Getting Back into TV
a reinvigorating rediscovery
For someone who has been on television, would like to continue being on television, and wants to eventually write for television, I’m really bad at actually watching television. I’m not sure when the change happened because there was definitely a time in my younger days when I was really good at watching television. I could lose an entire Saturday in front of the TV. My parents would have to turn it off and physically push me outside. I was so enamored by the magic box of moving images.
The absolute glut of streaming options leaves me paralyzed. It’s excruciating to commit to a show. In the back of my mind I think that there could be something better than what’s in front of me. My self-diagnosed high-functioning ADHD makes it so that my skin itches if I’m prostrate in front of the TV too long. It feels like I need to move and do things. I consider it a feat to get through an entire episode of a show. It’s almost unheard of for me to get through an entire season or, heaven forbid, an entire series. I’ve abandoned many a show over recent years.
Lately I have made a concerted effort to discover some good TV. To get back into a TV groove. To return to my TV-loving roots. It seems like a weird thing to prioritize but I want to reconnect with my love of good storytelling. I want to find a pastime that allows me to relax into a state of delightful consumption instead of constantly feeling obliged to produce. I want to get back to TV that entertains, inspires, and moves
One of those recent discoveries was The Studio on AppleTV. This half-hour comedy by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg is just so darn good. It follows the story of Matt Remick (Rogen) as he becomes the newly appointed head of a major movie studio in the modern era of established IP, tech companies buying up all media, and art by committee. Its humor is laugh-out-loud funny in spite of its heavy reliance on cringe which I typically don’t like.
The casting is impeccable. Its series regulars are perfect comedy team players and include Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, and Kathryn Hahn. The guest stars are big-time actors and directors who have the impossible task of playing themselves. Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, and Sarah Polley all take a brilliant crack at it with delicious results.
The show is shot beautifully and captures Los Angeles from its most romantic vantage points. Most of it is done on film which adds to the textured dreaminess of Rogen’s world. They rely heavily on “oners” (extended takes with no cuts usually involving a lot of actor and camera choreography). At times it feels like watching a piece of theatre, a Neil Simon farce maybe, as done under by cinematic arthouse auteur.
Fast, witty dialogue and a compelling story that dances the line of ‘too outrageous’ make this gem go down with ease. It’s a glass of champagne. I found it completely delightful and think it may get a rewatch in the not-too-distant future
I’ve also gotten on The Pitt train. This show from HBO (or HBO Max or Max or however they’re identifying these days) is hugely popular and I now see why. This medical drama starring Noah Wyle, of ER fame, takes place over the course of Dr. Robby’s 12-hour shift in the emergency department of a hospital in Pittsburgh. Each episode is one hour of that shift.
According to the internet, The Pitt is the most realistic portrayal of emergency room procedures, diagnoses, and treatments ever seen on TV. A doctor friend of mine corroborated this but had the caveat that med students and interns would never be given such a long leash (something I’m actually quite relieved to hear). The show masterfully creates tension through cases and characters that feel real, that feel like they exist in a world I’m familiar with.
While I didn’t notice it at first, there is no music. The show doesn’t rely on ubiquitous background music to tell the audience what to feel. There’s only the moment in front of us, patients living and dying, and we’re then left to craft the meaning. The liberal use of handheld camerawork makes the show feel less like a typical network medical drama and more like prestige TV. It’s visually interesting without getting in the way.
Sometimes the non-medical dialogue feels a little forced. I blame equal parts writing and acting. Overall the story of each case and the larger forces effecting the ER thrust the show forward handily. This sense of motion, coupled with fun character details and interpersonal dynamics, make any moments of schmacting forgivable.
To be clear, I’m only 8 episodes in but I can’t wait to finish it. It’s definitely worth the hype.
Mostly I’m just happy to be watching a little TV these days. While it goes against the grain, I find television, in the correct dosage, to be relaxing and invigorating. In the moment I feel dropped into these short little movies, these tight 3-act episodic stories, and feel present. I feel engaged without needing to do anything. I also feel challenged afterward to go make something - to write or create or express. I’m finding TV to be fun!
So TL;DR - TV is awesome and you should try it!
Just starting the Studio and it seems fun for sure!! The Pitt was masterful in all the ways you mentioned. Alan Alda has a podcast called “Clear and Vivid” and Noah Wylie is this week’s guest. You might check it out. I think it’s less than 45 minutes long.
I haven't regularly watched television, with one exception, in years. My late husband watched news – too much news – and I avoided it. We have more than one TV; I could have watched something else, somewhere else, but I did other stuff. After he died, I canceled the satellite dish account. I now subscribe to three streaming services and have definitely gotten my money's worth with Apple TV. I've watched all three seasons of Ted Lasso four times and will happily and gratefully watch it again. I tried watching The Studio, but it didn't hit me the same way it did you. The Pitt sounds interesting and creative, but I don't have HBO.
All of that said … I, too, would like to find my way back to watching television. I'm looking forward to the third season of Shrinking, and if you haven't watched the first two, I recommend it. Great cast, great writing, greatgreatgreat acting. Two other shows I've enjoyed are The Good Place and A Man on the Inside, with Ted Danson, both on Netflix. Vickie will second The Good Place recommendation.
And all of THAT said … nothing beats Ted Lasso. Nothing else even comes close.