I was feeling sentimental and reflective this week after the announcement that Warner Brothers was going forward with the idea to reboot Buffy The Vampire Slayer without Joss Whedon. For the record, I do think it's quite early to reboot Buffy, it hasn't been 10 years since the show went off the air. And I love Joss Whedon, especially for Buffy, Angel, and Dr. Horrible, though I did enjoy Firefly and Serenity. Even so I think Buffy is an extraordinarily important character for our culture and I'm not opposed to the idea. It might, after all, introduce a new generation to Buffy as the show becomes more dated.
So since I was thinking about Buffy, I spent some time watching my favorite episodes from the sixth and seventh season, taken aback, again by how a story can reveal itself to you in fresh ways. While stories remain told as is, we as people change and new life experiences, relationships, and circumstances help us see the same tale from different perspectives. I loved it just as much as ever, fell in love with Buffy all over again, and was utterly delighted and moved again. I've watched the series through twice and some episodes multiple times but it's been awhile. I completely enjoyed feeling like I was both visiting a dear friend and discovering the show again.
This may be a politically incorrect thing to say on a book blog, but Buffy is one of the most important stories of my life. One that shapes the way I see story and the world, one that is in my personal "canon", when discussing other stories, I'll often say, "it's like when on Buffy..."
It's not, of course, just because it's a great story. I watched season 2 of Buffy when it originally aired. I went to college after that and when I heard a certain character was back on season 3 I felt like it cheapened the beautiful and dramatic ending of the second season and I stopped watching. I didn't watch again until I was living in Japan. The year and a half I spent in Japan are some of my most formative years...so much more happened than simply living in Japan and teaching English my entire worldview started to shift or expand and during that time I discovered Buffy again. I was completely obsessed. (this is how I get--can't help it!) I'd go home on Saturday night and my friends and I would order pizza and watch Buffy. (the cable channel would show 2 episodes at a time--this is also when I started watching Felicity, Friends, Sex and the City, and Angel--after years of not watching TV!) I loved it.
So I think that while I was changing as a person there was this story with these fabulous characters that I loved so much that filled in the down time in my life. The show of Buffy taught me so much about what I value in storytelling, it taught me about how deeply moving and transformational even watching TV can be. I realized it could be touching, funny, and thought provoking. And how could I not love this character--so complex, powerful, and yet alone. And even though Buffy isn't flawless, I love it for exactly what it is--as I always do with the most significant stories and art in my life. (think: Mockingjay)
Of all the arts TV gets the worst reputation. While you may be called nerdy for liking to read, when you like TV people assume you sit there in a vegetative state unable to think for yourself. While people will admit there are "fluffy" books, they think the act of reading is superior to watching TV. The assumption is that quality television is rare and that most of it is, well, American Idol. Reading--even if you've shut your brain off--somehow taxes you more.
But when I think about the stories that have impacted my life and the characters I love most, they are equal parts television characters and characters from books. I love both Scarlett O'Hara and Brenda Leigh Johnson, Katniss Everdeen and Buffy Summers, Jo March and Felicity Porter, Harry Potter and Dean Winchester, Peeta Mellark and Desmond Hume, Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars.
Television is just another excellent medium for telling a story, for inviting us to reflect on our own lives even as we get swept away into the lives of others. It IS an art and it can change your life if you let it. The best shows raise new ideas and reflect on age old concepts and entertain us all the while. They are layered and open to interpretation, discussion, and debate. Like books, it's up to the viewer to decide how much they want to invest.
I enjoyed my visit back to Sunnydale and will probably go back sooner this time. The end of the year makes me crave the comfort of dearly loved stories.
Want to give it a try? Some of my favorite smart shows are: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, LOST, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Closer, and Damages.
What are yours?
Saturday, November 27, 2010
My Yearly Defense of TV (and love for Buffy)
Logging you in...
I'm clapping right now. (Or I would be if I werent typing).
I went through a period of several years where I didn't watch TV at all. I bought into the stereotype; I thought it was all shallow, mindless drivel. HBO taught me otherwise. The Sopranos, then Six Feet Under, convinced me that television could be just as deep and wonderful as fiction. I promptly began borrowing TV on DVD from the library, and have been catching up on awesome shows ever since.
Six Feet Under remains a favourite, and though Buffy recently eclipsed it as my favourite show of all time. Firefly, the first two seasons of My Name Is Earl, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip, Gilmore Girls, Castle and How I Met Your Mother have also had a huge impact on me.
I went through a period of several years where I didn't watch TV at all. I bought into the stereotype; I thought it was all shallow, mindless drivel. HBO taught me otherwise. The Sopranos, then Six Feet Under, convinced me that television could be just as deep and wonderful as fiction. I promptly began borrowing TV on DVD from the library, and have been catching up on awesome shows ever since.
Six Feet Under remains a favourite, and though Buffy recently eclipsed it as my favourite show of all time. Firefly, the first two seasons of My Name Is Earl, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip, Gilmore Girls, Castle and How I Met Your Mother have also had a huge impact on me.
I never liked TV because all that was ever on in my house was precisely that mindless drivel or the news. At the time we had one TV and between transitioning from kids' shows to adult ones I missed that there were good ones out there, simply because I couldn't watch them. They were on when my dad was in charge and he doesn't enjoy anything with a cohesive narrative. Though I did manage to watch Felicity because the reruns were on in the day. I loved that show. But then I went to college and didn't have a TV to watch. The breakthrough for me was actually Firefly, which my friends made me watch and I completely adored. Going back to my parents' house now, where usually you'll find American Idol or Dancing with the Stars or Fox News on, is even worse now that I know there could be quality shows on instead. And I do watch them, though I don't have the discipline or will to sit down and watch them when they're on. I normally borrow the DVDs and Buffy is on my wishlist at the moment.
While I still don't think I'd actually put a television character above the book characters I grew up with - maybe that's the difference - there is definitely value there that I think is lost amidst all the reality show and celebrity hubbub.
While I still don't think I'd actually put a television character above the book characters I grew up with - maybe that's the difference - there is definitely value there that I think is lost amidst all the reality show and celebrity hubbub.
Nothing is ever politically incorrect on your own blog, my dear. And we all love knowing what you think. Period.
The new strand that started with "Hill Street Blues," the ensemble cast thing that produced "ER," "NYPD Blue" and so on, although Blue slowly became something else, more static and less interesting. And then came "Deadwood." That blew me away, even more than "The Sopranos" (which I also loved). The acting on "Deadwood" and the way Shakespearian blank verse was incoporated into the writing was staggeringly good.
And "Cracker." The UK version with Robbie Coltrane. It introduced me to the work of Jimmy McGovern, but in the 3 parter entitled "To Be Somebody" we had Chris Ecclestone as Detective Bilborough, Robert Carlysle as Albie the murderer (not a spoiler, you know from the start) and the amazing performance of Robbie Coltrane. Jimmy McGovern is one of the new breed of writers who look on TV as their main medium, and write accordingly.
And then going right back, Denis Potter, who kind of started it all. His last interview with Melvyn Bragg when he knew he was dying of cancer is astonishing, amazing, and if you can find it, do, do watch it. He had accepted his death, and he talked about what he'd acheived, which was considerable, his life, and how joyous he felt sometimes. Precise, lyrical and astonishing. I think that interview affected me more than anything else I've ever seen on TV.
And he called his cancer Rupert, after Rupert Murdoch. Watch this clip, done in 1994, and see how prophetic he was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnVrK38xI-A
And "Cracker." The UK version with Robbie Coltrane. It introduced me to the work of Jimmy McGovern, but in the 3 parter entitled "To Be Somebody" we had Chris Ecclestone as Detective Bilborough, Robert Carlysle as Albie the murderer (not a spoiler, you know from the start) and the amazing performance of Robbie Coltrane. Jimmy McGovern is one of the new breed of writers who look on TV as their main medium, and write accordingly.
And then going right back, Denis Potter, who kind of started it all. His last interview with Melvyn Bragg when he knew he was dying of cancer is astonishing, amazing, and if you can find it, do, do watch it. He had accepted his death, and he talked about what he'd acheived, which was considerable, his life, and how joyous he felt sometimes. Precise, lyrical and astonishing. I think that interview affected me more than anything else I've ever seen on TV.
And he called his cancer Rupert, after Rupert Murdoch. Watch this clip, done in 1994, and see how prophetic he was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnVrK38xI-A
My favorite shows have been Buffy (esp. the early campy seasons), Angel, Alias, Felicity, Gilmore Girls, LOST (the gold standard by which I will forever judge a television series), Seinfeld, Grey's, Bones (doesn't get much attention b/c it's on opposite Vampire Diaries, but really a great show), Chuck.
I know what you mean about TV being viewed as a non-art form or at best a lesser of the fine arts. I think the reasons are complicated, but I don't buy them. Enjoy Buffy!!!!
Yayyy! Amy, I seriously love you for defending TV the way you do. These days I think TV is a much more interesting medium than film (not than books, of course!). And Buffy is one of my favorite shows -- I resisted it for ages when my sister loved it, but after about the fourth episode I was hooked. Joss Whedon is really responsible for making me love television. I was very sneery about it until around 2004, when I watched Firefly for the first time, and after that I couldn't get enough of it. :D
Great post Amy. I'm a big (huge) Joss Whedon fan. Loved Buffy, and thought Angel, in parts was even better. And then there is Serenity & Firefly, and Dr. Horrible. So much greatness. Dollhouse too had some interesting ideas even if the execution wasn't the best.
