If You Have a Blog and You Never Post, Do You Really Have a Blog?

I have neglected my blog. And I feel terrible about it. When I started my blog five and a half years ago, I posted quite regularly for two years, but then I posted less regularly, and last year I only posted five times. Why have a blog if you never use it? Especially when you have things you want to blog about. I have things I want to blog about.

So, where is all of this coming from? Why now, after not blogging for a year? My reaction to Netflix's Anne with an "E" was so strong, and I really wanted to talk about it. None of my friends have watched it yet, so I couldn't really discuss it with them. Wait, I thought to myself, I have a blog! I can post my feelings of how I felt it failed to live up to the tone and message of the book, and maybe start a conversation with someone who has seen it. (I haven't had anyone comment on it yet, but I'm patient. *wink*) So, after a long drought, there is new content on my blog. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and opinions about things that interest me, and I feel it's a small snapshot of a part of my life that I will always have.

I decided that this time I will have a specific subject to post about each day of the week.

• Movie Monday: Talk about movies, old and new. Reviews, thoughts, quotes, recommendations.
• TV Tuesday: Talk about television, current and cancelled. Reviews, thoughts, quotes, recommendations.
• Whatever Wednesday: I thought of calling it "Random Wednesday," but "whatever" starts with a "W." The name pretty much says it all. If it's Wednesday, it could be anything.
• Thumbnail Thursday: Photography (I know the "thumbnail" is stretching it, but if anyone knows a better word that refers to photos that starts with "th," please add a comment)
• Fun Facts Friday: Trivia, history, interesting things I've learned.
• Saturday & Sunday: Open "to blog or not to blog."

I'm excited to try this new schedule of posting, and we'll see how well (and how long) it goes. One of the great things about having your own blog is you decide what the content will be, how long or short the posts will be, and how often you will post.

I just want to thank those of you who read my blog, those of you who have been here since the beginning and have come back even after the year-long absence, and to those who are new to my blog. I hope you enjoy reading what I have to say,

So, let the blogging recommence.

Looking Back at the 2016-17 TV Season

Has it really been a year since I blogged about the current TV season? [insert here cliche of how quickly time flies] [or not] Last year around this same time, I made a list of 17 new series that I was interested in watching. That is a long list of new shows to watch. I watched the entire pilots of all of them except three (Conviction, Bull, and Notorious). I think I watched about 15 minutes of Bull and Notorious, and they didn't pull me in, so I stopped. There were a few that I watched more than one episode, but in the long run, there were only two new series I ended up watching through the whole season. Two out of 17. Not great.

This is Us

I watched the entire season of This is Us, and I really liked it at first. In my post a year ago when I wrote about my hopes for this series, I said that I hoped it wouldn't get too "soap opera-ey." Well, for me it did. I loved Randall and his family, and I have to say that Sterling K. Brown is a heck of an actor. I found the "twist" interesting. However, the stories didn't really draw me in enough. I recorded it on my DVR, and I usually ended up fast-forwarding through it to catch the gist of what was going on. Big indicator that I didn't feel like the stories were compelling enough to sit through all of it.

I really don't know if I'll continue to watch the show next season. 

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And for me, the winning new series of the 2016-17 TV season is... (drum roll please)

Timeless

I loved this series. Each episode had a beginning, a middle, and an end (I prefer episodic television to serial), but the entire season had an overarching story line that connected all of the episodes. It started out a bit slow, but it got better and better as the season went on. I thought the three main characters had a lot of chemistry, and I cared about what happened to them. 

I loved the time travel aspect. I love history, and watching the main characters go back in time to actually see these famous (and sometimes infamous) events and historical figures was great. I thought the writers picked a nice variety of time periods and events to explore. I can imagine what a thrill it would be for a historian, like Lucy, to actually be able to observe and participate in these historical events, and to meet people you've spent your life reading about. 

The secondary plot - the reason why they were time traveling - felt a little bit forced and convoluted sometimes, and I wished there were more of a conclusion in the season finale, but overall I loved the series and I excited to find out what happens next.

And then... it was canceled. I was not happy. It was the only new show that I wanted to keep watching, and NBC canceled it!

And then... they uncanceled it. Yes, NBC actually listened to fans' protests, and they actually reversed the cancellation and ordered 10 new episodes for next season. And now, I'm happy.

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There is one new series I wrote about in my post last year that I wanted to watch that hasn't started yet: Still Star-Crossed. I am still looking forward to that series, and I hope it will be good. 

Next post: 2017 TV Fall Season Sneak Peek

The Court Jester: "The Pellet with the Poison" Bit was Plagiarized

"The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle. The chalice from the palace has the brew that is true."

