New DS Format

[Patti Feinberg]

Do you think the (HOPEFULLY!) new DS would be a traditional 1 hour show, or a serial-type show? Tune in next week to see if Anne leaves Quentin waiting at the altar.... sorry, I couldn't resist 

And....does anyone/everyone think it will be an hour? (Most but not all shows now-a-days are an hour, but there's some successful 30 minute pieces.)

I wonder because I've recently caught a few eps of Dallas and Dynasty on Soap; perhaps a 1/2 hour serial would be a good start.

(Remember when all soaps were a half hour...then they went to 45! minutes briefly before the now shown hour?)

What do you think would work?

Patti

[Raineypark]

Patti, off-hand I can't think of a single half-hour prime-time drama on television today.  I'm not sure I can even remember one!  Sit-coms can be a half-hour.....but not dramas.

I'd also be very surprised (and disappointed) if it bears much resemblance to a day time soap opera.  The producer has worked on the likes of ER and West Wing.....I'm expecting intelligent dialogue and appropriate pacing at the very least!

[Maria_Merriweather]

Personally, I wish DS would return  as a soap opera.  The staginess, the serial format. all added to the show's appeal for me. Since we aren't getting that, I'm hoping for a one hour drama that captures the gothic/mystery atmosphere.

[Darren Gross]

It's a 1 hr prime time format show. I think it was mentioned in the TV guide thing.

[coterie-mc]

The 1991 DS w/Ben Cross started on a sunday night here in the boston area at 9 p.m, the following night was part 2, then it ran once a week.     

[victoriawinters]

Heck, I remember the first time a daytime serial went to a full 90 minutes!!!!!  They did revert it back to 1 hour.

Yes, it will be an hour.  In terms of character development and story, I think more can be done in the hour format.  Usually, WB orders at least 22 new episodes per year which is more then network stations get.  So, I think a lot of ground will and can be covered even though it's not a daytime serial.

[Darren Gross]

The 91 series premiered in a 'mini-series' format. On a Sunday the two-hour pilot was shown and the following Monday or Tuesday was another two-hour episode (in reality, the 1hr eps 2 & 3 edited together with #3's voice-over removed). From there on in the episodes were shown once a week in their planned 1hr format but on whatever arbitrary day of the week NBC felt like showing it.

[Gerard]

I'm imagining the new show will follow what seems to be the current trend regarding dramas (and I really can't say that this is how they work for sure, since I actually watch very little TV, save for The Simpsons and South Park - I've got a very animated mind):  that it will be a combination of both a continuing story, with each episode also having a one-show, self-contained, all-is-resolved sub-story.

Gerard

[LorraineAAB]

I'm imagining the new show will follow what seems to be the current trend regarding dramas (and I really can't say that this is how they work for sure, since I actually watch very little TV, save for The Simpsons and South Park - I've got a very animated mind):  that it will be a combination of both a continuing story, with each episode also having a one-show, self-contained, all-is-resolved sub-story.

I sure HOPE the substory is NEVER a funny one, thrown in to "break the tension" or to show the "absurd ironies of life" or whatever the excuse is.  They could even get away with that stuff on "The West Wing", fans can pull it off in satirical fan fiction, but it wouldn't work for the show proper.  Whatever humorous moments on the old program were inadvertant, most of them due to bloopers that resulted from the no-retakes policy and tight schedule.

Or, in a few cases, because of some inconsistency in the script.  If one DELIBERATELY tried to write something like the immortal "Willie has the willies" ad-lib or whatever that was,  it would fall flat now.  Overwhelmed as DS sometimes was with outrageous supernatural plots, even with the campy elements, it was NEVER "DS Lite", nor, far as I know (only from reading synopses), was the 1991 series.

Also, if they're still intending to set the story in Maine, one HOPES they find or construct a more authentic Maine-type town set, and find another, older-looking C'wood rather than a return to that Greystone place.  Otherwise, there's no atmosphere--- one ends up with Anytown, USA.  (Unless it's New Jersey.... YEEAAH, Collinsport, New Jersey!  Now, THAT would be cool !  I'd say Collinwood, Ohio, but I'm not even sure that's near a Great Lake, never mind an ocean.)

AND re-create a more authentic New-Englandy-type old cemetery, with historically-correct stones.  And, PLEASE, hire artists better versed in creating 1700's portraits that LOOK like the style painted in the 1700's, not like enlarged, painted-over 8 x 10 head shots and magazine poses !!

L.

[Connie]

Whatever humorous moments on the old program were inadvertant, most of them due to bloopers that resulted from the no-retakes policy and tight schedule.
Or, in a few cases, because of some inconsistency in the script.

Well, there was quite a bit of humor in 1897.  A lot of exchanges between Quentin and Judith were very amusing.  And what about Carl??    That whole scene where he first meets Barnabas was hysterical (and brilliant IMHO).   Also, there was a scene with Carl and Sandor that totally cracked me up.  Wow, there was so much enhancing humor in 1897.

Of course we shouldn't forget Roger and his sarcastic wit.   

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, there was quite a bit of humor in 1897.

