The
anthology was one of the earliest genres of television as seen in shows such as
The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Tales
of the Unexpected. These shows aired during the relatively early years of
television when viewing tastes were not only decidedly different to today, but
developing. While the genre never truly disappeared from the small screen, the
sheer number of popular shows classed as anthology has certainly decreased.
Commissioners generally dislike the genre as they believe that viewers may lack
the incentive to carry on with a show, as they are not motivated to do so when
compared to other shows that have big narratives. In many ways this is true.
Contemporary audiences are now used to long running serialised shows that
generally drag stories beyond their natural life span and often leave viewers
relieved and far from bereft when they finish.
In recent
years, there has been a rise in TV shows that choose to tell big stories in one
season, and then with the same theme and title, begin a completely different
story the next.
This started
with the darkly brilliant American Horror Story which is responsible for
updating the anthology genre to fit the tastes of modern viewers. Each season
holds the important ingredients of a drama series: a gripping storyline,
intriguing characters and the occasional twist which maintains the audiences
hook. But with its unique blend of the gothic, comical and even erotic themes,
the show has also brought some originality to the medium.
Other shows
have followed suit, most notably Fargo and True Detective, and
this autumn another horror anthology series by the makers of America Horror
Story will debut, Scream Queens.
Last year,
season one of True Detective premiered
to enormous critical acclaim and developed a cult following. The series author,
Nic Pizzolatto claimed to have originally conceived the project as a novel
before deciding it was better suited to the small screen medium. This is
evident as Pizzolatto, an acclaimed novelist, structures the first season with
as much depth and intrigue as a novel.
The premise initially seems formulaic with dead prostitutes and sadistic
killings How often have we seen this?
What saves
the show from blandness were the characters, particularly the acting talents of
Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey that kept me going back. The breakdown
of their relationship and the changes over 17 years was exceptional and the
level of unease made for some disturbing yet mesmserising TV. Further
installments would inevitably be compared and the reviews for the premiere
episode of Season 2, which aired last weekend, have been overall poor with the
main focus of comparing the new storyline to that of season one.
There are
many ways anthology TV shows like this can work; take American Horror Story
for example. It explores an established genre and while the option are
limitless, it is still routed with a certain style that gives each installment
a certain identity. You can view each season completely out of order but know
you’re watching the same show. While the repertoire casting is sometimes a
drawback as certain actors are given the exact same characters to play (ahem,
Jessica Lange), this ultimately makes the show all the more familiar. Fargo,
which I’ve yet to see but will do having recently viewed and loved the movie,
is classed as anthology, but will inevitably have character cross over due to
the same setting of each season. While the first outing was set in 2006, the
second which is due to premiere in the autumn, will go be set in 1979 and
include a character from the season one, who will be much younger and different
from how viewers remember him.
The issue
with True Detective is simply that while the title highlights the
obvious genre and with an exceptionally perfect debut season, it’s hard to know
exactly how the show will remain familiar with viewers with a completely
different cast and tone. Having only seen the first episode of season two
myself, it is inevitably different and time will tell whether it was worth
sticking with.
There are no
ingredients as to why the TV anthology format can work. In my opinion, each
season must be of a consistent level of standard. The first two seasons of American
Horror Story, took formulaic concepts and experimented them. The recent
seasons, entitled Coven and Freak Show, were about as formulaic
as it gets, though this will supposedly be rectified with the shows supposed
reinvention for the next installment, Hotel.
As season one
of True Detective was so special, I can’t help but feel that it should
have been left alone and this new story should be called something else
entirely. Pizzolatto clearly knows the crime genre very well and I'm sure that
he will continue to write amazing crime stories for years to come.
As of now
though, I’m loving the revival of the anthology genre; it has been updated to
fit modern tastes and will hopefully continue to invent stories that give us a
satisfying beginning, middle and conclusion. Hopefully, the new season of True
Detective will eventually remind us exactly why we fell in love with the
show one year ago, rather a new entity that's only similarity is the title and
nothing else.
