Sunday, August 23, 2009

Leaving soon, on a screen you won't watch

So this hit the wires a while ago, but I've been too busy -- the day job has become very time-intensive the past few weeks, for reasons I can't get into -- to comment. But the short of it for non-clickers is that there is a new television show in development where the Wacky Shenanigans are all about... a fantasy league. No, really.

You see, since there are tens of millions of us doing this nerdy thing, that must mean we all want to watch a show about it, right? We'll be tuning in for a good old chucklefest over seeing familiar character types -- the guy who always trades! the guy that never trades! the girl whose girlfriends don't understand why she does this! the rules stickler! Et cetera! -- look on the tee vee screen, and maybe we'll have a breakout catch phrase or Jm J Bullock level star emerge.

Or, um, well, not. Because -- and this would be blindingly obvious to anyone who has ever been stuck in a conversation with someone about their fantasy league team, rather than, say, yours -- this isn't interesting unless you are involved. It's not like Felicia Day's "The Guild", a Web series that lovingly satirizes World of Warcraft honks... and even if it were, that show's on the Web instead of basic cable for a reason, folks. (Which isn't to demean Ms. Day's accomplishment in the least, though truth be told, I think she's better on "Dr. Horrible.")

There's also this. I know fantasy leaguers; I've been one, off and on, for long before the Internets. We don't, as a general rule, watch too many sitcoms, basically because we are, well, watching games. Many of which involve our fantasy league players. So unless you're going to shoehorn in some actually relevant tips and/or insider information to your circle jerk, there's only one group of people who I can see watching it.

The loved ones of people who play fantasy sports, who want to try to see what the big deal is. May I suggest the nearest unicorn riding range?

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