Emmy’s Changing Face

 

As you might imagine from someone who has a weekly blog spot called Tube Day Tuesday, the Emmy Awards program is pretty much standard viewing around here.  But as I grow older, I find that I do not enjoy the show nearly as much as I did in the past.  I think maybe I’m just not keeping up with the changing ways of television.

Year after year, I find that network television is being pushed more and more to the side while the latest and greatest from cable takes home all the awards.  Heck, these days, most network shows don’t even get nominated.  It’s sort of sad to me. 

Not that cable shows aren’t great. (Though, honestly, most of the big winners this year I haven’t even seen.)  But, I do think there’s a certain conceit to the choices, where people think it’s just not trendy enough these days to admit they enjoy network television.

But, for this year, it’s all in the history books now, so I guess that sometime between now and next year I’ll either have to start watching the edgy fan favorites on cable, or resign myself to growing more and more distant from the awards I grew up loving.

On a completely different note, I’m not ashamed to say I cried like a baby when Billy Crystal did his tribute to Robin Williams.  If I still can’t believe Williams is gone, I can’t even imagine how his closest friends are coping.  But Crystal held up well, and delivered a beautiful, thoughtful, real tribute to his friend. If you missed it, you really ought to watch it now.  But make sure you’ve got some tissues handy.

Happy Birthday to The Great Bird

 

 

It can’t be a surprise to anyone at this point that my love for television is a life-long affair.  Obviously, I can’t remember the very first program I ever watched as a child, or maybe even the first one I loved.  But I can remember the first one that really spoke to me and stayed with me long after the final credits rolled.

There was a time in my life before Star Trek, but not much time, and once the show took hold of my heart, it never let go.  And I have Gene Roddenberry to thank for that.

Like most people, Roddenberry had weaknesses, and parts of his life that shouldn’t be celebrated, but none of that can change the fact that he created a part of our culture that moved beyond mere entertainment and actually managed to change the world.

There are scientists practicing today because they were inspired by Star Trek.  Artists who followed their passion to write, direct, or design graphics because they hoped to work on something as lasting as Star Trek.  And there are everyday people—like me—who believe that the future that awaits us is a good one, because our world view has been formed in a very foundational way by Star Trek and the way it can be.

Today (well, as so often, I’m writing past the midnight hour, so technically yesterday), Gene Roddenberry would have been 93 years old.  In his early Trek days, he had picked up the nickname of “Great Bird of the Galaxy”.  According to the Trek mythology, the coming of the Great Bird was a wonderful event, signifying great prosperity and blessings for the planet he chose.  I’m pretty sure Roddenberry actually brought that kind of blessing to this planet, but I’m certain that, at the very least, he and his vision were blessings to me. 

Acting Out Optimism (In the Wake of Depression)

 

The passing of Robin Williams is weighing heavily on my heart.  I feel the need to write about what I’m feeling, but the truth is, I haven’t entirely sorted it out yet.  Strange, I know, to be so strongly impacted by the death of someone I’ve never met; maybe someday I’ll be able to sort that out, too.

In the meantime, because he is on my mind, and because he leaves behind a body of work that will entertain us for years to come, I’ll share a post from a couple of years ago:

“Comedy is acting out optimism.”~ Robin Williams

One of the few downsides of summertime is that most television programs are in their off-season with no new episodes airing.  For a TV-aholic like myself, that can be kind of a downer.  But because I am a die-hard TV-aholic, I’m certainly not opposed to watching re-runs, even if I’ve seen them many times before.

So it was that tonight I was scanning through the channels and found a couple of episodes of Mork & Mindy airing.  Brian wasn’t too thrilled with the choice, but watching that old goofiness is how we spent an hour of our evening.  When Mork & Mindy was in first run, you couldn’t keep me away, even in the final season or two when it became a pale imitation of what it had been originally.  And, sadly, the episodes tonight were some of their later shows. (Yet one more example of the pitfalls of putting the two main characters together romantically.) I watched anyway.

