A while ago, a therapist advised me to go out less and stay in and watch TV more. Having avoided the world of block-streaming until then, I took her advice and immediately found great pleasure in my new pastime. There was so much to watch, and it was all so absorbing and pleasantly addictive.
The pleasure and excitement has gone out of making TV – and it shows
As soon as one arty but gripping ‘prestige’ series was over, there was another to begin. The golden age of television started around 2000, where innovation was enabled by leaps forward in visual technology and a revolution in storytelling ambition. Many of these shows were international, even if the US dominated. The Wire, Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Succession, Peaky Blinders, Broadchurch, Happy Valley, Borgen, The Killing, The Bridge, Fauda, In Treatment, The Bureau, Spiral; I watched them all. For the first time in history, to consider yourself a cultured person required you to know what was on TV.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in