TV obsessions—come on, admit it!

[Primula Baggins]

They sneaked in some pretty outrageous cussing that way, Tom.

As for the predictability, it sounds like they're setting you up nicely.

Eru, they're rerunning a lot of Season 1 on September 29 during the day, if you get that cable channel. It's also out on DVD (too expensive to buy, for me anyway, but a good video store should have it for rental).

[Impenitent]

Bombadillo, the Chinese is there because it is fundamental to the universe in which the show is set: In the far distant future, the assumption is that there has been a cultural mix based on the two final superpowers (before the earth was abandoned, being all used up): the US/English speaking bloc, and the Chinese bloc.

So anyone who's anyone can speak some Chinese. And I'm sure you noticed that there are symbolic Chinese influences throughout the show also? In the garments worn, in the decorations on the various planets?

ETA: I guess I should qualify my post on the previous page: I do really like Firefly! The kid are converts too, and I've watched all the episodes now several times and find them just as entertaining each time.

It hangs together very well in terms of its internal workings (except for the Reavers; if I thought about their ongoing existence for too long I'd get very irritated, so I don't think about them.)

The characters are very well drawn; complex and very believable.

[vison]

Do these "Reavers" have anything to do with "the reivers"?

[Impenitent]

Could be; I could answer more definitively if I knew what or who "the reivers" you refer to are.

ETA: wait! You mean the scottish border raiders? I don't think Josh Whedon deliberately modelled his Reavers on the Reivers, though some of the coincidences are uncanny: they are raiders (pirates, I guess), inhumanly violent though, insane. And the two names sound so alike. Perhaps so; perhaps so.

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

They sneaked in some pretty outrageous cussing that way, Tom.

I thought so. The first giveaway was the way the characters use the phrases, the second giveaway is that they're not providing subtitles.

It's also out on DVD (too expensive to buy, for me anyway, but a good video store should have it for rental).

Netflix is the way to go, kiddies. We're on the one-at-time plan. It costs $11/month, and we watch 1 or 2 DVDs a week. They mail them to you, you mail them back. No trips to the video store, and there is a HUGE selection of videos to choose from.

In the far distant future, the assumption is that there has been a cultural mix based on the two final superpowers (before the earth was abandoned, being all used up): the US/English speaking bloc, and the Chinese bloc....

Thanks for the info, Impy. Yes, I noticed all the Asian influences, and figured that China must have had a big impact on common culture. I'm also wondering about the prevelance of Old West settings for a show that's supposedly set 500 years in the future. My guess is that it's clever(?) way for the writers/producers to slip in a popular genre.

So, does Caine (from Kung Fu) appear anytime during this series?

Oh, I should add that I really like the music for the theme song. The lyrics are only so-so, though.

[Impenitent]

I like the lyrics; they are Mal's (the captain's) personal philosphy and explain much about why the ship's crew is the way it is.

Caine doesn't appear, though he'd fit right in.

[Lurker]

Hockey Night in Canada

I've heard that Law and Order, though, is really good - and actually is a great way to study for criminal procedure exams. The few episodes I've watched have been fun. I've also been urged to give Boston Legal a try, and I might.

Law and Order is really good, they actually have lawyers as consultants for the show. I often watch the re-runs. I suggest you also borrow a copy of The Practice, really great show. I think Boston Legal is a spin off of The Practice since Alan Shore used to be one of the lawyers in the show.

You better give Boston Legal a try. It is so funny, not Ally McBeal funny, though. Alan Shore is my idol! My wife bought me the First Season DVD.

I'm also obssesed with the Amazing Race, in fact, all of us at the old firm watch the show and make bets who is going to win. I haven't lost a bet yet! Thank god, I found somebody at the legal dept. here in the company I work for who is as obssesed as I am.

Another show I often watch is, The Apprentice. I like the show so much, my wife thinks I'm going nuts whenever I shout at the TV and say "What kind of idea is that!? Stupid! Stupid! AHHHH!" My secret fantasy is to get a shot in the show that's how obssesed I am. If I knew they were conducting auditions in Canada before I would have gone (line up like a Canadian Idol ) instead of that lawyer dude they had last season. Hehehehe!

I aslo like all the CSI series. I was obssesed with Las Vegas before because of the beautiful leading ladies in their sexy outfits. I forgot the name of that "Cover Girl" on the show. *drools*

I aslo watch the "The Messengers" on TLC, which is a motivation speaking contest. On CNN, I watch Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck and Anderson Cooper. I also watch Mad Money.

I must confess my wife got me hooked to "Desperate Housewives" first season. I had this huge crush on Terry Hatcher eversince the old Superman series. I don't know why, but she's so darn cute and funny. (My friends say "Eva Langoria" is to die for, but it's Terry for me.) It started off great but now I seldom watch it. My wife loves the show. My wife had we watching "Sex in the City" at one point. *shudders*

[vison]

Could be; I could answer more definitively if I knew what or who "the reivers" you refer to are.

ETA: wait! You mean the scottish border raiders? I don't think Josh Whedon deliberately modelled his Reavers on the Reivers, though some of the coincidences are uncanny: they are raiders (pirates, I guess), inhumanly violent though, insane. And the two names sound so alike. Perhaps so; perhaps so.

My goodness, yes, that's what I meant!!!

