fandom - leads vs ensembles
Apr. 5th, 2006 08:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
burntcopperOdd things come to you when checking between your toes for fluff.
Okay, shows tend to be split into :
a) leads with supporting characters
eg : Farscape, BtVS, Dalziel and Pascoe, House
b) ensemble.
eg : SG1/SGA, Lost, Firefly, BSG, ER.
Ensemble can have 'major' and 'minor' characters, btw.
there's also c), where a) gradually becomes b), as the supporting characters become more important just by virtue of longevity and interestingness, and they get equal, if not sometimes more time focussed on them, especially if their storyline becomes the focus of an arc.
eg : Angel, Robin of Sherwood
What I'm really interested in is trying to find out if any shows ever did - or managed - the lead leaving, and someone else becoming the lead. Either a new character or one of the current ones stepping up. Most of the ones I can think of where the lead left became ensemble shows. The only one I can currently think of where they tried to replace the lead was Robin of Sherwood, only that became an ensemble show because Robert of Huntingdon didn't have enough strength of personality to overwhelm the other characters, who'd already had two series to establish themselves. Robin #2 was the leader of the Merry Men, there was no dispute over that, it's just that he wasn't the lead/protagonist anymore. His storyline wasn't the most important.
Any takers? What happened to Blake's Seven? Was Babylon 5 always an ensemble show or did it just become one when whatsisface left? Did Taggart become an ensemble show after the lead actor died? Opinions on what shows count as leads and what count as ensemble? What shows do you count as transitioning from lead to ensemble?
Okay, shows tend to be split into :
a) leads with supporting characters
eg : Farscape, BtVS, Dalziel and Pascoe, House
b) ensemble.
eg : SG1/SGA, Lost, Firefly, BSG, ER.
Ensemble can have 'major' and 'minor' characters, btw.
there's also c), where a) gradually becomes b), as the supporting characters become more important just by virtue of longevity and interestingness, and they get equal, if not sometimes more time focussed on them, especially if their storyline becomes the focus of an arc.
eg : Angel, Robin of Sherwood
What I'm really interested in is trying to find out if any shows ever did - or managed - the lead leaving, and someone else becoming the lead. Either a new character or one of the current ones stepping up. Most of the ones I can think of where the lead left became ensemble shows. The only one I can currently think of where they tried to replace the lead was Robin of Sherwood, only that became an ensemble show because Robert of Huntingdon didn't have enough strength of personality to overwhelm the other characters, who'd already had two series to establish themselves. Robin #2 was the leader of the Merry Men, there was no dispute over that, it's just that he wasn't the lead/protagonist anymore. His storyline wasn't the most important.
Any takers? What happened to Blake's Seven? Was Babylon 5 always an ensemble show or did it just become one when whatsisface left? Did Taggart become an ensemble show after the lead actor died? Opinions on what shows count as leads and what count as ensemble? What shows do you count as transitioning from lead to ensemble?
no subject
Date: 2006-04-06 11:12 am (UTC)Blake's 7: what