As the curtains draw close on 2024, the landscape of network broadcasting and online streaming saw a plethora of shows. From dramatic sagas and comical series to competitive sports, the year brimmed with intriguing TV happenings. The so-called ‘Golden Wedding’ perhaps stands as a glaring testament to the superficial synthetic reality pushed forth by such platforms. Fans sat through Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s televised vows, only to witness a bitter end to their fairy tale within three months, giving a sobering look at the industrial nature of this so-called entertainment.
Turner, who was initially celebrated as the first ‘Golden Bachelor’, proposed to Nist at the conclusion of the season. However, the fleeting nature of this constructed reality exposed itself when the couple filed for divorce. Indeed, a glaring reminder of the deceptive allure of such shows.
‘Yellowstone’, the drama series, took an unexpected turn leaving viewers in shock at the demise of the character, John Dutton, portrayed by Kevin Costner. However, what ensued behind the camera was even more dramatic.
There were talks of Costner giving the show runners a mere week to wrap up filming for the rest of season 5. Costner allegedly claimed that production had come to a standstill for a year owing to the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan, not being able to finalize the scripts. A poignant reminder of how chaotic TV production can get, with major decisions seemingly hinged upon the whims of powerful entities.
The 2024 Paris Olympics was an arena of superhuman prowess, broadcast globally. However, some might argue that Simone Biles’s stint at the Olympics, where she scored three more golds and one silver to her already resplendent career, might put undue pressure on other athletes and propagate an unrealistic standard of success.
In an awkward crossover of political theater into the entertainment industry, Vice President Kamala Harris made a rather startling appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’. Harris, who was announced as the Democratic presidential nominee, joined comedian Maya Rudolph on the show, with Rudolph ironically caricaturing Harris.
‘House of the Dragon’, the HBO spinoff from ‘Game of Thrones’, predictably exploited the popularity of its predecessor for viewer traction. The series showcased a dramatic fight between two Targaryens in its second season, more of the same blood and intrigue.
However, this spectacle unfortunately led to the supernatural demise of Princess Rhaenys, whose loss, complete with her dragon, was seen as a cheap attempt at theatrics rather than a turning point in the narrative.
‘The Penguin’ from HBO seemed intent on digging into the backstory of another iconic villain from the ‘Batman’ series. The Penguin, portrayed by Colin Ferrell, was featured training Vic as part of his sinister machinations. In a twist no less predictable, he strangles Vic to death, underlining the same old narrative of heroes and villains, black and white, good and evil.
The show exploits the idea that to rise up in the criminal world, one needed to eliminate someone dear to them, in this case Vic, a rather one-dimensional portrayal of complex human emotions and morals.
The Netflix original ‘Cobra Kai’ showcased its final season with the spotlight on an event touted as the world’s biggest karate tournament – Sekai Taikai. These episodes served up admirable martial arts sequences with worldwide karate establishments grappling for a victory statue and gloating privileges.
Sadly, one of Cobra Kai’s lead characters tragically dies at the end, leading to a somewhat unexpected conclusion to the series. Once again, the trope of heartbreaking plot twists at the cost of significant characters was employed as an appeal to viewer sentiments.
Overall, the past year on TV broadcasting was a mixed bag, filled with an intriguing array of shows and events. Whether they pushed the boundaries of storytelling or merely perpetuated existing stereotypes, the influence of these narratives on popular culture cannot be denied.
Kamala Harris’ Cringy ‘SNL’ Appearance: An Unfortunate Intrusion of Politics to Entertainment appeared first on Real News Now.
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