Edmonton Valley Zoo: Using Sex to Sell?

I just wanted to make a quick comment today about the new look for the Valley Zoo here in Edmonton. As part of the major renovations that will be taking place there over the next few years, a couple weeks ago the zoo unveiled their new logo.
For at least the last several years (I was unable to find out exactly how long) the zoo has used a stylized image of an elephant as their logo. It is understandable that they would want to distance themselves from this image, as the presence of the elephant, Lucy, has drawn increasing criticism from animal rights groups who argue that her isolation, relatively small habitat, and Edmonton’s cold climate have combined to create both mental and physical problems in Lucy.
So we are presented with not one but eight new logos for the zoo. Rather than focusing on a single animal, each stylized logo looks at a different species. Though the press release invites you to see any animal you would like when you look at the designs, they did have specific animals in mind: a panda, seal, two owls, snake, meerkat, sea lion, and lemur. Despite this large number of logos, to date most of their signage and materials features a single logo:

I like that this logo (as well as the rest in the new style) feel less formal and are more colourful than the old design. My initial assumption was that it was an image of an owl, perhaps reinforced by the fact that the current radio campaign is voiced by an owl character, or perhaps because of the logo’s similarity to another famous design. And that’s my real problem with this new look.
Does it remind you of any other brand? Maybe a restaurant chain whose sole selling feature is the opportunity to be served by attractive girls in short short and tight top?

The new design in conspicuously similar to the Hooters logo. It is fairly common knowledge that the O’s in Hooters were designed to not only look like the owl’s eyes but also the restaurant’s namesake – a pair of breasts. That’s what makes the thought process behind the new Valley Zoo logo so hard to understand. I find it hard to believe that everyone involved in the design and approval process failed to see the blatant similarities between the two designs, but it’s equally hard to believe (despite the rather leading title of this post) that they could have seen the similarities and decided to proceed with the design anyways, out of some misguided desire to make the zoo subliminally sexy or otherwise.
As I pointed out above, there are seven other logo designs that the zoo will be using in various locations. The most common design, pictured above, isn’t even one of the owls, it’s a panda, but it is definitely biggest offender when it comes to the “zoo tits” design gaffe. “Zoo tits” are still present in most of the other designs, with the exception being the snake, but on many of them to a far lesser extent.

Lemur	Meerkat	Panda
Owl	Owl	Sea Lion
Seal	Snake

So are the new logos a complete failure? No, I don’t think so. Certainly not everyone will make the “zoo tits” connection. If the zoo move to one of its other designs as the primary, I think that any potential damage can be minimized as people will be trained to look at it as it was intended and will be less likely to make the “zoo tits” association when they do encounter the more blatant designs later. The snake, seal, or sea lion designs should be on the forefront of this campaign and the other designs used sparingly. It is remarkable to me, however, that they got this far without anyone rectifying, or apparently even noticing, this problem.
I hope a little more thought and attention is put into the rest of the zoo’s renovation.
Sleep well,
DTE
____________________
Songs of the moment:
Emily Browning – Sweet Dreams; Daft Punk & Crystal Method – The Grid Remix; Garfunkel & Oates – This Party Took A Turn For The Douche
Music while I wrote:
Smodcast Network – Jay & Silent Bob Get Old

Upfronts 2011: The CW

This week I’m going to be posting my reactions to the Upfront presentations. For more info on the Upfronts click here.

Today is the last day for the big(ish) networks at the Upfronts, finishing up with netlet The CW. The youngest skewing of all the networks, their programming is almost exclusively aimed at the under 20 crowd. This year there’s a bigger hole to fill than normal, as Smallville has ended its 10 year run. In fact, Smallville was so important to the network’s ratings that likely the only reason it was renewed for the last two seasons is because even with its poor ratings, it still routinely beat everything else on the network. This year’s crop brings a lot of reality and some more of the same.

CW:

The Frame:

The description makes this reality show sound like nothing more than a rehash of Big Brother.

Re-Modeled:

In this reality series, the host travels to modelling agencies in small towns and forces them to treat their models in responsible and healthy ways. It may be noble, but it doesn’t sound like good TV.

