[View the story "Why It's So Hard To Do Sci-Fi On Network TV" on Storify ]Why It’s So Hard To Do Sci-Fi On Network TV
Too bad Josh Friedman isn’t blogging anymore. Good thing he’s on Twitter, tho.
Storified by Olli Sulopuisto · Thu, Feb 28 2013 22:52:02
Entertainmentwallpaper
@Josh_Friedman Big fan wonders: how did you manage to write TSCC in such a low-exposition, slow pace, premium cable style on network TV?Mikhail
@NeosmithXeno i accepted the idea that the network and studio weren’t going to agree with me, like what I did, or keep it on the air.josh friedman
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – Wikipedia, the free …Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (sometimes abbreviated as Terminator : TSCC or simply TSCC) was an American science fiction tele…
When the oscars r on I remind myself that I’m a tv writer now. When the Emmys r on I remind myself that I write network.josh friedman
A lot of TSCC fans like to tweet me their anger at Fox 4 canceling show. I’ve always said–they made a perfectly reasonable biz decision.josh friedman
I hold no anger towards Fox for canceling TSCC. Ratings weren’t good. They gave it a chance–promoted it heavily. People didn’t watch.josh friedman
I love the passion of the fans. Many of u miss show. So do I. But anger at Fox is misplaced. They’ve tried many genre shows that didn’t fly.josh friedman
SF/fantasy isn’t easy on network. World building, mythology, still a tough sell. Truth be told, TSCC wasnt the most commercial show.josh friedman
@Josh_Friedman Anything you’d do different, given a complete time machine do-over?Gary Whitta
@garywhitta Hard to say. I made the only show I knew how to make. I wish I was smarter.josh friedman
Terminator fans didn’t want to watch a drama, and drama fans didn’t want to watch a Terminator show. Difficult show to market, explain.josh friedman
@Josh_Friedman That’s pretty much the phrasing I use to describe commercial struggles of Friday Night Lights, re: football and teen drama.Alan Sepinwall
@sepinwall I always felt u can teach an audience how to watch your show. But if you can’t get them to tune in, you’re dead.josh friedman
@Josh_Friedman Hypothetically, what’s worth more $ for a creator: 2yrs on a network or 5 on cable? (for a SF production)Kevin Batchford
@klb9037 I don’t know about $ but Id much prefer having my show on for five years. Better for soul and probably career.josh friedman
I think network shows work best when the concept is clean and clear. And if its complicated conceptually it needs to be simple in execution.josh friedman
TSCC was a complicated world writ in a complicated way. That’s not a good recipe for most folk.josh friedman
@Josh_Friedman Big fan, and I agree with you completely. Though LOST would definitely be the exception.Josh Golden
@JoshMGolden actually, I think LOST is a great example of what I’m saying…josh friedman
LOST has a very strong central idea: castaways in an island. The mythology and structure become complicated thereafter…josh friedman
…but scenes themselves are very clean and clear. You never leave a LOST scene not getting what they intend u to get.josh friedman
How many times did Sawyer & Hurley use humor 2 explain confusing concepts? A shitload. @DamonLindelof holds your hand, lovingly, but firmly.josh friedman
BSG wouldn’t have survived on network, either. For many of the same general TSCC problems.josh friedman
@Josh_Friedman There was a simple version of TSCC–an action-oriented Terminator of the week show. It just wouldn’t have been interesting.Zack Stentz
@MuseZack remember the # of comments from people before show aired who feared it was gonna be Terminator of the Week?josh friedman
The bloody wall of clues was as close as we came to doing "mission of the week."josh friedman
@Josh_Friedman Wasn’t there a lot of people that didn’t like the blood wall?morded
@_morded_ I was one of them.josh friedman
A fave moment was when a tscc writer said to me one day: " Hey, I started watching The Wire. I finally understand what you’re doing."josh friedman
People may find this weird but I haven’t watched a full episode of TSCC since it was canceled.josh friedman
Fanpop
My 8yrold decided he wanted to finally see it. After 10min he said it was too intense so we turned it off. Barely made it past pancakes.josh friedman
I sold TSCC pitch and soon thereafter was diagnosed w/ kidney cancer…I had to put while project on hold for surgery. FBC and WB waited…josh friedman
…when I recovered, I spent a month worrying I couldn’t write the show after what I’d been through…josh friedman
…eventually I realized it was the perfect thing for me to write…the first words I ever write after surgery were Sarah’s VO…josh friedman
…but the VO that actually aired was completely different than what I first wrote cuz network thought original was too dark.josh friedman
Don’t recall entire VO but it began: "I will die. I will die & so will you. Death gives no man a pass."–these were 2b 1st words of show.josh friedman
Peppy!josh friedman
TSCC mutated quite a bit–every week we reinvented from ground up. Lots of joy coming up with the new–but that’s not what works on network.josh friedman
@Josh_Friedman I liked the aired vo better as an opener, but it’s too bad you didn’t work this one into a later ep. Good stuff.Roxy Bisquaint
@RoxyBisquaint I was happy w/ the one that aired, too. Original one simply an artifact as to how I emotionally accessed show at beginning.josh friedman
Email
Twitter
Kommentoitua