WB ORDERS FILMING OF NEW DS PILOT

[Mary]

I can't comment, yet on other things. Sorry.

Odd, though since KJs been approached about the NODS work several times and as recent as last week...Curioser and Curioser.

I know they offered Liz to ... Jane Seymour

Holy cats!  Why do Darren's posts keep getting deleted?  What in the world is going on?!

So KJ has been approached about NODS before?  What has her response been?  Just trying to figure out why she acted like she didn't know about it yesterday.

OK, now I'm wondering, since the role of Liz was offered to these name actresses who turned it down, and, like, Jane Seymour has worked with DC before in "War and Remembrance" and sent him a video congratulations at his tribute, and plus the two directors who either turned it down or were allegedly busy with something else at the time, now I'm wondering if there was some inkling, for some reason unknown to us, even before the pilot was filmed that it wasn't going to turn out well??  Or if there was something else going on behind the scenes that we don't know about that would have led all these people to turn it down??  (Jane Seymour would have been so perfect as Liz!  Sob!! )  (Or is all this coincidence and I'm making a big conspiracy theory out of nothing?  LOL!)  At any rate, KJ sounded very enthusiastic about the idea of a new DS!  

[Gerard]

Ve haf vays of making you tahk, Darren!

By the way, does anyone remember that hysterical skit on The Carol Burnette Show where Harvey Corman played a captured American soldier during WWII and I believe it was Tim Conway who played the Nazi interrogator?  Tim Conway (if it was him) placed a Hitler puppet on his hand and began to tap Harvey Corman on the head with a pencil held in the hand puppet.  It was a riot - not only was the audience cracking up, but the two actors kept laughing as well at the sight of that Hitler hand puppet holding the pencil.  I keep hoping to catch the skit on the Carol Burnette reruns on TV Land.

Gerard

[Midnite]

Holy cats!  Why do Darren's posts keep getting deleted?  What in the world is going on?!

When the admins/moderators delete a post, the entire post is removed and all the replies move up in order.  But if a poster decides to edit out his/her own message, they're forced by the system to leave some content in the message body.  Currently, there's no time limit on members making their own post modifications.

[Midnite]

Excerpt from ShadowGram--


Number 116. May 17, 2004.
******************************************************************
Hello, Dark Shadows Fan,

ShadowGram (SG) announces the following breaking news for Dark Shadows (DS).


--- NEW DS IN JEOPARDY

Unfortunately, after all the anticipation and publicity, the WB Network is not expected to pick up the proposed new DS series for the fall schedule. The 1-hour pilot was screened by the network executives, who have apparently decided to take the network in another direction this fall with more family-oriented dramas such as their existing programs "7th Heaven," "Everwood," and "One Tree Hill." The WB makes the official announcement of its fall schedule tomorrow, May 18, though it has already been confirmed they are picking up a couple of other new dramas for the fall.

The pilot-making process utilized by the television networks is an often-frustrating situation for those involved with creating the programming. Networks order one sample episode -- a pilot -- of more shows than their schedule will allow and then decide which ones they feel have the strongest potential. As a result, many promising programs never even get on the air.

The WB can still order DS as a mid-season replacement, but that is not expected. The producers of the pilot -- Warner Bros TV/Dan Curtis Productions/John Wells Productions -- will pursue all available options, including the possibility of placing the program on another network.

SG will provide updates as soon as they become available.
The complete update is available here:

ShadowGram Update #116

[jimbo]

Thanks Midnite for posting the Shadowgram update.

The article stated that the DS producers WILL pursue placing the program on another network. Just wondering if the producers have already tested the waters and none of the networks have shown any interest? On the bright side the WB is not going to prevent the DS producers from  trying to sell the pilot to another network.

[dom]

Hopefully, we'll find out exactly why the WB passed on the pilot. I would be very interested in learning why, and if the folks (that may be) shopping it to other networks are making any changes to the pilot as a result of the WB's pass.

It would be great if they could show the pilot at the fest, so we could see it for ourselves and perhaps come to our own conclusions. It would make for a fabuolous discussion, IMO.

If the new DS does make it to prime time, it will be interesting to see if there are any cast changes.

All this and still no official word from the WB. 

[Midnite]

All this and still no official word from the WB. 

The WB presents its 2004/5 schedule tomorrow in Madison Square Garden.

A Variety article that appeared last night, however, discusses the WB's Fall schedule.  It states that the WB is seeking to improve its numbers after they fell last year, and as a result will present more reality shows, fewer repeats, and "will likely rest shows like 'Everwood' in midseason by either launching new dramas or reality shows in those slots, and franchise mania is over."

The story is here: Frog dives into reality.

[Mary]

Oops!  Apparently, yes, I was making a big conspiracy theory out of nothing!  Sorry.  Now I see that the passing on the pilot was all the stupid Frog's fault!!   (LOL!)

[dom]

I'd likely place the blame on the pilot itself. It will be interesting to see how the discussion shifts once official word of a pass is out.

Let the witch hunt begin... 

[Raineypark]

Let the witch hunt begin... 

watch it, buster......

[jimbo]

I'd likely place the blame on the pilot itself. It will be interesting to see how the discussion shifts once official word of a pass is out.

Let the witch hunt begin... 

I agree Dom. For the WB to not even consider DS as a mid-season replacement, the WB executives must have been terrified, not in the way we would have preferred, when they screened the pilot. Of course at this point it is easy to second guess the decisions that were made. Did the DS pilot stand a better chance of success if Rob Bowman or Dan Curtis directed the pilot? If the producers had more time to film the pilot would have they produced a better product? Who knows.
It would be nice to hear not only from the WB but also directly from John Wells Productions as I have to assume he is taking the lead in attempting to find a new home for DS. Just wonder how the WB will respond to questions asked tommorow about the DS pilot and how they are going to try to save face. Time will tell, hopefully.

[Mary]

Will anyone here on the forum be attending the WB announcement tomorrow and be asking questions about the future of the pilot??

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Did the DS pilot stand a better chance of success if Rob Bowman or Dan Curtis directed the pilot?

Any director is likely to bring a different vision to a project than any other director might - though whether it's "better" is a purely subjective opinion.  But lets keep in mind that the WB's decision may had had much less to do with how the pilot turned out and more to do with their reluctance to go with "franchise" material. Despite how disappointing their decision is for all of us, a return to the more relationship type shows that have always brought them their biggest success would seem to be a very smart decision on their part.

If the producers had more time to film the pilot would have they produced a better product?

But as for time, as I've previously posted, the pilot was given an amazing amount of time to shoot because its shooting schedule was to last 15 days (and went 16), while the two hour NBC pilot was shot in only 18.

[Stuart]

I agree - I don't think that the director had anything to do with the decision...  I think it's far more a case of circumstance.

Look at television this season, and you'll see that reality is in...  Dark Shadows is many things, but realistic ain't one of them.  Added to that is the problem that it doesn't easily fall into any of the typical WB drama formulas.  With those factors and the shift in emphasis overall for the network, I think the show became a very tough sell.

I don't think it's anyone's fault - if it had happened a year ago, I suspect the pilot probably would have had no problem getting a timeslot.

[Darren Gross]

It was actually scheduled for 14 days and went 15.
The last day was supposed to be a Thursday (actually early Friday AM), but ended up being Friday (actually early Saturday morning).