Editor’s Take: Anthology brings new opportunity to television

By Ian Rapoport
Executive Arts Editor

Television has grown more and more repetitive, as networks’ emphasis appears to have transitioned from creating quality content to dragging a series on past its prime for the ratings. Oddly enough, a solution has appeared that allows creators to be unique without losing ratings.

By the time the first season of “American Horror Story” ended in 2011, its central narrative had been resolved, a complete surprise given that FX had already scheduled a second season. Soon after, the show’s creators, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, announced that the second season would feature an entirely new setting, plot and characters.
“American Horror Story: Asylum” featured many members of the show’s original cast, and the theme was still very much horror, but the focus had shifted from a story about ghosts to one about insanity and torture.

This decision to become significantly more dark seemed likely to result in a narrowing fan base and the eventual demise of the series. Yet, the show is currently in its third season, enjoying a top-three rating every Wednesday night at 10.

The longevity of “American Horror Story” shows fans’ willingness to follow a show, not for learning what happens to their favorite character, but because they understand the acting and writing talent attached.

But “American Horror Story” is not the only series to embrace anthology storytelling, as this month saw the release of HBO’s “True Detective.” Creator Nic Pizzolatto has made it clear that the show’s first season will be a complete narrative, and in an interview with Canada.com, he noted that he was able to get Hollywood-level actors like Matthew McConaughey, as “True Detective” only required a few months of commitment, not a few years.

“True Detective” has already been met with well-deserved critical praise, and with names like McConaughey attached, a new season will be likely.

Collectively, these two shows effectively illustrate the many advantages of the anthology format: creative freedom, big name actors and dedicated viewers; it is hard to see why it could and should not be applied to any other genre of show.