Changing Gears and URLs

Phew! Alright, I went on a bit of an archiving rampage there, but there's new stuff coming. These are all of the posts I made on my other blog account, but I hope to keep both up and running.

This blog is dedicated to all genres of television shows. The only caveat is that the entertainment discussed both exhibits and requires some semblance of intelligent thought. That said, I know there are so many shows out there that I have yet to fully enjoy. That's what the lovely summer is for, I suppose. Time to catch up!

Below is my current wishlist. Some shows are still standing for next season, and some may sadly be cut short. If anyone can think of other forms of intelligent entertainment to put on the ol' TiVo, please let me know!

1. The Office
2. Dexter
3. Lost (yep, I'm gonna brave that monster in one summer)
4. Bones
5. Gossip Girl
6. Breaking Bad
7. This American Life
8. How I Met Your Mother
9. Samantha Who?
10. Eli Stone

Blog Archive 11 - 30 Rock Is Still Underrated

Last week's episode of 30 Rock has got to be a classic, if only because Tina Fey did what few people are willing to do so brazenly on a sitcom: Tackle racism in a way that makes you laugh.

NBC's Emmy-winning 30 Rock, starring Tina Fey and Scott Adsit, may be too zany and witty for the average viewer, but it still packs a punch with critics each week. Photo © Broadway Video/NBC Universal Television.

Though the fear of terrorism has decreased somewhat on a national level, it's easy to see why so many native New Yorkers will never be the same. The psychological effects of 9/11 and the Anthrax scares that followed will no doubt leave New York residents cautious and careful for years to come.

Unfortunately, even though New York City is incredibly diverse, the events of 9/11 still leave people wary of the potential terrorist around the corner. And, of course, the Patriot Act makes it a lot easier for the government to track down alleged would-be terrorists.

With such a serious topic on hand, one would think it'd be difficult to make it laugh-worthy. No so with Tina Fey's 30 Rock, as her neurotic character, Liz Lemon, is suddenly bombarded with fears of a terrorist attack -- most specifically by her suspicious-looking Middle Eastern neighbor, Ahmad, down the hall. He doesn't make eye contact easily, he seems rather shady, and he won't shake her hand. Her roommate and best friend Pete (Scott Adsit) questions Liz's fears as racist and even hangs out with Ahmad, but she can't seem to shake them.

At work, Liz's uber-neo-con boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) tells her to "be an American - call it in," and promptly gives her the phone number of one of his contacts. Check out the clip here!

Alec Baldwin (left), pictured with comedy guru Jerry Seinfeld in the second season premiere, has received both a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of oddball NBC/GE executive, Jack Donaghy. Photo © Broadway Video/NBC Universal Television.

It was interesting to see how Fey wrote Liz as initially concerned about discussing the situation in front of Jack's assistant, Jonathan (Maulik Pancholy), who happens to be of Middle Eastern descent. His assistant is, as Liz expected, both shocked and appalled that she would stereotype, and Jack puts on a good show of being equally upset -- until Jonathan leaves that is.

It's a great illustration of how, no matter how much some people try to be politically correct, their honest feelings will eventually come out when they feel like they're in safe company.

Still, Liz fights her fears and resists calling the authorities, until she catches Ahmad doing what appears to be some serious basic training in the park with his brother. Between the mysterious package that was accidentally sent to her door, the shifty eyes, and the the new exercises, Liz is finally convinced to call.

They work fast, and before Liz knows it, Ahmad is gone. His door is taped up after what could only be described as a possible raid. Not long after, she receives a package. Cautiously, she opens it up, sticks the enclosed tape in her VCR... and finds Ahmah's audition tape for The Amazing Race. He and his brother love America, and were innocent all along. Liz is understandably floored by the mistake she made, but it's the darkly hilarious reveal that makes it worthwhile.

Finally, Ahmad is returned, limped. He explains to Liz in the hall, after a chance and awkward encounter, that he was tortured. His last words are, "I just have so much anger inside now, that I want to do something... spectacular with it."

Again, this is a serious topic that's established in an oddly funny way. I believe the bulk of the message has to do with Americans and our fear of people who are different - specifically those who are of Middle Eastern descent. Racial profiling is an issue that affects many innocent American citizens every day, and by tackling the issue in an outlandish way, I believe Fey was making a statement, not only about her own fears of terrorism and of her prejudices, but also about the fears and prejudices of Americans. The execution worked perfectly, because it married comedy and truth, without preaching or lecturing the audience.

Here's TV Guide's Matt Roush's take on last week's episode, as he discusses the B-story of the episode, featuring Alec Baldwin and guest-starring The Soprano's star, Edie Falco.

