Carnivale!!!
HBO fans rejoice! One of the network's top original programs, Carnivale, returns January 9th. I was starting to think I was wasting my money.
posted by CM @ 10:49 PM
Monday, December 06, 2004
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5 Comments:
Excellent news. There is maybe a handful (a small hand missing some fingers, at that) of good shows on television and most are on HBO - Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos, Real Time with Bill Maher. I watch very little on the networks except for late night talk shows (to get my news), Arrested Development, the Simpsons, and Monday Night Football. Everything else I watch regularly is on Comedy Central, meaning, to get my TV fix, I have to pay for the expanded basic cable package and HBO. I get over a hundred channels and watch maybe a half dozen.
There were some insightful words- I think from Jason Alexander- in the Seinfeld Seasons 1 and 2 DVD extras. He said that it's very rare for television executives to give full control of a production to the creative people. Seinfeld gradually achieved that autonomy beginning with the success of the Chinese Restaurant episode. Alexander believes HBO is really the only network now that picks creative people (David Chase, David Milch, Larry David, etc.) and simply says "go do your thing." The reason those shows tend to be better is that they're distinct. You may not like some of HBO's shows, but you can't argue that they each have their own unique look and characteristics. They're different visions. The networks believe in copy-catting so that corporate profitability can be more easily predicted. The late NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff believed in distinguishing shows. That's how we got a Thursday night line-up of Cosby, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, and Hill Street Blues. Now we get Everybody Loves Raymond, and three shows that look like Everybody Loves Raymond.
I'd add another name to your list - of guys with creative freedom on HBO with the name David (i.e. Larry, Milch, Chase) - David Cross of Mr. Show with Bob and David. HBO has spoiled me for regular TV. It's made me a proud elitist. The quality of free television reveals why a majority of our voting electorate swing from trees.
Chris, any truth that this new weblog of yours will shy away from controversial comments about your employer, Clear Channel radio/Fox News?
Some
This blog is a testament to the fact that there is little worth watching on most channels. I know I wouldn't spend so much time online if there was more to watch on TV. Plus the advertising is easier to ignore in cyberspace. TA
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