×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A telly triumph

Last Updated 24 May 2014, 15:39 IST

The ebb and flow of art is highly representative of the moods and times of the people of that generation.

Each spectrum within art experiences its own version of an evolution, the highs and lows usually evident only to the ones edged inside the industry. But some changes are evident, it’s out there for everyone to see.

One such instance is the transformation television has undergone as a medium, having only recently shook off its ugly tag as the idiot box.

Directors of this generation put together masterpieces one episode at a time, and when they are done, we are blown away with what they have managed to accomplish.

Best time for telly

The past two decades have been well and truly exceptional, perhaps the best world television has ever seen.

The consistency with which industries have churned out brilliant shows is what stands out the most. Indian television has yet to achieve the high standards of quality set by the American, British, Australian and Japanese industries in the recent past.

These four giants have a broadcast range that feeds almost every major country in the world and if you throw live streaming into the mix, the accessibility of the best shows in the world is astounding.

Almost everyone is finding their way to these shows, the timing of the boom in the quality in television perfectly matching the resources needed to send them worldwide.

Australian networks churn out a steady set on dramas and comedies.

Rake and Packed to the Rafters have become global names. British television has a unique flair with unconventional comedies like The IT Crowd and The Peep Show, which follow up on the good work of epic comedies such as Faulty Towers and Blackadder.

Their best recent dramas include Sherlock and Downton Abbey and most of their best shows are produced by BBC.

American television, just like their music and films, have a huge following across the world.

They have a series of networks that have managed to carve their own niches in the last decade and are now sitting pretty atop empires that cater to very specific programming.

NBC, CBS and ABC continued to make run-of-the-mill sitcoms and typical American-family styled entertainment.

It worked quite well with hits like Scrubs, Lost, Boston Legal, 30 Rock, Community, The Office and Modern Family.

HBO, however, started the trend of original programming in the 90s.

It now runs Game of Thrones, True Detective and Boardwalk Empire following up classic dramas like the Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood and Carnivale. Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death are their popular comedies.

Surge in shows

Networks like AMC however broke the final barrier by becoming famous for running purely unconventional drama shows with greats like Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Walking Dead.

FX and Showtime have found their own share of success by offering programming for mature audiences only.

Louie, American Horror Story, Dexter, The Shield and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia each take their audiences to never before seen places in their own twisted ways.


The last major revelation in television, which deserves a noteworthy mention, is the evolution of animation as a genuine medium for adults.

The Simpsons may have laid the pipeline for future animation shows, but the credit for the sustenance of the medium can be collectively shared by several wonderful shows that came years after.

Family Guy and every other Seth Macfarlen shows recycle every element of pop culture into quirky and entertaining cut away gags each week.

Archer has some of the best comedic dialogues ever scripted for a television show, animated or otherwise.

The battle for global supremacy between DC and MARVEL is spilling over onto television as well with a host of big names like Flash, Arrow and Agents of Shield finding their way to the small screen.

Other famous graphic novel characters like Preacher and Constantine have their own shows under development currently.

Everyone is watching TV shows, and rightfully so.

Walter White, the latest gem to be inducted into our mind’s hall of fame in the recently concluded Breaking Bad speaks volumes about the evolution of not just television shows, but also of what we expect and enjoy as an audience.

He is an antagonist, and a good one, may I add. His methods were very questionable, at times highly illegal, there was a healthy dose of drugs and violence in every episode but not one person looked at the show as a negative influence on society.

It’s because it was necessary and it was compelling storytelling, he was a compelling character, it was stunningly shot and we simply needed to watch it through.

Think back to how long you must have spent watching Walter turn antagonist from being a protagonist, it was no less than 50 hours.

The Simpsons have been on screen for a staggering 200-plus hours. That is a lot of time to invest on one story.

Consider this — have you ever observed anyone or anything else in your life that closely?

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 24 May 2014, 15:39 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT