Which elements of Joss Whedon’s work for television account for his success?

I think it really comes down to the dialogue. Joss is a master of the english language, even making some stuff up as he goes. It just seems so natural, yet so thought-through at the same time. It can be witty, serious, and anywhere in between. At least, that's why I fell in love with Buffy. That, together with GREAT casting decisions (Alyson, David, everyone of Firefly, etc.) resulted in success all around. Also, there's the fact that he was so easily able to connect with his audience. There that something about Joss' shows that makes it seem like he wrote them specifically to appeal to you.
 
Z
zobothehobo
yep to this too
I'm not certain if this is the secret of Joss' success on TV, but what I like about his creations is that he takes a formula situation, and then turns it upside down. The cute little blond cheerleader, instead of being the monster's victim, is the thing that they fear the most, The blood sucking monster vampire becomes the hero, protecting the helpless. The futuristic space man becomes nothing more (or less, depending on your point of view) than a roaming cowboy with a space ship instead of a horse. Joss makes heroes out of victims, champions out of monsters, and uses outlandish, supernatural elements to make commentaries on everday life, morals, and human behavior,
 
I don't think this is quite as important as the other 2, but I like all of the pop culture & historical references (which we obviously see more in BTVS & ATS than Firefly). Language as a whole in his works is amazing: I can't imagine as a teen using some of the vocabulary he has his characters using. And then being able to flip all that over and have an entire episode with very little dialogue at all (Hush), and then another where he challenges himself to not rely on music (The Body). Masterful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom