I haven’t been on Outpost Gallifery in months as a regular poster (I lurk mostly) – I don’t need to be overwhelmed by dozens of threads that usually go over ten pages long on the same subject. Some of the subjects lose their point in petty fighting and the like, but some make valid points. One of the most eye-opening ones was merely these words: “Why is Who doing so badly in the U.S. (United States) ratings?”
There are lots of reasons given in the thread why the show is doing badly (which is currently airing on the Sci-Fi Channel with Series 1): timeslots, language differences, and the rather strange narrative that the show has had for its entire run since ’63. It could just be that Americans largely dislike foreign shows because they don’t have a clear and concise explanation of what their show is about right away. It requires too much energy for them (although this same audience watches the often headache-inducing 24 and Prison Break on Fox). For me, it’s a matter of the script and who writes it.
In my reviews of “New Earth” and “Tooth and Claw”, one of my chief complaints was the clear lack of understanding of the words spoken by the actors, David Tennant especially. Those, however, are under the pen of Russell Davies. Under someone such as Steven Moffat, there is a sense of clarity in not only the dialogue, but even in the story itself.
Things got better with his episode, “The Girl In The Fireplace,” as well as the current Tom MacRae Cybermen two-parter that just finished. I suppose “School Reunion” deserves a mention, too.
If the show keeps displaying good work and a clear sense of what’s being said and done on the screen, the show will eventually win U.S. viewers. As it stands right now with Series 1 being aired in the United States, we may not give ourselves a chance to find that out.
Oh well, there’s always DVD and the old VHS tapes.
Posted by Matthew at May 26, 2006 06:27 AM | TrackBack