No matter how engrossed we may be in a television show, a terrible itch has taken over our attention spans. The need to check our phones, AKA ‘Second Screen Viewing’ is now common practice for many, referring to watching TV whilst simultaneously using a secondary device, like that of a smartphone or tablet.
But what effect does this have on the way television is made? Is our inability to focus on one thing at a time changing television production for the worse? I sat down with screenwriter and Edinburgh Napier University lecturer, Kate Davidson (Greenacre Films, BBC Studios, ITV Studios), to find out what this trend truly means for television.
Although it is becoming increasingly popular (even if subconsciously) critics and audiences alike have argued that many TV show narratives have been simplified in order to cater to only partially engaged audiences, all thanks to second screen viewing. Even TV representatives themselves have mocked the technique, with Conan O’Brien poking fun while hosting this year’s Oscars through an overly repetitive sketch of Casablanca. They stated that the most obvious plot details were repeated so often to cater to the “modern movie viewer who’s half watching because they’re distracted by their phone.”
“Films are now primarily being created with second screen viewing in mind, which in turn, is sacrificing the plots.”
Repetition is one thing, but this second screen viewing also includes an overuse of expository language, using lines of script that explain the story, instead of moving it forward. Having written episodes for Hollyoaks, Doctors, and The A List, Kate is no stranger to the pressures of the writer’s room. Kate described some of the writing for television as becoming inane, as “there isn’t the subtext, and good dialogue really needs subtext to work.” A second screen viewer may not even notice the subtext in shows when it is there, or it may be cut by producers before it makes it to our screens.
In addition to dialogue and subtext, the trend seems to focus on telling rather than showing in relation to emotional response and body language, which many are disputing. Many of these allegations (some of which come from well known actors such as Matt Damon and Jameela Jamil) are aimed towards streaming companies as viewers believe films are now primarily being created with second screen viewing in mind, which in turn, is sacrificing the plots.
Television has had a long history of repeating plots. Kate explained: “I think there always has been a repetition in dialogue of what’s going on… you knew you were coming back off an ad break and you had to clue people in”. However, when poorly executed it can also become more noticeable. The speed at which the narrative plays out has recently increased, to keep distracted viewers engaged for longer, meaning more recaps are required. Kate added that with plots going “60mph, people are like, ‘oh, why is this person doing this thing again?’” meaning the plot has to be reiterated throughout.
However, this drop in quality of writing may not be solely due to second screen viewing. In the ever changing television landscape, Kate noted that some TV executives are not coming up from being script editors before they are executives. Instead, “they’ve come from a business background into being television executives. So, they don’t come from the tradition of telling actors, telling writers, oh, this note is too on the nose. Can we make it more subtle?”
Commissioning structures have also changed. Shows are often commissioned algorithmically, based on previous success. Due to this, we are seeing different iterations of the same kind of content – companies know which formats will do well and may be less likely to take a chance on shows that break the mould. Kate added that: “I guess the whole commissioning process is quite secretive now because the Netflix algorithms are not transparent. So, only the Netflix executives know what they’ve seen in terms of what people like and therefore what they’re going to do more of.” While viewing figures have always influenced which shows are being made, the data that streaming companies are able to collect on viewership today is unprecedented.
“It seems that these restructures mark the shift away from TV as an artform and more towards being solely a stream of income”
With masses of audience data at their fingertips, providing these companies with the recipe for a ‘hit’ show, they are less likely to take a chance on something new. Kate explained in the past, commissioning was largely based on personal connection and gut instincts. “A lot of it has always in the past been personal taste. You know, you commission something because you think it’s going to be good. Why do you think it’s going to be good? Because you particularly like it, you personally, and then maybe it takes off when you make a lot more of it.” This older model allowed creativity to thrive and resulted in a much more diverse range of offerings.
Less experienced executives are also more likely to embellish shows with unnecessary attention grabbing plot points rather than addressing the fundamental problems with scripts. Kate explained: “I think what’s happening now is that an executive might get a script, and they don’t feel that engaged by it. And then rather than saying, ‘what’s wrong with the setup? Why is there not much at stake?’ they are more likely to say, ‘can we put more in here?’” By ‘more’, Kate refers to things like car chases, affairs, different dimensions, etc. “things that just seem exciting, but they’re not setting up the story, they’re not paying off the story and they’re not emotionally driven.”
While this industry has always been about making money, it seems that these restructures mark the shift away from TV as an artform and more towards being solely a stream of income, with business decisions being prioritised over artistic direction. “I worry about people chasing profit margins at the expense of quality. I worry about them not putting enough [writers], not giving the writers enough time to write, underdoing writers’ rooms, things like this are quite important.” Kate concluded her main concern for television is “not second screen viewing per se. It’s the economic forces behind television.”
