John Doe!

Harry Seldon · May 9, 2003, 10:05

Does anyone here watch? Fox is about to cancel this great show to support that sorry Fastlane tripe. If you have a mind to help, here's the information you'll need:

Email Address: askfox@foxinc.com

Gail Berman-
President, Entertainment
Fox Broadcasting
10201 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035

Sandy Grushow-

President, FOX Television
Fox Broadcasting Company,
P.O. Box 900,
Beverly Hills, CA 90213

Phone: (310) 369-3553

If you call the phone number, tell the operator you want to talk to someone about John Doe and they'll transfer you to a mailbox.

Help save the world from cr@ppy programming!

Japher · May 9, 2003, 10:07

I've seen a couple times, and I like it well enough.

Yet, Fastlane has hot chicks in it.

Besides, there are better things to do friday nights than watch TV

Harry Seldon · May 9, 2003, 10:24

I don't have a life, though. Marriage will do that to you. Enjoy your freedom, my son, for your days are numbered.

Japher · May 9, 2003, 10:26

I know, and its a small number... Wife already talkin.:eeek:

asleepathewheel · May 9, 2003, 10:54

If it wasn't on Friday night, I would probably watch it. I 've liked the episodes I've seen, but, on friday, no.

Harry Seldon · May 9, 2003, 11:05

If it gets picked up they'll probably move it to Thursday nights. It'd be worth a few seconds of your time to shoot off an email on the chance they'll do it.

Ming · May 9, 2003, 11:11

I thought Firefly was a better show... and that didn't last long. While the ratings were better for John Doe, they aren't high enough to keep it on the air. While I wish you luck in your efforts, it isn't coming back.

chequita guevara · May 9, 2003, 12:01

Damn! I really like John Doe, even though I didn't like the psychic crap they were doing the last few episodes.

DinoDoc · May 9, 2003, 12:21

Quote:

Originally posted by Ming
While I wish you luck in your efforts, it isn't coming back.

I really wanted to see Doe deal with the revelation from the season finale.

PS Why do you think that it won't be coming back if Fastlane (Good show, IMO) is? Doe has got to be less expensive to produce than Fastlane by the shear fact that most of the cars on thier show actually make it to the next one.

Harry Seldon · May 9, 2003, 13:49

Fox made an announcement saying that only one of the two shows is coming back. The unofficial inside track says that since Fastlane is flashy, hip, and filled with half-naked chicks it will get picked up even though it's ratings s*ck.

Ming: I thought Firefly was good when it didn't get too campy or irreverant. I wish it would have made it, too. The main story line was solid and I think if they would have focused on it more it would have done better. You know British Sci Fi picked it up and starts running it this month? I keep trying to find it on my antenna but I can't seem to pick it up...

Ming · May 9, 2003, 14:57

Yeah... Firefly go a bit campy at times, but it was part of the spirit of the show. The torture bit they did was some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen on TV. I'll miss it.

Fastlane is going to win the battle hands down. It had better overall ratings, and did better against the young male target. While John Doe was better written, produced, and was just BETTER... count on Fastline being the winner in this one... typical FOX.

Static Universe · May 9, 2003, 14:58

They should cancel John Doe and bring back Pretender. Same show basically.

Ming · May 9, 2003, 15:08

Pretender did well in the ratings... and can still be seen in syndication on your local stations. It MADE good money.

John Doe can't say the same... Friday night is the death of many shows...

Harry Seldon · May 9, 2003, 15:18

Actually, JD pulled in .5 to one mil more the Fastlane each week in total viewers, although it was a little closer in the 18-45.

Harry Seldon · May 9, 2003, 15:25

Friday was a good launching point for X-files.

Ming · May 9, 2003, 15:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Harry Seldon
Actually, JD pulled in .5 to one mil more the Fastlane each week in total viewers, although it was a little closer in the 18-45.

There are many types of ratings... you looked at total viewers, and I was looking at households...

18 - 45 and 18 - 34 is what Fox can make money on. They can sell the younger audiences... They can't compete cost wise on total audiences. To do so, they have to lower their overall price, and they won't do that because of the strong younger ratings.

