Wow, life is busy. Who would have thought that life would get in the way of blogging! So after some time away I thought I had better get on with finishing this latest 30 day challenge. In some ways, depending on how you take the title, I have already lost the challenge since it has taken so many more days to reach this point in a 30 day challenge!
Two categories to cover off today, once again the first relates to Sport (oh joy!).
Favourite Sport to watch on TV.
Well as with my previous post, I guess I have kind covered this off. I tend to turn on the TV for a sporting event very, very, very occasionally. I have been known to watch a boxing match, one that is free to watch of course, seriously don't Sky get enough from us already without charging money to watch an event!? It is one of those spectator sports that always conjures up the magic of watching Rocky, never actually delivers that magic and yet you continue to watch in case, just in case there is a wonderful knockout. We haven't really changed that much from ancient times, only there are less lions and decapitations in the arena nowadays.
I am a definite armchair sports person, I should be way more active than just Kinect Sports but hey there is always a balance in the universe and if you like to go running [you know who you are ;-)] then that's the Yin to my Yang - Balance!
So enough sport, lets talk about a challenge subject that really gets my goat.
Favourite TV show which has been cancelled.
It has come to my attention this year that some TV bosses are blinkered, blind perhaps. This year two shows have left our screens which makes me very sad indeed.
Before I name check and 'big up' the shows (again) I'll check my understanding. It seems that in America which has given us many great shows, each Network has to choose its shows carefully. Budget constraints perhaps? I would hazard (ooh Richard Mark's just popped into my head!) a guess that this is definitely a costings issue. My limited understanding is that they have a set amount to spend, they allocate to the shows and when its run out, so does the show!
TAKE NOTE UK BASED NETWORKS - instead of Law & Order UK, which quite frankly is an embarrassment to the Law & Order franchise, in fact I wonder is there such a season as Law & Order France - non. Perhaps Law & Order Germany - nein. So why did we bother!? Rant over.
Sorry, where was I. Oh yeah. Perhaps we could purchase some of the great television shows and keep them going, viewing figures must be very different in the UK to the USA, surely we are a big enough viewing figures family to warrant these ideas. Of course who am I to suggest this, merely an armchair viewer. If I lose a show, do I have a voice after the ranting stops - nope!
So which shows cancelled have annoyed me.
Lie To Me - gone! This is a travesty. It which and remains a brilliant show. In past posts I have compared Tim Roth's (British Actor, top of his game, go , go Mr. Orange) with Hugh Laurie (another British Actor at the top). They are without doubt spectacular at their characters and draw in the audience so well that we go with them even when our senses and conscience say, "No".
Lie to Me has in defence of the Network managed three series and yet I feel we are left wanting. Maybe it's just me.
English Actor - hear that English networks - ENGLISH!!!!!!! You can do it - Torchwood people - English with huge American budgets. - Anyone listening?
So what else?
The Chicago Code.
Brilliant!
Witty, fast paced, solid characters, action, comedy, intrigue, corruption, conspiracy, thrilling, gone!
One series - gone!
I don't get it. It once more left the viewers wanting - perhaps the door is ajar, the light only fading and not extinguished. We will wait and see - without holding breath.
What I have learned from these two sad losses in 2011 is to tailor my viewing. I find it valuable now to reach for the power of Google or IMDB and check if a new series has been commissioned.
Take, Southland, Boomtown, K-Ville to name a few. Shows that seem to have disappeared. Recently the fantastic Falling Skies finished but save me from agony we had already checked for a second series.
After all, a great deal of time is invested in a season. You go through the emotions with the characters, it engages you in the plots, it feeds your conversations and blogs with your friends. To have this taken away feels like the end of The Empire Strikes Back all over again - wowed, invested and begging for more and yet downtrodden, shocked and saddened - roller-coaster analogy anyone!
