Dismayed about good press for Reaper
Jun. 1st, 2007 08:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
agt_spookyYou know, I've never wished a show ill will before. But all this positive press that Reaper is getting is really dismaying me. Because it's going to be sitting pretty in OUR old spot on Tuesday night, anchored by the successful Beauty and the Geek. Whereas we get thrown to the wolves once again on Thursday night.
This just reminds me of Sentinel all over again. After the regime change at UPN, the new guy wanted TS gone, because it wasn't "his show", even though it was the second highest rated show on UPN. And he ended up getting his wish, after we fought hard for an additional eight episodes.
The same thing seems to be happening with CW, where, guess what, Dawn Ostroff just happens to be from UPN. She's already said she "doesn't get" Supernatural. So what does she do? Introduce a new supernatural-type show of hers that she must be dumb enough to understand, since it seems to be some type of comedy that doesn't appear to require any thinking while watching.
I'm worried for Supernatural, I truly am. If our ratings continue to suck as bad as they did at the end of second season when third season starts, we're in serious trouble. Especially if Reaper pulls in big ratings.
I'm tired of us being stuck on Thursday nights and getting chewed up and spit out. If Ostroff is so big on her stupid reality shows, why not put one of them on Thursday night?
[sigh] Anyway, here are a couple of the articles that I'm referring to:
From Entertainment Weekly, issue 936, dated June 1, 2007
MOST PROMISING
Reaper (the CW) On his 21st birthday, our hero (The Loop's Bret Harrison) discovers his parents have sold his soul to Satan (24's Ray Wise). From Kevin Smith, it boasts a humor that's a study in perfect timing.
From Ad Week (written by Marc Berman, of all people!)
http://www.adweek.com/aw/magazine/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003590913
Special Report: Ruby Tuesday
May 28, 2007
By Marc Berman/Mediaweek
NEW YORK Outside of the competitive Thursday night waters, there is no time period as brutal as Tuesday 9 p.m., which features ABC's Dancing With the Stars Results Show, Fox sensation House and CBS' male-driven The Unit. That means that there may not be too much room left for NBC's Chuck, which tells the story of a nerdy computer tech who becomes the government's most powerful weapon, and supernatural CW drama Reaper. While Reaper's 21-year-old slacker-turned-bounty hunter might sound awfully familiar (think failed 1998-99 Fox drama Brimstone), what sets it apart is the humor. The pilot adeptly mixed drama with good old-fashioned chuckles. What could make Chuck a potential standout, meanwhile, is one of its creators, Josh Schwartz. The force behind Fox's The O.C., he knows how to tell tales that appeal to a young adult audience. Although the buying community was buzzing about Chuck, viewers may not find it en masse unless NBC finds a better time period. But is there a place on the network's troubled lineup that could give it more exposure? Reaper won't have the same sized support out of the relocated Beauty and the Geek as Chuck will out of returnee The Biggest Loser. However, the potential appetite for this Buffy, the Vampire Slayer-like type of storytelling makes Reaper a potential sleeper. Neither Chuck nor Reaper is likely to set the ratings on fire. But if fans missing Buffy and Angel discover Reaper, and NBC miraculously manages to find a more advantageous hour for Chuck, there could be hope. Patience could potentially pay off for both hours.
~~~~~
And the kicker? They showed a commerical for Reaper during Supernatural last night! I nearly choked and fell off the couch. From what I saw, this looks incredibly stupid. Did anyone else see the commerical last night?
I keep thinking I read where Kevin Smith is only directly involved with the pilot of Reaper, so the humor may fall flat in subsequent episodes if that's true.
So what do you guys think about Reaper and it's potential? Am I worrying for nothing?
This just reminds me of Sentinel all over again. After the regime change at UPN, the new guy wanted TS gone, because it wasn't "his show", even though it was the second highest rated show on UPN. And he ended up getting his wish, after we fought hard for an additional eight episodes.
The same thing seems to be happening with CW, where, guess what, Dawn Ostroff just happens to be from UPN. She's already said she "doesn't get" Supernatural. So what does she do? Introduce a new supernatural-type show of hers that she must be dumb enough to understand, since it seems to be some type of comedy that doesn't appear to require any thinking while watching.
I'm worried for Supernatural, I truly am. If our ratings continue to suck as bad as they did at the end of second season when third season starts, we're in serious trouble. Especially if Reaper pulls in big ratings.
I'm tired of us being stuck on Thursday nights and getting chewed up and spit out. If Ostroff is so big on her stupid reality shows, why not put one of them on Thursday night?
[sigh] Anyway, here are a couple of the articles that I'm referring to:
From Entertainment Weekly, issue 936, dated June 1, 2007
MOST PROMISING
Reaper (the CW) On his 21st birthday, our hero (The Loop's Bret Harrison) discovers his parents have sold his soul to Satan (24's Ray Wise). From Kevin Smith, it boasts a humor that's a study in perfect timing.
