I remember a time when I truly believed that the television sucked brain cells from my head and spat them on the floor where they eventually dried up like only so many dust mites. And I’m not saying it wasn’t true (or that my parents were completely wrong). But it’s not the case any longer, if it ever really was (you couldn’t drag my mom and pop away from Bob Newhart or Mary Tyler Moore with the entire Budweiser team of Clydesdales). But if prolific quality television is, perhaps, new, then I believe it began with the ingenuity of HBO (Oz, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, Entourage, Deadwood, and a few other choice series). If nothing else, HBO raised the bar, and raised it high.
As a writer, I don’t have enough hours in the day or days in the week to get my marketing accomplished, much less my writing, so spending time with books, movies, or television—even in the spirit of fueling the muse—is difficult to justify.
But HBO took “television” (albeit pay television) by the short hairs, shook it silly, and told it “you don’t have to be nothing but mindless drivel, sports, and sensationalized news programming” when Oz hit the airwaves. Then, as if to prove they needn’t shower-rape your brain to get its attention, they aired The Larry Sanders Show, perhaps THE best-written, funniest show ever (and I worship at the altar of Seinfeld, but…). Next came The Sopranos and The Wire, two of the best television programs I’ve seen to date. And suddenly, television was my writer-inspiring friend.
Heck, I remember, as a child, HBO being “nothing but” a movie channel (and literally inspiring a channel dubbed, The Movie Channel). Showtime, Cinemax, Encore!—they were but gleams in other television moguls’ eyes.
And there was a time when I really believed NBC had the writing chops (Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, Frasier, L.A. Law, ER, Friends) to change the landscape for good (when Steven Bochco jumped ship, ABC counter-punched with a series that may have topped them all, NYPD Blue). But NBC was only one channel, ABC had the Blue, CBS catered to sports, and much of the quality writing/programming came from a relatively few writer/creators:
David Lynch (Twin Peaks), Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Newsroom), Bochco (Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, NYPD Blue), David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood), Larry David (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Christoper Lloyd (Golden Girls, Frasier, Modern Family), David Chase (The Rockford Files, The Sopranos).
As I look back over the decades, however, it’s hard to deny that there weren’t always at least a few shows on air that made television writing history:
The Honeymooners, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, The Bob Newhart Show, The Odd Couple, Barney Miller, Mary Tyler Moore, M*A*S*H, The Carol Burnett Show, All In The Family, Hawaii Five-O (the original), St. Elsewhere, Thirtysomething, TAXI, Cheers, The X-Files, The Wonder Years, Law & Order, Arrested Development, LOST.
The list goes on, all the way back to (and before) Gunsmoke and My Three Sons and Star Trek and The Twilight Zone and Bonanza.
(And if you want to SEE, as I did, the reality of great television programming over the decades, check out this list.)
Still, I claim never before has there been so much top-notch, well-written, riveting television at the same time, spread over so many channels from premium to pay cable to network (and in no particular order, though the first two will always hold a special place in my creative heart):
Dexter (Showtime, just completed), Breaking Bad (AMC, just completed), Game of Thrones (HBO), The Newsroom (HBO), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Homeland (HBO), Sons of Anarchy (FX), Justified (FX), Nurse Jackie (Showtime), Veep (HBO), House of Lies (Showtime), Treme (HBO), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Californication (Showtime), Shameless (Showtime), Ray Donovan (Showtime), The Big C (Showtime), True Blood (HBO), Weeds (Showtime).
One of the trends I find most inspiring as a writer is that of the anti-hero (Dexter, the serial-killer with a code and conscience; Mr. White, the high school Chemistry teacher turned Heisenberg, heartless meth kingpin; Tony Soprano, a fat, slovenly, mafioso-leader who is no Godfather but whom we care about nonetheless).
There are, of course, more quality shows than I’ve listed, and it’s true, many of the best are on paid cable and/or premium channels like HBO and Showtime, but the networks have taken notice and are producing both classic shows and ones that, while they might not make the all-time list, are still a whole lot better than in some years past):
Modern Family (ABC), The Office (NBC, American version), 30 Rock (NBC), Chicago Fire (NBC), Parenthood (NBC), Hawaii Five-O (CBS, the remake), The Blacklist (NBC), Hostages (CBS), Mike & Molly (CBS), The Good Wife (CBS), Person of Interest (CBS).
I must say, ABC seems to have taken the road more-traveled, where 80% of its programming appears Reality-TV-based (The Bachelor, The Biggest Loser, Wife Swap, Trophy Wife, Secret Millionaire, Extreme Makeover, CELEBRITY Wife Swap, etc.). I have to say, however, that I forgive them, not because I am a big fan of “Reality” TV, but rather because ABC gave us perhaps the best comedy ever in Modern Family, a classic, exceptionally well-written, completely hilarious dichotomy to the politically incorrect All In The Family if ever there was one.
So buck up, burgeoning writers. It used to be considered hack-ish to write for television. No longer so (if it ever really was); television is beginning to take a gargantuan bite out of Hollywood’s big screen profits, and rightly so.
Give me The Newsroom or Game of Thrones any Sunday night, with some home-popped-corn, over spending fifty bucks for day-old popcorn, hard-as-gold-nugget Milk Duds, watered-down soda with too much ice, and a one-time movie I’ll probably end up hating. In fact, we haven’t been to the theater regularly in years, but our DVR is always pushing maximum density.
You go, boob tube.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blank page is dead…long live the blank page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author known to use spontaneous satire, sarcasm, and unannounced injections of pith or witticisms which may not be suitable for humorless or otherwise jest-challenged individuals. (Witticisms not guaranteed to be witty, funny, comical, hilarious, clever, scintillating, whimsical, wise, endearing, keen, savvy, sagacious, penetrating, fanciful, or otherwise enjoyable. The Surgeon General has determined through laboratory testing that sarcasm can be dangerous, even in small amounts, and should not be ingested by those who are serious, somber, pensive, weighty, funereal, unsmiling, poker-faced, sober, or pregnant.)
The right kind of television is as inspirational as the right bookshelf in my library. It’s a place where stories are done right, a reminder that great stories are not dead and more of them are still waiting to be written by the country’s really talented wordsmiths like R. S. Guthrie.
As always, you sum up my blathering on with a concise, wisdom-filled sentence or two. 🙂 Well-played, sir. Well-said.
I couldn’t agree more. I was ready to give up on TV entirely. Even through the deluge of “reality” based shows and singing competitions, there is a lot of programming I could only wish I could get the time to absorb. It truly is a marvelous time to be witnessing. And it is great for writers.
Three letters to assist with your dilemma: DVR. I forgot to mention the most important fact: the advent of DVRs, much more useful and precise than their predecessor, the VCR, mean we watch the plethora of shows on OUR schedule rather than that of the programming! 🙂 Thanks much for weighing in, Jeremy (though I wish I could defy gravity by just a few dozen pounds!).
Yeah I find writers can learn a lot from TV and Films. They have a limited amount of time to get across a story. It can tighten up a writers skills. I love it and try and bring that to my writing. Making sure that every scene has a reason for being there.
I love TV – and try to keep my mouth shut when I now notice things the writers do. I also put most of the credit and blame on the writers for the shows: the difference between them is the quality of their writers – and whoever is sitting on top of the pyramid of plotting – and, being a writer now, I like that.
We keep it to a show or two daily, try not to watch with too many commercials, but I don’t consider it wasted time any more because I can choose something like Justified or The Good Wife.
Great actors help. Great directors now do TV. But my favorites are still the writers.
Totally agree. Writers are the key behind TV, Movies, and even song. Most actors—even the greats (and maybe especially the greats)—constantly credit great writing. Without the writing, actors would be standing on their mark in complete silence! 😉
We watch a LOT more television now, mostly because the quality has surpassed movies, for the most part (which is why, as you mention), you are seeing great actors and directors, like Frank Darabont, doing TV). DVR has also allowed us to watch on OUR schedule, which is the real key. Otherwise, even great shows like Justified or SOA or Dexter or (one of our guilty pleasures) Shameless we’d never stay up (or be home) to see. 🙂
I had almost given up on tv altogether. There were so many reality shows on; and as far as I’m concerned, Survivor was the first and still the best. My kids finally convinced me to watch The Amazing Race, and I love the scenery. Aside from watching people gossip & backstab one another, I could watch that blue blue water all day. I have always been a people watcher because they can be so dastardly, interesting, funny (sarcasm preferred), outright looney, and I could go on and on… I believe there have been too many trying to copy Survivor, and failing. The Amazing Race comes close IMO. I have never been a fan of ‘the bad guy’ in reality t.v. I don’t believe it helps ratings, but I must be wrong, because most shows have them and people seem to love to hate. I’m a realist though, so I realize there has to be someone to hate in a regular t.v. show. They can’t be all flowers and happy endings. I’m not even making sense, I realize that, because I love mysteries in books. Also thrillers. Can’t have them without a bad guy/girl. Yeah, I’m rambling, but my point here, (I think), is that I really can’t stand it when reality shows (Survivor), keep bringing back the people that people love to hate. Rob is the exception IMO, because I always liked him. He was never a villain in my eyes. Ozzy was my all-time favorite. Ok, I have to admit, my secret (no more), pleasure is watching The Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules. I do have to pause my DVR (thank the t.v. Gods for that invention, commercials bug me to no end. Do they REALLY HAVE to make them so freaking LOUD? I don’t want to hear them from the kitchen or bathroom. Thank you for the mute button as well. My kids watch commercials, I tune them out. Then