thedeadone.net » Fandom

Apparent quality versus addictiveness of a series

Mark Cunningham — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 07:57:34 +0000

Saw this post from cartographer, where she talks about spoilers and how she is getting more interested in good writing than:

trawl through hours of quite-good just for the big reveal at the end

(I know it’s nearly month ago, but I’m only catching up on some posts now).

Of course, she’s talking about Harry Potter, a series I’ve yet to go near. I thought I was just being peculiar in my book-buying habits but there is part of me that, in general, distrusts certain types of series. I’m not just talking about novels, but roleplaying books, TV shows and movies.

I’ve always been more engaged by a short concise format for a series then a never-ending or over-long one: a definitive beginning and a definitive end with in a short enough time frame, such as the recent The Lost Room (TV).

I tried to grasp what it was that makes me distrusts such series by performing this thought exercise and formulating it into a sort of rule or law:

The longer a series continues, the probability of disappointment reaches zero.

This is true. The longer something goes on, the greater the chance that I’ll find something I don’t like about it. Nothing’s perfect. But this isn’t what I’m after. A series can dip and come back stronger. No there is something else. So I started thinking about the various series I’ve loved and hated: The Matrix movies, all six Star Wars movies, Lost (TV), X-Files (TV), World of Darkness (RPGs), Discworld (Novels), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV) etc. All these series I eventually turned my back on them or they left a bitter taste in my mouth. They all had a certain strong addictive quality, a fanboy-ism and hype that seemed to throw me eventually off them… many were based on “the big mystery”, like Lost and X-Files. Others had a evolving and alluring mythos, such as World of Darkness and Star Wars. It might have been the tired formula and decreasing impact of the “hit” that turned me. They are like a drug where each “hit” has less and less high which has the knock-on effect of increasing the demand/addiction for more, which further gives the appearance of the series getting worse.

As a series, with a high addictive quota, continues, the apparent quality of the series will decrease.

Where “addictive quota” is generally anything fanboy-inducing, be it a rich setting, a big unanswered mystery/conspiracy, a never-reaching but alluring climax, etc. essentially a element that keeps you coming back for more, whats going to happen next, kind of thing. But this isn’t necessarily correct either. A series can maintain “apparent quality” even with a big mystery. For example the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Star Trek Next Gen. I nearly considered Farscape in that list but that got canned so perhaps the quality didn’t decrease to a level that turned me off.

Of course, what I mean by ”apparent quality” is subjective viewer experience of the series. The quality of the series could be consistent through, but from a user experince of it and the decreasing power of the hit, the subjective quality decreases. However in my experience, the quality objectively seems to suffer a bit.

Anyway lets try to rewrite the rule:

As a series, with a high addictive quota, continues with no fundamental change in premise, the apparent quality of the series will decrease.

H.P. Lovecraft didn’t write a series with the same set of characters. Each short story stood on it’s own, yet each shared a similar formula. In a similar vein, Star Trek Next Gen comprised of lots of short stories (of course nostalgia could be playing it’s part here and making me look back with rose-tinted glasses). Stargate have regularly changed the major antagonist and so by fundamentally changed their premise. However, in the case of Stargate for me, I never got into it so I would have never noticed the quality dipping.

So, the trick, it would seem, is to have a big enough dramatic change or end of story before the “apparent quality” of the series decreases. In the case of Lost it might mean actually revealing something concrete. For World of Darkness… they simply waited too long, for me as a viewer of the series, before changing their formula and ending their big-mystery-story. There is a danger that it’s only the addictive quality that has you watching and if you stop watching, the addiction fades away and the subjective lack of quality is all that is left.

Sure some people have a greater tolerance before the quality decreases which means they are more willing to wait till that big change or the end arrives. Most normal people’s tolerance is not high. My wife got bored of Lost within the first episode of the second series. It took me at least 4 episodes or so. Even when I tuned in to the finale of series two, I found, nothing seemed to have changed! I’ve heard people saying the latest season or finale is brilliant and well worth it, but my subjective view of the quality of show is so low now I can barely work up the interest to switch it on. And of course, in the case of TV, people often start watching later in the series and so their tolerance takes them further than someone who started from the beginning. I think also, as a child and teenager, my tolerance was much much higher or perhaps the impact of each hit was greater so it took longer before I noticed the series going bad.

