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-- What makes for a good tv drama?
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Ha, yeah I was getting excited too. What I find weird about tv shows is that the creator, and orignal writer (usually same people/person) only write a couple episodes per season, where every episode there seems to be someone new writing and even directing. How do tv shows manage this, and if firestarter you happen to know, how much would a writer earn for a tv show like nip/tuck or buffy, not neccessarily up to CSI popularity.

quote:

Originally posted by kush paintings Ha, yeah I was getting excited too. What I find weird about tv shows is that the creator, and orignal writer (usually same people/person) only write a couple episodes per season, where every episode there seems to be someone new writing and even directing. How do tv shows manage this, and if firestarter you happen to know, how much would a writer earn for a tv show like nip/tuck or buffy, not neccessarily up to CSI popularity.

One thing you (and most people) are overlooking is the difference in terminology between other forms of "dramatic art" (film and theatre) and american television. In television, the Producer is not the financier, they are generally more of a chief writer. The vast majority of television is written by a team of writers, and occasionally you will see a "writing" credit given to the person or persons who draw up the idea for a given episode.

It is not quite exactly that, but unless you work in television a lot, you really can't understand the connection between the different titles. I only learned this about what producers in TV do after hearing a guest speech given by Fred Rubin when I was in college.


MrS

Kush did you know that when Angel was on WB there were more viewers watching the show than Smallville? Its true when there was a new episode of Angel over three million people would watch it.

But most people have not watched teh show but yet they do know Smallville. Why is that it is because of that Tom Wellington guy. They always talk about how good he looks and how the rest of the smallville charecters are atractive. So basically what I am saying is that even if the show is angel they are still earning a lot of money. But it could also depend on thier contract.

I got an idea for a movie. I want to do this but I don't know. And I am not going to post in some site because than some one who does want to become a writer/director will steal my idea.


Squierral where are you from? England?

Metal, you're in chitown right. The west suburbs if I can recall?

I am in the NW suburbs why? If you want me to get more specific I will say in Arlington Heights and I live in a ranch style home, 2000sq ft. The house is over fifty years old and my cat poos in the dining room. My dad has a sixty seven GTO and the car does not move. It is a real nice car but noone drives it.

You are in Glencoe right? So do you go to a community college or what? MY major I am not certain but I know I would like to use my imagination while at work. Also make sure every day at work it is a new experiance. As to why I am typing so much I would have to say it is because I am bored trying to study but seinfield is way too funny to miss. SO I will just have to wait out the show.

I live in Chicago, at least in the summer, we should get a collaberation going.

Sure when would you like to do this?

Im in college unfortunately. Im around in the summers though. What ever happened to wolverine, btw.

Dude I am in college too its not that hard to get around and just talk. But whatever maybe I am just the only one taking slacker clases.

Wolverine man I have no clue what happened to him. I believe he has moved on or something. I haven't seen him post for over a month.

HA, well Im in Providence, Rhode Island. Soooooo. I miss chitown though. I have been looking for somebody to collaberate on scripts though, because I have a bunch of ideas I have tried out on people to good responses, but writing a movie is just so much better with a partner.

lmao at nip/tuck & CSI being placed in \"quality\" tv dramas. oh thats funny. CSI is one of the crappest shows currently circulating the world. um yeah, crime scene units really do do all that work *rolls eyes* interview & arrest subjects and all. absolute rubbish.

what i really hate in tv are those \"dramas\" set against a backdrop of hospitals/police stations etc, calling themselves a \"medical drama\" when ultimately theyre nothing more than a fvcking soapie set in a hospital. australia has some abysmal examples of this, just proving that whatever shit the yanks can produce, we can make it worse

in terms of good tv drama, i like something that you dont feel insulted by watching. i like a story arc; most episodic shows dont really do much for me. to make themselves less episodic they include some soap in there to effect continuity, but it just comes off cheap and nasty.

good shows
babylon 5
buffy
angel
law n order
law n order SVU
lost
24

bad shows
CSI (all of them)
blue heelers (im sorry if anyone overseas is subjected to this)
all saints (as above)
virtually any soapie ever written

Listen, I understand your point on CSI, but I think it is one that very few people get caught up in. When we watch something to be entertained, a movie or a tv show, we participate in a willing suspension of belief. That is most people do. While I agree that a show most at least stay grounded and can drift off into fantasy land, which I will admit the drama on Nip/Tuck does sometimes, CSI does not abuse this. I really don't understand why you would call CSI a bad show, so perhaps you can ellaborate. Also, I am interested in why you don't like Nip/Tuck, although I can definently see why someone would not like that show.

nip/tuck is a soapie. i hate soapies. i like a storyline that is bigger than the characters involved. theres no real poignant moments in soapies. no grand entrances or exits. its all the same, coz ultimately, basing an entire show just on the characters limits the horizons. ie i mean, ffs we\'ve been watching teen pregnancy & drug stories since degrassi, yet with every new generation getting hooked on soaps, someone\'s always up the duff or addicted to something. boring!! ppls lives are made ridiculous to fill the vast empty space that should be a narrative.
now, ive only seen 3 eps of nick/tuck, so maybe im a bit unfair, but it just seemed like a sexed up soap to me.

