Birth (and death)

This is my first posting. Sound the trumpets.

I was late to discover DVD box sets of television series. Now I think they're the greatest idea since pop tarts. I remember myself as a young television junkie, frustrated at having to wait a whole week for another episode of Quantum Leap, Picket Fences or (don't laugh - Anne Tenney's death scene as Molly was harrowing for my four year old self) A Country Practice.

I've just spent the last week re-watching episodes of Six Feet Under. This second time has deepened my appreciation of the series, which I am saddened to hear has ended in the United States. The strength of the show is that its creators have adopted an "independent filmmaking" approach to both its look and scripting. Each episode does not contain an "epic" plot (say, compared to the pace of The West Wing or even The Sopranos). It is a show that is rooted firmly in the characters. And rather than have the characters take easy, linear journeys, their behaviour is as unpredictable as ours. I remember listening to an interview with one of the writers (Craig Wright, I think), who talked about Ball's disdain for characters acting the same in sequential scenes. So, for example, if David argues with Keith in one scene, he's fine in another scene with Claire, but will then explode in a further scene and then do something rash - say masturbate in a public toilet - in the scene afterwards. I think that's why Six Feet Under is almost shocking at times - because it does not compromise in its portrayal of our complex lives. And while I understand criticism about the show's descent into soap opera from about halfway through the third season, the strength of the acting, writing, direction and the aforementioned grounding in real characters and real situations doesn't render the Lisa disappearance/Nate breakdown/Hoyt secret/George goes mental arcs a huge problem for me. And what a cast. Michael C. Hall as David and Frances Conroy as Ruth are worth special mention. Hall is so good at capturing David's internal struggle to accept himself. And Conroy can make a small gesticulation look Emmy worthy.

I would love to see a television series with these "independent cinematic" traits made in Australia. There is a strong history of television in this country. Some of my favourites have been Frontline, Wildside, and the first series of The Secret Life of Us. But I think we can go further. I think we can go beyond the literal and "safe" nature of some of these programs and look to something a little more challenging. Six Feet Under is less about a situation and more about a universal theme - death - and at times is very abstract in the way it explores the issue. The question is whether there would be an audience for this type of fare in Australia. From what I gather Six Feet Under rated well in its graveyard stint on the Nine Network - so maybe.

This blog has no specific theme except to act as a reminder of my thoughts. There is a history of memory loss in my family, and I'm already starting to forget things at the age of twenty five. Perhaps that is why I am so interested in family history and personal stories and want them told. So instead of keeping a diary in my indecipherable handwriting, I'm posting my thoughts online in case some bloggers out there are interested. Most of my posts will probably be on the arts and news. But you never know, I may surprise you and myself. For now, adieu.