ccosborne3 Wrote:24 episodes a season. They're up to 55 episodes. The HBO shows get a big break having 12 episode seasons. These hour long dramas on network tv have an awful lot of material they have to come up with. No wonder they had to take a long hiatus with Lost.
ccosborne3 Wrote:... Time to head down to the midtown BestBuy, Maggers.
saynomore Wrote:So, we're getting the flashbacks from the "others'" point of view now, eh?Have to fill up those hours of television programming with SOMETHING.
saynomore Wrote:Did everyone watch the summary episode with the producers prior to the new episode. It was more for regular watchers than for new viewers who wish to catch-up with the storyline. I was particularly curious when the producers mentioned that they like to have cameos of other characters appear in the flashback scenes. That would mean to me that these appearances have no plot significance, just more pepper on the eggs, so to speak. Maybe many of the scenes where we seek significance are just pepper. Nah. That would mean that our legs are being pulled. Just hope they don't cry wolf once too often.
saynomore Wrote:P.S. Anyone who is watching Prison Break is probably going through the same "Lost" routine: Three new questions for every one answered. But as long as the questions are interesting and worth answering, I'll stick around.The first several episodes of Prison Break were entertaining, but then it became another "we need to make up something to fill the time" episodic adventure.
Auskar Wrote:Have to fill up those hours of television programming with SOMETHING.
Pepper. Exactly. We have THIS much time to fill, so let's write something COOL and IMAGINATIVE. Then we can make the pieces fit later if we have time, if we can remember them all, and if we don't start stinking up the place so bad that we GET CANCELLED!
The first several episodes of Prison Break were entertaining, but then it became another "we need to make up something to fill the time" episodic adventure.
I understand having continuing plot lines in a television series, BUT they don't necessarily have to be episodic (like an old-time movie serial. Television dramas or adventures are BEST when beginning and an end to each installment of the show. Otherwise, it just seems "made up"...(which all TV shows are, of course).
Auskar Wrote:Have to fill up those hours of television programming with SOMETHING.
Pepper. Exactly. We have THIS much time to fill, so let's write something COOL and IMAGINATIVE. Then we can make the pieces fit later if we have time, if we can remember them all, and if we don't start stinking up the place so bad that we GET CANCELLED!
The first several episodes of Prison Break were entertaining, but then it became another "we need to make up something to fill the time" episodic adventure.
I understand having continuing plot lines in a television series, BUT they don't necessarily have to be episodic (like an old-time movie serial. Television dramas or adventures are BEST when beginning and an end to each installment of the show. Otherwise, it just seems "made up"...(which all TV shows are, of course).
Don B Wrote:After watching all these serious, intense shows I do enjoy watching an old fashioned crime drama like NCIS.I like NCIS. They have a regular story that entirely plays out each week, with some ongoing subplots that tie things together. Jethro's boat in the basement, Tony's mystery woman, McGee's book, Abby's tattoos, an occasional assassin out to get the team, and so on. An hour show, fun but serious.
jimbow8 Wrote:I saw an article in the paper that the writers were planning a definitive timeline and way to wrap things up. As opposed to just letting the series flounder and develop more and more subplots. The idea reminded me of B5, actually. X_Files may have done that, but then they kept going afterwords and .... it didn't end well.
Don B Wrote:It seems when a show brings in a new lead character (or characters) to replace a departing long time favorite it is the kiss of death, no matter how good the new character is. Has any TV show been able to continue for more than a rocky season or two when this happens?Dukes of Hazard?
Don B Wrote:Right. X-Files should have ended with season 7 and it seemed the writers had already begun to conclude the various plot threads. With David Duchovny leaving the show it seemed like a good time to end. But there was the push to keep the show going and bring in new characters and create new plot lines but it seemed to dilute the show. When The X-Files ended two years later, the energy was already gone and the ending disppointing. Babylon 5 did have a five year story arc in place and a talented writer/producer to make sure it stayed true but that show had a different problem. The network was screwing around with the show to the point that it might only run four seasons, ideas from the planned fifth season had to be pushed forward so the series could end instead of just stop. When there was a fifth season, the writers had to come up with ideas and new characters to fill out that season. They did a pretty good job but it was noticable. It seems when a show brings in a new lead character (or characters) to replace a departing long time favorite it is the kiss of death, no matter how good the new character is. Has any TV show been able to continue for more than a rocky season or two when this happens?