Category: Commentary, Critique, and Response

NBC “DEBRIS” Sci Fi Show Feedback

Absolutely love it. Thrilled. Terrified that like most ‘tv for smart folk’ this will meet an early demise.

I can see where they are taking the metanarrative of Debris and its analysis of mankind and it’s relatively novel and brilliant. But there is a difference between a script, the reveal-mystery plot, the various arcs, the characters that walk us through it … and the directing (which is ok, other than careless cardboard cutout treatment of extras), the production (good enough), the casting (below), and the acting (adequate) – although the clone-actor in the second episode is fabulous. And the promotion. Which was non-existent. I only found out about it because Russian tech nerds were talking about streaming it. Right now Russia is producing much better Sci-Fi than the west. Why? Sci Fi is naturally heroic. The western ‘commentariat’ has gone full anti-heroic, fulfilling the postmodern threat of destroying culture from within. But enough of that:

Usual failures that I see in Debris:

1) Casting working-class actors for upper-middle-class roles. Compare with x-files or firefly casting of the leads. This is partly a side effect of the steady ‘lower classing’ of the television industry seeking to resonate with the wrong audience while alienating all.

2) Overplaying personal drama. These characters aren’t that interesting. This plot device keeps production costs down, tries to develop characters external to the plot instead of in concert with the plot. Compare with Law and Order. This is not an x-files/Law-and-order context, not an Expanse or Dark Matter context.

3) The female lead is talented but not for this role. The male lead has proven himself in the industry and he can pull off the acting easily. But the director (or the script) is overplaying the american ordinary guy archetype vs brit that makes him AND the female lead competitive with the suspension of disbelief. Besides, anyone with experience with British culture knows that brit working class are even worse(trashier), not better than the American working class. While the actors work well together they don’t ‘sell’ the brit/us conflict.

That said (given that I was trained as an art critic) the concept will fly. My suspicion is production is so far ahead, that the mistakes I’m seeing might burn out the audience before the second season can be greenlit and the writing, costume (et all),