And we are back. As a content creator, who also works, and has to balance this, sometimes real life wins. And due to the format of this being “shows I just watched the day before”, it is impossible to create in advance and put this out. So, apologies for two days with no diary. I’m sure everyone was devastated. I always assume I’m the first thing everyone reads in the morning, like USA Today or The Wall Street Journal.
In my short absence, CBS murdered two shows that perform better than most of the shows on other networks, choosing to end the run of CSI Vegas (which I believe statistically was actually their lowest rated program), as well as So Help Me Todd. That second cancellation stings, because that show knows exactly what it is, and it is such a breath of fresh air on a network looking to have 4 NCIS shows and 3 FBI shows next season. With the struggles that Paramount is having, there just wasn’t an option for a transfer to Paramount Plus, like they did for Seeal Team Six and Evil. This loss really should be someone else’s gain, because unlike CSI Vegas, where the franchise is synonymous with CBS, Todd could be picked up by anyone. It worked well for CBS, but it’s lighthearted enough it could go anywhere. Even Disney Plus. Literally any streamer could save this show.
So what did I actually watch? Well, Baby Reindeer (Netflix), since that’s becoming the show of the moment. I think it is a strong pilot that, due to the structure, really sets up the plot well. You have a full grasp of all the characters in the show,and you want to see how this plays out. The audio description has a few moments I know will drive people insane. It does what I could best describe as “over-interpret” if such a thing exists, in terms of the intention or meaning of a facial expression or reaction. One time, it says something like “She looks up as though she’s never been acknowledged before.” Personally, this kind of stuff doesn’t bother me, but I know it bothers other people, who prefer the less interesting “she looks up, surprised.” With this show using technology a lot, it will really have to focus on what is being shown on a screen, so this show may have an uphill battle ahead of it in terms of audio description. For now, I’m feeling alright about it. Middle tier.
I’ll mention, as I did not mention before, that I’ve seen the first two episodes of Parish (AMC Plus), which is extremely hard to watch without audio description. The show is about a family man (Giancarlo Esposito), who also has this dark side, as he is also a bit of a wheelman who gets pulled into this life of crime once again.Conceptually the show is interesting, and the lead actor is always terrific, but this is a chore to try and follow without audio description. It’s a violent crime drama, and people die, but you aren’t really sure who, or how. I wouldn’t recommend it.
I’m actually a big fan of Shogun (Hulu) as a show, and the 8th episode, which focuses on the kinds of sacrifice people make in order to make a point, was such a strong episode. While I dislike the single narrator thing for the whole show, I will say after watching Franklin, that there is a lost art here in sound mixing, which we often never get to recognize. While this show should have more than one narrator, what it does have is a sound mixer who keeps the volume of the narration over dialog at a level where you can hear the original actor. It helps in judging an actors performance, as well as being able to hear the change in voices in scenes where multiple characters are speaking, so it doesn’t seem like one character the whole time. You can hear a little bit of the original actor underneath, and shockingly, that matters quite a bit, as I’m about to talk about. So, I’m gonna bump Shogun up. Middle tier.
Franklin (Apple Plus), on the other hand, does not have a great sound mixer. This is what brought up the idea. There are very much scenes, at least in the second episode, where the narration totally obliterates the original actors. This is maddening, when you have more than one character, because it feels like a giant run on monolog instead of a conversation. for example, in the second episode, there are two characters talking down by the docks, both French men, who are being dubbed by the one voice actor who reads all male voices. you can’t hear the actors underneath, so you miss whatever performance they give, as well as the helpful transition in their voices like Shogun has. Yes, Franklin does employ more than one narrator overall, but it doesn’t help in these moments, when the mixing fails it. Middle tier.
I also watched an older Season 2 episode of Young Sheldon (MAX), where the pastor was worried about his wife leaving him. The audio description on this show is very solid for a sitcom. Middle/Top tier.
I watched a few other shows without AD, but I only try and mention a show once. So, Parish is the only show that got a mention, and it will never be mentioned again until it has audio description.
