Wednesday, February 20, 2008

But does it have heart?

Say it isn't so! Tonight will be the last episode of Cashmere Mafia. What will the co-workers and I watch during lunch on Thursdays? All other (good) comedies are still in repeats due to the recently ended strike. Wait? Cashmere isn't a comedy? Stop. The laughter in the conference room does not even hint at it being a drama. Ah well. I have two episodes...one on the dvr from last week and tonight's. I'm going to watch them back to back. The dialogue never fails in making me believe that I just might get a job writing for a TV show one day. I'm not saying my writing sucks because that would be career suicide. Before the career even gets started. If I don't believe my writing is quality why should I trust anyone else will? But I am saying shitty shows make me write more. They give me the I Can Do It feeling. It's current shows like Friday Night Lights, Brothers & Sisters and The Closer, to name a few, that make me think I'm getting in way over my head. There are super talented people out there and who am I to think I can ever be at their level? So I say....bring on Cashmere Mafia. Cheer me up as I spend the next two "vacation" days finishing my spec script. Is it sad that I'm looking forward to my dentist appointment on Friday morning? And not just because I haven't had solid food in almost a week!



Speaking of quality shows, how about that Friday Night Lights?


I know I'm late in discussing the season (? please) finale, but I waited a bit to watch it. I gotta say, the second to last episode of the season was wonderful. Where the hell was that show all season? I don't want to blame the writers if the show doesn't get more episodes, but how did they think most of season two could even compare to season one? I'm all about giving them another chance. What does NBC have to lose? Or maybe they want Deal or No Deal on for, say two hours, every night? The least they can do is give the fans closure. That finale left a lot of things open.



While I'm ranting...Brothers & Sisters. I've been re-watching season one to get the character voices down. Still not sure I picked the right show to spec, but I'm going to give it a little more time because I can hear most of the characters in my head. I'm not crazy. When I can hear the voices than I know I'm doing ok. Right. That sounds sane. My point? Season one was very good. They were able to mix light and heavy. It seems as though this season has lost some of the lighter elements and stories. And to air an episode with about 5 minutes of Calista/Kitty shows how important she is to the show; I missed her. Or maybe taking out Kitty and deciding to focus on Kevin and Tommy is what doesn't work. I thought I was alone in my thinking and welcomed discussion from co-workers or really anyone who watches the show. It's just I see my co-workers more than I see anyone else. Good thing they are swell people! And we work in TV research so it's part of the job to discuss shows. A fellow worker and B&S fan felt the same way I felt. He isn't as fast to credit the lack of Calista/Kitty for the decline in that one episode, but he knows he doesn't like the current stories for some of the other characters. Today he said something that made me sad. I said, maybe they need to re-watch season one themselves and see where they took this bad turn? He said, "Last year it was new. All of it. That's why we loved it." Then he left for the staff meeting leaving me to yell from inside my cubicle...but no. I still love it. We have to have hope. However, I'm getting tired of a good season, a shitty season, a good season...it's a terrible cycle that shows seem to be getting themselves into. My beloved OC was a victim. While it was nice to learn that FOX played a hand in frucking that up, it didn't help me as a viewer accept the suckyness.

Tomorrow brings a new episode of Lipstick Jungle. Anyone have thoughts on that? I'm thinking maybe it can get better if they are given a second season? Sometimes first seasons aren't so great because they are so new. We the viewers have so much to learn. Ha, so now I'm kind of saying it's ok to suck and then be good. Being great right out of the box makes it harder to consistently be great. That's why I'm going to be a mediocre writer. Lower the expectations now and shock them later! My new way of writing. Really though. At least the ladies on Lipstick Jungle can make me care a bit about them.

A last thought... which TV families/characters did or do you care about? For me, the Cohens (+Ryan) will always be at the top top top of the list. Along with Julie Cooper-Nichol. Heck, I even cared for Jimmy Cooper before they killed his character.
Also, the Taylors, Walkers, Gilmores...the list goes on. Give me a TV character I can care about and be emotionally connected to and I'll be your truest fan. TV with heart. That's all I ask for.

PS- I know I complimented the B&S writers and then two paragraphs later took it away. The thing is I think there's still a lot of good to the show. It's still appointment viewing. I still care about the Walkers and all they are going through each week. I just long for more episodes like Game Night in season one. Die Kitty Die. Remember? Charades. It was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but Kevin was pissed at Kitty and that was his guess. Find that episode and fall in love with Brothers & Sisters.

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