30 Days of Television #1: A show that should never have been cancelled.

[dalekboy]

I pinched this from angriest who pinched it from a bunch of others. Figured it might be a way to get some posts out of me. Of course, I'm vanishing for a couple of days over the weekend, so that'll mess things up a bit, but we'll see how I go.

There were so many choices I could have gone for, so many good or just unusual or interesting shows I could have picked. Normally I would have gone for Alien Nation because it was a truly great TV series. But since Grant has already snaffled that one, and everything he says is spot on, I figured I'd go for -


The Middleman
I think what I liked most about The Middleman was that it was a joyous show. Not cynical, or mean spirited, but fun and full of whimsy. Its humour came from fabulous characters and weird situations, not embarrassing circumstances or people being horrible to one another (unless you count Ida, an android locked in 'domineering schoolmarm' mode, who was delightfully horrible to everyone).

The main characters of the Middleman, Wendy, and Ida were well drawn and realised, and the supporting cast got their moments pretty much every episode as well. Plus it played against the stereotypical laziness of TV writing without ever cracking a sweat, easily passing the Bechdel test, as well as Deggan's rule.

It played knowingly with the tropes of villains and heroes from comics, TV, and film, but with the deft touch of someone who loves the genre and isn't trying to show how smart they are, but how enjoyable the genre is. Some episodes were 'themed' so that subtle references to a specific show or book were scattered throughout - one episode grabs its names from Dune, another from Back to the Future - the real wit of this was that they seldom went for the obvious references.

Was it a perfect show? No, but it certainly wasn't bad and it had a lot more heart than most TV. Most of all, one came away from The Middleman feeling happier, and not many shows can do that.



Fabulous little fan-made vid

Two public service announcements.

Comments

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

That really happened to you, didn't it?

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

Oh it's happened a lot. I can think of several shows that ended with season cliffhangers and never got renewed. It's why I hate cliffhanger endings to seasons.

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

"You let yourself become distracted, and next thing you know, a geological rift opens and the city's overrun by three-toed hominids who once battled mankind for dominance while you've got your tighty-whiteys around your ankles."
"That happened to you, didn't it?"

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Of course, if there is one thing I hate more than my favourite show being cancelled, it's the pilot of my own show being passed over in favour of another pilot by someone, that simply isn't as good yet not only gets two seasons but also gets picked up for a lucrative American remake on cable television, making its creator filthy rich while I'm struggling pay my bills and the cost of moving from Perth to Melbourne.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.