Success in the modern age is marked by two things: oversaturation and inevitable backlash. As something is recognized as being good or entertaining or lucrative, then many lampreys suddenly attach themselves to the underbelly of the main success. They ape the creative talent, the marketing, the pitch, the layout, the look, the hook. Catchphrases are spun out and apparel is adorned with recognizable images from the successful venture. Late night talk shows and morning zoo crews make lazy references and inept impressions of the successful venture. Everyone clings to the successful venture - pushing it into more markets and spinning it in novel - if ridiculously unnecessary - ways.

Then, when the last branded bar of soap or hollow script for the TV spin off rolls off the assembly line - the backlash begins. In fairness, it is not the successful venture that people are angry about; it's the constant reminder of the successful venture. The endless hype and pimping and cross-promoting and synergizing and Halloween costumes and frat boy imitations. The neverending loop of YouTube parodies coupled with the hours of proselytizing by fans that need you to "get it." It's all of the ephemera surrounding the successful venture that causes this backlash; the resentment of enduring all of these unoriginal interruptions that smack less of the fun and unique property and more of the soulless and derivative cashcow that it became.

Sometimes the creators of the successful venture buy into the hype - and so they get torn down with it in the Backlash Phase. Sometimes the sales figures for new revenue streams or diversified audience shares are so enticing that creators and their corporate barons willingly sacrifice the successful venture. Who knows when the next hit will come, so everyone pile on this thing now! Everyone releases their version of a remake of an 80s cartoon with scores made up of repetitive bellowing of deep bass notes, presented with the poster in blue and orange, and the making-of-featurette with untrained celebutantes boasting of the integration of the latest CGI trickery into this "ride" - all while pimping the tie-in to the specific fast food chain and soon-to-be-forgotten pop music group. That original spark, the successful venture that forged something new and exposed people's interests to the harsh light of capitalism, becomes awash in its descendants, indistinguishable to most people's hate, and relies on nerds to argue for its exclusion from the pack.

But what does this all have to do with graphic sex on film? The answer...might surprise you.

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Currently, three of the most prolific and brilliant minds working in modern television are without TV shows at the moment:

• Joss Whedon recently wrapped up "Dollhouse" after two seasons with the (constantly mucking about) Fox.
• Conan O'Brien left "The Tonight Show" after a very public mess with Jay Leno and NBC. 
• Bryan Fuller, creator of "Pushing Daisies," "Wonderfalls," and "Dead Like Me," has a development deal with NBC - but no series on the horizon.

So what should these titans of broadcasting do?  I say it's time for them to get out of the business of television.  Yes it's time to leave behind the main networks and cable channels for...the internet!  Buh?

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Updated on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 4:43AM by Rob Dean

Updated on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:43PM by Rob Dean

The last of Conan on NBC just aired, and with it comes a few thoughts.

Firstly, I was perusing Hulu today, looking at the most recently added shows to see if Archer had been added yet (alack alas, not until February 14 - weak sauce, I know).  I was moving my cursor around the page when I passed by The Jay Leno Show (requisite: Boo! Hiss!) and happened to notice what people are tagging the Leno Show with:

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Also, Michael Ian Black wrote a bleak but honest assessment of the whole thing. 

Although, I disagree. 

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