TV Relationships

The First Date.

Don't you hate it when a TV show has an amazing pilot but when it goes to series it looks completely different? The show Vanished  is a perfect example. The show was set in Atlanta and that is where the pilot was shot. Starting with episode 2 it was shot in Los Angeles, which is not Atlanta. However Drop Dead Diva is filmed in Peachtree City but set in L.A. so I guess we are even.

The point is that so many series are not shot in the city where they are set. We are grown-ups, we are used to being lied to. I know that Doctor Who is filmed in a Welsh quarry. No biggie. It's just that if a series is set in New York City but shot in Toronto don't pull the old bait and switch on us.

When you film a few scenes each year in NYC and insert them into an episode in only makes the Toronto stuff seem even less real. It stands out like a sore thumb.

It's not only locations but budget as well. If you drop millions on the pilot and hire a big time film director to shoot the thing then it's going to look cinematic. If you don't give the series a large enough budget then it is going to look like your kids got an old VHS camera at the pawn shop.

The Walking Dead is a perfect example of how to get it right. Big budget pilot--brilliantly written series. It really isn't a show about zombies. Spoiler! It's about humans. They give us a few "walker" kills per episode to keep those fans who like that stuff happy.

This one is for the ladies: Think about it this way; you have a first date with a guy that everyone says is great. He picks you up in a brand new Mercedes-Benz. He is wearing a handmade Saville Row suit. He takes you to dinner at a restaurant owned by Wolfgang Puck. He orders champagne. He goes all out to impress you.

You decide to go out on a second date. This time he pulls up in an used Buick LeSabre. He is wearing a polo shirt and khakis. For dinner you go to Cheesecake Factory. Other than that he is the exact same charming guy.

You begin to wonder what the deal is with him. Every now and then he wears a suit, but only on special occasions. It's from Men's Wearhouse.

Should you stick with him? He is a nice guy after all. Your friends love him. You just can't help but worry that one day he is going to arrive in a Kia and he's got on a Hawaiian shirt, freshly ironed jeans and tasseled loafers.