I've had this poll in mind for a while now, and because almost all the shows are taking a break for Christmas and New Year, I thought it might be a good time to put the poll out there, given it requires a little thought, and that one show you like could sway your answer
The question is which two elements do you pay the most attention to when looking at a new show, or a show that you haven't watched before??
The four answers and their definitions with examples are:
Concept - this includes elements like the year or era, environmental setting, and influences or obstacles that are unique, such as a lack of electricity in NBC's Revolution, or a submarine on ABC's Last Resort.
Action - covers things such as shootouts, car chases, supernatural or mysterious forces and the like. It can also be non confrontational, dramatic, time critical, or political, with ABC's Scandal being a prime example. In short, something happening at speed and with intensity
Characters - could be atypical characters in a typical setting, such as Gregory House from FOX's House M.D., or typical characters in atypical settings such as Richard Castle in ABC's Castle. Couples, groups of characters, heroes, villains, protagonists, antagonists, also count here
Story - Pretty self-explanatory. Covers what happened in the past, what is happening at the moment, and what may happen in the future. All shows have a story of some sort
It's important to remember that all these elements tie in very closely together. The concept and the story work with one another, whilst the characters are involved in all the action. The story can influence the actions of a character and different concepts require different forms of action. These relationships continue around and around
This is quite a broad topic and I've attempted to simplify things right down. I think these four categories cover everything pretty well, but everyone is different so be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below, this topic creates a lot of discussion!
The poll is below. You can vote for one or two choices. I hope everyone had a happy Christmas, and is looking forward to 2013!
It's always the characters that makes me interested in the show as for me the rest is just the framework that establishes the character. If I'm to invest time in a show I want characters that I can see evolve as the show progresses.
ReplyDeleteCharacters and Concept, after this, the story.
ReplyDeleteAll of thhe above ar votal for me....
ReplyDeleteIf I cant connect with the characters then its a wash. i need to feel invested but thats predicated on the story, if the story is not good then the characters fail. Im picky when it comes to concept, I dont get down with the Once Upon a Times or Lost of Game of Thrones. Not a big fand of period pieces, I need some realistic tv. Action is always an added bonus, its not required, but when done properly its definitely appreciated.
For me (the writer of the article), I have to have a good story. That's #1. Homeland, POI, Scandal, and Castle to a certain extent fit the bill. Then it's action. I need stuff to be happening because that's generally where my tastes lie. Again, Homeland, POI and Scandal fit that. Then comes the characters, which is why I love House and Castle, as well as the three I've just mentioned. The concept probably comes last for me because I don't like mythical stuff like Game of Thrones or Once Upon A Time. But I like Last Resort and Revolution because of their concept, and because they have lots of action
ReplyDeleteNone of the above. The first thing I look at is who is producing, writing and creating it then I look at who is starring in it. If those 2 things interest me then I'll check out the show.
ReplyDeleteI voted for action and concept, but I have to admit I check out if the actors are hot or not when watching the show. I'm not sure if that really fit under characters, so i didn't pick that one, but it's a strong third. If I can't decide whether to continue a show or not, how hot the characters/actors are is what determines it for me, haha. Eye candy is important!
ReplyDeleteStory and action will get me to try out a new show. However it is characters that keep me in a show. If I like the plot it gets a 3 episode look see. If I can stand the characters and the story seems like it will progress at a steady pace then I continue. Revolution is the big exception this year because I currently watch it despite rooting for four main characters to die every episode. (Maybe it will happen.) Now I watch it like a train wreck to see how stupid Charlie can be and how douchey Miles will get. I do still like the overall mystery though.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important for me are characters. I can even watch the whole show I'm not too fond of for one particular character(well, maybe it won't last forever but for some time fore sure)! I have to love(or love to hate) or feel somehow connected with characters. If there is noone interesting I give up pretty quickly. But there are exceptions of course and sometimes I'm hooked because of what's the subject of the show and I have to know what's going to happen next, like with Scandal - there are characters that aren't that likeable because of their actions and yet I root for them and story is very intriguing. So I'm not sure if that action or story for me. And concept is probably the least important for me. Yes, sometimes it can restrain me from watching something for a while but eventually it doesn't matter. If I like other thing about the show, I'll watch it.
ReplyDeleteI am basically a television addict which is to say that story is rarely fresh and new...especially on network television. So, character is my first priority. Most pilots are filled with cliches. If the characters don't grab me I'm not going to take the time to see if the show will be worth watching. Character is why I watched enough of Fringe to get hooked on the story.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if the story doesn't have some elements (or show the potential of being an interesting story) then I'm not going to watch. With Revolution, I didn't like the characters and the pilot didn't hint at anything that would appeal to me so I never got past the first episode.
Characters. If the characters are good all other shortcomings can be temporarily overlooked.
ReplyDeleteFirst its the characters,then the story.I have liked plenty of characters but if the storyline is terrible then no matter how much i liked them i won't watch it.Third comes action,love action such as POI,Homland,etc. Fringe had it all for me,great characters,good storyline and action.
ReplyDeleteAny of the above can attract me to a series, but mostly I look for production values and the creative team.... and the network. If a showrunner has a strong resume and has done shows I like I will check out their new shows. Likewise if the series appears to have high production values, story, sets, wardrobe, VFX etc I will likely check it out. Then lastly certain networks (HBO, Showtime, FX, AMC) get an auto-check for any new series because of the consistent excellence...
ReplyDeleteHonestly though. I will avoid series for certain traits even more than be attracted to certain traits...
- If a series is supposed to be reality based High Drama and has too many plot holes and logic holes I will avoid it and/or stop watching it.
