Terrible Analogies

Wow!

The trailer for the upcoming television show The Walking Dead really has me excited. I’m not big of TV in general, and haven’t followed a television show in many, many years (I loved Lost, but only watched it on DVD), but this trailer has me chompin’ at the bit. The acting looks solid, the production is top notch, and with big names attached I don’t see how it can fail.

It’s amazing that a studio is taking a gamble on this.  I’m happy to see that not every production company is gutless.

I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Can’t wait for the 90 minute premier on October 31st!

To kill some time before the big premier, you might want to pick up a copy of World War Z by Max Brooks. This book gets behind the psychology of a global zombie invasion.  I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Books, Television Books, Television

It’s official.  Today marks the 120th day my brother-in-law “borrowed” my copy of Babylon 5 season 1 box set.

Really, it’s not that big of a deal.  The first season really didn’t start to get interesting until episode 13 entitled Signs and Portents.  But man, that episode really solidified this series, launching it into rarified heights reserved only for the greatest of Sci-Fi shows.

And to think that the producers weren’t sure if they would get renewed for a 5th season, so they crammed everything they could into the 4th season to ensure closure.  If you stuck around since the 1st season you were rewarded with some of the best television ever created by the time the 4th season wrapped up.

I’m only telling you this because I’m beginning to jones a bit for a Babylon 5 fix, and I’m hoping that season one will get returned to me soon.  I got me the Jimmy leg.  Hurry up, Shannon.  I’ll trade you for season 2!

Happy Friday, everyone!  Here’s an unrelated picture because…well, just because.

Television tele

I grew up watching Sesame Street.

My parents tell me stories of when I was young, sitting slack-jawed in front of the television, mesmerized by Bert & Ernie, Grover, Big Bird, Harvey Monster and Slimey the Worm.

Some kids grew up on cartoons.  I grew up with Bob and Oscar, Linda and The Count, Susan and Cookie Monster.

On a recent trip to Fry’s, Karin and I stumbled across a Sesame Street DVD collection.  Looking at the pictures of familiar Sesame Street scenes on the cover, we thought it would be nice to have this video in our “baby collection” for Tyler to watch.

And so there we were, Tyler and I, lying on the ground watching Sesame Street on a lazy Sunday afternoon when “Just Because” begins to play.  I hadn’t seen this episode for a good twenty+ years, but it’s always stuck with me as one of the finest examples of television ever produced.  ”Just Because” deals with the death of Mr. Hooper, and how the cast members attempt to explain death to Big Bird who doesn’t quite grasp the concept, insisting that he’ll give Mr. Hooper the picture he drew of him when he gets back.

This was some heady stuff for a kid to absorb.

The emotions on the screen are heartbreakingly real.  The cast members do their best to keep their composure as they try to explain why Mr. Hooper will not be coming back to man the store.  Bob barely manages to keep from breaking down as he tells Big Bird that everyone will miss Mr. Hooper, and that they were better people for having had him in their lives.  David promises that he’ll take over the store and will make Big Bird his birdseed shakes, and that everyone will tell him stories just like Mr. Hooper used to.

Maria can’t hold back tears.  Everyone hugs each other.

Not a dry eye is on the set.

Excuse me…I’m tearing up a bit just typing this…

It’s rare for television to capture a truely honest, human moment in a scripted show. But there it was, forever seared into the minds of those who grew up with Luis and Telly, Gordon and Guy Smiley, Two-Headed Monster and Snuffleupagus, Kermit and Mr. Hooper.

Television Television

Is anybody else watching Top Shot and hoping that one of these guys snaps after being eliminated and goes on a shooting rampage?

Did these contestants have to undergo psychiatric evaluation before being accepted as a contestant on this show?  I mean, if you get one guy…just one that’s a poor loser, that can’t handle being isolated, critiqued, and judged by a small group of his peers before being dismissed from the show for not measuring up to an arbitrary standard agreed upon by the alpha males of the pack, who’s to say that that person being told to go pound sand won’t pick up the nearest loaded weapon of the day and pop a few shots into the  gloating chest of the most convenient target of opportunity?

In my opinion, staging a game show revolving around deadly weapons doesn’t seem to me to be the most responsible thing to do.  Some peoples is crazy.  You can never be too sure who’s going to snap for being belittled…

…but then again, that would make for some great TV.  Who knows.  Perhaps the producers secretly wish that the worst case scenario would come to pass?

If that’s the case, then lock ‘n load Biff.  Lock ‘n load.

Television Television

I don’t know what prompted me to take this picture, but there it was, hiding in a dark alcove on my camera’s memory card, stamped with a date of 02/23/09.  Perhaps I was going to make a subtle yet effective parallel between the substandard educational system and the dearth of viable political candidates in recent elections.  Or perhaps this gentleman simply reminded me of my hippie sister who lives in San Francisco and her disconcerting habit of pulling out her hair and eating it.

Regardless, whatever urge that prompted me to grab my camera and take a picture of this fellow has long since slipped from my mind.  Yet here it remains, forever taunting me:

You, sir, are one sexy beast.  Don’t ever let anyone tell you differently.

Random, Television, Unusual Sightings Random, Television, Unusual Sightings