The new ONCE UPON A MATTRESS - shelved again?

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 10:29am

The scuttlebutt on ABC's new version of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (with Carol, Matt M., Denis O. and Tracy U.) is that it is unwatchable. First scheduled for broadcast around Easter, it was pulled, then tentatively re-scheduled for broadcast "sometime around Thanksgiving".

I hope I'm mistaken, but it seems that's been pulled from broadcast, yet again.

The CD soundtrack has also been "indefinitely postponed" but the DVD is still scheduled for release December 20.

Oh, well.

Updated On: 10/14/05 at 10:29 AM

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 10:33am

Hmmmm...Well in still eager to see it, even if it's a mess.

I guess the director doesn't have the same luck as her brother.

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 10:36am

Who's that BobbyBubby?

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 10:36am

Who was directing this?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 10:39am

The underwhelming Kathleen Marshall, Rob's sister.

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:30am

Ah...though I'm not whelmed with him either...robbed of an Oscar? Hardly. Bob Fosse was the only victim of theft in that "film." And I don't want to hear, "But it won Best Picture!" Yeah, well, so did The Greatest Show On Earth; as misleading a title if there ever was one!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:36am

His new film looks stunning though.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:36am

Double Post. Updated On: 10/14/05 at 11:36 AM

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:40am

Who's the cinematographer?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:43am

For Geisha? Dion Beebe. Same person who did Chicago.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:46am

No no, it's supposed to air around Christmas. Two weeks before the Dec 20 release date.

Who knows about the soundtrack. The DVD is definite and the airdate is written in pencil.

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:47am

I really wanted to see Carol! She's one of my hero(ines)!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:51am

Since when is Disney concerned about the quality of their product? I'm sure we'll see it.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 11:54am

Wow. This production must really be smelly.

I guess it's better to shelve it, rather than have Hollywood producers point their fingers and say, "See? This is why we don't do musicals out here!"

EDIT: Musicals are still making a cinematic comeback, and I personally don't want to see it undermined.

Updated On: 10/14/05 at 11:54 AM

[bebe de broadway]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 12:43pm

I've preordered my dvd. I love that show. I just wish there was a video of Carol Burnett as Winifred.... rather than just the cd. ::sniffle::

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 12:58pm

I don't care how it is and I don't know the show. But I've already preordered it, since MATT is in it !!!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:34pm

KATHLEEN MARSHALL MUST BE STOPPED. Can we get t-shirts made? Please...

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 1:38pm

Lol MB. I second that emotion!

[Tenorific2]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 2:33pm

I was in this show in high school for a local theatre group. I was "The Minstrel". The director cut my part for the second act, gave all my lines for the 2nd act plus one of my songs to the guy playing "The Jester" cuz he was his pet. This show scarred me from doing anymore theatre.

But I do love me some Denis O'Hare.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 2:55pm

Now you see, I heard that the pushed it back the first time because ABC was so pleased with it and wanted to air it at a time when it would draw more viewers. The last I heard it was to air around Thanksgiving. I haven't heard about them pushing it back again...

Here, here's the quote:

'[Once Upon a Mattress], now completed, of course remains much on her mind. Originally it was going to be shown by now. But ABC-TV likes the result so much, they're saving it to show as a holiday family event, probably on a Sunday in December.

"I think that's really a great slot for us," Marshall says. Some fans may be disappointed not to see it sooner -- her parents, former Pittsburghers Bob and Anne Marshall, for example. "But that's a lot better than some Monday in April. In TV, you get just one shot."'


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05079/473109.stm


But then again... that article is fairly old.

But I can't imagine ABC would decide that it was very good and then change their minds and decide it's unwatchable.





Oh and... I love Denis too. Updated On: 10/14/05 at 02:55 PM

Posted: 10/14/05 at 3:26pm

Well you'd hardly expect ABC & Disney to say something they owned was "Unwatchable." Especially since it will almost certainly see the light of day in some form, somewhere. It does not speak well for the quality of the product when they delay showing something. The "It's so good we're going to SAVE it for later" is an absurd statement. It was made with sweeps month in mind, got bounced from that spot (twice) and will probably surface around the holidays in "Desparate Housewives" slot when they need a "Family" filler.

It's a shame, too, I was really looking forward to this.

[lilacw]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 4:19pm

I was (am) looking forward to it, too, and am optimistically hoping the situation is closer to what LE posted. Disney Video has a trailer up for the DVD (click View Trailer on the left side of screen):
Once Upon a Mattress - Disney Video

[musicnmath]

Posted: 10/14/05 at 4:25pm

If Dennis O'Hare is Dauntless, who's Matt playing?