And besides being mildly amused by the show—and very amused by the 80s fashions—I was once again struck by my admiration for Robin Williams.  Truly, the man is a comic genius—a wonder to behold.  I know a lot of folks will say that he’s just a drugged-up comedian, and no doubt some of his hilarity was drug-induced along the way.  I’m glad he’s gotten himself free of those addictions, and still find him to be as talented as before.

So, I thought I’d share some moments from Mr. Williams with all of you, so that you may also be reminded of his talent, or maybe even witness some of it for the first time.  Pick one and see what you think.  Better yet, watch them all and see some of the many facets of his talent.  Enjoy.

(In the intervening years, it seems that many of the original links have been shut down due to copyright claims.  I hope that this was done long ago, and not studio executives now hoping to cash in on Mr. Williams’ untimely passing, but there are still representative samples available.)

 

              

   Some may not remember, but Mork’s original appearance was in an episode of Happy Days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Mork & Mindy—how it began

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The movie as a whole—and certainly this scene—is more drama than comedy.  But I think Patch Adams is some of Williams’ finest work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   I’ve been watching Disney movies all my life, and Aladdin is still my favorite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Inside the Actor’s Studio is often interesting to me, but with Robin Williams, it’s more performance than interview.

An Unexpected Goodbye

 

In honor of the man who made so many laugh, I wish I could say something witty. 

In recognition of the pain the man suffered, I wish I could say something healing.

In tribute to the man’s great talent, I wish I could say something profound.

But I can say none of that, for my heart aches.

 

Take Me Back to the Blue Skies

 

Is it weird that I have favorite television networks?  Now that I say that out loud (or, as out loud as you can get in writing), I think maybe it is.  But it doesn’t change the fact that I do, and always have.

When I was a youngster, I was all about ABC.  There was a short period that NBC was at the top of my list, and for quite a while now, CBS has held the top spot of the broadcast networks.  But for several years, the cable network that has had my heart is USA.  Their original programming has been pretty consistently entertaining for a long while, and they have a pretty decent selection of syndicated programs, too.  When I want to browse the cable channels, my starting point is always USA.  When I’m at the gym and want to put something on the television to help distract me from treadmill monotony, USA is there.  It’s a habit that’s been built from many years of always finding something decent to occupy my time.

But lately, I’ve begun to worry.  It’s bad enough that programming that I’ve depended on for years has been slowly coming to an end—Burn Notice and Psych are already gone, and my beloved White Collar will be winding down soon (or as soon as they give them a time slot for the final six episodes). And even some of the new-ish shows that I enjoyed got the ax: Necessary Roughness, Fairly Legal, Common Law.  But, hey, things happen.  You can’t love TV as much as I do without a heartbreak or two along the way.

But the real problem with all these shows leaving the air is some of the things that are coming on to replace them.  But I will stop right here and tell you—in the interest of total transparency—that I haven’t seen the programming I’m about to gripe about.  And you know what else?  In most cases, that’s never going to change.  Chrisley Knows Best?  Playing House?  Sirens?  Thank you, but no.  Not the kind of shows I care for, and not what I’ve come to expect from USA. 

Even Graceland, which is probably the newest  USA show that I do watch, is edgier than the others, darker.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just not really what I tune in to USA to see.  I want drama with a touch of humor; I want smart, fun characters; I want protagonists who are friends and who make me feel they could be my friends; I want the “blue skies” the network has promised us for so long; and I truly want characters to be welcome, even though it’s been a while since USA has used that particular catchphrase.

Oh, we’ve still got Royal Pains, Suits, and Covert Affairs, so that’s good, though neither Suits nor Covert Affairs seems to be as much fun this year as they’ve been in season’s past.  I’m a bit behind on my viewing, but that’s the impression I have from what I’ve seen.  And I suppose most of those shows I listed earlier that I don’t watch probably fit in with the “blue skies” theme, and they seem to offer quirky characters (I’m basing this on commercials), but they don’t seem as intelligent as the network I know and love.  So, I guess it boils down to smart fun, that’s how I see USA and it’s what I love about their shows.  And, it seems like that’s what we’re losing.   I miss it already.

