This might be semantics, but I think about it a lot. Likability is not “I’d be friends with them”. I think Walter White is likable. He’s evil, yes. But he’s engaging and interesting and funny and I rooted for him. In real life, I’d steer clear.
Fleabag is likable! She’s self destructive but charming and obviously that causes many problems. But I’d like her. Maybe in the short term I’d like Walter White too?
George Costanza is likable. I wanted bad things to happen to him because it was funny to see him it.
I guess I think about Arrested Development got the note “these characters aren’t likable” as if we only want to watch people we’d invite into our homes. I can’t think of many tv characters I’d be friends with. I’d never be friends with Leslie Knope or Sam Malone or Phoebe Buffay or Janine Teagues or Gob Bluth. Some are nice. Some aren’t. But all are engaging. None are boring?
I don’t know. Maybe this is a me problem (I don’t like anyone? Or I like all of them? Depending on how you define it).
Yes! Yes, totally. Of course you are right- what you are saying (that characters are interesting and engaging is what makes them likable) is how I've been teaching my classes for years. And what I'm saying is kind of just, "Please make more shows that I, me, specifically, Madalyn Baldanzi will like."
And yet.....
Every show mentioned here except for Cheers and Friends is premisey in a way shows didn't used to be. And in a lot of ways tv and storytelling is so much better now. But I wish there was a way to combine the character-heavy writing process of shows like Cheers, Frasier, and Friends, and combine them with the modern storytelling know-how we have today. I'm so exhausted by a big premise- please just give me character and not much else.
I also DO NOT LIKE Walter White. and I was never interested in him or found him compelling. I also strongly dislike the main character in Fleabag (or at least, found it to be like watching someone deal with a terrible illness, which wasn't fun for me, at least in season 1). I recently re-watched AD, and found it to be really disappointing. Which was shocking considering I started a letter-writing campaign in college to get it un-cancelled. (I got hundreds of people to write letters, and then eventually just threw them all away because I realized I couldn't afford the postage. Perhaps I am the unlikable character...)
This might be semantics, but I think about it a lot. Likability is not “I’d be friends with them”. I think Walter White is likable. He’s evil, yes. But he’s engaging and interesting and funny and I rooted for him. In real life, I’d steer clear.
Fleabag is likable! She’s self destructive but charming and obviously that causes many problems. But I’d like her. Maybe in the short term I’d like Walter White too?
George Costanza is likable. I wanted bad things to happen to him because it was funny to see him it.
I guess I think about Arrested Development got the note “these characters aren’t likable” as if we only want to watch people we’d invite into our homes. I can’t think of many tv characters I’d be friends with. I’d never be friends with Leslie Knope or Sam Malone or Phoebe Buffay or Janine Teagues or Gob Bluth. Some are nice. Some aren’t. But all are engaging. None are boring?
I don’t know. Maybe this is a me problem (I don’t like anyone? Or I like all of them? Depending on how you define it).
Yes! Yes, totally. Of course you are right- what you are saying (that characters are interesting and engaging is what makes them likable) is how I've been teaching my classes for years. And what I'm saying is kind of just, "Please make more shows that I, me, specifically, Madalyn Baldanzi will like."
And yet.....
Every show mentioned here except for Cheers and Friends is premisey in a way shows didn't used to be. And in a lot of ways tv and storytelling is so much better now. But I wish there was a way to combine the character-heavy writing process of shows like Cheers, Frasier, and Friends, and combine them with the modern storytelling know-how we have today. I'm so exhausted by a big premise- please just give me character and not much else.
I also DO NOT LIKE Walter White. and I was never interested in him or found him compelling. I also strongly dislike the main character in Fleabag (or at least, found it to be like watching someone deal with a terrible illness, which wasn't fun for me, at least in season 1). I recently re-watched AD, and found it to be really disappointing. Which was shocking considering I started a letter-writing campaign in college to get it un-cancelled. (I got hundreds of people to write letters, and then eventually just threw them all away because I realized I couldn't afford the postage. Perhaps I am the unlikable character...)
This is very fascinating. And throwing away letters to save AD is also kind of a perfect plot for AD!
I mean, it's one stamp, what could it cost? Ten dollars?