Comments on: Depressing TV, Real Life, and Plummeting Ratings

By: Heather Grove

Heather Grove — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 03:14:49 +0000

I’ve definitely had times when I’ve seen the first few moments of a TV show episode or movie on TV and said to myself, “I really want to watch that episode, but dear god I can’t handle being depressed that much right now. Some other time.” And, well, sometimes I never get back to it if it isn’t a show I tend to record.

By: Quixotic

Quixotic — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 19:35:00 +0000

Too true. Although I loved the last season of Buffy, it really was much harder to watch than the previous ones. It meant very different things to me than the others.

Scott M – also very true – I always watch either the light films first, or the most blockbustery ones. Then wish I hadn’t!

By: Heather Grove

Heather Grove — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:51:59 +0000

Agreed–you really do have to be in the right mood for a serious drama.

I also see a difference, though, between something that simply has a serious storyline, and something that has a serious storyline that perhaps hits a little too close to home for the viewer. A serious show (like Galactica) can still be escapism because it still takes you away from your own troubles. But if it reminds you of those troubles, then the show itself is in trouble. I think both Buffy and Stargate SG-1 ran into trouble because they started delving too far into those troubles. Buffy went into the perennial everyday fears of job loss, paying the rent, etc., while SG-1 is perhaps hitting too close to home in terms of current world politics and such.

Matters of degree, I guess.

By: Scott M

Scott M — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:27:28 +0000

Yes– the same thing happens with movie rentals. You pick up 2 or 3 movies, and the one you watch is the light and fluffy one. The serious drama that looks so good at the store is very good– when you finally watch it. You have to be ready to deal with it when you watch it, while escapism is good no matter how good or bad your day was.