[Zardoz]

Originally Posted by TNG_Trekman

Yeah I understand. I know Ron Moore didn't like writing that way though. He likes his character journey's like I do. Maybe that's why I seem to like his writing so much lol.

Another interesting point is Babylon 5. How much that show risked to have a more serialized story and people still hung in there for all 5 seasons. And that ran from '93 to '98.

It's amazing isn't it? How TV can change in 15 years. I was too young to fully understand how it all worked in the early 90's but looking back and watching those TNG episodes on DVD and comparing them to today's episodic television I find some interesting changes. No episodic television lol. Reality TV and more prime time serialized TV. Shows like 24, Entourage, BSG, Lost, Fringe, Flash Forward etc. That's how alot of TV is now.

People now want more from TV than the "monster of the week" as it were (and we still get those too!).

I wasn't disagreeing with what you said. Just pointing out how TV writing was done, usually influenced by the studio. TV is and allways will be about making money.

I have never seen B5, it wasn't broadcast where I lived.

TV is luckily getting away (as you pointed out) from "reality" style shows, and back to more episodic TV.

[TNG_Trekman]

Originally Posted by Zardoz

I wasn't disagreeing with what you said. Just pointing out how TV writing was done, usually influenced by the studio. TV is and allways will be about making money.

I have never seen B5, it wasn't broadcast where I lived.

TV is luckily getting away (as you pointed out) from "reality" style shows, and back to more episodic TV.

I know you weren't disagreeing I just wanted to say how TV has changed from the 90's to 00's. Basically I agreed with your previous point on different writing in the 90's as opposed to now.

[Zardoz]

Originally Posted by TNG_Trekman

I know you weren't disagreeing I just wanted to say how TV has changed from the 90's to 00's. Basically I agreed with your previous point on different writing in the 90's as opposed to now.

A studio/network can put alot of presure on a writing team.

[kevin]

Originally Posted by TNG_Trekman

I know you weren't disagreeing I just wanted to say how TV has changed from the 90's to 00's. Basically I agreed with your previous point on different writing in the 90's as opposed to now.

I think TV series now are much superior to many films and now have the effects and production value budgets to genuinely compete in 'look' with their feature film counterparts.

The turn of the decade (around 2000/2001) saw serialised TV shows really take a quantum leap forward - 24 and Alias being examples - that has continued ever since.

Entourage, Mad Men, True Blood, Six Feet Under, BSG, The West Wing and many many others are great examples.

Originally Posted by Zardoz

A studio/network can put alot of presure on a writing team.

Although sometimes they also back down - Moore faced network pressure to retool BSG season 3 away from heavily continuing drama and towards more episodic structure.

Then they realised it didn't fit the style and story of BSG and so recanted and allowed the writers to get back on track.

[Zardoz]

Originally Posted by kevin

Although sometimes they also back down - Moore faced network pressure to retool BSG season 3 away from heavily continuing drama and towards more episodic structure.

Then they realised it didn't fit the style and story of BSG and so recanted and allowed the writers to get back on track.

I agree, but Sci-Fi network is no Paramount comparitively.

[TNG_Trekman]

Originally Posted by kevin

I think TV series now are much superior to many films and now have the effects and production value budgets to genuinely compete in 'look' with their feature film counterparts.

The turn of the decade (around 2000/2001) saw serialised TV shows really take a quantum leap forward - 24 and Alias being examples - that has continued ever since.

Entourage, Mad Men, True Blood, Six Feet Under, BSG, The West Wing and many many others are great examples.

Exactly.

[vantheman77]

I'd say the Next Generation was great in terms of special effects, the technology, and great sets, but character-wise they were all too serious for me in comparison to the original series characters.