TV review - The Good Place

The Good Place is hilarious television. It’s now on Thursday nights on NBC – thirty minutes of clever dialogue, excellent acting, and super premise. Get caught up and watch it NOW!!!

So, Eleanor (Kristen Bell) finds herself in a new neighborhood in heaven that’s run by Michael (Ted Danson). Supposedly she was an awesome person on earth. But alas, same name, different story. She knows she was “bad” and does not deserve to be there. Totally funny!!!!!

And now her actions seem to be affecting this little piece of heaven.  Her “soul mate”, and ethics professor (played perfectly by William Jackson Harper) has a goal to get her up to snuff, keep the secret, and attempt to not be appalled by her actions.

This is an awesome premise with hysterical writing, great acting, and an all-around good vibe.  I love the flashbacks that show Eleanor being rude and crude. Now in heaven, she does reflect on these scenes and we can see her try to re-write her story. The Good Place  is just a fun sitcom with plenty of material to work with. Please watch. Pray for your souls, and laugh!!!

There's Nothing on the Telly

View Anything Anywhere Anytime 

I remember the huge Magnovox television set in our living room. It was an imposing piece of furniture, not a light flat screen hung on a wall. You had to walk over and actually push a button for power. Then you had to rotate the knob to your three or four channel choices. Click – kachunk, Click- kachunk, Click – kachunk. And the picture was in a grainy black and white. When “they” talk about the “olden days”, it was not awesome, my friends. It was a vast barren wasteland of old dudes smoking and reading us the news.  

Fast forward to the land of color television, and the remote control, and cable, and…and…and satellite TV and Netflix. Oh, the chorus of angels sing Hallelujah. Flat screens, LCD Display, Plasma, High Definition, Surround sound. Home movie theaters. Download to tablets or your phone! A million choices – but is anything good? 

Well, that’s up to you and there are more and more startups on the internet that offer FREE programming. Yes, you can pay for Netflix streaming, but check out hulu.com for alternate free shows. And wait there’s more. I have not actually watched any of these shows, but I’ve read about them, and as your entertainment writer, I wanted you to be aware of what’s out there on the internet or available as apps for your own creative television hookup. It’s limitless.  

www.crackle.com offers old movies, tv shows, and some new creations – Chosen  and Cleaners.  

www.pivot.tv launched in August 2013 and is geared toward ages 18-34. The goal is to spark conversation, inspire change, and illuminate issues. Check it out and take part. Pivot TV seeks viewers to create and upload content.  Host Joseph Gordon-Levitt of HitRecord on TV encourages creativity, whether it’s short film, animation or music.  Other new content are Take Part Live, Jersey Strong, Teach, and Raising McCain.

 

www.comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com is Jerry Seinfeld’s foray into new pop culture. He and comedian pals drive around in expensive cars and talk about whatever they want. It’s quite funny. The lineup starting Jan. 2014 is Patton Oswalt, Howard Stern, Jay Leno, Tina Fey, and Louis CK. You can also check out back episodes.

 

This is only the beginning. I’m sure there are many other sites that offer new programming and creative outlets. I cannot endorse or vouch for family friendly viewing. This is a new frontier. At least there’s always a delete button. Exercise it wisely. And speaking of exercise, maybe I should suggest you set up some of these shows as you walk on a treadmill. Just saying. I know I ate a few too many Christmas cookies.  

Enjoy!

 

Technology Killed This Television

You know you are a redneck when.............

We took this photo as a joke. Yes, the new 39 inch LCD television on top of the over twenty year old RCA console was quite a sight. The new TV is now on a stand.  The poor old RCA was relegated to the curb and ignored. Yep, it was too too old even for free. Of course, unless you have a digital converter box, you couldn't use it. And yes, it cut sports scores off at the top corner. And yes, the picture was old and faded.

But darn it worked. Why did it last so long in our house? Because it was the heaviest sucker in the world. It took Ray and son Chris to haul it out. Then when no one took it, it was an hour of Ray's time to break it apart. Product made more than twenty years ago was solid wood and heavy electronic components with tubes. We couldn't remember the price but it was golden back in its prime. Today's newbie was $329 at Best Buy.

Gotta love the crisp picture, the thin sleek lines, and the remote that works.

Forget loyalty.

More cutting edge stuff - Ray's in Austin (for basketball) not at the cool music scene - SXSW. Gosh I want a t-shirt. And I downloaded a new tune I heard on Songza (fun program like Pandora only no commercials). The song is "I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo" by Capital City. Fun tune and catchy idea - indeed, music is my world more than television (Well, except for Downton).

This has been a wacky post, but technology moves quickly and we have to laugh at it sometimes.

Writer's Revenge

30Rock is truly a location - Rockefeller Plaza, where broadcasting decisions are made daily. The fall television season is gearing up and I'm sure I'll log plenty of time in front of the tube. However, I'm pickier about shows and I notice writer credits. Writers have immense power, and fortunately actors recognize this fact and tend to thank writers when they win awards. Writers have the power to kill.

(WSJ - 8/30/10 p. W1) featured an article about death in prime time. Writers possess a little talked about power: the written word as a way to settle scores, keep high maintenance actors in line, and poke fun at anyone who gave them a hard time in junior high. How true. I've dug deep and used an old nemesis as fodder for a murder in a short story. Or I can make myself the heroine who arrives at Grand Central Station (see above pic) and is discovered as she alights from the train.

Actor Ed O'Neill (Modern Family) said, "Crossing a TV writer is suicide. I've heard many stories of someone getting brutally murdered on a show because they insisted on a bigger trailer." Or writer Steven Bochco said actors have complained that they would never say something. His response is, "Maybe you wouldn't say it, but your character will. He's my character and he's saying it right here." Mr. Bochco points to the script.
I didn't know that I possessed so much power at my fingertips. But as I type this, I realize I can indeed cause enemies to die, cause fiscal harm to old bosses, and resolve unrequited love. All it takes is imagination, and an underlying backbone of repressed stories.

So yes, I write works of fiction. Any character living or dead is a creation. Any resemblance to reality is mere coincidence. Or as Mike Barker (co-creater of American Dad) says, " We're all writers. If we weren't cowards, we'd be actors." (WSJ p.W2)