What do you like in film/TV?

[Phlakes]

Consider a hypothetical situation. A user on a forum you frequent has been working with some friends in an unofficial production company, making several short films and other projects that have been received well at local festivals, and the group has decided to step it up and make a web series. Let's imagine this web series is a buddy cop show, with a street smart Indian cop and a by-the-book cop who transferred in from L.A. for being too procedural ('cause you know how those L.A. people are). Let's also imagine it's in a parody noir style, and it's a musical.

Let's imagine it's in pre-production and the group is gathering resources and crew together, and starting to write the first drafts of the pilot and other episodes.

Alright, that's enough imagining there. So, if that was all true, the hypothetical user on the forum you frequent would like to know exactly what people enjoy in films or TV shows. Anything at all, as broad as "drama", or as specific as "red curtains with a gold trim if they're being shot in the left side of the frame". So, what do you enjoy or what keeps you interested in things you watch?

 

[gabe12301]

I'm pretty much done with TV. It's just not enjoyable anymore. *goes on nostalgia rant*

 

[epialesofaergia]

I like real people. Less rapid-fire quipping, multi-talented, never-failing super geniuses. More human characters that get it wrong from time-to-time if not most of the time.

I like season-long, arching storylines that might just have some sort of mystery that the/a lead character unravels piece by (logical) piece.

I also like wry humor, just so long as it's not parody (which has been getting really irritating to me, lately).

Spoiler: The Wire

 

[DustyDrB]

I like serialized shows, which means the last decade has been very good to me. Procedural shows (which are shows in which there is little to no overarching story across a single season or across the show's entire run. CSI is a good example. Dr Who is also much too procedural for me. At least where I tried to start watching it) just do nothing for me. Though comedies can get away with this. I like to stick with characters over a long season or seasons and watch them grow and change.

Aside from that, I'm drawn mostly to drama and comedy. I find it hard to care in action shows like 24. I also prefer live action shows over animated. Beyond that, the subject matter can be very diverse.

I'm pretty much done with TV. It's just not enjoyable anymore. *goes on nostalgia rant*

I vehemently disagree, and offer this list of amazing recent shows:
-Mad Men
-Community
-Parks and Recreation
-Breaking Bad
-Chuck
-Curb Your Enthusiasm
-The Office (well...the first three seasons were great)
-The Wire
-Arrested Development
-Lost
-Dexter
-Better Off Ted
-It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
-Terriers
-Battlestar Galactica
-Modern Family
-Louie
-Firefly
-Treme
-Extras

I think TV is better than it has ever been. God, I don't even care about movies anymore because I'm spoiled on these shows.

 

[Dr. wonderful]

They would like great interactions, and not super genuises. Also, less sex. Because if I hear another tag line:

"Smart, sexy and great addition to the summer line up."

Almost like USA programming (That an actual channel).

 

[DustyDrB]

I like real people. Less rapid-fire quipping, multi-talented, never-failing super geniuses. More human characters that get it wrong from time-to-time if not most of the time.

I like season-long, arching storylines that might just have some sort of mystery that the/a lead character unravels piece by (logical) piece.

I also like wry humor, just so long as it's not parody (which has been getting really irritating to me, lately).

Spoiler: The Wire

I actually think the best example of this in The Wire is the very first scene...

 

[Thaluikhain]

When onscreen ability matches up with supposed ability.

I HATE when the supposed genius misses all the mindnumbingly obvious stuff because the plot says so, but saves the day as soon as he looks at a computer, because a decent ending was hard work. Likewise, when supposedly trained military or police are less professional than your average noob on a FPS.

For example, way back when, the old Dr Who featured endless hordes of monsters that were immune to bullets, and had guns. This was simply because otherwise the soldiers would kill them all off. Alot of infuriating US sci-fi, on the other hand, featured monsters that were almost unarmed and not immune to bullets, and soldiers that didn't think to try shooting them, so the hero can think of that at the end. I can't stand that.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

Man, I only recently got back into television.
Plenty of great shows.

Justified
Mad Men
How I Met Your Mother
Game of Thrones
The Walking Dead
Bones

And these are shows I love that are still ongoing.
Generally speaking I look for good writing, good chemistry among actors, and just good acting period.

And I feel lazy so I won't get into movies. I'm a huge movie buff though.

 

[Phlakes]

Alright, so far it looks like one of the biggest things is realistic characters with clever writing and development. Anything else?

 

[Doctor Gonzo]

I know it may seem counter-intuitive, but can we have a cop show where the officers DON'T spend the first 21 or 58 minutes of the show pondering this nearly unsolvable case, and then in the last thirty seconds of the show, magically sort it out in the most convoluted way, complete with samey, boring flashbacks of clues that seem to mock the viewer?

"Do you remember that? Rewind your DVR/browser video player, and watch! Couldn't figure it out, could you? You stupid bugger!" Pfft.

 

[infohippie]

This hypothetical forum user has already lost me at "buddy cop zzzzzzz". I'm sorry, I couldn't even finish that phrase without nodding off from the sheer boredom it evokes.
What I like most of all in a TV show or a movie is that it isn't a cop anything (or a medical anything). Seriously, those kinds of settings need to go die in a fire.

 

[PROcrastinator]

For me i love character development. The characters start off as recruits and gradually gain respect from the other officers as well as develop their skills throughout the series.

 

[Dr. Danger]

For me i love character development. The characters start off as recruits and gradually gain respect from the other officers as well as develop their skills throughout the series.

I like that too until a series (see also: Scrubs) doesn't know when to end.