Well Written Shows on TV??

Why is there no good writing on television? This is a question I have heard asked repeatedly recently. I generally agree that most of the shows on TV today are not worth watching, but there are some exceptions. I would say the reason this query is posed so readily is because the writing on the majority of programs is quitely simply bad on the majority of shows being produced and aired today. The network executives make safe decisions are not allowing programs to grow an audience. A good program is one that is well written with compelling story lines that get me involved with the characters. There are a few well written TV shows and hopefully you will check them out this upcoming season.

One very well written show is Desperate Housewives and it pains me to admit it. In spite of its schlock story telling and heavy female appeal the writing was compelling and intelligent that made the show fun to watch. It is also serialized, so you have to see them in order and if you miss one, you are out of the loop. However, I do not consider it a comedy, where it was nominated and will probably win the Emmy tonight. The producers of DH pulled a fast one ala Ally McBeal a few years ago, since it is a dramedy, and so many good drama’s on TV now (nominated this year are Deadwood, Lost, Six Feet Under, 24, and the West Wing), that they figured they could get an easy win in the other category against Arrested Development, Everybody Loves Raymond, Scrubs and Will and Grace. I hope any of the other 4 tradition comedies win tonight, though I doubt it will happen. I am intrigued to see if they can continue with the high ratings this year, most shows lose their luster after all of the over-exposure which DH experienced last season. Time will tell.

I was watching the Gilmore Girls the other night, which is definitely a chick show, but a well written one. This show is in the same category as DH. It utilizes a witty fast banter pacing, that does not give the audience time to realize what was said until it is well past, and you say wow did she just say that. It's problem in finding an audience is that GG is on the WB, which as a new network has not yet found its stride, though it seems to be doing better than UPN. The point is it is dialogue driven show that makes people think. Most television executives don’t seem to want to do this, based upon my observations of surfing up and down the channels. Most of the shows on now are reality programs, stupid comedies, safe comedies, police and hospital dramas and now Sci-fi is back on prime time..

Reality shows are cheap and relatively easy for the networks to produce, so it is a no-brainer for them to put them on; or stupid comedies, like “The War at Home” a new program on Fox, which is trying to emulate “Married with Children” but worse. The program, which premiered last week, was difficult to watch. The story was terrible, the writing was mediocre at best, and the acting was just as bad. If a program is well written, I can over look other short comings, but this was just plain bad and I am guessing will be gone long before the Super Bowl. The safe comedy is a program like "Yes Dear", which is simple family drama that has been on the for too long, considering no one watches it, but because it does not offend it continues to chug along. Very freightening.

Another popular genre is the police and hosptial drama; CSI, Law and Order, NCIS, House, etc. Now I will admit I think the greatest TV show of this genre in the past 20 years was Homicide Life on the Street. This was hands down the greatest written, acted and directed show I have ever seen. It was compelling, with an excellent ensemble ever-changing cast. NBC never gave this show its proper due, putting it on sporadically during its 7-8 year run on Friday nights at 10. Sometimes it was there, sometimes there would be something else.. It was very difficult to build an audience, when you never knew if it was going to be on, or not. Finally, we now have the sci-fi fantasy type shows, which was Lost, Medium, Invasion, etc. Some folks have told me that some of these are good, but being a Star Trek guy, I could just not get into these new programs, but that is just me.

Many folks are opining that the traditional comedy is dead. Remember they said the same thing in 1984, when Cosby debuted? If people would pay attention the format is not dying, just changing. It is changing as shows on the cutting edge are definitely worth watching and emulating. They are taking the old format and twisting it around into the next generation, leaving the old traditional situation comedy in the dust. You know what demonstrates the sad state of television comedy? Two and Half Men on CBS is the only remaining comedy (Everybody Loves Raymond wrapped production last season) in the Top 10 these days. It is a good show, but I don’t think it is great. Cleary I am out of touch with mainstream America.

The Simpson’s continue to be excellent even after 16 seasons. They find ways to poke fun at anything and everything under the sun. Kudos to the writers for keeping the series fresh and compelling after all this time. Remember it debuted in 1989, with the Christmas show. Other comedy’s that are worth catching are Arrested Development and Scrubs. AD is written in a documentary format and shot with a single hand held camera. It follows a typical sitcom dysfunctional family, but the difference is that the writers might drop a nugget of information in the beginning of the season, then not utilize that nugget until late in the season. This forces the viewer again to use their brain to listen and digest what the characters and remember it for future reference. It was even funny to me the second time I saw it this summer in repeats, I actually picked up some new references as well.

Scrubs is another comedy that is worth watching and should help resurrect this art-form. Again it uses one single camera, following these wacky doctors around the hospital and homes, in a more traditional sitcom style. However, it does not utilize a laugh track nor does it pander to its audience. It sometimes gets serious, and leaves the audience thinking about issues or tries to teach a lesson, but never in a preachy way that the M*A*S*H did in their later years.

Everything else is crap!!!

By the way, David Letterman just did an amazing tribute to Johnny Carson on the Emmy award show. It is amazing to me to see how funny Johnny still is today. His comedy never gets old with time. His timing and grace were impeccable and he was always classy. There will never be another Johnny Carson. John Stewart then paid tribute to David Letterman, saying that Letterman is now the standard barometer that up and coming comedians use to determine if they have made it. The comment was very genuine and sincere a nice gesture from a truly talented individual.

Does anyone else find it odd that the Daily Show, which airs on a channel called Comedy Central, is about the only media inspired show that will actually question current events (politics, media, entertainment, etc), when that is the role of traditional media? They seem to be the only show willing to investigate or question the issues. They do it in a very funny way, but it contrasts how traditional television media has missed the ball in investigating issues. But I suppose that is another story for another day.