What We Can Learn From 1990s Serial Dramas

Anyone out there ever watch SeaQuest DSV?  It was one of those shows that piggy-backed on the popularity of StarTrek: Next Generation (along with other shows like StarTrek: Deep Space Nine and StarTrek: Voyager).  Most TV shows at this time were simpler, more straight-forward with almost no plot complications and only one story line.  This one was no different, with a slightly futuristic, military bent.

When this show originally aired, I watched it every week.  It had nothing to do with the plot or the writing.  It was all about Jonathan Brandis.  Yup, I had a minor fascination (read: major obsession) with JB.  For some reason I started thinking about him about a month ago, looked him up, found out some rather upsetting news about him (I'm glad I was never a child actor), and then started thinking about the show.

So, in tribute to JB and my interest *cough*obsession*cough*, I decided to watch it again.  Yea, NetFlix and at-home streaming :)

Well, I'm sick, stuck on my couch, literally coughing and hacking and waiting for it to go away, so I decided to watch some good ol' DSV.  Season 1, Episode 1, here we go.

And I can't tell you how pained I was to find out it was a two-hour premier.  Now, this means I get a little more JB time, but it also means 1:30hr of really bad, 90s TV writing.  The entire first episode is BACKSTORY!  And poorly written backstory at that.  Granted, a bit of the blame can be laid on the actors, though I'm pretty sure that's just the way TV actors performed back then: like they have a live audience; like they don't have a camera in their faces; like they don't have to speak like real people.  *sigh*

But an hour and a half of backstory?  Okay, sure, there's a little bit of action, but if this episode were sent to an agent, it would receive a form rejection.

The lesson?  Don't overload the sick girl with backstory.  She's bored out of her skull!

Do you have any favorite shows from the last few decades?  And do you ever wonder why you loved them then when you watch them now?  Can you watch them without analyzing the writing?