A New Day in Eden - Douglas Marland's cable soap

[EricMontreal22]

Brothers and Sisters isn't perfect--and I've been worried ever since its brilliant playwright creator, Jon RObin Baitz basically walked out last Fall after ABC was dictating stories (including, sound familiar? wanting more youth and less older characters), but it ended the season back on track and is definetly worth watching David--lotsa great stuff and it does integrate the gay stuff well and for the most part give it equal time.

My prob with Queer as Folk (though it is miles better than Dante's Cove, etc--which I agree are basically just there to have gay softcore porn on with some Buffy eleements--I guess someone realized how popular Buffy was in the gay community) is... Well I thought the British original was brilliant. And the remake just never measured up--but I think they tried for too much--the original creator Russell Davies, who did the Doctor Who remake of course, even said the reason his queer as folk didn't run very long was he had told the story of the group of people and how they all interconnected he wanted to ttell and there was nothing left. The men in charge of the remake (who I believe created Sisters) actually said they wanted to open it up so that all gays and lesbians watching would feel represented :rolls eyes: which I think was the first mistake.

dc--so even when New Day in Eden was running, Doug said it would end with a cliffhangar? I wonder if he later used any of his college ideas when he was at Loving

[MarkH]

Yes, there has been a marked shift in the quality of Brothers and Sisters since Baitz left. DavidEvanSmith, check out Season 1 first...that is the amazing one. But B&S is still good...it is just (odd critique to level on this board) now...soapier.

I love Russell T. Davies' Doctor Who (and spinoff universe)...I'm a little worried that RTD has left as EP...but his successor (Steven Moffatt) wrote the BEST eps in each of the last 4 seasons...so we'll see. David Tennant is just a fun, engaging, energetic, quirky, sexy, beautiful doctor.

The British understand, with their shorter seasons and series, not to over-milk the cow. HBO used to understand this too.

[Sylph]

And it will probably be even soapier - now the show-runners are Monica Owusu-Breen and Alison Schapker (ex-Charmed, ex-Alias, ex-Lost). Their two-year seven-figure deal with Touchstone Television is about to expire, I believe, if they haven't yet signed a new one. Both are repped by the famous Endeavor, I know for sure Monica is a graduate of Brown and both were just shy of earning their PhDs before they decided to try things out in Hollywood.

[Sylph]

This whole thing has been discussed in a thread in Primetime Oxides.

[EricMontreal22]

Were they involved in Season 2? Hrmm I'm a bit concernsed--Season 2 started to lose direction but I thought it found it (mor eor less) by the end again--and I'm glad that some stories I thought would be dropped after reading Baitz' criticism of ABC's writing demands, like Sal's sexuality were not dropped.

RIght, the Who thread is in Primetime oxids. I would be worried abotu Davies leaving but Moffat is such a great replacement (as I wrote in that thread I also found the Library episode, part 1 in particular the best of the year) and has a great feel for the show--even if it was his idea to revive the Doctor's Daughter so she could potentially have a spin off in a very stupid episode this year Davies will still consult like he's done on Torchwood which has always been show run by Chris Chibnell (sp?) who's work there fits the darker tone really well. I also think Davies was burnt out at Who, honestly, and starting to run out of ideas so it was smart of him to end on a high (and making the finale kinda tie into all four years he's done as well as Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures was brilliant).

I do hope Tennant stays on longer than he has promised but it seems we won't see him for long either.

[Sylph]

Yes, of course they were: they wrote a total of seven episodes for the show. And the shaky direction might be because the show transitioned from the original show-runner Greg Berlanti (who is gay and who replaced Marti Noxon, who clashed with Robin Baitz) to Mark B. Perry (One Tree Hill) to Monica and Alison.

[EricMontreal22]

Of course Berlanti is gay I kinda have a love/hate thing for his work--ever since the gay cliche movie Broken HEart CLub. MArti Noxon was out before the pilot was revamped I read (I really wish I could see the full original pilot though it looks like every change they made was for the better) and even though I'm a fan of much of her stuff it did sound liek she was a poor fit.

