There was a time when movies ruled my world, but now it
seems, American TV shows are taking over my life. My Sky+ box doesn't know
whether it's coming or going half of the time, and let's face it, we've all experienced
that agonizing moment when you have to decide whether to delete the latest
episodes of True Blood or The Walking Dead, in order to record the season
finale of Boardwalk Empire. It's a horrible position to find yourself in, but
things aren't about to get any easier. American TV shows are taking over the
world, and A-list movie stars are jumping on the bandwagon in favour of meaty
character arcs, a chance to explore new mediums, and of course, the comfort and
security of a regular pay check.
In Part One we'll be exploring the ten shows that helped shape
my love of American TV, before moving on - in part 2 - to the programmes that
are currently rocking my world. We'll also take a look at the TV that could
shape our small screen future, not to mention some of the unsung heroes of
American drama. A lot of shows are missing of course, I have yet to sample the
delights of Deadwood, The Wire and even The X-Files. That particular series
came to an unsatisfactory conclusion long before I got around to watching it.
Besides, television is viewed in so many ways now, the need to tune in every week
has become a thing of the past. It may have resulted in us having to add spoiler
alerts to our lunchtime discussions, but at least we're free to discover shows
at our own pace now. Talking of which...
Top 10 Shows: The Past
10/ Prison Break
Prison Break is an action packed television
drama created by Paul Scheuring, which aired on Fox between
2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced
to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an elaborate plan
to help his brother escape prison. It's a simple premise, one that the original
season makes the most of at all turns. The success of the first run meant that
a second season was inevitable, but changes were made so that the series could
remain fresh. The writers succeeded for the most part but cracks started to
show as it entered its third season.
The Writers Guild Strike meant that season 3 was shorter
than the others, but it also marked a return to prison life for many of its
popular characters. Season 4 consisted of 24 episodes, 16 of which were aired
from September to December 2008. After a hiatus, it resumed on April 17, 2009
and concluded on May 15, 2009 with a two episode finale. The final season of
Prison Break must've been a testing time for the writers, as they struggled to
hold onto an ever decreasing audience. Thankfully, the final two episodes tied
up most of the loose ends and the series - despite reaching its peak in season
2 - ended on a delirious high note. Prison Break was a tense, exciting
adrenaline-fuelled ride for the most part, complete with memorable characters
and loopy plot twists. A guilty pleasure but a pleasure none the less.
9/ Alias
J.J. Abrams really can do no wrong. Back in 2001 however,
little was known of the future saviour of Star Trek and (cough) Star Wars. He
can't mess it up now, surely? Alias was the action series that thrust Jennifer
Garner's feisty American spy, Sydney Bristow, into the limelight. Providing
mainstream television with a weekly fix of espionage, drama and extensive
wardrobes. Alias lasted five seasons, and in all honesty, I haven't got a clue
what was happening most of the time; a single episode of Alias was as densely
plotted as an entire season of Lost. Themes of family, betrayal, lost artefacts
and (cough) zombies were explored over the period of five years, before
concluding in lightweight fashion after viewing figures dipped.
To be fair to the show, part of the problem was with the
television network, ABC, which failed to find a decent timeslot for the show.
Alias was thrust from Sundays to Thursdays to Wednesdays and back again before
limping towards an anti-climatic finale in 2006. It did introduce the world to
Bradley Cooper though, and at its best, Alias was an action-packed,
rollercoaster ride of high drama and suspense. It was also a lot of fun. If
only to see what Garner was (not) going to wear next. If only I knew what the
hell they were banging on about half of the time. Still, Jennifer Garner +
extensive wardrobe = lightweight escapism of the purest kind.
8/ Spartacus
A Thracian gladiator who led a major slave
uprising against the Roman republic. Boy, what a life he led. When it
comes to the life and times of Spartacus, historical evidence is a little bit
sketchy. Which suited Starz - the American satellite television channel - just
fine. Between them, Stephen S. DeKnight (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) and
Robert Tapert created the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. Sex, violence, nudity,
bloodshed and a little more nudity combined to exhilarating effect. Welsh
Australian actor Andy Whitfield was cast as Spartacus in the original series,
and it's a role he'll be long remembered for. Sadly, Andy was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma after the first series and the second season was put on hold as a
result.
