This week: An Oldie but a Goodie Edited by: Kit  
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What's your favourite TV show from your youth? Do you still like it today?
There are plenty of excellent modern works, but lessons can be learned from the past.
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about those oldies but goodies.
Kit |
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It’s a new year, a time for new things, new experiences, and yet I’ve just spent some time these past days rediscovering some TV series from decades ago. I was fortunate enough to find several of them: North and South (1985), Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story (1987) and Angélique (1964). The first two I watched when they were first released; the third was one of my mom’s favourites. I hadn’t watched any of them in a long time, and I’m enjoying that rush of nostalgia.
The difference between TV series from those days and more contemporary shows is quite striking. I’m not talking about CGI here, but the way that stories are told. There is less of a need for constant action in the older shows, even when they deal with war and violence – the characters have time to breathe, time to develop. I guess that back then there was less of a competition for viewers’ attention. These days the potential for distraction is ever-present, and that creates a tendency to go for that shock, that thrill, that edge. Boundaries are pushed ever further and it’s all about dark, gritty realism now. Tastes differ, but I prefer to get away from that every now and then. There’s enough of it in real life.
I’m reminded of the House of the Dragon/The Rings of Power ‘battle’. Two fantasy shows that appeared on our televisions at roughly the same time, and it seemed like you were allowed to like one or the other, but not both. I’m not sure why. They’re completely different types of fantasy. Anyway, my husband and I appear to be in the minority who preferred The Rings of Power. The majority opinion was that it was too slow, too boring. We enjoyed the build-up – it gives the viewer the time to get to know the characters and, therefore, a reason to come to care about what happens to them. Sure, there was a lot less action than in House of the Dragon, but I was okay with that. The time jumps in House of the Dragon threw me, and it felt as though some of the gore was thrown in there just for the shock factor – it didn’t appear to further the plot or character development. There were some fabulous scenes, though. The old king’s journey to the throne that final time was rather touching. Still, after two seasons of both shows I feel like the Rings of Power characters make more sense to me. I understand them better. And I even like the halflings.
It is in that steady character development that you find the drama. You have to give your readers or viewers a reason to care, and the way to do that is through giving them the time to know a character. Their background, their family, their friends, their likes and dislikes. Their passions – what drives them? What do they hope for? Who or what do they fear?
North and South’s Orry and George are excellent examples for any writer. They’re two young men from different backgrounds who first connect during a chance meeting on their way to West Point. Once there, they become roommates and immediate victims of a sadistic drillmaster, Elkanah Bent. A lasting friendship is built during their time at West Point. Their families meet; romantic ties form. These bonds become increasingly strained due to the political climate – one family is from the American north, one from the south, and there’s a war brewing. By the time it arrives, you truly feel for the characters, and for the choices they must inevitably make.
If you like the series, by the way, I can highly recommend the novels they were based on. They are written by John Jakes, and are an excellent read.
What we look for in a story does, of course, differ, not only on our taste but on our mood. Sometimes I seek out something that makes me think, or feel; at other times I want to laugh, or put on something that’ll relax me. So it is for others, I’m sure, and that means that our work won’t appeal to everyone at every possible time. If it’s drama you wish to write, though, regardless of the other genres involved, the time and effort you place into your characters will be the key to your success.
It doesn’t matter how awesome the dragons are, how fancy the explosions or how gruesome the torture if the characters fail to make an impression. You can have the most beautiful CGI scenery, but if the viewer fails to connect with those walking through it they won’t come along on the journey.
Give your characters – and your readers – some time, then. Let them breathe. Let them develop. This is possible even if the stakes are high from the moment that we meet them. A little tricky, perhaps, and it may take some practice, but that balance between pace and development can be achieved.
I’m far from an expert at it yet, but I find that looking at these older shows helps. You’d think that as I’m accustomed now to more action-filled series I’d grow impatient, but that isn’t the case, or hasn’t been so far. I’m enjoying the pace, and that’s an interesting lesson.
Perhaps you might enjoy a journey to the past as well. There are plenty of oldies but goodies, no matter your tastes.
In the meanwhile, I wish you a 2025 filled with inspiration,
Kit
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Drama: January 08, 2025 Issue [#12921]
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