Patman

BTW, though this show is cancelled, if someone were to write the actual transcript of thie documentary on Pres. Robert McCallister, I'd go buy it and read it.

Ayre

Here is an interesting resource I stumbled upon. It only covers the first 9 episodes, but it does have a lot of info.

http://stephensanders.tripod.com/jack_bobby_chronology/

Jadzia

Earlier in the series, they had established that Bobby was a Republican. When he was running for President in the primaries, he was upset that the GOP was backing another candidate from Missouri. (They had kind of made it out to be sort of a McCain-Bush type rivalry, where the party was supporting the more conservative candidate, while Bobby was more moderate.) So Bobby decided to leave the Republican party and that is when he ran as an Independent and became President. They mentioned he was the first Independent to be elected President in XX years.

At the time they revealed this, it was very early in the series, I think only the second or third episode. I remember that it was a big shock that Bobby became Republican since his mother was so liberal. But as the series developed, it made sense to me, especially since Bobby's father figure, the university president, was established as a Republican. I figured that was who later influenced his politics (that and rebelling against his mom, lol)

Patman

Reading through the chronology brought the details back about Bobby's republicanism, though he was more reverand than politician as his core beliefs for his call to faith in people to get things done. Anyhow, it was Marcus's line that led to the confusion.

B.A.

John Hurt played the Republican Congressman from Missouri that was running for President against Bobby in the Primary. The Party backed him, so Bobby ran as an Indie.

movielib

He was played by John Heard. John Hurt is the guy who had the alien burst out of his chest.

B.A.

Thank you, I thought I mis-spelled it, but I didn't feal like checking IMDB. I knew there was a reason 1984 kept popping into my head as I was typing.

Ayre

The WB published their fall schedule today.

As expected, Jack & Bobby is not on the schedule.

http://www.thewb.com/Shows/Special/0...229694,00.html

movieking

Yup, a horrible fate for a great show.

I highly recommend that for those of you who didn't watch it when it first aired to get the inevitable DVD release of the series.

rkndkn

Knowing it was likely the last episode, I didn't have the heart to watch it until last night (when I knew it was). I kept waiting to hear how Jack died, as they surely couldn't leave us with that question. It all very much felt like closure, and was probably as satisfying as the end could be.

I'd never watched a WB series before and this one actually caught my attention because of the free first episode DVD included in "Entertainment Weekly" -- which I DID NOT receive myself but hearing of it made me aware of the show. I'm VERY glad I gave the show a shot, though it's heartbreaking it was overlooked by many. What a fine cast and great writing -- especially the perfect juxtaposition of the documentary footage with the past.

Jadzia

You should give Everwood a shot. Same producer and it is another fine, overlooked show: excellent writing and acting. The first season is on DVD.

rkndkn

I forgot "Everwood" was on the WB as well -- I did actually try that show for the first 4 or 5 episodes but I couldn't quite get into it. Perhaps it started a little slowly for me, and I may give it another try on DVD as I like Treat Williams.

Ayre

What really hurt this series is that it didn't have its footing for the first half of the season. The writing was uneven and too much centered around grace. When Matt Long (Jack) became the focal point the series took off.

The last 6 episodes really demonstrated its potential. I have to admit, I really didn't care for the for the writing on the first 12+ episodes, but the premise and quality of the acting kept me coming back. I never missed an episode, but I can certainly see how others could be put off by polarization and extreme nature of the writing.

To many, it may have seemed to be a platform for a "liberal" agenda, when I think it really was neither conservative nor liberal and at the same time contained both postitive and negative elements of both. Much like Everwood.

Where I think Everwood succeeds is in the Berlanti paradigm. All people are good, but on occaison they will stumble and do bad things. I don't know of any other show where you are asked to like all the characters, but not all the time. Making a lead player an anti-hero. This was true of Jack & Bobby, with the exception of the Anti-Christ with a speech impediment.

Jack & Bobby just took too long in making us like Grace, when she was the major force for the first half of the season. Also the "documentary" in the early episodes was often dry and confusing. Whereas In the final episodes, it became intriguing, clear and clever. Of course it takes awhile for viewers to generate an emotional investment, something I don't think the writers managed properly.

It was really cut down as it was finding its stride.