Constantine - Season 1

[Reverend]

Sure, up to this point, the show has been a lot more sanitized and formulaic. But I have a theory about TV, which is that the first few episodes of any show are about selling it to the network suits, putting them at ease about the money they're investing in the show, and that means giving them something that looks familiar and formulaic and conservative to appease their expectations. So it isn't until after the first half-dozen episodes or so that the producers are finally able to start making the show they wanted to make all along, to gradually strip away the protective camouflage of exec-friendly procedural formula and begin to get more daring and innovative.

I think the oppsite is true, a show will normally put the wilder stuff out there first, then after feedback from the studio, the nework heads and the audience shows are toned done and altered. We've never had gotten the Daleks if shows followed your theory, they were a huge risk for Verity Lambert at the time.

Different shows are run differently. And in general they're run *very* differently now than they were in 1963.

Some shows get a ton of notes in the first season and then left alone from then one so long as the numbers stay within profitability margins. Some get their showrunner pushed out over politics and some are given free reign to do whatever the hell they want.

I think it mostly really depends on the individual studio's culture and if there's anyone at the executive level that has an agenda, for good or ill.

As far as Constantine goes...I'm just about hanging in there. I generally have a "3 strikes & you're out" policy. As in "3 episodes I wish I hadn't watched". So far it's not doing much that's very interesting, but at the same time it's not actively offending my intelligence. Still, if it doesn't improve soonish, I can't see myself sticking around.

It probably helps that I've never gotten around to reading 'Hellblazer', nor do I recall seeing the lead actor in anything else.

 

[Set Harth]

Did anyone read The Books of Magic? Constantine appeared in that.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Did anyone read The Books of Magic? Constantine appeared in that.

The beginning of the Trenchcoat Brigade. It was great.

Now, if they did a Mister E show... or had an appearance from him on Constantine, I might bother to come back.

 

[JD]

It still wasn't amazing, but I think this was the best episode yet. I'm starting to think that for the show to really shine it'll need to really focus on Constantine and his history.

 

[Captain Craig]

First time in the thread although I've been watching since the start.
I just got caught up on episode 4 and found it to be a solid enough adaption of Hellblazer #1. Now, I just read that issue so I'm sure the proximity of my read vs the episode possibly skews my ranking of the episode higher. My LCS has had the $1 issue reprint for awhile now and I just picked it up.

I find that the show is large parts Supernatural & Buffy w/a dash of X-Files going on. I'm not super entrenched with Constantine as a character so I feel I'm able to just like it for what it is vs how it ranks as an adaptation. And I do like it.

I do prefer Liv to Zed though and when I saw the news item on my FB wall that Lucy Griffiths may return for an episode(s) I was intrigued. However, I've also seen where the show is already listed as a "bubble show" among the new crop of '14 Fall TV shows.
I hope people stay with it, it's still finding itself a bit but is showing the potential to be something special.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I'm enjoying it enough to keep watching. It's not a must watch as soon as it's available show but I'm generally up-to-date on it before the next episode is out.

 

[Christopher]

Not a bad episode overall, I guess, but good grief, what a terrible actor they cast as Jim Corrigan. I'm not even sure "actor" is the word -- more like "mumbler." I was reminded of the performances in some of those really cheap '70s Z-movies of the sort you'd see on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

I'm also starting to get a little tired of Ryan as Constantine. His performance is very affected -- it's visibly a performance, putting on a show, rather than convincingly embodying a personality. It's starting to feel a little one-note.

 

[Set Harth]

I'm not even sure "actor" is the word -- more like "mumbler."

That seems to be all the rage these days.

 

[Christopher]

It's worse than that in this guy's case. It wasn't even a matter of not clearly pronouncing the words, it was a matter of speaking so quietly that it's like he didn't even know how to project for a microphone.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Shy Ronnie got a gig on TV?

 

[Set Harth]

I'm glad we got some followup on whatever is going on with Chas.

 

[Icemizer]

Corrigan was horrible as a character and the actor was horrible playing him. Zero on screen charisma.
Other than every scene he sucked the life out of I found the ep pretty solid. A strong actor as Corrigan would have put this ep much higher.

 

[theenglish]

Corrigan was horrible as a character and the actor was horrible playing him. Zero on screen charisma.
Other than every scene he sucked the life out of I found the ep pretty solid. A strong actor as Corrigan would have put this ep much higher.

Apparently this guy was actually in the running for the character of Constantine at one point. Of course it is not too late to recast Corrigan--but I don't think the show is going to be around long enough to even get that chance.

 

[Mr Light]

This was the episode where the story engaged me. I liked seeing Constantine working with Papa Midnight against a third force. And it was cool to see the Spectre get introduced.

 

[Saga]

Corrigan was horrible as a character and the actor was horrible playing him. Zero on screen charisma.
Other than every scene he sucked the life out of I found the ep pretty solid. A strong actor as Corrigan would have put this ep much higher.

agreed. not sure why they went with that choice. wish they had picked someone clean shaven and with red hair.

 

[Forbin]

Luckily I never read the comics, so I have no baggage going into the show. The wife and I are definitely enjoying it so far, as supernatural fans.

 

[Christopher]

Luckily I never read the comics, so I have no baggage going into the show.

I've never read the comics in question either, so my criticisms have nothing to do with "baggage." They just cast a truly awful actor in the role of Corrigan, and I would've found him just as dreadful if he were playing an original character.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Come on people! They showed Constantine smoking a bloody cigarette in the episode!!!!!!

 

[Forbin]

Luckily I never read the comics, so I have no baggage going into the show.

I've never read the comics in question either, so my criticisms have nothing to do with "baggage." They just cast a truly awful actor in the role of Corrigan, and I would've found him just as dreadful if he were playing an original character.

By baggage, I mean preconceptions of how the characters should be. But I wasn't specifically addressing your posts, and have no argument with your assessment of that actor.

 

[Beagleman]

Come on people! They showed Constantine smoking a bloody cigarette in the episode!!!!!!

High point of the episode! But seriously I'm enjoying the show quite a bit.