'Concept' shows lose sight of sharp hooks
TV Goddess
Published: November 16, 2006
Last Modified: November 16, 2006 at 07:06 PM
"Day Break" is the latest in what's becoming a long line of "concept" programming. It started with "24," which gave us a new idea that worked in the format of a TV series and became a huge success.
That was followed, though, by less successful concepts, from "Watching Ellie" (real-time comedy -- Julia Louis-Dreyfus apparently was still under the "Seinfeld" curse) to last season's "Reunion" (solving a 20-year-old crime one episode -- and year -- at a time; problem is the cancellation left viewers hanging and wary of serial mysteries).
The problem with concept programs, whether comedy or drama, is that most of the concepts can last only a short time before they either force the series to an abrupt end or fade to the background, leaving just another TV show.
"Reunion," of course, would have had nowhere to go after one season and one mystery solved. Midseason comedy "Big Day" also would be difficult to repeat a second season, since the series promises to live the same wedding day over from different perspectives.
"How I Met Your Mother" is an example of a successful concept program. However, in that case, the concept is pretty much gone, at least for now. Ted/the narrator doesn't appear to be telling the story of how he met his future children's mother. It's just a different take on "Friends." It's consistently funny, but the concept is irrelevant at this point. Same goes for "The Class," which only used the format of third-grade classmates to introduce viewers to these characters and establish their relationships.
The question is why use a concept if it's going to turn into just any old show? The answer is that there is so much competition to get pilots on the air that a hook is usually needed to draw attention to a new series.
And that is the world that "Day Break" was born into. This drama is being described almost universally as "Groundhog Day." That's not exactly the case, since "Day Break" isn't funny and since there's more at stake here. But it does borrow from the concept, repeating the same day again and again until our main character gets it right.
In "Day Break," that main character is Brett Hopper, played by Taye Diggs. Diggs and everything else about the show are lovely -- it's sleek and crisp, and you'll never tire of looking at it. But with Hopper repeating his day, usually multiple times each episode, it could start to feel repetitive.
If it doesn't, though, credit Diggs, who was given a mostly weak cast of supporting characters and carries the weight of the show on his shoulders.
But with Hopper trying to find out who's framing him for the murder of a district attorney while trying to keep his loved ones safe in the process, the mystery is high here. After this season's cancellations of series such as "Smith" and "Kidnapped" -- and the shortened season of "Vanished" -- it might be difficult to get viewers onboard.
• TV reviewer and Portland, Ore.-based freelance journalist DeAnn Welker can be reached at deann@tvgoddess.com. To read more of her TV ramblings, visit www.tvgoddess.com.
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-- DeAnn Welker Day Break
airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC, Channel 13.
Web: abc.go.com/primetime/daybreak
