765 replies to this topic

[Cyrax]

Couldn't find a thread for this one. Kicks off tonight on ABC, so excited!

A couple of articles to start the hype:

http://www.thetvaddi...tv-preview-gcb/

http://www.thetvaddi...weth-interview/

http://www.tvguide.c...es-1044449.aspx

[SeriouslyBored]

A couple of articles to start the hype:

Can we call it hype when the thread starts the day the show premieres? Will watch only because I do make the point of watching all pilots.

Not expecting it to be any good. Nor his ABC, to my eyes, all their promotion efforts seem to be directed to Scandal, that only premieres much later. Seen tons of promos for that show, and none yet for GCB. One would expect that they would target the mostly female audience of GA/PP audience at least once the last time they aired new episodes before the premiere of GCB.

More waiting to see if this new effort gets Kristin Chenoweth's her indictment in to the Show Killer Hall of fame. She already has Kristin, Pushing Daisies and Sit Down Shut Up under her belt, and is 3 in a row cast as a regular. Actually, all shows she was cast as a regular from the start all got canceled very early.

The time slot is also working against CGB, it's not like DH can provide the lead-in it once could, and I find it quite surprising that ABC didn't swap the those two shows, to give GCB the benefit of a better lead-in from Once Upon a Time. Another sign that the network has lowered expectations for this show.

[Houddy]

Nor his ABC, to my eyes, all their promotion efforts seem to be directed to Scandal, that only premieres much later. Seen tons of promos for that show, and none yet for GCB.

Maybe it's a regional thing because I've seen tons of promos for GCB and I've not even heard of Scandal, though the title has me intrigued.

I'm looking forward to this show greatly. The cast is awesome and it looks like the good, soapy fun DH was way back when it started. I do agree that the time slot isn't going to do it any favors, since DH is on it's last leg. I would have preferred they switch the two so I don't have to stay up as late but I'll find something else to watch between 9 and 10.

[SeriouslyBored]

Maybe it's a regional thing because I've seen tons of promos for GCB and I've not even heard of Scandal, though the title has me intrigued.

It could be a regional thing. Only watch PP and GA. As far as my memory goes, only saw promos for Scandal. It's in the peril of the week format that ABC is so desperate to get a successful show in. They are want dramas that, because of the format, are supposed to repeat well. They wasted more promotion on Body of Proof, that anyone could tell was doomed, in the fall, during PP and GA, than they did on GCB this spring.

ABC's treatment of CGB is not comparable to that of any of it's other new shows this season from my regional point of view. Only realized it was starting tonight because of this thread. It's more like the way they have treated the return of Cougar Town, another network step-child.

[Peterased]

I've seen at least 4 different TV ads for GCB, plus print ads and online video ads. In addition to ABC I've seen the show advertised on several cable channels. What's stood out for me about the ads is that while one of the TV ads framed Leslie Bibb as the show's lead, the others have mostly deemphasized her in favor of the show's more outrageous characters, particularly Kristin Chenoweth.

I really, really hate the title. It's meaningless unless it's explained; but the whole reason they're using it is because they don't want to explain it.

[SeriouslyBored]

but the whole reason they're using it is because they don't want to explain it.

Or they don't want another Cougartown on their hands. Another show that has a tittle that alienates viewers. Sometimes networks don't need to repeat the same mistake 3 times before they learn.

Can see Good Christian Belles carrying the same type of title problem of CT, even if at slightly different level. By failing to get people that don't get the irony of the title to watch because of the mention of Christian and Belles, and offending the Christians and the Belles that might realize the tittle is ironic.

[romantic idiot]

Isn't it supposed to be bitches and not belles?

[kariyaki]

Yeah, it's bitches, not belles. Maybe we can get the title changed. There was another thread for it awhile back but I don't know what happened to it.

As for ABC "not caring," I have seen nothing short of about 47 BILLION ads for GCB, I'm pretty sure that they're doing their job in promoting the show. I haven't seen any ads for this Scandal show that was talked about upthread.

The show itself? I'm actually looking forward to it, it looks like Dallas Desperate Housewives, a show that will be right up my alley. Not to mention the fact that I'm from Texas, so I'm sure the stereotyping will crack me up. I love Texas satire, I think it's hilarious.

[SeriouslyBored]

Isn't it supposed to be bitches and not belles?

