[polishgenius]

CBS have announced the casting of Watson in their modern-day, New York-set adaptation of Sherlock Holmes...

I'm sorry, what?

[Morgoth]

that makes me cry a little

[McLovin]

Lucy Liu???

She's yummy, but fail.

Jeremy Brett will always be Sherlock for me.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 28 February 2012 - 12:27 PM, said:

CBS have announced the casting of Watson in their modern-day, New York-set adaptation of Sherlock Holmes...

I'm sorry, what?

There is SO much wrong with an American bastardization of Moffat's SHERLOCK that I don't know where to start, but casting Lucy Lui as Watson kind of takes the cake as proving this show is going to sink FAST. There are two American shows that already stole the Holmes story as their basis (HOUSE and to a lesser extent BONES), both of which have already run their gamut as prime time winners, HOUSE is ending and BONES probably will too. That CBS is stupid enough to think an unorthodox, ill-cast, non-London set Sherlock (where Sherlock is a recovering drug addict...as opposed to a current drug addict) is going to fly is the height of stupidity on their part. Like the US versions of COUPLING, LIFE ON MARS, and PAYNE (Fawlty Towers US) this will amount to nothing but a mess and in no way will be as cutting edge and perfect as the existing version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

Ugh. American TV producers are stupid.

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 28 February 2012 - 02:13 PM, said:

Ugh. American TV producers are stupid.

In fairness, a lot of American TV is really very good indeed, which is why I wasn't initially writing this off despite my scepticism. But this is just stupid. Gimmick casting that makes it seem as if they don't have a plan beyond 'hey, that Sherlock series seems popular, let's make our own!'.

It might actually be worse than casting John Leguizamo as Del Boy in the Only Fools and Horses remake.

This post has been edited by polishgenius: 28 February 2012 - 02:42 PM

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 28 February 2012 - 02:36 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 28 February 2012 - 02:13 PM, said:

Ugh. American TV producers are stupid.

In fairness, a lot of American TV is really very good indeed

Only when they've come up with their own ideas. The majority of time when they steal other countries ideas it's rarely good.

and even then...we still get a thousand mildly different hospital shows, cops shows, teen angst shows, reality shows...American TV is a cornucopia of mostly the same shit, modified slightly, re-branded and sold to us as "new".

Sure there are some unique shows on the air, but weigh those against the glut of sameness and it baffles me. Look at CSI...there are THREE of them FFS...it makes no sense beyond "Hey. let's keep cashing in on this and beating this horse till it's dead."

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 28 February 2012 - 03:02 PM, said:

Only when they've come up with their own ideas. The majority of time when they steal other countries ideas it's rarely good.

True, but I gather The Office and Shameless did alright.

Heck, I've heard even US Top Gear has kicked up a notch in the second season after struggling in the first (apart from some epic guests).

Quote

and even then...we still get a thousand mildly different hospital shows, cops shows, teen angst shows, reality shows...American TV is a cornucopia of mostly the same shit, modified slightly, re-branded and sold to us as "new".

Sure there are some unique shows on the air, but weigh those against the glut of sameness and it baffles me. Look at CSI...there are THREE of them FFS...it makes no sense beyond "Hey. let's keep cashing in on this and beating this horse till it's dead."

Yeah, but is there a TV industry that doesn't work like this? The UK one isn't better. In fact we're responsible for Simon Cowell and Piers Bloody Morgan so I could say we're worse. Little Britain was considered top comedy at one stage.
I dunno what Canadian telly is like.

[QuickTidal]

Ugh.

Both ABC's THE RIVER and NBC's SMASH (both shows I've been watching, and enjoying to a certain extent...the former more than the latter) are on the ropes and are being eyed for cancellation. Both show's numbers have apparently been pitiful and are in decline.

Man, I hate it when I invest time into a show only to see it cancelled. Not because I expected anything great from them just yet...but if Jurassic Park TERRA NOVA can get a full season order (and a probably second season) then surely THE RIVER warrants one as well? At least it's interesting.

