Obviously every city has their own sense of superiority, but Bostonians have a particular pride that unites the entire community, most notably through sports. Boston natives are infamous for their rowdy behavior in supporting either the Red Sox, Bruins or the Celtics. However, 2013 introduced television programs that put Boston in the limelight through a very different perspective.
Boston is the scene for several films, including Martin Scorsese’s 2006 film The Departed or Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting, both starring Boston native Matt Damon, with either Ben Affleck or Mark Wahlberg. But this year, Boston is highlighted through television series.
TNT’s new drama series, Boston’s Finest, premiered February 27th, spicing up its Wednesday night TV schedule. The series profiles characters on the Boston Police Department, and not only their professional life on the S.W.A.T team or Night Gang, but their personal lives as well. Senior Jack White said Boston’s Finest is his favorite show because, “It gives you a sneak peak about how the Boston Police protect us and what they do when they’re not on the job.”
Fittingly, Donnie Wahlberg narrates the show, and while reviews are generally very positive, Boston Magazine, said that some scenes were “COPS-esque,” with extreme car chases and crime scenes. The theme song is predictably the Dropkick Murphys and the scenes clearly portray Boston with distinctive streets or local bars, and even references to Tom Brady.
Generally, Boston’s Finest, is Boston TV done right. Unfortunately this March, VH1 gave Boston a bad name with the premiere of Wicked Single, a reality show that profiles six Bostonians in their late twenties. It is an attempt to imitate MTV’s Jersey Shore, however the fan base is far from the crowd that the “New Jerseyites” drew.
Reviews from The New York Times said that this new cast of single reality stars makes the cast of Jersey Shore looks like geniuses, and other Internet chatter suggests that the characters are “not representative of the city’s young people as a whole.”
The show is equipped with forced Boston accents, anti-climactic dramatic scenes in local bars, and vulgar slang, portraying young Bostonians as ignorant, reckless, and egocentric. While this type of television may be amusing to watch for ten minutes, Wicked Single is hardly a show that will be able to last more than one season.
Similarly, A&E’s Southie Rules, a horribly staged reality show that profiled a South Boston family “fighting to preserve their way of life,” was recently cancelled. After reviews about the fake and obnoxious interactions and conversations among characters, the show was pushed to a late Saturday night slot, which will eventually fizzle out into the end of season one and the series in full.
Nevertheless, all three shows represent a certain appeal to the city of Boston, and these new television premieres could lead to even more films and movies taking place in the Greater Boston area. Whatever future cinema may bring, there is no denying that Boston is a city filled with history, diversity, tradition, and heart.