Tag Archives: Television
It’s A Trap!
I recently discovered a television show that is almost finished with its second season. How I went almost two full seasons without watching The Big Bang Theory is beyond me but I’m so glad that a friend recommended it to me because it’s one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the show’s premise, it’s about two male Caltech prodigies in their twenties, one an experimental physicist (Leonard) and the other a theoretical physicist (Sheldon), who live across the hall from a blonde waitress with show-biz aspirations (Penny). Like a typical sitcom, they engage in zany antics but with a geeky twist. It’s the geeky twists that I can appreciate and usually find myself laughing out loud at.
The show has been renewed for two more seasons so I’d highly recommend getting caught up and joining in on the fun every Monday night. Here is a small sample to get you started.
The British Are Funny
I think that there is some sort of code that states that if you are a geek then you must find the British funny. Whether it is Mr. Bean or Monty Python, you need to laugh when people from across the pond do something. If you disagree with me, then your geek card may be revoked by whomever it is that issues them.
My job allows for me to see all sorts of technology before other people. It also allows for me to watch television shows and movies on one monitor while I do work on another. This is very convenient because I am able to stay current on a lot of the shows that I enjoy watching. I also get to watch a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t otherwise have the time to. No, I don’t just watch TV all day. I do get to see an episode here or there though.
One of the shows that I was introduced to by my coworkers is a British comedy called The IT Crowd. This is a true comedic gem. It’s about two guys and their female, know-nothing-about-IT boss who work in an IT department. They are typical basement dwellers who only come out to fix the things that technically challenged people shouldn’t be using anyway. They just finished up the third season in the UK and there have been talks of bringing it to the US a la The Office.
Of all of the characters, Moss has to be my favorite. He is the most awkward computer nerd you have ever met. The beautiful thing about his character is that we all know somebody like him. Heck, we might even be him.
If you have never seen this show, you need to. It’s not available on DVD in the US yet but, being the geek that you are, I’m sure that you can find a way to procure it in a sutiable format for your viewing pleasure.
Peg Meet Hole
For those who follow my misadventures over on my personal blog, you may be familiar with the fact that I recently finished construction on my basement. While it’s nice having a third bathroom, fourth bedroom, and laundry room, the best part about it is the family room. I wired the room to accommodate a 7.1 home theater. I even built a shelf over my fireplace that will be home to a 52″ LCD television. The whole setup is very sweet and I take great pride in knowing that it was my hands that built it all.
Despite construction having been mostly completed for weeks, it has only been within the past few days that I’ve had the time to begin moving my electronics into place. Unfortunately, I haven’t upgraded my components yet so I’m using a 12-year-old Pioneer four-channel receiver with a seven-year-old 27″ television.
In addition to the speaker and sub-woofer lines, I also ran coax for cable television and HDMI and component cables for the new HD television and receiver that I’m hoping will be mine next spring. We’re all familiar with the old adage concerning fitting a square peg into a round hole; that’s basically what I’m trying to do here. The problem is that my receiver doesn’t have television RCA inputs, coax inputs, or even auxiliary RCA inputs so running my television through the speakers poses a problem. It does have a video out connection though so it’s not totally obsolete.
I also have a problem with getting video from my DVD player to the television. Fortunately, my receiver does have connections for a DVD/Laser Disc (yeah, it’s that old) so I can connect the DVD player to the receiver; however, because of how the room is set up, I can’t run cables directly from my various devices to the television so the receiver and accompanying wall ports are all that I have to work with.
With my current setup I can listen to a DVD, but what good is it if there’s no video? I got to thinking about component cables, and since they’re basically just standard RCA cables on steroids (how’s that for a basic comparison?), I decided to try hooking the television up to the receiver using these via my wall ports. It worked beautifully. I can now see and hear a DVD but the problem of having sound piping through the speakers when just watching TV still posed a problem. To fix this, I finally decided to unhook the VCR from the back of the receiver and use those ports for the TV which worked well.
It’s been almost a week since I started hooking up wires and praying to the gods of outdated electronics but things are finally working. Granted, I still have two speakers and a sub-woofer that can’t be hooked up to the receiver but at least what can be working actually is.
You may be wondering why I’m sharing this little story. I mostly just wanted to post something but there is a moral. If you plan on building anything that could be considered “cutting edge” or “state of the art”, make sure that all of your parts are up to date. Jury-rigging old stuff will only get you so far but, if you’re good, it can get you pretty close to where you want to be. Unless you’re playing with rockets in Blood Gulch though, close may not be good enough.
What new zany bunch of pirates will find me THIS week?
The very first book I ever read on my own was Robinson Crusoe. I was seven years old, and had been reading for some time, but never with any interest. Between my short attention span and over active imagination, most story books were just too boring for me to want to read them all the way through.
