At first I was bummed. When a network shifts a show to Saturday nights it’s typically a no-confidence vote, and so it seemed with Harper’s Island. The CBS slasher series, which moves to Saturdays starting May 2, promises to kill off at least one of the members of a posh wedding party every week—at least as long as it doesn’t get killed off first. That would be sad because not only is Harper’s a fun throwback to old-school thrillers, it’s produced by (among others) Dan Shotz and Karim Zreik, who produced Jericho. Like Jericho, Harper’s is now in danger of becoming a cult show that faces a long, slow death. (Full disclosure: I moderated the Harper’s Island panel at WonderCon.)
But a move to Saturday night may not be a death knell—especially if viewers follow. There’s absolutely no reason Saturday night TV can’t be great again. The Golden Girls and The Love Boat were top-10 hits on Saturday night, and Fantasy Island and CHiPS were top 20. And there are (okay, a scant few) indications that networks are paying attention to Saturdays again: NASCAR is a weekend mainstay on Fox and CBS aired Streisand: Live in Concert this past Saturday. (Guess which DVD set is sitting at the top of Amazon’s queue? That’s right: Streisand—The Concerts.) Plus, if no one’s watching TV on Saturdays, how is Saturday Night Live still popular?
This may, in fact, be the perfect moment to raise Saturday nights from the dead. With the recession raging and Americans nesting, there may be no better place to be on the weekend than at home. And you may have noticed that networks actually pay attention to ratings, especially in recessions, especially in areas where they didn’t realize they might actually be able to make a buck or two. So watch Harper’s Island, and NASCAR, and reruns of Southland (which really is quite an excellent show that also needs your love), and show network execs that you’ll be happy to stay home on Saturdays for their programming…provided there’s something decent to watch.
Unfortunately I don’t think Harper’s Island is the show to bring life back to Saturday night. It will be interesting to see if CBS even airs all 10 of the remaining episodes
I love a good mystery. Thank you CBS. The groom is the killer.
I love a good mystery. Thank you CBS. The groom is the killer.
It would be a shame if they didn’t air the remaining episodes. HI isn’t anything award-worthy (though I love the idea of a limited run series – 5 years is too long to follow a show for me and I wish other networks would adopt the idea) but I want to know who the killer is.
I didn’t even realize the ratings were so bad that a move to Saturday was warranted.
I’m with you Cedrik, I also think the groom is the killer, it makes the most sense. I love this show, it is freaking awesome. Please do not cancel.
Don’t know why Fri and Sat nites became the no-man’s land of TV in the frist place, when I was a kid some of the best shows (or so I thought back then) were on those nites.
Island and Kings on Saturdays this summer. Look like a good line-up to me
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/04/28/tv-tonight-tuesday-april-28th-2009/
I will be watching! I love that this is only a 13 week thing, and then its done. I also like how campy and ridiculous it is. I hope we get to see all 13 episodes.
I swear if they cancel this show I will never watch a new show again. Everytime I do…this happens.
HI isn’t good tv, but it is pulpy and entertaining in a low-rent horror movie way. I’ve been staying home on Saturday night for years, so having something to watch is good. We usually end up watching stuff we’ve recorded on those over-stuffed nights like Monday or Wednesday.
I agree with Christina. I also don’t thing HI is going to bring TV life back to Saturday nights. But I will be following the show to Saturday. I am really enjoying it, and hope they don’t cancel it, but just finish it. I mean 13 episodes and it’s done. Great. I’m fine with that. When I watch it I get all nostalic for Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer flicks!
They’ve already said this is a limited ‘mystery series’. It’s only 13 eps…and I am fine w/ that…it’s not the best show on the air, no…but I am hooked and I like it. Why can’t they just show the people who ARE watching the full series if it’s already been filmed, etc. If they pull it I’ll be pissed; I never watch CBS anyway save for this. If they stop it and don’t bring it out on DVD, never again. Sat. nights will be bad enough!
I, too, think that Saturday night will kill this show. You can’t just move a show, which must be having problems if they are mucking with it, and expect that it will pick up viewers. This is what is wrong with the TV exec’s. They want instant gratification and if they don’t get it, they can the show too quickly. Look at Life on Mars, which only picked up viewers every week. Until they said they were canning it, because who then wants to watch a show you know is doomed? Ugh, I am so sick of watching a new show only for it to get the axe. This is why I am more likely to watch shows on cable and pay TV, these shows seem to have more put into them, and they don’t get cancelled after just a couple of episodes run. I enjoy watching HI for what it is, an entertaining “who done it.” If this one gets cancelled, I just may give up on network TV.
One reason I didn’t watch this show was because I was afraid the network would pull it before its over. If the networks can demonstrate that they will stay with something like this and show it through to the end, I would be a lot more likely to watch a future such series. I love the idea of a limited run show – many show ideas are really only a season long anyways.
Sigh…I’m still burned after the Reunion fiasco when they killed it before the mystery was solved.