The quality of modern TV Shows has been subjected to intense criticism in recent times. With the rise in quantity over quality, countless fans have been disappointed in the current state of shows. On the 25th Anniversary of The Sopranos, creator David Chase has also questioned the present quality of Television. He has openly stated that the Golden Era of Television is over, and it’s only getting dumber with each passing day.
The Sopranos has been helmed as the pioneer of the Second Golden Age of Television. If it were not for the story of Tony Soprano, we might have missed out on some of the most iconic projects like The Wire, Grey’s Anatomy, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones. Sadly, it seems we are over those golden days, as David Chase criticized that Television is getting dumb now.
Why is The Sopranos creator unhappy with the present state of Television?
Hardcore Television lovers can attest that Television shows’ quality has dipped in the past few years. Barring a few cinematic beauties, most projects turned out to be underwhelming at best. In the wake of the Streaming Wars, we are witnessing the run of countless shows, but only a handful of them manage to get the tag of a brilliant piece of work.
As a significant figure in Television, David Chase seemed deeply disappointed at the present quality of TV shows. In an interview with The Times (via The Hollywood Reporter), he did not hesitate to state that the Golden Era is gone, and we are living in an age where nothing can be made that has too much sense.
“As the human race goes on, we are more into multitasking. We seem to be confused and audiences can’t keep their minds on things, so we can’t make anything that makes too much sense, takes our attention and requires an audience to focus. And as for streaming executives? It is getting worse. We’re going back to where we were.”
David Chase referred to a recent incident to explain his statement. The Sopranos creator recently tried to make a TV show on a s*x worker along with screenwriter Hanna Fiddell. When he went to pitch it to a studio, the executives told him to “dumb it down” as it was too complex for the present audience.
Is the Golden Age of Television truly over?
David Chase claims that instead of following the general rule of evolution, we are returning to where we were as audiences. With advertisements being introduced in streaming, he thinks we are going back to the era where Television used to interrupt an exciting show by running ads in between– “We’re going back to where I was. They’re going to have commercials”.
Instead of celebrating the 25th Anniversary of The Sopranos, he decided to call it a “funeral”:
“This is the 25th anniversary, so of course it’s a celebration. But perhaps we shouldn’t look at it like that. Maybe we should look at it like a funeral.”
He referred to the post-Sopranos era as a 25-year blip. He added that it is not only about his 1999 masterpiece, but he also feels bad for numerous other creators. When The Times questioned him about the critically acclaimed recent hit, Succession, he replied that the show was greenlit many years ago.
Many viewers consider the end of Better Call Saul as the conclusion of the Golden Age of Television. However, it is quite debatable. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that recently there has been an overflow of shows that affected the quality of Television. Last year, reports published by Harper’s Bazaar and Vulture described the modern TV era as the “Age of Mid Television”. It is no lie that if creators like David Chase are not promoted and the quality is not monitored, we might not get another Sopranos or Breaking Bad.