Talent Show

 

You know how I can tell when I need a television break?  It’s when nothing holds my attention, even the shows that are really good and that I really enjoy.  And do you know how I can tell I’ve reached it today?  I’m watching America’s Got Talent.  Nothing specifically against that show in particular, I’m just not a fan of those types of shows in general.  But Brian’s been watching it this season, and I’ll admit there are a few acts I feel connected with that I’d really like to see advance, so when I found myself sort of dazed this evening, and unfocused on anything, turning on the show seemed the easiest thing to do.

But, though I’m not really a fan of the show, I will say that Howie Mandel is generally a pretty entertaining guy, and—amazingly—even Howard Stern makes a decent judge.  So, all in all, it can be a harmless way to pass a couple of hours when you don’t want to put a lot of effort into your television viewing, and I suppose that’s not the worst thing you can say about a program. 

Farewell, James Garner

 

 

 This past weekend, the acting community lost another great one. 

  James Garner played a variety of roles during his career—moving easily from television to film and back again as time rolled along—but this picture shows him in my favorite role, that of Jim Rockford.  That cheeky grin and his sardonic attitude entertained me for a long time.

  At some point during my childhood, spurred on by my enjoyment of the Rockford Files, I started watching Maverick reruns, and found yet another reason to enjoy Garner’s work. 

Like many people, I was drawn in by Garner’s easy charm.  He wasn’t your typical leading man, smooth and polished, but he definitely still had rugged good looks and that elusive “star quality”.  For myself, it probably didn’t hurt that I always thought he looked a lot like my daddy.  I mean, not “looked like” in the sense that people confused my dad for Garner or anything, just that they shared a similar stature and had that same sort of outdoorsy, man’s man type of a persona.

And, to top it all off, he’s from my home town.  Garner hailed from my very own Norman, OK, and like most people, I really enjoy seeing a hometown boy make good, even if that good got made long before I was alive.  It’s like sharing a little something with a stranger you’ll never meet, and it’s kind of cool.  A few years ago, the town put up a statue honoring Garner and his iconic Maverick character; since his passing, its turned into something of a shrine. 

 

It’s a nice tribute to the man, a way of showing that his hometown still loves him, that we’re grateful for what he gave us, and that his talent will be missed.

Say Hello to the World, Again

 

How about a quick stroll through Tube Day Tuesday this evening?  Really quick, though, because it’s been insinuated that I might have to give up my grown-up card if I speak too loudly about enjoying this particular program.

And what kind of a program might bring such shaming?  One of the latest offerings on the Disney Channel, Girl Meets World.  It’s only aired two episodes to date, and I can certainly admit that it skews pretty young, and there are some definite over-the-top characterizations.  But, its predecessor, Boy Meets World, started out pretty young, too.  And even though it aired during the 90s—otherwise known as the decade of my 30s—I really enjoyed watching it grow up.

Following the story of young Cory Matthews and his friends, it was definitely a “family” show—meaning that it was truly geared toward the younger members of the family—but it was funny, endearing, touching, and very often, real.  I liked Cory and his gang, and I liked seeing them grow up together, particularly Cory and his girlfriend, Topanga.  They had the sort of honest and committed relationship that many adults can’t manage, much less high school kids (or younger).

But Boy went off the air back in 2000, having seen the kids live and love, laugh and cry, and ultimately grow up, move from grade school all the way to college, get married, and move away to start their adult lives.  The show really did mature as it moved along, tackling some tougher subjects and letting the characters be real people, even as it stayed primarily a light-hearted comedy.  It seems I’m not the only one who misses it.

Now, more than ten years later, the new show picks up with Cory and Topanga still happily married and raising a family of their own.  The focus this time around is their daughter, Riley, and her best friend, Maya.  As in Boy, the Matthews child is the more grounded of the two, with the best friend around to pull Riley out of her comfort zone and into trouble.  But it’s all in good fun. 

