Bye, Monk...and thanks.

After eight seasons, we bid farewell to Adrian Monk, the obsessive compulsive detective created by Andy Breckman and brilliantly portrayed by Tony Shaloub. Clever plots, great writing, humor and pathos and a strong ensemble cast (especially the great Ted Levine as his captain). The San Francisco locales and wonderful Randy Newman theme were a plus to a show that always entertained and managed the rare feat of going out on top.

I’m sure all those reruns will be welcome channel-surfing accidents many times in the future, though a quality show like this certainly merits a buy. It made me recall a few other television sleuths and cops that I enjoyed for so long that now only live on in reruns and DVDs as well.

TV will always churn out a good cop show, and I’m enjoying a few of them this year. Many of them feature strong ensemble casts with many good characters, as do some of the old favorites below. (Really, was there anyone on Homicide or The Shield that wasn’t great?) But today’s ten-spot pays tribute to Monk and these nine other favorites that I used to set the recorder for, great characters no longer on active duty…

Fox Mulder, The X-Files…unfortunately the series choked on its own logic loopholes, but that was must-watch TV for years and I will still stay up to watch a random rerun.

Frank Pembleton, Homicide…Andre Braugher’s cerebral cop suffered a crisis or conscience as well as a physical disability. No slight to several of the other detectives in that room on one of the best shows television ever aired.

Lenny Briscoe, Law and Order…the quintessential NYC cop on the original version of the franchise. The late great Jerry Orbach was a giant.

Andy Sipowicz, NYPD Blue…originally a second banana to David Caruso’s John Kelly (and Caruso was good on this show), he became the heart and soul of the program. Dennis Franz was every real life cop’s favorite fictional one.

Mike Torello, Crime Story…Dennis Farina was a cop in real life, and although this glossy show only lasted two seasons it boasted an amazing cast and an exciting storyline. Tons of guest stars and ensemble players including a very credible turn from Andrew Dice Clay.

John LaRue, Hill Street Blues…Kiel Martin’s character always had some get-rich-quick scheme going and often fell prey to his weaknesses, but redemption is always a good theme in a police drama and he nailed it… twice.

Arthur Dietrich, Barney Miller…sure, the show was primarily a comedy and Steve Landesberg did more riffing of one liners than actual detective work. But anyone whose dry wit and droll delivery is that perfect is OK by me.

Vinnie Terranova, Wiseguy…Undercover cop, mobster, record label mogul, gun runner; didn’t matter. Ken Wahl brought a strong series to life and was blessed by breakout performances by guest villains Ray Sharkey and Kevin Spacey, among others.

Holland Wagenbach, The Shield…in a precinct full of corrupt cops (most of whom you rooted for), The Dutchman was often the butt of the joke and the target of abuse. But he was the moral center of the unit and a brilliant detective, and once he started to assert himself the character arc got that much more fascinating. Great work by Jay Karnes.

Two reasons I watch The Closer.

Ding-dong, fellow college-age persons! Is this a sick party happening or what? Buddy of mine, Craig, told me that it’s you guys who are the ones who throw the whackest (or is it most whack?) parties on my beat, I mean street. Mind if I come in?

Cool, cool, cool. Cool setup. I really dig the posters. Pink Floyd? Tell me about it, right. Can’t believe Dark Side still holds up after what, thirty-five, thirty-six years? Unbelievable. Who do you guys think rocks the most, Floyd of Zeppelin? Classic debate.

So guys, point me towards the keg! I got to thinkin’ and the thoughts I’m thinking is I’m thinkin’ drinking. Oh. No keg? BYOB eh? Hmmm…novel, novel.

Let me just turn my ballcap around here. There we go.

Well if there’s no beer for a thirsty twenty one or two-year old like myself to drink, then I know another way to get all buzzed up. You know what I’m thinking? A l’il marihuana. Some of that Mary Jane. Ol’ Schedule IV. That goofy green stuff that you can roll like a cigarette or smoke out of a water pipe or bake into brownies and sell to school children. You holding?

No. I’m not a cop.

And frankly, I’m a little offended by the suggestion. Come on bro, dude. I mean dude I’m just trying to get high, man. Get a little wacky off that weird ‘backy, you know?

What do you mean nobody calls it weird ‘backy? That’s what everyone calls it down at the office. Uh, yeah the office. I work at an office. But it’s in the back of like a record store or something. And anyways where I come from, Kitchener, everyone calls it weird ‘backy. That’s like the name for it on the streets or in the dorms in the hash dens or whatever.

Oh, so what? So you guys don’t have hashish dens anymore? Come on. Are you serious? Busting up a place like that used to be a gas. All those stoned hippies just—what? Yeah man, that’s what we call it in Kitchener, guy. When you really hit up a den and inhale some serious hashish smoke it’s called busting it up. Like as in, “Oh man we really busted up that hashish den last night, what an irresponsible time!”

I told you. I’m not a cop.

I’m just one of you guys, you know? Just looking to pal around and get a little nutty. Do some weed and drop the needle on the Floyd and see what happens? What do you mean you listen to Pink Floyd on your iPod?! Come on, guys! How can you even pretend that you’re coming anywhere close to hearing it!

Whew, sorry about that. Still got a bit of pent-up aggression from that game of pick-up frisbee I was particpating in earlier. But it’s like I’m saying. Sure. Sure I look a bit older, and heavier, and my face seems a bit more dour and compromising. But so what? That’s how everyone hangs their head in Kitchener, bud.

And it’s interesting you mention it, being a cop I mean. ‘Cos I was reading the other day in some youth culture rag that a lot of people assume that if you ask a cop if they’re a cop they have to tell you or else it’s like entrapment, right? But really that’s not true at all. It’s much, much more complicated than that.

I mean ‘cos think about it, right? Like remember that episode of Hill Street Blues when Belker and Washington are undercover at the X-rated movie theatre? Well you think if someone, like let’s say the guy selling popcorn, was like, “Oh are you guys cops?” you think they’d just say, “Oh yeah we are and we have to tell you” and then pack up and head home? Wouldn’t make for much of an episode. Wouldn’t make for much of a Thursday night.

What do you mean you don’t know who Detective Sergeant Michael Belker is?

You’re all under arrest.

Our conversation with Jon Burlingame carries over into the second hour as we discuss the new FOX musical drama Glee and the masterful performance of Neil Patrick Harris as emcee of this year’s Emmy Awards telecast. Then Tony Figueroa pays tribute to Peter Falk, Ed Begley Jr., Bill Murray and the 80s sitcom Bosom Buddies during This Week in TV History, while David Krell remembers Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and other shows from NBC’s classic Thursday 10pm lineup:

http://blog.tvconfidential.net/2009/10/04/tv-confidential-sept-21-edition-hour-2-with-guests-jon-burlingame-and-tony-figueroa.aspx

Tonight brings offerings that pose little to no threat to my precious DVR space with the return of two more dry dramas from The CW and the beginning of a new form of “late” night on NBC.

The CW seems to have cornered the market on telling tales of teen trials and tribulations, and while it’s sensational enough for a lot of viewers I’ve yet to find much enjoyment from their line-up both past and present (the snappy snark of Veronica Mars being the only exception). First up is the people-still-watch-this seventh season of One Tree Hill. Limping into the year it will be without breakout star Chad Michael Murray, which makes me speculate this could be the swan song season of the series.

Gossip Girl ad campaign for its second season

Still hot, with its trend-setting cast firmly at the center of the Young Hollywood set and getting constant media exposure, Gossip Girl begins its third season following the pampered prep school kids into their first year of college. Never a series to shy away from creating and embracing buzz (dig the ad campaign from last year) the big news going into this season is main moneyed douche Chuck Bass’s same-sex liplock by episode six. A truly less-than-scandalous story for anyone who finds the “shock” factor of a man-on-man kiss both parochial and passe - plus those who’ve read the GG books (or been conscious while watching any episode) knows the guy started out gay.

With The Tonight Show torch now firmly in the able hands of Conan (CoCo!), Jay Leno takes up his new post weeknights at 10/9pm that seems eerily like his old one (though official reports state that fans of Tonight should expect “big” changes). While Leno will abandon the traditional late-night host’s desk and act as a kind of roving emcee, introducing the work of a team of comics who have gone out in the field to tape pieces, each show will still have a monologue at the top of each show, a guest – Jerry Seinfeld is scheduled for the premiere - and close with his famous “Jaywalking” or headline segments, which will lead directly into local news.

Leno’s show will no doubt be watched heavily during its initial inception, considering his is an experiment for a network that has traditionally seen this timeslot deliver acclaimed scripted hits over the years (ER, Law & Order, Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law), defining it as the gold standard of sophisticated programming. However with the business rapidly changing from what was seen in the ’80s and ’90s, this new approach to primetime is going to be closely monitored by NBC and competitors alike to see if a viable model to future programming has been found.

Not On My DVR, But If You Have Space

• 8/7c – One Tree Hill, The CW
• 9/8c – Gossip Girl, The CW
• 10/9c – The Jay Leno Show, NBC (series premiere)

I’ve mentioned before that I consider St Elsewhere is the greatest medical drama ever seen on TV.

It was a truly groundbreaking show which rewrote the rules for its genre in the same way that its MTM stablemate Hill Street Blues did for the police drama.

Like all medical dramas, the show featured the usual routine patient-of-the-week cases and the day-to-day lives and loves of the staff - from lowly orderlies all the way up to the most senior doctors.

However, it also dealt with many controversial issues that had previously been taboo for primetime network TV, such as rape (shockingly, carried out by one of the show’s main characters) and AIDS (St Elsewhere was the first prime-time US TV show to feature a prominent, regular character with the disease – Mark Harmon’s Dr Robert Caldwell).

In addition, the show had a wicked sense of black humour and a bizarre, playfully surreal streak. The latter was most infamously displayed in the final episode, when it is implied that the entire series was imagined by Dr Donald Westphall ’s autistic son, Tommy.

And it’s Dr Westphall that is the subject of this week’s classic scene. Frustrated at the new management of St Eligius (the proper name of the hospital featured in the show – “St Elsewhere” being a derogatory nickname) and the restrictions that cost-cutting was placing on patient care, he bows out of the show in some style.

Having earlier resigned, Westphall is summoned by his bean-counting new boss Dr John Gideon (played by Deliverance and Robocop star Ronny Cox). After a pointed comment, with an obvious double meaning, about how he collects medical antiques, Gideon offers to help Westphall repair the bridges he burned by resigning and the chance to remain at the hospital – but only if he toes the party line and becomes yes-man for his new corporate masters.

Westphall responds in typically blunt style and in what was an unusually explicit manner for network TV at that time (1987).

I only recently found out that actor Ed Flanders, who so memorably brought Dr Westphall to life, killed himself in 1995, aged 60, while suffering from depression. A sad end for a man who brought so much joy. This, then, is the Choob’s tribute to him:

Cheers

Time to take a stroll down memory lane. 80’s version. For those of you who can actually remember back to an era of shoulder pads, shoe-boots, suspenders, Lip Smackers, stirrup pants, being a Pepper, Just Saying No and Material Girls. So I was checking out a few entertainment headlines for fun and something “80’s” caught my eye. Of course it was shiny. Now, honestly, I’m just as interested in who’s-dating-who, who’s-dumped-who, who-signed-on-to-a-reality-show-just-for-the-money as the next girl. But then I saw, on AOL, one of my faves: A COUNTDOWN. Who doesn’t love a good-old-fashioned-subjective Best Of? I do. So I read on…and the topic was TV shows. Okay. And here’s what they said  -and so I thought I’d see if you agreed with what America Online had to say about the BEST TV SHOWS OF THE 80′S. And which shows made the top 4? According to this poll, it’s not Murphy Brown, it’s not Bosom Buddies, it’s not 21 Jump Street (no matter how much I wish it were), it’s not Remington Steele, nor Fame (although that’s coming back as a movie), nor even Dynasty (this seems just plain wrong). Even Cagney & Lacey didn’t even crack the top ten. But M* A* S* H, did (thank Heavens), as did St. Elsewhere. And as for the top 4? Here goes.  Now I present the findings to YOU. The question being,  do you agree? Would you award these small screen faves the 80’s top honors? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll…

Which is the best TV show of the 80’s?

1) Thirtysomething

2) Moonlighting

3) Hill Street Blues

4) Cheers

Sunday has always, always, always been my favorite day of the week.

No question about it, Sunday rules. From the Sunday New York Times, which I’ve been reading since, I don’t know, ever, to NFL games, sleeping late, and just the whole relaxed vibe of the day, I am totally, madly, deeply a Sunday fan.

This particular Sunday was pretty darn good: Roger Federer and Don Draper made up my the bookends of my day.

First, Mr. Federer. He had a sensational weekend, dispatching Andy Murray, who’s owned Fed lately, in the semifinals Saturday of the Cincinnati hardcourt event (I’m sorry, but I refuse to write out “Western and Southern Financial Group” as the name of the tournament.).

Then on Sunday, Federer barely perspired in slamming Novak Djokovic, 6-1, in the first set, and winning a close 7-5 second set.

Federer was at another level; I once made the comment that, like in “Spinal Tap,” he can raise his game to 11, while everyone else was stuck at 10.

I actually think the win over Murray was more impressive than beating Djokovic, although both opponents have owned Federer of late. Murray came in absolutely rolling, moving past Rafael Nadal (more on him in a minute) to reach No. 2 in the world, and hardcourt is his best surface.

But while Fed may not be the same guy who dominated so easily a few years ago, he’s not the “bum” who struggled to reach the finals of tournaments earlier this year.

He played beautifully against Murray, attacking the Scot’s second serve, powering forehand winners, and just moving about the court like a butterfly on a spring day (sorry to get all poetic on you).

He was perfect from the baseline in both matches; Sunday you could tell Djokovic (who had a fine week himself) had no answer for Federer.

How do you beat Fed when he’s playing like this?

An imagined conversation between player and coach:

Player: So, um, Roger’s serving 120 miles per hour out wide. How do I deal with that?

Coach: I dunno.

Player: His forehand crosscourt is killing me.

Coach: Yeah, try to stay away from that.

Player: His backhand down the line is eating me up.

Coach: Yeah, stay away from that, too

Player: You want me to stay away from his forehand AND his backhand?

Coach: Yep. OK, I’m going to get lunch. Good luck kid.

It’s truly been an amazing turnaround for Federer this year; if you told me in February, after once again losing to Rafa in a Grand Slam final (for the 3rd time in the last four Slams), that Fed would win the French, win Wimbledon, and be a bigger favorite than Tyson over Buster Douglas going into the Open, even I, a huge Fed fan, would’ve laughed.

But man, who’s going to beat him in Flushing Meadows? I see No. 16 coming right around the bend, as the No. 7 train pulls into Queens.

**Now, about Nadal … Here’s the thing about most tennis fans: We can’t bring ourselves to root against either Federer or Nadal. There are no villains here; both guys are likable, incredibly talented, decent champions that a lot of us want them both to do well.

But after watching Rafa in a few matches since his comeback, I’m worried about the Spanish lefty. He’s moving OK, the knees don’t seem to be bothering him, but he’s just missing … something (I’m using italics too much in this post, I’m noticing. Got to cut that out. Wait, was that out loud?).

Take Saturday night, in his semi against Djokovic. Rafa was getting pushed around the court, playing way too much defense. Novak was dictating everything, and Nadal was scrambling just to stay in points. I know it’s his least favorite surface, and he appeared to have his stomach taped (which baffled the ESPN announcers, and me as well), but I don’t think Rafa’s close to 100 percent yet.

Maybe it’s mental, and he’s worried about re-injuring himself. Whatever it is, I don’t like our chances of a Nadal-Federer final, or even semi-final, at the Open.

**One more tennis thought: ESPN, you’re killing me with these tape delays, especially on matches in America, where’s there’s no time difference issue! I avoided the result of Nadal-Djokovic for a few hours Saturday night, and then watched it on ESPN. But first ESPN shows 10-15 minutes of filler, then toward the end of the second set, I KNEW Nadal wasn’t coming back, because ESPN’s programming window was about to close. It didn’t help, at 5-4 Djokovic, when they ran a crawl saying the stupid “NASCAR Now” show was going to be on at 12:09. Gee, anyone think Nadal was making a comeback at that point?

Tape delays take all the surprise away. And I do love surprises.

***OK, on to “Mad Men.” Big fan of the show, have been since the wife and I started watching it three years ago. I will say, though, that I think the amount of hype the show has gotten has been a little ridiculous. I mean, I understand pop culture arbiters fall in love with a show, and the media elite write and talk about it endlessly, but I don’t ever recall so many writers trying to seem “hip” by writing about “Mad Men.” It’s a really good show.

But let’s not put it in there with “Hill Street Blues” and “The West Wing” and “The Sopranos,” yet, OK?

Anyway, after two episodes this season, my reaction is: Eh. Not thrilled with the way it’s started (SPOILER ALERT: Stop reading if you haven’t seen Sunday’s episode. Thank you. We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.)

I feel like the whole British ownership storyline is forced; I don’t really care about it, and I don’t think the writers have done a great job explaining how this will work. I also feel like they’re pushing some of the best supporting characters, like Joan and Ken, out of the way.

But there’s some good stuff brewing, it looks like. They’re finally developing Peggy’s character more; I feel like they’ve never given her enough to do, or shown us more of who she really is.

The writing is still excellent, and every scene the wonderful John Slattery is in makes me smile (Seriously, who’s been in more great stuff than this guy in the last 10 years? He was in “Ed,” which was criminally unloved, he had a nice guest role on “Desperate Housewives” for a while, and now he’s fantastic in every scene he’s in on “Mad Men.” Love this guy.)

I like where they’re going with Betty’s father, and they may even be setting us up for a discussion of Sal’s homosexuality, which ought to be wildly interesting.

If they would just have more bad things happen to Pete, I’d be happy. Man I hate that guy. Can’t he fall down a well or something?

Anyway, step it up, “Mad Men.” You’re better than what you’ve shown so far this year.

This will be the last Fraud Prevention Unit post until Monday, August 10th. I’m going to be out of the office next week.

Of course, when you mention the word “vacation” to most people, their mind instantly leaps to images of mountains, beaches, far-away places.

Not this time.

I think the word “staycation” is dumb (almost as bad as “bromance”), but that’s essentially what I’ll be doing. One of those deals where all you get to do is fix things and clean things. I’ll probably make plans to spend an entire day watching the Lord of the Rings movies straight through, but I’ll only get through the first one.

Actually, I’m looking forward to it. I’ll have time to get some reading and (non-fraud-related) writing done.

I didn’t come prepared with any set topic today, so I’ll leave you with the golden rule of identity theft prevention: never give out personal information to anyone in person, on the telephone or over the Internet, no matter who they claim to be, unless you initiated the contact yourself and there is a clear reason why your information is needed.

Okay, it’s a little long. It’s a work in progress, so maybe I can edit it down later. I can’t just say “never give your information,” because there are times when you have to. Good luck getting an auto loan if you won’t give it out at all.

Until the 10th, have fun and stay vigilant. Or, “Let’s be careful out there,” for those of you who remember Hill Street Blues.

Anthony Doesburg has an interesting NZ Herald article on where internet users stand vis a vis the law.

This is a topic worth being aware of given for example apparent ramifications of some comments on the recent Weatherston case.

Doesburg looks at various facets, but focuses more specifically on blog comments. He quotes Russell Brown in this regard.

A couple of comments in particular drew Adam’s eye:-

there’s a naive belief abroad that you can say anything you like online. High-profile trials such as the Bain and Sophie Elliott murder cases have brought the issue to the fore as some bloggers, and subsequent commenters, feel compelled to give their verdict before the jury’s had a chance. But that’s an issue of contempt of court rather than defamation, and people prone to such recklessness could find the Solicitor-General David Collins gunning for them. He is apparently considering action over online comments about Sophie Elliott’s killer Clayton Weatherston.

Then this on defamation:-

Defamation, on the other hand, is straightforward, as John Burrows, a media law expert, law commissioner and former professor of law at the University of Canterbury, told me a couple of years ago. “The law is the law is the law,” Burrows says, emphasising that the medium in which a defamation is uttered is immaterial. Even just saying something slanderous about a third party in casual conversation is defamatory.

There is no hard-and-fast definition of what is defamatory, but any statement that wrongly harms someone’s reputation can be taken as such. A plaintiff must convince a judge or jury that his or her reputation has suffered, but doesn’t have a case if the defendant can prove the damaging statement is true.

Burrows warns that on that basis, any reckless claims about someone on a website, or in a blog, email, internet forum or podcast, could be defamatory. How a court will look upon it depends on how widely read or heard it is.

It’s a potential minefield for bloggers, particularly if they allow unmediated comments.

It is here that he quotes Russell Brown.

Adam came to the conclusion that we all need to be careful, so as Sergeant Mike Esterhaus used to say:-

SOUNDTRACK: HÜSKER DÜ-Zen Arcade (1984).

When I was younger and more amused by things like this, it amused me that Hüsker Dü’s first three records were a live album an EP and a double album.  They just couldn’t put out a regular old LP?

It also amused me that they put out a song on this disc that was almost as long as their EP and was even almost as long as their Live record.  Such was the difference of Zen Arcade.

In reading about it lately I have learned that it is sort of a concept album (Someone even called it the Quadrophenia of 80s punk).  I gather I simply never paid enough attention to the lyrics to realize that (although it does explain “Hare Krshna”).  There’s also a lot of talk about how influential this disc was.  That may also be true, although I can’t say for sure.

Perhaps the most notable thing is how the disc is not just straight punk. Up to this point the Hüskers had released fast, straight ahead punk.  Distorted guitar and often screaming vocals.  And indeed, Zen Arcade starts off that way “Something I Learned Today” is a classic Hüsker Dü pop punk song.  It’s got a cool opening bassline and super distorted guitars, and yet its got a sing along chorus.  And “Never Talking to You Again” continues Grant Hart’s streak of great catchy punk.  This one includes acoustic guitar, though, just to break things up a bit.  It’s with Track 5 “Dreams Reoccurring” that you know things are going to be very different this time around.  This 2 minute song is full of reversed guitars sounds and all kinds of weird tape mixing.  It’s quite trippy and unlike anything else that the band had done.

As we near the middle of the disc, “Whats Going on Inside My Head” and “Masochism World” are absolute punk vocal shredders (so you know they’re not really going soft).  As the disc ends, “Turn on the News” plays around with recorded Newscasts, not a new concept, but new for them.  And then, of course, the final track, “Reoccurring Dreams,” a reprise of “Dreams Reoccurring” that goes on for 13 minutes of squalling feedback and demented solos (with a cool, if disconcerting, guitar motif).

One of my favorite facts about the disc is that it was all recorded in one take (except for, as the liner notes point out, 2 tracks that started too fast) and there were no overdubs.  It was mastered just as quickly so that the whole thing to about 85 hours to make.  It’s amazing that anything done that quickly can be that good.  But such is the case of this disc.  There’s a clunker or two in the mix, but how could there not be with all that energy bouncing around?

[READ: Week of June 29, 2009] Infinite Jest (to page 151)

After Reading the Infinite Summer site, I see that I got at least one thing wrong.  Mario is in fact not Hal’s younger brother, but is Hal’s older, but not oldest, brother.

I ordered 2 copies of IJ for our library since we did not have any (!).  I’ve been sneaking peeks in the second copy which has the above cover.  And an intro by Dave Eggers, which I enjoyed.

Also, when I dropped my old copy, a whole bunch of small squares of paper fell out: notes that I took the first time through.  I started to look at them but it revealed too much so I stopped.  I’m going to try and read this as purely as possible.

So, surprisingly (or perhaps un-) new characters are coming fast and furious in week two, (up to page 151).

Characters:

Gerhardt Schtitt. The head coach at E.T.A.  Despite certain Nazi-like proclivities, he has proved to be an excellent coach, with a certain fine-tuned-ness to the way that Himself enjoyed tennis.  He enjoys chatting with Mario, ostensibly because Mario is not entirely there, which allows him to open up in ways that he never would to a fully cognizant person.

Uncle Charles Tavis (C.T.).  Avril’s brother.  He appeared in the first week of reading, and makes an appearance here.  He is the current President of E.T.A., and in the opening of the book, he escorted Hal to his interview.

Tiny Ewell. Resident of St. Mel’s Hospital/Detox.

Remy Marathe.  A member of the AFR (French initials for Wheelchair Assassins).  They are anti-O.N.A.N. (which more on in a moment).  Remy is a triple agent.  He is seeking medical help in the U.S. for his wife, but is turned off of the AFR’s attitudes and has flipped from double- to triple-agent.

M. Hugh Steeply.  Marathe’s contact.  He is currently in very bad drag.  We learn that at a later date, Steeply will change his name to Helen and will closely follow the career of Orin as an Arizona Cardinal.

USS Millicent Kent.  Leading female player at E.T.A.  Attempted to seduce Mario, despite his being wholly unaware of what was happening.  The incident was interrupted when Mario laughed hysterically thinking she was trying to tickle him.

More students  from the ETA are introduced.  And will be mentioned shortly.

Plot developments:

This week’s readings focused primarily on two areas: the Wheelchair Assassins and the students at E.T.A.

The Wheelchair Assassins: Marathe and Steeply meet on the top of a mountainside in Arizona (no explanation of how the wheelchair got there).  They discuss the Entertainment that the foreign attache–and now 23 people in total–were killed by viewing.  They suspect that the Entertainment was created by Himself, and was disseminated by Avril (who would sleep with anyone). [At least I THINK that's who they are talking about, I could be wrong].  Although their suspects have no motive.  They also reveal that Monsieur DuPlessis, who was killed by Don Gately in the first section, was one of their agents.  And, there is talk that there may be an Anti-Entertainment designed as an antidote to the Entertainment that killed all those unknowing people.  But they have no evidence of this.

We also learn about The Great Concave.  This is a part of North Eastern United States, that seems to entail the Adirondack Park, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.  We are unclear exactly what has happened here, but it is overrun by feral hamsters and is now under Canadian jurisdiction.

The bulk of the rest of this section focuses on the kids at E.T.A.  It shows them all crashing after a tough practice and also shows the older kids: Hal, Pemulus, John Wayne, etc being Big Buddys to the Littles.  In each of their (twice weekly) buddy sessions, the older kids talk to them, ostensibly to ease their fears.  You get insight into all of the older kids’ characters, and how they handle their responsibility.  Nothing much happens, actionwise, but that’s not the point.

Hal: tells the kids that the reason the staff want you to hate them is so that the kids can form a common enemy which provides a sense of community in an otherwise individual sport.  We get to see most of Hal’s 5 charges and how he feels about all of them. (He can’t stand Evan Ingersoll).

John Wayne: the #2, soon to be #1 player at E.T.A., provides technical answers, which the kids eat up.

Pemulus: shows them card tricks.

Troeltsch: lets them know that yes, the drills are boring and repetitive, but once you get them memorized you become like a machine, and then the more important stuff is less difficult to keep straight.

James Struck: answers a few weird questions from his nervous kids, like, what if you have to fart on the course and you’re afraid it might not be just a fart.

This section also refers twice to the infamous Footnote Endnote 304.  This footnote endnote does not appear properly for several hundred more pages, but two footnotes endnotes in the Marathe passages suggest you go check it out.  The Footnote Endnote is all about the Wheelchair Assassins (and is set up as James Struck researching this information for a paper).  The history of the Wheelchair Assassins is fascinating.  They are a very radical separatist group (most Quebecker separatists just want to secede Quebec from Canada and remove the anglo language), the AFR want to return the Reconfigured section of the Great Concave (that is now part of Canada) back to the US, and they want Quebec to secede from the O.N.A.N.*

*Footnote Endnote 304 also reveals that the O.N.A.N stands for the Organization of North American Nations (and is dominated by America).  It cannot be lost on DFW that the initials themselves are a humorous joke about masturbation.

