30 Days of TV: So say we all.
Jun. 26th, 2010 11:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofjestDay 19 - Best TV show cast
I should probably stop observing how difficult some of these questions are to answer, eh? Ah well. This one was also difficult to answer: do you define "best" in relation to the overall quality of the acting or by how well the actors are subsumed into their roles? Arguably, I suppose the two should be one and the same; in practice, however, you get to know many fine actors as one character first and, when they go on to something else, their skill level doesn't necessarily diminish. Their ability to sink into later roles and become indistinguishable from the character does.
For example, Adam Baldwin is pretty good at what he does. However, he is Jayne Cobb. I've seen him play a Lawyer from Hell (Angel) and snatches of him as a super-spy (Chuck), but I just can't see him as Marcus Hamilton or John Casey. Of course, that also hinges on which role you see them in first, and may be a handicap of the viewing mind rather than the actor's later abilities to become a character.
Well, anyway. When judging best cast, you must also consider how they all work together. Great actors can be great separately and just never manage to jive in the established narrative. So, after taking all that into consideration...
I essentially can't decide between Battlestar Galactica and Carnivale.
Both casts are top-knotch, full of excellent actors who integrated seamlessly. Battlestar Galactica is consistently better on a greater scale, and Quixote agrees - especially considering the cast had more episodes to perform and, perhaps, with less lead-time.
Quixote adds that another aspect of "best cast" should be defined by how relatable the cast is as a whole: how well can the viewer empathize with all those assembled? Answering his own question, he suggests that Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation fits this bill for him, with TNG being more in the lead because of the schism undercurrent between the Big 3 on TOS (Kirk, Spock, McCoy) and all the rest.
30 Days of TV
Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
Day 05 - A show you hate
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite 'ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death
This entry was originally posted at http://infinitejest.dreamwidth.org/16385.html. You can comment here or there. Comments on the original post so far:
I should probably stop observing how difficult some of these questions are to answer, eh? Ah well. This one was also difficult to answer: do you define "best" in relation to the overall quality of the acting or by how well the actors are subsumed into their roles? Arguably, I suppose the two should be one and the same; in practice, however, you get to know many fine actors as one character first and, when they go on to something else, their skill level doesn't necessarily diminish. Their ability to sink into later roles and become indistinguishable from the character does.
For example, Adam Baldwin is pretty good at what he does. However, he is Jayne Cobb. I've seen him play a Lawyer from Hell (Angel) and snatches of him as a super-spy (Chuck), but I just can't see him as Marcus Hamilton or John Casey. Of course, that also hinges on which role you see them in first, and may be a handicap of the viewing mind rather than the actor's later abilities to become a character.
Well, anyway. When judging best cast, you must also consider how they all work together. Great actors can be great separately and just never manage to jive in the established narrative. So, after taking all that into consideration...
I essentially can't decide between Battlestar Galactica and Carnivale.
Both casts are top-knotch, full of excellent actors who integrated seamlessly. Battlestar Galactica is consistently better on a greater scale, and Quixote agrees - especially considering the cast had more episodes to perform and, perhaps, with less lead-time.
Quixote adds that another aspect of "best cast" should be defined by how relatable the cast is as a whole: how well can the viewer empathize with all those assembled? Answering his own question, he suggests that Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation fits this bill for him, with TNG being more in the lead because of the schism undercurrent between the Big 3 on TOS (Kirk, Spock, McCoy) and all the rest.
30 Days of TV
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite 'ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death
This entry was originally posted at http://infinitejest.dreamwidth.org/16385.html. You can comment here or there. Comments on the original post so far: