Selfie
Oh, Selfie. You never stood a chance.
The already canceled ABC show appeared to have an interesting premise and talented cast, but that didn’t compel me to watch the rookie show this fall. Why? Because it’s called Selfie. The show’s swift and predictable cancellation earlier this month proved that naming a television series should not be taken lightly.
Here’s a tip: When giving a television show a title, think about how someone would feel about telling his or her friends about it. Word of mouth is crucial in building an audience for a new show, and fans of Selfie (if they existed) might have felt hesitant about disclosing their latest television obsession to their peers because of its lame name.
It’s unfortunate because Selfie itself showed some promise. The regrettably titled show was a modern reimagining of My Fair Lady in which a romantic relationship is ignited over a man attempting to improve the social status of his love interest. The cast included the talents of Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) and John Cho (Star Trek Into Darkness) and garnered a 57 score on Metacritic (with few straight-up negative reviews). So it’s evident that Selfie’s title — and its major yuck factor — played a major part in the show’s brief run.
This appears to be a continuous problem for ABC with such a simple solution. Solid shows like Cougar Town and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (which would have been slightly better if they left it uncensored) never managed to find an audience on the channel, largely due to names that misrepresented the show or sounded flat-out silly.
ABC managed to avoid turning away viewers with its new comedy Black-ish, the No. 2 top series debut of the fall season, but, in this case, the ill-advised title is also intriguing enough to grab viewers’ attention. The CW’s Jane the Virgin, which received a full-season order, has similarly succeeded with an ostentatious name.
ABC should take some pointers from two of the best purveyors of quality television: HBO and Netflix. The latter manages to build interest with its titles, like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, even if those titles aren’t the best fits for the respective shows (I mean, the jumpsuits are tan now). HBO, on the other hand, is simple and to the point: The Newsroom. Girls. Veep. These titles are just as effective and cut right to the subject matters of each show. Even Game of Thrones is a particularly impressive title given that the source material comes from a series called A Song of Ice and Fire, which would make for a much less appealing name for a television series.
The title of a show as an indicator for success is not foolproof, but more and more often I find myself scratching my head at the crappy names of new network shows. I mean, how can you call a show 666 Park Avenue and think it will attract an audience?
So let Selfie be a lesson. Showrunners and network execs: Put some thought into your show’s name. Don’t try to be too cute or contemporary. Just make sure someone won’t feel embarrassed repeating the show’s title to a friend, and you have a major ingredient in a television series’ recipe for success.