The footnote endnote continues that although there is no awareness of a direct link from the Wheelchair Assassins to the activity that put most of their members in a wheelchair, this “contest” is indisputable: it is called The Cult of the Night Train.  It involves 6 kids jumping across a railroad track (from one end of the tie to the other) while a train barrels down on them.  The last person across wins.  Clearly, there are a lot of accidents, and many become Wheelchair Assassins.  But whither the connection?

Back to the projects of Boston. This (new?) writer seems to be texting and is using a very difficult writing style.  In this sequence we find that several of the kids like C, Poor Tony (a cross dresser, and likely gay) and yrstruly (the author) run around the Boston area robbing and sometimes killing people for money.  They then go to Chinatown to buy heroin.  In a previous incident, Poor Tony crossed Wo, the man who runs the “tea” house.  Wo, in an attempt to get even with Poor Tony’s crew, laced the skag with Drano, killing C.  yrstruly decides to go straight from there.  Although the entire section is hard to digest, there’s some funny things.  And the writing, like, “none of his brothers unquot” (with no opening quote mentioned) seems very authentic for young kid speak (circa 1996 anyhow).

We are also introduced to the Ennet House Drug and Alcohol Recovery House.

Humorous nonsense:

This week’s reading contained a lot of very funny, seemingly unrelated sections.  The are (apparently) unrelated to any plot but are a real joy to read.

There’s a hilarious email that is sent from Murrayf to an unknown recipient.  It is absolute slapstick nonsense.  It involves an insurance claim from a 75 kg man who tried to lower a 900 kg barrel of bricks via a pulley system on the ground.  He goes up, the bricks go down, and hilarity ensues (for us, not for him).  There is no context for this email.

There’s also an interesting paper from Hal in 7th grade concerning the merits of Chief Steve McGarrett of Hawaii Five-0 vs Captain Frank Furillo of Hill Street Blues, and how the police procedural changed from the 1970s to the 1980s.  It has interesting observations and insights, including how McGarrett simply did his job, solving crime (acting), but Furillo is stuck in bureaucratic nonsense, with lots of other characters asking things from him (reacting).  Hal speculates about what future police shows will be about.

An article by Helen Steeply about the woman who received the first heart transplant.  She was killed when the purse in which she carried her artificial heart was snatched by an unknown assailant (who turns out to be Poor Tony, but the author never realizes this).  When her purse was snatched, she chased after the man in drag shouting, “She stole my heart” much to the whimsy of the spectators.  Until she drops dead.

Finally, we get a lengthy discourse (author unknown) about the rise and subsequent demise of videophones.  It is written in three sections as if it were a report.  At first people were excited about video phones.  But it slowly dawned on them that people could watch them while they were talking on the phone.  This meant they had to pay attention.  Clever entrepreneurs started selling masks that people could wear for speaking on the phone.  This grew exponentially, preying on people’s insecurities until finally people bought full body coverings of professionals actors to place in front f their phones while they hid and went abut their own business while talking.  Eventually people decide to just go back to the old voice-only phone.  Hilarious!

Some Observations:

Some observations: I was reading on the infinitesummer site that one of their guest reviewers didn’t care for a footnote endnote that began “in other words.”  Although that wasn’t the whole thing he didn’t like about it, I wanted to address this very issue of footnotes endnotes and, as in one section of the book where the narrator is “I,” but is unnamed, the nature of just who is writing this book: I love the idea that there is “somebody” writing this book, although I’m not sure what in all they ware writing.  It is almost written as a term paper or some other intellectual property that implies that the footnotes endnotes are not DFW’s but someone else’s.   Perhaps it is Hal, but perhaps not, as Hal is often seen in the third person.  It brings a whole new level of meta- to the story that I didn’t realize was there, and it gives justification for the footnotes endnotes (not that he needed it) in a way that makes them more than just a thing to put in a book.  For example, Footnote Endnote 304 is written from the POV of an omniscient narrator, following Struck as he plagiarizes his term paper.  And Footnote Endnote 19, when referring to the French initials for V.I.P. reads, “‘Une Personne de l’Importance Terrible,’ presumably.”  Presumably?

Chronology:

Two new years are added (Purdue Wonderchicken & Maytag Whisper-Quiet), along with some chronology of the Subsidized years.  Thus far we know:

• Before Subsidation
• Year of The Whopper
• Year of the Tucks Medicated Pad
• Year of the Trial Size Dove Bar (James I commits suicide)
• Year of the Purdue Wonderchicken (Hal in 7th grade)
• ?
• ?
• Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment

still unsure chronologically:

Year of the Dairy Products from the American Heartland
Year of Glad (Hal applies to College)
Year of the Whisper-Quiet Maytag Dishwasher
Year of the Yushityu 2007 Mimetic-Resolution-Cartridge-View-Motherboard-Easy-to-Install Upgrade for Infernatron/InterLace Tp Systems for Home, Office or Mobile**

**This hilariously named Year is the cause for Avril Incandenza to create the Militant Grammarians of Massachusetts, an organization we will no doubt hear from in the near future.

Overall:

Some things are frustrating: trying to keep all these people straight, trying to figure out who the hell is talking, flipping to the back of the book for footnotes endnotes (even though I do love them) and even the batty chronology.  And yet for the most part I’m totally hooked.  In fact, I finished this week’s reading on Wed and although I don’t want to read ahead, it’s going to be hard to keep my hands off the book!

When I read it last time, I recall not being able to put it down, and that’s how I feel this time too, as id the book is  the Entertainment itself!

For ease of searching I include: Husker Du

Y hablando de TV, ¿que pasa con la saga The Wire en DVD? Una serie que me perdí en su difusión televivisa, y que ante las recomendaciones de los foros, decidí que había que seguir. Conseguí que me regalaran las dos primeras temporadas de esta magnífica serie de polis de Baltimore y hace tiempo que no se sabe nada de la tercera. La Tercera tiene que estar a punto de caer, pero es que el retraso es considerable. Y necesito como un yonki nuevas historias de trapichas, polis perdedores, yonkis, polis corruptos, bandas y demás personal de los bajos fondos de la ciudad portuaria. Sin duda, la mejor serie de polis desde Hill Street Blues.

Gracias a un comentario que me han dejado en el post anterior, llego al blog de Sunne, quien habla de una de esas escenas que definen la grandeza de una serie.

During the recent Social Living Top 5 craze on Facebook (are you my friend yet. If not, click here), I was confronted with the urge to list my five all-time favourite TV series. Topping my list was Hill Street Blues — not because it is intrinsically superior to my other all-time favourite TV dramas, such as The West Wing or Homicide: Life On The Streets, but because it was the first TV show other than Sesame Street I truly, deeply loved.

From the moment the female CB radio voice would dispatch the cops from the Hill Street precinct to another venue of malfeasance to the last note of Mike Post’s beautiful theme, I’d be mesmerised by the chaos and overlapping storylines.

Hill Street Blues did not invent the ensemble TV series, but it invested into the characters multi-dimensional complexity. Detective Neal Washington was my favourite character, but the most interesting of the lot was his partner J.D. LaRue (played by the late Kiel Martin), a man whose best attempts at being virtuous were undercut by his human frailties. Before Hill Street Blues, the viewer was not meant to root for flawed characters. But I rooted for LaRue.

Hill Street Blues could shock us, not only with its harsh depiction of the realities of urban decay, but also by the use of severe dramatic devices. When Joe Coffey (played by Ed Marinaro) died in the line of duty mid-series, it came as a sharp shock to the viewer. It was as unexpected to us as it was to the characters to whom we had grown close.

Every show has its moral centre. Hill Street Blues had several moral centres, all of them in some way or other flawed. Sometimes there would be conflicting moral centres — often embodied by the lovers, Captain Frank Furillo and public defender Joyce Davenport. Furillo was not as complex as most of his underlings. He was a leader because he knew what he stood for. Of all TV characters, he reminds me of my father, not physically but in his exacting but essentially kind demeanour, honour and pragmatism.

The Hill Street Blues theme is also one of my all-time favourite title tunes. It was written by Mike Post, who scored several other Steven Bochco shows, including L.A. Law, NYPD Blue and the criminally underrated Murder One. He also wrote such great themes as those for the wonderful Quantum Leap, Magnum PI, Law & Order, The Rockford Files, CHiPS and Doogie Howser, MD. The distinctive guitar on the Hill Street Blues theme is by fusion musician and one-time Crusaders member Larry Carlton, who played the solo on Steely Dan’s Kid Charlemagne.

Mike Post – Hill Street Blues Theme (full version).mp3
Mike Post – Hill Street Blues Theme (title version).mp3

I’m onto Series 3 of the Wire and my great concern is that the theme tune is getting worse and worse.  Does this continue, was it really up to having so many variations on a theme? Couldn’t they have got Mike Post, Bob James, Dave Grusin, Mezzoforte or Shakattak to knock something suitable up? I mean the Rockford Files had a great theme tune and they just stuck with it, so did Hill Street Blues.  I didn’t have to use the subtitle option on those shows either. Weird because apparently the whole cast are English.

I last set foot in the Douglas Corner Cafe in about 1982, when it was just a crumbling dive with a juke-box that always seemed to be playing George Jones or John Anderson (“swangin’ with Lil’ Charlotte”). Now it’s a crumbling dive with a stage and state-of-the-art sound system, where you can see outstanding live performances by the likes of the Frank Sheen Blues Band – as we did last night.  It was a trip back in time, to those Thursday nights when

my grad school cohorts and I would gather at the nearby  run-down $135/month duplex apartment of our friend the Kierkegaard scholar, watch Hill Street Blues, then amble over to the D.C. for beers and conversation (and the juke-box). No cover.  We were ironic about it, as I recall – as we were about pretty much everything then – it just seemed like such a cliche Nashville experience. But the view from 2009 is different: less ironic, more wistful. Twenty-seven years, passed in a flash – or so it seemed, sitting there last night in “Nashville’s premier music venue.” Time and memory are merciless, they don’t stop while you’re busy with other things. As the (British) front man replied to his own question “Are you all having a good time?” -

“It’d be a bloody waste of time if you’re not, wouldn’t it!”

Sure would.

In today’s world, with information at our fingertips, there is no excuse for making stupid typos on important documents.  It’s a simple principle. When creating an item that is hyper-critical in setting a first impression, an item that will be used by the recipient to recall who you are, make sure to do some basic checks on the internet to ensure everything is correct. It’s straightforward, easy, and literally takes no time.

It wasn’t always this simple. When I was growing up, determining the proper use of a word, say “principle v principal“, was a challenge.  The best resource – and most prescribed – was the dictionary.  But after dead-lifting the book, flipping through thousands of pages, and referencing the word in question, in all reality, I would come away unsure.

I knew my Dad was not an option.  My Mom was a good a resource, at least she wouldn’t yell at me for asking.  “Dad, what’s the proper use of principle?”  “Shut up, I am watching Hill Street Blues!!!”

So, in the end, I had to rely on my interpretation of dictionary speak and hope I was right.

But today, we simply need to Google.  I can freaking Google from anywhere.  One in 4 people on the street have an iPhone (don’t question, it’s a fact).  If I have a question, I just need to ask 4 people, and Google will be there to provide an answer.

Yet, we continue to make mistakes with simplest yet most obvious of things. A few weeks ago, players from the Nats (full name: Washington Nationals), actually played in a game with the team’s name misspelled.

Type “principal” into Google and the fourth option is Wiktionary.  Right near the top of the page, below the first definition, it states:

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with principle.

Type “principle” into Google, a little further down result the page, Wiktionary is again there to provide an answer.  This time Wiktionary is even more direct:

Usage notes

Principle (moral rule) is often confused with principal (most important.) Consult both definitions if in doubt.

Great advice Wiktionary. I am always in doubt.  Fuck man, I triple check the spelling of my name before sending an email. So I am going to consult every resource I have at my fingertips before committing to a usage of principle/al.

So I guess what I am saying is, no one has any excuse to make stupid mistakes – like the usage of principle v principal – on an important item that could be a success factor in what ever business you are doing.

By the way, do any of you know any early stage businesses that need help but don’t care about the little things (you know, the little things like the premise of this article)?

If you do, let me know, because I got 500 of these business cards to get rid of:

I like jazz-funk (Spyro Gyra, David Sanborn, Lonnie Liston Smith, Joe Sample, Yellowjackets, Manu Katche) and I used to wear white towelling M’n'S socks with my loafers, so I guess it means after I die I’ll be sent to the eternal downward elevator playing Bob James’  Theme from Taxi stuck on repeat.  In the meantime I’ll enjoy this CD on my own in the car on the M1, like a travelling salesman where, no one will hear my shameful humming along or see my smile.  You do have to have your finger ready on the skip button though to get through some of the tracks with very nasty early 80s synth sounds – and those awful, unneccesary, string arrangements – yikes!  However Nautilus, Tappan Zee, Westchester Lady have some great playing on them.

I blame Robbie Vincent.

Here’s something else that’s awful but true, I like Mike Post’s theme tunes – Hill Street Blues anyone? Rockford Files?

CD: Bob James: The Very Best of Bob James | Music | The Guardian.

Pense nas dez séries mais premiadas da história do Globo de Ouro. Arriscaria um palpite? Seinfeld? Six Feet Under? Com certeza não. Arquivo X? Sopranos? Sim, sim, talvez. M*A*S*H? Definitivamente!

Pesquisando os prêmios do Globo de Ouro, imaginem minha surpresa ao descobrir que M*A*S*H, com nada menos do que oito estatuetas, encabeça ao lado de Sex and the City e All in the Family (!), a lista das séries mais vencedoras da premiação que incluem programas para lá de bizarros como, por exemplo, o The Carol Burnett Show. Oito estatuetas pode parecer pouco para as três séries mais vitoriosas do Globo de Ouro, mas se pensarmos que a premiação tem bem menos categorias para televisão do que o Emmy e que em algumas categorias ainda concorre junto com o cinema (como os coadjuvantes), oito acaba se tornando um bom número.

O Globo de Ouro é uma premiação norte-americana criada em 1944 que visa premiar os melhores filmes e os melhores programas de televisão do ano. Não é a toa que é considerado uma prévia do Oscar: a audiência e sua tradição perdem apenas para a festinha dos tios da Academia e para o Grammy, respectivamente. A premiação, que tradicionalmente acontece no começo de todo ano, é baseada quase que por completo, nos votos de mais de 80 veículos jornalísticos de Hollywood.

Apesar do primeiro Globo de Ouro ter sido em 1943 e ter ido parar nos estúdios da 20th Century Fox, foram apenas 12 anos depois, em 1956, que surgiram na cerimônia os prêmios para os melhores da televisão. Porém, a coisa era ainda um pouco confusa, com prêmios diferentes a cada ano, sem um padrão ano após anos. Apenas em 1970, foi estabelecido o conceito que conhecemos hoje, o de Melhor Drama, Comédia/Musical, Ator, Atriz, Ator e Atriz coadjuvante. Ou seja, pode-se dizer que a história do Globo de Ouro para os aficionados por televisão tem apenas 39 anos.

Partindo desse princípio, criei uma lista com as dez séries mais vitoriosas de todos os tempos (que na verdade são 11 – calma aí que já explico) na categoria televisão. Saiba qual foi a primeira série a ganhar o prêmio, qual série mais ganhou, com quem ela concorria, quais eram as expectativas e muito mais!

Sopranos, Arquivo X, L.A. Law, Dinastia, Alice e The Carol Burnett Show

Em último lugar, com cinco votos para cada, temos seis séries. Com isso, o TOP 10 acaba virando TOP 11, pois acima dessas seis, empatadas, temos cinco séries com mais do que cinco estatuetas.

The Carol Burnett Show

De todas as dez séries, a primeira a ganhar o prêmio de melhor série (no caso programa) foi The Carol Burnett Show, em 1971, humorístico ao vivo – diferente da maioria dos programas da época que eram pré-gravados) apresentado por Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence e Lyle Waggoner que levou ao ar originalmente na CBS 278 episódios entre 1967 a 1978.

O programa, longe de revolucionário, era até bem bacana e apresentou alguns quadros inesquecíveis como “Went with the Wind”, paródia de “E O Vento Levou” onde Burnett representava Scarlett O’Hara.

A série original acabou tendo outras versões caça-níqueis como “Carol Burnett and Friends” e “Carol & Company”, duas tentativas frustradas por parte da CBS e NBC, respectivamente, de repetir o sucesso do original. Em 1991, a CBS ainda tentou fazer um revival do programa, trazendo-o de volta para uma nova temporada. Resultado? Fracasso absoluto e apenas nove episódios exibidos.

Em seu auge, The Carol Burnett Show, que chegou a ter participações muito especiais como as de Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minelli, Cher e Vincent Price, era difícil de ser batida. Com cinco Globo de Ouro debaixo do braço, ganhou consecutivamente o prêmio de melhor atriz de comédia em 77 e 78 e também consecutivamente o prêmio de melhor ator coadjuvante 75 e 76.

Apesar dos cinco prêmios na bagagem, a estatueta de Melhor Série de Comédia foi levada pelos comediantes apenas em 1971, mesmo ano em que a série Missão: Impossível estrelada por Martin Landau sagrava-se vitoriosa em Melhor Drama.

Alice

Exibida pela primeira vez em 1976, Alice foi uma sitcom de grande sucesso. Estrelado por Linda Lavin no papel-título e exibida pela CBS, era baseada no filme vencedor do Oscar de Melhor Atriz, Alice Não Mora Mais Aqui, de 1974.

Alice contava a historia de uma mulher que após a perda de seu marido, resolve sair de New Jersey com seu filho e viajar de carro para Los Angeles, na esperança de se tornar uma cantora de sucesso. Com o carro quebrado em Phoenix e sem dinheiro para o conserto, Alice arruma um emprego como garçonete na lanchonete Mel’s Diner e de lá só sairia novamente em 2 de julho de 1985, quando foi ao ar o último episódio da série.

Mesmo com a forte concorrência da antológica série Taxi, que venceu o Globo de Ouro três vezes consecutivas de 1979 a 1981 na categoria Melhor Série de Comédia, Alice não se intimidou, “roubou” metade do Globo de Ouro de 1980, quando ao lado da série de Andy Kaufman, também consagrou-se vencedora na categoria Melhor Comédia.

