In short, the article discusses Arrested Development and why Fox can’t keep it on the air. Too zany? Sure, although I’d say that the largely successful Drew Carey was no less zany. Not “relatable”? I’m not sure what this means, exactly. To me it sounds like I can only like a show if I see something of myself in most of the characters. In which case I cry shenanigans.
Let’s take Drew Carey, for instance. I cannot relate to Mimi at all. There probably has never been a TV character more unlike me. And yet I love the character. Or take Scrubs. No, I can’t relate to being a surgical resident. And yet the show did well. Ah, but maybe it’s being “upper-class” that turns people off. Nope, Dallas didn’t seem to suffer in ratings.
What do you think? Are the critics on to something or can they simply not relate to real audiences?
No, the critics are generally right. Generally, “relatable” means “likeable” – characters that viewer want to see. It has nothing to do with ther jobs or background; it has to do whether the viewer would feel comfortable meeting that character in real life.
The majority of viewers prefer to watch “likable” characters. Think of the really popular sitcoms of the past few years: *Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, Seinfeld, * etc. “Nice” people are the stars, people whose personality were not offputting. Even something like “Two and a Half Men,” manages to make Charlie likeable, and, of course, has a cute kid.
Arrested Development’s characters are stupid, venal, and self-centered (even Michael, the nice guy). The show is great, but the characters turn the average viewer off.
And Drew Carey had Drew and friends to counteract Mimi. People will accept one unlikeable character if they can relate to the others.
Other apparent exceptions (House) manage to get audiences because the unlikeable character has a softer side he keeps hidden; people love that. But viewers tend to turn off any shows that concentrate on abrasiveness, no matter how funny.
You need look no further than the TV career of the brilliant Dabney Coleman.
Buffalo Bill – cancelled after 1 season
The Slap Maxwell Story – cancelled after 1 season
Drexel’s Class – cancelled after 1 season
Madman of the People – cancelled after 1 season
You’re kidding, right? NONE of the main characters on Seinfeld were remotely likable, or even MEANT to be likeable, by the time the series ended: they were selfish, petty, wisecracking assholes. And as for Raymond, the Barrones were all horrible people, with the exception of Robert and (sometimes) Deborah. Their horribleness was the joke.
But the critics weren’t saying that the Bluths aren’t likeable – they said that they are “upper-class”, an attribute that makes them hard to relate to.
Isn’t television supposed to be a “fantasy world” though? Do we always have to “relate” to the characters? Sometimes I just like to look and laugh.
You can’t tell me that the millions of middle-aged men who are Buffy (et al) fans relate to her or any of the other charaters in the show. Other than in a lustful way…
aaaah I see. Arrested Development has no sex appeal
I’ve never seen Arrested Development, so I might not be that helpful in this thread. But as to the Mimi example, I can see how she’s relatable in that I, and I suspect many other people, have had a coworker who was very vaguely of the Mimi type. Doesn’t mean I like her, but I can see how it works. The situation of having an obnoxious coworker is what I’m relating to.
Actually, I can relate to several characters in the Buffy/Angel universe, just not the super-powered leads. I always related (to various degrees) to Willow, Xander, Giles, and Wesley. They are much more like everyman heroes – nerdy Willow, brave, loyal Xander, Giles the noble librarian, and Wesley, the screwup who becomes a better person through suffering one tragedy after another.
I can also relate to Michael Bluth from Arrested Development, who tries really hard to be a good guy and doesn’t always succeed, and who will never please his family no matter what he does. I can relate to goofy everyman J.D. on Scrubs even though I’m not a doctor, and I definitely relate to Jim from The Office. Hell, I practically AM Jim from The Office.