ahhh, CSI. the bane of my existance
look, there are far worse shows out there for sure. but i think if youre gonna have a show based in reality, you should (as much as possible) try and make it kinda like it is. yes, i know its all tv, but compare the standard of writing between law n order and CSI. law n order touches on all kinds of relevant/interesting political issues in contemporary america (and sometimes the world) and even if the cases are far-fetched, at least the rest of it is believable (for instance if you pay attention to decisions by judges, the justification of law(s)/legal processes etc seems to be accurate and likely, even if theyre not). CSI feels excessively sexed up, and yes, the fact that they have these 3 in 1 CSI officers doing all the work in the entire investigative process shits me to tears.

law n order: same format for 15 years. still not tired. (tho criminal intent is a bit less on the quality side of things coz of the format and goran being the expert on everything, lol)

quote:

Originally posted by metalgearsolid Oh that is nothing for a moment there I thought you were a writer or something of that importance. I mean where you are now is pretty important but it would have been impressive if you were like a writer or director for buffy and angel. Anyways I am guessing names today fi3starter is your name John??

Heh.
Sorry to disappoint.
Alliance Atlantis has been getting out of the movie entertainment business for a while now and focusing on their digital broadcast stations instead.
They do own Odeon Films however and are the major distributor of movies here in Canada.
They own HGTV, Showcase Action, History Television, National Geographic and a bunch of other digital channels which are all doing very well.

The one thing I love about my position is that I know everyone in the company from top to bottom, which when it come to parties like the Toronto Film Fest, a major plus

When it comes to CSI however, that is a different story for us. It sort of landed on our lap when the original distributor bailed.
We agreed to take it on and it's been a major cash cow (major understatement) ever since.
We own 1/2 of everything and anything that has to do with CSI franchise right down to any and all merchandising.
Being a fan, this definately has it's pluses....

Name is Jeff btw...

pkc, watch more of the shows of nip/tuck and csi, there is more than meets the eye. CSI seems to have an ongoing exisential theme and nip/tuck questions our societies obsession with perfection. I would not say these two shows are shallow "soapies", although Nip/Tuck can definently appear that way to someone unfamiliar with the show, and you seem overly caught up in the logistics of CSI.

So Jeff the company you work for now is making tv shows right? So like if I ever got a real good idea for a show you could hook me up right? btw was alliance behind queer as folk? I think I have heard of em.

See the reason I am asking is that I have always wanted to tell stories involving different charecters you know. I know this sounds pathetic but ever since I played MGS on PS1 I wanted to be involed in writing scripts and quite possibly directing my own films. SO I have a couple of questions for you Jeff I figuered you would possibly know.

My computer when I start it up says there is a problem with ccapp and that it must be closed? What is the best solution??
Also how do ou overclock? Plus do you know anything about hacking?

quote:

Originally posted by St_Andrew See that black thing? Apperently it is there everytime something goes bad (such as when the high school teacher was blown in the air), it's also the same thing that was hunting Locke in the woods! There are lots of things like that, friggin cool if you ask me

Where'd you hear that? Very interesting, assuming it is real.

I spent a good part of the weekend watching old episodes that I might've missed. The Deus Ex Machina episode was friggin awesome. I am so glad I started watching this show. Hopefully it won't ultimately be spoiled by a cheesy ending.

quote:

Originally posted by Shakka Where'd you hear that? Very interesting, assuming it is real. I spent a good part of the weekend watching old episodes that I might've missed. The Deus Ex Machina episode was friggin awesome. I am so glad I started watching this show. Hopefully it won't ultimately be spoiled by a cheesy ending.

I found it in the Swedish forum in our Lost thread.. I assume it is true, it was more than one person saying it... Apperently there are lots of theories around on the Internet too.

And yeah lets hope there is no cheesy ending! Or that they try to make this a 20 season kinda thing, hopefully they have a good ending, not too many seasons away...

This topic is in the PDD and yet still no mention of the West Wing? Apparently it's gone downhill since Sorkin left the show (I still haven't seen any of seasons five or six yet) but his writing on the earlier seasons was brilliant, even if that fast-paced dialogue can get a bit tiring after a while. Probably the only TV drama I've ever really been able to get into.

Only problem is that it makes me wish there was a president like Jeb Bartlett in the White House right now...

I am sorry West wing is a crappy show that desearved to not be mentioned. Now anyone hear about that new show with a female as president of the US of A? Hollywood is like way ahead of thinking than most americans

You know what is a good show that has no been mentioned? IT is battlstay galactica. That show has some awesome effects and the story line is not that bad.

Pokemon was the best drana ever created.

For you lost fans, if you put in the "magic numbers" as cordinates:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4.815...9&iwloc=A&hl=en

Cool, there is an island nearby too.. wonder what it is.

quote:

Originally posted by St_Andrew For you lost fans, if you put in the "magic numbers" as cordinates: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4.815...9&iwloc=A&hl=en

]
Man, I dig that obsession! It's even in roughly the right place (I'd assume somewhere on the route from Sidney to LAX). I'm hitting Google Earth right now.

Google Earth says it's the island of Kosrae.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosrae

quote:

Kosrae is an island in Micronesia. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia with a population of 7,700 and a part of the Caroline Islands. The land area is 110 km�, and population 7 317 (1994 census. The state is subdivided into four municipalities: * Tafunsak (pop. 2 427) * Utwa (pop. 1 056) * Malem (pop. 1 430) * Lelu (pop. 2 404) The capital of the state is Tofol, in Lelu municipality. There is an airport at the northwestern coast of the island.

They even have an airport!

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