As I mentioned, I think the first couple of episodes are not indicative of where I hope the show ends up.  It’s been a little uneven, and sometimes it feels forced—both the laughs and the emotions.  But I’m pretty sure if I went back and watched the first few episodes of Cory and Co., I’d find pretty much the same sort of thing, and look how well that turned out.

So, even if it is a Disney show that people poke fun of me for watching, and even if it does seem a little too cutesy and childish right now, I’m still going to keep watching.  Maybe it will grow up as well as its parent show, and maybe it won’t, but either way, I think there are worse things than to try to create a show that focuses on the importance of having family and friends around as you learn to navigate the world around you.  Regardless of age, we should all be so lucky. 

Jack’s Back

 

I’ve been working late pretty steadily since I got back from vacation, including yesterday, so I just now got around to watching the first hour of the premiere of 24: Live Another Day.  (And the second hour will have to wait a while longer, as I have got to hit the sack.)

I thought it was off to a bit of a slow start, but as with most series premieres—or even premieres of mini-series resurrecting old favorites—there are a lot of moving pieces to put into place, and a lot of characters to introduce. 

In this case, of course, many of the characters only had to be re-introduced, but we still have to figure out where they are now and how they fit in with the newbies.  And we got a good first look at all that, as Jack Bauer swooped in after four years to save the person who is probably his best friend in the entire world, Chloe O’Brian.  It didn’t look like an overly joyful reunion of the two, though, so it seems likely that Jack will not get a lot of props for putting himself in harm’s way to break her out of her predicament.  That’s nothing new for Jack, though; he seems destined to be a fugitive of one sort or another, just for trying to do what he believes is the right thing. 

The thing about “the right thing” for Jack Bauer, though, is that it very often comes down to simply the lesser of the evils, because he always finds himself in situations where there really isn’t a good solution.  And it doesn’t look like that’s going to change during this limited event series, either.  The political backdrop of this twenty-four hour installment (even though it’s only twelve hours of airtime this go ‘round) is the timely story of unmanned drones.  The president is in London trying to negotiate some sort of treaty, and the first hour ends with a drone malfunctioning and targeting the American military men it’s supposed to be helping to protect. 

But this is 24, so of course the “malfunction” is certainly some sort of terror act, and that will begin the real drama that’s going to require Jack to swing into action and really save the day.  All while he’s being hunted, no doubt, because he is currently wanted as a traitor.  Life’s not easy when you’re Jack Bauer, but he just keeps doing what he does, knowing things will work out until they don’t. 

And I, for one, really like watching him do what he does. 

Choices, Choices

 

I’m thinking today not so much about what’s on my TV as what my TV is on.  Currently, my service comes from DirecTV, and it has ever since I worked for one of their call centers way back 1997.  In this day and age, that is a long time to be with the same company, though I like to think I’m a pretty easy customer.  I just want decent service at a decent price

But now, I also want to be able to record more than two programs at one time.  The technology has existed for quite a while, even if DTV was a little slow on the uptake.  But even they have had it for almost two years now.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t been around long enough to really become cheap—or at least not as cheap as I am, apparently.  Last time I checked with customer service (which has admittedly been several months), DTV wanted $400 bucks for their fancy-dancy receiver that will allow recording of multiple programs at once.  They did finally say they’d offer a fifty buck discount, but it’s just really hard for me to justify shelling out even $350 for something that I don’t have any real need for.

So, it’s reached the point where I’m considering a change to my provider.  Dish Network has a fancy-dancy receiver, too, and they’ll throw it in for free for a new customer.  Not to mention I could save $30 some odd bucks a month over the next year on the same channel line-up I have now.   

So, to recap, I could spend $350 to get my fancy new receiver and stay a long-time customer, or I could save $360, get the new receiver, and start the next seventeen years as a customer with a new company.

It ought to be a no-brainer, but I’m still debating. 

