Follow Zap2it:
Zap2it On the Scene: Comic-Con 2011
'Glee' EP Brad Falchuk talks fan reaction: 'I appreciate everybody's opinion'
If someone were to hold a contest to find the TV show with the most opinionated fans, we're thinking FOX's "Glee" has it in the bag. They're passionate, they're intense and they're loud. Just look at how Twitter exploded when news broke that Chord Overstreet would not be returning for Season 3. They love their show and they love talking about it, something executive producer Dante Di Loreto said he finds "really exciting."In the press room at Comic-Con on Sunday, Di Loreto said, "You know what's amazing is that people are paying attention enough that it went from 'I love this show. You should watch it, it's great,' to 'I feel vehemently that these two people shouldn't be together.'"
Co-creator and executive producer Brad Falchuk, who does interact with fans on Twitter, compared being a showrunner to being the general manager of a baseball team: "Everyone's saying, 'Oh, your closer sucks. Take him out of the closer, take him out of the closer role,' and you start listening, it's like they don't know what's going on inside and the reasons why we might do stuff."
Di Loreto also used a baseball reference to explain the show's fanbase, saying, "We went from being this show that you just hope people would watch to like a favorite sports team and people are invested in whether a certain player gets traded or starts. It's really exciting."
So does fan reaction impact the writers' storytelling process? Falchuk said yes and no.
"I think what I try to do with media and fan reaction is look for patterns. So I look for like, okay, what they're saying is they hate this character, but maybe that's not what they're saying," he explained. "Maybe they're saying what we're doing with this character and how that character is relating to that character is upsetting them or maybe this storyline is something that they're having an aversion to. What is it about that specifically that I can do something about?"
He continued, "Sometimes you look at it and say I don't want to do something about it because I happen to know where this is going and I think where it's going to end up is going to be worthwhile and people will be satisfied with it. Other times you say I hear what you're saying and so I'm going to try and make some changes with it.
"I appreciate everybody's opinion," Falchuk said with a smile. "Just not so many of them."
Di Loreto explained it's essential to be in tune to with the fan response when you are in the TV business, saying, "You can't not be."
"You hear things on Twitter and what happens is it's a lot like giving notes. You want to hear people's opinions and if there's a consensus or something rings true in you then you have to address it," Di Loreto said. "If you try to do everything, you have nothing, but you're just trying to filter through what really is important, what people really connected with, what's working."
Finally, we asked Falchuk how it's going in the writer's room with six new writers (including "Buffy" alum Marti Noxon) on board for Season 3. "It's better. It's the same basic thing that you're pitching ideas and throwing stuff around, just now you have more people with ideas and so when you're stuck, they come in with stuff," he explains. "Also just the energy of all that imagination, it's invigorating. It's been great."
Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz
Photo/Video credit: FOX
Related pics
Zap2it Elite Sheet Must Reads from the Web's In-Crowd
Recent video
Our Partners
Finchel fans are as passionate about that ship as everyone else who hates Finchel. Honestly, Brad, I trust you and the rest of the writers to give us a good show. But most fans wish you would stop shoving Finchel down our throats. Step back, re-watch Season 2. I don't understand how they're "meant to be". She's shown so many times that she's better/happier without him. Whether it be in songs like Firework, Get It Right, Jar of Hearts.. or simply how happy she was that Jesse was back and the time they spent at prom.
I wonder if his breath stinks from all the crap that comes out of his mouth?
I have just one request for the writers. More consistency in your characterization, please! Don't throw your character under the bus (like how you trashed Finn and Quinn's character just to create conflict on the show and to prolong the inevitable Finchel reunion) and making Rachel pathetic for Finn. And then suddenly when Quinn is out of the picture, Rachel remembers her ambition. I love Finn and Rachel, don't get me wrong, and I think Cory and Lea are fantastic actors but just be consistent and true to their characters!
@shelly Well, I got the impression that Rachel was never happier when she's with Finn. And the writers have already said that Finn and Rachel are NOT going to break up this season. But I agree that they should take a look back at Season 2 and see that Finn and Rachel are just not good apart. They should be together and ther writers should work harder to maker them a working, functional couple. Not throw unecessary conflict or inexplicable third wheels at them to create drama. Happy couple can be interesting and a lot of the audience want to see Finn and Rachel happy.
@shelly I think those are the wrong examples of songs for Rachel. Firework was sung because Rachel was devastated at Finn going back to Quinn. Get It Right was written FOR Finn, to get Finn back. Jar of Hearts of sung TO Finn. Basically, I'm happy that Finn and Rachel are back together again, and for gods sakes, DO NOT BREAK THEM UP AGAIN. I don't think this fandom, Finchel or even anti-Finchel fans can take it anymore.
Brad knew where Finn is going, hense he knows he got loads of crap for his actions. the bigger arc is the maturity of Finn which I believe we will see the climax in season three. Finns story is the one I am most excited about, because it is the most relatable. And @shelly, don't you think mr. Falchuk, the voice behind Finn, reads your comments and wants to correct his actions? I believe brad knows how upset people were with Finn this season, whether you supported Rachel and him or not. New York showed where Finn is going and was the start of Finn's growth and maturity.
He only seemed to address the negative opinions. What about the positive opinions or ideas for future plot some of us tweet in? It's not all death treats and whining!
I hate what RIB did to Chord's character. They made him a big joke. He was supposed to be kurt's boyfriend and they kept tossing him around when they learned that his has chemistry with Dianna Agron. Begin a plot for Sam and Mercedes and then fired him while Chord was at the glee concert tour with the rest of the glee cast. How would that made him feel? They're terribly insulting...
The key to longevity of shows w/big casts is to make them ensemble shows-- ER etc. The writers have made the show about the big three-- Finn, Rachel, Kurt -- with little attention given to the other characters who are all basically one-notes: Punk, beauty queen, dizty blond, wheelchair guy, gay guy's boyfriend, and so on. Sure, they've done things with them, but still, underdeveloped, and then when they give a character some shading (Chord/Sam)--out the door. Maybe the new writers will broaden the show or Chris/Corey/Lea leaving will, but the writers need to do character development.
If Chord has been offered to be regular in the mid-season of S3? Do you think he is going to leave? i don’t think so.. it wasn’t offered to him. Ryan and his Cos are telling everyone that we offered him “this and that”, they offered him to be regular after 7-8 episodes last year but it never happen. The regular promotion for chord that Ryan told to the media was a complete bullshit