Thursday, February 02, 2012

America In Primetime



Okay, you all I know I love my stories. I love my tv shows. Well, if you get a chance try to rent, or go to the library or catch America In Primetime. PBS made a great mini series doc with tons of interviews with so many writers and actors of the best tv shows out there. The four episodes are centered on archetypes of tv characters which include, The Independent Woman, The Man of the House, The Misfit and The Crusader.

All of the tv shows we watch today are referencing or built or rejecting upon the shows in the past and the series does a great job of juxtaposing and looking back at tv characters with contemporary tv.

The interviews showcase inspirations and connections between such shows like The Avengers and The X Files...

3 comments:

Furtheron said...

Funny bit... Hugh Laurie is of course quintessentially English! He went to Eton (the most exclusive public school) and Cambridge University - celebrating it's 800th anniversary... ideal guy to talk about America then! You gotta laugh at that

Furtheron said...

Oh yes he was in the British rowing side and in the Oxford / Cambridge boat race - honestly the guy is more English than the royal family... who are to be fare mostly German/Greek actually!

Candy Minx said...

Yes, I guess that is funny. Also, some of the most popular shows on U.S. tv have been harvested from British shows like "Friends" came from "Coupling" (great show!)


But I think whats interesting is there has been a trend that is about dismissing culture from United States...when actually, mainstream United States major export and product is popular culture. The archetypes in primetime U.S. tv are archetypes that go back centuries and it is worth respecting and enjoying. Hugh laurie representing U.S. well....if he has any regrets he can cry into his bag of money. Lets face it, he wouldnt be so successful if he hadn't been put into such a major role...in the States. Its unusual to get that kind of critical and financial recognition anywhere else in the world. I know Laurie and love him from Black Adder...but most people in th States never heard of that show.

The thing is mainstream popular culture is rooted in pagan and archetype stories...just as much as any other country or "sophisiticated culture" like Europe. The trend to dismiss mainstream popular culture is a limited worldview.

Thanks for your comments ...always good to hear from you furtheron, you inspire!

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