Netflix acquired Blindspot, and it’s been a fun series to revisit after it ended in 2010.
It was a classic case of NBC genre-bending, adapting a convoluted conspiracy thriller with sci-fi elements into a procedural format for general audience consumption.
Broadcast often knows the formula that works best. If you esconce some of the weirdest, most bizarre concepts within a procedural format, it may become a hit.
If you want to explore supernatural and fantasy elements, just set it in a quaint town and make your lead character a detective, and next thing you know, Grimm is one of the most buzzworthy series on the air.
Hey, do you want to bring science-fiction elements to the general audience via creepy technology? No problem!
With a setting like New York City and a shadowy figure like John Reese joining forces with the enigmatic Michael Emerson as Harold Finch, viewers will eagerly recite “You are being watched” as they tune into the CBS hit crime drama Person of Interest for half a decade.
It wasn’t just The CW that made superheroes work to their advantage with an entire, stellar franchise (although they certainly left the biggest impression with all of the Arrowverse).
FOX also dabbled in the genre with success, with series like The Gifted and Gotham, which were scintillating.
Hell, even FOX had its fair share of sci-fi offerings. The X-Files is the first to come to mind, and Firefly will always be a cult hit.
But think of the era of FOX, where they constantly had something sci-fi-related in rotation. Fringe and Dollhouse were critical darlings and just genuinely fun to watch.
The network also made some decent attempts with series such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Wayward Pines.
I’ll go on the record right here and say that I would’ve happily tuned into more seasons of Almost Human, Next, and Minority Report. They weren’t perfect series by any stretch of the imagination, but I didn’t need them to be that.
They were freaking FUN.
And when broadcast cable, and now streaming, often leave us drowning in heavily stylized, incredibly dramatic, dark, and gritty series that, more often than not, either have the networks playing it safe or chasing after award recognition, FUN is a good thing, a great reprieve from all of that!
Remember when we were deep in the throes of a vampire craze, and even broadcast wanted to get in on the action? It was glorious.
Shows like Moonlight on CBS were tragically short-lived, as was a series like The Passage.
I could start an entire rant about the disrespect shown toward the gem that is Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
And Midnight, Texas was not only a perfect supernatural series, but it also aired during the summer when broadcast actually delivered summer programming.
I miss summer programming every bit as much as genre series on the letter networks. In fact, my colleague Paul Dailly has just spoken about the absence of summer programming and how it feels like network television is leaving money on the table by no longer delivering on that front.
We had our pick of the litter for fantasy, supernatural, and sci-fi series, and even if the series didn’t last longer than a season or two, at least there was a time when broadcast genuinely tried to diversify what it offered.
Broadcast used to take risks. They didn’t shy away from being weird, nerdy, and fun.
As a result, they would urge us to be the same. No apologies.
On paper, the very concept of Once Upon a Time sounds so outrageous that it shouldn’t have worked.
ABC went for it, trusting that a group of adults would happily welcome the perfect blend of childlike nostalgia and real-world storytelling, delivering a magical series that brought fairy tales to life.
And it was actually, quite literally, magic. That series premiere of OUAT is still one of the most visually arresting things I’ve ever seen on television. It was genuinely like they brought the happiest place on earth to life onscreen for us.
It was bold. Fun. Truly unique.
Broadcast having the guts to bring genre programming to the forefront is what may have introduced broader audiences to it.
Offhand, if you ask me what my favorite genres of television are, I don’t mention sci-fi, supernatural, or fantasy.
It’s not even a genre I actively seek out. But when network television teased these really fun, cool concepts, I was hooked.
I may never find myself casually watching The Wheel of Time, Stranger Things, or The Last of Us. But I never missed a single episode of Timeless.
And Sleepy Hollow, in its prime, was one of the most riveting series. It sparked my journey of writing about television in the first place.
One of the first series that shaped my love for television as a medium was Xena: Warrior Princess.
There was a time when networks didn’t just stick to the same formulaic police procedures and legal and medical dramas.
Hell, there used to be a time when their idea of being “weird” and innovative didn’t mean coming up with a kookier catch for those same procedurals.
“Here’s a police procedural, but with a high IQ cleaning lady, or a professional thief, or an author, or a magician” serving as a consultant. You’d think they handed out consultant opportunities like pieces of candy.
When did we get to a point where the boldest and weirdest thing a series can do now is make its main character the only one, not a cop in a cop show?
Better yet, how will we ever escape this franchise, reboot, and revival hell?
If we must continue down this worn path of reboots and revivals — can we at least get the weird stuff again?!
As our TV Fanatic owner, Carissa Pavlica, wrote, Where Have All the Great Genre Shows Gone?
Instead of another dozen series about various law enforcement agencies, can’t we have one or two devoted to genre television?
Network television has become so critically risk-averse that it’s sucked the life out of everything. It’s why broadcast is essentially dying before our eyes.
We shouldn’t have to tune into one of a dozen streamers we’re subscribed to or wait once every blue moon for a poorly promoted cable genre series to hit the airwaves to fall in love with sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural series.
And with the loss of a station like The CW in its prime, the last vestiges of genre television on network has slipped away. It’s actually quite depressing.
It goes hand in hand with the limited escapist television.
We no longer have a fun series inspired by fairy tales on broadcast. They won’t let quirky shows like Kevin Probably Saves the World or God Friended Me thrive anymore.
And if you want to experience a superhero show, you have to subscribe to Disney+ and wait two to three business years for eight to ten episodes of grit, special effects, and drawn-out action sequences.
AMC’s efforts at supernatural series both fall into the trap of franchise with Interview with a Vampire’s Universe and go unappreciated by the masses.
And viewers find themselves having to reach back to TVD and The Originals for a supernatural fix, where there was a time when a network actually treated its genre television as it would a procedural, with full seasons, long-form storytelling, and multiple seasons.
Will broadcast ever let its freak flag fly again? Or is it content killing off genre television along with teen series and family dramas?
My request for broadcast remains consistent.
Dare to be weird. Take risks. Have fun. Get creative. Do something.
We’re not yelling about algorithms — just the things we love, and the things that drive us mad!
If you’re frustrated about this, too, let us know. Comments and shares make a difference, especially for small outlets like TV Fanatic.
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