Clip Show Territory?

[mjm800]

Stargate SG-1 has a deplorable tendency to use cheap-a$$ clip shows so they can afford big eye candy season-finale type episodes.

BSG did not run the danger of this with 13 episodes, do you think we might see some with the 20 episode order?

Although, in BSG defense, there was not much "big" eye-candy in season one, I hope not, but if money is tight 20 episodes will cost, it might happen. I hope not.

[Blade Runner]

I doubt it, it seems to go against the grain for RDM

[mjm800]

Agreed!

However, the budget for a Sci-Fi produced show is much lower than Network TV, that's part of the reason SG-1 can go nine season with 2 million viewers per week.

SG-A just did a clip show and it is in season one!

Anyway, with 20 episodes and a tight budget, I hope that RDM does not have to make the hard choice between having the big battle with a clip show included or scaling back the battle and no clip show.

[XwingRob]

Actually, with a arc heavy show like this one I wouldn't be suprised if they didn't have a clip show once in a while, or they'll have flashbacks alot. But I would prefer if they didn't.

And come on SGA: Letters from Pegasus was hardly a clip show, I don't even think it had 5 minutes of clips at most!

[Neumann]

True, those clip shows are pretty annoying, but they do have to meet their episode quota, and in Stargate's case it seems that it's become a staple, just trying to do stuff differently.

I DOUBT Battlestar will have that problem, especially because they can do an entire ep in sets with NO CG whatsoever if they need it, they are masters of having people stand around and talk, how much does that cost?

Chris

[ladyrheena]

Neumann said:

I DOUBT Battlestar will have that problem, especially because they can do an entire ep in sets with NO CG whatsoever if they need it, they are masters of having people stand around and talk, how much does that cost?

Still more, alas, than just replaying already filmed stock footage.

[CylonGod]

The budget for BSG has been increased to match the 20 episode season. So it should be pretty much the same as the 13 episode season. I think they will stay the course in what they have been doing as the money is the same per episode.
I hope so anyway.

[MrNiceGaius]

"Clip" shows are important, especially for heavily narrative shows, just like Galactica. I wouldn't be suprised if sometime late next season one popped up.

I know they are annoying, however for a show that is so heavily dependent on what has happened in previous episodes it's 1) a way to attract new viewers into the established tv show, and 2) a way to recap the plot as it gets unmanagebly complicated.

I just hope that BSG approaches the recap in the way that SG-1 and At have done. Make it creative, so that it advances the plot, and not just a bunch of flashbacks.

Also, I don't think it's a cheap way for producers to save a quick buck. The example of SG-1: their recap shows are important, because there are so many stand alone episodes, that they need an episode to tie all the various plots together in a coherent manner, so that the finale that follows makes more sense to the unitiated viewer.

I know that I started watching Farscape after the special that recapped the series up to season 3. I believe the episode "Crichton Kicks" followed the special... and from that point I was addicted to the show. The recap episode is very very important to shows like BSG that rely heavily on the continuous narrative elements of the season.

[ladyrheena]

That's a valid point, MrNiceGaius, but not always the case. I'm thinking of a particular Trek episode (TNG) called 'Shades of Grey' which was basically a clip show yet also served the double boredom whammy as a pointless filler episode.

Of course I can't image BSG doing something like that (the gods forbid...) and it'd be interesting to see a show that can actually integrate such an episode into the overall story arc. I'm afraid I can't comment on SG since I never get to watch it (the guy who controls the TV only permits one sci-fi viewing a week, y'see...)

[MrNiceGaius]

ladyrheena said:

That's a valid point, MrNiceGaius, but not always the case. I'm thinking of a particular Trek episode (TNG) called 'Shades of Grey' which was basically a clip show yet also served the double boredom whammy as a pointless filler episode.

Of course I can't image BSG doing something like that (the gods forbid...) and it'd be interesting to see a show that can actually integrate such an episode into the overall story arc. I'm afraid I can't comment on SG since I never get to watch it (the guy who controls the TV only permits one sci-fi viewing a week, y'see...)

was Shades of Grey the episode where Riker was all wonky trying to do a play? And he couldn't figure out if it was all real, or just a delusion?

edit: no, it's the episode where Riker gets infected by that weird leech. yeah I remember that episode.

Gotta remember that that was nearly 15 years ago. TV in general has come a long way since then.

As for the SG-1 recap episodes. They're well done, if not annoying, because you know it's coming a week before the big climax of the season. Some of the notable SG-1 Recap episodes:

1) revolved around the disclosure of the stargate program to other world powers. It was basically a briefing, telling different ambassadors representing the worlds most powerful nations about the stargate. It worked quit well, aswell as advancing the overall plot.

2)More recently, Sg-1 did a little bit of a wierd recap episode, where some normal dude had been having visions of what SG-1 was doing. He ended up trying to become a screen writer (using the visions as his inspiration) eventually he goes crazy, and finds out that his visions are actually real.

Basically, SG-1 recongnized that one couldn't do the Cliche recap episode over and over again, and so has created stand alone episodes that recap the series, while not getting redundant, and repetitive.

[Blade Runner]

MrNiceGaius said:

was Shades of Grey the episode where Riker was all wonky trying to do a play? And he couldn't figure out if it was all real, or just a delusion?

That was the one that made me more interested in TNG

[MrNiceGaius]

Blade said:

That was the one that made me more interested in TNG

me too, it was one of the more complicated episodes of TNG, that's for sure

[Blade Runner]

MrNiceGaius said:

me too, it was one of the more complicated episodes of TNG, that's for sure

MrNiceGaius check your PM's ;D

[mjm800]

I have to say that the last clip show SG-1 did was very entertaining, I loved the way the guy was explaining his stories to his friends and they would offer the same complaints about the episode that the fans did in reality. I thought it was a great way to show the fans that the creators of the show do hear what the fans have to say.

So, I agree that if done creatively a clip show can be a worthwhile episode.

[MrNiceGaius]

mjm800 said:

I have to say that the last clip show SG-1 did was very entertaining, I loved the way the guy was explaining his stories to his friends and they would offer the same complaints about the episode that the fans did in reality. I thought it was a great way to show the fans that the creators of the show do hear what the fans have to say.

So, I agree that if done creatively a clip show can be a worthwhile episode.

see, I convinced you, clip shows are good, but they have to have their own plot, to carry the flashbacks. Just having flashbacks for no reason (ie. that example of the TNG episode) doesn't cut it.