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'Sabrina': WB's got 7-year itch - more information

 
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orudge
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 17, 2002 11:45 am    Post subject: 'Sabrina': WB's got 7-year itch - more information Reply with quote

Quotes from below site:

"Also, Melissa's attitude leads me to believe she resents the fact that a younger, sleeker and more talented and versatile actress has taken her place as the crown jewel of the WB Friday lineup. Sorry, Melissa, younger, sleeker, and more talented and versatile sells"

"I can only believe that Melissa is so desperate to hang onto this "Sabrina" gig because she's already proven a failure outside of the TV series...and she'll be damned if her next project is going to be "Clarissa Explains Some More"."

"This entire dialogue sounds more like a bitchy mall queen upset that the new girl in school is prettier and more popular than she is, rather than a responsible star/co-executive producer of a television series intent on making their show better and more appealing in its twilight. I can't recall a young actress of her stature ever that was animatedly fed up with the network that airs her show."

http://members.fortunecity.com/robair/abnow/column/111502/111502.htm

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(Rhymes With Witch) and Moan
Melissa Joan Hart's Grumbling Isn't Helping Her Cause -- Or The WB's
Somebody's just realized that the numbers for "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" aren't as good as they were. Somebody's figured out that the WB is trying to formulate a Friday strategy that doesn't include "Sabrina". Somebody's just found out that the show won't be running a full season, and that after tonight's performance the next scheduled episode will be the Christmas episode. And that somebody is venting, and making some fairly inaccurate statements about the WB Friday and its other shows and performers in the process, giving that somebody a clear shot at the Get A Stinkin' Clue Spotlight O'Shame this week.
Hell hath no fury like Melissa Joan Hart scorned.
The star, executive producer, and sometime director of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" has recognized that the WB is experimenting with a "Sabrina"-less Friday for the next two weeks, including the final Friday of the November sweeps, deeming "What I Like About You" as a show with a future on the Friday slate and "STTW" as being, in effect, yesterday's news. In today's article on TV Guide Online, MJH lashed out at the network that rescued her from ABC a few years back. Melissa seems to want to blame the fact that the show's gotten too expensive to produce. "I guess we have a really expensive show, and for the price of our show," explains Melissa, "the WB could put two other shows in pilots." Want a less expensive show, Melissa? I guess it starts with you. Then your 25 or 30 executive producers and producers you have. Or perhaps the parade of special guest stars you have to pay and cater to like Avril Lavigne, Ashanti, Verne Troyer and Carson Daly. Melissa goes on to say, "The WB doesn't care about us at all because no one there created the show. They kind of just bought it to make their money. Because nobody there backs our show, nobody there is fully supporting it or putting their neck out for it." Melissa kind of seems to have a point there because I have commented time and again that the on-air promotion level of the comedies as a whole is sorely lacking when compared to the dramas. ("I guess"? "kind of"? Is this a TV showrunner or Gretchen at the mall speaking?)
But then Melissa really put her foot in it and went on to basically discredit nearly everyone else on the WB Friday schedule, especially her lead in show "What I Like About You". "They've tried putting other shows in our timeslot and failed miserably. It's us along with Reba holding up Friday night now, but for a long time it was just us, even though they're ignoring us and not giving us any promotion." Seeing her give Reba McEntire her props was indeed heartening, but to say that "Sabrina" and "Reba" are the only shows "holding up Friday" now, this writer can only say, "Get a stinkin' clue!"
I wonder if Melissa Joan Hart looks at the numbers demographically. I mean, a close look, studying them. That's what an executive producer of a TV show is supposed to do, right? The numbers for this year show that "Sabrina" has improved over last year at this time in key demos, and also helped the network lead all networks overall in female teens, a very key demo for a network with a disproportionate number of ads for Kotex. So she needn't grumble.
And she needn't dis the other elements of the WB Friday, especially her lead-in "What I Like About You". The reason the WB is basically blowing off the promotion of "Sabrina" is that the network has been rightly lavishing more promotional attention on "What I Like About You", the show that's getting all the young female demos in the tent...and is largely responsible for most of "Sabrina"'s audience these days. Also, Melissa's attitude leads me to believe she resents the fact that a younger, sleeker and more talented and versatile actress has taken her place as the crown jewel of the WB Friday lineup. Sorry, Melissa, younger, sleeker, and more talented and versatile sells. And if you didn't have Amanda Bynes bringing in all those young females to watch the WB, you probably wouldn't have an audience. So don't say you're holding up Fridays when you happen to be lazily resting in the hammock of the WB's two most talented comedic actresses.
Then Melissa makes an absolutely preposterous charge that she's working on a season finale that would see a more "adult" turn for the series in Season Eight. Has she forgotten she works for Archie Comics? The organization who holds the copyright on the character of Sabrina, having published stories featuring her character for forty years now, and for legal reasons still insists on referring to the 26-year-old Melissa as a "teenage witch"? M-Jo can talk a good game, but the Archie suits won't let her get over that little hurdle, unless Sabrina morphs into a mortal. Or is she envisioning marrying a mortal and turning the show into a slacker version of "Bewitched"? I can only believe that Melissa is so desperate to hang onto this "Sabrina" gig because she's already proven a failure outside of the TV series...and she'll be damned if her next project is going to be "Clarissa Explains Some More".
This entire dialogue sounds more like a bitchy mall queen upset that the new girl in school is prettier and more popular than she is, rather than a responsible star/co-executive producer of a television series intent on making their show better and more appealing in its twilight. I can't recall a young actress of her stature ever that was animatedly fed up with the network that airs her show. But with the WB committed to holiday programming (including "Sabrina"'s Christmas episode), there aren't going to be too many showings of it for the holidays, so if the WB stays the course with "Sabrina", there won't be much mention of it on the network at all. Which might make Miss Hart even more insufferable in the weeks to come.
And this is the big difference between Melissa Joan Hart and Amanda Bynes. Amanda has had the luxury of being able to take chances outside of her normal TV career, and has been quite philosophical about success and failure over the years. Melissa has more or less stuck close to her projects, not taking on many outside projects. No matter what Amanda has done in her previous TV career, she's been able to take on new and fresh challenges without the scepter of the past creeping in. Amanda has a future, and all Melissa seems to have is a past, and the longer she lives the past, the more she puts off having to face the future. She won't be able to shake that "Sabrina" tag no matter how many times she tries. Today's inadvisable rant on her bosses seems like it's only going to accelerate the process...perhaps now sooner than later, the WB will wave its magic wand and make "Sabrina" disappear.
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Zippy!



