Reality Revelation
Seems I'm not so insane after all. Note the qualifier "so" in there. A while back, I posted a disturbing, thought-provoking piece on reality TV's impact on creativity. Since I've no desire to click through my archives to create a link (sorry), I'll sum up it up for you.
Basically, the idea was that reality TV, unnerving and disgustingly bland as can be, will actually be the catalyst of more creative TV. It works like this: Reality TV is simply a concept - there's no scripting, no real actor direction. It's essentially improv, but not the funny kind. Some reality TV is based around good concepts, like Survivor and The Apprentice - they've been thought out and planned and are generally successful. While the idea is creative in concept and the show is successful, it's still just an idea put into action; there's no other intrinsic creative endeavors to be found - no actors, no writers, etc. In other words...reality TV is easy. There's no actors or writers to pay, and the turnaround from idea to completion is incredibly fast.
And for a regular, scripted TV show to compete with reality TV, it not only has to have a good idea or setup, but it also needs to be attention getting. How do they get attention? Through incredible acting and writing - the Achilles' Heel of reality TV.
And now the proof is in the proverbial pudding. And it tastes good. Like chocolate. Or butterscotch. With sprinkles. There are three shows on regular old, rabbit-ear receiving TVs, that are not only funny in concept, but also feature incrediblbly funny acting and writing. First off, Arrested Development. Now, technically this show is in its fourth season, but I think it's only now really reaching the wider audience it deserves. Actually, I think this show was the first TV show to illustrate that people (us) WILL appreciate scripted shows - they just need to be funny enough to do so.
The second show is "My Name is Earl." I was skeptical when I first saw the commercials for this one. They were funny, well-edited, and my normaly hypeactive Jason Leigh shield my have been down because he seemed to acutally nail a character. A very funny show, with awesome supporting characters. SockMama can't stand it. But she likes to watch "America's Next Top Model," so I take that with a HUGE grain of salt. And so should you. Watch it.
Third show: The Office. Yes, I know, it's a remake of the incredible Ricky Gervais' Britcom. I know this. But Steve "Daily Show" Carell is hillarious and makes the most of every nervous pause and anxious situation that comes up. I know, I know, it's still a remake, but it's a wonderful remake and I'm surpised they pull it off. Incredible writing.
Okay, enough of the writing. Get to clicking.
More! Click more!
Basically, the idea was that reality TV, unnerving and disgustingly bland as can be, will actually be the catalyst of more creative TV. It works like this: Reality TV is simply a concept - there's no scripting, no real actor direction. It's essentially improv, but not the funny kind. Some reality TV is based around good concepts, like Survivor and The Apprentice - they've been thought out and planned and are generally successful. While the idea is creative in concept and the show is successful, it's still just an idea put into action; there's no other intrinsic creative endeavors to be found - no actors, no writers, etc. In other words...reality TV is easy. There's no actors or writers to pay, and the turnaround from idea to completion is incredibly fast.
And for a regular, scripted TV show to compete with reality TV, it not only has to have a good idea or setup, but it also needs to be attention getting. How do they get attention? Through incredible acting and writing - the Achilles' Heel of reality TV.
And now the proof is in the proverbial pudding. And it tastes good. Like chocolate. Or butterscotch. With sprinkles. There are three shows on regular old, rabbit-ear receiving TVs, that are not only funny in concept, but also feature incrediblbly funny acting and writing. First off, Arrested Development. Now, technically this show is in its fourth season, but I think it's only now really reaching the wider audience it deserves. Actually, I think this show was the first TV show to illustrate that people (us) WILL appreciate scripted shows - they just need to be funny enough to do so.
The second show is "My Name is Earl." I was skeptical when I first saw the commercials for this one. They were funny, well-edited, and my normaly hypeactive Jason Leigh shield my have been down because he seemed to acutally nail a character. A very funny show, with awesome supporting characters. SockMama can't stand it. But she likes to watch "America's Next Top Model," so I take that with a HUGE grain of salt. And so should you. Watch it.
Third show: The Office. Yes, I know, it's a remake of the incredible Ricky Gervais' Britcom. I know this. But Steve "Daily Show" Carell is hillarious and makes the most of every nervous pause and anxious situation that comes up. I know, I know, it's still a remake, but it's a wonderful remake and I'm surpised they pull it off. Incredible writing.
Okay, enough of the writing. Get to clicking.
More! Click more!
posted by The Haiku Review at 8:37 AM
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