Bob:
At the upfronts last week, one of the bigger pieces of scheduling news was ABC’s moving Revenge from Wednesdays to Sundays. We’ve talked before about how Sunday is a very busy night for TV with most cable networks airing their original programming to compete with the networks. I’m wondering what this move to Sunday is going to mean for the sophomore drama.
I know for me personally, it will probably mean Revenge is going to fall off my list of shows. At the very least, I’m going to be way behind on it. My Sundays are way too crowded already, and Revenge has gotten less and less interesting to me through the season. It started strong, but I think the premise of the show just isn’t sustainable. It’s like the longer it goes on, the less successful Emily is. How long before we start to question what kind of plan she actually has?
Debbie:
Since I turn into a pumpkin and could never watch Revenge live, I’m pretty excited about the move … to 9:00! Summer is a busy Sunday night for me, but not as much during the regular season, so the move works for me on both counts.
I think it will work for a lot of people. There were tons of Desperate Housewives fans who had appointment television Sundays at 9:00 for the last eight years. ABC is hoping they’ll check out Revenge, and I think it’s a fair bet that they will. Does this mean the show might get a little more soapy? Could be, but since you won’t be watching anyway, no harm done.
The premise may not be sustainable in the way you’re thinking, but with good, strong, character-driven stories, it could be very interesting. I really like the characters right now, for better or for worse. I’m not missing Amanda or Tyler, the two I found most annoying, and I love, love, love the many facets of Victoria and how Madeleine Stowe has owned that character. She’s spectacular.
Bob:
Your point regarding Desperate Housewives is a really good one. I hadn’t thought about that. There is definitely going to be a large group of viewers looking for something different to watch at 9:00 on Sundays. It will be interesting to see what the move does to the ratings.
I just don’t see the show having good strong character-driven stories these days. I think the show would be infinitely more interesting right now if Daniel had ended up dead on the beach instead of Tyler (not that I wanted more Tyler, but it would have made for more drama). Nolan has become a caricature of himself, which usually takes a few seasons for most characters. Stowe is good, but the ugly divorce and fighting with her husband is stale and cliche. I would love the show to find something interesting for her to do, and that painter isn’t it.
Debbie:
It may not have character-driven stories per se, but if the premise runs dry and the writers are good, they could easily go in that direction with the groundwork that has been laid. Remember, the season is over and many shows slightly reimagine themselves at the start of a new season … or completely overhaul and ruin the show (I’m looking at you, Human Target).
Bob:
I’m not looking for a complete overhaul, or even a re-tool. I would love if the show just got back to the core of its story. Let Emily get some revenge on folks like she was doing early in the season. Yes, there is the question of just how many people she can get back at, but those were the episodes I enjoyed most. Having that little villain-of-the-week while still learning about the backstory and following the characters really worked for me. I liked the clear direction of the show and the smug satisfaction that Emily was getting on a regular basis. I guess what I’m saying is that I would love it if Revenge featured a little more … revenge.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on May 24, 2012 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