New Show—Resurrection

 

The last time we talked television—though that’s been a couple of weeks now—I told you about a new show that I was going to give a chance.  Not that I have a whole lot of extra time, or DVR space, for a bunch of new shows, but I have another one that I’m checking out just to see how it flies.

This weekend saw the premiere of Resurrection, something I’ve been looking forward to for a couple of months or so now.  The basic premise is simple, and probably not much of a surprise, based on the title:  dead people return to life.  Cool?  Or creepy?  I’m guessing it’ll be a little bit of both before it’s all said and done.

The pilot was mostly well done, following the story of young Jacob returned to his home, thirty-two years after his death—though I’ll admit that an awful lot of people seemed to accept the idea that a long-dead child just strolled back into town.  Also, as a minor thing, where did this kid learn how to use a cell phone?  He died back in 1982, when mobile phones were still installed in cars or carried around in  suitcases.  But, hand him a smart phone, and he not only knows how to play Donkey Kong, but he can also exit the game, find a notepad app, and write his name on the screen.  Come back from the dead? Okay.  Navigate a mobile operating system intuitively?  Seems unlikely.

But, back to the main concept, people returning from the dead.  It’s a storyline that appeals, because no matter how much we understand it cannot be, we’ve all wished for just one more chance to visit with someone we’ve lost.  Naturally, the show begins with a child returnee, because that’s certainly going to be the story that tugs on the most heartstrings, but by the end of the hour, we’ve met the second to return, and he’s an adult.  But, based on the previews, it looks like those two are just the tip of the iceberg, and the sleepy little town might be in for something of a population explosion.

So, how do the dead come back? And why?  Well, that’s what we don’t know, of course.  Or, are they even back?  Maybe they’re pod people, or something, clever façades, designed to make a town believe the impossible.   Maybe that’s why Jacob was immediately able to adapt to technology.  Or why he didn’t have a heartbeat at first, but then seemed to recognize one was expected.  I don’t know; at this point, it could be literally anything, but I’ve read enough Stephen King to believe that such miracles don’t usually occur without some sort of negative consequence.  It’s just a matter of waiting to see what kind of horror might befall the people of Arcadia as they welcome back their lost loved ones. 

But, the waiting might be the downfall of the show.  Because while I’m more than willing to wait as mysteries twist and turn and mythologies develop, I expect that there will also still be compelling story lines each week, and that mysteries don’t continue to exist simply for the sake of mystery.  I absolutely don’t want to watch a show that delivers questions week after week, month after month, but never any answers.  I am not that patient; I will cut my losses and abandon a show that does that for too long. (And, no, I was never a Lost fan.)

Another concern:  it seems like yesterday I was drawn into FlashForward, which lasted about fifteen minutes before it left the air and never explained exactly what happened in those damnable two minutes.  And what really happened to The Nine inside that bank?  I absolutely don’t want to be writing a blog post years from now still unsure if Jacob (and the future returnees) are actual miracles, or aliens from some other dimension, but television doesn’t have a great track record for letting things develop before giving them the axe.

Still, I think that I am physiologically incapable of not watching this show, at least long enough to give it a fighting chance.  I mean, it is dead people returning, and they don’t even seem to be zombies.  You have to admit, that’s at least intriguing.  So I’ll be watching for at least a while, and hoping for the best.  If you’re equally intrigued, you can check it out on Sunday evenings.

New Show—Growing Up Fisher

 

Immediately after celebrating the end of the Olympics, I tuned in for the pilot of the new NBC show, Growing Up Fisher.  (Okay, to be perfectly honest, I started watching the premiere, but I fell asleep before it even really got going.  Thank goodness for DVRs.)

At any rate, as I have mentioned on more than one occasion, comedies aren’t really the high point of my television viewing, but I thought the previews looked entertaining.  Besides, I saw Daniel Hugh Kelly for a split second in one of the commercials, and I have to support the Hardcastle and McCormick alums.  Though, I fear I may have actually missed DHK’s grand moment.  Somehow, even though I set up the DVR for tonight’s second ep, it is not on my list of programs.  I’m hoping NBC has them online.