Crusoe changed that however; I was bringing the book with me to the dinner table so I could keep reading, I would sit on the couch with the TV on and not look once at it all night, I would beg my mom to let me stay up just a little bit longer till I reached the end of the chapter. She must have been so happy (my mom is an avid reader herself, and I can only imagine how she must have worried that she had a 2nd grader who wouldn’t read).
Since I started reading that book, the story of Robinson Crusoe has always held a special place in my heart. For whatever reason, it wasn’t the same as Ghostbusters, or Back to the Future, or Knight Rider. Those were exciting, and I wanted to be them. With Robinson Crusoe, however, I was content with just “hearing” the story in my mind.
So, let’s get to how excited I was when the new series “Crusoe” was announced. I was very happy. VERY happy. So happy that I told my DVR to record every episode, and then stored them up for me to watch all at once. Too bad I can’t just learn that broadcast television is only out to ruin my childhood memories.
The series starts off with him waking up on the beach in the midst of a debris field left from his ship. The ghost of convenience has washed everything from the ship onto an area of the beach that is no bigger than my house (bodies and all), and the ship itself is only about 200 feet away in shallow water.
Suddenly he’s on a cliff, looking through a telescope at a landing party on his beach. He activates a whole slew of McGyver-esque gadgets to light signal fires and fly down to the beach at record speed. We also see his awesome treetop penthouse.
So, somehow, we’ve managed to skip from the very beginning of the book, to somewhere towards the end. Crusoe has a lot of flashbacks, which I guess would work well as a storytelling device, except they are only convenient for the current storyline and absolutely worthless for telling what happened up to this point.
Crusoe’s dialogue is now a cross between MacGyver and MythBusters with him constantly explaining scientific principles to Friday, and Friday’s dialogue is fast and witty with him constantly explaining that he doesn’t care to Crusoe.
Add to that the fact that in three separate episodes, the island is “stumbled upon” three separate times! I fail to see how this could be a “lost, deserted island” with people constantly landing and looking around!
I’ve cancelled the recording schedule for Crusoe now, as I can’t bring myself to watch “Knight Rider on an island, and no electricity” and longer. It baffles me how a network could drop so much money and time on what has to be a complicated series (in terms of location, sets, costumes, and filming) and then cheap out on writing, producing, and editing.
Are ANY of the new series this season worth it?
Reaction to David Tennant leaving Doctor Who
Doctor Who makes an announcement.
Rumors have been flying fast and furious. David Tennant, our current resident Time Lord, took some time away from the show to work with the Royal Shakespear Company (with Patrick Stewart). Usually when something like this happens on a BBC production, the actors are moving on. Yes after much deliberation, David announced that he would be leaving the TARDIS when the scheduled Doctor Who specials have been completed.
This sucks. But it is official as you can see here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7698539.stm
With the article was an interview with David about his decision to leave. As I was watching it David mentioned how excited he was to see how they would do the regeneration scene. The BBC literally gets to kill the main character of a hit show and have the show continue. The regeneration scene was originally conceived when William Hartnel (the first Doctor) decided to leave the show. The script writer, Gerry Davis, proposed that the alien doctor could have the ability to die and return with a new body. This would allow them to continue the show with a younger actor in the lead role. Recasting kept the show fresh and allowed it to continue for 40 years.
I think this is a perfect example of how Science Fiction can help enhance a storytelling opportunity.
After watching the interview on the BBC site, I started thinking about the various regenerations we’ve seen over the years. Through the power of the internet, we can re-live them now.
How will the 10th Doctor be forced to regenerate? Even David Tennent dosen’t know. I can’t wait to find out.
The Visitors are our friends…again
As a fan of a lot of Sci-Fi shows, I end up joining various fan clubs. Of course I run the USS Ticonderoga fan club for Star Trek. I’ve been involved in various clubs for Star Wars, Doctor Who, Firefly and others. One of these is the Visitors Fifth Column, a fan club of the various V mini-series and television series. Today the leader of the local chapter directed me towards a Variety report announcing that ABC would be producing a re-image of the V story. Warner Brothers TV will be producing the show.
Did you miss me?
Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of the USA series The 4400, will be writing the new adaptation. Peters has also written for The Outer Limits and Highlander. He has also directed for The 4400 and Jericho.
The new V will be modernized (hopefully giving us the same amount of fear the first series had) with Homeland Security and other multiple story lines. We won’t be seeing as much of the Nazi concept but we will see the results of people having blind faith in their leaders. We’ve been promised an invasion at the start with the Visitors promising to help Earth. This is Scott Peters second attempt to sell this to ABC (the first pitch built up enough interest to warrant a re-write).
I remember the awe I had watching this series back in 1983. Massive saucers gliding across the sky moving like chess pieces over each city. Sounds like it would make a good Will Smith movie huh? (wink) Unlike the old War of the Worlds classic, the aliens didn’t just blast us the moment they arrived. They had their arms opened in friendship and talked about sharing technology in exchange for our help. Slowly they took control of various aspects of our society while discrediting the scientists who could expose them. There were references to other Sci-Fi shows and it introduced me to a lot of talented actors. I also remember my Father scoring tickets to a Utah Jazz playoff game (at the start of their 19 year playoff appearance run) and the dilemma I felt when I found out it was on the same night as the final episode of the V mini-series. We learned how to set the VCR timer for the first time and prayed it would record.
