I represent the first generation who, when we were born, the television was now a permanent fixture in our homes. When I was born people had breakfast with Barbara Walters, dinner with Walter Cronkite, and slept with Johnny Carson.
Read the full "Pre-ramble"
A few years ago I discovered the MGM cartoon Peace on Earth while watching an episode of the Cartoon Network's Toon Heads. Since then it has been one of my favorite holiday cartoons. This 1939 cartoon was written by Jack Cosgriff, Charles McGirl and Khat Harman and directed by Hugh Harman and is the only cartoon ever nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Before reading any further I want you to watch the cartoon.
This cartoon was created prior to America's involvement in the Second World War by people who served in the First World War. This amazing story takes you on a journey:
From Cute and Fuzzy, To Man's inhumanity to man. To a climax. To a resolution. And back to Cute and Fuzzy.
While the remake is set in a post atomic bomb era the message stays the same and sadly that message has not been learned. One of my favorite moments in Peace On Earth is towards the end when the audience collectively realizes that the animal’s houses were made from the men's helmets and the lamppost was made from a sword. Then you sober up when Mama Squirrel sings, "Sleep in heavenly peace". On a final note I want you to think about this:
The story that was told. Those moments that touched you. The buttons that were pushed. The feelings felt. The lessons learned (and not learned by some).
The writer started this journey with an idea, and then it was translated:
To words. To voice, music and Foley. To ink & paint. To the big (and later small) screen. And the audience translated the sight and sounds back into the writer's original idea.
Something to think about when you are enjoying those holiday specials.
Our Holiday Show is also the final episode of Season Two of Story Salon ON THE AIR. The theme is "Santa Ho Ho No" with Dan Tirman as our Featured Performer. Enjoy!
"Winn's 88 Blues" shot by Lance Anderson... Music by John O'Kennedy...
Recorded Live on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at The Coffee Fix in Studio City, California...
1:o3:22 / 58.1 MB / Rated: PG-13 (Some Adult Language and Themes)... Until we meet again in the New Year... "Thanks for the Download!"
Today, after three days of discussions, the AMPTP came back to us with a proposal that included a total rejection of our proposal on Internet streaming of December 3.
They are holding to their offer of a $250 fixed residual for unlimited one year streaming after a six-week window of free use. They still insist on the DVD rate for Internet downloads.
They refuse to cover original material made for new media.
This offer was accompanied by an ultimatum: the AMPTP demands we give up several of our proposals, including Fair Market Value (our protection against vertical integration and self-dealing), animation, reality, and, most crucially, any proposal that uses distributor’s gross as a basis for residuals. This would require us to concede most of our Internet proposal as a precondition for continued bargaining. The AMPTP insists we let them do to the Internet what they did to home video.
We received a similar ultimatum through back channels prior to the discussions of November 4. At that time, we were assured that if we took DVD’s off the table, we would get a fair offer on new media issues. That offer never materialized.
We reject the idea of an ultimatum. Although a number of items we have on the table are negotiable, we cannot be forced to bargain with ourselves. The AMPTP has many proposals on the table that are unacceptable to writers, but we have never delivered ultimatums.
As we prepared our counter-offer, at 6:05 p.m., Nick Counter came and said to us, in the mediator’s presence: “We are leaving. When you write us a letter saying you will take all these items off the table, we will reschedule negotiations with you.” Within minutes, the AMPTP had posted a lengthy statement announcing the breakdown of negotiations.
We remain ready and willing to negotiate, no matter how intransigent our bargaining partners are, because the stakes are simply too high. We were prepared to counter their proposal tonight, and when any of them are ready to return to the table, we’re here, ready to make a fair deal.
John F. Bowman Chairman, WGA Negotiating Committee Contract 2007
"First I'd say that humor cannot be taught. Humor is an attitude towards life. It's a rather cynical approach. It's a negative approach. It's saying people misbehave. People put on shows. People wear masks. People are proud of what they shouldn't be. People compete unfairly. If you think life is wonderful, you don't belong in comedy. Of course, there's a lot that can be taught and at UCLA I taught very detailed things. Some of the things I mention here: how people recognize themselves on the screen and so on. What people are funny? And I quote the opening line of Anna Karenina by Tolstoy when she says, happy people are alike in their happiness. Only unhappy people are different from each other, and that's all there is. Because she proceeded to have one of the unhappiest marriages of all time, Karenina. But she left him. So that's an important lesson. Happy people are dull conversationalists -- no fun to be with and probably vote Republican."
To quote Mel Tolkin when his writer's pace slackened, . “Gentlemen, we’ve got to get something done!” Jews all over America will be watching Saturday night!”
If you're going to be in New York on Monday, December 3rd check out.
An Evening with Holly Hunter and Saving Grace Monday, December 3; 6:00 pm
Join us for a conversation with Academy and Emmy Award–winning Holly Hunter as she discusses her acclaimed new TNT series Saving Grace. Hunter portrays fast-living Oklahoma City police detective Grace Hanadarko, who, tormented by demons both internal and external, nearly reaches her breaking point before redemption arrives in the form of an unconventional angel named Earl. A yet-to-be-aired episode of Saving Grace will be screened.
On Thanksgiving Day (November 22), a group of Writers Guild Of America members began posting Public Service Announcements featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent as part of an independent WGA membership’s “Speechless” campaign conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff. They can be found on SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com with links on UnitedHollywood.com. Ms. Hunter was in the first episode
Every month or so I will pod cast an episode of Comedy Callback and during those weeks in between shows, I will be interviewing all sorts of people on the business of being funny. I’ll also be blogging and letting you know where you can find the funny. If you have any thoughts or suggestions please drop me an ‘e’ at comedycallback@gmail.com. And remember, life is short - so laugh hard!
Dan Farren
Part two of our show has a theme. I didn’t know it at the time, but I do now. Comedy and transportation. Dylan Brody hits the road with a guy named “Doug”. Beverly Mickins hits the road with Andre & Reggie. And Tony Figueroa just hits the road thanks to a motorcycle accident. Enjoy! Some mature language.
For those of you who will be spending Thanksgiving with your family. I'm sure you will be under strict orders not to discuss politics, religion or the writers strike (If you are in LA or NYC) at the dinner table. I wanted to provide you with a safe topic of conversation that should be good for at least two courses or until your drunk uncle asks, "When are you gonna get a real job".