No ano anterior, 1979, apesar de Taxi ter faturado o prêmio de melhor série, foi Alice quem faturou o de melhor atriz e melhor atriz coadjuvante. No primeiro prêmio, Linda Lavin desbancou a própria Carol Barnett, favorita naquele ano. Já na segunda estatueta, Polly Holliday, que concorria por sua popular personagem Flo em Alice, desbancou Marilu Henner, uma das protagonistas de Taxi.

Voltando para 1980, a história parecia fadada a se repetir. Na categoria de Melhor Série, que Taxi ganhava pela segunda vez consecutiva, também concorriam entre outras, Alice e M*A*S*H. Mas se Taxi desbancou M*A*S*H, Alice desbancou Taxi. E novamente nas categorias de Melhor Atriz e Melhor Atriz Coadjuvante. Dessa vez, o páreo de Linda Lavin era acirrado: de um lado, Jean Stapleton, protagonista de All in the Family, do outro, Loretta Swit, a major Margaret Houlihan de M*A*S*H. Já na categoria coadjuvante, novamente Polly Holliday contra Marilu Henner. E novamente deu Holliday.

Dynasty

Um dos maiores equívocos da televisão é a soap opera (mais novela do que seriado – vide Desperate Housewives) Dinastia, famosa por seus cliffhangers e erros de continuidade.

Exibida pela ABC de 1981 a 1989, Dinastia tinha seus conflitos em torno de duas famílias de Denver, Colorado que se odiavam: Carringtons e Colbys.

A primeira temporada teve audiência consistente, mas foi apenas no segundo ano da série, mais especificamente em sua season premiere, que Dinasty decolou, abrindo com o episódio “Enter Alexis”, um clássico, onde o personagem misterioso da primeira temporada retirava seus óculos escuros revelando a atriz inglesa Joan Collins (muito Ugly Betty, isso).

Alguns episódios depois a série já estava no topo da audiência figurando sempre no Top 20 da Nielsen. Em 1985, na quinta temporada, alcançou o apogeu conquistando o primeiro lugar na audiência e ganhando convidados para lá de luxuosos como o ex-presidente americano Gerald Ford – também não é para tanto, nos EUA tudo quanto é político participa de seriado. Mas na mesma velocidade em que os números subiram, eles declinaram: com o revival de comédias que se estabelecia na época (Cosby Show, Cheers etc.) Dynastia acabou perdendo o primeiro lugar para nunca mais voltar ao topo.

Apesar de todos os altos e baixos, a série teve uma carreira de sucesso nos Globo de Ouro. Levou cinco estatuetas para casa, incluindo a de Melhor Série de Drama em 1984, quando bateu a concorrência de Hill Street Blues – vencedora nos dois anos anteriores. O grande feito da novelinha talvez tenha sido conquistar estatuetas em três anos seguidos – 1982-1984. Em 82, Linda Evans deu o primeiro troféu da premiação ao programa ao vencer o prêmio de Melhor Atriz em Drama empatada com Barbara Bel Geddes, sua concorrente direta em Dallas. 1983, era uma incógnita: com grandes séries como M*A*S*H, Hill Street Blues, Dallas, Magnum, Cheers e Fame na disputa, Dynastia saiu no lucro ao levar para casa duas estatuetas: as de melhor ator e atriz de drama para John Forsythe e Joan Collins, respectivamente.

Em 1984, além do prêmio de Melhor Drama do ano, John Forsythe viria a ser coroado novamente como melhor ator do ano em drama.

Sua grande contribuição para a TV foi o surgimento de um personagem gay – que tinha até amante – em uma trama noturna de grande audiência, fazendo com que as pessoas olhassem para a situação dos gays em plena era da AIDS.

L.A. Law

Criada por Steven Bochco, criador de Nova York Contra o Crime (NYPD Blue), L.A. Law pode ser considerada a mãe das séries de tribunal e sem dúvida, dá um show em qualquer criação de David E. Kelley, que participou aqui como escritor e produtor executivo e alcançou a glória com Emmys de Melhor Roteiro em 1990 e 91.

Vencedora de cinco estatuetas do Globo de Ouro, a série teve uma longa duração de nove temporadas e é considerada até hoje uma das séries mais populares do final da década de 80, início da de 90.

Mostrando o dia-a-dia de uma firma de direito de Los Angeles, a série deu bastante sorte em 87 e 88 quando venceu consecutivamente o prêmio de Melhor Drama do ano barrando concorrentes como Murder, She Wrote, drama/suspense que havia vencido também consecutivamente o prêmio de melhor série de drama nos dois anos anteriores.

Ainda no ano de 1988, talvez na maior zebra daquele ano, L.A. Law consagrou a atriz Susan Dey, vencedora do prêmio de Melhor Atriz de Drama, batendo a favorita da noite, Angela Lansbury (de Murder, She Wrote). Já em 1989, a historia se fadava a repetir e Jill Eikenberry acaba saindo-se a grande vencedora da noite na mesma categoria, batendo de novo Lansbury.

1990 e 1991 foram os grandes anos de Cheers e Twin Peaks e L.A. Law acabou saindo um pouco dos holofotes. Apenas em 1992 a série retornou como favorita em alguma indicação: Amanda Donohoe levou a estatueta de Melhor Atriz Coadjuvante, derrotando as protagonistas de The Golden Girls e Cheers.

L.A. Law durou até 1994 e acumulou diversos prêmios em sua bagagem, incluindo três Emmys consecutivos de Melhor Série de Drama entre 1989 e 1991.

Quem já viu L.A. Law sabe que David E. Kelley vem copiando pequenas coisas da série em todas as séries.

Arquivo X

Arquivo X, uma das grandes séries de todos os tempos, é uma criação de Chris Carter e foi ao ar pela primeira vez em setembro de 1993. O seriado é considerado um dos primeiros hits da Fox americana e ficou famoso por emplacar slogans mundialmente famosos na cultura pop como “The Truth Is Out There”, “Trust No One”, “Deny Everything” e “I Want to Believe”, como Heroes hoje em dia com o seu precoce “Save the cheerleader, save the world!”.

A série rodava em torno da vida dos agentes Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) e Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), responsáveis pelas investigações dos chamados “arquivos x”, arquivos marginalizados pelo FBI devido a seu conteúdo paranormal. Duchovny fazia o papel do agente de mente aberta enquanto a personagem de Anderson havia sido originalmente transferida para o departamento para investigar as ações do trabalho inconvencional de Mulder. Apenas originalmente, pois mais tarde eles acabam virando parceiros, amigos e, bem… marido e mulher.

O auge da série foi no meio dos anos 90 e depois de cinco temporadas a série ainda gerou um filme de sucesso (“Arquivo X: O Filme”) para depois encerrar com mais quatro temporadas e um outro filme: “Arquivo X: I Want to Believe”. Nas duas últimas temporadas, a série teve um significante declínio, principalmente pelo esgotamento criativo dos roteiristas que não sabiam mais onde levar aquelas personagens e pela vontade de Duchovny de sair da série para se dedicar a sua carreira no cinema.

Na época de seu episodio final, em maio de 2002, Arquivo X era em toda a história, a série de ficção cientifica a mais tempo no ar (nove temporadas e 201 episódios) mas eventualmente perdeu o posto para Stargate SG-1. É considerada pelo TV Guide como a série de maior culto de todos os tempos, atrás apenas da franquia Star Trek. Estamos falando de um culto americano, pois mundialmente falando, perderia para Dr. Who e O Prisioneiro.

A carreira de Arquivo X no Globo de Ouro teve quatro anos de duração, sendo que em três, sendo eles 1995, 97 e 98, a série saiu-se vitoriosa na categoria Melhor Série de Drama. Em 95, a concorrência não era lá essas coisas e a série só teve que passar por cima de ER.

Em 97, houve a grande consagração da série, que levou para a Fox os três mais importantes prêmios da noite. Na categoria de melhor drama, 95 se repetiu, só que aqui a disputa foi mais apertada, mas não com ER e sim com Party Of Five que havia vencido na categoria no ano anterior. Em Melhor Ator, Duchovny passou de bom ator para grande celebridade do ano ao vencer ninguém menos do que George Clooney que concorria por ER. Interessante aqui, é que quem também concorria na categoria, era Lance Henriksen, protagonista de Millennium, série também criada por Carter. Já em Melhor Atriz, Gillian superou a incrível Christine Lahti que começava a se destacar por seu papel em Chicago Hope. Um dia inesquecível para qualquer “excer”.

O final ainda estava longe, assim como seu declínio, mas 98 chegou e foi o último ano que ganhou alguma coisa na premiação. Sem os prêmios de Melhor Ator e Atriz, parecia que Arquivo X sairia com as mãos abanando, já que dessa vez era a série que corria por fora no prêmio de Melhor Drama enquanto ER e Law & Order disputavam os holofotes. Doce engano. Somava ali, sua quinta e última estatueta na premiação.

The Sopranos

Uma das séries mais importantes dos últimos anos The Sopranos é ambientada na terrível New Jersey. O seriado mostra o dia-a-dia de Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), ítalo-americano que tem como desafio comandar duas famílias. De um lado, sua mulher, seu filho e sua filha. Do outro, a máfia. Grande marco da HBO ao lado de Six Feet Under, a série estreou no final da década de 1990 para no ano seguinte já conquistar quatro estatuetas do Globo de Ouro.

