Everywhere you look there seems to be an obsession with historical accuracy. Fans, viewers, and TV critics alike are jumping on the bandwagon chastising TV shows for their inaccuracy. Frankly, this is astounding. Since when has television ever been about historical accuracy? The purpose of television is first and foremost to entertain. It is not concerned about accuracy because of one simple truth: it doesn’t need to be.
We don’t watch medical dramas and legal shows because they accurately depict what happens in an emergency room or a court room. We certainly do not watch romantic comedies because they accurately reflect how people interact on a date. And we do not watch period-piece dramas because they accurately reflect what really happened in that era.
Yet more and more online commentary and viewer critiques claim they seek “historical accuracy.” I say that is absurd. Television shows are stories seen through the lens of a writer, director, producer and all those who bring the show to life. They will throw in nods to the time period they are looking to reflect – sometimes that is clothing, hairstyles, landscape, settings, and other accouterments. But frequently creative license is employed in order to keep the story tightly focused on the characters introduced. Television is about characters. Shows live and die on whether the characters (and the actors who portray them) resonate with the audience. We rarely notice or even care that the character is wearing clothing that is 10-20 years too early for the time period, or if the hair styles are too modern – or better yet, that the characters look a lot cleaner than they would have been in that era. [Read more…]
