theplatypus wrote:It's easier to digest, but there's also a risk of dramatic dilution and meandering. I think film, as a more compact medium, is more powerful overall.
Yep. Even the best TV shows will have a few toss-off episodes or scenes that they have to have in order to capture all the characters/plot. With a movie, you get a pure, focused statement that if done well will have nothing unnecessary in it. Now of course there are tight TV shows and sloppy movies, but I think the point still stands.
I think people are swinging to TV more mainly because they can consume it like a movie now--on demand with no commercials, and the ability to watch as much as you want. When I have to watch shows "the old fashioned way" I don't enjoy them quite as much.
Orpheus wrote:I think people are swinging to TV more mainly because they can consume it like a movie now--on demand with no commercials, and the ability to watch as much as you want.
I agree that this has a lot to do with the appeal of TV. But it's content, too. Though, the ability to consume TV this way probably a large part of why TV has gotten better.
It's definitely the content as well. It seems like the first shows to get this kind of reverence were The Sopranos and The Wire on HBO, both commercial free dramas. Then Mad Men, Breaking Bad etc. came along. I know I definitely didn't get really into Mad Men until I could watch it on-demand.
Orpheus wrote:It's definitely the content as well. It seems like the first shows to get this kind of reverence were The Sopranos and The Wire on HBO, both commercial free dramas. Then Mad Men, Breaking Bad etc. came along. I know I definitely didn't get really into Mad Men until I could watch it on-demand.
Even more pedestrian fare like The Office, How I Met Your Mother, etc are shows I probably wouldn't be watching if not for mass consumption options.
Orpheus wrote:I think people are swinging to TV more mainly because they can consume it like a movie now--on demand with no commercials, and the ability to watch as much as you want.
I agree that this has a lot to do with the appeal of TV. But it's content, too. Though, the ability to consume TV this way probably a large part of why TV has gotten better.
yeah I think the new ways to consume these shows has definitely had an effect on their creation, in an incredibly positive way. They dont have to capture your attention in 50 minutes, once a week.
Still doesn't explain The Wire, though. I guess HBO was just ahead of its time.
Interesting point. Because it used to sort of be opposite. TV shows were like short stories and films more like novels. As shows become more and more complex and accessible we've seen that shift. Shows are taking their time and building their characters much like novels.
true. It has reversed. Not that film is suddenly bad. its not. But its role is different for me now. Lately I find that I want movies to be even more focused now, not more expansive.
