I was totally put off it by a trailer, right at the start - too much blood and guts for my liking - so although I thought it sounded interesting, I never watched it.
Though I've found that happens almost every time; trailers never draw me into something, but usually (because they pick on a moment of High Drama to trigger interest) actively discourage me from watching. Sometimes the blurb does too. Neither trailers nor blurb ever lean on the sort of thing that will persuade me that a drama is worth watching. Even the few I do begin to watch, I'm often driven away, as it were, by some aspect of the development. Sometimes I switch off after the first ten, fifteen minutes because I see nothing in the characters that attracts me. Sometimes I try three or four or five episodes before I stop, because I find I don't care what happens to these characters.
I was persuaded to watch Sentinel by a friend who said, "Blair moves in with Jim for a week, and he's still there four years later."
I watched the first season of Merlin, then stopped, mostly because I didn't like Arthur; but they're currently showing a trailer for the new season that includes a line that is inclining me to try it again - Merlin saying, "I will protect you or die by your side." Though without that one line, the trailer would still totally put me off.
Those are the hooks that will draw me in. Not something so fast-moving you don't have time to appreciate what's happening, not blood and guts or screaming arguments, backstabbing and the hint of treachery, not characters drawn (and staying) together through mutual self-interest or because they happen to work together, but indications of genuine friendship and loyalty... and sometimes all it takes to indicate it is a single throwaway line.
Interesting plots are merely a bonus. Alone, they don't work for me; added to good character interaction, however... But I can take/accept weak plots and thoroughly enjoy the thing as long as the character interaction is there.
It's quite bloody at times but not in a look away from the screen kind of way and yes, dark, but the overall story and the characters are so engaging that I don't mind. Lots of humor, brilliant world-building, no silly UST and googly eyes because Nick's with someone already and as the season went on she got pretty cool...it's a very different kind of show.
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Though I've found that happens almost every time; trailers never draw me into something, but usually (because they pick on a moment of High Drama to trigger interest) actively discourage me from watching. Sometimes the blurb does too. Neither trailers nor blurb ever lean on the sort of thing that will persuade me that a drama is worth watching. Even the few I do begin to watch, I'm often driven away, as it were, by some aspect of the development. Sometimes I switch off after the first ten, fifteen minutes because I see nothing in the characters that attracts me. Sometimes I try three or four or five episodes before I stop, because I find I don't care what happens to these characters.
I was persuaded to watch Sentinel by a friend who said, "Blair moves in with Jim for a week, and he's still there four years later."
I watched the first season of Merlin, then stopped, mostly because I didn't like Arthur; but they're currently showing a trailer for the new season that includes a line that is inclining me to try it again - Merlin saying, "I will protect you or die by your side." Though without that one line, the trailer would still totally put me off.
Those are the hooks that will draw me in. Not something so fast-moving you don't have time to appreciate what's happening, not blood and guts or screaming arguments, backstabbing and the hint of treachery, not characters drawn (and staying) together through mutual self-interest or because they happen to work together, but indications of genuine friendship and loyalty... and sometimes all it takes to indicate it is a single throwaway line.
Interesting plots are merely a bonus. Alone, they don't work for me; added to good character interaction, however... But I can take/accept weak plots and thoroughly enjoy the thing as long as the character interaction is there.
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In these cookie-cutter days, I appreciate that.