The Golden Age of Television

The "golden age" of TV often references the period from the early 50s to the 60s, when television was becoming a fixture in American culture and there were popular and critically acclaimed shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and featured live productions of famous plays and films. Although this period was essential in shaping the television medium, I believe that we are in the midst of the golden age of television and I believe that it is right now that the best shows in history are being made. The number of shows on today and recently that are of high quality is unprecedented. Shows on broadcast television from Lost to ER to The Office to Friends have all pushed the boundaries of TV forward to the point where it seems wrong to call it the small screen anymore. More recently, cable has released some of the best dramas ever seen on television with shows on AMC like Mad Men and Breaking Bad and premium cable shows like The Sopranos and Dexter. These are just a few examples of what is truly a great lineup of shows today and recently. The reasons behind this I think can be explained by not only multiple televisions being in about every home in America, but also cable becoming more widespread and profitable. All of this leads to advertisers willing to spend more on ad space which gives networks more money to invest in some more expensive and ambitious shows. I hope that this trend of shows being made better in terms not only of technology, but also acting and writing because I for one am enjoying every minute of it. I'm just going to need a bigger TiVo...

RIP to the Code

The Chicago Code was a new TV show that just came out this winter on Fox that turned out to be a very short lived one. I admit that one of the main reasons that I watched this show was because it was shot in my current hometown and it had a very "Chicago" feel to it with the characters and the landmarks that were represented. It was still a very solid police drama, however, and the themes of taking down corruption and the complex characters provided a needed twist on a very stale genre. The viewership was not terrible, but it was nothing groundbreaking either and the show received solid critical reviews. All of this would seem to lead to the show being renewed for at least one more season by Fox, but unfortunately it did not. The reason behind this is obvious and it has everything to do with money. Instead of picking up this show, that has to pay writers and actors, Fox will continue to stick with their reality TV lineup, and since the show did not bring in a large enough viewership, they don't think that it is worth it to renew a solid new cop drama. Another factor that goes into Fox's decision is probably that Chicago Code was shot on location in Chicago, which adds to the cost of the show, rather than it being shot in a studio in LA. In any case I wish that Fox would have given the Code another chance next season, as I think that with a little more advertisement, they could have brought in a lot of viewers.

After 1 Year, Lost Continues To Amaze

Every so often, a television show comes along and it changes the game for the rest of the shows in that genre. The Sopranos revolutionized the cable drama, The Simpsons was and continues to be a game changer for broadcast comedies and cartoons and Lost set the bar for every drama on broadcast television that has come after it. It has been almost a year now since Lost aired its 3-hour epic series finale, and the show’s impact is still being felt. Sure, there are critics of the way it ended, how some mysteries were left unanswered, but the impact that the show had on not only the way that television is made and presented, but consumed and followed by the fans is nothing short of revolutionary. Lost created a cultural phenomenon during its airtime and that continues even after its conclusion. If you watched it as it aired, every episode had a week’s worth of discussion online in message boards, with friends and family, and the following was vast and loyal. The show rewarded this following with a smart, suspenseful, action-packed drama that was truly transcendent. I think that the cultural impact that Lost had is something that all shows are trying to reach for now and it is amazing that a simple television show can have such a large impact on people’s lives. I know first person the impact that this television show could have on someone’s life, as I was one of the loyal followers, discussing and debating week to week, and Lost continues to amaze me even a year removed from its end.