Wilcox and Lavery (2002) identify 9 defining characteristics of ‘quality TV’ – can you apply any of these to other television series that you have viewed recently? Are there any other characteristics that you could add to their list?
I should warn, I don't own a television, because I have a teeny tiny apartment, so the only time I watch tv is when I go home during holidays, and when I watch the limited number of shows I follow religiously online. So sorry if I can't answer all the questions.
- Quality TV usually has a quality pedigree.
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- Desirable demographics notwithstanding, quality shows must often undergo a noble struggle against profit-mongering networks and non-appreciative audiences.
For this, the only show that really comes to mind is my all time favourite, South Park. It’s roots are pretty humble, Trey Parker and Matt Stone originally began making the short animations with crate paper which would eventuate into the show it is today. It really goes without saying that South Park has seen it’s fair share of non-appreciative audiences, due to style, the fact it is an adult cartoon, content, violence, and social commentary taken to extreme and ridiculous lengths, the show has a tendency to give voice to unpopular opinions and shed light on stigma, leading it to negative backlash, death threats, lawsuits, and threats of cancelation. Parker and Stone originally had the choice of the show being produced by MTV or by Comedy Central. They figured that MTV would censor it to the point of the target audience becoming children, so instead signed to Comedy Central. The show is now so popular, that it has resulted in the channel’s major world-wide success, the opposite of a struggle against profit-mongering networks, I suppose.
- Quality TV tends to have a large ensemble cast.
I this is kind of interesting, because in my opinion, there are plenty of soap opera shows/drama shows which have huge casts of main characters, and are absolute rubbish, but I enjoy shows with few main characters, and a huge number of minor (ensemble) characters which add to the story. Again, the only true example I can think of is South Park. There are four main characters- Kyle, Stan, Cartman, Kenny – as well as them, each has their parents, who play a role in almost every story, Stan’s father Randy is a predominant character who has episodes based around him. There are children in the boy’s class at school, their friends, for the most part, Butters, who features in most every episode, having quite a few (usually at least one per season) “Butters Episodes” as Parker and Stone call them. There is the boys teacher, Mr./Mrs/Mr. (again) Garrison, the school counsellor, other teachers, the principal, and other staff. The boy’s extended family, other child’s parents, and other towns folk. South Park has a cast of over 300 characters, and only 4 main characters. Each character is unique, and memorable, even if they only appear in one episode to aid the story. The number of characters enriches the story, rather than being detrimental to it.
Truth. Nothing is more annoying than when TV shows ignore things that have previously happened; it becomes episodic and frustrating. I also found that in the X-Files with Scully’s constant scepticism, which ended up being pretty unfounded after, you know, 9 seasons. And example would be the show Dexter, the main character provides voice over of his thoughts periodically, and he is often referencing prior events, struggles, murders and murderers. The past events are often linked to the present even if not directly, but often take an important psychological toll on the character/s.
- Quality TV creates a new genre my mixing old ones.
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- Quality TV tends to be literary and writer based.
This seems often to be true, in my experience. Take for example Dexter as mentioned above, which is based on a series of books by Jeff Lindsay. Another is the fantasy series Game of Thrones, which is amazing, is based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series, and remains, at least for the first season, fairly true to the books. Many of crime novelist Agatha Christie’s works have been dramatized, such as the Miss Marple series, and the Poirot series, as well as over 50 other adaptations of her novels. The long-running Midsummer Murders is based on books by Caroline Graham. The murder-mystery series Wire in the Blood, is also based on a series of books by Val McDermid. Also the series Pillars of the Earth is based on the novel of the same name by Ken Follet.
- Quality TV is self-conscious.
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- The subject matter of quality TV tends toward the controversial.
Again, see South Park and it's commentary on socio-political issues.
- Quality TV aspires towards ‘realism’.
The only thing I can think of that is really fitting, is the 2005 series Rome. If you haven’t seen it, you should. It’s incredible. While it does have a few shortcomings in terms of historical accuracy , such as the death of Mark Antony, etc, but it’s so perfect in it’s representation of ancient Roman culture, environment, religion, politics, war, and attitude towards woman, class, family, state, sex, and honour. The characters are based on historical figures – Julius Caesar, Pompei Magnus, Gaius Octavian, Cleopatra, Mark Antony, etc. Even the other main characters, such as Atia and Servillia of the Julii were genuine people in history. I would certainly say the show aspires toward and achieves realism.
References:
Wilcox, R. & Lavery, D. (2002). Introduction, in R. Wilcox & D. Lavery
Fighting the forces: what’s at stake in Buffy the vampire slayer. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.
South Park Studios Webpage.
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