That Old Time Deja Vu

TV shows that are just as good the second time through are both one of the best things in the world and one of the rarest things currently being broadcasted. I literally cannot count on my fingers how many times I've watched every season of Friends, but every time I pop one of those discs in my blu-ray player (a concept that hadn't even been thought of, much less created at the time the show originally aired) I find myself laughing just as hard as he first time around. Compare that to even great modern sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother and there is really no comparison. I love Ted, Lily, Marshall, Barney, and Robin, but Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and Joey are part of my soul now. I know that sounds melodramatic, or unnecessarily poetic, but it's the truth. The writers for that show didn't have to exaggerate any of their characters' traits; Friends was telling the story of real people. HIMYM exaggerates EVERYTHING, which makes for good television, but it doesn't make for staying power through multiple re-watchings.


I think you'll find that in any discussion like this, Friends is the go to example, but it's far from the only one. Obviously personal taste influences which shows we think are good the first time, which then affects which we rewatch, but there are so may good shows out there that people watch time and again. Obviously anyone who's read my blog before knows my obsession with Joss Whedon, so I'm biased towards his shows; but even people who don't like Buffy or Angel will find themselves rewatching the best 14 episodes of television (Firefly). There's a reason 10 years later they oversold their Comicon panel by thousands. I cannot think of a single show right now that I would predict having that kind of staying power.

Unfortunately the problem is not due to a lack of talent, but instead to a waste of talent. Studios and networks want shows that will immediately grab an audience, but that doesn't always translate into quality episode after episode. Things have become very farcical and even sitcoms, which are supposed to be television that represents the every-man and their struggles (Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, even Will & Grace though they did get crazy somtimes), albeit in an amusing way, have begun exaggerating things to a ridiculous degree. The people depicted on New Girl would not be able to function in modern society. They would either be too incompetent and end up killing themselves through their own stupidity or else get killed by someone else by pissing them off.

Dramas tend to age better than comedy, but few people want to rewatch a purely dramatic show. Battlestar Gallactica (the series, not the original miniseries) has brilliant acting and I've watched it a lot, but even a brilliant show like that wears on you when it's that dramatic. So comedy becomes the yardstick for decades of TV and how multiple viewings of those shows add up. Unfortunately it seems like newer shows either suck, or the good ones get cancelled. I've been living with Netflix Instant since my move and notice that I honestly don't miss TV too much, which is saying a lot. Part of it could be that I'm actually starting to have a life (go me!), but part of it is the really good stuff is long off the air and I can watch it any time I damn well please. So thank you Netflix, because without you we'd have to buy all the good TV shows on DVD or live exclusively with the drivel the networks decide are worth their time.