Welcome, to the inaugural blog post of Robot Fingers, a blog about life, the universe and everything. But mainly television.
"Television, you say? How interesting, I'm definitely going to read this blog. You have my undivided attention and devotion, whatever you say I'm sure will be very interesting. (Also, you sound handsome)"
Well, thats very kind (and observant) of you, but please allow me to clarify further. There is so much internet devoted to television, and I have to differentiate myself somehow. (Other than just being handsome, I mean) So let me present a kind of a mission statement for Robot Fingers.
A couple of weeks ago the fates of many American shows were finally announced. Shows were ended, others were saved. Some had budgets clipped, had curious time-slots assigned to them. For the fans and the creators themselves, hearts were broken, broken hearts were repaired, hopes were raised, crushed and taunted cruelly. It was a very emotional time, is my point. But following the announcement of every individual shows fate, particularly on TV Business sites like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, I noticed a familiar pattern.
Thanks to the instant feedback of the internet age, reactions were available long before I bothered to pick the story out of my news feed. And no matter what show the story was about, there was a familiar response. Whether it was NBC's last minute renewal of Chuck or FOX's drawn out but unsurprising cancellation of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the fan response was clear: That particular show was the best show on television.
This isn't particularly surprising I suppose, the internet is known for fans to congregate, and naturally passions were high due to the knifes edge that people lived in build up to the up-front season. But it went further than that. It wasn't just the best - it was the only thing good on television. Everything else was trashy, everything else had giant flaws and paled in comparison to the rich character development, great writing and hot women (or men) of the show in question. Perhaps, if they were feeling charitable, people might see fit to mention another show as escaping the stink that apparently exudes from the entire American televisual landscape.
In any case, there was a vital need to clarify to the comment-reading audience that the author of the comment had impeccable taste. Their time is precious, you see, and can't be wasted on the self-evidently low quality of whatever it was they don't watch.
It's not to say it was the only response, but it was consistent. But not particularly new or surprising. Television criticism, be it in print, online or informally around water coolers, coffee machines and other beverage dispensers, has always had this element. For some reason (or reasons, which I will return to), there is an impulse to accompany ones own favour of a particular show with outright, unwaveringly certain dismissals of everything else.
And to that I say - where's the love, people? And also, can't we all just get along? There are many great television shows right now, and as long as I have been watching their have been shows I've found to be brilliant. Can't we try and reach a common ground here, can't our fandoms meet and work together, rather than live in hostile, isolated castles, sniping each other?
The project of this blog is not to attack those people who don't appreciate the charm of Chuck, the mystery and unique storytelling of Lost, or the unadulterated brilliance of the fourth season of The O.C. (we're talking better than the renaissance, people). But it is a space where I want to build a new kind of appreciation for television. One that goes beyond fandom, beyond magazine style criticism. Beyond to where exactly, I'm not sure yet. I only just started after all, give me some time dammit.
-hobospaceman
where's the love?
