This article discusses the influence of audience opinion on TV shows, including instances of retconning and storyline abandonment.
Summary SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT While there have been plenty of examples of TV shows retconning key decisions in their plots, there have also been times when a show retconned something because it was so unpopular that it received huge audience backlash.
In the past, there have been examples of TV shows that abandoned a storyline, although this differs from a retcon. But from time to time, a retcon in movies or TV shows has occurred because the audience response was so negative that the writers had to get creative. However, a retcon isn't always a bad thing. There have also been instances when TV shows abandoned major storylines for the better, and audiences applauded their decision to do so. Audience opinion has always been a powerful force in the world of TV, and their response to certain storylines and plot details kept so many shows going for as long as they did. Even when a TV show made an unpopular decision, the power of audience approval then caused some rather interesting retcons.Not availableRoseanne was a late 80s Sitcom created by Matt Williams and starring Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert. The show followed a character created by Roseanne Barr herself as she attempted to navigate her family life in a fictional town in Illinois. Cast Roseanne Barr , John Goodman , Laurie Metcalf , Sara Gilbert , Lecy Goranson , Michael Fishman Release Date October 18, 1988 Seasons 10 The hit sitcom Roseanne famously ran for 9 seasons until it ended for the first time in 1997, but some of its final stories absolutely warranted the show's end. In Roseanne season 9, the Conners won the lottery, which shifted the tone of the final season greatly. Throughout the show, the Conner family in Roseanne were forever living on the breadline, and many of the show's storylines focused on their financial struggles. Plenty of other exciting things also happened, such as Darlene giving birth and D.J. finding love. Season 9 focused on several elements of the Conners' new lives, and Dan's supposed affair was one of them. However, the biggest issue was Dan's death, which was retconned in Roseanne season 10 along with the rest of season 9. In the season 9 finale, "Into That Good Night Part II," it was revealed that the entire storyline of season 9 was a fictional creation of Roseanne . Season 9 focused on several elements of the Conners' new lives, and Dan's supposed affair was one of them. Ultimately, this was proved to be untrue, and in reality, Roseanne had crafted the tale as a way of dealing with his demise. When Roseanne returned for season 10 in 2017, two decades after its end, very few details remained. John Goodman reprised his role as Dan, mysteriously alive, and the Conners were back to living with money struggles once again. Interestingly, Dan found Roseanne's book and acknowledged that she hadn't killed her "most interesting character" in reference to himself rather than providing an actual explanation as to why he was now suddenly alive. Roseanne was canceled after season 10 but returned with a new title, with The Conners' 100th episode airing during season 6.Not availableCreated by Dan Harmon, Community is a comedy series that follows a study group at an unorthodox community college where zany antics occur daily. When disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger is forced to enroll in a local college to get a degree and reinstate himself, he gets roped in with fellow students from different backgrounds, races, religions, and ages and reluctantly forms a study group. Together, these lovable misfits will navigate their school lives in some nigh unbelievable situations as they all try to figure out where their futures lie. Cast Ken Jeong , Chevy Chase , Joel McHale , Jim Rash , Gillian Jacobs , Alison Brie , Yvette Nicole Brown , Donald Glover , Danny Pudi Release Date September 17, 2009 Seasons 6 Community season 4 is famously remembered for having some of the show's weirdest storylines, but all of them culminated because of an even more bizarre series of events off-screen. Annie referred to Community season 4 as the "gas leak year" during season 5, which was a nod to the show losing creator Dan Harmon during this time. When Harmon returned in season 5, this term was then adopted to explain away the strange storylines Community had seen, such as the puppet episode "Intro to Felt Surrogacy" and Troy and Britta's relationship. Although Rachel wasn't Abed's first romantic interest in Community, she was the best suited to him, as they shared a love of TV and film. In the Community audience base, it was widely considered that season 4 was the worst season of the TV show, and although many of the events that happened during this time weren't retconned, one was. Considering the kind of character Abed was, it was brilliant to see him finally meet Rachel in the season 4 episode "Herstory of Dance." However, her sudden disappearance after this brief appearance was met with disappointment. Although Rachel wasn't Abed's first romantic interest in Community, she was the best suited to him, as they shared a love of TV and film. Luckily, Abed and Rachel reunited in season 5 and sparked up their relationship. Larson appeared in a few more episodes of Community as Rachel but failed to return in season 6, although the show continued making references to Abed's girlfriend. However, it was never confirmed whether this was still Rachel. Even though the future of Abed and Rachel's relationship was left uncertain, bringing her back was a good idea for the show, and hopefully, Larson will reprise her role in the upcoming Community movie. 