Recently, I was discussing “Arrow” on The CW with a fan in the store when he stated his belief that the creators of the show had yet to make a mistake. I rebutted him with a diatribe which I have edited and placed here for your reading pleasure.
“Arrow” Mistake #1: DC Marketing
Arrow on The CW
Speaking frankly – the marketing DC flew with before “Arrow” came out on The CW sucked. Up until a few weeks before the show premiered, the only mention of the upcoming show on the DC website appeared in the News section. This series should have been marketed on the front page of the company’s site for all visitors to see and get excited about. How can I get excited by a show DC can’t get excited about? Remember, DC is one of the creators of “Arrow,” so they should have been pushing it from the start.
“Arrow” Mistake #2: Talking about Jumping the Shark
Before the show even premiered, the heads of “Arrow” on The CW were talking about how the show would jump the shark. They explained that they were not interested in having super powers on the show. Great, so if fans want superpowers on the show, you are going to ignore them? In the years that I have been following the TV industry, this was one of the stupidest statements I ever read. Why would a creator of a show tell potential fans they will not be listened to?
“Arrow” Mistake #3: Placing the Show on The CW
DC should have separated from the rest of the Warner Bros. company and marketed the show to another network other than The CW. Who in the hell watches The CW anyways? Many cable networks put up more numbers than the free network most people forget even exists. With the success of “The Walking Dead,” dozens of cable networks would have lined up for a chance to have their own comic book-based show. DC really dropped the ball.
