The excellent news is — fall is right here, and TV is lastly again!
However the unhealthy information is {that a} horrible mind parasite appears to have contaminated the community execs in command of scheduling this 12 months’s new reveals.
Okay, that is likely to be somewhat harsh, however one thing bizarre is occurring right here, and we intend to resolve it!
The difficulty began final week when the pilot episode of The Penguin utterly knocked our socks off.
(Sorry for the poor selection of phrases. The much less stated concerning the scene the place Colin Farrel removes his socks, the higher.)
Now, as a TV website that seeks to advertise dialogue — and as followers who like to see a present flourish through phrase of mouth — we’re usually against the Netflix/Hulu behavior of releasing complete seasons unexpectedly.
That stated, we have been greater than somewhat dismayed to see that we must wait a full ten days for the second episode of The Penguin.
And the state of affairs is even worse with Kathy Bates’ Matlock reboot/reimagining/re-whatever.
CBS launched the present’s premiere episode final evening, to appreciable important acclaim.
However if you happen to’re one of many thousands and thousands who can’t wait to see what additional adventures await Ms. Bates’ plucky legal professional — properly, we’re afraid now we have some unhealthy information …
The second episode of Matlock received’t air till October 17.
That’s greater than three weeks from at present.
Right here’s a enjoyable little experiment for our readers within the Northern Hemisphere. Take a look at the closest tree. Now take a vivid psychological image of it. Good and plush and inexperienced, yeah?
By the point Matty Matlock as soon as once more graces your display, these leaves might be brown and on the bottom.
And don’t pull any humorous enterprise by a palm tree or a pine. This isn’t a botany class!
We’re simply making the purpose that 25 days is method too lengthy a wait between a present’s first and second episodes.
We is likely to be sounding like Abraham Simpson, shaking our fists on the sky and bellowing for extra Matlock. However significantly, what the hell is occurring right here?
The technical reply to that query is that this:
Final evening’s episode was a “sneak preview” and an “encore presentation” of the Matlock pilot will air the week earlier than the second episode.
However all that PR-lingo justification doesn’t make this choice any much less baffling.
So individuals who watched and loved the Matlock “sneak preview” will now be anticipated to both keep in mind the occasions of that episode for an entire month or to rewatch the pilot forward of episode two?!
Evidently, that’s somewhat bonkers.
And whereas the look ahead to extra Penguin isn’t practically as lengthy, it would show simply as problematic.
This can be a present that can doubtless take the 10-hour film strategy to televisual storytelling.
That’s positive, after all. However most reveals that go the hyper-serialized route (like FX and Hulu’s The Bear) drop all of their episodes without delay.
They usually actually don’t take week-and-a-half breaks to allow the viewers to neglect all these vital plot particulars.
In case you missed the implausible pilot, The Penguin shouldn’t be your typical superhero franchise piece.
It’s twisty, noirish mob drama, with nary a point out of the Caped Crusader in its opening hour.
As for Matlock, its pilot episode featured a third-act twist that doubtless left most viewers shocked.
It was the form of ending that was good for constructing anticipation for the subsequent episode — which you’ll be capable of watch someday subsequent quarter.
Hey, perhaps the advertising gurus know one thing we don’t. Perhaps giving these reveals further time to construct phrase of mouth is a stroke of programming genius.
However frankly, we hope that’s not the case. As a result of we’d hate to see this type of scheduling turn out to be an industry-wide pattern.
What do you assume, TV fanatics? Is it merciless and weird punishment to make us wait so lengthy between episodes?
Hit the feedback part under to share your ideas.
