Fringe

[Jo]

Has anyone seen or heard anything about this new J.J. Abrams series? Just wondering if it’ll be worth a look…

Topic

[Jonathan Capps]

I’m keeping up with it (going to watch episode 4 any… minute… NOW) and it’s certainly worth a punt. You get Problem of the Week mixed in with long term intrigue so it looks like it’ll have some longevity. So, in summary: nice ideas, slickly presented (although look out for massive CG letters) and shows great promise.

Also, interesting fact: JJ Abrams has already written more scripts for Fringe than he has for Lost.

[Jo]

I shall sky+ it then on your recommendation Cappsy.
I’ll blame you if it’s rubbish :oP

[Jonathan Capps]

> I?ll blame you if it?s rubbish :oP

The pressure!

It’s odd hwo it’s the only new show I’m torrenting this season, though. Then again when you have returning shows like Lost, Dexter, Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Heroes, House, Scrubs, Family Guy and Prison Break (actually, Prison Break less so) then who needs new shows!

[Pete Part Three]

I’m so close to giving up on Prison Break. I think Fox are too.

[Jonathan Capps]

> I?m so close to giving up on Prison Break. I think Fox are too.

Fox might actually be blaming The Sarah Connor Chronicles for Prison Break’s poor performance, as it’s the lead in. As a result, SCC would be the one to get the axe.

What wonderfully fucked up logic.

EDIT: Whoops, it wasn’t AICN where I read that…

[Phil]

>Family Guy

[Jonathan Capps]

> >Family Guy

Do you want me to beat you up, Phil? Because Lord help me I’d beat you up SO MUCH.

[Pete Part Three]

That’s…stupid.

SCC has untapped potential (I’m not sure how as it seemed like a bloody awful idea 18 months ago). Prison Break hasn’t been good since season 2.

>>Family Guy
>

Seconded.

[Andrew]

Surely the logic is that SCC’s getting poor numbers first? That’s not especially fucked up, is it? I mean, I like both shows a great deal, but if a show’s numbers are so low it’s infecting the show it precedes as well…

That said, I think they have them the wrong way around. PB, the more established show, should have been the lead in to SCC.

[Jonathan Capps]

> Surely the logic is that SCC?s getting poor numbers first? That?s not especially fucked up, is it? I mean, I like both shows a great deal, but if a show?s numbers are so low it?s infecting the show it precedes as well?

It just seems like a really shitty way to do business. Both shows are failing, so why axe one and not the other just because it’s the lead-in? Also, it doesn;t take a genius to see which of those shows has a promising future and which one is a dried up husk of its former self.

This all leads in to how US TV is run in general, though, rather than this situation specifically.

> Seconded.

Gah, I’ve sat out the last couple of FG slaggings… Must. Resist.

[Pete Part Three]

I guess. However, SCC didn’t have the benefit of a full first season (which Prison Break did), so I’d expect Fox to show more leeway. I know; TV (especially American TV) doesn’t work like that.

The whole concept of inherited audiences pisses me off though. Axe it if it’s not getting the ratings (and annoy a load of people!), but don’t do it to “save” another ailing show.

I really liked Prison Break in its first year and was staggered that they managed to pull a genuinely interesting 2nd season out of the bag. However, I got pretty bored with Season three. Season four (even ignoring the endless contrivances to set things up) has not exactly engaged me. Have the latest episode sky plussed, am still weighing up whether to bother watching it.

[Jonathan Capps]

> Have the latest episode sky plussed, am still weighing up whether to bother watching it.

I think the one thing that’s going to really make me give up is that FUCKING hacker bloke.

If I’m perfectly honest, I’m only really staying for Sara Tancredi.

Sara Tancredi, there.

[Jo]

>Dexter, Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money… Prison Break

All shows that I kept meaning to watch but never got round to!

[Pete Part Three]

>Sara Tancredi, there.

You win.

[Andrew]

My understanding was that PB is getting better numbers than SCC – lower than expected, but better. Which bears out the logic, at least. They won’t drop a show just to save another, but they will use the analysis of relative figures to see if the problem is the show or the slot – and it does seem that SCC isn’t really working for enough people.

It’s the mercenary nature of (especially American) TV that ‘potential’ doesn’t count for much. Not saying it’s good, just saying it makes crass money sense. As I say, swap ’em over before canning anything; it might help both shows.

[Jonathan Capps]

> My understanding was that PB is getting better numbers than SCC – lower than expected, but better. Which bears out the logic, at least. They won?t drop a show just to save another, but they will use the analysis of relative figures to see if the problem is the show or the slot – and it does seem that SCC isn?t really working for enough people.

Ah, fair enough. Still, I think the best thing that could happen to Prison Break is to be cancelled mid-season so they can cram what they have left in the last episodes and go out on a relative high.

> As I say, swap ?em over before canning anything; it might help both shows.

Although, yes, this seems to make most sense.

[Pete Part Three]

>Although, yes, this seems to make most sense.

No chance of that happening then…

[pfm]

Pwnage.

[James]

I have a 6ft poster of her in the half Terminator shot in my games room.

[Jonathan Capps]

Talking Firefly for a moment, sure Summer Glau is nice but she ain’t no:

Hands down the loveliest person on TV.

[James]

Plus her nethers won’t run on batteries.

[ChrisM]

How strange. I’m watching Firefly right now.

(Morena Baccarin. Luscious lady. Actually all the female cast members are attractive in different ways.)

[pfm]

Taking things back to Fringe, episode 4 (some slight spoilery points) was absolute madness! But in a good way. The pre-credits sequence featured some brilliant effects shots (the crane!) and yet again blew me away. More good character stuff with Walter (excellent John Noble) and Peter, though maybe it’s a little soon for Peter to have such a big change of heart, a little like if in The X-Files Scully threw out all her skepticism after just four episodes! Though I still don’t give a shit about Olivia or her ‘dead’ boyfriend. I would rather see more of Walter’s lab assistant (‘hand me that syringe’!!). Hope she doesn’t leave after that.

Who is the bald guy with no eyebrows?? And how many times in one episode can characters say ‘I remember he was bald, with no eyebrows’ just to let the slower viewers know who they’re talking about? He saved Walter and Peter from an icy death all those years ago. He’s very much a character that could be straight out of Lost.

[Jonathan Capps]

Midnight!

[Tarka Dal]

*gulp*

That image of Summer Glau is possibly one of the hottest pictures I have ever seen.

[Smeg4Brains]

> That image of Summer Glau is possibly one of the hottest pictures I have ever seen.

Then you haven’t used the internet to it’s full potential, my friend.

[pfm]

> Midnight!

Straightaway I thought ‘Doctor Fringe’. There have been a couple of borderline ‘Red Fringe’ moments too.

> That image of Summer Glau is possibly one of the hottest pictures I have ever seen.

Particularly hot if, like me, you are utterly in love with her. Yeah, you can make use of the online as Shit4Brains says but I’d take a clothed Summer, holding a shotgun, about to kick my ass any day.

[Ben Paddon]

I preferred Fringe in the early 90s when it starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.

[pfm]

David ‘I have one facial expression’ Duchovny and Gillian ‘why am I in this again?’ Anderson. Somehow it worked and it worked brilliantly (eventually). I think it often took itself too seriously though and they were missing someone like John Noble as a strong main cast member. So that’s already two things Fringe has going for it above The X-Files! Though overall it doesn’t stand a chance of beating it. Nothing does.

[Pete Part Three]

I watched the pilot of Fringe and found it pretty bland. The captions were the most interesting thing about it.

[Author]

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