From Ad Week (written by Marc Berman, of all people!)
http://www.adweek.com/aw/magazine/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003590913
Special Report: Ruby Tuesday
May 28, 2007
By Marc Berman/Mediaweek
NEW YORK Outside of the competitive Thursday night waters, there is no time period as brutal as Tuesday 9 p.m., which features ABC's Dancing With the Stars Results Show, Fox sensation House and CBS' male-driven The Unit. That means that there may not be too much room left for NBC's Chuck, which tells the story of a nerdy computer tech who becomes the government's most powerful weapon, and supernatural CW drama Reaper. While Reaper's 21-year-old slacker-turned-bounty hunter might sound awfully familiar (think failed 1998-99 Fox drama Brimstone), what sets it apart is the humor. The pilot adeptly mixed drama with good old-fashioned chuckles. What could make Chuck a potential standout, meanwhile, is one of its creators, Josh Schwartz. The force behind Fox's The O.C., he knows how to tell tales that appeal to a young adult audience. Although the buying community was buzzing about Chuck, viewers may not find it en masse unless NBC finds a better time period. But is there a place on the network's troubled lineup that could give it more exposure? Reaper won't have the same sized support out of the relocated Beauty and the Geek as Chuck will out of returnee The Biggest Loser. However, the potential appetite for this Buffy, the Vampire Slayer-like type of storytelling makes Reaper a potential sleeper. Neither Chuck nor Reaper is likely to set the ratings on fire. But if fans missing Buffy and Angel discover Reaper, and NBC miraculously manages to find a more advantageous hour for Chuck, there could be hope. Patience could potentially pay off for both hours.
~~~~~
And the kicker? They showed a commerical for Reaper during Supernatural last night! I nearly choked and fell off the couch. From what I saw, this looks incredibly stupid. Did anyone else see the commerical last night?
I keep thinking I read where Kevin Smith is only directly involved with the pilot of Reaper, so the humor may fall flat in subsequent episodes if that's true.
So what do you guys think about Reaper and it's potential? Am I worrying for nothing?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-01 03:26 pm (UTC)Beauty and the Geek might have been a somewhat successful 8-episode midseason show, but I have the feeling airing it in the fall is going to kill it - most shows are already starting to suffer from overkill by having two cycles a season, and BatG is probably no exception. The show tended to premiere big, fall a lot in the middle, and do okay (in comparison to the premiere) in the finale. I don't what The CW is planning to do with it next season - presumably, they'll extend it from one cycle to two cycles (fall and winter/spring). That's only 16 episodes, so I'd bet they're going to extend each cycle from 8 episodes to 13 episodes. Those are some pretty big scheduling changes and could be disastrous for BatG, if the whole "too much of a good thing..." shtick holds.
Last season, BatG averaged 3.79 million viewers for new episodes, which was significantly below Smallville or Gilmore Girls' new episode average. BUT it did do very well in the demos, particularly the target demo (Adults 18-34). I think Reaper and BatG will be very compatible, given the humor elements and the primarily male audiences, but it's still dangerous to give a new genre show a lead-in with so few total viewers. I can completely see Reaper premiering big with a good 80-90% of BatG's audience, then falling off severely in the following weeks.
OR both shows could surprise us next season. But given The CW's complete failure to launch two dramas now (Runaway and now Hidden Palms - did you see how HP completely bombed, despite having promotion out the ass?), I wouldn't bet on it. The CW has to be freaking out - they have 3 dramas and 2 1/2 hour reality things to promote. I really don't see them being able to give Tuesday nights the push they need to not completely fail. (Also worth noting: BatG had a huge promotional boost before its premiere last season, mostly because it was a midseason show, and nothing else needed major promotion at the time - it won't have that luxury in the fall.)
So what do you guys think about Reaper and it's potential?
No potential for me watching, that's for sure. Comedies aren't my thing, self-professed campy isn't my thing, the previews/clips I saw did nothing for me, and I don't like the lead actor (Bret Harrison - and found him annoying long before his "we know we're just a stupid horror" comment - proof being a post I made (http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/index.php?act=ST&f=714&t=3119077&hl=uber&view=findpost&p=7314845) at TWoP a while back). And I don't like Kevin Smith; though, you're right, he's only involved with the pilot, and the little he contributed to the series will be gone by episode 2.
Am I worrying for nothing?
I honestly don't think that, even if this series succeeds, it means bad news for Supernatural. Genre/sci-fi shows were always a big hit for The WB, mostly because they have loyal audiences (Smallville is more mainstream, obviously, but you get the picture), so The WB usually kept around 3 at a time. And Smallville is on its way out - it only has 1-2 seasons left, tops. If Reaper lasts, I see no reason why Supernatural can't last as well. They aren't in competition with each other - whether they last or get cancelled really depends on how they hold up in their timeslots, how profitable the shows are, and so on.
