The League of Gentlemen, Louie

I don't watch shows on USA because they all feel the same. Matt Bomer's White Collar character could walk onto the set of Covert Affairs or Burn Notice and nobody would, well, notice. That doesn't mean they're bad shows, I just think they're all the same tonally. I watched the last season of Monk, and I watch Psych periodically, but the lite-crime schtick gets old after a while.

I've found that I'm really attracted to shows that have unique tone, direction or cinematography that makes me sit up and think, "Hm, I haven't seen this before." Because honestly, all Sherlock Holmes-esque detective shows are going to feel like House, all mockumentary comedies are going to feel like The Office, all mystery/suspense shows are going to try to emulate LOST. Because if something is proven to work, it will be copied, at the expense of originality.

So when I watched Louie for the first time a couple weeks ago, I was smitten. It was the second episode, "Poker/Divorce," that did it -- the first scene of the episode lasts about five minutes. Louie and his comedian friends sit around a warmly-lit table and play poker. One of the comics is gay, and one of them is homophobic. The guys discuss the use of the word "faggot" in an open, humorous, yet extremely real, way. The atmosphere was something I'd never seen before on TV. "Real-life" sketches like this one, alternating with scenes from his stand-up (also acted) make up the 20-odd minute show. Another plus is the fantastic incidental music.

Similarly (yet somehow completely dissimilarly...), The League of Gentlemen caught my eye. It aired on BBC2 from 1999-2002*. I checked it out for Mark Gatiss, because I wanted to watch a few things the co-creators of Sherlock did pre-Doctor Who (I also watched a bit of Coupling -- not bad! But my disdain for laugh tracks stops me from watching much more). The town of Royston Vasey has perpetual zombie weather -- that is, overcast and foreboding and generally creepy. Dark humor, outlandish characters (many played by three of the show's four creators), and nightmarish situations all come together in this horror-movie town. It's incredibly well-written (all at once screamingly funny yet disturbing) and well-acted, but the selling point, for me at least, is the uniquely nightmarish atmosphere in every episode. Delightful.

* So far I've only watched series 3. I'll go back to 1 and 2 once I get over my laugh track aversion...

Friday Night Lights - Pilot, 1.01

Overcast, and the first strains of First Breath After Coma transcend muted hoots and whistles and claps as cameras pan at varying distances across a grey field where a team scrimmages. Football is loud and brassy, with garish cheerleaders, mud, the muffled crack-ing of shoulder pad against helmet or abdomen or shin, torn-up grass and more mud. I don't like football. But I like Friday Night Lights.

I've raved about how much I adore overcast ("Sad is like happy for deep people," and its muted, worn tone), and that aforementioned scene is what sealed the deal for me. Brassy and garish FNL is not. Everything I hate about football is pulled inside out, and predictably I like this side better. Crowds are obviously loud, so FNL softens them. Instead of fanfare for a fight song, Explosions In the Sky provides an atmospheric backdrop for an adrenaline-packed game; there isn't a slow moment, and we don't need to be bombarded with booming declarations of Yeah! This Is Football! by way of noise or gritty close-ups. Art doesn't tell you what you already know, it shows you a different way of looking at life, at ordinary things like football culture in middle-America.

So, FNL is kind of like artsy, anti-football. Which I dig, a lot.

Thoughts:

• First Breath After Coma plays again in the hospital scene. First thought: Wow, this is awesome. Again. Second thought: Is this Grey's Anatomy?
• Love the handheld camera work. Organic. Very shaky, though. Even more so than BSG's 33, I think, which is saying a lot!
• Good use of music in TV really excites me. I freak out over this kind of thing. Usually for American shows it's the song choice and placement (like The Who on Freaks and Geeks, or Edward Sharpe on Community, or anything on Grey's Anatomy or Chuck), and on British shows it's more the way it's used dramatically (recurrence of Damien Rice's Delicate in Misfits; that subtle drone-y piece over Freddie and Cook's conversation in Skins). Not to say British shows don't choose good music, too.
• It's kind of funny how much the quality of writing on this blog has decreased. You can track the wax and wane of my writing finesse and lack thereof by checking the months I write a lot of posts, and the ones in which I don't. Yuck.
  

