Nicklas, you're half right. The on-air promos were quite good. The time slot, as it turned out, sucked, since we were up against what turned out to be the Idol-like hit of the summer. That may have worked out anyway, if the network had had the proper time to launch it. On-air promotion is one thing. It's one part of a show launch campaign. But it was the only thing we got. Unless there is enough lead time to really launch a show, with a real campaign to raise awareness, then the only people who will know about the show are those who watch Fox air. For instance, TNT brought a much larger audience to "The Closer." And one didn't need to be watching TNT to be aware of it. I was aware of it, and I never watch TNT. That's because they knew what their air date was going to be months in advance. We knew only weeks in advance. I drive down the street here in LA, and I see "the Closer" billboards on bus stops, Shield billboards, Rescue Me billboards. We had nothing other than the on-air promos. Bones and Prison Break are being promo-ed now, months before they air. And in places other than Fox air. You get my point. When the network finally decided they wanted to air spots elsewhere and in other media, they couldn't find anything, everything had already been pre sold.

I don't blame Fox at all for being impatient. But it's their job to bring the audience, it's our job to keep the audience and build on it, which is exactly what we've been doing.

This is really the only way this was going to shake out. Ask Allyson, I've been telling her this since they gave us the summer air date. The truth is, we were in a kind of box. Because of the storied history of the project known as "The Inside," if they'd held us until fall, they would have resented us, we would have had the stink of old goods that had been sitting on the shelf too long. By shoving us into the summer without the proper campaign, we were destined to flounder. Shrug.

Tim, I'm sorry to hear the bad news. Each week, my love for the show has been growing more and more and I've been looking forward to seeing where it all leads (I really wanted to know more about Web and why he assembled that particular crew of agents.)...unfortunately, I guess it's leading to DVDs and more ire towards FOX for ripping my TV-lovin' heart out yet again.

Regardless of the outcome, thanks again for giving us (fill in the blank) hours of great TV, even if FOX won't play nice and share all of them with us over the airwaves.

ETA: That lack of lead time was really unfair. I saw the promos back when they were still "coming soon," and I thought, "Good, there's some promotion going on." I thought they were going to build it up through the summer and was surprised when the premiere was actually announced. Flipping that around, once The Inside was set for a summer debut, I was surprised to see the promos for Prison Break and then hear it wouldn't launch until the fall. Since FOX experimented with an offseason schedule last year, I thought that was the direction they were going in again beginning with the launch of The Inside. Now, The Inside just gets cast adrift while other shows will have all summer to build up word of mouth and they'll point and say, "See, this show had an audience off the bat, blah, blah" without taking into account how they screwed it all up.

I'm just gonna go cry somewhere now.

Why are most of my DVDs TV shows that were cancelled before their time? WHY?

Grr.

However X and the Plimsouls are playing that night in Orange County. Pretty sure I know where I'll be.

You do know that The Unheard Music (greatest rock movie ever) is finally out on DVD, right?

signed,
Ran Into D.J. Bonebrake At A Record Store And Became A Babbling Fanboy

Sheeeittt.

Okay, I'm better now. Tim Minear - Auteur of the 13 Episode Arc.

You know what? I'm okay with that. Terence Malick - three movies. New York Dolls - two records. You're already way ahead of the curve.

And the Fox prexie likes you, and they're advising you to keep all your deleted scenes.

And if the DVD package goes awry, I have two words for you: Global Frequency.

Man, I really fucking want to see where these characters are going though.

Just to add -- I'm not at all saying that if we'd had a real launch we would have been a big hit, or even a hit. Odds are we wouldn't.

Personally, I'm not sure a space western would have ever built a big enough audience to stay on the air either, but it's all speculation since they wouldn't air the pilot first in that case. Just sayin'.

all i have to say is, *sigh*. Tim you deserve so much better than FUX has treated you.

Boyfriend's reaction was one of the resignation that comes with having shows you like disappear. (He didn't make it through more than 2 eps of Wonderfalls. He didn't like Jaye.) Still sad to see it go, and I expect boyfriend's roommate will be sad to hear it as well, when she gets home.

I really, really want a series of The Inside novels, written by the show's writing team.

I want The Inside breakfast cereal.

Okay, that was silly.

Shouldn't that be breakfast serial, P-C?

I couldn't resist. It was too easy.

Well played, Kiba. Well played.