I'd agree with this wholeheartedly. There's just so much more room for invention on television, especially given that cable in general will throw almost anything out on TV to see if it sticks. Even in shows that are middling, there's the opportunity for something incredibly amazing to blossom forth (i.e., comparing the absolutely average first season of The Big Bang Theory to its completely unbelievable second season). I've been more interested in television comedy than filmic comedy for quite some time, and recently, there's been such an embarrassment of riches that it's hard to even justify going to the theatre for a comedy. Drama is something I'm less familiar with, but if Breaking Bad was a movie, I'm sure four people would've seen it and it would've died a quick death at the box office. TV allows for growth that films just do not. And once you factor in economics, it's really no wonder that a lot of film's output is rote.Originally Posted by Donezo
Not to say that every year, there aren't a great handful of films. But the only comparable film that captures those elements of invention quite like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Gravity Falls, or whatever TV show you want to slot in - personally, I'd lean towards S15 of South Park as one of the strongest seasons of TV I've seen in a long time - would be, for me, The Social Network, and even that is looking to the past, rather than the future.
