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The Hot Stove: Pitch in the Media

Meredith Quill

By Meredith Quill
in Pitch [V]

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Lonesome Rhodes

Lonesome Rhodes

Less optimistic sentiments from FOX executive:

http://deadline.com/2017/03/dana-walden-fox-this-is-us-renewal-chances-24-legacy-pitch-gotham-exorcist-shots-fired-news-programming-intv-1202037604/

As was shown in the story arcs themselves, it appears folks in charge simply do not know what they want the show to be.  This is a very big problem.

One kernel of good news is that I glanced at a blurb stating the cast itself was holding out for a renewal and is not pursuing the next project(s).  Apology for no link to that.

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Artsda
Artsda
Happytobehere
Happytobehere

TV Line's latest on Pitch's chances for renewal:  Pitch: Pitch: A safe bet  

Maximum Taco
Maximum Taco

Sigh. Very disappointed, I had hoped it would get at least a second season. I really think FOX botched it by rolling it out during the end of the regular season and the playoffs last year. Pitch

JZL

JZL

(edited)
4 minutes ago, JZL said:

From the link above with the Fox exec:

She had earlier called it “a great show. It’s a little bit of a tweener. It’s a female-skewing idea, but it’s about baseball and men watch baseball. So we’ve tried and the delayed-viewing is excellent. Now we have to make a tough decision which is in this environment is it possible to grow Pitch to 6 or 7 million viewers on a seven-day metric?”

The fact that it's a "tweener" is what makes the show dynamic.  They could make a show about a plain old men's MLB team but it would get boring.  They could try to dredge up and reboot and serialize A League of Their Own (which men loved, BTW) but yawn.  This show uses the gender issue as a lens to view some of the inner workings of baseball and the interpersonal dynamics and fluidity of it.  There's so much more they can still do, e.g., introduce other women players and show Ginny morph from the young upstart to the wiser leader of a cadre of players.  They can build up her romance with Mike and then trade her, or he can get hurt, yada.

My wife and I are both serious baseball fans and go to 6-10 MLB games a year.  I'm slightly intrigued by what the Fox exec says about the seven-day metric.  We DVR'ed the show.  I watched it every week, but she took months to finish it. 

Anyway, my two cents.

Edited by JZL
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Irlandesa

Irlandesa

(edited)
1 hour ago, Artsda said:

I hope so, but this has me wondering about that.

Pitch's Mark Consuelos Check Into Night Shift for Major Season 4 Role

In the article, they even mention that filming for the show would wrap before any Pitch season would begin filming.  The Night Shift is a summer show and therefore its production schedule is different.  I'm curious whether or not he'll be on Queen of the South again.

TVLine has it A Safe Bet but other places think it'll be cancelled and I feel TVLine doesn't always update every show until just before renewals. 

Edited by Irlandesa
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Victura

Victura

Well, it's semantics, but what the article says is: "Prospects are not as bright for Fox’s fellow new fall drama that earned strong reviews and soft ratings, Dan Fogelman’s baseball-themed Pitch, which appears unlikely, and I hear its writers are being released." That to me means hearsay and unconfirmed rumor, not that writers have already been let go. The article also mentions that there are only 4 drama pilots at Fox this season, so the bubble shows could be kept as backup. As of a few days ago, one of the writers was tweeting lines from the show as part of the Pitch Street Team's renewal efforts, though I don't know if anything has changed since then.

Even though I don't want to get my hopes up too high (because I would be very sad if the show didn't come back), I wouldn't take the above as a nail in the coffin just yet.

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Irlandesa

Irlandesa

3 hours ago, Victura said:

Even though I don't want to get my hopes up too high (because I would be very sad if the show didn't come back), I wouldn't take the above as a nail in the coffin just yet.

Right. Barring some miracle, it's gone.  I've felt that way for a while.  TVLine might have it as a safe bet (but TVLine is always behind the times until the last very second) and another might have it as a toss-up but other prediction sites have had it as cancelled for a while now.  But, you can look back to Deadline's early predictions and see quite a few missed calls going both ways.  It's painful, though.  This reminds me when I was hoping against hope about Limitless.

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Victura

Victura

(edited)

I wonder if the MLB would want to take it on if Fox passes on a second season. There was some discussion of it here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/pitch-finale-explained-season-two-plans-954181

It seems like the MLB network has been trying to expand into scripted series recently (a quick search turned up something called Out of My League and a Babe Ruth miniseries). Don't know if either of those projects went anywhere, but Pitch might give the network some credibility in a new area since it has a well-respected team behind it.

The MLB commissioner has been quite supportive of the series, so I hope that the producers are exploring this and any other possibilities (Hulu, Netflix, etc.).

