Of Jonathan Klotz
| Published
In the age of streaming, I don’t care much about broadcast networks anymore, and when I do, even as a fan of procedurals, I’m amazed at how many are out there and how interchangeable they all seem. From several FBI shows to the entire Chicago series and a new one NCIS spin-off (with another one on the way), it’s wall-to-wall serious people solving crimes (mostly murders). That’s why now, 10 years after it ended, I’m nostalgic for America’s “Blue Sky” era, which made the bold choice to embrace bold colors, optimism and a sense of humor sorely lacking in today’s television.
The Blue Sky Era
The seeds were sown for the “Blue Sky” era in 2002 with the premiere of Monkstarring Tony Shalhoub as the obsessive-compulsive detective, but it didn’t really take off until 2005, and the introduction of the cable network’s new tagline, “Characters Welcome.” While other cable networks would go dark, USA would instead go light, hence the reference to blue skies in the era’s name, as these shows would feature bold colors, optimism, hope, comedy with drama, and a bright, blue sky. I never look in, say, Ounce or The Wire.
Over the next 10 years, the USA Blue Sky initiative was expanded to include Psych, Fire notice, Royal Pains, In Plain Sight, White collar, Quite legal, Secret deals, Necessary roughness, Costumesand Graceland. These shows cover a wide range of genres, from spies to police and legal proceedings, heists and sports dramas. What they all have in common is that even at their darkest (the final season of fire notice, for example), they had a happy ending.
Modern Procedures Miss The Point
I watched all USA Blue Sky programs, incl Quite legaland over a decade later, I’ll still be kicking ass Psych, Fire noticeor In Plain Sight as background noise while you work. In comparison, I can’t watch Mad men, Sons of Anarchyor Breaking Bad as background noise because these shows, as great as they are, include dark, soul-crushing moments that demand your attention and emotional investment. The only time I know an episode of Psych will be dark is when Mr. Yin appears.
And yet I still love these “peak TV” dramas and watch again Boardwalk Empire on an annual basis, but I have no interest in learning what a Tracker is, and at this point, the name The rookie has as much to do with the premise Cougar Town did after season 1. Speaking of The rookieit has a spin-off; Queen Latifah’s Equalizer series is getting a spin-off, and you know some bosses are starting to wonder how to branch out Fireland. USA showed restraint with the shows from the Blue Sky era and kept them standalone, which seems quaint today, but it helps make the shows perfect even this many years later.
Still good after all these years
Between the positive optimism and the end of each show, you can start streaming a USA Blue Sky series right now, stop for a week or two, then pick it up right where you left off and catch up when the intro is over. I appreciate shows that have low stakes compared to most procedurals today, where there’s a terrorist that needs to be caught or a killer on the loose; every episode gets a little boring. Instead, White collar has an episode about faking a bottle of wine, and Psychwhich has a significant amount of murder for such a small town, laughs at it and glosses over the absurdity of its premise.
There will never be another network like America’s Blue Sky, but that’s okay because the programs it produced can stand the test of time. In another ten years, there will still be pineapple-obsessed fans of Psych. Costumes will continue to dominate streaming, and a new generation will learn the correct answer to the question “Where am I?”
