Saturday’s announcement that “Orphan Black” is launching a weekly post-show called “After the Black” left us scratching our heads. The BBC America thriller about human cloning peaked in terms of buzz about two years ago, when reviewers were outraged — outraged! — that star Tatiana Maslany, who plays multiple roles, had been overlooked for an Emmy nomination by her peers (she eventually received one for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2015). It’s certainly understandable that the network wants to stir up as much hype as possible about the show, now entering its fourth season, by having its cast and crew discuss plot theories and behind-the-scenes footage. But the idea is a few years too late. The after-show genre has now reached a saturation point. Its most successful entry, “The Walking Dead” post-show “Talking Dead,” which launched in 2011, averages nearly 5 million viewers — more than some original shows on broadcast TV. But while early copycats like “Talking Bad,” a “Breaking Bad” dissection, benefited from its novelty, AMC’s later entries like “Talking Saul” (for diehard “Better Call Saul” fans) seem superfluous at a time when everyone knows all the best post-show discussion is on social media, not on a hosted television program filmed in a studio. We have “Watch What Happens Live,” which often functions as an after-show for the “Real Housewives” and other Bravo franchises, and the “After After Show” for MTV’s “Teen Wolf.” Discovery has aired post-shows for “Naked and Afraid” and its annual “Shark Week” event, which at least is only a week long. This season even “The Bachelor” added a post-show chat hosted by Chris Harrison (who already hosted an after-show for ABC summer series “Bachelor in Paradise”). Does “Orphan Black,” returning on April 14, have enough viewers to merit a further discussion of its storyline? Not really. Season 3 averaged 440,000 viewers, down a distressing 20 percent from its Season 2 average of 550,000. (By contrast, “The Walking Dead” has more than 12 million weekly viewers.) “Orphan Black” will never be in that league. When will network executives and programmers learn to leave well enough alone? Let viewers enjoy their favorite programs without showing us, immediately after, what went into making an enjoyable experience enjoyable.
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