Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 09:20:03 -0400
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: WSFA TV
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

>"Strong, Lee" wrote:
>>
>>         Sam Lubell comments that it would be hard to sustain the =
quality of
>> Retief, Ambassador to the Stars and Cordwainer Smith's You Will Never =
Be
>the
>> Same on the boob tube even in an imaginary WSFA TV network.  True.  =
But
>I'd
>> rather try for something great and fail than preemptively declare =
defeat.
>
>There's also the problem that a "successful" TV show has to go on for
>ten years or so.

About 100 episodes allow enough for syndications - about 5 to 6 years.  Of =
course, more shows make it easier to syndicate.

Basically, what usually happens is the show "jumps the
>shark" at some point, and a couple of years later, even its rabid fans
>can't stand it.
>
>Better to go out while you're still on top, rather than turn into a
>parody of yourself.  The last season of Xena, for example, looked like
>bad fanfic.
>
>Retif and Cordwainer Smith would, I think, work well as a miniseries.
>(Actually, two different miniserieses.  You know what I mean.)  Much
>better than keeping them around until they get blue and furry and turn
>into "Seinfield".

 . . . a show I never "got".  So it goes . . .

mjw

>
>--
>Steve Smith                                           sgs at aginc.net
>Agincourt Computing                            http://www.aginc.net
>"Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."
>