And television, just like books, just like cinema is an art-from. Sure it can cater to the lowest of the low, but it can also introduce you to new places & concepts.
And television, just like books, just like cinema is an art-from. Sure it can cater to the lowest of the low, but it can also introduce you to new places & concepts.
I love this post! I think there is a lot of quality programming on television and I do believe TV has influenced me as a writer just as much as books have. Some of my favorite shows of all time are: The Mary Tyler Moore Show (its a strange obsession to the point where I think I am Mary Richards) Mad Men, Veronica Mars, Sex and the City, The X-Files, Six Feet Under, and My So Called Life. I'm not proud to admit that I completely missed out on Buffy and I'm scared to take on such an epic series on DVD because I feel like it would be a huge time suck. Maybe someday...
I also have to shout out to the 70's and 80's sitcom. I was completely obsessed with all of those half hour shows and I'm convinced I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for them. haha.
I also have to shout out to the 70's and 80's sitcom. I was completely obsessed with all of those half hour shows and I'm convinced I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for them. haha.
You know I share your take on television - these days, I find it a far more satisfying storytelling medium than movies, and the best shows are favorably comparable to good novels. It's still fiction, just in a different format.
I'd echo several of the recommendations that people have already made here, and add one: Battlestar Galactica, the 21st-century remake (light-years better than the cheesy original, and pun sort-of intended). I never thought I'd love this show as much as I do. We've been watching the full series on DVD since last spring. It's smart, thoughtful and thought-provoking, has excellent characters, and is just really well-done overall - one more genre show with a lot of substance.
I'd echo several of the recommendations that people have already made here, and add one: Battlestar Galactica, the 21st-century remake (light-years better than the cheesy original, and pun sort-of intended). I never thought I'd love this show as much as I do. We've been watching the full series on DVD since last spring. It's smart, thoughtful and thought-provoking, has excellent characters, and is just really well-done overall - one more genre show with a lot of substance.
I agree, Amy. TV characters (and stories) have just as much impact on me as books, I think. Your post jogged my memory to draft a post on a semi-related topic, too. :D
Love so many of the TV shows named here -- especially Buffy, Veronica Mars, Bones and BSG. Also have to put in a vote for the re-launch of Dr. Who that was done in the UK a few years ago. Just as addictive!
Here's why I'm concerned about the re-launch of Buffy without Joss. On the surface, it's a show/movie about a pretty girl, vampires, and high school. The reason it had such a dedicated following, though, is that just touched the surface of what the series was "about." I'm worried that the new writers will be going the same route as the original Kristy Swanson movie after Joss left, rather than the more interesting stories about duty/freedom, friendship/alienation, self-discovery, etc. that were key to the success of the TV series.
Here's why I'm concerned about the re-launch of Buffy without Joss. On the surface, it's a show/movie about a pretty girl, vampires, and high school. The reason it had such a dedicated following, though, is that just touched the surface of what the series was "about." I'm worried that the new writers will be going the same route as the original Kristy Swanson movie after Joss left, rather than the more interesting stories about duty/freedom, friendship/alienation, self-discovery, etc. that were key to the success of the TV series.
Amy you rock my world! I can't tell you how much I love this post. I get so frustrated when people equate watching TV with mindless vegging. Obviously there are shows that will melt your brain, but there's also a lot of wonderful stuff out there that makes you think.
I'm new to Buffy. I've been a Joss fan for a long time because of Firefly, and was intimidated by Buffy. I fall into the obsessive category too and wanted to be able to watch it all at once. I was laid off earlier this year and I watched all 7 seasons over 2 months (ridiculous, I know), but I fell hard for the show.
A few other fav shows: Firefly, Dexter, LOST, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Gilmore Girls, Scrubs, Freaks and Geeks
p.s. Do try Gilmore Girls sometime. It has the same rapid dialogue and pop culture references as Buffy, so you'd porbably like it.
I'm new to Buffy. I've been a Joss fan for a long time because of Firefly, and was intimidated by Buffy. I fall into the obsessive category too and wanted to be able to watch it all at once. I was laid off earlier this year and I watched all 7 seasons over 2 months (ridiculous, I know), but I fell hard for the show.
A few other fav shows: Firefly, Dexter, LOST, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Gilmore Girls, Scrubs, Freaks and Geeks
p.s. Do try Gilmore Girls sometime. It has the same rapid dialogue and pop culture references as Buffy, so you'd porbably like it.
