MovieChat Forums > My So-Called Life (1994) Discussion > why does sundance play this all day?

why does sundance play this all day?

posted 12 years ago by LTUM
9 replies | jump to latest

also, why was the show cancelled, if everyone loved it so much?

i really don't get this.

so i am wondering why sundance is playing a 20 year old tv show (unpopular one, at that) over and over. first, sundance is a film channel, and this is a tv show. second, was this show an independent production? is THAT what makes it qualify?

it's sad to see sundance and IFC go into the tank.

ten years ago indie film was raging strong. sad to see it go

"rage to exist..." http://tinyurl.com/c9ush3z

[–] markbirdxxx 12 years ago

When you buy the DVD box set and see the interviews with the cast, creators and writers...they basically tell us that in 1994 it was unheard of that you could build a TV show around an audience of just teenage girls! These days it's ALL about teenage girls and how if you get enough of them to become fans...a TV show can go for at least 3 seasons! But back then...the producers kept asking the writers "Who is this show for?" and the writers kept saying "Teenage girls" but the producers thought that idea was stupid! So basically when they shot the last episode of season 1, they were told there was going to be a season 2. Claire then left to film "Little women" while everyone was on break and the producers of the show wanted her to come back and start filming season 2 but she was under contract to finish filming "Little women" so the truth is...the producers took that as a reason to cancle the show making it look like it was Claire's fault when in fact, the producers didn't think the show could gather a huge fan base of all ages so they cancled it!
What people forget to mention is that on one of the days of filming "Little women" when claire was not needed for the day because she was not filming any scenes...she flew back with her parents and sat down with the producers of "My so-called life" and told them she wanted to film the second season and could they please hold off for when she's finished filming "Little women" but the producers had already made up their minds...they didn't think a seacond season was worth it and they IGNORED the petitions and out-cry from fans because "They're just stupid teenage girls" and the internet was not as big as it is NOW so not enough people could get together in the millions to make the producers see how many fans there really were! It's a different story in todays world because we all have the internet and millions of people can save a show in one day if enough people sign on and sign a petition!
The producers have also come out saying they regret their idea and now see that teenage girls are the main viewers of a TV show and you can build shows around them!
As for sundance? MTV bought the rights to the show when it was cancled and because they played it 24 hours a day every year it gained a new generation of viewers every couple of years but now MTV is about reality shows so sundance bought the rights from MTV (Or something like that)...."My so-called life" will always be moved from station to station to be played over and over because it's an undergroud cult TV show that picks up a new audience every 5 to 6 years!
It's very popular and no one actually realises!

[–] LTUM 12 years ago

i like the show okay, it's entertaining. if i can just tune out bess armstrong's annoying voice.

but my thought is that it doesn't belong on the sundance channel.

sundance was a holy place for indie films. now it has all changed.

so i guess IMO it's just another sign of the demise of something good.

"rage to exist..." http://tinyurl.com/c9ush3z

[–] markbirdxxx 12 years ago

Well it's ok, I was not going off at you or saying your thoughts were wrong! I was just answering your question but it took longer to explaine than I thought it would ha ha!
Yeah I agree! Just like when MTV was all about music and now it's changed! Indy films are special but times are changing and people want big block busters with lots of fancy lights and affects and crap like that! So yeah it's a sign that times are changing which does suck!
At least they are playing a show that's real, with good actors and a young talented cast....they could be playing trash like "Jersey shore" ha ha ha!
LOL Bess armstrong (While playing the character perfectly) makes me press the fast foward button because she pisses me off as much as she does Angela!
Plus...by adding a show that seems to attract a new fan base every couple of years it could be a way to bring a new audiance to the sundance station to get new people interested in indy films? Sounds like something that could work! Plus older fans who have loved the show from day one will tune into watch it and end up watching an indy film that's playing after it! I'm sure they had a plan to air it and why!

[–] LTUM 12 years ago

you are very perceptive in all of your points, mark. nice to meet you.

hit me up again some time

"rage to exist..." http://tinyurl.com/c9ush3z

[–] markbirdxxx 12 years ago

Well thank you LTUM (Don't know your name sorry LOL) that's very nice of you! And of course nice to meet you too!

[–] latebar7609 12 years ago

It was such a great show. I wish it had come back for a second season.

[–] CCRider01 10 years ago

also, why was the show cancelled, if everyone loved it so much?

It obviously wasn't loved by everyone, or else it would not have been cancelled. It was loved by pretty much everyone that saw it (big difference), but obviously not enough people saw it. Why was that? First off it was up against some big competition in its time slot, and marketing a prime time show aimed primarily at teens / early twenties, to generate high ratings, was not an easy proposition back in 1994. Today with the internet and social media, it is easier to create the buzz or hype, though it is perhaps harder to create something iconic or trend setting, as the world has become more fragmented.

so i am wondering why sundance is playing a 20 year old tv show (unpopular one, at that) over and over. first, sundance is a film channel, and this is a tv show. second, was this show an independent production? is THAT what makes it qualify?

Why would Sundance play a 20 year TV show? No idea, but with regard to the "unpopular" comment, if you really are a fan of indie films, then you should fully understand that popularity seldom equates to quality, or put another way, something that is of high quality is very often not overly popular with the masses. Many a high quality indie film is proof of that.

ten years ago indie film was raging strong. sad to see it go

Yes the glory days of indie film making is a thing of the past, but that has nothing to do with whether or not Sundance runs a 20 year old TV show, but rather one of economics (fewer people willing to take a risk), and fewer outlets to make a return on investments. DVD sales are way down, the theaters that traditionally showed indie films are dying off, and online streaming has not yet produced a viable replacement revenue model, at least for most indie films.

[–] LTUM 10 years ago

i really like your answers. well thought out, very lucent and on target.

you sound pretty sharp, so i hope it's okay if i ask you a different question, one which i have never had a good response on for a few years, and i have posted it everywhere. (usually i just get stupid trolls telling me forget it)

here it is:

if sundance is [allegedly] a premium pay channel then why are they showing me ads like a network or cable channel does?

this started a few years ago on IFC, but not sundance. then a couple years after that sundance started doing it too.

i resent the hell out of it, and if they are gonna show ads they should STOP charging for that channel in the lineup.

i'm not following the logic why they need to show ads, if they get premium subscription fees (which they surely do)

so it seems they are having their cake and eating it too.

i resent it terribly. not only because it's wrong and double dipping, but it's also annoying as hell to get films interrupted that way. i mean, what kind of purist film buff can accept detergent ads in the middle of godfather 2 ??????

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-----
I mean, we're in a public place & I don't want you to lose your sh!t.

Lose my sh!t?

[–] CCRider01 10 years ago

I fully agree with your beef about ads for a premium pay channel, but again it comes down to economics, Sundance is just trying to squeeze extra revenue from their business model. Either to maximize profits and/or merely to survive in an increasingly fragmented world of 1000 other channels, and seemingly endless options to the consumer.

Ads are also one way to keep monthly subscription rates down, by having advertisers subsidize part of the cost. Without ads the price of monthly subscriptions would have to go up, then again without ads and with really good content, they might be able to attract more monthly subscribers.