Creating shows that defined a generation

To critics, Spelling served as a modern-day Pandora, sent by the gods to punish humanity for stealing color TV; a Pandora who opened the idiot box and released the demons of prime-time banality. To audiences, though, Spelling’s shows were sheer mindless fun — escapism without the hangover or a desperate need for salty snacks. The dichotomy isn’t surprising: Critics have always asked the artist to “shock me, surprise me,” while the rest of us only want to forget about life for an hour. Critics might have yawned during “T.J. Hooker,” but the rest of us were dreaming of Heather Locklear asking to see our license and registration. Oh (gulp), yes ma’am!

Spelling was very aware of his role as a show’s producer, and his audience’s expectations. In a 1992 interview he said, “I’m proud of what I’ve done. I think there is a need for escapism. I think it is a release valve that keeps people from blowing their brains out or having nervous breakdowns.” Yet his brand of escapism connected. Mind candy perhaps, but they were creative confections that satisfied.

It wasn’t all dessert. Spelling was the king of multiple storylines, never overwhelming the viewer with too much of a single thing, providing a balanced entertainment meal. His greatest hits — like “Love Boat,” “Fantasy Island” and “Melrose Place” — generally featured three storylines unrolling in parallel throughout a single episode: a serious thread, something sexy and always a comedic side plot. This sounds confusing on paper, but under Spelling’s watch it fit the audience’s world as reassuringly as a Swanson TV dinner.

The need for entertainment
For the viewer, it was an hour-long tennis match between archetypes: The Temptress works her wiles on The Tragic Hero until the tension looms tighter than a Hollywood facelift, then quick cut over to the wacky Trickster’s cunning plot as it unravels around him, courtesy of the Wise Old Man. It didn’t matter whether the Temptress was Amanda Woodward or Alexis Carrington. Audiences cared little whether the Wise Old Man was Captain Stubing or a faceless box named Charlie. What mattered was that the stories felt satisfying and entertained.

Love him or hate him, Spelling touched an innate human need to sit around the fire (or the TV, in this case) and be entertained by stories we all understand deep down. Where once upon a time it was Jason and his Argonauts, it is now Charlie and his Angels, but the experience remains the same. Simple stories to be sure, but ones that connect us to our humanity, with all of its foibles, pettiness and gratuitous displays of cleavage.

And considering the rich library of memories that Spelling leaves behind, I guess I can find it in my heart to forgive him for “Models Inc.”

Ian Ferrell, who wrote “Melrose Place Update,” and his alter-ego Dr. Angus Ferreud will spend the next few days watching reruns and remembering the good old days.

MORE FROM MORE NEWS AND OTHER FEATURES

NBC to pull plug on ‘ER’ on March 12

NBC to pull plug on ‘ER’ on March 12 'Californication' headed for third season ‘Rome’ might not be history, series creator says MTV’s AIDS awareness campaign turns 10 Glitzy rich are out, working-class in on TV Producers use LA Times ad to toss salvo at SAG Lopez to host Miss America pageant again ‘Dexter’ author makes cameo appearance Madonna’s film on AIDS in Malawi comes to TV Ted Koppel leaving Discovery Channel early   Add More news and other features headlines to your news reader: