Moral Orel

[4-HBabe]

It was filled with little vignettes of characters I've never heard of and it was depressing as hell.

[NumyMufn]

Is this your first time watching season 3? The whole thing takes an incredibly dark turn, but this particular episode is otherwise known as "The final nail in Orel's coffin." - i.e. its cancellation

Miss Sculptham is Orel's teacher, Nurse Bendy is the school nurse entangled with Principal Fakey, and Francis Clara Censordoll is the librarian. I confess, it makes a whole lot more sense in hindsight than upon first viewing. ...and there's the matter of one of the episodes not produced. I attempted a discussion thread a couple of months ago that sadly didn't develop but there are links to that script and its discussion thread you may want to check out.

[StephenHero]

I didn't even have to click the link to know it was Alone (given I didn't watch last night)... Man, that episode is hard to watch, but like Numy said, after you've seen all of them (and rewatch that one) it is really a great episode that actually shows how strong a show Moral was. I guess some humor is too dark for people, and this is one of the easily understood cases for that. So nevermind how perfect/wonderfully developed the episode is, it was 'too unfunny' to too many fans of a little lighter styled comedy.

[4-HBabe]

I don't generally mind dark comedy, but I never watched Moral Orel religiously. The few episodes I caught here and there were of a much lighter tone, and I guess I wasn't prepared for this. Maybe didn't understand the back story? I didn't even recognize what show it was at first. It seemed so different. Like when a guest director comes in and gives a completely different tone to a show.

[mellow_your_yellow]

You know, it seems kind of strange to me that this was the "nail in Moral Orel's coffin." Personally, I thought this episode was one of the more poignant. What was so wrong with it that this is what got the show cancelled? o__O

[StephenHero]

On the surface it is increadibly alienating, depressing, and without knowledge of the characters spotlighted, quite offputting to non-regular viewers. Watch that episode "out of context" (as in, don't think about most, if any, of the things you know about MO) and tell me that the episode is funny. I'm a sick person, so I'm sure I could find a laugh or two, but I can understand where people concerned with hooking people in to a programing block of comedy shows would be hesitant to air something as dark in its humor as this episode.

I hope that makes sense, I'm not editing for content or errors for a few days...

[mellow_your_yellow]

...Sometimes, i forget that I watch things in the context of having seen all the previous episodes. >__<

I suppose I didn't really realize that people who haven't been watching the show would watch that episode. Derp.

[StephenHero]

I don't think most would watch that episode either, especially with the amount of idiots I know confused that Family Guy isn't aired more, but that's the problem:

People see it and change to another network because of

1)Unfamiliarity with the characters/show

2)Confused by how "unfunny" this random "crap" is

While the fans will love episodes like this, tv is a game about the ratings, and with so much working against a random/casual viewer, it should be no doubt the people concerned with profits and product would find this a not too safe bet.

[XenopusTex]

Yeah, if it requires thought and concentration, most people aren't for it.

[StephenHero]

Having found this after seeing your T&E post... 

WOW IRONY.

[NumyMufn]

Part of the problem was it no longer fit the "short attention span theatre" model that plagues the block these days.

Wow, did I just say 'plagues?' .... yep, I did Okay, short aside, since I don't feel a full on whining rant is appropriate (and you can find plenty of that elsewhere) I am one of those people that misses the old Swim. I don't detest anything on the block so badly that I feel the need to change the channel, but I also rarely feel compelled to sit down and give it my undivided attention.

When AS bought Orel they bought the formulaic short self-contained stand-alone bits and pieces that fill that model. I believe nine of the ten episodes of season one fit that model, then they proceeded to kick off the series by showing the ONE episode that really didn't stand on its own. whose idea was that? I watched the premiere in a state of bewilderment. Much of the absurdity of that episode was lost by not having any previous knowledge of the characters involved.

[Majikthise]

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NumyMufn wrote:

whose idea was that?

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I think a lot of that had to do with all the problems the network had getting some of the episodes past the censors. If they hadn't been held up, the series probably would have premiered earlier in the fall with the season finale timed to coincide with Christmas. When it became clear that this wasn't going to happen, somebody had the bright idea of airing the last episode at Christmas anyway and sorting out the rest later. And we all know how that worked out.

[PsychoLezUSA]

Boy, I wish I could have seen the look on your face.