What Makes a TV Show 'Geeky'?

Written by Shae Rufe

​Yesterday, I talked about the difference between nerds and geeks. I determined that there is none and we are all one giant happy family. Because, I'm Shae and I get to do magical things like that. So, today, I wanted to talk about all those shows we love and what makes them geeky. Many of the shows out there we consider to be in the geek or nerd realm fall into two categories; the popular and the obscure. Either one has their followings of nerds and non-nerds alike, but what is the difference? Mainly, what we make of it. 

Take Firefly for example. A space-cowboy adventure with monsters and oppressive governments with a ragtag crew we fell in love with. The cult following this show gained was so powerful that the canceled show was given a movie as closure to the die-hard fans. Was it the fact that the show was based heavily in science fiction? Was in the characters? Or was it the right combination of the two that solidified its place in Geekdom for all eternity? There are a plethora of science fiction shows that have woven themselves deeply into nerd culture, and it could be argued that these shows are the foundation of all things geek. After all, many a nerd thing was influenced by shows of the past. Star Trek paved the way for many geeky shows, comics, and even games. As did Flash Gordon. From the very dawn of the first comic, we have done nothing but crave more.

Nerds haven't been able to stay away from anything remotely geeky. But as I browse the net (I almost said interwebs) I am always curious to see the array of shows we consider geeky, and those we don't. Sherlock is my favorite example of this. The show isn't remotely science fiction or even really fantasy, yet it has such a huge fan following that it's considered a geeky thing. As a literary nerd, I have to admit that it's a good show and I'm proud to see this incarnation of it so popular. Yet I have to wonder what makes it so stuck in geek culture that nearly all of us have at least heard about it. 

Perhaps it is all a matter of geeky acceptance that we bring various fandoms in under the umbrella of geeky nerdom and own them. Several films that have their own cult following, like Boondock Saints, are just part of the wonderful geeky world we live in. Shows, are so widely spread and diverse that it might be possible we count anything as geeky. Some may argue against it, but I find that to be true. Archer, a cartoon meant for adults, is one of those shows that has become popular within the geek community and even outside of it. 

Whatever it is that determines whether a show is ‘geeky’ enough or not may never be known. But it is something fun to think about.

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