Back in January, I mentioned that I am going to give Harper's Island a shot. I've been a little antsy about getting involved in yet another continuing drama (and one that could be canceled at anytime), but this was filmed and is being marketed as a limited-run series. Somewhere between a mini-series and a regular season, and that makes me feel a little better about taking the time to watch it.Of course, one could argue that shows like Kidnapped and Daybreak were also shows that were designed for a limited run, but NBC and ABC didn't market those shows the way that CBS is marketing this one. The ads for Harper's Island make it very clear that it's only going to be on for a short time. In the TV ads, they're very specific about the dates the show will run (April 9 to July 2), and the people behind the show are calling it "an event." It's a smart way to do it, and the TV ads have actually been clever and well-done.
Maybe the networks are learning that viewers are watching TV differently now, and maybe it's better to do short-run shows instead of investing a ton of time, money, and prime-time real estate to a full season. Maybe some shows just don't need to be on for 22 episodes. They've done this overseas for years and maybe we should do it more here too (beyond reality shows).
Let's just hope that in this day of spoilers and leaks and behind the scenes info the identity of the Harper's Island killer isn't revealed before the last episode.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-30-2009 @ 5:31PM
JoGa said...
This is how they do it in Britain. Life on Mars and the Office being prime examples. Lost seems to have followed suit. Very smart, too. Reduces the risk of cancellation.
I'll only watch Harper's Island if it doesn't turn out to be a spin of Agatha Christie, which means I'll be watching on DVD if it makes it that long.
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3-30-2009 @ 4:32PM
Franklin said...
I really hope this catches on. When a favorite show of mine gets cancelled, the disappointment of not getting a conclusion to the story is often worse than that of the cancellation news. Having something designed to be finite in its story, and hopefully less prone to being yanked, should make for more satisfying viewing.
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3-30-2009 @ 3:49PM
Avi said...
I feel like they should have done this with Kings. Give it a complete 13 episode arc. And then think about a 2nd season if needed later.
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3-30-2009 @ 4:01PM
Howey said...
I've approached Life on Mars the same way...as a sort-of extended miniseries.
I'll miss it.
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3-30-2009 @ 4:28PM
Tony said...
I personally can't wait for this to start. I'm afraid though that CBS' much older, can't follow a storyline for more than an episode audience will take to it. It seems like a good idea and one that I would welcome going forward for a lot of shows.
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3-30-2009 @ 4:30PM
David said...
I think this is an excellent step towards a better quality of television show. The days of multi-year dramas and comedies is, in my opinion, long past.
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3-30-2009 @ 5:11PM
Naf said...
It's a great idea. Not only will I be less worried to watch it, because I know it isn't going to get canceled without a resolution, but I'll also probably watch the whole run even if I don't think it's that great, knowing that it's only going to last 13 episodes. But didn't Daybreak try this and still got yanked by ABC after a few episodes? And this is CBS we're talking about. They pulled Smith and that singing show after 1 or 2 episodes.
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3-30-2009 @ 5:42PM
Heather said...
Pro for this. It's a good idea. Many times there is a TV series, such as Life on Mars and even Invasion, which one doesn't see a real end to it. By making it certain this is only a limited run and giving it an end date is really smart. TV should be more like this if they want to engage us.
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