This was intelligent entertainment at its finest, as it addressed a real-life issue with more than a dozen laughs along the way. It's unfortunate that 30 Rock hasn't gotten the huge audience it deserves, though I imagine it's the rapid-fire quips and the deliberate, over-the-top themes with cynical undertones that turns viewers off. People want easy laughs after all, and 30 Rock makes you think, concentrate and actually follow the story from beginning to end. Go figure.

Blog Archive 8 - Strike Talk, Part III

WGA Strike, Part III of ?

I know I've been talking about the WGA strike a lot lately, but I do have my reasons: This is an "intelligent entertainment" blog, and if talented, tenured writers are no longer producing content, there's not going to be much entertainment in our future. Worse still, it probably won't be all that intelligent, either. More than likely decisions will be made on the fly and off the cuff, by actors, producers and directors alike.

Heroes is reportedly filming a new ending to a December episode this week in anticipation of it filling in as a season finale. Photo copyright NBC Universal Television.

At this point in time, ABC's Desperate Housewives, NBC's Heroes and ER, Fox's Back to You and 'Til Death, and CBS' Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and The Big Bang Theory are all halting production, among many others, as shown in the updated grid on latimes.com. The scary part is that many of the series listed in the table only have anywhere between three and seven more weeks of programming left before their done. I say "scary," because TV is going to be inundated with unscripted, reality television shows come January, and I was so relieved when that trend took a downward turn. We can only hope that it doesn't become uber-popular again. That would be the worst kind of irony for writers once this whole issue is resolved.

The way I see it, this strike could essentially cause one of two things. Short of costing Hollywood much more than the $500 million it cost them in 1988, it may bring crews together in that sometimes elusive, yet collaborative, effort to create quality programming. Without writers to do the work, others will have to step up to the plate. It could be downright inspiring.

Or, sadly, it could cause an even deeper divide in Hollywood.

So far, it's looking pretty bright. Actors like Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, America Ferrera and cast members from The Office have reportedly expressed their support of the writers, though many of their colleagues have remained coy. According to Variety, executive producers have been "refusing to cross the picket lines even to perform non-writing chores on scripts that have already been completed." It's great to see that there is such a unified front from Screen Actors Guild members and executive producers.

The Hollywood Reporter has a great article that documents the back-and-forth debate between Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) president Nick Counter and WGA leaders. Make of it what you will.

It looks like many in the media underestimated how badly the strike was going to hit production on a variety of shows, but I think it's a good sign that everyone is still supporting the writers. We'll see how far that support goes in two months' time, though it's fairly clear which side of the debate is causing the problem here. Hopefully the writers will get what they want (and deserve) in a timely manner, so everyone can get back to work.

Still -- and this is pure speculation here -- I wonder if this may be drawn out longer so as to stop any chances of a precedent being formed. There's been talk of a Screen Actors Guild/Directors Guild strike this summer, and maybe The Powers That Be are hoping it will be reconsidered, so as to prevent another huge hit like this. I don't think anyone wants to see production halt from coast to coast, but if SAG members have justifiable reasons like the writers, it may be quite necessary. According to Firefox News, SAG president Alan Rosenberg was pretty confident, saying, "We'll get what they get."

For everyone's sake, I hope that confidence is bankable.

Blog Archive 4 - Creating the Character

When it comes to character development, television and film writers take various avenues in order to make lead characters compelling, easy to relate to, interesting and strong. While all roads may lead to a different destination, there are some similar paths that have been taken over the years.

One particular aspect of character development was brought to my attention a few years ago in an introductory film class. The professor claimed that women characters tend to have "Daddy Issues." At first, in my immaturity, I balked at the idea. It didn't make sense, I thought. How could all - or even most - female characters in television and film have these so-called "Daddy Issues?"

Then, when I got to thinking about it, truly analyzing the female characters over the past twenty years, it made perfect sense. For the most part, characters are greatly defined by their relationship (or lack thereof) with their parents. This is most obviously noted in women, but there are cases where men are defined by their parents as well. I'll get to that later.

Women With 'Daddy Issues'

As it stands, the vast majority of lead female characters who succeed in male-dominated fields, such as law enforcement, the military, and even the medical field, are initially defined by the relationships with their fathers.

Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson) of The X-Files joined the FBI in an attempt to prove to her father that she could make independent life choices that resulted in success. Her desire to prove herself to her father is what drove her in her career, and ultimately what created a wedge between them.

Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (Catherine Bell) of JAG followed in her father's footsteps, both by joining the Marine Corps. and by becoming an alcoholic at a young age. Abandoned by her mother when she was small, she was left to endure her father's emotional and psychological abuse. Like many of the other female characters listed, she was developed as a no-nonsense military attorney who never suffered fools. Still, again like many of the other female characters here, she was known as compassionate, ethical and strong.

Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis joined the military to follow in her father's footsteps after an emotionally detached childhood that resulted from her mother's death when she was a young teenager. Her successful career in the male-dominated Air Force was solely independent of her father's, but the desire to prove herself to her workaholic dad was one explanation for her driven nature and independence.

Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit was introduced as a child of rape, so she never knew her father. Nevertheless, the driving force behind her character is the fact that she does not want to be anything like her father. For nearly a decade she has run away from biology, focused on helping people, and has questioned her capacity for violence.

Catherine Willows (played by Marg Helgenberger) of CSI lived a life of chaos in Las Vegas before turning to a career in forensics. Her enstrangement from her wealthy father led to stripping, poverty and a lack of self-worth. For approximately seven years, she has thrived independently in a fulfilling career, but the affects of her father's poor treatment live on, and continue to be touched upon as further explanations of her emotional detachment.

Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) of Cold Case lived a rough life of poverty and abuse. Her mother was a drug addict and her father was rarely - if ever - in the picture. As one of few female characters on television today who are truly the lead character in a procedural drama, Morris' Lilly is a strong, compassionate and independent woman whose hardships in life (as well as the lack of a strong male role model as a child) compel her to protect the lives of others.

Some Men Have 'Daddy Issues,' Too

As I said earlier, there are also some male characters who have been defined by their intense paternal conflicts. Some of them even belong to the series that were already listed.

Most notably, Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny) of The X-Files had serious issues with his father, blaming him for the abduction of his sister, the subversion of the truth, putting his family in danger, and lying to him on a regular basis. Still, as has been the case with many female characters, there was an underlying layer of trust, a desire to please and protect his father at all costs.

Harmon Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott) of JAG grew up never knowing his father. He was haunted by his father's disappearance during the Vietnam War, and desperately went to great lengths to find the truth as an adult. As with Mulder, there was never true closure with his father, and it continued to define his character throughout.

Women Seem To Lead, However

Essentially, from a traditional character development method over the past 20 years, when a lead female character is not being defined by her relationship with the male lead (i.e. Scully to Fox Mulder, Benson to Eliott Stabler, Carter to Jack O'Neill, or Willows to Gil Grissom), she is being defined by her relationship with her father.

While that trend isn't as prevalent as it once was, it is an interesting aspect of television and film history to note, as I believe it is quite indicative of society's expectations. Is it possible that, as a society, the audience expects there to be a very good reason to explain why a female is able to thrive in a man's world, why she's able to succeed and kick butt just as well as her male partner?

Perhaps it is on a subconscious level that audience members demanded such reasoning, or maybe it was equally subconscious on the part of the writers who needed to properly develop a character. Anything's possible.

Personally, I can take the cliche problems lead female "X" supposedly had with her dad, if it means we're still getting a capable, competent female character in the process.

Blog Archive 1 - School's in Session...

During my freshman year at Arizona State University, I used to scoff at the two girls down the hall from my dorm who religiously used their brand new TiVo to record such oh-so-stimulating shows like "The O.C." and "American Idol". At the time, I didn't understand how anyone could possibly be so addicted to television - or even their favorite shows - that they'd need to record something 24/7.

Three years later, I've definitely seen the error of my ways. While there are only a choice few series on television that make the cut on my Season Pass list, I have to admit that the opportunity to record anything at any time of the day has its advantages. Between early morning repeats of the old military/legal show JAG and late-night showings of Conan O'Brien, my TiVo gets the occassional workout. And with the Fall 2007 semester now in full swing, escapist entertainment is more necessary than ever.

Unlike three years ago, I now realize that TiVo is not just for the typical couch potato. In fact, TiVo allows you to NOT watch television all the time, as you can essentially pick and choose what shows you like, disregarding the rest, and watching them all (either in their entirety or not) whenever you can. In essence, you can be intelligent about what you watch, without suffering through the various, mindless forms of entertainment on the tube. It's a lovely tool that I'm glad I finally embraced.

The past two weeks have given everyone a chance to catch up on old favorites or shows that we happened upon by accident over the summer. Starting next week, networks all across the board, from CBS to SciFi to MTV will try to get our attention - and keep it for the remainder of the season.

Now, I know that there's no accounting for taste, so hopefully I'll be able to get the opinions of some random Sun Devils around campus. Let's see how "smart" the general consensus is when it comes to regular viewing habits.