In The Court Jester, the scene where Danny Kaye's character, who is basically a coward, is supposed to fight a knight, and a witch tries to explain to him how he can avoid fighting him, is a cinematic comedy classic. Kaye is told that one of the cups the two fighters must choose to drink from before the duel, contains poison. All he has to memorize a simple saying to know which cup not to choose. The scene is comic perfection. And the idea was stolen from earlier film.

In Never Say Die, Bob Hope is about to fight a duel, and Martha Raye has developed a plan to ensure that Hope will not be killed during the duel. One of the pistols has a blank in it, while the other pistol has a live bullet. The pistols are marked so that Hope can select the pistol with the bullet. Raye tells him, "There’s a cross on the muzzle of the pistol with the bullet and a nick on the handle of the pistol with the blank." Hope just has to remember the simple saying. Easier said than done. The bit may have been better executed in The Court Jester, but we have to give the writers of Never Say Die the credit for the original idea.

See both scenes in the video:

Never Say Die was released in 1939. The Court Jester was released in 1955. I don't know how many people saw Never Say Die when it was released, but I'm sure that of all of the people who went to see The Court Jester who had also seen Never Say Die,  very few of them remembered the duel scene exactly, so I'm thinking that not many people realized the "bit" in The Court Jester had been stolen. Remember, there were 16 years between the movies' releases, and it was before VHS, DVD, and digital movies, so once a movie left the theaters, you wouldn't expect to ever see it again, unless a movie theater reran it. And I'm sure that Never Say Die wasn't released again after its original run. I'd be interested to know if anyone caught the plagiarism at the time.

Regardless of the similarities of the two scenes, once you see the scene in The Court Jester, you will never forget that "the pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle, and the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true." Or is it "the pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon, and the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true?"

Either way - Danny Kaye was a comic genius! And Bob Hope wasn't so bad himself.

TV Review: Anne with an "E"

Netflix - what did you do to Anne Shirley?

****Possible spoilers ahead****

It's as if the screenwriter opened up Anne of Green Gables and sucked every bit of joy and humor out of it. Then, left with 320 minutes to go, she filled it with joyless, humorless, plot lines full of melodrama and angst that hardly resembles the wonderful book written by L.M. Montgomery.

This was an Anne of Green Gables with:

No green hair

No acting out Lancelot and Elaine on the Lake

No "chrysanthemum"

No walking on the ridgepole of the Barry's roof

No mouse in the plum pudding

No Miss Stacy

No performing at the White Sand Hotel

No Queen's Academy

No Avery Scholarship

I kept watching, episode after episode, hoping it would get better. Hoping it would capture some of the joy and humor of the book, but by the time I got to the last episode I was just so disappointed.

The four lead actors playing Anne, Marilla, Matthew and Gilbert were good. If they had been given a screenplay that actually allowed them to play those characters, I'm sure I would have liked them better. The rest of the cast was okay, but sort of nondescript. There were no stand-out performances. 

It would have been nice to see more of the beauty of Prince Edward Island, but, because this was a joyless adaptation, of course we can't show that. It would go against the tone the screenwriter was trying to create. The opening shot was lovely, but that was about it.

It ended on a cliffhanger, so I'm assuming there will be another season. But based on that cliffhanger, I'm betting the second season won't have any of the above plot lines in it, because the tone of the cliffhanger does not lend itself to a show that includes any of that. That cliffhanger puts it on a path to become a show about a girl who lives on Prince Edward Island named Anne (with an "E"), and probably that's the only thing it will have in common with Anne of Green Gables.

So, suffice it to say, I guess I should be glad they didn't call it Anne of Green Gables, because it wasn't.

2016 TV Fall Season Sneak Peek

This new TV fall season is a first for me - there are more new shows I'm interested in than shows I'm not interested in. If I end up liking all of the new shows I've decided to check out, my DVR is going to be full all of the time. However, the chances of that happening are pretty slim - based on the past.

So, below is a list of the new shows whose pilots I'm interested in watching. It will be interesting to see how accurate my predictions of which shows I'll keep watching will be. I'll keep you posted - in about six or seven months. *wink*

New Shows
CW

No Tomorrow

What it's about: Sarah, a risk-averse quality-control assessor who falls for Xavier, a free-spirited thrill seeker who believes the apocalypse is coming and helps her learn the true meaning of "seizing the day."

