PhillyTalk: Ask the Writers and Experts

There are stories of irate fans calling to cancel. Not sure how many. That will be interesting to see, and probably impossible to pin down. The response I'm seeing is about 75% who liked the ending, 25% who didn't.

Actually, there is no Hollywood connection whatsoever to the show. Hollywood doesn't like David Chase. Everything was made in New York, and virtually all the actors are from New York.

And I have no idea who you're referring to as "lapdog" critic. Not me. I'm the orange cat, remember?

You know, I think I'd keep the memory of watching it with her and forget about forging through to the end. I stuck with it, and at the end decided I probably wouldn't even get started again next year. It has gotten to be a bit of old hat, I'm afraid. Don't get me wrong. It was still OK, and very often terribly exciting, but I did feel in the last few episodes as if I were watching just because I wanted to finish up something I'd started.

My condolences on the death of your mother. My father died a few years ago, and it was tough, though my Mom's still kicking 'em down at 94!

Thanks so much for reading my story all the way to the end, where I mentioned Viva Laughlin. (FYI: It's not named after Lori Loughlin, but Laughlin, Nev., which is a tiny nowhere in the bottom corner of the state that has been transformed into a casino patch because it's nearer San Diego and Phoenix than Las Vegas.)

Cop Rock had extensive original music. Viva Laughlin has a limited amount of already-popular music, so in that vein, it is quite different. And I don't think one show from 17 years ago constitutes a "mold," in the same way seven shows with superheroes do.

Why should Viva Laughlin succeed when Cop Rock failed? Why should Seinfeld succeed when Knights of Prosperity failed? They're both sitcoms. However, I made no representation that I thought Viva Laughlin would succeed. I said it was "intriguing," which probably means it won't succeed. That's usually what happens. It is awfully different from what people are used to, and that, sadly, is usually a bad sign for economic and/or ratings success.

Cheer up. They're both coming back.

Closer: June 12

Rescue Me: June 13.

Sounds like you'll be having a big week.

I'm afraid it's dead. It was a close call and a little surprising that they canceled it. And you have seen all that there ever will be to see, so all you unanswered questions will just have to be filed in that same box with, "Why do people still watch ER?"

I'm afraid these hanging serials are becoming quite commonplace. And every time another one is left unresolved, it bodes poorly for future serials because more and more people become reluctant to get on board..

Why do you ask? Six people haven't bee wacked. Three have:

1) The Canadian boyfriend of the daughter of the guy Tony wanted to work with.

2) Whoever it was in Phil's crew who was sitting with Silvio when he got it.

3) Doc, another guy in Phil's crew who set up the first hit.

Johnny Sack and Renata, Hesh's girlfriend, died, and a body of a bookie killed 25 years ago was found. That's six dead people, but not six people killed in these eps.

Stacey-Lynn Schulman has done a lot of psychological research on fans' ties to American Idol. Her research has determined what most fans think. The show could actually be an auto race or Murder, She Wrote. That doesn't matter. What matters is what the fans think, and if they start to believe their imression is being contradicted by events, they will turn away -- at least according to her.

People like you, whom, she has found are in the minority and have much less fervent ties to the show than the singing-contest crowd, may actually be increasing in the audience. But, sadly, you and your ilk (including me) are not as important to the show's survival. We'll turn away quickly when we get bored.

Haley lost last night because I forgot to cast my usual 20 votes for her.

And I think Sanjaya is one of the smartest contestants ever in American Idol, as Randy said. He could join the list of the  numerous innocuous young boy stars who really couldn't sing at all but who made a lot of money anyway. Hansen, David Cassidy, etc. I'll vote for Sanjaya (or anybody else I think needs help) just to get rid of the annoying Christopher, Phil and Blake, whose popularity totally escapes me. After that, I'll have to reconsider....

Well, you're certainly right that semi-losers have gone a long way in the competition. That Federov guy or whatever his name was....

But no one was ever as obviously bad as this guy, I don't think. And certainly there has never been this kind of uproar.