But, as you might have guessed since I’m hoping to track down the second episode, I enjoyed the first one.  Intellectually, I’m not convinced that a man could go through his entire life hiding the fact that he was blind, and I’m absolutely certain that a blind man couldn’t really parallel park a car, but I thought it was amusing just the same.

Even if the credulity is stretched a bit, though, I still enjoyed it, and I’m chalking that up mostly to some successful casting.  Primarily, the young boy in the main role really pulled it off.  I thought he did an excellent job at being simultaneously an innocent eleven year old and and a more worldly child who grew up wanting to help his dad as much as possible.  And not only that, but Eli Baker, the young man who portrays Henry Fisher, is just a cutie pie. 

Anyway, it’s a pretty typical family comedy, with long-married middle-aged folks deciding to divorce, and the way their kids cope with that.  The hook that makes this one different is that dad is not only a level-headed, friendly  and caring guy, but he’s also been blind since childhood.  Yet, Dad made it through not only childhood and puberty, but also found a wife, became an attorney, and raised a family, all while keeping the secret of his blindness.  Like I said, I’m not convinced that’s actually possible, but I think it makes a fun setup, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

Psych, Out

 

I spent the long weekend under my Snuggie, recuperating from my recent respiratory infection, and working my way through the seemingly endless backlog on the DVR.

It hasn’t been all that long ago—maybe a few weeks—that I finally watched the final three episodes of Leverage.  That show ended on Christmas day of 2012, so I wasn’t too far behind.

The stuff from this weekend wasn’t quite that old; I got caught up on all the Psych episodes that had piled up last season, and the first part of this current (and final) season.  That includes “Psych the Musical”, which, if you’ve followed the show at all, you knew had to happen eventually.  It was fairly amusing, but I was okay with the fact that not everybody felt the need to burst into song.  Besides a few peppy songs, the episode also brought (SPOILER) the death of a recurring guest criminal, and I was surprised to find myself a little saddened by that.  But I guess they’re beginning a wrap-up.

As I mentioned, it’s been announced that Psych will leave the air this year; there are only five episodes remaining, which will begin airing late this month.  I’ll admit that I’ve had ups and downs with Psych; there have been times I’ve found it immensely entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny, and times that I’ve found it shallow and seriously over-the-top.  On balance, though, I enjoy the show; it’s light-hearted, and fun-loving, and it makes me smile.  The world is kind of a crazy place these days, and I think there’s a place for things that can make you smile.  In a couple of months, I’ll have one less smile-maker, and I think I’m going to miss it.

 

Six Word Monotony

 

Could the Olympics be over already?

Super Dud

 

For me, the Super Bowl is never about the game.  Oh, sure, I usually have a preference of winners, but it doesn’t really matter to me. (And it’s a good thing, since this year, my preferred team took a beating.)  And, it’s not particularly a social event, like it is for some.  No, none of that; for me, it’s all about the commercials. 

But this year, the big game was pretty disappointing on all fronts.  The game itself was a boring blowout, but the ads were just about as bad.  They weren’t particularly funny, or dramatic, inspired or inspiring.  For the most part, they were just your everyday, run-of-the-mill commercials.  What fun is that?

But they weren’t all bad.  Here are a few of the ones I enjoyed.

I liked the Doritos time machine, though I’d already voted for it online, and part of the fun of the Super Bowl is being surprised by the newness of the ads.  (Though it was nice to have cast my vote for the winner.)

I liked the Volkswagen angel wings, though I thought it could’ve benefitted from just a bit more brevity.

I enjoyed the Coca Cola “America the Beautiful” spot, though I’m not surprised it stirred up some controversy.  You could tell when it was playing that it was the sort of thing that would fire up some folks.  Narrow-minded folks, IMO, but it was pretty clear it would create some talk.  More important, I usually love Coke commercials, but this one falls firmly in the “like” category.  It was nice enough, but didn’t give me that feel good feeling their ads so often do.

