Memory of a Killer Gives Us Patrick Dempsey — But Can It Deliver a Multi-Season Series?
There is no doubt that we’re here for more Patrick Dempsey on our screens, and Memory of a Killer is going to offer that.
FOX has set the premiere date for the new series, which will take over Monday nights at 9/8c starting Monday, Jan. 26.
There’s a lot to look forward to based on the storyline and the movies that have come before it, but I have one concern.
This doesn’t seem like a series that could go on for multiple seasons, which is usually what TV networks would like. But there could be a way around that.
The Basis for Memory of a Killer
Memory of a Killer is based on the Belgian movie De Zaak Alzheimer (La Mémoire Du Tueur), and there was a U.S. remake starring Liam Neeson.
In both movies, we learned about an assassin who was suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s.
While being an assassin is dangerous enough, not remembering who people are or what you’re doing from one day to the next leads to a far bigger plot with twists and turns.
Dempsey will take on the role of Angelo Ledda, a hitman and photocopier salesman who has built a successful career.
Things couldn’t be better for him: building his own wall between the two businesses and keeping his life with his daughter completely separate from the darkness in his heart.
That’s all about to change, though, as Alzheimer’s is taking its toll, and he can’t outrun the diagnosis.
It’s not like he hasn’t had to handle this in his life before, as his older brother suffered from Alzheimer’s as well, which means he knows exactly what’s in store for him.
There’s certainly a strong cast behind the series, with The 100‘s Richard Harmon playing another hitman who is close to Angelo and Dangerous Waters’ Odeya Rush playing his daughter Maria.
But will that be enough to help this series go further than just the one season?
After all, it won’t take long for the cat to be out of the bag about his Alzheimer’s, and it’s not like there is a cure for the disease, so it can only get progressively worse.
A Movie for a Reason
The first two versions of this story have been movies, and that’s for a reason.
Once the movie is over, people can move on, and there’s no need to find a way to continue the story.
While some people may love a sequel or want to see more of these characters, there isn’t the same expectation for movies.
With TV shows, however, there is the expectation.
While streaming platforms and premium cable networks can order limited series, that’s not usually the case with broadcast networks.
You see, the first season of a streaming show isn’t the most expensive, as costs increase considerably with the third and fourth seasons due to how contracts work.
When it comes to broadcast shows, the first season is the most expensive because of set construction and finding the right stars. Costs can go down in later seasons since the sets are already in place.
Therefore, the expectation is that there will be more than one season, and FOX will not have greenlit Memory of a Killer as a limited series.
There’s just a risk that there won’t be content for it.
Where can the story go other than something similar to the original movies?
If you haven’t seen the movies, we won’t spoil them, but they have an element of closure that doesn’t work on TV.
Once you have the secret of Alzheimer’s out there in the hitman world, various enemies are going to come after Angelo, and there’s only so much his protege and friend can do.
Eventually, the secrets come out to his daughter, and there has to be that gradual decline because of the way this illness works. With all that in mind, there may not be much left for a second season.
This is one of those shows that needs to plan ahead to ensure a second season, or it’ll fall into the same trap that made Prison Break fail once everyone broke out of prison.
An Anthology Series?
The only real way Memory of a Killer could continue is by going the route of an anthology, but this is a huge risk, and FOX is already taking a risk with Memory of a Killer’s storyline.
It doesn’t quite fit anything else the network has to offer.
This would mean a different set of characters each season, telling a slightly different version of the story.
There are other ailments that could affect a hitman, leading to some dangerous consequences, so it wouldn’t even need to be memory each time.
FOX could agree to doing something like this, as it has opted for an anthology in the past with Accused, so it could make sense if they ever attempted a season-long anthology series with Memory of a Killer.
However, it might still not work, as an anthology series relies on people being interested in the idea as a whole rather than just the cast, or on bringing back the same cast as different characters, opting for something similar to American Horror Story.
I’m all for the series, though, and I’m going to be watching.
But I am a little concerned about the scheduling, as FOX may be setting it up for failure before it even starts by airing it after an unscripted show.
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
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Memory of a Killer Gives Us Patrick Dempsey — But Can It Deliver a Multi-Season Series?
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