Posted on 09/27/2006 11:04:53 AM PDT by Keltik
There's a gag in one of the old "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of "The Simpsons," in which Homer and Marge attend a parents meeting at Springfield Elementary School on the "thirteenth hour of the thirteenth day of the thirteenth month." The meeting, of course, is to discuss misprinted calendars; as Homer walks in from the wintry outdoors he glances at one hanging nearby and grouses, "lousy Smarch weather."
Well, the DVD calendar now has its very own Smarch. Until recently, video releases have followed essentially the same schedule as theatrical openings, just shifted forward three or four months: The studios' end-of-the-year, Oscar-bait movies generally hit DVD in the spring, the summer blockbusters are pushed to fall, and the prestige indies come out early in the new year. But, lately, a new season has been added to the year in video: the pre-fall-premieres TV-boxed-set stampede.
TV on DVD has been a growing market for some time, but this month it's all but forcing theatrical releases off the shelves. As I write, five of Amazon's top six bestsellers--and about half of the top 100--are TV boxed sets. For decades, television has been slowly killing Americans' desire go out and see movies at the theater; now it's killing their desire to watch them at home as well.
This is probably as it should be. As any number of critics have noted, there's a lot more quality mainstream TV these days than quality mainstream cinema. Moreover, DVDs, DVRs, and various forms of video-on-demand have largely erased the single greatest shortcoming of broadcast television: its insistence that you adapt to its schedule rather than the other way around. It's still possible to set a weekly date with your favorite TV show; it's just no longer necessary. And, while those eager to stay up-to-the-minute with "The Sopranos" -- or "Rome" or "Desperate Housewives"--still must settle for the leisurely rate of one episode a week, those willing to wait for the DVD can compress that schedule to an episode a night, or two or three at a stretch, or even an entire season in one Herculean sitting.
It's no fluke that this technological revolution has coincided with a substantial rise in TV serials--that is, shows whose individual episodes are part of a longer narrative arc. In the past, such programs could be a tricky proposition: Miss one episode thanks to a dinner party or bout of the flu and the whole thread could be lost. But, lately, the miniseries--which was premised, to some degree, on the assumption that people would only be willing to follow a given story for a handful of hours--has given way to the maxiseries: 20 or 60 or 100 hours in the life of Tony Soprano or Jack Bauer.
Back in 1989, Tom Wolfe wrote a notorious (also disingenuous and shamelessly self-serving) essay in Harper's titled "stalking the billion-footed beast." In it, he bemoaned the decline in America of the "big, realistic novel, with its broad social sweep," and wondered who would write novels of New York, "in the sense that Balzac and Zola had written novels of Paris and Dickens and Thackeray had written novels of London." The answer Tom Wolfe came up with was, unsurprisingly, Tom Wolfe. But, almost 20 years later, television is offering another possible answer. What is "The Wire," after all, if not a sprawling social novel of Baltimore? "The Sopranos," too, despite its more intimate focus on one profession and one family, is very much the kind of novelistic enterprise whose (exaggerated) absence Wolfe was mourning. The DVD format enables--even encourages--viewers to interact with these series as they would with novels, picking them up and putting them down when they wish.
Not every program aspires to the sweep or seriousness of "The Wire" and "The Sopranos," of course. "Lost" is a throwback to the radio adventure serials of the 1940s, "Arrested Development" a magnificent, picaresque farce. But, in their individual ways, all of these shows--and many others--are expanding our notions of the storytelling possibilities of the medium. It's a development worthy of commemoration with an expanded (though necessarily still incomplete) version of this week's list, featuring a few of the boxed sets to hit shelves recently or due out soon.
The Home Movies List: Serial Box
Arrested Development: Season 3. Two years ago, I called this "the best sitcom on television." The first half of that assessment stands even if the latter doesn't. From the very start, "AD" was haunted by the specter of its inevitable cancellation; each season--each episode--charged forward with a breakneck hilarity that betrayed the creators' sense that they had nothing to lose. The third season begins to show inklings of self-parody, and stumbles through a 5-story arc with Charlize Theron that makes little sense until its ultimate punch line. But it's still funnier than anything else you're likely to find on TV or in the video store.
