THE BATTLE OF THE ABS: WHEN EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY DON’T MEET

Can pre-launch marketing campaigns make or break a show?




First of all, despite what the picture may suggest this is NOT an article comparing Arrow and Beauty and the Beast. This is not about which show is the best or which show I personally like the most. This is about pre-premiere expectations and how we can “decide” to like or dislike a show even before we get a chance to watch it.

I am not a casual television viewer. My goal is to make a living working in television and I try to watch as many shows as I can. I don’t need to be particularly interested in a show to start watching it.  And, as it turns out, every year I end up loving shows I never thought I would like [Banshee, Breaking Bad]. But… who has time to just “sample” every new show like I do, right? Normal TV viewers will pick a few shows to which they will devote their limited TV viewing time. And how do they pick these shows? By pre-launch buzz. And pre-launch buzz is generated by two main sources: critics’ reviews and marketing campaigns.

"So this show is about abs, right?
There are worse things in life..."
I usually agree with most of what the critics say, but every once in a while I get annoyed by them. Sometimes critics seem to have ONE collective opinion and once one of them declares a show is “not good enough” they all fall in line. The opposite occurs as well; when a show is deemed worthy they ALL watch it. It’s almost like they are scared to go against their peers. I never understood why The Killing got so many bad reviews or why The Good Wife is considered the Holy Grail of television. But… not much we can do about that.

In any case, not all members of the audience read reviews… but most are susceptible to pre-launch marketing. I would really like to understand the [faulty] logic of TV marketing. Instead of dividing the marketing budget equally among all new shows, they seem to pour most of it on one or two they brand as “hits” and give minimal exposure to the rest. How do they decide which show will be a hit, I have NO IDEA. I’d like to believe they at least do some sort of marketing analysis; a focus group or something of the sort… however, I doubt it. Whatever their methods, they sure get it wrong more often than not. Unexpected shows become hits (Grey’s Anatomy), meant-to-be-hits die down (Smash), low rated shows become classics after a few years of failing (Seinfeld) and some shows become megahits post-mortem (Firefly).

"So who is the angry [good] looking guy? He
doesn't look like a "beast" and
WTH is up with his hair?"
Instead of thinking the marketing dollars should go to the “hits”, they should realize well-executed marketing could make any show into a hit. I believe pre-premiere marketing campaigns are very important; they create awareness and excitement, but they can also lead to disappointment when not conducted properly.

Which brings me back to what started this post in the first place: The way I reacted to the premieres of Arrow and Beauty and the Beast (launched in the fall of 2012). I pick these two because they illustrate how expectations (as a consequence of marketing) can be nothing like reality.

The CW clearly decided Arrow was meant to be the “hit of the season” and they did everything to ensure it. I remember watching those first trailers that had Stephen Amell doing that jump-bar pull up thingie [while shirtless] and it looked quite awesome… I must say. The trailers made the show look dark and edgy and I am a huge Greg Berlanti fan, the fact that he was attached to the project was a big bonus.

Not really a re-make... we just took the names
On the other hand, I didn’t know what to think about Beauty and the Beast. Maybe I was not paying much attention, but I never grasped the concept of the show. All I can remember from the early trailers is Kristin Kreuk running through the woods… with braided hair, which made me think: ‘She’s like 30, is she still playing a teen?’ And there was a beast… That’s all I got: Pretty girl saved by Beast. Nothing to indicate the type of show, the tone or the basic plot. To increase the confusion they were marketing the show as a “re-make of the Linda Hamilton/Ron Perlman” 80s version of Beauty and the Beast. But the new version didn’t seem to have the underground communities, over the top romance or a lion man! [No Lion Man? What’s the point?]

In the trailer we saw a Hulk-like creature but the posters showed this intense, good looking guy with golden eyes. And speaking of the guy… that is another thing that put me off. I was very familiar with Kristin from Smallville and even before, so I was surprised they didn’t go with whichever CW/WB hottie was in vogue that year to play the “Beast”. I didn’t know who this Jay Ryan person was or where the hell they got him from… The factory of perfect men as I later found out [which is apparently based in New Zealand], but I didn’t know that before I watched the show! I knew this dude was going to be hot [it’s a CW show, duh!], but the promos and posters did nothing to make him particularly appealing to me. Unlike that Arrow poster of [a photo shopped more tanned] Stephen, that I kept seeing EVERYWHERE.

Isn't he supposed to be a millionaire? Can he... you know
buy a shirt? All this shirtlessness is way less exciting than
I imagined...
Anyway, the day came and I watched the premieres of both shows. Arrow was pretty much everything I expected: Fun graphic-novel-action with darker undertones and solid writing. I am not a die-hard Arrow fan but I enjoy watching it and I think, overall, it’s quite an effective show. Probably its biggest advantage is that it appeals to both women and men. They have the action/comic book elements for the guys and some relationship drama plus eye-candy [that they flaunt a little too much] for the girls. The show is very well structured and I think the writers do a pretty good job with it. I don’t like some aspects of it: the island story drags too much sometimes and I have my issues with the character of Oliver [partly due to the writing, mostly the acting]. But that is a discussion for a different day [or the comments’ section]. Today’s point is that I was excited for Arrow and almost predisposed to like. And I liked it. However, I didn’t like the leading man half as much as I was expecting and I think the break out star of the show is Emily Bett Rickards [who doesn’t get the media exposure she deserves IMO].   

Look, Vincent can do that pull-up bar thing too. He is also
shirtless sometimes... but he has many more shirts than
Oliver... even though he has no job
So that was it for Arrow. A couple of days later I watched Beauty and the Beast and I thought it was awful. I have obviously changed my mind since then but initially, I was so confused by it! The pilot had several flaws and I couldn’t tell what type of show I was watching [Supernatural? Sci-fi? Procedural? A remake?] I just couldn’t reconcile my preconceptions with what I was actually watching. I thought some aspects of it were cool [great cast, neat action sequences and I love a super-soldier story as much as the next sci-fi fanatic]; however I was ready to quit after one episode. I am sure a LOT of people had a similar experience to mine. In fact many die-hard fans confess they didn’t like the show at first [some loved it from the get-go, but I posit they are the ones who weren’t influenced by the misleading initial marketing].




There were 3 key moments [which indicated the true nature of the show] that made me keep watching:

"I am not a Beast, just a non-threatening biochemist with
"real boring" DNA and I pay my parking tickets.
  1.  JT opens the door to the warehouse.  Our pretty cops, Cat and Tess, go to a creepy warehouse looking for a “Beast” and find the most non-threatening character instead. I loved JT the minute he opened that door [and he has been killing every scene and every line since then].
  2. Jay Ryan opens his mouth. Unlike Stephen Amell who looked appealing in the posters/trailers but was just OK once I saw him in action; Jay Ryan came alive in the actual episode. Suddenly all questions of why they cast this unknown person dissipated. He had the perfect [and rarest] combination of vulnerability and strength and… he was hot…. like really hot. Not just another CW young hunk… like a better [more mature] and improved version of that. And the voice… well, let’s just say no voice effects were ever needed on BatB.
  3. Jay and Kristin open a bottle of instant chemistry. The scene at the tracks was “the moment” for me. At that point in the pilot, I was bored because it looked like an ineffective combination of Supernatural and CSI. I was not impressed, but the scene at the tracks sure woke me up. Yes, the action sequence was pretty cool but I am talking about what came after when Vincent pushes Cat against the wall to save her from a moving train and Cat proclaims “You are him”. It’s a 2 seconds scene but it hit me like a train [no pun intended] and I remember thinking:  “So that is what chemistry looks like” and I realized that whatever I’ve been watching on TV passing for “chemistry” was a cheap imitation of the real thing.

