Nick's Blog
TV Blog
24/2/2010 @ 22:04
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Going through my DVD collection (and my wish list), I got to thinking that there are some shows that are...shall we say...unique. I don't mean unique in a bad way (like Cop Rock) but shows that broke the mould and gave viewers something not seen before and rarely since. And because I'm into the whole Cracked list thing, I thought of 5 TV shows that were truly unique and stand out for being like no other. And in reverse order they are...
5. Moonlighting
On the surface, it was a standard private detective show bedecked in pastel shades, but underneath this was a radical show for American TV of the 1980s. It frequently broke "the fourth wall", veered off into tangents, homages and pastiches and often forgot its origins as a private detective thriller. And for one brief moment, we saw Bruce Willis as an excellent light comedy actor instead of an action hero. Watching it you really didn't know what was going to happen in the episode or would it stick to a formula.
4. Twin Peaks
How many A list directors decide to slum it on television? No, Jerry Bruckheimer does not count. Instead America's own avant garde darling David Lynch, hot on the heels of the success of Blue Velvet, comes up with Twin Peaks and baffles audiences for two memorable seasons. It was scary, stupid, tense, irrelevant, shocking and banal all at the same time. It's characters had so many quirks and ticks to keep viewers guessing, it launched various careers and re-ignited some dormant ones as well. It's legacy of bizarre communities populated by weirdos all concealing something can be seen in The X-Files, Desperate Housewives and even Lost but nothing compares to the oddity that is Twin Peaks....and it's even more baffling movie prequel.
3. Dr. Who
Sure, it's a worldwide hit and the #3 sci-fi franchise in the world but it's premise, and what makes it special, marks it down as something truly unique. Think about it: A time and space machine that's bigger on the inside than on the outside, the ability to go anywhere and at any time period and when the lead actor doesn't want to be in it anymore they "regenerate" the character. I can't think of another show that has that level of innovation built in from the outset. Star Trek and Star Wars have their imitators but Dr. Who remains in a class of its own....Quantum Leap doesn't count.
2. The Prisoner
It's not the premise that makes The Prisoner unique, it's the execution. Not only is the lead character in captivity, but we never learn his name or, crucially, why he resigned. Even in the 1960s, to leave a character's motivations vague and to continually deny closure for the viewer was radical. Now add an enemy who was equally mysterious in origin (were they our side, theirs, both or neither?), an idyllic setting that was kind of creepy, plots that continually pulled the rug out from under the viewers and a malevolent weather balloon (who might have been a living thing) and you get a show that is still discussed and analysed 43 years later.
1. Sapphire and Steel
Proof that you can make terrifying and suspenseful television on a budget of $1.75. Even after watching it 30 years later, I still can't figure out what the hell was going on in this show. For the uninitiated, this show was about two "elements" called Sapphire and Steel even though neither substance is actually an element, and they were extraterrestrials (I think) who were sent by a higher authority (never revealed) to fix problems with space and time (possibly...and that's after watching it only last night). Oh, and they were played by Joanna Lumley and David McCallum. Each story consisted of about 6 half hour episodes (much like Dr. Who) and were mostly set in one location or set but boy were they scary as hell without resorting to using special effects. Remember the Doctor Who story "Blink" and how effective that was? Now imagine that level of unease and scariness maintained across 34 episodes and that's what Sapphire and Steel was like.
