If ever I despair of my abilities as a writer…

[NoTalentHack]

None of that explains a future Outer Banks season 4. It’s inexplicable.

Em

Oh, that's easier. It's a cheap series that can be shot largely on location, with minimal special effects keeping the budget way down. In terms of production costs, it's likely not far off from something like a reality TV show. There are no big stars, directors, or producers tied to it. It costs them almost nothing, so even if they have the standard contract, as Netflix shifts towards having to pay more of the production costs, they're still not paying much. It still just comes down to financials.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Yes, movie and TV show writing has become worse. I finally got to see the latest Batman reboot (with Robert Pattinson). I liked the style choices, but the story just. kept. going. When you thought it was done, it launched into yet another storyline. It wasn't written by committee... only two writers are credited. And it's 3 hours long!

There is some good writing out there (The Boys is fun satire, and everything from Martin McDonagh is outstanding... can't wait to see Banshees) but whoa is it sparse. Producers seem to be going for spectacle rather than plot. Understandable in a visual medium, I guess.

For written works, plot and character still rule.

 

[Trionyx]

Part of the reason Netflix is losing money is they paid Chris Rock FORTY million for two one-hour standup comedy shows. And the first one wasn’t that funny. My opinion and the opinion of several of my acquaintances.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Oh, that's easier. It's a cheap series that can be shot largely on location, with minimal special effects keeping the budget way down. In terms of production costs, it's likely not far off from something like a reality TV show. There are no big stars, directors, or producers tied to it. It costs them almost nothing, so even if they have the standard contract, as Netflix shifts towards having to pay more of the production costs, they're still not paying much. It still just comes down to financials.

Got it.

Em

 

[djrip]

Maybe it's even true. In the world of comic books, new number one issues do WAY more better than established series. There's a reason that Captain America, Superman, etc. all get new and rebooted series every two or three or four years, to keep reader numbers up. It's hard to get new readers to dive into an existing, long-running series.

Sounds familiar...

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Season 3 of Dark was very complicated (how everyone was eveyone else’s parent or grandparent in a horrible twisted loop). I religiously tracked the enormous cast of characters (yes I am anally retentive, and not just of semen) and I think that helped me to enjoy the final season more than others maybe did.

I liked 1899 as well. I loved what they tried to do with the multiple languages. I loved the cinematography and how they used The Volume (or whatever the tech they developed on The Mandalorian is called) and I adored Emily Beecham (as in multiple masturbatory fantasies featuring her). It was uneven, but I felt they were trying something different.

Em

My problem with Dark season three is the Deus ex Machina resolution. At some point, Claudia is presented as the only one who figured out everything, and she "explains" how everything works and even introduces some things we couldn't see for ourselves. Why only Claudia? There is nothing special about her story, nothing that sets her apart from other "eternal" travelers, yet only she figures out everything and explains to the clueless rest, just because. Bad writing in an otherwise complicated and amazing story. The emotional/romantic resolution was also underwhelming for me.

Edit: 1899 had excellent cinematography and the start was very good. Then it started going nowhere, until the absolute Deus ex Machina at the end, making Dark season three look very mild and well thought out.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Yes, movie and TV show writing has become worse. ...

There is some good writing out there (The Boys is fun satire, and everything from Martin McDonagh is outstanding... can't wait to see Banshees) but whoa is it sparse. Producers seem to be going for spectacle rather than plot. Understandable in a visual medium, I guess.

For written works, plot and character still rule.

There's some good stuff out there. Even some which is light and funny, like the Glass Onion. Or for once an interesting Oscar winner, possibly partly because of few other contenders, but Everything Everywhere All at Once was great.

But then there's yet-another Star Wars spinoff, yet more Star Trek (to be fair, I'm quite enjoying Picard s3 despite plotholes you could drive the Titan through), and yet more Marvel and other superhero films and shows. I quite like superheroes but most of the films are shit.

And the series Loki has some of the worst dialogue I've ever seen on screen. Can't watch it, even though Hiddles is acting his little socks off.

Ironically some of the best dialogue I've seen recently is on Taskmaster (comedians do tasks, mostly unscripted), and The Traitors, both UK and US editions, where it's 'reality' TV - staged as hell but not scripted.

 

[EmilyMiller]

My problem with Dark season three is the Deus ex Machina resolution. At some point, Claudia is presented as the only one who figured out everything, and she "explains" how everything works and even introduces some things we couldn't see for ourselves. Why only Claudia? There is nothing special about her story, nothing that sets her apart from other "eternal" travelers, yet only she figures out everything and explains to the clueless rest, just because. Bad writing in an otherwise complicated and amazing story. The emotional/romantic resolution was also underwhelming for me.

I agree on that point. Still enjoyed seaosn 3, if not as much as 1 and 2.

Edit: 1899 had excellent cinematography and the start was very good. Then it started going nowhere, until the absolute Deus ex Machina at the end, making Dark season three look very mild and well thought out.