If I had the time I’d draw a graph, where you have a viewer’s subjective quality and their level of ‘hit’ and as the level of hit dips and goes below quality, quality decreases. Once that happens, if you stop the addiction, a viewer lose interest.

All these does explain why I have developed a general distrust of majorly hyped series such as Harry Potter and why I avoid them, I think. I could be simply spouting nonsense too!

So what does this mean for a ”good” series?

Well simply, a series must change. It can’t depend on the big mystery or that one bad guy to keep it going so long. It has to regularly dramatically change. Well you can, if you get the right audience I think, but you have to be careful then. If you fail to provide a big enough hit later, some of the audience may find themselves wondering what they thought was great about the series in the first place.

So I wonder… would the Prisoner have been a cult hit if it hadn’t been canned?

(Small side note, I don’t think this affects actual roleplaying chronicles or games. When you play an RPG, I think, the hit is so different, self-generated if you will and so it can maintain the same level as long as the players don’t get too jaded.)

Is “Sanctuary” better than Porn?

Mark Cunningham — Mon, 21 May 2007 08:59:52 +0000

I came across “Sanctuary” on the weekend. It’s a sci-fi series that’s only being made available online.

“The First Broadcast Caliber Online Sci-Fi Series”

It’s about time someone actually tried this, selling television shows directly to the public instead of going through a broadcaster/network who may or may not cancel the show have way through a season and who are more concerned with advertisement and “viewer figures” than good television. I applaud the makers of Sanctuary, Stage 3 Media, for being bold enough to be the first.

The website is in sucky flash (why do people still create full websites in flash?) and it won’t play on my Wii. Arg. So I booted up my PC and had a look. The trailer is awesome, it’s kind of like a Gothic-X-Files-cum-League-of-Extraordinary-Gentlemen. I’m impressed. It’s got some recognisable actors too, Amanda Tapping (she plays “Colonel Samantha Carter” on Stargate), who is also one of the executive producers, and David Hewlett (he plays “Dr. Rodney McKay” on Stargate: Atlantis).

I bought a “bundle” for the first 4 “webisodes” (their term, not mine!). I didn’t realise initially that each “webisode” is only 15 to 20 minutes long and, so far, only one episode is available. So to get the first full 1 hour episode, I’m going to have to wait for the next 3 webisodes to be released. But the good thing is that you can download the webisode in WMA and/or MOV format. I wish they had a DIVX format as well. Still, it means I can watch the webisodes on my telly using the Wii.

I watched the first episode yesterday. I’m impressed. If it was on television, I’d be very excited about now…

Except… I paid approximately 9 euros for that bundle of 4 webisodes (thats about 6 GBP or so). Apparently, according to their blog, different regions have different pricing structures and they have made the pricing inline with the iTunes model.

We have modeled our pricing on a very successful competitor: iTunes. They set their prices based on what each market will bear, based on availability, economics, research etc. Simply put: Different economic regions dictate different prices. This is why some things are cheaper or more expensive depending on what part of the world you’re in.

And they justify the price such:

Sanctuary offers you a 15 minute-long standard definition “webisode” in your choice of format (Quicktime/ Windows Media/Flash Video) and for a slightly higher price you can upgrade to the HD version. These files are YOURS. You can do with them what you want. Drop them into iTunes. Convert them to DVD formats. Burn, rip, whatever. You bought ‘em, you decide how to enjoy ‘em. And right now they are available ONLY on the web. Unlike Lost or Stargate, it will be awhile before Sanctuary makes it on TV. So if you like the show, the Internet is the only place you’re gonna find it. And unlike iTunes TV and movie offerings — which are only available in the US — anyone, in any country, can pay for and watch Sanctuary.

Considering the level of content, it’s global availability, and its exclusivity, we feels it’s a fair price — and if you buy them in bundles, it drops the price per webisode even further.

Okay, but 9 euros for 1 hour? When I said this to my wife, her response was “that’s more expensive than porn!” (One might wonder why my wife knows how much porn would cost…) I’m not sure I can afford 9 euros per full (1-hour) episode. I’d rather wait till they release a DVD box set and get it for a reasonable price then pay be on the latest viewing-edge of the show.

I think they have really got the pricing wrong on this. It’s going to make viewers much more fickle. If one episode is really bad… why fork out so much for the next one? Sure the hard-core fans probably would but the average viewer wouldn’t, I don’t think. And when you put it as 9 euros for 1 hour… Jesus that’s enough to discourage anyone from buying it in the first place, unless the novelty of it turns you on.

