Look at some shows from the 60s. For example, Star Trek, The Man from UNCLE, or even Batman. Look at the way these shows used color, lighting, shadows, camera angles, closeups, and music to create atmosphere and emotion.
You don't see anything like that in today's tv shows. Did people forget how to do it? Do modern show runners think that stuff is lame?
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I remember that in an interview, Rick Berman referred to "the overuse of color" on the original Star Trek.
Styles change with the years. I'd guess that something as stylized as ST or Batman would be considered too obvious today.
I can understand "overuse of color". Color TV was something new at the time and they wanted to highlight it. However, I think shows could really benefit by using some of the other things I listed.
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Today's TV producers give the public what the public wants, or at least want the public is supposed to want. I'm old so my habits are undoubtedly other than younger people than me, but I watch almost zero TV series, haven't for years. Of course, one reason has been because after watching a given TV show I don't think about it again during the week it takes for it to be shown again so the next time I'm unaware of it and miss it. But the main reason I haven't watched them is that I just don't like them.
I think that Americans are expected to like all these HBO and other cable TV shows. I'm sure some are good, in fact I followed one, Bates Motel, or tried to if I could remember when it was coming on. I think certain shows have an addictive quality, not that that's a bad thing.
I also realize that I have an addictive personality and that TV can easily become addicting to me. I get a physically lousy feeling, kind of in my gut but also in my head, it's difficult to describe, at the thought of considering watching some of these HBOish series. I watched the first episode of Westworld last night and, despite having a headache and feeling nauseous can't wait till the next episode.
How do I find out when it's on?
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shareThe 60s were the "Golden Age" of US tv and I'm saying that as an Aussie who grew up watching a lot of US tv (as it was shown here as well). The studios still hired real composers to create main title themes and the music during episodes. During this period a young "Johnny Williams" cut his teeth on shows like "Lost in Space" and "Land of the Giants". Great composers like Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith composed music for shows like "The Twilight Zone" and Dominic Frontiere wrote music for "The Outer Limits"
If you get a chance watch the "Lost in Space" episode called "My Friend Mr Nobody". The themes were written my John Williams and you can listen to them on Youtube, I believe. The suite is probably the finest piece of music ever written for a US tv show.
I'll definitely look up "My Friend Mr Nobody". Thanx for the heads up. Yes, they don't make TV like they used to. I grew up listening to composers like Herrmann and Goldsmith on TV and appreciating really great screenwriters.
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