Oh, Hello There.

So the TV has been broken for a week.

A WHOLE WEEK, PEOPLE.

What I'm Watching: Gotham

In case you've missed it, this is one show I don't miss:

Gotham

I hesitated to watch Gotham at first, because I figured (rightly) that some plot devices simply wouldn't work because we all know that certain characters live to know the adult Bruce Wayne, etc. and because I figured it's all kind of been done and the current over-saturation of comic-book media might be getting to me.

But... Gotham! I loved Batman Begins so very, very much, and I really like Batman as a character, so I had to give it a chance.

Fargo and Orphan Black: Amazing TV

from finance.yahoo.com, oddly enough

"Fargo" is a television re-imagining of the thematic elements and the atmosphere of the 1996 Coen Brothers' film of the same name. The TV show isn't set in Fargo, and only alludes to the events of the film, but it's a wonderful homage or follow-up to the film that stands on its own two feet as one of the best shows of the year. 

Martin Freeman, with an amusing Minnesota accent, plays Lester Nygaard, the put-upon, oppressed and bullied insurance salesman who crosses paths with devilishly entertaining bad guy Lorne Malvo, played brilliantly by the incomparable Billy Bob Thornton, which sends Lester's life into a spiral of deception and danger. I came for Martin Freeman, but I'm staying for Billy Bob Thornton. He is unpredictable, diabolical, and amazing.

Vampire Soap Operas

TV is a great source of escape at the end of a hard day of work. Or a day of hard work. Or a day of easy work. Or a day of hardly working... 

What To Watch This Weekend

It's October!! Fall is a fun time for TV enthusiasts, and as the temperatures drop we love to snuggle under a blanket and watch good stuff.

My suggestions for this weekend:

The Triple Spooky TV Tour

The other morning, on the way to work, a local entertainment reporter was doing a bit on the radio about “gateway” episodes to TV shows you may have missed or not thought you would like. These episodes, supposedly, were universal enough that you could get a feel for the show without taking the time to get to know the backstories and characters and such.

Oh. My. Awesome. I am Sherlocked.

My sons and I finished the second series of BBC's amazing "Sherlock" tonight and the final episode was, in a word, brilliant!! So good. I can't find words to describe the awesomeness. Except... awesome.

Moriarty returns as Sherlock's nemesis and taunting villain, with new tricks up his sleeve, oozing smarmy superiority and intelligence and wickedness-- he's one we love to hate. Oooh and we do despise him.

This series (season) continues the subtle, very effective character development, as Sherlock begins to recognize and act on the value of his few real relationships, in his own way. He has moments where he's almost human, but he is still very much the same old Sherlock, deducing, assessing, noticing and comprehending things beyond we simple thinkers, taking jabs and insulting people without thinking. He seems to be learning to follow John's good instincts, though, sometimes. Now and then...

As with the first season, I love the various usage of modern technology, especially the texting. It's rather amusing that Moriarty (along with other characters) sends Holmes text messages, and that Watson's blog is so much more popular than Holmes' is also funny. I don't know what Sherlock Holmes purists think of this show, I'm not one, but I love that it's modern while still staying true to the essence of the characters, and the spirit of the mysteries.

Also, as with the first season, my favorite character is John Watson. I love Mrs. Hudson (sometimes she threatens to steal scenes-- wonderful stuff) and I get a kick out of Mycroft and LeStrade and Molly-- her interactions with Sherlock are surprising in how insensitive and even cruel he can be, but quite funny at the same time. And of course, Benedict Cumberbatch (whose name is just fun to say) is also perfectly cast, and incredibly fun to watch. But my favorite is Watson, who (as I think I said in this blog before) is played perfectly by Martin Freeman. His long-suffering, bemused, frustrated, and sometimes deeply emotional expressions are so good that I forget completely that I'm watching an actor. He is very, very good, and I can't wait for "The Hobbit" later this year.

My favorite scene, I think, was Sherlock wearing nothing but a sheet as he's called to Buckingham Palace. He and John are shown sitting on a sofa and they both burst out laughing, demonstrating that they've developed a true friendship, in spite of Holmes' biting comments and prickly nature. I love the chemistry of the two leads-- not romantic chemistry, though, which is good. It's continually humorous that the "public" thinks the two are a couple, but I like that the writing and the acting very effectively demonstrates how a good business partnership/friendship and brotherly affection is possible without the requirement of a romantic relationship. It's very good stuff.

Sometimes the dialogue goes so fast I miss things- the accents don't help, but I don't care. It's just a good reason to go back in the future and watch them again. And I will. I will also bemoan the fact that Series 3 will probably not be available to watch for about a year. Especially with the doozy of a cliffhanger at the end of the third episode.

