22.10.07

TV conventions that make you go arrrgh

You know what I hate?

Three characters are chatting alone in a room on any given TV show. One character moves off to the side, you know, about six feet away. The first two characters start talking about some deep secret that the third character doesn't know. For some reason, despite being JUST RIGHT THERE, that third character can't hear a word they're saying. They don't even seem to realize there's a conversation going on. Deep secret is contained. Third guy remains blissfully unaware. Audience is informed.

Arrrgh. Why oh why, do writers do it?

I know it saves you having to do a whole separate scene, and I know it helps with the practicalities of a shoot, but come on! There's no way in hell ever that could happen in real life. I'm usually pretty great at suspension of disbelief, but seriously, that three-in-a-room thing is one impossible convention that should be eradicated.

What's your TV pet peeve? As future TV writers of America, let's work together to stomp them out.

Slacker excuses
Did you know you can get the most delicious Bloody Mary's at the Cha Cha Lounge in Silverlake for a mere $2 on Sunday afternoon? Well you can. And that leads to needing a nap on Monday afternoon, thereby putting a halt to Monday's productivity.

3 comments:

amitbe said...

that's like in a first person shooters when you shoot some AI enemy and there's another AI enemy who meets dead AI guy at a point that connects their ridiculously short patrols every nine seconds. not only AI guy #2 doesn't hear the gunshots but he never stops to wonder where the hell did the first AI guy, who's been here an eternity, has disappeared all of the sudden.

bad writing

Josh said...

amit is right...except that really that's called bad programming, or simply bad AI.

Anyway...Heroes always has characters shoving other characters up against walls. I don't know if it's really a TV pet peeve, but it sure is sloppy drama.

Anonymous said...

This might be cliche peeve, but whether it's in movies or TV, I HATE it when people run off in the middle of a gunfight and a trail of machine gun bullets follow them. It's like they're outrunning the persons aim. Everytime I see it I wanna throw my remote through the TV.