Granite Flats. BYUtv Original Series.

"The vision must be followed by the venture.
It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs."
~Vance Havner

Photo found on byutv.org

Several weeks ago, I started watching this family-oriented TV show on BYUtv. The series is BYUtv's first attempt at a scripted drama. They cater to the whole family, trying to produce a show that every member of the family could sit down and enjoy as they watch together. I think they've done a pretty good job. It's not my favorite, maybe because I'm used to the dramatic story-lines that appeal only to a more mature audience, but still it's not bad, especially for the younger crowd. And tonight is the season finale, but you can watch all the previous episodes right on byutv.org. I'll be curious to hear your review.

With a desire to encourage them to continue venturing out into the scripted drama series world, I "liked" the Granite Flats page on FB and left this comment. And guess who "liked" my comment? Oh, just the lead actor, Nathan Gunn. :)

Thanks for an entertaining show. I watched the first two episodes on byutv.org and will continue to watch.

The plot lines were slightly on the slow side for me; I wish that it would be slightly meatier and move a little faster. Or maybe it was the development of the characters that seemed slightly loose and not yet fully convincing of their "reality." I'm not sure. It could just be that I'm used to in your face TV drama. :) But I suppose your target audience age range is wider than most popular mainstream shows, so you must be able to appeal to all both in interest and comprehension.

But overall, I quite enjoyed it. I felt the acting was good. Acting is only ever as good as the writing. The details in scenery and props were very convincing and added to the authenticity of Granite Flats. The hair, clothing, cars, etc. were really great! Immediately, I knew the time period simply because of the details.

I hope that it will be enough of a success, that you and byutv will continue to delve into more scripted series such as this one, providing a genre that is simply hard to come by these days. Thank you for your efforts. You should be proud of your work. I look forward to more! (Wow, that turned out to be a very long comment.) :)

Oh, and if you watch, pay close attention in the pilot episode for my future father-in-law, Robert Pine. (Yes, that's Chris's dad who used to be on CHiPs. And for crazy trivia purposes, for you Mormons out there who may have ever seen the short video "On The Way Home," a kind of goofy (because it's old-school) Mormon movie produced in the 1990s about how families are eternal units: Robert Pine plays the Dad. And let's be honest, while the video has an overall good message about families (a few ways they present doctrine are odd to me), everything produced in the 90s seems a little goofy to me. Just take a look at their clothes. ;) Fun times.

And just for the heck of it:

Chris

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