Television Without Pity

Last updated

Television Without Pity
Television without pity site logo.jpg
Television Without Pity's logo, including its mascot "Tubeelzebub"
Type of site
Online collection of television series recaps and related discussion forums
Dissolved April 2017;5 years ago (2017-04)
Owner Nexstar Media Group
Created byDavid T. Cole, Tara Ariano, Sarah D. Bunting, various contributors
CommercialYes
Launched1998;25 years ago (1998)
Current statusDefunct

Television Without Pity (often abbreviated TWoP) was a website that provided detailed recaps of select television dramas, situation comedies and reality TV shows along with discussion forums. These recaps were written with sarcastic criticism and opinion alongside a retelling of an episode's events, which the site referred to as "snark". Their official motto is "Spare the snark, spoil the networks," a takeoff on "spare the rod, spoil the child" and its mascot is Tubeelzebub (a portmanteau of tube and Beelzebub – "Tubey" for short), a devilish television set with horns and a pointed tail.

Contents

Initially established in 1998 to recap the show Dawson's Creek , the site changed its name to Mighty Big TV when it expanded to other shows. It adopted the Television Without Pity name by 2002. The site was bought by the Bravo network within NBCUniversal in 2007, which continued to operate it until it was shuttered in April 2014. Sometime after this point, the site and branding was acquired by Tribune Media, who had announced plans in 2016 for a relaunch, but this was scrapped among other cost-cutting measures at Tribune in April 2017. The site's recap and forum archives remained available at the BrilliantButCancelled website until the archives went down in late 2021.

Television Without Pity is credited with popularizing the format of television episode recaps intermixed with running commentary. The site was also known to be used by television show producers, directors, and writers to gain more immediate feedback for their works and take in the constructive criticism for their future works.

History

The site began in late 1998 by Sarah Bunting and Tara Ariano, with technical support from David Cole, as an online forum driven by discussion of the show Dawson's Creek , then named DawsonsWrap. Their commentary specifically focused on the show's central character Dawson Leery, and Bunting said that this had caught their attention because "insidious, sexist, lazy writing had us apoplectic, not least because we're supposed to identify with a character who, on his best day, is an obnoxious, self-absorbed twit." [1] Their activities included writing recaps of each episode intermixed with their criticism, establishing the use of sarcastic criticism or "snark" within these recaps. Though they did not believe they had a direct impact on Dawson's Creek itself, they felt that by the end of the show's run, they had a seen a change in the show's writing that seemed to take the show's critics to heart. [1]

The DawsonsWrap format was popular, and by 1999, they expanded to include other shows with a similar approach, rebranding the site as Mighty Big TV. [1] Around 2002, the site continued to expand and rebranded itself as Television Without Pity, providing the slogan "Spare the Snark, Spoil the Networks" [1]

In 2006, Ariano and Bunting published a Television Without Pity spinoff book, called Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Love To Hate (and Hate To Love) About TV. [2]

In March 2007 the site was purchased by the Bravo unit of NBCUniversal for an undisclosed sum. [3] Television Without Pity was expected to run independently under this acquisition, with Bunting and Ariano remaining in full editorial control of the site. Bravo had anticipated using the site's two million unique visitors at the time to enhance revenues from online advertising, recognizing that most visitors to Television Without Pity were devotees of one or more specific shows. [3]

A year after Bravo's acquisition, founders Bunting, Ariano, and Cole all announced they were departing Television Without Pity. [4] Around the same time, the site was redesigned and expanded to include features such as a wiki, videos, and a subsection "Movies without Pity".

NBCUniversal announced on March 27, 2014, that it would close down Television Without Pity on April 4, with the forums remaining open until May 31; this closure was announced alongside that of DailyCandy , and a few months after closure of iVillage , both websites acquired through NBCUniversal and its subsidiaries. [5] NBCUniversal had tried to shop the site around, and find ways to monetize its content better, but could not find a way to make the site viable in that then-current environment. [6] Initially, the site's archives were to have been stored electronically and not available to the public, but by demand, NBCUniversal affirmed it would make the recaps and archives of the forums available after the site's closure. [7] The archives were eventually hosted under the Brilliant But Cancelled website, which operated without issues until June 2021, when the archives vanished entirely from the Internet and have not (as of October 2022) returned.

