It’s Monday and I’m jumping for joy! No, I’m not losing it…well…maybe a little, but that’s not the point. The point is that we’re only two days away from the next episode of Vikings!
Those who know me, know that my daily routine consists of very little sleep and lots of running around. My typical18-hour-long day is usually spent between family obligations, writing, more family obligations and a little time for fun which means nice conversations with friends or reading. As you may have noticed, I didn’t include TV.
That’s because—unlike Ms. Aubrey’s long standing love story with anything TV related—I have a complicated relationship with TV shows. First of all, I grew up without access to variety on TV until my late teens. Once I did have access to more than one channel on the telly, there was not a lot of up-to-date content aside from variety shows and four hours of soap operas daily. The lack of options on TV in my youth turned my attention to music and the few good movies that reached the local theater with subtitles instead of the ear-sore dubbing (hence my love for Star Wars).
Once I moved to Canada, the variety increased but there were still not many shows that retained my attention for long periods back then and very few now. The ones that currently do are usually produced in England which means their seasons are VERY brief. I’ve become used to waiting well over twelve months for a new season that last—at the most—five bloody episodes.
I usually seek TV—either newscasts or series—when I’m tied up in a story and music hasn’t been able to help loosen the knots in it. Like factual news, TV shows are full of triggers for interesting twists. Although the rule is to never imitate anybody’s existing work, it’s safe to say that a lot (A LOT) of authors extrapolate or build upon stories to create brand new spins. The “what if that hadn’t happened or what if that had happened instead” can throw you into new pathways for your own story.
As much as any small thing in an episode can help spin the wheels of creativity when I need it, the shows have to be able to hook my attention to keep me coming back for more when I don’t need the jolt in inspiration.
With that said, a few new productions have intrigued and made me crave for more. Some, I’m patiently (maybe not so patiently) waiting for (possibly scouring the web now and then for updates on the production schedule…*cough* The Fall, Les Revenants, Sherlock *cough*). And some are currently being aired and making me whimper and beg for the next episode the minute the current one ends. That’s the case for Vikings and, strangely enough, a new series titled Believe.
Vikings has stolen my attention and kept me at the edge of my seat for almost two full seasons. So far, the episodes have been developed to leave viewers waiting for the backlash of each disastrous conflict or decision made by the engaging protagonists. I truly enjoy both the characters and the storytelling in the series. It pleases me that although I’m sure some creative license was used in the recount of the stories, it is largely based on historical facts and most of the characters are real people written into Nordic history. Then, of course, there is the fact it’s filmed in Ireland. It is worth watching and not just because of the breathtaking scenery.
In Believe, the not knowing how the two main characters came to not know of each other’s existence is the puzzling piece. They haven’t explained most of it and it’s intriguing enough that I’m going back for more. The series is brand new and although I know it might end up falling flat well into the season, so far, the action and the mystery surrounding all of the characters has held my attention.
I’m hoping that the rest of the year brings more thrilling series I can latch on to when I’m in need of a recharge. It also makes for enthusiastic Monday mornings. ;)
How about you? Do you have any series you follow religiously? Series you DVR regularly so you can watch the episodes again and again? Tell us about your favorite TV shows.
Chris
