BigShinyThing

It’s a contemporary truism that at the turn-of the century, TV drama has high ambitions. After the HBO-led watershed heralded by The Sopranos, no new series feels complete without an epic sweep, massively interlinked story arcs, and intricate character development over multiple series. The freedom given to the writers of these prime-time operas is of course due as much to the opportunity for long-term revenue from DVD sales and repeat screenings, as it is about exploring the possibilities of TV as a genuinely cinematic medium. But it doesn’t hurt that high-def widescreen, and digital surround sound give at least a veneer of ‘going to the movies’ to the actual viewing experience as well.

But are we the only ones wondering about the current crop of high-budget, eye-candy series — Lost and Invasion come to mind — where a new formula seems to be being applied: borrowing the lushness and high-concept from the groundbreaking early HBO series, but slowing the action and story arcs down into an ultimately narcotic dream state, where even the mandatory end-of-episode cliff-hangers only stir the viewer enough to take notice of the preview for the next episode. And with plots that really could have been squeezed into a single prime-time slot, rather than stretched languidly over a whole season.

So what’s going on? There’s a body of theory which suggests that the lure of TV is the passivity of the viewing experience: that a tuned in, chilled out, lean-back theta state is at the heart of televisual pleasure. If so, then the creators of these series have distilled the essence of that state into dealer-grade opiate.

We’re wondering if this is a sign of things to come: that as home entertainment technologies offer increasingly immersive experiences – and let’s face it, Lost on a 42″ HD plasma screen in Dolby Digital is one hell of a step jump from Land of the Giants on a wobbly old 12″ TV — then content creators will exploit this immersion to deliberately induce ever-more dream-like states in the audience. And just maybe there will be an unexpected pay-off for those still peddling interruptive advertising…You are feeling… sleepy… do NOT fast forward through the following commercial messages…