No, this is not about Kevin Spacey or the recent Hollywood sexual harassment revelations. I have been trying to take a break from all the politics and talk about something else for a minute. For a few years, many of my friends and family have encouraged me to get with the times and check out some of the great programs from the non-networks. I excitedly made time to watch a few of these shows and trust me, my expectations were very high after all the cajoling to watch.
As a big fan of history, I was immediately enthralled with the idea of Man in the High Castle (Amazon), but had never subscribed to Amazon to watch the program. Upon learning there was a season two coming out I decided I had to get in on this. No spoilers here, but if you don’t know, the premise of the story is that Germany and Japan win World War II. It is the 1960s and the U.S. divided between the two countries, predominantly under continuing Nazi rule. Of course, there is a resistance movement – after all, we are the U.S! It is a fascinating look into what the U.S. could be like if the unthinkable happened and we lost the war. Season three is coming out soon and I can’t wait to see it.
I also enjoy science fiction and Stranger Things (Netflix) came highly recommended. Again, no spoilers, but if you don’t know, the premise is that the now typical rogue U.S. government agency sets up a laboratory in a small town and something goes wrong. A young boy goes missing at the beginning of the show and the series is all about what happened and how to get him back from the alternate dimension that took him. Season two continues with a related story. Along the way, there are the real-life stories of the band of kids at the center of everything (not unlike Stephen King’s IT in some ways). There are rumors of a third season. I sure hope so.
That brings us to House of Cards (Netflix), which has had five full seasons with teases of a sixth. Obviously, a new season would require the challenge of eliminating the main character played by Spacey after the show cut all ties with the now disgraced star. Robin Wright, his co-star, is more than capable of taking control. Once again, no spoilers here, but for those who do not know, this is a story about a political couple as they fight for and rise to power in Washington, DC. These are not good people and they care not who they hurt to get what they want. The show is captivating, and one must carefully watch and listen to the dialogue. Excellent writing.
There are a few points to this piece. First, I am thrilled that I finally watched some of the oft-mentioned non-network shows. They were excellent and lived up to their billing. There are many more I hope to find time to watch. Second, why can’t, or don’t, the many networks create such programs? It is true that the networks have restrictions over language, sex scenes, and the need for commercial sponsors. The popularity of the shows makes the latter a non-issue. I am sure they can work around the first two and I doubt a little editing would ruin these programs. Is it the budget? Do the subscription costs allow these organizations to pay for production costs the networks cannot? The networks must generate significantly more programming to fill the air 24/7 whereas Amazon, Netflix, et al, can make as few shows as they want. There is much debate over the future of television. Some argue the day is coming where everything is pay-per-view and homes can subscribe to just the shows they want. I guess there could be a way to have a free preview to encourage people to check out as many shows as possible and hopefully entice them to buy them. Stay tuned…