Someone got up on the wrong side of the rock

[pjthompson]

So, why am I such a hardass when it comes to episodic TV? Why won't I give The Dresden Files another chance? Too much disappointment over the years. Like David Bordwell once said, "T.V. always breaks your heart, eventually."



I guess that happened to me once too often, with too many shows that I was devoted to. I gave up watching episodic TV pretty much with Farscape and I really haven't regretted it much. There are exceptions, but most of those shows are on BBC America.

I got tired of the homogenization of ideas and people; the dumbing down of script and imagination; of the fact that when you're dealing with episodic TV the characters and whatever they've gone through during a particular episode must return to the same place they started at the end so the episodes are interchangeable and can be shown in any order when it comes to the rerun market. Because it's all about profit and most profits are made in syndication.

Yes, I know there are exceptions. Babylon Five comes to mind. But look how hard it was for that show to stay on the air. It had to leap from market to market in order for the five year story arc to play out. There are other shows who have remained true to themselves, but the vast majority of them have not, and I just got tired of devoting the time, both watching and talking about them. It's a personal choice, and I don't think there's anything wrong with following shows and enjoying them and talking about them and getting into that whole thing. It was a lot of fun when I did it. I'm just not into it anymore.

So I'm hardly a target audience for The Dresden Files, and they should not worry about me not liking it.


Other cranky thoughts of the day:

I heard a news report this morning that said some consumer group is going after the manufacturers of Viagra because they're "marketing it like a recreational drug."

Is it just me, or does this seem somewhat absurd? What else is Viagra for if not recreation? I mean, I hardly think getting an erection is a medical necessity. But it is a hell of a lot of fun, both for those getting to that place and those playing along. Watchdogging is a good thing most times, but this one made me laugh—and wonder if maybe the consumer people needed a year's free supply of Viagra.

Random quote of the day:

"Ignorance is the parent of fear."

—Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Comments

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Your arguments against wtaching episodic TV are valid. Nip/Tuck had a brilliant first season because it wasn't episodic -- it followed an arc straight through and wrapped the end sup nicely. Unfortunately they stopped doing that in the following seasons.

I view TV shows like summer romances -- fun while they're good, then it's time to move on.

And you're dead on about viagra. :-)

[pjthompson]

Yes, summer flings--I used to think of them kind of that way myself. Not a bad way to think of them. But somewhere along the line it changed.

And you're dead on about viagra. :-)

:-)