Joined: 17 Aug 2002
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Location: Hollywood CA USA

PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2002 9:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've seen this article posted in a couple of places, including the link to the original site referenced and couldn't figure out where she dogged on Amanda Bynes. After looking at it again here, the only thing I can figure out is the mention of the character Amanda played by Melissa's sister Emily that did appear in last Fridays new episode. If that's the case, this writer is either clueless or so hung up on Amanda Bynes that he/she's looking for anything to promote her beyond the site.

Mr. Green
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DOOM DEMON



Joined: 16 Aug 2002
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2002 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe they should rearrange the serie (STTW) and change enviroment, actors/actresses, home etc. but keep Melissa as Sabrina in her real age....but in that case, they have to change the name of the serie as well Rolling Eyes

Fred
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Zippy!



Joined: 17 Aug 2002
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2002 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ahh...you guys outside the US!
Actually the series took a pretty ridical change this season. Zelda, Hilda, Josh and Miles are gone. Sabrina now shares the aunts house with Roxy and Morgan and Sabrina works for a magazine which is the center of most of the stories, unlike the previous years where they were centered around the house and school. There are a bunch of forgettable characters at the magazine that you don't get enough of to relate too. Actually, that seems to be the problem with the series; only Sabrina and Salem are relatable (and maybe Roxy to a lesser degree, Morgan was a waste from minute one).

The show used to teach a moral through fantasy, now it tries to force a moral down your throat tied to a bunch of un-relatable and forced site gags and cliche' characters; or to be a '70s slapstick sitcom with no underlying purpose. Either way it's not working. If it wants to survive, it has to return to it's roots. For instance, she should take a job in the other realm and have other hip young witches as roomates who she can relate too and have adventures from that perspective. That allows her to be her age but still doesn't ignore it's foundation. In short, they should bring back as much of the old writers from seasons 1-4 as they can get and go back to what made it succede in the first place. Trying to sex it up might spark it for a few episodes but, ultimately that will look forced too. Short of that it will be dead by the 19th episode this year.

I saw the episode mentioned in the above article and the TV Guide article last week and it seemed like a scrambled mess. Producer Garry Marshall (Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy) played what you might assume was a mobster, but his performance was so low key it had no impact and the perceived threat upon Sabrina by him was lost. I've seen him play this kind of character before with great impact, so I know it wasn't his acting. The whole thing with the maids (under story) had so many holes in it, it wasn't understandable. And, that great moral was the most amatuerish display yet, suggesting second hand smoke kills; sure it does, but I think the point is lost in the fact that a great deal of the magic throughout the series has had smoke bombs going off around it. What made it worse was the message revealed itself and was over in a few seconds (trying to surprise us with a twist, I guess) without any suggestion of where it was going; if you turned at that moment to say somthing to somebody you missed the whole purpose of the show. The funny thing is, this could have been a good story if it had stayed focused on the the mobster/singer issue. I just noticed it received the shows worst rating this year too.

