Drive - ongoing thread (1 Viewer)

[Greg_S_H]

After seeing ads for months that said "coming soon," we now have a date: April 15. Two hour premiere. It sounds like it's along the lines of Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Cannonball Run, but leaning more towards drama than comedy. I'll give it a shot, but I don't know what to expect from a show debuting at such an odd time of the year. Will it last, or will it be the next Day Break?

 

[Joe_H]

Didn't they have to entirely recast it or something, and that was the reason for the delay?

 

[Greg_S_H]

The only thing I know about the show is what I've seen in the ads, so I don't know. I did forget to mention that it will be airing on Fox.

 

[JohnS]

I do really want to see this, especially since it has Nathan Filion in it

 

[Jason Seaver]

Yeah, they replaced Ivan Sergei with Nathan Fillion, and I think a lot of the rest of the cast.

Every time we see an ad during 24 or Prison break at our house, the reaction is basically "it's going to suck, and suck hard, but in an amusing way, because Fillion will be aware of the show's absurdity and play to it."

Also, I think this is the first show Tim Minear has run which he actually had a hand in creating, rather than being a hired hand. As such, I expect the excuses and rationalizations for why it failed to be extra-special amusing.

 

[TravisR]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to that too.

 

[Joe_H]

I don't think it looks horrible from commercials, I'll check it out for an episode or two.

I have to ask though, what the hell has Nathan Fillion done besides Firefly to make him so revered around here?

 

[Scott-S]

Nathan was great as Caleb in Buffy. He played creepy very convincingly.

Here is a list of his work:
Nathan Fillion on IMDB

 

[Jason Seaver]

Slither. He was a ton of fun in Slither. It's too bad he was associated with Buffy's disastrous final season, but Slither makes up for a lot.

He's also a guy that has made a great impression on people in personal appearances and media.

 

[Sean Bryan]

I probably wouldn't check this out based on the premise alone, because cars and "racing" just don't do it for me.

But I will check it out because I've enjoyed Nathan Fillion's presence in the work he has done and would like to see what he does with this.

 

[TravisR]

If you've been on a Whedon show, you don't need have ever worked before or after because you've got a built-in fanbase.

He was also on Lost this season.

 

[Nick Martin]

Do you guys have something against Tim Minear?

If so, then I guess "Firefly" doesn't count among the list of failed shows he's been involved with?

I'll watch this because of Minear, since he wrote many of ANGEL's best episodes, in addition to writing for Firefly and another show I found great but too short-lived, "The Inside".

 

[Jason Seaver]

I think Minear's a pretty darn good writer, but I've also observed that he tends to whine a lot online when his shows get canceled, publicly placing the blame all over the place. He did it with Firefly, Wonderfalls, and The Inside, and probably would have with Standoff if he hadn't already moved on to Drive. It's kind of amazing that Fox keeps hiring him, because you'd think he has to be burning some bridges.

I'm watching it because of Minear too, along with some of the cast: I'm trying to figure out whether Kristin Lehman can't get a fair shake or isn't very good, for instance, and it's hard not to pull for Melanie Lynskey - she's got to look back on Heavenly Creatures and wonder how Kate Winslet gets nominated for an Oscar every other year while she winds up on frickin' Drive. And he's got to have found some part for Adam Baldwin after Day Break ended.

But, man, it looks like a stinker, though an entertaining stinker with (hopefully) some great HD vehicular mayhem. And when it ends, Tim Minear will be unable to accept that he made a show that audiences just didn't like, because that's who he is.

 

[Nick Martin]

I recall some interview he did after "The Inside" was canceled, where he said it's (at the very least) fun to make these little mini-series and explore different genres.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

I understand this is airing on Fox Sunday in the US. In Canada this aired tonight and in deference no spoilers just general impressions.

Always great to see Filion in anything and he acquits himself well. The show smacks of Cannonball Run and the Amazing Race. Fortunately one area it surpasses CR is in the humour. It is not juvenile and in one or two spots is actually quite funny.

All the contestants have ulterior motives but Filion's carries the most dramatic meat up to this point. The show is quick paced and the rest of the cast is an audience friendly mix with the exception of one girl who is an obvious Lohan clone.

Great to see Charles Martin Smith as well. Man its a long way and time from the Buddy Holly Story.

I understand the series has a 13 episode run. This looks like one the I will be coming back to.

 

[Nick Martin]

I'm waiting for the FOX broadcast on Sunday only because I like the idea of not having to put up with a Canadian channel cutting into the American one.

 

[TravisR]

There's a thread here:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...d.php?t=254316

 

[JohnS]

I have an early copy of this and the second episode on DVD and will be watching this on saturday hopefully. Im excited only for Nathan being in this, and there might eb some good car action

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Oops - sorry about. Admins feel free to combine.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Another thing to note is that another new episode will be airing tomorrow (Monday) as well, also at 8/7 Central. Three hours right off the bat. I sure hope it's good.