UPFRONTS FALLOUT: VERONICA MARS
And thus, another show moves from the sidebar of the Highly Favored (and to the newly instituted Archives of the Highly Favored page - a work in continuous progress).
Veronica Mars. Early on, I think it suffered from a little of the same problem as Gilmore Girls. A cursory glance shows it to be a "chick show" and before I saw the pilot, the commercials only made me think that it she was a knock-off of Nancy Drew. Obviously that perception was rapidly altered in the opening minutes of the first episode.
Looking at the ratings of the Pussycat Dolls (no link for you!), I think it's biggest problem is that it was too smart. No, wait. It was just fine levels of smart. People are stupid. And this season, it had stiff time slot competition as well.
Unlike Gilmore Girls, most everyone I know was converted to the cult of VM before the second season ended. In fact, most before the second season began. As a smart-ass crime noir, it wasn't exactly a hard sell (to those with taste ). The tightly plotted first season and the murder of Lily Kane sealed the deal without fail (and a promptly released DVD set didn't hurt none).
There are those who spent the following couple of seasons complaining that the show never rose to the level of the first season again. And it didn't. It reached higher and tried new things. The first season was over, move on people. The show had little or no fear and whether you liked the second year or not (and I loved it), that second season showed it. Right down to the fact that they hid the second season's killer right in the opening credits as a show regular.
The third season came and, again, Rob Thomas and crew were unafraid to shake things up. It was time to go to college, unavoidable (and well set-up well before the second season was even over in "The Rapes of Graff"). Instead of a year long mystery, we were given several shorter arc mysteries and a few standalones (sorta) to close out the year...and the series. Standalones that, to some, represent a return to form. I must admit, I've always enjoyed episodes where the crime of the weeek had a stronger presence that the advancement of the arc mystery. "Aint' No Magic Mountain High Enough," for instance in the middle of the a very arc-laden second year remains a favorite.
You know, despite the open questions that remain as the result of the incredible finale ("The Bitch is Back"), I don't feel like I lack closure. If anything, it feels more like full circle. Keith is likely to lose the election, returning him to where had had been, as a private investigator. Veronica is once again socially-handicapped, plus we know she's going to the FBI internship and likely has a future there. And there's nothing really broken about the boyfriend she's left off with, so perhaps a normal love life for the girl as we leave her. Oh, and Weevil's the recidivist we always knew him to be.
So now, it's also time to remove my Veronica Mars spec ("Federal Assistance") from the rotation, where it's held a spot since shortly after the end of the first year. I've considered removing it before, since it's set in high school and also toys with her future in the FBI, but the manager said she had no problem with using it as a sample. If she considered it to remain viable, who am I to argue?
I also considered just writing a new VM spec (despite the shows questionable future because it's fun to write) but the in the course of about six weeks, the show plowed though most of my plot ideas.
For the time being, I'm rotating The Unit back in, despite it not really being a viable spec. While Shawna Benson's incredibly helpful what-to-spec lists rate it favorably, the VP-Television of a notable ten-percentery told me that a spec of The Unit is not going to get read. The industry doesn't watch it. Once again, who am I to argue? I just like to have five at a time, so as soon as I get through a Heroes or something, I'll bust it back down.
I'm prioritizing something else at the moment, though.
Season Four in the FBI or the FBI Academy would have been rockin' (like Dokken).
Veronica Mars. Early on, I think it suffered from a little of the same problem as Gilmore Girls. A cursory glance shows it to be a "chick show" and before I saw the pilot, the commercials only made me think that it she was a knock-off of Nancy Drew. Obviously that perception was rapidly altered in the opening minutes of the first episode.
Looking at the ratings of the Pussycat Dolls (no link for you!), I think it's biggest problem is that it was too smart. No, wait. It was just fine levels of smart. People are stupid. And this season, it had stiff time slot competition as well.
Unlike Gilmore Girls, most everyone I know was converted to the cult of VM before the second season ended. In fact, most before the second season began. As a smart-ass crime noir, it wasn't exactly a hard sell (to those with taste ). The tightly plotted first season and the murder of Lily Kane sealed the deal without fail (and a promptly released DVD set didn't hurt none).
There are those who spent the following couple of seasons complaining that the show never rose to the level of the first season again. And it didn't. It reached higher and tried new things. The first season was over, move on people. The show had little or no fear and whether you liked the second year or not (and I loved it), that second season showed it. Right down to the fact that they hid the second season's killer right in the opening credits as a show regular.
The third season came and, again, Rob Thomas and crew were unafraid to shake things up. It was time to go to college, unavoidable (and well set-up well before the second season was even over in "The Rapes of Graff"). Instead of a year long mystery, we were given several shorter arc mysteries and a few standalones (sorta) to close out the year...and the series. Standalones that, to some, represent a return to form. I must admit, I've always enjoyed episodes where the crime of the weeek had a stronger presence that the advancement of the arc mystery. "Aint' No Magic Mountain High Enough," for instance in the middle of the a very arc-laden second year remains a favorite.
You know, despite the open questions that remain as the result of the incredible finale ("The Bitch is Back"), I don't feel like I lack closure. If anything, it feels more like full circle. Keith is likely to lose the election, returning him to where had had been, as a private investigator. Veronica is once again socially-handicapped, plus we know she's going to the FBI internship and likely has a future there. And there's nothing really broken about the boyfriend she's left off with, so perhaps a normal love life for the girl as we leave her. Oh, and Weevil's the recidivist we always knew him to be.
So now, it's also time to remove my Veronica Mars spec ("Federal Assistance") from the rotation, where it's held a spot since shortly after the end of the first year. I've considered removing it before, since it's set in high school and also toys with her future in the FBI, but the manager said she had no problem with using it as a sample. If she considered it to remain viable, who am I to argue?
I also considered just writing a new VM spec (despite the shows questionable future because it's fun to write) but the in the course of about six weeks, the show plowed though most of my plot ideas.
For the time being, I'm rotating The Unit back in, despite it not really being a viable spec. While Shawna Benson's incredibly helpful what-to-spec lists rate it favorably, the VP-Television of a notable ten-percentery told me that a spec of The Unit is not going to get read. The industry doesn't watch it. Once again, who am I to argue? I just like to have five at a time, so as soon as I get through a Heroes or something, I'll bust it back down.
I'm prioritizing something else at the moment, though.
Season Four in the FBI or the FBI Academy would have been rockin' (like Dokken).