The very end was silly I agree. They seemed it shift what type of show it was lots.

Em

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I agree on that point. Still enjoyed seaosn 3, if not as much as 1 and 2.

The very end was silly I agree. They seemed it shift what type of show it was lots.

Em

The funny part is that I am being critical towards an exceptional series like Dark and towards a mediocre - "could have been much better" show like 1899, because that is where my bar is set by movies and TV shows from previous decades. Almost everything else is so far below the bar that I don't want to waste my breath on it. These are really, really sad times for cinematography.
Maybe we could shift our focus towards Hollywood and start working on scripts?
Would be fun to see a "Literotica Production" movie or TV show... one without tentacles hopefully

 

[Zootonius]

Reading this thread reminds me of why I watch so little TV these days. Of course, I'm old enough to remember series like I, Claudius and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Alec Guinness. Seems scripts have been on a slow decline ever since.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Reading this thread reminds me of why I watch so little TV these days. Of course, I'm old enough to remember series like I, Claudius and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Alec Guinness. Seems scripts have been on a slow decline ever since.

I’ve watched both Tinker and Smiley’s People. Then I am a bit of a Cornwell devotee. Sad he’s no longer with us.

What’s I, Claudius? Another Brit show? Downtown Abbey with togas?

Em

 

[Zootonius]

I liked Smiley's People even more than Tinker. As for I, Claudius, it's based on Robert Grave's book. It made Derek Jacobi's career. If you like intrigue,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Claudius_(TV_series)

By today's standards, the production values is low. But the writing and acting is great.

 

[Zootonius]

On I, Claudius, in a documentary on making the series Siân Phillips played Livia and had trouble trying to get into Livia's mind. The director told her simply, Livia is evil, so just be evil.

 

[Duleigh]

There is so little on TV that I can stand to watch. Yellowstone held my attention for 2 seasons then became silly, I found some stuff on Tubi worth watching - the Librarian, the Dresden Files... but for every gem like Big Trouble in Little China (I love that movie!) there's a dozen Matrix 3s (please shoot me) So many series start off with a great idea (Almost Human) and are cancelled or worse, they're renewed to become something horrible; Ideas wane, dialog becomes predictable, sharks get jumped.

 

[EmilyMiller]

There is so little on TV that I can stand to watch. Yellowstone held my attention for 2 seasons then became silly, I found some stuff on Tubi worth watching - the Librarian, the Dresden Files... but for every gem like Big Trouble in Little China (I love that movie!) there's a dozen Matrix 3s (please shoot me) So many series start off with a great idea (Almost Human) and are cancelled or worse, they're renewed to become something horrible; Ideas wane, dialog becomes predictable, sharks get jumped.

You need to try k drama, Hyun (that’s a little k drama / Emily joke).

Em

 

[onehitwanda]

I've gone back to Killing Eve.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've gone back to Killing Eve.

I'm giving up on Season Four. Season Three dragged on, but Four doesn't want to get going.

 

[onehitwanda]

I'm giving up on Season Four. Season Three dragged on, but Four doesn't want to get going.

Oh I'll no doubt end it at season 2 somewhere.

 

[Duleigh]

You need to try k drama, Hyun (that’s a little k drama / Emily joke).

Em

It gives me yellow fever.

 

[SimonDoom]

There is so little on TV that I can stand to watch. Yellowstone held my attention for 2 seasons then became silly, I found some stuff on Tubi worth watching - the Librarian, the Dresden Files... but for every gem like Big Trouble in Little China (I love that movie!) there's a dozen Matrix 3s (please shoot me) So many series start off with a great idea (Almost Human) and are cancelled or worse, they're renewed to become something horrible; Ideas wane, dialog becomes predictable, sharks get jumped.

I watched The Americans a year ago and thought it was terrific.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It gives me yellow fever.

Not entirely sure that was funny, hun.

Em

 

[Seadog777]

You missed her:

https://thefappening.pro/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Anya-Chalotra-Nude-TheFappening.Pro-5.jpg

First time my wife saw her when we were watching The Witcher, she started laughing.

She looked at me and said "You'd absolutely destroy her"

 

[onehitwanda]

She looked at me and said "You'd absolutely destroy her"

Kate Winslet will always own my soul - apart for the bit of it that's Jodie Foster's personal stomping ground. But if Anya Chalotra sidled up to me and gave me that look, well... I wouldn't put up much of a fight is all I'm saying.

 

[Seadog777]

I spend most my time on Netflix watching

The Gilmore Girls
Unsolved Mysteries
The Ranch
Serial Killer Documentaries
Crime Shows
The Blacklist
The first 8 seasons of Grey's Anatomy.
Paradise PD
Longmire
Disenchantment.

I'm sure I'm missing a few as well.

 

[Duleigh]

Not entirely sure that was funny, hun.

Em

You should have seen me when I lived in Korea.