H8r:

This reality show pairs online “haters” with the “celebrity” they hate in an attempt to prove that the celebrity isn’t so bad. It could be an interesting distraction if there were actual celebrities featured on the show, but the pilot features Snooki and Kim Kardashian, and it will probably go downhill from there. The only people less deserving of air time than these faux “celebrities” are the message board trolls who hate them.

Hart Of Dixie:

A medical drama from the creators of Gossip Girl. It looks like it will fit right in with the target audience, but whether it will be quality is yet to be seen.

Secret Circle:

Still trying to recapture the successes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel, this is another supernatural drama from the creators of Vampire Diaries, this time about witches. Look for plenty of longing glances, emo songs and teen angst.

The Ringer:

Speaking of Buffy, this show stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as a woman on the run from the mob who hides out with her twin sister (also Gellar) who also happens to have a price on her head. The set up sounds quite contrived, and the fact that it was originally supposed to be on CBS and coproduced by ABC before they both pulled out doesn’t instil confidence. Of the six shows they’re launching, however, this look like it will be the one most worth checking out.

And that’s it for the 2011 Upfronts. Overall, it looks like another disappointing year for network TV. Don’t lose all hope though, as last year looked just as bleak, but we were rescued by cable channels. With any luck, they’ll bring salvation again. We’ll have to wait until the fall to find out.

Sleep well,

DTE

Upfronts 2011: CBS

This week I’m going to be posting my reactions to the Upfront presentations. For more info on the Upfronts click here.

After two days of extremely lackluster schedules, lets see what CBS has to offer. Since it has historically been the oldest skewing and most risk averse, it’s probably not wise to go in with expectations too high…

CBS:

2 Broke Girls:

While the concept doesn’t sound like much (two girls work at a restaurant), the script for the pilot generated a lot of positive buzz. That, coupled with the fact that it stars one of my personal favourites, Kat Denning, means that I’ll probably give it a chance.

Unforgettable:

A procedural on CBS? What a new and novel concept! This one is about a woman with a condition that sounds a lot like a photographic memory who solves crimes by remember things. In fact, the original title was Rememberer (nope, not a real word). Doesn’t sound good, but procedurals have a habit of sticking around on this network, so this one just might make it.

How To Be A Gentleman:

Taking a page out of ABC’s book, this is yet another sitcom about how incredibly hard it is to be a manly man in today’s world (apparently I’m doing something wrong, because I don’t seem to be having nearly as much trouble with this as network executives seem to think I should). A strong cast may help this one find footing, even if the idea will be oversaturating the airwaves this fall.

Person Of Interest:

Starring the great Michael Emerson, produced by J.J. Abrams, and written by Jonathan Nolan, this one would seem like a sure bet. It’s a procedural (shocking!) about two cops who try to stop crimes before they occur, but how they do this is not yet clear.

A Gifted Man:

This show is about a doctor who’s dead wife begins appearing to him as a ghost and inspires him to become a better person and use his medical skills to help the poor, downtrodden, etc., etc. The fact that it’s on Friday means it won’t have to do very well to stick around (hello Blue Bloods), but I still think this one will have a though time remaining on the schedule.

The 2-2:

Not on the fall schedule, but being held for whatever show fails first, this is arty, existential look at what makes… no, it’s yet another procedural. There doesn’t appear to be a single thing that differentiates this show from all the others, so expect it to do just as well.

And that’s it for CBS. The only network remaining (such as it is) is the CW, which I’ll cover after they formally announce their new schedule tomorrow.

Sleep well,

DTE

Upfronts 2011: ABC

This week I’m going to be posting my reactions to the Upfront presentations. For more info on the Upfronts click here.

Today’s presentation was from ABC. ABC is launching quite a few new shows and although they don’t appear to be direct rip-offs, like many of NBC’s, there’s not a lot of originality here either.

ABC

Charlie’s Angels:

A remake of the “classic” series, this one seems destined for disaster. Apart from it’s name, there really isn’t anything convince people to bother checking this out. The first promotional image looks more like a still from a tampon commercial than what is ostensibly an “action” series. Being terrible didn’t stop Hawaii 5-0 from pulling in ratings, but I don’t think that’ll happen here.

Good Christian Belles:

The title has already been watered down from the original Good Christian Bitches, and everything else about this series looks like it will follow in the same vein – a safe, predictable, evening soap.