Budweiser, on the other hand, knows how to make people feel good.  Their welcome home ad definitely hit the right spot.

And, not surprisingly, Bud also had my absolute favorite commercial of the night—and it came so late.  Definitely a case of saving the best for last.  I always enjoy their Clydesdale ads, and this one was no exception.  The horse and the puppy bit was just adorable, and I hope it’ll get lots of air time.

So, those are the few Super Bowl ads that I enjoyed Sunday.  Sadly, there were far more that I’m hoping I don’t have to see making the rotation into my regular viewing.  And, I hope the ad agencies are already working on making next year better.

He Shall From Time to Time

 

As the State of the Union address was getting set to start this evening, Brian made the comment you can’t help but think in today’s world:  “If some bad guy wanted to make a real headline, all he’d have to do is take out that building; everything would be shut down.”

Yeah, it’s a pretty terrifying option, but I told him all about the designated survivor, the Cabinet member who gets chosen to sit out attendance at the big event so that there can be a continuing government in case the unthinkable should happen.  Brian’s standard question whenever I tell him some random bit of information is, “How do you know that?”, like I’m supposed to be able to remember where I learned every single thing I know.  In this case, though, I was able to tell him precisely where I picked up that particular tidbit; I learned it on The West Wing.

As you might imagine, Brian didn’t think too much of my reference, so I assured him that, even though I think television is a perfectly valid educational tool, I had actually verified the info rather than accepted it blindly.  And, just to further assure him, I quickly looked up this year’s lucky winner—Energy Secretary Eric Moniz.

But, the conversation—and the entire SoTU—really reminded me how much I miss West Wing.  It was truly spectacular television, and I think it depicted how a lot of people wish the White House could be. Not necessarily the actual policies, of course, just the passion and commitment of it all.  (Incidentally, my longing for a return of WW is not intended as any sort of affront to the actual POTUS; I actually thought the SoTU was as decent as such things can be—not particularly contentious, even optimistic—though I am always annoyed by the pomposity of it all.)

At any rate, if you never had an opportunity to enjoy The West Wing back in the day, I encourage you  to check it out now; it’s available on Netflix.  In fact, I think I might have to revisit it myself.  In the meantime, in honor of tonight’s topic, here’s a look at President Bartlett having a chat with his own designated survivor.  Like so many moments from the show, it’s a gem.

Super Ads

 

We’re less than two weeks away from the Super Bowl, can you believe that?  I have to admit that I’m really not that big a fan of the game itself—I mean, I’ve got nothing against football exactly, but mostly I watch because it’s on. 

And for the commercials, of course.  They’re the most fun, year after year.  And, guess what is supposedly coming this year? Commercials from the casts of Full House and Seinfeld!  Honestly, I’m not sure why this seems so exciting to me, but I can’t deny that it does.  Of course I watched both those shows when they were airing, but it’s not like I was a huge fan.  And I certainly don’t find myself wistfully remembering the days when they were broadcast.  But all that being said, I find myself looking forward to some ridiculous catch phrases or maybe funny faces or something. 

Oh, yeah, and maybe there’ll be some football, too.

 

Making Another Run

 

My husband and I spent last week on a Caribbean cruise in celebration of my recent paralegal degree completion.  It was nice to get away, and spend some uninterrupted time together, though everything didn’t really go as planned, primarily because it rained just about every single day.  Still, I’m well aware that a complaint regarding the weather on a cruise vacation falls squarely into the domain of First World Problems, and it’s not really what I want to chat about today, anyway. 

But, because of the uncooperative weather, we spent more time than anticipated sitting in our stateroom staring at a television screen.  You’d think this might not be much of a problem for such a self-professed TV junkie as myself, but even I have my limits.  And, besides, as you can imagine, live television broadcasts are a pretty rare commodity in the middle of the ocean, or even the gulf.  But you know what could be found on television every single day?  The Love Boat. 

