For years I've had a theory that a TV network or TV studio should never greenlight a writer's 2nd series idea. It was the TV writer's 2nd concept that became a hit TV series. If the first idea for a show was any good, then that would have become the hit TV show. Inevitbly, once their second series was a hit, everything they must have written prior will also become a hit. Because lightning always strikes twice on network TV. Now, there is a new generation of TV producers who second series after their first hit show is actually a far better series and a bigger hit than the first hit show.
My first example is GOSSIP GIRL. Neophyte TV producers Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage had a huge hit show on their hands right out of the box with THE O.C. in 2003. Like 90210 before it, the show was a hit on FOX, and made all of its young actors into TV stars (which had not happened to teen actors without a WB Network show). Unfortunately THE O.C. was not done in by storylines, but by scheduling. FOX tried the series out in a new day and time period every year, and always had baseball getting in the way of audience flow. Sadly, it's fickle teen audience could never find it and online viewing had yet to gain any traction with teen consumers. Then in 2007, after the demise of THE O.C., the same duo came back with 2 new series GOSSIP GIRL & CHUCK. (I'm sure CHUCK is a good show, it's just not my type of show). GOSSIP GIRL 's first season, like THE O.C. before it, made TV stars out of its unknown cast. The writing on the first season was compelling, but in the second season, the writing has only gotten better. GG was very good last season, this season, they're making it great television.
My second case is my new favorite TV show, THE MENTALIST. It's another well written, compelling, often times comical procedural drama, with a great cast. THE MENTALIST is TV producer Bruno Heller's second series, the first being HBO's ROME. ROME was epic HBO television at its best. In fact, in an interesting TV paralell, when it cancelled ROME and THE SOPRANOS went off the air, HBO has never fully recovered the TV crown it lost since then. THE MENTALIST is the only new hit series of the 2008/2009 season. For those of you who are fans of the show, I think Red John is really the head of the CBI unit, Minelli. This episode he "conveniently" went to visit his sick sister, he can break into the DOJ's computer system, and he does seem to always be on step ahead of Patrick Jane. Red John is a serial killer for the 21st century.
I consider writers to be artists of the highest caliber. I love it when they are able to not only be successful, but to build on that success. That is the heart of true talent. Anyone can be a one hit wonder, but can you be a 2 hit wonder? GG & THE MENTALIST have built on their already successful predecessors. Without hesitation I would produce Mr. Heller or Mr. Schwartz's next series. Let's see if lightning can strike 3 times.
UPDATE: TRUE BLOOD is the second show from SIX FEET UNDER creator Alan Ball.
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