Bah, this is why I am always leery of watching shows right out of the gate since they don't have legs yet.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 01 March 2012 - 02:48 PM

[polishgenius]

I have no idea why networks commission difficult shows if they're not going to give them proper marketing and time to get word out. I don't have a great interest in it myself, but a show like The River is something that needs word of mouth to succeed. It's the kind of thing where they shouldn't draw a line under it till the second season starts, to see if the time passing, and the DVD release, has drummed up the interest required.


You'd think they'd learn from Firefly, where Fox reportedly fired the person responsible for cancelling it when the immense popularity of the DVD became apparent.

[Slow Ben]

Community is back 2 weeks from today!
Huzzah!!!

[worry]

They refuse to treat serialized shows any differently than they treat episodic shows, when it comes to ratings, even after all these years. I mean there's new ways to build revenue from all these types of shows, if they're good, but they're still thinking in obsolete terms.

[McLovin]

It may be obsolete, but advertisers are holding networks accountable for the money they spend on commercial slots. Nobody wants their ad in the middle of a crappy show, because nobody's watching. Of course, that too is obsolete logic, since I DVR everything and skip 90% of ads, but there you have it.

[worry]

But that's what I'm talking about. Hulu isn't even considered in the "ratings" yet. Potential DVD sales aren't factored in any more now than they were when Firefly was around, as pg references. And if you're going to pick up a serialized show, then you need to put it on the right time, let it build a following, let word of mouth work, and if it's critically respected maybe even give it a second year so people can catch up because you'll make money in the long term. Plenty of shows have turned into hits that way. I find their lack of faith disturbing.

[QuickTidal]

TERRA NOVA quietly cancelled yesterday.

Kerblammo.

Not that I'm at all surprised.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...t-arts-17269054

[McLovin]

QuickTidal, on 06 March 2012 - 02:09 PM, said:

TERRA NOVA quietly cancelled yesterday.

Mrs McLovin will be sad. Inexplicably, she loved it.

[Coco with marshmallows]

Slow Ben, on 01 March 2012 - 08:47 PM, said:

Community is back 2 weeks from today!
Huzzah!!!

Indeed. And the trailer looks EPIC:

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 06 March 2012 - 02:09 PM, said:

TERRA NOVA quietly cancelled yesterday.

Kerblammo.

Not that I'm at all surprised.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...t-arts-17269054

I am Abyss' complete lack of surpise.
Too much fail, not enough dinosaurs stalking and eating people in progressively messier and more insane ways.

And not once, NOT ONCE, did anyone strap a chain-gun onto a triceratops and ride into battle screaming 'I'M FEELING HORNY YOU SIXER BASTARDS'.

Feh.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 01 March 2012 - 02:47 PM, said:

Ugh.

Both ABC's THE RIVER and NBC's SMASH (both shows I've been watching, and enjoying to a certain extent...the former more than the latter) are on the ropes and are being eyed for cancellation. Both show's numbers have apparently been pitiful and are in decline.

Man, I hate it when I invest time into a show only to see it cancelled. Not because I expected anything great from them just yet...but if Jurassic Park TERRA NOVA can get a full season order (and a probably second season) then surely THE RIVER warrants one as well? At least it's interesting.

Bah, this is why I am always leery of watching shows right out of the gate since they don't have legs yet.

And ALCATRAZ is similarly struggling.
Tho to my surprise PERSON OF INTEREST is quietly moving UP in ratings.

I'm about three weeks behind on THE RIVER. I like the concept but the execution was wildly inconsistent. Still, i'll stick with a show because i like the core concept and want to see it get better and succeed, but when it comes to genre tv, it's always with some level of non-commital.

[Mrs Savagely Wishy Washy]

"You know, television is called a new medium, and I have discovered why they call it a Medium – because it is neither Rare nor Well Done." Fred Allen, The Big Show, 1950

[QuickTidal]

So DOWNTON ABBEY Series 2 episode 1 is a seriously amazing cracker of an opening episode to the second series. Sweet holy hell I love this show SO much! If you aren't watching, you bloody well should be.