Writers’ Strike = Better TV?
No wait a second, I’m serious. In addition to being a sci-fi guy, I’m a big sports fan. One of my favorite NBA seasons, believe it or not, was the strike shortened 1998 season. That year for me exposed the truth that 50 games is not a bad number of basketball contests. At that number all the games actually seemed important. I don’t pick up a typical NBA campaign until about February anyway.
Looking at some of the work sci-fi writers have done “under the gun” so to speak, I think this shortened TV season has worked pretty well. Recently we talked to Sarah Connor Chronicles showrunner Josh Friedman. He discussed having to shorten an initial 22 episode run to 13, and then to nine.
And you know what? It was a tight, action-packed run. There were no wasted beats because there weren’t time for any. There were no flashback episodes taking us deeper into the world of some minor character we cared nothing about. Every gunshot, every explosion and every one of Cameron’s blank, mechanical stares was building to something and the payoff was a quick and rewarding one.
The same applies to Lost, a show that last season was living up to its name. We know we’re not going to get answers every week, that’s the way the show works. But there were times last year many fans stopped caring about the questions. This year, every single episode has been money. The cliffhangers at the end have given back that “What The?” feeling that has made the show a ratings success. How’d Ben get off the island? Why is Sayid working for him? Why does Kate have baby Aaron? “The Constant” was one of the show’s best episodes ever. There’s just a greater sense of urgency this year, particularly with sci-fi shows. That sense of urgency is all too real for fans of shows like Jericho, which may not be back. But it gives diehard fans no excuse to miss the show.
I also submit the example of Heroes’ subpar second season. Even the show’s creator admitted nothing worked until the last few episodes. Hiro seemed to be in feudal Japan longer than the actual feudal era lasted in history. Romantic subplots with the cute princess and Claire’s flying boyfriend didn’t do it for anyone. “Save The Cheerleader, Save the World” was not just a great ad slogan in Season 1, it was an overlying theme tying everything together. A slogan for Season 2 could have been “Start the Strike, Save Our Good Memories of This Show.” I wish there were a way to hypnotize that show’s writers to think the strike was still on and they only had ten episodes. With a ten episode order, there’s no time for lollygagging. Shows like The Sopranos and Battlestar Galactica, the Sopranos of sci-fi, get it. The ride seems like it’s over too soon, but they always leave you wanting more. The middle part of Lost and Heroes’ seasons last year left you wanting to pop the previous season’s DVD in.
Sometimes less is more and nine or ten great episodes will always trump nine or ten great episodes surrounded by tons of filler.
2007 Fox Broadcasting Company Cr. Jill Greenberg
Tags: Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, Jericho, Lost, Terminator:Sarah Connor ChroniclesRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, Jericho, Lost, Sarah Connor, Television
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