Missing:

This series sounds like it may be worth a look. Rather than another procedural, this appears to be an ongoing mystery. The big question here is how the show will progress from week to week. It’s difficult to sustain a single mystery over the course of an entire season. The network will be wary of building in too much ongoing story as it makes it difficult for viewers to drop in casually, but there doesn’t seem to be anything for the characters to do from week to week outside the main mystery.

Once Upon A Time:

Like NBC’s Grimm, this is another “fairy tales are real” series. It again appears to borrow liberally from Bill Willingham’s Fables comics. Given the choice between the two series I would tend to lean towards this one as it seems to rely less on action and more on plot but, as with Grimm, it will be extremely easy for this show to go off the rails.

Pan Am:

This looks to be ABC’s attempt to do Mad Men on a network. It sounds like it will be a little soapier than NBC’s The Playboy Club, but I don’t think that will do anything to help this one survive.

Revenge:

The description here is a little vague, so it’s difficult to evaluate this drama, but there doesn’t seem to be any real hook.

The River:

A scientist goes missing in the Amazon and a group sets out to find him. There are hints that there may be some paranormal involvement and it sounds like they may be courting the Lost audience. Probably worth keeping an eye on, but plenty of other shows have tried to follow Lost’s success and failed miserably.

Scandal:

Grey’s Anatomy in the White House. That’s pretty much all the description you need to make your own decision about it.

Apartment 23:

Another victim of a watered down title, this one was originally called Don’t Trust The Bitch In Apartment 23. The title was about the only thing original about this show. It’s a familiar formula, but this may be funny. Until we get some clips, it’s difficult to tell.

Last Man Standing:

Tim Allen returns to ABC, which means this is almost sure to get ratings. It doesn’t sound like a great premise, as it’s yet another show about how tough it is to be a manly man.

Man Up:

Just like Last Man Standing, this is a comedy about how tough it is to be a manly man in the modern world. Giving it a different title isn’t going to make this one any funnier.

Suburgatory:

Another familiar concept, this time about the horror of living in the suburbs, but it’s one I have a weakness for, so I’ll probably give this one a chance once some clips arrive.

Work It:

This one sounds pretty terrible. It’s about a couple of manly men (again!) who dress as women to get jobs in pharmaceutical sales. I think this is my prediction for first cancellation of the season.

Tomorrow will be CBS.

