Camelot and the destruction of Arthur

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JediRage

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I've watches 4 episodes of the new series 'Camelot' based on Arthurian legend. Side by side I'm also watching Firefly.

I can't believe that quality like Firefly was shelved within one season and generic 'sex and violence' stuff like Camelot will be renewed for several seasons.

Are viewers dumb? Are studios dumb? Are the writers dumb? Are the sponsors dumb? Which is it?

I'm tired of this thoughtless peddling of sex and nonsense gore on TV in Camelot, Tudors, Rome, Spartacus. I can understand Tudors, Spartacus etc. portraying stupid characters because the historic people they represent were low-lifes themselves but for the love of god, why tarnish a feel good heroic legend like Arthur's?

For anyone who wants to read an excellent interpretation of the Legend, I'd suggest reading Bernard Cornwell's trilogy starting with 'The Winter King' rather than trash like Camelot.
 
Rage seems to describe your attitude quite well.

Sex and violence sell. Your average Joe TV watcher likely doesn't give a crap about Arthurian legend and the T&A and violence bring them in. No one is "dumb" as you put it. Viewers have a limited attention span, studios cater to the most common denominator, writers write what the studio wants, and on pay cable sponsors really don't have much say in the matter. If you have such a distaste for it, simply stop watching it.

And quite honestly, calling Arthurian legend feel good is pretty naive. Plus, I highly doubt you were alive in the 5th and 6th century with Arthur or the 12th when the legend became what it is. The underlying point is it's still just legend, based around historical events, but still fiction none the less.
 
I don't understand this reasoning, "If you have such a distaste for it, simply stop watching it". Obviously I'm not going to watch it, but it doesn't mean I can't write about it even if it means getting a snide remark about my username.

Of course I'm going to rage. When Camelot and Tudors get renewed and Firefly gets shelved, I question the sanity of humanity.

It's just so many things that's wrong with Camelot.
1. Casting. Arthur's actor is a train wreck waiting to happen. Joseph Fiennes as Merlin may be trying to portray the 'realistic' Merlin (whatever that might mean) but he is so one dimensional. A Clive Owen Mark II. Disappointed with Eva Green's forced thick accent and forced evil characteristics.

2. Writing. Michael Hirst was behind the Elizabeth movies. Also the Tudors which in my opinion went downhill after season 1. The new mantra of historical TV series seems to be 'put sex and violence in there so people watch it'. And explaining it away as saying there's always 'something' going on in the scene like 'power play, expression, passion' etc. It's just lazy writing. If you have to resort to such things it shows a lack of imagination.

My point was not that there should be no 'sex and violence' in TV series. It's that these two things should not be the FOUNDATION of a TV series. There are many more things that make the Arthurian Legend fascinating.

Since you are also talking about naivete, its important to note that Arthur might not have been a christian in the first place. 5th/6th century Britain wasn't a completely proselytized region at that time. And yet its taken for granted in Camelot?
 
Not seen Camelot yet, it's not due on British TV until latter this year.

I agree that the Tudors just went on for too many series, i enjoyed it up to the end of the second series but no further. Rome was good all the way through IMO and Spartacus is silly yet entertaining, in a firmly tongue in cheek way.

Like Robin Hood, Camelot and Arthurian legend is 95% pure fiction anyway. You can't seriously attempt any historically accurate account since the knowledge of the subject just isn't there. So you might as well make it as entertaining as possible.

Firefly was just dull and the characters were massively stereotypical, i know it had a cult following, but i can see why the majority of viewers were not bothered by it.
 
Cracker has as understanding of what's going on. You're simply voicing your distaste because it isn't what YOU think it should be. You've obviously read books based around Arthurian legend but that doesn't mean the rest of the world did. You're basing your entire argument on your own personal experiences, and that's why it falls apart. There are dozens, if not hundreds of interpretations of Arthurian legend. The writers and producers of Camelot are telling their own version to an audience that is far different than those who it was introduced to in the 12th century, 16th century, or even the 1950s. I don't see you taking exception to the BBC/SyFy show Merlin which depicts Arthur and Merlin as growing up together. If you're going to argue against a show, at least have some thought and reasoning behind it other than "It's not the Arthur I know, it must be wrong." and "How dare they try and sell something to a desensitized 21st century audience with sex and violence." There's no way a show about Arthur would last very long if it didn't have something to grab the casual audience.
 
TheCracker
I agree that the Tudors just went on for too many series, i enjoyed it up to the end of the second series but no further. Rome was good all the way through IMO and Spartacus is silly yet entertaining, in a firmly tongue in cheek way.

