I think a show like "Big Day" is a little too unusual to do well with the public. It doesn't fit into one of the categories that most shows do. It doesn't even have a laugh track, for chrissakes! How are people to know when to laugh? What the bleep do I know, though? I've given up trying to figure out why one show succeeds and another fails. "Ugly Betty" doesn't fall into any familiar category and that seems to be doing well. "Big Day" is one of the more entertaining shows on the air (or WAS one of the more entertaining shows on the air)-to me. The fact that the network would pull it before it completes its run and we get to see the actual wedding doesn't surprise me. The networks have done that for awhile now. They don't seem to have any sense of obligation to the viewers who watch a show that has an ongoing storyline and want to see how things are resolved (as opposed to a show that has episodes that stand alone and are not as dependent on other episodes). This happened with "John Doe", "Vanished" and "Daybreak", among others. I'm sure it will happen again. I know I'll be less likely to start watching a show with this format. It's too likely that it will be cancelled and we'll never get to see how things play out, which is one of the main reasons why we watch this kind of show; this was less important in the case of "Big Day" because the journey was more important than the destination. There were no burning questions we wanted answered, unlike the other three shows I mentioned.
"Big Day" was kinda wacky, kinda breezy, and quite smart. It worked for me. I guess it didn't work for enough others.
reply
share
AlexMorgan13
17 years ago
while this wasn't a great show by any means, i thought it was pretty funny...
reply
share
gulfcoastpolo
17 years ago
a show doesnt need a laugh track to be funny. laugh tracks are for people who dont know what is funny. The office, scrubs, 30 rock, earl dont have laugh tracks and they are funny.
Big Day is pretty funny and original hope this isnt the last episode, but Im not optimistic.
reply
share
EclecticCritic
17 years ago
That's right. I was being sarcastic about laugh tracks. True, my favorite show of all time, "Seinfeld", did have a laugh track. But, in general, I prefer shows with no laugh track. I like the shows you mentioned, with the possible exception of "Scrubs". I want to like it. And I did like it for the first three or four shows. But something about it just doesn't work for me. It's a long series of gags. It is clever. But it doesn't connect with me. "The Office" and "30 Rock" are probably my two favorite sitcoms (sitcom seems almost insulting to work this good) and "My Name Is Earl" is also a very good show. It has a sweetness that appeals to me.
Like you, I am not optimistic about "Big Day"'s chances. The ratings just aren't there. It's a shame because it IS a good show.
reply
share
Keaton1975
17 years ago
hell give us web only shows, why not thow it on the internet at ABC.com at least the last few
reply
share
EclecticCritic
17 years ago
They don't care about their viewers. I wish we could band together in some way to make them pay for their total disregard for us. But that would require more effort than most are willing to give. Hit them in the pocketbook. That really is the only way that they would notice.
Ratings count. True. But so does long-term viewer loyalty. When you screw with viewers, you may win the battle but lose the war.
reply
share