VIKINGS v.3 (Returns Nov. 29, 2017)

[ralphc1]

I remember when television "seasons" ran from September through May with new show pilots in the summers. Now they seem to run by calendar year on some with large breaks in the middle.

 

[Guestx]

What topic can they do?
PIrates, nope Starz has that.

Maybe Rennaissance Italy, nope there is already a show about them popes, and Leonardo,

Rome has been done to death. There is an East Asian show on Netflix already.

Railroads check, cowboys have been done,

I dont think there is a history topic left. Islam will not draw viewers unless in arab countries, but they may go to war if dont like the content. Hinduism, nah, Latin American Colonization, only in Latin america will they watch.

Maybe Napoleonic era. But what person, and or what group will they focus that has international appeal?

History is a rich tapestry and many topics can--and should--be done more than once. Besides, you can't just say "Cowboys" have been done. That's much too broad. That like saying "Computer people" have been done so we can't have any more shows that involve people who have elite computer skills.

But if you want some that you didn't mention, how about:

Ancient Egypt
The Middle Ages
Feudal Japan (this is quite distinct from what Netflix is doing)
The Roaring 20s
The 1800s in either America or Great Britain

I believe compelling stories could be placed in any of these times/places and I'm sure if we thought about it more we could come up with a lot more ideas.

Bottom line is that it's kind of silly to think that history has just been done already and there's no where else to go.

 

[method115]

What topic can they do?
PIrates, nope Starz has that.

Maybe Rennaissance Italy, nope there is already a show about them popes, and Leonardo,

Rome has been done to death. There is an East Asian show on Netflix already.

Railroads check, cowboys have been done,

I dont think there is a history topic left. Islam will not draw viewers unless in arab countries, but they may go to war if dont like the content. Hinduism, nah, Latin American Colonization, only in Latin america will they watch.

Maybe Napoleonic era. But what person, and or what group will they focus that has international appeal?

Doesn't matter if it's been done before. The last Kingdom is basically copying Vikings to an extent but it's still very good. If it's good TV people wont care that there was another TV show in the same time setting.

 

[D3thr0n3d K1ng]

History is a rich tapestry and many topics can--and should--be done more than once. Besides, you can't just say "Cowboys" have been done. That like saying "Computer people" have been done so we can't have any more shows that involve people who elite computer skills.

But if you want some that you didn't mention, how about:

Ancient Egypt
The Middle Ages
Feudal Japan (this is quite distinct from what Netflix is doing)
The Roaring 20s
The 1800s in either America or Great Britain

I believe compelling stories could be placed in any of these times/places and I'm sure if we thought about it more we could come up with a lot more ideas.

Bottom line is that it's kind of silly to think that history has just been done already and there's no where else to go.

I would like to see a series based in Feudal Japan around the time of European contact in the 1500s with samurai, ninjas, Spaniards, Dutch, etc. If done well could be entertaining.

 

[Guestx]

I would like to see a series based in Feudal Japan around the time of European contact in the 1500s with samurai, ninjas, Spaniards, Dutch, etc. If done well could be entertaining.

I'd totally be down for that.

Not sure if you're aware, but Martin Scorsese is currently working on a movie set in that time period called Silence.

 

[PUO3]

Had no idea about the break until I went to watch tonight.

Am rustled badly.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

History is a rich tapestry and many topics can--and should--be done more than once. Besides, you can't just say "Cowboys" have been done. That's much too broad. That like saying "Computer people" have been done so we can't have any more shows that involve people who have elite computer skills.

But if you want some that you didn't mention, how about:

Ancient Egypt
The Middle Ages
Feudal Japan (this is quite distinct from what Netflix is doing)
The Roaring 20s
The 1800s in either America or Great Britain

I believe compelling stories could be placed in any of these times/places and I'm sure if we thought about it more we could come up with a lot more ideas.

Bottom line is that it's kind of silly to think that history has just been done already and there's no where else to go.

No one will watch ancient Egypt unless it is the Ptolemaic Dynasty because they were Greek.

Vikings is set in the Middle Ages. Are you talking about the Dark Ages? That is like King Arthur though.

No one is going to watch Feudal Japan unless everyone is blonde and british accent. Marco Polo has a token white guy.

Roaring Twenties is Boardwalk Empire

Yeh you can do Victorian England. Wait isnt that what Outlander on Starz is?

 

[Guestx]

Had no idea about the break until I went to watch tonight.

Am rustled badly.

I'd have been in the same position if not for this forum.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Doesn't matter if it's been done before. The last Kingdom is basically copying Vikings to an extent but it's still very good. If it's good TV people wont care that there was another TV show in the same time setting.

That is true, but Viking lore has not been over done. I cannot name another viking saga besides those two.

Many other topics and eras have been touched on so many more times,

 

[MadSquabbles500]

and they already have done Hercules and Xena.

