Hi guys,
I have been thinking about some of the shows that I like, including ones that seem quite different to each other if you just pay attention to the specific themes and tone of the shows. Through this, I've come to realise some aspects that are common in fiction that I enjoy and I wanted to share these realisations here.
Things I like in fiction:
- Comedy - I enjoy comedies and genres that are partially comedy the most. By partially comedy, I mean genres like dramedy (AKA drama comedy) which covers shows that are both comedy and drama, like MASH or Bojack Horseman.
Tragicomedy is a similar genre that can be confused with dramedy. Even for something that doesn't reach the point of including comedy as a genre or sub-genre, like a drama, I appreciate a bit of humour compared to it being completely void of humour (and most dramas do use humour a little bit but some don't really at all). Comedies and dramedies both sit really well with me, with a slight preference for dramedy as dramedies can tend to be a little deeper in story.
- Good Story - This is not essential. I love some works of fiction that don't focus on plot, like The Young Ones. But... I also love a good story and while it's not needed for all piece of fiction / all shows etc, I think in general it improves most shows and I love following the stories of shows that are story based. In the case of The Young Ones, that shouldn't change, but I used to think that the sort of humour in the Young Ones with stuff like random talking objects etc couldn't work with ongoing story, but since seeing Tuca and Bertie, I don't think that is true.
Tuca and Bertie started off poorly, much like Bojack Horseman did but for less time but worse (the pilot was quite a bit worse than Bojack's start but the plot took off quicker in less episodes once it did imo) but it became a great show only a couple of episodes in when the plot took off. The one season we have of it (it got cancelled unfortunately and idk if they'll get it onto another network or not), ended up having a great story that touched on real issues, and that was a really good story to follow, but they also have text messages that literally jump out of the phones in anthromorphic form and run to the recipient... While I wouldn't change The Young Ones, this questioned the view I had that the sort of random humour that involves talking objects etc couldn't also be part of a show with an ongoing plot.
- Emotional moments that may be relatable / hit close to home - This is a big one and is true for a lot of fiction and it can be true for fiction aimed at any age group. Emotional moments like this really depend on people's experiences and on the way it is written, meaning some people won't experience one issue hitting close to home that another person will. Even if it doesn't hit close to home, some things are just still emotional, even if we don't have experience of it.
- Jokes related to the universe and the creatures in it - This one seems like it would only really apply to certain types of fiction - ie fiction that doesn't have essentially the same universe as us - but technically it applies to fiction with the same universe as us too. By this I mean stuff like the jokes in Bojack Horseman.
Bojack Horseman lives in Hollywoo, in a universe full of both humans and anthromorphic animals. You get little gags based on the fact that the creatures are animals. Sometimes it might be a giraffe with lots of neck pillows:
Another time it might be a dog, being a dog:
Ugly Americans (great show by the way as well ) used this sort of humour too, but in a different way. In Ugly Americans, they are in a different situation to Bojack Horseman, because in Ugly Americans the supernatural beings are still learning how to integrate with humans so quirks that could be background humour that come from them being supernatural beings tend to be more integrated into the actual plot of helping them learn to live among humans. It can also be creative choice of course, but by nature of the shows, Ugly Americans and Bojack Horseman are more suited to using this sort of humour in the way they did.
MLP gets into it too with many places being pony / horse themed, like: Manehattan, Cloudsdale and Canterlot.
It also has scenes like this one:
(starting from where the video should auto start up until about 1:44).
The Cartoon Network show Apple and Onion does this too, with jokes related to the fact that the characters are food.
Side Note: Onion in Apple and Onion is voiced by Richard Ayoade, the same person who plays Moss in The IT Crowd. While they aren't stated to be, the main characters also appear to be neurodiverse which makes for an interesting show. As someone with ADHD, the episode "Apple's Focus" was relatable. It was a bit exaggerated but relatable.
This is a lot easier to do in fiction that involves non-human characters, but I guess the equivalent with human characters would be jokes about people from different places (ie the piss taking between Australians and New Zealanders or the piss taking between Americans and Canadians) and jokes about different groups of people like different generations, jokes about class, jokes about various fandoms, jokes about groups like hipsters etc, jokes about people with various political views, jokes about race and that sort of thing. Those things are closer to real life, which isn't a good thing or a bad thing overall, but they technically would be the human character only equivalents of the sorts of jokes that shows with at least some non-human characters can do. However, shows with non-human characters or a mix of human and non-human characters can generally also do these sorts of jokes, but have the freedom to do both.
I personally like writing with more variety than just humans because it gives more avenues to explore for comedy and story.
- Positive or Bittersweet Notes - This does not mean I don't value shows that explore dark themes. I enjoy a show that at least sometimes has positive or bittersweet notes more than I enjoy something that is always dark. Bojack Horseman is again one that applies here. It goes into some dark places, but it also has bittersweet moments and it does have positive notes (even if unfortunately for the characters, this doesn't last at times).
Things that are too positive and things that are too negative both don't seem like the realest depiction of actual life to me but I do prefer too positive to too negative most of the time, but where we each draw the line of too negative would be different anyway. I think some people would draw the line at Bojack Horseman, thinking it is too negative, but to me, it is relatable and as a whole I wouldn't call Bojack Horseman too negative or too dark. Other people might. Dark humour is something I enjoy, but something like a drama that rarely has positive notes or any form of humour isn't something I tend to enjoy much.
