The TV and Streaming Thread: That's Entertainment!

[Sarex]

Heroes is the perfect example of power creep. They wrote themselves in to a corner.

[ShadySands]

Wasn't Heroes supposed to be an anthology show that got stuck with its original cast because of how popular it became?

Didn't that also happen to Stranger Things?

[Zoraptor]

2 hours ago, ShadySands said:

Wasn't Heroes supposed to be an anthology show that got stuck with its original cast because of how popular it became?

Sounds like not quite a full on anthology.

Quote

Kring says the origin aspect of superheroes intrigues him the most and "Heroes" was originally meant to operate more like an anthology with new characters regularly appearing and confronting new-found powers. The realities of production interfered with this plan. "The networks fall in love with certain characters, the audience falls in love with certain characters, the press falls in love with certain characters, they don't want to see those characters go," he explained. Between contracts, availability, and studio notes, the set of lead "Heroes" characters became firmly planted.

I'd be pretty confident that Sylar (especially) and Peter were not meant to be full time characters but were kept around because of the audience/ network. Probably Claire too.

4 hours ago, Sarex said:

Heroes is the perfect example of power creep. They wrote themselves in to a corner.

Here I'd say that power creep was a symptom. The ultimate problem was network demands to keep Sylar around. That necessitated two things that were critical problems- yes, you had to depower him regularly but you also had to come up with reasons why he didn't get killed off by the good guys and a way for him to interact with them and not be randomly off doing his own thing. Those requirements got increasingly implausible the more they were used and often made the protagonists look like idiots.

Sometimes you just have to kill off the bad guy, no matter how good he is at being the bad guy. And to be fair, Quinto's Sylar was an extremely effective villain in S1. But, well, would anyone think having Gus Fring or Trinity survive in Breaking Bad or Dexter would improve either show despite Esposito and Lithgow's great performances? That would be a pretty categorical no.

Edited Monday at 08:56 PM by Zoraptor

[Lexx]

I just wanted that asian guy to become an actual super hero. I can't remember deeper details of the show, but I think that never actually happened. Instead it just went on and on and on. Sad.

Edited Monday at 09:05 PM by Lexx

[LadyCrimson]

On 1/11/2025 at 9:28 AM, Hurlshort said:

The whole appointment television time was such a fascinating phenomenon. I mean it existed for decades, of course, but mostly in the sitcom format that didn't have long-term stakes.

If "sitcom" =30 min and/or comedy, there were always lots of 1-hr drama/action type shows around, maybe especially 60's/70's/80's.  Bonanza, Perry Mason, The Fugitive, Little House on the Prairie, Rockford Files, Emergency, Columbo, The Walton's, Quincy MD, Lou Grant, Dallas, Hill Street Blues, plus all the later sci-fi like Stargates, Star Treks, Lost in Space etc. They'd largely air those after 9pm - after kiddie bedtimes I guess - so 30 min game/sitcom shows first, dramas later.  But agreed on the mostly/all episodic, or maybe a 2-3 episode arc.  It definitely was the 2000's where the never ending serial-plot tv series seriously took off in the US.

I don't miss not being able to binge-whatever/whenever, but even back then, any cliffhanger wait was usually only 4-5 months - vs. the often 1-3 years of streaming-original shows.  And I kind of miss the sit with friends to watch a couple fave drama/sci-fi shows together. It was a nice social-schedule perk. I had my group for watching ST:NG most of the time, for example. Not that one did that for every show, but before renting stuff/streaming, it was something besides going to a theater movie every week.  Of course, these days I have no friends (some deaths, most moved, I moved etc) so I guess it works out for me.    I would wildly guess that's one reason why "tv/movie reaction" videos on YT took off like they did - not only easy for the channel to make (ahem) but they speak to nostalgia for that kind of shared social interaction/reaction event.

 Other:
---Heroes, another show I saw the first 2-3 episodes, or half a season I forget (liked those well enough) but I didn't bother keeping up with week to week airing. I was too busy life-ing at the time, as sometimes happens. I mostly remember it introducing me to and the reason I initially thought Zachary Quinto would be a decent Spock.

---Wanting core characters always existing is one reason endless-season 1-hr drama shows become insanely plot-armorfied/power creep and suspense completely leaves the table. Even if a "main/important secondary" chr. is offed fairly early/occasionally, they can't do that forever or there is no consistency for audiences or advertisers to adore/hang upon. So a core few will never die (until the series closes).

Edited Monday at 10:45 PM by LadyCrimson

[Zoraptor]

2 hours ago, Lexx said:

I just wanted that asian guy to become an actual super hero. I can't remember deeper details of the show, but I think that never actually happened. Instead it just went on and on and on. Sad.

Hiro was one of those people who permanently had issues due to time travel being ridiculously over powered, if he could control it properly. So for most of the time he couldn't.

Ando (his non powered sidekick) got super powers at some point with some sort of shenanigans like time travel [during season 3 according to their wiki, like a +1 buff to others rather than a 'proper' power though]. I'd well and truly stopped paying proper attention by then though.

[LadyCrimson]

Oh look, I found a video that agrees with me, hence I liked it.
He goes into possible industry reasons/decisions for the trend but for me as a watcher:
---2-3 years per 6-10 eps season = me unable to remember the 1st season and practically having to rewatch that first, making me not want to watch to begin with
---once the pattern is known, it's a self-fulling prophecy: ppl going "I'll wait for more seasons before watching/investing time" can = cancelled show because 1st season isn't watched enough in the first month or two
---Netflix is definitely the biggest offender but it's a streaming-series trend overall

 

Edited 10 hours ago by LadyCrimson

[rjshae]

Well the finale of Skeleton Crew almost made it a decent series, but it sounds like the ratings were so poor it may not have a second season. Hopefully we get the second season of Andor soon.