Caution: You are About to Enter the Upfront Spin Zone

And so it is that by this time next week critics and bloggers who amp8220specializeamp8221 in coverage of television programming will have hastily begun singling out the amp8220most promisingamp8221 new programs I39ll probably do it tooamp160Many of them amp160too many in fact amp160do this simply to amp8220get there firstamp8221 and favorably impress colleagues competitors network executives and showrunners Others hurriedly follow whether they want to or not so as not to appear slow at the switchThis very often leads to a lot of early support amp8211 long before full pilots are screened amp8211 and a sudden burst of buzz that leads to all kinds of bad decision making Last year in late May we were all tripping over each other in our rushed praise of ABCamp8217s amp8220The Muppetsamp8221 I was as guilty as everyone else of prematurely singling it out as the most promising new series of the seasonIn fairness to myself and others amp8220The Muppetsamp8221 clipped well and played even better last May at ABCamp8217s Upfront presentation Only an ogre would have said otherwise In fact it clipped better than any other new 201516 show at any broadcast network with the possible exception of The CWamp8217s infectiously catchy preview of amp8220Crazy ExGirlfriendamp8221 a show that few folks other than critics seemed to get very excited about through its freshman run Series lead Rachel Bloomamp160did however win a Golden Globe Award and a Critics Choice Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series She is pictured belowThe difference here of course is that amp8220Crazyamp8221 deserves all the support it gets and all that it can get including its second season renewal while amp8220The Muppetsamp8221 was a giant disappointment on every level right from the first showings of its full pilot amp8220Crazyamp8221 lived up to its clip job amp8220Muppetsamp8221 did notKeep that in mind in the days to come when members of the amp8220pressamp8221 begin raving about shows they havenamp8217t seen amp8230 many of which will likely go through multiple revisions and changes before we see them next season Buzz will build some of it undeserved Bloggers and episode recappers will further fuel the frenzy Many journalists who want to secure access with the networks will unreservedly gush absent concerns for quality context or integrityMeanwhile one has to wonder whether or not the broadcast networks will do better this time out or whether the bar has been set so low that we are in for another season utterly devoid of excitement Consider the largely underwhelming shows that were tagged as pick hits last year during Upfront week and the months that followedABCamp8217s amp8220The Muppetsamp8221 Enough said about this oneCBSamp8217 amp8220Supergirlamp8221 A show brimming with sweet charm and heartfelt humanityamp160that is still struggling to find itself I canamp8217t help but wish that amp8220Supergirlamp8221 was a straightupamp160romcom with the same sexy sparkling cast How could it then not be a hit Series stars Jeremy Jordan Melissa Benoist and Mehcad Brooks are pictured belowNBCamp8217s amp8220Blindspotamp8221 This action series owes its early ratings rush to repeated visuals in itsamp160marketing campaign and on the show itself of a beautiful naked woman covered from tip to toe with tattoos Seriously would it have enjoyed as much early buzz if all those tattoos were discovered on a manamp8217s body or if those symbols were found on an ancient scroll or scratched onto the Empire State Building or any other New York City landmark This is one of those franchises that will extend its mythology for as many seasons as NBC chooses to run it much like the same networkamp8217s weakening amp8220The Blacklistamp8221 Remember when that one kicked buttFoxamp8217s amp8220Scream Queensamp8221 pictured at top Vicious vile and just about the ugliest thing a broadcast network hadamp160dropped in forever Until the time when just a few weeks later we were treated to an even nastier little showABCamp8217s amp8220Wicked Cityamp8221 A jawdroppingly disturbing stinker about a love affair between serial killers that was also picked by many bloggers as a show to keep an eye on which wasnamp8217t easy because it was cancelled after two weeksThe CWamp8217s amp8220Crazy ExGirlfriendamp8221 pictured below Plainly an acquired taste that few have chosen to sample even if it is more daring and adventurous than any of the shows mentioned above The general rejection of this delightful show raises the question Do critics even matter anymoreFortunately truly awful shows that critics rejected even before Upfront week was over including NBCamp8217s amp8220Truth Be Toldamp8221 and amp8220The Playeramp8221 CBSamp8217 amp8220Angel from Hellamp8221 and ABCamp8217s quotBlood and Oilquot and the aforementioned amp8220Wicked Cityamp8221 were put out of our misery before too much damage was done So there is still some degree of taste in play by network executives and critics alikeUnfortunately the promise of an afterlife on one streaming service or another has the networks only too happy to keep too many marginal shows on their schedules So it is more likely than ever that many series that have run out of gas and many others that are likely to do so will be among those renewed in the days aheadThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggers

Click to Make Your 2025 Contribution to Support the MediaVillage Education Foundation

Caution: You are About to Enter the Upfront Spin Zone

Author

Publish date

Channel

Archived in

Ed Martin

Empowering Women in Media: Insights from Industry Leaders (Video) - By E.B. Moss

More Videos:

Click to Make Your 2025 Contribution to Support the MediaVillage Education Foundation

Caution: You are About to Enter the Upfront Spin Zone

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Ed Martin

Empowering Women in Media: Insights from Industry Leaders (Video) - By E.B. Moss

The payment was successful

Cookies