In their latest blog post, they imply they are aware this is an issue.

First off I want you ALL to know we are taking all of your issues concerning pricing very seriously. It is a large and looming issue and we are aware of it. What I also want to make clear is that we ARE looking into the numbers and discussing the option of a flat pricing model. The company that makes Sanctuary – Stage 3 Media – has modelled its business plan in line with the iTunes pricing model and to change it means some serious bean counting. That said, not for a second do we want to alienate our customers and fans. In fact we strive to do the exact opposite.

So, is it really better than porn?

Well you can decide for yourself. They have released the first webisode in low-res format on youtube. And here it is embedded on my blog (if you can’t see it, just go to thedeadone.net or follow the youtube link above):

America’s Next Top Cylon

Mark Cunningham — Tue, 15 May 2007 09:18:14 +0000

That should be *Canada’s* Next Top *Model*, actually!

Battlestar Galaticia’s latest season had just finished on Sky One a week ago when my wife informed me that Canada’s Next Top Model was showing on Living TV.

Yes, I admit it. I’ve watched America’s Next Top Model. I mean, its a series about beautiful girls wanting to be models where the biggest concern is if they are willing to do a naked photo shoot? Okay it’s got Tyra Bank’s wannable Talk-Show host constantly trying to get the contestants to “show us who you are” (i.e. cry or reveal some dirt about their past), which drives me up the wall… but thank god for Sky+ and fast forward.

Anyway, they are doing a Canadian version and Sophie, my wife, sat down to watch it on Saturday. Obviously there is no Tyra Banks. They have some Canadian Model. But do you know who it is? Tricia Helfer (her official site). Who’s Tricia Helfer? Well she plays the sexy Cylon “Number Six” in Battlestar Galaticia!

I was suddenly dizzy. Campy Fashion Reality TV show crashing with Serious Sci-Fi Drama! It was nearly Cthulhu-esque… two worlds colliding together, other alien dimensions shifting into ours. I kept expecting Tricia to explain how they would be trained to the ultimate sexy human-killing Cylon instead of how Tricia was first spotted by a talent scout, while waiting in a queue, and how she became an international super-model!

(Previous weird Battlestar-Galaticia-ness: Calling your baby Baltar!)

Mr. T as the Jabberwocky!

Mark Cunningham — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:23:32 +0000

I’m a bit of Alice-in-Wonderland-o-phile, so imagine my joy when my daughter (called Alice) was given a DVD called “Alice through the looking glass”. Now it looks absolutely terrible from the cover. But then I looked at the voice actors… Mr. T as the Jabberwocky! Wow. (You know I don’t recall the Jabberwocky actually talking in the original books).

Anyway, last Saturday morning, Alice decides she’ll watch it and that it no longer has a scary cover. We sit down and start watching. It’s bad. Very bad. The songs are atrocity and the rewriting of the original story is so hacky and obviously designed to fit into some “good for kids” formula. The animation is on the lame side of the 80s. It’s so bad, I fall asleep within ten minutes after the introduction of the “fool” (a character certainly not in the books). I only woke up at the end credits. Darn, I never even got to hear Mr. T as the Jabberwocky.

But I’m not willing to sit through it again… (but I may have to…)

(You can see the original DVD on Amazon(.co.uk) here)

So Vampire High is over and the Dresden Files suck…

Mark Cunningham — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:22:34 +0000

Well, lets get specific. What I mean is, I discovered that Vampire High was canned after one season and there is little or no chance of it being started up again. (see my previous post here!) (But it’s not all bad on the vampire front…)

And the Dresden Files TV show sucks. I haven’t read the books or played the RPG (there is one by the way, done by the same folk who did Spirit of the Century). I’ve watched the first three episodes on Sky 1. Quite simply, unoriginal and boring.

Let me go a bit about the Dresden Files for a moment…

The whimpering gay subservient ghost that hangs around the “wizard’s” apartment annoys me no end. Apparently, I’ve read on someone’s blog, is that in the books he’s a talking skull… now that would have been cool. The thing is, I can see what the original books were trying for, a kind of discworld-meets-supernatural-detective. But that doesn’t carry across to the small screen. Instead it comes off as a bad Charmed without the super-cute witches. They writers trying to “shock” the viewer with revelations but the usual audience of this kind of stuff know what to expect and the shocks are uninspired and are, well, shit. Then there is the incessant monologues… FFS show us, don’t tell us. This is TV! A sweeping city shot and some hard-boiled talk is… time to check what’s on the other channels.