So Mark B Perry was only show runner for a period this year? Like I said I liked the later eps more, so maybe I'll like this new team (as much as I HATE Charmed--but if they were involved in Alias that may be why they joined--with the Ken Olin and other Alias connections). When Baitz left, on his blog he did say he';d love to return to write some episodes if ABC would let him...

[Sylph]

I'm going to wait and see what will she do to Private Practice - her work was very unflattering ever since she left Buffy.

Mark B. Perry is to blame for all the soapiness - he took over from Berlanti when Berlanti went on to produce Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money (which was created by Allan Ball's friend and ex-B&S Craig Wright).

Likewise, Berlanti is to blame for steering away from heavy drama and introducing more emotional moments and light-heartedness.

Read the Ausiello Report about Perry's departure.

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah I was sad Craig Wright was leaving B&S but I love DSMoney so much I don't mind... I just wish there could be a way for Baitz to return to his show.

You may be right abotu Noxon--I liked her work on Buffy so much (even the year she largely show ran--saeson 6 which many fans don't like--and then when she was away on maternity leave for most of season 7 you really felt her presence missing) but she hasn't had a lot of luck lately--and I think Private Practice is so awful I won't tune in just cuz she's working there (I did see a few of her Grey's eps and thought they seemed better than average--but I'm not a big fan of the show). I did like her horror soap Point Pleasant, although I'm not sure if I can actually call it quality... or if it was just a big guilty pleasure

[Sylph]

I had problems with the way DSM was cast. And with a certain preporsterousness and tendentiousness.

I watched Point Pleasant. And I will have to tune in Private Practice even though I loathe Grey's. Mostly because I'm interested in seeing how Marti will do there and because of Addison Montgomery.

[EricMontreal22]

Really? I think DSM has a stellar cast--I like nearly everyone in it (then again I'm biased with any show that gives the brilliant Jill C a steady job). As for preposterousness I role my eyes at you THat's the point.

Well if yout ell me Private Practice has become wonderful maybe I'll watch it. It's hard for me not to watch something that stars one of my fave Broadway voices Audra McD (I even watched her on that awful sex class in university series that lasted like 3 episodes)

[Sylph]

I thought you don't trust me anymore! Given that we don't agree on Six Feet Under, Mad Men, The City... I forgot what else was there.

But no matter how good (and it will never be that good), Private Practice will never ever be your type of show.

[sheilaforever]

Compared to PP Grey's is like a Shakespearean play... Marti Noxon plain sucks, he's so over-shallow.

To watch a series just for one person? Sylph!

I watch(ed) PP for Kate/Addison AND Amy Brenneman.

I agree with you though on the loss of quality (during Brothers&Sisters second season although during the Berlanti penned season finale it seemed to refind it's track and we might get more thought-through longer-lasting plots next season...

[Sylph]

I need closure. And Marti is a woman.

As I said, it's not one person, it's two: Marti Noxon and Kate Walsh.

[EricMontreal22]

Hahah I m realizing we dont' seem to often agree but I knew that way back--I'm a Nixon fan and you're a Bell boy after all But I still respect your opinion especially when it comes to writers.

\Sheila--Noxon has done some brilliant tv writing--she was by far the best Buffy writer besides Whedon but, yeah I don't have much faith with her at PP.

Speaking of showrunners--I realized I do like a lot of the episodes the new women working on Bros and Sis did so maybe I shouldn't worry as much. But I *didn't* realize that now Dirty Sexy Money is having showrunner probs! LOL What's with ABC hiring these playwrights (Craig Wright is actually a pulitzer prize winner for his theatre) and then not letting them run their freakin shows. Now that the Ausiello Report is in Ent Weekly I noticed there was a comment about the show in this week's issue, though Ausiello thinks it's in great hands and the new twist being brought for the premier this year--a character death--is a smart one. But I guess Wright was never technically showrunner anyway and IS still involved with the show he created as a writer--unlike Baitz at B&S (where technically he was only co showrunner with Greg Berlanti who taught him how to structure a show, etc) Then again the new creator of DSM was the creator of the hideous Big Shots....