For most people it’s the stars of a TV series that draws them in.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“I liked that guy in that other thing he did,” they say to themselves, “I’m going to watch this show.”
It makes sense; the actors are the most noticeable part of a TV show – literally. They’re what you see when you switch the channel (or download the show, or stream it or however you watch a TV show).
I’m like that – but with writers instead of actors. Which makes more sense to me. Those words the actor you like is speaking? He didn’t come up with them (no matter how many times they claim they “ad lib” all their lines).
Those words come from the writer, who really does all the hard work, while the guy reciting his lines gets all the credit.
So any time writer David Simon – best known for The Wire – puts out a new TV show, I’m there in front of the TV.
His latest work is The Deuce, a series he co-created with crime novelist (and writer on The Wire) George Pelecanos.
The Deuce – the second season kicked off on Showcase last week – is set in 1970s New York and traces the the evolution of the porn movie business in Times Square.
Yes, there is nudity and some rumpy-pumpy in each episode but it’s not presented in a gratuitous way.
Rather, it’s presented as just another workplace – albeit one in which some employees are required not to wear any clothes.
Anyway, those scenes are only a small part of the show; if you’re tuning into see that stuff, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
The bulk of the story is about the sex workers’ lives when they’re not on set – when they have to deal with their pimps, getting rousted by the cops and various other run-ins.
As with The Wire, Simon has created an immersive world – there is so much detail in the sets and scenes that it feels like they went back to the 1970s to film the series.
Then of course, there’s the writing, which shows a wonderful ear for the way people actually speak – jargon, slang and all.
It means you don’t understand everything the characters are talking about, but it makes them feel authentic. And you are able to understand enough to work out what’s going on.
It’s an example of deep, rich storytelling.