"The Event" is clearly angling itself to be the next "Lost." Even this press photo is reminiscent of some of the other show's photos. With its conspiracy plot and delusions of grandeur, it also brings to mind two other short-lived shows: ABC's "Traveler" in 2007 and this summer's "Persons Unknown" on NBC.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The jewel of NBC's fall programming is "The Event."
So what is "The Event"?
It's a mystery/drama about a guy who uncovers a vast government conspiracy while searching for his missing girlfriend. Right now, it's also the most annoyingly overhyped of the new fall shows.
Since most of the shows I watch in the summer are on USA, and USA is a subsidiary of NBC, there's a healthy amount of plugging for the Peacock Network going on. Almost all that plugging is devoted to "The Event." The ads are particularly pervasive in USA's On Demand programs (which I often use to save space on my DVR).
I get that NBC is trying to build interest in the show. After all, that's what ads are supposed to do. The problem is that these ads are so prevalent, they're having the opposite effect on me.
Right now, I'm not intrigued by "The Event"; I'm annoyed by it -- and I'm not the only one. Plenty of TV sites around the Web have complaints logged by contributors and commenters about the overwhelming presence of the show's ads.
I'll watch the show simply because I watch all the new shows in my capacity as a TV columnist, but if that weren't the case, I wouldn't be tuning in. I'm so sick of the promos I couldn't care less what the big event is.
Another problem with building such hype is that they're also building up people's expectations, possibly to the point that, when the show finally airs, they can't help but be disappointed. (Just ask the folks involved with "FlashForward" about that.)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The jewel of NBC's fall programming is "The Event."
So what is "The Event"?
It's a mystery/drama about a guy who uncovers a vast government conspiracy while searching for his missing girlfriend. Right now, it's also the most annoyingly overhyped of the new fall shows.
Since most of the shows I watch in the summer are on USA, and USA is a subsidiary of NBC, there's a healthy amount of plugging for the Peacock Network going on. Almost all that plugging is devoted to "The Event." The ads are particularly pervasive in USA's On Demand programs (which I often use to save space on my DVR).
I get that NBC is trying to build interest in the show. After all, that's what ads are supposed to do. The problem is that these ads are so prevalent, they're having the opposite effect on me.
Right now, I'm not intrigued by "The Event"; I'm annoyed by it -- and I'm not the only one. Plenty of TV sites around the Web have complaints logged by contributors and commenters about the overwhelming presence of the show's ads.
I'll watch the show simply because I watch all the new shows in my capacity as a TV columnist, but if that weren't the case, I wouldn't be tuning in. I'm so sick of the promos I couldn't care less what the big event is.
Another problem with building such hype is that they're also building up people's expectations, possibly to the point that, when the show finally airs, they can't help but be disappointed. (Just ask the folks involved with "FlashForward" about that.)
NBC has five other new series premiering this month. From what I've seen, the lone comedy, "Outsourced," hasn't gotten any advertising love at all. Maybe NBC should outsource some of the marketing team for "The Event" to the workplace sitcom so that people actually know about it before it airs on Sept. 23.
nnSeason premieres: "The Vampire Diaries," 8 p.m. Thursday, CW; "Destination Truth," 9 p.m. Thursday, Syfy; "90210," 8 p.m., and "Gossip Girl," 9 p.m. Monday, CW; "One Tree Hill," 8 p.m., and "Life Unexpected," 9 p.m. Tuesday, CW; "Parenthood," 10 p.m. Tuesday, NBC; "Survivor," 8 p.m. Wednesday, CBS.
Series premieres: "Nikita," 9 p.m. Thursday, CW (latest incarnation of the action/drama about an assassin out for revenge); "World of Jenks," 10 p.m. Monday, MTV (documentarian follows strangers to see life through their eyes); "Outlaw," 10 p.m. Wednesday, NBC (legal drama starring Jimmy Smits); "Top Chef: Just Desserts," 11 p.m. Wednesday, Bravo.
Season finales: "Rookie Blue," 9 p.m. Thursday, ABC (two hours); "Eureka," 9 p.m. Friday, Syfy (midseason finale); "My Boys," 10 p.m. Sunday, TBS (one hour); "Bachelor Pad," 8 p.m. and "Dating in the Dark," 10 p.m. Monday, ABC; "Lie to Me," 9 p.m. Monday, Fox; "The Closer," 9 p.m. (midseason finale), and "Rizzoli & Isles," 10 p.m. Monday, TNT; "Minute to Win It," 8 p.m. Tuesday, NBC; "Big Lake," 8 p.m. Tuesday, Comedy Central (one hour, likely series finale); "Covert Affairs," 10 p.m. Tuesday, USA; "America's Got Talent," 8 p.m. Wednesday, NBC; "MasterChef," 8 p.m. Wednesday, Fox; "Dark Blue," 10 p.m. Wednesday, TNT; "Top Chef," 10 p.m. Wednesday, Bravo.
Specials: "Stand Up to Cancer," 8 p.m. Friday, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox; "Video Music Awards," 9 p.m. Sunday, MTV and VH1; "Fashion's Night Out 2010," 10 p.m. Tuesday, CBS.
Of note: Jane Lynch on "iCarly," 8 p.m. Saturday, Nickelodeon.
Reach Amy Robinson at flips...@wvgazette.com.