Like Robin Hood, Camelot and Arthurian legend is 95% pure fiction anyway. You can't seriously attempt any historically accurate account since the knowledge of the subject just isn't there. So you might as well make it as entertaining as possible.
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Tudors' first season had everything. It had good acting, drama, tension, character development etc. I know the real life story deteriorated from that point but I got a distinct Mel Gibson vibe from the second season forward. They wholly degenerated into showing explicit torture and discussing torture. There wasn't even enough skin show to alleviate the nauseating stuff. I'm sorry, but watching a hot iron being rammed up someone's ass is not entertainment to me. Needless to say I stopped watching midway through the 3rd season.

I find it puzzling though that a British serial (Camelot) is being shown to British people after America. TV Season scheduling problems I guess?

Icarus25
Cracker has as understanding of what's going on. You're simply voicing your distaste because it isn't what YOU think it should be. You've obviously read books based around Arthurian legend but that doesn't mean the rest of the world did. You're basing your entire argument on your own personal experiences, and that's why it falls apart. There are dozens, if not hundreds of interpretations of Arthurian legend. The writers and producers of Camelot are telling their own version to an audience that is far different than those who it was introduced to in the 12th century, 16th century, or even the 1950s. I don't see you taking exception to the BBC/SyFy show Merlin which depicts Arthur and Merlin as growing up together. If you're going to argue against a show, at least have some thought and reasoning behind it other than "It's not the Arthur I know, it must be wrong." and "How dare they try and sell something to a desensitized 21st century audience with sex and violence." There's no way a show about Arthur would last very long if it didn't have something to grab the casual audience.
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Dude, I really wish you'd stop representing the rest of the world and say what you actually thing about Camelot. Let this topic not devolve into a 'why-JediRage-is-wrong' thread. If you've not seen Camelot then there's nothing you can say. So just agree or disagree with my views regarding Camelot.

Otherwise arguments like below will just make us keep going on in circles.
my-hat-is-bread-your-argument-is-invalid.jpg
 
I've seen 3 episodes and have the 4th on my DVR. I see nothing wrong with the show. Then again, I'm not making myself out to be a scholar on Arthurian lore and I can tolerate the fact that it has a multiple of contradicting interpretation. You are the one that started it all by saying the world was wrong and that the show is somehow destroying the legend. Legends are meant to be told throughout time, and will adapt to the current world. This story is not being told to Medieval Pagans, Christians or what have you who are of the belief that the world is flat. It's being told to modern humans with a wider grasp on things. Your hypocritical retort to my post is amusing me greatly though, claiming I speak for the world when you were the one to start it. Also, it's plain to see this is just going to be a "why JediRage is wrong" thread because you have some overinflated view of your opinion and you back it up with the same drivel and idiocy. I've shown I don't share your opinion of Camelot in both of my previous posts, which you appear to have ignored so I spelled it out for you in this one. Maybe you should focus on comprehending what I say instead of reiterating the same inane criticism over and over. And that picture describes your train of thought to a T. You can think of nothing to respond with so you just consider yourself to be right and everyone else is wrong.
 
JediRage
I find it puzzling though that a British serial (Camelot) is being shown to British people after America. TV Season scheduling problems I guess?
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From what i can make out, it's a Canadian production, filmed in Ireland. I know the BBC were originally linked to the project, off the back of their Merlin series, but they dropped out for some reason.

Channel 4 have picked Camelot up now, but their website only states that it's due to be broadcast 'later in the year'. Could be down to scheduling clashes i guess?

Oddly, we are being shown Game of Thrones the day after it's aired in the States. Most US TV series are now shown on British TV shortly after they're broadcast in the US. Where as before there could be months or even years before we got stuff (i know some of that is down to syndication) - But i suppose with stuff appearing illegally online now, TV stations have to be quick on the ball with showing series now.
 
Icarus25
I've seen 3 episodes and have the 4th on my DVR. I see nothing wrong with the show. Then again, I'm not making myself out to be a scholar on Arthurian lore and I can tolerate the fact that it has a multiple of contradicting interpretation. You are the one that started it all by saying the world was wrong and that the show is somehow destroying the legend. Legends are meant to be told throughout time, and will adapt to the current world. This story is not being told to Medieval Pagans, Christians or what have you who are of the belief that the world is flat. It's being told to modern humans with a wider grasp on things. Your hypocritical retort to my post is amusing me greatly though, claiming I speak for the world when you were the one to start it. Also, it's plain to see this is just going to be a "why JediRage is wrong" thread because you have some overinflated view of your opinion and you back it up with the same drivel and idiocy. I've shown I don't share your opinion of Camelot in both of my previous posts, which you appear to have ignored so I spelled it out for you in this one. Maybe you should focus on comprehending what I say instead of reiterating the same inane criticism over and over. And that picture describes your train of thought to a T. You can think of nothing to respond with so you just consider yourself to be right and everyone else is wrong.
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Anger + anonymity + veil of internet = explosive mixture

Now get out of my thread.
 