Clapping along with everyone else. I just love this post (and not just because I'm a Buffy fan, although that may play a huge part in it). Amy this was the awesomeest thing I've seen all day, thanks so much for putting it out there. There's so much great stuff on tv that I sometimes can't find enough tv time to fit it all in (I am sad I've missed The Good Wife when it was originally on over here). But that is what DVD box sets are for, it seems people are always slagging them off, but they're a great invention. I don't always have an hour free in my day, but sometimes I have one weekend entirely free - roll on the drama box set.
As a fellow Buffy (and TV) fan, all I can say is 'hear, hear'! I find the dialogue in Buffy a lot deeper and more clever than in some of the books I pick up, so reading can't be better. But I can't seem to convince anyone at all that a show with the words 'vampire slayer' in the title can be any good.
Smart tv shows? Besides Buffy and Veronica Mars, I love Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development. Quick and witty, what more could I ask for?
Smart tv shows? Besides Buffy and Veronica Mars, I love Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development. Quick and witty, what more could I ask for?
Great post! Like Jenny, I think television series (and television mini-series) are on average better than films nowadays. There's just so much more time to tell stories and develop character arcs. I'm especially fond of miniseries because they are long but they are not subject to inopportune cancellations, that leave you without an ending.
I'll echo the love for Firefly, Doctor Who, Arrested Development, Veronica Mars, and Battlestar Galactica. Another fantastic show is Chuck.
Outstanding miniseries: Bleak House, Best of Youth (it's Italian), Band of Brothers.
I'll echo the love for Firefly, Doctor Who, Arrested Development, Veronica Mars, and Battlestar Galactica. Another fantastic show is Chuck.
Outstanding miniseries: Bleak House, Best of Youth (it's Italian), Band of Brothers.
I love TV too, especially watching TV on DVD. :) Most of the DVDs I watch nowadays are TV stuff (either series or miniseries) rather than movies.
Bones is one of my favourite shows ever...other series addictions come and go, but my love for Bones has lasted despite Hart Hanson's distressing regularity at writing horrible season finales (lol! he finally broke the mold in this last season finale). And like you, I loved Veronica Mars (especially the first season). Pushing Daisies is another favourite for me (why did you get cancelled, why?). I used to adore The Office, although I stopped watching regularly after season four. I loved the first couple seasons of Battlestar Galactica (which surprised me, since I'm not normally a sci-fi girl), but then they jumped forward a year in time and I couldn't get into the next season. I know there are other American shows, but I can't bring them to mind right now. I haven't had good luck with HBO.
I LOVED the first season of BBC's Robin Hood, although the ending of the second season made me so angry that I now pretend it was a one-season run. ;) And I've recently become addicted to Dr Who (once again, this surprises me as a non-sci-fi girl)...I just loved the new Dr and companion this summer. Now I've gone back and watched all of the David Tennant ones as well and really enjoyed them, although not quite as much as the new doctor (can't wait for the Christmas special!). I also enjoy a lot of the miniseries adaptations and Michael Pallin's travel miniseries. Foyle's War is my favourite of the mysteries series...I enjoy the new Miss Marples quite a bit too, but Foyle's War has that magic to it. Oh, and my favourite BBC show is Lark Rise to Candleford!
I'll stop now. But when my fibro flares up, my brain can still enjoy smart TV in a way it can't enjoy smart books (*sigh*), so I consider TV on DVD (...or streaming...) one of my saviours. But I've never watched any Joss Whedon!
Bones is one of my favourite shows ever...other series addictions come and go, but my love for Bones has lasted despite Hart Hanson's distressing regularity at writing horrible season finales (lol! he finally broke the mold in this last season finale). And like you, I loved Veronica Mars (especially the first season). Pushing Daisies is another favourite for me (why did you get cancelled, why?). I used to adore The Office, although I stopped watching regularly after season four. I loved the first couple seasons of Battlestar Galactica (which surprised me, since I'm not normally a sci-fi girl), but then they jumped forward a year in time and I couldn't get into the next season. I know there are other American shows, but I can't bring them to mind right now. I haven't had good luck with HBO.
I LOVED the first season of BBC's Robin Hood, although the ending of the second season made me so angry that I now pretend it was a one-season run. ;) And I've recently become addicted to Dr Who (once again, this surprises me as a non-sci-fi girl)...I just loved the new Dr and companion this summer. Now I've gone back and watched all of the David Tennant ones as well and really enjoyed them, although not quite as much as the new doctor (can't wait for the Christmas special!). I also enjoy a lot of the miniseries adaptations and Michael Pallin's travel miniseries. Foyle's War is my favourite of the mysteries series...I enjoy the new Miss Marples quite a bit too, but Foyle's War has that magic to it. Oh, and my favourite BBC show is Lark Rise to Candleford!
I'll stop now. But when my fibro flares up, my brain can still enjoy smart TV in a way it can't enjoy smart books (*sigh*), so I consider TV on DVD (...or streaming...) one of my saviours. But I've never watched any Joss Whedon!
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