Posted by little worm at xcom-79-137.mdc.net on February 21, 2000 at 21:12:39:
In Reply to: Kevin vs. ABC - don't see a problem posted by Duke_of_Fluke on February 21, 2000 at 20:42:26:
: Read your post about ABC. Man, it's a depressing read, and frankly, kind :of disappointing.
Yes, because its pretty much on target.
: The fact is, your show is a risky venture. (A) It's taken from a low :budget black and white movie about 2 guys in a shop which (B) may have a :good cult following, but hardly anyone saw it. Can you blame them for :having second thoughts?
Yeah, and Southpark had a cult following on the net long before it aired on Comedy Central. ...the fact remains that there IS a fan base, and a noticeable one at that, which the suits realize. But as Kev explained, there was a mixup with the test screening...and he got fucked.
: The public hasn't seen it yet.
The POINT about the air date was that traditionally, a lower amount of the public is watching the timeslot. Most shows are in re-runs, hence fewer people are watching the airwaves. ...that can be detrimental to a show's success. Therefore, a larger amount of the public may not be there to push this puppy into success.
:Your loyal fanbase hasn't seen it yet. Fans in Europe, Australia and :everywhere else haven't seen it yet, and you're saying the whole thing is :fucked because of the date it's released?
The loyal fanbase may not be big enough at this point to carry a show. Yes we'd like to think so, but it just may not be the case. Kevin isn't concerned with Europe, etc. at this point...the show has to be a success HERE before it ventures outward.
:Thanks for the vote of confidence, man. You realise it's already being :talked about in the UK movie press? Do you also realise that we never get :to hear about TV shows in the US until they're on TV here, unless there is :an EXCEPTIONAL buzz?
How much buzz can there be for a show that hasn't aired yet, and not to many people have seen?
: The fat lady has not sat down and watched the cartoon yet. We're all :gonna watch it, even if we have to tape it, just like we all went to see :Dogma, and Dogma didn't bomb, did it? So much for the previous "fucking" :from Disney - I can't see how their fear of Dogma did you any harm at all.
Dogma could have done a LOT better. After its opening day, I did not see ONE ad for it on tv afterwards. ...if disney didn't back down, their marketing firepower could have brought the flick to greater heights.
:You're still making a profit on Dogma, aren't you? It is far from over, :and unless the show is substandard (doubt it!), I think you're unduly :panicking.
Its a pain in the ass to put a lot of effort into something only to have its great potential sabotaged. Can you not see why he's upset?
: So I don't see what all the fuss is about. Don't assume that because :conventional wisdom dictates that your show gets put in a shitty time-slot :that it's already dead. You could put it on in the primetime slot on the :biggest TV watching day of the year and people are still gonna turn it off :cos they don't like it.
But at least there would be people watching it to make that decision. As it stands, he's going to have minimal viewers.
:You already have a decent-sized audience who have been waiting for this :for months, and then you can add to that the people that will see it and :like it. I have no doubts at all about the quality of the show, I know it :will be excellent (if it ever gets released over here - another fucking :stumbling block).
It all depends on how aggressively ABC markets it. If people don't know its out there, it ain't gonna get watched.
: And another thing - you keep dissing people and companies here, you're :bring unecessary shit down on your head. Personally, I respect the fact :that you keep it real, that you're not afraid to tell PTA/ABC how you :feel, but I'm in the minority. It never helps, you've already got a buzz (:not saying goo, not saying bad) about the Magnolia shit, as you know, and :people only remember shite like that.
Doesn't seem like he cares. Tis better to do his own thing, his way. ...and that Magnolia thing got blown out of proportion. He said he didn't like the flick, nuff said.
--little worm--