Well, I've drug on long enough for all 16 of you who read this board and probably don't care. I probably sound negative here, actually I'd like to see the show survive, I just don't see it doing so with where it's heading.
Mr. Green
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orudge
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2002 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I agree. While I haven't seen season 7 yet obviously, if I compare the likes of season 6, say, to season 1 or 2, it just doesn't have that same "spark" with it. Of course I'd like to see Sabrina survive, but, as you say, it's losing it a bit. Confused
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Fanboy



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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2002 4:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zippy;
You raise some legitimate points, not like that Amanda Bynes worshipper who attacked Mel personally and made snide comments about Mel's weight etc when he should be thanking Mel for making Bynes' career possible in the first place.
I think the changes at STTW were all well intentioned and in theory are good ones, such as Sabrina getting away from the bland, relationship driven story lines and no longer whining to the aunts all the time. The Viacom/MTV connection is a smart one to use (Avril Lavigne is a big improvement over Hansen, to say the least.) But somehow, maybe because Archie Comics was such a major pain in the ass (again) and the WB just didn't care enough to fight for STTW, the changes could not go as far as intended.
Now, if one wanted to be nasty, one could say Mel should have been all over this problem instead of spending the summer all over Mark Wilkerson, but I love Mel dearly and her happiness is what's important and I would never deny her anything. She's very special.
STTW crashing and burning this way breaks my heart, actually. Mel does not deserve the shabby treatment she is getting from the WB right now, and if the WB execs actually think that Little Bow Wow is going to be the comic genius that puts them on the sitcom map they are doing way too much cocaine....
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punisher2002



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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2002 10:15 pm    Post subject: 7 year itch Reply with quote

hey everone.
i real think melissa is not getting treated right from the wb i think she is the maine reason people turn in on friday it all crap what the wb is doing to melissa the show is a big hit and when they brought it they know it and now they won't change it for her then she should leave the show.i think if the wb is going to make a miss out of everthing she should do it i maen it not like melissa want's to have sex on the show she just want's to make it more like her i say they will let sttw go on.but on the other hand they may stop the show i think the write from season 1-4 should come back to who know's it may work.i know you may not care what i said but i had to say it i real think the to girl's should leave and let melissa move on the ants are gong mabey emily could move in with her and then have a someone like a friend move but not those girl's i do not like them they made it look ok when they were first on it but now they out live there part on it kick them off the show.oh will this could be the season for her show but i hope it not i think they can work everthing out who know's.
stay Cool
joe machugh
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DOOM DEMON



Joined: 16 Aug 2002
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2002 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with all of you, but Sabrina is still a teenage in STTW. I mean, let her grow up to, letīs say about 25 years old. She canīt play a teenage all her life. Rearrange the serie-make it all a new show, but keep the theme of her magic power and maybe sex her up a bit. God damn, I canīt explain what I want in english - stupid me Sad
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Fanboy



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PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2002 3:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't worry about your English, Fred (Doom Demon). Your point was made just fine.
None of this is Mel's fault, and I hope no one thought I was implying that. She is caught in the middle of some kind of "compromise" between Archie Comics and the WB and her own film company and has had to take all the heat for it.
BTW, Mel has looked really hot this year, too. Damn.
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punisher2002



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PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2002 5:55 pm    Post subject: 7yearitch Reply with quote

hey fred.
i think your english is better then you think and no way are you stupid and anyone who think that is stupid as for what fanboy said it not mel fult it the wb they brought the show as for sex melissa part up HELL YEA let her do want she wants i think she could do magic and still have a fun time doing what wb want her to do i could be wrong and let hope not Laughing but i am so mad the show is not on this week Evil or Very Mad i just hope melissa and the wb can come up with something and save the show.to bad we can not do something to help out.stay Cool
joe machugh
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DOOM DEMON



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PostPosted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Mike and Joe Smile Well hope that the show will survive for a couple of series at least Smile
Your Friend;
Fred
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orudge
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, well, as was said in one of these news articles, season 8 is being planned apparently, but whether the WB will take it, we'll just have to wait and see. Confused If they have any sense, they will.
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