Wonderfalls

[Snowspinner]

Anyone catch the premiere of this on Friday? Critics seem to universally adore it, ratings were not that hot. I watched and thought it was pretty good - certainly worth catching the second episode.

In any case, if you think it might be a show you want to see someday, Fox is encoring the premiere tonight at 9/8c. Give it good ratings, and it might not go the way of Firefly. (I'm perpetually astonished by the people who bought the DVDs of Firefly, having never watched the show, and then asked "Wow! Everyone was right! This is great! How could Fox cancel this?" Maybe it's because YOU NEVER WATCHED THE FUCKING SHOW WHILE IT WAS ON, DOUCHEBAG)

The premise is basically the same as Joan of Arcadia, except take out God and replace it with talking objects - anything animal shaped. Also, take out the stupid and sappy drama, and replace it with witty writing.

In all seriousness, check it out - it's got a bit of a slow start, but once you get 20 minutes into the first episode, it picks up nicely.

[WayAbvPar]

Isn't Tim Minnear involved with that? His work on Buffy and Angel was mostly decent, so this might be worth a glance.

[Rasix]

Didn't Fox learn anything with Firefly? Great, innovative shows will never be able to do shit with a Friday timeslot.  

Thanks for the heads up, I didn't even know they aired the premier yet.  I'll have to check it out.  But as goes without saying for a good portion of people, Fridays are not a good TV day for me.

[Snowspinner]

Isn't Tim Minnear involved with that? His work on Buffy and Angel was mostly decent, so this might be worth a glance.

Yeah, Minear is producing. Guys who did Dead Like Me creating.

Minear was also the second in command on Firefly.

You'd think he'd learn about Fox and Friday nights.

[TenaciousMike]

It's probably contractual obligation.  Of course those guys will crank out a good show and Fox'll can it and demand a new one.

[Paelos]

Actually, I saw the premier of the show and was pleasantly surprised, while I was expecting nothing of it at all. The show has a definite wit coupled with a darker tone of human existence through its main character. She reminds me a lot of the jaded rich kids I knew in high school who basically shirked the world status quo and the family money in the process. They ended up usually working at Best Buy and bitching about how the average American is a fatter more annoying version of the stereotypical European.

The show's secondary family characters seem funny in the same way the characters on Arrested Development are funny. Basically they are hyperbole's of rich people who are out of touch with reality. Also, the directorial work with the cutscenes and CGI figures blends well into the creepy experience of the show while coupling it with humor.

Pilots tend to do better than the full show though, so the second episode will tell the tale, I encourage those who haven't seen it to check it out.

[kaid]

Firefly got boned in so many ways it never had a chance. It was a show with a bunch of characters with alot of background history you need to kinda know to understand what is going on. But for whatever reason Fox decided not to show the pilot until 2/3 the way through its run.

Fox also played other episodes out of order, preempted firefly with various other shows and at least in my area changed the time it was on a few times in its short run. I wanted to see every episode when it was on tv but it was never freaking on when it was supposed to be on.

Fox was expecting another buffy or angel and when it saw space western it did just about everything it could to make it die so they could get rid of it.

My hope is the firefly movie does really good and they get picked up on another network maybe the sci fi channel or tnt who would give it a real shot.


Kaid

[Ubiq]

From Buffistas.org.

Hi. My name is Tim Minear and I write television. Usually. Right now I guess I'm writing SPAM. But I'm not asking you to donate to some shady or even worthy cause. I'm not offering to enlarge any of your body parts (though I haven't ruled it out), and I make no claims of miraculous cures for exotic diseases. What I can offer you is sixty minutes (really about forty five, minus commercials) of quality entertainment if you do one thing: turn on your TV to Fox this Friday night at nine.

For the last year or so I've been working with a bunch of really talented people to make a new show for Fox called "Wonderfalls." We've made 13 episodes so far, and I really want you to see them.

Some of the folks at the network are telling me that "Wonderfalls" is the best reviewed new series they've had in ages -- maybe ever. I'm currently sitting on a stack of raves from all over the country, from major magazines, newspapers, small dailies, internet sites, etc. They seem to be doing me no good. Also, uncomfortable because of the sitting.

The big brains at the network, while happy with the reviews, tell me that good reviews don't bring in an audience. Guess they were right. We premiered on Friday, March 12th to less than great numbers.

There are several things stacking the odds against us. Our time slot, charmingly known as "The Fox Friday Death Slot" is quickly living up to its name. There has been much confusion and differing opinion over just how to promote this odd little series. Maybe the unique charm, heart and volcanic snark aren't coming through. I dunno. Fact is, I have no power over network promotion, I can't force Fox to air "Wonderfalls" on Monday nights, I don't have a Nielsen box or know anyone who does.

But I do have this keyboard, my cable-modem and a relationship with genre fans all over the world because of the internet. All of the shows I've worked on in the last several years have had loyal internet followings. From "Lois and Clark" to "The X-Files," from "Angel" to the short-lived but much-loved "Firefly." Ever since I've been associated with genre television I've had the extreme honor and pleasure (and sometimes hair-pulling madness) of interacting with fans of these shows via the internet. You are the most dedicated, passionate and, frankly, smartest fans around.

And I'm turning to you now because I believe you're a huge untapped resource.

I know that every one of you is connected to many others that I can't reach. If you can give a hand here, you might be keeping us afloat long enough for us to catch the tide. Worth a shot, anyway.

I know the network wants this show to work. They're willing for it to work. And if there's any way that my plea now will help Friday's numbers tick up just a touch, I think that would be a tremendous sign to them.

The next new episode of "Wonderfalls" airs Friday, March 19th at 9:00pm on Fox. Please tune in and mention it to someone else. Preferably someone with a Nielsen box.

So anyway, I thought I'd mention it. Oh, also, the network is going to repeat our pilot on Thursday, March 18th at 9:00pm after "Tru Calling." So if you missed it last Friday, here's your chance to catch it.

Thanks --

Sincerely,
Tim Minear

[Signe]

He's begging.  We should hold out for money.

[Dropkicktobucket]

derail- How many people here participate in nielson ratings?

[Snowspinner]

Tough to tell. But, assuming that Nielsen ratings are a representative sample (Which they may not be, but, hey, if they're not there's even less that can be done), it's rational behavior for me to assume that everyone is a Nielsen family - or, at least, that every viewer counts equally.

[HaemishM]

I guess it's indicative of how little TV I'm watching, especially network TV, that I've never heard of this show.

[Rasix]

I watched the pilot last night. It was brilliant. I hope however, the whole premise of the show won't be her "helping" people all of the time.  It could tend to make the show more formulaic than it needs to be. Anyhow, it was well written, funny, dark, and the characters were believable.  Hopefully the rest of the episodes can match the pilot's charm.

I doubt the show will make it past 13 episodes.  Really, it's just too smart and quirky to have any sort of mass appeal, and the CGI is probably going to cost them a decent chunk of change (networks love to cancel poor performing and costly shows, no matter the reviews). Two things that doomed Firefly ironically.

[koboshi]

Ok I got a totally different vibe from this than the whole Joan of Arc(adia) one.  With all the psychobabble undertones I thought more like the girlfriend describes it. As suppressed elements of the subconscious coming out to kick her ass around.  I’m not just talking about the talking animals, exa: the girl in the second episode could simply be yet another projection like all the others.  What gets me is how subdued the psychological stuff is, sure it pops out of the script now and again, but for the most part it’s simply the structure of the world of the show.  I mean some weaker writers would say it all so much more blatantly just so they could lord it over the audience, I mean the psychologist was useless and what a great place for the writer to show off.

And as a ‘Gen Why’er I think the targeting is spot on.  The real problem seems to be that we don’t really have any representation on TV other then in reality TV.    That just strikes me as really apt to the second episode… damn I like this show.  And that’s the point this is the pure anti-reality show, instead of looking at 20-30 year olds, it’s about them, it’s for them.

[koboshi]

Fuck

[WayAbvPar]

Why the fuck do they bother to put a show on the air and then jerk it off (so to speak) after a couple of episodes? Jesus, even Cop Rock was on longer than most of the shows that get canceled these days. They should make at least a 13 episode commitment- if the show can't find an audience by then, CONSIDER canceling it.

With today's saturated market, most potential viewers don't even know a show is on the first few weeks. They need time to for word to get around. If a show is SO bad it needs to be pulled after < 10 episodes, the fucktard who greenlighted it should be shown the door (or preferably, ritually sacrificed in a prime time special during the hour vacated by the canceled show).

I never got a chance to watch Wonderfalls, and I am pissed. With the NCAA tournament, most network shows were in reruns and I watched very little TV the past month.

[Snowspinner]

I never got a chance to watch Wonderfalls, and I am pissed. With the NCAA tournament, most network shows were in reruns and I watched very little TV the past month.

Again...

If you want to watch a show, try, you know, watching it.

Otherwise you're left in this position of wondering why the great show got cancelled.

It got cancelled because nobody watched it. When Fox can get top three ratings for a timeslot with reality programming, it's not going to dick around fighting it out with the WB for fifth with a drama, no matter how critically acclaimed that drama might be.

If people want to stop this from happening, they should, you know, watch the fucking shows.

[WayAbvPar]

Jesus you are a troll.

Did you read my entire post? The whole fucking point of it was a plea to let shows run so people get a chance to see them. It got canceled because fucktard execs don't let an audience find a show.


So on that point, go fuck yourself.

[Snowspinner]

It got trashed in two timeslots, frequently against reruns. It was well publicized, they gave its premiere an encore performance, what more were they supposed to do? Prime time real estate is not for sitting around and letting things develop. It's too valuable for that. What reason did Fox have to keep a poorly performing show on the air, losing money, when they could develop another reality hit and make money on that?

None.

Let it develop an audience? Sure. Maybe Wonderfalls would have been one of the lucky handful of shows that develop an audience. But, frankly, most shows won't develop an audience. And it's not good business sense to keep taking a gamble on them.

