Andrea Cleary: Vital human activity of storytelling under threat from technology
With television close to overtaking film as the dominant art form of this generation, we risk losing that spark of creative humanity if artificial intelligence is let loose for the sake of profit
Spoiler warning: this column features plot details about the finale of Succession.
If, like me, you spent Monday evening hiding behind a cushion watching a group of people vote yes or no in a boardroom, you’ll appreciate the importance of good television writing.
It’s been a particularly good year for small-screen drama – Succession, Barry and White Lotus from HBO dominated water cooler conversations, while Netflix vied to maintain its position with the original comedy Beef. Severance, an Apple TV production, and The Bear (Hulu) both return later this year after staggeringly successful first seasons, while Yellowjackets managed to live up to the hype of its arrival. We’re almost exactly halfway through 2023 and we’ve already experienced some of the best television of the decade.
