Over at THR’s The Live Feed, TV blogger James Hibberd has put together six reasons why NBC should seriously consider giving Heroes a set end date (that is, a set number of years for the show to run, then end it). He makes some good points. Here they are, in order. I’ll only take the bullet point headlines and inject my own thoughts. You can read the rest of his reasoning over at his blog here.
Scarcity increases demand He’s got a good point here. When viewers know that a show is set to end at a certain date, it’s easier to jump on board, knowing there will be a payoff at the end of the day, and that the show won’t go on endlessly and never resolve anything.
Creatively, it helped “Lost,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “The Shield.” I can’t speak to this, as I don’t watch any of these three shows religiously enough to know if it’s helped or hurt.
It probably improves ratings. Does it? Again, if viewers know that a show is set to end on a certain date, they might be more inclined to give it a chance, comforted in the idea that they won’t be strung along endlessly. It would make investing in the show easier.
“Heroes” is doomed anyway. I hate to admit it, but the ratings are continuing to slip, and there’s no sign it’s coming back up, so maybe he’s right about this. What are the negative impacts of setting an end date for Heroes? At this point, I can’t see any.
You can always renege. Absolutely. The hardcore fans will always come back, and who knows, you might create new hardcore fans. If the creativity is there and the show becomes great again as it nears the end, who wouldn’t clamor for more?
Assisted suicide = death with dignity. If you had a set end date, the show could return to its “save the world” roots. Although this might remind people too much of the much-derided Season 2. Maybe something more along the lines of Season 1, smaller in scale, but still “epic” (if that makes any sense). If you knew the show was going to end, you could come up with a major cataclysmic event that brings in all the characters, past and present, and just go for it. No holds bar, as it were.
Scarcity increases demand He’s got a good point here. When viewers know that a show is set to end at a certain date, it’s easier to jump on board, knowing there will be a payoff at the end of the day, and that the show won’t go on endlessly and never resolve anything.
Creatively, it helped “Lost,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “The Shield.” I can’t speak to this, as I don’t watch any of these three shows religiously enough to know if it’s helped or hurt.
It probably improves ratings. Does it? Again, if viewers know that a show is set to end on a certain date, they might be more inclined to give it a chance, comforted in the idea that they won’t be strung along endlessly. It would make investing in the show easier.
“Heroes” is doomed anyway. I hate to admit it, but the ratings are continuing to slip, and there’s no sign it’s coming back up, so maybe he’s right about this. What are the negative impacts of setting an end date for Heroes? At this point, I can’t see any.
You can always renege. Absolutely. The hardcore fans will always come back, and who knows, you might create new hardcore fans. If the creativity is there and the show becomes great again as it nears the end, who wouldn’t clamor for more?
Assisted suicide = death with dignity. If you had a set end date, the show could return to its “save the world” roots. Although this might remind people too much of the much-derided Season 2. Maybe something more along the lines of Season 1, smaller in scale, but still “epic” (if that makes any sense). If you knew the show was going to end, you could come up with a major cataclysmic event that brings in all the characters, past and present, and just go for it. No holds bar, as it were.
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