Chad R
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jul 14, 1999
- Messages
- 2,183
- Real Name
- Chad Rouch
What we're seeing is riveting television that doesn't rely on some gimick to hook you in. It doesn't need some artificial premise of a prison break or a possible nuclear disaster to reel you in. It does it with people in interesting jobs who get to say smart things that relate to our everyday lives.
By not relying on a gimicky premise, it lends itself to serialized TV much better. The possibilities for stories are as open as any of our lives. It's never constrained by having to push "the plot" along. Instead, it gets to throw twists and develop stories that are drawn out of the characters they've created rather than the plot they have contrived.
Its excitement also creeps up on you. When I say that it is riveting, it's not that you notice it. It's not amping up your emotions or manipulating your senses. It's telling a story, that you watch, and when it ends you're anxious for the next hour.
Sci-fi shows can be great because they get to deal with issues in our society metaphorically, but every now and then you want to bluntly open a dialogue about those issues. This premise will get to do that. When SNL was great it parodied our society openly. It concerned itself with being subversive. But, it hasn't been allowed to fr so long. That's the challenge presented to these two characters, Matt and Danny. They get to fight to make the show relveant again in an age when the corporate mentality overrides the artisitic spirit. Judd Hirsch's speech at the opening was brilliant in that it set up this idea, the overriding theme, while also setting up the basic premise of the story. Listening to what he said made me nod and smile.
Some smaller bits that fed into this idea is when the corporate powers were sitting around the table discussing their next move, Jordan mentions the "Big three" and one of the executives thought she was referring to car manufacturers in Detroit rather than the three big stars. These guys aren't even interested in the product they sell. For them, it is generically that, "product." There's no passion for the show, just passion for the revenues it can generate.
Then, the idea that Jordan is a wild card makes the show exciting. She's a corporate shark that moved up the ladder quickly. She's pretty young to be president of a network. She pleases the corporate types because she delivers numbers. But, then she throws out an artisitic olive branch to Matt by asking him to open the next show with the controversial sketch. So, is she an ally or a foe?
That's just some short reasons why this show is so much better than most of what has been offered up this season. I can't wait to see if Sorkin can deliver on some of these promises, and also suprise me with fascinating turns.
