Forums » RP Discussion » Good Sound Design Shows

Instead of music, I'll often leave a show on in the background to help me write. Music can be too absorbing, or won't really match what I need to have atmospherically for a scene (only so far instrumentals from the LotR soundtrack can get you in a scifi script, haha).

But ~ it can't be just any genre-savvy show, it's gotta have subtle sound design, unobtrusive and atmospheric, something my brain can half ignore so I can concentrate on the writing.

Which sometimes means.

The show.

Is allowed to be bad. Law and Order SVU I am looking directly at you, and your gavel bang announcements that it's time for me to stretch and get a snack lol.

THE SOUND DESIGN IS JUST SO GOOD, IT'S SO FLAT AND SOOTHING AND PIQUED WITH FUNKY INSTRUMENTALS AND THE ACTORS ALL HAVE EXCELLENT NARRATION VOICES AUGH

Anyway. What's your background show/s, if you have any? I'm on a True Detective kick rn for the sound design but it's so DANG GOOD that I'm having trouble actually getting anything down while watching it aaaaahahaha

So I cannot watch/listen to anything in English while I'm writing because the words gets mushed together in my head.

Dark - spooky ambiance and heavy emotionally charged eye contact.
Giri/Haji - urban, crime, intense introspection and character connections (this is, legit, best television I've seen in years, I cannot recommend enough)

both on netflix

I’m generally more of a music / YouTube in the background when writing but shows wise….

Bluey, good vibes and short so if I get caught up in a single episode I’m not too distracted for long.

The Untamed, 50 hour episode monolith of a c-drama. Was a hyperfixation for a bit, rewatch constantly, great score and story.

Documentaries. Usually nature ones, sometimes others. Depends on the mood of what I’m writing or the hour of the day. Pretty fickle here, but there’s always Planet Earth.

I'm with Konnie, I usually stick to music, or write in silence. Sometimes I can throw on a YouTube video without it being too much of a distraction (if you're into crime stuff, Bailey Sarian is entertaining to listen to) but that's rare. I can't watch television shows/movies when I write because I want to know what's happening on the screen, and will forget what I'm writing about. 😂

But that's only with writing, sometimes I'll put on a show if I'm drawing. Usually a movie though, since it's hard for me to get into TV shows. Even then I typically default to one of my favorites.

It's interesting that you mention SVU, because you're completely right. It does have great sound design. Oddly enough a lot of crime shows (well, the older ones) tend to. If you've never watched it, the original CSI series has some great sounds too. Is it good for writing? I don't know, but it's good for crafting, so maybe.

Also I would love to hear Ice-T narrate a book.

silent -- i grew up in a large fambly in a noisy neighborhood and litchurally cannot do creative things if my brain thinks i'm alone, hahaha. ignoring conversations happening nearby / onscreen is my zone, mang.

konnie -- oooooo i miss old docuseries and their soothing narratives!! often have great instrumentals, too, and wildlife sounds are fantastic for scenebraining.

smaug -- i will defo check that out! got sucked into xfiles, so add one to the old tv shows have great and unobtrusive sounds list.


all excellent recs, thanks homies. the shows i actually like to watch just to watch can be rewatched three or four times before they can make 'background' status, ahahaha.