TV Land and Entertainment Weekly assembled a list of the 100 Greatest TV Icons. Most of the time I'd like to rip these lists apart like a turkey carcass and add my honorable mentions. I totally understand that someone in my age group would rearrange the numeric order, but that could be said of any TV generation. Let’s dig in.
I do think that certain actors received iconic status when in reality it should have been their most famous character receiving the honor.
Examples from list include: 100. Marcia Cross. The status should have been granted to Cross' Desperate Housewives character Bree Vandecamp. Bree has become the poster child for the modern day Stepford Wife. 91. Dennis Franz (Andy Sipowicz in NYPD BLUE) 86. Jerry Mathers (as the Beaver) 82. Ted Knight (Ted Baxter) Keith Olbermann pays homage to Ted Baxter when he impersonates Bill O'Reilly. 75. Peter Falk (Lt. Columbo) 70. Bob Denver (Gilligan) 69. Barbara Eden (Jeannie) 63. Ed Asner (Lou Grant) Lou Grant became an icon once he said, "You know what you got? You got spunk. I hate spunk!" 58. Don Knotts (Deputy Barney Fife) 49. Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) 45. Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Buffy was to girls in the 90s what Gidget (40. Sally Field) was to girls in the 60s. 42. James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) 32. Henry Winkler (The Fonz)
Examples not from list include: Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan). The Captain was to children's television what icon #1. Johnny Carson was to late night television. Hoss Cartright (Dan Blocker) Rader O'Reilly (Gary Burgoff) Elvira mistress of the dark (Cassandra Peterson). Ginger & Mary Ann (Tina Louise & Dawn Wells). Ginger & Mary Ann proved that there are the girl that you have fun with and the girl that you marry. Lary "Bud" Melman (Calvert DeForest)
I also think that certain characters received iconic status when in reality it should have been the creator of that character receiving the honor.
Examples from list include: 21. Kermit the Frog should actually be Jim Henson. 57. Charlie Brown should actually be Charles Schulz
Examples not from list include: Max Headroom (Matt Frewer). Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) Joe Friday (Jack Webb) Iron Eyes Cody (Crying Native American in Keep America Beautiful PSA) Mel Blanc (His list of characters is to long)
The Dictionary defines Icon as a person or thing that is uncritically adored, revered or admired, or is regarded as a symbol of a particular culture or sphere, etc; an idol.
I would define a TV icon as: A) Someone who has set a standard of excellence in their field.
Examples from list include: 85. Rod Serling 81. Dick Cavett 64. Phil Donahue 60. Merv Griffin 55. Fred Rogers AKA Mr. Rogers 51. Bob Hope 41. Jon Stewart 28. Howard Cosell 23. Barbara Walters 22. Milton Berle 19. Andy Griffith 16. David Letterman 15. "Not Ready for Primetime Players" 14. Ed Sullivan 13. Jackie Gleason 10. Dick Clark 8. Jerry Seinfeld 6. Carol Burnett 5. Walter Cronkite 4. Bill Cosby 3. Oprah Winfrey 2. Lucille Ball 1. Johnny Carson
Examples not from list include: Desi Arnaz Danny Thomas Jack Webb Carl Reiner Ernie Kovacks Sheldon Lennard Norman Lear The Smothers Brothers Lorne Michaels Jack Benny
B) Someone who can be used as an example, role model, metaphor, analogy or punch line.
Examples from list include: 99. Delta Burke 96. Shannen Doherty 95. Richard Dawson 92. Judge Judy 85. Rod Serling 81. Dick Cavett 80. Adam West 74. Joan Rivers 72. Cher 68. Don Cornelius 65. Pamela Anderson 64. Phil Donahue 63. Ed Asner 60. Merv Griffin 55. Fred Rogers AKA Mr. Rogers 54. Florence Henderson 53. Ed McMahon 51. Bob Hope49. Calista Flockhart 47. Simon Cowell 46. Lassie 44. Susan Lucci 40. Sally Field 39. Jennifer Aniston 36. Diahann Carroll 34. Bob Barker 33. Ellen DeGeneres 31. Sarah Jessica Parker 28. Howard Cosell 27. Regis Philbin 26. Farrah Fawcett 23. Barbara Walters 18. William Shatner 14. Ed Sullivan 13. Jackie Gleason 11. Roseanne 10. Dick Clark 9. Homer Simpson 8. Jerry Seinfeld 7. Mary Tyler Moore 5. Walter Cronkite 4. Bill Cosby 3. Oprah Winfrey 2. Lucille Ball 1. Johnny Carson
Examples not from list include: Donna Reed Charo The Gabor sisters Jack Benny
C) Someone whose TV character can be used as an example, role model, metaphor, analogy or punch line.
Examples from list include: 100. Marcia Cross. 99. Delta Burke 96. Shannen Doherty 93. Neil Patrick Harris 91. Dennis Franz 89. Robert Guillaume 86. Jerry Mathers 85. Rod Serling 82. Ted Knight 78. Art Carney 75. Peter Falk 74. Joan Rivers 70. Bob Denver 61. Pee Wee Herman 58. Don Knotts 52. Ron Howard 50. Larry Hagman 49. Calista Flockhart 42. James Gandolfini 39. Jennifer Aniston 37. George Clooney 32. Henry Winkler 30. Alan Alda 29. John Ritter 24. Michael Landon 20. Carroll O'Connor 19. Andy Griffith 18. William Shatner 13. Jackie Gleason 12. Dick Van Dyke 11. Roseanne 9. Homer Simpson 8. Jerry Seinfeld 4. Bill Cosby 2. Lucille Ball
Examples not from list include: Donna Stone The Donna Reed Show. With out her there would be no Bree Vandecamp. Mr. Spock Dr. Johnny Feaver Fred Flintstone Ned Flanders Jack Benny
D) Someone who has created of redefined a TV genre.
