level. The most important thing on a show isn't the actors, its the writers. The actors on Friends weren't good actors. They were no-names who got a shot at a show with phenomenal comedic writing. That is why star vehicle sitcoms are failing left and write. It's the cart before the horse.

[Rasix]

A true test to see if your loved one can handle random comedy is to make them watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force.   The reactions can be priceless.

[Mi_Tes]

Probably similar to me watching Lex - I really don't get it.

I forgot to add Cold Case and the new show Medium to my list.  I don't see those shows being about boobs, more of a story to me.  Closer to Pretender or Twin Peaks, where differing storylines are going on at the same time.

[HaemishM]

Lexx... now there was a show that was pure tits. Absolute shit. Sadly, I could see Sci-Fi Channel's last two or three years as being 24-hour Lexx-like shows and movies stacked end to end.

I never could get myself to watch an episode of Tru Calling. The previews looked really shitty, and after they cancelled both Firefly and John Doe, they weren't getting me interested in another sci-fi show that I was sure wasn't making it past one season.

[Jeff Kelly]

Tru Calling is a show built around tits

You make it sound like it was a bad thing.

Jeff

[HaemishM]

It is when they don't actually SHOW you the tits. Tittilation only goes so far.

[Jealous Deva]

The more I look at comedy the more I find that your average woman doesn't enjoy random comedy. I've also found that they have a very high tolerance for the same rehashed story if it involves women finding love after a long search for "The One." The fact that women as a whole seem to not prefer Family Guy is less than shocking.
 

Wierd, I haven't found that to be the case at all.  I was introduced to ATHF by an ex.  Though she was completely insane, so that might blow the sample a bit.  My current gf really likes sealab, though, so I haven't really noticed it appealing less to women in general than men in general.  I don't think any random guy off the street would instantly pick up familly guy or athf either, I think it's just that often our friends are more like us than our significant other, so the sample is skewed.