While it can be said that TV has slowly progressed to tight, more concentrated storylines in the past couple of decades, I've noticed a dramatic increase in the uses of drama and suspense with the recent surge of programs that are written for an audience that is expected to digest them all in one sitting. One big troupe characteristic in these binge shows is the steady, unrelenting increase in stakes, giving little time to breath and let tension or peace linger. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Can made-for-streaming shows still be considered TV, or are they moving towards more extended movies?
I like this idea, but I have to say that I am a little worried about how you are going to prove any of these ideas. For example, how will you tangibly prove that binge watching is either bad or good? By what metric will you judge the circumstances? These are factors that need to be considered... – agramugl8 years ago
Agree with agramugl that proving whether or not binge watching is good or bad will be challenging at best, however perhaps this can be compared to potential effects it may have on the way people watch films? Most binge-worthy TV shows are more or less extended films, as you said, particularly with their high production values. Perhaps this could be likened to how a lot of drama/suspense/action films nowadays have a run time of around or over 120 minutes - any less, don't we feel they're not giving us enough? Would anyone bother going to the cinema to watch a short mediocre film, when they can watch something epic on Netflix? – Sonia Charlotta Reini8 years ago
Examining show elements such as the continuously growing cast, numerous lands/worlds, and the dual timelines, discuss the arguments for whether the television show has presented a storyline that is too confusing to follow, or if the show continues to show the creativity of the show runners.
One of my favourite shows. Up to the last season, the show was absolutely marvellous. The plot was complicated but quite understandable. In the current season, although I haven't watched the last few episodes, things seem a bit pushed, meaning they are making stories where non exists. I should probably hold my judgment till the end, although I read a spoiler which has not made many happy about the season finale.
– Nilab Ferozan9 years ago
I find this show really interesting as it often subverts fairy tale stories and pushes the envelope a bit while at other times it is extremely cliche, making safe choices. – mindthegap9 years ago
I think the show is very interesting, but sometimes hard to follow - which I don't mind cause it makes me pay more attention to the show while its on cause I want to figure everything out.
– RegalScarlet9 years ago
While Once Upon A Time does seem to maintain a understandable plot, I would say this is because they temporarily drop elements of their universe in the favour of keeping the plot simple. During the Underworld plot of the most recent season, the audience only received a few glimpses of what was happening in Storybrooke. That kind of closing off makes their huge universe seem narrow at times. – Lbrook49 years ago
Happy to be the voice of dissent: I was absolutely on board for season 1, and then felt that the series went to garbage. They didn't abide by the rules of their own universe. The fan service outweighed the quality of both the writing and the plot. I felt repeatedly like the characters brought in were an effort in publicity to capitalize on fan craze rather than thought out or complex. – Piper CJ9 years ago
I definitely agree with Piper. I started watching OUAT when it first aired, however many years ago. I loved it until it got to the Frozen arc. Yes, I'm sick of Frozen, but I stomached it enough to continue. I think, for me, I just became so annoyed with how drawn-out the series became. Again, like Piper said, the show broke its own rules and sort of just made things up for the heck of it. It became what Lost became in its last few seasons. I haven't watched it since the Frozen arc, so I don't know where the writers have taken it since then, or where they intend to take it, or if they have any inkling of ending the show soon. – Christina Legler9 years ago
I appreciate this show, but I lost interest after season 1. I know many do not feel the same way but it just was exploring too many avenues at one time. Now, I enjoy complicated, intricate dynamics in shows and cinema as I like to stay entertained, but something was lacking. From what I'm hearing from previously die hard Once Upon A Time fans, the show has definitely taken a leap in the wrong direction. – danielle5778 years ago
I stopped watching Once Upon a Time midway through season 5. Some of the plot lines began feeling repetitive, and I started to wonder if the writers have any inkling of an ending in sight. – KennethC8 years ago
In my experience, I could only stomach through Season 1 and a couple episodes into the 2nd season. Initially, I thought the writers were upholding decent quality characters and plot premises. However, once I got to the 2nd season- the writers thought it would be a good idea to make Mulan a lesbian. I had a tug of war with myself... shouldn't I be happy that shows are not sequestering "princesses" to certain stereotypes? But, then I thought- why, of all fairytale female characters, would they designate Mulan as the lesbian? The answer is obvious, so I won't go into that. But isn't this also continuing a stereotype about lesbians and how they act? Just because Mulan is a masculinized character does not mean she automatically has to be a lesbian. You can be girly and still be a lesbian. OUAT, if you really want to break boundaries, write female characters in a way that doesn't succumb to the same, basic stereotypes. – Nbrull128 years ago
Once Upon A Time was a great show for me until the middle of season 5. I think that the characters were stuck in the underworld for too long and the ending of season 5 was very anticlimactic and that's when the show started heading into a new direction. – Jai Modo8 years ago
I really enjoyed this show at the beginning when it was easier to understand and actually followed the stories and fairytales. But not it has become some sort of a mess. I really do think someone should explore more of this topic. – veronicamarie118 years ago
I'm a big fan of OUAT, as my screen name might reveal. I love how the writers have cleverly updated fairytales--stories we all know and grew up on--since 2011. However, I can be objective enough to say some arcs work better than others. I loved the first two seasons, but the Neverland arc of season 3 was a bit stale for my taste. I also felt the show broke its own rules with the season 5 Underworld arc. Mythology is not the same as fairytale. Plus, when you start examining how people interpret the afterlife, you're bound to hit some pitfalls and lose your audience. Oh, well, at least they didn't make Hades' Underworld some kind of ultra-modern Vegas casino-type destination. They stayed true to mythology, which I can give them credit for. – RubyBelle8 years ago
With the swing of a bat, the Walking Dead was easily the most popular show on television. However, with increasingly more characters to adapt into the story, the loss of fan favorite characters, and rehashing of similar story lines, how much longer can the show continue to receive this unprecedented popularity? Within this season, the shows ratings have already drastically declined from the season premiere. Why has the show lost its fervor? Can the directors/writers take steps to salvage the series, or will it be too little too late?
