An open letter to the Grass Roots from Tim Minear, Executive Producer of \u201cWonderfalls\u201d:<\/p>\n
\nHi. My name is Tim Minear and I write television. Usually. Right now I guess I\u2019m writing SPAM. But I\u2019m not asking you to donate to some shady or even worthy
\ncause. I\u2019m not offering to enlarge any of your body parts (though I haven\u2019t ruled it out), and I make no claims of miraculous cures for exotic diseases. What I can offer you is sixty minutes (really about forty five, minus commercials) of quality entertainment if you do one thing: turn on your TV to Fox this Friday night at nine.<\/p>\nFor the last year or so I\u2019ve been working with a bunch of really talented people to make a new show for Fox called \u201cWonderfalls.\u201d We\u2019ve made 13 episodes so far, and I really want you to see them.<\/p>\n
Some of the folks at the network are telling me that \u201cWonderfalls\u201d is the best reviewed new series they\u2019ve had in ages — maybe ever. I\u2019m currently sitting on a stack of raves from all over the country, from major magazines, newspapers, small dailies, internet sites, etc. They seem to be doing me no good. Also, uncomfortable because of the sitting.<\/p>\n
The big brains at the network, while happy with the reviews, tell me that good reviews don\u2019t bring in an audience. Guess they were right. We premiered on Friday, March 12th to less than great numbers.<\/p>\n
There are several things stacking the odds against us. Our time slot, charmingly known as \u201cThe Fox Friday Death Slot\u201d is quickly living up to its name. There has been much confusion and differing opinion over just how to promote this odd little series. Maybe the unique charm, heart and volcanic snark aren\u2019t coming through. I dunno. Fact is, I have no power over network promotion, I can\u2019t force Fox to air \u201cWonderfalls\u201d on Monday nights, I don\u2019t have a Nielsen box or know anyone who does.<\/p>\n
But I do have this keyboard, my cable-modem and a relationship with genre fans all over the world because of the internet. All of the shows I\u2019ve worked on in the last several years have had loyal internet followings. From \u201cLois and Clark\u201d to \u201cThe X-Files,\u201d from \u201cAngel\u201d to the short-lived but much-loved \u201cFirefly.\u201d Ever since I\u2019ve been associated with genre television I\u2019ve had the extreme honor and pleasure (and sometimes hair-pulling
\nmadness) of interacting with fans of these shows via the internet. You are the most dedicated, passionate and, frankly, smartest fans around.<\/p>\nAnd I\u2019m turning to you now because I believe you\u2019re a huge untapped resource.<\/p>\n
I know that every one of you is connected to many others that I can\u2019t reach. If you can give a hand here, you might be keeping us afloat long enough for us to catch the tide. Worth a shot, anyway.<\/p>\n
I know the network wants this show to work. They\u2019re willing for it to work. And if there\u2019s any way that my plea now will help Friday\u2019s numbers tick up just a touch,
\nI think that would be a tremendous sign to them.<\/p>\nThe next new episode of \u201cWonderfalls\u201d airs Friday, March 19th at 9:00pm on Fox. Please tune in and mention it to someone else. Preferably someone with a Nielsen box.<\/p>\n
So anyway, I thought I\u2019d mention it. Oh, also, the network is going to repeat our pilot on Thursday, March 18th at 9:00pm after \u201cTru Calling.\u201d So if you missed it last Friday, here\u2019s your chance to catch it.<\/p>\n
Thanks —<\/p>\n
Sincerely,
\nTim Minear<\/p>\nPS – I know the conventional wisdom says that good reviews don\u2019t mean anything to potential viewers, but here\u2019s a taste of them anyway:<\/p>\n
TV GUIDE (3\/13-19), Matt Roush
\n\u201cIronic and romantic, WONDERFALLS is a true original. Surrender to its charms.\u201d<\/p>\nPEOPLE (3\/22), Terry Kelleher
\n\u201cThe reason to watch WONDERFALLS is Dhavernas. With a star like this, a series doesn\u2019t really need a gimmick.\u201d<\/p>\nENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (3\/19), Ken Tucker
\n“A-” \u201c…a revelation – a blessing, even…. Each of the four episodes I\u2019ve seen is better than the one preceding it.\u201d<\/p>\nUSA TODAY (3\/12), Robert Bianco
\n\u201cWONDERFALLS is such an unexpected treat\u201d<\/p>\nLOS ANGELES TIMES (3\/12), Robert Lloyd
\n\u201cWONDERFALLS is so well done, so fresh and unpredictable, and so little in thrall to conventional virtues as to make the weary reviewer prostrate with joy… everything clicks here\u201d<\/p>\nNEW YORK TIMES (3\/12), Virginia Hefferman
\n\u201cBeautifully shot and written with wit… Dhavernas is delightful.\u201d<\/p>\nNEWSDAY (3\/12), Noel Holston
\n\u201cthe best pilot of the 2003-2004 season… Dhavernas is a find, a marvelously understated comic actress and her supporting cast is impeccable\u201d<\/p>\nCHICAGO TRIBUNE (3\/12), Steve Johnson
\n\u201cthe series looks and feels like nothing else on television… it all remains, almost magically, in balance, a delicate, roadside-attraction wonderland where mysteries of the cosmos, lowbrow popular culture, family dysfunction, longing and, mostly humor can coexist.\u201d<\/p>\nSAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (3\/12), Tim Goodman
\n\u201cunquestionably the best new drama series of the 2003-04 season… this is your time to love TV\u201d<\/p>\nWASHINGTON POST (3\/12), Tom Shales
\n\u201cWONDERFALLS is wonderful… a prime example of risktaking originality, a brassy blast of fresh air any way you look at it.\u201d<\/p>\nBOSTON HERALD (3\/12), Amy Amatangelo
\n\u201cExecutive producers Todd Holland, Tim Minear and Bryan Fuller have created a show unlike any other on television.\u201d<\/p>\nTHE GLOBE AND MAIL (3\/12), John Doyle
\n\u201dWONDERFALLS is the best new drama in ages… Caroline Dhavernas is impeccable\u201d<\/p>\nUS WEEKLY \u2013 John Griffiths
\n\u201cThe writing is deliriously clever, the plots strangely Zen and uplifting, and Dhavernas is beyond winning as the loser-stamped Jaye. A fun, wild free fall.”<\/p>\nPOPGURLS (3\/12), Allyson A Popgurl
\n\u201c…get together with some friends, order in some Chinese, watch Wonderfalls at 9pm on FOX this Friday, and then go out to your favorite dive bar and snark with each other. Make it a regular Friday thing. You’ll be happier for it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An open letter to the Grass Roots from Tim Minear, Executive Producer of \u201cWonderfalls\u201d: Hi. My name is Tim Minear<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2378],"tags":[14,1189],"coauthors":[2260],"class_list":["post-2826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leading","category-william-sadler","tag-william-sadler","tag-wonderfalls"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2826"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29243,"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2826\/revisions\/29243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2826"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}