Eastwick a Failure
It has just been announced that ABC has effectively cancelled the low-rated series, Eastwick. Although, ABC will air all the remaining 6 episodes of the original 13 ordered.
Alright, gentle readers. Here’s the thing. This was another show that I really WANTED to watch, but never got around to it because there was always something else on. I’m not entirely sure what that something else is, but it was always there. I did catch an episode on my DVR because I did try to watch and I went as far as recording it to watch. But when I went to watch it, I found myself a little bored.
The show claims to be the Sex and the City of Salem. Um. Ok. I could see that. Maybe throw in a little Desperate Housewives, perhaps?
Single-handedly, housewives accomplish astonishing things… and together, watch out. In the seaside village of Eastwick, this might just be evidence of their inner-witch rising to the surface. Based on the 1987 film (The Witches of Eastwick), three women are drawn towards a mysterious man who bestows unique powers in them.
Ok, so reading that description, I’m interested. For about 30 seconds. But the simple fact is this: networks need to stop trying to remake or rehash old ideas. I LOVED the movie, but I don’t really want to see a tv series about it.
TV and movies both have a difficult time in the crossover. It may be a good tv show, or a good movie, but the second it tries to do the other thing, it tends to not go well. TV was written for TV and movies were written to be movies.
Now, that’s not to say that there hasn’t been SOME success. The X-files for one was a great TV show, and then a great movie – the first one, not the second – but after the movie, the show started going downhill. Something similar could be said for the Buffy series. The movie started the whole story, and it was a mess. A cult classic now, perhaps, but it is still an awful movie. Then comes the TV series, and it couldn’t be more different because it ended up being THAT good.
Again, there is always a chance that success could be had with an old idea. But sometimes it’s just not a good idea.
So, with that said, I am sad that Eastwick didn’t get a chance to develop a little more. And perhaps it would have gained more viewers, but sadly, that wasn’t the case.
What do you think of networks rehashing old ideas and trying to turn them into something shiny and new?
So, networks, please hear my plea. Stop trying to remake things.
As the first commenter, I am very saddened this was cancelled. I really enjoyed the show and both its variations from and similarities to the movie. I have not been able to find the last six episodes anywhere. Perhaps if they had not placed the show on the same night opposite some of the most universally popular shows on other channels, more people would have watched it!!! The characters were fun!
Hey, Sheila. It’s always a hard pill to swallow when a network cancels a show before it really gets a chance to grow and gain and audience. And also, you’re right. The time slot for Eastwick was deadly. Probably the reason that it was cancelled was because it had a disadvantage of the time slot.
I haven’t heard when the remaining 6 episodes will be airing. Perhaps they’ll run at the same time over the next 6 weeks and then the show is done… or maybe they’ll try to air them in one big chunk. Whatever they do, I hope the announce it soon.
I too love the show, and yeah, it could be slow at times, but it had a plot that I was enjoying and three hot babes. Unfortunately neither ABC nor FOX know what to do when a good science fiction (or in this case fantasy) flick hits them in the proverbial knickers.
I keep hoping that someone like SyFy (pronouced siffy in protest of the name change) would have the common sense to come behind and sweep up all the great scraps and use them to stay on top. They did it with Stargate SG1 for years but seem to have forgotten the lessons learned.
Siffy’s strengths are NOT in the writing, but the ability to pick up good shows that people — like we — love and enjoy to continue.
I just wish that we still had any chance of seeing Firefly reborn, but I would kiss a Siffy’s feet if they picked up Dollhouse OR Eastwick..
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