What makes good TV? For a blog dedicated to sharing my views on that very topic, you’d think I should have a ready answer to that question. Unfortunately, the problem is, it’s not as simple as it sounds. See, good TV—like beauty—is very dependent on the viewer. Everyone has their preferences, their biases. For instance, right this minute, I’m watching a marathon of The Greatest American Hero. It was a reasonably successful show back in the 80s (back when Stephen J. Cannell was a television mogul, rather than a bestselling novelist), and the fact that it had a twenty hour marathon today makes it seem that a decent amount of folks would consider it “good”, but it’s also a good example of my preferences. So, if I’m going to be giving out my thoughts on what’s on the tube, it might be fair to start with some of the basics about what I like (and maybe a little bit about what I don't).
First, I’m a sucker for a good old-fashioned buddy show. GAH is one example, but there are plenty of others. Sticking with Cannell products, one of my favorites of all time is Hardcastle and McCormick. Then there’s Starsky and Hutch, Alias Smith and Jones, Wild Wild West, Simon and Simon . . . the list could go on and on. On a bit of a side-note, it makes me a little sad that this list is made up of old shows; true buddy shows are pretty rare these days. High on my list of current shows is White Collar, one of the few modern-day buddy shows—and one that will almost certainly show up here regularly.
The next thing that’s always a plus in my book is smart dialogue. Snappy repartee, impassioned orations, casual literary or historical references—these are the sorts of things that score high with me.
And the last thing that comes to mind tonight (though I don’t intend this list to be all-inclusive) is believability. Now, this shouldn’t be confused with realism; I’m not expecting—or even wanting—complete veracity in the programs I watch. But while I’m watching, I do want to believe that the characters believe. I enjoy any number of programs that start with some pretty unlikely foundations (see some of those buddy shows mentioned earlier), but they are always constructed in such a way that the suspension of disbelief is easy. That’s a pretty fine balancing act sometimes, and the primary credit is split between the writers and the actors, but every little bit of the production plays a part, as well. When everything comes together like it should, the viewer is lost in a world that only exists in that 30 or 60 minute block of time.
So, if that’s a brief look at things I’m biased toward, are there things I’m biased against? Absolutely. The most obvious would be the opposite sides of the listed virtues. I don’t like insipid dialogue, or characters that sound stilted, or cliché, or just plain stupid. I also can’t abide watching any program that continually reminds me that it’s not real. If a show can’t create that suspension of disbelief—if I’m always aware that it’s just TV—then I don’t want any part of it.
Beyond that, there’s only one really huge deal-breaker for me, and it’s a fairly new invention in the grand scheme of things: reality television. Anyone browsing these postings hoping for the latest updates on Big Brother or Survivor has come to the wrong place. American Idol and Dancing with the Stars are likewise not on my viewing list. Call me old fashioned, but I like my television to be scripted and staged (and admit as much).
With these basic guidelines in place, though, it then becomes a matter watching a show and simply seeing if it “clicks”. Sometimes—not often, but sometimes—that click is instant, and I know immediately I’ve found a new favorite (White Collar), but more often, it takes a while for a show to really grow on me. These days I love to stumble across reruns of old Friends episodes, but I’m not too proud to admit I wasn’t sold from the start. On the other hand, it also usually takes at least a few episodes before I’ll completely write something off; the programs that completely turn me off with the first viewing are almost as rare as the ones that win me over that quickly.
So, that’s a peek at my criteria for “good TV”. Your list is probably at least a little bit different, but I still bet we end up in the same place every now and again.
No comments:
Post a Comment