BEING EDGY SENDS VIEWERS OVER THE EDGE

DRAMA on TV seems to be taking a bit of a pasting at the moment. First come a couple of hugely trumpeted series that quickly attracted a tidal wave of criticism on the basis that no one can hear what the actors are saying and have to switch on the subtitles facility if they have it.

Then comes Wolf Hall followed by another wave of complaints that peering viewers cannot see what is going on because of the lighting. Yes, they may really have used one tallow candle back in those days but they probably had early eye- strain as well, which nowadays we try to avoid.

Coming up on the inside is complaint number three: what the hell is going on? This applies to Fortitude, which is also the quality you need to keep watching. There seem to be five separate storylines, none of which make a blind bit of sense.

To blame I believe is the trendy modern fashion to be “edgy”. It’s a stupid word but seems to have captivated an entire generation of young writers. Basically it means obscure or, in extreme form, incomprehensible. In truth readers, theatregoers and TV watchers rapidly tire of “edgy”. They don’t mind being puzzled but dislike being bewildered – yes, there is a difference.

Thus the storyteller must make four things clear and early: who is who, what are they doing, why are they doing it and ( roughly) where are we being taken? By the end of the first chapter, scene or episode, if you please. Then you can lead them hither and thither until the twist in the tale: the denouement, French for “unknotting”. It worked for Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and more recently for Morse and Foyle. Rather successful leads for a young writer to follow.