CHEMISTRY
Anyway, my point is that this scene at the tracks and the scene that came after were what the show would ultimately be about… Was this showcased before the premiere? Not at all…


While the CW succeeded in building the right kind of buzz for Arrow, they completely confused the potential audience of BatB. I think it is fair to say that a lot of people felt exactly like me after the pilot [disappointed and confused] and just stopped watching after the first episode. I know most critics did. Now Arrow is a bonafide hit and Beauty and the Beast is constantly struggling with the ratings. I am aware some people simply would prefer Arrow, but I also think there is an untapped audience Beauty and the Beast never reached. I think BatB is more suitable for a Grey’s Anatomy fan than a Supernatural/The Vampire Diaries fan… but it was never marketed as a “relationship drama” which I think it ultimately is [with modifying sci-fi/action subgenres].  

But why am I writing about shows that premiered in 2012? Because TV history tends to repeat itself. I guess what I am trying to say is… Don’t trust your expectations. Marketing can be misleading and polarized. Sampling new shows is the only way to find the one that can truly become your favourite. I expected to love Arrow and I liked it; I didn't know what to expect with BatB, almost stopped watching, and now I love it! So… don’t judge a book by its cover and don’t judge a show by the pilot. I guess those are my words of TV wisdom.
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TVEmpress

The TV Empress is a Media Management graduate, screenwriter in the making (and financial engineer in the meantime). She has serious plans to take over global television. You can follow the TVEmpress on twitter @TVRepublik

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36 comments:

  1. Heya, long time since I've been on your blog. I agree with you on the whole marketing thing, but just wanted to point out: That's how marketing is for any product, you'll have the main product (the star) which will get the most attention, and then a few others which are meant to be the cash cows for the company.
    I think from the start that season, Arrow was meant to be the star as you mentioned and then they had TCD and BATB be the cash cows (because lets face it, Beasties gave them money) and then they had dogs (Cult for example). Here's the marketing graphic: http://www.quickmba.com/images/strategy/matrix/bcg/growthshare.gif

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  2. Oh how I have missed your excellent blog posts. You nailed it yet again and I totally agree about the contrasts between the two leading men in both shows.

    Sometimes I think Arrow panders too much with the excessive shirtless scenes but as much as I LOVE BATB, I do enjoy watching Arrow. It doesn't give me the same level of intense feelings and devotion but I do enjoy the characters especially Felicity, Diggle and Crixus whoops I mean Slade.

    Also, I don't necessarily agree that BATB is about 'relationship drama' even though they tried to make that happen this season, but I do agree the it's not the SPN/TVD audience.

    Lastly, you've made an excellent point that there is a lot of untapped marketing potential re our show. I really wish they would tap into it.

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  3. Love love love what you have to say. Already a big fan of your writing but you were so right about misleading marketing & not being clear on the type of show it was!. Took a while to catch on and if only it could have the support it deserves it would be a huge hit! Thank you!

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  4. Thank you for your excellent post. When I found BATB it was quite by accident. There was virtually no advertising done to promote the series and what was promoted didn't nearly express the remarkable chemistry between the characters. I was hooked from the moment he looked at her and she touched his face. It was exactly like you said "so this is what chemistry looks like" I had never seen it before. All of the ads for movies and TV shows with the cliché "screen chemistry" suddenly I understood.

    Jay Ryan was and still is amazing to me. He takes his character to new heights every week. There is an honesty in his character that makes the viewer identify with his needs, wants and concerns. It is an astonishing portrayal and unexpected in a series offered by a network that seems uninterested.


    Marsha

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  5. I'm from Brazil! Here and in many other countries many people love BATB I agree when you say that this series never had the marketing that should have had! Althoug this, it has a legion of loyal and passionate fans. Honestly, I've never seen fans like those of BATB! Are completely passionate and fervent! Jay Ryan is wonderful! Great actor, handsome, sexy and with an unforgettable voice! The fans worldwide are struggling and will not give up ... We want season 3 of BATB! Congratulations on your text!