Desde que foi ao ar em 1999, o seriado se tornou um fenômeno cultural ganhando popularidade pelo mundo ao mostrar com exatidão a comunidade ítalo-americana, os efeitos da violência e a tênue linha que divide o certo e o errado na sociedade.

Além da notável habilidade de atuação por parte do elenco, alguns atores também se destacam por um lado mais negativo: o de quando a vida imita a arte. Como exemplo, o ator Robert Iler, que da vida a Anthony Jr., que em 2001, foi preso por assaltar à mão armada dois turistas brasileiros. O ator foi condenado a quinze anos de prisão, mas por ser menor de idade e ter alegado culpa, ganhou uma condicional de três anos.

Sopranos começou com o pé direito no Globo de Ouro. Em 2000, levou para casa os principais prêmios da cerimônia: Melhor Drama, Melhor Ator de Drama e Melhor Atriz de Drama, sem falar no prêmio de Melhor Atriz Coadjuvante. Sem dúvida a maior concorrente da série no ano, era a premiada The West Wing, porém, o prêmio ficou mesmo com James Gandolfini.

Na categoria feminina parecia certo que o prêmio iria para Sopranos. A verdadeira questão, era para quem: Edie Falco ou Lorraine Bracco, que interpretavam Carmela Soprano e Dra. Jennifer Melfi, respectivamente. No fim, melhor para Falco. Ainda em 2000, o show levou outra estatueta: a de Melhor Atriz Coadjuvamente, pelo brilhante papel de Livia Soprano, mãe de Tony, interpretado pela incrível Nancy Marchand.

Com os anos seguintes monopolizados por The West Wing e Six Feet Under, Sopranos acabou levando apenas mais uma estatueta: Melhor Atriz em Drama, de novo para Falco, em 2003, derrotando nomes como Jennifer Garner e Rachel Griffiths.

Cheers

Cheers estreou na NBC em 1982 e tinha como ponto de partida um bar de Boston onde um grupo de pessoas se reunia para beber e se divertir. Quase cancelado ainda em sua primeira temporada devido a péssima audiência, os produtores apostaram um pouco mais e Cheers acabou durando 11 temporadas e 273 episódios.

Vencedora de 26 Emmys, a série teve uma bela carreira no Globo de Ouro, sendo a quarta maior vencedora da história da premiação, e responsável pela consagração de Kelsey Grammer que interpretava a personagem Frasier, que eventualmente ganhou seu próprio show. Frasier também teve passagem pelo Globo de Ouro com dois prêmios para o próprio Grammer na categoria Melhor Ator em Comédia.

Os anos dourados de Cheers foram 1990 e 1991. Porém, foi em 1983 que a série ganhou pela primeira vez. Concorrendo com nomes de peso como Loretta Swit de M*A*S*H, Shelley Long não era favorita por ser o primeiro ano de Cheers no evento, mas a zebra rolou e Long venceu, dando a Cheers não apenas sua primeira estatueta no Globo de Ouro, mas a primeira na historia do seriado em premiações.

Em 1985, a série levou um prêmio mais importante: o de Melhor Atriz de Comédia. O engraçado aqui, é que novamente a vencedora foi Shelley Long, já que os produtores resolveram apostar e indicá-la como Melhor Atriz, uma vez que sua personagem havia crescido consideravelmente de importância durante os anos.

Depois de um longo sumiço, em 1990 a série voltou a figurar entre as vencedoras ao levar o prêmio de Melhor Ator em Comédia, faturado por Tad Danson que desbancou o grande favorito da noite, o grandalhão John Goodman, que concorria por Roseanne.

Sem dúvida, 91 foi o grande ano para Cheers no Globo de Ouro que faturou a tríplice coroa: Melhor Série, Ator e Atriz de Comédia. Na categoria de melhor ator, Danson novamente superou Goodman (e Burt Reynolds!) e levou a melhor. Já em Melhor Atriz, a vencedora foi Kirstie Alley por Cheers, ela mesma, de Fat Actress e Veronica’s Closet.

Murder, She Wrote

Apesar de ter sido um sucesso em sua época, vencedora de seis Globo de Ouro, série de suspense de maior longevidade da história, e ter tido doze temporadas, Murder, She Wrote sempre foi renegada pela crítica.

Murder, She Wrote era assim: uma série de suspense sobre Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), famosa escritora de romances policiais que sempre, e por sempre eu digo SEMPRE, esbarrava com assassinatos em todos os lugares que ia. A polícia então começava a investigar, sem muito êxito culpando alguém qualquer, e Jessica não satisfeita com a resolução, dava uma de detetive e resolvia o crime sozinha.

Não me levem a mal, a série era sim muito boa, mas doze temporadas, ou 263 episódios é dose.

Claro que sempre rolava aquele negócio da polícia vir e mandar Jessica largar o caso por não fazia parte das investigações, mas a escritora, acabava conseguindo uma vaga de perita por ter algum fã de seus livros dentro da polícia.

Iniciada em 1984 na CBS, Murder, She Wrote foi sucesso absoluto de público, porém, ao longo de suas temporadas, foi declinando na audiência pelo esgotamento criativo dos roteiristas que até tentaram dar uma nova guinada na série mudando Jessica para Nova York, mas era tarde demais: Em 1994 estreava Friends na televisão e por dois anos “Murder” teve que concorrer diretamente com a comédia. Os índices começaram a despencar até que eventualmente, em 1996, o show deu seu adeus definitivo.

A carreira da série no Globo de Ouro começou em 1985 quando levou os prêmios de Melhor Drama do Ano (derrotando as favoritas Dinastia e Hill Street Blues) e Melhor Atriz de Drama para Lansbury. Em 86, novamente a série fatura o prêmio, dessa vez, deixando para trás Miami Vice e Dinastia entre outras.

Em 1987, 90 e 92, Lansbury novamente ganhava o prêmio de Melhor Atriz de Drama consolidando-se como uma das grandes atrizes da televisão do final dos anos 90. Suas principais concorrentes em cada ano foram John Collins de Dinastia, Susan Dey e Jill Eikenberry por L.A. Law e Dey novamente por L.A Law, respectivamente.

Ao longo de Murder, She Wrote, diversos rostos conhecidos do grande público passaram pela série, dando ao público oportunidade de rever seus atores favoritos da infância e adolescência.

Sex and the City

Sex and the City, também conhecida como “a série que todo mundo já viu no Brasil”, estreou em 1998 e teve seis temporadas, terminando em 2004.

Mostrando a vida de Nova York através dos olhos de Carrie Bradshaw, colunista de sexo de um jornal da capital, a série foi um enorme sucesso no mundo todo e foi uma das mais revolucionárias e divisoras de águas da televisão, ao falar tão abertamente sobre sexo. Algo que claro, só a HBO trazia na época (hoje em dia temos outras como FX, AMC e Showtime).

A série, baseada no livro homônimo de Candace Bushnell, focava a vida de quatro melhores amigas de trinta e poucos anos e suas desventuras com os homens, o sexo e a noite nova-iorquina regada a muitos cosmopolitans.

Por ter sido um verdadeiro marco da televisão, foi um arrasa quarteirão no Globo de Ouro: nomeada 24 vezes a premiação e levou nada menos do que oito estatuetas. Em 2000, 2001 e 2002 não teve para ninguém e o programa faturou consecutivamente o prêmio de Melhor Comédia do ano. Na categoria de Melhor Atriz de Comédia, mesma coisa: Sarah Jessica Parker faturou três vezes consecutivas. Durante os três anos, a atriz teve como grande concorrência Calista Flockhart por Ally McBeal e Debra Messing por Will & Grace. Já a série, teve como concorrentes favoritas, Ally McBeal, Will & Grace e Spin City (vencedora do prêmio de 98 a 2000 e em 2001).

Em 2003 e 2004 a série saiu da premiação com um prêmio em cada ano. No primeiro, o de Melhor Atriz Coadjuvante para Kim Cattrall, dona do papel de Samantha, personagem inesquecível na mente de qualquer marmanjo. Em 2004, novamente o de Melhor Atriz de Comédia para Sarah Jessica Parker, tornando-a a maior vencedora da categoria na história da premiação.

All in the Family

Voltemos para 1971, um ano após a revolução do formato do Globo de Ouro. A série All in the Family, clássico da televisão, foi vencedora de também oito estatuetas e foi ao ar pela primeira vez em 12 de janeiro de 1971 na CBS.

Baseada na série britânica Til Death Us Do Part, era protagonisada por Jean Stapleton e foi revolucionário em seu tempo por abordar verdadeiros tabus da sociedade como racismo, homossexualismo, liberdade da mulher, estupro, câncer e impotência.

Em 2002, buscando as 50 melhores séries, o TV Guide apontou All in the Family como o quarto melhor programa de todos os tempos e apontou Archie Bunker, personagem da série, como melhor personagem de todos os tempos. Por falar em Archie Bunker, em 1979, a série foi reformulada e simplesmente mudou de nome (!) para Archie Bunker’s Place. Quatro anos se passaram até que foi finalmente cancelada em 1983.

Os oito prêmios aconteceram entre 1972 e 1978, sendo quatro para Melhor Série de Comédia (72-74 e 1978), dois para Melhor Atriz de Comédia (1973 e 1974), um para Melhor Ator de Comédia (1972) e um para Melhor Atriz Coadjuvante (1975).

