Every Sunday night is kind of a special time for me. I toss aside my homework to watch Fox's cartoon sitcom lineup. Last Sunday night, I sat down as usual and watched two back-to-back episodes of the Simpsons followed by two Family Guy episodes.
What makes these shows appealing to just about everybody? I began thinking about this as I watched a show like the Simpsons that I had ingested since I was 10 years old. The Simpsons especially has managed to appeal to virtually every demographic that I can think of, and even made an impression on me before I could underestand a majority of the humor and pop culture references. Usually, I can't get enough of the episodes. Why?
The narrative.
The driving force of American time-based media. Cartoon sitcoms are developed around narratives that are accented with the social commentary style humor that defines the niche. However, as I watched the two cartoons on Sunday night, I was bored. Bored with the plot, with the humor, with the show. I couldn't even finish Family Guy. I was trying to figure out why I couldn't enjoy two of my favorite shows, and it really made me think about the crucial importance of a strong narrative line balanced against witty dialogue.
What makes a strong narrative? Where is that balance point? Why are some episodes more interesting than others, even with shows that have an amazing track record of quality entertainment?
These questions have been on my mind the entire past week. I'm looking forward to the new television season this fall to see how these thoughts will influence my opinions of new episodes.
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1 comment:
I run into the problem of boredom quite often when watching blockbuster Hollywood produced movies. Unfortunately I'm sure you've all noticed that the vast majority of films lately haven't really "hit the mark" for anyone the least bit serious about this media/art form. If the narrative stinks, no amount of great acting or special effects can interest me.
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