Image Credit: Dean Hendler/NBCUp until Comic-Con, NBC has been oh-so careful to control the flow of information about its new high-concept drama The Event: Members of the press were only allowed to see it during special screenings — no early DVDs were distributed — and journalists were expected to keep mum about the show’s surprise ending. Today at Comic-Con, the network screened the full-length pilot from creator Nick Wauters (The 4400) in hopes that the fanboys would keep the ending to themselves, and yet pontificate madly about what caused that shock-and-awe moment in those final minutes.
What is this, the next Heroes or Flashforward?
It could be — but for now, NBC appears to be keeping it on the down low that their new series starring Blair Underwood, Jason Ritter, and Laura Innes is not so much a deep mythology (with obvious science-fiction elements) as it is a conspiracy thriller in the vein of 24. ”We would never market it as any kind of deep mythology,” says Adam Stotsky, NBC’s president of entertainment marketing. “If you take a step back, all shows — regardless of whether they are serialized or close-ended — have some sort of mythology. We try to boil the entire idea down to one singular thought – one clear, compelling message that will draw the widest possible audience.
“This is a thriller, and a mystery — that’s the way we are presenting it,” Stotsky continues. “Obviously there is a payoff at the end of the pilot when something extraordinary happens, which leads to some potential questions. But our goal is to position this as broadly and widely as possible, and the way you do that is to position it as a thriller in the spirit of 24 with mystery that’s in the spirit of Lost.”
Make no mistake, the writers — which include Wauters (The 4400) and showrunner Evan Katz (24) — have mapped out the show’s first season much in the same way the writers did for FlashForward and also rely heavily on the kind of non-linear storytelling that was employed by Lost. And yes, the writers admit that science-fiction will continue to play a role in the series. But they’re also mindful that the track record for genre shows on the Big Four has been spotty, at best, so they’re going to have to work hard to convince fans that genre shows can and will continue to have a place in prime time. To that end, the writers told the Comic-Con crowd that some of the pilot’s burning questions — like what caused that big surprise at the end — will be answered as soon as the drama’s second episode.
The show bows on Sept. 20.
“I think it’s really about trying to learn from other people’s mistakes and achieving our goal,” Wauters told EW. Adds Katz, ”You have to earn the audience’s loyality and attention. We are going into that knowing and aspiring to that.”
Meanwhile, NBC hopes to generate buzz for The Event by offering a walk-on role in the series — one of many incentives for loyal fans that is offered through the network’s Fan It Campaign that launched in May (others include tickets to The Biggest Loser finale, exclusive online access to the pilot for Chase, bleacher tickets at the Emmys, and a neck tie signed by The Office’s Rainn Wilson). Fans can sign up for the ongoing incentive program by going to www.NBC.com/fanit.
I can’t wait to see the pilot! I need another good involving series now that lost and BSG are done
No they shouldn’t hype it. This show will probably last 1 season. There will never be another Lost.
Shame. I was hoping to spend six years with it only to have it completely cop-out at the end.
The first sign of someone that’s invariably wrong is when someone says ‘never’.
I agree etm. It is very sad that great telivison has peaked. Everything else is just down hill
I remember this was the time last year when Flashforward was getting hyped. The show is being planned like Flashforward and it’s on NBC too?
Here’s hoping for the best.
Why d’you say “it’s on NBC too” ? FF was on ABC.
NBC seems to give nothing a chance anymore and cancels very fast. But maybe that’s just network TV nowadays
The main thing about a show like this is to have the audience invoved with the characters.
As in to really appreciate their acting, to really care about what happens to them.
They’re all hunting for another LOST.
“…one clear compelling message…” sounds good
“…that will draw the widest possible audience….” not so much
I’m so sick of everyone on broadcast tv being afraid of sci-fi. It works. Look at Doctor Who, BG, LOST, The 4400. It exists and it’s awesome. I will take sci-fi anyday to the brainless cop and medical drama shows they give us.
Hear, hear!
Could not have said it better
Absolutly agree!
Agreed!!!!
On NBC it fails by default.
And I forgot. Saw ads for The Event last night and tho it doesn’t mention it until the end – the first part it says something like – This is from an unedited tape from the President..then it has a conversation…Then mentions the show. The way things go that might of been a bit “touchy” because of the current news of “edited tapes”. I don’t doubt there might be people out there just going by it and thought it really was a tape from the real President..and they had something on him…that’s why it was on NBC..
