Anyway, I'm also much more selective about my shows in a similar way. These days, I watch fewer shows, because I just can't be bothered with most of them any more.
So I was thinking about the shows I'm into and have been into in the past. And it's very different criteria from yours, because I can't think of any particular plot events that made me go, "COOL."
(BTW, that arm cutting off thing is seriously awesome.)
Here are the shows that spring to mind when I think about 'My Shows': (and I'm bolding the ones I got properly obsessed by - as in, I'd spend mental energy on them while not actually watching them)
Two half hour sketch shows (I was properly nuts, so I'm going to include them): - I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again - Monty Python
Two half hour sitcoms: - Red Dwarf (Rimmer, and Rimmer-Lister (as opposed to R/L)) - The Big Bang Theory (Sheldon, and Sheldon/Penny)
Three Hour Dramas: - NCIS (briefly - Tony/Kate, so I gave up when she died) - The Practice / Boston Legal (specifically, Alan Shore, and Alan/Tara, and Alan-Denny) - House (House, and House/Cuddy)
plus a couple of ones like - Hustle - Burn Notice that I watch occasionally but don't think about at any other time
and my current fixation - The Daily Show - well, only the parts with Jon Stewart, really, particularly the bits where he talks to Stephen Colbert... and any Even Stevphen bits with Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert... and the any bits involving STEPHEN COLBERT, OH, THAT WONDERFUL MAN, which is why I *really* like The Colbert Report which cuts out all those annoying other people and just has HIM for Half An Hour with only the occasional interruption by some tiresome guest, YAY.
Ahem. *drags self back to earth*
The reason I ended up on the movies tangent was because I think my criteria for shows tend to be similar. i.e. for me to be interested, it has to be Interesting, which usually means some sort of mystery / con job to keep me interested for an hour. Or, it has to be a half hour sitcom / show that is funny enough to keep me entertained.
But to get me HOOKED, it has to have 1) a very cheeky sense of humour 2) a character for me to fall madly in love with. i.e. Rimmer, Alan Shore, House, Sheldon, and Colbert.
In each case,
1) the character as written sounds DREADFUL, and many viewers are disbelieving that anyone could find them attractive or feel any sympathy for them at all;
2) BUT the actor brings a sweetness to thir portrayal that makes you love them despite their outrageous behaviour AND
3) a depth of characterisation that indicates personal angst and pain and history and longing and irony that makes you understand what might cause their behaviour (and to which I usually strongly relate)
4) AND this brilliant characterisation means that the character gradually shapes the show around themselves because the writers enjoy exploring them and giving them growth and stuff
5) PLUS, there's always someone else with whom they have magnificent chemistry and those scenes are the best. It's usually arguments with a bit of flirting thrown in.
I find it interesting that all the shows I've gone bananas about have this one character that I'm set on...
... and the shows I'm not 'besotted with' but just 'like', don't have a stand-out character like that. And so I end up watching with one eye - like NCIS. Or, I was into Burn Notice, but the characters aren't engaging enough these days to get me interested enough to spend my brain on the plot.
And there are other shows where it's the opposite, because I'm wildly into Ten, and Donna, and the Master - but not enough into the overall show to keep concentrating for full shows. Not quite enough my style to be worth the mental energy investment. I'd be happy with the character bits but ignoring all the other stuff.
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JL rambles on and on... Part 2 About Shows and Characters
Date: 2010-05-06 05:36 am (UTC)So I was thinking about the shows I'm into and have been into in the past. And it's very different criteria from yours, because I can't think of any particular plot events that made me go, "COOL."
(BTW, that arm cutting off thing is seriously awesome.)
Here are the shows that spring to mind when I think about 'My Shows':
(and I'm bolding the ones I got properly obsessed by - as in, I'd spend mental energy on them while not actually watching them)
Two half hour sketch shows (I was properly nuts, so I'm going to include them):
- I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again
- Monty Python
Two half hour sitcoms:
- Red Dwarf (Rimmer, and Rimmer-Lister (as opposed to R/L))
- The Big Bang Theory (Sheldon, and Sheldon/Penny)
Three Hour Dramas:
- NCIS (briefly - Tony/Kate, so I gave up when she died)
- The Practice / Boston Legal (specifically, Alan Shore, and Alan/Tara, and Alan-Denny)
- House (House, and House/Cuddy)
plus a couple of ones like
- Hustle
- Burn Notice
that I watch occasionally but don't think about at any other time
and my current fixation
- The Daily Show - well, only the parts with Jon Stewart, really, particularly the bits where he talks to Stephen Colbert... and any Even Stevphen bits with Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert... and the any bits involving STEPHEN COLBERT, OH, THAT WONDERFUL MAN, which is why I *really* like The Colbert Report which cuts out all those annoying other people and just has HIM for Half An Hour with only the occasional interruption by some tiresome guest, YAY.
Ahem. *drags self back to earth*
The reason I ended up on the movies tangent was because I think my criteria for shows tend to be similar. i.e. for me to be interested, it has to be Interesting, which usually means some sort of mystery / con job to keep me interested for an hour. Or, it has to be a half hour sitcom / show that is funny enough to keep me entertained.
But to get me HOOKED, it has to have
1) a very cheeky sense of humour
2) a character for me to fall madly in love with.
i.e. Rimmer, Alan Shore, House, Sheldon, and Colbert.
In each case,
1) the character as written sounds DREADFUL, and many viewers are disbelieving that anyone could find them attractive or feel any sympathy for them at all;
2) BUT the actor brings a sweetness to thir portrayal that makes you love them despite their outrageous behaviour AND
3) a depth of characterisation that indicates personal angst and pain and history and longing and irony that makes you understand what might cause their behaviour (and to which I usually strongly relate)
4) AND this brilliant characterisation means that the character gradually shapes the show around themselves because the writers enjoy exploring them and giving them growth and stuff
5) PLUS, there's always someone else with whom they have magnificent chemistry and those scenes are the best. It's usually arguments with a bit of flirting thrown in.
I find it interesting that all the shows I've gone bananas about have this one character that I'm set on...
... and the shows I'm not 'besotted with' but just 'like', don't have a stand-out character like that. And so I end up watching with one eye - like NCIS. Or, I was into Burn Notice, but the characters aren't engaging enough these days to get me interested enough to spend my brain on the plot.
And there are other shows where it's the opposite, because I'm wildly into Ten, and Donna, and the Master - but not enough into the overall show to keep concentrating for full shows. Not quite enough my style to be worth the mental energy investment. I'd be happy with the character bits but ignoring all the other stuff.