donutsweeper | (no subject)

Have you ever watched a show because you hoped it would be good, even though it really wasn't? The kind of show that had potential in some way, either in the characters or the world building or whatever, but it just never quite gelled into the show you thought it could be yet you tune in week after week anyway?

More and more I'm finding that the show I'm watching is not the one that airing, but rather the shiny version I see it becoming (if the acting was better and the writing less flawed and the plot tighter etc etc etc) and then, as a result, being disappointed. The shows aren't grabbing my interest enough to truly be fannish about and fulfilling any of my needs that way so I'm just left watching and sighing over what might have been.

Sometimes I keep watching, other times I give up or the show is canceled or not renewed and just fades away. And every time it's just disappointing.

(I started to list all the current or recent that fit into this category for me and was so depressed by its sheer size I deleted it. *sighs*)

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Oh God, that was how my final hurrah with Doctor Who went. After Moffat took over, I tried so hard to like it, but I couldn't.

There's very little American telly I pay any attention to anymore, to be honest. I think almost everything I watch comes from Britain. I used to have something to watch every night. Now literally Sunday night is the only night I watch a drama. I watched Dancing with the Stars, but the only things with a plot I watch is on Sunday.

Oh yeah, Doctor Who is definitely in this category for me, I still watch mostly because my son likes it and we watch together.

I've just dropped a bunch of shows, either because their season ended or they just got *so* bad or whatever, but every time I just can't help being disappointed because there was such potential, and there was this possibility of a show I'd love, but it wasn't the one I was watching.

I feel like everything is so predictable these days that, unless you give me good characters to love and cheer for, I just can't get interested in the plot. And I feel like American shows don't have as much time to develop their characters, because their runtimes are shorter, and so I'm left with a mediocre plot and characters I don't care about.

There is certainly a lot of predictability today. Sadly, I'm not sure if the American shows don't have the time or if it's the writers don't have the inclination though.

I wonder how much the networks interfere, too. I think there's only so much they will allow the bar to be pushed.

My major thing at the moment is that everything is so bleak. I used to feel that shows like Doctor Who were life-affirming and joyful and now, it's so depressing. That no matter what we do, we are essentially terrible people and not even the Doctor can love us anymore. Shows like Once Upon a Time and Call the Midwife for me are very life-affirming. Bad things happen, but life goes on and we grow and learn and make it in the end. That's the sort of television I like, and there doesn't seem to be as much of it anymore.

Erm, sorry, got a bit soapboxy there...

Have you watched "Believe", it just started a few weeks ago, it's premise is a girl with some sort of psychic powers is on the run from evil agency with good guys helping her and every week she and her protector/guy helping her wind up helping out someone they met that week. I've only caught the first two or three episodes and am a little behind, but it seemed to sort of fit your more life-affirming/less depressing idea of TV.

I haven't seen it. I've been so leery to start anything new of late, since it's all so rubbish. I'm doing a lot of watching older films on DVD and panel shows from England while I fold origami or cross-stitch. I'll keep it in mind!

Maybe wait until more of the season plays out then. Older movies and panel shows is always a good way to go. I am so thankful QI is on youtube. btw- have you ever listened to "The Unbelievable Truth" on BBC radio? David Mitchell runs it, it's pretty similar to QI in a lot of ways. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007mf4f there's new episodes running now so you can stream the most recent and listen to it. There's also previous seasons available here: http://thepurplekoala.tumblr.com/post/17141988418/the-unbelievable-truth

I love The Unbelievable Truth! Radio 4 is my bestest friend, to be honest. I have something on from there while I'm computering almost constantly. I love that the UK still has radio and radio drama and radio comedy. It's delightful. They've been running the old Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy lately, and it's wonderful. :-D

I love radio 4. I don't get to listen as often as I'd like, but I do love it.

I usually put something on when I'm making graphics or set designing or playing a game. I think people have gotten out of the habit of listening to the radio and making things up in their minds, at least over here in North America, but I love it. I like making the worlds in my head, and I like that people who don't necessarily fit the archetypes can play parts they wouldn't get on TV, because we can't see them, just hear them. You get such an interesting range of people and voices contributing.