Well this one was a little better maybe they haven’t jump the shark yet. Or in this case simply just ran into it and got consumed. In my opinion this series never generated enough steam to ever have a chance to jump the shark.
You raise a good philosophical question about jumping the shark. The guy who originated the term defined it as the point at which you realize your favorite show has gone downhill and just isn't what it used to be. In that sense, I could never say that
God, the Devil and Bob jumped the shark, because it was never my favorite show. But that would also be true of every show we've covered except
The Time Tunnel, which really was my favorite in its original run when I was 12. But then, the original Jump the Shark website allowed you to pick various categories for when the show jumped, including "Day One". Clearly, you couldn't claim it to be your favorite show if you think it jumped on the first episode.
The criterion I use for shows I never really liked is that, if it's not very good, but has potential, I'll hold off calling a jump until I'm ready to give up hope that it'll hit stride and get better. And that's the case with this show. Never really liked it, but the writers did seem to be willing to try some format changes (essentially abandoning the "save humanity" bet, for example), so I had hope. Until last week. This week was definitely an improvement on last week's disaster, but I still don't think it's going anywhere.
Actually, only the first three episodes ran on TV before Fox bowed to the pressure of a handful of screamingly vocal church people who didn't like the concept of the show.
Well, that's the legend, but I rather doubt it. From what I've dug up, NBC (not Fox) never really promoted the show, and its ratings were described as "minuscule". And they dropped precipitously after the first episode. I think it's easier for the producers to blame someone else than to admit that they made a show that just wasn't good enough to cut it.
I asked my pastors if they were aware of an organized boycott or protest about the show--as pastors, they get a lot of mail about that kind of thing--and they were not aware of anything at all. In fact, they'd never even heard of the show. I think those who protest shows they don't like would like to believe they can get them taken off the air, but I don't think it's that easy. I
do recall a very loud and organized protest against
NYPD Blue when it debuted. The result: It lasted 11 seasons and won a shelf-full of awards. So much for clout.
One thing I did notice in my research is that just about every description of the show mentioned that it was cancelled after just a few episodes and drawing criticism from some religious groups, but I never found a single article that claimed it was cancelled
because of that criticism. To say "cancelled
after" is most definitely not the same thing as "cancelled
because".
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madp
12 years ago
by dtmuller 26 minutes ago (Sun Sep 30 2012 19:21:15)
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You raise a good philosophical question about jumping the shark. The guy who originated the term defined it as the point at which you realize your favorite show has gone downhill and just isn't what it used to be.
Yes, and I also thought it meant the moment when the show used some ridiculous stunt, so ridiculous that it lost all credibility. Something like that. That having been said, I'll appoint my ultimate shark-jumping moment in due time. You'll know exactly what I mean when it happens.
In fact I think this is a vital element for the mission of our little group. We've been neglecting the highlighting of such an important moment in the existence of a short-lived TV show. I think from now on we should leave that clearer. We owe that to future generations!
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bob-402-252005
12 years ago
Well, that's the legend, but I rather doubt it. From what I've dug up, NBC (not Fox) never really promoted the show, and its ratings were described as "minuscule". And they dropped precipitously after the first episode.
I couldn't remember which network, and said Fox because that's the corporate logo on the DVD.
I do specifically recall that exactly the first three episodes aired, though. I was more or less on fence about the show until the railroad crossing scene in the third ep. That scene sold me on the show and then that episode was the last I could get of it until I later found it out on DVD.
And the main appeal that drew me to the show in the first place was hearing all the right-wing church people go on the attack before it ever premiered. The thought of James Garner playing the voice of God was reason number 2 I had to check it out.
Perhaps I was mistakenly reading cause and effect into chronological coincidence, but I'm not certainly the only one to do so in this show's case.
___________
I'd've gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling kids.
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dtmuller
12 years ago
Interesting that it was made in the CBS studios, broadcast on NBC, and distributed on DVD by Fox. I wonder what ABC was doing?
And the main appeal that drew me to the show in the first place was hearing all the right-wing church people go on the attack before it ever premiered.
One of the articles I found indicated that you're not alone in that. It indicated that the controversy actually got
more people to watch at least the first episode. I suspect that's not uncommon.
The thought of James Garner playing the voice of God was reason number 2 I had to check it out.
In the end, I think Garner will turn out to be the best part of this show. An outstanding casting choice.
And I must throw in a clarification. In my previous post I wrote:
I think it's easier for the producers to blame someone else than to admit that they made a show that just wasn't good enough to cut it.
While I believe that to be true in general, I don't want to leave the impression that I think that happened here. That is, I've seen nothing to indicate that the producers, network, etc. actually tried to blame the show's failure on those critics or anyone else. I don't think they tried to avoid taking responsibility for it.
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