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UPDATES NBC Cancels New Drama ‘Undercovers’
An insider gave me this guidance about what went wrong with Undercovers, a show that NBC massively promoted and yet was still rejected by audiences: “Many things. Mostly, what was meant to be a throwback lark of a show felt trivial to people. It felt flimsy and not compelling, partially because it was designed as a stand alone, non serialized show. Perhaps the stories lacked deeper interest and urgency. We tried to embrace a familiarity of form, but the public obviously didn’t want something so familiar. Unfortunately we never got an audience from the get-go; our abysmal recent rating wasn’t even one point lower than our premiere number. We just should have done better. It is a bummer to be sure. NBC did the best they know how. We feel responsible for the failure, though. But damn, it sure would be easier to blame the network!”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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100% agree with the assesment. The show would have had more depth if the storylines were serialized, and more back-story / mythology was worked into the character back-stories. Expected to see that built on after the pilot, very disappointed to see otherwise.
For the first time, probably ever, you actually cannot blame NBC for the failure of this awful show. But you can blame the JJ factory that was selling the premise on this show using just their name.
It was basically a reboot of Alias, with just a few small changes. It lacked creativity, interesting plot lines, and the entire casting was wrong from the get go. The only shame in this situation is Gerald McCraney. The two scenes that he appeared in every show was the only bright spot during the episode. Waiting for a Thai massage in the last episode in his robe was just hysterical. He should try some sort of sitcom.
NBC once again is left picking a show just from an idea, a not a pilot or a script, wasted millions of marketing and now is back looking for another 8pm show. Comedies might be an idea.
How about the truth? Show just was weak…you can’t have two leads that are completely uninteresting to watch. Boris has to be one of the most shallow actors out there and the two of them had so little chemistry that I think watching paint dry would be more interesting.
Never watched the show except for what TV critics have said and from the article glad I didn’t. I guess this show was suppose to be “Hart to Hart Super Spies”? If so, then yes a major fail.
God almighty, give me strength. That “Undercovers” even made it to air, combined with the admittedly good-natured post-cancellation analysis of your “insider”, merely reinforces the unsettling fact that so many many people in TV just dont get it — “it” being what viewers like Sasha and kidco and OB above DO get.
I’m all for analyzing failures as much as I am celebrating success. Too much of the latter is done is TV and sadly little of the former. But let’s stick to real-word analysis and forgo the broad-stroke conclusions like “the public doenst want familiar.” Tell that to the producers of FIVE-0 and BLUE BLOODS (retread cop show) and GREYS ANATOMY (medical soap) and DANCING WITH THE STARS / AMERICAN IDOL (talent shows) and TWO AND A HALF MEN (an odd couple sitcom) and NCIS LA
It was just too “forced”.
Mr&Mrs Smith worked in part because there was the goof that they didn’t exactly know about each other. You can get away with that in a feature; it’s not week after week.
In “Undercovers”, the premise was, in effect,”Yeah, we’re married with a pretty cool business/career, but, on weekends, if it looks my golf game will be rained out, I’ll go around the world and kill a guy. Duty calls.”
Hard to get anyone to come back and see what happens NEXT week.
Agree. Also the leads just did not connect with the audience. They came off as cold and to plastic.
Did like seeing Gerald McCraney on the tube again. Also just too much of a “Mr & Mrs Smith” rip off.
The female lead is a beauty, but perhaps she just wasn’t tough enough looking. The male lead came off (to me) as a male model. Maybe if the show had been rougher around the edges and at later time slot it would have done better.
Maybe try a Mexican show, an Asian show, a southern show, puerto rican show;
these ethnicities are exactly the same percentage of the population as black, 15%.
However we are not force fed and for for the past 50 years the idea that somehow have to be patronized;
Ouch!! Well, NBC’s attempt at bringing diversity (meaning 2 black leads) to it’s line-up has failed to gain an audience. I watched the 1st episode and really was attempting to be a supporter but I echo everyone that posted here. Regardless of the Obvious, I just didn’t care anymore. It needed 2 be…..just NOT what it was!! Now, let’s see if the same is true of “Outsourced”!!! Lol
this show sucked…
It… was… SO… BORING…
I read a review before the show premiered comparing it to Scarecrow and Mrs. King for today and was excited about this series, until I watched the first episode and went “this series came from JJ Abrams, what a disappointment.” I felt no connection to the characters, the chemistry was off, and uninteresting plot and story line. Sorry, did not grab me, and I love spy serials. I’ll go back to Chuck and Burn Notice.
