There are too many shows out there are the two extremes. Some shows go on for too long like Lost, Alias, Supernatural, and Prison Break. Other shows like The Good Guys, Trophy Wife, Human Target, The Finder, and yes....Firefly, were gone too soon. The shows that went on too long lost their mojo with trying to fill the show up with episodes that veered away from it's original premise that attracted it's audience, and the shows that got axed before they could say "Season Finale" didn't have time to flourish into the screen gems they could have been.
Lost, for example, was about a group of survivors of a downed airliner on an island in the middle of nowhere. The show was a hit and the network wanted to keep the show going since it was boosting ratings. Because of that, the creators had to add more and more junk to the story that made it more confusing and had to figure out how to bring it back to the original concept so they could end it the way they originally planned; and in doing so made a lot of fans confused and frustrated for wasting time on a show with "an ending like that!?".
If you haven't heard about the show Firefly and it's premature death, do yourself a favor and go watch it for yourself. There have been multiple times that fans have voiced their opinion about the show and it's something to be experienced. It is so good, I'm having to plan a day to marathon it with friends who have and have not seen it.
The one show I will talk about is one of my favorites, The Good Guys. The show was your typical buddy cop storyline about two detectives where one is a by the book, pressed suit, boy scout, and the other is a hardened, seasoned, street smart, 'doesn't care about the books' cop who just wants to go out and "bust some punks!" The two would always be given the most pointless cases to work that, through good writing, was somehow connected to a much bigger case that was top priority. The series was hilarious! The characters were hilarious, the writing was smart, witty and action packed, and overall a good show. The cast included Colin Hanks and Bradley Whitford. Imagine Whitford with a mustache, aviator glasses and tough as nails and cocky attitude. That should be enough to convince you that the show was hilarious! But like a lot of shows (mainly on FOX), it kept getting moved around for other shows to come in and over shadow it's chances for a future. It was at least lucky to finish with a full season under it's belt and it is available online.
Now, you're probably asking yourself, "what does this have to do with Galavant and Agent Carter?" Simple. One (hyphenated) word: Mini-series! Unlike Lost and Firefly, Agent Carter and Galavant were only given six episodes and a little over a month of a time slot for the whole year to tell their story. They had a beginning, a middle, and an end (B.M.E. for short), and they were hits! Unlike Agent Carter however, Galavant wasn't very promising about a return with its mediocre ratings. To make things worse, they ended it on a massive cliffhanger. Luckily, they managed to bring it back with a bang and a perfect resolution for all the characters. And on top of that, it had two to three musical numbers every episode in both seasons.
Agent Carter was a mad success fan and ratings wise, so there was bound to be a return. With a lot of action, mystery and drama, it was the perfect show for her. I personally feel that if they gave her her own series to go along side Agents of SHIELD, it would never last. It would probably go down the same path as Alias, where it starts off as this kick-ass, female protagonist, and soon falls into this whiny, melodrama that ruins the show. And I think a lot shows should take this route and use these shows as examples.
Think about it, you have almost an entire year to make a show that's big enough to be a movie, but you tell in the span of six weeks and you put everything you can into it. You put as much special effects, action, and story into it. It's there and it's gone for the year! It sounds a bit cruel, but what that does is get people filled with anticipation for a second installment. They make time for your show. When the mini-season is over, the anticipation for the next season is high. You get fans talking about the show; you engage them!
With a mini-series, you can tell you one story and one story well with a B.M.E. When the show is done, it's done. No big cliffhangers, no lingering B-story, and you won't have to worry about not finishing your story before it's cancelled or the networks wanting you to add more seasons with filler. And if the mini-series does well, you can tell a second story with a B.M.E. all over again, and the cycle continues.
If your show is good, people will talk about it a lot more than other shows that are doing the basic 24 episode full seasons twice a year. And if you just want to tell one story and move on with something else, good! You aren't tied down by the show that's pretty much wrapped. But if you feel like you can expand on that story, go for it!
Maybe Firefly could take a page from Peggy Carter. But then again...
-That's Just Me..
-That's Just Me..
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