Here’s a thought. Do you think that the networks are going to be able to keep up with cable in regards to women led shows? Think about it. The women who lead the cable shows like Damages, In Plain Sight, The Closer, Weeds, Nurse Jackie and Saving Grace are so interesting and different and network TV women are, well, usually kind of boring.
So my question is, is there a new divide between the cable women and the network women?
The reason I ask this question is that I have been reading about the new Julianna Margulies show The Good Wife. (Can I say how much I HATE the title.) Margulies plays the humiliated wife of a jailed philandering politician — Mr. Big himself, Chris Noth — who needs to go back to work to support her kids. Sounds good, but I worry that it will fall into the category of needing to be everything to everybody and will have no voice. I will definitely watch it especially because of the awesome supporting cast including Noth, Christine Baranski and the awesome Archie Panjabi who played Parminder Nagra’s sister in Bend it Like Beckham.
I watched Margulies play a kick ass lawyer in the short lived Canterbury’s Law and I hope The Good Wife has some grit. I guess that’s what I’m saying. The cable women have grit, the network women have gloss.
I prefer grit.
The Good Wife: First Impression (Variety)
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree with you Melissa, the women on cable are written so much more realistically. With the exception of a few shows like Medium, Desperate Housewives, and Grey’s Anatomy, the women are not given much depth, they’re not allowed to be eccentric or flawed. If they’re supporting characters, they’re basically plot devices for the main characters, and if they’re lead characters, they’re boring and not very human.
I too, love Julianna Margulies and I’m interested in giving The Good Wife a shot, but I certainly think whatever it turns out to be, the final product would’ve been better had it been handled by a cable network.
I don’t care for female “characters” whose entire “character” is based on her marriage or divorce.
blech
Who the hell does? According to ratings- no one.
I don’t like the stupid oaf husband, smart n savvy model looking wife sitcoms either-
more blech
Cable women characters ROCK. Network can figure out the formula (maybe hire women?) or die the lonely ratings death they deserve.
love Julianna Margulies
“I watched Margulies play a kick ass lawyer in the short lived Canterbury’s Law and I hope The Good Wife has some grit. I guess that’s what I’m saying. The cable women have grit, the network women have gloss.”
I saw Canterbury’s Law a few months ago when I rented it from Netflix. Margulies was wonderfully flawed and complex as the titular heroine. I was sorry it only lasted six episodes, but that’s network TV for ya! They don’t give shows a chance to develop and attract viewers. After I had done watching it, I couldn’t help but think, “Man, this show belonged on TNT or USA!” Too bad neither of these cable networks picked it up after Fox foolishly dumped it.
You’re right. The women on cable are so much more edgy, interesting and multi-faceted.
My first thought was maybe? I don’t watch nearly enough tv to say yea or nay, but I wonder if cable in general outpaces networks when it comes to series. I tried to think of the better and/or shows with more buzz with male leads or ensemble casts, and I still kept coming up with cable shows – like True Blood, In Treatment, Mad Men, The Tudors, Dexter, Party Down, Entourage, etc. Even in the same franchise like Law & Order, Criminal Intent, which could be argued is the edgier/quirkier one since it focuses both on the crime and the bizarre behavior of its male detectives, was moved to USA. I like the other two, but the characters are naturally lessened to make room for more of a crime emphasis.
Do cable watchers have different preferences than network watchers in general, which would explain the stark difference between cable and network female character shows?
About this one, it doesn’t sound terrible. I’d rather focus on a fictional show, where I know we can see into the mind of the ex-wife, and see her pains and anger and struggles about the situation, rather than what actually happens in real life. And since the news was awash in these stories when they came out, maybe the subject has enough public fascination to keep this show on the air until it finds an audience.
It does have a very good cast, and I like Margulies, so I hope it lasts the the season.