September 28, 2004
Upcoming Recordings 09/28 - 10/02
Before I get to the list of things I plan to record this week, I'll share a few thoughts on UPN’s VERONICA MARS (Tuesdays, 9pm).
Veronica Mars is like Angela Chase with street smarts, blonde hair and an after-school job as a private detective. It turns out that Veronica Mars isn’t like the main character from MY SO-CALLED LIFE at all. But VERONICA MARS, the show, picks up where the young female-centric shows of last year left off (all of which, while featuring strong female leads not trusting that strength and questioning their roles in the universe, owe a debt to MSCL).
I’ve got my fingers crossed that VERONCIA MARS will survive the fall and see eventual renewal by the end of the season. I want this show to succeed. It’s not as quirky as last year’s WONDERFALLS, which met a swift fate with cancellation just as it was gaining storytelling steam. The adults on VERONICA MARS serve the story better than the adults on JOAN OF ARCADIA (I cannot believe that the blue hue is still so prominent whenever Joe Mantegna is on screen and at the office). Like Georgia of Showtime’s DEAD LIKE ME, Veronica Mars is a bit of a loner who is just now finding her way and starting to make friends (except her new friends are just other high school rejects, not the Grim Reapers Georgia meets with every morning at the Waffle Hut).
When I first saw commercials for VERONICA MARS I thought the show starred Allison Mack (Chloe from SMALLVILLE). It turns out Kristen Bell is the lead but shares that same blonde hair, inquisitive nature and inner confidence that Mack brought to SMALLVILLE as Clark’s newspaper buddy. As in DEAD LIKE ME, the young protagonist narrates each episode. In the first episode of VERONICA MARS there was a lot of back story to relay and I imagine that the intro to each show will summarize everything in very succinct fashion. Basically, Veronica lives in a ritzy California town with her father, who used to be the local sheriff. He lost his job ten months ago when he was accused of seriously botching the investigation of the death of a high school student (who happened to be Veronica’s good friend, the sister of Veronica’s boyfriend, and the daughter of the local software billionaire). During that ordeal Veronica’s mom left the family and disappeared. And Veronica lost her virginity while passed out at a party she attended to prove that she could handle all of her old “popular” friends talking about her behind her back.
During the pilot the audience learns that Veronica now helps her father who now works as a private investigator. Veronica’s much better at her job than any high school student has the right to be. As we do with so many things, it’s time for the ole’ “willing suspension of disbelief.” VERONCIA MARS is like a trashy dime store novel for THE O.C. generation. It’s inventive and fun. There’s a hint of that mystery that you find in all those CSI shows but I also think there’s a larger narrative arc at work in VERONICA MARS that’s going to make the show compelling all season. Of course, maybe the only reason I like the show is because I’m happy Kyle Secor (Bayliss of HOMICIDE) plays the software billionaire.
WEDNESDAY (9/29)
CRASHING THE PARTIES 2004 (WNET (PBS, 10pm) – Before getting all excited about Thursday night’s debate, don’t forget that there are third party candidates out there. This PBS documentary examines the leading candidates from various third parties.
THURSDAY (9/30)
THE BEACH BOYS: GOOD VIBRATIONS TOUR (Ovation, 6pm) – Check out the review I linked to that suggests this footage from 1976 hasn’t aged well. Precisely the reason I intend to watch the show! By the way, this is the first time in eleven months that I’ve seen a show on Ovation that I haven’t seen listed before. I’m happy they’re finally acquiring some new programming. If I have to skip past a listing for 1 GIANT LEAP one more time I’m going to throw the remote at the TV, smashing something.
FRIDAY (10/1)
THE MUSIC SEEN (WNYE channel 25 in NY, 9pm) - This looks to be a show that features local music from Richmond and Charlottesville, VA. I don’t know which episode will actually air, but according to the website a previous episode featured Heath Haynes and the Crying Shames.
SATURDAY (10/2)
LOST (ABC, 8pm) – The first two episodes re-air back to back, recreating the two hour pilot as it was meant to be seen.
Posted by marc@balgavy.com at September 28, 2004 01:01 AM | TrackBackalex mack is waaaay cuter than veronica mars. but all this VM talk makes me wish i watched the premiere. oh well.
i think everwood may be losing me. i can't deal with ephram's hair and scott wolf's face.
Posted by: bibimop at September 28, 2004 01:34 PMI forgot about "Lost" last week. Thanks for the update about Saturday - will set the DVR.
Posted by: Mitch at September 28, 2004 11:05 PMalso as an update, i watched THE MUSIC SEEN this morning. HEATH HAYNES AND THE CRYING SHAMES were indeed featured on the episode i recorded.
Posted by: marc at October 2, 2004 11:58 AMhow does everyone feel about lost? dan and i want to give up on it, but yet we can't. it has just enough viewer return qualities that we're still hanging on. one thing that may force me to stop is Daniel Dae Kim's Korean accent. it's horrible! and worse, he's really Korean and was born in korea! what part of the country is he from? the cadence and syllable emphasises are all wrong. it's really pissing me off. they couldn't find an actor who could pull off a solid accent? well, at least they actually cast a korean actor.
Posted by: bibimop at October 4, 2004 12:50 PMwhoa! don't be in such a rush to give up on LOST yet. first, let me know how you feel about the giant polar bear on the tropical island. is that what's compelling you to watch the third hour or the reason you're about to delete the show from your list of things to record?
Posted by: marc at October 4, 2004 02:26 PMi liked the polar bear. i like the creepiness of the message that has been transmitting for 16 years.
but the music is terrible and for me it comes back to the fact that it seems like a network tv show. i think i'm done with network tv shows. i'm spoiled by recent hbo dramas that seem much better than anything on network tv.
for example, gilmore is fun and all but how ridiculous is it that as soon as rory and lorelei walk outside the other show that they immediately run into dean's wife and her mom? for dramatic purposes, fine but i'm so sick of watching stuff that is so clearly a plot point that has to be made because the writer needs to have it happen. the wire, the sopranos, deadwood, and to a lesser extent six feet under don't pander to the degree that all network shows do.
on another note, keep the recommendations going. i depend on your dvr blog. the 3rd parties thing was really interesting. i wonder if jim watched it and threw tomatoes at nader's image. the beach boys show was fun and quite strange.
Posted by: dan at October 4, 2004 04:40 PM