5 ways to make a great TV Suspense/Drama!

I hate to admit it, but I am a TV Suspense/Drama Junkie. My obsession started a few years back when Jenna brought home Season One of a little show called LOST. It's been downhill ever since. With my vast experience now, I have narrowed it down to 5 ways to make a great TV Suspense/Drama.

1. Put attractive people in unattractive situations. Look at these shows and every Cop/Detective, Leader of stranded LOSTies, Prison Breakers, Fringe Scientist are all good looking people. In "real life" this is unheard of, take a second to remember the news. Remember any prison stories? Do they look like Movie stars? Thought not, but thats the appeal right? These are unique stories, where good looking people do extradinary things.

2. Give the viewers little victories. Some of the appeal of these shows is letting the viewers participate and try and guess whats going to happen. While they cant reveal the story until the end of the series, they can let the viewers get some things right along the way. While I may have been wrong about the coffee shop owner being the head of a multi-national crime syndicate, I was right about the single mother falling in love with the serial killer. Play to my ego, give me a little taste of success.

3. Please make it believable, Please! Sometimes I watch TV shows or Movies that are supposed to be serious, and sometimes laugh. I know Indiana Jones, is kind of a fantasy story, but come on magic alien skulls and kids swinging on vines and landing perfectly into a moving vehicle. Loses all credibility. Give me a story that is far-fetched, but believable, and I'm sucked in.

4. Characters make logical, human decisions. Ok, one question: Why is it when someone is in the middle of a scary murder scene, they always like to investigate the fluttering drapes, or flickering light in the barn? That's not a natural human reaction, and sets up the murderer for an easy target. I want a smart murderer, that isn't handed a target on a silver platter. Here's a story I want to see: Give me an Olympic runner, put them in the desert or something where he can run and have the murderer try and catch him. Now that would take some intelligence to catch him, not just a bear walking into the trap.

5. Mass conspiracy please. I love it when that policeman, you think is helping the victim, is really sabotaging the investigation. Makes you feel like you are watching something big. What does the secret organization need with that scroll? I don't know viewers, you'll have to stay tuned to find out.