Examples from list include: 85. Rod Serling 81. Dick Cavett 71. Rosie O'Donnell 68. Don Cornelius 64. Phil Donahue 61. Pee Wee Herman 60. Merv Griffin 55. Fred Rogers AKA Mr. Rogers 41. Jon Stewart 36. Diahann Carroll 28. Howard Cosell 27. Regis Philbin 23. Barbara Walters 22. Milton Berle 20. Carroll O'Connor 19. Andy Griffith 16. David Letterman 15. "Not Ready for Primetime Players" 14. Ed Sullivan 13. Jackie Gleason 12. Dick Van Dyke 10. Dick Clark 6. Carol Burnett 5. Walter Cronkite 4. Bill Cosby 3. Oprah Winfrey 2. Lucille Ball 1. Johnny Carson
Examples not from list include: Desi Arnaz Danny Thomas Jack Webb Carl Reiner Sheldon Lennard Ernie Kovacks Bill Hanna & Joe Barbera The Smothers Brothers Norman Lear Jack Benny
And not forgetting that this is still a business. E) Someone whose image sells T-shirts, lunch boxes and Pez dispensers.
Examples from list include 86. Jerry Mathers 85. Rod Serling 80. Adam West 72. Cher 71. Rosie O'Donnell 70. Bob Denver 69. Barbara Eden 65. Pamela Anderson 61. Pee Wee Herman 58. Don Knotts 57. Charlie Brown 54. Florence Henderson 53. Ed McMahon 46. Lassie 45. Sarah Michelle Gellar 44. Susan Lucci 43. Flip Wilson 41. Jon Stewart 39. Jennifer Aniston (The Rachel hairstyle also makes her a style icon) 36. Diahann Carroll 32. Henry Winkler 27. Regis Philbin 26. Farrah Fawcett 25. Heather Locklear 24. Michael Landon 22. Milton Berle 21. Kermit 19. Andy Griffith 18. William Shatner 16. David Letterman 15. "Not Ready for Primetime Players" 13. Jackie Gleason 9. Homer Simpson 8. Jerry Seinfeld 4. Bill Cosby
Examples not from list would be incredibly long. I noticed that I added Jack Benny four times and Jack Webb three times. Perhaps the people who put together the list don’t know Jack. If Jack Benny was alive to see him self not make the list, he might respond with, "Well!" and then probably feel better when he learns that there is no cash value to the honor.
In Hollywood something very big happened but didn't seem to get a lot of media coverage.
"On Hollywood Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon, striking writers were joined by members of such unions as the Screen Actors Guild, Teamsters and Service Employees International Union. The solidarity march drew 4,000 people, according to the Writers Guild of America."
To Quote Writers Guild negotiation committee Chairman John F. Bowman, "Pay us and we'll shut up and go back to work, Show some soul, we'll show some flexibility."
In New York SNL's Will Forte and Kristen Wiig demonstrate an easy, fun way that fans can take action to support all the WGA writers on strike.
Dick Wilson, aka Mr. Whipple died at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was 91. Mr. Wilson's career spanned eight decades and included parts on radio, TV, film and theater, but he was best known for playing a grocer obsessed with keeping housewives from squeezing the Charmin from 1964 to 1981.
We all know Mr. Whipple's famous quote. So lets quote Mr. Wilson from the San Francisco Examiner in 1985, "Everybody says, 'Where did they find you?' I say I was never lost. I've been an actor for 55 years".
On Friday (November 16) I got to see presidential hopeful John Edwards who joined a writers' rally at NBC in Burbank. Also in attendance at the rally were three of the original Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz. How often to you see members of the Writers Guild picket with members of the Lollypop Guild?
I am so sorry, but due to a conflict, I could not attend "Picketing with the Stars" yesterday. Please know that I was with you in spirit and I was thinking of you often... Especially when I kept seeing the CSI fan plane fly over the valley.
On November 13th, this blog and the blogs listed below will be on strike for the day in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America. As fellow writers and as TV fans, we are coming together to express our strong support for the writers and their goals. We believe that when a writer's work makes money for a company, that writer deserves to be paid.
Many writers depend on residuals for a stable income, and that income shouldn't be based on an outdated formula which ignores the existence of new media and all but a tiny percentage of DVD sales. The talented writers responsible for so much of what we love about television should and must be paid fairly and equitably, and we will stand with them until they reach that goal. For everyone's sake, and for the sake of television, we hope both sides can come to an agreement quickly.
To further that goal, we are calling on our readers to sign this petition and to contact the following television networks, voicing support for the writers and for a return to the negotiating table:
ABC 500 South Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521 (818) 460-7777
FOX 10201 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 (310) 369-1000
CBS 7800 Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 575-2345
NBC / Universal 100 Universal City Plaza Universal City, CA 91608 (818) 777-1000
After the blackout, we intend to continue our campaign to support the WGA until the dispute has been resolved fairly. Since we will not be posting any new content on the 13th, we encourage our readers to visit United Hollywood instead for frequent updates about the strike.
The purpose of my blog was not to be a TV critic, although at times I can be very critical of the medium and it’s viewers. I hoped that through this blog I could illustrate how real life influences TV and how TV influences real life, and while doing so incorporating some observations and personal stories. I love writing about the television medium. I love encouraging people to watch shows that I think are good. I love having a venue where I can criticize TV watchdog groups who blame television for corrupting their children when in reality they should be admonishing parents for using the TV sets as baby sitters. I love telling stories about TV icons that I have met or who have made a difference in my life. I love that I can use my blog to pay tribute to someone that I admire in the industry when the entertainment news shows only gave their passing a five second sound byte and sometimes not even that. I love finding just the right quote to end my articles with. Most of what I love about television came from WGA writers and SAG actors. Now I feel that is important that I and all TV bloggers pay back the favor. We need to use our talents and resources to get the word out that this strike is important. The big issue has been DVD and new-media residuals.
We are also talking about working middle class families. Often people who need to push their political or religious agenda do so by attacking what they call the "Cultural Elite" in Hollywood. They paint us as morally bankrupt millionaires. The truth is that most people in the entertainment industry are no different than anyone else in America. People here work hard just to keep a roof over their head and feed their families. Like union members across this country Writer's Guild members want fair payment for their work, health care and pensions. Creative people also deserve residual payments when their creative work is being reused for profit. The same agenda motivated people use the term "Liberal Media". If that were really true then most of the "Liberal Media" outlets would give the strike a lot more than thirty seconds of airtime (Half of that airtime is dedicated to star sightings on the picket line). The truth of the matter is that the media is not liberal but corporate owned. The same conglomerates that make up the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) own the media. Bloggers, especially the ones living in New York and Los Angeles, can present the facts about the strike and communicate personal stories about the creative people (especially the non-celebrities) who are currently out of work. Here is one of those stories.
