Boomtown

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verdantheart

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Title: Boomtown

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Action & Adventure

First aired: 2002-09-29

Creator: Graham Yost

Cast: Donnie Wahlberg, Gary Basaraba, Nina Garbiras, Neal McDonough, Lana Parrilla, Mykelti Williamson, Jason Gedrick

Overview: Each episode of this series, set in contemporary Los Angeles, examines one crime from many different viewpoints - uniformed cops, detectives, witnesses, the media, the fire department and rescue squad, even the criminals themselves.
Boomtown
 
Wow, I can't find a topic for Boomtown, so I'll create one. Am I the only person who watches this program? It won a Peabody award for its writing, but NBC still almost cancelled it. Now they've moved it to Fridays in place of L&O SVU (which is moving to Tuesdays opposite NYPD Blue). I wonder if they moved it there to put it out of its (their) misery?

Boomtown is no Alias, but I thought it was a cut far above the usual cop drama this season.
;)
 
You're not the only one who watches it, I watch it, too. I've watched it since the very first episode. I think that it's a great show and I love it's format.
 
Brilliant, but cancelled; Matt Roush's Oct 8 2003 dispatch:

~~~
How obvious is it that NBC never believed in Boomtown in the first place? Winner of an American Film Institute citation and several Television Critics Association awards among other accolades, this superb crime drama has been on the ropes at least since NBC shelved it last February to make room for the ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful Kingpin. The show barely eked out a renewal for a second season, and was rewarded with what was clearly an inhospitable new time period on Fridays at 10 pm/ET. Plus the network insisted the show's creators tone down the elements that made Boomtown distinctive: most notably, the often haunting and complex multiple perspectives that embued the stories with ambiguous human shadings. More challenging and thus never destined to be as popular as your run-of-the-mill Law & Order: Whatever franchise, Boomtown would have been toast if not for the prestige it brought to the network.

The writing was on the wall even before the second season got underway, with predictably puny ratings. NBC shut down production of the show for several weeks when it was clear the show's writers were attempting even a modest multi-episode story arc for sweeps. Boomtown was always too smart for this network's taste.

And now, after just two episodes, Boomtown is gone. Officially on hiatus, perhaps to return to a new time period, a new night, if one can be found. But don't hold your breath. Sweeps are just around the corner, and Boomtown surely isn't in NBC's playbook right now.

As for the show's quality: The first episode was substandard, most critics and many viewers agreed, but the second episode was back to Boomtown's brilliant form: a showcase for the series' breakout star, Neal McDonough as self-destructive District Attorney David McNorris, and Stacy Keach as his alcoholic, emotionally abusive father.

Part of me thinks the best thing that could happen to Boomtown is for it to disappear altogether before NBC alters it so drastically we might forget what made it so special in the first place. But it's hard to let such a gem go easily, especially at a time when the current TV crime glut is full of so many less distinguished shows. (Guess I'll have to content myself with those BBC America imports.)
~~~

Yeah, right. NBC gave it a chance . . . they stuck by it for 2 whole weeks. May NBC's ratings plunge . . . Shame on them for treating such a high-quality product so incredibly shabbily. First, I hear that they halt production because they get wind of a 2-episode "arc"--and then, "hiatus." Hey, NBC, either trade it to a cable outlet where they value good writing, or cancel it, OK? Don't mess around with a good thing.

Meanwhile, hopefully, someone's (in casting, that is) finally noticed how incredible Neal McDonough is. Even in a tiny role (ST: First Contact) he's unforgettable with those eyes of his, but give him something to do . . . wow. I'm still sorry no one picked up the interesting sci fi pilot White Dwarf (aired as a movie on Fox).
:(
 
It's so unfortunate. I don't know if you noticed, but the character Andrea Little wasn't even on the show this season. I thought she was great, too, along with Neal's character. I guess we'll just have to see what happens.
 
