One of the shows I love right now is Nashville. It's from the woman who wrote Thelma and Louise and has been nominated for a bunch of awards. As usual I don't know anyone who's watching it. This happened to me with Friday Night Lights. Fucking amazing show. No one believed me. One day I will buy it and make them all PAY. (That is to say, watch it.)
Here's why I love the show:
1. They visit all these different stages in a music career, and the various personalities/types/relationships. And since I love music, I lobes thees.
2. Character! There are no stereotypes, no clichés here. Complex and interesting people, every one of them. Hard core. And well acted.
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| Pop-country star, and the ageing country legend |
3. This is what equality looks like, in terms of representing men and women on TV. Once you've got male characters talking about the women characters, not romantically, you've officially reversed the Bechdel test!
Or if there's inequality, it's to the disservice of the male characters (I admit it--they're mopey), and come to think of it, the guys in Thelma and Louise were all "meh" too--except when Harvey Keitel slapped Brad Pitt around for taking their money. In any case, one TV show with weak dudes after hundreds of years of male-dominated entertainment... we'll live.
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| Our ingenue |
4. The music's pretty good, and it's relevant. It's good enough that you can maintain belief that these are all talented singer-songwriters; and it's like a musical, in that the songs they write come from or reflect the storylines. The producers wisely upload the songs to itunes.
[Metacritic score 84.]
____LOVE SONG OF THE DAY____
Since we're on country, and since I'm in love with Jennifer Nettles (why won't she return my calls??), here's the Sugarland cover of "Irreplaceable."
9 comments:
Okay now I'm crushing on Jennifer Nettles, too. People complain about me padding their tbr's. You pad my ipod. But I'm not complaining.
Nashville does look good. And since I live less than 3 hours away from that very fun city, I should watch it. I just can't get into television shows though. And the fact that I work from 8pm to 1am doesn't help.
Same with FNL. Looked good. I was working.
If you get a minute, go to my blog and support Robena. You might even win a free book.
Cool cover! It's great.
OK you win, I'll start watching. Have you seen Smash?
I watch Nashville and YES to everything you say here. The characters are real and flawed and a lot of fun to watch. (I wish Rayna and Deacon would get together already)
I also love Jennifer Nettles. Thanks for sharing that cover. The song is great and I didn't know she had a version of it.
Fantastic duet! Love, love, love JN since you pointed her out on the duets show.
@JJJ - Glad to fill your pod! At least songs take less time to get through than books. :-) By the way, many TV shows play on the network web pages a day after they show on TV. That's how I watch Nashville.
@Skye - Sugarland does lots of great covers.
@ink - I have not! I remember the ads and thought of watching it. I'll give it a looksie. :-)
@Shannyn - Ooh a fellow Nashville and Nettles fan! What good taste we have. That cover is off their live album (without Beyonce.) - Though I want Rayna and Deacon together, I do like the pace the show is going at. Because Teddy isn't this awful person so... the marriage needs time to wind down.
@CiCi - I know, she's the best! What a personality and fun talent.
Sugarland are my bad day pick-me-up...hadn't heard this cover though.
Since we seem to be TV sisters I am adding Nashville to my download queue this very minute.
Is it good? I was about to start watching it, then pruned the first episode from my DVR under the assumption it would be a Country Soap, which I wasn't feeling at the moment.
(But I love Jonathan Jackson. LUCKY.)
I don't know what a country soap is, lol, but yes it's great. It's a drama, with the music industry as the focal point, driving a lot of the conflict. And as I wrote, it's also female-driven.
Jackson's character is a total sellout, but there are plenty of other cutie-pies on the show.
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