TV Q&A with Rob Owen
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This week's TV Q&A responds to questions about "Medium," the cancellation of "Life on Mars" and the morning meteorologist mix on WTAE. As always, thanks for reading, and keep those questions coming.
-- Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor
Q: I can't believe ABC has canceled another "thinking person's" show. First "Eli Stone" now "Life on Mars." Why doesn't some other network pick these shows up? There is plenty of space on TNT, USA, FX, etc. and I am sure they would draw a good audience.
-- Steven, 67, McMurray
Q: Now that ABC has made the bonehead decision to cancel "Life on Mars," what are the chances of another network picking it up or ABC reversing its decision? I signed a petition to try to keep it on. But I'm sure that won't do anything. Why can't networks give shows a chance to find an audience? Didn't "Seinfeld" have terrible ratings, but NBC hung in there with it? I've just about giving up on watching new shows -- why bother?
-- Chris, 45, McCandless
Rob: Another network doesn't pick up the show precisely because "Life on Mars" did not get sufficient ratings on ABC. At some point, we have to quit blaming the network and consider the role of viewers who are more interested in watching "The Bachelor" than a scripted drama like "Life on Mars."
The economics of making a show for a broadcast network (ABC) and a cable network (TNT, USA) are often significantly different, which is why network-to-cable transfers ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent") are the exception, not the rule.
If "Mars" hadn't been a favorite among the top executives at ABC, it would never have lasted as long as it did nor would it get a chance to conclude its story. In this particular instance, giving the show an ending is probably more important than for it to run for years. At least we get that.
Q: I am a fan of the show "Medium" but I am disappointed lately in the writing. In the first season Patricia Arquette's character would flash when touching someone or something. And she used to have dead people "help" her solve the situation. Now all the writers do is have her dream everything (pretty boring). Is this current situation caused by lingering effects from the previous writers' strike or just plain lazy writers?
-- Jeff, 48, Washington, D.C.
Rob: Maybe you've missed some episodes. Although there has been more dreaming, the other tools are still used.
Here's a response from "Medium" co-executive producer Craig Sweeny, a 1992 graduate of Pittsburgh Allderdice High School, who is decidedly not lazy. (It would be hard for anyone to run a prime-time show successfully and be lazy.)
"His concerns have nothing to do with the writers' strike, or with our work ethic. The strike is long since in the rear-view mirror; there was a brief period of scrambling to get episodes on the air when it ended, but that was about a year ago. TV production has been back to business as usual for quite some time. If there's anything that threatens the ability of writing staffs to do quality work, it's the economy. Every show, "Medium" included, is being asked to make do with fewer writing positions in the coming season. It will be interesting to see whether that affects the quality of shows going forward, but the cuts won't take place until next year, so they haven't affected the season we're airing now.
"As for Jeff's main complaint ... as he notes, there are three ways for Allison Dubois to get a psychic clue. The first, obviously, is in her dreams. The second is via "waking visions," when she touches something and sees a "flash." The third is through conversations with ghosts, who can see more of the past, present and future than she can. Since the beginning of the show, we have always tried to lean as heavily as we can on dreams. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that, dramatically, dreams slice up organically into a series of scenes, each one of which gives Allison a discrete clue. Ideally, the dream through-line in any given episode tells its own complete story. The other reasons have to do with the "rules" of the show. The show's creator feels like "waking visions" are a kind of cheat, a way for the writers to allow Allison to see whatever she needs to at any given moment. If Allison is constantly barraged by clues everywhere she goes, then she becomes nothing but a psychic "Geiger counter." So we try to pick and choose our spots for "waking visions" carefully. Conversations with ghosts are problematic because, in the "Medium" universe, ghosts know everything. So, if a ghost wanted to, he or she could simply tell Allison how to solve whatever mystery she's tackling. That's why, when we do episodes involving ghosts, the ghost almost always has an agenda that's different than Allison's. Very often, they're actively trying to prevent Allison from learning the truth.
"None of these guidelines are new. We didn't make a conscious decision to take the show in a different direction this year. It's too bad that Jeff thinks like we're relying too much on dreams. But we've got lots of episodes this season that involve both visions and ghosts, so hopefully he'll come to feel differently as the weeks unfold.
"And, finally, I can promise Jeff that we haven't just gotten lazy. Everyone here is working as hard as we ever have. Probably harder, since we've done 95 stories now and we have to dig a little deeper to find something that we think is original."
Q: I am a fan of the actor Patrick Swayze. I was so sorry to hear he has pancreatic cancer. Has his show "The Beast" on A&E been renewed for a second season. The show is really good and Patrick Swayze is doing an excellent job.
