TVSquad

Movie actors are a unique bunch of characters in Hollywood. Adept at script memorization, method acting, and being snobby little princesses (the males included), they are somewhat limited in their performance venues. They can switch pretty easily and thrive in theater productions because most of them began their acting lives on the stage in front of adoring audiences. Decades ago they could also do radio pretty easily; most likely because they could read right from the script and no one listening would know any different.

Television? Well, that's a whole different loaf a bread! For some reason, big-named movie stars with their Oscars and Golden Globes just tank when they decide to jump to the small screen. Their failures could be due to the show they've decided to star in, who they play on the show, or the fact that they are catering to a different audience than film-goers. Whatever the reason, some of Hollywood's most famous film stars had some famously big television flops. Here are but a few of them to digest.

This week Ray Liotta was arrested for drinking and driving. With so many stars getting taken in for DWI's it makes you think that maybe Hollywood is suffering from a severe alcohol problem. But upon closer look, it's clear that folks like Ray Liotta, Nicole Richie and Mel Gibson enjoy paraphrasing the popular bumper sticker... They get drunk, they drive, their expensive lawyers and publicists get them off the hook and do damage control...no problem!

• Oh, Britney Spears. We thought K-Fed was your problem, but maybe he was the only thing holding you together?
  
• Maybe Britney got the idea to shave her head from Donald Trump. He and WWE owner Vince McMahon have a bet going, and the winner gets to shave the loser's head.
  
• Ray Liotta was arrested for suspected D.U.I. over the weekend. Why did cops "suspect" him? Well, he did hit two parked cars with his SUV...

If the comments section here is any indication, even though Smith was canceled rather quickly by CBS, it actually had a lot of fans. Of course, we didn't get 10 million comments, so "a lot" wasn't really enough.

TV Guide has a breakdown on why the show was canceled. It seemed like it could be a hit: West Wing/ER producer John Wells, big stars like Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen, and lots of hype by CBS, but what happened? People have speculated that it was because the gang of crooks on the show weren't likable, but the magazine says that it was more the price of the show. Each episode cost about $3 million dollars!

I wonder how much that awful motorcycle chase with Simon Baker cost to film?

(S01E02) Dear Makers of Smith,

I just watched the second episode of your show, and while I think it's still good, I'm starting to fall out of love with it. Have you ever had that feeling?

Maybe it's not you, it's me. But I'm pretty sure it's you.

(S01E01) As I sat watching the premiere episode of Smith, I kept thinking the same thing: after Heist and Hustle and Thief, are people really going to want to watch yet another show about a gang of clever thieves who pull off elaborate robberies?

If it's based on quality, it shouldn't really be a problem. This is a good show. But we all know it's not just based on quality, there are about 9 other things that come into play when people decide to watch or not watch a TV show, and I wonder how viewers will calculate those other things in their head when deciding whether or not to watch it.

Regardless of how good Smith is - and I'll say right from the get go that it is good - the big question is, are viewers going to give yet another show about a bunch of clever crooks a chance, after shows like Heist, Thief and Hustle? I'm not convinced they will, but if they base it on quality and entertainment value, Smith should be given a chance.