they laugh, and I get po’d cuz then I have to rewind to watch the gosh darn commercial. So, even though I know commercials provide my network t.v. viewing pleasure, I’m not happy that my shows are getting shorter and shorter. What? 43 to 44 minutes maybe? Come on!! Hawaii Five 0 is JUST NOT LONG ENOUGH!! I want to see my Alex O’Laughlin ALL night long. Nope, not a scary stalker, but why doesn’t he take his shirt off anymore? And The Newsroom. OMG. Now there is 1 awesome show with incredible writing. I have to keep pausing just so that I can laugh for 10 minutes, then rewind to hear it again. Pause, rinse, repeat. “Do we really have to slow down for these people?” <— see last season finale. I also hit the 10 second rewind cuz they talk SO fast, I don't want to miss 1 word or joke or simile or metaphor. There's another show that is not only ingenious, but also WAY TOO SHORT gosh darn it. I have now forgotten what I was saying before the (…. Hope my Kindle lets me scroll up that far.), ((yay, it did!)), ……have to pause my DVR so that I can sit in disbelief at something Jax or Stassi or crazy Kristen said. Or Sheana. Seriously, what's up with her? I used to think she was a nice person. Now, with her 1 song (played 44 times during the parade), she's a SINGER. Not a song writer though. Anyway, that's why it's my secret guilty pleasure. I just can't NOT watch it. I still ask myself why I torture myself. I hate drama in my own life. So why do I watch it? Couldn't tell ya.
So, way off track here. So sorry. I love love love words, reading and writing. The point is that now I have to scramble to watch t.v. because my DVR is always full. It doesn't help that I save whole seasons of H50, even though I have every season except this year's on DVD. Plus that news show that my triplets and I are on. I CAN NOT erase THAT. We're famous. Not really. Small school, small town, and everyone knows us there. The segment was actually about the sea lion that made it all the way from the Delta to their school. We were driving by, saw the cameras and people and got curious. The poor thing was exhausted. We had to park and stare at it of course. We didn't ask to be on t.v., the guy with the camera was a freelancer and was desperate to sell a story. He really said pretty much that. He asked, we thought about it forever before we said yes. (Makeup and hair anyone? No….) Some of the kids the next day were so jealous, there was actually some hate going on. Like I said, small town. Some small minds. (Yes, I said/wrote that out loud)
Anywho, I'm so off track, I almost forgot what I was replying to. Oh yes, writing on t.v. For a couple or three years, I was mostly disgusted with t.v. Thank God for authors who write books. I usually average a book a day. Since I was very young, reading has been my salvation. Now I have to force myself to step away from the Kindle. Just to catch up on all of these wonderful t.v. shows. I'm finally getting a little breathing space because most shows are on their VERY LONG, TOO LONG hiatus. That's something else that's changed in recent years. That 4 or 5 months we now have to wait during the summer hiatus, then a month or two for the holidays. I find myself completely confused and forgetting what is even going on in my shows. 'They' used to at least show the past finale before a new season. Not anymore. I sit there feeling so lost. However, now there are new shows that start up during a hiatus. Like Suits, Royal Pains, etc. Love Suits!!! BUT their season is too short!! Drives me batty, but it just can't be helped. Right now, I believe I have maybe 15% room left on my DVR. That's an a record since September started. I actually had it down to 20% a few days ago, then I got all caught up in a certain trilogy staring Bobby Mac. Before that, another 3 books by that/this author. Please, Mr. Guthrie, when is the 4th one coming out? I am not known for my patience.
I totally agree. T.V. has upped it's game finally. So happy that my t.v. is no longer just a large, decorative centerpiece for our living room. Or just a place where my son can get lost in GTA. So far I haven't noticed any more brain cells curling up on our floor. (Except when Sponge Bob gets accidentally turned on. My son stops walking, his eyes glaze over, and I run around looking for the remote to quickly change the channel before he loses any more brain cells.)
You know, I never thought of t.v. as a muse for a writer. But, I have been thinking a lot lately about what great writers there are now, writing my favorite t.v. shows. Such talent. When I see The Good Wife on my DVR, I get all tingly in anticipation. Then I watch it and forget all about life (mine), for 44 minutes. Just like I love a good juicy book that makes me think, I love a t.v. show that makes me rewind so I can be sure to remember to quote it later. The writers for my t.v. shows are so impressive. I've always wanted to write a book. Since I was a little kid. I kept telling myself that I hadn't experienced life enough to write. I now have a story to tell. My Christmas present will help me. So I guess I'm out of excuses. Except that it is a painful story. I do believe it will help my daughter and I, and possibly her brother and sister to finally have a little closure. I hope my Christmas present is tear proof. I even have a title. I recently asked an author how do I get started. She kindly emailed me back less than 20 minutes later. She said "Just write." Is that the trick? As fabulous as the writers are for t.v. these days, I don't think watching t.v. will help. Our story is true, but I have to write it as a novel. Then still get a lawyer to read it. This story needs to be told.
