Constantine, starring Matt Ryan, aired its series opener last Friday on NBC to a strong 4.3 million. Despite this, I believe that the show based on the Hellblazer comics, may not get renewed due to the reasons presented below.
1. The Show Occupies The Friday 'Death Slot.'
I find it odd that NBC decided to launch an arguably very marketable show on a Friday night which in the realms of TV is considered a ‘death slot.’ Many networks will shift their underperforming shows to a Friday to finish out their respective seasons or to slowly fade away. It is assumed that on a Friday night that audiences have better things do to than watch demon hunting. Yet, the mystical and fantastical have had an affinity with Friday night viewings over the past years.
Grimm, which
Constantine is paired with, has fared well for NBCs on Fridays and even
Supernatural was shunted to a Friday before giving a prime time weekday slot in later seasons. So whilst a Friday is not an ideal night to launch a new show, many have succeeded so who’s to say
Constantine will not?
2. Goodbye Liv, Hello Zed!
Last week’s pilot and the leaked version were two very different episodes. In between the leak and the debut, it was decided that changes would have to be made which included writing out Lucy Griffiths character, Liv Aberdine, and replacing her with comic book creation Zed. Goyer cited the reason for change that the show was going in a ‘different direction’ than previously planned. When I first heard about this, I was unsettled that the show was making such big changes very early on and that this would not bode well for the future. However, if you are a member of the general audience and did not notice a change, this should not affect how the show is viewed.
3. Failure to Receive a UK Broadcaster.
Technically speaking the show will air in the UK but only through Amazon Prime. This actually surprised me as living in the UK, I was anticipating the show getting picked up. The UK is one of the biggest international markets which would have helped the show to grow. Audiences would have connected with the English character easily and a strong international fan base has seen many shows renewed in the past such as Kristen Kreuk’s
Beauty and the Beast. Amazon Prime, whilst accessible to some, will heavily restrict the viewership the show could have received but if it came to a bidding match, the highest amount would have won. It is a real shame the show doesn’t have a UK TV space as conventions appearances and merchandise can assist shows in making profit and be seen as marketable ventures for networks.
4. No Smoking, Mr Constantine!
When I first heard of an adaption of the popular character, I was amazed to learn it would air on network television. Surely a show with such dark, satanic themes is better suited to an unreserved cable station? So far, the characters trade mark smoking habit has been compromised so that it is referenced and happens off screen. Whilst a minor quibble, fans of the character may be turned off if many more bans are imposed which shed away at the true aspect of the character. It is too early to indicate if network interference will affect this show but right now keep your eyes peeled for things which may suit NBC, not the John Constantine character.
5. The Small Screen Invasion of Comic Book Charcaters.
As if competition from
Arrow,
Gotham and
The Flash was not enough, next year could see the launch of
Supergirl,
Teen Titans,
Krypton,
Static Shock and many more live action shows, not to mention Netflix’s upcoming Marvel slate… that’s a lot of comic book based TV shows! There are only so many hours in the day and with all these shows competing against each other, there is sure to be schedule clashes and stiff competiton.
Constantine may be at risk as the core audience of this show will also be interested in all of these other, better known characters and some may side line
Constantine. I know everyone will have their preferences, but all of the other projects are from characters that have had much greater exposure through animation etc, and will likely score big for their respective networks.
I am not trying to boycott this show in anyway it just seems to me that the show may suffer whilst
Gotham and
The Flash stride. Get the discussion going and share your thoughts below on the series and whether or not you think it will be back this time next year!