More shows worth emulating

[Caldis]

I just saw that episode of CSI with the plastic surgeon and Catherine worrying about aging.  I think I'd have to agree that the characterization is too subtle for gaming.  There's no action and no decision making on her part, just wondering if she is getting old revealed by her looking in a mirror at the end.  It's possible to do but I really think it's more likely solving the murders will end up becoming central to a game based on CSI.

To get back to the original thread topic I can think of a movie that would be an excellent basis for a PTA game.  The Royal Tenenbaums.  Rent it if you havent already seen it.  The whole story is about revealing the characters through their choices and actions.  Each of the main characters have deep issues they have to work out and in the end they do.

[kaotmus]

Some more series I imagine would be playable in PTA (just ordered it today, so...)

The Kingdom (Lars von Trier version, haven't seen the new one) - even though it's mystery driven, it is also an ensemble piece with a lot of subplots.

Homicide: Life on the street - which was much more character driven than CSI.

Futurama - probably not all episodes, but at least some of them deal with character issues (Fry feeling out of place and useless, Leela being a mutant).

Family Guy - same thing.

/Max

[Mike Holmes]

Homicide: Life on the street - which was much more character driven than CSI.

Oh. Good call. Character driven is an understatement. IMO, Homicide is the best police drama ever produced, and some of the best TV ever produced, period. There are episodes that I can recal that just thinking about still give me the shivers.

I'm particularly fond of Richard Belzer (he's why I watch L&O: SVU), but the real heavyweight was Andre Baugher. Holy cow he was powerful on the small screen. A great joining of character and actor.

Has anyone else seen the episode entitled, IIRC, "Subway"? Oh man. Yep, if you can do half as well in play emulating the show as the actual show did, it would be a momentous game.

Mike

[azrianni]

How about these?

Malcolm in the Middle - these people definitely have both issues and conflicts.  And the conflicts are definitely not the traditional RPG types, either.  The conflicts usually aren't about "can I do this?" but "can I get away with this?" or "will doing this bring about the result I intend?"  Most of the time in this show, the protagonists fail, and their plots backfire.

Scrubs - there's clearly a central character here, with JD narrating (almost) every episode, but the spotlight still gets shared around a bit, and the show does some surprising things that gave me ideas for PTA.  For one thing, JD's apparent nemesis (especially early), Dr. Cox, is really a connection.  (His real nemesis is the janitor.)  Also the first-person narration could be interesting as a technique for a protagonist's spotlight episode: let them narrate the openings of the scenes they're in, perhaps?

As I was thinking about these and other shows, I also noticed an interesting pattern of nemeses:

WKRP in Cincinnati: Mr. Carlson's nemesis - his mother

Seinfeld: George's nemesis - his parents

Gilmore Girls: Lorelai's nemesis - her parents

There are probably more like this out there, but again, a good model for potential conflicts.

[Jonas Larson]

Kaotmus: Wow! The Kingdom would be at terrific (terrefying?) show to play in PTA! Riget (must use the original title sometimes) is one of the best TV shows ever, along with Twin Peaks and some more. The colors in it, and the characters, wow. But that kind of acting is hard to follow (Ernst Hugo Järegård is great). I would love to try it though, great call. And for everyone who hasn't seen it, do it now! I know there is a DVD out in Scandinavia, but I can't say I know if you could get a version with english subtitles, maybe on VHS.

Another show worth a look is the new ABC series "Lost" I'll post a link to tvtome.com:  Lost

It's great, especially the later episodes, and very character driven, like all dramas,  great characters and sometime very exciting.

[WarrenET2]

Speaking of British shows there was one that came on late at night where I was called 'Lovejoy'.

Not a lot of action but great dialouge and characters plus the viewer could learn a thing or two.

Other shows I like that could turn into a fun gaming session:

Firefly

Cowboy Bebop

M.A.S.H

Greg The Bunny

24



I don't have the book yet so I don't know how appropriate any of these choices would be.


Warren

[joshua neff]

I don't have the book yet so I don't know how appropriate any of these choices would be.

Oh, off the top of my head I'd say Firefly is spot on.

When you get the book, you'll see what I mean.

[Matt Wilson]

Another show worth a look is the new ABC series "Lost" I'll post a link to tvtome.com:  Lost

Psst. Hey. Check out the post I started the thread with.

Oh, off the top of my head I'd say Firefly is spot on.

I think the secret litmus test for any of my game concepts will be how effectively you can play in the 'verse.

[WarrenET2]

Cool, though I think I'll not game Firefly with my kids.

[WarrenET2]

Just realized that my kids both love the Pokemon* and Yugi-Oh! cartoons.

So if it works will probably play one of those first.
















* I like Pokemon as well. The kids are good people, they fight evil (or stupid in the case of Jesse and James) and they help peole who need it. Plus they are pursuing their dreams unhindered by any sort of authority figures telling them they MUST do this or that or face the consequences.

And I'm about as cynical a person as you'll find and I still dig the show.

[Matt Wilson]

Hey Warren:

How old are your kids? I'll be interested to see how they grasp the concept of Issues.

[Mike Holmes]

Hmmm. OK, now I'm going to have to do a Power Rangers game (or something like it) with my son. The interesting thing is that what makes Power Rangers seem so inane to adults is that the characterizations (writing and acting) are so paper thin. But that's what makes them accessible to children.

Yeah, all the issues are going to be things like "Real Life vs. Life as a Ranger" but, again, what do you expect from little kids?

Mike

[WarrenET2]

Hey Warren:

How old are your kids? I'll be interested to see how they grasp the concept of Issues.

10 and 7 and both are pretty smart.

[Jonas Larson]

Matt:

Oh, well... Great call then! Should have checked if somebody had made that call before though, it's such a given one! And one that totally escaped me... This thread made me watch The Shield, and I had seen all excisting episodes five days later. Why didn't Lost get stuck then? A friend tipped me off about that one. Lucky me, it rocks. You described it perfectly too.

One thing to point out: The Kingdom is a danish show, just so that everybody is clear on that part.  

Bye
Jonas

[Demada]

Third Watch. Definitely. Very underappreciated show.

Law and Order, specifically the SVU spinoff.