Second Negative

Not Your Average Viewer

I’m willing to believe that my attraction to low rated television shows is somehow due to a force of nature that I’m not yet aware of. Otherwise, it’s difficult to explain why most of the shows I’ve watched over the years have been low rated, cult classics that were often cancelled well before completing a full run.

Case in point, why isn’t anyone watching Eyes? If a show with a cool concept, great performances, and outstanding writing is not what people are looking for, then what are they looking for? Another show about crime scene investigators? A year ago, I might have blamed ABC, but with the network surging behind Lost and Desperate Housewives, I know that the viewers are out there. Is it fatigue? After a long Wednesday night of watching Lost and Alias, maybe the average viewer can’t handle another quality drama. Or maybe viewers refuse to accept Tim Daly as anyone but Joe Hackett. It’s bad enough that Uncle Jesse has reinvented himself as Colin Farrell lite.

How about Scrubs? Unless you’re watching Veronica Mars while recording Scrubs, then you don’t have an excuse to miss one of the most original shows on television. If Scrubs had received the promo push that The Office has these past few weeks, a larger audience might have found the show. The most insulting part is that The Office stumbled out of the gate, and has generally sucked. Matt Roush of TV Guide wrote in his column this week that “Scrubs, a medical comedy that juggles goofy slapstick and breathtaking poignancy, continues in its fourth year to be surprising and distinctively hilarious.” (Editors Note: If you’re watching One Tree Hill on Tuesday nights, you are probably going to hell. Sorry.)

Most people I know were turned off by the genre aspects of Buffy and Angel, but that shouldn’t keep viewers away from more “normal” shows that attempt to blend creative elements. People are watching Lost, so I know that the viewers are out there, but they must turn off their televisions when the credits roll, because few people stick around for Alias. An even smaller number switch over to Jack & Bobby, a WB show about the relationship between two brothers (one who will eventually become president), and the people and experiences that shape their values. It’s everything a drama could hope to be. Except popular.

Maybe I’ve been around too many people who watch wrestling, but a lot of shows fail because they are too smart for the average viewer. The dialogue is too fast, or too “inside”, or it simply doesn’t connect. I know it’s hard to believe, but having to think during a television show doesn’t automatically discredit the entertainment value.