Even the best television shows are formulaic. I happily concede that personal favourites of mine such as House have a strict structure that they rarely deviate from, not to mention the endless makeover shows (DIY/ fashion/ beauty, etc.) that clog our airwaves. But is it possible that these unimaginative restrictions are not just limited to individual programmes, but could be applicable to TV in a wider sense? Since arriving at this cognitive conundrum I quietly mused on the matter. And now after much peaceful reflection and many cups of tea, I am convinced that there are many similarities out there in TV land between shows. Call it what you will: a formula, a coincidence, societal trends. There is a recipe for success that many TV writers are cooking up in their kitchens, and we at the Scoop are here to serve up these tasty ingredients.
So please sit down to the table and chow down with me as we feast on the first in our series: Jack the (anti-)hero.
Sky One had a rather nifty advert used to promote their Sunday night combination of 24 and Lost a few months back. It focused on the small fact that both shows feature central characters called Jack. Funny that, huh? The commercial assembled various scenes involving the casts of the two US imports addressing their Jack by name. The ad was called ‘back to back Jack’ – see what they did there?
But it’s not just Sky One where it helps to be called Jack. Many others US imports have featured rugged, heroic Jacks such as Stargate SG-1, Without a Trace, A Town Called Eureka and Men in Trees. Jacks are often men of few words, are natural leaders (whether they want to be or not) and embody an alpha male butchness. They come good in a fight, cope well under pressure and might not have romance on their minds, but manage to enchant the ladies. We even have our own hero called Jack in the UK in the form of Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood.
But why are these anti-heroes always called Jack? The name is the most popular choice for baby boys in England and Wales and has enjoyed this lofty honour for over five years. However in the US, Jacks are not as widespread with the moniker less appealing to new mothers as names such as Angel, Noah and Logan.
There are many appealing Jacks throughout history, be they involved in politics John F. Kennedy (often known as Jack), literature (Jack Kerouac) or films (Jack Nicholson.) While other forms of entertainment or the arts also like to cast Jacks as their leading men (Titanic, the Jack Ryan books by Tom Clancy, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Aubrey-Maturin series of books by Patrick O’Brian) – there’s even the cheesy Robin Williams film called, er Jack. And this introduction to the world of Jacks happens at a young age with nursery rhymes and fairy tales also heavily featuring the name (Jack and Jill, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack Spratt, Little Jack Horner.)
Maybe it’s the monosyllabic ease of the name that lends itself to fast-moving action. Maybe it seems classic and traditional without being too staid and old-fashioned. Or maybe top industry executives are all called Jack and want their name to live on through some iconic characters.
Regardless of reason – Jacks are clearly a mainstay of current programming and so make up our first principle in the formula of television.
