Current Timeline: News and Media

[legaleagle53]

5 minutes ago, Randomosity said:

Exactly. Do season 2 right. Milk this extra publicity regarding the bizarre cancellation/un-cancellation, promote the hell out of it in a new timeslot next year, show re-runs in the lead up to the next premiere, take the time to really get the plots/characters right, maybe make some budget adjustments to cut costs, and have it be enough of a success that it could even be sustainable in the longer term.

Agreed.  OK, showrunners and writers, you've been given a second chance. Do NOT fuck this up.  Do your homework, review and LISTEN to what the viewers and fans have been telling you didn't work for them in Season 1 and why, take your time and put some thought and effort into it, and KEEP listening to feedback from the fans and viewers.  It's what we're here for -- and you owe it to yourselves as well as to us to listen to us and do right by this show if you want to see an extended Season 2, much less a Season 3 and beyond.

[KaveDweller]

Wow, I think the only time I've seen shows uncancelled is when they move to another network. I saw this on Twitter and couldn't believe it was real.

Waiting until next summer is going to be tough, but I will take it in order to get more episodes.

[dubbel zout]

Quote

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the independent studio had been offering the lion's share of the profits to NBC in exchange for the renewal

Money was a big reason NBC didn't want to continue with it in the first place. I bet the show will simplify its premise somewhat; maybe we'll see the team stick around a time period for more than one episode.

Edited May 13, 2017 by dubbel zout

[legaleagle53]

25 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

Wow, I think the only time I've seen shows uncancelled is when they move to another network. I saw this on Twitter and couldn't believe it was real.

This is the third time I've seen it happen: Star Trek in 1968, Jericho in 2009, and now Timeless in 2017.

But even in the days before TV and radio, this sort of thing sometimes happened.  More than a century ago, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tried to "cancel" his popular series of Sherlock Holmes stories because he was tired of writing them and wanted to move on to other projects, which is why he had Moriarty kill Holmes off.  Fans were so outraged, however, that Doyle relented, reversed his decision, and brought Holmes back (but not Moriarty) for a few more years before finally having him retire from detective work and become a beekeeper so that Doyle could finally call it quits and move on.

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

This is the third time I've seen it happen: Star Trek in 1968, Jericho in 2009, and now Timeless in 2017.

It happened with Unforgettable in 2012 as well. Though there isn't a great track record with surviving long.

[tennisgurl]

This show wasn't perfect, but I'm super glad its coming back! It has so much potential, and its cast is really likable, so I'm hoping it works out some of its kinks for next year. You were brought back from the dead, show! Use this second life for good!

Edited May 14, 2017 by tennisgurl

[KaveDweller]

24 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

This is the third time I've seen it happen: Star Trek in 1968, Jericho in 2009, and now Timeless in 2017.

Oh, I forgot all about Jericho. That crazy nut campaign....

Of course that show ended for really after their second season. I hope Timeless does better than that.

[Norma Desmond]

YESSSSSSSS holy sh*t I'm so happy I could cry.

[legaleagle53]

1 minute ago, KaveDweller said:

Oh, I forgot all about Jericho. That crazy nut campaign....

I see what you did there.

Actually, that's probably how the CBS execs still describe that campaign.  What would the Timeless fans have done that would be the physical equivalent of that?

[Artsda]

[willco]

Just to note,  the whole season is available on the NBC app. I get it thru my Fire Tv, although you have to already pay for cable or satellite to use this which I know annoys people, but if you already do, it's there. Ads aren't really that bad, either, I think it's less than watching it live. I saw all the eps but I will go back & watch some, sometime.

 

Oh, I'm very happy, too ! I had already accepted the cancellation but I'll gladly accept the renewal. I just told my sister yesterday that it was gone, now I get to explain what happened ( she never follows tv news.)

Edited May 13, 2017 by willco
add some more

[Camera One]

1 hour ago, legaleagle53 said:

Agreed.  OK, showrunners and writers, you've been given a second chance. Do NOT fuck this up.  Do your homework, review and LISTEN to what the viewers and fans have been telling you didn't work for them in Season 1 and why, take your time and put some thought and effort into it, and KEEP listening to feedback from the fans and viewers.  It's what we're here for -- and you owe it to yourselves as well as to us to listen to us and do right by this show if you want to see an extended Season 2, much less a Season 3 and beyond.