You know..hope everyone watching understood, but the way things are – there Are going to be people who are going to think that was real.
Stay away from marketing mythologies, NBC. LOST angered so many of us with it’s pile of questions left unanswered, many will steer clear of any show that follows that theme. I believe LOST sunk ‘Flash Forward’.
No, what sunk Flash Forward was god-awful acting that helped the audience not give a damn about any characters and a story so terribly convuluted that people had no desire to stick around for its conclusion.
Totally agree, Mark. FF was so boring, I just let the episodes pile up on my DVR. I had NO desire to watch them. That hiatus during March Madness didn’t help either.
The pilot was awesome, but it nearly instantly fizzed because of bad writing, no immeediate plot threads, illogical plotting, unlikable characters, and slow development. It could have been a great show, but they blew it from episode two…
The acting in FlashForward was bad but the writing was even worse. That is what sunk it.
I think more people than not loved Lost. Life can have unanswered questions and what would it of been like if every single second of a question on Lost was answered. There would of been complaining because there wasn’t any “mystery” left.
It was kind of fun to try and figure out things and in some cases to just make up your own mind. Asking an audience to think and be involved..instead of being spoon-fed.
Have read where not everyone who did watch Lost saw every episode, or missed parts of it. Maybe some people were waiting for an answer but they missed it because they weren’t watching. I know there are people who still don’t understand what the numbers meant.
I found the characters to be much more interesting than what could of or wasn’t answered.
Aaaaaargh, People Who Were Satisfied With Lost’s Ending, give it a break already with the trying to explain why those of us who weren’t, weren’t! I saw every single episode, OK? People differ in their tastes and in how far their suspension of disbelief or their need for fundamental explanations go. That’s why. Some people are happy when they are given a resolution that is heavy on emotion, but not so much on the reasoning, other people not so much. I accept that a lot of people were completely satisfied with the resolution we got, please please please try to understand that many of us weren’t and let it be. I was perfectly entertained by Lost for six years, but I wish the writers had had a clearer vision in the end, so from now on I will never watch a show that piles on question after question after question year after year unless they offer plenty of answers along the way. Yes, like FlashForward did. Because if all you do is pile on the questions, then you end up with a Lost-type muddle and rush to the end. I am watching Persons Unknown because they have promised full answers by the end of the season. But I have to say so far I’m not exactly intrigued by the hype surrounding The Event.
LOST didn’t sink Flash Forward. Flash Forward just couldn’t swim.
I’m looking forward to this. I need a conspire thriller along with Chuck till White Collar returns after the hiatus.
I really liked the 4400. The way that show as canceled was infuriating, talk about a cliffhanger. They either should have canceled it after Season 2 or let it run through what looked like a 5 season run. Will give this a chance.
I hope SO much that there is something within the new season to watch because without Lost I will be lost! And I cannot stomach Anna Torv so Fringe sadly alienated me despite my love of all things JJ.
I hope Undercovers and The Event are both as good as I expect.
And Lost did not sink FlashForward, there was just way too many storylines on that show- they should have fired half the cast and pared it down to one storyline.
Still….that appearance by Seth McFarlane was worth it all!!!!
Too bad shane, because Fringe is brilliant, fascinating, astonishingly well done sci-fi. But I can sympathize: I can’t watch Sean Penn or Ed Norton in anything because they just bug the heck out of me.
I cant stand you for not liking fringe.
I loved FlashForward. *sniff*
Me, too….I’ve decided I can’t ever watch a TV show I adore on its first run, or it gets cancelled.
it will last 4 weeks- nbc will get nervous and pull it for law and order repeats
Anyone remember “Persons Unknown” on NBC? 4 weeks on the air. 1 week missed, then shuffled to Saturdays. Ratings will determine if this makes it to episode 6. Nothing But Cancelled. NBC.
I have heard Persons Unknown is now being advertised as a “mini-series”. There are only 8 more episodes until the mystery is completely solved, or so we are told, so it would suck something fierce if they cancelled. But yeah, thank god for DVR, because otherwise it would be impossible to find with all this shuffling. But PU just isn’t that good.
“Nothing but cancelled” Brilliant. XD