LISTEN UP FX, YOU NEED TO SAVE TERRIERS!!

It happens every TV season. One show comes along and has the right mix of a great premise, great directing, great acting and great writing. We as fans get sucked into this show. We relate to the characters. We anxiously wait as the days pass for the show to come on. We suffer with the characters when they are down and we celebrate with them as they succeed. For one reason or another, despite our love for these shows, the ratings don’t see things the same way. We try telling people we know to watch the show, that it’s the greatest thing on TV. However, no matter how many people we tell, we are still left disappointed when the ratings come out each week. Eventually there is not much left for us to do except enjoy the ride while the show is still on and say farewell once it is inevitably cancelled.

I’ve been through it quite a bit. Last year it was FlashForward. Before that it was Jericho. So I’m not surprised that another show has grabbed my attention this season. That show is FX’s Terriers. For those of you who are unaware, Terriers is a show centered around 2 good friends who open up a private investigation company. One of them is a former cop who left the force due to a drinking problem and the other is a former burglar turning over a new leaf. The show is a mix of stand- alone stories and serialized stories. Every episode focuses around a particular case the duo is working on but also incorporates running aspects of their lives. Hank (portrayed by Donal Logue) is the ex cop. Aside from being a recovering alcoholic, Hank is also struggling with the feelings he has for ex wife, who is getting remarried. Britt (Portrayed by Michael Raymond-James) is the ex con. He has turned over a new leaf and is dating a girl studying to be a veterinarian.

Like I said, I’ve been sucked into these shows that only last one season before. What makes this one so different? What makes this one want me to write an article to the network pleading to keep the show going? I’m glad you asked. Terriers is built on the friendship that exists between the two main characters. The chemistry the two actors have together is unlike anything I have ever seen. Of all relationships on television, the male friendship seems to be the hardest thing for a TV show to get right. All the other successful friendships that come to mind are in sitcoms and are usually of the goofy nature. However, the way Brit and Hank banter and care for each other really makes you think that Logue and Raymond-James are really good friends off the screen. Aside from their friendship, both characters seem so real. In fact, every character on the show seems so real. On the outside it might just seem like another cop show where the story goes from case to case but it’s not. These characters are not larger than life. They don’t pretend to be better than other people. They are just normal people you could meet at any point in your life. They have their problems, they have their issues and they deal with them. Things don’t just magically get summed up or go away, because that is not what real life is like. As I mentioned, Terriers is a breath of fresh air in a very bland TV landscape. Every year there are dozens of shows that are copy cats of each other. The same old procedurals, the same old Chuck Lorre comedies, it can get exhausting. With Terriers, FX has something truly unique on its hands, and that is rare

So this is my plea. FX, do not make the huge mistake I know you are thinking about making. A couple seasons ago, NBC was contemplating cancelling Chuck. The ratings were fairly low for that show to, especially for a network show. NBC, in a surprising sign that they are not brain dead, renewed Chuck. And while the ratings haven’t seen a huge increase, that have stayed consistent and it has actually been one of NBC’s most stable shows in a time when they really needed one. Like Chuck, Terriers has a passionate, albeit not very large, fan base. They will not dessert the show. Not only that, but by renewing the show, FX will build up so much credibility with the fans. I for one am ready to give any show FX puts out a chance if they renew Terriers, because I would know the people running the network would know a good thing when they saw it. For anyone reading this, I beg you to send an email to user@fxnetworks.com and beg them to save Terriers. I promised myself that I would not let myself get sucked into a show like this again, but damn it Terriers did it to me. And it will do it to you to, if you just give it a chance