At some point following the site's closure, the Television Without Pity branding and website were acquired by Tribune Media. In a statement to The A.V. Club in April 2016, Tribune Media said they were in plans to relaunch the brand and were "working with some of the industry's favorite talent, influencers and strategic partners on a relaunch". [8] The Television Without Pity site was updated with a teaser image with Tubeelzebub and the text "Something wicked this way comes... returning in 2017". [8] However, the relaunch plans were scrapped by Tribune Media April 2017, alongside other cost-cutting measures, including layoffs and shuttering of new editorial content at Screener . [9]

Show recaps and forums

Recaps differ in styles: some of the recappers write shorter, more concise recaps while others write more comically, inserting references to their personal life.[ citation needed ] Naturally, each style attracts different readers, with some preferring to use the site as information for episodes that they have missed, and others preferring the more humorous ones, which can be equally (or more) enjoyable to those who also watched the episode.[ citation needed ] Beginning in 2007, TWoP introduced "weecaps" – initially presented as single-page television series reviews written in real time. The abbreviated recap style – first used for coverage of The Real World/Road Rules Challenge and Dancing with the Stars during the spring – was later employed for a larger slate of summer replacement series, with eventual reconfiguring into multi-page entries. Shows with weecaps also gain dedicated forums with topic areas as with regularly recapped shows. The American version of Survivor used weecap coverage for the start of its China season but full recaps returned with that edition's 7th episode and have remained in place since then.

Shows canceled by the network (or deemed to be unpopular with the readers of TWoP) are considered to be in permanent hiatus, a status which is rarely reversed except for reality shows: the U.S. version of Big Brother returned to coverage in June 2006 when its All-Stars season began for the first time since its third season; Real World/Road Rules Challenge also returned to the active list in April 2007, with its recapping format switched to a shorter, real-time commentary; and while the site decided after the sixth edition of The Apprentice to stop recaps, the Celebrity Apprentice edition was brought back for coverage. Shows placed into permanent hiatus will generally have their forum threads readable but locked, and given a single dedicated thread in the appropriate miscellaneous forum categories; the recaps remain available on the site, though in the "Permanent hiatus" section. There are some exceptions; Doctor Who coverage was put into permanent hiatus after the 2nd season; Glark commented on the action of moving the show to permanent hiatus that "If you want to know what Bit Torrent is, ask a Doctor Who fan". [10] The full Doctor Who threaded forum was retained though moved into the Sci-Fi show category, and remains fully active with moderation. The 2005 remake of Night Stalker holds the record for the shortest run on TWoP, having been put on Permanent Hiatus after only one recap, although the 2005 series Sex, Love & Secrets was expunged before even one recap, due to incredibly low viewer response in the forums. The shows covered are almost exclusively American, with the exceptions of the new series of Doctor Who , which is a British import to US television, and the original UK version of Queer as Folk , which was a British import to Canadian television. Both shows are Russell T Davies productions.

At times, the site may offer a charity auction for "Tubey's Kids", [11] whereby the person with the largest donation can request a recap of a specific episode or show (no longer than one hour) by any specific recapper. The results of these recaps are posted as "Mondo Extras" on the site.

The forum for each active show includes threads for each episode of a show, a speculation thread, spoiler information, media references to the show, character/contestant-specific threads, and a general "meet market" for forum users. The forums are heavily moderated by staff to avoid significant off-topic discussion, unprotected spoiler information, and flame wars.

Impact

Television Without Pity was known to have established the use of recapping with commentary as a viable genre of criticism alongside a social space as to talk about shows. [12] Television Without Pity predated the growth of social media, but through its forums established the social nature of watching television shows together. Sites like The A.V. Club grew from this type of approach, and social media is used heavily by television networks and fans alike to discuss shows as they occur in real time. [13]

Some television actors, directors, writers, and producers have been known to visit the website. The site's founders refer to a point in 2000 when The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin posted in the forums, at one point upset over the snark in one of the show's recaps. His experience is believed to have inspired the episode "The U.S. Poet Laureate", in which a character posts on White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman's fansite and is vehemently attacked by members of the forum for his beliefs and his violation of the forum rules. [1] [14] However, most others saw Television Without Pity's recaps and forums to be useful feedback. John Wells and J. J. Abrams have spoken to the value of Television Without Pity in developing their shows. [1] Both CBS and The WB Network executives have used Television Without Pity to judge how to approach and market shows. [1]

For the past several years, posters at the site have organized "TARCon" in New York City which is a viewing party for the season finale of The Amazing Race . The party has been attended by many of the show's contestants from current and past seasons.

