The Original Six

So, 'E.R.' is gone. Everybody who cares knows. I was never a real die-hard watcher but, still, have to admit that what I saw was mostly pretty good. A little soapy, but well-written, well-shot, edited and produced. So, now, what I assume to be it's replacement has begun to air. The production team behind 'E.R.' seems to have gone outside the ward, left Chicago's meaty fist and submarined their steadicams into the un-rarified air of the howling, violent, trash-tattooed and freak-filled streets of Lost Angeles.

'Southland', at least the episode I've seen, seems pretty good. It's real gritty. And the characters are watchable. The 'Training Cop', the guy that looks like T.J. Hooker, is my favourite. Plus, other characters kept asking 'The Rookie' - who looks like a '90210' character - if he's Canadian. Nice touch. The super-plot was pretty compelling, and the sub-plot was bile inducing. But what really struck me were the production values: Great cinematography and camera work, subtle editing, some really good writing in parts and sympathetic characters. Bonus points for the fact that they used The National's shiver-making "Fake Empire" for the wrap-up montage. Truly inspired.

So far so good, then. What remains to be seen is how they get past the 'Original Six' .

After a show get's the greenlight for its pilot, if that's up to snuff they get the go ahead to make six episodes that will then go out into the world and try to make it on their own. Since failure is always an orphan, everybody stands back and lets the show's creators do their thing. The result is usually some pretty good television because everybody involved is working their asses off to make the most of the limited funds they have. So you get six episodes of really creative Teevee. This is the Test Pattern that I've observed

If a show vaults that six-episode hurdle, well, victory has a thousand fathers. So the thumbprints start becoming apparent: Stories get weaker, craft slips and the budget is pulled places it ought not go (payroll for the six new Executive Producers anyone?). More voices, more second guessing, more at stake for more egos and the thing can potentially get feeble. I really hope it doesn't happen with 'Southland', but my bets are it's off by summer.

It makes me wonder about the British model. Generally, the really good stuff I can recall - 'Hidden Agenda' for example - were six episodes total. As was the original of 'State of Play'. The Gervais 'Office' was, I think, 14 episodes in total. They get in, do the series, and get out before there's a chance for any shark jumping. It just seems like a way better model. It's been used to some effect in Canada - 'Water' or 'Durham County' for example - but we should use it in here more often. More people would be employed, more production would be in play and we could start to really reinforce the industry here.

That said, after five seasons, Brent Butt and David Storey left the crowd wanting more 'Corner Gas'. 'Flashpoint' is in for 26 episodes, I guess. And 'The Listener' has U.S. pick-up. So the model seems to be working for some. I just think it's way too hard to maintain quality over that kind of stretch. People get too fat and happy. A constant onslaught of really compelling Original Six series would, I think, really pick domestic production up and put it on the pedestal it deserves.

Meanwhile, it's 'Southland', 'The Unusuals' and old saved episodes of 'Intelligence'.