--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Novels often have leisurely openings; a…" description: "\"Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an arresting opening.\" — Andrew Davies" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/andrew-davies-16398_arresting_novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-t_1309508.png" --- # Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an… ![“Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an arresting opening.” quote by Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/andrew-davies-16398_arresting_novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-t_1309508.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/andrew-davies-16398_arresting_novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-t_1309508.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/andrew-davies-16398_arresting_novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-t_1309508.png) > “Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an arresting opening.” [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Opening pacing differs: novels can build slowly, while TV dramas must capture attention immediately. **In simple terms:** Novels can be slow; TV must hook fast. Key Takeaway Match opening style to medium. Themes storytelling media engagement Mood thoughtful strategic Type advice observational When to use this quote - novel writing - TV scriptwriting - pitch meetings - marketing campaigns Key Concepts narrative structure audience attention Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance depth and immediacy? - When is a gradual build appropriate? A Different Perspective A slow opening may lose viewers in a crowded market. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arresting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arresting/) [Arresting Opening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arresting-opening-4327420/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Leisurely Openings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisurely-openings-4327422/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Novels Leisurely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-leisurely-4327423/) [Often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/often/) [Opening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opening/) [Openings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openings/) [Openings Tv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openings-tv-4327421/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Tv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tv/) [Tv Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tv-drama-299456/) [Tvs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tvs/) ## Related quotes > [I never wanted to be the lead on a TV drama. It just robs you of your life, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-noth/i-never-wanted-to-be-the-lead-on-a-tv-drama-it-just-robs-you-of-your/) [Chris Noth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-noth/) > [I know nothing about producing TV drama and any involvement on my part is liable to prove an obstacle to the producers, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/i-know-nothing-about-producing-tv-drama-and-any-involvement-on-my/) [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) > ['The Twilight Zone' was sometimes shockingly cruel, far crueller than most TV drama today would dare to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/the-twilight-zone-was-sometimes-shockingly-cruel-far-crueller-than/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [When you're making a TV drama, the showrunner is God, and so however onerous and difficult and consuming that responsibility is, you're being treated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/when-you-re-making-a-tv-drama-the-showrunner-is-god-and-so-however/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [The quality of TV drama nowadays is getting better and better. They've had to invent a new term for it: 'high-end television.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-carlyle/the-quality-of-tv-drama-nowadays-is-getting-better-and-better-they-ve/) [Robert Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-carlyle/) > [In terms of making TV drama, not everything has to make sense. In cinema, you usually strive for reality and a natural environment, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-miike/in-terms-of-making-tv-drama-not-everything-has-to-make-sense-in/) [Takashi Miike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-miike/) > [I'd been gearing up to working in theatre since coming out of drama school, but it was an exciting time for TV drama -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-burton/i-d-been-gearing-up-to-working-in-theatre-since-coming-out-of-drama/) [Amanda Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-burton/) > [The interesting thing about TV drama that's kind of nice is, I'm just an actor. I'm doing my role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolph-lundgren/the-interesting-thing-about-tv-drama-that-s-kind-of-nice-is-i-m-just/) [Dolph Lundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolph-lundgren/) > ['Humans' seems to have gone down really well in the U.S. That doesn't happen for British TV drama - unless we're talking 'Downton Abbey.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-carless/humans-seems-to-have-gone-down-really-well-in-the-u-s-that-doesn-t/) [Lucy Carless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-carless/) > [I love euro TV drama, there's some fantastic shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-sharp/i-love-euro-tv-drama-there-s-some-fantastic-shows/) [Lesley Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-sharp/) > [I feel very strongly influenced by long-form box-set TV drama... I feel really excited that, at last, the novel has found its on-screen equivalent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/i-feel-very-strongly-influenced-by-long-form-box-set-tv-drama-i-feel/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [Let me tell you something - compared to a TV-drama production schedule, touring is not strenuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/let-me-tell-you-something-compared-to-a-tv-drama-production-schedule/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [I'm a big fan of unflinching drama and bold drama. If you shy away from dark subject matters, there's only certain places for TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dempsie/i-m-a-big-fan-of-unflinching-drama-and-bold-drama-if-you-shy-away/) [Joe Dempsie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dempsie/) > [Have you imagined me acting in a TV drama? I have, when I was young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/have-you-imagined-me-acting-in-a-tv-drama-i-have-when-i-was-young/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [TV drama - not always, but on the whole - were pretty appalling and very secondary, too. No one expected it to be like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/tv-drama-not-always-but-on-the-whole-were-pretty-appalling-and-very/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) ## More by Andrew Davies > [I remain, however, fairly optimistic for the future of period drama because it's just such a popular thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/i-remain-however-fairly-optimistic-for-the-future-of-period-drama/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [Look at Jane Austen. 