Bad Acting, Writing and Story Lines

Elmo · 17-05-2010 10:45am #1

The TV forum has turned american TV for the day with all this cancellations. But is it just me or were the last set of big US shows very poor. Badly written, badly acted and just going nowhere. There are exceptions but not in terms of the Big budget TV shows. I am guessing this is the end of an era.

2000 - 2010 The Decade of Franchises and Blockbuster TV, RIP?

FreudianSlippers · 17-05-2010 11:01am

YES! American TV is too greedy, looking to get 6+ years out of every show with huge advertising contracts and crossover promotions.
I think the idea of coming up with either a show that is a serial with an interesting premise that has a bit of humour etc (like Eureka, Warehouse 13, etc.) with smaller budgets are going to be much more common in the future or shows with a set story that have a clearly written beginning middle and end (like BSG and IMO Caprica will) that last for 4-6 years and aren't dragged on are much better written/acted and less contrived.

Mr E · 17-05-2010 11:19am

The best acted/written shows seem to be on cable these days (Breaking Bad, Dexter, Justified) or from the UK (Ashes to Ashes, Strikeback, Spooks, Luther).

Network shows like Supernatural, Chuck and Fringe (well written and well acted) are in the minority, that's for sure.

FreudianSlippers · 17-05-2010 2:34pm

Any network show that is well written gets low ratings, which blows my mind. I'd love to see Chuck get a proper life at Comedy Central (a proper network in the US compared to it's sister here) or USA (who I feel does a great job with burn notice).

phasers · 17-05-2010 3:41pm

Oh Elmo... :pac:

I think a lot of American TV programmes were too strongly influenced by Lost for the past few years. With it coming to an end, hopefully the rip offs will too.

mstan · 17-05-2010 4:08pm

phasers wrote: »

Oh Elmo... :pac:

I think a lot of American TV programmes were too strongly influenced by Lost for the past few years. With it coming to an end, hopefully the rip offs will too.

such as.....?

and in what way has lost influenced these programmes?

Elmo · 17-05-2010 4:11pm

mstan wrote: »

such as.....?

and in what way has lost influenced these programmes?

Flash Forward and V have been influenced by Lost in terms of their Mystic, cliffhanger endings, background stories, flash backs, flash forwards even Damages has its influence from LOST.

I amn't just taking about LOST knock offs. CSI, L&O even Grey's Anatomy, Franchise shows which have become so popular and unfortunately remain.

RolandIRL · 17-05-2010 4:15pm

FlashForward was advertised as the "new" Lost but V is based on its mini-series in the 80's. dunno about damages. never watched it

Elmo, all that mystic, cliffhanger endings....etc you mentioned is in most series. Lost just took it to the extreme.

it does seem to be cancellation season lately, hasn't it?

Elmo · 17-05-2010 4:21pm

whiteman19 wrote: »

Elmo, all that mystic, cliffhanger endings....etc you mentioned is in most series. Lost just took it to the extreme.

I am not suggesting that they took everything from lost. Cliffhanger endings don't always happen in US TV, episodic dramas generally have endings with a few long running threads of story lines thrown in.

While V is a remake it did rely heavily on influences from Lost.

RolandIRL · 17-05-2010 4:27pm

Elmo wrote: »

I am not suggesting that they took everything from lost. Cliffhanger endings don't always happen in US TV, episodic dramas generally have endings with a few long running threads of story lines thrown in.

episodic dramas like fringe! lost was a bit episodic. you watched one episode, something happened and it was 2/3 episodes later before it was heard about again. the cliffhangers usually happen toward the end of the season. the only series i can think of that had cliffhangers most episodes is True Blood but given that's a shorter season, it doesn't need filler episodes

Elmo wrote: »

While V is a remake it did rely heavily on influences from Lost.

i'm curious as to what influences V took from lost. i'm watching V but i don't really see similarities. Juliet/Erica is about the only one

going off topic a bit, aren't we?

mstan · 17-05-2010 4:31pm

whiteman19 wrote: »

the only series i can think of that had cliffhangers most episodes is True Blood but given that's a shorter season, it doesn't need filler episodesQUOTE]

24 aswell

Mr E · 17-05-2010 4:46pm

Elmo wrote: »

CSI, L&O even Grey's Anatomy, Franchise shows which have become so popular and unfortunately remain.

What's the difference between those shows and stuff like Hill Street Blues, Magnum PI, Cagney and Lacey, St Elsewhere, ER and other shows from the 80s and 90s? Those shows had a wisp of a story arc running through seasons - the only difference between those and the current crop are bad hair and bad clothes. I don't think things have changed that much, Elmo.

Elmo · 17-05-2010 5:08pm

Mr E wrote: »

What's the difference between those shows and stuff like Hill Street Blues, Magnum PI, Cagney and Lacey, St Elsewhere, ER and other shows from the 80s and 90s? Those shows had a wisp of a story arc running through seasons - the only difference between those and the current crop are bad hair and bad clothes. I don't think things have changed that much, Elmo.

I don't know why you put Magnum PI in that list of shows.

Hill Street Blues had its story arc, but it also had good acting and while the clothes were bad they weren't as made up as Dallas and the like (The same can be said for Cagney and Lacey). L&O really just a long running rip-off of both shows, and not a very good with with multiple spin-offs, I haven't seen Hill Street Blues: LA yet.

ER had multiple storylines which could run for just one episode, to 3 to 5 or for a full season.

Bad Acting, Writing and Story Lines

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