Melody Rules
| Melody Rules | |
|---|---|
| Developed by | Geoff Steven |
| Written by |
Kathryn Burnett David Geary |
| Directed by | Michael Robinson |
| Starring |
Belinda Todd Susan Brady Alan Brough Alistair Douglas Jodie Rimmer Elliott O'Donnell Iain Chapman |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 44 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Geoff Steven |
| Producer(s) | Ross Jennings |
| Location(s) | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Ross Jennings Productions[1] |
| Distributor | TV3 Network Services |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TV3 |
| Picture format | 576i 4:3 (SDTV) |
| Original run | August 1993[2] – 1995[3] |
Melody Rules was a 1993 sitcom created by New Zealand TV station TV3. The series centred on sensible careerwoman Melody and her semi-dysfunctional family consisting of her teenage sister Zoe and their brother. Frequent recurring characters included an unkempt and filthy man as well as neighbour Crayfish. The series was structured in a similar manner to an American sitcom, containing similar elements including a laugh track and vaudeville-esque humour.
TV3 conceived Melody Rules in 1993 in hopes the show would form one of a number of flagship productions for the station. TV3 received $1,262,990 funding from NZ on Air for the production. TV3 hired the services of an American television writer, who held a number of workshops in New Zealand where he taught hopeful writers the craft of writing an American-style sitcom. Working with his ideas and formulas, Melody Rules was the end result. Due to poor ratings, the series was pulled from TV3's prime-time lineup in the summer of 1995, and was rerun at 2:00 and 3:00 AM on weekend and weekday mornings, only to be cancelled following two episodes per screening. 43 episodes in total were screened.
Melody Rules has received much negative criticism, including unfavourable comments on its humour and poor acting roles. It is now widely regarded in New Zealand as the worst TV3 sitcom of all time.
Premise
Melody Rules starred sensible careerwoman Melody (played by Belinda Todd) who had returned to the family home to look after her teenage brother and sister while her mother is overseas, then best known for her role as co-host of TV3's late news program Nightline. Todd had little acting experience and was known more for her sexy, outrageous on-screen persona.
Production
The first season of Melody Rules was filmed on a budget of $1,262,990, which was funded by NZ on Air to TV3 and Ross Jennings Productions. The entirety of the series was filmed in Auckland, while the majority of the scenes were filmed within a small living room. Geoff Steven served as executive producer for the show's entire run,[2] while Ross Jennings functioned as producer and show runner.
List of episodes
- Key
- In the # column:
- The first number refers to the order it aired during the entire series.
- The second number refers to the episode number within its season.
Season 1: 1993–1994
<td id="pc1">1[4][4]| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | NZ air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–1 | "Going, Going...Goner[4]" | Michael Robinson | Kathryn Burnett & David Geary | August 1993 | |
|
While her mother is overseas, sensible careerwoman Melody returns to her family home to adopt and care for her teenage siblings. Melody maintains an open mind and upbeat attitude during her first days of living in the family house; in the neighbourhood, she meets many of their colorful neighbours, including a filthy neighbour who possess the catchphrase "Ya decent?" and teenage neighbour Crayfish. Guest star: Robert Harte[1][4] | |||||
Season 2: 1994–1995
<td id="pc26A">26A<td id="pc35">35<td id="pc40">40[5][5][6][6][7][7]| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | NZ air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2A–26A | "Inside Job[5]" | Michael Robinson | Kathryn Burnett & David Geary | 1994 | |
| 10–35 | "We Are Family[6]" | Michael Robinson | Kathryn Burnett & David Geary | 1994 | |
| 20–40 | "The Devil You Know[7]" | Michael Robinson | Kathryn Burnett & David Geary | 1995 |
Reception, legacy, and achievements
Critical reception
Critical reception for Melody Rules was poor; the series has been frequently labelled as "cringeworthy",[8] and "atrocious"[9] by The New Zealand Herald, one of New Zealand television's "disasters" by Scoop,[10] and "awful" by the Waikato Times.[11] Series co-stars Alan Brough[12] and Belinda Todd[8][13] both regret starring in the series; Todd described working on the series "[...] like Macbeth. I think that if you have to say [Melody Rules], you have to go around–you'd have to go outside and spin around because it's bad luck, don't you?" and labelled the series as "absolutely ghastly",[13] while Brough described working on the series as "such a horrendous experience", adding "[...] I was so embarrassed by it, I had to go overseas."[12] Both Brough and Todd claim the series was substantial in convincing them to leave New Zealand and move to Australia and the United States, respectively.[8][12] However, in spite of poor reviews, the series has developed a cult following for its perceived low quality, and is currently labelled by Todd as a moderate cult hit.[13]
Ratings
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Robert Harte: Details". Kathyrn Rawlings & Associates. 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "BFI – Film & TV Database – MELODY RULES (1994)". BFI Film & TV Database. 2010-06-17. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ↑ Lang, Sarah (23 November 2009). "3's company". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "MELODY RULES: "GOING, GOING ... GONER" . EPISODE 1". New Zealand Film Archive. 2008-06-14. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "MELODY RULES: "INSIDE JOB". EPISODE 26A". New Zealand Film Archive. 2000. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "MELODY RULES: "WE ARE FAMILY" EPISODE 35". New Zealand Film Archive. 2008-06-14. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "MELODY RULES: "THE DEVIL YOU KNOW" EPISODE 40". New Zealand Film Archive. 2008-06-14. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lang, Sarah (2009-11-23). "3's company, Page 4". The New Zealand Herald (APN News & Media). Retrieved 2010-03-09.
- ↑ NZ Herald Staff (2008-08-07). "Shooting stars across the Ditch". The New Zealand Herald (APN News & Media). Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ↑ Rennie, Philip (2000-04-10). "On The Right: Quotas A Fancy Word For Censorship". Scoop. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ↑ Waikato Times Staff (2009-03-03). "TV exec canned for jibe". Waikato Times. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Lallo, Michael (2007-02-15). "Captain Alan takes his time, Page 2". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 2010-03-09.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Nightline 20th Anniversary Special (2010). Graham, Mark (executive producer). MediaWorks New Zealand and TV3.