Do you think tv dramas have become too dark and disturbing?

[Mr Trick]

Not really. I think sometimes the storytelling can suffer if they over do it that way. Some times it feels forced or because more about that than the characters or anything else. But no I think its at a decent level. Don't really think its gone too far. The important thing is that there's something for everyone in modern TV.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

That is a fairly obvious statement, just about every television drama has to have a dark side: as in the protagonist and the antagonist. It depends on how dark the baddy's get, what the television production companies haven't worked out yet is how to have a bad guy that folk like to watch rather than just accept the show had to have a bad guy.

 

[November]

I got sent this article the other day and its sort of relevant to the topic.

Three traits decide whether you're a good person — do you have them?

Psychology researchers have flipped their focus away from narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism to explore what characteristics are present in people who are the everyday saints around us. Maybe you're one of them?

www.abc.net.au

Yet our culture is fascinated by psychopaths and narcissists. And with good reason. People high in the "dark triad" — the well-studied threesome of narcissism and Machiavellianism — tend to cause substantial harm to others.

They also make interesting and colourful TV characters, so we're exposed to a lot of them on our screens

There are fewer "light" characters in modern tv. Less just plain good people in current adult content. Because they are viewed as boring. They dont sell.

 

[TriBel]

@Octavia says "There are fewer "light" characters in modern tv. Less just plain good people in current adult content. Because they are viewed as boring. They dont sell".

"From the article: What traits make up a truly good person?
According to Dr Kaufman and colleagues, the light triad consists of the traits of Kantianism, humanism and a faith in humanity.
Kantianism is when we treat people as means to themselves, as opposed to a means to an end. Basically, we're not out to use them. It's pretty much the opposite of Machiavellianism, and is based on the philosophy of Immanuel Kant.
Humanism is valuing the dignity and worth of each individual person.
Faith in humanity is when we believe that people are fundamentally good.
These traits are not so much about the self, but about our attitude to others. And the light triad theory says that people high in all three of these traits are the "everyday saints in our midst".

I haven't read all the article (mostly because I think studies like this are a bit "No Shit Sherlock"), but these traits aren't universal traits - they're liberal ones and at odds with the type of society we live in - a capitalist (patriarchal) society dominated by the idea of the nation state. With these structures in place, I wonder whether it's not simply that good people are "boring" but that "good" people are unrealistic (perhaps impossible - IDK)? Where would BtVS be without demons (either literal monsters or metaphorical monsters like Cordy S1). The Scoobies gel because of otherness.

As @ILLYRIAN says, drama depends on conflict (a protagonist and an antagonist), but I'd argue that real life is equally dependent on difference. So, it seems to me that the only "good people" drama that's possible is one where the characters are isolated (maybe something like Friends?) or where they're isolated and "the other" consists primarily of demons and monsters (like Buffy). For me, one of the things I found most unrealistic about BtVS is their circle remains intact and closed at the end of S12.

 

[Taake]

I agree, I don't really like TV today because most of it just feels like it wants to "shock" you in one way or another, whether by violence or other means, or be the edgiest of the edgy in a desperate attempt to get viewers. I just see a depressing nihilism over all of it, including the idea that good people would be unrealistic. TV shows have never been perfect, of course, but these days there doesn't seem to be much of a point to the stories being told. They're not told for their own sake but to present a general message from the writers (or worse to simply make some green), who then coat it in darkness and edge to get people to watch it, like a spoon full of sugar to make the medicine go down.

It makes for shallow, forgettable and boring TV, in my opinion and I've accepted that I'm not the target audience for Hollywood and have mostly given up on new TV shows.

 

[TriBel]

I just see a depressing nihilism over all of it, including the idea that good people would be unrealistic. TV shows have never been perfect, of course, but these days there doesn't seem to be much of a point to the stories being told. They're not told for their own sake

Are stories ever told "for their own sake"? Genuine question.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

No, of course not, a script may be written that portrays a 'alround good story' but then the probability of making money enters the scenario. If the general factor of the good v's the bad isn't an overriding factor in the filming of the show, the chances are it won't happen.