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It's a bit much, isn't it?
Aug. 21st, 2007 11:35 amI'm not a hypocrit. I don't believe that any actor or actress doing a guest stint on a show is going to ruin a show or a fandom. For this reason, when it was announced that Kristin Bell was going to have a guest stint on Heroes, I didn't have a rant saying "OMG! She'll ruin the show" or complain that now her worshipful fans will begin writing crossover fics. That's giving one actress and one fanfaction more importance than is logically merited (and this applies to many actresses, actors, and fanfactions).
But reading this morning's announcement that KB has signed on for 13 consecutive episodes with an option to extend the contract still further has disquieted me for several reasons. I'm wary.
First off, the writers have already said that the storyline for the first half of the season is so packed that certain regulars from last season are going to have to sit out some episodes and at least one is being killed off (as opposed to KB who will apparently be in 13 consecutively). Secondly, how many new characters does this make now? I've lost count, but it's a lot. And while I squee about Uhura making a guest stint, it's clearly as a secondary character. But this makes three regulars/semi-regulars (Yes, it's open for KB to perhaps become a regular) in addition to a cast of other guest shot appearances for multiple other actors.
The late, great Douglas Marland once wrote (a fairly famous) set of dos and don'ts for writing serials for television. One of the rules was not to shove newbies down an audience's throat. The audience resents it. He counseled that it takes an audience three to six months to give a damn about new characters And that's just one new character. Heroes now has a bunch of newbies, (in addition to the Heroes:Origins series next spring ... on top of Heroes:Classic's pretty frickin' huge cast). Add in that the show already has not one but two blonde super heroines to service with storylines, and it's beginning to feel as though Heroes is pushing the envelope with how many new characters it can add to an already overflowing cast.
Sometimes it does a producer good to know when to stop expanding their universe and when the existing characters need adequate tending.
Yes, bringing in new blood is often a good thing. But it should be handled in a measured way. We don't need a full body transfusion in a couple of hours.
Maybe this will work out. I would hate for Heroes to go from something loosely connected but fun to a giant hot mess. I'm not saying that it will. I'm just saying that there's a chance that they're bringing in too many new characters all at once. (Sort of like Joss did with Potentials).
Serials -- like fanfic -- should remember that the audience tunes in largely for the characters who brought us to the show. And, while new characters can certainly win our hearts, a flood of new characters placed front and center immediately doesn't allow much time for audience adjustment or the development of affection.
Heroes should tread carefully. Don't grab for every bright, shiny, new thing.
But reading this morning's announcement that KB has signed on for 13 consecutive episodes with an option to extend the contract still further has disquieted me for several reasons. I'm wary.
First off, the writers have already said that the storyline for the first half of the season is so packed that certain regulars from last season are going to have to sit out some episodes and at least one is being killed off (as opposed to KB who will apparently be in 13 consecutively). Secondly, how many new characters does this make now? I've lost count, but it's a lot. And while I squee about Uhura making a guest stint, it's clearly as a secondary character. But this makes three regulars/semi-regulars (Yes, it's open for KB to perhaps become a regular) in addition to a cast of other guest shot appearances for multiple other actors.
The late, great Douglas Marland once wrote (a fairly famous) set of dos and don'ts for writing serials for television. One of the rules was not to shove newbies down an audience's throat. The audience resents it. He counseled that it takes an audience three to six months to give a damn about new characters And that's just one new character. Heroes now has a bunch of newbies, (in addition to the Heroes:Origins series next spring ... on top of Heroes:Classic's pretty frickin' huge cast). Add in that the show already has not one but two blonde super heroines to service with storylines, and it's beginning to feel as though Heroes is pushing the envelope with how many new characters it can add to an already overflowing cast.
Sometimes it does a producer good to know when to stop expanding their universe and when the existing characters need adequate tending.
Yes, bringing in new blood is often a good thing. But it should be handled in a measured way. We don't need a full body transfusion in a couple of hours.
Maybe this will work out. I would hate for Heroes to go from something loosely connected but fun to a giant hot mess. I'm not saying that it will. I'm just saying that there's a chance that they're bringing in too many new characters all at once. (Sort of like Joss did with Potentials).
Serials -- like fanfic -- should remember that the audience tunes in largely for the characters who brought us to the show. And, while new characters can certainly win our hearts, a flood of new characters placed front and center immediately doesn't allow much time for audience adjustment or the development of affection.
Heroes should tread carefully. Don't grab for every bright, shiny, new thing.