Yeah, the producers felt that they weren't doing enough with the actress, whom they loved. (She was really good, I have to admit.) But McDonough made what could have been a thoroughly unlikable character completely riviting and even somewhat sympathetic. He brings great intensity to a character (of course he has a huge leg up with his natural attributes . . .).
;)
 
And TV Gal gets in on the act:

~~~
I'm not speaking to NBC. We're in a fight. We're going to try couple's counseling, but I don't think it will help.

How could they put "Boomtown" on hiatus after only two weeks? The network mocks me with its cavalier and cruel scheduling decisions. Most viewers had not even figured out the show was on Friday nights and then it's gone in an instant. Reruns of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" will air in its place. Yet "Whoopi" and "Coupling" are still on the air. Where's the justice in that? Last week I was so mad that I watched the CBS Thursday night lineup and taped NBC. It's the first time I've ever done that. That will show them.

Who knows what other shows the fickle network (who do they think they are, ABC?) will cancel before its time. Not that I'm letting you off the hook either. I know who hasn't been watching "Boomtown," and I've made my list and I've checked it twice. I will be contacting you all individually via the TV Gal hotline.
~~~
;)
 
Well, it's on "hiatus," which can be code for "cancelled." They might bring it back later on, but it's kind of iffy. And the "confidence" that NBC has shown thus far in Boomtown, reducing its epsode order last season, interfering with the format and production, moving it to a death slot on Fridays at 10/9, yanking it after a mere 2 episodes--I think cancelling it could be the kindest thing. That, at least, would allow the producers to shop it around if they want to--or (sigh) free up the talent to pursue other opportunities. There are so many fine talents in this project--well, the entire cast, really--and neither Neal McDonough nor Jason Gedrick has really gotten the success they've deserved yet, despite getting some attention (this vehicle was the first real showcase for Mr McDonough since few saw the interesting White Dwarf).
;)
 
OK, it's official. From zap2it:

~~~
'Boomtown' Finally Goes Bust
(Wednesday, November 05 11:25 AM)

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Fans of NBC's "Boomtown" will be pleased to know that the show is no longer on hiatus. At least now the hoping can stop. NBC has finally officially pulled the plug on the cop drama, which drew critical raves and lukewarm ratings.

NBC put "Boomtown" on hiatus nearly a month ago and at the time, The Hollywood Reporter suggested that the show would return after a three week absence. Instead, with "Third Watch" relocated to "Boomtown's" former Friday night haunt, Graham Yost's sophomore effort has been cancelled.

Airing on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. last season, "Boomtown" averaged just over 10 million viewers per episode, but was still considered to be on the bubble when NBC announced its new fall schedule. The show's renewal was given a further boost with the announcement that Vanessa Williams was joining the show for a number of episodes this season.

The show's season premiere attracted a disappointing 7.77 million viewers on Friday, Sept. 26 and after the second episode dropped over a million of those viewers, NBC had no choice but to make other plans.

While never a popular success, "Boomtown" earned a variety of awards and nominations. Co-star Mykelti Williamson received an NAACP Image Award nod and composer Philip Giffin was nominated for an Emmy for his opening title theme. "Boomtown" received four nominations at the annual Television Critics Association Awards and won for outstanding achievement in drama and outstanding new program of the year.
~~~

It did better than Lyon's Den is doing.

NBC officially sucks.
:(
 
For those who love Boomtown, NBC will run the remaining eps right after Christmas! Set your VCRs . . . Here's the zap2it article:

~~~
NBC Sets 'Boomtown' Blowout Bonanza
(Thursday, December 11 04:17 PM)

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The critically admired, but ratings starved drama "Boomtown" is set to make a fleeting return to NBC's schedule at the end of December. The network will air all four remaining new episodes of the drama in a two-night marathon on Saturday, Dec. 27 and Sunday, Dec. 28.

Saturday, Dec. 27 will find NBC showing three consecutive unaired episodes of "Boomtown." The night will begin with the episode titled "Wannabe" at 8 p.m. ET, followed by "Haystack" at 9 p.m.. The night concludes with "The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang."

The next evening, NBC will present "The Big Picture" at 10 p.m. That episodes contains cameos by Virginia Madsen and the one and only Howard Hesseman.

All four unseen episodes feature guest star Vanessa Williams, who was recruited to try to turn Graham Yost's cop drama into a popular success in its sophomore season.

After averaging more than 10 million viewers per night on Sundays last season, "Boomtown" shifted to Fridays this year. Only two episodes aired this season, averaging only 7.2 million viewers between them. NBC put "Boomtown" on hiatus in early October and moved "Third Watch" into its place in the schedule, where the John Wells drama has noticeably aided Friday ratings.

The network officially pulled the plug on the show in early November.
~~~
;)
 
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