The show should have taken a more 'Game of Thrones' approach to the plot. 'Game of Thrones' established very early in its airing that main characters and fan favorites are not immune to death. If the fan-base is more story-driven, the show is easier to steer from a writing standpoint. – MikeySheff8 years ago
The decline of ratings for the Walking Dead can also be attributed to the complex storyline. Especially this current season has a lot of parallel plots, that all develop very slowly and keep the audiences waiting for anything to happen that could bring the plot really forward. Even though it makes sense to establish characters like Negan as the evil villain and show the audience what he is really capable of doing, it drags on and on. Additionally a lot of fans read ahead in the comic series and stir up discussions online, which makes it difficult to keep up a neutral stand on the show. The killing of popular characters then takes another toll on the audience. The early exploring/surviving mentality, where the group tried to built on something has disappeared, along with beloved characters. This atmosphere that was created in earlier seasons could be one thing to bring back the show to its original success. – lajungbl8 years ago
TV has seen a bit of an emergence of female antiheroes in recent years. Some examples include Rachel in UnREAL, Nancy in Weeds, and Claire in House of Cards. Antiheroes have traditionally been male, so it is a breath of fresh air to see women characters that don't always act within the moral boundaries society has normally expected of them. Discuss the appeal of female antiheroes; are there any limits to the archetype? Is it easier to have male antiheroes?
Good topic! Perhaps one of the women of Game of Thrones could be added as an example too? – Ben Hufbauer8 years ago
Women of GoT is a valid suggestion but I'd just like to say I think that they should be left out of the article for simplicity's sake. They would cloud the article too much with speculation and there are far too many. Lets maybe keep it easy and focus on female anti heroes as main protagonists in modern realistic dramas? Just to keep the genre specific. If it went all over scifi, fantasy, crime, etc. this article could become too huge a task lol. – Slaidey8 years ago
Jessica Jones may also be an interesting character to explore. – Laura Jones8 years ago
Regina of Once Upon a Time comes to mind, although she may no longer fit the antihero mold since literally separating herself from the Evil Queen. Or does that actually make her more of an antihero? Anyway, she tops my list. Now that I think of it, Zelena might fit, too. – Stephanie M.8 years ago
Compare the narrative similarities of season six with the Netflix revival. A lot of the same conflicts were set up, Rory not being fully committed (to Yale or a stable job), Rory and Lorelai fighting, Luke and Lorelai fighting, Rory and Logan's relationship. Amy Sherman-Palladino seems to have re-set these pins again so she can knock them down the way she initially intended. Does the time jump affect the intended narrative in any way? Does it even matter?
I also found this very interesting. In a discussion with a friend about it she said originally Sherman-Palladino had wanted Rory to be pregnant at 21 but ended up holding off. (I'm not sure if it was due to actor preference or what specifically changed her mind) But I do think in a way she used this final season to bring back the generational challenges that have always circled the Gilmore family. I think the time jump affects the narrative because it snaps us back into a sort of reality. We were originally left on a high note with Rory not settling and striving to achieve her goals to be a journalist. Now we see that some things don't change and our fate catches up with us eventually, no matter how much we may run from it. – Julianne8 years ago
With popular book series titles making their way into television, authors seem to be forced to make a switch between writing long-form prose and writing with the television audience in mind. Does the narrative change, for better or for worse, when an author is acutely aware that the next book will be formatted for episodes rather than novels? George R.R. Martin's celebrated Game of Thrones series is a prime example of how an author feels the pressure of a viewing audience baring down as opposed to writing novels at a leisurely pace. What effect does this have on the story, characters and plot when an author is pressed to satisfy an episodic format at a mainstream pace?
Interesting topic. I think J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts screen play is another good example of an author moving from writing for readers to viewers. – C8lin8 years ago
Would be very interested to read this article, as at the moment I cannot think of another TV show besides GoT where the writer of the books also wrote episodes for the show! – Sonia Charlotta Reini8 years ago
Given that there are some creative licenses taken in the dramatization, does the humanization of the current British monarch make her more likable, respectable, relatable? Or less? Does the dramatization work in favor of public perception of the British monarchy or not?
The scripted nature of television, when framed as reality TV, creates a paradoxical viewing experience. For those who know a show is scripted, there needs to be a theatrical suspension of disbelief, and those people will inherently react to it in a different way.
When we're aware a show is scripted, it's even possible to ignore that and get swept up in it as if it's either 100% real life, or just gripping fiction.
Does reality TV need to be scripted because real life is too unpredictable and boring? Do we try and force ourselves to believe fiction or scripted 'reality' tv storylines for that reason?
