海角大神

Nancy West, an English professor at the University of Missouri for more than two decades, is a lover of movies, literature, and all things 鈥淢asterpiece.鈥� The author of books about culture and media, she recently published 鈥淢asterpiece: America鈥檚 50-Year-Old Love Affair with British Television Drama.鈥澨�

Professor West, who has studied and taught 19th-century literature and film, first dreamed up this project 10 years ago. In her book, she writes about 鈥淢asterpiece Theatre鈥� and 鈥淢ystery,鈥� now combined to just 鈥淢asterpiece.鈥� In an interview, she discusses the program鈥檚 influence and appeal since its first airing 50 years ago this year.听 听

Q: Why do you think Americans love 鈥淢asterpiece鈥� so much?

Long before HBO came along, 鈥淢asterpiece鈥� introduced the world to TV excellence. They got there first and planted the flag. ... It鈥檚 just the kind of programming it does. And they, so unapologetically, without a trace of irony, came up with the title 鈥淢asterpiece Theatre.鈥� Audiences in 1971 were turning to it because they thought, 鈥淲e want smart television and we want something that鈥檚 going to raise the bar for us a little bit.鈥�

The show has always stuck to a standard of excellence. They try to go after the best, but at the same time recognize the audiences鈥� tastes. There are no more four-minute lectures from [host] Alistair Cooke; that would never work now. And they can do [historical drama] 鈥淲olf Hall,鈥� but they can鈥檛 do just 鈥淲olf Hall,鈥� they have to have something like 鈥淎ll Creatures Great and Small鈥� to balance things out.听听

Q: How influential do you think the program has been on American television?

I鈥檓 going to go way back to 鈥淯pstairs, Downstairs鈥� or 鈥淚, Claudius,鈥� which pushed the limits of the small screen with sex and violence, and on PBS of all places! In the research I was doing people would link 鈥淚, Claudius鈥� with shows like 鈥淪oap.鈥� Even though they are such dramatically different shows, they were linking them as being part of a force that was changing the look and the content of television. Before Jane Tennison in 鈥淧rime Suspect,鈥� was there a female detective like her, broken, and where the context is about gender politics? I don鈥檛 think so, but afterward she opened up all kinds of representations of female detectives who were much like her. Kyra Sedgwick in 鈥淭he Closer鈥� 鈥� and Gillian Anderson鈥檚 role in 鈥淭he Fall鈥�听鈥�听is totally descended from Jane Tennison.

Q: Do you think Masterpiece has also had an impact on American culture at large?

I do. In its quiet way I really do. For one thing, being around for 50 years makes you a kind of classic. Whether they watch the show or not, I think Americans are very happy that it鈥檚 there; it鈥檚 part of the American tradition of television. I think that [the program] conditioned a climate where people started seeing the potential of adapting books to television, good books, high-quality literature. I think that鈥檚 entirely due to 鈥淢asterpiece Theatre.鈥�

Q: Interesting point, but there were certainly a lot of film adaptations of good literature prior to 鈥淢asterpiece.鈥�

Movies fail a lot because film is so limited by its time. Television really can adapt much better than film.

Q: And which was the most influential 鈥淢asterpiece鈥� offering of all of them?

In 50 years? It鈥檚 got to be 鈥淒ownton Abbey.鈥� In terms of numbers 鈥淯pstairs, Downstairs鈥� had a much higher viewing, but it was because there were limited options for viewing.听

Q: How much do you trust the history and research done for the period pieces on Masterpiece?

When Daisy Goodwin did 鈥淰ictoria,鈥� there were people who said, 鈥淰ictoria never did this, she never did this, she never did this.鈥� Or they complained that the show was a little too insular and didn鈥檛 go into political events enough. But Goodwin did get her Ph.D. in history at Cambridge and I certainly trust her more than I would a lot of other screenwriters. Sure, she takes liberties and she鈥檚 got this particular, very feminist angle that she wants to pursue. But it听is听drama.

Q: Do you think people hunger for programs made with decency and not just gore and violence?

Right now the world is a gloomy place and all we want is something sweet that celebrates love and community and family. A lot of 鈥淢asterpiece鈥� shows do that. Sometimes that puts people off, but I think right now people love that. They appreciate being able to watch something that doesn鈥檛 set them on edge. Also, there are other more subtle qualities, like courtesy [on 鈥淢asterpiece鈥漖, which we don鈥檛 see much of.