Every time I look through shows to watch I discover shows I had forgotten that I started watching and then stopped. Last night I ran across Luther which I stopped after a couple of episodes or so. It was not egregiously horrible, I just want more from a series now.
Background.
I grew up with TV series that were fairly low production value and, if they were comedy, had a canned laugh track. So, at some point (Mash, St Elsewhere, Roots?) I wanted more. I quit watching series altogether until along came “Six Feet Under.” NPR even did a story about how this was a step up (original award winning sound track, A-list actors, good production value, imaginative writing etc) and I realized TV could be more. Several I could name after this that had “movie like quality.”
I still have a list of these series in my head, that are my gold standard for different genres, but so few series reach this level. These are the kinds of series where your heart aches a little bit when they end. You’ve been on a journey together, fallen in love with a character, or had a regular viewing experience which is like turning the page on a good book.
So, about Luther. It’s not in the category of some I’ve listed where I would say, “Dumb, don’t waste your time,” but it’s more in the category of, “Not my cup of tea,” and not the “kick” I want from watching a good series.