-- Eleanor, 59, Wilkinsburg
Rob: It has not yet been renewed.
Q: First, when is "Dirty, Sexy Money" coming back to TV? It's one of the best shows on television and I really miss it!
Second, what happened to "Worst Week" on Mondays? Is it ever coming back?
-- Donna, 57, Ohio Township
Rob: First, "DSM" will be back on the 4th of Never. You'll most likely have to wait for a DVD release to see unaired episodes.
Second, "Worst Week" completed its first season order of episodes. We won't know its fate until May but the ratings were not good, so don't hold your breath.
Q: What happened to NBC's Stone Phillips? I don't see him on "Dateline" or anywhere else.
-- Carol, Oakmont
Rob: We reported almost two years ago that he was let go by NBC.
Q: What ever happened to the show "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" that was on FX?
-- Janet, 55, Crafton
Rob: Nothing happened to it. They made a season's worth of episodes and those aired. They're making a new season now and those episodes will air in the fall.
Q: "Foyles War" on PBS -- will there be an series 5 or will they just keep us hanging after Christopher Foyle resigned on the last episode of series 4?
-- Jean, 71, Lower Burrell
Rob: There has already been a fifth series, which you must have missed.
Per a "Masterpiece" publicist: "Series IV (which aired in 2007) did end with the resignation of DCS Christopher Foyle, which picked up again in 2008 with "Foyle's War, Series V" (which is now available on DVD). This is the description for Series V and how it picks up: A year has passed since DCS Foyle (Michael Kitchen) abruptly resigned from the Hastings Police, and his former colleagues are still struggling to adjust to life without him. While Foyle plods away on a writing project, Sergeant Paul Milner (Anthony Howell) is contemplating leaving the force and Samantha Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks) is at loose ends after having been fired by Foyle's replacement, the irascible DCS Meredith.
"As far as more new episodes, we know that they are working on three episodes that will be set after the Allied victory, which tentatively would air in 2010. No other details at this time."
Q: Love the columns, especially when you are out West at the press tour, reporting back on what the networks and cable channels have in the works. Very Inside baseball-ish (which is a good thing).
I have a question on online trends. Do you see online sites like Hulu displacing traditional TV-watching? Right now it seems like it would only be a small segment of the population that would watch TV this way (e.g. me). I only have basic cable, so I only get the networks, but I can see Comedy Central and FX shows online anyway.
Do you foresee a way for networks to translate Web site hits/cookie placement into ratings? Hulu is owned [in part] by News Corp. and a lot of the cable channels (especially those that provide online content) are owned by Universal and Viacom. Will the networks that own sites eventually add Nielsen ratings for their online shows? And if so, will that lead to potential strife between creatives and management?
-- Matt, Harrisburg
Rob: Online streaming, download sales and on demand viewing is already displacing traditional TV watching. It's part of the reason traditional viewership continues to decline.
Networks already get ratings from Nielsen that includes viewing from DVR playback. The networks can measure on their own how many people are watching on sites like ABC.com or Hulu, but I think the problem is finding a way to monetize viewing on those platforms. It's the same dilemma newspapers face: Advertisers will pay higher rates for print/on-air ads than they will online ads.
The issue of people paying only for basic cable and then watching shows from expanded basic channels online is also an issue for both cable networks and cable system operators.
As for strife between creatives and management, that's what last year's writers' strike and current actors-producers impasse was/is all about. The writers got some minimal residuals from online added to their contracts.
Look for an article on online programming in the Post-Gazette next week.
Q: I've noticed recently on WTAE's morning news from 5-7 a.m., the meteorologists have switched halfway through the broadcast. It seems first hour, it's Demetrius Ivory and then the second hour, it's Erin Kienzle. Any reason for this?
-- Melissa, 34, Cranberry
Rob: According to WTAE, Ivory does all of the 5-7 a.m. show and Kienzle does cut-ins during "Good Morning America."
"As of today, I am calling this audio dropout problem fixed. If you or your readers observe otherwise, please let me know.
"It was like looking for a needle in a haystack ..."
-- Dave Kasperek, WTAE director of engineering
"Hey, I was watching "Jeopardy!" and I think the last question was 'Oceans 11' and the girl that won had written down 'Oceans 1' so she got to be the winner and I think she was a loser, so you better figure out they're letting her have it. Sorry, I don't like to leave things go wrong."
-- Female caller, concerned about the integrity of "Jeopardy!"
First Published March 13, 2009 12:00 am