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  6. Well. Didn't I just love reading that. Like you I had expected to instantly adore Arrow & Amell...instead I was left with a 'meh' feeling abt the show, and something a bit less than that for the acting skills of the 'star'.
    Unlike you, I did know who Jay Ryan was (and like him) before BATB, but because of the lack of marketing I knew next to nothing abt the show. So I watched it - not expecting much at all - for only two reasons - Jay Ryan, and because it was being filmed here in Toronto - neither of which would have had any bearing on the average US viewer the CW was targeting (although, as you established they really didn't bother to target anyone).
    Anyway, yes the pilot was a bit of a mess, but I remember already saying to myself after that first week "well I think I'm going to be enjoying BATB more than Arrow". And sure enough, within a couple of weeks BATB was must see live viewing while Arrow was relegated to the DVR "I'll watch it at some point" list (and fyi in S2 I have become completely bored with it...so it may not even hold that place much longer!)
    And yet poor little BATB grabbed that place in my heart and didn't let go. It was - as you said - mostly the chemistry , the romance and the acting performances that got me. Especially Jay Ryan.
    Above I referred to Amell as a 'star'...well in contrast I never really think of Jay Ryan in that way. I think of him as an actor. Sure he's the star of the show, but he rises above that label in way that Amell - indeed most of the CW pretty boys - just don't.
    The CW is so very lucky to have him and the rest of the cast, and that amazing chemistry - if only they'd realised this and marketed BATB appropriately in 2012 - or even the start of S2 in 2013. I don't know if they were all just blind, or didn't care, but they definitely put all their eggs in the wrong basket. Let's hope it's not too late.
    - Julie Chaston

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  7. Excellent text. I'm a fan of BATB and I think the show was never disclosed like it deserves!

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  8. Very well ! At last I read a page of really smart critique ! I am Brazilian and I guarantee that here , BATB is a huge success . You could feel the atmosphere that follow from the 1st episode. The series has its faults , like all others, but it is exciting , engaging and has a great cast . The story is current and has drama, adventure, romance and mystery ; ingredients that are in my opinion , be one of the best series of atualidade.Sobre the cast , all are extremely competent and engaging , and the chemistry between the lead couple (which is indisputable and magic ) or between the bromance is amazing too . Shame, really the CW has never given the real value series and also his thousands of fans around the world ! 'm Beastie by choice and out of love for this show and will not resign myself once again he was on the bubble waiting for a decision on its continuation . We are a large fandom who struggles daily for 3 full season and also making markenting.para that other viewers are interested and start monitoring this beautiful serie.como way to convince the CW on gross jewel she possesses but need only be a little stoned to leverage once !

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  9. Great article, finally someone that does justice to BATB

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  10. I totally agree with you, Alessandra!!!

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  11. Great analysis, JulieDawn ... I totally agree with you! His words made me happy because that's exactly how I feel! Because I don't speak English well, I feel your words like mine!!! Thanks!

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  12. Great article. BatB is a international show with great cast and crew. What you said about the chemistry is really true. The couple of actors make a amazing work and all of us can see this in all scenes. But the show in fact, is not just a romance show, there is so much more and I hope BatB have more chance to show your potential. Unfortunatelly the very little promotion of BatB is one of the reasons for the low ratings. Hope The CW can change that because this show deserve the better!

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  13. Thanks. I've never be a person who waits for other opinion. So ,if i have a free time i'll watch some tv show.And if it catchs me,it will be till the end. CW talks about profit but profit depends on promo and marketing good marketing. I really believe that BatB is a great tv show,great cast and crew. Romance,sy fi,adventure,bromance,fun. And even when i watched the pilot ,the first touch between the kead couple and Jay Ryan's performance i fall in love forever. Now i always say :no matter what ,i will try every effort to help keep the show going on. I really don't speak English well but i agree with You and Celia and Alessandra. And we love BatB!

