TV on the internet

As our lives become more and more dependent on the internet, television has gradually began to make the transition to its new home.  At this moment, as I write I have an episode of Rescue Me playing in the next tab from Netflix's "Watch Instantly" section.  With our hectic schedules it has become increasingly difficult to find the time to watch our favorite programs during their initial broadcast.  This used to be a horrible situation, as the only way to ever see the missed episode would be to see a rerun or by the DVD.  Then tv stations began posting the episodes on their website.  It became a perfectly good substitute that, when I happened to miss an episode of my favorite show, I could watch it the next day on the website; I practice I regularly utilized during the LOST years.  At first the internet became a contingency plan used only when I missed the initial broadcast on television.  The internet provided not only the opportunity to catch-up on episodes missed, but entire shows I never knew existed.

Using websites like fancast.com, I was able to watch the entire series of Deadwood four years after the series finale, and as HBO is hardly prone to airing reruns, chances are I would have never known the show existed.  If you have never seen Deadwood, watch it!  There are only 3 seasons and it is, in my opinion, HBO's best program to date.  But back to my initial point, the internet has become an environment that has become a staple of television viewing.  Our On-Demand culture has rendered us unwilling to abide by the schedules created by different channels, instead deciding where and when we wish to experience our favorite programs.  It its first day as a publiclly traded company, the Chinese online television channel Youku nearly tripled in value, clearly demonstrating the marketability and popularity of online television.

No longer are we as viewers confined to the decisions of the producers, but instead we are able to watch what we want, when we want.  The television has been replaced by the computer monitor, and the TV Guide has been replaced by the Netflix Queue.  Current TV sets are essentially larger computer screens, therefore I believe that as time progresses, the interactive capabilities of the internet will continue to play and greater role in the television industry. 

The Magical Fairy Jobmother

In a time when the security of ones' employment is becoming increasingly uncertain, television has taken the next step in identifying with its audience through the creation of The Fairy Jobmother.  In this program, unemployed adults have their personal lives evaluated by an employment coach with the task of changing the personal habits of the shows' subjects in order for them to re-enter the job market and find gainful employment.
This show is especially identifiable with the thousands of Americans who have recently lost their jobs and have yet to find a new means of income.  The program asserts that everyone has unfavorable personal characteristics which are undesirable to employers, and by altering these behaviors they can make themselves more appealing in the job market.  However while the show appears to be self-empowering, the Jobmother serves a very important purpose as a source of outside help.  Rather than outright supplying participants on the show with a new job, the show seeks to help-them help-themselves, but with the help of a coach.  Im sure many in this situation often wish they had outside assistance to offer them objective advice and a sense of direction, this show supplies the viewer with such a figure.  Despite any differences between the character and viewer, there are certain circumstances and situations which can be related to by the audience, through which they can apply the show's lessons to their own lives. 

The Inspiration of Oprah

For years, millions of Americans across the country have tuned in their television sets to watch their favorite cultural icon, Oprah Winfrey.  While previously, some have failed to understand the appeal of this media giant, I being one of them, upon watching an episode of her show it quickly became apparent where the attraction is, Oprah is a living, breathing, walking, talking, personification of the American success story.  Born into poverty, Oprah overcame the societal conditions which have previously hindered so many to become one of the most recognizable faces in the world.  The stories on her show inspire hope in the audience and present them with the challenge that they too can accomplish as much as their beloved host.  Oprah's stories focus on overcoming adversity and using ones own inner-strength to accomplish ones goals.  Now one of my personal objections to Oprah is that she inspires false hope, unable to see how viewers were able to remain enthusiastic when it is impossible that they could all reach her levels of wealth and success; Oprah accomplishes this through her gifts.  When Oprah presents her audience with a gift, she also supplies them with a new-found enthusiasm and optimism, one which she hopes they will apply to the rest of their lives and help in bettering themselves.

Surviving Each Other

While it might appear that the allure of Survivor rests in its personification of the Swiss Family Robinson, little focus is actually paid the actual survival aspect of the series.  Rather, the shows writers choose to edit together stories that deal more with human nature.  Obviously the contestants' enduring of the tribulations presented by their remote location is a key aspect of a given episode, the driving force each week is typically the interactions of the cast.

In the most recent episode of Survivor, a disgruntled teammate steals food from her tribe's cache and hides it in a secret location.  Naturally for a real survivor, such a provocation would be of of the utmost importance, however this incident took up only a small portion of the episode.  Instead the editors chose to focus on the competing alliances and individual conflicts between a core group of characters.    Like other reality series that film each season in a different location, the environment is secondary to the characters in dictating the story's progression.  The culture and ecosystem of Nicaragua play virtually no role in the story, with the exception of inspiring team names or the basis of a challenge, therefore the story never really changes. 

