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Docuseries that shouldn't be a series

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    Docuseries that shouldn't be a series

    Case in point, Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel which was trending this weekend. Produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard.

    Four episodes of stringing you along, manipulating your emotions and insulting your intelligence, endless slow-mo dramatization, repetitive speculation, misleading diversions and blind alleys, just ugh. Could have been done in 45 minutes.

    It's a riveting enough story: a girl disappears at a notoriously dangerous hotel in Skid Row, Los Angeles, is last seen in mysterious elevator footage where she clearly appears to be hallucinating (though they don't pursue the question until like episode 3), then is found 19 days later floating in the hotel's water tower on the roof.

    Bizarre, but we don't learn UNTIL EPISODE 3 (I think) that she was bipolar 1 -- wall-to-wall murder mystery up to that point -- and not until episode 4 that she'd gone off her meds. The answer to how she got in the tank and closed the lid after her (which would have been impossible) is deliberately avoided: they let you believe the lid was found closed until the end of episode 4 when they reveal that oh, actually, it was found open.

    Also not disclosed until the end: the police had released an edited version of the elevator footage that was supposed to make it easier to recognize her (there was a search underway), which was throwing gasoline on conspiracy theories. But you, dear stupid viewer, don't need to know this as we unfold our tale irresistibly.

    Most of the series is spent taking attention-seeking conspiracy-hunting "web sleuths" seriously in their obsession with foul play, undeterred by their lack of access to evidence (the police would have found her cocktail of meds on day one, the parents would have disclosed her condition). Patched up at the end with lessons learned and some hokey stuff about how the girl left a legacy of inspiration for people struggling with mental illness, after they'd spent four hours ruthlessly sensationalizing her grisly death, including plenty of fake slow-mo footage of a naked body floating in a tank.

    We're a terrible culture.

    I'm sure there are plenty of examples of this sort of thing, but.
    Last edited by Bruno; 15-02-2021, 15:57.

    #2
    Yeah, the Night Stalker / Richard Ramirez one on Netflix is the same. 90 minutes of information packed into 4 hours.

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      #3
      Dunno about that, Mr. Ramirez was a busy boy and was all over the place w/ his m.o. and ability to slip away, so the four episodes were not overkill to me.

      We finished the first episode of the Cecil Hotel series, (have not read OP yet) and are definitely intrigued by the disappearance. The account from the young couple from Plymouth taking their first trip to the US and staying in downtown L.A. was wild as one would think they'd do a bit more research (it was early 2013 I believe) of where the best places are to stay in Los Angeles. I'm good for at least the second episode.

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        #4
        'The Staircase', French series about the trial of Michael Peterson, an interesting piece of work but stretched out to an absurd 13 episodes https://www.netflix.com/title/80233441

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          #5
          I blame Serial

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            #6
            I thought Death On The Staircase (US title) was remarkable. If there was ever a series that underlined the elusiveness of the truth, that was it.

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              #7
              The recent Yorkshire Ripper and New York Mafia series stretched themselves thin over four and three episodes respectively.

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                #8
                Originally posted by diggedy derek View Post
                I thought Death On The Staircase (US title) was remarkable. If there was ever a series that underlined the elusiveness of the truth, that was it.
                I agree but did you think it needed 13 episodes? I was doing some fast forwarding.

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                  #9
                  If I remember correctly, the main series was 8, and the ones thereafter were follow ups after the verdict?

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                    #10
                    Yes, but the 8 could have been cut to 4 or 5 and the follow-ups dragged a bit. They were obviously milking the material and, as a result, when it is now shown as a block of 13, it feels bloated (at least to me). OTOH some viewers like a slower pace with long meditative passages and prolonged interviews, rather than cutting to the chase, so it's a matter of taste.

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                      #11
                      We're watching the Cecil Hotel one now. We've watched the first two episodes, and the bipolar diagnosis has been mentioned. I think someone's at least hinted that the lift footage looks like she's hallucinating, but I mean, you'd have to be pretty thick not to see that as a possibility as a viewer anyway, wouldn't you? Although my perception of this might be skewed by the fact that I've spent ten years watching things with my girlfriend, who has an uncanny ability to predict even the sort of plot twists everyone agrees come completely out of left field within minutes of a programme or film starting.