It was, but that was toned down to belles, and even that was too risky. Now it's trying to pretend it's the Ghana Commercial Bank, Ltd.

[braggtastic]

Kristin has been all over the subways of NYC in her extra short choir robes for weeks, if not months. To me there has been a tremendous amount of advanced advertising. I'm giving it a try even though my Sundays are already very full.

[Cyrax]

The time slot is also working against CGB, it's not like DH can provide the lead-in it once could, and I find it quite surprising that ABC didn't swap the those two shows, to give GCB the benefit of a better lead-in from Once Upon a Time. Another sign that the network has lowered expectations for this show.

I'm not sure they really lowered their expectations, they already lost Charlie's Angels, Pan Am, The River and Body of Proof this season and Missing is assumed to be DOA, so I'd say they do want GCB to succeed, if only to have one Sunday slot less to be filled next Fall. Maybe they let DH stay at 9 pm out of tradition? How many shows can air in the same timeslot for 8 years?

There are only 10 episodes so it can run uninterrupted, it only needs to say at DH's or Revenge's level to get a second season.

[SeriouslyBored]

so I'd say they do want GCB to succeed, if only to have one Sunday slot less to be filled next Fall. Maybe they let DH stay at 9 pm out of tradition? How many shows can air in the same timeslot for 8 years?

It would make total sense to keep DH in it's time slot out of tradition if it wasn't doing 3.0, 2.7, 2.6, 1.8 and 2.2 since the winter break. It got hit by the Grammy's and, like in the preceding seasons it doesn't seem to be able to rebound to previous levels.

ABC is not in the tradition business, it's in the business of keeping shareholders happy. That is achieved making money. If they really though that GCB was a hit, or a hit they wanted (the elusive peril-of-the-week hit drama they have their heart set on) they would move DH to give GCB the best lead-in they could.

That was the exact explanation ABC used to justify moving Private Practice out of it's slot to give way to Scandal. To give the new show the best lead-in they could.

Not using the same reasoning for GCB makes me think that they have really lowered expectations for this one. Specially considering that they already announced that DH is in it's final season. It's not like they need to be afraid they are going to put off DH viewers making them think they are trying to kill DH with the move.

ETA:

it only needs to say at DH's or Revenge's level to get a second season.

It needs to beat Private Practice to get another season. DH is dead, Revenge is stable. Like they say on TV By The Numbers, it only needs to be faster than the last person being chased by the cancellation bear, and the last drama facing the cancellation bear is Private Practice. All the momentum it got with in the fall has been wasted in very crappy winter story arcs. Castle could be in that position if it doesn't pick up viewers when DWTS gets back, but right now, it's PP.

In GCB case, being younger it doesn't even have to beat PP. Because it's on it's 1st season it's cheaper than PP. It only needs to match PP to get another season over PP.

Edited by SeriouslyBored, Mar 4, 2012 @ 2:43 PM.

[blahblahblah]

I can't wait for this show to get canceled so its ads will stop.

[WindSprints]

To me there has been a tremendous amount of advanced advertising.

I agree. I don't recall a show this season (fall or spring) that I've seen advertised more. I feel like I see it everywhere I turn. I'm going to record and give it a shot but I already feel sick of it just from the never ending advertisement.

[reggiejax]

They simply do not stop trying to shove Kristen Chenowith down the public's throat, do they?

On top of that, they are trying to get us to believe that she and Leslie Bibb were high school contemporaries? Was Leslie on the accelerated program or was Kristen just really stupid?

Still, the presence of Leslie Bibb, Marisol Nichols and Annie Potts makes this at least worth one watch.

[argrow]

The pilot is available free to download on Itunes, and you can also stream the show here.

And to the poster above, ABC probably shoved Scandal in that timeslot because it came from the same creator of Grey's and Private Practice.

[smiley13]

I have seen lots of ads for this show and will be tuning in since it is in the Pan Am timeslot after DH.

I have liked Annie Potts since her Designing Women days so for her alone, I am willing to give it a try.

[lolishoop]

I'm excited about Leslie Bibb, and to a much lesser extent Miriam Shor and Annie Potts.

Kristin always grates on my nerves, I hope they do something plausible with her.

[SeriouslyBored]

And to the poster above, ABC probably shoved Scandal in that timeslot because it came from the same creator of Grey's and Private Practice.

