An Open Letter on K-Ville and My Personal Observations
After reading many blog entries and even more blog comments, I have decided to put pen to paper (bytes to magnetic media?) and write a response outlining my views, not on the show itself, but on the comments I have read. This is an open letter to all New Orleanians who have been complaining about K-Ville.
I will be writing plenty about the show. I hope the show will be around for a long time. But for now, I want to talk about the objections to the show that I have read. A couple of points to start with:
First, K-Ville is a TV show. It’s not reality. It’s written by writers and acted by actors. If you are really expecting more than that, I have to ask why? Do you think people with jobs like those in Friends really live like Friends do? Do you think every reference to street names, directions and travel times are accurate in CSI, Law & Order, etc?
Second, being that it is a TV show, the producers would like to do right by the city and the people in the city. But the series is not for YOU. There aren’t enough people in New Orleans interested in watching K-Ville to make it a success. The series is for people in New York and Los Angeles and Podunk, West Nebraska. It needs to be what those people are looking for to be a success.
The objections I have seen and my response:
- K-Ville - The natives don’t call it that. But some people do. I don’t know exactly who coined the phrase but Fox did not make the name up.
- Accents - this is a stupid argument. If they try and get it wrong, they get hammered. If they don’t try, they get hammered. Every neighborhood in New Orleans has a different accent. I don’t sound like many of my cousins and such because they grew up in different areas of the city. Get over the accent thing.
- Gumbo - This is a cliche. We all know it’s a cliche. Even the people in Podunk know it’s a cliche. The people outside New Orleans still want to see it. It’s comforting. Boulet eats Gumbo when he needs to think. I just eat. Get over it.
- Voodoo Shops - See Gumbo. I will add this though, any time anyone goes to New Orleans for the first time, one of the things they want to see, is a voodoo shop. And then they want to eat some Gumbo.
- Travel - They started in the quarters, went to Algiers and ended up at the casino. It’s TV. How many people outside the city know anything about directions in the city. It’s a TV show. Get over it.
- Crime - Ok. I have to grant you this one. The city has a bad enough rap with the real crime. But, this is a crime drama. DRAMA. If anyone really thinks mercenaries are shooting up the French Quarter with Uzis, remind them it’s a TV show. Then take them to a Voodoo shop and buy them something. Preferably a box of Gumbo.
- Car Chases - I am really with you on this one. I’ve seen a couple of references to the car chases being like Miami Vice without the pinks and yellows. Note to producer people: Cut it out.
- It’s not Frank’s Place - Nothing will ever be Frank’s Place. Let it go. Let try to help this one last longer, though, ok?
That covers the major complaints that I have seen. Let me know if I missed any.
This is a TV show that can really help the city. It pumps money into the economy and it is better than Nagin’s brand for New Orleans. Even if the show is not EVERYTHING you hoped it would be, can you pull for it? Can you get behind it?
I consider all of the complaints above to be nit-picks. The characters are good and will get stronger over time. The location is the best it can be. The acting and direction was well done. Even though the pilot was somewhat cliche, it was still interesting. This has the potential to be a great show.
Instead of spending my time tearing it down, I am going to do my best to pump it up. If it really becomes a crap show, I will be the first to say so. If my biggest complaints are the accents and voodoo shops, I hope they laugh all the way to the bank. The city will be in line right next to them.
LewisC
new orleans, kville, k-ville, letter, complains, voodoo, accent, crime, crime drama
September 24th, 2007 at 1:26 am
After having seen the premiere, I’m fairly torn. I grimaced through the gumbo, and the time-traveling through the city, and the voodoo- that is a given in any New Orleans themed show. However, the problem that I and every critic saw is that it has a few too many of the cliches that not just New Orleanians are tired of. People in New York, Los Angeles, and Podunk, West Nebraska are not gonna tune in for a ’70s cop show. The makers of K-Ville have the right idea, and I’d hope things go a little more in the direction of Rescue Me, which pretty aptly takes on the emotional toll taken on First Responders after 9/11. Gumbo and car chases will not save this show.
September 24th, 2007 at 6:36 am
Will,
Thanks for the comment.
Well, not every critic saw what you saw. Some critics are expecting good things from this show.
In general, I don’t really listen to what critics say, though. I don’t know anyone, other than fellow critics, who agree with them on any particular topic.
But, as far as other bloggers and the people commenting there, most said they otherwise liked the show. It does have good stories and good characters.
They just picked apart some very minor affectations and I think the producers will move beyond those pretty quickly, given the opportunity.
I do agree that gumbo and car chases are not what they should be concentrating on.
Thanks,
LewisC
September 24th, 2007 at 6:43 am
[...] 2!), I wanted to link over to my K-Ville blog and share an open letter I wrote about K-Ville, An Open Letter on K-Ville and My Personal Observations. Unlike Chris Rose’s open letter to the producers, I am not looking for a job. Well, if they [...]
October 8th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
I loved your list.
Although I spent years in Louisiana, I’m now home in Alabama, and we get the same reaction any time there’s a “southern” show. Accents are either not attempted or horribly slaughtered. There’s always some reference to the Civil War and/or cornbread/grits. It’s just par for the course.
Hate the car chases, though.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
[...] the show every now and then, but does it have to be so cliched ALL the time? And I am getting a little sick of the gumbo as a prop issue. Just because it’s New Orleans doesn’t mean that gumbo is the only food [...]
November 12th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
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