I think what really shot this series down was this: the characters were too much of a stereotype. Dad was too stereotypical of a big, brawny meathead. Mom was too much of a stereotype of little Ms. perfect on the outside, but missing something on the inside. Daughter was stereotypical angry at everything riot grrrl. Son was just... well, son was the stereotype of the kid who couldn't figure out who he was. Very cool computer graphics dominated this show, but unfortunately, they spent way too much money on computerized images, and not really enough on writing.
You also get the feeling that the writers didn't know very much about gaming and gamers to really capture what they were like. Considering that the show's creators, David Sacks and Marcy Carsay are better known for shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun and The Cosby Show, respectively, you have to wonder why they were involved with it. There were also 7 executive producers, and you know what they say about too many chiefs and not enough braves in the tribe...
The show also proves you can take a good cast and still come up with a dud. Lucy Liu, Patrick Warburton, Rachel Dratch, Artie Lange, Marisa Tomei, and Jan Hooks aren't probably going to list this at the top of their resumes.
Still, I think that the series could be retooled and reintroduced someday. It'd take a lot of work and dedication to make it workable, but I think it can be done. You really need someone who knows the world of videogames and videogamers at the top of it all.
You also get the feeling that the writers didn't know very much about gaming and gamers to really capture what they were like. Considering that the show's creators, David Sacks and Marcy Carsay are better known for shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun and The Cosby Show, respectively, you have to wonder why they were involved with it. There were also 7 executive producers, and you know what they say about too many chiefs and not enough braves in the tribe...
The show also proves you can take a good cast and still come up with a dud. Lucy Liu, Patrick Warburton, Rachel Dratch, Artie Lange, Marisa Tomei, and Jan Hooks aren't probably going to list this at the top of their resumes.
Still, I think that the series could be retooled and reintroduced someday. It'd take a lot of work and dedication to make it workable, but I think it can be done. You really need someone who knows the world of videogames and videogamers at the top of it all.