Numerous shows have kept appealed to the American public and it would not be unjustified to presume that each show has had particular attributes that have been the cause of the appeal that the shows have held. This paper shall attempt to analyze some of the most popular and widely accepted television shows and in doing so, shall strive to determine characteristics of daytime and primetime programming that appeal to the general American public.
About Primetime television a show that that was observed to be of undeniable appeal to the American people was House M.D. or simply House as it is commonly known. The show began in late 2002 and has since kept the American people riveted to the television screens. Currently, the primetime television series is being aired through its sixth season and has won numerous awards which include Golden Globes, BAFTA TV Awards, Emmys, People’s Choice Awards as well as numerous other nominations (Internet Movie Database).
It was observed that the show focuses extensively on the pursuit of man to acquire control over the difficulties that are a part of everyday life. The episodes of the show generally deal with scenarios where a person is struggling for his/her life in a hospital ward and is eventually successfully diagnosed and treated by the personnel designated to treat the patient.
The show is one of many that are related to healthcare and have kept its charm in the eyes of the American public. However, the show differs from others in the fact that it is a Comedy Drama often constituting dark comedy as well as extensive dramatic plots (Laurie, Leonard, and Edelstein). When considered in contrast with others such as Grey’s Anatomy, it is evident that there is a significant difference between them. While other shows related to healthcare focus more on the dramatic relationships and conflicts between the healthcare staff, House stresses the aggregate objective that the characters share.
The show explores friendship, conflict, mystery, addiction, compulsion and obsession but ensures that in each episode, the central purpose of the characters is not compromised at the cost of exaggerating any of these elements.
Another reason that is commonly attributed to the widespread acclamation of House is the fact that the show serves as a representation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s infamous Sherlock Holmes. The character is recognized as one of the most widely appreciated and marveled character in American literature. The lead character in House has a close resemblance to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation. It can therefore be speculated that House provides the American public a chance to experience the same thrill and pleasure that they did with literature. Therefore, it would be reasonable to surmise that House serves as a gateway through which the American people can experience literary excellence in the fast paced lives of the modern day.
If one was to infer the specific attributes of House that can be accredited to the show as the singular cause of its success, then it is evident that the American people find a charm in mystery and suspense that supersedes the degree of attraction they find in traditional humor. House presents a rare mix of dark comedy and mystery that appears to appeal to the American television viewers of almost all age groups. The inference with regard to age can be justified in consideration of the exceptionally high rating that the show had achieved and maintained through the course of its six seasons.
With regard to Day Time programming, it was observed that a show that has been appealing to the American television audience for well over a decade without any faltering in its acceptance is The Young and the Restless. The show began in 1973 and has been a successful part of daytime television since then. The show has won numerous awards and is considered to be an exemplary case of the successful continuation of a Soap Opera in daytime television (Internet Movie Database).
The Young and the Restless is primarily a Soap that employs the continuous narrative technique effectively as it explores rivalries between families. The soap initially began with a depiction of a rivalry between the Brooks family and the Foster family, each of which belonged to highly contrasting social classes. The success of the show can be judged through the fact that it successfully wrote out its original cast and replaced it with a new one while effectively maintaining the epicenter of the conflict between the original characters.
With over nine thousand episodes to date, the show constitutes a strong depiction of family level conflicts and attempts to reveal the intended as well as the collateral damage that is caused by such expansive conflicts. Spanning across generations, the show stresses on how a conflicting situation can bring out different sides of a person and how it is fatal to judge a person by their apparent exterior. However, apart from highlighting the nature of sensitivity that a scenario acquires in family level conflicts, the show also shows how conflicts of such nature can cause the generation of disagreement and argument within the family (Braeden, Scott and Bergman).
The show has been appealing to the American audience for well over a decade and it would therefore be reasonable to surmise that the American audience holds a certain taste for dramatic soaps. In particular, it has been observed that the show appeals to teenagers and audience members above that age bracket as well. Depicting strong levels of hatred and desires for vengeance, the show has been appreciated by the American television audience years without any significant fluctuations in its viewership that could influence its exceptional rating.
With regard to the discussion on The Young and the Restless, it would be safe to surmise that the American audience and the daytime viewership in specific prefer television programming that is intensively dramatic. The show provides a dramatic escape from reality into a realm of glamour and charming sensuousness and it would be safe to assume that the American daytime television audience holds a strong taste for shows with these attributes.
It was observed in the research carried out in this paper that primetime television audience appreciates programming that constitutes fiction and is supplemented by mystery while the primetime television audience prefers drama that is supplemented with passion. There is a significant degree of contrast between the two leading television shows discussed and it would be safe to conclude that the American audience holds a generalized attraction towards intrigue rather than traditional humor. The American television audience has a taste for continuous thrill and judging by the ratings this taste is not limited to any particular age group.
Works Cited
House M. D. Dir. David Shore. Perf. Hugh Laurie, et al. Prods. Paul Attanasio, et al. 2009.
Internet Movie Database. House M.D. 2009.
Internet Movie Database. The Young and the Restless. 2009.
The Young and the Restless. Dirs. Lee Phillip Bell and William J. Bell. Perf. Eric Braeden, et al. 2009.