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  14. Thanks for this great article. BATB is a great show that gets so little, if any promotion. I have been hooked on this wonderful show from the pilot episode. This show and the cast deserve so much better. I love BATB!

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  15. Thank you for posting long overdue well deserved comments to BATB. I hail from Malta & started watching Batb on the Italian TV channel RAI 2. It was a pointvof no return cos I just had to follow this awesomee show entertained by the most beautiful cast ! To this very day I root for batb & simply cannot imagine a batbseasonless2014-2015! Maggie

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  16. Loved the matter, congratulations. BATB is a great show with great actors and I think the CW does't give the value that the show deserves. The fandon is very passionate and makes all for BATB and we look forward to season 3.

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  17. I agree with you! Very good read articles that ennoble our BATB. Thank you!

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  18. This is a great analysis of how CW have completely undervalued the gem that is BATB and how it has hurt the show. I'm from the UK and have been completely hooked, so much so that I have learnt how to live stream and joined twitter just so I can support this great show and keep up to date. It is true that CW do very little to market this fantastic show, which to me as an international viewer just doesn't make sense, why not support it as it is so popular around the world, therefore must make them so much money, I believe it's in 200 countries for goodness sake! Jay Ryan is a fantastic actor, having seen him in a number of things other than BATB I can see he is a very talented man who can play any character so well, you just want to keep on watching him. I have loved seeing how well he has dealt with the massive change in the S1 Vincent to S2, as in essence he has been playing a different person, but he has managed to just give us enough glimpses of the old V to let us believe he is still in there, but also excite and transfix us with his portrayal of S2 Vincent the Super Soldier. I think he has done an amazing job and I have loved watching every minute of it. It is true he is very easy on the eye, but to be honest it is his acting that keeps me watching the most, how he is able to reveal so much from just a look, his eyes are amazing and they tell the story all on their own. He plays the hard man and the vulnerable man equally as well and it has been great to see those two ends of the spectrum in one show. Equally, Jay and Kristin manage to produce the most amazing scenes together, chemistry the like of which I have never seen before. You can see they are obviously both so in tune with the scene and their characters, there is never any question that you believe it is real, as a viewer this is so important. The relationship portrayed by Austin and Jay is also key, it is funny, bitter sweet and honest as only the oldest and best friends can be and I have loved watching it. Then onto Nina and Austin this romantic relationship is just building and I can't wait to see where it takes us. I just hope that CW finally realise that BATB is a winner if only they would support it and give it a Season 3 so we can watch this show grow and develop as we know it can. I'd also love to see Jay and the cast do something on the big screen. A big shout out to all the cast and crew of BATB, we love you all, thanks for all your hard works, we really do appreciate it. One UK Beastie

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  19. I found BATB quite by accident! Even though Jay had been in lots of shows in Australia, his profile wasn't all that high. There was almost no advertising but BATB was shown after Offspring. I almost didn't recognise Jay as he looked quite different from his other roles but there was something familiar enough to make me check up. I fell in love with the show and so began an obsession that is only getting stronger a year later! I have watched Arrow but it seems I need more than just good abs to keep my interest! I have always enjoyed Jay's performances but he has become my all time favourite actor since BATB. It saddens me that even in his "adopted" country he doesn't get the respect he deserves. BATB was only on a main channel for a couple of weeks here then disappeared! I had to track it down to a secondary channel and it was given a late night time slot. I was disgusted with the lack of support for the show. It seems Aussie networks slavishly follow the US in which shows to support. I doubt we will see Season 2 on our screens. �� Thank you for an interesting article, although I wish there was no need for it to be written.

