Follow the Formula! Say Something! Presto!

Posted under Le Blog by Cesua

Thanks to friend Mike Hall, I recently discovered yet another TV show that has quickly become one of my favorites:

“Sports Night”

“Sports Night” is a behind-the-scenes look at the people responsible for producing a show within this show.

Sound familiar?

Yup, kinda like “30 Rock”.

And to me, that’s pretty cool. I may be wrong, but I’d like to think that people –mainly Tina Fey- followed a successful formula that worked great for a show that was a little ahead of its time and just added their own brand of humor, pace and architecture that has worked wonderfully.

‘Sports Night’ was brought to us by Mr. Aaron Sorkin, a great screenwriter and also the person that brought us “The West Wing” and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (the latter being a wonderfully shot show that found it’s formula a little too late).

So far I’m in the middle of season two and really enjoying seeing how the show is maturing –something I really hoped it would do during season one.

Like many shows that eventually turn out to be great, the first season had to deal with the ensemble and the characters finding their chemistry then taking off running.

For example, there were many times during season one where I was a bit annoyed by some of the characters and cheesiness, but unlike other shows, this show always reeled me back in the way they ended their episodes.

See, they always did a great job of relating to their audience by touching on social or sentimental values or dealing with topics that one normally didn’t expect to find in a show that’s supposed to be a comedy. Furthermore, with the use of these artistic curveballs, more often not this show always had “something to say” other than just trying to be another comedic show. Know what I mean?

Plus, although it was little ahead of it’s time, the way it was shot was uniquely cool and interesting. I may be wrong, but I think this was the first time that style of shooting was used in a TV show.

It’s these unique qualities, and the fact that they made a successful effort to look at what needed some tweaking going forward, that has made this one of my favorite shows.

In the area of “tweaking” what needs more attention, I compare this show to “Friends”.

When ‘Friends’ first started, I wasn’t interested in the characters and their extremely cheesy comedic dialogue and delivery. The only reason I was mildly interested was because they were using a formula that had proven to be successful in the past with Seinfeld: Ensemble.

It’s only because of that style that I chose to keep tabs on the show, and that paid off for me because after some tweaking of the characters, dialogue and cinematic feel for the show, I became a huge fan of the show and really enjoyed the developing relationships between the characters on the show.

I wonder if the creators and writers of the show took a page from Sienfeld, added their own style to it, and applied it to this show. If so, they did a great job.

To me, the show was kept fresh using this method of writing because one never got tired of any of the characters on the show. They always seemed to leave you wanting a little more after each episode.

Of course, after the show ended its run a common mistake was made: They gave us too much of one character and of course….we rolled up our windows and drove away.

Still, thanks to following the proper formula and caring for the show, ‘Friends’ still holds up to this day. Well, not the first season.

Another show that grew on me was ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’.

I never had any interest for this show and even after it was being lauded as this great thing, I never took a trip to cbs-land to take a peek.

But then I read an article that explained some of the writing processes of the show.

I was intrigued, watched the show, and was hooked.

See, in the world that I live in, a commitment to honesty and or truth on stage is what more often than not will get the desired result: Laughter.

In a weird but very cool way, the more honest you are with your reactions to what’s said and or done around you is what gets the best results on stage. (“Truth in Comedy”)

In the article I read about the show, it explained that the show was based on real-life experiences of the lead actor in the show, Ray Romano.

That caught my attention. I kept reading and learned that most of the ideas for the show came out of the writing staff sharing family stories. The ones that made them laugh –or cringe- the most are the one’s they would write and base episodes on.

Well, now I gotta check it out, right?

I did, and this too quickly became one of my favorite shows.

Not only was it ensemble based, but it was also based on true experiences and happenings.

No wonder it became a hit; every family can relate to the characters and situations on any given episode, and relating with your audience is key.

Add some very talented comedic actors and writers, and you have a hit on your hands.

Like ‘Friends’, I wonder if the creators and the writers took a look at “All in the Family” for a little guidance.

If so, they too did a great show of following a successful model and adding their own style to it.

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As you can see, I tend to get to the party a little later, and as a result, a lot of my favorite TV shows are now off the air. But recently I got to the party early and discovered a new favorite: “Modern Family”.

This show is on ABC and I strongly support and suggest it.

This show has all the combined formulas of the shows mentioned above:

• Character development and relationship.
• Great comedic acting, value, and timing.
• A story telling style that is scarcely seeing on TV. ( I’d like to think this has a lot do with fellow improvisor Jason Winer, who is the director of the show.)

And they didn’t stop there. They took another page from another great show, ”The Office”, and used the mockumentary shooting style formula used in that show as well.

Truly a great and funny show that does a tremendous job of slowing down the ride and Saying Something.

Please give this show a try if you haven’t already.

Speaking of “The Office”…

This show is the ultimate example of following a formula that works.

This show is a direct adaptation of a BBC series of the same name. The right people saw this show, recognized the brilliance behind it, and asked to do an American version of it.

Because the original BBC series only contained 12 episodes over two seasons (which is normal in the UK), the American version of the show eventually had to add their own style and pace to the show, but it’s still very, very true to the original concept and, surprise, it works.

It’s sad sometimes when people try to fix things when they’re not broken, or refuse to follow a proven formula.

So here’s a toast to all the people involved in all the shows mentioned and a huge thanks for seeing the value in what works.

And a little homie spill for ‘Joey’, a great character that should have been left alone after ‘Friends’ called it a night.