On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 5:27 PM, Kevin M. <[email protected]> wrote:
> How many f-ing pilots begin with a big, exciting action sequence, then > after three minutes flash back to the character development? Is it a > contractual thing? At this point in my life, I'm rejecting them on > principle immediately after I see a title card on the screen stating > "Six Weeks Earlier." I know some focus group told them the story > started slow and an action sequence up front would be better, but if I > don't know why a character is running through Washington DC, the > action on its own is meaningless. > > Download the pilot on iTunes for free if you want. I'm sorry I did. > > http://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/the-firm-season-1/id490745309 > I like legal shows - novels, films and television. I am into Damages, saw every episode of LA Law and I am comfortable enough in my masculinity to have watched every episode of The Good Wife. I don't care what the post-modern hipsters say, I still think To Kill a Mockingbird was both a great book and movie, and every couple of years I make my kids sit through 12 Angry Men. I have read 3 or 4 Grisham novels, and all of the films. All of which is to say my standards in this area are not high, or snobby, and I am predisposed to like a TV show called The Firm. But I do not (at least, not after finally getting around to watching the pilot on demand). I was not as put off by the structure as Kevin - he may not be a fan of Damages, but this is right out of their playbook. Indeed the TV version of The Firm plays less like a continuation of either the novel or the film, and more like Damages season 6. The whole point is for the viewer to not know what is happening at the begining, end and several points in the middle of each episode. As the season progresses they connect more of the dots - apparently in the Firm while doing this they will also litigate the case of the week. My problem with this show so far as that, while they have actors that I usually like, they don't seem to be acting very well. Everybody seemed uncomfortably stilted in the pilot. I noticed at the end that Grisham is actually one of the producers - if this in any way means that he has anything to do with the dialogue, then that would explain it. Grisham belongs to the school of best selling pop novel writing in which fast paced action alternating with sentimental character development rules the day. Believable, realistic, nuanced dialogue is superfluous. I will keep watching (for now), since I am a sucker for these shows, but while doing so I can't help remember that the program this one replaced as so much better written, directed and acted. I do notice from the tvbythenumbers guys that The Firm had most of its costs paid for by pre-selling the international distribution rights, so that NBC, which gave the show a 22 episode commitment, will likely air all of them, even if the ratings continue to fall below its already anemic levels (see http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2012/01/05/why-nbcs-the-firm-wont-get-canceled/for more on this). -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
