I don't know if you all remember what happened with the "Fame" TV series in the '80s, but it was only really popular in the US for its first season, despite it being a huge hit in Europe, particularly the UK. The show was cancelled on network TV after the ratings quickly tapered off, but then it was picked up with new episodes sold directly to syndication.
And it ran for another five full seasons.
There was also a soundtrack of songs released from the TV show, and a "worldwide" live stage tour. It was a big deal at the time, even after the show lost much of its US audience.
So, yes, a show like this can be kept alive (for quite some time), even if it declines in popularity in the US.
And on another note ...
"I remember when television series had stand alone episodes, one with a beginning, a middle and an end. The following week was a whole new story. Now every show has to be soap opera."
Marquise, this is exactly why I don't watch series television anymore. I don't want to have to tune in next week "or else I'll miss something important." I am totally turned off by that marketing ploy that is driving most creative decisions on TV these days.
So, yeah, i'm one of those guys who has never seen Glee, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Mad Men, etc. Any series TV in the last 10-20 years. They make it virtually impossible to enjoy as a casual viewer. If you haven't seen the whole thing, tuning in to check out the seventh episode in a "hot" new series just leaves me bored and confused. So I stopped trying, and I didn't want to do "homework" studying previous plots and characters just to watch a 22-minute episode of anything. I may have seen ER once and a few others. I was "forced" to watch a few of them for my job producing interactive DVD graphics, but that was work-related, not "pleasure viewing."
And, no, I don't feel like succumbing to peer pressure. And I don't feel like I've missed anything at all.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 5/18/10 at 07:20 AM