...essentially because like invasion (which desrved cancellation) c4 have bought another show that was cancelled mid-season.

so you'll get 6 episodes of kidnapped and then nothing, the rest of the show is being broadcast online in the states and there are no palns to release for tv...

why does c4 insist on buying american shows that are already cancelled? ones that are serial in story and therefore retain twists and secrets til the very end and therefore are completely pointless excersizes when they are not completed

dubs

Is this the new show thats starting thats got Ray Liotta in. Cos i saw a trailer for it and hought it looked quite good but then someone told me it was cancelled after like 6 episodes and like you that kind of put me off!! Whats the point watching something for that long?? You'll never find out what happens!

i wasn't impressed with invasion but was less impressed that c4 had bought a show that was serial in nature yet cancelled- thought what is the point? it will just annoy viewers

seems like they are doing it again.

well done c4!!

dubs

Yeah, i watched invasion but similarly wasn't to impressed. I was however very annoyed not to find out what happened when they left it on such a cliffhanger!

can't really blame c4. they, bbc and itv have bought recent US shows that looked like sure things only for them to crash and burn.

well i can't blame them for buying a show that then gets cancelled- but this was cancelled ages menaing if they didnt do the deal ages ago they have no choice...

it was cancelled after 6 weeks yet c4 are billing it as a 6 part series wheras is more like a 13 part- you'll just never see the concluding episodes on c4- of course they wont bill it as an imcomplete serial show with no conclusioin either-

thats why i wont be watching..

watch this space for threads in 6 weeks time bemaoning the fact people have just invested 6 hours into a show that doesn't conclude...

well done c4!

dubs

dubs

All 13 episodes of Kidnapped will be released on DVD in N America very soon.

TV is a fickle industry, for every Heroes and Lost there are dozens of shows (even good ones) cut down early.

You have to wonder if 4 bought the rights to Kidnapped before or after it was axed. Maybe the attitiude was "we've bloody well paid for it, so let's show it". It's a very prime timeslot for what is effectively a placeholder with a finite run.

ITV4 have a similar issue with Smith (with Ray Liotta). Of course they're promoting it as "the hit US TV show", and failing to mention that it got axed after just 8 eps made.

All the episodes are being shown, but as a six part series. Each episode being shown here is an hour and forty minutes long, which is the equivalent of two episodes wiyh fewer ad breaks. As it has already been mentioned, the British networks purchase the series on the strength of a pilot before the show has actually been aired in America, so it's a total gamble as to wether or not the show will be a success. I was not in any way put off by the fact that the show didn't last a full season and thoroughly enjoyed the first episode(s) aired on Tuesday night.

quote:

All the episodes are being shown, but as a six part series. Each episode being shown here is an hour and forty minutes long, which is the equivalent of two episodes wiyh fewer ad breaks. As it has already been mentioned, the British networks purchase the series on the strength of a pilot before the show has actually been aired in America, so it's a total gamble as to wether or not the show will be a success. I was not in any way put off by the fact that the show didn't last a full season and thoroughly enjoyed the first episode(s) aired on Tuesday night.

fine if its not serial in nature but other shows like day break have had the same fate- good show but cancelled early- i just know some people will be pissed off when they get to episode six and are left with no conclusion-

lost has lost a lot of itrs magic and may as well be called 'jack and the others' - so spoilt do i feel when there is actually an episode with the main characters in!!

heroes promises to be more than it is... no more new twisty, turny, cliffhanger shows please- its clear most get cancelled..

dubs

I'd rather have a dozen twisty turny serial dramas come and go than have to watch nothing but generic, by the numbers weekly shows with no continuity or character growth between episdoes.

The quality of TV drama has improved in leaps and bounds the last few years, I wouldn't want to see that go.

quote:

I'd rather have a dozen twisty turny serial dramas come and go than have to watch nothing but generic, by the numbers weekly shows with no continuity or character growth between episdoes.

The quality of TV drama has improved in leaps and bounds the last few years, I wouldn't want to see that go.

i like lost and stuff but think shows like the wire, the shield, sopranos, oz, rome are much more rewarding- sure they have similar arcing stories but don't rely on deying you information or conclusions like lost et al do

and think that shows with long arcs like bsg and 24 are better too-

not into this whole csi-alaska and law and order- 90210 thing as its so predictable and generic-

plus the whole ten minute act strauctuire is so predicatble that even shwos like prison break which once had great twists actually now build it in as a regular part of an act- oh its the 35 minute mark- here comes the twist!

i think we are agreeing but even shows like jericho which follows the lost format promises to have answers by the end of season 1... i felt positively spoilt last week when lost actually had an epsidoes with all the main characters in- its the jack and the others show so far this series!!


dubs

It is true that many shows are shying away from the Lost formula now in favour of arcs that run for a year, with a few strands left over to entice viewers back. This is not a bad thing, indeed many of my fave shows (Shield, Veronica Mars, Heroes) are already working in this format.

You can understand why too, Lost is in danger of betraying viewers loyalty by stringing them along with no answers. Alias did it to viewers, so did X Files. Both of them umlitmately slapped their fans in the face with poor coinclusions that were rushed and unfulfiling. I do hope Lost isn't going to do the same, despite producers assurances to the contrary.

But please please, don't take us back to the bad old days of TV shows that you could watch in any old order, fall asleep for the middle 20 minutes and still be able to understand it all at the end as they wrapped it up in a neat little package with no consequences or character development. Viewers want and deserve better.

quote:

But please please, don't take us back to the bad old days of TV shows that you could watch in any old order, fall asleep for the middle 20 minutes and still be able to understand it all at the end as they wrapped it up in a neat little package with no consequences or character development. Viewers want and deserve better.

agreed- shows like csi , without a trace, law and order are very formulaic and you can just 4 season and see the characters are exactly the same! there are many shows that stray away fom this but simply dont appeal to me nip/tuck, big love, sitc, desparate housewives- but dont take them away!! they are raising the standard- i know they are good shows i just simply wont enjoy the subject matter...

that said shows like prison break is slipping into network territory- and also feel that they shows cant be very enjoyable live- in that you get 10 minutes then a break for 5 - i couldn't watch shows like that-

dubs

quote:

Originally posted by antonyD:
can't really blame c4. they, bbc and itv have bought recent US shows that looked like sure things only for them to crash and burn.

The BBC got burned with 3lbs. They bought the rights, then the American network cancelled it after only 3 episodes had aired over there.

It's a shame that 'Kidnapped' was cancelled so early. It has been gripping throughout with a stellar cast. Jeremy Sisto has been a revelation and Tinothy Hutton is one of the finest actors around. Throw in the great Delroy Lindo and the impressive Mykelti Williamson and you have one of the most intriguing series in recent years. The fact that it failed to ignite US audiences does not detract from the fact that this is first class television.

yeah and this is my beef- now i know it was actually concluded i may watch it

dubs

Well, as it transpired it was indeed a gripping series. Very well acted, well written, and a nice finale. I for one, am glad that Channel4 aired this excellent export.

I hate it when they do that! The same thing happened with reunion and miss match. How can they get away with broadcasting the start of a series without at least warning viewers that they wont be able to view the whole thing. Especially when they spend so much money hyping it up to make people watch it. Infuriating!!!!