Rome Burns

[liadnan]

Rather than write about the continuing grumbling of uk and international politics, or finalise my tax return, or continue to research a fascinating, if insanely complicated aspect of a rather scarily big piece of potential litigation that has come my way, or worry about bird flu in Istanbul, I thought I'd write about TV.

I've actually pretty much given up watching anything since I came out here: I've probably watched less hours a week (actually, probably no more than one hour a week) than at any time since I left my parents' (still) tv-less household for the big bad world of university and lunchtime Neighbours in 1991. This is partly because, so far as I can see, there's bugger all on. The heavily-trailed stuff shown over here in the last few months: Rome, Lost etc has utterly failed to grab me in any way whatsoever (Rome in particularly just seems poorly-researched crap, way inferior to all its predecessors in that line on a far larger budget), new introductions in the crime drama line (eg Jericho) have been, frankly, rubbish, and those of the older ones that were any good have either been absent or have palled. Nothing else I've caught sight of in the schedules or while channel hopping has really seemed impressive enough to keep me coming back.

I did, however, lurch back to the box while being ill last week. Even then, Suchet's new Poirot, the Mystery of the Blue Train was while mildly entertaining, ultimately a bit of failure, Rebus was full of plot holes (I think the blame lies at the door of the tv adaptation, not Rankin, though I'm not sure) and if the one-off Lewis has already been shown I missed it (which is irritating).

I gave Invasion a go last night, but after two episodes it seems rather like a drawn-out and not wildly special episode of the X Files, and I can't be bothered to watch again to find out if I'm right or not. Just as with Lost, the characters don't interest me at all, and nor am I filled with any significant desire to know what's going to happen, or what's really going on.

I managed to watch the whole of Firefly on DVD just before giving it to my brother-in-law for Christmas (this is a perfectly honourable and sensible way to proceed and anyone who says otherwise is a fule and I diskard them utterly so there). Enjoyable, yes, and a shame it was cancelled. But I can't say I quite see what all the fuss was about: it wasn't Buffy, or Angel come to that, and, in the end, it wasn't that special. And that, I think, is why it was axed: it didn't deliver sufficiently in its first series. Very little hits its stride in the first series, but you have to give the viewing public -and the production houses- enough for them to come back the second time (in particular, given it's Whedon, the first series of Buffy, which I remember watching the first time it was on in the UK, though far rockier than it later became, was much, much, more interesting). Frequently the producers fail to spot a potential gem, but I'm not convinced this was really that. Yes, well done Joss, you've done an entertaining riff on cowboys in space, and yes, it's full of clever things. But once you're over all that, are you really doing anything more than, with knowing self-awareness, re-doing Star Trek&c. from the anti-authority side (and Star Trek even did that itself (twice?) rubbish though all things Star Trek are). There isn't enough in the cleverness of the premise to carry you through (compare the remarkably silly, frequently verging on slapstick, Lexx, which to my mind had more original concepts and imagination on a far smaller budget. Or, what do you really have over Farscape for that matter? Not that I was ever really into Farscape, possibly mainly because it was on at the wrong time.) And, though all those unanswered questions about the characters are intriguing, I don't really care enough. Yes, I'll watch Serenity some time. Yes, I do think it's a shame it was cancelled, it did have something. But it's not a massive loss, and its cancellation is far from the greatest crime against television ever committed by the industry (that would be Futurama of course, and I read recently that decision has been reversed). I'd much rather see James Cameron's Dark Angel revived.

Ah well, there's more new stuff coming up in the schedules I believe. And ER is back tonight...

Comments

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

So, given the choice, what would you like to see on TV?

[liadnan]

Something else....

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

I bet the people who do consumer surveys just love you!

[liadnan]

Oh, I probably count as an anomaly on almost any opinion poll or survey anyway.

[babysimon]

I'll put you down as a "don't know" then, shall I?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hypatia_/]

What would you watch if you were controller of television?

I watch almost zero television, sometimes I tell myself that this is because televisions has gone to the dogs. Sometimes I think I just remember how pink the grass was hours ago. (or the gin, I forget...) Then I contemplate the dumbing down of Horizon and decide it mostly has gone to the dogs.

I enjoy a good 'brainless' or does of comfort viewing as much as the next vegetable but there has to be a vestige of believability, I'd like to see more programming which could hold my attention without needing a secondary occupation.

Thanks be for radio.

[gmh.livejournal.com]

Alas, Horizon is not what it used to be; nor is Equinox.

But then again, I think I've watched about 3 hours of TV in the last 6 months (and most of that was news), so I'm probably not what the TV companies would call a target market.