Musical TV Remakes

Recently I took my daughter to see "Annie, Jr." at our local Jr. High. I was reminded of all the less-than-professional performances my dad attended to support me over the years. She absolutely loved it and even said, "When I go to Jr. High, I think I might like to be in a show..." Yes, my heart was warmed...

She asked later if we could borrow the movie version of "Annie" from my dad. Turns out he no longer has it, but my brother has both the original 1982 Film version and the 1999 made-for-TV remake, with Victor Garber and Kristen Chenoweth. He loaned us both. We started today with the remake version-- I don't remember why I didn't watch it when it aired in 1999, but we enjoyed it together.

I couldn't help but draw comparisons between "Annie" and the 2003 made-for-TV remake of "The Music Man" which also features Garber and Chenoweth. "Annie" is so far superior to the weak effort of "The Music Man", it's impossible to not see the differences. Of course, I only watched "The Music Man" the one time it aired, and vowed never to watch it again-- I like Matthew Broderick well enough, but his presence and voice weren't up to the role of Harold Hill. And, frankly, Chenoweth is talented, but she simply didn't fit Marion. I adore the original theatrical version, and I was so annoyed by the remake that I think I didn't dare watch the TV "Annie" on DVD, expecting it to be just as weak and depressing.

But I've been pleasantly surprised. Kathy Bates? Brilliant. I thought Carol Burnett was perfect in the theatrical version, but Bates brought her own thing to the role and it was excellent. And Audra McDonald was wonderful, as expected. It was fun to see the show with a broadway-caliber cast. And the little girl who played Annie was spectacular AND her hair wasn't distractingly obnoxious.

If you haven't seen it, check it out! But I vote for avoiding the 2003 "Music Man". Unless you like torture-by-TV.

TV service MY WAY

For years now, my dad has been talking about how nice it would be if the TV cable and satellite companies would offer people an a la carte menu of channels to select from. I have completely agreed with him-- I didn't like paying for 200-plus channels, when my family and I only watched about 15 of them!  Sattelite companies would like you to think that such a plan is impossible (in fact, there's an ad on TV right now, I think it's for DirecTV, stating that while such a thing would be nice, no one can offer that right now), I think that's a load of garbage.

If I could choose my own channels, I would be such a happy customer, I would recommend them to ALL of my friends.  I would even be okay with having to select a minimum of, say, 50 channels in a package.  I don't mind being sold a package.  Just let me choose what's IN that package!  I would even pay more per channel if I didn't have all the garbage.

We had Dish Network for a few years, and we had over 200 channels.  We blocked SO many of them.  There were a huge pile of shopping channels, spanish-speaking channels and religious channels that we just weren't going to watch.  On the other hand, we would have LOVED to have had the Mountain so we could watch BYU games, or Versus, so my hubby could watch the Tour de France, or even National Geographic channel.  Silly!  We didn't want so many of channels we were "required" to pay for in order to get the few we wanted.

It doesn't really make sense.  Recently, cable and satellite providers seem getting their proverbial butts kicked by that fabulous friend-of-mine, Netflix, and rightly so!  With Netflix, I pay a small monthly fee and I watch whatever streamed shows are available as much as I want to-- they aren't brand-new shows, but between Netflix and Hulu, I'm satisfied.  There are only a couple of shows I am missing, and guess what!  Next year I can catch them on Netflix!  I do wish Netflix had more to choose from, but as time goes by more and more shows and movies are added to their lists, and subsequently, into my queue.

There was an article in the Deseret News today by Lane Williams about this very thing.  The writer was discussing the fact that, although he doesn't watch MTV, if he pays for TV, he is supporting and helping fund MTV's programming lineup, which includes primarily shows that he has no interest in watching.  I hadn't really ever thought about that before:  that I helped support MTV (not to mention VH1, Spike and others) and it's garbage for those years I had satellite TV service, even though I had that channel blocked in my home!  If it isn't something I want to watch, why would I want to line their pockets or help pay for TV shows that I find inappropriate and offensive!?  Ridiculous.  In the article, he said it's estimated that about $10 a year goes to MTV from each household paying for cable TV.  Even if it's only $5, I don't like it.

I wonder if enough people leave cable and satellite TV behind in favor of Netflix, hulu.com and other sources where we can choose what we watch when we want to watch it, if satellite and cable TV providers will realize it's time to change things up.  They could generate a lot of new business (we would return!) if they offered more choices in programming.  As I previously stated, they could offer packages where you had to choose 50, 75, 100 channels, and still offer their lumped-together-with-junk packages.  Some people would still buy them... maybe.  

The people who would be most adversely affected by this proposition would probably be the owners of shopping channels, but even they would probably get enough business to stay in business.  There are folks who enjoy shopping on TV, right?

It feels like it would be a win-win, in the long run, but TV providers are just too afraid of thinning in their personal wallets to take the chance.  I hope soon they are forced to it by people like me, who finally get fed up and walk away.

The Facts Were These...