Notable alumni

During its height and after its closure, TWoP was a jumping-off point for writers about television and popular culture. The sites' founders started a new website, Previously.tv, that provided a similar style of recapping and forums, as well as writing for various media outlets. [6] Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks, co-founders of Go Fug Yourself, met while recapping for TWoP. Linda Holmes, host of the NPR podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour and editor of NPR's pop culture and entertainment blog (formerly known as Monkey See), got her writing start with recaps of The Amazing Race . [15] Stephen Falk recapped several reality TV shows at TWoP as he was transitioning from movie screenwriting to television, and since has become a producer for several television shows, including Orange is the New Black and Weeds , along with being the creator, writer and showrunner of You're the Worst . [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esquire Network</span> Former American pay television network

Esquire Network was an American pay television network that was a 50/50 joint venture between NBCUniversal and the Hearst Corporation. The network carried programs aimed at a metrosexual audience centering on travel, cooking, sports and fashion, along with reruns of popular sitcoms and dramas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kandi Burruss</span> American TV personality, singer (born 1976)

Kandi Lenice Burruss Tucker, known professionally by her mononym Kandi, is an American producer, television personality, singer, songwriter and actress. She first gained notice in 1992 as a member of the female vocal group Xscape. In 2000, she won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for her writing contributions on the TLC hit song "No Scrubs".

<i>The Real Housewives of Orange County</i> California-based reality television series in the United States

The Real Housewives of Orange County is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 21, 2006. It has aired sixteen seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in Orange County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zap2it</span> Website providing TV listings in US and Canada

Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides local television listings for areas of the United States and Canada. The site is produced by Nexstar Media Group. Zap2it affiliates include Wave Broadband, Cox, Dish Network, Disney, Sinclair Broadcast Group, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.

<i>The Real Housewives of Atlanta</i> Georgia-based reality television series in the United States

The Real Housewives of Atlanta is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on October 7, 2008. Developed as the third installment of The Real Housewives franchise, it has aired fourteen seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in and around Atlanta, Georgia.

Michael Tritter is a recurring fictional character in the medical drama series House, portrayed by David Morse. He is the main antagonist of the third season, which ran between 2006 and 2007. Tritter is a police detective, who tries to get Dr. Gregory House to apologize for leaving him in an examination room with a thermometer in his rectum. After House refuses to apologize, Tritter researches House's background and discovers his Vicodin addiction. Tritter turns people close to House against him and forces House to go to rehab. When the case ultimately comes to court, the judge sentences House to one night in jail, for contempt of court, and to finish his rehabilitation, telling Tritter that she believes House is not the drug addict he tried to make him out to be.

<i>Ring of Honor Wrestling</i> American professional wrestling television series

Ring of Honor Wrestling, also known as ROH Honor Club TV, and often shortened as ROH Wrestling TV or ROH TV, is an American professional wrestling television series produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). The series features professional wrestlers competing in matches and conducting interviews. Combined, these elements create and further the storylines of the promotion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah D. Bunting</span>

Sarah D. Bunting, also known online as Sars, is known as an American writer and journalist, and a co-founder of Television Without Pity (TWoP). She has written for a number of magazines and journals, and has received coverage for her website Tomato Nation.

<i>Work of Art: The Next Great Artist</i> American TV series or program

Work of Art: The Next Great Artist is an American reality competition show that aired on the cable television network Bravo, in which up-and-coming artists compete for a solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum and a cash prize of $100,000. The show was produced by Pretty Matches Productions and Magical Elves Productions, the same company that created Project Runway and Top Chef. The series premiered on June 9, 2010. Work of Art was renewed for a second season in September 2010 which began on October 12, 2011.

The Real Housewives of Dallas is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on April 11, 2016. Developed as the ninth installment of The Real Housewives franchise, it aired for five seasons and focused on the personal and professional lives of several women living in Dallas, Texas.

<i>Below Deck</i> Reality television series (2013– )

Below Deck is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on July 1, 2013. The show chronicles the lives of the crew members who work and reside aboard a superyacht during charter season.

<i>The Real Housewives of Atlanta</i> (season 6) Season of television series

The sixth season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, an American reality television series, was broadcast on Bravo. It aired from November 3, 2013, until May 18, 2014. It was primarily filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional footage in Alabama; Savannah, Georgia; Athens, Georgia; and Mexico. Its executive producers were Lauren Eskelin, Lorraine Haughton, Glenda Hersh, Carlos King, and Steven Weinstock.

<i>The Real Housewives of Orange County</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, an American reality television series, was broadcast on Bravo. It aired from November 6, 2007 until January 29, 2008, and was primarily filmed in Orange County, California. Its executive producers are Adam Karpel, Alex Baskin, Douglas Ross, Gregory Stewart, Scott Dunlop, Stephanie Boyriven and Andy Cohen.

<i>The Real Housewives of Orange County</i> (season 8) Season of television series

The eighth season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, an American reality television series, was broadcast on Bravo. It aired from April 1, 2013 until September 1, 2013, and was primarily filmed in Orange County, California. Its executive producers are Adam Karpel, Alex Baskin, Douglas Ross, Gregory Stewart, Scott Dunlop, Stephanie Boyriven and Andy Cohen.

