‘Sons of Anarchy’ Season 6 Gets Online Aftershow, ‘Anarchy Afterword’
'Sons of Anarchy' is the latest TV series to get its own after-show, but do these programs provide enough analysis for this to be considered a positive trend?
Following the success of both The Talking Dead (a Walking Dead post-game show) and Talking Bad (which breaks down every episode of Breaking Bad), FX has decided to launch their own entry into the after-show fray, announcing today that Anarchy Afterword will follow select episodes of Sons of Anarchy during its sixth season.
Unlike AMC’s twin “Talking” talk shows, Anarchy Afterword won’t be hosted by Chris Hardwick and it won’t be on television. Instead, FX tapped writer and frequent Chelsea Lately roundtable participant Chris Franjola to host the show, which will stream on FX’s website.
Fans of TNT’s Falling Skies will recall that series got its own online post-show last season with Second Watch, wherein actor and nerd royal Will Wheaton conducted interviews with the Falling Skies‘ cast and crew following every episode of the sci-fi show.
Anarchy Afterword looks to follow a similar format, though each episode will be 30 minutes long (Second Watch episodes come in at half that) and, according to THR, the after-show will follow this season’s premiere, 5th episode and season finale.
Showrunner Kurt Sutter is the only confirmed participant aside from Franjola right now, but the show will also feature interviews with assorted other guests who both come from and revere the world of Anarchy. It’s also possible that this could represent a trial balloon for more of this kind of thing from FX, whose CEO recently indicated that there might be an interest in an American Horror Story post-show.
The question is: is there value in this kind of programming?
Some will doubtlessly shout out yes, and perhaps they enjoy hearing a bit of insight from show creators and celebrity super-fans, but it’s also important to remember that these are, at their heart, promotional vehicles for these very valuable properties. That means that, while entertaining, these shows are not likely built to tug at loose narrative threads, question bizarre character choices, or get much real information out of guests who tend to either fawn all over the subject shows or, in the case of those affiliated with the shows themselves, say a lot without saying… a lot.
If that’s what you’re looking for, then this growing trend is good news for you. If, however, you are looking for a bit of deconstruction and analysis, though, high caliber reviews, journalist led interviews, podcasts, and the comment threads that live beneath them may offer a better – albeit less shiny and celebrity filled – alternative for you to get your fix.
Regardless of which avenue you drive down, though, it’s hard to deny that there is an abundance of good TV talk going on right now in many forms and that means that there is never a moment where we can’t step into the debate and ponder what on earth is going to happen next on any number of buzzed about shows.
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Anarchy Afterword will premiere on FXNetworks.com on September 10th, following the east coast airing of the Sons of Anarchy season premiere.