Show runner, Shonda Rhimes, claims she had nothing to do with it, and ABC did explicitly say that the reason was wanting to give the show the best slot possible, behind it's highest rated drama.

Looking at average to date ratings, GA still is ABC's highest rated drama, 3.70 average rating to date, and Once Upon a Time is its #2 drama with 3.45. DH average to date is 2.76. If it was at 10 pm, that as a lower HUT, probably would be doing the same as Revenge, 2.57.

So unless Shonda Rhimes was lying, and she was the one that pushed for the swap, ABC doesn't have great expectations for GCB.

I need to correct something I said before. Right now, the show GCB needs to out run to get away from the cancellation bear is Castle, 2.35 average to date rating, and not Private Practice with 2.42. If, when DTWS returns, Castle picks up, it might be PP. Mistake caused by the hype ABC makes about Castle. One would have believed, that with all the promo, that show would have been performing better than Private Practice.

Edited by SeriouslyBored, Mar 4, 2012 @ 5:11 PM.

[MsTaken]

Any bets on how many minutes will pass before they find a lame excuse to let Kristin Chenowith burst into loud and slightly overwrought song?! (She seems like a genuinely nice person, and I didn't dislike her in Pushing Daisies, but overall I agree with those who feel she's a bit overhyped and overrated.)

I'm worried this show will have the same tonal problems Desperate Housewives did with blending satire and (melo)drama, but I'm curious and in need of a new show, so I've instructed my TiFaux to record it.

[smiley13]

Since a large majority of the ads have Kristin in a choir robe, I would expect them to have her singing at some point.

[Midge]

Well, I liked it. I thought it was a lot of fun. Over the top, but a lot of fun. Annie Potts looks great.

[IttyBittyFlavur]

I went to high school near Dallas and I'm not sure I can handle the flashbacks...

That was reasonably entertaining, but it's not the kind of show I get into. On the other hand, I do love me some Annie Potts.

[Nightmare Logic]

That was actually funny...like first season Desperate Housewife funny. Over the top as hell but that is part of the fun.

[jessied112]

It wasn't bad. I mean, I'm not totally invested but I didn't find it horrible. Is it supposed to be a comedy or a drama though? It seemed to be leaning more toward an hour long comedy, so I'm just curious.

I'll give it a few more episodes. I don't know if it's a show that I'll watch for the whole season, but I'll give it a try.

[mac123x]

I like Leslie Bibb. That's about it. Of course, that was the producers' intent, that the non-Texan would be the only likeable person.

Every other character (except her kids, but they're ancillary) is an obnoxious stereotype. The most obnoxious, of course, is Kristin C., who's the "fervent pious hypocritical Christian". I'd call her one-dimensional, but that's giving too much credit. Hateful, disrespectful, and demonstrative of how Hollywood perceives all southerners / Christians / flyover-country peasants.

All of these women absolutely hate Amanda. They're mean, petty, childish and vindictive. We only got about 30 seconds of exposition from Gigi describing her mean-girl-ness when she was in high school. Even if you could buy that four women would hold a grudge for 20 years, we really haven't been given any good reasons.

It's funny that the husbands are more believable than the wives, and they only got 5-6 lines apiece.

Leslie Bibb looks 10 years younger than any of her alleged classmates. It's really hard to suspend disbelief.

One good line of the night: fat woman runs out of Nieman Marcus and jumps in the getaway car and yells at the driver: "Drive it like you stole it!"

[IvyDarling]

I really liked it. I had no expectations (and only found out what GCB stands for about an our ago) but really enjoyed it. Annie Potts makes a great meddlesome mother.

[L star]

I kind of loved that. It had some seriously clunky moments but overall, it was a lot of fun. If they can keep the tone I might like this a lot. I particularly loved Gigi (? Amanda's mother). All the men fawning over Amanda may get old fast though so I hope they at least bring out her inner bitch more.

[CrumbyButtons]

but it's not the kind of show I get into. On the other hand, I do love me some Annie Potts.

Same here. It was okay, but I can't see myself in it for the long haul. And there's just too many characters! I also didn't like the slightly overweight woman not only always eating, but eating like a slob.

Edited by CrumbyButtons, Mar 4, 2012 @ 11:06 PM.

[lvmom]

I liked it enough to watch a few more times. It feels like what Suburgatory wishes it could be.