The FLASH TV SERIES

[Jack Flag]

DC can't make the CW do anything. They may both be owned by the same parent company, but each operates as an independent business entity. DC has no leverage to force CW to air their shows, and while the CW does have a certain identity and appeals to a certain demographic, even within those parameters, it makes good business sense to have a diverse programming slate. The days of narrowly-defined niche programming are pretty much over. There are way too may entertainment options available to every segment of the audience for a network to survive long doing on small, specific thing over and over. That's why most cable channels that began their existence appealing to one very specific narrowly-define audience segment (like the Sci-Fi channel) have long since expanded into other kinds of programming.

I never implied DC could force anyone to do anything only that the WB bosses are missing out on a franchise possibility. Franchises is where the money is in entertainment properties.

[Jack Flag]

Not a whole lot I can say about this episode that hasn't been said yet but I loved it just like everyone else. It was great seeing Mark Hamill and yeah he did sound a lot like the Joker, but that kind of reminds me of how Jackie Earl Haley sounded pretty much the same playing both Rorschach and Freddie Krueger. A voice can only change so much. Hamill looks a little chubby these days- I guess that must be what his wisened Jedi master in "The Force Awakens" will look like too.

There is one thing I wondered about. A spike strip doesn't usually make a car roll over but it's always possible. The rollover killed Wells' wife and it could have killed him as well as far as Thawne knew. Anyone think the device that Thawne used to change into Wells did not require Wells to be alive as long as he was only recently dead? Reminds me of a certain "Man of Steel" exchange- "Does Kal El need to be alive for us to extract the codex from his cells?" "No."

Hamill sounds like the Joker because he voiced the Joker in the Batman animation show and video games.

[Kensei]

Hamill sounds like the Joker because he voiced the Joker in the Batman animation show and video games.

Yeah, I didn't think my wording implied that I didn't know that. Some actors have their normal voice and then a "character voice" they sometimes use, and no matter which character they're playing that character voice tends to sound the same. Luke Skywalker has Hamill's normal voice, while the Joker and the Trickster both have his character voice. Just like when you hear Jackie Earl Haley speaking as himself he doesn't sound like Rorschach or Freddie Krueger, but his takes on Rorschach and Freddie both sound the same. I think it's a rare actor who can literally do multiple voices that sound nothing like each other.

[kalorama]

I never implied DC could force anyone to do anything only that the WB bosses are missing out on a franchise possibility. Franchises is where the money is in entertainment properties.

Well what you said was:

DC needs to figure this out! I don't get why they shop around their shows to other networks? Make CW the home of DC comics - Warner Brothers owns the network for goodness sake!

Saying that DC should figure it out implies that they have control over where the shows air and should stop shopping their shows to other networks and put them all on the CW. If you say that's not what you meant, okay. But it was a reasonable conclusion to draw from the statement.

That aside . . . CW isn't really missing out on anything as far as franchises go. They're currently in the process of expanding their superhero franchise, with more frequent crossovers between Arrow and Flash and the upcoming spinoff show. But CW has a limited programming schedule. They only air 10 hours of original programming a week, and with the spinoff coming, there's already 3 of those that'll be committed to superhero stuff next season. They've already got several established shows that they're committed to (Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Originals, The 100, Whose Line is It Anyway), and Jane the Virgin is one of the most critically acclaimed new shows of the season (don't know what the ratings are, but given CW's standards and history, even if they aren't great, the critical reception alone is probably enough for them to keep the show going). That's most of their air time spoken for.

Warner Brothers isn't Marvel; they've built their brand on more than just superhero stuff. They aren't interested in giving up that diversity, and that makes good business sense for them.

[Kalen O.]

Yeah, the CW already made an unprecedented move of renewing all eight of their scripted dramas back in January. Originals, Jane the Virgin, Flash, Supernatural, Arrow, The 100, Vampire Diaries and Reign have already been renewed for next year, with IZombie and The Messengers potentially being renewed as well depending on how they do. Its why they have such a miniscule pilot season this year, they only ordered like three or four pilots....they literally don't have room for any more new shows as it is.

