... but... OK, look. I'm extremely honest when I post here. But I also have a tendency to purposefully, though usually subconsciously act too cool for the room.
The reason I tell you this is that I want you to know that I know that I recognize both of these extremes before I say what I'm going to say, because what I'm going to say may set a few people off (considering the number of responses I've gotten in the last week or so to a post from about three weeks ago).
What's funny is the only Standoff mention in the post was that it's been canceled -- which it has for all intents and purposes. Then a few people from some message board or Web site somewhere found it and started singing the show's praises and campaigning for my three or four readers to watch it and save it. Of that I'm glad -- I've probably gotten more hits in the past week than I have since starting in January. I wish more people would come here to discuss TV. I think I've set up a fairly welcoming abode.
Anyway, that's why I'm dedicating these few grafs to Standoff, which returns on Fox tonight at 9 p.m. (after a Bones rerun) to burn off the remaining episodes the network paid for but really doesn't trust with serious, important time slots. Nah, Fox has shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Hell's Kitchen to save those posh 8 p.m. weeknight time slots for.
When you can't even get a weeknight spot in the summertime, well... that's a bad sign. Much like my beloved and underappreciated Studio 60 (which, since I'm on the subject, was awesome again this week), Standoff got a bad time slot even post-sweeps.
See, I like Standoff fine, but -- and I fully encourage disagreement here -- it's nothing spectacular and it's gone.
Get over it.
Seriously, it's a procedural show, same as CSI, Law & Order and House. Standoff IS A PROCEDURAL SHOW. It's masked as a romantic comedy, but that's all it is.
I give it credit for being funny and entertaining; I give it credit for having some amiable characters; I give it credit for keeping my interest. But it's far from being as good as other new shows this season like Heroes and Ugly Betty. Heck, new shows that got canned, like Six Degrees, Jericho* and Studio 60, topped it. Fox just doesn't make good original content. And why should it? No one watches good original content. They watch American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and Shark (couldn't resist my chance to take another swing at that piece of junk).
If you've read this far, it's probably time for me to tell you I'm going to be watching Standoff tonight. I DO enjoy the show. Thoroughly. And I'm sad it's going away. I would love for 30 million people to watch it tonight and the network eat its words and pick the show up again. Or maybe to have all the Internet fans come up with a clever campaign like the Jericho thing. But it won't happen. But that won't happen when the show's on at 9 p.m. on a Friday. I'll be at work putting out the paper for Saturday morning. And if I wasn't, I'd be at a bar on the boardwalk. I'm just being honest about the big picture here.
Standoff is fun and entertaining and cool, but it's really nothing original and there'll be another procedural that can campaign on how it's slightly different than all the rest and how its overall story is better than House's drug problems or Grissom, Mac or Horatio's leadership skills. It's only three months away. Two and a half, really. Unless you're only watching Fox. Then you have to wait until baseball's over.
* I contend Jericho counts in this argument. If you disagree... well... don't disagree.
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5 comments:
Thank you for bringing up the show "Standoff".
I do have to disagree slightly though.
This show is not just “crime procedure”, it is so much more.
For anyone out there not watching Standoff yet I would like to say this:
Standoff is about people and their actions when pushed to the limit.
It is about two co-workers figuring out how to deal with their personal relationship as well as their working relationship.
A good mixture of action, humour, drama, and romance is brought togehter by smashing lines and writing and most of all great acting by the two leads Ron Livingston (”Office Space”, “sex and the city”)and Rosemarie Dewitt (”Off the Black”, “Rescue Me”).
The relationship between the two negotiators Matt Flannery and Emily Lehman is the backbone of this plot. The character development is perfect, bringing lots of tension, funny banter and hot scenes!
For anyone not watching this show yet, I really recommend you tune in next friday or catch up on older episodes on “Fox on Demand” at www.myspace.com/fox
The pilot will definately get you interested and wanting more of this great, very original new show and I do think it's original. It's the first show I've seen that manages to show different sides of people to such depth.
Please tune in -
The upcoming episodes are promised to be the best yet!
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Watch “Standoff” Fridays 9/8c on Fox!
visit www.fox.com/standoff
Please stop saying that!! STANDOFF HAS NOT BEEN CANCELLED!! The only places to even mention cancellation are places who don’t really care about the show, i.e. The Futon Critic. I’ll believe that Standoff is cancelled when FOX tells me so. I also heard from one of the actors personally that the fate of the show depends on the ratings these next few episodes bring in. I do realize that Friday nights episode ‘No Strings’ didn’t do so well, but what can you expect from a show that’s gotten no support from it’s network??
I’m not gonna bash you here, it’s your blog and you’re entitled to your opinion, but so am I. Standoff is not the procedural show that you say it is. I’ve watched every crime drama that’s come out in the last… ten years, and they’ve all had their twists, but they also all end up the same, a crime drama. Standoff, is deferent, the show is based around communication and unfortunately people don’t seem to be interested in really in depth shows like this because their minds have been warped by reality TV. People just don’t understand it.
Standoff has what it takes to survive! It's got an amazing cast, excellent writers and plot can take this show anywhere! Not to mention that you get a little bit of everything, drama, comedy, romance, action and that's in every single episode!!
I really hope that you enjoyed ‘No Strings’ on Friday, it was a really good episode and I’ve seen the upcoming shows already and all I can is keep watching, the new episodes are ten times better than the first 11 that aired last year.
‘Backfire’ airs Friday night FOX @ 9pm on FOX!
I'm glad you've tuned in to Standoff this past Friday and I hope many others will this week. We have been informed by a reliable source that the upcoming episodes are the best yet. I really like the show and am very saddened by FOX's treatment of it and the actors. The cast is absolutely wonderful and they are great together. Next week's episode has Matt and Emily negotiating two different crisis situations. I'm sure it will make for some interesting drama. Anyway, continue to watch this Friday at 9pm.
Hey, I do understand what you are saying, and FOX has made its intentions pretty clear by their continued delaying and lack of advertising for this show. So, no illusions here.
However, even if a second season for this show is a lost cause, I still would like to get the word out for people to watch the remaining episodes, if only to share what a good show it is with others, and show appreciation for the the excellent job done by all the actors involved.
As for the crime-procedural argument, Standoff has struggled through the first 11 episodes to find that balance between the relationship and the action, and most fans will agree that it has perhaps erred to the side of action a little too often.
However, to let you in on a little secret--the new episodes have already been showing in the Netherlands for many weeks now, and they tell us that there is more emphasis being put on the relationship and the job's effect on the relationship, including an episode that deals with Emily's background, and one that is very focused on the character Cheryl Torres (played with nice depth by Gina Torres of Firefly fame).
Therefore I will be sorry if we don't get a second season, because I think FOX is finally figuring out that the relationship is what made this show different all along, and that a second season might therefore do an even better job of showing how working with someone in a job where your words can literally save or kill, and also being involved with that person, affects the characters' lives and relationships.
Thanks for the info averagejoe, but we already knew the new episodes were being shown in The Netherlands. In fact, I've already seen all the new episodes with the exception of the finale, which I'll get to watch on Tuesday.
The second half of the season is better than the first, there's no question about that. You get a deeper look into the show...There is more info about several of the characters and some really good Matt and Emily/relationship stuff too!
I hope that the ratings pick though, I would love to see this show get picked up for another season!
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