   

Of course, we were sailing Princess Cruises, so The Love Boat is really just a glorified commercial, but I have to admit there was something a little surreal watching the old episodes while gazing out the balcony door to the rolling waves. 

And, as I was watching, I was thinking about a couple of things.  First, of course, was that I always liked the show.  Sure, it was cheesy and trite, but I’m pretty sure that was it’s primary charm.  There might be shows like that today, but any that exist are firmly locked into the half-hour sitcom format; nowadays you don’t find networks devoting an hour of airtime to cheesy, feel good programming.  No, hour long programming blocks are reserved for drama, and the grittier, the better.  That’s not exactly a complaint.  I’ve said many times that I’d take an average drama over a good comedy just about any day of the week, but that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize that our television seems to have lost some of its innocence, and its fun.

I was also thinking about how they say The Love Boat sort of launched the cruising industry into the success that it is today, and I was wondering if that’s really true.  I mean, it’s certainly what made me first think that I’d like to take a cruise someday, but I was a young teenager at the time; what did I know about world travel?  And many years went by in my adult life before I took my first cruise, but I don’t remember spending those years thinking, “I’d sure like to sail on a ship like the Pacific Princess.”  On the other hand, back in those days, I didn’t know anyone who’d taken a cruise; now I know lots of people who have.  There’s no doubt that cruising is a much larger industry than it was back in the days of Captain Stubing and the crew, but who knows if the show really played a part in its growth?

But, they say countless people have been found to pursue careers in various sciences because of Star Trek, forensics because of CSI.  If people can build their entire life around something on a television program, it doesn’t seem all that farfetched that some would plan a vacation because of it.  In fact, I’m pretty sure the Travel Channel counts on it.

But, whether The Love Boat actually launched a thousand ships (or even a hundred), it was still a fun and relaxing way to spend an hour, with people who laughed a lot, and always had things worked out by the end of the voyage; that’s definitely a voyage worth remembering.

Television Tradition

 

 

  On this final Tube Day Tuesday of the year, I was thinking about Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.  It’s been on a really long time now.  Of course, anniversaries like that can make a person feel old, when you realize a show that’s been airing for forty-one years hasn’t been on all of your life. 

  Still, in my youth, I really enjoyed watching New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and though the music long-ago ceased to be my cup of tea, I like the idea that it’s still going on year after year.  It’s not the same without Dick Clark, of course, but I suppose Ryan Seacrest does an okay job.  I still tune in every year to watch the ball drop, even if I gave up on most of the show quite a few years ago. 

On the other hand, television gave up on the show a little bit itself, since it’s no longer broadcast all evening long, the way that it was back in the day.  Maybe I’m not the only one who doesn’t really care for a lot of that music. 

But, whether you’re watching Seacrest carrying on the Clark tradition, or maybe pining for the olden days of Guy Lombardo, or out celebrating with the throngs of revelers, I wish you a joyous new year and a very healthy, happy, and prosperous 2014.

Feel Good Friday, December 6

 

I’m glad people share things on Facebook; it exposes me to things I might not ordinarily see or know about.  But, just as often, clicking on a link from Facebook causes me to click on another link, then another, and another.  The Internet really can be a time suck, but more times than not, I run across things that make it worthwhile.

Such was the case a day or so ago when I wandered through one of my favorite spots, Upworthy.  I don’t remember now what originally led me there, but I do remember the story of Mushy, a high school student in England struggling to overcome a stammer.  This is the original video I saw:

But this video had a link to Mushy’s “full story”, and after seeing these few minutes, I knew I wanted to see more.  It turns out that he was featured on a reality TV show called Educating Yorkshire.  Typically I’m not much of a fan of reality television, but if all eight episodes of this show were as good as Mushy’s episode, I might be persuaded to reconsider my view of the genre.  Oh, and I love that Mushy’s teacher was willing to try something he saw in a movie; that’s a man after my own heart!

If you enjoyed the five minute condensed version, and if you’ve got half an hour to spare, you can see more of Mushy here: