This is a member contributed article. Would you like to submit an article or episode review? Use our submission form to contribute.
———
I stumbled across this article today and thought it could not be more wrong! The article posted on theglobeandmail.com states:
There are other, newer shows … whose seemingly inexplicable popularity is easily explained by their predictable format. Castle (ABC, CFTO, 10 p.m.) is a sterling example. It’s preposterous, unimaginative TV, and it’s like watching Murder, She Wrote over and over. There’s a murder, and while solving the case, author Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) flirt, josh and banter. NCIS (CBS, Tuesdays, 8 p.m.) follows the same pattern. It’s a huge ratings hit that nobody ever talks about because it’s always the same darn thing. These shows are antidepressants.
For one, I do not think Castle is “inexplicably popular”. I am not convinced that the word “popular” actually applies to Castle in the first place. I constantly run across people who have never heard of the show until I bring it up in conversation. The degree of popularity that Castle does have is far from inexplicable, just ask anyone who watches with any regularity why they watch and I am sure they will happily provide ten reasons that explain their enjoyment of the show.
The reference to “Murder She Wrote” is enough to give one the impression that the writer of this article has never actually watched Castle but instead formed their opinion based on a couple of early press mentions that joked about Castle being the new “Murder She Wrote”.
I will concede that the format is at times predictable where the murder-of-the-week is concerned but to to paint the entire show with the “predictable” brush is not a fair observation when there are plenty moments throughout the series that take fans by surprise and some of the plots have been delightfully unpredictable.
Lastly the writer appears to have a certain blindness for the amount of Castle discussion that takes place online. Twitter goes crazy with fans tweeting every week when the show airs, then there’s sites like this one with active forums and chat rooms providing a constant stream of chatter surrounding the show.
But then perhaps I’m just a biased Castle fan, what do you think?
Join the forum discussion on this post
About Esin
This reminds me of my mother watching a show called “Homicide” and saying “I like this show, but why always a murder?” – um it’s a murder mystery program. What else could Castle be??
Leave it alone, it’s a perfect example of what it is. if I want to learn how to hang wallpaper I’ll watch Lifestyle Channel.
It’s bogus. That MSW thing is a giveaway. Probably never seen the show. I’m a hard-to-please TV viewer, intellectual snob and all that, and I adore Castle, from the concept to the writing, producing and acting. I also liked MSW when it was on the air, but it was formulaic, and except for her buddy the doc getting older, not much personal development ever happened, I’m afraid.
But look at the strides in character our leads have, and the intricate workings of relationships that get explored (and not just Rick and Kate’s).
Why is Castle popular? Because it doesn’t talk down to us (isn’t an angst fest), it treats its leads as adults, it gives us mysteries to untangle, humor to remember, action and great dialogue, and posits that real love is possible.
Castle es popular porque es divertido, entretenido y gracioso. Los personajes están muy bien definidos y la química entre ellos hace que no puedas dejar de penar qué pasará en su relación. Es un divertimento perfecto para abstraerte de la realidad que, a veces, puede resultar muy penosa.
Me encanta Castle, y no es para nada incompatible con otras ocupaciones más “sesudas”… puedes ver Castle y leer a Sartre al mismo tiempo…
Google Translation:
Castle is popular because it’s fun, entertaining and funny. The characters are well defined and the chemistry between them does not punish you stop what will happen in your relationship. It is a perfect entertainment abstraerte of reality that sometimes can be very painful. I love Castle, and is not at all incompatible with other occupations more “thoughtful” … you can see and read Sartre Castle at the same time …
Perfecto. Lo dojo todo y muy bien. Gracias
Much as I would like to disagree with what the original article proposes I cannot. It is not because I find Castle particularly unimaginative, but rather because I agree that there are only a few categories of television. In my world I can separate shows into four categories:
1. There are the buzzy-worthy shows-These shows command the largest ratings for a network, they are event television that everyone watches because they are part of the fabric of daily conversation.
2. Second are the Bread & Butter shows-The ones that pull in the consistent ratings, they don’t shake the apple cart or upset the balance of good vs evil. These shows reaffirm what we already know, and are easy to watch and follow along.
3. Third are the Devil’s Advocates-these shows are artistic, they sit on a plane where no one is good, no one is bad and allegiances change daily. These are the shows that challenge how we think, what character archetypes exist and propose that the world is full of anti-heroes. They are accessible to the everyman despite being ambitious.
4. Lastly I would say are the Grandiloquent-these shows are pretentious; the characters speak a completely different language than the everyman. You have to be “In” their world to understand what they are saying, if it is comedic or dramatic, and whether it is ironic enough to cry or laugh over.
American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Friends, The Daily Show, The Big Bang Theory all are part of the first category of shows that everyone watches. The ratings are great for these shows and it is a topic of everyday conversation for most people.
Second you have the shows like Law & Order, NCIS, CSI, NYPD Blue, Bones, and everything on USA, your standard procedural. The good guys win the bad guy loses, along the way things happen, but for the most part our main characters come out on top every week. People watch them when they are looking for the familiar, but these shows are not event television, they have a consistent audience that tunes in regularly.
Third are shows like Parenthood, Weeds, Dexter, Lost, Fringe, BSG, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Damages, shows where there is clear hero, nor a clear villain. These shows have what I would call the devoted following, the people who cannot wait for new episodes. They are also critical darlings adored by a devoted few and the artistic community for their interwoven story arcs that make them virtual mini-series’ rather than episodic television.
Last are the shows that nobody but a select minority watches, Portlandia, Party Down, The IT Crowd, 30 Rock, Community, Archer, Wilfred, American Horror Story. These shows have their own language you have to understand what they are talking about before you can understand what the show is about. They are NOT designed for the masses but rather for a select group of viewers who already fit into that specific niche.
I would say comparatively Castle is in the Second group. It is a procedural; there are very specific often predictable elements to the show. The writers and directors add their own touch to it, but in the end generally the good guys win and the bad guys loose. That’s not a bad thing, it is good to have procedurals, to some viewers this is boring, and to others it is comfortable. I, for one, enjoy many of the above categories of shows, but I think we are being unrealistic if we suggest that Castle is not dissimilar from the other procedural shows out there.
It is a bit repetitive, we know that 98% of the time Castle & Beckett will be triumphant, just like Benson & Stabler, Bones & Booth, Shawn & Gus, Pete & Myka, without a procedure to follow these shows would not be what they are. Occasionally the good guys fall because that’s what happens in real life; but because this is television and it is “supposed to be” uplifting that happens rarely.
If you look across all art these archetypes exist. You have The DaVinci Code and Harry Potter in books, something everyone read, an EVENT Book. Then you get the books of James Patterson, Steven King, and Nora Roberts, the authors that put out consistently. Their releases are like clockwork and the stories are all variations on the same note. In between you have Neil Gaiman, George RR Martin, Jasper Fforde, and Cormac McCarthy, the niche authors that produce good consistent writings sometimes writing series but mostly books that are artistic and help reshape the genre they are writing in. Lastly you have the National Book Award winners, the ones read by those in the literary circles, where you need to have read the complete works of Tolsty, Dicken’s, Hemmingway, and Elliott to understand what they authors are referring too.
My point is, consistency and repetition is not bad, it is what keeps networks alive-Just ask NBC how they would be doing without SVU. Castle is a good reliable show that gives ABC the ratings it wants, so what if it does not push the envelope, so what if it is at times less than thrilling, to the fans of these shows it does not matter. The story is engaging enough for us all to make weekly appointments with our television.
I think the error is in looking at the original article as an indictment on Castle. What I think the Canadian author suggested is that there are these new categories of television and TODAY unlike in the past you can find something that YOU want to watch, that YOU are excited about, be it Castle or American Idol or Weeds or Portlandia. The advent of digital television and the creation of Cable networks has allowed for us all to find the shows that we enjoy. In the past you had only two options-watch the event television shows OR the bread and butter shows. Today with more choice we all can find something we enjoy.
Doyle is a famous Canadian curmudgeon who (bless him) is, among other things, a strong supporter of public television. His funniest columns are about his trips to the ridiculous press outings sponsored by the networks once a year in California — he has a good sense of the generic stupidity of most TV.
But, as mentioned above, “Castle” is quite sneaky, it takes a while for one to “get it” (I speak as such a one). It is very formulaic, but that is just to keep the rational mind going, like throwing meat to a dog while you are robbing the house. What is really happening is everything else, the character studies and the romance and so on. Watching Castle for the solving of the case is mostly a waste of time (in Murder She Wrote the solving of the case was important). It’s not as if all the clues are given to us for us to solve it before the detectives or anything like that — often we don’t get the crucial info until the end.
Another thing Doyle misses is the absolute care with which the show is done. Andrew Marlowe and the others bring a film sensibility to the show: it is beautifully filmed and edited all the time, the scripts are almost always crafted with great care, the music is spectacular. Go back and watch Murder She Wrote and you will see how boring it was visually. Castle is on a par in terms of sheer skill with shows that have more critical kudos (Justified, for example).
I agree – some days I enjoy reading Doyle and other days I roll my eyes. I rolled my eyes at this one. He obviously hasn’t watched Castle past the pilot (or maybe he forgot that he listed a season 3 episode as one of his ‘top 5 to watch’ one week….)
Wow great comments. I liked what was said about the “feel good” category of TV and agree to a point — however, Castle IS unique. To start with there’s its sense of humour. I find the characters easy to relate to. The show is not afraid to write the characters human instead of the extreme stereotype piffle we usually get in our comfort shows. Also no one can measure the importance of witty banter in our lives?! Not to forget that Beckett is a superhero — she makes me believe I can kick down doors if I want to. Also — geek jokes.
I agree with the earlier poster; Castle is a police procedural and doesn’t stray too far from that formula, even with the subplots. There’s really nothing wrong with being an “anti-depressant”, and the article makes that clear – the writer comments that he finds these shows “relaxing” and a “comfort blanket”. Castle isn’t groundbreaking television, for all that it’s well-crafted, and I doubt anyone at the show would claim that it is intended to be.
Okay, at the risk of showing my age, I have to wonder what this author has against “Murder She Wrote”? Believe it or not, MSW was one of the most popular shows of *it’s time* and lasted 12 years! I wouldn’t be so smarmy as to use it as an indicator of bland TV plotting. However, it is definitely dated now – and programs staring “old” people aren’t popular these days. Heck the network was so happy with the series that they (and the fans) had to do some serious wooing to keep Angela Lansbury from leaving – twice – at the end of her contract.
Castle is good, not because it’s groundbreaking, over-the-top or issue driven. It’s popular because the plot catches and holds your interest, the chemistry of the characters (and actors) draws you in and the writing and delivery of the script is spot on.
Sure, let the naysayers crawl out of the woodwork now that their favorite actor or series lost to “Castle”. I say – bring it on!
Castle is popular because of:
1. The writing – it’s excellent and ranges from: a) hilariously funny to b) absolutely witty to c) a high level poignancy not often reached in television and always believable.
2. The cast – perfect casting of all the recurring characters. They play off each other’s personalities with an ease and a rare naturalness. The best is Nathan Fillion who is a cross between silver screen stars of yesteryear, William Powell and Cary Grant. His character is flawed yet imbued with redeeming characteristics that are revealed in the scripts and in his delivery of great lines. In fact, we viewers forget he’s reciting lines at all. He is a ‘natural’ actor who is understated and under-rated as a talent. His charm is envied by men and seductive to women. You want his character to win and sympathize when he fails.
3. For those of us who follow the storyline from the beginning, it’s easy to see the thread of the overall mystery and love story in each episode. It transcends the mysteries solved in each individual episode and keeps fans holding their breath until the next week’s show.
4. Though it may be described as ‘procedural’ and formula television by casual viewers (those seeing only one or two episodes), they ‘don’t get it’ at all and I don’t agree. Great writing and outstanding actors are what make Castle fans come back each week.
Maybe in a way I’m fortunate that I didn’t know about this show until the end of season 3. Once I discovered it, I bought all three seasons from Amazon so watched these seasons without interruption of commercials – almost like a continuous movie. Taking in 3 seasons within a week was a treat, a guilty pleasure. To me Castle is heads and shoulders above similar shows such as Bones (also a favorite of mine) in that I think the dialogue shines in every episode. Andrew Marlowe and Teddi Edda Miller are a formidable writing team and I think the best TV has to offer. I’ve also read the three Nikki Heat books and hope another one is in the wind!!
Castle, by rights should be in a category on its own. Unfortunately, this cannot be, so it is placed in the same catergory as all the other police shows. Admittedly, it is a police procedural, but with a comedy flair.
As far as I’m concerned, I do not want to watch heavy police shows all the time. This type of show agrees with my sense of humor.
This show appealed to me right from the beginning. Along the way, we get to enjoy all the added bonuses, like great writing and direction, a variety of murders, whether fact, fiction or a bit over the top. Thrown in for good measure is the great acting from all of the cast.
Then for icing on the cake, so to speak, is the romances and the enjoyment of the chases.
Lexie
I would say these sort of shows are like pizza. “Predictable” but nonetheless tasty and widely loved.
Thanks for this comparision! Love it!
I never let a critic tell me what to watch, in fact I never was into Law & Order, NCIS, Friends,Big Bang Theory or the majority of the shows in the top ten – I watch the shows that touch me on a personal level . Currently my favorites are Castle and Bones, and I have every season of both of them.