Outcasts (BBC) series 1 discussion thread

[Angel4576]

Maybe there will be a new Star Trek someday.

Probably at least 4/5 years away. Can't see them going to series again until the JJA movie series comes to an end. Already committed to the next one obviously and I think the cast were signed up for three overall weren't they so I'd expect him to do one more. After that, who knows.

 

[wamdue]

I'd quite like a world where I could watch Dr Who at 7, Outcasts at 9, and a whole new inbetweeny Blakes 7 like show at 8!!

Contrasting with the reality of Dr Who at 7, the National Lottery Show at 8, and Casualty at 9. Woohoo! Suddenly I remember why I don't go anywhere near broadcast television on Saturday nights!

to be fair, that is a better Saturday night line up, than alot of people get, Saturday is the deadest of the dead air in the US for example.

 

[Angel4576]

to be fair, that is a better Saturday night line up, than alot of people get, Saturday is the deadest of the dead air in the US for example.

It is, but culturally, Saturday's the primetime of primetime for us, and it's often wasted on rubbish.

To be fair though, it's not just Saturday nights that we stay away from broadcast television these days. It's usually any day that ends in 'day'......

 

[Starkers]

I'm a lot more forgiving of some of the tosh that's on these days...I just wish there was a touch more quality between it!

 

[Count Zero]

I only just watched the fourth episode now - wow! The human skull is a puzzling enigma. Not to mention the 'ghosts'. Will we get a resolution of this story line or will the show get cancelled before that?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I only just watched the fourth episode now - wow! The human skull is a puzzling enigma. Not to mention the 'ghosts'. Will we get a resolution of this story line or will the show get cancelled before that?

Well the full series will get shown, but whether this whole thing is resolved, who knows. It is supposed to end on a cliffhanger and there is a plan for a second series.

 

[JoeZhang]

I only just watched the fourth episode now - wow! The human skull is a puzzling enigma. Not to mention the 'ghosts'. Will we get a resolution of this story line or will the show get cancelled before that?

Well the full series will get shown, but whether this whole thing is resolved, who knows. It is supposed to end on a cliffhanger and there is a plan for a second series.

There will never be a second series.

 

[Starkers]

I only just watched the fourth episode now - wow! The human skull is a puzzling enigma. Not to mention the 'ghosts'. Will we get a resolution of this story line or will the show get cancelled before that?

Well the full series will get shown, but whether this whole thing is resolved, who knows. It is supposed to end on a cliffhanger and there is a plan for a second series.

Yeah, SFX has said there was a major cliffhanger (but I avoided it) so I'd imagine these things may not be resolved, unfortunately.

My prediction would be some kind of civil war breaking out.

Maybe the BBC could make a cheaper second series utilising a quarry?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I only just watched the fourth episode now - wow! The human skull is a puzzling enigma. Not to mention the 'ghosts'. Will we get a resolution of this story line or will the show get cancelled before that?

Well the full series will get shown, but whether this whole thing is resolved, who knows. It is supposed to end on a cliffhanger and there is a plan for a second series.

There will never be a second series.

I doubt it too, nonetheless the writer has it planned.

 

[AJ86]

The BBC doesn't live or die by ratings like other networks, commissioning a second season to resolve the story and spread the production costs out further isn't outside the realms of possibility.

 

[Angel4576]

The BBC doesn't live or die by ratings like other networks, commissioning a second season to resolve the story and spread the production costs out further isn't outside the realms of possibility.

I think, in this instance, it probably is. Sadly.

 

[JoeZhang]

The BBC doesn't live or die by ratings like other networks, commissioning a second season to resolve the story and spread the production costs out further isn't outside the realms of possibility.

Actually it does, it just uses different language - the BBC talks about reach and intended audience. If a show is conceived for a prime time audience on BBC1 and has the budget to match, it has to hit certain ratings or it seen as failing to reach a mainstream audience.

There are also politics at play, if the BBC is playing fantastic sums of money for shows that have low viewing figures, it gives more ammo to the right-wingers who want to bring it down.

A show that is moved from a Prime-time BBC1 slot to the sunday night graveyard by the controller of the BBC during it's run is dead. Even if it came back (which will not happen), there is no way it would have the budget to be filmed in South Africa or have the effects it does or most of the cast. It would be an entirely different show.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

The BBC doesn't live or die by ratings like other networks, commissioning a second season to resolve the story and spread the production costs out further isn't outside the realms of possibility.

Actually it does, it just uses different language - the BBC talks about reach and intended audience. If a show is conceived for a prime time audience on BBC1 and has the budget to match, it has to hit certain ratings or it seen as failing to reach a mainstream audience.

There are also politics at play, if the BBC is playing fantastic sums of money for shows that have low viewing figures, it gives more ammo to the right-wingers who want to bring it down.