On day five of the writer's strike this Child of Television was in front of the Fox Plaza building (AKA the Diehard building) along with four thousand creative and talented people rallied against Fox and the media conglomerates that make up the AMPTP. This was the greatest gathering of fellowship and solidarity that I have ever experienced. I have spent more than a hundred hours on different picket lines. The speakers at the event included WGA West President Patric M. Verrone, Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg, Family Guy writer-producer-actor Seth MacFarlane, Rev. Jesse Jackson and one of my personal heroes Norman Lear. I did get to meet many people, like Mr. Lear, whose work I have admired over the years. More importantly I also ran into many friends that I currently work with or have worked with in the past. As we marched down Avenue of the Stars and Pico Boulevard to the Fox Studio gate, old friendships were rekindled and as a whole we became a larger galvanized group presenting a united front and letting the AMPTP know we in are all on the same page. Bloggers need to let the world know what the media is not telling them and show the faces that belong to those names that scroll by so fast at the end of your favorite TV show. I hope to see you on the picket line. Those bloggers, who can walk the picket line, I encourage you to do so. If you are not in New York or LA, United Hollywood has artwork that you can post on your blog to help get the message out there and you can also walk a Virtual Picket Line on Myspace.
To quote Seth MacFarlane at the rally, "There are a lot of decent people at every studio who want a quick end to this thing just like we do. I look forward to working with them again when this is all over and we're all awkwardly pretending like it didn't happen."
I was at a Starbucks this morning. A studio executive comes in and recognizes the barista. She says, " Don’t you work for me?" The barista has a studio job but needs to supplement his income by pulling a couple of shifts at Starbucks. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Hollywood is a millionaire. Most people in this town are no different than anyone else in America. We work hard to keep a roof over our head and feed our families. Like union members across this country we want fair payment for our work, health care and pensions. We also deserve Residual payment when others are reusing our creative work for profit. Lets face it, nothing happens in Hollywood until a writer types the words FADE IN.
To quote Tonight Show host Jay Leno at the picket line in front of NBC Burbank, "I've been working with these people for 20 years. Without them I'm not funny. I'm a dead man without them."
My first impression of Cavemen was that this was going to be a train wreck. I had this strange urge to look at this show the same way a rubbernecker has to slow down and look at a horrible accident. Someone at a major television network wanted to take a successful commercial campaign and develop it into a TV show. The Geico Insurance TV commercials feature a commercial spokesman saying that, "Geico dot com is so easy a caveman could do it". We then see two modern day cavemen watching the commercial and being offended that Geico has stereotyped them as primitive and stupid. The commercial campaign is successful but I really can't see turning that into a weekly series with a blatant message about intolerance. People don't watch TV to hear a message. That is Basic TV writing 101. I'm not saying that you can't have a message, but it has to be subtle. Bewitched had a subtle message about tolerance towards people who are different and towards mixed marriages. The Munsters pilot had a similar message when they showed intolerant neighbors who didn't approve of "Those people that moved in next door". Science fiction shows like Star Trek and The Twilight Zone had strong messages about intolerance but none of their examples were ever used as part of their promotional campaign. Another reason that I think viewers are going to be turned off by this show is because the actors Jeffrey Daniel Phillips and Ben Weber who people loved in the commercials are not in the show (Jeffrey Daniel Phillips does play a minor character named Maurice). I certainly don't want to compare these cavemen to other characters that have been played by multiple actors like Darren Stephens (Bewitched), Hannibal Hays (Alias Smith and Jones) or even the Duke boys (The Dukes of Hazzard). I can only imagine that some executive said, "We can put the wig and makeup on any actor and the audience won't know the difference". History has proved otherwise.
I saw the pilot and I can hear my college television production teacher say, "What’s the point?" First you have to buy into the premise that cavemen have lived among us since the beginning of time. The opening credits features a montage of cavemen throughout history. Anything would be better than the chosen premise, time warp, thawed from an iceberg or cloned caveman DNA. The main characters Joel Claybrook (Bill English), Andy Claybrook (Sam Huntington) and Nick Hedge (Nick Kroll) are three metrosexual cavemen who share an apartment in the city. Joel is the reasonable and responsible roommate who supports the other two. Joel works at an Ikea type store called Norsbild. I can't think of a more unfunny setting than an Ikea type store. That setting is only good for three, maybe four jokes and they were used up in the first two episodes. Nick is the intellectual snob. Unlike Fraser Crane or Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (M*A*S*H) who people enjoy seeing fall off their high horse, Nick has no horse. He acts like the world owes him a horse to fall off of and he blames the Homo sapiens for keeping him down. People don't care for that personality type in real life, why would they want to see it on TV? In the pilot Nick sponges off Andy. I had to live with a roommate like that in college, so why do I want to see that on TV? Andy is the sweet but naive roommate who is willing to do anything to be liked and accepted by his roommates and the Homo sapiens. Andy just broke up with his girlfriend so he also has rebound issues.
This is the reason why Mr. Whipple, Madge the manicurists or the Maytag Repairman never had a TV show. This is also one of the few times that I am sorry that I never judge a show by it's pilot.
I watched the next episode. Deadbeat Nick can't come up with his share of the rent. Joel gets him a job at his store as a replenisher but Nick would rather sit around all day and download music than work. Again, I don't think TV audiences want to see a college educated person working in the service industry not doing their job because they find the work or work in general beneath them. TV sitcoms should be an escape from that reality. When Nick gets fired he plays the "cave card" for lack of a better term. While all of this is happening, Andy is trying to befriend a girl who is afraid of cavemen. Each attempt to win this girl over becomes more like stalking. Once Andy does win her over, the roommates scare her off by acting like cavemen grunting and pounding their chest. In essence they perpetuating the stereotype, but I guess since they own it so it's okay.
Years ago All in the Family successfully showcased the stupidity that is bigotry by having the lead character act like a real bigot using real ethnic slurs. The audience laughed at Archie Bunker and his narrow view of the world. Cavemen attempts to poke fun at the way people treat minorities by creating a fake minority. When creating a fake minority, where do you get your inspiration? I can imagine that several minority groups have to be offended by the way the show presents the issues of intolerance and acceptance. The way these issues are presented (I'm sure with no offence intended) can be seen as mocking the struggles that real minority groups face even today. Of course the bigger issue here is that the show offends everyone’s intelligence.
