DTF955
12-11-2008, 06:36 PM
I have occasionally seen people question things as "errors" that should be expected of people over a normal 5-10 year stretch in a longer running sitcom. People get new cars, for instance. Growing children learn to like new foods, and even adults can overcome queasiness. And so on.
The question, related, but not the same as, one of my earliest queries on TV, is this: Should such things be allowed to be writen into scripts with no explanation, and without being seen as "errors"? After all, they happen to all of us.
As examples:
Prop department has different car for character, or a different one is alluded to; child of character has new food they learned to like at some point in last 3 years.
Examples 1 and 2 are pretty obvious; 2 means that the kid can't like a new favorite every 6 months and characters can't have a different car every year (well, unless they're really rich), but you gloss over it if there's a difference and it's not mentioned.
Option 3 is for if you think there should be some mention if feasible; but it doesn't have to be right away. Maybe more with the car than with the food; throwaway line like, "Boy, I got such a deal on that new x" is easier than the familyy reminiscing about where the child learned to like lobster for the first time.
Option 4 is just like 3, except that it demands that it be alluded to the first time a change occurs; again, though, it accepts that sometimes it won't be plausible without making the line more jarring than the change, because scripts still require poeple to talk like normal people.
#5 is a little less accepting, but changes the reason a bit. People do sometimes see the characters on sitcoms as friends, and what friends would likely want to know should be explained to the viewer. Of course, that can vary.
#6 is kind of stifling to normal character growth and development, but not as much as number 7, because at least number six allows for some change, it just demands very strict control on things, and accepts that sometimes, you have to word things very awkwardly to have changes explained.
The question, related, but not the same as, one of my earliest queries on TV, is this: Should such things be allowed to be writen into scripts with no explanation, and without being seen as "errors"? After all, they happen to all of us.
As examples:
Prop department has different car for character, or a different one is alluded to; child of character has new food they learned to like at some point in last 3 years.
Examples 1 and 2 are pretty obvious; 2 means that the kid can't like a new favorite every 6 months and characters can't have a different car every year (well, unless they're really rich), but you gloss over it if there's a difference and it's not mentioned.
Option 3 is for if you think there should be some mention if feasible; but it doesn't have to be right away. Maybe more with the car than with the food; throwaway line like, "Boy, I got such a deal on that new x" is easier than the familyy reminiscing about where the child learned to like lobster for the first time.
Option 4 is just like 3, except that it demands that it be alluded to the first time a change occurs; again, though, it accepts that sometimes it won't be plausible without making the line more jarring than the change, because scripts still require poeple to talk like normal people.
#5 is a little less accepting, but changes the reason a bit. People do sometimes see the characters on sitcoms as friends, and what friends would likely want to know should be explained to the viewer. Of course, that can vary.
#6 is kind of stifling to normal character growth and development, but not as much as number 7, because at least number six allows for some change, it just demands very strict control on things, and accepts that sometimes, you have to word things very awkwardly to have changes explained.