So? I'm not worrying, and you shouldn't either. Don't worry all summer about it, there's really no way of knowing how Reaper will do until after it airs 2-3 episodes. If it's any consolation, buzz before upfronts had it that Reaper didn't go over so well with test audiences, and all signs pointed towards Kevin Smith's influence being the only thing the series had going for it - with Smith gone after the Pilot, audiences might leave, too.
Anyway, sorry for hijacking your LJ and ranting for far too long. I love your news posts (and your fic!); friended you for them if you don't mind ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-13 02:01 pm (UTC)I don't what The CW is planning to do with it next season - presumably, they'll extend it from one cycle to two cycles (fall and winter/spring). That's only 16 episodes, so I'd bet they're going to extend each cycle from 8 episodes to 13 episodes
Wow, 13 episodes? Can they really stretch out the season for that many eps? I'd think they'd have to add more Beauties and Geeks to do that, make the elimination process take longer. I'll admit that BatG is a waaay better show than Top Model but I don't think I'd want to watch 13 weeks of it.
I can completely see Reaper premiering big with a good 80-90% of BatG's audience, then falling off severely in the following weeks.
Yeah, I'm with you there.
But given The CW's complete failure to launch two dramas now (Runaway and now Hidden Palms - did you see how HP completely bombed, despite having promotion out the ass?
And now HP is canceled!
(Also worth noting: BatG had a huge promotional boost before its premiere last season, mostly because it was a midseason show, and nothing else needed major promotion at the time - it won't have that luxury in the fall.)
Very true. It'll have to compete with every other show premiering in the fall and CW basically sucks period, when it comes to trying to promote multiple shows.
No potential for me watching, that's for sure. Comedies aren't my thing, self-professed campy isn't my thing, the previews/clips I saw did nothing for me
Yep, same here. No desire to watch at all.
And I don't like Kevin Smith; though, you're right, he's only involved with the pilot, and the little he contributed to the series will be gone by episode 2.
Hmmm....the fanboys may leave in droves then if the writing takes a sharp nosedive.
If Reaper lasts, I see no reason why Supernatural can't last as well. They aren't in competition with each other - whether they last or get cancelled really depends on how they hold up in their timeslots, how profitable the shows are, and so on.
It's just that my biggest fear is that if Reaper gets better ratings than SPN, Ostroff won't hesitate to cancel SPN, simply because Reaper is her show and SPN is not. She inherited it. I can see her jettisoning SPN and sticking yet another reality show in it's slot, because those seem to be her type of shows. Blech. If it wasn't for my fear of Ostroff I'd be Ok with Reaper, because as you said, they may both be supernatural type shows, but they really are very different.
If it's any consolation, buzz before upfronts had it that Reaper didn't go over so well with test audiences,
Really? Well that's interesting!
Anyway, sorry for hijacking your LJ and ranting for far too long. I love your news posts (and your fic!); friended you for them if you don't mind ;)
Oh gosh, don't apologize! Hijack away! I really enjoy your comments and I'm quite happy you friended me. :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-13 03:55 pm (UTC)That's the question - I really don't think it'll be able to hold its audience that long. Especially for two cycles a season.
Very true. It'll have to compete with every other show premiering in the fall and CW basically sucks period, when it comes to trying to promote multiple shows.
Yup. I'm banking on half the line-up bombing next season. At least we'll look damn good. :)
It's just that my biggest fear is that if Reaper gets better ratings than SPN, Ostroff won't hesitate to cancel SPN, simply because Reaper is her show and SPN is not. She inherited it.
I understand your concern here. If push comes to shove, Supernatural has something going for it that Reaper doesn't - coming from Warner Brothers Television (Reaper is produced by ABC Television Studio). This gives Supernatural more long-term and monetary/sales value than Reaper to The CW. It's certainly a plus. Dawn's higher-ups won't let her cancel SPN if there's any reason to keep it. Just like they wouldn't let her keep Veronica Mars, her pet show, no matter how hard she tried. I take comfort in the fact that she's not the only decision-maker behind the scenes. As Entertainment President, she's just the most vocal and the one that speaks for the network.
On another note, I honestly don't see Dawn lasting much longer as President. I wouldn't be surprised to see her kicked out and replaced within the next year.
Really? Well that's interesting!
That's just a rumor, though - one I haven't seen confirmed. The very few reviews I've seen have been hesitantly positive, but the viewers expressed concerns that it was a tad slow/boring. And that it'd lose anything great it had once Kevin Smith was gone. But we'll see. Each person judges quality for themselves, I suppose.
Oh gosh, don't apologize! Hijack away! I really enjoy your comments and I'm quite happy you friended me. :-)
Hee. ♥