Tuned In - Heroes: Serial Killer?

[Gilpesh]

http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2008/11/20/heroes-serial-killer/

The Heroes panel at a recent Screenwriting Expo was a strange event, reports IGN: creator Tim Kring was scheduled to be on the panel with two of his producer-writers, but they were fired before the panel took place. Naturally, discussion turned to what Kring might change about the show to save it. He made a puzzling suggestion: revising the show so that it's no longer a serial (i.e., a show telling a long, ongoing story).

According to Kring, much of Heroes' ratings troubles can be blamed on DVRs and other shifts in the way people watch television, which he says makes it hard to get people to invest in a weekly basis in an ongoing story. Serialization, he said, is

a very flawed way of telling stories on network television right now, because of the advent of the DVR and online streaming. The engine that drove [serialized TV] was you had to be in front of the TV [when it aired]. Now you can watch it when you want, where you want, how you want to watch it, and almost all of those ways are superior to watching it on air. So [watching it] on air is related to the saps and the dips**s who can't figure out how to watch it in a superior way.

Uh-huh. Let me offer a few responses, in descending order of smart-assedness:

1. Yes, you can blame technology for siphoning all the smart viewers away from your series. You could try revamping your show so that it becomes the complete opposite of what it was conceived as. Or you could try, you know, not sucking. A story arc or two that doesn't inspire ridicule could go a long way with the saps and dips***s, is all I'm saying.

2. OK, more seriously: maybe I shouldn't be criticizing Kring's efforts to salvage his show, seeing as how I've already given up on it. But if you're going to go that road with Heroes—with its gigundous scope and cast—then you should probably do some major paring down of characters. Which may be an unanticipated benefit—or an unspoken goal—of the move, since a nonserial Heroes might well be a cheaper show to produce.

3. All that said—and I recognize I say this as a critic biased toward serial dramas—the idea that DVRs and streaming make it harder to follow serial shows is so transparently ridiculous I seriously wonder if Kring even believes it. I mean, OK, maybe in the sense that alternative platforms have driven down live viewing across the board and made it more challenging to make the same kind of money off advertising. But that's hardly limited to serial shows. And time-shifting, streaming and watching on DVD are precisely what has made it more attractive for viewers to watch serial shows.

First, the requirement of watching live was, in fact, the greatest impediment to serials in the past. If you missed an episode and couldn't catch a rerun, you were off the train, and it was that much harder to get back on. If you can watch on Hulu, or a second run on cable, or a replay on your DVR, it's easier to catch up. Anecdotally, I know a lot of people who will only watch serial shows on DVR or DVD, so they can watch several episodes at a stretch. Take Lost: it may never draw CSI numbers, but it does well enough to be well worth ABC's investment, precisely because of an intense fan base, many of whom DVR it to rewind and catch details—and its huge sales on DVD are not exactly a liability to anyone concerned.

Look, I'll grant Kring that pulling off a hit serial is hard: when they hit big, it's a jackpot, but they often fail big too. (It was also hard when Heroes was a hit, all of two years ago.) And who knows: I have a hard time imagining Heroes succeeding as anything other than what it is, but if he can revive it as some kind of Justice League anthology, more power to him. But it does no one any favors to rationalize its problems as the fault of technologies that have mostly benefitted media consumers, or a storytelling format that has produced the best television of the past decade.

Whatever problems Heroes has, the fault lies not in its DVRs but in itself.

 

[SuBe]

Great write-up. To blame something other than writing, is plan silly.

 

[chaseter]

I know this isn't your opinion Gilpesh but this guy says he has given up on Heroes but goes on to say how it should be done I am tired of this attitude. I loved Smallville once but quit watching it but I don't continue to preach about how it has gone wrong. However, this guy is right about Kring's excuses.

But all in all...the DVR isn't suprisingly new technology that has reshaped television in a time period of 2 years. TV viewers everywhere have been saturated with crappy reality shows and we are loosing good television fast. But I do agree that Kring is making up some ridiculous excuses for a loss in ratings. First it was the writer's strike, then it was the writers being lazy, and now it is DVR's.

This show is still a ratings king for NBC and I just don't see it going away any time soon.

 

[SuBe]

I know this isn't your opinion Gilpesh but this guy says he has given up on Heroes but goes on to say how it should be done I am tired of this attitude. I loved Smallville once but quit watching it but I don't continue to preach about how it has gone wrong. However, this guy is right about Kring's excuses.

But all in all...the DVR isn't suprisingly new technology that has reshaped television in a time period of 2 years. TV viewers everywhere have been saturated with crappy reality shows and we are loosing good television fast. But I do agree that Kring is making up some ridiculous excuses for a loss in ratings. First it was the writer's strike, then it was the writers being lazy, and now it is DVR's.

This show is still a ratings king for NBC and I just don't see it going away any time soon.

Soon, he'll complain about the ratings, saying that X-Men ripped him off.