I have other ways (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_treadmill) of wasting time at the moment.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hypatia_/]

Mini Giddy is whining at me for online gaming access. I say he is too young to sacrifice his life :) Maybe after GCSEs are safely out of the way and then on restricted basis...

But I'm not playing WOW or similar and I *still* can't find tv to watch. I do watch DVDs with the kids sometimes but in general that is as much social as than televisual (if you follow...).

[fi.livejournal.com]

there's bugger all on

Nail on head, mate, nail on head.

Even Denmark has better TV than the UK and Ireland these days, methinks. Three words: Celebrity Big Brother. *sigh*

[memetic-glutton.livejournal.com]

Dark Angel!? Admittedly I dropped off very early in the first season, after which it might have picked up, but I don't remember anything worthwhile in it apart from Jessica Alba (and not her acting).

[liadnan]

I really liked it actually: I think it did get better. Admittedly it ws obviously very much inspired by Buffy, quite explicitly so, but it had enough of its own twists and a good dystopian setting to keep it going.

[memetic-glutton.livejournal.com]

Might give it another shot sometime then, if it's ever repeated.

[liadnan]

Belated reply: occurred to me you and most people might not be aware of the connection: Dark Angel was cancelled to make way for Firefly...

[sobelle.livejournal.com]

When vegetatively ill and soaking in the soothing radiation of the cathode tube rays.. oh wait, they don't use that sorta techno anymore do they?... never mind... I watch endless hours of the Science and History and Military channels... those silly huuuumans are always up to something strange and unusual.

Either that or porn via the net.

Otherwise my tv is just a large static electricity ratcatcher of dust and cat hair.

anti v

[sshi.livejournal.com]

I once had a rather wonderful experience, brought on by post-op drugs of spending several days intently watching Pokemon and having it All Make Sense.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hypatia_/]

I had a rather surreal experience brought on by the #2's 8th birthday which included the cinema. A couple of hours trying not to watch Pokemon in the company of fifteen 8yr olds explaining it to me between excited outbursts and random popcorn. Without drugs. I think you win on style points :)

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

I have been watching TV lately [am so proud of myself as it has been *years* & *years* since I last watched TV] and 24 was fun. But now that I have seen 3 seasons, I suspect that I'll go back to not watching TV.

[liadnan]

I lost interest after 2 seasons of 24.

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

I can understand that - I thought the first season was the best, the second had a number of silly moments and I found season 3 very silly, with too many easily recognisable gimmicks, but I still found it better than CSI which was my only other choice. And I did so want an excuse to lie in bed and disengage my brain. :)

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

How did I know the word Lexx was lurking in there?

Did you watch Life On Mars yesterday?

[liadnan]

Because it's a fundamenta;lly misunderstood work of genius?

No, missed it. Any good?

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

Any good?

I thought so. Interesting start anyway, we shall see how it progresses.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hypatia_/]

incidentally I've been meaning to say for ages that I really like your new (well not so new now) layout - is it one of the standard templates for hallowed paid accounts or one you whipped up yourself? I'm considering switching to the other system for tags (haha says she who scarcely updates the thing) but am very much in the 'less is more' camp and don't have time (or can't be arsed) to convert my wordpress stuff to LJ workable style sheets. I'm not entirely sure it would be appropriate anyway for LJ.

[liadnan]

It's the "Bloggish" layout, which is actually designed to work with style sheets &c. S2 but I don't think it needs a paid account.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hypatia_/]

Sadly it does now need a paid account. I've toyed with the idea of taking one out, on the other hand I've also considered abandoning the journal relatively recently. I shall contemplate.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

It is strange - in the autumn there was bugger all on TV - I watched maybe 2 hours a week (Lost and Bleak House, if I remember correctly), plus a few DVDs (my wife and I are working our way through all of Buffy and Angel - we saw most of them first time round, but that was a long time ago...).

Now, in January, there is loads on - ER (as you say), Shameless, Desperate Housewives, Thick of It - plus the Stephen Poliakoff session on BBC4 (if you are interested in intelligent drama - which it sounds like you would be from some of your other posts - I can't recommend Poliakoff more. That said, you'll probably hate his stuff and never believe anything I say again...).

Since I am congenitally allergic to tv ads (and those sponsored bookends on C4 really piss me off), I video everything to watch at my convenience... escept I keep running out of tape!

Must get one of those PVR things (at which point there will nothing I want to watch. Ever).

[liadnan]

Actually, I do rather dislike Poliakoff I'm afraid, though you're right to guess I usually like intelligent drama stuff.