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Who says that the days of second chances are a thing of the past?
There used to be a time in television – thinking now about forty years ago when the Big Three (ABC, NBC, CBS) ruled the roost – when a television series with enough critical fanfare and strong grassroot fan support could eke by for an extra season or three, even if the ratings were dismal at best. Cheers, Homefront, Seinfeld and Cagney and Lacey come instantly to mind. These were a quartet of shows with solid scripts, acting and a small but fierce following, Savvy TV bosses like Brandon Tartikoff sensing that a small groundswell could turn into a bone-fide smash hit, sometimes wisely got out of the way and gave the series a small bit of breathing room in hopes that their instincts would pay off; sometimes they did – sometimes they didn’t (sorry, Homefront). Of course, with the advent of streaming a show which might find itself on the dreaded bubble has one or two more lifelines in the form of an infinite number of platforms they can attempt to resettle to, but all of these years later it’s still a dicey prospect when you have a show that’s hemorrhaging money and sometimes it’s easier to just pull the plug altogether rather than to keep it going. Which is why it’s heartening to wake up to the news from our pals over at The Hollywood Reporter that a worthwhile series is being given a second shot by the mensch’s over at NBCUniversal…
NBCUniversal is providing an early Christmas present to the fan-favorite comedy-thriller series The Resort which premiered on streaming platform Peacock on July 28 to glowing reviews yet lackluster audience numbers. The Cristin Milioti and William Jackson Harper-led ensemble is trying for an audience reset, with network NBC deciding to rerun the pilot episode in the lucrative primetime spot right behind ratings champ America’s Got Talent. Who says Big Corporate just doesn’t care?
In a press release announcing the unusual yet welcome move, NBC President of Scripted Content Lisa Katz said that “Peacock audiences are hooked on the week-to-week mystery of The Resort, and bringing the premiere episode to NBC is the perfect way to introduce it to new fans. NBC viewers already know and love William Jackson Harper from The Good Place, and joined by the incredible Cristin Milloti, the two lead a phenomenal cast that is giving people their next binge-worthy series.”
The pilot proper for The Resort is definitely the all-access point for potential new audiences, and the skeptics out there that are still hedging on catching a viewing of the new show should take the creative bona-fides into consideration: Stalwart visionaries Andy Siara of Palm Springs and Lodge 49 fame and fellow cohort Sam Esmail who hit a major stride with the much-missed Homecoming are the respective gremlins behind The Resort; if that doesn’t recommend the new series enough, then we’re out of ideas.
Do yourself a favor: Check out The Resort on August 24 at 9 p.m. and tell ‘em Vents sent ya!
