Volume 2
Issue # 5

June 12, 2002

"TV Preview: SOULMATES and CITY"

A few days ago, my dad received a letter in the mail from a company called "TV Preview." Well, we have received mail from this group before, so I already knew what to expect, but for those of you who don't, TV Preview is an independent research firm hired by television studios and advertising companies to hold sessions where they collect the opinions of the viewing public, i.e., us. We've all heard of market research before, but to be a part of it, to take an active role in the decision of what goes on the air and what does not is a different experience altogether. The last time I went, we were invited to gorgeous ballroom in the Hyatt in downtown Vancouver. This time around, (I went earlier tonight) I decided to take my girlfriend to shindig, and we were thrown into a stuffy, not-so-nice meeting room in the Holiday Inn at Station Square, Burnaby.

We were a few minutes late (it started at 7:30pm and we got there around 7:40), and we were rushed to fill out a form with the standard information: name, address, phone number, etc. It was for a draw held immediately after the collection of the forms. Three winners were randomly picked by a volunteer from the audience. The prize: some groceries to be sent directly to their homes. After a brief introduction from the MC, the first show began.

Soulmates is a drama about past lives and true love. I forget her name, but some young woman plays a psychologist who falls in love with one of her patients, who, interestingly enough, confessed to her that he had killed a man. Meanwhile, this psychologist has dreams which send her back to the 1940s, which send her back to a previous life where she also fell in love with man who has a striking resemblance to her current love interest. Trying to make sense of it all, and also to get away from it all, she flies off to Hawaii to relax. In the process, she goes for a regression session (a therapy session involving hypnosis to re-live the past) with a famous psychologist who specializes in the field, and again, in the 1940s, sees her love interest, but also a man she met when she first arrived in Hawaii; This man, she instantly recognized as someone she knew but couldn't figure out from where. In a nutshell, the show had a promising premise for a daytime soap opera, but with poor acting, a lack of chemistry, and a giant spoonful of corny-ness, it definitely needs some work and development.

The next show, a situation comedy, starred Valerie Harper. Some of you may remember Valerie from The Mary Tyler Moore Show where she played Rhoda; she also had the spinoff series Rhoda. Anyways, I remember her from the last time I went to a TV Preview gathering; she was in the pilot for a show similar though not identical to the one I was about to see: City. The basic premise to this show is that Valerie plays the character of a city planner for an unnamed city, working in an office with some interesting personalities. On top of that, she plays a single mother who lives with her 20 year old daughter, trying to be a "girlfriend" rather than an overbearing mother. In this particular episode, something goes amiss at the county cemetary and 100s of 100-year coffins are sliding down the hill and into the city. Valerie's job is to "fix it." At the same time, Val's daughter is seeking independence, and tests her mom for trust, telling her that she wants to have sex with a married man (a stranger) in their house in Val's bed. Whoa! Unexpected for a show that at the surface appears so wholesome and family watching-friendly.

Although it appears to be set in "modern times," the show had a prominent 80s feel to it, from the big curly hair on the daughter to the cheesy attire of one of the office guys. Nonetheless, the jokes were a little risque but funny. Not Simpsons or Friends funny, but more like an 80s Drew Carey funny. There was definite improvement over the previous rendition of the show (that I watched at the previous TV Preview), and for that reason, I gave it a thumbs up. Some characters were better suited for their roles than others, and some characters were simply more likeable than others, but the show had promise.

We were asked a few more questions, and then we had another opportunity at a draw. A second booklet was in the binder, and on the front page was the basic 411 again: name, address, phone number . . . On the inside, each page gave pictures of a particular type of product (each page being different types), ranging from sugarless gum to shaving cream to drink mixes. We were told to circle our favourite of each type. We handed them in, and again, at random, 3 winners were picked. Only difference is, this time around, I WAS A WINNER. Kind of a cheesy prize really, but I'll have something to expect in the mail in 2-4 weeks.

Next, we watched three commercials and we asked for comments or thoughts on each one. There was a Crisco ad that made no sense, a Cover Girl spot that looked like all the others we've seen, and a Bounty commercial featuring a little clumsy black boy. I make a distinct effort to mention that the boy was black, as the other two commercials, as are countless others, featured young white women. No asians, no blacks, no hispanics. Just white. Yes, caucasians still make up the majority of the North American population, but visual minorities are vastly underrepresented in the media, and I made that clear in the comments I made.

In the end, it was a worthwhile experience, and well worth the 2 hours of my time. If TV Preview were to invite me again, I'd agree without a hitch. After all, I'm a glutton for privileges. I love seeing things before the general public has the opportunity. I guess that's why I just can't seem to give up my job at the Park Theatre, where I get to see advance screenings from time to time. I saw Jason X a while before its release (Review available here), and I think I'll be seeing Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg, this Friday night. I guess I'm getting a taste of what it's like to be in the 'biz.'