I confess, as I ought, that I loved Babylon 5. I never saw that many episodes, but my son has it all on DVD and there are a few I would like to see. One, which everyone raves about, was about two janitors? I never saw that and would like to.

I also like South Park. Dear wee bairns.

Only, I never really watch TV. I can't concentrate on it. I'm infamous in my own house for insisting that we watch some show or another and then they look at me and I'm reading. Then I get hollered at.

[tinwë]

PS tinwë, if you're around - that Sue Trashcan lady should get around to writing a book version of Buffy for us to rip apart.

I’ve missed you too.

The last TV show I watched with any degree of regularity was Northern Exposure. That was, what, eleven years ago? I just can’t force myself to do it anymore. The closest I come these days is South Park, an affinity I share with Vison. Tonight’s episode was the one where the Jewish scouts make macaroni pictures and soap sculptures for Moses, who appears in the form the Master Control Program from Tron. They just don’t make ‘em like that ... ever!

[Alatar]

...by that time of night I feel like a shag on a rock

Uncomfortable surely, yet strangely arousing.

I will return with my TV Obsessions, of which there are many.



But first I have to stop thinking about shagging Impy on a rock.

[truehobbit]

Ahh but Hobby you see you're missing something! Monk was sick before his wife died but he was able to control it. He was a cop and went to cop school (I think that's what its called) and survived it and passed! It was really only after his wife died that he became so obsessed. Before then he was living (relatively) a normal life!

Ah, I see. Don't remember that got mentioned anytime I was watching.
But I still think it's a bit far-fetched. It would be much funnier if he was just obsessed and no complicated past behind that.

Primmy, I'd have liked to have a look at the new Galactica, but it was always on when I had to work. There weren't a lot of episodes of it either, at least over here. I wonder why they re-made it anyway - is it meant to be a re-make? If so, why? And, if not, why the same name?

I don't watch anything obsessively either, and most of my favourites are old shows, so I watch a lot of re-runs.

[Primula Baggins]

It's meant to be a remake, but based only on names and the basic ideas. Starbuck and Boomer are women, for example, and some of the Cylons look so human that they can pass as humans. I thought it sounded really cheesy and didn't watch it once until well into the first season. I never got interested in the first version, so the changes didn't bother me, but I assumed they'd only made some characters female to get hot babz into the show, etc. And one of the chief Cylon characters is played by a supermodel. . . .

Big surprise. The female pilots are strong, not glamorous, and the supermodel is a fine actress. And they do a great job, which the first one for my money did not, of giving the destruction of most of the human race the weight it ought to carry; it shadows everyone and everything.

They're all just TV shows, and many things in life are more important, but they're also a pleasant corner of life for many people. I'm interested to see what other people find enjoyable.

[halplm]

So, started watching Buffy again last night... First season... which is certainly not on par with many of the others... And yet... it's still an awesome show...

They struggled so hard early on to get away from the crap that was the movie, it's pretty funny actually

[Primula Baggins]

My kids recorded the movie to watch the other day, out of curiosity. They lasted about half an hour—it was just too awful to be worth it.

[halplm]

it really is just horrible

[Ethel]

Prim, we're going to have to have a mini-sci-fi-fest in SF. I know you're a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, and now it turns out you're a fan of Babylon 5 and Firefly as well!

And I just got the first season of Battlestar Gallactica on dvd...

[nerdanel]

Haven't seen Buffy the movie and am not planning to. hal, if you can make it through the entire first season of Buffy, I admire that too.

I'm actually in the middle of a BtVS/AtS rewatch - I'm in the middle of the 7th season of Buffy, and then will watch Angel again, which should be fun. Then, I REALLY need to diversify my TV show portfolio.

[Primula Baggins]

Prim, we're going to have to have a mini-sci-fi-fest in SF. I know you're a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, and now it turns out you're a fan of Babylon 5 and Firefly as well!

And I just got the first season of Battlestar Gallactica on dvd...

That would be fun! I love good science fiction, and a good story with interesting characters, in any medium. So, clearly, do you.

I like the roominess of science fiction—that you can tell any story. You can use it to comment on contemporary life, or you can just spin off to the edge of the universe. I've tried to write a mainstream novel, and it just felt (and came across as) cramped.

But I also like that SF is at least ostensibly bound to the possible. Sure, most stories involve faster-than-light space travel, which I don't actually believe is possible—but often you have to start with that to have a story.

[halplm]

I don't know, it's one of the best

Oh I know season one has several episodes that are a chore to get through... but the intro of all the characters is great... and while the quality of the show had not arrived... you can tell it's goign to be there.

It's hard to imagine given how much they go through in the series... that a simple vampire gave them so much trouble .

Then again, we learn later that without Buffy... lots of bad things would have happened in good old sunnydale.

[nerdanel]

That's one of the things I like best about Buffy - the portrayal from the characters' perspective. When they're 16, one demon seems like a whole night's fight - the rise of a powerful vampire can seem to herald the apocalypse. Then, as they get older, the Hellmouth itself opening feels more like deja vu and they can deal with evil on a far larger scale.

The other thing I like about Buffy is that evil isn't always clearly evil. It's not just "Vampire. Bad. Slay." I like my "slayage" thoughtful.

Side note on Sunnydale...always throws me off when I drive past Sunnyvale.