Wilcox and Lavery (2002) identify 9 defining characteristics of ‘quality TV’ – can you apply any of these to other television series that you have viewed recently?
I think its hard to use all of Wilcox and Lavery's 9 characteristics for quality t.v, especially when after reading it, you have to compare it to Buffy which is very hard to do since no show has really gotten close to Buffy in so many ways, but i can see a few of these characteristics in the new-ish t.v show: The Vampire Diaries.
The first characteristic is 'Quality TV usually has a good pedigree', the vampire diaries creator is Kevin Williamson. Kevin Williamson wrote and created or directed films, like 'I know what you did last summer' and most successfully 'Scream'. Hie also based his own young life and relationships from his youth and created 'Dawson's Creek' which was a huge TV show that lasted 5 seasons and has a huge fan following like Buffy (They were both made around the same time).
The second characteristic (Quality TV must undergo a nobble struggle against audiences and networks)isn't completly apparent in The vampire diaries as because of shows like Buffy and True Blood and films like Twilight, Vampires are 'in' so another film or TV show on vampires etc is quite easy to take off. The first season premiere had the largest new TV show ratings of 4.9 million (American viewers only). (Though a reviewer did state that he wished the Buffy cast would join up and eat the vampire diaries cast, but most reviews have been positive)
The third characteristic: 'Quality TV tends to have a large ensemble cast', This is shown in The vampire diaries as, the cast consists of, Elena, Vampire Katherine(played by the same person as Elena), Vampire brothers, Damon and Stephan, Jeremy(Elena's brother), Bonny (a witch and Elena's friend), Caroline( Elena's friend and gets turned into a vampire), Alaric(Teacher and ally to the gang, adds the adult factor to the group), Matt (the one person out of the loop of it all), Tyler (werewolf), plus 5 or six bad guys, and of course the parents or aunties (the cast is mainly playing 18 year olds)
'quality TV has a memory' is a characteristic not yet included as the second season has only just finished, thoguh so far no detail has been changed over time.
'Quality TV is literary based' is a characteristic included as the TV show is based on the Vampire diaries novels written by L.J Smith.
Unfortunatley the show has not yet dealt with any 'controversial' themes. There has been parental death and relationships, and two brothers being in love with the same girl. The focus is more on staying alive and is more drama filled then funny or quirky one liners which is not the general Kevin Williamson way.
Characteristic number 9 is 'Quality TV aspires towards realism' The vampire diaries is very focused on feelings and actions, Kevin Williamson made Elena a very strong female who wants to live, where as in films such as Twilight, the female wants to die and be a vampire, which seems very far fetched and too love sick. When someone dies it is felt by the audience.
The 9 characteristics said to be apart of Quality TV are a few apparent in The vampire diaries, though i am yet to find a show as good as Buffy in the way of realism and fan following.
After doing more research i realised that Grey's Anatomy would be a perfect example of the 9 characteristics of 'quality t.v'.
ReplyDelete1. Grey's Anatomy's creater Shonda Rhimes has become very famous with the shows success, resulting in making a spin-off show.
2. Grey's Anatomy started off with the actors and makers believing it to be no good, 'just another medical show' and only made 9 episodes in season 1... Greys Anatomy is now on season 8.
3.Greys Anatomy has a massive cast, with docotrs and nurses, there would have to be, but there is about 10 main characters.
4.Greys Aantomy since is in aits 8th season can show that it has a memory, Eg- In season 6, Cristina has a issue with a heart valve and choosing between pig or cow valves.. so in season 7 when Derek gets shot in the chest, Cristina is trying to save him and doesnt know what instrument to use, so she says to herself "pig or cow?" and this helps her decide.
5. Grey's Anatomy brings old issues into episodes and new ones, being gay and a look back at an AIDS patient back in the 70s when it was called 'grit'.
6.Litery journals have been written about Gresy Anatomy.
7 Grey's Anatomy deals with horrble medical precedures and the main characters are all real people with real issues.
8.Controversial themes appear alot in Greys Anatomy, esp dealing with patients etc.. There was relationship drama, A dodcot Callie turning lebian after being married to a man, parental death, Euthanasia, Death Penalty, race(one patient comes in and the only available docotrs are black and the white man has a nazi tattoo on his stomach), gender and medical things like AIDS,cancer etc.
9.Realism is a huge part of Greys Anatomy, all the medical problems are real and the feeligns portryed are real enough that me and who ever i'm watching it with are crying with them.
These 9 characteristics can more or less be applied to almost any television series. By this criteria I could argue that "Friends" was quality TV. In reality though, I would argue very passionately that "Friends" is the antithesis of quality television. I wish Wilcox and Lavery would have added a 10th criteria: "It never glorifies ignorance or petty behavior."
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