Monday, December 17, 2007
Bull Run
I just had the morbid thought that the most famous person I personally had contact with during my four years at UI is now dead. Actually, he became famous due to the circumstances surrounding that death. While in law school I ran into my one of my freshman suitemates from my UI days. He made the passing remark that it was "too bad about Tasio." Tasio? He proceeded to explain that Matt Tasio was a friend of my other suitemate. I instantly knew who he was talking about. I didn't remember his name because I hadn't seen him since my freshmen year. Anyway, Matt Tasio had died in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. When the news broke I remember reading a newspaper article about a recently graduated University of Illinois student (engineering degree) who had been killed during the Running. I just didn't realize it was someone I knew. Today I looked up the Running of the Bulls to see if I could find any information about the incident. 1995 was still pre-Internet for the newspapers, so contemporary online articles about the incident were not to be found. I did find a few short references to the incident, but only in articles about the history of the Running. Despite what you would think from the footage, only 14 men have died in the Running. Matt Tasio was the 13th.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Escape to the Past!
I used to get so excited when we would receive TV Guide's special "Fall Preview" issue. This supersized issue contained writeups and accompanying cast pictures of all the new shows. This was the most reading in one day that tv addicts would every be exposed to. What, McLean Stevenson is a new sitcom? Alright, I can't wait to watch! Well, that was 25 years ago. Now few if any tv shows are worthy of excitement, not even McLean Stevenson excitement, and TV Guide is no more thanks to the foolish eradication of its previous incarnation. Ironically it is now easier than ever to sample a huge number of new shows thank to the DVR. I also hate to start watching a show, only to have it canceled a few episodes later. That is why I missed the first few episodes of House, and still haven't watched an episode of some of the better reviewed and rated shows. I'll have to catch up on Heroes and Battlestar Gallactica sometime I guess, if I ever get around to starting up my Netflix membership again. This fall I altered my plan by watching three new shows from the beginning-Journeyman, Dirty Sexy Money, and That Pie Show. I'll save discussion of the latter two shows for future postings.
Journeyman was incredibly flat from the beginning. I think that is why it immediately dropped in the ratings. People want excitement, and all this show had was a familiar premise and actors who were unfamiliar to most people. People like to be teased with mystery, which is why a show like Lost retained its popularity despite the writers not having thought out answers to many of those mysteries. The X-Files droned (pun not intended) on and on without any sense of resolution, and people eventually lost interest, as they have with Lost.
The familiar premise (traveling back in time) had been explored already in shows like Quantam Leap and my favorite, Voyagers!. Journeyman didn't seem to offer anything new, except that this time the main character starts out as clueless as the audience about what is going on. Explanations were so slow in forthcoming that after five episodes the show seemed to be spinning its wheels, with the family turmoil being uninteresting and somewhat annoying. I almost stopped watching, but due to the derth of shows that Christy and I could watch together I decided to trudge on. As the show approached its tenth episode we were suddenly being clued into more of the mystery, and it became clear that the creator of the show did have some interesting ideas to support the overtly mundane premise. And, of course, about this time rumors began online that the show was not going to be renewed. In fact, it wasn't even clear that all 13 episodes would air. I can't say that I blame NBC. The ratings are mediocre. The show didn't start with some of its best material right out of the gate, which cost it many viewers. It turns out the 13th episode is going to air, but it will air on a Wednesday, which doesn't sound promising for the show's future.
Journeyman was incredibly flat from the beginning. I think that is why it immediately dropped in the ratings. People want excitement, and all this show had was a familiar premise and actors who were unfamiliar to most people. People like to be teased with mystery, which is why a show like Lost retained its popularity despite the writers not having thought out answers to many of those mysteries. The X-Files droned (pun not intended) on and on without any sense of resolution, and people eventually lost interest, as they have with Lost.
The familiar premise (traveling back in time) had been explored already in shows like Quantam Leap and my favorite, Voyagers!. Journeyman didn't seem to offer anything new, except that this time the main character starts out as clueless as the audience about what is going on. Explanations were so slow in forthcoming that after five episodes the show seemed to be spinning its wheels, with the family turmoil being uninteresting and somewhat annoying. I almost stopped watching, but due to the derth of shows that Christy and I could watch together I decided to trudge on. As the show approached its tenth episode we were suddenly being clued into more of the mystery, and it became clear that the creator of the show did have some interesting ideas to support the overtly mundane premise. And, of course, about this time rumors began online that the show was not going to be renewed. In fact, it wasn't even clear that all 13 episodes would air. I can't say that I blame NBC. The ratings are mediocre. The show didn't start with some of its best material right out of the gate, which cost it many viewers. It turns out the 13th episode is going to air, but it will air on a Wednesday, which doesn't sound promising for the show's future.