Monday, November 06, 2006

Wow! TV Rejects Available Online

NBC is smart to air streaming episodes of its daytime soap "Passions" all week long on its website. But why does CBS think we're gonna be excited about a pilot for a TV show they rejected? Sure, "The Papdits" comes from someone who had something to do with "Da Ali G Show," but please. We're not that dumb. Some rejected TV pilots are in fact startlingly good. But most are, in fact, startingly bad.

3 comments:

priv8pete said...

Bravo has run some cancelled shows under the banner "Brilliant But Cancelled." And you can watch the episodes online at:

http://www.brilliantbutcancelled.com/shows/

I actually quite liked Jake Effect with my boy Jason Bateman. Fortunately that got cancelled so Arrested Development could be made.

Michael in New York said...

Yes, but the Bravo series was devoted to acclaimed TV shows that actually made it on the air, got great reviews but were ultimately cancelled. CBS is just throwing some reject pilot onto its website. Yes, there have been oddly quirky TV pilots that have been screened in LA and NYC (notably one starring Jack Black in an odd spin on "Knight Rider"), but the vast majority of the shows that get on the air suck and even more of the shows that DON'T get on the air suck too. This is not a question of an acclaimed series cut down before its prime. This is a case of CBS seeing Borat do so well and saying, hey, wasn't that pilot done by someone from Ali G and isn't the premise sort of the same ( immigrants traveling across the country) -- what the hell,throw it on our website. Frankly, it's a waste of what should be a valuable new way to reach audiences. They shouldn't pollute it with filler. If people go there and check it out and hate it, they'll be less likely to come back again.

priv8pete said...

See, now how can you dismiss it when Badgergirl88 says it's great? Granted her blog is titled "Papdits" but am 18 year old girl can badger me anytime!