In 1995, I saw my first and only funeral after my grandfather died, but since then, my life has been attended by the deaths, gruesome and civilized, of many a television show. Most will have their day in court, even if the ruling is unjust, as was the case with “American Dreams” (have I referred to that show enough?) or “The Middleman.” This fall, however, two series I touted in my preview column have already fallen to the swords of Hollywood executives: Fox’s “Lone Star” and ABC’s “My Generation.” Let’s look at how the shows themselves and we, the wielders of the remote controls, failed these two somewhat promising upstarts.
The most obvious commonalities between the two are genre and setting. The portrait of a Texas con man in “Lone Star” doesn’t have the flash of most con narratives or even the charisma of reformed TV con men such as Patrick Jane of CBS’s “The Mentalist” or Neal Caffrey of TNT’s “White Collar.” These dramedy procedurals only refer to trauma (dead wives, bad parents), using it as a veneer of psychological development for their suave leading men. In comparison to that technique, also a pet peeve of mine in Hollywood, “Lone Star” forces its protagonist, Robert Allen, to confront trauma daily in the form of his father. Where Allen is still looking for his comfort zone, Jane and Caffrey have already found it in their respective law enforcement positions. Perhaps the very lack of community that defines Allen and resonates through the show’s title alienated audiences. Presently, network dramas fall into the categories of dramedy, procedural and Shonda Rhimes, all of which rely on an ensemble cast with many shoulders to cry on. The ability of “Lone Star” to isolate Allen’s relationships with his father, his father-in law and his two wives may have been too complex for American audiences.
“My Generation” similarly suffers from a perversion of the ensemble dynamic. Last year’s comedy successes, “Modern Family” and “Glee,” redefined television families, and originally, it seemed that “My Generation” was on that same track. By pursuing the conflicts precipitated by the dashing of high school expectations, the show provides itself plenty of dramatic fodder. Although the premiere numbers of “My Gen” were better than those of “Lone Star,” it failed to live up to its own hype. The uses of the timeline and flashbacks were not only irritating, but also destructive to any construction of community among these 10 high school classmates. I appreciate the show’s emphasis on the disillusionment of the current generation, but, without camaraderie or friendship (we witnessed only one, Dawn and Kenneth, and that’s tainted by sexual desire), this drama loses all hope – the emotion that sustains a depressing genre. The premise of the show itself, to see how the relationships develop in a new decade, was perhaps presented too subtly in the first two episodes to intrigue audiences sufficiently.
What does it say about the marketing of television that critical acclaim, sharp writing and strong performances from fresh faces are not sufficient to make a show successful? In the age of Internet advertising, a show needs more than a juicy trailer or an aesthetically pleasing poster. It needs a link to the Twitter account upon which it is based, or a recognizable image of its star, or a CD in the iTunes store. As TV gains more cultural clout, the extent of its cultural influence must similarly grow. Or, to invoke a cop-out argument, the ability of a show to dodge cancellation may boil down to luck: Nancy Franklin argues in the most recent issue of the New Yorker that, had FX’s “Terriers” premiered just a week later in the schedule, it would have suffered a fate similar to “Lone Star,” which had to face off against the return of juggernaut “Dancing with the Stars” and the dramatically publicized premiere of “The Event.” It’s also entirely possible that, when the unaired episodes of “Lone Star” and “My Generation” are inevitably released on DVD, they will inspire the same adoration and regret as “Arrested Development,” though with fewer laughs.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT WEEK
Sunday at 10 p.m.: The penultimate episode of “Mad Men” is directed by the silver fox himself, John Slattery (AMC).
Monday at 8 p.m.: “Dancing with the Stars” is off the chain this season. Find me at Arrillaga running in sync with the situation’s abdominal undulations (ABC).
Tuesday at 9 p.m.: Fox has just picked up the full season of “Raising Hope,” so watch to see if you approve and if Cloris Leachman is the new Betty White (Fox).
Thursday at 8:30 p.m.: Holy tamale! It’s the first of two live episodes of 30 Rock! Now we’ll really understand how far SNL has fallen (NBC).