Cool Shite on the Box

Published November 6, 2010
Category: Features

Max Says:

Over the last few years, there have been many different high quality, character-based TV shows. Some have run for many years; others have only lasted for a short time, but have managed to remain in the public consciousness owing to their own cult followings. Two of my favourite shows, Farscape and Firefly, managed to survive after their small screen cancellations and were reincarnated as a mini series and a movie, respectively.

Television with Bite

Vampires are, of course, popular again, thanks to 1997’s launch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.Currently, The Vampire Diaries caters to a younger audience, with its focus on romance, sibling rivalry, and relationships. Then we have the more mature True Blood, which explores a darker side of vampires and werewolves, and features a less inhibited main character and raunchier storyline.

These new vampire shows are pretty solidly built around great, original novels by L.J. Smith and Charlaine Harris, whose much-loved characters were just made for the screen. The shows not only expand on an already popular universe, but also reach a wider viewing audience who might not already be familiar with the books.

Past is Proof

Shows like Smallville and Supernatural continue to fascinate and impress, despite having being around for so long; although, I’ve detected some signs of their slowing down in more recent storylines.

Unfortunately Sci-Fi shows seem to disappear a lot more quickly lately. No-one seems to be able to break the mold and push the boundaries as much as they used to, instead relying on remakes (Battlestar Galactica), short-lived shows (like Galactica’s own prequel Caprica, which has now been cancelled for a sequel of its own – much to the confusion of fans), and yet more spin-offs (Stargate Universe).

So much has been covered by Sci-Fi TV that I sometimes wonder whether there’s any truly new ground left to cover. But then a show like Eureka comes along and reminds me that anything’s possible and that there’s no shortage of ideas.

Look to the Future

Everybody loves a superhero. It doesn’t matter if it’s Superman, Spidey, or even Kick-Ass, and it seems that the networks have caught on to this. The latest innovation is the superhero family show. As well as Smallville, we now have No Ordinary Family, with the familiar faces of Michael Chiklis (Fantastic Four) and Julie Benz (Angel, Dexter); and The Cape, due to start next year, is about a man becoming his son’s favourite superhero.

Quality Counts

As I said earlier, an obsessive cult following can be a powerful thing, and this has definitely proven to be the case with one of the most impressive shows on television lately – Chuck. The geeky loser, who works in an electrical store and becomes a spy (somewhat against his will), is the very essence of what fans of these shows are looking for. It’s well written, it’s funny, and it has actors and characters that you can relate to (not to mention some rather over the top and laugh out loud moments).

Buttering Up the Sponsors

Sadly, Chuck was cancelled after just two seasons, due to low ratings and what is becoming known as ‘The Curse of DVR’ (where people prefer to record shows and skip the advertisements). A campaign was started by fans, cast, and crew alike to get the show renewed by NBC.

Zachary Levi, who plays Chuck on the show, led what can only be described as an army of fans to a local Subway (the show’s main sponsor) in Birmingham, England, and ordered foot-long subs for himself and his hundreds of devotees. This started the ball rolling as fans and, more importantly, Subway’s financial input, convinced the network execs to change their minds and agree to a third season.
Happily, Chuck has now begun its fourth season. What further proof could we need that the power of a popular show and its followers cannot be denied? Let’s hope that there are many more like this for years to come.