So after the interruption to proceedings I am back to decide which Drama on TV I think is my favourite. Once again this challenge brings me to a Sophie's Choice, after all I have already named so many Dramas I enjoy watching.
So I guess the question is, what decides if the programme is a Drama or a Thriller? Are C.S.I. shows classed as drama or thriller? Are they not both to some degree?
The definition of a drama is;
–noun
1.
3.
the art dealing with the writing and production of plays.
So I pick here the 'conflict or contrast of character reference to help me narrow down my choice.
I like conflicted characters. It might stem from my younger days as I watched Darth Vader attempt to regain some of his humanity (hopefully no spoiler there!) or perhaps Rick in Casablanca struggling to stay on the fence and yet unable to wrestle his conscience and remain impartial.
Shows I have mentioned previously, House, Luther and Lie To Me all star as a central role characters with inner conflict. I think it adds to the drama, I think it takes the shows to that level beyond a simple thriller. Of course each show has an element of thriller within it. This adds to the excitement and enjoyment of watching but it is always ramped up, accentuated by the turmoil our central characters go through that simply adds that extra dimension.
My choice today is not therefore an unsurprising one. What perhaps makes the show different from the others is that ultimately this show contains a whole set of characters who are conflicted in some way. To be fair, they are no where nearly as conflicted as our main 'Hero'.
And there I have it - the debate point, the spark that makes this show so bright.
We, the audience are with him all the way. We support, like, maybe love the character. We forgive the flaws and the mistakes and relate to his stress of life, the job, the family. We sympathise with him, we make him our HERO. And yet, after all this I catch myself, fleetingly, briefly questioning - isn't this guy a serial killer!?
That is the magic of the show - a brother, a son, a father, a husband, a man in a responsible job, a crucial job is actually a very, very poorly man (in the head!).
The acting in the series is brilliant. Not too serious, not to too hammed up, plenty of dark, black humour and there needs to be considering how many deaths there are. The supporting characters all play their parts beautifully and our central character is brilliant - how else would we be rooting for the serial killer for all this time?
If you have never watched this series then I urge you to do so.
http://youtu.be/-u2Xgcd3lq8 - Parental Advisory Lyrics!
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