Holding On to Television

It looks like the potential writers strike may claim the Heroes spin-off. I'm not sure one way or the other on this -- but I think the nature of television now is that a strike can cause a lot more damage to shows than they did in the past. Since repeats aren't as valuable, they can't easily go to those, and for shows that have continuing storylines, a bunch of second-class scripts can kill a show.

We'll see what happens...I can understand why the media companies are struggling so much in what the proper way for people to get paid for what they do with all of the different changes in multimedia and distribution. And the competition is stronger than ever, really.

Ranking Favorite Shows

One of the things that has popped up on Facebook is a list where you can list your favorite television shows and rank them. And being a geeky sort of person, I'm easily seduced by the idea of Making A List. But as I think about it, it's difficult to judge, especially shows-in-progress vs completed-shows.

It's terribly easy for me to say what my favorite show is, after all. And even if you separate old and new Doctor Who into two separate shows, they're both at the top. It's not just another television show, after all, when you've made hundreds of friends and acquaintances because of it. And unlike many shows, I'll watch old episodes at any time.

But really, it is difficult to compare shows-in-progress with shows that are finished. Right now I'm as engaged with Lost and Heroes like I was with Babylon 5 or The X-Files at their peak, and Jekyll is getting the sort of attention that I would have previously given Ultraviolet.

But even as I think Heroes vs Lost discussions are unfair, and I think comparing shows across decades is especially difficult, especially as television productions have matured over the years.

The Return of Lost

I think one of the things that is important to remember about Lost is that they're built around an entire season now. And I think the structure of this season in two batches set up a pattern that I think has frustrated a few people.

But tonight's Lost gave quite a bit more clues about some of the things that might be going on with the Island. I think the real question is one that has been circulating Lost from the very beginning -- how fantastic of a series is it? What are the rules of the universe?

It's one of the most interesting questions about Lost -- and the fact that two and a half seasons into it I'm not really sure what the answer is -- is especially interesting to me.

Spaced

I'm thrilled to see that BBC America is going to show Spaced later this year. The people who made this show moved on to make the funny zombie movie Shaun of the Dead. I've had the Region 2 DVDs for several years, and it's awesome. If you're at all Geeky, it's the story of your life. It's a couple of years old -- one whole episode deals with the disillusionment those of us who grew up with Star Wars found in the prequels, after all.

I'd like to see a Region 1 DVD release happen at some point, but my understanding is that the music clearances are very, very expensive for this country.

The Russell T Davies Solution

I had figured that it would be Bryan Singer, actually, but seeing JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof up for a Star Trek film doesn't really surprise me once I think about it. It's obviously very early days -- and I've got the same view as I did a couple of years ago before Doctor Who returned -- I'll believe it for real once cameras roll...

But still, as a fan of Alias and Lost, I could be ok with them behind a new film. Though I'm not sure if a Kirk/Spock prequel is going to be the right way to go... but we'll see..

Mars to America

The next American remake of a British show is going to be Life on Mars.

Everything I've heard about this series from the BBC is gold, and I'm hopeful that the original version makes it over here at some point. I hope that the American remake to be good, as I certainly think this is a concept that could work really well for this country as well.

And hopefully, ABC is the station to do it -- I'd hope for something with the aesthetic of a Lost or Alias -- though David E. Kelley doesn't really strike me as right for this project, as he tends towards legal dramas and not a weird police drama like this. But perhaps he wants something different.

Alias to finish

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it sounds like Alias is ending after this season.

I've enjoyed the series over the years -- and I suspect that it'll continue to have a good life on DVD. And I'm glad that it's going to get a proper finale rather than silently fade away...

The problem with BBC America

This article is quite fascinating. I don't have access to BBC America, and that's basically because there hasn't been any strong reason to buy a network that shows Benny Hill re-runs continually. (I've never liked Benny Hill.)

But would I want a network that aired Spaced (which admittedly wasn't a BBC series, but BBC America is theoretically about the best of all British television, after all) and the new Doctor Who? You bet.

Though admittedly, my understanding is that the problem is that the UK side wants Doctor Who on a station with wider reach than BBC America. Whether or not that's feasible is a completely different question, no matter how brilliant the new series is.

Britain, Britain, Britain

I highly recommend Little Britain, an odd British sketch comedy show narrated by Tom Baker and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, with occasional appearances by Anthony "Giles on Buffy" Head. It's a hysterically funny series.

In the "how long does it take to get to America" curiousity file, I point out that this DVD originally came out in the UK in October of 2004, and will come out in August of 2005. It's aired on BBC America since 2004, and originally aired on the BBC in 2003. (There has since been a second series.)

Get Lost

Sci Fi Wire and TV Shows On DVD are both saying that Lost is going to appear on DVD this fall, before the second season starts. I'm not terribly surprised by this, as they've done that with Alias recently, and Lost strikes me as a show that might do very well on DVD. Though it's an interesting question whether you'll want to watch the old episodes once questions are answered -- but I suspect that one will, as it's not just about the mystery.

Followers of Rambaldi

followers-of-rambaldi.org
More Alias fun for me to investigate someday. (Have I mentioned this week how frustrating I find it that Alias and Angel are on at the same time? Ok, good.)

TVShowsOnDVD.com
If you, like me, are a big fan of TV shows (both classic and current) being released on DVD.

(Some of the shows I want to see on DVD in Region 1 that haven't already started here: Alias, Angel, Blake's 7, Cupid, Futurama, and others as well...)

tvpicks.net - 2002-03 Fall Schedule Grid
The ever-useful tv grid. Though I'm upset that Alias and Angel are against each other. And, for that matter, Birds of Prey and The Twilight Zone.

tvpicks.net - 2002-03 Fall Schedule Grid
So you can find out when things are.

I'm frustrated that Alias and Angel are scheduled against each other. The TiVo is good for many things, but it can't record two things at once. Especially with Firefly on Friday nights as well.

A place for Alias fans to get their on-line banking done: CREDIT DAUPHINE

A friend had recommended the ABC series Alias recently, so I just watched an episode, and really enjoyed it.

Now I discover that ABC Family Adds 'Alias' to Friday Block, and will be starting the series from the first episode. Excellent.

This looks like an interesting Alias site as well.

A Stethoscope for Your TV - Is there a methodical way to tell when a TV show's kaput? by Robert Knafo is recommending jump the shark as a site that says when a TV show has passed the point of no return....

Yes, it lists Doctor Who, Babylon 5, Buffy and The X-Files -- though I still haven't looked at the entries in detail, I'll do that later when I have more time...