Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

'Wire' creator Simon praises pay-TV drama

|
|
 
  
Published: Aug. 29, 2009 at 3:59 PM

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. TV producer David Simon, creator of the TV series "The Wire," says in Scotland that pay television has helped create higher quality dramas.

The Guardian said Friday that Simon blames advertising for limiting the story-telling quality of TV dramas as commercials became more frequent and occasionally out-shone the series themselves.

"In terms of being literate and telling stories television short-changed itself from its inception and that's because of advertising," said Simon, whose "Wire" aired on HBO.

Simon said premium cable allowed dramatic series to flourish since such networks showed series uninterrupted without commercials.

"Only when television managed to liberate itself from the economic constraints of advertising was there real emancipation of the story," Simon said at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

"Up until the point of premium cable, it was all about the interruptions every 13 minutes … the ads were the point of the show."

Topics: David Simon
Recommended Stories
© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
Protesters, police clash at NATO summit Notable deaths of 2012 2012 Billboard Music Awards
The 137th Preakness Stakes Annual Solar eclipse occurs in U.S. Chen Guangcheng arrives in the U.S.
Additional Entertainment News Stories
1 of 29
Members of the Army's Old Guard place flags at Arlington National Ceremtery
View Caption
U.S. flags are seen in the rucksack of a soldier with the Army's 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard, as he places flags at gravesites in Arlington National Cemetery as part of the Flags-In Memorial Day ceremony on May 24, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia. American flags were placed at each of the more than 220,000 grave markers in honor of those who served and Memorial Day. UPI/Kevin Dietshc
fark
Man tries, fails to buy meal at Denny's with $1 and bag of pot. You'd think if there was anywhere...
Photoshop this multicolored specimen having a snack
Couple married for 65 years reveals secret of marital bliss: wearing matching outfits wherever they...
Behold a pale horse
Maine soft-shell lobsters are in early this year. Marine biologists require more clarified butter...
The Death List: Cars that aren't coming back for 2013. Subby will sob for Saab, the rest shall not...