Have you ever tried explaining your favorite TV show to a person who has never seen your favorite TV show?
Ok, so, it’s called Fringe and it’s about this guy, you know Pacey from Dawson’s Creek? Him. And his dad and the FBI, well, they’re not really the FBI, they’re like a special division that investigate weird events in the world…Yeah, a bit like X Files…kinda…but the guy and his dad aren’t in the FBI. They just help. Oh and there’s a girl and a whole love story too. And the dad is a scientist and he opened a portal to an alternate universe and stole a kid and then the world is gonna end and then these bald people from the future invade and they all get ambered and…Oh no, sorry, ambered is like, it’s…Have you ever seen Jurassic Park?
This happens me all the time with my boyfriend as I watch a lot of TV shows that he doesn’t. Mainly crime dramas. A lot of crime dramas.
To his credit, he has started watching a few of them with me, Sini-S-I: New York (with the lovely Gary Sinise), The Finder and Hawaii 5-O. He was watching Bones with me too but gave up after a few episodes.
It got us thinking about the ridiculousness of most crime dramas and how explaining the basic premise of a lot of them to people who’ve never seen the show can be…well, tricky.
He’s a dog…and he solves crimes. The Littlest Hobo. (or Lassie…) ‘Plots ranged from the simple “dog-helps-person” stories to secret agent-type adventures.’ – Wikipedia
He’s a pie maker…and he solves crimes. Pushing Daisies.
He’s a doctor…and he solves crimes. Diagnosis Murder.
He’s a coroner…and he solves crimes. Quincy MD
He’s an alien…and he solves crimes. Alien Nation.
She’s a city morgue worker whose days restart themselves…and she solves crimes. Tru Calling.
He’s a serial killer… and he solves crimes. Dexter.
He’s a priest…and he solves crimes. Father Brown.
They’re a wealthy couple…and they solve crimes. Hart to Hart.
He’s a fake psychic…and he solves crimes. Psych.
She’s a forensic anthropologist…and she solves crimes. Bones. (maybe not too far fetched given it’s based on a real person)
She’s a model trying to escape bankruptcy by running the detective agency she had previously owned as a tax write-off…and she solves crimes. Moonlighting.
They’re a divorced couple who played a married couple on fake TV show…and now they solve crimes. Diamonds.
He’s a brain damaged war veteran obsessed with finding things…and he solves crimes. The Finder.
He’s a writer…and he solves crimes. Castle. (or change the gender and you have Murder, She Wrote)
He’s a vampire…and he solves crimes. Moonlight. (and he’s now Steve in Hawaii Five-O!)
She’s a high school student…and she solves crimes. Veronica Mars. (whose co-star went on to star in Moonlight)
He’s a neuroscientist who hallucinates and has imaginary friends…and he solves crimes. Perception.
She’s a DEA agent recruited by a covert government agency that hunts genetically enhanced individuals. She discovers that she can heal rapidly from any injury and begins to investigate the source of her powers…and she solves crimes. Painkiller Jane.
He’s a advanced, artificially intelligent and nearly indestructible car…and he solves crimes. Knight Rider.
He’s a robot…and he solves crimes. Robocop.
He’s a ghost…and he solves crimes. Randal and Hopkirk (deceased).
Think about your favorite TV show…Now try to explain it to someone who’s never watched it before.