Jeff and I were talking on the phone the other day and the conversation turned from our disagreements about Lost into a discussion about whether or not there had ever been a well written TV show. After much thought we decided that there were only a few shows that have ever successfully done the things that good writing should do: have a good and thoughtful plot, have overarching themes, never or rarely waste plot arcs or twists, and develop the characters on the show.
We agreed to discount certain shows like Seinfeld and the Simpsons because even though they are well written comedies the characters never develop. Really no comedy show does that with it’s characters so we started focusing on dramas but even there you run into problems like you can’t count it because it’s based on a true story and therefore didn’t necessitate any new writing (ie Band of Brothers).
So I present to you what we came up with and then ask that you suggest any other shows that presented all the elements of good writing.
The Wire – Ok, I have only seen season one, but there isn’t a wasted line in the whole thing. Everything that happens is pertinent to the storyline and there are no stagnant characters. This show is probably the best written thing I’ve ever seen.
West Wing – Really only the first 3 or 4 seasons (season 4 is good up until they send Donna to Gaza). When Sorkin was writing this the plot was complex, dove tailed, and then came back to a central theme. Every character could stand alone and had a lot of stuff going on. And even by the end of season 4 the characters were different from where they started, which is impressive in terms of developing so many characters over such a short period of time.
Sex and the City – I know, I know we grimaced at the thought too. But even though we didn’t like how the characters developed (they started out shallow bitches and developed into super shallow megabitches), you have to admit that they did develop. And the plots, even though trite, dovetailed with each character but got brought back around to an underlying theme. Again, the subject matter was stupid, but the writing was actually good (unlike Carey’s “I had to wonder …” writing style).
Sopranos – Toward the end there were a bunch of forgotten story arcs and wasted scenes, but in it’s heyday it was great. When he was still going to shrink that was the best thing on TV and it was complex and smart and occasionally funny. Plus the characters and were always developing.
And that’s it. We thought maybe ER but I never watched that show and get the feeling it was more about medical emergencies than character development. This mourning I came up with Californication, but while the first season was fantastic the second season of Californication was subpar. And that got me thinking of Dexter, which actually does develop the main character a lot and plot elements always get brought around so maybe that could be considered. But both of those are on showtime so no one sees them.
Anyway, let us know if you can think of any other well written dramas on tv presently or in the past.
January 26, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I would suggest Oz. It’s not the strongest writing in the world but I think that’s acceptable because they fielded an enormous cast of characters, all of whom developed significantly throughout the show. I can’t really recall any plotlines that didn’t resolve themselves. With the exception of a brief and ill-advised arc with supernatural elements it was a remarkably solid show.
January 26, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Nice call. Beecher went from little bitch to the crazy mofo in that place. That was a great character. Adabisi (sp?) also a cool and funny dude.
I sort of fell off after season 2, but I’d have to say that both those seasons qualify as good writing.
I know I mentioned Dexter in teh post, but the more I think about it the more I like that as an example of good writing. My only problem is that in the ice truck killer’s “surprise” identity is predictable like 2 episodes before it happens. But other than that, I’m inclined to say it is well written. Especially now that they added Jimmy Smits’ character.
January 28, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Yeah, I was just thinking Oz. That show was intense and there were so many sides to all the characters.
But by far the best show is The Wire. Trey, you’ve got to watch the whole thing. It’s amazing. Unlike most shows it doesn’t really tail off in latter seasons. It explores different subjects (media, schools, etc.) and the main characters all have their times where you can see who they really are, good or bad.