[schild]

At least there's a new show from the Alias people coming this fall. The Secret Service. But the question remains.....

does anyone care anymore?

[koboshi]

If you want to watch a show, try, you know, watching it.

I hate to say this but it comes down to the same old catass VS casual only this time it was on tv.  in the great devide i fall on the side of tv catass, but even I woulden't have seen the premere if it weren't for an advertisement on media player (of all places) and a rebroadcast.

It got trashed in two timeslots, frequently against reruns. It was well publicized, they gave its premiere an encore performance, what more were they supposed to do? Prime time real estate is not for sitting around and letting things develop. It's too valuable for that. What reason did Fox have to keep a poorly performing show on the air, losing money, when they could develop another reality hit and make money on that?

The main problem with what your saying is this; I missed all or part of the first season of X-files, Gilmore Girls, Charmed, SG1, the West Wing, CSI, Simpsons, Alias, Frends, Star Trek TNG, and Nova.  All of these shows are popular and if your logic followed the fact that I or anyone elce who is a regular viewer didnt watch them at the outset means we dont like them now.  I'm not acusing you or anyting, what you said makes sence untill you look at it historicaly.  so is there a new model at fox?  Because honestly they should go back to the old one 'cause their programming sucks!

[Sarno]

I'm sad to see it go. It actually was very good.  As a Y generation loser who now can I relate to on TV?  I'm hoping the other episodes "find" their way out the same way the unaired Firefly episodes did.  

"You may be the universe's butt-puppet, but I'm its right hand fist of fate" -Wonderfalls

[HaemishM]

How in the fuck are you supposed to watch a show you've never even heard of? The only place I've ever seen anything about this show was on this site. If Fox promoted it, they missed me completely, and I consider myself fairly well up-to-date on even TV shows I don't watch.

[daveNYC]

Friday night at 9:00 is the kiss of fucking death.  Not that this show was my cup of tea, but I am not going to sit at home on a Friday to watch a new show that I may or may not enjoy.  If it is an existing show, that I am already watching, I can see my way clear to do that, but for a brand new show, that might or might not suck?  Nope.

It must suck to be a writer and see your show treated so poorly, like making a movie and having it premier in Saskatoon.

[schild]

Having watched all the episodes of Wonderfalls, it fell into the same category of Firefly. I just didn't give two fucks about the characters - whether the story was good or not. Hell, I can't even remember the names of all the characters in those 2 shows (and I marathoned the 13 episodes of Firefly in like 2 days), but I can ramble off the names of every single major player in Alias including ones that didn't even make it over to the second season. Perhaps at one point I could have watched a show for the story and not the characters, but not anymore. If I was a studio exec, I too would have canceled Wonderfalls. Actually I probably wouldn't have signed it to air if I'd seen the pilot.

But I'll admit, I threw a fucking hissy fit when Veritas: The Quest was canceled.

[Rasix]

I'm wondering if you saw the same show I did. The main characters I had no problem identifying with or caring about.  It's the minor characters that get a major portion of the air time (the one's she helps) that you can't really bother to care about. They're only there for one show anyways.  I don't think character investment was a big part of Wonderfalls anyhow, each episode seems to be pretty much designed to stand alone.  It was a well written, quirky, dark humor.  I'm really sad to see it go because quite frankly outside of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development, there isn't much on TV like it.

And how could you not care about the Firefly characters?  They each had their own stories, perspective, trials and triumphs in only a 13 episode run.  The only characters that were really poorly developed were the pilot and his wife, but they both served their purpose (comedy and muscle).  The cancelling of Firefly really pissed me off because there was a lot of story that they just couldn't get to.  There was a ton of stuff left to do with River, Shepard, Jayne, the Captain, and the hooker (sorry, name escapes me).

Really, I fucking hate Fox. They always seem to land the shows that I find really interesting and will make a constant effort to watch.  Yet, they put these shows in horrible time slots consistantly.  Friday at 8 or 9 pm is a death sentence.  If other networks had done this with shows like CSI, ER or Seinfeld, the shows probably wouldn't have made it (well perhaps CSI, that show has such generic appeal).  And moving a show that's struggling opposite of the highest rated show on network television is just a knife in the liver.

I have to question Tim Minear and Joss Whedon for thinking that there shows would connect with a large enough audience to be non-cancellable by Fox in such a terrible time slot. Really, wouldn't the first thing you'd ask for is "can you put me in a position to succeed?"  If not, might as well shop your show to WB or UPN and hope for an Angel like cult following.  

My hopes for scripted TV are pretty much now firmly entrenched with HBO and to a lesser extent FX. Network TV can go fuck itself. I don't like reality TV. In fact, I fucking despise it.  If the earth opens up and world is thrown into everlasting torment and suffering, I can pretty much be assured that network TV brought it forth with their newest offering of "Who Wants to Marry a Rich Midget".

[WayAbvPar]

The news media has caught up with us.

Nice to see that there is at least SOME lip service being paid to how stupid the 'open big' theory of movie and TV marketing is.