I’ve always wondered what V would be like in modern times where communication over the internet is instant. IRC communications is one of the tools that helped the Soviet citizens resit the hardliners trying to take control in the August 1991 coup d’etat.
What kind of crack are you smoking?
I’m fairly convinced that 90% of the people who work in advertising are high as a kite while at the work place. Either that, or it’s actually a very small minority that is high, and they just happen to be the ones making most the ads we see. Maybe they’re cheaper, I don’t know.
I know I’m not the only one who’s thought that, I’m sure. I’m sure not the first person to bring up how dumb some ads and logos and such are. A great example would be a couple strips from Real Life Comics by Greg Dean
It so happens that certain Native American tribes are allowed the use of peyote for religious ceremonies since they’ve already been doing so for thousands of years. I honestly wonder if there are other laws that protect people in certain occupations in a similar manner. Something along the lines of “All bonafide advertising agencies may enjoy the use of crack cocaine for inspirational purposes.”
Want an example?
It’s like they thought “Hey, this was a really great idea while I was out of my gourd. Maybe we can recreate the experience for the viewer!”
I’d like to see a list from everyone on the WEIRDEST commercials you’ve seen. The ones that make no sense at all, that leave you wondering if you should feel a little insecure or offended about what you just saw.
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Shows that didn’t get a chance
Anyone who has watched the FOX network in the last few years has been burned numerous times by their cancellation policy. FOX seems to work on the idea of “If we make it, we must cancel”. Last year they spent about six months advertising a new show starring Nathan Fillion called Drive. Six months of ads lead to three aired episodes. I”m sure there are many blogs out there who still can’t get over the cancellation of Firefly, and many other. FOX is famous for launching a dozen new shows, and canceling all of them by seasons end. In the last few years I think the only shows that have made it are House, and 24. As I sit here I’m watching a show that met a similar fate, so I thought I’d talk about a few that I liked that never made it.
Batman III Casting Rumors
It would seem to me as though everybody is reading a lot into a single comment made by Lucius Fox in The Dark Knight. When asked if the new batsuit will stop dogs, he replies that it will stop cats. That is apparently a huge indicator to the geek populace that Catwoman will be the next villian to encounter the Batman. I think that it was a comment made in passing but I could be wrong. Man, do I hope that I’m wrong. I love the stress that Selena Kyle brings to Batman’s life.
We all know that a movie that has made as much money as The Dark Knight will have a sequel; in this day and age, it’s a foregone conclusion. There’s no script, title, or villian, but that’s not stopping a certain well known actress and soon to be founder of the New U.N. from lobbying for the part of Catwoman.
Remember Julie Newmar? She was one of the actresses who played Catwoman in the Batman television series. Apparently she’s talking about how Angelina Jolie is jonesing to play the part of Catwoman in the next Batman.
Ms Newmar, 74, said: “Angelina would own the part. My industry friends tell me she has already made enquiries about the role. I can understand how it would pique her interest. Catwoman is Batman’s one true love.”
She added: “She’s tremendously popular with women because she’s both a heroine and a villainess.”
Personally, I don’t know any women who like Angelina Jolie. My wife despises her so if she’s in the next Batman movie, I’m going to have to come up with some Grade-A trickery to get her to go see it with me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that there are some women out there that love her but I don’t know any. Come to think of it, I don’t know many women…
I don’t think that Angelina Jolie is a bad actress, she’s very talented in my opinion, I just don’t like her in the role. I would much rather see Kate Beckinsale play the part. She proved that she can pull off the leather/PVC thing in Underworld (not that Jolie can’t) and she’s actually a good actress. Plus, she’s not so big of a star that she’ll overshadow the production thus giving nerds a false sense of security that being a geek is cool. (If you doubt, just check out this article.)
I’ll go see the movie regardless of who is in it. I’m a fan so I really don’t care. I just want a good movie but if Catwoman is the villian, I hope that they don’t use the costume that’s been showing up in the comics over the past few years. The early 90′s version is much better.
While I’m making casting suggestions, if the much-rumored Wonder Woman movie ever decides to get made, might I suggest Kate Beckinsale for that role as well?
I need to be a casting director…
This Looks Cool
I’m a fan of the X-Men. Granted, due to the small percentage of my income that is allotted for comic books, I don’t get to read the various X titles as much as I would like. But that doesn’t change the fact that the X-Men have some very cool characters as members.
Well, it looks like the Marvel entertainment juggernaut is at it again, this time hitting television. Right now, it appears as though Wolverine and the X-Men will begin airing on Nicktoons sometime during the spring of 2009.
