(no subject)

[proximoception]

We watched the first two West Wing episodes and that was more than enough of that.

Praise for pre-Sopranos tv dramas has to be understood in context, I guess? (Not that we yet understand the appeal of that show, but perhaps it was pre-Sopranos too, in its way.)

But Battlestar Galactica similarly lost us at hello...as did 24, Deadwood, Carnivale, Arrested Development, CSI, House, Dexter etc. Possibly we stopped too early, but how much of a chance should you give some tv show? What's a good rule.

What's a good rule for books, while I'm asking? 100 pages?

Comments

[grashupfer.livejournal.com]

I think Deadwood's worth it for Swearengen for the first two seasons.

Michael Emerson has a new show coming in the fall.

[maga-dogg.livejournal.com]

The thing I hear most about Murrican TV, at least, is that you need to wait until at least halfway into the second season. Which is, what, thirty-odd episodes? Too much.

I don't know about books. Often you don't need more than the first three pages. Most of the interactive fiction I play, I have an excellent idea about from the first screen. Ambivalent cases, things that you have some external reason to expect something of... I don't know. I'd like to say up to the halfway point, but usually it's more a matter of how irate I am.

[proximoception.livejournal.com]

I think of 2nd seasons as being sucky, some equivalent of novelists' sophomore slump as the writers run dry of ideas, but I guess it must go the other way at least as often.

Anything I got halfway through I'd probably feel obliged to finish.

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

If the opening of Carnivale and the miniseries of BSG aren't doing it for you, you may just have to abandon TV altogether. TV is rarely, if ever, actually good. At best it is entertaining or novel enough not to feel like a waste of time. It also tends to be extremely perishable.

Caveat: I have not seen The Sopranos or Deadwood. I did season one of The Wire and thought it was okay.

My wife taught me this for books: read the last few pages and see if you still want to read the book. Works like a charm. The only books worth reading are the ones worth reading twice.