About twenty-five years ago, there were still three networks, PBS, and a few cable channels relying on syndicated shows, i.e. “reruns.”
At that time, there were about six thousand members of the West coast screenwriters guild. By the estimation of most observers, about ten percent of them were competent scriptwriters.
COMPETENT.
Half of those were actually GOOD ENOUGH to create a bang-up script.
As networks and cable channels proliferated, talent did not grow at the same exponential rate. Which means roughly the same number of writers belong to the guild, creating all the TV and movies we see. Television has become a far larger wasteland with less talent per channel.
This not only explains why shows suck, but why so many shows are “reality” shows that need little scripting.
The problem was not the writers – it was the programming execs, blessed with a captive market, who were permanently underbidding each other on the intelligence of the public. Nothing got greenlighted that wouldn’t appeal to nine year-olds, even if that meant serving reheated, recycled cheese for the nine thousandth time.
Thus, hero getting attacked by old lady’s parrot make the cut. Original.
(Critics may note that to avoid any hint that the mustachioed hard-body in the flowered shirt was in anyway a subversive gay icon, the hero fires his very manly gun.)
Now that TV has to compete with playstations and the internets for audiences, programming execs have gotten more liberal with the green, and TV shows have actually gotten a lot better. The writing in today’s shows is about a million times better than this – compare Magnum PI to “The Wire.”
I don’t know. Actually, I thought it was awesome…in a totally cheesy 80’s way that was certainly not the way the producers intended.
Re. the screenwriters comment above, the role of the screenwriter is strictly subordinate to the Lead Producer, aka “show runner” who is responsible for the overall story arc of the show, and the individual episodes.
If the episode sucks, there’s plenty of blame to go around, even though only one guy or gal’s name goes in the credits as writer.
July 13, 2009 at 8:22 pm
The answer, as always, is “yes.”
See also.
July 13, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Here’s what happened to TV:
About twenty-five years ago, there were still three networks, PBS, and a few cable channels relying on syndicated shows, i.e. “reruns.”
At that time, there were about six thousand members of the West coast screenwriters guild. By the estimation of most observers, about ten percent of them were competent scriptwriters.
COMPETENT.
Half of those were actually GOOD ENOUGH to create a bang-up script.
As networks and cable channels proliferated, talent did not grow at the same exponential rate. Which means roughly the same number of writers belong to the guild, creating all the TV and movies we see. Television has become a far larger wasteland with less talent per channel.
This not only explains why shows suck, but why so many shows are “reality” shows that need little scripting.
July 13, 2009 at 8:41 pm
This is an deeply insightful comment, if you replace “screenwriters” with “helicopters”.
July 14, 2009 at 12:16 am
The problem was not the writers – it was the programming execs, blessed with a captive market, who were permanently underbidding each other on the intelligence of the public. Nothing got greenlighted that wouldn’t appeal to nine year-olds, even if that meant serving reheated, recycled cheese for the nine thousandth time.
Thus, hero getting attacked by old lady’s parrot make the cut. Original.
(Critics may note that to avoid any hint that the mustachioed hard-body in the flowered shirt was in anyway a subversive gay icon, the hero fires his very manly gun.)
Now that TV has to compete with playstations and the internets for audiences, programming execs have gotten more liberal with the green, and TV shows have actually gotten a lot better. The writing in today’s shows is about a million times better than this – compare Magnum PI to “The Wire.”
July 13, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Once this aired, there was nowhere left for creativity to go:
July 13, 2009 at 8:56 pm
How did you find a clip where Magnum is wearing pants? The whole point of that show was his bare legs!
July 13, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Fiction as reality TV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3WHT4HpsCo
Reality TV as fiction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNRf7Dg0lMg&feature=related
This is TV on drugs:
July 13, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I don’t know. Actually, I thought it was awesome…in a totally cheesy 80’s way that was certainly not the way the producers intended.
Re. the screenwriters comment above, the role of the screenwriter is strictly subordinate to the Lead Producer, aka “show runner” who is responsible for the overall story arc of the show, and the individual episodes.
If the episode sucks, there’s plenty of blame to go around, even though only one guy or gal’s name goes in the credits as writer.
July 14, 2009 at 2:32 am
The only way that scene could have been improved is if Magnum pistolwhipped the old lady.