Welcome back to my little corner of the TV Section. Again I’m no expert on TV, but I’m trying my best to hold my own here in a section full of heavyweights such as;
Bob tells you why the new show Veronica Mars should be part of your viewing line up.
Coogan rants about my mom’s favorite show.
Didey talks about Smallville among other things.
And the rest of the writers do their thing as well. But I really don’t have time to link everyone.
This Week’s Viewing
Lost I watched the first and second episodes. The first one was cool enough to make me watch the second one, and that was the one that sold my roommate and I on the show. I thought the explanation for why they aren’t going to be found was acceptable. The growth and development of the characters was very well done. It looks like I’m in for awhile.
Smallville This issue was cool, but it didn’t blow me away. I thought that it was kind of hokey. It looks to me like the show is starting to lose some steam. But Lana is kinda hot.
The Wire I love this show. “Dog” pronounced as like “Doug.” Priceless. This show rocks.
Dream Job I don’t really care for “reality” shows, but I watch this one. It’s basically the same as last year. Nothing too spectacular, but it’s enjoyable to watch.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent I’m not too pressed to catch Criminal Intent. It really enjoyed the first season, and kind of lost interest last year. It’s the only L&O show that I catch, but I’m really more of a character driven show type guy.
Nip/Tuck I don’t know why I keep watching this show. It’s frustrating. I’m sick of Kimba. Why is she still on the show? Christian has an AIDS scare, gee how riveting. Shawn gets attacked, and everyone comes together for him. Every week I have a new complaint. But the show does look nice. The scene where Christian is calling his sex partners was very well done.
And Now Our Feature Presentation.
I like CBS. I’ve enjoyed their programming in the past. I have great memories of watching 60 Minutes with my mom. The “Eye” used to really mean something to me.
However, since it’s an election year and the debate was last night, I’m beginning to question what drives CBS. I’m concerned by some recent events that have me worried about where their loyalty lies. That’s right I’m worried about the outsourcing of entertainment most notably Survivor and The Amazing Race
Let’s begin with the ratings blockbuster Survivor. First off it’s a reality show, which can’t be too good for the economy. It doesn’t have any writers for scripts nor does it have any actors. So you have an entire hour of programming that contributes very little to the entertainment economy.
Now to make matters worse the show is set on foreign soil. So not only does it not utilize actors or writers, but the crew that it does hire spends their money in another country. So you have a blockbuster show that spends it’s budget subsidizing an economy that isn’t domestic. Does that sound American to you?
The Amazing Race is just more of the same. Only this show has it’s contestants spending their money in foreign economies. They have to pay for travel and accommodations in other countries. Plus the camera crews have to travel and find shelter as well. So that really adds up to a tidy sum, all going to other countries.
Of course if I’m going to attack then I also have a solution. It’s very easy transition these those into domestic environments, so they can invest in our country.
The United States has plenty of exotic locales where Survivor could be filmed. We could go to Flint, Michigan. Imagine if the survivors had to survive in that place. One of the tribe challenges could be to find a job. There is plenty of vermin for the contestants to dine on, it may not be exotic, but it’s just as verminilicous.
Californa, Arizona, and Nevada all have deserts where the show could take place. And what about the swamps of the South? This show is completely do-able on domestic soil.
Even if the producers utilized NAFTA, we could see Survivor in Canada or Mexico. Those places are pretty exotic.
Imagine is The Amazing Race was The Domestic Race? The United States has plenty of monuments and national parks for the contestants to visit. And it’s basically the same idea for the viewer; these are places you will never visit.
I’ve taken a road trip from Baltimore to Las Vegas and I can tell you that was challenging. Contestants could try to find decent lodging in the Rockies The race could begin after they find a fifteen year old virgin in Baltimore.
Other challenges could be to walk through the Las Vegas strip without getting handed a flier, finding a Black guy in West Burlington, Iowa, maybe finding a Yankee fan in Boston, and finding a white guy who supports reparations for slavery, anywhere. There are plenty of challenges to be had in the United States.
I think that we really need to keep an eye on where things are going over at CBS. They seem content on outsourcing our entertainment viewing. Could CSI: Darfur, Sudan be next?
Dope Video of The Week
The Roots – Star
I love The Roots and this first track on The Tipping Point is a banger. The song knocks, and its just plain dope. So when I peeped the video I was pumped. It’s a nice interpretation of the song. Catch it if you get the chance.
Later.
