Confession: I love TV more than I love movies. Now before anyone comes at me, allow me to explain.
I still love a good movie, and I always will. But over the past few years, where American cinema has occasionally left me wanting more, the TV side has really stepped up and impressed me. The landscape of television has expanded so much that I think many shows rival, and sometimes even surpass, what is currently being offered in cinema.
What I love most is that characters and worlds can grow and breathe in ways films simply cannot. A movie usually has two hours to tell a story. Television can spend eight, ten, or twenty hours with these people. That changes things. I also increasingly hear more people talking about what they are watching on television than what they have gone to see in theaters.
I blame three major things. First, the cost of going to the movies. Second, a lack of quality cinema that people actually want to pay to see. Although, if I am being fair, I think that excuse gets used a little too much because you can usually find something worthwhile. Third, and probably the biggest factor, is convenience. It is easier to stay home and put on a show that asks very little of you, especially in a world where our attention spans seem to be shrinking by the day. Maybe it is just a sign of the times, but I am grateful that television has grown into something that feels essential. We are in an era of “must-watch” TV, and it absolutely rivals the film industry.
On a side note, I also find it pretty funny that twenty years ago film stars rarely touched television unless it was some prestige miniseries that could win them an Emmy. Now the line between film stars and television stars has almost completely disappeared. Everyone seems to be doing both.
So from now on, I will be covering the television side of things here at AD alongside Let’s Talk Cinema, so allow me to introduce… Let’s Talk Television.
A couple weeks ago I spotlighted the incomparable Michelle Pfeiffer, who undoubtedly deserves her first Emmy this year for her work in either The Madison or Margo’s Got Money Problems. This week, under the new Let’s Talk Television banner, I want to spotlight another great actor who, similar to Pfeiffer, seems to randomly pop in and out of the spotlight: Billy Bob Thornton.
Admittedly, I have seen relatively few film performances from Thornton, and I was never completely blown away by his acting abilities. However, he absolutely won me over when he starred in Fargo during that boom period of incredible television in the mid-2010s. Then he kind of disappeared for a little while, and now he is back in the somewhat new series Landman.
Landman took me awhile to get into. I kept asking myself, “Why do I keep watching this show?” About halfway through the season, I realized the answer: Billy.
Landman certainly is not a show for everyone, it usually would not be my type of show either, but by the end of the first season, I was completely sold. Billy plays a rough and tough, no-nonsense landman who secures leases for oil companies while somehow balancing drug cartels and an absolutely chaotic dysfunctional family. Billy Bob spits out monologues and chews up every scene in his path in a way that makes it impossible for me to look away. It really is a testament to his abilities as an actor. I know he has a few Oscar nominations and even a screenplay win, along with an Emmy nomination for Fargo, but I genuinely forgot just how good Billy truly is.
Like Michelle Pfeiffer, they are actors who pop in and out of the spotlight so randomly that when they finally show back up, you realize what you were missing during their absence. They elevate their projects and somehow allow you to see past some of the flaws because you become so locked in on the performances they are giving. I enjoyed the first season of Landman, and I was honestly surprised that Billy and the show were largely left out of awards discussions. Now, as it has finished its second season, I really hope the show does not continue to go unnoticed.
Not only do we get Billy’s remarkable work, but we also get the treat of watching Sam Elliot alongside him. Elliott plays Billy’s father, and wow, do those two work well together. Put them on screen together and sparks just fly. Their dynamic feels natural and lived in. It never feels forced. Who would have thought we would get such a treat with these two?
I really hope the Emmys take notice of Landman for Best Drama Series, and certainly for Best Actor and Supporting Actor for Thornton and Elliot. It would be a shame to lock this show out simply because it does not cater to the typical film critics and awards voters.
Paramount+ really has been making a name for itself lately and giving audiences what they want, not just with Landman, but with several shows that have become major hits. I am hoping they can knock it out of the park and earn some worthy nominations and possibly even wins for their actors and series. Billy, Sam, and Michelle are all performances you should not sleep on!
With that being said, I am currently cramming a lot of television into my already busy schedule, and I want to know what you all are watching and what I might be missing, so drop a comment below and chime in.
As always, be kind, be respectful, and for the first time… Let’s Talk Television!
