From time to time, we all daydream about going back in time. To an earlier period in our lives armed with our current database of knowledge so we can do things over. Like return to high school and become the stud, or snap up Amazon stock when it was unknown. It is a great fantasy until you think about how lame everything else would be.
For myself I imagine going back to the late 80s, to an age before the Internet, email, cellphones, Tivo and digital cable. It would be quaint and cute for a few days. Researching a term paper as an all-day library affair; copying a friend's cassette tape to get free music; being beholden to HBO and the local video store for films without Netflix.
On TV I would face a primitive reality of limited options on my non-flatscreen, non-surround sound Zenith. With original scripted programming confined to the major networks, simplistic and safe formulas like The Golden Girls or The A-Team would force me to fire up the DeLorean and get back to the future ASAP.
Back to Fall 2005 to be exact. A world of risky and experimental TV spread across multiple channels, available on demand or on DVD with a world wide web to provide show information and foster fan communities. This is a great era to be a TV fan.
Breakthroughs in technology and the march of culture have changed our expectations of TV entertainment. The argument in Stephen Johnson's book "Everything Bad Is Good for You"[Riverhead, 2005] is that today's TV and video games requires a higher level of analytical thinking than those of the past. Would Alf or Gimme A Break! play to today's audiences? Even Hill Street Blues and Dallas seem less than slick when watched through modern lenses.
In the last few years, a higher level of storytelling and production that rewards smart and sophisticated viewers has spread across the digital spectrum. This is the "HBO-ization" of television with edgier content on air being led by original programming on cable channels that rival and even surpass the network's best offerings. The world is flat on our remote controls where all channels are created equally.
This does not mean the networks are irrelevant, as advertising revenue, ratings and watercooler talk still favor the Big 6 (yes, we'll count UPN). The instant acceptance of Lost and Desperate Housewives last season gave them all reason to cheer. And unfortunately something to clone with the upcoming season's offerings. That aside, they are investing money into developing smart and interesting programming like never before.
Article comments
1 - Eric Berlin
Great piece Chip, really enjoyed it.
I reviewed the first season of Dynasty a while back, and while I enjoyed it, I was amazed by the sappy, melodramatic factor. No show playing it that straight would last today, in the era of Desperate Housewives, etc. Audiences demand more -- at least on the small (but growing) number of good shows out there!
2 - Temple Stark
This is one of Video editor Eric Berlin's picks of the week. Click HERE to find out why.
Thank you for the writing.