Instead of quoting the show I will quote two different friends who said at two different times, "I liked the show better when it was called It's About Time.
Story Salon Saturday opens on Friday afternoon (12am GMT) in a living room in Studio City, California. The producers of the show get together and share stories in an informal an intimate setting...
Please tell your own stories this Saturday and let us know if you do (storysalon@gmail.com).
Reaper is a new comedy about Sam (Bret Harrison) a slacker who discovers on his twenty-first birthday that his parents sold his soul to the Devil (Ray Wise). I don’t have an issue with God, angels or the Devil depicted in human form. I do get tired of heaven or hell being depicted as having the same problems we have on earth like computer glitches, understaffing or general mismanagement. Leave that for shows like The Office. I also want to note that this is the second show I've seen this fall where the main character is a twentysomething slacker (The first being Chuck). I don't know why having the hero be a twentysomething slacker bothers me but it does and I am sure I am not alone.
I watched the pilot. The best way to describe the show is Maynard G. Crebs from Dobie Gillis meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a hint of Ghost Busters. Sam works in a place comparable to Home Depot. On his twenty-first birthday he is approached by the Devil. It turns out that Sam's Parents sold Sam's soul before he was born. Now Satan wants Sam to work as his bounty hunter and capture escapees from hell. Hell is currently having a problem with over crowding. Satan didn't see it coming, and he blames himself. I can suspend my disbelief on many things but I don't understand why hell would have an over crowding problem. I would think that overcrowding would be one of the main reasons that hell is hell. Satan arms Sam with a vessel to capture the escapee, an arsonist responsible for spreading fires. The vessel can be anything, in the pilot it is a Dirt Devil. Once the job is done Sam has to deposit the vessel at the nearest portal to hell located anywhere there is hell on earth. For Sam, hell on earth is his local DMV. Assisting Sam in his mission is his best friend and coworker Sock (Tyler Labine) who makes Sam look like a contributing member of society.
In spite of my views on afterlife bureaucracy and the cliche that the DMV is hell in earth, this is a fun show. The show specifically targets the twentysomething demographic where Chuck targets a larger audience. Of the twentysomethings I spoke to, they love Reaper. It speaks to them. I have to admit some jealousy. When I was a young twentysomething the big three networks and later FOX did not target my age group. They were targeting Thirtysomethings. The belief at the time was that the 16 - 24 demographic was more interested in music than TV, except MTV (This is when MTV was still about music). Television executives like to take a good thing and then try to make it so it is appealing to a larger audience. I hope they don’t try to do that with this show. If the rest of the season’s shows are like the pilot the show might have some longevity, but I never judge a show by it's pilot.
I saw the next episode, Sam has to capture Arthur Ferrey who was sent to hell for illegally selling off electricity to other states. In hell Arthur got electrical shocks everyday. On earth he is charged with electricity. By the end of the episode Sam captures his demon and deposits him at the DMV. The plot has the risk of predictability. The best part about the show is the characters, especially the Devil. This Devil appreciates the simple things in life like steak & eggs. He is also a romantic at heart... or whatever Satin has instead of a heart. In the second episode he does a little matchmaking between Sam and his coworker Andi (Missy Peregrym). I think the show would be better if the escapees from hell were more developed. Perhaps viewers would be more likely to tune in if there were guest demons. The really popular guest demons could escape hell again during sweeps. Britney Spears should be available.
To quote the Devil, “Isn’t Nature magnificent? Beautiful, angry, soothing, merciless. It’s perfection, don’t you think? Gotta give… whatshisface credit”.
My first impression of Moonlight, a show about vampire that works as a private detective is that I've seen it before. Angel, Forever Knight and Nick Knight come to mind. The premise itself is like a vampire. It won't die and it keeps coming back.
I watched the pilot. We open with our vampire Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin) pretending to be interviewed on television. This vehicle is used to establish this show's vampire lore. They can't be killed by a stake though the heart but will die if their head gets cut off. Garlic tastes good on a pizza, but will not harm them. They can't turn into a bat. They can go out in the daytime and since we see his photo ID he can be photographed (Digitally). I think that this drastic reinventing of vampire lore is enough to turn off many viewers. Mick himself does not kill people, He has a vampire friend who works at the morgue and supplies him with blood from dead bodies. Mick's vampire confidante Josef Konstantin (Jason Dohring) works as a hedge fund trader. Josef likes fresh blood from a pretty girl’s arm. Mick uses his vampire senses (Like Spidey senses) to solve cases.
The show looks like it is attempting a noir detective drama style (Without the sax music). The case in the pilot involves the murder of a pretty girl. The puncture marks on her neck indicate a vampire. A web reporter Beth Turner (Sophia Myles) pursues the vampire angle and goes undercover in a vampire cult run by a college professor. Mick knows that this was not a real vampire killing and that the real killer is the college professor. All Mick has to do now is catch the killer and save Beth. We see through a series of flashbacks that Mick knew Beth when she was a little girl and his ex-wife (Shannyn Sossamon) wanted to turn the younger Beth into a vampire so they could be a family. So far I am not impressed but then again I might change my mind because I never judge a show by it's pilot.
In the next episode a convicted killer Lee Jay Spalding (Josh Wingate) has his conviction overturned and is released from prison. Spalding served 25 years for murdering his girlfriend and staging it to look like a suicide. Mick had helped the police prove that the suicide was staged. When Mick captured Spalding, Spalding learned that Mick was a vampire. Spalding then spends his sentence reading books on vampire lore as part of a plan to kill Mick when he gets out. Spalding's release is highly publicized with the publishing of a book written by Beth's friend Julia Stephens (Lisa Sheridan). The book chronologs Spalding's version of what happened thus casting Spalding as a good guy and Mick as a bad guy. To draw out Mick, Spalding kidnaps Julia. When Mick and Beth go to rescue Julia, Spalding shoots Mick in the back with silver buckshot. At the end of the episode, Beth learns that Mick is a vampire.
My thoughts about the show have not changed. The Vampire lore has been overly tweaked. In the second episode Mick is shot with silver buckshot, isn't silver harmful to werewolves not vampires? The look is too bright and hip to properly capture the style they are striving for (They really need the sax music). The show's creators need to study the style of the ill-fated NBC drama Raines. For a guy with detective skills and vampire abilities, Mick relies a lot on modern technology. There is a scene in the second episode where Mick sticks a GPS tracker on Julia's car. Most mortal private investigators prefer to trust their instincts to technology. Again, the premise has been done before only better.
