Comments on G Valentino is Random: ... thinking that less is more

Yeah, L&O is a big outlier in that respect: mi...

2009-06-03T12:17:24.838-04:00

Yeah, L&O is a big outlier in that respect: missable, but pick-back-up-able. I think it's a great model for the season-after-season structure. But also, because they change cast so often, it's kinda like every series/season is a complete reboot.

The main reason to shorten its season would really be to give some other shows exposure. Imagine Sept to Dec is Chuck, and then Jan to Mar is L&O, and then Apr to Jun is , Jun to Sept is Medium. EVERYONE gets the show they want, and a better quality comes out of it.

Lost is a GREAT example of how it should work. Imagine if in season 2-3 they only had to do 15-20 episodes, imagine how TIGHT those would be (Full disclosure: I don't watch Lost, and one of the reasons was the sheer amount of filler, but when it re-focused I was angry that I let it slip. The reason I don't watch it now is just time management)

Aye, Law & Order is very miss-able... but also...

2009-06-03T12:08:03.420-04:00

Aye, Law & Order is very miss-able... but also extremely easy to get back into. I brought it up as I've missed it for a long time, but have recently been pulled back in. For how long, I do not know... but it's nice to have a show that I don't have to make time for.

ie: It's not LOST, which I also love. Speaking of LOST; it did have a few too many filler episodes in seasons 2 and 3. "What? Another Jin/Sun flashback? Yes, we know he was an asshole and that she was a cheating whore. Let's move along with the plot we care about.

Law & Order is a special case: Technically EVE...

2009-06-03T11:19:37.360-04:00

Law & Order is a special case: Technically EVERY episode is a place holder, since it doesn't try to tell a coherent story. It's one of the charms of the show, but also means that (1) it's very miss-able and (2) not as satisfying to watch. Maybe it needs to be like Prime Suspect (or The Wire, which is such an outlier in this discussion) but run three series a year, each comprising a case that lasts 10 episodes (5 law, 5 order)

Have said that, L&O: SVU is one of the worst written shows on television because it wants to have it both ways: character arcs AND self-contained episodes. Because of that it has a HORRIBLE rhythm. Somewhere I have my Sample L&O: SVU script Mad Lib that I might post later for a laugh/flamebait.

Here's a show I'd like your thoughts on: ...

2009-06-03T10:42:45.968-04:00

Here's a show I'd like your thoughts on:

Law & Order

Isn't it at like, six thousand episodes now? (including it's offshoots like SVU...)

'zactly, and that's why they don't wea...

2009-06-03T09:05:06.184-04:00

'zactly, and that's why they don't wear out their welcome, or have too many filler episodes. Sci Fi (SyFy, whatever), HBO, Showtime and a lot of other specialty channels have learned that.

I quite liked "The United States of Tara", but I'll even admit that if I have to have 28 episodes of that over a season, I would have grown quite tired of it. But 12 episodes was perfect.

On the other hand, a lot of the fun sci fi stuff I...

2009-06-03T09:02:20.415-04:00

On the other hand, a lot of the fun sci fi stuff I like seems to get only 13 episodes seasons. Like Eureka...