from Advertising Age:
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The central premise of "Harper's Island" is that each week, a character on the CBS show -- which will launch April 9 and run through early July -- will be killed. The twist: It's likely the show will be killed too. CBS has ordered only 13 episodes and asked writers for a finite story arc. From death, however, new life might spring: If the show's a hit, it could give marketers a model for how to program the dreary summer-reruns season.
Broadcast networks have long boasted they run original programs year round, but -- let's face it -- the offerings typically consist of low-budget reality shows and "burn-offs" of old pilots that weren't good enough for a second episode. Meanwhile, cable outlets are gaining share by blasting out dramas just as the broadcast schedule winds down. Increasingly, audiences are voting for cable -- which means broadcast outlets need to up the ante. - Read the rest on AdAge.com
Update: Holly in the comments notes:
Harper’s Island was pitched as a finite, 13-episode story. That was the whole idea. It was pitched as a seasonal anthology. If this works, the next “season” would involve a whole new 13-episode mystery (different cast, setting, storyline, the whole bit).
I think Harpers Island looks AWESOME! I’m glad CBS is giving us a show that will be a mystery and end in 13 episodes unlike the crappy LOST. Hopefully the seires will be a hit and more Harpers Islands will appear on CBS.
I’m excited about Harper’s Island. When Lost and Desperate Housewives premiered I thought maybe ABC was planning something like this. They would be one season shows — maxiseries, if you will — with intricate plots. At the time I saw no way for the two shows to return after one season. They did, though, for better or for worse.
But I’m still intrigued by the idea. And apparently CBS hopes that Harper’s Island might continue in different venues:
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If the show survives, future seasons will start fresh, with a new cast attending a different kind of gathering (such as a bachelor party, or high school reunion, says CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler).
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http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/01/harpers-island-season.html
Isn’t this what NBC hoped to do with with Kidnapped a few years ago? Although it was canned after only thirteen episodes (the story was thankfully wrapped up) I thought the idea was to introduce a new kidnap victim each season with only Jeremy Sisto’s character and his sidekick returning.
Harper’s Island was pitched as a finite, 13-episode story. That was the whole idea. It was pitched as a seasonal anthology. If this works, the next “season” would involve a whole new 13-episode mystery (different cast, setting, storyline, the whole bit).
Holly & Doghouse, thanks. I updated the post to include Holly’s comment.
Double post, but…
I actually hope this experiment works so the networks are more willing to try this format on other concepts. I think the finite format allows for better, more organized writing simply because it’s easier to lay out a plan when you know how much time you have. Heroes was initially supposed to feature new heroes each season so instead of putting the same characters through the same crises and patterns, they could have explored more different powers and personalities without the overcrowding. Prison Break would have been much better as a one or two season show.
I will definately watch the first episode of this show. Sounds intriguing, and I like the fact that it’s a limited run. I agree that more shows should be like this.
Sounds pretty cool: but if someone dies every episode surely it would get boring after a while
The concept seems really good. But I don’t think it should be copied. It’s interesting because it’s rare.
I am pretty excited for this show because I think the premise is pretty cool and the showrunner’s from Alias, which I enjoyed. Doghouse is right about Kidnapped though, that was what NBC had in mind with it, but it never made it that far. Hopefully Harper’s Island can, but I really dunno what kind of numbers it will put up.
I plan on watching. I believe Katie Cassidy & Jim Beaver from Supernatural are both going to be in it.
It finally happened. An American network doing the British broadcast model.
And why no one calling Harpers Island what it is, a mini-series.
it will die after 3 episodes.. no more
it reminds me jericho and everyone know what happened to the show.. the kind of show that get the great audience (7-8 milion) and not CBS AUDIENCE (12-13 milion).. what is it supposed to do after the ”in time of dying CSI”??
Identical situation to Day Break – interesting idea and they still killed it off quickly. I won’t even bother watching Harper’s Island on a weekly basis and I’ll wait for a DVD release.
TomSD, And why no one calling Harpers Island what it is, a mini-series
Because “mini-series” is so often used to describe a made-for-TV movie that airs over 2 or 3 nights (like the two shows NBC just aired). I avoided using the term because I figured it would confuse people more.
I am so waiting to watch this!!!
Finally a serial show on CBS!
This concept is interesting, though similar ideas have been done before. As mentioned already, we saw Day Break and Kidnapped. Was The Nine (ABC, starring Scott Wolf) a similar concept? I vaguely remember that it was a finite story.
More interesting, IMHO, is this finite approach to a serial drama on CBS. CBS just can’t seem to handle serials. Perhaps they find it lower-risk to make sure such a drama contains a one-season story arc? Finite story, summer airings…these are not exactly indicators that “Harper’s Island 2″ would ever exist, regardless of how successful the first run may be.
I think the airing into summer is more a matter of logistics than a lack of expectations. I think putting it behind CSI shows that CBS wants to give this a real try (the could have just as easily held Flashpoint until the summer or put it after CSI and HI on Friday). Unfortunately for HI, CBS has March Madness, which airs on Thursdays. Starting the show in April means they can give it a full, uninterrupted run, even if it lasts into the summer.
Holly: so where will you categorize Band of Brothers, Angels in America, Roots, From the Earth to the Moon, Generation Kill, John Adams, etc.?
Honestly, I’ve only heard of a few of them and have no idea how long they ran.