On the box

While Australian television continues to churn out worn reality-clone formats from overseas, large-scale dramas continue to be a huge trend elsewhere.

It’s an unfortunate but common scenario that we find ourselves in – with the overall viewership for television as a whole on the decline in this country, it’s become the norm for the same tried and true shows being revived from the TV-grave to be given yet another run.

Playing it safe has made the entire programming landscape dull and less adventurous. It doesn’t help that most of these programs turn out to be the same tired reality formats, albeit with a highly-publicised “twist” included for your added enjoyment. That said – I ashamedly and desperately inhaled each episode of the latest season of Big Brother (bad luck, Tahan).

Arguments can also be made that once we have a formula we like, the characters themselves aren’t all that important to us continuing to love the show (Home and Away, anyone?).

One particular program which has engaged in my above-mentioned “twist” is Survivor. Currently in its 27th season, the latest version pits fan favourites against a tribe of their own family members and loved ones. The title? Survivor: Blood vs. Water. How poetic. And yet, the Survivor team has done it again, delivering a season not unlike any others that made the show so addictive.

The tribal councils, the backstabbing and the stunning scenery are all there.

Host Jeff Probst is there (wearing the same hat) and they even continue to engage in the same challenges – fighting over the same crusty puzzle pieces and hidden immunity idols.

The strength of the format is that it’s consistent with what works and what we know. It can be found on the GO! Network.

On the other end of the TV spectrum, I had the good fortune of being turned on to Sons of Anarchy – a long-running American drama that’s playing out on Foxtel at the moment. It’s a fresh concept that takes the viewer behind the helmet of a fictional bikie gang.

The characters feel authentic and the world of the bikers draws you in immediately as you’re privy to their many illicit activities. The cast is strong and, as is the trend at the moment, truly multi-generational with a wide age spectrum between them.  Sons of Anarchy is a truly dark program that feels raw and human and is well worth getting into.

It’s currently in its sixth season but, as with many of these long running shows that miss the larger channels, a trek to your local DVD store can ensure you’re up to date.