My thoughts: I’m all for watching TV shows about seizing the day. Since I don’t do it enough in my own life, the next best thing is watching others seizing it in a TV series. I’m curious if the show will last long enough to make it to the day of the apocalypse because I’d like to see what the end of the world looks like, or what Xavier looks like when he realizes the world didn’t end. 
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

Frequency

What it's about: Set in 2016, Detective Raimy Sullivan discovers that she is able to communicate via a CV radio with her long dead father, who is speaking to her from 1996. Raimy takes advantage of the opportunity and warns him of his impending death, but when she is able to save his life, she also changes her own history. Based on the 2000 film of the same name, starring Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid. 
My thoughts: Frequency is one of my all-time favorite movies. The preview for this series looks really good, and seems to follow the movie very closely, other than changing the main character to a woman. I don’t know what they will do to stretch the premise out for an entire season, let alone additional seasons if it gets renewed, but I’m interested in finding out. I hope it will deviate enough from the movie to add some surprises.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: High

CBS
Bull

What it's about: Inspired by the life of Dr. Phil before he became a favorite of Oprah, the series follows Dr. Bull, head of a trial consulting service that analyzes juries to help develop defense strategies. 
My thoughts: I’m glad this series is about Phil McGraw’s career prior to his TV career, because the whole idea of analyzing juries sounds very interesting – more interesting than a series about a psychologist who has his own daytime series.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

Macgyver

What it's about: A reboot of the popular 1980's television series, if you don't know what this one is about, then you probably won't be interested in it. Just think of bubble-gum and paperclips.
My thoughts: Macgyver was one of my Dad’s favorite TV shows. I never watched it, but I knew what it was about - bubble-gum and paperclips. I’m going to check this one out for my Dad. And if I feel like he would have been disappointed in it, I will be too. 
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

Fox
Pitch

What it's about: Pitch is about a young pitcher who becomes the first woman to play in the major league when she's chosen to play for the San Diego Padres.
My thoughts: It’s surprising to me that I’m interested in a show about baseball. But I am. It would be nice if this show became prophetic.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

Son of Zorn

What it's about: Son of Zorn is a hybrid live-action/animated comedy about an animated warrior from a faraway island in the Pacific Ocean, where everything and everyone is animated. He returns to Orange County to win back his live-action ex-wife and teenage son.
My thoughts: I It looks like a cross between Enchanted and He-Man, and I have to admit that this shows looks hilarious. This coming from someone who has never seen He-Man, nor has ever had an interest in seeing He-Man.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: High

ABC
Conviction

What it's about: The brilliant, but rebel daughter of a former President (Hayley Atwell) is blackmailed into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles' newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. She, along with her team, works to examine cases where the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime.
My thoughts: I like Hayley Atwell. I’m sorry Agent Carter was canceled, but I’m glad she has another part. 
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

Speechless

What it's about: Minnie Driver stars in this comedy about family dealing with the challenges of having a special-needs child. 
My thoughts: Minnie Driver is really funny in the preview. I like her quirkiness. 
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

Notorious

What it's about: This series is based on the true-life stories of famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and cable news producer Wendy Walker, and explores the interplay of criminal law and the media.
My thoughts: No real thoughts about this one. I’m just interested in checking it out.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

NBC
Timeless

What it's about: A criminal steals a secret state-of-the-art time machine, intent on destroying America by changing its past. A soldier and a history professor use the machine's prototype to travel back in time to critical events, hoping to stop him. They must make an effort not to affect the past themselves as they try to stay one step ahead of the dangerous fugitive.
My thoughts: This is the first of three series about time travel. I don’t know why the sudden interest in time travel, but I’m interested in the series for the history aspect of it. I want to see what historical events they will be a part of, and if and how they will change anything.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: High

This is Us

What it's about: This dramedy centers around a group, several of whom share the same birthday, and follows them as their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways.
My thoughts: I’m curious to see how the lives of these very different people intertwine. I just hope it won’t get too “soap opera-ey.” We’ll see.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

The Good Place

What it's about: The Good Place follows an ordinary woman (Kristen Bell) who enters the afterlife, where she comes to realize she hasn't been a very good person. With the help of her afterlife mentor (Ted Danson), she is determined to shed her old way of living and discover a better person within.
My thoughts: This show looks like it could be very funny. I like Kristen Bell.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

Midseason Shows
Fox
Making History

What it's about: This series centers on three friends who find a way to travel through time in search of truth, justice, and riches, which complicates their lives in 2016. They visit some of the greatest moments of the past as they try to resolve their personal problems, while history and pop culture comically collide.
My thoughts: Another time travel series. More history. These characters aren’t traveling to save the world (or America), they are traveling for a more personal reason – the resolve their problems. We’ll see how much different this will be from Timeless.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: Moderate

CW
Riverdale

What it's about: Betty Cooper likes Archie Andrews, but isn't ready to tell him, Archie wants to pursue his music and figure out how to repair his fracture friendship to Jughead Jones. New student Veronica Lodge feels a spark with Archie, but doesn't want to risk her new friendship with Betty. It all sounds like typical teenage drama. However, the town of Riverdale is still also reeling from the tragic death of Jason Blossom during the summer. Riverdale may seem like a quiet town, but there is darkness hidden underneath the shadows.
My thoughts: Comic book adaptations are big nowadays, so why not Archie? I’ interested in checking I out, but I am a bit annoyed that they’re trying to make this series something the comic is not – a murder mystery. They’re making Riverdale the next Twin Peaks.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: High

