History related tv series and movie news megathread.

[brewster]

Lost was pretty fantastic until the final episode. These guys had no plan all along and just threw some shit at the wall.... "god done it." blech

I think it started falling apart before the last episode, you could tell they were trying to answer too many of the shows mysteries in the last season and it was leading in one direction.

I bailed when they went all in with Time Travel, the SF writer's universal crutch when they're out of ideas. Networks really have always been resistant to shows with strong story arcs. It doesn't syndicate well, and they've got at least 23 shows per season to sell. Even good shows are half filler. Imagine if X-files had 13 show seasons of all "mythology" and allowed to bring it to a conclusion in 5 seasons instead of trying for show immortality and dragging on and on.

I don't watch much network TV, but several friends said to watch "Person of Interest". If they had only 13 shows per season and gotten rid of all the ridiculous gunplay and fight scenes it could have been a pretty good show. But standalone shows and lots of action is what the networks think we want.

[StCapps]

I bailed when they went all in with Time Travel, the SF writer's universal crutch when they're out of ideas.

Usually that is the case, but with Lost that didn't hold true, it started to run out of ideas in the sixth season and solved too many of mysteries that were better left unsolved. It's worth watching the entire series, even with the lame ending.

Networks really have always been resistant to shows with strong story arcs. It doesn't syndicate well, and they've got at least 23 shows per season to sell. Even good shows are half filler. Imagine if X-files had 13 show seasons of all "mythology" and allowed to bring it to a conclusion in 5 seasons instead of trying for show immortality and dragging on and on.

Network TV seasons are too long it's true, if the X-Files had come around after The Sopranos and was on cable, it would have gone with that format, I'm sure.

I don't watch much network TV, but several friends said to watch "Person of Interest". If they had only 13 shows per season and gotten rid of all the ridiculous gunplay and fight scenes it could have been a pretty good show. But standalone shows and lots of action is what the networks think we want.

I hear it started off lame, then got good for like a season, and then started to drop off.

[brewster]

I hear it [Person of Interest] started off lame, then got good for like a season, and then started to drop off.

Yeah, it started to get really interesting in season 3 and 4 but by 5, which I'm in the middle of, it doesn't know where to go, since being a network show it can't actually progress and resolve anything. They created a terrific powerful antagonist but without changing the show formula are stuck with their "Scooby Gang" limping along hoping for a Hail Mary play.

Imagine if Mulder and Scully had actually convinced the FBI of the alien invasion and the entire organization went to war against CSM & Company. Now that would have been interesting!

[K@th]

I suspect Designated Survivor will go that route by season 3. Season 1 was excellent, and I'm still fairly engaged in season 2, but this will get old, quickly.

[StCapps]

I suspect Designated Survivor will go that route by season 3. Season 1 was excellent, and I'm still fairly engaged in season 2, but this will get old, quickly.

Keifer Sutherland in some 24 knock-off where he's the President this time. Pitch me on it being less terrible than I'm imagining, the previews I've seen don't enthuse me.

[K@th]

I suspect Designated Survivor will go that route by season 3. Season 1 was excellent, and I'm still fairly engaged in season 2, but this will get old, quickly.

Keifer Sutherland in some 24 knock-off where he's the President this time. Pitch me on it being less terrible than I'm imagining, the previews I've seen don't enthuse me.

I'm not like you. I don't see my television choices as the only valid list. Watch it or don't, no skin off my nose. Yes, it has a 24 vibe. Yes, Keifer can only talk in whisper mode. Yes, I like him anyway and I enjoy that sort of drama.

[StCapps]

I'm not like you. I don't see my television choices as the only valid list. Watch it or don't, no skin off my nose. Yes, it has a 24 vibe. Yes, Keifer can only talk in whisper mode. Yes, I like him anyway and I enjoy that sort of drama.

I'm just wondering if there is more to it that I'm missing is all, or if it exactly what it seems to be.

You seen the first season of 24 Kath? That's a good season of TV, and real innovative, especially for a network drama. I get why people hate on the later seasons, but people always seem to forget how good the first season was, 24 at it's peak, it was a good show.

[K@th]

Ye, I saw several seasons of 24. Fantastic tv, especially season 1. The new show has the extra element of the Secretary of Education trying to figure out how to build a government from scratch and also the mystery around trying to solve the crime.

It's fun to imagine what would happen if we actually needed the designated survivor. I don't think it would go as smoothly as it did in the show, though they definitely touched on how it could go wrong.

[StCapps]

Ye, I saw several seasons of 24. Fantastic tv, especially season 1. The new show has the extra element of the Secretary of Education trying to figure out how to build a government from scratch and also the mystery around trying to solve the crime.

It's fun to imagine what would happen if we actually needed the designated survivor. I don't think it would go as smoothly as it did in the show, though they definitely touched on how it could go wrong.

I feel like it would be a different show if it weren't a network drama, they might have gone that other way for one. Network shows are too concerned about keeping the show going as long as possible so they tamp down the conflict to string out the story.

[brewster]

I feel like it would be a different show if it weren't a network drama, they might have gone that other way for one. Network shows are too concerned about keeping the show going as long as possible so they tamp down the conflict to string out the story.

There's so many unexplored models out there other than doing the exact same thing for a decade. Does anyone remember Wiseguy from the early 90's? They had a regular cast of only 3 characters (including Jonathan Banks of BB fame) and had story arcs of 4 to 12 episodes where they brought in entirely new casts of antagonists and allies as the hero went undercover in a new investigation. Long before cable got major actors to take limited runs, Wiseguy had Kevin Spacey, Jerry Lewis, Ron Silver, Tim Curry, Stanley Tucci and many more. They took a lot of risks on that show, rare for a network show today, never mind then. But the short arc is still pretty unique, though the 10-12 show cable season is similar for some shows like Fargo.