HH talks about writing for television

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Not sure if folks got to read this when it came out, it's a transcript of a keynote Hart gave on writing for television. If you haven't read it - it's VERY enlightening about how he views his audience - as well as an idea of what to expect from this season.

I read this a while ago, and thought it was so interesting

Thanks!But I am not going to read it, I rather believe that he does not have a clue rather than confrming he is messing with the show on purpose

I still maintain that HH is a very gifted guy. He's really put out a lot of hard work and effort to try and understand his work. It sounds weird to say that, but I have never even noticed that whole parallel between societies mores and norms and a show's success/viewership.

I have to say it was interesting to hear how he skirts the crossline there. When he talks about how he has a balance between his characters where one is completely contradictory of society and the other is more in-line with society. But it really gives everyone something to agree on, it allows everyone to relate to a character.

I always thought he was just fishing for more storylines when he has all these controversial episodes, but he's really almost picking up a issue and using his multitude of characters to pull out every different side to it, but it's not some boring CNN stuff where they have experts who obviously disagree with each other moan and drone on - it's actually got an element of light-heartedness to it.

It's just crazy how much of a little bit of everything Hart has thrown into this show, compared to other shows. No wonder he has 12 million viewers. And no wonder there is no consensus between fans.

It's like this crazy hybrid show.

-They are a crime drama, but have comedy and character growth.
-They are appealing to societies mores, but have characters who also challenge them.
-They have an episodic series through different cases each episode, but then they have a serialized/building character development going on in the background.

I don't know why, but I am blown away by Hart's insight on this all. Totally rambling. But thank you for posting this, it was a good read!

I also believe Hart is a genius! I think that this is exactly what drew us to this show. All of the reasons you've stated are exactly the reason that I have loved this show for 5 years...but unfortunately like all things in life, there is an ebb and flow...sometimes you struggle and find your way...that I believe is what's going on right now. If feel like he's given too many people, too much input and he's forgotten to trust his judgment above all. I feel like the show is in real trouble at this point...and I hope that he can use all of this intelligent standards that he based things on to help him pull it out of the fire!

So far what I'm hearing about this season isn't really looking too good, but I will watch to see...and hope and wish..that it turns out to be so much better than anything any of us imagined.

I say Good Luck Hart...I hope you are Genius enough to fix this mess!

mommahurley wrote:I also believe Hart is a genius! I think that this is exactly what drew us to this show. All of the reasons you've stated are exactly the reason that I have loved this show for 5 years...but unfortunately like all things in life, there is an ebb and flow...sometimes you struggle and find your way...that I believe is what's going on right now. If feel like he's given too many people, too much input and he's forgotten to trust his judgment above all. I feel like the show is in real trouble at this point...and I hope that he can use all of this intelligent standards that he based things on to help him pull it out of the fire!

So far what I'm hearing about this season isn't really looking too good, but I will watch to see...and hope and wish..that it turns out to be so much better than anything any of us imagined.

I say Good Luck Hart...I hope you are Genius enough to fix this mess!

Ditto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is very good at what he does. However, note that part of what he does is reset storylines, and string things out at long as possible. He is of the school of thought that resolving a relationship in a series means the end of the series. For him, the moment that particular tension is gone people stop watching. It's a classic way of looking at television writing, but it's been proven wrong enough on cable that it really is an outdated way of thinking.

More importantly - based on his own words and theories it's pretty clear B&B is going to stalled and reset until either Fox cancels it or he gets tired of writing it. Hart DOES have a plan; it's to stretch the story out for as long as possible and then bring them together at the end. Probably not THE last episode, but pretty close. Think about another eight show arch.

I'm not bringing this up to be negative, just realistic. This is how he writes, this is what he believes keeps people watching "reset, reuse, recycle." So, knowing that I personally can stop wondering why he's trashed his characters so much. It's deliberate. He believes it's what keeps most viewers watching and entertained. So does most of network tv. He is probably right, in that most viewers, once invested, will put up with it and enjoy what they can - even if the story starts to seem stupid or unrelistic. However, I do think he's wrong about the idea that viewers would stop watching if the story moved along and progressed with the same level of integrity as it started. I think the average has gotten more sophicated than that - otherwise cale series tv would have gone bust a while ago.

Anyway, I posted this so folks can just watch without too much expectation of things really changing. They won't until the show is really planning on ending - or HH changes his philosophy. I, for one, am looking forward to that final arch when they do get Hart's happily ever treatment.

Well, we'll see if that is the case or not. I always thought the norm has been putting off the two main characters until the end, for most shows (meaning they stay together, not get together and breakup). From this transcript I got the vibe that Hart likes to take a norm and mix it with something unconventional.

He did comment on the characters getting together and it ends the show, but no way to know if he's actually going to apply this to Bones or if he's going to try to mix it in with something else, like everything else he's done with the show.

The only way to know for sure what is going to happen is to watch, although some have decided to fore go watching already. To each his own, I guess...

Lo wrote:Well, we'll see if that is the case or not. I always thought the norm has been putting off the two main characters until the end, for most shows (meaning they stay together, not get together and breakup). From this transcript I got the vibe that Hart likes to take a norm and mix it with something unconventional.
b]He did comment on the characters getting together and it ends the show, but no way to know if he's actually going to apply this to Bones or if he's going to try to mix it in with something else, like everything else he's done with the show.[/b]

The only way to know for sure what is going to happen is to watch, although some have decided to fore go watching already. To each his own, I guess...

