What do you look for in a pilot? To get a general feel for the show. Is it more a crime drama/scifi fun or family comedy? I don't need the whole thing be layed out in one episode but I need to know the general direction I will follow if I stick to the show.
What are the things that get you to sit down a try out a new show? Definitly a good idea. It doesn't really have something to do with what you can decide now but the cast as well, I do start watching shows for actors and might fall for the show (see Sons of Anarchy). But yeah the idea is important. When the idea sounds lame or like you have heard it any times already I probably won't stop for the pilot from myself just of somebody else points it out to me. The idea can be something familiar (like Nikita is similar to Alias and of course to La Femme Nikita but has a totally different angle to the whole Nikita story and it's not about spies like in Alias) but needs a twist or something fresh that hasn't been there before.
What goes wrong that makes you decide to spend your time on something else? When the story arc is not worked out right. When I feel like the episode is over (not in a bad way, I just think this is a good ending) and than it goes on and on without making any further points, just to fill time. The arc has to fill the time frame properly, there shouldn't be scenes were I can see that the writers needed to fill gaps. Also there shouldn't be too much going on in the pilot, because it'll overwhelm the viewer and when you are overwhelmed right from the start with too much information/too many characters&their plots you might not feel like tuning in again.
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branchandroot
#1
Date: 2011-09-20 06:25 pm (UTC)To get a general feel for the show. Is it more a crime drama/scifi fun or family comedy? I don't need the whole thing be layed out in one episode but I need to know the general direction I will follow if I stick to the show.
What are the things that get you to sit down a try out a new show?
Definitly a good idea. It doesn't really have something to do with what you can decide now but the cast as well, I do start watching shows for actors and might fall for the show (see Sons of Anarchy).
But yeah the idea is important. When the idea sounds lame or like you have heard it any times already I probably won't stop for the pilot from myself just of somebody else points it out to me.
The idea can be something familiar (like Nikita is similar to Alias and of course to La Femme Nikita but has a totally different angle to the whole Nikita story and it's not about spies like in Alias) but needs a twist or something fresh that hasn't been there before.
What has to go right for you to tune in the next week?
Depends on the kind of show. If it's something with a big story in the back I want to be curious after the pilot what is behind everything that happened the last 45 minutes. If it's a comedy I need to feel well entertained by some good jokes.
Dialogue always is the key. It has to works with whatever scenes I have seen, not overdone or cheezy/cliché.
Characters must be relateable or simply interesting. Since you can't relate to everybody there needs to be some kind of attraction. The way the character handles whatever is thrown at him, his general behaviour, again the way he talks and always the posibility for character development. If the character is settled in the pilot is okay, but you need to see that there will be changes otherwise it gets boring.
What goes wrong that makes you decide to spend your time on something else?
When the story arc is not worked out right. When I feel like the episode is over (not in a bad way, I just think this is a good ending) and than it goes on and on without making any further points, just to fill time. The arc has to fill the time frame properly, there shouldn't be scenes were I can see that the writers needed to fill gaps.
Also there shouldn't be too much going on in the pilot, because it'll overwhelm the viewer and when you are overwhelmed right from the start with too much information/too many characters&their plots you might not feel like tuning in again.