'Revenge' Creator Mike Kelley Leaves Show

Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) & creator Mike Kelley

I never really do entertainment based - or any sort of news articles on here but I found this quite interesting and actually a little irritating (let me explain why in a bit).

It was announced yesterday that creator of ABC's/E4's soap-y drama 'Revenge' would be leaving the show in its entirety. Mike Kelley's series starring Emily VanCamp and Madeline Stowe debuted in the US in September 2011 and is currently in its second season. The creator is set to finish post-production duties on the show shortly before he departs, which is expected to be next month.

The announcement surprised me mainly because I've never heard of a creator stepping down from a show this early on. 'Revenge' became a sleeper hit with its debut, gaining just over 10 million viewers on its first ever showing. The audience viewership stayed strong, as did its critical reception for the next 21 episodes in the season. However, its audience has depleted somewhat in the show's sophmore year, with only 5.49 million people tuning into its most recent episode, "Masquerade", on Sunday 31st March. The move is, as I said shocking to me, but what irritated me about Kelley leaving his beloved show behind was the supposed reason.

Kelley had allegedly lobbied for 'Revenge' to carry a shortened 3rd season, possibly to stand at 13 episodes, to abandon unnecessary story arcs and twists that ultimately aren't necessary to the shows main story. ABC opted against the idea, most probably because they would be losing out on thousands, maybe even millions of dollars of ad-revenue from only having 13 episodes in one series (although there isn't an official figure for how much 'Revenge' "charges", in October 2012 a 30 second ad cost a little over $150,000 according to this chart from ad-age). 

What ABC doesn't seem to understand is that a short season is exactly what the show needs at this point. At the end of season 1 we were left with a cliffhanger that 18 episodes later - still hasn't been fully seen to, and while the second series is good (at a stretch), it's been carried on for much longer then it probably should've been. The show is known for its ridiculously dramatic soap opera-like twists and turns; people from the past showing up unexpectedly, fake deaths, surprise pregnancies and the like, while also trying to maintain a very dark, crime related story at its core. The marriage of the two genres of soap and crime is what's brought the show into the forefront from its inception, but with its intricate and tricky sub-plots which are quickly getting more difficult to follow, viewership is declining. A concise season of much fewer episodes would allow less "waffle" in the show, and let the main story work perfectly without the interruption of pointless side arcs and guest characters.

Network television needs to put shorter seasons into practise. It happens here and there and shows such as 'The Following', (the first season of) 'Scandal' and NBC's 'Hannibal' are proof that it can actually work effectively. Plus all you have to do is look at the most celebrated TV shows of the 21st century so far: 'Breaking Bad', 'Mad Men', 'The Walking Dead', 'Game of Thrones', 'Luther', 'Downton Abbey' and 'The Wire'. How many episodes have they all had per season?

Not as many as Revenge.


You can read a review of Revenge Season 1 here.

5 Most Underrated and Underused Characters on Television

Donna – Parks and Recreation

Where is Donna? Where is she? She’s a valued member of the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, Indiana that seems to pop up once or twice an episode (if that) with a couple of lines,  and…that’s pretty much it. In fact, her role in the show has become smaller and smaller as the series has gone on. The absence of Donna is pretty much the only downfall in an otherwise flawless sitcom.

Cerie – 30 Rock

When Liz Lemon asked Cerie “looked okay”, a spritely Cerie retorted with “that’s exactly how you look”. The fact that the line is said not in dislike or disdain but as a genuine compliment is why she's such a good character. The usage of Cerie is vaguely similar to Donna’s in Parks and Recreation – she turns up once in a while, gives us some good dialogue, and then she’s off again. Only (once again like Donna) she works in the exact same place that every episode of the show is set in.

Harrison Wright – Scandal

Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat as *spoiler* creator Shonda Rhimes has stated that this characters role will be beefed up in the second half of the addictive political drama’s second season *end spoiler*. Harrison has largely been on the backburner, occasionally seen conversing with Abby and Olivia…while not doing much else. Although it has been revealed that Harrison avoided a serious prison sentence on behalf of crafty and not-so legit work of Olivia Pope, the statement was made only as a passing reference. I think we can assume this will play a major part in the last few episodes of the season, along with (hopefully) many more to come.

Luke Dunphy– Modern Family

For some reason “I can feel my heart beating in my eyes” is one of my favourite Modern Family quotes, and it comes from young Luke, probably the most underutilised Dunphy on Modern Family. The show which has  one of the strongest and most comedic ensemble casts currently on television, needs to let the most beloved of those, such as Gloria, Phil, Manny and Cam step aside; just for a little while and let Luke do something solo.

Harry Crane – Mad Men

In a world where everyone is lying, backstabbing, cheating on their wives and descending into alcohol addiction in 1960s based drama Mad Men, Crane is only guilty of..one or two of those. For a while Crane, played by Rich Sommer was one of the few genuinely likeable characters in the fictional Sterling Cooper work place – and it may just be because it feels like decades ago, I barely even remember him on screen in the show’s 5^th season. We better see him actually doing some serious shit when Mad Men returns next month.

