Chris Gore's Footage Fetishes: Why TV is Better than the Movies

I’ve been a film fan my entire life. For me, the television was always a way for me to view my favorite films on home video. But lately I find myself hooked on a number of amazing television series that not only exceed my expectations, but provide a more satisfying experience than actually going to the movies. Over the last year or so, I’ve seen shows like Heroes and Entourage and Flight of the Conchords and Battlestar Galactica on HD in my makeshift home theater and the odds that I’ll have a good time are much better than taking a risk on the latest multiplex offerings. Sometimes the joy in seeing a bad movie is in picking apart that movie, but films of late have seemed so out of touch, so less-than-spectacular, so meh, that I’d rather just check my Tivo or rent a season of television on DVD, and settle into my couch to continue to make that reverse impression of my behind.

This is not just the Golden Age, we might as well rename this period marked by a plethora of quality television as the "Platinum Age of TV."

This shift in my media consumption has led me to the conclusion that currently the best television programs are much better than the best movies. There, I said it. And it’s a tough thing for me to admit being a lifelong movie guy. I know this will spark much debate, but I’d like to present my case with the following evidence.

The theatrical experience is miserable while home theaters are affordable.
Fact: Rude jackasses talking during movies was only the beginning, now more people are treating the movie theater like their living rooms. Cell phone use has virtually destroyed the enjoyment of experiencing a movie on the big screen. There are only a few movie theaters in Los Angeles that have no tolerance policies toward those bright lights that pop up as people mindlessly take calls or text during films. When one considers the cost of an evening at the movies (ticket prices, refreshments, parking, babysitter if needed), it makes the cost of a home theater system seem within reach. If the average movie night costs about $80, you need to stay home only nine times to save enough to buy a 37” widescreen HD TV for about $700.
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The cell phone has practically killed the movie theater experience... while home theaters are more affordable than ever.

TV on DVD currently outsell hit movies on DVD.
Fact: Visiting the shelves of video stores, as a category, the television section has grown beyond one aisle. And you’ll find even the most obscure old series available in boxed sets with tons of extras. And you may even find yourself interested in checking out what’s on the special features for The Beverly Hillbillies Ultimate Collection Volume 1 & 2 which includes unedited episodes, commercial promos, rare behind-the-scenes, and the pilot that never aired. Or not, but that’s just an example of the lengths to which television is being repurposed on DVD. Video business trade publications support this, but one need only check Amazon.com to observe that of the top 10 selling DVDs, eight are television shows and the top four consist of Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Third Season, The Office - Season Three, Heroes - Season One, and Smallville - The Complete Sixth Season.
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Which group of heroes would you prefer to watch? The movies' Fantastic Four or televisions' Heroes?

Movies have become formulaic while TV is original.
Fact: The summer movie season is known for its batch of both good and bad films, but all of them consist of either sequels, remakes, TV shows made into movies, comic books or generally films based on previously known properties and/or franchises. So, if it’s not going to be familiar with a wide audience, studios are reluctant to back films that are original. Conversely, television is now the place where originality thrives.
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Televisions' Battlestar Galactica proves that science fiction can be intelligent. When was the last time a sci-fi movie was able to explore serious issues?

The movie audience is shrinking.
Fact: Television continues to thrive as consumers either watch TV, Tivo TV, download TV or buy TV on DVD. And while the Nielson ratings support that the pie continues to break down into smaller pieces, when one includes other ways in which viewers get their TV fix, the audience is growing. The reverse is true when it comes to movie-going. George Lucas visited the campus of USC last year for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in which he pointed out that the movie audience is indeed shrinking. While the studios make bold statements regarding bigger and bigger box-office numbers, when one adjusts for inflation, fewer people are going to the movies each year.
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Televisions' Jack Bauer from 24 and Jason Bourne from the Bourne film series both deliver compelling action.

Movies are made by committee. While television remains a writers’ medium which leads to better storytelling.
Fact: Film scripts written by screenwriters who toiled for years are bought by studios who quickly fire the original writer and hire a new one to rewrite the script, and this process of rewrites continues with notes coming from all departments of the studio including marketing. And worse, a screenwriter who gets a film made every three years should be considered lucky, some wait as long as seven years or more to see their work on the big screen. Useful feedback from audiences in the form of box-office or reviews, which can contribute toward developing a talented screenwriter, comes too late in the process to be of any value. While television writers are also subjected to studio notes, the original writers are part of a writing staff that oversees the integrity of the script. The goal is that there be consistent storytelling, which is especially important for any episodic series. The writing process for television leads to a healthier development environment resulting in better programming all around. Simply, writers get respect on TV and that means the shows are better.

TV Producers are the new Hollywood movie success stories.
Fact: Because TV writer/producers exercise their writing muscles on a regular basis by producing hundreds of hours of content, they develop into much better writers. By getting constant feedback from regular viewing audiences in the form of ratings and inevitable forum rants, their quality creative output increases. The stories of successful television-to-film crossovers include writer/producers such as J.J. Abrams (Mission Impossible III) to Judd Apatow (40 Year-Old Virgin, Superbad, Knocked Up) to Joss Whedon (Serenity). In fact, they’ve become the most sought after by the studios to deliver the latest summer movie epics such as J.J. Abrams upcoming reinvention of Star Trek.
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While most would agree that the movie-going experience has deteriorated, would you pay $10 to watch two hours of Lost?

There remains one big question: Would you pay money to see TV at the movie theater? As an experiment, I’d love to see a special episode of Heroes or Lost open in theaters while still showing on TV. Imagine this scenario: The season finale of Lost will screen unedited in a limited number of movie theaters across the country for one week before that episode actually airs on television. It would be a great way to connect with fellow fans in the audience. For me, knowing the fate of the Lost cast, if only for a week, would be worth the price of admission.

Would you pay to see TV at the movies? If you paid to see The Simpsons Movie, then the answer must be "yes."

Gore gone.

Chris_Gore will return after these messages. And you can watch more of this debate, ironically, on television.
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