Nice things to say about..

Since my previous blogs focused on some terrible examples of television writing or, in the case of True Blood, some average plot development, I thought it would be worth highlighting some better examples. These shows work on both an episodic and seasonal level, with well written character pieces and season long plot arcs.

Dexter
My favourite series of recent years, Dexter has both the ability to create 50 minute masterpieces that further single plot strands and are continually moving the season arc forward. Michael C Hall's protagonist takes the lion share of screen time and doesn't waste any of it. All four series rely on a chief antagonist- whether it is a fellow monster maniac (Ice Truck Killer, Trinity Killer) or someone closer to home (Lila, Doakes, Minguel). The battle of wits between them is usually well planned out with a climax in one of the last few episodes. Altering this formula slightly has lead to some great moments for viewers, especially the last gasp killing of Lila in Paris.

However Dexter's true strength lies in its treatment of subplots. Whilst many started as cop caricatures, including the tough 'out to prove herself' Debra, the 'weird one' Vince, the sleazy Latino Angel or the ex-SEAL with a dark past James Doakes, the small amount of screen time allows these characters to flourish into full functioning members of Dexter's Miami. Debra in particular has become a key figure and the potential revelation of Dexter's secret will be a key thread moving forward.

Another thing Dexter does better than most is that each series is self contained. Whilst some of the character development can be lost by entering beyond season one, each monster is defeated by Dexter within the twelve episodes. Such dedication to providing a resolution is paramount to rewarding an audience's faith in the show, since the writer's care enough to ensure strings are tied up by the end of the current series. That's right- no cliff hangers. Without resorting to terrible gimmicks, Dexter still manages to genuinely engage the audience. The finale of Series 4 remains one of the greatest things I have had the pleasure of watching.

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Forget the compromised movie, and forget Dollhouse. Joss Weadon fired on all cylinders for seven seasons. Each had common story characteristics, a 'Big Bad' and common themes centered on growing up. The main character was clearly the center of character development and to track her progress from high school to adult hood is the chief joy of the story's life span. The series worked best when the villains were truly evil and unstoppable (series two: Angel, series three: Mayor Wilkins, series five: Glory, series seven: The First Evil). At it's best there were rarely bad episodes in a single series- for me, series three is the highlight, with Buffy's final year of high school setting the scene for a rich metaphorical base and excellent additions to the cast including Faith and Oz.

Like Dexter, the series uses its secondary characters well. There is no Buffy without Willow, Xander and others who came and went. Unlike Dexter, Buffy's writers grew in confidence and dedicated entire episodes to these characters with minimal interference from the protagonist. These allowed the plot to stretch beyond themes of power and responsibility and to include other roles in the friendship circle. The writer's remained incredibly loyal to their character's history and the constant references to previous episodes are a hall mark of the series. This can make the show difficult to get into but Buffy rewards repeat and concentrated viewing.

Having to sustain a central arc for 22 episodes proved difficult at times, especially in the uneven middle seasons, but the use of 'one-off' single story episodes were great. From the brilliance of the Gentlemen in season fours "Speechless" to the interesting musical episode "One More with feeling" there were numerous attempts to bend the action/drama genre by trying things that were different. There is a sense of gimmick to these episodes but they generally come off quite well and aren't prolific enough to seem like they are trying to cover for a lack of ability or planning (unlike Lost).


The best television writing supports a model. The show will be founded on a single protagonist and will tie up plot ends by the end of the series. The use of an antagonist is therefore essential to opposing and challenging the protagonist's world and causing them to react to the new threat. At it's best, both Dexter and Buffy, manage this consistently.