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What Would Have Happened on "Drive"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:33:11 PDT

Fans of the quickly canceled Fox serial "Drive" haven't had any luck getting the network to tell them where the show would have gone next if it hadn't been pulled. Fox was supposed to air the remaining two produced episodes on July 4, then moved the date to July 13, and now has decided against airing them at all - though they're likely to show up online eventually.

Meanwhile, the folks over at DriveFans decided to take matters into their own hands, asking executive producers Tim Minear and Craig Silverstein what they had in mind for the remainder of the series. (Thanks to TV Squad for the tip.) Minear and Silverstein didn't reveal who would have won the race, but they did supply a lot of other interesting tidbits, including:

Each character would have had a different race sponsor, each with different motivations - some benevolent, some not. Wendy's sponsors would have been a couple who discovered they adopted Wendy's first child, whom she thought was dead. Half-brothers Winston and Sean would have learned that their father was sponsoring Winston, but a family friend was actually trying to use the race to take out the whole family and take over their business.
Ivy and Wendy would have turned into a Thelma-and-Louise-style team, ultimately rescuing Wendy's son, Sam, and continuing to race with Sam along. Ivy later would have sacrificed herself for Sam.
There likely would have been at least one hookup: Rob and Leigh.

More insights, so

Ellie would be revealed to have been having an affair with Bill, the race's ground monitor.
There wasn't a finalized plan in place for resolving the story of Alex's missing wife, Kathryn.
Had the show continued, each season would have had a new race, with some new characters being introduced and some old characters taking new positions.

The story seems pretty crazy and convoluted, but I'm sure Minear and Silverstein left a lot of paths open for possible plot lines and didn't have a lot nailed down when the series was pulled. Regardless, I think it's pretty cool for them to give fans this kind of insider taste of their vision for the show.

Photo courtesy of Fox

"Drive" Gets Parked, While FX Shows Get Good News

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:50:55 PDT

Well, the 37 of you who said "Drive" would be off the air within five episodes were right: Fox slammed the brakes on the show today, according to Variety. None of the four episodes that aired got good ratings, but this week's situation was particularly dire: The show finished fourth in its time slot, with the fewest viewers yet.

I didn't think the first episode was that bad, but it also didn't compel me to watch again. I guess it's official that Tim Minear + Nathan Fillion + Fox = early death, as I'm sure "Firefly" fans can attest. Two more episodes of "Drive" were produced, and Fox hasn't announced whether they'll be shown on TV or only online. In the meantime, reruns of "House" will be filling "Drive"'s spot.

Fans of "Dirt" and "The Riches" got better news today, though: The FX president said he expects both shows to get second seasons. While I like "The Riches" more than I liked "Dirt," I'm glad to see FX continuing its tradition of supporting unusual, edgy shows.

Photo courtesy of Fox

"Drive" Death Watch: How Many Episodes Will It Get?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 05:51:35 PDT

Fox's new serial drama, "Drive," airs its third episode tonight as part of a whirlwind three-hours-in-two-nights premiere. The show, which I think is the TV equivalent of a summer movie, has been heavily promoted by Fox, with commercials during "American Idol" and an interactive Web site.

However, it's been a tough season for serial dramas, with "The Nine," "Day Break," "Vanished," and others tanking after a few episodes. It's also been a tough few months for new shows in general: Witness the demise of "The Wedding Bells," "The Black Donnellys" and, most recently, "In Case of Emergency." Plus, creator Tim Minear has had two other series ("Wonderfalls" and "Firefly") canceled by Fox - and "Firefly" starred "Drive"'s leading man, Nathan Fillion.

Which leads me to ask: Will "Drive" be the rare breakthrough serial hit like "Lost" or "24"? Or will it land on the trash heap a few weeks from now?

Photo courtesy of Fox

TV Preview: "Drive"

BuzzSugar — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:36:33 PDT

Your feelings about "Drive," Fox's new drama about a top-secret, high-stakes road race, will probably depend on your tolerance for a few things:

Cars, car racing, and all of the standard trappings of car chases (high-speed side-swiping, tailgating, running out of gas at the worst possible time).
Serial shows where the plot unfolds slowly and nothing makes any sense at first.
Entertainment that requires total suspension of disbelief and falls apart with even a little scrutiny.

That's not to say "Drive," which airs its two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. tonight before moving to its regular Monday slot, is necessarily bad. In its first hour, at least, the show is total mind candy, breezy and fast-paced and best when taken at face value. It's the TV equivalent of a summer movie, and if that's your style, it's worth checking out. For more on the series and a few video clips,

"Drive" plays out like a fictional version of "The Amazing Race": A number of people from around the country suddenly get a phone call inviting them to participate in an underground race across the country. At stake is $32 million - and a chance to save a life, since all of the people chosen for the race are in varying degrees of desperation. One is trying to leave her possibly abusive husband, one is a parolee, and three are refugees from Hurricane Katrina. And then there's the show's central figure, Alex Tully (Nathan Fillion, above), a landscaper who joins the race because he believes the clues to his wife's disappearance - and possibly his wife herself - will be revealed along the way.

It's an incredibly far-fetched premise, especially in the series' first few minutes, when a narrator claims that a race like this is going on right now and every reckless driver we encounter might be a part of it. Only the very most desperate people would ever drop everything in their lives on 15 minutes' notice for such a crazy adventure, and I think even they would think twice. But that very unbelievability did make me want to know more about the characters and why they'd decided to join the race.

But I hope "Drive" doesn't take itself too seriously. The show's crazy action sequences and completely impossible situations could be its greatest strengths, and I hope the creators realize that and keep it from becoming a gloomy, low-rent "24" on wheels. Check out the first few minutes, the scene where the participants get their offers, and the promo below and let me know: Will you be watching?

Photos courtesy of Fox