Lost : The Complete Second Season. As above (and below) it's best to start at the very beginning. Familiarity with the first season of the pulpy mystery/adventure/romance/thriller will not only help around the water cooler, it'll enable you to fully appreciate the dada genius of the second season's opening scene--a mesmerizing bit of televised misdirection and surely the best-ever use of Mama Cass's "Make Your Own Kind of Music."
The Wire: The Complete Third Season. Between "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "The Wire," Baltimore has attained a kind of iconic status--though hardly one that other American cities would envy. Rich in its texture, persuasive in its details, and boasting greater sociological range--from the tenements to the mayor's office--than any other show on television, "The Wire" is finally (as readers of Open University are aware) getting the attention it deserves.
The Office: Season Two. Heretical statement alert: The American version of "The Office" is better than the British original. Yes, in the transition from Ricky Gervais to Steve Carell, the show's central antihero lost some of his wicked bite. But the subplots and supporting performances are much more richly developed, from the peripheral (Stanley, Ryan) to the inner circle (Rainn Wilson's brilliant Dwight Schrute). Jim and Pam, meanwhile, may be the most endearing will-they-or-won't-they couple in television history--better than Sam and Diane or David and Maddie or Joel and Maggie.
Rome: The Complete First Season. A ground floor well worth getting in on. The ambitious HBO-BBC collaboration has its share of shortcomings: The budget is too spare to truly capture the civil wars (at times it seems as if Caesar and Pompey command a few dozen men each); the interludes in Egypt resemble a foray into glam rock; and the languid pace of the first three-quarters of the season abruptly gives way to a frantic sprint to the Ides of March. But the show is more than redeemed by its lavish staging, intelligent scripts, and exceptional casting--especially Ray Stevenson as legionnaire Titus Pullo (exactly the kind of sensitive brute it was beginning to seem only Russell Crowe could bring off) and Ciarin Hinds, one of few actors (and human beings) with a face and bearing worthy of Julius Caesar.
Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.5. Not quite as good as its cult reputation, but good nonetheless. And who, after all, imagined that, post-"Buffy," we'd be lucky enough to see another second-tier movie turned into first-tier television? (What's next? An Emmy-worthy re-imagining of The Black Hole?) The four-part miniseries that launched the show is a little too pleased with its own bleakness, but things improve quickly. And while Edward James Olmos may not quite be a Jaime-Escalante-in-space, he lends gravity enough to keep "Galactica" from drifting away.
Northern Exposure: The Complete Fourth Season. A postcard from before the Age of Irony. Though "NX" has only been off the air for a little over a decade, it somehow seems longer. Much imitated, the show's quirky innocence has rarely, if ever, been equaled.
Epitafios. A 13-part, Spanish-language miniseries developed in Argentina by HBO, this is the show everyone would be talking about if only it were in English. I haven't finished the series (yet), but its stylish, Grand Guignol horrors--reminiscent of The Silence of the Lambs and (especially) Se7en--are hard to shake. Not for the squeamish.
The Sopranos: Season 6, Part 1 (out in November). The "Part 1" in the title gives away the real problem here. At its best (e.g., with the Vito storyline), this semi-season was as good as ever. But too often David Chase et al. seemed to be killing time with redundant filler--the overlong dream subplot, the recycled storylines (Christopher falling off the wagon, Artie getting in trouble over a pretty young hostess). Here's hoping that when it returns for its finale, the show will have a little more forward momentum toward one of television's most richly deserved curtain calls.
24: Season Five (out in December). Arguably the best season to date of this relentlessly engrossing series, a "Perils of Pauline" for the post-9/11 era. Rolling Stone's claim that this is the "central moral-political drama of our time," however, is more than a little silly, as I argue here. Still, these days it probably beats a typical night at the multiplex.
The Shield is great but the best show on TV right now is "RESCUE ME"!!!!
That show is one awesome train wreck!!!!
MI-5 (Spooks) is also great. That show is better then 24 in my opinion simply because it's much more realistic and you really don't know WHAT will happen! They have a habit of killing lead actors like crazy. There is only ONE character from the original episode still left over (on Season 5 that is)
My favorite shows right now are:
Battlestar Galactica
Stargate Atlantis (it really isn't that good but I'm still tuning in every week.. lol)
24
Bones (I just got a thing for her)
Two and a half men
Spooks or MI-5 (US-title at Netflix)- These are AWESOME!
