March 2008 - TV Babble

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TV Babble - March 2008

Snack Drama

March 27th 2008 05:26

In an increasingly fast paced world full of media proliferation, it's hardly surprising that television is starting to adapt. Until now, the most notable change had been the emergence of extended and online content.

However, a new product has entered the market - Short-form drama, also known as Snack drama. Snack drama is a new phenomenon of bite-sized shows, with episodes of under four minutes that are intended to be viewed online or on a mobile phone.

Like many burgeoning new-media concepts, Snack drama began with offerings by disgruntled producers whose efforts were shunned by the networks. Now, the television industry and mobile TV providers are lining up to get a taste of this newest treat.

Does short-form drama signal the end of hour-long shows? For the most part, doughnuts have yet to replace the meal of dinner, and crackers don't fill you up - they simply tide you over. I feel that Snack drama fills an emerging niche, but I sincerely hope that they do not usurp the position of lengthier, in-depth shows.

So, dear readers, what is your opinion of Snack drama? Do you like to steal a few mouthfuls here and there? Is it the answer to entertainment in a time-starved era? Or is it simply a symptom of decreasing attention-spans brought on by the technological age?

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So You Think You Can Dance - The Top Ten

March 19th 2008 05:54

I’ve been meaning to write this post since So You Think You Can Dance Australia first aired on our screens. Finally, with the aid of a sliver of free time and a gentle nudge from Dusk Devi, I can now wax lyrical about this guilty pleasure of mine.

I had some initial niggling reservations about the Australian incarnation of the American hit; namely that, with a smaller industry and pool of dancers to choose from, the ‘Land Down Under’ contestants would not be of the same standard as their ‘Land Up Over’ counterparts. I needn’t have worried – the Top Twenty dancers chosen were every bit as talented as I had hoped, and then some. Over the last few weeks many gifted performers have had the chance to show off their prowess in some brilliant routines.

I’m not as convinced about the choice of Natalie Bassingthwaighte as a host. She is a gorgeous woman, although her ever-changing hairstyles don’t always quite hit the mark. I do think she sincerely cares about the contestants, but her delivery and comments sometimes come across as artificial or redundant. Still, I think that is at least partly due to the nature of the medium, and more than likely the wishes of the powers that be. And of course, it could be much worse – like the host of a certain celebrity dancing show…

I’m reasonably happy with the choice of the judges. Thankfully, none of them have decided to take on the role of egotistical and malicious bastard à la Simon Cowell. Matt Lee’s assessment of the performances always seems fair, although at times his ever-present hats have more personality than he does.
Bonnie Lythgoe bears a striking resemblance to SYTYCD judge Nigel Lythgoe, which is a little disconcerting considering she is his ex-wife. She can be a bit ‘spacey’ and rambling at times, but her comments do (eventually) tend to be constructive and supporting.
Jason Coleman is usually a tad more harsh than the other judges, but as the saying goes, sometimes the truth hurts. However, Jason has received quite a bit of flak recently, with some in the dance industry branding him an amateur. I can’t imagine that many amateurs would have ‘choreographing the opening and closing ceremonies for the Sydney Olympics’ on their résumé, but I’m no expert. Personally, I think he deserves the most criticism for his inability to properly button up his shirt.

I have to admit, I have a love/hate relationship with this show, and can see-saw between the two extremes various times during each episode. Most of my issues with the programme arise from the very nature of the reality show format. While I think the assessment by the judges after each performance is usually fairly apt, their decisions regarding who to eliminate is not. The most striking example of this was the elimination of Hilton a few weeks ago – he was an immensely strong dancer who, based on his performances, certainly was more deserving than JD. However, JD continued on, presumably because it was decided that he would make for better television. The whole reality voting system irks me to no end – as Jason has said on many occasions, the search becomes one for Australia’s favourite, rather than best, dancer. And in this case, Australia equals mostly teeny-boppers who are prepared to spend ridiculous amounts of money on SMS voting.

That being said, the Top 10 is very worthy. I was very disappointed by the elimination of Sermsah (once again in favour of JD!), because I just adored his mix of Aboriginal and Contemporary dance – however, based on his continuing troubles with lifts throughout his performances, it was probably his time to go. I would have also liked to see Camilla continue on into the Top 10, and I thought the way her final speech brought tears to everyone was terribly sweet.

Making a prediction of the Top 4 will probably be futile, considering some of the surprise eliminations throughout the series thus far, but I’m going to do it anyway. I think that Anthony, Rhys, Demi and Vanessa will comprise the final quartet, as all of these likeable dancers have consistently showed phenomenal talent and versatility. As for the overall winner, I think that Rhys will take the crown – his dancing is just amazing (and if Priscilla: Queen of the Desert taught us anything, it’s that Australia just loves drag performers).

TV Babble - March 2008

Snack Drama

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top Ten

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