The original poster offered this thread in the Office Party, I'm certain there are more appropriate areas of AW for a serious discussion of the merits and characteristics of writing careers in the broadcast and entertainment industry. So simply because of where this thread is... there is going to be kidding and some poking fun. This does not however, mean that anyone here has it out for, or does not respect the person or persons that have chosen this area for a career path.
That being said, however, entertainment is entertainment, and I don't need to be entertained that much. For the most part, I consider a large percentage of standard television offerings as 'opiate for the masses' but occasionally I have run across a television show or series to be beyond the norm. One where the writing and the acting have (to me) surpassed -my- expected standards.
Right now, this minute, if pressed... I'd have to say that The Closer fits into that category since I find the premise, writing and acting to far surpass the standard fair.
Of course I'm not your 'normal' television viewer. Take this 'Charlie' for example, I believe that was the character from Two and Half Men? A show I watched once. Far from the maddening crowds... I noted that the comedy was a farce, that the characters were dimentionally flat (they had to be) and that too a certain point, the writing leaned toward what was once called 'black comedy' which is all fine and good for the occasional film or play (-to me-) but hardly worth my time since it continued in only one single satire vein.
It didn't help that the caricatures being presented were too dangerously close to the truth. I found 'Charlie' in particular hugely appalling and I'm still aghast at the idea that he could possibly be considered a role model.
I'm sure there are a lot of good, kind, hard working, people in the natural gas industry. Meeting them isn't going to change how I feel, or what has happened to the residents of Dimock PA. What I mean is, I'm sure lots of hard working writers try like heck to present the best possible television show, and that's fine, that's good. Bully for you - but it doesn't mean that I must like commercial broadcast tv.