A great many people might tell you that Pakistani television is the home of supreme storytelling and glorious acting. While some TV dramas do get it right, most of them feel very dull, devoid of original thought and overindulge in selective morality.
During a panel discussion titled ‘Power(ful) TV: A Look at Socially Impactful Television’, executive producer David Hudgins
stated that the components that define ‘socially impactful TV’ include “authenticity, truth, and point of view…As long as you’re
telling the truth… then that’s the battle.” He also added that while TV is about telling stories, the goal is “to entertain… you
don’t want to lecture the audience but it is also important to provoke some kind of reaction”.
CultureVulture
With Hollywood stars migrating to the small screen and the emergence of platforms like Netflix and Hulu, the landscape of television is shifting. Here’s what Pakistan can learn from it.
A great many people might tell you that Pakistani television is the home of supreme storytelling and glorious acting. While some TV dramas do get it right, most of them feel very dull, devoid of original thought and overindulge in selective morality.
One problem is with the stories we are trying to tell. The plot, for instance, does not extend beyond twisted love stories. Another issue is how we shoot TV dramas. The most pertinent (and possibly the most dangerous) however is the rampant assumption that the audience won’t digest progressive ideals. It may be difficult but it isn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility in the post-Netflix age where the global television landscape is seeing a shift.
Pakistani TV, instead of pandering for the sake of ratings, can learn plenty from this evolution.
One place in particular where TV made up for the dominant conversation was at the recently concluded ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas. Now in its sixth edition, the four-day event not only counted several actors in attendance but also saw the appearance of major players from the industry who spoke about past accomplishments and future goals. Though this year’s festival hosted several reunions and lots of starry moments, our attention is on the panels that focused on the importance of diverse storytelling.
One session that highlighted this thought occurred on the second day of the festival as executives from NBC (Jennifer Salke), HBO (Casey Bloys), FX (Nick Grad), Hulu (Craig Erwich) and Showtime (Gary Levine) gathered to talk all things TV.
Representing FX, the cable channel backing shows like The Americans, American Horror Story, Fargo, American Crime Story and Feud, Nick Grad explained that being original is the only way to make it in the age of a million shows and content. “If the show is great, people will talk about it, and you’ll find an audience … being original and being great will help you cut through the clutter.”
Jennifer Salke from NBC, the network that scored a huge hit with the path-breaking new drama, This Is Us, noted that you have to keep striving. “It always amazes me that these shows can break out in a world where there is so much [TV content],” she said. “You just have to keep striving for something inspired, and you got to have a good strategy. It’s really hard. The stars have to align,” but good TV “always will find a space.”
Showtime, the cable channel that backed productions like Homeland and Masters of Sex, assesses that while limited series allows Hollywood stars to migrate to the small screen because it doesn’t require the same number of hours as a full season network series, the ultimate goal always will be to develop long series that people can invest in.
“If those actors can play in the TV sandbox and only commit to eight hours one season, that’s tempting,” said Levine. “In some ways we may be hurting ourselves because the brass ring still is the long ongoing series where a network invests in a show, an audience invests in those characters, and the love flows in all directions.”
On another ATX panel executives spoke during a session called ‘Power(ful) TV: A Look at Socially Impactful Television’. Parenthood executive producer David Hudgins noting the three components that define “socially impactful TV” stated: “authenticity, truth, and point of view…As long as you’re telling the truth… then that’s the battle.”
Dear White People creator Justin Simien spoke about the importance of truth in storytelling. “Black folks,” he said, “are often the side characters or the novelty characters. They are not the character you really go home with and learn their internal struggles. By me telling the truth in the show about the layers, the ugliness and the beautifulness of what goes on in the black experience, it paints us as human beings.”
Simien added: “If [a topic] is taboo but has a point that we really need to make and I’m afraid what’s going to happen, that’s my cue.”
Another participant in the panel, One Day At A Time producer Gloria Calderon Kellett, reminded everyone that while progress is visible, there is still a long way to go. “We’re telling one story in the hopes that it can start a conversation for more stories,” said Kellett.
Sweet/Vicious creator Jennifer Kaytin Robinson spoke about the new Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why which tackles the subject of teen suicide but has received mixed reviews. “I do think that 13 Reasons Why did a lot of things to start a conversation…any conversation feels good because at least we’re talking about it,” but also added that she didn’t agree with the show’s approach.
Hudgins added: “We’re making television and telling stories and at the end, the goal is to entertain… you don’t want to lecture the audience” but it is also important to “provoke some kind of reaction.”
– With information from Deadline.
