Question: It seems like 24 has broken new ground in television dramas with regard to pacing, as it was really the first of the current era of outstanding shows to take a long time to unfold (though, admittedly, none of the others take a whole season to tell the story of a single day). Lost is, of course, the best example of this, with the season covering mere weeks in the lives of the characters, and NBC has picked up a pilot for a show that draws out a kidnapping and investigation over an entire season. So my question is this: Do you think a show like Murder One was just on before its time? This, too, was an exceptional character drama that took its time unraveling the story, but since it was on at the height of the MTV-I-want-it-now era, I think it just didn't stand a chance. What do you think?
Answer: I've addressed Murder One before but not quite in this context, which is a good one, especially with so many intricately serialized dramas and thrillers on the air these days. (I would
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Question: With audiences embracing serialized shows like Lost and 24 (and, potentially, the upcoming Reunion and Prison Break), do networks ever consider resurrecting old serialized dramas that didn't quite connect the first time around? I'm thinking of Murder One here. It would be a prime show to bring back especially given the current interest in procedurals. Finally, do you know of any plans to bring the late, great 1994 series Under Suspicion to DVD? Karen Sillas' show was an overlooked gem.
Answer: I'm not an expert on DVD releases, but I've heard nothing about the short-lived Under Suspicion being released. As for Murder One coming back — Season 2 is coming out on DVD in November, by the way — it would seem Steven Bochco has moved on. He's not the sort of guy who likes to repeat himself, and while this show was undoubtedly ahead of its time, I'd be surprised if there were any movement to start this over from scratch. That said, if this serialized-drama trend continues to flourish ...
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Question: Could you enlighten me on a series called Murder One? It has just started on Showtime in the Middle East and I was wondering if it is an ongoing series or a one-time miniseries. The first episode was very entertaining and I just want to know what to expect. Thanks.
Answer: Well, I'll give you enough to whet your appetite, Nasreen, but don't expect me to hand you the ending so you can lord it over your pals or anything.
Murder One was a noble experiment that failed to pick up an audience. When it debuted on ABC in September 1995, the idea was that it would follow one case over the course of the entire season. As you'll no doubt see by the time you read this, attorney Theodore Hoffman (Daniel Benzali) and his team of defense lawyers (Michael Hayden, J.C. MacKenzie, Mary McCormack and Grace Phillips) spent that first se
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Question: As to your recent question about the multi-season potential of Reunion, I am curious why it's so wrong for a show to last only one season by creative design rather than network decision. Why can't a show just set out to tell one story and accomplish it in one year? There are numerous examples of shows that would've been best served if they'd only lasted one year, with Dawson's Creek being the best example. The show could have and should have ended with Joey/Dawson's kiss; everything after that (five seasons' worth) was just plot twist for the sake of plot twist.
Answer: True enough, but what country do you live in? This is U.S. television we're talking about, and while it would be very cool for certain sorts of shows to last a single season (think Murder One or Twin Peaks), the networks are in the long-term, not short-run, business. The economic model doesn't smile kindly on a show that lasts just one season, being neither miniseries nor actual series. The pitch for a show
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