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    1. very good point, I completely agree with you. BATB is shown here in Germany and Austria since February 14 and wer're still on S1 for a couple of episodes. I didn't know about it earlier, what a shame! what made me really wonder was that they started with a double episode each week and about six weeks later suddenly the time changed from 9.15 pm - 11.15 pm and then from now on it was just one episode shown...after midnight! without a repeat! I was so pissed then I started reading all the comments on twitter etc. and got a clue what's going on..it's disgusting and I absolutely don't understand why the CW makes such decisions. It really seems that tv stations around the globe support the wishes of the CW so if they are uninterested, the others should be too..well at least I was so angry I wrote a mail to the tv station Kabel1 and complained about their decision of not showing s2! they meant that they had to react on the low viewer ratings, what bullshit!! and so they wouldn't plan to show s2 anymore. BUT at least they claimed that another tv company related to them would probably show s2 in the future. so all the fans here can do is to hope and pray they will!
      I also have to say I'm one of those who loved it straight from the pilot, without a question. First I thought ok, they repeat the 80s series but was very surprised of the new format and very curious. I had such luck to sit on tv and just missed a few minutes of the beginning, never heard or read of it before!! for me there was so much potential in that show, never watched Arrow or stuff like that, just didn't seem interesting to me. I also liked Moonlight a couple of years ago pretty much but BATB tops it really. there are such few series I'm interested in and for me it's such an unique show and almost already my all time favorite tv show. I'm a die hard fan for about 2 1/2 months now that says it all I guess. I KNOW there are millions out there who love the show and it so deserves it. PLEASE CW give us a s3 we simply need and want it! I just wished it would last forever! greetings from an Austrian Beasty

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  20. Amen. This is such a great write up wnd so very true .I came across 4 episode in. I wasnt sure at first. Then went back and watched from pilot. Now im hooked. I watch it over and over. I bought the first season on dvd. I tweet, I facebook, ive called, I have written to the show. Told them the same thing about marketing it. Now we are in serious jeopardy of losing it according to all the tvline stuff. I think given another chance remarketing not changing nights ect.... I think it would build a stronger audience. I only can pray now! They are such good actors with alot of chemistry. Cant wait till june 2!

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  21. FYI - I shared this on all my social media accounts because it is a fabulous article. ;) I watch both Arrow and Beauty and the Beast. I had seen some of the media blitz about both shows and knew I would watch them. Arrow I knew I would like, after all I am a super hero fan - even though Arrow is from DC comics and not Marvel (I won't hold it against them - but I do 'like' it - check on the key word) :P With Beauty and the Beast I had no idea what to expect but having been a fan of the previous version I anticipated this show more then any other. I had no idea what the show was going to be about other than an expected romance (after all it is the essence of Beauty and the Beast at least that is what I was assuming it would be about from all the fairy tales and from the 80/90's version). I wasn't sure if it would mirror the previous version or not as the promo's for it were kind of ambiguous but I am one who rarely if ever believes anything from promo's or reviews preferring to find out whether I like a show based upon my own standards of likes and dislikes. Like you, the part from the pilot that grabbed me was when Vincent rescued Catherine from the subway train - she knew what he was and didn't freak out but said "You're him" instead - that instant chemistry reached out and grabbed me like nothing else and I was instantaneously hooked. I was not expecting to love (key word check #2) the show as much as I do, I have been addicted to shows before but never to the point of feeling like my own emotional well being hinges on whether we get another season or not. I had a conversation with this guy who said the show was just a remake of the 80's version and I had to correct him on that since that isn't what the show is at all - the only similarities is the names of the leads - Vincent and Catherine - other than that it bares no resemblance what so ever to the previous version of the same name. Those who were expecting the show to be like the previous version were disappointed because it wasn't and others refused to watch it because they thought is was. The marketing for this show was very confusing and that in and of itself is unfortunate, as you said, there is a vast untapped audience out there that if they knew what this show was really about would probably give it a shot.

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    1. Agreed Monique! Especially because my emotional well-being does hinge on whether the show gets another season or not. It's crazy, but that's how it feels sometimes!

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    2. Just FYI I feel the same way... can't be healthy... a little over a week to go now...