Edited by Victura
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Victura

Victura

Hmm the EW article is actually a list of shows that haven't been renewed yet and includes ones like Designated Survivor that everyone expects to get another season. It's ranked according to likelihood of renewal. Pitch is not very high at 17 (the higher it is the more likely to be renewed) but quite a few other shows beneath it are Fox shows.

http://ew.com/tv/2017/04/14/tv-renewed-canceled-2/4/

For Pitch, it says: "A once-promising title that is unlikely to get the chance to throw another strike. Could still surprise."

For Rosewood it says "Remember when we said that some modest Fox shows might surprise by coming back because of the performance of other shows? This sophomore procedural is of those other shows." For Fox, there's also Sleepy Hollow, Scream Queens, Making History, APB, The Exorcist all ranked below Pitch, and Son of Zorn just slightly above at 19. I don't know how much stock to take in these rankings, but that seems like a lot of shows that aren't doing very well at Fox.

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Happytobehere

Happytobehere

(edited)
32 minutes ago, Victura said:

Hmm the EW article is actually a list of shows that haven't been renewed yet and includes ones like Designated Survivor that everyone expects to get another season. It's ranked according to likelihood of renewal. Pitch is not very high at 17 (the higher it is the more likely to be renewed) but quite a few other shows beneath it are Fox shows.

http://ew.com/tv/2017/04/14/tv-renewed-canceled-2/4/

For Pitch, it says: "A once-promising title that is unlikely to get the chance to throw another strike. Could still surprise."

For Rosewood it says "Remember when we said that some modest Fox shows might surprise by coming back because of the performance of other shows? This sophomore procedural is of those other shows." For Fox, there's also Sleepy Hollow, Scream Queens, Making History, APB, The Exorcist all ranked below Pitch, and Son of Zorn just slightly above at 19. I don't know how much stock to take in these rankings, but that seems like a lot of shows that aren't doing very well at Fox.

I think you misread the article.  The show's on the low end are the ones likely to come back, hence all the Dick Wolf/NBC shows being lumped together at 49 -- they listed a total of 53 shows (their ratings aren't great but they have loyal followings and NBC wants to keep that relationship with Dick Wolf, ala ABC with Shonda Rhimes).  So in this instance, the higher your ranking, the more likely you are to be cancelled.  EW stated this before it got to the shows that Pitch is lumped among: 

Note: Uh-oh. We’re firmly shifting from shows being “on the bubble” to “likely canceled” unless a network ends up needing more returning programs than they currently expect (in other words: if their pilots are dreadful).

So yes, while Pitch isn't in the top five for cancellation, it is on their likely to be cancelled list.

I am hoping that FOX jettisons some of its other shows that are IMO beyond being able to be turned around -- Like Sleepy Hollow. I think that Pitch is excellent and has a real shot at being a success if MLB and FOx actually promoted it.  For instance, if Fox had replayed the series in order on a day where they have some ratings success, I think it could have morphed into a major hit.  I hope for the best, but am prepared for the worst because their has literally been no network buzz for months, which could signal their true feelings on the show.  

I for one will be doing a Season One rewatch of whatever is available On Demand, because it was truly one of the best surprises of the season for me; you know, the kind of shows you would never usually look at but find that once you start watching, you can't stop because you have fallen in love with what you are seeing.

Edited by Happytobehere
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Victura

Victura

(edited)
4 hours ago, Happytobehere said:

I think you misread the article.  The show's on the low end are the ones likely to come back, hence all the Dick Wolf/NBC shows being lumped together at 49 -- they listed a total of 53 shows (their ratings aren't great but they have loyal followings and NBC wants to keep that relationship with Dick Wolf, ala ABC with Shonda Rhimes).  So in this instance, the higher your ranking, the more likely you are to be cancelled.  EW stated this before it got to the shows that Pitch is lumped among: 

Note: Uh-oh. We’re firmly shifting from shows being “on the bubble” to “likely canceled” unless a network ends up needing more returning programs than they currently expect (in other words: if their pilots are dreadful).

So yes, while Pitch isn't in the top five for cancellation, it is on their likely to be cancelled list.

I am hoping that FOX jettisons some of its other shows that are IMO beyond being able to be turned around -- Like Sleepy Hollow. I think that Pitch is excellent and has a real shot at being a success if MLB and FOx actually promoted it.  For instance, if Fox had replayed the series in order on a day where they have some ratings success, I think it could have morphed into a major hit.  I hope for the best, but am prepared for the worst because their has literally been no network buzz for months, which could signal their true feelings on the show.  

I for one will be doing a Season One rewatch of whatever is available On Demand, because it was truly one of the best surprises of the season for me; you know, the kind of shows you would never usually look at but find that once you start watching, you can't stop because you have fallen in love with what you are seeing.

I think we're referring to the same thing, actually, just using different terms. :) I meant higher number is more likely to be renewed (i.e. 49 is more likely to be renewed than 17), whereas you meant higher ranking/lower number is less likely to be renewed (17 is less likely to be renewed than 49). It's a bit confusing since the list is ordered backwards. Regardless, all those Fox shows I mentioned are less likely to be renewed than Pitch according to that list.

But anyway, I agree that this was one of the surprises of the season. I stumbled on it accidentally on Hulu when the show was 6 episodes in and ended up watching all the episodes available. Hadn't heard much promotion prior or since for the show, though I'm not a baseball fan at all.

Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but I don't think the show is completely dead yet. Even if the signs don't look great, there are many other shows on Fox that seem to have done worse, and they only have 4 drama pilots this season, so I would assume some of the existing shows have to be kept. I just hope that Pitch is one of them, or that the producers approach MLB network or elsewhere for other possibilities for the show to continue.

Edited by Victura
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Happytobehere

Happytobehere

6 hours ago, Victura said:

I think we're referring to the same thing, actually, just using different terms. :) I meant higher number is more likely to be renewed (i.e. 49 is more likely to be renewed than 17), whereas you meant higher ranking/lower number is less likely to be renewed (17 is less likely to be renewed than 49). It's a bit confusing since the list is ordered backwards. Regardless, all those Fox shows I mentioned are less likely to be renewed than Pitch according to that list.

Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but I don't think the show is completely dead yet. Even if the signs don't look great, there are many other shows on Fox that seem to have done worse, and they only have 4 drama pilots this season, so I would assume some of the existing shows have to be kept. I just hope that Pitch is one of them, or that the producers approach MLB network or elsewhere for other possibilities for the show to continue.

Gotcha, my mistake.

Let's hope that someone with clout on the network recognizes the potential of this show and gives it another chance.  The truly sad thing is that moves like this from networks are the very things that keep shows from building an audience.  No one wants to get attached to a show and then have it ripped away, for lesser quality, but higher viewed shows to remain on the air.  This has happened to me with Fox far too many times.

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Artsda

Artsda

Riverdale Adds Mark Consuelos to Play Veronica's Dad in Season 2  

Quote

Mark Consuelos has signed on to play the heretofore-unseen Hiram Lodge on The CW’s Archie reboot, TVLine has learned exclusively. He’ll make his debut in Season 2, and is set to join the cast as a series regular.

Quote


There is a catch, though: Consuelos currently co-stars on Fox’s baseball drama Pitch as general manager Oscar Arguella, and his Riverdale casting is in second position to Pitch, so he’d have to drop the Riverdale role if Pitch is renewed for a second season. 

 

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Artsda

Artsda

Love Mark & Kelly for standing by the show like this.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/pitch-canceled-one-season-at-fox-999300

Quote

By the time Fox hit pause on its fall schedule for the World Series, Pitch was fading and the network opted to market Lethal Weapon during the historic seven-game Fall Classic. Working in its favor was the fact that stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kylie Bunbury sat out of pilot season in a strong showing of their commitment to the series about the first woman to break MLB's gender barrier. Fogelman, who created NBC's breakout drama This Is Us, has become a key producer for studio 20th Century Fox Television and had been vocal about wanting a second season of Pitch. Sources say producers wanted another short order — only this time to run midseason. Such will not be the case.

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Athena5217

Athena5217

Well this sucks. Pitch is canceled, but Fox keeps all three Gordon Ramsey shows?!  Sometimes I think my liking a new show is the kiss of death. RIP, Pitch. You join  She TV, Tell Me You Love Me, Class of '96, Rubicon, Firefly, Terriers, and The Grinder in the graveyard of shows I killed by watching them. Meanwhile, I have never seen an episode of any of the NCIS shows, and apparently there are several of them and they've been on for decades. 

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shoregirl

shoregirl

Boooo!!! Hey Ump...i mean Fox execs you suck!!!  

      I think they made a terrible mistake not going with their original plan of a mid season replacement.  Would it have fared better who knows but possibly. Good on Mark and Kylie for not doing any pilots in showing your commitment to the show.  It's a shame with all the crap Fox puts on that they didn't have the same faith in it, this show wasn't perfect but I liked it and it was better than a lot of the crap stuff fox puts on t.v. for multiple seasons. 

         I wonder if Hulu or Netflix or Amazon Prime would have any interest in picking up the show. It's a shame that the last image of the show is Ginny going in for a mri.

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In2You

In2You

I'm not surprised. I wanted to like this show but it was rather boring and cliche and never quite got better.And it never had a clear audience it was targeting. Most baseball fans are older white men. They were never going to watch this show. People kept saying this should've aired after Empire but it wouldn't have been compatible with it because it's not am urban leaning show and Empire's style of drama is not the style of drama Pitch was presenting. 

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DearEvette

DearEvette

So very Fox, indeed.  Meanwhile the shitshow that was Sleepy Hollow averaged a .8 during their season 3 and a whole lot of fan animus and that got a renewal to S4.

Honestly I would not be surprised if Pitch could never get a fanbase because people know not to get invested in a Fox show.

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nkotb

nkotb

(edited)

I'd love for MLB Network to just shock the world & pick it up. They don't do too much new programming during the offseason, & that's the perfect time to run "Pitch", because all of us baseball fans are just waiting for that first pitch in February. If they promoted the heck out of it, I think it might actually do fairly well. I'd certainly dvr it again. 

It does suck that they can have 28 NCIS shows, & 31 CSI shows, plus so many stupid reality or game shows (not all are stupid, but some really are), whereas this show was well-written, well-acted, unique & original, & it gets the shaft. I still hold a grudge against NBC, because in 2005, it cancelled "Third Watch", & ran "Fear Factor" like 4 nights a week. TV is crazy. Fox, this is your warning, one more screw-up & I'm NBC-ing you, too.

ETA: Forgot to say, I'm kind of surprised that they didn't keep this show on the air, if for nothing else, then to at least keep a good relationship with Dan Fogelman. That dude has the golden touch, especially right now with "This Is Us", so Fox might have bit themselves in the rump screwing this up.

Edited by nkotb
Dan Fogelman praise...
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Hanahope

Hanahope

I'm sad to see this show go too.  I grew up with a baseball loving dad and became a big fan myself.  A small part of me hoped that just maybe a show like this could have an effect, that maybe someday, women could play MLB too.  I liked how the show gave little nuggets of baseball history and jargon, new stuff I didn't even know.  I thought the cast had good chemistry.

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SnoGirl

SnoGirl

I am bummed. 

2 hours ago, Hanahope said:

I'm sad to see this show go too.  I grew up with a baseball loving dad and became a big fan myself.  A small part of me hoped that just maybe a show like this could have an effect, that maybe someday, women could play MLB too.  I liked how the show gave little nuggets of baseball history and jargon, new stuff I didn't even know.  I thought the cast had good chemistry.

I completely agree with this. I always thought this show was doomed because its on Fox, but I was holding out hope for it.

I hope the first season is somewhere where I can watch it again like Netflix or Hulu....

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Maximum Taco

Maximum Taco

(edited)

Sigh. Very disappointed, I had hoped it would get at least a second season.

I really think FOX botched it by rolling it out during the end of the regular season and the playoffs last year. Pitch was great and I DVR'd all of the episodes, but it was nowhere near good enough to beat out the Hunt for October my team was going through. September baseball is always going to supplant fictional baseball, and October baseball is going to supplant pretty much everything. Should've had a spring/summer premiere to key in on the whole "Boys (or rather Girls) of Summer" mystique people associate with the start of the season. And then the games are not as important and more people would be willing to miss one a week for Pitch.

It could've been great with a better strategy for marketing and roll out.

But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Ginny has struck out.

Edited by Maximum Taco
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nkotb

nkotb

MLB Network is the perfect, perfect place to pick up "Pitch", & air it during the off-season, when all of us mega-baseball fans have the time & the desire for a baseball show. That's my vote. 

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Maximum Taco

Maximum Taco

(edited)
On 2017-05-05 at 0:48 AM, Nanrad said:

This may be a hail mary, but: https://www.change.org/p/netflix-pitch-keep-ginny-baker-in-the-game

It pretty much is.

I hate to sound defeatist, but I don't see another network taking a chance on Pitch.

Most shows that get "uncancelled" have an original run of at least a few seasons before the original network pulls the plug, and then a streaming service or another network might take a chance on it due to getting it's entire back catalogue in addition to any new episodes produced, and the production house is willing to make more episodes (and even maybe grease the wheels of the distributor) in order to try to get it to syndication (usually 88-100 episodes, which is an easier task when there's already 3 seasons and 60-70 episodes.) Pitch unfortunately doesn't fall into this kind of category.

I think the only show I remember that got a resurrection after one season with poor ratings was Jericho and even then it only got 7 more episodes before getting the plug pulled again.

Edited by Maximum Taco
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Moose135

Moose135

(edited)
9 hours ago, Maximum Taco said:

I think the only show I remember that got a resurrection after one season with poor ratings was Jericho and even then it only got 7 more episodes before getting the plug pulled again.

Southland ran one short season (7 episodes - it debuted in April) on NBC, and after they cancelled the show, TNT picked it up and produced 4 more seasons.

Edited by Moose135
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