3 Willow's Sexuality Buffy The Vampire Slayer Close Buffy The Vampire Slayer Where to Watch *Availability in USBuffy the Vampire Slayer is a supernatural comedy-drama series released in 1997. The show follows the exploits of Buffy, a woman born into a line of "Slayers" destined to do battle with vampires, demons, and monsters. Aided by her close group of friends and a Watcher who helps her hone her craft, the crew solves mysteries and battles the forces of evil to protect their town - and the world. Cast Sarah Michelle Gellar , Nicholas Brendon , Alyson Hannigan , Charisma Carpenter , Dan Rubin , David Boreanaz , Seth Green , James Marsters Release Date March 10, 1997 Seasons 7 Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduced one of the earliest examples of an LGBTQ+ relationship in TV, with Willow and Tara in season 4. This storyline was a brilliant shock, especially as Willow was previously dating Oz and had never mentioned that she was anything other than straight. Although Willow and Oz had a sweet relationship, they were much better off as friends, and the two eventually realized this as well. Tara and Willow were a hugely popular pairing, so when Tara was killed in season 6, the show faced a huge backlash from audiences. There were several reasons why Tara's death was so impactful. Not only was she a great character, bringing the best out of Willow's character and being generally an engaging personality, but Tara's death also bought into the "bury your gays" trope. Audiences were horrified that Buffy the Vampire Slayer had removed crucial LGBTQ+ representation from TV screens, especially as Willow discovering her sexuality was such an important storyline for the show to air. Even though the audience response wasn't enough for the show to retcon Tara's death, it did reevaluate how Willow's sexuality was addressed. Although Willow did refer to herself as being a lesbian while Tara was still alive, there was some back and forth. For example, when she lost her memories in "Tabula Rasa," she stated that she thought she was "kinda gay," but overall, it felt as if the show was tip-toeing around making this character trait official. After Tara's death, the show realized just how much of an impact she'd made on the show. After these events, mentions of Willow's sexuality were significantly more direct, and she went on to date other women, such as Kennedy . 2 Dwight Trying To Get Jim Fired Constantly The Office Close The Office Where to Watch *Availability in USThe Office is the U.S. remake of the British comedy mockumentary series of the same name. The show follows the misadventures of a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania, led by their unconventional and clueless boss, Michael Scott. The series covers nine years of footage as they find themselves recorded through their work days and off times. Cast Mindy Kaling , Jenna Fischer , Kate Flannery , Ed Helms , Craig Robinson , Paul Lieberstein , Ellie Kemper , B.J. Novak , Angela Kinsey , Oscar Nunez , Rainn Wilson , Brian Baumgartner , Phyllis Smith , Leslie David Baker , Creed Bratton , Steve Carell , John Krasinski Release Date March 24, 2005 Seasons 9 The Office introduced the hilarious workplace rivalry between Dwight Schrute and Jim Halpert , which kept audiences entertained for years. However, in season 6, Dwight took it too far. Jim's pranks on Dwight in The Office were brilliant and inventive, although always for the sake of fun. As he was always overly committed to his job and aspired to be Michael Scott's successor as Regional Manager, Dwight was heartbroken when Jim was made co-manager over him. Unfortunately, Dwight failed to recognize that Jim got the job because he bothered to make it happen. Because of this, Dwight set off several schemes to try and have Jim fired. Although this wasn't the first time Dwight tried to get Jim to lose his job, what he did in season 6 was simply out of character. If he had been successful, it would have reflected badly on the whole office. Dunder Mifflins' new owners, Sabre, would have assumed that hiring a Regional Manager internally in the future would be a bad idea, which would then ruin Dwight's hopes for his future. Instead, Dwight wrangled Ryan into his "diabolical plan" to bring Jim down. The audience response to this storyline was incredibly mixed, as many believed that Dwight's actions were over the top. This included Dwight leaving recording devices on Jim's desk, such as the wooden mallard, as well as framing him for fixing the result of Employee of the Month. Ultimately, Dwight was so blinded by his ongoing issues with Jim that he didn't realize that Jim being co-manager could benefit him. The audience response to this storyline was incredibly mixed, as many believed that Dwight's actions were over the top. Luckily, this was discarded by season 7, and Jim and Dwight's relationship grew stronger as time went on. 1 It Was All A Dream Dallas Close Dallas One of the most popular soap opera series of all time, Dallas aired in 1978 as a part of CBS' line up and follows the wealthy oil baron family, the Ewings, as those from within and close to them plot and scheme their way to the top of the social ladder. The series ran for fourteen seasons before it concluded in 1991. Cast Larry Hagman , Patrick Duffy Release Date April 2, 1978 Seasons 14 See at Amazon See at Walmart Dallas provided one of the biggest retcons in TV history with season 9. In the season 8 finale, Bobby Ewing died after being run down by Katherine in her car. This sudden death shocked both audiences and the characters of Dallas, especially Pam , who had a complicated romantic relationship with him throughout the show. Bobby's final moments were heartbreaking, and Pam held his body in the street and screamed before he was taken to the hospital to breathe his last. However, in season 9, it was revealed that the whole ordeal was Pam's dream. Dallas' ratings in season 9 suffered significantly because of Bobby's absence from the show, despite Duffy having planned his exit with production and initially had no intentions of coming back. Behind the scenes, Bobby's sudden return was not just because of the audience backlash the show received but also because Patrick Duffy wanted to return to Dallas.Dallas' ratings in season 9 suffered significantly because of Bobby's absence from the show, despite Duffy having planned his exit with production and initially had no intentions of coming back. His first reappearance, in the episode "Blast From the Past," reintroduced Bobby in an iconic shower scene that stunned audiences. Duffy's return was greatly appreciated in Dallas, especially considering it was the audience response that led the actor to want to come back. Although there were plenty of shocking deaths in Dallas' 14 long seasons, Bobby's was one of the most impactful. Pam struggled to get over his death and spent most of season 9 dwelling on it and blaming herself, which proved just how important he was to her. Clearly, he was also important to audiences, and because of their powerful response that also impacted Patrick Duffy, Bobby was able to return.
TV Shows Retcon Audience Opinion Storyline Abandonment Creative Decisions
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