Fall Entertainment!

This fall is gearing up to be a sweet time for those of us interested in movies and TV! 

TV First.

I had a lot of fun writing my The Walking Dead reviews last year and based on the traffic, they were my most popular posts!  I will definitely reboot that series again.  The show is fantastic.  I have yet to even flip through one of the comics. This is important because I love to break down the TV series, and attempt to interpret and predict the plot.  Last year I nearly nailed it when I called Rick's Son shooting Shane early in the season. My miss was calling the shot during an argument between Rick and Shane, not Rick and ZOMBIE Shane!  That bit of fun would have been lost had I read the comics.  So for this year, we know that There are two new characters, The Governor and Michone, and two new settings, a prison and a town. But that is it!  I look forward to breaking down what I think is going to happen and having fun discussions.  

One of the best TV moments of last season. Period.

But there is more to the fall TV lineup than that!  A couple of interesting shows caught my eye. Revolution, a post apocalyptic drama, and one about a submarine that appears to have gone rogue both look good.  And there is a new comedy called Guys with Kids coming out that might appeal to dudes like me. But looking briefly, that is about it. The networks spit out a butt load of new stuff every year, and a third of it is cancelled weeks into the season, and another third never returns for a second run. A surprise hit was the new Hawaii Five O which caught on and I think is starting it's third season. I watched the first several episodes and enjoyed it, but just couldnt get into it. Then there are shows that just linger on like CSI. I think the only original character left is Nick.  And some shows that don't know when to quit, like The Office. 

It is sad that a world exists where shows like Survivor run for over a decade and shows that are superior in every way, like Firefly are cut during the first season. Oh if only Sci-Fi picked up that one.

Frankly, the best shows on TV are on Cable. AMC has figured out how the formula. Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and now Hell on Wheels are all better than any thing on Network TV.  You would think that the Networks, and the guys who run the rigged ratings system would take note.  Hell on Wheels is quickly earning a spot right next to BB and TWD. It is gripping and gritty. No one in the show is a hero, or a villain. Sure you find your self rooting for Bohanen who is obviously the written protagonist, but sometimes you find yourself getting behind any one of the secondary characters. It's a great show. Give it a look.  

One of my favorite TV Characters.

Back to the ratings thing. It all comes down to money. This is why we don't have our long awaited Star Wars live action show yet. I think it was first announced ten years ago, and has close to 100 finished scripts, yet languishes on the back burner at Skywalker Ranch due to budget constraints.  The issues is that George and Rick (Lucas/McCallum) wont allow the show to run the risk of going the way of Firefly. They don't want to subject it to the reign of a jittery network exec who could pull the plug on it in the face of not as good as expected ratings. But that is just it. How accurate are those ratings? Who the hell watches Survivor? How the hell do the Kardashians get three TV series? Who says who is watching what? Aside from my own guilty pleasure indulging in American Idol with the wife the last two years, (and her secret fascination with the Kardashians) I don't know any one who watches reality TV shows like Survivor or any number of their imitators. They are cheap to produce and air to be sure, but how can they be ratings hogs? 

My point here is that the boys behind the Star Wars show wont invest the huge pricetag into a show that may be cut before it is realized. They need to make back that money. They won't put it on a pay service, which is sad, because networks like HBO demand too much control over the content. That leaves AMC. Why not? They have proven that they can find success with an expensive show. And that the prized market of 18-34 year old males will tune in to watch it. Why not because the ad revenue simply isn't there. 

But what kills me is that the suits in charge fail to see that it would be if they did it. If they build it, we will come!  Just do it Lucas! Make the show. We will watch! I simply cannot imagine a Star Wars TV show not being the top watched show in it's time slot on any given night. Unless of course it sucks ass. Which is a strong possibility with Lucas in charge. But that's just it. It doesn't have to suck. Just give to to AMC, hire some of the writers who work on their fantastic shows, and make it happen.

Please no!

I guess I had a lot more to say than I thought. This always happens, but now I am out of time. I will discuss movies next time. :)

Jawaballs