Lulz! So you can't handle it that I injected reason and sense into your "wahhhhh there's too much sex and violence and it ruins my belief of what ideal Arthurian legend should be" view of A TELEVISION SHOW. I don't need to hide behind anonymity and I'm hardly angry at anything in this thread. I find your severe distaste for something so trivial to be down right humorous. The one who's angry is you because, again, things are not being seen your way. You consider either the general public, TV studios, writers, or all of the above to somehow be stupid and inferior to you for doing their jobs or liking things you don't. You fail to grasp your own tainted view on the entire subject. You have such a problem with sex and "gore" in Camelot when that's what Arthurian legend is. Adultery, betrayal, deceit, warmongering Kings. I don't know what sort of little bunny foo foo fuzzy Arthurian legend you're familiar with, but it certainly gets your knickers in a twist when it gets twisted into something more, oh I don't know, real.

I will continue to come here and point out your same flawed "arguments" with the same simplistic reasons. Until you can come up with something other than "everyone else is stupid because show A which I dislike is going to go on but show B which I do like got cancelled."
 
"So you can't handle it that I injected reason"

I stopped reading there.

I guess in your world making petty insults is injecting reason. Not in mine.
 
Hm.....Shall I grab some popcorn and watch this cat-fight happen?

Still, its all about opinion on the shows with some facts. Television is only geared for obtaining a large market, so often they will have to dumb things down or orientate the story for easy watching if they want to keep the writers and the actors in a job.
 
Seriously? You're going full hypocrite? Look at your first post. It was nothing more than petty insults. Your entire conjecture in this thread is that somehow everyone else is stupid and in the wrong for making a show that you dislike simply because it doesn't fit your view of the legend. Your entire argument is that somehow sex and violence, in a legend based around sex and violence, is destroying said legend. Everything you have said in this thread has been a complete waste of space. You have done nothing to validate your views on the matter. I guess in your world, having no basis for your rather broad generalization is grounds for saying others are stupid. You continually prove that you're simply a thickheaded individual who has such a dislike for something that they felt compelled to create a thread about it, make generalizations about the general populace and Hollywood, fail to point out any other reasons for said dislike, become annoyed when another person disagrees with their rather idiotic assertions. Seriously, give it a rest. At least put some thought and effort in your failed retorts. And my "insults" were not petty, they're quite an accurate view of your demeanor in this thread.

Submerged
Hm.....Shall I grab some popcorn and watch this cat-fight happen?

Still, its all about opinion on the shows with some facts. Television is only geared for obtaining a large market, so often they will have to dumb things down or orientate the story for easy watching if they want to keep the writers and the actors in a job.
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And that is the entire point. Somehow he believes that everyone else is in the wrong just because a show just doesn't fit his ideal view. I honestly don't care if he finds the show to be rubbish, to contend that everyone associated with the production are idiots because of how they're going about it is just plain ridiculous. He can keep his perfect view of the legend, but liking the show or it's interpretation of the legend in no way makes anyone "dumb".
 
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Look, we have a spokesperson for the world in this thread. Since I've apparently insulted the whole world and Icarus' precious friends in the Camelot production team, he has made his mind up to reply with 6 billion insults.

You haven't yet crossed 100. Got to get on it pronto. 5999999900 to go.
 
And again you respond with pathetic jibberish trying to somehow save face. I'm not the one who created a crybaby thread because I didn't care for a particular TV SHOW where in I claim that people are dumb for watching, producing, writing for, or sponsoring said show and shows like it, all because I think that it isn't being told the way I want it to. You claim I'm a spokesperson for the world when all you seem to do is claim that people should think like you. That sex and "mindless violence" are ruining a freaking legend that hinges upon these very premises. Again, you're a massive hypocrite. I didn't think you could actually do it, but my limit of conceit and delusion has been reached. Get off your high horse, get your head out of your ass, and realize that it's just television. No one is dumb for watching, writing, or producing anything. You however may well be for believing that you're right and everyone should follow your views. If you consider half of this to be insulting, you need to get a better grasp on reading comprehension.
 
If you can't play nice...

Come back to me when you decide to stop acting like children.
 
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