 

[Matt4786]

I don't think it's any coincidence that they went on break right as GoT started.

 

[Guestx]

No one will watch ancient Egypt unless it is the Ptolemaic Dynasty because they were Greek.

Vikings is set in the Middle Ages. Are you talking about the Dark Ages? That is like King Arthur though.

No one is going to watch Feudal Japan unless everyone is blonde and british accent. Marco Polo has a token white guy.

Roaring Twenties is Boardwalk Empire

Yeh you can do Victorian England. Wait isnt that what Outlander on Starz is?

I think you underestimate people. Just because YOU'RE not interested in it doesn't mean no one else is.

Also you contradict yourself with this statement: "No one is going to watch Feudal Japan unless everyone is blonde and british accent. Marco Polo has a token white guy." You don't need EVERYONE to be white. You only need one white surrogate. That's easily done. Look at the Shogun mini-series from the 80s.

But beyond all that let's dive to the root cause: Why are you so against historical programming?

 

[Guestx]

I don't think it's any coincidence that they went on break right as GoT started.

Didn't think about that but that's a good point.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

I think you underestimate people. Just because YOU'RE not interested in it doesn't mean no one else is.

Also you contradict yourself with this statement: "No one is going to watch Feudal Japan unless everyone is blonde and british accent. Marco Polo has a token white guy." You don't need EVERYONE to be white. You only need one white surrogate. That's easily done. Look at the Shogun mini-series from the 80s.

But beyond all that let's dive to the root cause: Why are you so against historical programming?

I am not against it. I just feel the TV execs feel me on this one, and dont feel there is any stories left to tell. Or else they be doing it.

 

[Guestx]

I am not against it. I just feel the TV execs feel me on this one, and dont feel there is any stories left to tell. Or else they be doing it.

There are very few (no?) original stories left. There are only ancient themes wrapped in new packaging.

If what you're saying is true, then there would be no historical programming on today. Unless of course you think that this recent wave of historical shows are the ones that finally tipped the scales . . . hit the wall . . . the last of their kind . . . never to be seen again.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

I don't think it's any coincidence that they went on break right as GoT started.

Possibly. I think Vikings is much better though. And they are on different days.

I only watch GOT to see who dies. And it is not even how they die. I just want to see whom the execs decide to kill off because they have nothing else for shock value. I watch Vikings to see vikings. It is just better story telling.

 

[Matt4786]

Possibly. I think Vikings is much better though. And they are on different days.

I only watch GOT to see who dies. And it is not even how they die. I just want to see whom the execs decide to kill off because they have nothing else for shock value. I watch Vikings to see vikings. It is just better story telling.

I think they've both dropped off in quality lately. Couldn't honestly say which is better at the moment, but Vikings certainly can't compete in terms of budget so GoT wins in terms of special effects, costume design, sets, etc...

 

[MadSquabbles500]

There are very few (no?) original stories left. There are only ancient themes wrapped in new packaging.

If what you're saying is true, then there would be no historical programming on today. Unless of course you think that this recent wave of historical shows are the ones that finally tipped the scales . . . hit the wall . . . the last of their kind . . . never to be seen again.

It will go on hiatus and then come back years down the road.

Black Sails cannot go on forever. I guess if Vikings can establish Ragnars sons, then they have a few more seasons. But something tells me it will not pan out. Hell on Wheels is like Black Sails. If they try to stretch it, will turn people off to that period. I cant think of any others.

Oh there is Musketeers on BBC which is only for one more season. Last Kingdom will follow the books closely, and that is a plus.

Remember that show set in 1960s Miami, I forget the name. It was cancelled after pilot season. Too Boardwalk Empire-ish.

 

[Guestx]

It will go on hiatus and then come back years down the road.

Black Sails cannot go on forever. I guess if Vikings can establish Ragnars sons, then they have a few more seasons. But something tells me it will not pan out. Hell on Wheels is like Black Sails. If they try to stretch it, will turn people off to that period. I cant think of any others.

Oh there is Musketeers on BBC which is only for one more season. Last Kingdom will follow the books closely, and that is a plus.

Remember that show set in 1960s Miami, I forget the name. It was cancelled after pilot season. Too Boardwalk Empire-ish.

Obviously the shows that are on today will end. But there will be more.

I can't think of a time when there wasn't SOME kind of historical content on TV. If nothing else then you have something like Poirot (the first episode set, if I remember correctly in either the 20s or 30s), which was produced by the BBC and ran here on PBS from 1989 until just a few years ago.

I believe there will ALWAYS be a market for historical content. And there will always be new stories to tell.

 

[greygoose]

I can't find it, but I thought I saw a commercial on HC for an upcoming series similar in nature (not the Roots remake). not sure if it was a show or miniseries since it was an advert for multiple upcoming shows