Such a pity, because previously Sky was showing the SCI-FI channel mini-series The Lost Room. It was great. Loved the world, the plot came to a conclusion and major parts of the mysteries were revealed. I’d love to see the writers create another mini-series based on the mythos and they certainly left it open.

But did anyone notice? Lost is in its third season. Unbelievable. Can’t believe it’s still on TV. That is a series that should have ended in the first season. The creators of the Lost Room had it right and by comparison, the creators of Lost have it completely utterly wrong. As a roleplayer and GM, the problems of long-running stories are pretty obvious. Do you go for a chronicle that starts and concludes or is “rolling-over” based and just keeps going on, never really concluding or coming to a decisive point (though often a lot of the characters and players change)? In our hobby, a rolling chronicle can work… but not on TV! I losted interest (pun intended) in the middle of the second season.

Back to vampires. I’m really getting into Blade the series. It’s really well written. Very World of Darkness inspired too. Pity it’s already been canned.

That pretty much leaves me with Battlestar Galaticia. The new series has started and it has, so far, been great. The last episode however was a bit boring. Nothing happened. Bit worried it’s going down the same route as the second half of the last season. We’ll wait and see.

Oh damn, nearly forgot: Heroes has started over here. Seen about three episodes (I think) so far. I’m not seeing why everyone is ranting and raving about it, I’m afraid. and then people keep drawing comparisons with Lost which is really really off-putting. If it’s going down the route of Lost, I don’t want to watch it! However, I’m still currently watching it. So maybe it’s something to it. Lets see how it turns out.

Note #1: If there is anything I’ve left out, it’s either because I’d never watched it or I don’t know about it.

Note #2: I’m not really a “torrent” person. I like my TV as… well TV. Okay, let me put it another way, I don’t have time to spend setting up torrents and setting aside time to watch four episodes in a row. If it’s on TV, I’ll watch it. Er. That makes me sound lazy…

Update: 3 years later I decide to do an update, only because I happen to reference this post elsewhere. For the record, I enjoyed the last few episodes of Dresden Files. I think it deserved a second season, but now we’ll never know. And Heroes… well my god, that turned into a pile of poo. It has moments, but it’s terrible stuff, even for die-hards. Putting aside Battlestar Galaticia’s finale, I’d definitely give BG a thumbs up.

You know when you’re a geek if…

Mark Cunningham — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 09:54:30 +0000

I overheard a neighbouring cubicle worker talking about boys names for their new baby with someone else.

“We were thinking of Balthazar.”

I pipe in with:

“Wow. That’s a great geek name.”

“Geek?”

“You know, Baltar, from Battlestar Galacticia… the human with the cylons…”

“Eh, no. Balthazar was one of the wise kings.”

Doh!

Apparently Balthazar, which sounds very similar to “Baltar” which is the name of a character from the popular sci-fi show Battlestar Galacticia, is one of the wise kings from the story of Christmass.

Well, you learn something new everyday.

I’ve found a replacement for Forever Knight!

Mark Cunningham — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:16:43 +0000

(dubnordie will like this!) Since moving into our new house, we’ve got ourselves one of those Sky+ boxes and a Sky subscription to, well, way too many channels. Most of them are utter rubbish. However… there is a channel called “Zone Horror” and they show a Vampire series called “Vampire High” and thanks to the ease of recording, I watched a few episodes!

It’s about as bad as the 90s Vampire series Forever Knight… which makes it very good! I haven’t googled it yet, I don’t want to. I don’t want to know it’s been canned or that there are only one or two seasons. Ignorance is bliss they say.

Each episode is only 30 minutes long, which probably makes it more delicious for it’s bite-size delight. The back-story is a little vague, the elders put some young vampires under the guidance of head-master Dr. Murdock whose job is to humanise them. An experiment that must be kept secret from the “furies”. Anyway, it’s a bunch of Vampires, with all the funky powers and weakness and dress sense living in the basement of a boarding school.

thedeadone.net » Fandom

Apparent quality versus addictiveness of a series

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