                      The internet conspiracy theorists are being given way too much time though, I agree. The stuff around, 'Whose shoe is that just in the shot before she vanishes?!' It's her flip flop, you idiots. Next question.

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                        #12
                        McMillions could have been done in an hour or so.

                        They basically explain what happened in the first half hour or so then somehow string it out to 6 episodes.

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Sam View Post
                          We're watching the Cecil Hotel one now. We've watched the first two episodes, and the bipolar diagnosis has been mentioned. I think someone's at least hinted that the lift footage looks like she's hallucinating, but I mean, you'd have to be pretty thick not to see that as a possibility as a viewer anyway, wouldn't you? Although my perception of this might be skewed by the fact that I've spent ten years watching things with my girlfriend, who has an uncanny ability to predict even the sort of plot twists everyone agrees come completely out of left field within minutes of a programme or film starting.

                          The internet conspiracy theorists are being given way too much time though, I agree. The stuff around, 'Whose shoe is that just in the shot before she vanishes?!' It's her flip flop, you idiots. Next question.
                          Yeah, showing the elevator footage without confronting how most viewers will see it was insulting. Why would she press every button in the elevator if she were running from someone? Why does no one raise the obvious possibility that she'd pressed an elevator hold button, which would explain the door staying open -- another tidbit withheld for ages. Why would there be someone else in the hall if she'd looked outside to check and clearly not seen anyone, then walked away? I wanted to strangle the "Youtuber" who was convinced there was someone outside the frame.

                          If they mention the bipolar diagnosis by episode 2, it's still too late. We're told up front her parents told her to call them every day, but not that they told her to stay on her meds, which would have been their highest concern. They mention "prescriptions" among her belongings and let it drop.

                          If you wanted to make an entertaining and morally responsible documentary about Elisa Lam, you might explain what happened up front and do an hour-long story about it going conspiracy viral because social media is terrible and too many uncritical thinkers have too much free time. But yeah, that would be less entertaining and probably preachy.

                          Other than that I wanted to donate to Morbid the death metal guy.

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Simon G View Post
                            McMillions could have been done in an hour or so.

                            They basically explain what happened in the first half hour or so then somehow string it out to 6 episodes.
                            That was also the first example that sprung to my mind when I saw the thread. I'd read a bit about already and I was quite interested in the story so gave it a go thinking there was more to it, and didn't learn much more than I'd already read. I'd be more charitable and say it would have made a really good 90 minutes.

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                              #15
                              I know I am in a minority of one here but Normal People could have a been a couple of hours long, if that. The new Black Narcissus definitely didn't have to be any longer than feature film length. Whether either would have been any good at the shorter lengths, I am not sure.

                              Converse to this, I thought It's a Sin was the perfect length.

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                                #16
                                Originally posted by Bruno View Post

                                Yeah, showing the elevator footage without confronting how most viewers will see it was insulting. Why would she press every button in the elevator if she were running from someone? Why does no one raise the obvious possibility that she'd pressed an elevator hold button, which would explain the door staying open -- another tidbit withheld for ages. Why would there be someone else in the hall if she'd looked outside to check and clearly not seen anyone, then walked away? I wanted to strangle the "Youtuber" who was convinced there was someone outside the frame.

                                If they mention the bipolar diagnosis by episode 2, it's still too late. We're told up front her parents told her to call them every day, but not that they told her to stay on her meds, which would have been their highest concern. They mention "prescriptions" among her belongings and let it drop.

                                If you wanted to make an entertaining and morally responsible documentary about Elisa Lam, you might explain what happened up front and do an hour-long story about it going conspiracy viral because social media is terrible and too many uncritical thinkers have too much free time. But yeah, that would be less entertaining and probably preachy.

                                Other than that I wanted to donate to Morbid the death metal guy.
                                Just watched the third and fourth episodes. Felt rather smug when the hold door button was mentioned, because the first time the video was shown and whoever it was commented that the doors weren't closing, I turned to my girlfriend and went, 'So she's hit the hold door button along with all those others, then.'

