The Tribal Mind: Imagination vs Vegetation

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

To learn how Skippy brainwashed Australia, go to Who We Are.

by David Dale
Here's an anomaly: Australians love science fiction at the cinema, and hate it on television. As usual, this column has a theory. It's to do with the different ways Australians are using different media to satisfy different needs, as they move from the Noughties to the decade we'll come to call the Teens. First, the evidence ...

If you examine the 50 movies that sold the most tickets in the past 50 years, you find that more than half the list (although topped by The Sound of Music, Crocodile Dundee and Titanic) can be classified as sci fi/ fantasy.

Our favourites were the Lord of the Rings trilogy, E.T., the Star Wars series, Jurassic Park, Independence Day, The Sixth Sense, the Harry Potter series, the Indiana Jones series, several iterations of Batman, Superman and Spiderman, and a couple of Transformers (I didn't say they were all good, just that they were popular).

Even in the past month, the biggest hits at the cinema have been speculative thrillers - District 9 and Inglourious Basterds (which is a war movie set in an alternative universe, and that's all I can say without revealing a plot detail).

But if you look at the 50 most watched drama series on television over the past 50 years, you're hard pressed to find any sci fi at all. The list is dominated by cops and doctors (the likes of Homicide, CSI, Underbelly, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, Division 4, NCIS, Midsomer Murders, Grey's Anatomy, House, E .R., All Saints, and A Country Practice).

The highest rating fantasy series of all time in Australia was Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the mid 90s, but that was more of a romantic comedy. The first few episodes of Lost in 2005 and Heroes in 2006 attracted nearly 2 million viewers in the mainland capitals, but by this year both had dropped below 200,000 - similar to the slide suffered by The X-Files in the 1990s.

The latest incarnation of Dr Who pulled 1 million viewers last year, which delighted the ABC but didn't break any audience records. Classics such as Buffy, Battlestar Galactica, Farscape, The Prisoner and the mutations of Star Trek and StarGate were cult favourites but never mass drawcards.

In the past month, the most watched sci fi shows on the box have been Fringe on GO with 117,000 viewers, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on GO with 114,000, Torchwood on ABC2 with 89,000, and Dollhouse on Fox8 with 70,000.

So why the difference? It's the age of multitasking. These days most of us watch TV with half an eye and a quarter of a brain, simultaneously sending text messages, surfing the net, eating a pizza, holding two cyber-conversations and one real one, and doing our homework.

When that becomes too much, we use television to turn off our mind, relax and float downstream. We want to lay down all thought, surrender to the void. Neither multitasking nor veging-out is conducive to the appreciation of science fiction, which requires concentration, imagination and intellectual engagement.

With cinema, we have committed to travelling, queueing up, and sitting in the dark for two hours focussed on just one activity. We look forward to stretching our attention spans. We expect to be stimulated and challenged, so engagement leads to escapism. And a science fiction epic, more than any other kind of movie, satisfies those expectations. It's the necessary antidote to television.

Go to Comments to discuss this theory and nominate the science fiction everyone ought to see -- on the box or at the flicks.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

When asked this question, there are a few members of my family who would say that people don't like sci fi because it's too intelligent (with the implication being that they're not intelligent enough). I don't necessarily agree with that theory (who knows why we like some genres but not others?) but it's true that great sci-fi takes a bit of work. A film is a lot easier to digest than 7 seasons of 22 episodes.
I will say though that your list of sci-fi is not actually sci-fi. It's more sci/fantasy. Stargate, Star Trek and Farscape are sci-fi; Buffy, Lost and Heroes are fantasy. I don't know what Fringe is (other than atrociously bad).
As for what people should see: the acting is not great at times but Babylon 5 is hands down the best science fiction TV series ever made.
I have a soft spot for Stargate SG-1 as it explores the way in which people react to new experiences and different cultures, coming down heavily in favour of humanism over militarism and the scientific approach.
And despite not being sci-fi, Buffy is one of the best TV shows ever made generally, exploring feminism and women's societal power within the framework of adolescence.

by genfie on September 11, 2009 at 02:08 PM

One of the best sci fi/ fanatasy movies I loved was Serenity.
For current TV I will vote for Eureka - very very clever writing (on exceptionally late around midnight on Ten (Thursday evening)

by Cathy on September 11, 2009 at 04:54 PM

Yes genfie, B5 was fabulous. I'm on my third time through, just finished season 3. TV sci-fi often ends up at ungodly hours or in the wrong order. You have to be very dedicated to watch it on TV. I love the advent of DVD boxed sets. I have all of Farscape waiting for me and the last season of Stargate Atlantis and new Battlestar. I also think that in such a limited genre the chance of a terrible show is fairly high and people tend to remember the bad rather than the good. (Grey 17???!!)
Cathy, there should have been much more Firefly, and Serenity, rather than Point Pleasure or whatever replaced it and lasted all of five minutes.

by 2paw on September 11, 2009 at 08:10 PM

The other issue with "sci-fi" TV (and the first poster was correct - the list is more 'fantasy' than 'scifi') is that it's impossible to get steadily, regularly, and persistently on Free-to-air. Even Buffy and Angel - arguably the most steady sci-fi/fantasy TV shows in the last decade - tended to get co-opted by whatever the networks thought was more 'Australian' - whether that was the sport or the sport or the sport or a documentary on how to wash your cat.
The other side of watching sci-fi in Australia is that by the time the Australian TV networks got around to showing a show here, the Americans, British, Canadians, and random countries in South America had seen it two years earlier - which meant there was no-one to discuss it with.
Illegal as it might be, it's more convenient to download TV episodes and watch them several hours after the US and be able to engage in discussion (or simply delight) with other viewers at the same time.
I gave up on watching Australian TV networks for that very reason: I got tired of being shoved around by the channel programmers, and made to wait six months for something that all my US and UK friends had already seen.
Now, the only shows I watch on Australian TV now are the Australian comedy-commentaries like Spicks and Specs, or Talkin' 'Bout My Generation.
If the Australian networks are losing money on TV, it's their own fault for not keeping up with an internet generation.
Recs for good sci-fi? Battlestar Galactica; Eureka has a science base but a feelgood style; B5 is said to be awesome although I've never watched it; Farscape is challenging viewing, plus an Australian cast, and Firefly/Serenity is very well written, designed, and enjoyable.

by Sel on September 12, 2009 at 01:15 AM

"....whether that was the sport or the sport or the sport or a documentary on how to wash your cat."
Well said Sel, too true!
I loved the Star Treks in their day, also Babylon 5. Millenium was great too, not perhaps sci fi but what? Was entranced by Battlestar Galactica, and am thoroughly enjoying Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles for the second time around. Not a fan of the movies.
Although I've only seen 2 episodes of Dollhouse (they were OK) and I've heard it gets better, I am saddened that Dollhouse got the nod for more seasons over Sarah Connors. I felt that Sarah had many more stories to tell. I need more!

by Sal on September 12, 2009 at 04:49 PM

Australians have short attention spans. Sci Fi series require too much thinking.

by Bereft Skerrick on September 12, 2009 at 09:08 PM

Well said, Sel! I gave up watching a lot of my favourite Sci-Fi shows on TV, simply because the Australian programmers made such a hash of showing them. In the end I found it easier to buy the videos (yes, we are talking a few years back here!) or DVDs when they became available overseas, or make arrangements to trade recordings with online friends. I suspect Sci-Fi fails on Australian TV because the programmers *expect* it to fail, and treat the programmers accordingly.

by Christine on September 13, 2009 at 04:12 PM

I just finished watching Farscape. That show is completely mad.
I take your Grey 17, 2paw, and raise you an Andromeda. I only made it through the first few episodes. It was like the writers of Blake's 7 and Farscape got together to spoof Star Trek.

by genfie on September 14, 2009 at 06:49 AM

TV makes it difficult to like SciFi because TV gives you three episodes and then moves it around and takes it off and puts it back on and then repeats an episode from Season 2 and then puts it on hiatus and then moves it to its new HD Channel.
If TV has taught me anything about Science Fiction it's to buy it on DVD.
That being said, TV doesn't have the option of charging you $17 for two hour's viewing and not caring if it's garbage or a ratings winner because they've got your money already.
On the subject of SciFi, has anyone heard of a 6 part miniseries called 'The Lost Room' starring Peter Krause and Julianna Margulies? I've been reading about it on another site and it's called "The best SciFi series you've never seen" and "a cult hit waiting to happen" and "Ten times better than 'Fringe' (not hard) and 'Warehouse 13' (whatever that is)". It was made in 2006 but suffered the same tellie-inflicted fate as all these other shows. Sounds interesting.

by darren on September 14, 2009 at 08:43 AM

I think those who blame scheduling issues (Sel, Christine) are confusing cause and effect. The shows get mucked around by the networks because they don't rate in the first place. All of Lost, Battlestar, Stargate, T:TSCC, Heroes were started in primetime slots. Their audiences were too small to sustain a primetime slot and they got moved to late nights. Of course that just hurts the ratings more...

by Wendell on September 14, 2009 at 09:01 AM

I love sci-fi more than any other genre. But it is always treated badly by TV networks. That's why the invention of the boxed set DVD was so great!

And I have to agree that it's unpopularity with viewers is probably that it takes thought as opposed to vegeing (is that a word?) out with stuff like 2 and half men.
Sci-fi requires a brain and imagination. Something people like to put aside after a long day at work, I suppose.

But not me. I love it. Star Trek,Stargate, X Files, Dr Who , Torchwood,Sarah Connor,etc. etc.

And the fantasy stuff like Buffy, Angel, True Blood, Dollhouse, etc. I also love Lost . It was a marathon to watch but this last season made it worth while.

As for movies, there is a lot of good stuff out there but also a lot of bad. Anything by M. Knight Shyamalan should be avoided at all costs. Just saw "The Happening" the other day and I really should take my own advice and avoid his movies. But I always live in hope of a good one. After all he did do "The Sixth Sense". I wonder if he had only one good movie in him?

And of course, the original Star Wars is classic and then there is the ones people don't tend to know about. Like Donnie Darko, one of the best sci fi/fantasy movies ever. Also the original Matrix is great but 2 & 3 should never have been made. Awful.

by em on September 14, 2009 at 10:10 AM

I like your theory though, TM. It also explains why quality, intelligent, non-sf/fantasy TV also rates poorly (the Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under). Mainstream audiences don't want to use their brains while they're watching TV.
Or they have no brains to speak of...

by Wendell on September 14, 2009 at 11:07 AM

Em, don't know about M. Knight Shyamalan being SciFi (I'll leave that one to the experts) but what about 'The Village'? I liked that one. 'The Happening' is, as you say, terrible. Ditto that one with Mel Gibson and a Phoenix and a Culkin.....can't remember.....'Signs'! Yeah, awful.

by darren on September 14, 2009 at 11:33 AM

Oh, Donnie Darko. That is the best film! As for Firefly, we probably shouldn't mention it lest it causes Whedon fans such as myself to have their heads explode with fury. Cancelled after 14 episodes and they're making SEASON 9 of Smallville? Something is very wrong with the world.

by genfie on September 14, 2009 at 12:11 PM

I think it's far more about age demographics. Oldies dont go out to the movies much, and they are starting to pull a punch in the ratings on TV. Conservative and boring is the future....

by jen on September 14, 2009 at 01:33 PM

Darren, well I guess M. Knight is fantasy/horror/thriller/whocares?
And "Signs" is one of the worst films ever. I mean, Aliens come to conquer the Earth (a water planet) and the only thing that kills them is Water? Their sure not making aliens the way the used to.
And Darren, I have seen "The Lost Room". It is excellent. It was on Foxtel a year or so ago and as you say was a mini series. The way it finished made you think that it was going to be a regular series but somehow it never happened. I really liked it so that made it a certainty not to rate. Well worth a watch if it's out there on DVD.
Genfie, agree totally with your comments. I am a Whedon fan too. Hope Dollhouse continues to a second series. Foxtel showed a Dollhouse "special event" a couple of weeks ago. It was an episode set 10 years in the future to "finish off" the series as Whedon thought it was going to be cancelled. But after he made it he was told he could have another season. The special ep was not screened in the US only available on 1st season DVD (so I have been told) So season 2 will have to lead up to that special. Interesting to see what happens next.

by em on September 14, 2009 at 01:58 PM

The biggest shows are the ones people can dip into and out of. Miss an episode of a sitcom, well, doesnt matter. Miss and episode of Buffy and you may be confused for the entire rest of the season. I suspect a lot of people miss an episode here and there, for any number of reasons, then 'give up' and wait for the DVD. Which they then watch in one weekend.

by ctd on September 14, 2009 at 04:41 PM

genfie, I'll see your Andromeda and raise you a Space Precinct!!!! I tried to like Andromeda and Lexx, but failed.

by 2paw on September 14, 2009 at 09:57 PM

Thanks for the feedback Em, re 'The Lost Room'. Sounds intriguing and apparently it is available on DVD so might track it down. And sorry about the dickheadery re ScFi or Not SciFi. I don't care or understand the difference. Just slipped out.

by darren on September 15, 2009 at 08:44 AM

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The Tribal Mind: Imagination vs Vegetation

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