The Daily Dot released an infographic to show that most superhero TV shows are very similar.
I think most informed TV viewers would agree.
According to the article’s writer, Gavia Baker-Whitelaw:
“The reason for this overlap is simple: TV networks are notoriously conservative, and they want to stick with genres that got solid ratings in the past. That means taking a varied range of comic-book sources and boiling them down into crime procedurals and detective stories about angsty white guys.”
Most TV shows, genre or otherwise, are pretty formulaic in this way. Just ask anyone who’s ever taken a class or read a book on how to write for television. With many exceptions that fall under the realm of the new Golden Age of Television, TV shows with encyclopedic source material are whittled down into a specific template.
And for better or worse, it works. People still tune in. Money is made. Spinoffs are created.
But perhaps TV viewers are smarter than we give them credit for despite the fact that they watch these shows. Baker-Whitelaw writes:
“Ask any comic-book fan, and they’ll be able to tell you a myriad of different adaptations they’d love to see. A slice-of –life Hawkeye sitcom about Clint Barton and his dog. A 1950’s Superman show that mixes ‘Mad Men’ with ‘Lois and Clark’. A kid-friendly ‘Ms. Marvel’ series that focuses on Kamala Khan’s everyday life as a teen.”
Hopefully we will soon reach a point where we can see these different types of shows. Audiences are diverse and imaginative. Let’s see a show (and a movie!) that reflects that.
Take a look at the infographic below:
Source: The Daily Dot