Mr. Guthrie, I am so sorry that I blogged on your blog. Stick a keyboard in front of me and I can't help myself. I also apologize to the readers of this blog. If you aren't furious with me, thank you for 'listening.'
As my kids might put it, the writers for t.v. these days are the bomb .com.
No apologies necessary whatsoever, Robin. Love all the perspective you offer up as far as television, your own situation (and favorites) and, yes, the very ultimate in technology: THE DVR! 🙂
I think that great television and movies are outstanding sources for dialogue. Since a movie or an episode is really only a script of dialogue (with directional instructions), I pick up so much of my dialogue capability through listening to the words on the television and movies. Of course, if they are poorly written, well, I turn that off as quickly as possible. 😉
I thank you again for jumping in and offering your thoughts and perspective. Conversation is yet another way I believe writers’ muses are instilled, inspired, and awoken. Words, in any form, truly are the cornerstone of our writer world.
Cheers and write on!
Thank you for giving me the answer I was looking for. When I wrote that long reply, I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how television and movies could inspire a writer. I was looking at it from the wrong perspective. I was thinking in terms of writing a true story as a novel. I don’t know why I didn’t think of dialogue. That is the key to not only my favorite t.v.shows and movies, but also my favorite books. When I was young and still in school, my writing focused more on dialogue. The interaction between people is my favorite part of all of the shows I watch. When I was in 7th grade, once a week, my teacher would pass out different pictures that she had cut out of magazines. Then she’d say, “Write a story based on the picture you got.” I absolutely loved those assignments. I found I never had a problem making up a story on the spot. I also remember that I always made my stories all about dialogue between 2 people. My favorite parts of H50, are the ‘carguments.’ I love Suits, The Good Wife, Elementary, and The Newsroom mostly for what the characters say. The interaction. I’d always wished I had the talent to make up come backs on the fly, instead of 2 hours after a conversation or argument. One of my daughters has that ability at 13 years old. She has me in stitches when she tells me what she said to some kid at school as a come back. Luckily, with a pencil in my hand, or a keyboard before me, I can come up with my favorite humor, sarcasm. Have you ever met people who just don’t get it? They just look at you with that blank stare.
I used to have a friend who told me once that children don’t get sarcasm until they are about 10, maybe a bit younger. My kids were 3 or so. I can be very sarcastic and they would look at me with a little sideways squint for a few beats, then laugh. Now, at 13, I get the eye glare with a tiny smirk on their lips. Unless it’s not directed at them. Then they just laugh. Unfortunately, not everyone gets my humor, and I find myself in tenuous positions. I try not to take it personally.
Thank you for pointing that out to me. When I finally write that novel, I will think of the times my kids and I used humor to get through that time in our lives. I will remember the dialogue. That will make any novel not just more fun to write, but easier for me to tell a sad tale using the humor we made up at the time. Sometimes it was very dark humor, but it is either laugh or cry sometimes. Laughing is healthier.
Sorry, I was mistaken when I said before I read the trilogy staring Bobby Mac, I had been caught up in 3 other novels written by you. It was actually the first 2 in the series. Now I am anxiously awaiting ‘Honor Land.’ Do you have any idea when it will be coming out? I have bookmarked your site and will be checking back frequently. Patience is not one of my virtues.
My other question is rather selfish. I have always been a bit OCD about typos in books I read. Mr. Guthrie, you already have a wonderful group of people to beta read your books. Do you know how a nobody like me could find a way to read for authors, and make any corrections, if needed? I am only speaking of grammar, spelling, etc. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be any use to offer up changes to the actual storyline. It’s a selfish request because I would enjoy the reading. I’m not by any stretch saying I’m perfect when it comes to errors. However, since I got my Kindle, I have read many a novel that could use some proofing. I’ve read many comments where readers will actually give up reading a book just because they see so many errors. I don’t let those comments stop me from ordering a book because for me it’s about the story, the dialogue, and the way an author can take me away to another world. Do all authors just get friends or family to proofread for them, or can someone apply for the job, so to speak? I imagine there are a lot of self-published authors who can’t afford to pay someone to beta read. I would do it for the pure joy of reading. I also realize there has to be trust in a relationship like that; it can’t be easy for any artist to show their work for the first time.