The 2006 Fall television season is bringing a deluge of knock-offs, wanna-be's, and safe stand-by's. Everything appears to be a "gritty" 24-style drama, a "supernatural" Lost poser, or a run of the mill sitcom. In some cases, we are apparently going to be treated to a gritty and supernatural drama! Originally, I pegged ABC's upcoming drama The Nine in this last category. The trailers, loaded with action, intrigue, and hints of flashbacks was clearly cooking up a cake with current hit shows' ingredients. I mean, even the show's logo (with it's upside down '9') takes a cue from Numb3r's numeral-as-letter motif. However, as the new season approaches, The Nine is generating enough buzz to rise above the standard network generated din. Part of the buzz is a result of a leaked pilot which hit the internet in July. With more than a 30-second trailer to go on, some are finding that there's more to this show than a simple action plus mystery formula. Based on the trailer, many (including myself) assumed that the bank robbery would be the season's main setting with Lost-like flashbacks giving depth to the characters and adding meaning to their situation. However, those who have viewed the pilot (I am not one of them) claim that the robbery is actually the flashback material while the main story is the characters' post-trauma lives. This intriguing move completely bucked my expectations and got me talking about the show in a much more positive light. So here's to ABC's The Nine, its early buzz, and promising future. Looks like a leaked pilot has done more to push this show forward than the network's carefully crafted preview. Perhaps shows should be allowed to stand on their own, rather than bending them to look more like their popular peers. |