 

[Gilpesh]

I know this isn't your opinion Gilpesh but this guy says he has given up on Heroes but goes on to say how it should be done I am tired of this attitude.

Yeah... I don't want to give up on it. But I did a few episodes ago until one of the summaries caught my eye. So I watched the episode and it seemed to be a little better but then at the end was back to this 'new' Heroes that has taken over since season two.

I really hope that Brian Fuller coming back is felt in volume four. Cause I really don't want Heroes to suck.

 

[chaseter]

I really hope that Kring doesn't end the serial and he doesn't go to making this an episode to episode basis. He had no trouble with fans in 2006 watching every Monday. They were in big trouble with Season 2 and he made an excuse. They have gotten better but are still in luke warm responses and he now blames it on dvr's. Kring cant keep apologizing or making excuses. Either he bucks up or his baby goes.

 

[Gilpesh]

Which sucks... because Kring knew what he did wrong in season two... said it... but then now he says it was the strike and not the writing...

Because it clearly can't be HIS problem...

 

[chaseter]

I wouldn't even mind if each season was delayed 18 months instead of 12...if giving them longer time to write could help. If this thing dies anytime soon...I bet they will try to make a Heroes movie.

 

[Gilpesh]

Still... crossing my fingers for the Brian Fuller return to not only happen, but make Heroes be season one quality again.

 

[chaseter]

I think he will return...they will throw him a fat salary and give him Season 4 to head up.

 

[Matt]

I know this isn't your opinion Gilpesh but this guy says he has given up on Heroes but goes on to say how it should be done I am tired of this attitude. I loved Smallville once but quit watching it but I don't continue to preach about how it has gone wrong. However, this guy is right about Kring's excuses.

But all in all...the DVR isn't suprisingly new technology that has reshaped television in a time period of 2 years. TV viewers everywhere have been saturated with crappy reality shows and we are loosing good television fast. But I do agree that Kring is making up some ridiculous excuses for a loss in ratings. First it was the writer's strike, then it was the writers being lazy, and now it is DVR's.

This show is still a ratings king for NBC and I just don't see it going away any time soon.

Yes, it is a ratings king (their 4th or 5th highest show, I believe). But it is also their MOST expensive to produce. Networks do not sack writers or force changes of format for successful shows, for shows whose ratings please them. I imagine NBC will give Fueller a chance to straighten things out. But if they do not see a pretty immeidiate pick up in ratings between now and next december...well...I just don't see how they can justify the costs.

And before someone comes in here and says, "IF YOU HATE IT SO MUCH, WHY DO YOU WATCH AND ***** ABOUT IT!?!" Its because I love the show that I complain. There is so much potential with this show and it could be amazing...season one has proven that. Some episodes of season 2 and 3 prove that. It needs to get back on track though...and right now...there's no sign of hope.

 

[Matt]

I really hope that Kring doesn't end the serial and he doesn't go to making this an episode to episode basis. He had no trouble with fans in 2006 watching every Monday. They were in big trouble with Season 2 and he made an excuse. They have gotten better but are still in luke warm responses and he now blames it on dvr's. Kring cant keep apologizing or making excuses. Either he bucks up or his baby goes.

I think ending the serial could help. Serials seldom gain viewers back once they lose them because it is so damn hard to catch up. De-serializing it might be the only way to gain viewers back.


Or even making the volumes shorter. Heroes wastes so so so much time. Tighten the plot, cut out the filler, obligitory past and future episodes of each season, hell cut out all filler. Make short, self contained, two or three episode plot arcs, and focus each arc on three or four characters. Not ten to fifteen. Little stories, like comic book arcs, and maybe build towards something, but subtlely. Nothing overwhelming at first. Actually build to something. If a character, an important character like Maury Parkman or Adam, BUILD UP TO IT! GIVE THEM AN ARC! MAKE THEIR DEATHES COUNT! If you want to have a villain, let him play behind the scenes over a few of these shortened arcs. Develop him but slowly. Make the audience geniunely fear him. Don't just have him show up and kill old villains. It is a cheap way to develop someone that relies too much on shock value instead of actual development. Smaller arcs will make it easier to follow, allow long term stories to develop naturally instead of rushing the viewer through it by making characters act out of character in order to get from point A to point B, give the writers more wiggle room, allow smaller characters (i.e. non-Petrellis) to develop, give people a much needed break from the soap opera-esque Petrellis and when we finale get to the season finale, the smaller stories can come together to make the finale that much grander. It seems like the smart call.

 

[Gilpesh]

I think ending the serial could help.

I don't... Heroes doesn't get the things right that make a good 'monster of the week' work.

Like good character development that sticks... at least a passing interest in continuity... avoiding plot holes...

 

[Dr. Evil]

How have the ratings been for season three going up against Dancing with the Stars?

The season hasn't been half bad so far, although it could be a lot batter.

 

[Matt]

With every week the show's ratings hit a new series low, unfortunately.