ABC:
The 'It' Network of the Now
During
2003-2004, ABC was a television laughing stock, the network that couldn’t.
Last amongst the big boys, beating out only the WB and UPN subnets in
the ratings, its future looked bleak. Now, four seasons later, they
are in a position to challenge CBS for superiority.
How did
this transformation happen? Amazingly enough, not by stockpiling generic
procedurals, mind-numbing reality shows or cookie-cutter sitcoms; no,
this change from perennial underdog to legitimate contender came about
by emphasizing television “quality” instead of simply going
for ratings “quantity.”
Starting
with Desperate Housewives and Lost, then Grey’s
Anatomy, followed by Ugly Betty and Brothers and Sisters,
and now Pushing Daisies—the new show that 63%
of television critics consider to have the best
pilot—the network has been able to ascend from its ashes of mediocrity.
And as this 2007-2008 season begins, ABC is the reigning network for
smart, intelligent, thought-provoking television. It’s NBC from
the 80s and 90s, the “it” network of the now.
Take Grey’s
Anatomy. Not only is Shonda Rhimes, the series creator, a brilliant
writer of dialogue and character development, but she has also drawn
from a stable of other writers who have worked on some equally brilliant
shows from the past, including Debora Cahn (The West Wing),
Allan Heinberg (The O.C.), Marti Noxon (Buffy the Vampire
Slayer) and Krista Vernoff (Wonderfalls).
Although
technically a medical drama, it is in reality an adult drama that just
happens to take place in a hospital. But even that description does
not do justice, as it is also a soap, comedy, tragedy and metaphor for
life (and death). Not since Joss Whedon has anyone blended genres as
well as Rhimes.
Although
each episode has the expected assortment of patients experiencing exaggerated
medical conditions, the cases on Grey’s Anatomy are often
linked to events going on in the lives of the main characters. For instance,
in the season three episode “My Favorite Mistake,” everyone
from George to Izzy to Cristina are faced with regrets and the desire
to take back past mistakes. But so are the patients, including a man
with diabetes who waited too long to have his infected foot treated
and now faces losing it. There is no “do-over” for him,
however, no way to go back and have the foot treated sooner. And the
same is true with the characters; their past actions have consequences
that cannot be erased.
Each episode
is also bookended with a voice-over describing the challenges the characters
are facing. Although at times clichéd, these narratives also
offer sound observation on a life shrouded by death, a life filled with
highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies, hope and despair, love and loneliness.
Sound observations that any of us can relate.
While the
characters on Grey’s Anatomy are damaged individuals
trying to survive in the world around them, their dilemmas pale when
compared to the characters on Lost. This drama, cloaked by
mystery and wrapped in a sci-fi enigma, is riddled with equally damaged
characters carrying more than their fair share of baggage. Viewers discover
these issues each week via the use of flashbacks that alternate between
the characters; we also, however, get to experience how all that baggage
translates when found trapped on a “deserted” island with
strangers unaware of each others past. In a very real sense, each character
is given a new lease on life, a tabula rasa-like opportunity to reinvent
themselves and achieve redemption for their past sins.
Thus the
drug-addict former rocker star who always lacked the family he craved
sacrifices his life for the woman (and her son) he loves; the doctor
who was never good enough for his fellow surgeon father steps up as
a leader; the perennial loser who always longed to be “special”
finds a perceived destiny; and the loner con-man discovers the meaning
of camaraderie and companionship.
Co-executive
producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, meanwhile, are Shonda Rhimes
equals, and have likewise built a talented staff, including season three
addition Drew Goddard, who earned the nickname “Ultimate Drew”
on Buffy the Vampire Slayer before moving on to Angel
and Alias. Goddard helped pump new life into the series following
a disappointing (by Lost standards) season two.
But while
Grey’s Anatomy acts as a metaphor about the life and
struggles of every man (or woman), Lost is those same struggles
taken to an epic level. Religious and philosophical analogies abound
as the purpose of our existence is argued on an island void of morals
and reason. This debate is most strikingly personified by the characters
of John Locke and Jack Shephard, one a man of faith, the other of science.
But the central question of whether we have a free will capable of choosing
the paths we take, or if our actions are pre-destined and outside of
our control, plays out in the lives of every character, from Kate Austen
to Charlie Pace to Desmond Hume. Suffice it to say that Lost is not
always easy entertainment, but it is intelligent and meaningful on a
variety of levels.
Ugly
Betty, on the other hand, is a classic “fish out of water”
comedy focusing on average Betty Suarez, who suddenly finds herself
working at a fashion magazine populated by the rich and beautiful. Great
writing—fast becoming an ABC staple—meets exceptional comedic
acting by the likes of America Ferrera (Betty), Vanessa Williams (Wilhelmina),
Michael Urie (Marc) and Becki Newton (Amanda).
But although
a lighter fare, Ugly Betty can challenge our perceptions of
the world around us as well. Betty, despite being middle-classed and
unattractive, is unwavering against the winds of chaos that swirl around
her, while her intelligence and sound judgment often saves the day for
those who consider themselves above her. Meanwhile those same co-workers,
despite their wealth and beauty, often find themselves in situations
that may appear commonplace to most of us, albeit embellished for comic
effect, but are foreign and thus significant to them. This goes beyond
the basic “never judge a book by its cover” adage, however,
as it also brings home the point that all of us, regardless of looks,
financial status or employment, face problems and challenges on a daily
basis.
Great writing.
Great characters. Great acting. ABC may not have a monopoly on those
traits, but has definitely perfected them. And with offerings
like Grey’s Anatomy, Lost and Ugly Betty,
the network not only entertains but helps us relate to the world around
us while simultaneously making us laugh, cry and even do a little self
assessment. These shows define who we are, as well as our times, as
much as anything else, making ABC the “it” network of the
now, indeed.
September
24 , 2007