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  22. Thanks for a great article. Agree with all your points. In general, when marketing is done wrong it can more hurt than help. I watched Arrow from when it started and I found BATB after 4-5 eps (so actually missed the first eps and watched those later...) Just like you I also watch a lot of shows and I really enjoy good writing (good storytelling and intelligent dialog) and good acting (believable and multi-layered char). To my surprise I fell in love with BATB S1 and even with its flaws/shortcomings it showed great potential and I was blown away by the chemistry of all four leads (Jay, Kristin, Austin and Nina). I've been struggling with both shows S2, the difference though is I actually stopped watching Arrow after a while cuz it got boring to me, but I continued to watch and also support BATB. I don't really understand Kerns strategy and tactics for this season, it takes time to build an audience and a lot of marketing to gain a new audience - think he really took a risk re-doing so much - with, as you pointed out in this article, "no marketing to back it up". But with this said I think cast and crew are doing an amazing job (even though S2 has its flaws as well) and I really hope we get our S3 to see where this story will take us. I also hope the US viewers that stopped watching in the beginning of S2 will come back now, cuz the last eps are starting to get the "feeling" of S1 again, but how will they know without marketing and communication from the network??
    /Mia

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  23. Thanks for a great article TVEmpress. As always insightful and beautifully written.
    Also great to read the comments. CW didn´t know what they had in Jay Ryan. No one did. It came as a surprise that this fairly unknown, good-looking guy, Jay Ryan, also could act. Not only act but also treat his role with a vision and an interpretation that makes it stand above the ordinary tv-production. But CW didn´t really caught up when it became obvious in season 1 that BATB was something extraordinary. Instead they pretended the show needed a change that no one had asked for and changed the story and the characters into something totally different. The only thing that is good with this change is that Jay Ryan is strong enough to carry the show.

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  24. Thank you for putting into words what many of us feel about BATB. It is underrated, underpromoted, and undervalued.. The amazing chemistry between Jay Ryan and Kristin Kreuk lights up the screen, even admidst, IMO,some poor creative choices in Season 2. The chemistry between the fab4 also make the show work and the famous one liners that JT/Austin spew out are funny and provide that relief from the dark aspects of the show. I personally would have been one of the viewers that stopped watching this season as I felt the essence of the show was lost in trying to bring in a new audience, which was males. To me there is a huge untapped audience in women over a certain age, who have the time to watch TV, their kids are grown, love Jay Ryan shirtless or with a shirt on, and who have some disposable income, I continued watching and supporting purely because of the chemistry between JR/KK and JR/KK/AB/NL. The warm, satisfied feeling I got in S1, was not there is season 2 and many nights I left the episodes in S2 feeling disappointed and unsettled BUT I never gave up because I love and am hooked on this show. I am fighting hard for a season 3 because I feel it will be much much better than season 2 and I know I will not find another show on TV I am as dedicated to. Some might view this as negative but it really isn't. I dont have alot of time for TV, I have a busy job and am a single mother and so if I am not entertained when I can watch TV, I turn it off. I stuck with BATB even though I wasn't entertained this season, because I LOVE THIS SHOW AND THE ACTORS.

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  25. +++thanks for this article, i absolutly agree with you. BATB has so much potential and deserve a season 3, so please CW have a heart with all Fans all over the world and give us what we want+++

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  26. What a great article! Thank you very much! You say very true words. I knew what to expect from Arrow, knew when premiered and was anxious to see it because I'm a fan of comics and its promotion over me, but we must recognize that in many episodes the dialogues and performances leave empty spaces that intense fight scenes not manage to fill. When I saw BATB last time almost opening day, did not know he was going to release but as its protagonist, KK is one of my favorite actresses achieve it on time. I just gasped at the scene, which well marks the tunnels. It is a scene that defined what would VINCat and that I instantly fell in love. The chemistry between them had never seen before with this intense passion that needs no explicit scenes to seduce. Again thank you very much, I think many people are losing a great epic romance, as JT would say well, for lack of promotion and that's a shame. The show has made ​​me a Beastie, and I'm happy so be it, because I found a great family made up the cast and creative team fans, which rarely happens. I think CW and CBS should reconsider what you have now and not risk regret later.