Sci Fi Marathon Day 1

So I didn't make it all the way through my marathon. It was tougher than I'd thought. I got about a third of the way through. Next time I'll start up with Ghost Light Pt. 2.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Band Candy"

Being Human, "Episode 1"

Battlestar Galactica, "33"

The X-Files, "Field Trip"

Doctor Who, "Ghost Light" Pt. 1

· 12:15 Starting Band Candy now.

· So this episode was written by Jane Espenson. Of course it was.

· 12:26 “You’re a good mom.” “I’m the best.” YES SHE IS :’(

· 12:30 Angel doing tai chi in the moonlight. Buffy brings him butcher blood. Angel’s about 200, isn’t he? How old is Edward? Which one is creepier? The answer is: The Doctor, because he’s fucking 900 years old and preys on teenagers.

· 12:35 Xander and Willow are awkwardly playing footsie under the lab table. This makes me sad. And nostalgic.

· 12:54 Ethan was such a good character we could have gotten a lot more mileage out of. His dynamic with Giles was excellent. “You’re my slayer! Hit him!”

· Vampires in Buffy are bumpy, strong, gothic, often clad in black and deep red and leather, sardonic, pale. They go poof when they’re staked.

· 1:03 “I’ve got the SATs tomorrow.” “Oh, blow them off. I’ll write you a note.” “No, it’s okay.” Obligatory lesson learned. Seasons 1-3 were really incredible with the whole using demons as metaphors for growing up thing.

· 1:09 Now watching Being Human Episode 1. “Everyone dies” is the first sentence of this series.

· Vampires have sex too! How True Blood.

· 1:12 Alonso ass! Though I guess his name isn’t Alonso in this series, is it. Bad wolf mention, also. Cool.

· Cheery, Friends-y music over title screen. Establishing tone, weird contrast with the darker opening sequence with blood and sex and ass and death.

· Created by Toby Whithouse. Why does that sound so familiar?

· Oh yeah, because he wrote for DW.

· 1:26 Ooh, interesting werewolf design. Less wolf-y, more feral furry creature thing. Also established: Annie can walk through walls because she is a ghost.

· This is a pretty comedic show, it just happens to feature a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost. Already excitedly anticipating the dark humor and dark/light contrast to come.

· These vampires are immortal, or maybe immortal until staked/killed? Or something. And they can be in sunlight because they can vampirize themselves whenever they want, it looks like. Similar to Buffy vamps in that they have pitch black eyes.

· 2:13 Beginning 33 now. This might be my favorite episode of the entire series.

· This episode is an interesting, if not kind, introduction into the world of BSG. First of all, there are a LOT of characters, all on different ships, all doing different things. Gaius isn’t even mentally present on the ship half the time. Oh, and Six isn’t real. And there’s another Six and another Sharon on a rainy planet with Helo. It was pretty hard to grasp at first. The guiding element that tied it all together was the jump every 33 minutes.

· 2:22 Seconds of the clock ticking away is the only sound you hear, and then jump to the amazing title sequence.

· 2:52 Since Being Human is 60 minutes long versus a typical 42, give or take, pacing is different. Build up and exposition of 33 is brilliant. Climax with the Olympic Carrier happening now. Gorgeous.

· 2:57 This ending is incredible. And backed by a McCreary score, it’s perfect. Billy tells Roslin she can add one to the population count, because a baby was born.

· 3:00 Starting Field Trip. Hey Roy Anderson. I think I’ve only seen this episode twice, which is unusual because it’s one of my favorites.

· Teleplay by Gilligan and Shiban, directed by Manners = instant win.

· 3:19 “Everything she’s said is textbook, down to the last detail.” When details are too perfect, too typical like that, it’s easy to call bullshit. The Fourth Kind movie, for one.

