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In Reply to: Movies versus TV shows posted by cetaele on June 09, 2004 at 18:44:27:
Cateale,I'm on the verge of tossing my slowly failing 27" Sony out the window and using the $70 per month cable charge to buy better tubes for my SP10 and a new cartridge.
But, there were three television series that I think must rank as the intellectual, artistic, and dramatic equals with some of the best feature films:
"I, Claudius"
"The Jewel in the Crown"
"Brideshead Revisited"Note the country of origin (and the decades since) of these three series.
Ephemere has a very good point that the success of this kind of televsion has to do with working within the medium and not imitating cinema. A long series does not need the severe time compression that movies must use to establish drama, so it becomes possible in televison to use nuance that would be too time-consuming in features. Plus, somuch of movies now imitates television but with higher production values and unwatchably hysterical editing..(re" Matrix Reloaded"
These series did what televsion could have done in the US in the absence of commercial pressures- and I know several of the wierd, insecure, second-guessing bottom line poll sitters involved in American network TV. Just when I think television has reached bottom, I hear of a new deal with Paris Hilton or Geraldo as "Senior Correspondent". "Reality Television" should be called "Prozac-Schizoid/Psychotic-Escapist Televsion".
When TV is done well, it can be done well, but well done things are rare!
Thanks for the rant opportunity- I feel well enough now to take a bit more of CNN..
Cheers,
Bambi B
Follow Ups:
I would add "The Duchess of Duke Street" and "Upstairs, Downstairs." ANd may I also add the original "Forsythe Saga", "Edward, the King", and "The Six Wives of Henry VIII?" All are outstanding efforts from the land of my forebears, Great Britian.There have been some exceptional American series. I would count the first couple years of "West Wing" as top television. I would vote for the long-running "M-A-S-H" and the mini-series "Lonesome Dove." One could point to some of the fine productions - mostly live, one episode "teleplays" - such as "Requium For a Heavyweight" and "Marty." Then there was the often exceptional "Rod Serling's Twilight Zone."
My vote for the best dramatic series of all would be "I, Claudius," which is astonishingly good. I also love the original "Black Adder" series and the old "Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" along with the magnificently daffy "Fawlty Towers," "Tracy Ullman" and the best comedy show of all time, "Monty Python's Flying Circus." I'm also partial to some later shows like "As Time Goes By" and the splendid "Band of Brothers."
Television and movies are mostly crap. Gems like "I, Claudius" and "Monty Python" are much too rare. And things are getting worse. Television is drowning in a sea of banality and stupid shows where no bad idea is wasted and no bad joke goes untold.
I'll add Dr. Who to the list - longest running sci-fi show for kids ever made. Campy cheese it may be but damn it was hilarious fun.
I'm a fan of all the various Dr. Who actors but feel that the series was at its peak with Tom Baker. I do love the way each different actor colored the character of Dr. Who to suit their own personalities. Baker and Jon Pertwee are my favorites but all are enjoyable.Sure, it's campy but it's also very entertaining.
Wouldn't you just love to have access to a Tardis for just one day? American phone booths were never as exciting as that classic London phone box!
"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"
I agree with you and those two were my favorite Doctors as well - Baker I grew up with and enjoyed his companions even K-9. I did not mind the guy who followed too much either - Peter Davidson. Then it all fell apart.They made a tv movie in the 80's with the guys from the movie Withnail and I. It tanked unfortunately. If they made it today they would need to tke a bit of the camp out and serious it up a bit.
I always wanted one Star Trek: TNG episode to have the Tardis mateiralize on the bridge - Tom Baker to come out and have some quick cameo line - "You haven't seen any daleks Have you?" Or "would you like a Jelly baby?"
They have had Baker's Doctor on the Simpsons in the background a few times with the comic book guy. I was amused. He lives on. I always wanted a robot Dalek but when I was in England they were impossible to find??? Weird - in North Ameica you can get this kind of crap - you'd think in London you could get some Dr. Who memorobilia given how long it was on the telly.
that was a brilliant series(!) that did not even slightly nod towards cinema; I would rather not be reminded of the "decades since" part tho'...
Grins
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