In Defense Of 'Lone Star'

TV critics and fans of broadcast TV shows that don't get the ratings they deserve tend to blame the expectations of audiences. You often hear the argument that a particular show is "too smart for broadcast TV" or that it would "be a better fit on cable."

The truth is that most shows that fail do so because they either have serious flaws or the network screws up the branding/promotion of the show. For every great series that is canceled unfairly, there are a dozen that ended because they just weren't good enough. That doesn't mean that the people associated with the show are untalented or undeserving. It just means that this particular project didn't come together the way that everyone hoped it might.

Complex TV shows also seem to do better on cable in recent years because cable networks will give a series an entire season to find an audience before yanking it. It's a level of patience that not only provides shows the chance to build some buzz. But it also rewards audiences who take a chance on a linear story-driven series. There's nothing worse than falling for a show and then having it disappear after four or five episodes. Audiences are left hanging and after a couple of experiences like that, they're reluctant to invest the time in the future.

I bring all of this up because having watched the new Fox drama Lone Star, I am convinced about a couple of things. a) It's one of the best new fall shows on broadcast or cable and b) It's going to have a difficult time finding an audience.

Most of my friends are only casual viewers of television. They watch their favorites, but they don't follow industry news and couldn't pick a network president out a lineup if they were offered a million bucks. So they are the perfect control group. If they don't "get" a show, there are some real problems with the series.

The weekend before the show premiered, I had a group over for a pilot screening party. I had already watched everything, but it was a good excuse to have a beer and pick the brains of "average" TV viewers. I screened Hawaii Five-0, Chase and Lone Star. And what I heard has to be scary if you're a Fox executive.

No one really knew what "Lone Star" was about going into the screening. A couple of people had seen ads, but they still weren't sure what it was about. One person was convinced that it was a cop show starring Texas Rangers. After they had watched it, seven of the eight people in the room not only said they would watch it again. But they raved about the show for the rest of the night.

That kind of reaction is scary because it means that Fox hasn't gotten the word out about Lone Star in a way that reaches the right audience. And that's shame, because Lone Star really is a fabulous show and one that deserves to be successful.

The series stars James Wolk as Robert/Bob Allen, a guy who was raised by a con man dad (played by David Keith). All he has ever known is the life of the con, and it's not surprising that he's great at it. As the show opens, Allen has fallen for two of his marks. One is the daughter of a wealthy Texas oilman and the other is a lovable average girl living in Midland. His efforts to keep both lives while keeping his secrets safe is really what drives the show.

The premiere episode of Lone Star did not do well in the ratings last week, and Kyle Killen (creator of the show) has been relentless in his efforts to lure viewers in tonight. It's a tough challenge, because viewers who missed week one might feel as if they're already too far behind on the story to catch up.

But thanks to the magic of web sites like Hulu, you can watch last week's episode online. So you don't have any excuses.

The same can't be said for Fox, which surprisingly hasn't tried to capitalize on the buzz being created by Killen's efforts and by campaigns such as the one from Zap2it. They haven't had stars of the show out doing a new round of interviews and they haven't even made tonight's episode available to the press. Given all the talk surrounding the show, it's one that critics want to write about. But Fox isn't making it easy to do so.

I could write some long, flowery piece on the reasons why you should watch Lone Star. I realize there are many other viewing options tonight. But it's worth giving this show a try. And even if you DVR it, as long as you watch it in the next couple of days, you'll help the overall ratings.

Otherwise, you'll be one of those people who complain about the broadcast networks cancelling shows too early. Even if you're one of the people who helped to make it happen.