My primary means for surviving the writers strike has been to load up my home theater PC DVR with recorded shows to watch through Spring and Summer 2008. Additionally, I’ll continue renting movies from Netflix and catch up on movies and TV shows that I missed out on before. While I’m at it, I’ll also spend some time outside.
Still, if I were a TV Network exec and trying to find several months of worthwhile programming, here’s what I’d do while waiting out writers strike. It’s actually a pretty easy solution and could revive some decent shows that deserved to be saved.
- Firefly – Re-run the Firefly television episodes in their originally intended order and conclude with the Firefly Serenity movie. Promote the heck out of it and bring in tons of viewers who never saw it the first time. If Firefly gets decent rating, FOX could bring it back with new shows once the strike has ended for an easy hit TV show.
- Jericho – With the new, second season of Jericho coming soon, CBS should air the first season once more in prime-time and promote it in a big way. They did this during the summer, but it was right around July 4th when many potential viewers were not watching television. Run it again now to get the attention it deserves and bring in new viewers ready to make the second season of Jericho a success.
- Heroes – Show Heroes from the beginning, promote it, and bring in new viewers while audiences are desperate for quality content (read: not reality TV).
Bottom line is that networks can air quality re-runs and sufficiently promote them as must-watch “classics” – which could be supplemented with behind the scenes special clips and interviews.
What other shows should the networks resurrect for reruns? I’m thinking shows that have either been canceled and/or haven’t received the attention they deserved their first go-around. Also, how are you planning to deal with the writers strike fallout?
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Good call on Firefly. I’ll add that to my Netflix queue along with several seasons of The Wire.
I haven’t seen much compelling prime-time television this season, so in our household the writers strike has mostly been felt during late night TV. I’ve been spending a lot of time playing Call of Duty 4 on Xbox when I’d normally be watching those shows. Though, Melissa’s been watching the re-runs.
I’m looking forward to Season 2 of Jericho. I assume all episodes have already been written and filmed? Not sure how I feel about Lost this time or what its status is. However Melissa will enjoy some of the reality stuff coming soon, like Idol. I’ll probably need more games for my Xbox. ;) Or a Kindle!
I second Firefly, I’ll have to rent those and watch them once again.
Yes, fortunately all 7 episodes of Jericho season 2 were filmed and ready to go. They had considered airing it in the Fall and then held it off as a mid-season replacement. I think it will get pretty decent ratings compared to reruns (I hope at least).
The firefly recommendation was one from my wife actually. Neither my wife or daughter are big sci-fi fans, but loved Firefly. It was one I think would have done better had the network not botched the delivery and marketing of the show.
They just announced yesterday that Lost will air this winter albeit shorted by about half due to the writers strike.
The UHD channel on Comcast is running a Jericho marathon in HD (last night and this afternoon). I also have the full run of Firefly in HD on my Series 3 courtesy of UHD’s weekly run of the series this fall.
put seinfeld back into prime time!
this strike is starting to annoy me. i was talking to someone the other day, and they mentioned that all the stage crew, etc. don’t have jobs and aren’t getting paid because shows aren’t being made.
it ticks me off how the writers are spiting not just studios, but all of the viewers, and all of the staff involved in making these shows.
I love this idea, Brent, but the networks might balk at rerunning prime-time dramas for which they’d have to pay hefty residuals to the very writers who have them up against the wall!
If the writers wrote more quality shows (ala Firefly, Jericho, Heros), more people would watch them, via traditional and non-traditional methods. If more people were honestly watching, then maybe it would be worth the studio’s to start paying a fair wage. Of course, they could afford to pay even more to the writers and other creative folks if the studio managements weren’t being paid disgusting 7 figure (or more) salaries.
pat—-
All good suggestions! I own the Firefly series DVD box set. It is/was one of the best Sci-Fi series EVER! …..and Wash was alive! I was severely shocked when they killed him off in the movie. :(
if they don’t start writing soon I’ll have to start going out side or find work so yeah START WRITING.
Every once in a while my husband and I still turn to each other with a look of despair, “They killed Wash!”
Ack! Spoilers! :-P
I second Firefly and think it’s a strong idea.
I’m also amazed, with NBC’s massive stable of shows, that they aren’t running things like Battlestar Galactica in the run up to March’s season premiere.
I read somewhere that one of the networks was looking into putting Dexter in primetime (heavily edited, of course). This would be a great thing to get more people to watch the best show on tv right now, even with all the edits.
Check out the ultimate reality show – sports… I just worked a high-school tripleheader yesterday that was pretty good tv…
Good point, Big John. If there were ever a time for a writers’ strike, this is the right season in my book. Run-up to the NFL playoffs and heading into college basketball prime time.
What’s the timing on when the strike could impact Fall Season 2008?
I agree with Brian – Dexter is the best show on TV right now. It’s not perfect and it probably wouldn’t appeal to everyone, but I love it. I also love how both seasons had a distinct end the the story arc – I like closure. (Especially in light of shows like Deadwood and Traveler not being renewed.)
I also agree with Pat that quality TV content has been lacking. But maybe that reflects the legions of people tuning into American Idol and Dancing with the Stars.
I’d have to say anyone planning on putting Firefly into their Netflix queue (or renting elsewhere) don’t bother. The Firefly box set seems to go on sale at Target or Walmart regularly. Don’t wait for it to show up in the mail buy it on the way home today. You will not be disappointed.
Firefly is easily the best show that never got a chance.
Put on shows that never got a proper run on TV and show all the episodes that were shot.
For me the list would include:
– Smith. I’ve seen the remaining episodes of this fantastic show via iTunes, but would rather watch it in HD on a big screeen.
– The Nine. E10-E13 never aired in the U.S. and I’m not aware of any way to get them legally. I’d love to see the remaining episodes. Another sad cancellation.
– Vanished. Another early cancellation. I didn’t watch it but my wife liked it.
Or bring back some series from the past that didn’t catch an audience the first time around.
My suggestion:
– Profit, the TV series with Adrian Pasdar from 1997. This series was truly bizarre and just too far ahead of its time. If you haven’t seen it, the show is available on DVD. Just try the first episode. Its really something.
There are probably lots of others worth suggesting. I personally liked “Space: Above and Beyond” though Kristen Cloke may have had something to do with that. Or rerun the whole Babylon 5 series…
I think these are brilliant ideas. I was ‘bullied’ by a friend to watch Firefly, and it is wonderful. And I have been a Jericho fan from the start. It’s amazing to me how the fans have come up with such great marketing ideas that fall on the deaf ears of the so-called professionals )Network promo depts.).
Looks like they’re going to take Brent’s advice. NBC has announced Monk will be shown on NBC in prime time this spring.