television

I love GOOD television shows.  Actually, I love good theater and good movies, too.  I love all dramatic arts.  But television is so readily accessible.  Now with Netflix and MGo plus Optimum on demand, catching up is so very easy.

Television started with the burlesque comedy of Milton Berle.   However, by the 1950’s television was in its golden age.  Playhouse 90, Studio One and other dramatic shows produced classics like Marty, Requiem for a Heavyweight, Patterns, and A Catered Affair.  Omnibus presented theater, ballet, history, and opera, weekly.  So did Ed Sullivan!  I remember seeing The Lark, Kiss Me Kate, Shakespeare’s histories and full length operas on television.  Even comedy reached very high levels with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca in Your Show of Shows. Then they discovered quiz shows, westerns, quiz shows and other less costly productions

Growing up, playing cowboys and Indians was the popular game.  When westerns hit the airways, I enjoyed Maverick, Cheyenne and Have Gun, Will Gun, Will Travel.   I enjoyed watching Maverick with my sister-in-law’s grandmother on Sunday evenings.  She loved James Garner.

Political dramas about devious politicians are fascinating to watch.  Maybe that’s why House of Cards has had two iterations:  a British version with Ian Richardson and the American one with Kevin Spacey.  Both are amazingly good.  The British version is only about a 16 episodes over 4 years but accomplishes the same highly dramatic and scandalous events as the American version.  Both are well worth watching.

Orange is the New Black is another good show.  The cast of characters are fascinating, particularly “Crazy Eyes” and “Red.”  The ability to binge-watch these Netflix shows really enhances the experience for me.  It makes these shows much more enjoyable than watching a show weekly.  Actually I’ve watched several shows after they were on Netflix for that very reason.  Netflix also allows me to watch some favorite shows again, which increases my enjoyment.

After watching The Normal Heart, I found White Collar with Matt Bomer and Tim McKay. This is a very well done series with a good ensemble cast that works very well together from the initial episode.  The pilot is one of the best written initial episodes I’ve ever seen.  The chemistry between the principals is so good I thought they had worked together for months before filming the show.  They just finished filming the sixth and last abbreviated season. That’s really too bad.  It could have gone on longer, if I had any say.

An action series that is so much better than one might think is Arrow with Stephen Amell.  This series is also very well written with excellent production values.  The lead is a fine actor who does most of his stunt work.  He can do a comedic scene, an action scene, or a dramatic one with equal dexterity.  This series is not my usual type to watch, but once my daughter hooked me on it, I have been a loyal fan.  Additionally, Amell has the best Facebook page of any celebrity.  He actually interacts regularly with his fans and uses the page to raise money for charities. 

Of course, I loved West Wing. Anything by Aaron Sorkin is always well written.  The Newsroom is another of his well-done shows.  I also loved Six Feet Under and Dexter.  The former was well done and ended well.  However, I was not as happy with the last episode of Dexter.  In many ways, I thought it was a cop out.  Although I watch Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones, I am not as happy with these two shows.  There is a lot that is unnecessary and is there to titillate the masses, only. To paraphrase Val in A Chorus Line, “Tits and ass won’t get you an audience unless they’re yours!”

There is a similarity between Michael C Hall and Matt Bomer. They both are good actors, who have done TV, movies, and Broadway.  Both sing well.  Hall played Billy in Chicago and the MC in Caberet.  Bomer made his debut on Broadway and sang at the Kennedy Honors for Jerry Herman.  That level of versatility is unique.

The Big Bang Theory is so well written and acted that I can’t miss an episode.  The entire ensemble is wonderful and delightfully funny, although Jim Parsons steals the show every time. 

Television shows have come a long way since the 1950’s, when Lucy and Ricky and all married couples on TV slept in twin beds.  Archie and Edith were the first to actually occupy a double bed.  Lucy could never say “pregnant” on the show, either.  Such ridiculous attitudes are not missed!  I remember the first time I saw Archie Bunker.  I couldn’t believe that they could allow such statements on TV.  That was a ground-breaking, funny show!

I think my favorite cop show was NYPD Blue.  There was something special about the Denis Franz character, Andy Sipowitz.  He was gruff and yet so vulnerable.  He was always fascinating to watch in the show.

I usually like historical dramas.  However, if they are inaccurate, particularly in simple stupid ways, I have to turn them off.  Anything one can learn quickly on the Internet should not be inaccurately portrayed.  Since I read a lot of history and historical fiction, I follow the same rule.  If there is an inaccuracy that I can find, the book goes in the trash.  The Adams Chronicles, John Adams and the White Queen are good examples.  The Borgias and The Tudors are examples of what not to do. 

Award shows are a special category.  The Emmys are always a terrible show.  They first need to revamp how they classify shows for awards.  Orange is the New Black is not a comedy!  Then, they need to find a way to make the show enjoyable.  There must be some talented people on TV!  The Oscars are variable depending on who is the MC.  Bill Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg do a good job.  Some of the other newer people do not!  Again there should be enough talent in Hollywood to make the show much better than it ever is.  The Tony Awards are always the best award show because there is a wealth of talented people to appear on the show.  Of course, I’m prejudiced about it.  Anyone who can do 8 performances a week before a live audience is better in my mind that someone who shoots a 2 minute scene several times and the director picks the best of the series.  Besides, Broadway actors are usually more versatile.  Many of them can sing and act.  They can do a variety of work and they are interacting with a live audience for each performance which makes each performance different!

I dislike most reality shows.  In fact, I can’t think of one I watch.  They are literally garbage, as far as I’m concerned.  They must be cheap to produce so the networks are making a fortune on them.  Else there would not be so many on the air.

I hope that television, especially on cable, continue to do impressive work.  HBO has already a remarkable track record for producing high quality shows and movies about interesting and important topics.  The Normal Heart is just one example.