As I suspected when it became clear that the writers’ strike would be non-trivial, the networks are porting cable originals over to the network. Psych was really a non-starter for me, as was Burn Notice. Monk (which has had a network run before) has done everything that it’s needed to do creatively, but is still watchable if one doesn’t pay too close attention.
Duel
There was a moment during last night’s launch of the game show event Duel when the host was doing one of these explain-the-set-up, discuss-the-obvious-situation, drag-out-the-time-with-pauses maneuvers that defines the modern prime time game show, and one of the contestants shouted out “just ask the question already!”
And the studio audience cheered.
Perhaps we’re finally reaching a tipping point, a time where the audience actually is tired of the careful lack of content on these shows. Maybe they’ll start putting fewer slow-burn-to-commercial feints and more quetions. It would be nice. Particularly for something like Duel, a quiz game with an interesting dynamic (some form of this as a home game should sell well, and not just as a novelty box), and, better yet, a good range of questions. Almost all of the questions fall into the range where you know you’ve been exposed to the answer, but it still may not come readily to mind.
(Also worth noting is some bigotry running through the show. Now, the show can’t be directly blamed for the contestant who seemed to have some bigoted reasons for thinking specific other contestants would be easy to beat, such as figuring someone from the “‘hood” would be an easier mark — although the fact that the show obviously coaches the contestants to trash-talk encourages it. But who thought it was appropriate to ask a question that linked the Italian flag to two major works of organized crime fiction?)
We all must know our limitations
One of the vital questions of the current Presidential campaign is this: will the next President understand that there are limits to the office, and accept and work within those limits? In the wake of some actions of the current President, that’s a vital matter.
And that’s why I’d find it hard to vote for a candidate who regularly keeps talking when their time is up at the debates.
Ah, the choices.
Poor Alan Keyes. I mean, it’s one thing to be the-other-black-candidate. It’s another thing when folks are talking about the other person of color and it turns out to be someone trying to get on the ballot as part of the Green Party…
Maybe of all time!
Sunday night’s coming news blurb for the local Fox affiliate promised “the newest and fastest Ferrari ever built.” Wow! The newest one ever built! None of the earlier ones are newer! And who knows about the ones they’ll build in the future!