<i>The Real Housewives of Atlanta</i> (season 7) Season of television series

The seventh season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, an American reality television series, was broadcast on Bravo. It aired from November 9, 2014, until May 10, 2015, and was primarily filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Its executive producers are Lauren Eskelin, Lorraine Haughton, Glenda Hersh, Carlos King, Steven Weinstock, and Andy Cohen.

<i>Odd Mom Out</i> American situational comedy

Odd Mom Out is an American sitcom that was created by and starring Jill Kargman. A 10-episode first season was ordered by the American cable television network Bravo. The series focuses on Jill Kargman playing a fictionalized version of herself, Jill Weber, who is forced to navigate the clique of wealthy mothers who reside in New York's prestigious Upper East Side neighborhood. The principal photography commenced in September 2014; the show is filmed at various locations in New York City. The series premiered on June 8, 2015. On September 22, 2016, the network renewed Odd Mom Out for a 10-episode third season shortly after the second season concluded. On October 6, 2017, the show was canceled after its third season.

<i>Kandis Wedding</i> American reality documentary television series

Kandi's Wedding is an American reality documentary television series that premiered on Bravo on June 1, 2014. Developed as a spin-off from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

<i>The Real Housewives of Orange County</i> (season 10) Tenth season of The Real Housewives of Orange County

The tenth season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, an American reality television series, was broadcast on Bravo. It aired June 8, 2015 until November 12, 2015, and was primarily filmed in Orange County, California. Its executive producers are Adam Karpel, Alex Baskin, Douglas Ross, Gregory Stewart, Scott Dunlop, Stephanie Boyriven and Andy Cohen.

<i>The Real Housewives of New York City</i> (season 7) Season of television series

The seventh season of The Real Housewives of New York City, an American reality television series, is broadcast on Bravo. It aired April 7, 2015 until September 3, 2015, and is primarily filmed in New York City, New York. Its executive producers are Andrew Hoegl, Barrie Bernstein, Lisa Shannon, Pam Healy and Andy Cohen.

<i>NWA Powerrr</i> American professional wrestling television program

NWA Powerrr is a professional wrestling streaming television program produced by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that premiered on October 8, 2019. The series currently streams on FITE TV, where episodes are also made available on-demand, and the NWA's YouTube channel. Powerrr features wrestlers performing in matches and getting interviewed. These elements together create and further the storylines of the NWA while building towards the promotion's pay-per-view events.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stella, Marshall (October 20, 2002). "The Remote Controllers". The New York Times . Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  2. ↑ McManis, Sam (24 October 2006). "'Television without pity' laughs at conventions of small screen". Scripps News. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012.
  3. 1 2 Adalian, Josef (March 13, 2007). "Bravo nabs popular TV Web site". Variety. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  4. ↑ Denton, Nick (March 7, 2008). "And This Is Why Corporations Don't Buy Blogs". Gawker . Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  5. ↑ Spangler, Todd (March 27, 2014). "NBCUniversal Shuts Down DailyCandy, Television Without Pity Websites". Variety . Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Mulaney, Andrea (April 3, 2014). "Television Without Pity's demise forces a generation to face the snark reality". The Guardian . Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  7. ↑ Swisher, Kara (April 1, 2014). "After Fan Complaints, NBCU to Keep Television Without Pity and DailyCandy Archives Public". Re/code . Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Chavez, Danette (April 13, 2016). "Television Without Pity has new owners and a relaunch in the works". The A.V. Club . Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  9. ↑ Hod, Itay (April 12, 2017). "Tribune Layoffs: Screener TV to Shut Down, Television Without Pity Relaunch Scrapped (Exclusive)". TheWrap . Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  10. ↑ Glark (July 4, 2007). "Doctor Who sent to PH". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
  11. ↑ – TWoP – Tubey's Kids Archived June 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Lapidos, Juliet (April 4, 2014). "The End of 'Television Without Pity'". The New York Times . Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  13. ↑ Bukowski, Peter (August 17, 2017). "From Game of Thrones to The Bachelor, How Sports Fandom Changed the Way We Watch TV". Paste . Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  14. ↑ MorganG (April 27, 2002). "Bartlet4America News Archive: Revolt With a Remote". B4a.healthyinterest.net. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  15. ↑ Holmes, Linda (March 31, 2014). "10 Absolutely True Stories About Writing For Television Without Pity". NPR.org. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  16. ↑ Weber, Lindsay (September 18, 2014). "How the Creator of You're the Worst Went From Recapping TV to Making It". Vulture . Retrieved November 28, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.