Over on Twitter this morning, one of the main topics of TV-focused conversation is the dearth of well-crafted and three-dimensional teenage characters on television.The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan raised an interesting question about why teen characters are often so unlikable, to which I replied that television writers are often too quick to paint them as brash and unpredictable rather than develop them as full-blown characters with strengths and weaknesses.
The initial conversation stemmed from a dislike on the part of many of V's Tyler Evans (Logan Huffman), who seems in the series purely to advance a subplot and not because his character's participation in the overall story (yet anyway) has made an indelible mark. It's especially noticeable given the strength of the series' female characters, particularly those played by Elizabeth Mitchell and Morena Baccarin.
But the real question is: why are teens given short shrift when it comes to characterization?
There are some very notable exceptions, of course. Series like Freaks & Geeks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Wire, and Gilmore Girls (among many others) have painted their teen characters with deep brushstrokes, rendering them as full realized as adult characters. And Mad Men's pre-teen Sally Draper has as much of an inner life as the deeply flawed adults on Matt Weiner's period drama.
So, why are some series' teens just so impossible to like? Is it as TV Guide Magazine's Damian Holbrook suggests, "They're written by adults who either hate teens or don't remember being one"?
We tend to like characters who have flaws so why don't TV teens get as much love and depth as we'd like them to? Which writers excel at creating and writing for teenage characters? And which ones shouldn't be allowed to write for anyone under 21? Discuss.
Comments
How about the teens on Glee? Still too much caricature and not enough character? (Except for Kurt.) Friday Night Lights gets it right. Surprisingly, when a teen is part of the case of the week on The Mentalist, they're generally given better characterization than the adults. By contrast, the son and daughter on The Good Wife are glorified extras, although the son may have an integral role later in the season.
I agree with Melissa on Alexis Castle though. Her little sideplots aren't just about her messing up and her dad coming to the rescue. It might help that her character is a "good kid"...
Personally, I think being a teenager is something you block out (like childbirth), so people really DON'T remember what it was like. You couldn't PAY me to relive my teenage years, and that's pretty hard to write (and watch).
I don't agree that the kids on The Good Wife are poorly written, but definitely underused. Otherwise, I can't even think of any teens on shows I watch. Who knows if that's due to the inability to write them, or just my show selection.
On shows like Big Love or U.S. of Tara, adults are the "stars" of (and the main audience for) the show, but many of the teenagers are fully-realized characters with engrossing storylines and real personality.
Even on a basic cable show like The Closer, there was a multi-episode story with Brenda's niece (played by her daughter) -- the message of which was: if you treat teenagers with respect, they will treat you with respect. (And that the converse is also true.)
In terms of my hopes for emerging characters on new shows . . .
Dan Byrd on Cougar Town is as three-dimensional as any other character on that show - I would like him to get some more screen time, though.
I also think the kids on The Good Wife, Castle, and Modern Family have real potential.
On the whole, I think teens are greatly abused as characters and there aren't many I would want to hang out with as people the way they are written.
The interactions between the 'teens' was true, yet the interfacing between the age groups was realistic. The father/daughter relationship is one I have not seen since.
so i think it's for the most part just a matter of main characters being more 'rounded', then the supporting ones.
My So Called Life
Best, most realistic depiction of teens ever.
My So Called Life
Best, most realistic depiction of teens ever."
Truer words never spoken. But I think the reality scared ABC. Every woman I talk to identified with Angela, Rayanne or even Sharon. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
The original Skins series was excellent and the reason for that is that the writers are all/mostly under 30 so they are still smarting from the teenage experience themselves.