Comments on: Familiarity Breeds Contempt

By: Lyle

Lyle — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:29:54 +0000

I’d say that in the case of House, there has been slow character development throughout the three/four series now. The House you see now is (admittedly) much the same as the House in S1Ep1, but the long-term viewer has been ‘rewarded’ by knowing a lot more about how the character works and why.

To compare House and Buffy/Angel though is hard - because House was already a mature character when you first saw him, whereas Buffy was what? 15 at the start, and then went through a growing maturing process as well, taking the physical/mental/emotional changes in her life at the same time as the growing responsibility etc. of being the vampire killer. (I only watched S1 and S2 of Buffy, I admit - and it was a long time ago)

Another series that has done character development and changes (generally) well is ER. Yes, there’s a high turnover - but again over three or four series you got to see characters develop and have things happen.

With House, I don’t know that there’s a lot that could be done with the development of the character - in that context, the development has happened already, and you see the end result, with developments happening in backstory etc. (such as the ex-wife, and why they split) which brings you back to the now, and the why of House being the way he is.

Yeeesh, I watch House too much, don’t I?

I’m going out now - it’s a lovely day…

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:47:21 +0000

Despite how I make it sound, I watch Eastenders perhaps once a week if that, on a Friday, after I get home and only because it’s about the first time I sit down with the wife and chill out. She does tend to make a point of watching it (although not avidly) and I don’t watch it if I’m on my own. Holby I will occasionally watch because it’s just so much better. My preference is to watch BSG, House, Dexter and so on (but neither Heroes or Lost) when I can.

But herein lies the rub: the same can be said about some of these programmes: the appeal of House is the character (as well as the mystery aspect of the show) and if that changed, would it retain it’s audience? Likewise Jack Bauer in 24 - you just know exactly how he’s going to react in each series.

One series that did do character growth and development well was Buffy - the Buffy Summers of the final season was a far different character (although still recognisably kick-ass) from the relatively naive cheerleader type in the first season. Good guys could become bad guys and vice versa. The same happened in Angel (in particular, watch the development of Cordelia from episode 1 of Buffy through to her last appearance in Angel.)

Matt: unless I can get over there sooner, the next time I’m in Dublin we’ll probably be discussing the minutiae of Dollhouse over a pint.

By: Lyle

Lyle — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:34:58 +0000

Fair point, well made.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 29 May 2008 08:37:52 +0000

I don’t think he needs to get out more, so much as he needs to watch more non-soap-opera TV, aka “good” TV, Like BSG or House or something.

All I can say is this: Next time you’re in Dublin and we meet for pints, we’re not talking about Eastenders or Holby City, although if Nikki is there the two of you can talk about Casualty while I’m out smoking.

By: Lyle

Lyle — Thu, 29 May 2008 07:18:59 +0000

Remember what I said the other day about you needing to get out more?

This just confirms it, matey.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:00:54 +0000

From a character point of view, yeah, dull as fuck. However, not having to worry about characters means the plots could be quite a lot of fun to write. They’ve already buried someone alive in Eastenders this year not to mention the current plotline at the moment: Roxy is pregnant and her sister has told her to have it even though she thinks that psycho Sean is the father - as he also does - but it’s highly likely to turn out that it’s Jack’s baby who is Roxy’s sister’s business partner and on-off love who has currently cozying up to his (departed) brother Max’s wife who was formerly Sean’s lover!

What is a shame is despite the convoluted contortions of the plot, it’s still not that interesting. Now excuse me while I go and stick my head in the oven.

By: Lyle

Lyle — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:25:54 +0000

The thing that stuns me with them all is that really they can’t even be any fun to write. I mean, at least your “Phil Mitchell becomes a yoga guru” concept would be a laugh to have a go at.

And I think even more annoying than the zero-development of characters is the way that if a character does leave, they tend to be replaced with more-of-the-same. Maybe not straight away, but you’ll always come back to pretty much the same mix of characters, even if the names change.

Australian soaps are even more into this - Herself watches Bastard Home and Poxy Away (to give it it’s full title) and you can see which ‘new’ character is going to develop into which outgoing character. It’s really quite creepy.