He does like the unconventional - in story ideas, topics, characters, that is a BIG part of what I've loved about Bones. However in the structure of a series itself, Hart is a flat out traditionalist - and proud of it. I really don't think you can get around that:

This is specific about B&B:

Pandering suggests that you are… “pandering to an audience,” they say. I would maintain that there’s no such thing as an audience. There’s no one thing that everybody wants. In my show, for example. It’s been a romantic… we’re going into… we’re in our fifth season, hundredth episode. Those two have been dancing around whether or not they’re going to be a couple for five seasons. My entire audience wants them to get together. If I were pandering, I would put them together. And everyone would stop watching next week.

This is his philosophy in general:
If you give a non-existent audience what you think they want, they’re happy for about three seconds and they love you, and then they turn to something else that they hate. I can’t do that.

An audience wants a story to be over, an audience wants a happy ending, and an audience wants to relax. Those are all things that someone who’s purveying to a mass audience can’t possibly put up with. Can’t have that happen.

He believes in interesting characters, eye candy, PACING - and then pulling the rug out from under so that the audience hates it - so that they'll keep watching. That's the pattern we've been seeing, it's what he believes works. IT DOES WORK, in that we all watch. I'm just tired of feeling disappointed and all my fan friends being disappointed. THIS IS HOW HART CREATES. If it isn't the end, they don't get together - because them getting together is what the audience wants - and HART in his own words, "CAN'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN."

That's not me saying don't watch, it me saying what not to expect -not from this writer. Don't mean it won't get interesting, that the cases won't get better, etc. But real forward movement with B&B - nope. Just like last season, he'll pace it to look like it's going somewhere - but then it won't. If he's really aiming for ending after eight seasons, that ship won't really move until late seven - unless they get renewed for ten...

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Guys ,what joybrennan wrote is right HH is saying is that in order to get B/B together he has to end the series and start a new one. Bones is all in subtext and he put it out there for all to see if you look closely. IMO I believe he will have a new show with these characters next season.

thatgirl61 wrote:Guys ,what joybrennan wrote is right HH is saying is that in order to get B/B together he has to end the series and start a new one. Bones is all in subtext and he put it out there for all to see if you look closely. IMO I believe he will have a new show with these characters next season.

Actually, that's not what I was saying - BUT IT'S A BRILLIANT THOUGHT.

Im sorry if I misunderstood you .But I so believe thats whats going to happen. I think this is why he has all these speeches and interviews coming out now ,because he wants to get his audience ready.His episodes are in subtext and Im guessing a lot of his fans don't know that yet.

joybrennan wrote:

Lo wrote:Well, we'll see if that is the case or not. I always thought the norm has been putting off the two main characters until the end, for most shows (meaning they stay together, not get together and breakup). From this transcript I got the vibe that Hart likes to take a norm and mix it with something unconventional.b]He did comment on the characters getting together and it ends the show, but no way to know if he's actually going to apply this to Bones or if he's going to try to mix it in with something else, like everything else he's done with the show.[/b]The only way to know for sure what is going to happen is to watch, although some have decided to fore go watching already. To each his own, I guess...

He does like the unconventional - in story ideas, topics, characters, that is a BIG part of what I've loved about Bones.  However in the structure of a series itself, Hart is a flat out traditionalist - and proud of it.  I really don't think you can get around that:This is specific about B&B:Pandering suggests that you are… “pandering to an audience,” they say. I would maintain that there’s no such thing as an audience. There’s no one thing that everybody wants. In my show, for example. It’s been a romantic… we’re going into… we’re in our fifth season, hundredth episode. Those two have been dancing around whether or not they’re going to be a couple for five seasons. My entire audience wants them to get together. If I were pandering, I would put them together. And everyone would stop watching next week. This is his philosophy in general:If you give a non-existent audience what you think they want, they’re happy for about three seconds and they love you, and then they turn to something else that they hate. I can’t do that.An audience wants a story to be over, an audience wants a happy ending, and an audience wants to relax. Those are all things that someone who’s purveying to a mass audience can’t possibly put up with. Can’t have that happen. He believes in interesting characters, eye candy, PACING - and then pulling the rug out from under so that the audience hates it - so that they'll keep watching. That's the pattern we've been seeing, it's what he believes works.  IT DOES WORK, in that we all watch.  I'm just tired of feeling disappointed and all my fan friends being disappointed.  THIS IS HOW HART CREATES.  If it isn't the end, they don't get together - because them getting together is what the audience wants - and HART in his own words, "CAN'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN."  That's not me saying don't watch, it me saying what not to expect -not from this writer. Don't mean it won't get interesting, that the cases won't get better, etc.  But real forward movement with B&B - nope.  Just like last season, he'll pace it to look like it's going somewhere - but then it won't.  If he's really aiming for ending after eight seasons, that ship won't really move until late seven - unless they get renewed for ten...  [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />

...but I heard Hart say so mnay times that he doesn't believe in the moonlighting curse. He said, "“We aren’t nervous about making them a couple, but we want it to play out in a way that is realistic for these two and that will make fans happy." My biggest fear his he's going to stretch B&B's relationship so far out that when they finally get together, no one will care anymore.

They are going to get together this season and HH will come up with a new bones with them together by episode 24 or season 7.

thatgirl61 wrote:They are going to get together this season and HH will come up with a new bones with them together by episode 24 or season 7.

I so hope your right...I'm sure they will get to together eventually, but I'm just too afraid to hold my breath because I totally thought that they would get together in the last 2 seasons and they didn't.