It’s make or break season in the TV business.
Loyal viewers have started to find out if their favorite network shows will march on to another season or end up on the cutting room floor.
For some shows, such as “The Simpsons,” which FOX renewed for what seems like the 97th year in a row, getting the network’s green light for more seasons is automatic. But if you’re walking across ABC’s cutting room floor, you better bring a big broom.
Viewers of the network’s heavyweight dramas “Nashville” and “The Family” may have been caught off guard by sudden announcements about both shows being canceled. While “Nashville” stuck it out for a multi-season run, depicting turmoil of country music superstars on and off stage, “The Family,” a show about a political family in Maine being reunited with their kidnapped son after 10 years — or so it seemed — was just getting started before ABC pulled the plug.
These two shows also feature stars from, what I feel, was one of the best shows in recent years, “Friday Night Lights.” Actress Connie Britton went from the dusty fields of Dillon, Texas, and became a TV country music star on “Nashville,” while actor Zach Gilford stepped off the gridiron as the Dillon Panthers’ quarterback to become the wayward son of a politician who usually was found in a local bar at closing time.
The fact that both actors quickly resurfaced on other shows after FNL rode into the sunset shows how effective they are at portraying completely new characters and convincing viewers that they really are the people they pretend to be. What helped FNL was an equally good supporting cast and great story lines that often went way beyond high school football.
Both outgoing shows on ABC started strong, but sort of lost that “pull-me-back” factor to sustain their opening gate buzz. A part of the issue might have been a lack of viewers connecting with the supporting actors around the main stars — something FNL enjoyed throughout its run.
Now that Britton and Gilford are open for new roles, they perhaps could join the rest of their former cast mates for a FNL high school reunion special? But if that’s not in the cards, seeing them in new shows will definitely draw attention and hopefully land them in a show with more staying power.
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Eric Scott is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.