The Reality of Fictional TV
Fictional episodic dramas and comedies are back!
Thank God!
For the past few years it seemed that if you weren't a fan of eavesdropping on "strangers all forced to live together" or some version of a talent show, there was nothing on television for you to watch. Reality TV had taken over and there was nothing we could do about it. It didn't help that audiences turned out in droves to watch these inane shows, but then the glut began. Akin to ABC getting overzealous with the success of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (they put it on THREE nights a week...yeah that won't get old...), everyone scrambled to create the next Survivor or American Idol. Reality television was cheap to produce and people seemed to really dig it. But with so many shows out there a few things were bound to happen: 1) the "reality became a lot less real and a lot more scripted and 2)the shows started to suck and people tuned out.
There were a few shows I have to admit a guilty pleasure in enjoying. The Restaurant & The Ultimate Fighter were two that I liked (the latter which I still watch now in it's second season). But for the most part, I was no fan of reality TV. On top of that, I was even less of a fan of the Q-list celebrities they produced.
Thankfully, it seems that episodics are making a comeback. HBO led the way with shows like Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under as well as newer shows Deadwood and Entourage. FX has The Sheild, Rescue Me, Over There and is starting to roll out half hour comedies that stray from the standard three camera sitcom format. The networks are following suit with Lost, Invasion and even shows like OC.
As a viewer, I'm very pleased as I've started watching actual television shows again. Moreso, as an actor, I'm ecstatic...as there is much more work out there. And really quality work at that. The next year or so should be very exciting in both avenues.
<< Home