smoothaise

You bring up a very good point. It seemed like a typical drama, but turned out not to be. It's a smart show that mixes politics with drama, and in the end result comes off masterfully done. And yes The WB tends to promote alot of Teen dramas. Thankfully, they got it right with J&B, and I guess the core audience could be adults as well. I don't know. I think it's too soon to tell.

JudyC

I just hope that the WB will let Jack and Bobby's success speak for itself and not try to tinker with it, or dumb it down. But I don't wish to get cynical b/c I am very intrigued by the show's potential, and it's only the beginning.

One of J&B's greatest strengths is that it isn't just a teen show fixated on romantic entanglements, which grow old and convoluted quickly. The writing is sharp and complex. I think Christine Lahti's presence really adds further legitimacy to the series.

JudyC

Hobbesian

I really hope they don't tinker with it, or that if they do they make it more sophisticated and more adult rather than going in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, ratings were terrible last week. However, that was when the show was up against the Emmy's. So at this point it's a waiting game, but I suspect something is going to change in the not too distant future -- be it the time slot or 'direction' of the show.

JudyC

My experience with the WB has not always been a very pleasant one. Too many shows I've liked had brilliant first seasons but then fell apart b/c the network couldn't leave well enough alone.

I agree, last weekend may not have been a good indicator b/c of the Emmys. Also, the ratings for the Emmys were very low, as well. So we'll see.

Is Sunday night the best time slot for Jack and Bobby? Would Monday nights be better? Just curious. I don't remember what is on Monday nights on the competing networks....

Judy

DreamOn777

I really don't like Sunday nights for Jack and Bobby...I think it would be perfect with Everwood on Mondays but I think 7th Heaven in there...I think it might do well on Wed at 9...I know The Mountain is debuting there now,but I see that getting canceled soon.I think that WB won't be so quick to cancel it.After the whole One Tree Hill situation(it started out with horrible ratings,but it grew and now is a WB success),I think WB realizes that shows gain fans and ratings go up as shows go on.

Hobbesian

My concern isn't that they cancel it -- the network has invested far too much in advertising et al to cancel before the end of the season -- but rather that they will drastically alter the show in a desperate attempt to win over more fans. It's happened before, and I could see it happening here with disastrous effects.

22 Umbrellas

That has happened with almost every WB show I've ever liked. I stopped watching some of them because of it, so I hope that doesn't happen here. The problem is, I never seem to like the same things as the average person, so I adore a show when it has low ratings, then they change the show, the ratings go up, and I'm not really liking the show anymore.

That being said, I watched this ep when it aired on Sunday. I wanted to comment, but I haven't been online since then and now I no longer remember it that well. I'll try my best.

So we know that Jack was married before he died. Was he married to Courtney? I'm not sure if this is a stupid ques. b/c my family likes to talk while I'm trying to watch TV and I tend to miss a lot of dialogue the first time around. I mean, we know that Bobby and Courtney didn't get married until after Jack died, and future Courtney does say that Jack was her first love.

The credits were interesting. I have sort of an obsession with credits and was really looking forward to them. I have to say I really liked the way they made it look sort of like a political documentary or something. Usually I like the whole flashy opening credits thing, but these fit the show.

20 minutes into the show they showed a new OTH promo, which caused me to flip out, and after that, the rest of the ep could have sucked and I wouldn't have cared. But, it didn't.

I really like the scene between Grace and Bobby before he ran away to Courtney's. As well as the scenes between Jack and Bobby. I don't know what it is, but they just do family relationships so well in this show.

I don't like Courtney when she's with Jack and vice versa. I don't know if it's the way their scenes are written or the way they're acted or what, but they both emote much better in their scenes with Bobby than with each other.

So Bobby ran as an independent. I suppose I should have figured something like that. Now, as for an independent actually winning the election. I think that's sort of impossible, but it's 40 years from now. I guess anything can happen.

JudyC

This discussion reminds me of something Grace said in the pilot. About how television is catered to the majority of Americans and is as a result garbage. Sometimes I wonder if some shows are too good to last on television, especially on a network like the WB. There are certain elements to Jack and Bobby that would appeal to its young, main audience: it is relationship-oriented. Matt Long is undeniably gorgeous. But the show is SO much more and that can be too much thinking for the young crowd. The show could be trying to broaden its identity, but those who already watch the WB might lose patience, and an older, more adult audience might need further evidence that this isn't just another teen show.

I don't know, maybe I'm just rambling. Like Rain Candy, I have been burned by the network in the past, particularly with Roswell. I'm still hurt about that one. It had a sterling beginning, but then too much interference caused it to "change direction" and the show was a complete failure. It didn't capture a new audience and lost much of its existing one.

My impression was that they didn't get married. What does everyone else think?

My thoughts as well. Actually, at first I was a little disappointed, but I think that's b/c I was expecting to hear Dido or Tom McRae's song or something. But the opening credits do fit the show and help to make it seem more adult than some rock song (as is heard on Smallville, for example).

I think that could be because, with Jack, she comes off as quite reserved or standoffish. My favorite scenes are among the family (they play off each other so well and quite realistically) and Courtney/Bobby.

At first I didn't like all of the documentary interviews, or at least, having so many, but I realize that that's where the intrigue of the show really kicks in. We get hints of what they are talking about but not enough for the full picture.

JudyC

Hobbesian

Hold up a second here, how is it that we know Jack was married before he died?

I certainly didn't catch that...

Subject

I didn't catch that part either.


I that quote. It is so true. Which explains all of these reality shows.

Those were my feelings almost to a T. I liked the first docs but thought that perhaps they could have ended it there. However now, they have become a part of the show that I just can't do without. The bring the great sense of history to this show.