List: The 8 Great Returning Shows

Yes, 8 is an odd number to count down...well, anything - but with the new US TV season starting this week, I've profiled the 8 returning shows, that have me in a current frenzy anticipating their return. So here goes:

8. American Horror Story (Season 2)

FX- 17.10.12

Officially titled American Horror Story: Asylum, creator Ryan Murphy opted for the second season scare-fest to be a completely separate affair to what was offered last year. This time, the setting is, of course, a mental asylum, detailing the various goings-on with both the patients and the staff within its 1950s setting. Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson and Zachary Quinto who all had roles in the first series will return as completely new characters, with details only revealing that they will play the “opposite” of who they portrayed last year. They will be joined by newcomers Chloe Sevigny, Jenna Dewan and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, along with a host of others.

7. Modern Family (Season 4)

ABC- 26.9.12

Ratings and critical killer Modern Family returns to ABC at the end of September, with big changes about to emerge. With the heart-breaking scene at the end of season 3 in which Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) had finally had enough of the stress of trying to have another baby with partner Cam (Eric Stonestreet), Gloria (Sofia Vergara) announced that she was pregnant with her second child. Being a huge comedic success I’m anxious to know how it’ll play out…as it’s been announced that the entire first episode will revolve around Gloria breaking the news to the extended family. There are sure to be fireworks, both of the good, and the awful kind.

6. 30 Rock Season 7

NBC- 4.10.12

Liz and co. will be talking their final bow in December, after the show finishes its short and sweet 7^th and last season. 30 Rock can easily be called by many (including me) one of the best contemporary American sitcoms of the last 10 years, loosely based on creator and star Tina Fey’s early experience’s as an ex-head writer for the now ironically unfunny Saturday Night Live. The show returned mid-season in early 2012 and the signs that the show was standing on its last legs were imminent, due to the fact that it had lost so much of the spark and wit it carried in it's earlier seasons. Nevertheless, it’ll be sad to see Lemon and Donaghy part ways for good.

Until a film adaptation is announced.

5. Parks and Recreation Season 5

NBC- 20.9.12

Golden Leslie Knope returns for a full length fifth season on Thursday the 20^th with a changing setting taking place for the cast. As Ben (Adam Scott) heads for Washington and Andy (Chris Pratt) hints at joining the police force, Knope will be taking her newly elected position in City Council when the show returns. Parks & Recreation has struggled to obtain a large viewership since its inception, but with its small yet devoted fanbase, NBC has given one of the funniest shows on television chance after chance as it rightfully deserves. Both Lucy Lawless and comedian Jon Glaser have been tapped for guest roles this season, with the latter playing Leslie’s new nemesis within her role in Office.

4. Revenge Season 2

ABC- 30.9.12

Although I named Revenge “the show Gossip Girl wishes it was” may have seemed harsh, it is also incredibly true. The surprise hit of last year, moves into the coveted Sunday night slot once occupied by Desperate Housewives. Styled as an appropriation of The Count of Monte Cristo, the series follows Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) and her subtle and extremely personal quest for vengeance. Many questions were left unanswered at the end of the first season, ready to be unfolded bit by bit over 22 episodes starting on the 30^th of September. While it has been revealed that Emily’s mother is very much alive, the role that she’ll play this season remains completely unknown. It would even be completely unsurprising if she had her own manipulative plans for Miss Thorne herself.

3. Scandal

ABC- 27.9.12

You know what (rhetorical) question I’m gonna ask...yet I'm gonna say it anyway: “Who Is Quinn Perkins?” Scandal, fronted by Kerry Washington and created by Grey’s Anatomy and TV juggernaut Shonda Rhimes left us all wondering last season who the hell the woman Olivia had invited to work alongside of truly is. Washington’s character, Olivia Pope, serves as the head of a crisis management firm, dealing with minimising political scandals in and out of the White House. 7 episodes were shown on ABC earlier this Summer, completely proving that less is more; as each episode flowed smoothly and concisely, without any waffle or unnecessary plot turns. More TV shows need to learn from this.

2. Happy Endings Season 3

ABC- 26.10.12

The most underrated sitcom returns towards the end of October for its third outing. At the beginning of the last season, the show was dubbed “The Year of Penny”, as an ode to the hilarious show standout Penny Hartz. As the dreaded and inevitable “love triangle” started to rear its head earlier this year, one can only hope that Happy Endings writers can tackle the cliché sitcom go-to the only way Happy Endings should…by making overt and unsubtle references to ‘Friends’.

Although it is one of my favourites, the fact that it’ll air the same time as the universally adored New Girl worries me. This better not be the last season already.

1. X Factor Season 2

Fox- 12.9.12

Judge me. Judge me all you want, but I’m not even gonna lie and say I’m not looking forward to seeing you-know-who on the judging panel this week. Did I watch it last year? No. But this is soon to change. A third of people I speak to about the upcoming season say they’ll watch it because they love Ms. Spears, the second say she’s a mess which is exactly why they’ll watch, and the third don’t care…but are gonna watch it anyway. Having been on reality TV overload last year, I completely neglected the first season of the show. But with the addition of Britney and Demi on the judging panel, it’s sure to be must-see-TV.