Heros
04/03/07 11:42 Filed in: Media
My thoughts on the latest (and greatest?) American TV
import
Heros is the latest and cool
import from the american TV ‘machine’. And it is
very different and cool.
It doesn’t ‘feel’ like an american TV program at all. For a start we have a large cast, none of which seem to be the star,they all have an equal part in the plot as it unfolds. Another thing is that we have a story arc which runs though out the whole season. This is becoming increasingly common in recent american TV shows, with shows like 24 and Lost.
We also are seeing an emerging story out of a lot of apparently unconnected events. Again this has been done before with shows like the Babylon 5 X-files and Lost, however like the first and unlike the second two list here, it seems that the writers have a clear idea where this story goes. The writers of both the X-files and Lost, seemed to hope that by putting assorted bits of strangeness together, you can come up with a story, you can’t. You can tell a story this way, but you can’t write it that way.
The creator of Heros, Tim Kring, seems to get this and we seem to have a story which is being slowly relived to us as the weeks go on. Apparently the story dose get resolved at the end of this series and there will be a next series. Even more unlike normal american TV the second series will not have the same cast returning.
The story, about apparently normal people discovering they have superhuman powers, is one I think we can all relate to. Everybody at some point in there lives wishes they could do something beyond the normal. Although the series so far is showing that, the powers are a curse and and not a blessing.
All of the plot lines seem to be linked in subtle ways and the links are growing stronger and more obvious as we move towards a seemingly apocalyptic finale in New York.
There are a few flaws in the series. It seems that with such a large cast of leading characters that the development of characters is going to take time, this is so bad since we have the whole season to do this. Also I do find the recap at the start of each episode annoying, since it has new material in there as well. This means I can’t fast forward through it, yes I know that’s cheating, but hey I from the instant gratification generation!
Also it the invertible love interest seems to be a bit, well tacked on? I suspect this may have been added at the TV networks request.
All in all a very good series and prof that american TV can produce high quality, different shows once in a while.
It doesn’t ‘feel’ like an american TV program at all. For a start we have a large cast, none of which seem to be the star,they all have an equal part in the plot as it unfolds. Another thing is that we have a story arc which runs though out the whole season. This is becoming increasingly common in recent american TV shows, with shows like 24 and Lost.
We also are seeing an emerging story out of a lot of apparently unconnected events. Again this has been done before with shows like the Babylon 5 X-files and Lost, however like the first and unlike the second two list here, it seems that the writers have a clear idea where this story goes. The writers of both the X-files and Lost, seemed to hope that by putting assorted bits of strangeness together, you can come up with a story, you can’t. You can tell a story this way, but you can’t write it that way.
The creator of Heros, Tim Kring, seems to get this and we seem to have a story which is being slowly relived to us as the weeks go on. Apparently the story dose get resolved at the end of this series and there will be a next series. Even more unlike normal american TV the second series will not have the same cast returning.
The story, about apparently normal people discovering they have superhuman powers, is one I think we can all relate to. Everybody at some point in there lives wishes they could do something beyond the normal. Although the series so far is showing that, the powers are a curse and and not a blessing.
All of the plot lines seem to be linked in subtle ways and the links are growing stronger and more obvious as we move towards a seemingly apocalyptic finale in New York.
There are a few flaws in the series. It seems that with such a large cast of leading characters that the development of characters is going to take time, this is so bad since we have the whole season to do this. Also I do find the recap at the start of each episode annoying, since it has new material in there as well. This means I can’t fast forward through it, yes I know that’s cheating, but hey I from the instant gratification generation!
Also it the invertible love interest seems to be a bit, well tacked on? I suspect this may have been added at the TV networks request.
All in all a very good series and prof that american TV can produce high quality, different shows once in a while.
|