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As they say in EastEnders, she thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/i-had-a-mother-who-was-very-emotionally-demanding-wanting-to-be-the/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [I would love it if anyone gave me the job of adapting 'The Great Gatsby,' but nobody ever does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/i-would-love-it-if-anyone-gave-me-the-job-of-adapting-the-great/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [I'm not one of these people who say how much better American drama is than English. I find it mostly too American, except for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/i-m-not-one-of-these-people-who-say-how-much-better-american-drama-is/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [The joy of writing drama is putting yourself into different people's heads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/the-joy-of-writing-drama-is-putting-yourself-into-different-people-s/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [The writer in movies is about as low as you can get and you really are a hired hand. You are paid a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/the-writer-in-movies-is-about-as-low-as-you-can-get-and-you-really/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [I got quite cross when I heard about Emma Thompson adapting 'Sense and Sensibility.' It was absolutely childish of me, but I thought, 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/i-got-quite-cross-when-i-heard-about-emma-thompson-adapting-sense-and/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [I know that a ridiculous number of classic serials have been commissioned, and that reviews show a reaction against them. The critics seem fed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/i-know-that-a-ridiculous-number-of-classic-serials-have-been/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) [Explore all 40 Andrew Davies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) ## More Arresting quotes > [ \[In the case of\] dangerous exercise of other powers, not granted by the said compact, the states, who are parties thereto, have the right,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/in-the-case-of-dangerous-exercise-of-other-powers-not-granted-by-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Let's get the government stay out of our private lives, once and for all, and stop arresting smokers. Let's take a stand for personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/let-s-get-the-government-stay-out-of-our-private-lives-once-and-for/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I should love to do a novel, about one abnormal character seeing present-day life, very ordinary life, yet arresting through it, abnormality, until at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-should-love-to-do-a-novel-about-one-abnormal-character-seeing/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [In Fascism, if you were a Jew, you were simply killed. Nobody had the idea of arresting Jews and torturing them to confess the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/in-fascism-if-you-were-a-jew-you-were-simply-killed-nobody-had-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [An arresting testimony to the haunting power of friendships, THE AFTER GIRLS is a story that understands what it is to be passionate, confused,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micol-ostow/an-arresting-testimony-to-the-haunting-power-of-friendships-the-after/) [Micol Ostow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micol-ostow/) > [Well, I'm not saying that we're solving every problem or arresting every person that ought to be arrested and deported, but we're doing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thad-cochran/well-i-m-not-saying-that-we-re-solving-every-problem-or-arresting/) [Thad Cochran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thad-cochran/) > [I want every man on the force to try his best, his level best, to try to avoid arresting anyone. I know that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chill-wills/i-want-every-man-on-the-force-to-try-his-best-his-level-best-to-try/) [Chill Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chill-wills/) > [“And at that instant, I was six and half years old again, watching the two arresting officers - a man and a woman dressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sana-krasikov/and-at-that-instant-i-was-six-and-half-years-old-again-watching-the/) [Sana Krasikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sana-krasikov/) > [If ideas are what feed serious literature and arresting language, who today is writing a novel of ideas (which can often mean comedy)? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/if-ideas-are-what-feed-serious-literature-and-arresting-language-who/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [First they came for the Jews, but I did nothing because I'm not a Jew. 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Polsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-polsby/) [Browse all 46 Arresting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arresting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an arresting opening.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew Davies" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-tv-drama-needs-an-arresting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arresting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-tv-drama-needs-an-arresting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/andrew-davies-16398_arresting_novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-t_1309508.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/andrew-davies-16398_arresting_novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-t_1309508.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d5/andrew-davies-16398_arresting_novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-t_1309508.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an arresting opening.” — Andrew Davies", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Andrew Davies", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Novels often have leisurely openings; a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-tv-drama-needs-an-arresting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/novels-often-have-leisurely-openings-a-tv-drama-needs-an-arresting/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```