And we can't forget some of Magda's great remarks, particulartly whenever she reacted to Barnabas as though she was his servant whose sole responsibility was keeping the Old House clean. Those were often priceless. 

Of course we shouldn't forget Roger and his sarcastic wit.   

No other character could ever match or hope to compete with Roger's sarcasm - he's in a league all his own! 

[dom]

Yes, Roger was a riot and the king of sarcasm. That said, Nicky Blair was pretty good with the zingers as well. And Liz (when mixing it up with bro. Roger) could certainly hold her own, my fave being her comment to Roger as he was trying to enter Viki's room (uninvited) late one evening, telling him that Ms. Winters was brought to Collinwood to take care of his son, "Your son, Roger, not you." LOL!

Of course Liz's jabs were never meant to be commical but they had me rolling just the same - One of the many reasons episode one is my all-time favorite, and one of several reasons La Liz is my fave character.

Special mention - to Mrs. Johnson (think mayo), the early Maggie Evans (kooks), the original Sam Evans (his philisophical/cryptic musings), MR's Burke (think broomstick) and Laura (one can only imagine the battle of wits she must have shared with her husband, not to mention her on-screen retorts) - each at times making me sceam with delight. Kudos to the early writing team.

dom (Begging MPI to release the pre-Barn's to DVD concurrently w/the present releases.)

[Patti Feinberg]

Another thing, I never watched Buffy, but since it's on in a.m., I've been watching what I think is the last season.

Anya (she was on 90210, is this the character's name), is not a human?

Also, I don't know the deal with Willow, but....

the one thing I notice with this last season, and I believe was prevelent on 1991 DS, it's very oppressive, heavy-burdened....

Orig. DS wasn't; yes, you had times when it seemed overwhelming, but not oppressive. On Buffy (and again, I believe 1991 series), very down-trodden.

I hope that they don't try to hard to down-cast everyone and every situation.

Patti

Okay...I'm in to modify (and clarify).

What I love/love/LOVE about orig. DS was the closeness in desperate time; take Leviathan; on one had, you had most everyone, and in this corner, was Barn, Julia, Grant/Quentin and Maggie (and, you're also cheering for them to save Carolyn).

Even when things are going bad, there's still a strong sense of family. Granted, the Collins family may sort of be 'screw you' if someone isn't a Collins, but it makes it lovable.

Right now on Buffy, I hate/hate/HATE the way most everyone is i s o l a t e d.

(BTW, whoever is playing the principal on Buffy would be GREAT on a new DS!!)

[Julian]

I laugh out loud at Roger's lines sometimes.  I loved it when Liz invited Burke and Vicki to live in the west wing and Roger asked her if she was going to start running a hotel.  The scenes between Liz and Jason were also great - even though he had the upper hand, she more than held her own in their verbal sparring.  It's too bad the character was let go, I think Dennis and Joan worked so well together they could have become a soap super couple.

[Midnite]

Anya (she was on 90210, is this the character's name), is not a human?

No-- she'd returned to being a vengeance demon.  It was mentioned at one time that they were immortal, but its continuity got lost somewhere.

Also, I don't know the deal with Willow, but....

Willow is a very powerful witch who is overcoming an addiction to magic.  Think Angelique, but without the Dark Master.

the one thing I notice with this last season, and I believe was prevelent on 1991 DS, it's very oppressive, heavy-burdened....

Orig. DS wasn't; yes, you had times when it seemed overwhelming, but not oppressive. On Buffy (and again, I believe 1991 series), very down-trodden.

Buffy became increasingly dark as the series progressed.  The  6th (previous) season was also, and the 5th had its dark moments-- the episode "The Body" is one that I only saw once and have no desire to see again.

Buffy, and the '91 series, were not playing to the kiddies.

I hope that they don't try to hard to down-cast everyone and every situation.

I hear you, Patti.

What I love/love/LOVE about orig. DS was the closeness in desperate time; take Leviathan; on one had, you had most everyone, and in this corner, was Barn, Julia, Grant/Quentin and Maggie (and, you're also cheering for them to save Carolyn).

Even when things are going bad, there's still a strong sense of family. Granted, the Collins family may sort of be 'screw you' if someone isn't a Collins, but it makes it lovable.

But Buffy was always about female empowerment.  It was her show-- she was "the Chosen One", yet despite Barnabas' being the enduring icon of DS, the DS universe didn't always revolve around him.  But like DS, we saw how the people around Buffy-- ordinary people who had no special powers, or at least not in the beginning-- also rose to the challenge to help her time and again much like the DS characters you mentioned, and most times they were very much like a family.  Another recurring Buffy theme that will sound familiar is redemption-- about making up for past crimes and mistakes.

Right now on Buffy, I hate/hate/HATE the way most everyone is i s o l a t e d.

I thought FX was at the end of the series, in which case you should've seen the characters come together.  What you may be interpreting as isolation is actually that they've each been to hell and back and found their personal strengths as a result.

(BTW, whoever is playing the principal on Buffy would be GREAT on a new DS!!)

Unfortunately, he has a steady gig already on 24.