Very Bad News

[rueful]

Glad he's keeping his sense of humor!

Thank you very much, Rai, for letting us know how he is.

(Everyone, go back a page to see what Rai posted about her convo with Rufus.)

Feb 23, 2011 22:45:05 GMT rai said:

Direct from the House of Irony:

www.facebook.com/masterpiecepbs

Masterpiece on PBS here in the States promoting Zen coming soon!!

I wonder if this isn't a plan on PBS's part to increase awareness/excitement so it will be picked up by another broadcaster in the UK. PBS was also involved in the financing of Zen, I believe.

[vmaciv]

I am amazed at all the chatter on the web sites about ZEN but then there are still people trying to bring back Eleventh Hour. I hope ZEN is more successful. I think Rufus Sewell should be proud of himself no matter what. For a series to generate this much ire on the part of the viewing public after three shows, shows what a powerful draw he really is.

I am looking forward to seeing ZEN for three episodes and I do not know why but I beleive more.

No matter what I hope Rufus Sewell keeps smiling.

[kissmekate]

Feb 23, 2011 22:45:05 GMT rai said:

No need to repeat what his reaction to that was! ;D

Great to hear you spoke to him, rai!

Let's hope Zen will be a big success in the States, giving the search for a new home a boost.

vmaciv said:

For a series to generate this much ire on the part of the viewing public after three shows, shows what a powerful draw he really is.

That's right. Hope people will keep showering the Beeb with complaints.

[dippyponge]

Glad to hear that Rufus is happy. Thanks Rai

Contacted Channel 4. Here is there reply:

Thank you for contacting Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries regarding ZEN.

We are pleased to read that you would like to see ZEN broadcast on Channel 4. Unfortunately, we have no information as to whether or not will try to obtain the broadcasting rights for this programme; however, we have noted and logged your interest for the information of those responsible for our programming.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us here at Channel 4 Angela

[ophelia]

I suggested perhaps it would be a smash U.S. hit and CBS would pick it up. No need to repeat what his reaction to that was! ;D

I expect the way those swearwords were used and combined with ‘regular’ language revealed his witty humor.

I must say there was a few choice words of my own. No I am not going to list them.

[kygal]

The same uproar happened with EH. All the e mails and posting disgust everywhere. And yes, it is still ongoing!

What EH did not have is backing by an exec/producer to find it a new home. To me, this is the key! I hope Andy Harris can be successful.

Thanks for the update Rai. Sounds like Rufus is doing better than we are.

I may stop watching tv!!

[anniem]

Only just read this on Facebook. Very bad news indeed. I have read all the messages on here and also want to thank Rai for posting how Roof himself feels.

It is the most ridiculous thing to drop a very good detective series like Zen. I have to say that I understand the decisions about Lark Rise to Candleford and Outcasts. Outcasts was just awful and unfortunately as much as I liked Lark Rise, recent storylines were very poor and after four series I felt that the novelty had worn off.

But Zen ! Zen ! So silly to get rid of it. I don't think the BBC will listen to complaints, a lot of people have compalined about other series being taken off and nothing happens e.g. Lark Rise, which I have already mentioned and a very long while back Top of the Pops !!!!!!!!

My feeling is if it is taken up by another TV channel, it will now go to another channel such as Sky.

[dreamer]

Oh good he's happy, this is the most important thing, thanks Rai!
In line with his favourite asset, to be unemployed and available for what better is coming, day after day, living the moment being open to everything. A wise philosophy of life, like that the people have in Naples, living under the volcano, you know!

[ophelia]

I feel for our darling Rufus.

He can wander with his Leica, taking photograhs as the world goes by in London and Los Angeles.

I must say I would love to see his work.

"My favourite things are just wandering from place to place, going to cafes, taking photographs. My favourite day is a happy accident."

With love Ophelia.

Attachments:

[lassie]

Can't believe the BBC have been so stupid and short-sighted. I'm not looking forward to winter next year - wonder what rubbish will be on my TV

Thanks Rai for letting us know the lovely Rufus is not heart-broken. He played Zen perfectly and it's such a shame not to see him in that role again (unless of course it gets taken on by another channel).

Fingers crossed that a good project will appear soon for him (stage work perhaps!).

[GreenEyesToo]

Dippy, thank you for letting us know what Channel 4 had to say.

Maybe we should all try writing to them so they know what a huge draw it would be? They are more likely to want to take it on if they know already that there is an audience for it, ready and waiting.

I can't help feeling that our energies are better employed lobbying the potential new broadcasters, than trying to push the BBC into reconsidering - which they won't; the new controller won't want to lose face.

[dippyponge]

I agree. I have written to channel 4 and ITV so far.

[francesca]

I don't think he will change his mind either
I thought complaining would ease my temper but it hasn't

[GreenEyesToo]

A very supportive article:

Horror and dismay have greeted BBC One controller Danny Cohen’s decision to axe detective drama series Zen, after the network aired a solitary three-part series in January which pulled a very respectable 5.7m viewers per episode. Shot amid succulent Italian locations in Rome and the surrounding countryside, Zen won plaudits for Rufus Sewell’s performance in the title role (and it appeared that Sewell in a range of stylish Italian suits exerted an aphrodisiac effect on a sizeable number of viewers), while his leading lady and former Bond girl Caterina Murino lent an aura of Italian voluptuousness to the production.

Some argued that the films failed to capture the authentic flavour of the late Michael Dibdin’s original novels, and a mostly British cast pretending to be Italians struck a few wrong notes, but the show possessed a wit and style absent from most home-grown dramas. Besides, BBC One was hardly to going to air a series in Italian with English subtitles at prime time on a Sunday night.

theartsdesk is vastly not amused at the show’s disappearance, because our review of Zen drew a huge number of hits and readers were still adding their (mostly enthusiastic) comments about the series long after the third episode had been broadcast.

Danny Cohen has also terminated Lark Rise to Candleford and caused a bit of a stir when he appeared to say that the BBC makes too many middle-class sitcoms. At a time when the BBC Trust thinks that Radio 4 needs to expand its listenership and “should be promoted among minority ethnic opinion formers,” a groundswell of grumbling is becoming audible from those proverbial white middle class Zen-loving licence-payers.

Cohen himself mumbled some opaque evasions to Radio Times. "BBC Drama has a lot of very exciting projects in development,” quoth he, “ and going forward we've taken the decision to look at some of these new titles rather than commission a second series of Zen."

All may not be lost, since Zen’s producers Left Bank (who also make the Kenneth Branagh version of Wallander) are now in discussions with other networks to find it a new home. Which would be great, as long as it doesn’t go to Sky Atlantic where hardly anybody can watch it.

www.theartsdesk.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3155:zen-axed-by-bbc-one&Itemid=12

[dippyponge]

This seems to be the response from most people. They all seem very shocked.