There's no doubt that an unintended consequence of high def is magnifying these types of situations. That's the double-edged sword in full effect: an on-location scene set in some beautiful country looks all the more beautiful, while an on set studio soundstage setting looks all the more cheesy. It is what it is.Ron1973 said:
It's not as if things like rear projection and indoor sets posing as outdoor locations weren't noticeable on snowy 19" TVs, but due to the small screen and the general nature of television, they were accepted as normal for stories that were known to be produced in a week's time. If you wanted more realistic location work and larger budgeted entertainment, you went to the movies.Ron1973 said:
For the record, I'm personally not talking about wanting "larger budgeted entertainment" in the least. In fact the thing is that often the larger studios would be the ones that would build gigantic, exotic soundstages instead of simply taking the cameras out in the field. As one example (and I've mentioned it before), I greatly preferred the Universal Abbott & Costello pictures to their more high-budgeted MGM films, where they had these very complex sets. Those big studio soundstages always came off as phony to me even though they were filmed at the larger and more prestigious MGM studios. I just prefer outdoor scenes to be shot outdoors, not inside on an elaborate soundstage. But again, that's just me.Rob_Ray said:
There were a lot of series back then that were indeed filmed on location and not in the backlots or soundstages. So many of the early westerns from "Lone Ranger" and "Cisco Kid" on were shot on location. Even "Dragnet" used a lot of location work. Whenever they're in police HQ, they shot that in a real building and not a set. I just discovered a couple of series on YouTube that I'd never heard of before that offered lots of location shooting: "This Man Dawson" (1959) shot on location in most of its scenes (probably L.A.) and "Everglades!" (1962) which looks like it was shot in the Everglades, although I can't confirm it. I think shows that were not produced by major studios, but by companies that didn't have standing sets or soundstages tended to rely on outdoor locations or any of the ready-made ranches available in Southern California for shooting westerns.Gary OS said:
I'm sure that the way you approach this is the majority view. And conversely, my tastes are definitely going to be in the minority. While I certainly have favorite actors and actresses, and do take note of them in different films and TV shows, who stars in something is almost never the main attraction for me. I tend to focus more on the story, not who's acting it out. And because of that, on location shooting means so much more to me than it probably does to many people. I seem to always focus on the surroundings and love scenery as much as the acting itself. Especially if it's something that is supposed to be taking place outdoors and in a large expanse like a range. I think this is a big part of why shows like Rawhide and HGWT mean more to me than the WB westerns. And it's why I have a special fondness for series like Ron Ely's Tarzan and In the Heat of the Night. I just love the "reality" of the surroundings. But again, I know I'm in the minority and that most people here have a greater appreciation for the actors than the storyline. I'm just weird, I guess.Jack P said:
Yep! That's been my observation as well. I'd love to see Everglades get a release for this very reason! It's why I love little shows like Highway Patrol, as one example. Seeing all that Americana is fantastic, imho. Give me that over a claustrophobic soundstage any day of the week.Vic Pardo said:
I hear ya, as they say. And there's no doubt that favorite actors can add to the enjoyment of shows. But I'm just not as big into that element as the average viewer. Give me an unknown with a great location and I'm satisfied. But give me a favorite (like Abbott & Costello, for instance) on a stuffy soundstage and it can suck the life out of me. Especially if the scene is supposed to be taking place outdoors.Jack P said:
Excellent observations, Chris. I've never thought about the "desperate hours" syndrome with WB, but now that you phrase it in that way I think you are 100% correct. That's clearly what they were doing in those episodes. You are spot on with the comments about some of the later westerns, like Laredo, being better in that regard.Silverking said:
The sitcoms never bothered me as much, Rob. And your right that Green Acres in particular, with it's zaniness, isn't adversely affected by the soundstage. At least it's not for me. The primary genres that are negatively impacted by too much soundstage and not enough open air are westerns and action/adventure shows. When those are confined to soundstages it really drags things down a lot for me. Having said that, I think any show of any genre benefits from the real outdoors if that's where the shot is supposed to be taking place.Rob_Ray said:
I also love actual location footage. While all TV shows have some "set or soundstage shooting" in probably every episode, shows with lots of authentic location footage are the best. I consider Quinn Martin Productions to be the "KING OF LOCATION FOOTAGE. In Jon Etter's excellent book on Quinn Martin he points out that Quinn Martin spent more on his shows and the results show up on the screen. Quinn Martin insisted on lots of location footage. I consider Quinn Martin shows to be superior television!Gary OS said:
The best example of the difference that location vs sound stage makes is taking Streets of San Francisco, which is shot all over the city vs Ironside, total studio lot as almost all cheapo Universal shows were show. Not to mention that Quinn Martin would spend money to get good guest stars while Universal (except for certain shows like Name of the Game) mostly cast nobodies.MCCLOUD said:
But Herbert B. Leonard went further by filming Route 66 all over the U.S. (a couple of episodes in Canada in S4) and Naked City in New York, where the actors played out their roles in the streets and buildings of America itself! Leonard was a trailblazer in TV's "Golden Age" indeed!MCCLOUD said:
