Why TV Viewers Are So Overwhelmed These Days
Written by Alice Jester
Hey everyone! This is a little something I wrote this morning for blogcritics. Since it has some commentary about Supernatural, I thought I'd share it here. Hopefully it provides a little something different from the norm.
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This morning, on my daily scan on the TV News sites, I read a report from Michael Ausiello on EW.com that Scrubs, a show that I’ve avidly watched for eight seasons, is completely changing its format for its ninth season (you know, the season that wasn’t supposed to happen). I won’t recount exactly what those changes are for those that don’t like spoilers (see Michael’s article for that), but considering I loved the heartwarming goodbye we got from season eight’s finale, I can’t imagine season nine carrying on the same way. That finale delivered the message that life goes on, people change, and by golly, the writers want to do something different. It’s almost impossible after that many episodes to spin the different story lines with new cast members in the same setting. New directions are the circle of life.
Given my love/hate relationship with the TV industry in general, not to mention the sometimes overzealous online fans, I normally would have dismissed the negative reaction over these changes as bull, but it got me thinking. I get it. We love our TV Shows. Plain and simple. Except I think we love them too much at times, and minds close up faster than a collapsing worm hole when anything outside of our comfort zone comes along. After looking into viewing habits farther though, I can see why.
I Trust Bill Lawrence
In the case of Scrubs, creator and writer Bill Lawrence has earned my respect and trust and I’m willing to give his new vision a shot. I’m also inspired by how he went on with the show so that the people who’ve worked there for so long can keep working. I know it won’t be the same old show, but that’s okay. I’m open to new ideas.
Now granted other TV shows have tried new ideas and they aren’t always good. I hate the so called “creative direction” House took in season four with the new team. The idea was fine, but the execution and team selection was awful. Ditto in season five when the smart medicine was replaced by personal soap operas and shipping. However, that’s my opinion. Sure I’ve made my thoughts known here and there, but I did what any logical viewer would do in that circumstance. I walked away. I didn’t want to spoil the experience for those that did love the changes. Now House represents casual viewing on my TiVo when I’m bored. Which is pretty much never these days.
Shows often get old and don’t age gracefully. Look at Smallville. One complaint I read a lot these days is The CW is trying to destroy Smallville by sending it to Fridays. Please. Smallville has had an incredible run by going into its ninth season and only a rare number of shows in the history of television make it this far. It’s in what many consider to be its third final season and after catching up with the rest of the show on DVD I honestly admit that what airs today is an eggshell of what once was. The CW found there was enough interest to keep it going though, but the network has to start thinking about building its future. No matter what people think of their programming choices, The CW can’t live in the past forever. Fridays may be considered to be the night of show death, but for aging and declining shows that still have an audience clinging on, Friday is a night of reprieve. It beats cancellation. Ditto for Law and Order and Ugly Betty, two other veteran shows that will be making their Friday debuts this year.
However, fans love to belabor the point that their favorite show is being mistreated and just don’t know how to let go. Oh, but it isn’t just letting go of the old shows that has TV viewers in a twist. It’s embracing the new ones. Fans are so quick to put down new shows without even seeing the finished product. “It’s stupid,” or “What moron thinks this will work?” Okay, these perceptions are based on a concept? A series plot pitch? The wrong actors? No, it took me a while to figure out it was something else.
Recently I’ve been trying to get my sister-in-law to check out Supernatural after she told me she was starting to watch Smallville from season one. Her reaction stunned me, but it’s so true. “I don’t need another show right now.” Was Supernatural’s genre of interest to her? Sure, she’s a big Buffy fan. Was the positive buzz about the show’s gripping story lines and great acting appealing? Yes, but bottom line, there’s no time.
I knew she was exactly right. Lately I’ve been pouring through my Netflix options, wondering what shows to try next. Do I go with How I Met Your Mother, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Psych, The Big Bang Theory, or Dexter? All of those sound good, but what do I choose? Where do I begin? Will I get so hooked with those shows that are still running that I have to somehow work them into my already busy viewing schedule? Yes, this much pain goes into my Netflix subscription anymore. Yet if I wasn’t bold enough to try Supernatural when I first got the subscription, I would have missed out on one of the best shows I’ve seen in my life. No guts no glory. However, no time either.
How can I even entertain the idea of taking in a new upcoming series? If checking out existing shows is this hard, a new idea for an old show must be a harder sell, right? Familiar goes away, fans not happy. No, that’s far from the truth. The new Scrubs concept is being pitched as a spinoff and that’s riling up viewers. I’m not sure why. Viewers have always embraced spinoffs in the past. Look at classics like The Jeffersons, Maude, Mork and Mindy, The King of Queens, and Frasier. How about the CSI and Law and Order franchises. Why not embrace the idea? Is it because for every Frasier there’s The Tortelli’s? For every Angel, there’s Joey? Is it fear of the unknown? Maybe. Is it because as our choices increase, so do our anxieties? Possibly, especially since the emotional investment put into a show, spin off or not, is often quickly crushed by a network that doesn’t like the 18-49 female demographics on the Nielsen reports. That usually results in tampering or cancellation, both of which break many hearts.
Network programming choices are ruled by branding more than anything else these days, which leaves little choice for some to cling onto an older show that might no longer fit the network’s vision. Why isn’t there a Justice League or Green Arrow spinoff from Smallville? Simple, it doesn’t cater to The CW’s “laser focus” on 18-34 females. No other network or cable station will consider it, because it’s a leftover of another station’s aging programming and the buzz has long since passed.
However, for a network like CBS that’s strong on procedurals, the entire CSI franchise couldn’t fail. All three shows cater to their core demographic and follow the same formula. CBS is very lucky to be able to ride that wave that long, but considering their viewers skew older, it makes sense. The older we get, the stricter viewing habits become. My parents complain there’s crap on TV, but always watch CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, or Without A Trace after their regular shows because “it’s what comes on next.” That’s a problem The CW is begging to have.
Anyway, so what does this mumbo jumbo have to do with Scrubs? I’m not sure anymore. Ultimately, the show is still on my TiVo season pass, so it’ll stay there. That’s enough to keep me watching. Same for Smallville. In the meantime, me and my overwhelmed brain are vowing to give The Vampire Diaries a try this fall, even though I don’t need another show. It’s time to break my viewing rut. Plus, Supernatural is what comes on next.
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My problem is that I have the time, I just dont have the will to invest in a show thats just gonna break my heart in the end. In addition, there are very few shows that actually stand out. Everything is a variation of the cop drama, medical drama, soapy girl drama. I find that boring, so I stick to the Deadliest catch on Tuesdays, Supernatural on Thursdays, and Kings on Saturdays (when I have the chance). The rest of the time I watch my Dexter DVDs...by the way, talk about a brilliant show, Dexter is it.
I am sooo very eager to watch Buffy but, come on, how many seasons did it last, 6ish? So at least 100 episodes? When oh when will I fit that into my schedule?
Also I tend to have a habit of watching a show in one go, over a few weeks or even days. I don't do it on purpose, it just happens, eg, How I Met Your Mother. Last week I bought season one on special and before it rolled around to Monday again I had already purchased and watched season two (Alice, you mentioned the show in your article and I definitely recommend it)
The first few weeks of the fall premieres are always hectic for me because I give quite a few new shows a 5 episode time period to impress me, as well as watching my old favs return too. I dread the year when every pilot is excellent because I wouldn't know what to sacrifice in order keep RL at the very least functioning!
I love how every article you write Alice is nearly always precisely what I think to myself, although you seem to be able to present it to the world WAY clearer than I ever could. A woman of my own heart, its refreshing to know such people exist. Now....if only you were male....
Today you have tivo, dvds, netflix etc. and normal TV. If a show is disappointing, you can always switch to something else, something you LIKE.
I've never watched a show from the start, I always wait until I'm sure it doesn't get cancelled after the first season. I don't want to waste my TIME and get invested into a show which is over after 22 episodes.
I never get invested into a crime drama, comedy or hospital show. Those are reserved for random watching. You know, when you come home from work and you crash in front of the TV, you just pick anything, it can be CSI, House or Grey's anatomy, and you don't waste a second thinking about the next episode.
My problem is when you get invested in a new show, Then the networks cancel it. Journeyman,Pushing daises, my own worst enemy...to name a few. You invest your time and start to look forward to new episodes...then WHAM...GONE. I hate watching new shows for this reason.
I'll just watch repeats of Supernatural.
In the 6 years that I was overworked at my 'typical American corporate gig,' Supernatural was the only new show I tried out. I simply could not handle any more clutter in my life.
Since I've left that job, I've tried out and stayed with 90210, One Tree Hill (yes-guilty pleasures I know), True Blood, Paranormal State, Harper's Island and I'm definitely checking out Vampire Diaries in September. I continually find myself saying that I need to give these shows some time and that they will not all hook me in immediately, like Supernatural did. I have proved myself right each time. (There's that 'time' again - LOL.)
Great article, Alice!
I'm like Narcissus, I didn't think much of the new direction at first but I'm loving it now so I'll definitely give season 6 a go and if it turns out to have run out of juice then so be it, there's always the box sets!
I think the beauty in Supernatural is it's simplicity, especially the small size of the cast. The more characters there are, the more things can go wrong. I watched one episode of Heroes and gave up completely, I watched one season of Prison Break and also gave up, I watched a couple of seasons of Smallville sporadically and eventually stopped that as well. For many shows, I feel like the story is so busy chasing after what each of the characters are doing that it wanders away from the heart and essence of the matter.
Like Elle2 said, at the end of the day Supernatural boils down to family, the car, and kicking evil ass. Honestly, I was a bit uncomfortable with where the mytharc was going lately, but as soon as I slapped myself in the face I got over it, because honestly, it was just an overreaction. You hit the nail on the head again Alice, it's about comfort. And I think nothing will speak better of the strength of a show if it can drag its loyal viewers out of their comfort zones, shake them around a bit, and still make it seem like it's okay. Because that's the whole point of telling stories - to make us feel.
Watch any CBS procedural and you'll see either they've done it, are doing it or are contemplating it. Again, CM has avoided it although it contemplated it in Season 1, Cold Case for the half dozen or so eps I've seen appears to have avoided it and thankfully NCIS has so far avoided it (although there was that whole disaster of Gibbs and Jennie but it was a backstory and in flashback so I could nauseate my way through those few -- thankfully no more -- moments. If Tony and Ziva become an item next season -- I'm out of there.
Smallville is a mess. I agree that shows change and evolve and grow and I don't mind that...which is why SPN isn't the same as season 1 (to the dismay of some and the joy of others) but the core of the show remains true...road show, evil, brothers, overall mytharc...something big is going on and Sam and Dean are in the middle of it trying to hang onto family. Cool.
TV can do what it wants is my opinion...Supernatural is the only show I've got any true interest in. I can let go of anything else easily and that comes from living through my fan angst over the dmeise of the once intelligent Without a Trace. Once it became clear that Jack could do no wrong, despite doing plenty wrong, Sam rewritten as a completly unsympathetic murdering body hiding bimbo who could make no decisions for herself but only listen to what Jack had to say to her and the rest of the cast (ignoring the completely forgettable and absolutely superfluous Elena) became nothing more but backdrop, messengers or sweepers up of the mess created by Jack and Sam...I hit the road. Without a Trace broke my TV heart, Supernatural is the balm. I trust Kripke.
Will I stay with Supernatural if there is a season 6? Likely only if the creative braintrust stays intact...but time will tell and I'm willing to take the ride knowing I can get off when I choose. Having once bailed on a show in agony, I'm set to let it go this time without the angst and despair of Without a Trace...I learned long ago that I can enjoy it or I can leave it behind but obsess over it...not to the point of bashing it. I can't do that anymore.
Here endeth my babble.