Brilliant but Cancelled on Trio

Found a reference to "My So-Called Life" in a book, movie, tv show or somewhere else? Then post here!
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JPP13
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Brilliant but Cancelled on Trio

Post by JPP13 » Dec 30th 2002, 11:16 pm

(was starting this over, because it is a different topic than the list. Also, unsure if this is the right forum. If not Im sure our kindly moderator will help me out) :)

Just watched Brilliant but Cancelled on Trio. I'd encourage everyone to see this show, it discusses great TV that was cancelled before its time (if it ever aired).

They do profile My So Called Life. There is an interview with Marshall Herskovitz. Also, interestingly there was a brief shot of the filming of the show, and of Claire receiving makeup. (HELLO??!! BONUS DISC MATERIAL?? Where is this footage from? Why can't we have this, exactly the behind the scenes stuff we deserved. I'm mad knowing this exists). And, Wilson Cruz is on.

Marshall discusses the poor promotion. He claims it was promo'd as a teen show, when in reality it was an adult show about adolescence. I found myself very much in agreement with his assessment.

Next, in a poignant moment Marshall states that when the show was being discussed for cancellation, he went to the execs directly and told them not to cancel the show "because its the right thing to do." Its "corporate goodwill" to give the small group of disaffected, who don't have an outlet otherwise, a show they deserve. ABC was non-plussed. Marshall made the point the show was profitable.

What I find odd, is that right after that, the narrators state that Claire Danes was not going to come back, because she wanted to do films. It doesnt make her look very good, frankly. Though, this seems to contradict directly what Marshall had just said. Perhaps Marshall wanted to continue without Claire? (unlikely). Perhaps the narrators were wrong? I don't know. Of note, Marshall did not mention Claire wanted out, though that doesnt mean its not true of course.

Lastly Wilson Cruz thanked MTV, stating that is the forum where the love for the show took off.

During another segment, someone made the following observation - which is very telling, and perhaps sums up the whole "programming for lowest common denominator think".

"People ask where the intelligent TV is. But the fact is, the more intelligent you are, the less TV you watch".

Anyway, sorry about the length. I hope everyone gets to see the show.

JPP13
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Joined: Oct 6th 2002, 3:10 pm

Post by JPP13 » Dec 30th 2002, 11:55 pm

Ok, my Obsessive/Compulsiveness is kicking in. The Calire Danes thing is bugging me. So I tracked down an email for the producers of the show and sent the following:

Dear Sirs,

I was fortunate enough to watch the show you produced for Trio - Brilliant But Cancelled. During the show however, a question arose regarding "My So-Called Life" (truly a brilliant show).

The profile of My So-Called Life featured Marshall Herskovitz discussing how he went to the ABC execs to keep the show on the air. Afterwards, however, the narrator states that Claire Danes wanted to leave the show.

I am curious as to what the statements regarding Claire Danes was based upon. Did Marshall Herskovitz say that off-air?(because it seems to contradict what he said).

So, purely out of curiosity and historical accuracy, can you verify for me a source that Claire Danes indeed wanted out of the show to pursue a movie career?

Thank-you for your attention to this. I would appreciate either a response or a suggestion of who else I could contact if you do not know the answer.


Sincerely,

xxxxxxxxx

------------

I'll post if I get a response.

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K-man
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Post by K-man » Dec 31st 2002, 10:18 am

That was Dabney Coleman with the comment about programming for lowest common denominator. A bold statement for a guy who is currently on a TV series. (The Guardian)
Daddy sold the farm and they've killed my trees. K-man

vampyr
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Vague recollection.

Post by vampyr » Jan 3rd 2003, 4:35 am

Seems I recall an article in TVGuide while the show was being cancelled that said many of the participants were campaigning to keep it alive, and Claire Danes was one of them. This would make the idea that she wanted to leave the show less probable.

Perhaps there is a TVGuide collector out there who can look into this theory?

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mglenn
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Post by mglenn » Jan 3rd 2003, 10:42 am

Claire had already accepted the deal for I Love You, I Love You Not. She was in talks for R&J. When you're looking at you next years lineup and you already feel that a show it not preforming to an expected level ( Not my thoughts, ABC exec's thoughts ) then finding out that your lead character is scheduling film dates is not an encouraging sign. Claires Film career was not the ONLY factor but IT WAS THE DECIDING FACTOR!!!!

Sorry I've seen this dealt with a thousand times and we all want to like Claire cause we all love Angela, but what happened is what happened!
"When I disagree with a rational man, I let reality be our final arbiter; if I am right, he will learn; if I am wrong, I will; one of us will win, but both will profit." - Ayn Rand

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