· Oh Mark Snow. How I’ve missed you.

· 3:39 I love this ending. M Night-esque for sure. I really dig the reality/unreality (which is real?!) theme that’s rather prevalent recently, a la Inception and Amy’s Choice. Are there more? Common for sci fi fantasy anyhow.

· 3:47 I’ve decided on the Seventh Doctor’s Ghost Light for the next hour. Companion is Ace.

· Victorian-era man mentions Ace’s state of “undress,” like how Rose was a wee naked child in Tooth and Claw. ”She comes from a less civilized time.”

· I predict much humor will come of a butler named Nimrod.

Stopping now in favor of watching Dead Like Me.

2010 Primetime Emmy Predictions

My scorecard. 1 & 2 as most likely and second most likely to win; asterisk denotes who I think deserves it!

Drama Series

* Breaking Bad

Dexter

2. The Good Wife

Lost

1. Mad Men

True Blood

The Good Wife is a strong network contender, but I don't think it can stand up to AMC's crown jewel; but as always, I'm rooting for BB.

Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm

2. Glee

* 1. Modern Family

Nurse Jackie

The Office

30 Rock

Glee and Modern Family are critic and Emmy voter favorites, but MF is more consistent; however, this is really Glee's time to snag a Best because I predict a sophomore slump (and maybe worse) for the uneven show.

Actor in a Drama

2. Bryan Cranston

Michael C. Hall

Kyle Chandler

* 1. Hugh Laurie

Matthew Fox

Jon Hamm

Hamm can wait his turn, he'll be in this race for a while; Cranston only if voters get lazy, though he was brilliant this season; Laurie deserves it for his showcase in the season opener, Broken -- six seasons of House and still no Emmy.

Actress in a Drama

Kyra Sedgwick

Glenn Close

Connie Britton

Julianna Margulies

Mariska Hargitay

January Jones

I honestly can't say -- I don't watch any of these shows except Mad Men!

Actor in a Comedy

2. Jim Parsons

Larry David

Matthew Morrison

* 1. Tony Shalhoub

Steve Carrell

Alec Baldwin

Shalhoub will win for Monk's final season; Parsons might upset -- he and the BBT have surged in popularity this past year; Morrison shouldn't have been nominated, frankly; Baldwin has won once too many; Carrell will win next year for his final season.

Actress in a Comedy

Lea Michele

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

2. Edie Falco

* Amy Poehler

Tina Fey

1. Toni Collette

Collette's role lets her show incredible range, putting her at an easy advantage over actresses like (my favorite) Amy Poehler; Falco is already known to be a terrific actress in any genre, so I wouldn't be surprised at a win for her, either.

August Giant Sci-Fi Marathon

One day in August I'm going to wake up and then watch TV and write about it until I go to bed. This is the tentative schedule:

1 pm: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Band Candy"

1:45 pm: Being Human, "Episode 1"

2:30 pm: Battlestar Galactica, "33"

3:15 pm: The X-Files, "Field Trip"

4 pm: Doctor Who, (2 Classic Who episodes, 25 min each)

5 pm: Heroes, "Company Man"

5:45 pm: Firefly, "Out of Gas"

6:30 pm: BREAK!

7:30 pm: Torchwood, "Random Shoes"

8:15 pm: Dead Like Me, "My Room"

9 pm: Fringe, "Ability"

9:45 pm: Doctor Who, "The Beast Below"

10:30 pm: Pushing Daisies, "Bitches"

I'll write as I watch and focus on these points:

• Basic analysis and comparison of the shows/episodes
• Common themes
• What is science fiction?
• Vampire portrayals in Buffy and Being Human
• Being Human first episode vs. BSG first episode; expositional differences specific to these shows, and then to all science fiction shows
• "Company Man" vs. "Out of Gas" out-of-order storytelling; past vs. present, how and why characters are the way they are
• Fairytale and fantasy elements in The Beast Below vs. Bitches
• Which characters are similar and why; are they science fiction staples or archetypes?
• What are common plot elements -- aliens? Cloning?
• Representation of evil in science fiction; corporeal vs. the unseen
• Music/score, licensed vs. composed; are there common science fiction musical elements?
• General commentary on acting, direction, production design, writing, etc.

