A PHENOMENON OF COMPLEX TV
Over the past two decades or so, a rising popularity of complex narrative in the television landscape has emerged to both critical and popular acclaim (Mittel, 2006). Replacing the typical forms of episodic storytelling, these shows feature complicated, multi-arc and interweaving narrative construction that have captivated audience entertainment. Perhaps the touchstone moment for this shift can be attributed to the branding strategies of the HBO network. Since its adoption of the slogan “It’s Not TV, It’s HBO” in 1996, the channel has built its reputation and subscriber base upon a unique blend of narratively elaborate shows. These days, complex dramas dominate the TV landscape: not only shows on HBO like Game of Thrones but also others like AMC’s Mad Men, Netflix’s House of Cards and FOX’s Empire.
Popular opinion has framed these changes as TV becoming more “literary” or “cinematic”, and “culturally distinguished” (Mittel, 2015). According to Kristin Thompson (2003), programs like HBO’s flagship shows Twin Peaks and The Sopranos reflect a desire to emulate art cinema, and subsequently demonstrate a shift into ‘high culture’ – a prestige that has previously only been reserved for discussion of cinema.
What is labeled as complex television has adopted many narrative and technical strategies of both classical and independent Hollywood cinema (Thompson, 2003). These include a focus on story and character development imperative for sustained long form narratives and a shift away from single-strand episodic stories…in other words, less series and more serial. In addition, to support a more creative narrative, it is also more visually artistic, with a sophistication in cinematography and editing techniques to imitate a “cinematic” look.
As a case study for these changes, we can consider True Detective (2014), a crime drama anthology series that has just concluded its second season on HBO. Its first season received a myriad of accolades, particularly for its stellar writing and direction. The series is an anthology, which means that each season can be its own self contained long form narrative, leaving opportunities for creative techniques such as temporal shifts and non-linear storytelling. The casting of high profile, traditionally dramatic film actors Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey (fresh off his Oscar Win for Best Actor) add further merit and weight to the heavy narrative material, and this use of stardom is something that links back to the strategies of the classical Hollywood system. The show is also exemplary of cinema’s notion of auteurism, with writer/producer Nic Pizzolatto given charge of much of the series’ visual and stylistic tone.
With the shift in narrative style, it’s interesting to analyse how it has changed audience culture. The popularity of complex narrative means a growing willingness of deeper audience engagement. This is reflected in the television economy’s change from a select few big studios that aim to target the widest audience possible (e.g. NBC with Friends) to a variety of channel selections each targeting specific niche audiences and aiming to attract cult followings.
These occurrences are also all apart of a larger transformation of audience culture that supports active audience theory. Thanks to technology, audiences can now establish online imagined communities of people that follow the same show. Social media platforms like Tumblr, message boards and review sites like The AV Club and viewership tracking tools such as Trackt.tv all lend themselves to helping the growth of a dedicated fan culture that closely analyses and discusses television content. The mainstream rise of this culture means it has never been easier to be a fan of complex TV.
In conclusion, Jason Mittel (2006) summarises the new form of complex television that’s emerged as “a reconceptualization of the boundary between episodic and serial forms, a heightened degree of self-consciousness in storytelling mechanics, and demands for intensified viewer engagement focused on both diegetic pleasures and formal awareness”. Although, whilst it seems like we are in a golden age of complex narrative driven material, it is up the rapidly shifting digital world and audience culture to determine if this type of storytelling will sustain the television culture in the future.
References
1. Mittell, J. (2006). “Narrative Complexity in Contemporary American Television”, The Velvet Light Trap – A Critical Journal of Film and Television, , pp. 29-40.
2. Thompson, K. (2003). Storytelling in film and television. Harvard University Press.
3. Mittell, J. (2015). Complex TV: The poetics of contemporary television storytelling. NYU Press.