Prison Break is fun
Lost as well but is getting kind of drawn out
Still mourning the loss of "Firefly"
This new season of Jericho, Heroes and Til Death look promising... (Have the other stuff recorded such as Standoff, Smith, etc. recorded but not watched yet)
I don't mind the bleakness, after all, that should go with the territory. The original was far too blithe (to be generous) to be endured. This one really takes the crisis seriously and they do go for the drama. I end up really caring what happens to these people.
IIRC, Star Trek led the way with two-episode discs of TOS. The X-Files led the way when it comes to series; at least, it premiered before TNG.
I was late too the party on this one, but I finally got to watch the series over the course of a week-long vacation.
Best. Western. Ever.
I can't believe that part of the storyline in Heroes is that these people are in a comic book, that the characters themselves discover, and that that fact is integral to the story. Insanity. They should have just played it straight-- normal people who have superpowers because of some connection they all share (I really love that the indestructable cheerleader's Dad is one of the chief bad guys) and explored what the connection is and how these people eventually come together as a unit to stop something terrible from happening.
I'll admit it too! "Ghost Hunters" and "Myth Busters" are two of my favorites. Sometimes the shows where "Ghost Hunters" disproves a haunting are more fun, I always remember the one where a faulty circuit switch box and odd ventilation system actually produced the "mysterious" happenings. The homeowner was lucky, if I remember right the circuit box situation was actually really dangerous and the owners didn't have a clue.
That was the case called "Toxic House" and the guy had a woodshop in his basement with all kinds of chemicals next to a ventilation system, plus he had huge mold growths under the house-- and there was something wrong with the electrical box, too which emitted big doses of EMF energy-- which TAPS says can cause hallucinations, etc.
Oddly, I noticed on another BB that was discussing "Lost," someone posted that the reason that the Losties might have been seeing strange things in the jungle was that the hatch was emitting massive EMF-- they said that they saw the theory on Ghost Hunters!
"Your list is not adjusted dollars.. that puts newer movies at a huge advantage.
A mediocre movie can make 50-100 Million today.. when in 1970 that would have been an unquestionable blockbuster."
Yes, yes. And I am quite sure "Gone with the Wind" is probably the highest grossing movie of all time if its earnings are adjusted for inflation.
But that is not the point, is it? All the movies listed are of relatively recent vintage, are they not? So would it not show that movies that are family friendly are the movies people will actually go see? The picayune issue of numbers crunching I shall leave to you.
I love Ghost Hunters. Not for the so-called paranormal investigations (like the chair that supposedly jumped sideways in the attic, when it was just the light shifting position that made it seem to jump sideways) but for the totally cool places they investigate...the Vanderbilt house, that neat old destroyer, the Waverly sanitorium, etc.
Ed
Rescue Me is fantastic, as good as The Shield and 24.
What I don't think most people realize, though, it that it is written as satire a great deal of the time, in my opinion!
Ed
Heroes reminded me of a badly done 4400.
I'm taking it off my Moxi box schedule.
Ed
When they get enough to fill out 1 DVD!
Please, no flames, just saw the opportunity for some humor.
I don't think learning that the painter is the one who makes the comic book would make it any better for me. It's just retarded regardless. There is plenty enough to work with with the basic concept without having the Heroes look at comic books that feature themselves.
I'm not giving up on it, yet, but it really irritates me.
Lost : The Complete Second Season. - Damn, this show is great. I hate that I like it.
The Wire: The Complete Third Season. - Best police show, ever. But I don't like police shows so, what do I know.
The Office: Season Two. Heretical statement alert: The American version of "The Office" is better than the British original. No, it's not. It's as good in different ways.
Rome: The Complete First Season. - I assumed this was going to suck but, wow. It's great television.
Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.5. Not quite as good as its cult reputation, but good nonetheless. Every bit as good as it's reputation. Best pure SciFi on TV in.....forever.
Damn you Fox! Not even on for a whole season :-(
Mark
Why should someone pay to see a 2 hour movie, when you can--for free--see a 16-24 hour movie? TV now meets or exceeds the writing and production value of theatrical films.
And how could I forget South Park?!?!?!
Mark
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.