To quote Josef Konstantin , "Vampire experts, beautiful. Now we got the food mouthing off about the farmer".
Before I watch the pilot of Bionic Woman I think that it’s only fair to disclose that I was a big fan of The Bionic Woman (Please note the subtle difference in the title). The Six Million Dollar Man spin off premiered when I was eleven years old. To me the fantasy world of bionic secret agents working for the OSI was magical. Of course when I was a kid it was a lot easier to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Realistically I can’t expect the same magic that I felt as a child, but I’m expecting to see something really cool. Cool enough that the show has earned a spot on the NBC network instead of its sister cable channel SciFi.
I watched the pilot. It looks really cool. These bionics are much more elaborate than what we have seen in the past. This Bionic Woman (Michelle Ryan) does not run in show motion. The new Jaime Sommers is a college dropout working as a bartender and is her teen-age sister's (Lucy Hale) guardian. Jamie and her college professor boyfriend Will Anthros (Mark Sheppard) get into a car accident. Jaime's injuries are severe. Fortunately Will is also a surgeon who specializes in cutting-edge, top-secret, bionic technology. Will replaces Jamie's legs, right arm, eye and ear with bionics that were designed for military applications. She is hardwired for highly specialized warfare. Now Jaime must adjust to her new life and use her new abilities to pay back the organization (The Berkut Group) that spent 50 million dollars to rebuild her (Talk about inflation). Most of the pilot was dedicated to explaining how Jaime becomes bionic but there other things at play that should set up future episodes. There is another bionic woman, Sarah Corvis (Katee Sackhoff), who went bad and was presumed dead. Now she is involved with some bad guys setting the stage for future adventures. Sarah was responsible for Jaime's accident and towards the end of the pilot she shoots Will. Sarah and Jaime have a knock down drag out fight. I look forward to the next episode because I never judge a show by it's pilot.
The next episode has Jamie depressed over Will's death... and making out with a guy in a public restroom. This is when I missed the old school sound effects and slow motion. When things are getting hot and heavy she accidentally cracks his rib. The make out session is interrupted by the Berkut Group's Jonas Bledsoe (Miguel Ferrer). Jonas appeals to Jaime's need to find her place in life by helping them save the world. Before Jaime can finish training she is on her first assignment to investigate a town whose population has been killed by a biological weapon. By the end of the mission Jaime learns that the world is scarier than she ever thought. The technology that was once science fiction is now a reality and her job will be to keep that technology out of the hands of the bad guys. While all this is happening we are also learning more about Sarah Corvis and how she turned bad. It may be the technology affecting her mind.
So far I am more interested in the characters than the plot. There is one element to the show that I will freely admit to having mixed feelings about and that is the blurry line between who the good guys and the bad guys are. I like that the heroes have baggage. I'm sure that there are viewers that want to see the good guys wearing white hats and the bad guys wearing black hats (Toy companies like straight out good guys and bad guys when it comes to marketing action figures). Since the Berkut Group is an independent contractor in competition with the military, the show will present the government and the military in a negative light. This also means that the Berkut Group's actions are not motivated by patriotism but by the bottom line. Conservatives may translate this as, "Those Hollywood liberals hate America and don't support the troops".
To quote Jaime, “This saving the world thing. I'd like to give that a try”.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love time travel stories. A couple of years ago I even attempted to write a pilot about a man who could travel through time. So when I heard about the new NBC drama Journeyman, a show about a man who has the ability to go back in time, I was there. This is one of the few shows this fall that I can say that I am actually looking forward to. This also means that I will either really love the show or be it's harshest critic. The problem I see with many time travel TV shows and movies is that the audience tends to over think everything from physics to philosophy, and cause & effect to paradox. Sometimes the audience just has to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story. That being said, the creators of the show have to establish certain rules of time travel then follow those rules. Look at Time Cop (Movie or TV show). The audience came in accepting the idea of time travel but couldn't get beyond the fact that a time vehicle was launched like a pinball down a long track, but the charters arrived in the other time period without the vehicle. Where did it go? Time travel stories also work best when they don't deal with real historical events. The audience will then have an idea of how things will end (You knew Russell Johnson was not going to save Lincoln in that The Twilight Zone episode). As you can see I am already over thinking the show and I haven’t even watched it yet.
There are a lot of unanswered questions here. The audience wants to know how and why Dan time travels. Apparently Dan is being sent back in time to help people, but who is sending him? Livia also appears to be a time traveler and escaped the plane before it crashed. I think that the audience will want to know the time travel logistics early on so they can follow the story. Otherwise they will question things when they should be following the plot. I believe the intent here is to have a show that will appeal to a large audience and not just science fiction fans. In today’s world of instant gratification, the audience won't keep tuning in unless all is revealed. I will at least tune in next week, because I never judge a show by its pilot.
I saw the next episode and liked it a lot. Dan and his wife Katie (Gretchen Egolf) are on a plane flying to a Seattle bed and breakfast with the intention to make a baby. When Dan is in the lavatory he gets transported to another plane in 1970s. The 1970s flight was captured beautifully with a smoking section, sexy stewardess and KC and the Sunshine Band playing in the background. Dan delivers a baby girl on the flight. Dan follows the lives of the mother and daughter through time and the story takes twists and turns keeping it from getting predictable. Not to many questions are answered except that Livia is involved with Dan's time traveling. Ultimately it is the human drama is what drives this episode. The teaser for next week’s episode involves the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. I am very curious to see how they deal with an actual historical event.
The historical event in the third episode took a back seat to the human drama playing in Dan's present. Although Dan made good faith attempts to anonymously warn different agencies in 1989 that an earthquake was immanent, he was dismissed as a nut. Dan also tried in vain to save his boss' sister who died in the quake. His mission was to save an attorney with a gambling problem. Back in his own time, Katie was helping Dan out by inventing alibis for Dan absence and doing his reporting job for him. At the end of the episode Katie discovers that Dan has been seeing Livia in the past.
The show has an appeal beyond the science fiction crowd. The only thing about the show that is predictable is that is unpredictable. Other new shows should take a lesson from Journeyman. Start with a good story and build on that.
To quote newspaper reporter Dan Vasser to his boss, "It's the age of the blog, Hugh. You get the story first and get it right second".