Static Universe · May 9, 2003, 15:39

Quote:

Originally posted by Harry Seldon
Friday was a good launching point for X-files.

The X-Files ran on Friday for years and did build up a sizeable cult following, but it didn't really break out until it moved to Sundays. Look at the other Chris Carter Friday projects that were good but failed anyway, like Millenium and that virtual reality show with whats-her-name from "Pump Up The Volume".

Ming · May 9, 2003, 15:41

I liked Millenium... it was a good show.

X-Files was their best "breakout" show after the simpsons... they treated it well and gave it a real time slot

Edan · May 9, 2003, 15:43

I liked it overall - it was a good replacement to The Pretender. There was some stuff I didn't like so much (the suprise in the season finale, for example, which was predictable and yet nonsensical. Some other stuff also (which hopefully wil be/was meant to be explained, like the color/colorblind plot devices, the losing and regaining his powers

, etc).

The storyline was getting fairly convoluted though (more quickly than the Pretender had done

), so I realized there was little chance it would last long enough as a series to really explain everythin g(if everything could be explained) so if it gets canceled, it'll be a shame, but not something I wouldn't have expected (especially since a lot of shows of that style don't last long in friday or saturday timeslot, with one or two exceptions).

Harry Seldon · May 9, 2003, 16:05

I loved Millineum but thought it suffered from Chris Carter being unable to commit fully to it. The virtual reality show was "Harsh Realm" and I didn't like it very much. I guess the point I'm trying to make with the X-files reference was that the X-files was given a chance to build a following that exploded when it was moved to a better slot. I think Dark Angel could have done this if they wouldn't have cancelled it and I think John Doe can if given more time. FastLane will never be a hit. It had an enormous advertising push, a solid slot on Wednesdays, and it still pulls in sorry ratings. I don't hold great hope that JD will be renewed; I know that FL is a more Fox-y type show. After watching Fox kill every show worth watching over the last few years I felt I had to try something this season to save one of the last remaining good shows on TV.

Looks like I'll be spending more time on 'Poly next season.

Ming · May 9, 2003, 16:20

Dark Angel had two full seasons. That's more than most new shows will get to prove they can survive.

It was a guaranteed contract, or it wouldn't have lasted that long.

Oh, and my family loved the show.

asleepathewheel · May 9, 2003, 16:25

Is it a suprise that X-files did well on friday nights? Its not like its fans had anything better to do on those days. Including me

Static Universe · May 9, 2003, 16:41

Quote:

Originally posted by Harry Seldon
I guess the point I'm trying to make with the X-files reference was that the X-files was given a chance to build a following that exploded when it was moved to a better slot.

I agree, but the same can be said of many good shows that don't last long. Most networks want an immediate hit and don't want to invest the time it takes to build an audience.

They'd rather try three new shows over three seasons and hope for a hit rather than give a good show three seasons to build a following. Still, seeing what the networks offer up as replacements, you have to wonder if it's worth it in the long run.

Quote:

I think Dark Angel could have done this if they wouldn't have cancelled it and I think John Doe can if given more time.

Maybe, but maybe not.

Quote:

FastLane will never be a hit.

Probably not. If the Jaime Pressly-Tiffani Thiessen hottub scene didn't bring the male viewers in, nothing will.

Imran Siddiqui · May 9, 2003, 17:30

Well, if the idiots at FOX were willing to screw with and cancel Firefly, I can see them do other boneheaded moves. You know, the worst thing about how FOX treated Firefly was they shuffled the season! What I mean, is that instead of the season going 1, 2, 3... FOX made the season go 3, 1, 2. I don't know any show that was treated like it. The last show they showed was the PILOT! Jeez!

Lorizael · May 9, 2003, 18:23

Was Hari taken?

Ming · May 9, 2003, 18:35

They did treat Firefly badly... And FOX's commitment to baseball just makes it tougher for any new program. The show starts... and then stops for a month... and then comes back.

If they had given it a late summer start instead, it would probably would have built a loyal enough audience to survive the baseball break. That same strategy worked for a few of their other shows.