Sleep well,

DTE

Upfronts 2011: NBC and Fox

This week I’m going to be posting my reactions to the Upfront presentations. For more info on the Upfronts click here.
Today’s presentations were from NBC and Fox. My first reaction is that they’re both fairly unimpressive. NBC’s looks like they just tried to rip off every successful series (in fact, NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt said, somewhat tongue in cheek, “We knew we wanted to be derivative this year, so that’s why we picked up all these shows.”) As I noted yesterday, less than half of their schedule is scripted for the coming year. Fox too has a fairly derivative schedule, but there are a couple of unique ideas.
NBC:
The Playboy Club:
While most of NBC’s schedule this year is derivative, this is easily the worst offender. In a nutshell, this is Mad Men for network TV. The problem with that idea is that historically network audiences haven’t exhibited the patience required by that type of series. Additionally, because it’s on a network, despite its racy theme, it will need to be toned down so much that it will turn off those who tune in looking for titillation.
Up All Night:
A comedy about “balancing work and life”. Nothing new here.
Free Agents:
A comedy about coworkers who sleep together and then have to deal with the fallout. Still nothing new.
Whitney:
Another sitcom about “modern relationships”. Still boring.
Prime Suspect:
And Americanised version of the British original, this sounds like a fairly standard cop show. There is some talent behind the scenes in the form of NYPD Blue’s Alexandra Cunningham and Friday Night Lights’ Peter Berg, so there may be reason to give this one a shot.
Grimm:
This one is at least a little different. A cop series which takes place in a world where fairy tales are real. The concept sounds like it borrows heavily from the Fables series of comics. If it can live up to the potential of that series, it could be great, but it could also easily go off the rails.
Smash:
NBC’s take on Glee, this is a musical about the behind the scenes goings on at a Broadway musical. Like Tera Nova (see below), this one is produced by Steven Spielberg. It may be worth checking out for that reason, but I’m not holding out much hope.
In addition to these shows, they will also be launching The Firm, Awake, Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea (this sounds terrible, just based on the source material), Best Friends Forever, and Bent. There’s little information available on any of these, so I’ll withhold judgement for now.
Update: Clips can be found here. Spoiler: they make the shows look even worse than they sound.
Fox:
The X Factor:
Yet another singing competition. This one will surely get the ratings to be considered a success, but it won’t reach anywhere near even the flagging ratings of Fox’s own American Idol. There’s nothing special here and it likely won’t be generating any buzz after its first couple weeks
I Hate My Teenage Daughter:
Two friends trying to raise teenagers who are just like the girls who tormented them when they were young. Without a clip, it’s difficult to judge the level of humour, but the description provided by the network sounds like another cookie cutter sitcom.
New Girl:
Speaking of cookie cutter comedies, Fox is also launching New Girl. This sounds like a redo of Three’s Company with the genders reversed. Again, until we get a clip it’ll be tough to judge if this has any comedy potential.
Allen Gregory:
A new animated series from Jonah Hill. I’m a fan of his comedy in general, so this one may be worth checking out.
Terra Nova:
A sci-fi dinosaur fantasy executive produced by Steven Spielberg sounds like it would be a sure thing. This one has had so many problems and different creative teams throughout its development that there is ample cause for caution. You should still check it out, but be warned.
The Finder:
A spinoff from Bones. Unfortunately for Fox, the backdoor pilot which aired a few weeks ago didn’t go over well with fans. Look for substantial reworking before fall if there’s to be hope for this one to make it.
Alcatraz:
It’s from J.J. Abrams, which is enough to warrant a look on its own. The question here is if audiences will be scared away by the idea of another prison show after being burned by Prison Break, or if the toned down for networks prison experience will turn off those accustomed to cable TV.
Napoleon Dynamite:
An animated series based on the film from 2004. Though the film was considered a cult hit in its day, it has been largely forgotten since. I’m not sure if a weekly continuation of the film would be enjoyable or if it would quickly become grating. I think this is far too late to be attempting this as a series. It won’t last long.
Touch:
Not on the schedule for next year, but waiting in the wings to replace the inevitable cancellations. Not that this one will last long once it gets on the air. It’s from Tim Kring, the creator and destroyer of Heroes, who doesn’t seem to have learned anything from that experience. The series is about a group of unrelated characters with tragic pasts and an autistic boy who can see “how everything connects”. Sound familiar? This one won’t be around long either.

The Week That Will Be

The coming week is one of my favourites of each year. What’s so special about it? Well, it’s the annual Upfront presentations. For the uninitiated, the Upfronts take place each year in New York and it’s where each of the TV networks attempts to sell commercial time for the upcoming season to advertisers. What that means to the rest of us is that we get our first look at what new shows were picked up, which were moved to new time slots, and which were cancelled.

Last year’s Upfronts displayed a fairly disappointing crop (read about it here, here, here, here, and here). That might lead you to believe there weren’t any new shows last year worth watching, but that’s definitely not the case. There were plenty of great new shows, they just weren’t on network TV. The Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, The Killing, Game Of Thrones among others were fantastic series on cable networks. This has become something of a trend in recent years, with cable’s subscription revenue requiring lower viewership to turn a profit allowing them to be more experimental, creating genuinely unique and interesting shows rather than having to play it safe by churning out more doctors, lawyers, cops, and “the next Friends”. Hopefully this year will bring a little more creativity from the majors.

The schedule for the 2011 Upfronts is as follows:

Monday, May 16 – NBC and Fox
Tuesday, May 17 – ABC
Wednesday, May 18 – CBS
Thursday, May 19 – CW

This morning NBC released it’s fall schedule early. I’ll wait for tomorrow when, hopefully, there’ll be some clips and sizzle reels to look at for each show before I make my initial judgements. One thing that does stand out about the schedule at first glance, though, is that less than half of their programming will be scripted. A whole lot more reality TV is headed our way from the (former) peacock, and that may be a trend that the other networks will regrettably follow.

Check back tomorrow when I’ll have a rundown of the announcements from NBC and Fox.

Sleep well,

DTE