So for those so disposed, lets take a break from politics and look at the zeitgeist of the current culture when it comes to entertainment, and to narrow it down a bit more, let's talk movies vs. TV.
For most of my life, TV has been assumed to be the poor sister to its more glamorous sibling, the movies. For most of my life, it has been assumed that TV was one thing, good enough for what it could do, but the movies were an entirely more glamorous and riveting thing.
Well, I think that is changing. At least it is for me. For the first time in many years I didn't watch the Oscars, although I must note that I've watched the last several years with a book in hand, trying to catch the highlights, and avoid the boredom of the low lights.
This year, I had no interest in watching it. I had not seen any of the movies. And it was on a Sunday night, and I preferred to watch the latest episode of Downton Abby, and then tuck myself into bed with a good book.
First of all, I had not seen any of the movies. Frankly, none of them called to me enough to foray out into a cold winter night to a theater. Figured I'd see them all eventually, on demand.
And that's my point. There was no movie in the Oscars that I felt I really needed to see, NOW.
But the latest batch of TV series, most produced outside the three major networks, but a few produced by them, wow, they have really caught me in their web. So different than what I grew up understanding a TV series to be, even at its best.
There is something about the best TV series---True Detective, Downton Abby, The Missing, Friday Night Lights (now over but available through net flicks, and if you haven't gotten to this one yet, run there. You will thank me for the push), Boardwalk Empire, Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones, Magic City, Breaking Bad, The Borgias, House of Cards,The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie and it goes on and on.
In all of the above, some will hate it, some will love it. But it is the vast amount of excellent TV opportunities that is very noteworthy. AND, I find as big of a movie buff as I am, that the best of what TV has to offer these days, is often more compelling to me than the latest movies.
What TV does REALLY well, when given a chance to be everything it CAN BE, and I think it has been so in many of the titles above, is to be a book on the screen. The chance to page through, episode after episode, the way you turn pages in a book. The opportunity to extend a world way beyond what a movie can offer.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love the movies, and I never want to be without the chance to experience walking into a dark theater, having the movie come up, and sharing it with those around me in that weird way we do when in a movie theater.
The thrill of seeing something with so much production value and excellent acting that it knocks our socks off, something TV didn't used to be able to compete with.
But those days have changed. In so many instances TV has caught up with production values. Where it hasn't caught up is where I'm least interested, and what drives movie production for the better part these days. Special effects. Big rolling disaster movies. Planes summersault over cities due to whatever, the earth cracks and swallows up whoever due to whatever. All forms of absolutely AMAZING special effects, largely with no heart. And that describes the summer movie season.
Then there's the "serious movie" category. And more and more, I don't find a call from those either. At least not enough to run out in winter and see them. I don't feel the pull of that movie that says, "you can't afford NOT to see me now, you don't want to wait."
Something about the universal language, things touched on that speak to many, that is so missing for me.
Now I know not every movie can do this, and Lord knows I wouldn't want them to try. And I hope the indies live long and strong, and I hope that movies continue to strive and grow, because I never want to be without them.
But, these days, I can afford to wait for it to come out ON Demand, or stream it, or buy it on disc. None of which would be satisfactory if there wasn't SO MUCH good TV to watch these days.
You know, after growing up hearing the TV referred to as the "boob tube" when I always suspected it was much more, it gives me an odd satisfaction to see where and how it's grown, incredibly.
Yeah, there's plenty of crappola on TV today that anyone can whine about if they choose to watch the crap. But that's the thing, we CAN choose from SO much these days. And for my money, I enjoy more on TV these days, then I enjoy at the movies.
And maybe, it's not a fair contest, as TV finally comes into its own, with all its inherent possibilities. Again, I hope the sacred experience of seeing a great movie in a movie theater never dies.
But I think movies now have to catch up with TV in its ability when done well, to be intimate, and universal.
So, what's your fave new TV series these days?