Some shows you may have missed because 1.  The network Gods deigned them unpopular and pulled them off the air too soon; 2. The audience didn't give them enough support and the network Gods cancelled them or 3. They were too smart for the new demographic:  Dimwits who prefer to watch obese people work out and be yelled at, losers living in an apartment together "hook up" or single men/women act like idiots to get a rose and maybe "find love" than to actually have to pay attention to dialogue, story lines and character development.  But I'm not bitter.

The first to pop into my head is the eccentric, enchanting "Pushing Daisies".  This fabulous little show centered around the character named Ned (played perfectly by Lee Pace), who discovered in his youth that one touch of his finger could bring a dead person or animal back to life, at the unfortunate cost of another person or animal's life, unless he touched the dead person or animal again within 60 seconds, which rendered them dead for good.  Featuring brightly colored sets and costumes, clever narration, distinct and funny dialogue and plots, viewers followed Ned as he and his new partner, Emerson Cod (subtly understated and fabulously played by Chi McBride), ran around solving murders by simply asking the deceased how they had died.  Not to be deterred from his day job, as a pie baker, however, Ned kept up his shop (called "The Pie Hole" ha ha!) and his friendship with his waitress, Olive Snook (played brilliantly by Kristin Chenoweth).  Each crime solving foray began with the narrator stating "The facts were these..." and describing the situation.  It was funny, tender, silly, heart-felt fantasy.  It was a wonderful little show and I was so sorry when they cancelled it.  It just didn't catch on, I suppose.  I failed to mention that Ned also had a love interest, whom he had brought back from the dead, and didn't have the heart to put her back down, and so she lives on (a beautiful, vibrant zombie, I suppose) but they can never touch, even though they are in love.

Next on my list is the fantastic, quirky, spiritual-yet not preachy "Eli Stone".  This show was touching, sweet, thoughtful, intense, funny, classy, dirty, exciting, dramatic, and brilliant.  The pilot takes off (no pun intended) with Eli (played with the perfect balance of incredulity, humor, intelligence, and man-in-crisis by Johnny Lee Miller) having the first of many hallucinations/visions.  This one: George Michael in his front room, singing "Faith".  This becomes the theme for the show.  Eli is a lawyer who, when the visions begin changing his priorities, goes through a major transformation.  This has been done before, but never with such a unique cause or such imaginative set pieces. There were two seasons of this fantastic show.  I would recommend watching every episode in order.  I'm not including other rich characters in this description, but there are many, including Eli's brother, the women in his life, and his acupuncturist.  This show is so layered and detailed, I can't even begin to give you an accurate picture of it.  Just go watch it on Netflix, okay?  For my high-standard friends, be warned, there are the occasional adult themed scenes here and there.  I personally wish they would edit sex scenes out (we know what goes on when the lights go down, after all), but this show is one that I think is worth fast-forwarding anything you don't want to see.  It's outweighed by the lessons on God, faith, truth, trust and love.

I knew from the first episode that I would like "Freaks and Geeks".  This show made me uncomfortable while making me laugh.  It is a coming-of-age comedy/drama about teenagers in the 80s, living in Michigan and it is incredibly real in it's portrayal of both the times and what life can be like as teens, tweens and in-betweens. The show was hilarious, painful to watch and thought-provoking all at the same time, and featured a cast of unknowns (including a certain failed Oscar host, James Franco, and others you will recognize from recent roles.) who were perfect in their roles.  A great, great show.  My review here is short, I am needed back at my job.  Look it up on imdb, then rent or stream it.  I think you'll enjoy yourself.

No list like this would be complete without including "Firefly".  I admit that I have a bit of a crush on Captain Hammer, Rick Castle and Captain Reynolds himself, Nathan Fillion.  He manages to make me like every character he plays.  "Firefly" is famously frustrating for nerds across the nation.  It was a good show by Joss Whedon who was also the brain behind "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" (as well as other things, I know...) and it was very upsetting to fans when "Firefly" got the axe.  Luckily, it is available to watch, as is the film that continues the story, "Serenity".  This show is basically a western drama set in outer space.  A sci-fi western.  That was a unique idea, the merging of these two genres (at least, unique in my limited experience. Soon we will have "Coyboys and Aliens" but "Firefly" was the first on my radar to use both genres.)  I did not love this show as much as die-hard fans did.  I had a little trouble with the dialogue using old-timey western-ese-type phrases and terms.  I loved the characters, however, and the episode storylines were interesting and intriguing.  I have to admit here, I have yet to watch "Serenity", so I can't speak to the film, but the show is worth checking out.  Especially if you happen to like outer space shows.  Or tough-guy shows.  Or Nathan Fillion.

So add to my list-- what shows did you love that bit the dust?  Why do you think it is that so many great shows get cancelled?  Am I being too hard on the watchers of "reality" TV?  Is there intelligent life out there?