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| Crockett & Tubbs: Two heroes indelibly burned into my brain. |
Aspiring Science Fiction and Fantasy novelists tend to study
the novels of their published counterparts when constructing their worlds. Writing teachers often promote this as the
best way to construct worlds that will draw readers in. This view makes sense, as TV shows and movies
involve a different working process than that of the traditional novelist. Yet other mediums and genres offer insights
into the intricacies that make a society not just function, but survive the
constant, daily barrage of change. In my
opinion, would-be World-builders should study all mediums of art, as
they seek to master the skills necessary to become published authors.
Police Dramas portray the constant, necessary fight to
protect society from the activities of groups and individuals that, if left unchecked,
would lead to its collapse. In the
1980s, two TV shows that portrayed this fight were “Miami Vice” and
“Hunter.” "Miami Vice" showed the
insidious way that drugs can infect all levels of society and aspects of a
culture, whether their source filters down from civic leadership or rises from street dealers. “Hunter” displayed
the vigilance necessary to protect citizens in all walks of life from
predators who prey on the weak and the successful. Both shows proved popular with viewers during
their broadcast runs. Yet each was as
different from the other as baseball and cheese, and left vastly different
legacies. Why?
“Miami Vice” initially won viewers with its looks, style,
and sound, but the show faltered in later seasons, and completely fell apart
during its fifth. Meanwhile, “Hunter”
slowly climbed the rankings to become a mainstay of NBC’s lineup. From a dismal 65th in the Nielsen
rankings for Season One, the show reached the top thirty by its third, and lasted seven years. An attempt to reboot "Miami Vice" in the cinemas failed. "Hunter" prompted several reunion movies, and nearly spawned a
sequel series.
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| Hunter & McCall: Two heroes winning their way into my heart. |
Despite the way “Miami Vice” wowed us, the show proved unsustainable once its novelty had worn off. It also suffered from drastic changes in oversight. After the first season of "Hunter," Steven J. Cannell kept a watchful eye on the series, but steered his mentor Roy Huggins into his former role as Executive Producer. Huggins labored hard to refine his series' characters, style and
identity. Initially, Hunter's fellow police officers disliked his violent methods and disregard of the rules. In later seasons, Hunter's character and actions were softened. Nor did his
fellow police trust him, as he came from a Mafia family. Huggins dropped that aspect of Hunter’s history. The catch phrase “Works for me” and the music
video segments were also discarded.
Huggins replaced these discordant elements by building the chemistry between Hunter and his partner Dee Dee McCall. What emerged was a
traditional police drama, but one of the most memorable partnerships in TV
history.
As a would-be SF and Fantasy writer, what "Hunter" teaches me
is that I shouldn’t worry about delivering a groundbreaking novel the first
time out. What will prove more
important, at least for the longevity of my career, is to continually build on
my strengths while addressing (not hiding from) my weaknesses. To seek to add substance to my worlds with each
successive story, while not losing my unique voice or style. Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson says
that, with each new book or series, he tries to
evaluate the areas he needs to improve as a writer, and then address those
issues in that story. Coming from such a prolific
and successful author, this sounds like good advice.
TV shows from other genres thus offer the aspiring author
valuable insights. “Miami Vice,” while a
magnet for the latest music, fashion, and styles, was also an expensive show to
produce. When it fell in the Nielsen
rankings, the series was dropped as quickly as Sci-Fi shows that also cost a
lot to produce. This suggests that stories
built chiefly on style, regardless of how popular they initially seem, cannot
endure. In my own writing
career, I hope to emulate authors like Kevin J. Anderson, Steven J. Cannell,
and Roy Huggins. I want to create
substance: stories that will not just wow you, but will last.
Writing substantively (and, I hope, stylishly),
Dragon Dave
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