The contemporary television industry is the result of the medium's gradual development. It had been able to rid itself of the great of many unprofitable projects and has concentrated its attention primarily on the programs that are a proven entity, meaning that the programs are certain to attract a large number of viewers which results in more advertising dollars. Horror shows are among the most popular shows on TV.
It's necessary to give a detailed description of the type of horror shows that prevail on TV nowadays. These aren't your parent's horror movies, that's for sure. These are not the kind of program that has the ability to plunge an emotionally stable person in the state of complete shock, by displaying the monstrous images of something beyond the boundaries of your wildest fantasies.
No, the horror shows of today, at least the one's on television are really more of a hybrid of horror and gothic romance. The most popular horror franchise in television history - "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and another offshoot of the program "Charmed" aren't really horror programs in the classic sense. They are almost like prime time soap novellas with the element of horror. For example is "Charmed" an eight-season hit because it focuses on three young girls who have boyfriend problems and wear tight clothing or is it popular because all three of the actresses are witches who fight the forces of the supernatural? .
The images of the mysterious and the unknown, which are already fairly scary, are displayed to the degree at which the nervous system of the viewers is not likely to be damaged or inflict long-lasting consequences, because this is no way on the purpose of such horror shows.
The effect that they are actually meant to produce is to give the audience some adrenalin with the unexpected turns of the plot, a good share of sudden danger and thrills and, of course, the charm of horror shows is efficiently added to by accompanying the action with a large portion of special effects and dramatic music.
If we try to analyze what exactly makes these horror shows so attractive, we will make the well-justified conclusion that it is the fact that they are not very scary. It may sound self-contradictory, but nevertheless it remains true. It is absolutely certain that horror shows would not gain the audiences they possess if they pictured on the regular basis the terrifying images that, to add insult to injury, also seemed close to reality.
What is appreciated most in regular horror shows is that they don't point to real and existing danger outside the TV screen. All of the problems and challenges, that the characters are faced with, are the result of the fruitful imagination of the script.
This is the quality that makes modern horror shows entertaining instead of having any educative value. But after all, there are other programs that are meant for education, right? Another thing that draws audiences to modern horror shows is the fact that there are quite a few celebrities to brighten up the gloomy atmosphere of, say, a cemetery or a haunted house.
It is their bright smiles that give an incentive to believe that everything will be all right in the end. So what is left for us to do is to sit quietly and enjoy the spectacular sight of tiny-looking Buffy knocking down a muscular vampire to restore order to the universe.