It is because of these repetitive storytelling practices that Survivor is able to captivate such a large and devoted fan-base.  While each new season of the series promises new drama in a new environment, only the casts' surroundings appear to change.  Unlike scripted television series where a new direction in the story arc can antagonize the audience, Survivor essentially repeats the same narratives each and every season, placing new characters in a new setting.  This repetition is comforting the audience however, as they're initial interest in the show will therefore not be challenged.  Furthermore by being exposed to the same types of situations over and over again, the audience gains experience that becomes fundamental in dictating their experience. 

The Walking Dead

This past Sunday AMC premiered the first episode of its new series, The Walking Dead, based on the comic book series of the same name.  As all zombie movies tend to be relatively similar is many ways, one might assume that this genre lacks the ability to transcend into television like the buddy-cop or courtroom-drama.  In fact, the first episode contained many themes and plot points as other zombie movies.  Whether these movies ripped off the comic book, or the comic book ripped off the movies, the similarities are worth noting.

When protagonist Rick Grimes wakes up in the hospital, feeble and bearded, it bore a striking resemblance to the first scene of Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later.  Both characters wake up in hospitals, and after calling for nurses' aid, discovers that the machines he is attached to are turned off and the hospital itself has been abandoned.  They then proceed to leave their room, only to come across a bloody stumbling zombie, they ask for help, zombie attacks, protagonist scared.  He is then left to discover that the society has broken down in the chaos of a flesh eating zombie outbreak that our government, and military were unable to stop, leading to the apocalyptic setting.

Now the protagonist will typically be rescued by a small group of well-armed survivors who teach them the rules of survival in the zombie universe.  1) Do not get bitten by a zombie.  2) Only trauma to the head can kill a zombie.   This sequence can be seen in almost every zombie movie;  28 Days Later, Resident Evil, Dawn of the Dead, etc. 

Despite the numerous cliches within the premiere of The Walking Dead, it was actually pretty good.  The show is set up so that its story-lines exist within this zombie overrun United States, however it balances its conformity to the formula and seemingly exhausted plot still remain entertaining through strong acting and excellent directing.

Where's the Music?

Within 5 minutes of watching your first episode of the Wire you'll certainly notice one thing, the silence.  Unlike most television shows which play background music to set the tone of a scene, the Wire only plays music during the opening/closing credits.  While it might seem that this silence would take away from the drama of the episode, or make the show's direction harder to follow, the lack of music actually serves to allow the tone to reveal itself.  By removing background music from the editing process, there is a greater need for strong dialogue and good acting, so that the audience is still able to correctly interpret the episode's theme.  The characters' words, and even their most subtle actions thereby become essential to the plot.  The viewer is required to study the character more closely, and to familiarize themselves enough with the characters' personalities so that background music would be superfluous.  Obviously not all television programs could survive with such raw production, I believe that the Wire's exceptional writing/casting develops the show's plot with no sound other than that of the street.  

The Wire and the Gray Area of Police Work

In typical depictions of Police work in television and film, we as viewers are confined to a universe of black and white; good cops versus bad cops, morality versus corruption.  The ethically upright Officer risks his job and life in order to expose the misconduct of his fellow Officers in protecting the integrity of his  destined profession.  The corruption of his fellow Officers is driven by greed and societal apathy, existing as part of an underground Police conspiracy of vast economic wealth.  However, the moral vacuum of this universe neglects the realities of both law enforcement, and human nature.
 
HBO's the Wire succeeds in addressing Police and criminals as being of being on opposite sides of the law, while sharing the same pains frustrations of life.  The Police on the Wire do not fit the mold of the "cop in shining armor," as they typically commit acts of minor corruption and outright violations of the constitution in their quest for justice.  Their misconduct however, is forgiven due to their sense of duty and commitment to justice....or is it?  By showing the Police struggling with the political red tape of the legal system and increasingly menial nature of their profession, coupled with the tribulations they face in their personal lives, the audience is trained to accept this "corruption"; to view these Police as simply succumbing to their human nature.  This is not to say that every Police Officer depicted on the Wire is corrupt, but the fashion in which they are portrayed places significant emphasis on the politics and bureaucracy of law enforcement; thereby excusing misconduct by Officers as necessary to achieving their ultimate goal.