I have a couple thoughts about the new CBS drama Cane. First of all I am exited to see a show with an all Latino cast on network television (George Lopez couldn't hold down the fort forever). Secondly, I would watch anything with Hector Elizondo and Rita Moreno. From what I read about the show, looks like it's greatly inspired by nighttime soaps like Dallas but instead of Texas oil its Cuban rum.
I watched the pilot and it does remind me a little bit of Dallas with a hint of The Godfather. The show features the internal and external struggles that play out when running a family and a family business. There is infighting within the Duque family when patriarch Pancho (Hector Elizondo) learns that he has six months to live and divides the family business amongst his children Frank Duque (Nestor Carbonell), Henry Duque (Eddie Matos), Isabel Vega (Paola Turbay ) and Alex Vega (Jimmy Smits). Pancho gave thirty percent of the business to each of his natural born children and ten percent to his adopted son Alex. Since Alex is married to Isabel he now holds control of the company. Frank resents what his father did but Pancho felt that Frank has been distracted lately by girls and boats. The Duque family's sugar business has had a long business rivalry with the Samuels family's sugar business. The Samuels want the Duque's sugar cane fields. Frank's wanting the family to sell off the sugar end of the business and concentrate solely on rum is greatly influenced by an affair he is having with Ellis Samuels (Polly Walker). The show should have a broad appeal. It has many of the classic elements of good story telling, man vs. man, brother vs. brother, father vs. son, all set in front of a Latin background. I am optimistic that the show won't resort to some of the stereotypical soap opera conventions like evil twins, people returning from the dead and whole seasons being dismissed as a dream.
The next episode continues with more murder, betrayal and sex. In other words business as usual. Unlike J.R. Ewing, Alex Vega does not mind getting his hands dirty. When a disgruntled blackmailing employee sent Alex a scorpion that bit his wife, Alex beat him up himself. I hope that the audience gives the show a chance and does not just dismiss it as just another nighttime soap. The show could be enjoyed more if while watching you have a good cigar in one hand and a glass of fine (Puerto Rican) rum in the other.
My first impression of The Big Bang Theory is that I have seen this before. Hot Girl befriends Geeks. They can be Movie Geeks, Comic Book Geeks, Sci-Fi Geeks, Techno Geeks or TV Geeks. All of this has been done before. The bottom line here is that really rich geeks get the really hot girls and the rest of the geeks meet girls with really nice personalities. We have a very talented cast, (Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco) but I don't see any new ideas here.
I watched the pilot. The dialogue was very funny, but I think the Geek Banter may go over most American’s heads (Imagine if Frasier and Niles were physicists). The plot was pedestrian. This time we have one geek roommate, Leonard (Galecki), falling for the hot chick neighbor that is out of his league, Penny (Cuoco), while his geek roommate, Sheldon (Parsons), prepares him for the inevitable fall. These geeks look like they should be living in paid housing on the MIT campus, not sharing an apartment in Los Angeles. The Hot Chick has no inhibitions in front of strangers when she borrows the geek's shower. (Save something for the dream/fantasy sequence that you're going to show during sweeps). The Hot Chick’s Ex-boyfriend bullies geeks. Sweet characters and cleaver dialogue do not a sitcom make, but I never judge a show by it’s pilot.
In the next episode the Geeks receive an IKEA type home entertainment system for Penny while she is out. When they bring the large box into her apartment Sheldon can’t deal with the fact that her apartment is an unorganized mess. That evening Sheldon can’t sleep and goes into Penny’s apartment and proceeds to clean and organize it while Penny is sleeping in the next room. When Penny awakes she is livid at the geeks. By the end of the episode, all is forgiven. There really is no plot and the premise is weak. Again, sweet characters and cleaver dialogue do not a sitcom make
Penny: So, what do you guy’s do for fun around here? Sheldon: Well today we tried masturbating for money.
THE RUBY SUNRISE begins when a 1920s tomboy feverishly works to develop her latest invention - a little something called "television". Twenty-five years later, her daughter will stop at nothing to bring her mother's incredible story to life during TV's Golden Age. But will it get the truth it deserves? The production includes an exclusive discussion of the invention and early days of television with Karen Herman, Director of the Archive of American Television at the American Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and writer-producer Phil Savenick, an expert on early television. The interview features extracts from the 10-year ongoing oral history of television being produced by the Television Academy Foundation, including Elma Farnsworth talking about her husband Philo, the inventor of television and the inspiration for "The Ruby Sunrise". Starring Henry Winkler, Jason Ritter, Asher Book, Kate McGregor-Stewart, Elizabeth Moss, and Kate Steele Written by Rinne Groff
As a kid The Fonz was cool. I had the T- Shirt, The leather jacket and a mug. When I was old enough I would go to Paramount studios after school and watch dress rehearsals of Happy Days. Now cool is when my childhood hero is signing his CD on one side of a plastic curtain and I'm signing our book on the other.
Thank you Mr. Winkler for everything then and now.
My first impression of the new NBC action comedy Chuck is that the premise, of a computer geek who accidentally becomes the government's most vital secret agent, will burn out very fast. I also don’t buyZachary Levi as a geek. Look at theseZachary Levi Photos on IMDB. This guy looks like someone who beats up geeks. I think the part should have gone to a young Andy Dick type.
I watched the pilot. The episode opens on the night of Chuck’s birthday party. Chuck’s sister has invited lots of women for Chuck to meet but I don’t see this guy needing his sister’s help getting laid. I also don’t see this guy working as a member of Buy More’s Nerd Herd (a spoof of Best Buy’s Geek Squad). Chuck receives an E-mail from his former college roommate. When he opens the E-mail, he unwittingly downloads sensitive government data in the form of pictures into his brain in essence turning Chuck into a computer. Events begin to trigger the data in Chuck’s brain. Now agents from the CIA and NSA want that government data back. It turns out that Chuck’s old college roommate was a CIA Agent that went rogue. With the data locked in his head Chuck must now use that knowledge along with his computer nerd skills to help the government stop the bad guys. NSA agent John Casey (Adam Baldwin) is now working undercover as a Buy More trainee and CIA agent Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strzechowski) is working undercover as Chuck's girlfriend. I really like the action sequences. I also like Yvonne Strzechowski for many reasons especially the scene when she gets ready for her date with Chuck then kicking butt on her date with Chuck. Even though there are elements that I like, I still feel that my first impressions are correct. The premise, of a computer geek who accidentally becomes the government's most vital secret agent, will burn out real fast. Zachary Levi is a very talented actor. I liked him on Less Than Perfect, but I don’t see him as a good fit for this show. Then again I might change my mind because I never judge a show by it's pilot.