Yes, I hope there are some intelligent people who are also being honest with them about the problems with Season 1.  

[Stuffy]

1 hour ago, legaleagle53 said:

I see what you did there.

Actually, that's probably how the CBS execs still describe that campaign.  What would the Timeless fans have done that would be the physical equivalent of that?

I don't know how many were sent, but the nbc guy told a producer he had received another box of chocodiles the morning they canceled theshow. 

[North of Eden]

HELL YES! Thank you NBC!

Can you say JERICHO and not one damn peanut (or was it a Devil Dog? That was the favorite treat of our beloved lifeboat pilot) had to show up at NBC headquarters!

[thuganomics85]

Well, this is unexpected, but great news to hear!  Definitely can't remember many shows that have been "uncanceled."  Sounds like Sony must have made the right promises to NBC to keep this going.  It probably helped that this show seem to get the most support when the cancelation was announced.

I am curious how they will handle it going forward, since it was so close.  Maybe they will be better off keeping a shorter season, and not get weighed down by the conspiracies and Rittenhouse drama.

Still, glad everyone is going to get another shot!

[djinn]

Great news! Thanks NBC. I really enjoy the main cast and their chemistry. Now it's up to the show runners and writers to do better. Much better. And not make a hot mess of things. 

[legaleagle53]

54 minutes ago, North of Eden said:

HELL YES! Thank you NBC!

Can you say JERICHO and not one damn peanut (or was it a Devil Dog? That was the favorite treat of our beloved lifeboat pilot) had to show up at NBC headquarters!

Malcolm's favorite treat is a Chocodile, and I read somewhere today that a few people actually did send in some boxes of them. The last one apparently arrived the day the show was canceled.

Oh, wait, now I remember where I read it. It was the post just above yours, @North of Eden!  :)

Edited May 14, 2017 by legaleagle53

[phalange]

I am so unbelievably excited about this! I've been freaking out all day! I don't even care that we have to wait until next spring--it's totally worth it! I've never had a show I love get un-cancelled before. :D

Edited May 14, 2017 by phalange

[Artsda]

If the article is right and they're moving it to 8pm for it to be more light/family friendly then I think they are going to make it more fun and less Rittenhouse.

[legaleagle53]

23 minutes ago, phalange said:

I am so unbelievably excited about this! I've been freaking out all day! I don't even care that we have to wait until next spring--it's totally worth it! I've never had a show I love get un-cancelled before. :D

Yes, even if the show doesn't actually air until next Summer, we still have lots of behind-the-scenes and spoilery stuff to look forward to come Spring.  So there's that.

[smiley13]

5 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

Agreed.  OK, showrunners and writers, you've been given a second chance. Do NOT fuck this up.  Do your homework, review and LISTEN to what the viewers and fans have been telling you didn't work for them in Season 1 and why, take your time and put some thought and effort into it, and KEEP listening to feedback from the fans and viewers.  It's what we're here for -- and you owe it to yourselves as well as to us to listen to us and do right by this show if you want to see an extended Season 2, much less a Season 3 and beyond.

This viewer liked the show just fine the way it was.  

[memememe76]

I have no problem having them be in the same period for multiple episodes. It will allow for a richer experience. And they don't have to keep find guest stars. The nature of these shows is that the level acting from the guest cast can vary wildly from episode to episode. 

[msani19]

Canceled then un-canceled! Crazy! Let's hope they can fix some of the issues that we raised. They have something amazing and rare with the 3 leads and they should capitalize on that. I'm looking forward to the next 10 episodes and I'd even be ok if they wrap it up within those 10. Just don't mess it up!

Now if they can only use that time machine they used to make this happen and go back to November 8th, 2016...

[North of Eden]

Probably best to dump the whole Rittenhouse storyline and do something ala QUANTUM LEAP where they get lost in time and are trying to get home. You could still keep the ground team I suppose back at base trying to help retrieve them. Wouldn't quite be the same show that we knew but obviously some concessions are going to have to be made.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

11 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

NBC has reversed its decision to cancel the show:  https://twitter.com/TheTimelessRoom/status/863438449449226240

And Matt Lanter just confirmed it via a short announcement on Facebook.

 

11 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

Yep.  As confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, the show will be back in the summer of 2018 with ten new episodes:  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/timeless-saved-cancellation-as-nbc-reverses-course-season-2-renewal-1003568

Please promote the hell out of this, NBC, and find a summer timeslot that will work for us!

 

11 hours ago, Chas411 said:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/timeless-saved-cancellation-as-nbc-reverses-course-season-2-renewal-1003568

it is!!

Ten episodes next summer isn't ideal but... It's still a second chance and hopefully they'll push if forward.

Holy crap on a cracker, what an amazingly great way to end a shitty day. 

I'll just let this kid speak for me...

[bros402]

Well that uncancellation was the best TV news this week. Pretty much nothing that I *really* cared about got canned (still waiting to hear about New Girl, though!).

I'm hoping we get this as like an April/May next year premiere.

Or if multiple shows crash and burn next season and they toss in Timeless.

[tennisgurl]

This cancellation followed by uncancelation is sounding like an overly complex and vaguely defined Rittenhouse plot was throated at the last minute.

[RedRockRosie]

I think all the fans simply changed the timeline. ;-)

[memememe76]

28 minutes ago, RedRockRosie said:

I think all the fans simply changed the timeline. ;-)

I hope I can still see my sister when I visit her next month.

[RedRockRosie]

15 minutes ago, memememe76 said:

I hope I can still see my sister when I visit her next month.

I'm sure your sister's still there....hmmm, maybe I should give my sister a call this afternoon. ;-)

[JackONeill]

On 5/13/2017 at 4:23 PM, Randomosity said:

You can also get the whole season on Amazon Digital Video for 20$. I bought it as soon as it was cancelled, knowing that it would probably disappear from my cable's on-demand pretty quickly.

Exactly. Do season 2 right. Milk this extra publicity regarding the bizarre cancellation/un-cancellation, promote the hell out of it in a new timeslot next year, show re-runs in the lead up to the next premiere, take the time to really get the plots/characters right, maybe make some budget adjustments to cut costs, and have it be enough of a success that it could even be sustainable in the longer term.

Remember Quantum Leap? Another time jumping show. And also on NBC. I can't remember the specific facts, but the show had a weak first several weeks, or was it the whole first season? Anyway, NBC then promoted the hell out of it, and reran the hell out of it. They made a big to-do about, calling it the Quantum Leap week.

So, NBC knows what to do.

[legaleagle53]

So here's the story behind the miracle.

[blackwing]

Thrilled the show got a reprieve and is coming back. I think it's even better that it will be a summer show... people and critics seem more willing to give summer shows a chance (cf the horrific awfulness that is "Zoo").

I get that the show had issues, but I hope people aren't so hard on it.  The constant refrain on these boards was seemingly to complain about everything (e.g. Lucy being too young to be a master historian with knowledge about everything, Matt Lanter looking too young, Wyatt not being able to hit anything, Wyatt having stubble in 1920 when people should have thought he was homeless etc etc etc).  I did it myself at times.   So I ask this... which is better?  1) A "Timeless" with some issues or minor things that annoy, or 2) No "Timeless" at all?   I'd rather have this show, warts and all, than no show at all.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

Thrilled the show got a reprieve and is coming back. I think it's even better that it will be a summer show... people and critics seem more willing to give summer shows a chance (cf the horrific awfulness that is "Zoo").

I get that the show had issues, but I hope people aren't so hard on it.  The constant refrain on these boards was seemingly to complain about everything (e.g. Lucy being too young to be a master historian with knowledge about everything, Matt Lanter looking too young, Wyatt not being able to hit anything, Wyatt having stubble in 1920 when people should have thought he was homeless etc etc etc).  I did it myself at times.   So I ask this... which is better?  1) A "Timeless" with some issues or minor things that annoy, or 2) No "Timeless" at all?   I'd rather have this show, warts and all, than no show at all.

I'll pick Option 1 all day, every day.

[methodwriter85]

Quote

Matt Lanter looking too young, Wyatt not being able to hit anything, Wyatt having stubble in 1920 when people should have thought he was homeless etc etc etc).  

I always thought that at least partially, Matt Lanter wore the facial stubble because they thought it would make him look older/ruggedly sexy and people would take him seriously.  So it's funny that A.) People still thought he looked too young, and B.) they thought he looked like a homeless bum and couldn't take him seriously.

I don't think it's so much about Matt Lanter's looks but the fact that he really is relatively new to playing adults. He's been stuck playing adolescent roles as recently as 2014 so it's still kind of an adjustment. That's why Wyatt seems to come off as a little kid playing dress-up.

They've been given a gift. Here's hoping they don't screw it up.

[bros402]

1 hour ago, methodwriter85 said:

I always thought that at least partially, Matt Lanter wore the facial stubble because they thought it would make him look older/ruggedly sexy and people would take him seriously.  So it's funny that A.) People still thought he looked too young, and B.) they thought he looked like a homeless bum and couldn't take him seriously.

I don't think it's so much about Matt Lanter's looks but the fact that he really is relatively new to playing adults. He's been stuck playing adolescent roles as recently as 2014 so it's still kind of an adjustment. That's why Wyatt seems to come off as a little kid playing dress-up.

They've been given a gift. Here's hoping they don't screw it up.

Maybe it'll become a hit in its second season :D

 

(After a bit of retooling)

Edited May 15, 2017 by bros402

[Randomosity]

5 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I always thought that at least partially, Matt Lanter wore the facial stubble because they thought it would make him look older/ruggedly sexy and people would take him seriously.  So it's funny that A.) People still thought he looked too young, and B.) they thought he looked like a homeless bum and couldn't take him seriously.

I don't think it's so much about Matt Lanter's looks but the fact that he really is relatively new to playing adults. He's been stuck playing adolescent roles as recently as 2014 so it's still kind of an adjustment. That's why Wyatt seems to come off as a little kid playing dress-up.

On one hand, I can see the 'stuck in adolescent roles' thing, but on the other, he IS a 30-something year old man. In real life. Should it be that hard to play one on screen? It doesn't matter to me either way; I never had a problem with him looking too young - I just think it's amusing that it might be difficult to play what he actually IS! :)  Then again, I'm sympathetic to the baby-faced among us; in a few months I won't be able to deny the label 'mid-30s' anymore, and people still think I'm a college undergraduate (I'm a professor).

[methodwriter85]

I'm sure he's fine in real life but onscreen you can still see the adolescent acting tics. It's like Winona Ryder- it took her awhile before she was able to believably play grown women even though she was in her 30's.

[rove4]

19 hours ago, blackwing said:

So I ask this... which is better?  1) A "Timeless" with some issues or minor things that annoy, or 2) No "Timeless" at all?   I'd rather have this show, warts and all, than no show at all.

I'll take a flawed Timeless over no show at all.  I'm thrilled the show was renewed.  My son was so sad when I told him the show had been canceled so he was very happy that NBC changed their minds.  The show was always just a fun, family friendly show so I never needed it to be perfect.  That said, I'd also be fine if the team spent more than one episode in the same time period.  I wish we didn't have to wait until summer 2018 (I think Grimm's Friday night time slot would've been perfect) but at least we know it's coming back.  

[iMonrey]

I think it's hysterical this show in particular was uncancelled, like someone went back in time and changed it. That said I'm only cautiously optimistic about the show maybe fixing what was wrong with it. In my experience show writers don't learn from their mistakes, they double down on them (Revolution, cough cough). I hope they take the time to do something different with the 10 episodes they're being given and don't just churn out more pedestrian action/adventure crap with a side of espionage. 

[KaveDweller]

6 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I think it's hysterical this show in particular was uncancelled, like someone went back in time and changed it. . 

I think so too. It is going to make promoting it's return really easy. They could film the cast taking the lifeboat to NBC's office or something.

[methodwriter85]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I think it's hysterical this show in particular was uncancelled, like someone went back in time and changed it. That said I'm only cautiously optimistic about the show maybe fixing what was wrong with it. In my experience show writers don't learn from their mistakes, they double down on them (Revolution, cough cough). I hope they take the time to do something different with the 10 episodes they're being given and don't just churn out more pedestrian action/adventure crap with a side of espionage. 

Yeah. The writers/Powers That Be don't seem to get the problems people have with the show, and why so many people tuned out. Eric Kripke wrote a tweet about how he decided to kill off Elliot Ness at a young age for shock value, but of course that doesn't seem to change anything about U.S. history. Totally tone-deaf about why people don't like that.

I feel like the show wants to have it both ways- it wants to be an episodic formula-driven show like Quantum Leap (it did have serial moments but the most part it was episodic) but it also wants us to think they're building some kind of lore with Rittenhouse/Flynn. And it's muddled as a result.

Edited May 17, 2017 by methodwriter85

[bros402]

I hope that now that they have had time to read fan reactions to the season, that they will show how history changed next season - maybe have Lucy go through a debriefing and someone just off handedly mentions "Oh it's just like Nelson Meyer!" "Who?" "You know, the guy who kept the Untouchables going through the Depression!"

[Latverian Diplomat]

On 5/13/2017 at 1:58 PM, dubbel zout said:

Money was a big reason NBC didn't want to continue with it in the first place. I bet the show will simplify its premise somewhat; maybe we'll see the team stick around a time period for more than one episode.

Maybe a more conventional structure. "Darn it, the time machine isn't working. Oh well, let's solve this murder mystery instead."

Law & Order: Rittenhouse Victims Unit

:)

I wasn't aware there was a fan campaign for this show. I just assumed on hearing the news, that NBC execs miscounted and cancelled one too many shows. Oops.

Edited May 17, 2017 by Latverian Diplomat
Italics must be done in the approved manner!

[Randomosity]

6 minutes ago, Latverian Diplomat said:

Maybe a more conventional structure. "Darn it, the time machine isn't working. Oh well, let's solve this murder mystery instead."

Law & Order: Rittenhouse Victims Unit

 I said somewhere to another fan that they should have uprooted the Time Team from San Fran and put them in Chicago, so they could be re-branded as Chicago: Time Travel

[iMonrey]

Quote

I hope that now that they have had time to read fan reactions to the season, that they will show how history changed next season

Unfortunately, TV writers only tend to pay attention to their followers on Twitter and maybe the show's official Facebook page. There, they find almost exclusively praise from the most devoted fans and sycophants. The problem is that people who follow them on Twitter have a tendency to think they're actually "friends" with the writers, because they're interacting with them. So all they get is validation for whatever they're doing. Anyone who dares to raise a criticism is drowned out and threatened until they have to close their account. It's an ugly forum.

Plus, Kripke doesn't have the best reputation. I referenced his show "Revolution" above - it was a horrible mess and instead of fixing it they made it worse and doubled down on everything that was wrong with it. So it wouldn't surprise me to see this show come back with an even greater emphasis on Rittenhouse. 

[phalange]

Shawn Ryan did an AMA on Reddit tonight.

I like that they take the time to interact with fans. :)

[methodwriter85]

On 5/17/2017 at 2:19 PM, iMonrey said:

Unfortunately, TV writers only tend to pay attention to their followers on Twitter and maybe the show's official Facebook page. There, they find almost exclusively praise from the most devoted fans and sycophants. The problem is that people who follow them on Twitter have a tendency to think they're actually "friends" with the writers, because they're interacting with them. So all they get is validation for whatever they're doing. Anyone who dares to raise a criticism is drowned out and threatened until they have to close their account. It's an ugly forum.

Plus, Kripke doesn't have the best reputation. I referenced his show "Revolution" above - it was a horrible mess and instead of fixing it they made it worse and doubled down on everything that was wrong with it. So it wouldn't surprise me to see this show come back with an even greater emphasis on Rittenhouse. 

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you.

Although honestly, I'd imagine with the likely reduced budget it's going to be harder to have the Rittenhouse storyline.

[Cranberry]

Budget is the same as last year!

[MrSmith]

On 5/14/2017 at 9:19 PM, blackwing said:

Thrilled the show got a reprieve and is coming back. I think it's even better that it will be a summer show... people and critics seem more willing to give summer shows a chance (cf the horrific awfulness that is "Zoo").

It might do better in the ratings being a summer show. It won't have all the regular season shows to compete with. Just like Kyle XY on ABC Family was a great summer show and did great in the ratings. Then, ABC Family moved it to the regular season and the show tanked. And my wife and I were like, "Well, DUH. It's a summer show and it's very good, but it's not good enough against regular season shows." Kyle XY is a show we still miss, all these years later.