A prequel series was filmed instead, but Andy succumbed to
his illness soon after and Liam McIntyre was brought in to take his place.
Spartacus continued for two more seasons, and unlike most popular TV shows,
Stephen S. DeKnight insisted on ending the show on a high. Things didn't end
well for Spartacus, that's hardly a spoiler, but over the course of four
seasons he rocked the world with epic battles, Jupiter's cock, femme fatales
and heroic bloodshed. It was an absolute blast from start to finish. No more,
no less. McIntyre proved to be a strong replacement but Andy Whitfield was Spartacus. It also provided John
Hannah and Lucy Lawless with their meatiest roles, not to mention IIithyia
(Viva Bianca), arguably the most devious TV screen villain of all time. Not to
mention the sexiest.
7/Angel
Angel is the TV spin-off from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss
Whedon's first smash hit television series. It takes the brooding vampire,
Angel (David Boreanaz), away from Sunnydale and into the heart of L.A. where he
sets up Angel Investigations in order to 'help the helpless'. Angel, along with
Buffy regulars Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
(Alexis Denisof), fight the good fight against evil law firm Wolfram &
Hart, in an epic action drama that is darker in tone than its bright and breezy
sibling. Not that Buffy was afraid of walking home alone in the dark, you
understand.
Fans of the original show never had it so good, with
cross-over episodes and guest appearances galore, and the story arcs were just
as inventive as they had been in Buffy. Angel lasted five seasons and was
cancelled in its prime. In fact, Joss Whedon compared the cancellation to 'a
healthy guy falling dead from a heart attack'. Rumours persist that it was
Joss' insistence of an early renewal that prompted the cancellation. Whatever
the reason, both Angel and its fans deserved a whole lot more than season
five's ambiguous ending. Still, where there's life there's hope. Even if it is
of the undead variety.
6/ 24
Who doesn't have a 24 ringtone on their mobile device? Shame
on you. 24 tells the story of Counter Terrorist Unit (CTY) agent Jack Bauer
(Kiether Sutherland). Each series consists of 24 hours of Jack Bauer's life, as
he attempts to save the world from terrorists, nuclear strikes and his
calamitous - yet stunningly beautiful - daughter. Jack's race against time was
one of the most gripping TV shows ever created; action packed, explosive and
thrilling throughout. It wasn't afraid to kill off main characters either, with
Day 5 providing a series cull like few ever witnessed.
The show runners weren't afraid to bring characters back
either, and whatever your take on Season Seven's opening episode, I for one was
raving with a gravelly drawl. Kiether Sutherland has described Jack Bauer as
'the role of a lifetime', which is probably why we'll be seeing more of him in
coming months. That and the fact Touch - his next big thing - was rubbish. 24:
Live Another Day will take place in and around London, a series of twelve
episodes that reunites us with TV's greatest action hero. Jack is about to have
the longest day of his life all over again. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeep.
5/ Dexter
The final season sucked. There, I said it. I had to get that
off my chest. As a result, I kind of liked the final episode. Especially the
final moments between Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Debra (Jennifer Carpenter),
but that's probably because the writing had become so lazy at this point, even
lukewarm creative juices were welcome. The previous seven seasons had kept me
hooked however, line and sinker, providing Sunday night television with
arguably my favourite fix. Dexter worked as a blood splatter analyst for the Miami
Metro Police Department, while simultaneously leading a double life as a serial
killer.
Season Four is where the series reached its peak, but
Dexter's (and mostly Debra's) journey remained compulsive viewing throughout
its seven year run. The most intriguing issues, not to mention the show's
opening gambit, were never truly resolved, as the writing team lost their nerve
and the studio - for which Dexter had become a major cash cow - put pay to the
obvious outcome. Dexter was still a captivating endeavour though, and at its
peak few could rival it. Dark, delirious and occasionally devious, Dexter
Morgan deserved a much better send off than the storm that followed. Maybe
he'll get one someday. I wouldn't bet against it.