The second episode opens with an extensive recapping of the pilot. Sarah is now working undercover serving hot dogs next door to the Buy More. The agents bring in the doctor who designed the program trapped in Chuck's brain. The doctor says that he can remove the program from Chuck's head but when the doctor leaves his car blows up. "The old exploding cell phone". The agents accuse each other for the murder. The data in Chuck's brain tells him that the exploding phone is an NSA weapon. There is a great fight sequence set in between the two agents at the hot dog place. It turns out that the Doctor faked his death in order to kidnap Chuck and sell him to Korean interests. While flying off in a helicopter Chuck accidentally shoot the pilot with a tranquilizing dart. The big finale involves Sarah having to talk Chuck through landing the chopper by having him recall flight simulator games.
I still stand by my first impression that the premise will burn out real fast and Zachary Levi is not a good fit for this show.
My first impression of Back to You is that this show should be good because you have a winning team in front of the camera (Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton) and behind the camera (James Burrows). I also have two questions or concerns about the show since it takes place in a fictional TV newsroom. First why are they doing a "behind the scenes" show? I have heard from many people who work in television on both the creative and business ends (Don’t ask me to name names) and all say, “The Networks do not want "behind the scenes" shows”. I would think especially in light of the lack of an audience for last season's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip everyone would stay away from "behind the scenes" shows. I am also curious if the fictional news program in the show will be covering topical stories like they did on Murphy Brown or will they be detached from current events like they were on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
I watched the pilot. I have to say that I've already seen this. I was hoping for something more comparable to Murphy Brown or The Mary Tyler Moore Show but instead this reminded me more of Good Morning, Miami, especially the Latina character Montana Diaz Herrera (Ayda Field). Celebrated news anchor Chuck Darling (Kelsey Grammer) returns home to the Pittsburgh TV station where he began he career. The back-story was nicely done with news clips including one on YouTube where Chuck Darling looses his cool. Darling is reunited with co-anchor Kelly Carr (Patricia Heaton), but emotional wounds run deep. Not only did they sleep together on Darling's last night in town, unbeknownst to Darling, they had a child together. The rest of the show is a collection of sophomoric one-liners and sexual innuendoes (It's on FOX, Duh!). There is a touching moment at the end of the episode when Darling meets his daughter for the first time but I expect better considering the talent pool in front of and behind the camera. I understand that some pilots have to spend a great deal of time on the premise and the story suffers because of it. I don't think that this is the case here, but I never judge a show by it's pilot.
I saw the next episode titled Fish Story. Chuck Darling receives a goldfish as a gift from station management. The gift symbolizes Darling being a big fish in a small pond. Darling over feeds the fish and it dies. Darling does not want Kelly to see that he killed a fish when he is trying to prove to her that he is ready to be a father. All through the episode replacement after replacement fish comically dies. Some of the jokes are laugh out funny and others are painfully predictable. Again the episode ends with a tender moment featuring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. Sophomoric one-liners and sexual innuendoes with a touching moment at the end does not a sitcom make. The sitcom bar has been raised in the last few years with shows like My Name Is Earl and The Office. Considering the talent pool associated with this show I am surprised to see the bar lowered.
To quote Ray Romano’s censored monologue at the Emmy’s, “Frasier is screwing my wife”.
PS: That line is tamer that many of the jokes on the show.
My first impression of K-Ville, a cop show set in New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina, is that I applaud the effort. I have very high expectations for the show. I don’t want to see just another crime drama. I’m expecting to see something new and different. The creators of the show have an opportunity and perhaps even a responsibility to use their craft to show us the real world of the NOPD officers.
I watched the show. Visually, it is stunning as it is shot on location in New Orleans Louisiana. The episode begins with a flash back set two years earlier during the storm. Officer Marlin Boulet’s (Anthony Anderson) partner Charlie Pratt (Derek Webster) deserts him. Two years later Boulet has become fatigued from over work and is obsessed trying to return his city to his former glory. This causes Boulet to play by his own rules on and off the clock. Boulet now has a new partner Trevor Cobb (Cole Hauser), a soldier who served in Afghanistan and has a different idea on how to approach the job. With all his problems at work, things are just as bad at home. Boulet’s wife has had enough and plans to take their daughter and move to Atlanta. Officer Boulet’s civic pride may come off a little too self-righteous, but he truly cares about his city and will not tolerate others around him are leaving, stealing or profiting from the storm. Boulet’s old partner wants redemption for his actions during the storm. Boulet’s new partner also wants redemption for his actions during the storm. At the time of the storm it turns out that Cobb was in a New Orleans jail and managed to escape during the flood. Only Boulet knows his secret. I think the show has real potential and now that we know the premise I look forward to the next episode because I never judge a show by it's pilot.
The next episode opens with Cobb having a prison flash back. It then occurred to me that maybe the whole Cobb being an ex-con premise might be too much. Perhaps it would work better if Cobb were just an outsider who did not have the invested interest in the city that Boulet has and be more of a calming presence and the voice of reason. I think one lead character with excess baggage is enough. Besides the NBC crime drama Life already has a cop who spent time behind bars. But I digress. The episode involves a prison break and Cobb's special prisoner insight helps our heroes catch two of the bad guys but one gets away. If things weren’t complicated enough a jurisdiction dispute between the NOPD and a corrupt prison warden inhibits the police' investigation to find the third man. You knew political corruption would come in to play sooner or later.
I like the show and look forward to the next episode. I think that it is great that eighty percent of the show’s crew is from the local talent pool. I am curious what the people of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department thinks of the show.
To quote Marlin Boulet to Charlie Pratt, “Our rep's in the sewer, the pay sucks, crime is off the chart. But you finish your tour in the Middle East war zone and pop down here to be a cop. What's wrong with Cincinnati?”
On November 13th, this blog and the blogs listed below will be on strike for the day in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America. As fellow writers and as TV fans, we are coming together to express our strong support for the writers and their goals. We believe that when a writer's work makes money for a company, that writer deserves to be paid.
