Television Growing Pains
by Larissa Ione
It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I love TV and movies. If I didn't have deadlines, I could spend DAYS straight in front of the TV.
I can't tell you how many times I've popped movies and their sequels into the DVR and watched hours upon hours of movies, or how many times I've sat in front of the boob tube watching a TV series on DVD.
Like, the whole series in one session.
But I've noticed something lately...namely, that the shows I watch are no longer on the "Big Three." ABC, CBS, and NBC have lost out to cable channels that go bigger, riskier, and more graphic. I've been watching series' like Rome, Spartacus, True Blood, Game of Thrones, and Camelot. I've been amazed at not only the production quality of these shows, but at how raw and, at times, shocking, they are.
Raw and shocking. Those are two things I can definitely appreciate.
I love the fact that the shows aren't sanitized, because neither is life, and I write my books the same way; no holding back and with rough edges. My characters cuss if it fits them, they fight bloody fights and have no regrets (again, if the attitude fits the characters,) and they enjoy the S-E-X with no bedroom doors closed.
That's not to say that I don't enjoy a lot of the shows on the regular channels --- namely, Desperate Housewives, Gray's Anatomy, Glee, and Bones, but more and more I find myself turning to premium cable channels for my TV entertainment, because even the fantasy-type shows possess a gritty realism that appeals to me.
Like, the whole series in one session.
But I've noticed something lately...namely, that the shows I watch are no longer on the "Big Three." ABC, CBS, and NBC have lost out to cable channels that go bigger, riskier, and more graphic. I've been watching series' like Rome, Spartacus, True Blood, Game of Thrones, and Camelot. I've been amazed at not only the production quality of these shows, but at how raw and, at times, shocking, they are.
Raw and shocking. Those are two things I can definitely appreciate.
I love the fact that the shows aren't sanitized, because neither is life, and I write my books the same way; no holding back and with rough edges. My characters cuss if it fits them, they fight bloody fights and have no regrets (again, if the attitude fits the characters,) and they enjoy the S-E-X with no bedroom doors closed.
That's not to say that I don't enjoy a lot of the shows on the regular channels --- namely, Desperate Housewives, Gray's Anatomy, Glee, and Bones, but more and more I find myself turning to premium cable channels for my TV entertainment, because even the fantasy-type shows possess a gritty realism that appeals to me.
I've found that some of the expanded cable channels like Syfy and The WB offer some of that dark realism I like too -- they seem to be a cross between the pay premium channels and the "free" big channels; shows like Supernatural and Being Human, for example.
What about you? Are there any shows on the premium channels you watch regularly, that you can't get enough of?
What about you? Are there any shows on the premium channels you watch regularly, that you can't get enough of?
*
Larissa Ione is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series. You can learn more about her writing at www.LarissaIone.com
The Office, Modern Family, An Idiot Abroad, Parks and Recreation, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, On the road again Spain, David Rocco's Dolce Vita. Oye so many for me and all for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that so many HBO shows have that grittiness to them, it can sometimes feel manipulated to be that way. I definitely feel that is the case with True Blood, especially when a previous blogger mentioned how it is so different than the books.
The Wanderfull Traveler