wow! I didn't know they did that...

[winterbadger]

I was trying to see why my DVR hadn't recorded any more of the new series Lone Star, which I was sort of enjoying. Then I checked on the Fox website, and it wasn't listed. Then I checked Wikipedia.

Lone Star is an American one-hour drama television series which originally ran on Fox from September 20, 2010 to September 27, 2010, airing Monday nights at 9 pm ET/PT.[2] After two low-rated episodes, Fox declared its cancellation on September 28, 2010.[1]

That would certainly explain it.

Cancelled after TWO episodes? For goodness sake, they'd filmed six--why not at least air them?

Also, I haven't watched a broadcast half-hour comedy in I don't know how long. They made the quite entertaining film Outsourced into a TV show, so I thought I'd give it a try. Sweet Judas Priest! Eliminate the commercials, and there's barely 15 minutes of program! The Wikipedia article claims it runs 21 minutes, but I beg leave to doubt that. And it's not that good...

Broadcast TV is so effed up.

Comments

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Can't say that the premise exactly grabs me. Poly I can relate to, cheats I can't.

[winterbadger]

That assumes that for a drama to be good, you have to approve of and accept the mores of the protagonists.

If that were true, most of Western drama, from Sophocles to Shakespeare, from Tennessee Williams to Harold Pinter, would be unwatchable, repellent, and deeply offensive.

And it is often found to be, but only by those who are unable to understand the difference between depicting a moral failing and treating it as a moral good.

I'm not saying that "Lone Star" was "Oedipus the King" or "Othello", but it had some good writing and good acting; it created some character that were (at least to me) interesting and intriguing, a story I wanted to watch. Apparently not enough viewers agreed with me, but I'm used to that; the shows that I like that get cancelled are far more numerous than the shows I like that succeed (or the wildly successful shows that I like).

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I think I relate in different ways to different forms of drama.

Theatre is a one-off and thus I expect an emotional roller-coaster that can take me in any direction. I don't need to like the characters in theatre.

With TV, I tend to watch for different reasons. I want characters that I can empathise with. (one will do) Because a TV series is a long-term investment, I'm effectively wanting to spend time with people I can relate to.

Books likewise. I remember giving up on one Tanith Lee novel because I simply had no point of connection with the POV character.

Lone Stare

[josh-cru.livejournal.com]

Heard a good bit on NPR about Lone Star and why it was canceled (supposedly it was advertised as something its not, so the people who did watch it didn't tune in to episode two, and the people who would like it didn't bother to watch it).... I never saw it myself.

Modern Family is quite funny, and one of only two half hour sitcoms I watch, give it a try!

Re: Lone Stare

[winterbadger]

Interesting--it was hearing an interview with one of the actors on NPR before it premiered that made me want to watch it.