Still Star-Crossed

What it's about: This period series picks up where Romeo and Juliet left off, charting the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers' tragic fate.
My thoughts: Even though this series looks interesting, I do have a question to the writers of Still Star-Crossed. Have you read Romeo and Juliet? The play ends with the Montagues and Capulets making peace with each since it was their feud that killed the young lovers. I hope this isn’t just another story of Romeo and Juliet with different characters. I would hope that their families learned their lesson and made progress. However, I’m interested in seeing if this story can bring anything new and surprising.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: High

Time After Time

What it's about: This drama promises a fantastical cat-and-mouse adventure through time when famed science fiction writer H.G. Wells is transported to modern day Manhattan in pursuit of Jack the Ripper. Once H.G. arrives in New York City, he finds a world he never thought possible - and a young woman who captivates him. But then there's still Jack, on the loose in Manhattan. 
My thoughts: Time travel – again. But this time the main character is the “king of time travel” – H.G. Wells. I’m really interested in this concept. H.G. Wells traveling to our time trying to catch Jack the Ripper. I wonder if he will be traveling to other times as well as our own modern day.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: High

NBC
Emerald City

What it's about: In the blink of a tornado's eye, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and a K9 dog are swept into a world far removed from our own - a mystical land of competing realms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. As Dorothy navigates this dangerous world, we'll see there's no place like... Oz.
My thoughts: Another reimagining of a classic story. I’m all for mystical realms, warriors, magic and battles for supremacy (not much one for blood, however). I’d like to see familiar Oz characters, and it would be nice if they have characters from other Oz books also. (Ozma is one of my favorites.) One last thought, I just can’t imagine a K9 dog being named Toto.
Chance I think I'll keep watching: High

1986 Fall TV Season Sneak Peek

Here's a blast from the past.

The major networks have announced their new fall season. I've watched previews of many of the new shows on the internet, and I'm interested in many of the shows. In fact, I don't know when I've been interested in so many new shows in a long time. (That's another post for another day.)

Thinking about the 2016 fall season, I thought it would be fun to take a look at another fall season, more specifically the 1986 TV season - 30 years ago.

When I was young, I never knew what new TV series were making their debut in the fall until the Fall Season TV Guide issue came out, usually a few weeks before the new season started. I was always excited to see what shows would make their debut that year, and wonder which shows would become hits and which ones would fade into that black hole of canceled shows no one would remember in years to come.

In those days there was no internet where you could watch preview of the pilots. You only had a synopsis of each series with a picture of the main characters. From those few sentences, and one picture, I would decide which shows I would be willing to take a chance on.

Here is a list of the shows that started 30 years ago, the fall of 1986, See how many of these shows sound familiar to you (these were only on the three major networks: ABC, CBS and NBC):

• Valerie (with Valerie Harper and Jason Bateman)
• Perfect Strangers (with Bronson Pinchot and mark Linn-Baker)
• You Again? (with Jack Klugman and John Stamos)
• The Heart of the City (with Christina Applegate)
• Life with Lucy (with Lucille Ball, who else?)
• Downtown (with Mariska Hargitay and Robert Englund)
• The Ellen Burstyn Show (with Ellen Burstyn, Elaine Strich and Megan Mullaly)
• Amen (with Sherman Hemsley and Clifton Davis)
• Our House (with Wilford Brimley, Deidre Hall, Shannen Doherty and Chad Allen)
• Easy Street (Jack Elam and Loni Anderson)
• Alf (with Alf)
• My Sister Sam (with Pam Dawber and Rebecca Schaeffer)
• Designing Women (with Delta Burke, Jean Smart, Dixie Carter and Annie Potts)
• The Wizard
• Matlock (with Andy Griffith)
• Crime Story
• Jack and Mike (with Shelley Hack)
• Together We Stand (with Elliot Gould and Dee Wallace)
• Head of the Class (with Howard Hesseman)
• Better Days (with Raphael Sbarge)
• Kay O'Brien 
• Side Kicks (with Gil Gerard)
• Sledge Hammer!
• Starman (with Robert Hays)
• L.A. Law (with Jimmy Smits, Harry Hamlin, Corbin Bernsen and Jill Eikenberry)

As with any new TV season, a few shows were renewed after their first season, a few had a good run before being canceled, a few are still in syndication, and the majority of them have been lost in obscurity.

Do you remember watching any of these shows? Did any of them become a favorite?

Still Star-Crossed: This could be my favorite new TV series...

... if it's done well.