Em Melhor Comédia, não teve dificuldades para vencer três anos consecutivos. Suas maiores concorrentes foram The Carol Burnett Show e M*A*S*H. Em Melhor Atriz, a concorrência foi mais apertada. Em 1973, Jean Stapleton teve que passar por cima de Carol Burnett e Julie Andrews (ela mesma!). Em 1974, de novo Carol Burnett, e Cher! Na categoria de Melhor Ator, de volta a 1972, Carroll O’Conner não teve dificuldades para sair-se vencedor, porém, passando pelo talentosíssimo Dick Van Dyke.

Em 1975, a série ganhava seu sétimo prêmio: o de Melhor Atriz Coadjuvante para Betty Garrett que concorreu com Vicki Lawrence de The Carol Burnett Show, entre outros. Por fim, o último prêmio da série no Globo de Ouro: o quarto de Melhor Comédia, em 1978. A concorrência no ano não era tão forte: apenas The Carol Burnett Show já em descenso. Sua verdadeira oponente naquela noite era Happy Days, que faturou o prêmio duplo de Melhor Ator de Comédia para Henry Winkler e Ron Howard (sim, ele mesmo, que como diretor, era um ótimo ator…).

No Brasil, All in the Family foi exibida por apenas um ano, com o título de Tudo em Família. Depois, foi retirada do ar pela censura.

M*A*S*H

Criada por Larry Gelbart em 1972, a série era inspirada no livro Catch-22 e baseada no filme de mesmo nome dirigido por Richard Hooker em 1970.

Foi através de M*A*S*H que surgiu o termo “dramédia”, devido ao seu conteúdo parte drama, parte comédia, sem uma linha de segmentação fixa. O programa, produzido pela 20th Century Fox para a CBS, acompanhava um time de médicos e seus funcionários em um hospital de Uijeongbu, durante a Guerra da Coréia. Apesar da sinopse, é visível que a série tinha como verdadeira inspiração, a Guerra do Vietnã.

M*A*S*H não foi inesquecível apenas por seus oito Globo de Ouro, mas também por ter tido a series finale de maior audiência da historia da televisão mundial. A “dramédia” teve 251 episódios e durou onze temporadas, cobrindo um período de três anos de guerra.

A história de M*A*S*H no Globo de Ouro começou em 1974, quando McLean Stevenson levou o prêmio de Melhor Ator Coadjuvante em Comédia. Em 1975 e 1976, Alan Alda levou o prêmio consecutivamente ao derrotar nomes de peso como Carroll O’Connor e Johnny Carson. De 1977 a 1979, Alda continuou concorrendo, mas sem nenhuma vitória. Os anos dourados estavam por vir: Em uma incrível sucessão de prêmios, Alda levou a estatueta de Melhor Ator em Comédia em quatro anos consecutivos: de 1980 a 1983, sendo que em 82, M*A*S*H ainda consagrou-se como Melhor Série de comédia do ano.

M*A*S*H foi a primeira série da história da exibir um episódio com a narrativa em tempo real. Escrito por Alan Alda, em 1978, o roteiro mostrava médicos realizando uma cirurgia em 20 minutos. No canto inferior da tela, um relógico cronometrava tudo.

Que venham as próximas…

Bem capaz que esta lista permaneça intacta por alguns bons anos enquanto não surgir uma nova Sex and the City, uma nova All in the Family ou uma nova M*A*S*H. A conferir.

Planilha

Criei uma planilha com os vencedores de todos os anos nas principais categorias do Globo de Ouro. Para consultar, clique aqui ou na imagem acima.

Land of Punt wasn’t too excited about ABC’s new cop drama, The Unusuals. Of course lowered expectations usually mean your chances to like something increases. The Unusuals were no exception. It was a likable show.

If you do some research to find reviews of The Unusuals the first thing you’ll notice is critics complaining about how the show “went out of its way to be quirky.”

These critics are wrong. The show didn’t go out of its way to be quirky it went to the Moon to be quirky.

Every character has an attribute that’s so overwhelming and intense it renders them one-dimensional. Perhaps that will smooth out over a few episodes but for some viewers this is probably too big of a distraction. And the series may not get very many episodes to hone in its wacky cast.

While it came in second in its time slot (but dropped in the second half hour), The Unusuals debut with just a 4.5/8 rating. It got crushed by CSI: New York and barely beat out NBC’s second Law and Order rerun of the evening.

Real quick, The Unusuals is about detectives working out of the 2nd Precinct in New York City. The effervescent Amber Tamblyn stars as the “cop with the heart” and the only oasis of sanity. She’s the audience’s vicarious link. All the other characters are impossible to relate too.

The show is part Barney Miller, part Hill Street Blues, part NYPD Blue and part Night Court with some peyote thrown in for good measure. What it’s not is a procedural cop show. Don’t expect a good mystery to solve as none of the characters are super-cops, nor are they super attractive.

The show “has gone out of its way” to make everyone look real. No Chris Noth’s or Melina Kanakaredes’s. For some that might be refreshing (or like watching the BBC) but why else do you watch television if not for the beautiful people?

One character that does take a big hit to their image is New York City.

In the 1970’s and 80’s, New York was often portrayed (minus Woody Allen’s Manhattan) as a crime-ridden urban cesspool—a tough and gritty place straight out of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

Then in the 1990’s, especially with Rudy Giuliani as mayor, the city became the world’s capital, the center of art, culture and media. It was romanticized and immortalized in such television shows as Seinfeld, Friends, Sex and the City, How I Met Your Mother and CSI: New York. Even the Law and Order franchise treats the city with reverence.

With The Unusuals, the Big Apple is once again rotten. The city has returned to a crime-laden, Apocalypse-Now-type of bizarre urban wasteland.

However, that’s not the major crime of the show.

The absolute, most unbelievable aspect of The Unusuals, and in fact of any television show ever created on the face of the planet, is Jeremy Renner’s character was the first base man for the New York Yankees.

L.O.P. would believe a convoluted show about survivors of a plane crash living on a desert island before we’d believe a five-foot-nothing, string noodle was a Bronx Bomber.

Millennium é um filme que deve ser visto. Todo o enredo que o envolve é de cortar a respiração. Viagens no tempo são sempre um tema difícil de transpor para a tela. Mas neste caso consigo até ver os fundamentos que Terry Gilliam utilizou para o seu 12 Macacos. Kris Kristofersson é Bill Smith, um especialista em acidentes aéreos, que tem agora de descobrir porque razão um 747 da TWA se despenhou. Ao ouvir as gravações da caixa negra, Bill apercebe-se que algo não está bem e quando visita o hangar onde os destroços do avião se encontram depara-se com uma situação caricata. Todos os relógios digitais estão a andar para trás. Após isto, ele encontra-se com Louise Baltimore (Cheryl Ladd), uma hospedeira que transpira sensualidade por todos os poros. De salienta também a presença em ecrã de Daniel J. Travanti (o famoso capitão Furillo, de Hill Street Blues). Um filme que deve ser assistido.

Vale a pena deixar de ver a bola e a caneca da cerveja a aquecer para ver isto

Hace dias que voy muy liado y no he tenido tiempo de entrar en la mayoria de mis blocs habituales. Y ojeando ayer el EPD de El Pais, me fijo en una breve reseña sobre El Rey del Pollo Frito y el blog de El Mundano. Entro ahí y leo que El Rey del Pollo Frito es ¡Adrian Vogel, no Ramoncín! Magnífica historia y curiosa la ristra de comentarios que ha generado la entrada.

De ahí, saco algunas notas para contar algo sobre José Ramon Martinez, Ramoncin, Ramon Solo, Ramoncinco. Nunca he sido demasiado fan suyo, personamente no me cae nada bien, pero:

a) escuchando el programa del Tardà hace años, me entusiasmé con algunas canciones que solía poner con cada nuevo lanzamiento. Mi tema favorito de Ramoncin siempre ha sido Estamos Desesperados, del cual no he encontrado ningún video en youtube, pero sí  este audio: Estamos desesperados, de Ramoncín. “Tu, rompes mi corazón… Eres el ácido de mis venas…”

b) Siendo un crío, era un seguidor implacable de Canción Triste de Hill Street (Hill Street Blues), la mejor serie de televisión hasta la aparición de Los Soprano. Adoraba la comisaría del Capitán Furillo, a su tropa de detectives (Belcker, Andy Renko y Hill, el sargento Phil Esterhaus), y tambien al kinki hispano Jesús. Pues resulta que Ramoncín también era un fan, y recuerdo como si fuese ayer una nota en la prensa que decía que aprovechando una visita promocional del actor que interpretaba a Frank Furillo, Ramoncín se organizó una comida con él. Y por aquella época, tuve la oportunida de acudir a un concierto de Ramoncete en Vic, en la mítica Roc34, y el tipo iniciaba sus conciertos con la mágica sintonia de la serie como intro del show. Ahí va:

De Ramoncin, la SGAE y el ViñaRock, no me apetece hablar… al menos por hoy.

Now that Guest Bests have arrived, the Blue Edition below is finally retired.

Special Edition

Best Bluesman: Robert Cray

Best flower called a bonnet, ox named Babe, and price-is-no-object Johnny Walker: Blue

Best Painting from Picasso’s Blue Period: The Tragedy

Best 70s band with an umlaut: Blue Öyster Cult

Best frequency: Once in a

Best basketball team to hate: Duke Blue Devils

Best Waltz: Blue Danube
Best Hill-Street-Blues uniform:

Best State Bird: Blue Hen Chicken