And having so much confidence in your programming slate that you don't have room to add any new ones is a problem most networks would kill to have, so the CW really doesn't have any motivation to try and squeeze in any more superhero shows besides the proposed spinoff they're already working on.

[The Darknight Detective]

I did not know CBS was known as the superhero network. What was their lineup besides Spider-Man and the Hulk?

Lynda Carter ring a bell for you?

[Jack Flag]

Lynda Carter ring a bell for you?

That was NBC.

[The Darknight Detective]

That was NBC.

The WWII episodes were on ABC, but the contemporary ones were on CBS.

[Howard Allan]

Well what you said was:



Saying that DC should figure it out implies that they have control over where the shows air and should stop shopping their shows to other networks and put them all on the CW. If you say that's not what you meant, okay. But it was a reasonable conclusion to draw from the statement.

That aside . . . CW isn't really missing out on anything as far as franchises go. They're currently in the process of expanding their superhero franchise, with more frequent crossovers between Arrow and Flash and the upcoming spinoff show. But CW has a limited programming schedule. They only air 10 hours of original programming a week, and with the spinoff coming, there's already 3 of those that'll be committed to superhero stuff next season. They've already got several established shows that they're committed to (Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Originals, The 100, Whose Line is It Anyway), and Jane the Virgin is one of the most critically acclaimed new shows of the season (don't know what the ratings are, but given CW's standards and history, even if they aren't great, the critical reception alone is probably enough for them to keep the show going). That's most of their air time spoken for.

Warner Brothers isn't Marvel; they've built their brand on more than just superhero stuff. They aren't interested in giving up that diversity, and that makes good business sense for them.

Add the upcoming Supergirl series to that. With even more comic book series on the way after that. Yes they are the Superhero network.

[Crimson Knight]

The WWII episodes were on ABC, but the contemporary ones were on CBS.

Spider-Man? Animated, live action, or...? The Amazing Spider-Man, or....?

When were there ever Spider-Man episodes in World War II? Wasn't created until the 60s, unless set then?

[Crimson Knight]

Add the upcoming Supergirl series to that. With even more comic book series on the way after that. Yes they are the Superhero network.

No. Supergirl's CBS, so Arrow, The Flash and the spin-off are The CW.

Constantine's NBC.

Gotham's Fox, looks like Lucifer is too.

Krypton's SyFy.

Titans is TNT.

Static's online, and Vixen's CW Seed.

But, that's it, to my knowledge.

Whatever about possibly or not same universe here and there, still many different networks.

[Crimson Knight]

Not a whole lot I can say about this episode that hasn't been said yet but I loved it just like everyone else. It was great seeing Mark Hamill and yeah he did sound a lot like the Joker, but that kind of reminds me of how Jackie Earl Haley sounded pretty much the same playing both Rorschach and Freddie Krueger. A voice can only change so much. Hamill looks a little chubby these days- I guess that must be what his wisened Jedi master in "The Force Awakens" will look like too.

There is one thing I wondered about. A spike strip doesn't usually make a car roll over but it's always possible. The rollover killed Wells' wife and it could have killed him as well as far as Thawne knew. Anyone think the device that Thawne used to change into Wells did not require Wells to be alive as long as he was only recently dead? Reminds me of a certain "Man of Steel" exchange- "Does Kal El need to be alive for us to extract the codex from his cells?" "No."

Well, even if Harrison didn't need to be alive for Eobard to do as he did, was necessary for exposition, or perhaps show how fierce Thawne is, even when played by a different actor.

[Gray Lensman]

Spider-Man? Animated, live action, or...? The Amazing Spider-Man, or....?

When were there ever Spider-Man episodes in World War II? Wasn't created until the 60s, unless set then?

I'm pretty sure the WWII stuff is Wonder Woman.

[The Darknight Detective]

Spider-Man? Animated, live action, or...? The Amazing Spider-Man, or....?

When were there ever Spider-Man episodes in World War II? Wasn't created until the 60s, unless set then?

I was talking about Wonder Woman.

[Crimson Knight]

I was talking about Wonder Woman.

Ah. Well, never mind then, thanks.