"Previously on..." necessary for post-strike episodes
Do you remember where you were five months ago? What were you wearing? What were you eating?Yeah, neither do I.
Now, I'm no senior citizen, but I feel like I am experiencing the onset of dementia every time I watch a post-strike episode of any show. Take last night's episode of "ER." It began by introducing a new character, but I could barely recall what had happened to the characters I sort of knew.
Would it kill producers to tack on a handy "Previously on..." recap? That may not be necessary for a show like "30 Rock" or "The Office," but linear shows like "ER" and "Brothers and Sisters" with involved plotlines and multiple characters desperately need a 30-second recap to bring everyone back to speed. Especially after five months of reruns.
Please bring us back to the post-strike world gently. Begin with a recap.
What's the word on recaps? Annoying or helpful?
-- Malavika Jagannathan, mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com
-- Malavika Jagannathan, mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com
Labels: ER, post-strike TV, recaps
posted by Press-Gazette blogger at
5:06 PM
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2 Comments:
Well said. You'd think after nearly five months without these glorious shows the networks would have milked them for all they could. If I were an NBC exec, for example, I would have filed the previous Thursday night with "where are they now" full half an hour shows to recap the return of the glorious shows that create the artery of the NBC heart. Let's be honest, everyone loves shameless self-promoting and if you can add a little education in the mix, well there's really no reason not to do it. And the best part is, it's so easy. Writers still technically on strike or busy cramming out 6 new episodes in two weeks? No problem. All the material is already there. All you need is a good copy and paster, edit in a few "Meanwhile ... " or "Back at the home base ... " and you're done. C'mon NBC, look alive.
-- Sara
By
Press-Gazette blogger, At
April 13, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Why didn't networks do what they do during their usual mid-season hiatus (WB anyone?) and rerun the previous episodes of the current season up to their big unveiling of the New Episode. Also, it seems they always pull out the shameless self-promotion for May sweeps anyway. Might as well pull it out a few weeks early. But who am I to tell a television executive what the fans want?
By
Ms. Quarter, At
April 14, 2008 at 3:38 PM
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