Doctor Who Interlude

I love the fairytale feeling of series 5, but it occurred to me that it would've worked even better in series 1. Bad Wolf? Huge missed opportunity. Could've used a red/scarlet palette (which incidentally was used in series 5 to good effect), the "wolf in sheep's clothing" idea, and a whole load of "the better to ____ you with" references. That would have been awesome. Moffat perpetuated this so well, but RTD definitely missed the boat. Oh well.

More ideas for the fairytale-series-1-that-will-never-be:

• Jack as the woodcutter
• Misdirection for the audience; insinuate that the Doctor is the big, bad wolf
• Innocence, growing up motif
• Forests! Creepy shadows, etc. (Moffat wins.)
• My, what large ears you have. (Because he does. Have enormous ears. But we also don't want to beat the audience over the head with Lil' Red, so freely omit.)
• He also has a big nose. Just saying.

(In related news, I really need to stop rewatching series 1 and move on with my life.)

Doctor Who - Earthshock

I didn't watch much new television this week, just a bunch of Doctor Who series 2 for my rewatch endeavor and some Secret Diary. Treme has been impossible to find online, so I don't know what I'm going to do about that. I started Bored to Death, but I'm not impressed so far (though I love the cast and the awesome music choices. Schwartzman/Galafianakis interactions are worth watching for alone). Might drop those two for the time being.

However, I did watch Doctor Who's Earthshock. Out of the classic Who serials I've seen so far*, I think it's my favorite. I prefer the Doctor with an entourage, and the Fifth Doctor had quite a few companions. Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan accompanied him on this particular adventure.

Classic Who companions have been criticized of getting kidnapped and being generally helpless. Though there is some of that, it isn't to say they don't help the Doctor in their own ways. Some are braver than others, and some are better at math; some aren't there by choice but trek on with the crew good-naturedly anyway, some fall down more than others. Companions are like a box of chocolates. I like the strong-willed ones that aren't afraid to talk back to the Doctor, like Sarah Jane. I also like Leela and Adric. In Earthshock, Tegan ventured out to help look for the Doctor while Nyssa stayed behind to hold down the fort. Not helpless at all.

But the companion that proved himself as righteous and self-sacrificing as the Doctor was Adric. Part 1 of Earthshock set up the frustration Adric felt toward the Doctor's sometimes condescending manner. He wants to return to his home planet, but the Doctor isn't having it, seeing as they'd have to journey through E-space to get there. Adric and the Doctor quarrel, and before Nyssa and Tegan can adequately encourage repair, the two are cornered by Cybermen. What's interesting about Adric and the Doctor's argument is that the Doctor is extremely hotheaded, at first, and dismissive of the accusation. What it eventually boils down to is the core of the Doctor/companion relationship -- the question of what exactly the Doctor's role is in a companion's life. There is a balance between affection (which the Cybermen consider the Doctor's greatest weakness, as they use it against him when they threaten Tegan's life) and mentorship (Adric complains the Doctor never explains things to him). In the end, Adric, the mathematician prodigy, gives his life just as the Doctor would have done to save the Earth. Unfortunately, a Cyberman destroys the console before Adric can solve the code, and Adric laments that he will "never know if he was right" as his final words.

(In The Caves of Androzani, The Fifth Doctor's last word is "Adric"; he dies feeling overwhelming guilt, a sure theme in the Doctor's life.)

* I've watched Pyramids of Mars (4th Doctor), City of Death (4th), Robots of Death (4th), The Caves of Androzani (5th Doctor), Earthshock (5th), The Three Doctors, and The Five Doctors. The Doctor Who movie kind of sits in the void between classic and new Who, but I've seen that too. Talons of Weng-Chiang next, yay racism!