Some shows are more positive than Bojack though, yet explore similar issues. The Good Place has a more positive overall vibe than Bojack Horseman does but it explores a lot of the same issues of improving yourself and dealing with the past etc. And this relates to the next bit.
- Makes you think or Asks Questions I like fiction that makes you think or that asks questions. The way this is done can vary. Some seem to suggest what their views are on these issues, whereas others might show you what some characters think but then other characters disagree with them. None of the fictional examples I am thinking of as I write this feel like they outright preach their views, but some are more on the "this is what we think as writers" side and some are more on the "this issue is complicated but here's some character's responses" side.
My partner and I have been watching Star Trek: The Next Generation recently (we're currently in season 2). This is the first time I've seen Star Trek and the first time my partner has seen TNG. I didn't really grow up around science fiction so most of what I've seen of scifi has been as an adult. This was after we watched The Orville which we both enjoyed (btw that's definitely worth a watch).
My experience so far with Star Trek is that it makes you think (at least it makes me think). Moral issues and grey areas pop up a lot, often without a clear correct answer. Whether it is whether they should intervene in a situation, or whether it is questioning the nature of sentience and consciousness, Star Trek does give viewers a lot to think about.
Bojack Horseman certainly makes me think. They deal with various issues, and various events happen over the course of the show. Sometimes characters disagree on issues. Sometimes the show definitely appearing to be satirising something and it seems likely in some of those cases that they are leaning on the side of "this is what we think as writers" and other times it is much grayer and it leans more on the side of "this issue is complicated but here's some character's responses". Neither of these is bad. Art can make statements, including opinions, but it is interesting to see a piece of fiction that appears to do both at different times. Bojack Horseman brings up a lot of different topics to think about like purpose, meaning, the unintended consequences of past actions, where the lines are drawn between good and bad, whether there's such a thing as a good person or a bad person in the first place, and various moral issues. In terms of moral issues, some are more blatant than others (their version of meat is interesting to say the least...).
The Good Place deals with good and bad and what makes a good person. It makes you think about this and makes you think about various moral issues. It is quite similar in terms of concepts to Bojack, but less dark than Bojack for the most part (but certainly not missing dark elements).
As a bigger contrast in tone to all of these, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic does this too. It is more likely to outright tell you what the "lesson" is that the writers are trying to convey, but it has episodes that deal with purpose and meaning, and at least one episode that deals with unintended consequences of past actions. Just because it states a "lesson" doesn't mean it doesn't still make you think also. For its rating, it is surprising some of the issues it touches as they are more nuanced or complex than I would have expected. The show in general is more substantial than what I expected to be honest. Even the show from the 80s (G1 MLP) has significant substance to it (not the best character development or voice acting though unfortunately). Apparently the generation in the middle of these two shows does not though and seems more the result of slapping together a show based on the notion of "this is what girls like right?", but I haven't seen it myself so I can't comment on that one from personal experience.
NOTE: Discord (pictured) is based on Q from Star Trek and is voiced by the same actor who played Q. This image is from one of the comics.
I have watched this show through and it is sort of like if you mixed a guide to making friends, nerdy references, jokes and Dungeons and Dragons in a blender.
What I noticed a few seasons in is that most seasons had a mix of episodes: you'll get comedy focused episodes, episodes focused on magic and magical lore (mostly at the start and end of seasons in the form of a double episode), episodes that focus on friendship and social stuff that play out kind of like an after school special and you'll get episodes that are more complex or deeper emotionally. The deeper emotional ones and the ones that deal with complex concepts are generally done really well and are comparable in quality (but not necessarily in tone) to episodes of adult shows dealing with similar issues. It also deals with issues like purpose and talents, and the context of its universe affects how this is done.
The way each of the shows I've mentioned deals with justice, mistakes and wrongdoing is interesting. I don't think I can go into this too much without spoiling too much of the various shows, but suffice to say, none of them are super simple about it, but looking at individual incidents within each show, between them they vary from one extreme to the other at different times.
All of these shows make you think and question things and this is something I value in a show.
These are the things I value in fiction. In short without so much info under them, that list again is:
- Comedy
- Good Story
- Emotional moments that may be relatable / hit close to home
- Jokes related to the universe and the creatures in it
- Positive or bittersweet notes
- Makes you think or ask questions
Now that I have worked out what I value the most in fiction, I am keeping this in mind as I write fiction myself (including the story that goes with my game, Unicorn Robot Party). I will also keep this in mind when checking out things to read or watch myself as it gives me a better indication of the things I'm likely to like. A lot of things I like I didn't really see the connections between but now it is a bit clearer.
These are interesting conclusions that can inform my creative work and my decisions about what to consume of other people's creative works from this point forward.
I hope you enjoyed this post.
What do you value in fiction?
LINKS
I don't think I'm gonna last: Bojack Horseman AI Dungeon Story (SPOILERS): https://steemit.com/ai/@birchmark/spoilers-i-don-t-think-i-m-gonna-last-part-1-a-partially-human-partially-ai-written-story-combining-bojack-horseman-with-ai
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What do you value in fiction?