So last Sunday I went over to the Little Red Hen in Green Lake to watch the Seattle Seahawks visit the Washington D.C. Football Club in a first round NFL playoff match-up. (It was the first football game this season I consciously set out to watch, but that's another story.) In any event, the game was on the Fox network. Now, as it happens, Danielle and I don't have a television these days, so I see very little TV and, by extension, very few commercials. But, during a break in the game, a promotional add ran for what appeared to be a new Fox show premiering later this month, The Following. The show stars Kevin Bacon and, if my eyes did not deceive me, the beautiful and talented Natalie Zea, who plays Raylon's ex-wife on Justified, and who also had a fine three episode arc in the 5th season of Californication.
And so but I have no idea what this show is about, but at one point during the promotion the bar happened to quiet down, and I heard the voice-over enthusing about how great was this particular show; then he added, "You won't believe it's not on cable!" And I thought how perfect is that - a major TV network touting one of their own shows in (from what I could tell) a non-ironic fashion while, of course, simultaneously denigrating other of their network offerings (unless it's some kind of a generic tag line and they pitch all their shows like this, which seems unlikely).
Or, to put that all another way - "I don't often watch my own network, I tend to prefer those excellent cable shows: but, when I do watch my network, I watch The Following."
IBL:mm
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Pretty amazing, and a incisive point made.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought is that the Network's feel constrained by sex and language standards which are different from cable's. A couple weeks ago I started watching Homeland with the mistaken belief it was being broadcast on CBS. It didn't take long and I was like 'They're doing THIS on network TV?!' Never one to watch a show with commercial interruption I figured I was just an old fogy out of touch with broadcast TV standards (which undoubtedly is true anyway but let's go with it). Of course I checked and found Homeland is produced by Showtime. The point being the commentator you were witness to may subscribe to the idea that network TV is at a disadvantage to begin with and anytime it approaches cable production, it's laudable. I don't know, maybe there is also some implicit knowledge that HBO / Showtime spend more money than the networks. I don't know.
So my first thought was as described above; my SECOND thought was as you say - "this one's kind of edgy for network, folks, look at us!" But then I thought, does it matter either way? They are acknowledging there is SOMETHING different about network vs. cable and based on my sampling, well, cable these days are just doing better shows. And not because there is more sex or violence or swearing or whatever - they are just better.
ReplyDeleteAlso important to remember, of course, that a LOT of Americans cannot afford cable and are left with the big 3 or 4 I guess it is. Could this comment in anyway be intended for these people somehow? "We're bringing the cable to you over the air!" I have no idea.
But first thoughts are first thoughts, you know...?
I always wonder while watching the Daily Show if there are three standards. It seems like Stewart gets away with alot more in the way of language than you will find on network tv. It seems that some of Carlin's favorite words like shit and piss are ok on Comedy Central but fuck, etc. are bleeped. I wonder if certain words are now allowed that weren't previously, but network tv still considers them taboo while comedy central doesn't have that hang up. If this is true, it would further the general theory that it is not that network tv can't compete with cable shows - they just choose not to.
ReplyDeleteI am no expert on this but I THINK there is a "code" on language which relaxes after ten pm, after the kids go to bed. It may be that the things Stewart says at night are bleeped on the daytime re-run. I don't have a TV to confirm this, but wouldn't be surprised. I also think there are looser rules for cable stations - the pay stations being the loosest of all, of course (HBO, Showtime, etc.). They can swear up a storm or sex up a storm on these stations any hour of the day or night (breasts, penis, ass). But on FX, say, you wouldn't see a penis, but maybe an ass. On network TV none of this.
ReplyDeleteThe other question that of course interest me is that, if we ALL own the airwaves, as is allegedly the case, how come we can't have better content; and how come it is so heavily regulated to protect "the children"? I mean the Janet Jackson Super Bowl thing they are STILL talking about and dealing with all these years later. I was watching that and MISSED it...