Sure, the plots aren't always the most complicated (I'll often spot the dunnit five minutes in), but it's fun. Someone usually chases a bad guy down a fire escape and into an alley. Or in a commercial kitchen, or a fruit stand at a market, sending apples rolling down the street.
This isn't to say I like cliches, but series crime shows can be comforting in their format. And I tune in for the characters anyway. So when this new show King and Maxwell came on, I started watching. But it took some time to get going. Sure, there was a good crime. But the characters weren't really coming to life for me. I haven't read the David Baldacci series it's based on, but I imagine the characters are good, or people wouldn't be reading the books, right?
Have you ever watched a TV show that had a strong supporting cast you stuck around for?
Seinfeld was another one I liked better for the nutty friends than Jerry (sorry, man...).
I can't say how strong a supporting cast it had, but I have seen nearly every episode of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, especially for Peter Boyle and his wry humour. A good family entertainer. I liked SEINFELD though BECKER, with its assorted characters, was better. Ted Danson was a good actor-comedian. These days I'm watching THE BIG BANG THEORY and quite like it, particularly for Jim Parson's deadpan face and nasty lines. I don't watch serious TV. I tried GREY'S ANATOMY and found it depressing.
ReplyDeleteYes, we dropped Grey's Anatomy for that same reason.
ReplyDeleteI love all the shows you mention for their characters. I think it's the almost over-the-top nature, and the great actors (like Ted Danson--many can carry a show). Some series also need a bit of time for the actors to get confident in their character (or the writers writing them?).
I love Edgar. But you just made me realize why I only stop surfing the web or knitting or doing sudoku (yea, I still play) when he's on screen.
ReplyDeleteI like the character of Michael Weston, but Sam, Fi and Maddy are my favorites on Burn Notice.
Have you seen Motive? As I'm writing this I realize that I don't know either of the main characters names. Guess that says something about character building. I like her but he disappears.
Yes, I watch MOTIVE too. Agree--she is more 'alive.' I think it's because they give us viewers a glimpse of backstory: her son, life off-duty. It doesn't have to be much, but a little gives a character dimension.
ReplyDeleteI think they need more of that on KING AND MAXWELL. I feel like they go in a box when they're not on the case, and that's not good.
Thinking of other crimey shows, CASTLE does a good job giving him a personal life.
I'm taking this observation as a lesson in writing three-dimensional characters :-)
So many shows have supporting characters that are more memorable. Jerry never could act at all, could he?
ReplyDeleteHe was terrible--painfully so. I remember watching the show in Holland, being unfamiliar with the guy's comedy name, wondering why they didn't just boot him off the show :-)
ReplyDeleteI still use the "No soup for you" line. It's no longer cool, but I still think it's funny...