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rules on watching telivision for writers

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--- Quote from: Paynesgrey on January 07, 2015, 09:10:35 PM ---Agreed on B5, and Crusade in spades...

Fringe's first season was largely "Creature of the Week," which doesn't do much for me... but when they started weaving threads together, it turned out that there were some interesting story arcs to be had.  Seems like networks insist now that the first half season be stand-alone, creature/caper/crook of the week for fear that Joe Audience will tune in on the 4th episode, and not know what's going on.  I've seen a number of shows that started annoyingly simplistic turn into something worthwhile after that initial warm-up.

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Interesting, I hadnt even heard of Gravity Falls.  At first I though you were talking about Defying Gravity, the short-lived astronaut TV show from a while back.  That had fantastic potential and I really wish it hadnt been cancelled.  I thought Fringe was fantastic, but mostly after they got past the first half of Monsters and Question Raising that PG mentioned.  It's definately worth the watch, even if only for a critical look at the storytelling.  One thing I liked was that each season took a bit of a right turn from the last one, so it was a pretty dynimac story.  If you are up to it if might be worth just starting at the beginning of season 2.  The last season was god-aweful imo, mostly because they took the most interesting characters in the setting and turned them into low-rent gangsters with superpowers.  In their defence they had a much different and better plan, but it centered around Leonard Nemoy's character, and he decided he was too old for that sort of thing and bailed at the last minute. 

Farmerbob1:
I'd like to offer up some pretty good examples of short, hard hitting TV episodes.

Twilight Zone

Some of them were amazing.  Most of them were good.

Paynesgrey:
The Outer Limits had some good, tight writing too.  And both shows had some delightfully subversive writers, slipping things past the Standards & Practices folks regularly.  Now I need to rewatch "Soldier" and "Demon With A Glass Hand."

moon:
don't watch TV while writing but do listen to music

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