- If a series looks to have too many love-triangles and sappy relationship turmoil I will avoid it.
- If a show is dumbed down and cleaned up for family audiences I will avoid it.
- If a series has notorious bad actors in lead roles I will avoid it.
- If a series has too many gimmick characters I will avoid it.
- If a series has a female detective in high heels kicking in doors I will not watch.
- If a series is connected to Marc Cherry or Shonda Rhimes I will avoid it like the plague!
Concept is always the most important thing to me in a drama. If a comedy has a boring concept but plenty of laughs, I'll watch it, but it has to have an interesting concept if it stands a chance of becoming one of my favorites. Back to drama though, if the show doesn't have a concept that I can get behind/find interesting, then nothing else really matters. Great characters with a boring premise is something that I could only watch in small doses. I need some sort of escapist element or thematic depth at the very least to engage me. Of course if a story does have a boring concept and great characters, I am able to make myself watch the show, where as with a boring concept and boring/unlikable characters is unwatchable to me.
ReplyDeleteI almost feel like story and concept don't belong as separate options on this poll since story is almost always just an extension of the show's concept. Concept is the snapshot while story is the video. But they're still of the same images more or less.
Characters, Story and Concept for me... all three have to work and compliment each other.
ReplyDeleteProbably characters and story. Though mostly I initially am drawn to a show by the actors involved.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that makes me drawn to a show is usually actors or the network. I am much more likely to watch a pilot on FX, AMC, HBO or Showtime, just because I like a lot of their series already.
ReplyDeleteBut the creative team behind it can also make me interested, as can a really good plot.
I check wether it's actually interesting to watch. I mean, look at Fringe; I started watching that show like 3 weeks ago and my God if season 1 wasn't one of the most boring shits I've ever seen and later it turned out to be one of the best science fiction tv shows ever!
ReplyDeleteStory, concept, characters, writers all of that is important but it means nothing if not executed well.
ReplyDeleteRevolution in theory should be brilliant its by JJ and Kripke, has some solid actors in it and an interesting concept but the end result is a cheesy clichéd mess.
Really difficult choice. I think each thing is equally important. I guess picking a new show it's hard to know much about the characters if I haven't seen any yet so when hearing about a new show I look for interesting concept and story. I also like action. I like shows where things happen and it's not all purely characters based. I guess that's why I like those "genre" shows more than your average drama or soap or something.
ReplyDeleteI think for me character is important once you start watching the show to actuall keep interest in the show and keep watching it. If the characters are boring it's hard to continue but it's the concept and story that will get me started in the show.
And I would much rather here about a show that has some interesting action/adventure storyline then something that has a romantic or love trianlge based storyline. Give me monsters over angsty teenagers any day.
That's a tough one. Every mentioned thing is equally important, and, of course, it's the best when a show successfully manages to unite all four elements, but I guess that depends on an individual's point of view.
ReplyDeleteFor me, things I pay attention the most are characters and concept - at first sight. The story evolves around that. If you have intriguing characters and you know where you want to take them (at least a little bit), you will get an interesting story, and some action. After all, they are the only "living" things in a show - they shape the story, themselves, they change our perspective and the world they live in. And the concept is what attracts the viewer (at least that's the case with me) - it helps you get some insight in what the story might look like. I can't know the whole story at first look, neither I want to, but when I look at the concept and the idea, I can see wheter this would be something I would like to watch and participate in every week.
That said, I think that after all the thing that gets to you is execution - it doesn't matter if it's the political cop drama or science fiction serial that you watch, if the story is well executed, it can be the best thing in the world.
But that of course, depends on your individual opinion, but that's the whole beauty of it, that it affects people in different ways.
Interesting poll. Characters was a given. The second one was tough but i went with concept over story, mostly because story can generally be improved, whereas concept you are sort of stuck with it (some exceptions, like the black bird in tvd's pilot)
ReplyDeleteI went with Characters and Concept with Story right behind. I think if you don't have characters you like, written in an interesting environment/situation, then it doesn't matter what the story is. Action has never been a key element for me, it's just something that can enhance either a persona or stylization of a work.
ReplyDeleteStory and characters.
ReplyDeleteIf I like the story I'll give the show a chance,but afterwards it's really important for me to like at least some of the characters.
If I like the story but don't like the characters I can keep watching for a while but then I usually lose interest.
Action is not what drives me to watch a show but it definitely helps.
And of course writers and network are also very important.Supernatural and Last Resort(which has three episodes left) are currently the only shows I watch regularly that are not on cable.Everything else comes from HBO,AMC and other cable networks.
The concept usually, but also the cast. 666PA got me not with the concept/story but with Terry O'Quinn and Vanessa Williams.
ReplyDeletenon of the above really first I look at the actors than at the story
ReplyDeleteWhat is look for does this story make any sense! It does not matter what else is involved. If the concept is flawed then I will not enjoy it. If it is too silly I will not bother with it.
ReplyDeleteThat show has a big problem it does not make sense! There is plenty of technology which does not need Electricity but yet it is never seen!
ReplyDeletePretty much all of the above.
ReplyDeleteBut then, I'll give anything a go. Unlike a lot of people, I don't see the harm in watching a pilot episode - it's not like I need it to have Whedon or Fuller or Abrams attached for me to be interested, nor does it need to star a well known actor - even if it turns out to be rubbish (at that time or in the future of the show). Even if it gets cancelled, it's not the end of the world.
Concept and story. AND also normally it has to have been renewed (or received a back 9) in season 1, as I hate watching a new show only for it to be cancelled straight away.
ReplyDeleteI only started watching arrow when it was extended.
ReplyDelete