A show that is moved from a Prime-time BBC1 slot to the sunday night graveyard by the controller of the BBC during it's run is dead. Even if it came back (which will not happen), there is no way it would have the budget to be filmed in South Africa or have the effects it does or most of the cast. It would be an entirely different show.

Actually the reason it's filmed in South Africa is to keep the budget down. It's cheaper, and a lot of the indies have set up shop in Africa for that very reason.

 

[Pingfah]

I've got through 3 episodes of this now, and I cannot go on. Bored to tears. Sure stuff is happening, but the sense of urgency and tension is just completely lacking, and the characters are universally unlikeable.

 

[Starkers]

The BBC doesn't live or die by ratings like other networks, commissioning a second season to resolve the story and spread the production costs out further isn't outside the realms of possibility.

Actually it does, it just uses different language - the BBC talks about reach and intended audience. If a show is conceived for a prime time audience on BBC1 and has the budget to match, it has to hit certain ratings or it seen as failing to reach a mainstream audience.

There are also politics at play, if the BBC is playing fantastic sums of money for shows that have low viewing figures, it gives more ammo to the right-wingers who want to bring it down.

A show that is moved from a Prime-time BBC1 slot to the sunday night graveyard by the controller of the BBC during it's run is dead. Even if it came back (which will not happen), there is no way it would have the budget to be filmed in South Africa or have the effects it does or most of the cast. It would be an entirely different show.

Actually the reason it's filmed in South Africa is to keep the budget down. It's cheaper, and a lot of the indies have set up shop in Africa for that very reason.

I'm pretty sure it could be made cheaper; it does have a large cast which I guess it kinda needs, but you could lose a couple of characters and not neccesarily replace them. Also effects wise I guess most of the money likely went on the Transporter, and things like the white outs, and you don't need to have them. Additionally you don't need to have 8 episodes either.

I'm clutching obviously, and I think we all know if isn't going to be saved. But I do wonder, if the numbers don't drop substantially once it moves to Sunday, will that make a difference?

It'll be interesting to see what kind of numbers Silk gets when it starts tomorrow night?

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I've got through 3 episodes of this now, and I cannot go on. Bored to tears. Sure stuff is happening, but the sense of urgency and tension is just completely lacking, and the characters are universally unlikeable.

Probably a wise decision. I think the fourth episode was the worst so far apart from a few minutes near the end. I've invested my time watching the first four episodes so I feel I ought to watch the last four -- more fool me.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Actually it does, it just uses different language - the BBC talks about reach and intended audience. If a show is conceived for a prime time audience on BBC1 and has the budget to match, it has to hit certain ratings or it seen as failing to reach a mainstream audience.

There are also politics at play, if the BBC is playing fantastic sums of money for shows that have low viewing figures, it gives more ammo to the right-wingers who want to bring it down.

A show that is moved from a Prime-time BBC1 slot to the sunday night graveyard by the controller of the BBC during it's run is dead. Even if it came back (which will not happen), there is no way it would have the budget to be filmed in South Africa or have the effects it does or most of the cast. It would be an entirely different show.

Actually the reason it's filmed in South Africa is to keep the budget down. It's cheaper, and a lot of the indies have set up shop in Africa for that very reason.

I'm pretty sure it could be made cheaper; it does have a large cast which I guess it kinda needs, but you could lose a couple of characters and not neccesarily replace them. Also effects wise I guess most of the money likely went on the Transporter, and things like the white outs, and you don't need to have them. Additionally you don't need to have 8 episodes either.

I'm clutching obviously, and I think we all know if isn't going to be saved. But I do wonder, if the numbers don't drop substantially once it moves to Sunday, will that make a difference?

It'll be interesting to see what kind of numbers Silk gets when it starts tomorrow night?

Higher number of episodes often helps with budgeting, it means they can penny pinch and save on one to give extra to another and amortise costs more.

 

[Starkers]

Yeah I didn't think about that.

Annoying to see it fail with nearly 3 million viewers whilst Being Human gets half that number and it's a great success....then again one imagines BH costs a shit load less to make and isn't in a prime slot. I really need to try and watch it some day!

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Yeah I didn't think about that.

Annoying to see it fail with nearly 3 million viewers whilst Being Human gets half that number and it's a great success....then again one imagines BH costs a shit load less to make and isn't in a prime slot. I really need to try and watch it some day!

I love Being Human, bit it has a regular cast of 4 (3 to start with) and very few effects on the whole and of course is BBC Three rather than BBC One.

 

[Starkers]

Yeah, like I say I understand why its a success. Ratings seem to be funny things though, I think it was series 8 of Spooks that had really crappy numbers, but series 9 picked up no end.

I do wonder what numbers the BBC were looking for with Outcasts. I think the first episode got just over 4 million and I got the impression even than that they were dissapointed in it.

I still wonder if the decision to air it Tuesday as well as Monday was always planned, whether it was to try and compete with gypsy wedding tosh, or whether it was basically throwing it to the wolves to speed its death along?