4/ Lost
Midway through the second season it was evident that the
writers of Lost hadn't quite anticipated the phenomenon they had created. They
were digging themselves into a hole of hatch like proportions, and sooner or
later, their numbers would be up. The fact that they turned it around is
testament to the writing talent of creators Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrahams and
Damon Lindelof. The ending was always going to disappoint some viewers, the
anticipation had been building for six years, over the course of six seasons
and 121 episodes. The story of Jack, Kate and the survivors of Oceanic Airways
Flight 815 is one of the most genre-defying mysteries ever committed to
television.
Of course there are plot holes, of course there are talking
points that still cause controversy to this day, but there's no denying that,
at its peak, Lost was one of the most creative, compulsive television
experiences of all time. As for the twist at the end of Season 3, surely it
goes down in history as one the most jaw-dropping moments in television
history? Entertainment Weekly summed it up beautifully by saying,
"Plane crash. Smoke monster. Polar bear. Crazy French lady. The Others.
The hatch. The Dharma Initiative. Time-travel flashes. Name another network
drama that can so wondrously turn a ? into a !" Couldn't have
put it better myself.
3/ Breaking Bad
It took me a while to get into Breaking Bad but it soon became apparent why - like The Sopranos before
it - Vince Gilligan's 'contemporary western' is considered to be one of the
greatest television shows of all time. Breaking Bad is the two-year long story
of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed
with lung cancer. Over the course of five seasons, Walter lurches from
protagonist to antagonist as he turns to a life of crime in order to support
his family. An unruly ex-student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), joins him on his
offbeat, drug-fuelled journey.
Breaking Bad is surreal and intoxicating, beating down the
boundaries of television drama at every turn. Widespread critical acclaim has
led to a spin-off series being commissioned, apply titled 'Better Call Saul'.
Whatever the outcome of that diversion, Breaking Bad will forever stand the
test of time. So I guess I'll leave you with the words of Walter White, because
"I've still got things left to do".
2/ The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American drama series created by David
Chase, regarded by many as the greatest television series ever made. It follows
the New Jersey based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini),
and the trials and tribulations of mixing family life with the world of
organised crime. Six seasons and 86 episodes later, The Sopranos was still
causing controversy, with an ending that divided audiences the world over.
Sadly, with the late great James Gandolfini no longer with
us, we will never get to know what really happened in those final moments, but
that's part of the beauty of shows like The Sopranos. The writing was sublime, as
was the diversity of character and performance. Chase and his regular writing
team weren't afraid of taking chances either, and the end result was truly
mesmerising. Earlier this year, the Writers Guild of America named it the best
written TV series of all time. You won't find any arguments here. Just when you
think you're out, they pull you back in.
1/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"You're just a girl". "That's what I keep
saying." That one exchange, in the 100th episode of Buffy the Vampire
Slayer, encapsulated Joss Whedon's original concept for the series. Buffy is
one of the most groundbreaking TV shows ever created, and it opened the door to
much of what we view today. In 1997, with the help of the WB Television Network,
Joss Whedon introduced the world to the real Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle
Gellar), the latest in a long line of young women known as 'Vampire Slayers'.
As
the series progressed of course, Buffy and the rest of the Scooby Gang went on
to battle all matter of demons, both inside and out, but with Whedon in the
driver's seat, Buffy the Vampire Slayer took on the world and won.
Intelligence, wit, great characters and brilliant story arcs combined to create
one of the most original TV shows ever made.
Not bad for the spin-off of a
misguided and unloved horror comedy starring Kristy Swanson. Standout episodes
like 'Hush', 'Once More with Feeling' and 'The Body' will forever stand the
test of time. Buffy still exists today of course, in the form of novels, comic
books and video games, but the original TV series remains one of the most
influential shows of all time. AW
No comments:
Post a Comment