Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!sri-unix!wahrman@WHITE
From: wahrman%WHITE@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Why TV Writers Dont Care About Technical Accuracy
Message-ID: <620@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-May-84 19:48:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.620
Posted: Fri May 11 19:48:00 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 13-May-84 10:30:16 EDT
Lines: 24

From:  Michael Wahrman <wahrman at WHITE>

    From: decvax!watmath!bstempleton @ Ucb-Vax
    Subject: Invasion of the Space Nazis, the final battle

    What I don't get is why they never asked their engineers any
    questions about the plot.  With all the money they spent, they could
    have easily hired one educated consultant.  Anybody with any
    knowledge of science would say that the idea of aliens coming here
    to steal our water and eat us is really silly.  

I think I can answer this question from the times I have worked with people
who write for television.  What follows is obviously a generalization but
I believe it explains what one sees on the tube.  

TV writers (producers and directors) have a model of the viewer that watches
their work.  They believe that the viewer (1) doesn't care about accuracy,
(2) doesn't care about consistancy, (3) is basically very stupid and (4)
needs to have everything explained many times and (5) needs a lot of action
or suspense on a regular basis especially right before a commercial or the
channel will be switched.

The last time I discussed accuracy with a writer who was working on a pilot
she told me "Dont waste my time."