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  27. Thank you very much for great article.

    I don't watch much TV and came across #BatB by accident and I immediately fell in love with the characters. I was simply mesmerised by the lead pair in particular. I have not seen such genuine onscreen chemistry like JR & KK before and I was blown away.
    #BatB literally took over my life and I have loved every minute of it. I was going through a difficult time in my personal life & needed to escape from reality and #BatB was my saving grace.
    Through this beautiful show, I have managed to get to know some amazing and beautiful people who make every day such a joy. #BatB is more than a show, it unites people from all over the world where we exchange ideas, opinions and spend endless hours discussing episodes, favourite scenes, voting on online polls, trending, participating in campaigns to fight for S3, you name it.

    #BatB is a fantastic show with the most amazing cast who are immensely talented. JR performance leaves you breathless and together with KK, they're a dynamite, JR & AB are a dynamic duo, the whole cast are simply amazing!

    Unfortunately this beautiful show is completely ignored by CW, lack of promotion and complete lack of interest is obvious to see in comparison to their other shows.
    To add wound to injury, they allocate Monday nights and they wonder why the ratings are low. Its heartbreaking to see our show treated this way. Why create a show if you have no intention to invest and nurture it. Instead of constantly promoting their bigger & older shows, why don't they take care of the smaller & newer shows so they can do better. Its frustrating and upsetting to see. There's only so much the cast, writers and fans can do. "If shows were judged by quality, we know #BatB would be on top". We know this show can go very far if CW would just give it a chance.!!!

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  28. I will admit to never having watched one minute of BatB (it just doesn't appeal to me at all), but in my opinion, Amell is a fantastic actor. People believe he's "stiff" as Oliver, but everything I've seen tells me that's an intentional choice for the character. There are moments where the façade breaks, and that's when you know this guy really has something. Stephen is the biggest cheerleader for the series and his enthusiasm is contagious.

    I actually don't believe they did ENOUGH marketing for the show, or at least not the right kind of marketing. I've gotten so many people to give the series a shot during the second season. I've had about a 90% success rate and each one of those people has made the same comment - "I love the show and I really didn't think I would." They're doing something wrong, but I'm not sure what it is (other than over-promoting the so-called "female lead" who is dragging the show down).

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    Replies
    1. I was trying really hard to not say anything bad about Stephen bc it was not the point of my post. But I truly don't think he is a good actor, of course that is just my opinion and lots of people (fans and non-fans) may disagree. Now, as a person he seems like a cool dude, so again I wouldn't want to diss him. And maybe Arrow marketing reached me in a way that it didn't reach other potential viewers... so again, marketing not as effective as it should.

      And I just wanted to answer bc I thought you were very nice in your comment and thanks for simply stating you never watched BatB instead of going into a hate rant as most ppl who have never watched it do! Mb you should watch it! [but if you do start w/episode 5]

      And also love what you said about the "so-called" female lead haha I agree. Anyway, thanks for reading and for the feedback

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  29. I must sadly agree w/TV Empress re S. Amell's acting--it's not very good. I say sadly because I've been a comic book fan since childhood and want all TV shows based on them to succeed (Flash also has a problem w/its lead actor--being bland). But w/Arrow I keep waiting for that magic moment that says to me "I am hooked". I don't feel the pull like I do w/BATB and it's amazing chemistry (not only amongst the leads but between JT/Austin and Tess/Nina). Do I blame that on the director? on Amell? Arrow is a show well-written, action-oriented, but no heart, as much as they try. That doesn't make me happy. For some reason I keep watching, but nothing has changed for me.

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  30. I totally agree with you, BATB is a beautiful show, not sponsored by CW, I love Batb a beautiful story of love and friendship

    ReplyDelete
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