Rewrites, Cancellations and Least Favourite Genres (Q&A)

So a little while ago I asked for questions for a potential Q&A. I love the idea, and it's been something I had been tinkering with for a while, and thanks to some very lovely people on Twitter, I now have a slew of questions just waiting to be answered. So let's dive in!

Quick note before we get started: since I got these from Twitter, I'll be crediting people by their @s

@NoTea_NoShade asks two questions: If you could write an episode for one tv show, whether it's a TV show that's finished or one that's still on air, what one would you choose and why??

This is a really interesting question, and I think there's a lot of ways to take this. I did think about shows that would benefit from having a new episode come out in these weird post-pandemic times- which I'd probably answer Barry for if only to see Gene Cousineau teach a class over Zoom- but ultimately I tried to think of a show that I'm on a similar wavelength with creatively. Maybe Arrested Development, not just because it fits nicely into my sense of humour but also to numb the crushing disappointment of the last two seasons and give it at least one more episode that wasn't a total dud. I'd also like to take on The I.T. Crowd, especially with everything that's been happening with its creator. It's become a harder and harder show to enjoy and I wouldn't mind the chance to add an episode that could pinpoint what's great about the show that also wrestles it away from Graham Linehan's hateful hands

In terms of what that episode could be, I'd like to check in with Reynholm industries ten years later, where Jen has bluffed her way into some really successful life, Roy's still exactly where he is, and Moss has become some sort of all-powerful world leader, only to give it up to back to the I.T. department. Throw in some Richmond and Douglas cameos and I think we're good to go

Are there any shows that you think have been unjustly cancelled?? If so what?? And if they had of continued was there any particular characters or plot you would have been interested in seeing ??

So I'm actually working on a list kind of shows I love that were cancelled after one season, but I do love this question because we've all been there. We've all fallen in love for a show only for it to get take out way too soon. A year ago my answer would've been The Knick but that's set to make a comeback so I'm gonna have to go with the old favourite and say Hannibal. Obviously if it continued, we would have gotten a Silence of the Lambs storyline which would've been insane. To be fair I haven't seen Clarice yet, but it doesn't look half as interesting as Bryan Fuller's show

I guess slightly less obvious would be Glow, which understandably had a production shutdown due to Covid. I really would've loved to have seen where that show would have gone next, especially because there's still more of the actual story of the show left to tell. I also really like Love, maybe the most frustrating casualty of Netflix's cancellations, and even though the ending is really sweet, I'd still love to see more of Gus and Mickey's now married life together 

@elliott_salmon also asks two questions: If you could rewrite any ending to any television show... how would you do it?

This is a great, great question. I think it's more fun to talk about the endings that missed the mark rather than the ones that delivered, so ignoring the Felinas and the Meanwhiles and the Person to Persons of this world, there's an awful lot to choose from. I mean obviously I'd keep Bran off the Iron Throne but for a less obvious choice, I'd probably erase the interactive special and keep Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's last episode as is

 In terms of a more in depth rewrite, I'd broaden out the last half of Gravity Falls' second season and take away the neat ending for Stan, using a timeskip to show how he's starting again and forging a new, slightly more honest life. It's funny because I loved Weirdmaggedon, but I thought the very last story beats felt a little too... clean. Which is especially strange in a show that was built not just on questions, but unexpected answers, too. Even five years later, it still doesn't really sit right with me. So yeah, I'd keep a lot of it the same, but I'd definitely put more emphasis on his sacrifice, and not have it glossed over as quickly as it is

If you could be in any sitcom, which would it be and why?

So one thing I love about sitcoms is the way they create interesting, dynamic worlds, full of distinct characters, but I don't think any show has done it better than Parks and Rec. Pawnee is more than a place, it's is own character. I know that sounds like a cliché but so much of why I love the show comes from how special the town feels. It's also the show with the most loveable cast, which is a big plus for being in that world. It's just such a real, well-constructed place, so full of details and brimming with life, and I think that's a huge factor in why the show is so great. Plus, the problems in that show are always pretty small-scale and zany, which definitely beats the moral hellscape of something like It's Always Sunny. It's a delight, and being in any town run by a ray of sunshine like Leslie Knope is bound to be an absolute joy

@kellyane_evans asks: What's your least favourite genre of film/tv and why?

This is a tough one. In terms of film, I'm generally pretty open, although I've had to learn to love documentaries, which I've really come around on. I guess certain kinds of blockbusters put me to sleep, in particular ones that I know were only made for money and lack any sort of creative presence, like the Jurassic World movies or your average Gerard Butler vehicle . Same goes for anything overly experimental (in particular Andrew Kötting's work), or anything where I can tell it's only being made to stroke the creators' ego, like pretty much anything from Charlie Kaufman. So I guess it's not so much the genre as it is the intention behind the film. Oh, and I also really hate films that only exist to shock and provoke and don't actually use that to say anything (we get it Gaspar Noé, you used real sex in your film, you're very clever)

It's slightly easier to do this for TV. As much as I love sitcoms, I really can't deal with a lot of cringe comedies or shows that derive humour from how awful their characters are. Same goes for anything overly cynical, or emotionally distant. Weirdly this doesn't massively bother me when it comes to movies, but I think if I'm investing a ton of time in this world, I want some sort of hook to keep me invested, and if a show feels weirdly insincere, it puts me right off. Rick and Morty is the prime example here, where the message of "everyone's awful and nothing means anything" just really annoys me. Not sure why, it just feels to easy of a conclusion to land on, and I'm definitely more drawn to shows that try harder to find some sort of positive resolution

Oh, I also really don't get 99% of teen dramas, although I'll concede that I'm probably not the target audience there