We Get More Than We Deserve:
The Top 20 Shows of 2011-2012

Dude, just because you don’t like a comedy doesn’t mean it’s mediocre or terrible… that’s just your opinion, and judging by the ratings you yourself are “reporting” on, it’s quite the minority opinion.

Yeah, I have to agree too, this entire list, especially the “comedies”, if you want to call them that, are completely regurgitated dreck.

 House isn’t.  Fringe won’t be after next year.

Oh and fox sucks Alcatraz was an amazing show and ranked higher then some of those crappy shows that got renewed but this is fox where anything can get cancelled.

I loved 2 broke girls! :)

The fact that a lot of people like something doesn’t make it good, it just makes it popular.

 I’ve been recently thinking along the same lines.  If you have a show with an ongoing plot or subplot, the networks should make a deal that if it goes long enough, if not a full season, then if they feel they should cancel it, they should work with that shows producers to ask how many episodes do they need to wrap it up nicely without ridiculous gaps or jumps to the conclusion.  If not in an episode format, contract all involved to make that movie to do so while they are available and sets are there.

Network:  “We are going to end the series.  Can you wrap it up in the episodes left to you?”  If not, then “How many do you need to do so?”  “Six?”  “OK, we’ll give you six to be done.”  Or, “We’re going to end it, but we can’t do more episodes, how do you feel about a final movie to wrap it up?”  The cast and crew can remain on for that provioded they are given enough of a heads up and such.  I would even allow a two-part movie to complete things, if necessary.

The most important thing however, is that the networks should insure the show does have an end game to do this to begin with.  “Do you have an idea how this will end, if we need to do so early?”

I would also continue a show to end through the spring or have it back for a summer wrap up.

That all said, I do not think shows like LOST can work on network TV as an ongoing anymore, as it proved when it decided to fully tells its story without dragging everything out with filler episodes to do so as an ongoing.  I think networks need to start looking at shows like this as finite and ask creators to do it in as little as 13 to 18 episodes and be done.  If they require two or more seasons to fully tell a story, then a network needs to consider taking a chance and committing to let it run regardless of ratings.

Well one thing to consider is that networks usually tell up front how many episodes they are getting. Now if a show is cancelled mid-season that’s totally on the network. But if you get the whole 22, then a writer/creator should at least create a full enough story so that if it is cancelled viewers will feel as much resolution as possible, but leave just enough for a potential second season. Fringe directors had filmed two endings for Fringe from what I hear. One that would have concluded as much of the story as possible and another (the one they aired) in case they got more episodes. I think that would be the smart thing to do if I were a writer/creator.

What no Glee?

Adam Sandler is a perfect example of something incredibly popular, yet mind-boggingly crass, and unfunny.  Jackass is also another great example.  It proves that there are more people out there who desire mediocre and terrible entertainment than something interesting and challenging to the intellect.  I think Graeme’s right in this case.

Will say for the  millionth time, all these nerds who whine about shows getting cancelled as if the networks don’t want their products to succeed.. grow up. You just don’t have any spending power, and downloading everything instead of watching it so you can skip ads might seem like a big “stick it to the man” moment for you but these shows aren’t free to produce. So go ahead, claim conspiracy, talk about how much better you’d be at running networks, pirate everything, and keep being shocked that the stuff you like doesn’t get made because they need room for a new reality show about fat people learning to sing.

 Or at least a TV movie or two to wrap up any unresolved plotlines. Just watched Ark of Truth, where they bring to an end the stuff at the end of the Stargate SG1 series. Seemed to do a good job of it, and as you say, satisfies the fans without costing the studios too much.

@kolymar your absolutely right of course. Popular thing: attending mob hangings, unpopular thing: helping the poor and needy.

Wow, the tv viewing public has terrible taste. Not a single scripted show worth watching in the top 20… (and only 1 non-scripted show, and even that is pretty borderline…)

New York Magazine just had a whole article in a special issue about television about how completely broken the ratings system and the way pilots are chosen is. It has Mrs Don Draper on the cover.  Interesting read.

ah. it’s even online..
http://www.vulture.com/2012/05/tv-pilot-focus-groups-gavin-polone.html

That show is ADHD garbage.  What I mean by that is the creator can’t keep storylines straight or follow through with them, or keep characters personalities consistent.