                                I would watch a series fronted by the Skid Row historian, who had some very valid things to say in episode 4 about how America (and by extension most of the rest of the first world) treats its homeless and 'unseen' people, and I felt this one should have focused more on Morbid's story. Why am I not surprised that even as they're mugging contritely to camera and talking about how they've all grown up since learning and accepting the truth of what happened, the conspiracy peddlers still haven't apologised to him?

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                                  #17
                                  Echoing Bruno and Sam,

                                  Finished up Cecil Hotel series and yes, no need for 4 episodes. Could have completed it in two episodes and still could have been trimmed. Ludicrous that the 'web sleuths' were given more than 30 seconds as they did not contribute much of anything to the case.

                                  Do hope that the series helps out Morbid get his life back together as he was screwed and there was no apologies from the creepy you tubers.

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                                    #18
                                    Finding Bigfoot.

                                    The gimmick in Finding Bigfoot is that there's a scientist who's prepared to get involved and extract DNA from hair samples.

                                    Cue twenty minutes of some redneck with some tale about how he took down a giant ape, with a healthy dollop of conjecture. Only for our scientist to appear at the end and say, "it's a bear."

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                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by Bordeaux Education View Post
                                      I know I am in a minority of one here but Normal People could have a been a couple of hours long, if that. The new Black Narcissus definitely didn't have to be any longer than feature film length. Whether either would have been any good at the shorter lengths, I am not sure.

                                      Converse to this, I thought It's a Sin was the perfect length.
                                      Oh, docuseries? Bugger, sorry.

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                                        #20
                                        I got drawn into Married at first sight - Australia after enjoying the most recent UK version. They're up to episode 37 now and I've invested too much time in it to give up. The editing and tense pauses along with all the dramatic music is an insult to the viewer but then it serves us right for watching such guff in the first place. It could and should, have been wrapped up in a dozen episodes or less.

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                                          #21
                                          All of them

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                                            #22
                                            Originally posted by Foot of Astaire's View Post
                                            I got drawn into Married at first sight - Australia after enjoying the most recent UK version. They're up to episode 37 now and I've invested too much time in it to give up. The editing and tense pauses along with all the dramatic music is an insult to the viewer but then it serves us right for watching such guff in the first place. It could and should, have been wrapped up in a dozen episodes or less.
                                            The wife is hooked on it and when I'm in the room I can't take my eyes off it.

                                            I heard the UK one was awful (not that MAFSA is good tv) and not worth trying.

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                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by Simon G View Post

                                              The wife is hooked on it and when I'm in the room I can't take my eyes off it.

                                              I heard the UK one was awful (not that MAFSA is good tv) and not worth trying.
                                              I liked the UK one as it felt real. 2 ordinary couples, 1 who hit it off and moved in together and are still a couple as far as I know, and the other that resembled a car crash from the honeymoon onwards. Unlike the Aussie one, there was no attempt by the producers at forcing drama or cliffhangers.

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                                                #24
                                                Originally posted by Cal Alamein View Post
                                                Echoing Bruno and Sam,

                                                Finished up Cecil Hotel series and yes, no need for 4 episodes. Could have completed it in two episodes and still could have been trimmed. Ludicrous that the 'web sleuths' were given more than 30 seconds as they did not contribute much of anything to the case.

                                                Do hope that the series helps out Morbid get his life back together as he was screwed and there was no apologies from the creepy you tubers.
                                                It's kind of about the web sleuths though, and also about us. The human tenancy to ignore what can be seen and use what isn't seen, and often doesn't exist, to jump to conclusions. It's partly a story about the tragic death of a young woman, but mostly, I think, a story about how the public in the Internet age want to place themselves as the the centre of the story at the expense of others.

                                                I think they didn't give us all the information as they wanted to suck us in too. Get us to jump to the same conclusions. Play the same guessing games. Elisa Lam was the victim, but so were her family, and the Mexican death metal fella, the police, and you know, truth. It's a parable for a Trumpian fake news era.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Essentially we're all ghoulish voyeurs and cogs in the same morbid machine.

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