Actually a spin on Scarecrow and Mrs. King would have been fun – but one thing that made it work was the real spy paired up with the amateur. Thats the kind of pairing you see in a lot of mystery novels that have a romance factor – whether you call them amateur sleuth or cozies or his ‘n’ hers capers they find their audience – when you have that amateur as half of the pair you have an excuse to do the wacky, not-by-the-book stuff – when you have two pros its hard to sell to the audience. It should have taken a page from Scarecrow and Mrs. King or Remington Steele or Bones or Chuck. Or this should have gone to Lifetime as a series of 2 hr movie-shows with a strong arc.
Awesome. This show sucked more than most of USA’s new shows. The only thing worse than “hey, she can’t be a CIA spy because she’s too darn pretty” is “hey, they can’t be spies because they’re… married!”
America wants more fat people on TV!!!
I don’t think it was a bad show, at least based on the 2 episodes that I saw, but the Spy space is pretty competitive right now. Aside from the big screen where Jason Bourne and Bond are both compelling, Chuck is hanging on season after season for the younger crowd and Burn Notice might be the best show on cable outside of Mad Men.
How many spy shows do they think people will realistically watch?
It’s simple really, two lead actors with no acting ability and no chemistry.
I’d beg to differ, having seen Gugu Mbatha-Raw on stage in a David Hare production in London – she was great. Not her fault. I’d fault the material and US network TV’s insistence on mediocrity and snarky laziness. JJ Abrams, step back, think, and give us more story!
It didn’t need to be serialized or have a mythology. The stories needed stakes. There were no stakes for the characters in the episodes I saw. They were never in a situation that you didn’t know they were going to get out of. .
You’re absolutely right. I can see how the lack of a serial storyline would have thrown off fans tuning in based on JJ’s name, but I think a standalone sort of series could still work today as long as the storylines had stakes. And they were never there. I loved the Scarecrow and Mrs. King/Hart to Hard throwback nature of Undercovers, but those series managed to generate tension-both suspenseful and romantic. Undercovers failed because it didn’t, which is too bad. And given the premise, they really should have used the conflicts in romance versus spying to generate that tension, but they never did. They were in love and they spied, and those two things never really got in the way of each other.
it’s as clear as day, nothing was good, original or stood out. no offfense to the actors but they look like they belong in a sears catalog, especially in that promo pic. and the title ‘undercovers’ — the whole thing was just cliche and boring.
I would say the self-analysis is correct. I watched the first three or four episodes and just couldn’t get engaged in it. I liked the leads, was happy to see Gerald McRaney back on t.v. But the stories seemed lifeless. As I already watch too much t.v. than is good for me, it was easy to give this one a pass. Too bad, because with the leads and general concept, it could have been good.
I’ll say since nobody else will. A part of why it didn’t “take off” is because the leads are black. Sad but true is America may have elected a black president, but now look how many regret it. Just saying, it’s something to think about.
Undercovers was doomed from the beginning. Why? Because it was only good to “look at” not good to watch. It was nonsuspenseful. It was very whimsical, but more than anything, it was a slap in the face to the characters that were used and the directing talent.
Even with CSI and NCIS picking up the Law and Order formula, there was always a serious, dramatic tone, that was framed by the one-liners, not the other way around. Undercovers was no more serious than Monk or Psych, which are really good shows. If the same type of feel of even a “White Collar” could go into a show like this, it would have been marginally successful. Plus putting it on the same night as DTWS wasn’t a smart move either…
For what it’s worth.
I love JJ but I was let down and disappointed by the design and structure of this show. It kinda just floatrd from one mission to the next with no real implication of back story. Great characters but chemistry. Between them and the viewer didnt build beyond absent minded television watching. When a line was dropped that there may be more it was never expanded upon. I think a reboot and rework would help tremendously. This show should not get the ax. Writers sometimes reach their exhausted place or the “I have big ideas” place without being able to climb out with clear articulation.
NUMBER ONE REASON IT FAILED: ITS SOAP OPERA LEVEL LEADS WHO POSED FOR EVERY SHOT AND EVERY PICTURE AS IF THEY WERE ON A CAT WALK. THIS SHOW WAS DOA WHEN FIRST PROPO HIT IN SUMMER. THE LEADS WERE ANNOYING AS HELL.
MJ
MJ:
Most of what you complained about is the fault of the writers and director.
I’ve seen both leads in other things and was disappointed in the series as it did nothing for them.
The two most annoying leads in recent memory. when your actor pose for every shot and picture as if they are on a modeling runway, you know you are DOA.
MJ
it wasn’t terrible by basic TV standards. But the writing was awful- no surprises at all. The writer should watch BBC America’s Luther- now that’s a great script .The other problem was the lack of chemistry
The show flopped because the leads had NO, NO, NO chemistry. They never behaved as man and wife. And GUGU could not act. We know Boris Kodjoe is no Olivier, but she’s dreadful. She’s not even sexy. So why hire her when there are so many other actresses who could have played the part?