WHERE'S THE DRAMA?

T E L E V I S I O N

Linda Agran, script editor of Minder and Widows, and many other quality telvision drama series, once told me that you could put Terry and Arthur (the main characters in the series, Minder) into a lift for an hour and people would watch it because Terry and Arthur were the reason people watched Minder. The relationship of this unlikely couple as they strived to achieve whatever objectives they had set for themselves, was the magnet that drew in the audience, and kept it watching season after season. 

Over the years this morphed into my pronouncement: "It's the characters, stupid!" A truth that is enshrined in shows as diverse as Boys from the Blackstuff, Seinfeld. and The Wire.

The television shows and episodes selected for this category provide vivid examples of great character-based storytelling. Some will be well-known to viewers, other are more obscure, but worth revisiting.