Quality vs. Quantity: The Making of Good TV

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Kris M.

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We’ve lamented before over the loss of Firefly, Joss Whedon’s sci-fi western epic which was tragically cut down in its first and only season. Even though we eventually got to see the ending as a movie, fans continue to wish for more adventures with Captain Mal and the crew of the ship Serenity.

However, if fans did receive their wish and Firefly had lasted for multiple seasons, would we still consider it one of the finest sci-fi shows on television? Would the romance between Simon and Kaylee have been drawn out for a ridiculously long time, only to fizzle out when they did get together? Would actors leave the show halfway, making us hate their replacements? Would Firefly have eventually jumped the shark?

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In a perfect world a television show would play only as long for as long as it was still engaging and the last episode would air right before the show became tired and boring. Once-quality shows like The Simpsons and The Office would be put out to pasture while at the top of their game, instead of suffering for years. Is it even worth having so many episodes of The Simpsons that the show could support its own cable network when fans only care about the earlier seasons?

Maybe we should take a cue from across the pond and set up our shows the way they do in England. That would mean only a few seasons of a show, and only a handful of episodes per season.Spaced might have had a small run by American standards, but it’s a work of pure genius that similar shows like The Big Bang Theory couldn’t hope to reproduce.

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Smaller shows mean smaller budgets, allowing networks to take greater risks on weird shows like The Mighty Boosh. Given the same limitations over here, there’s no doubt that we’d see a golden renaissance of American television and terms like “jump the shark” would be obsolete.

On the other hand, consider how different shows like Parks and Recreation or Community would be if they were cut off after only six episodes. Many television shows don’t hit their stride until the second or third season as the actors further develop the characters and writers weave a complex world. We’ve all found ourselves telling a friend “Once you get past the first couple of episodes, this show is really great.”

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Maybe the creators of Arrested Development were the only ones who got it right. Although the show only aired for three seasons, it was enough time for the cast to develop an amazing chemistry and for the writers to build up a number of inside jokes and catch phrases. The show was taken off the air just before it began to show any flaws and is now scheduled to return to TV once again.

In the battle between quantity versus quality, the winner may in fact be both. The ideal TV show would be one with unlimited episodes that are always consistent in quality.

How to Sound Like A Geek

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Mia R.

Image source: spaciousplanet.com

Is there a special geek someone you’re trying to impress, but don’t know what to say? Worry no more! This guide will help fake you through 4 TV shows that nerds love (not these four) to help you fit in with the not-so-cool kids. Continue reading →

TV’s Top 5 Sexiest Nerdettes

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Dabney B

It’s never been a better time to be a nerd. Twenty or so years ago, nerds were getting stuffed in lockers and given atomic wedges. I mean, that might still be the case now, but at least nerds nowadays can blossom into acceptable and loved socially awkward nerds.

That trend is becoming more and more evident on TV, with nerdettes getting more and more camera time. As I said in an earlier article, I’m liking this trend that nerd culture is becoming cooler. This focus on female nerds has the added bonus of breaking stereotypes, because it shows audiences that even book worms and brunettes in horn-rimmed glasses can be sexy, too.

5. Kaylee – Firefly

Image: Firefly Wikia

Kaylee’s bound to feel a bit outmatched when it comes to feminine charm aboard Serenity. On one side of her, she’s got Inara, a trained Companion who’s devoted her life to pleasing others. On the other, she’s got Zoe, an exotic Amazonian warrior goddess who kicks ass and still has time to have hot, sweaty alone time with her husband in bed.

But don’t let Kaylee’s inglorious occupation fool you. Her humble demeanor, southern twang, unabashed love of ships, and caring disposition make her the perfect gal. And be honest with yourself: those grease smudges are just too darned cute.

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4. Bernadette – The Big Bang Theory

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This squeaky blonde gives a new meaning to the term “mousey.” The miniscule Bernadette is uncharacteristically attractive considering the guy she’s dating (lucky douchebag). To be honest, I think she might even more good-looking than the resident “hot one.”

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3. Seven of Nine – Star Trek Voyager

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Not only can this blonde bombshell calibrate a super computer to intercept the trajectory of a spacecraft at warp 9.6, but she’s also struggling to rediscover her human emotions and is looking for someone to teach her what it means to love again. And who knows — maybe her Borg hardware comes with built-in vibrating features.

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Just make sure you give her a chance to freshen up before heading out on a date together.

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2. Jess – The New Girl

The New Girl is getting rant reviews and is quickly developing its own set of devoted followers. But with the “adorkable” Zooey Deschanel at the forefront of the show, it’s hard not to get sucked in.

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Nyaww, isn’t she so cute? Makes you want to take her home with you, kind of like a puppy that’s so clumsy that it trips over its own paws.

1. Liz Lemon – 30 Rock

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My favorite nerd goddess of all time, Tina Fey brings out social ineptitude in 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon. One of the best gags of the show is that Liz is completely unsuccessful in the dating world as is often considered to be unattractive, which creates a weird but successful comedic effect, considering how attractive Tina Fey actually is. It’s kind of like that Twilight Zone episode with the ugly doctors. I mean, honestly, who red-blooded male wouldn’t be turned on by this?

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When Cult TV Shows Become Cult Movies

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Kris M.

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Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, a comedy film based on the Adult Swim TV show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, premiered this past weekend. Although the duo are often criticized for their bizarre comedic styling, they have nevertheless garnered a large cult following in recent years, which ultimately led to their first major motion picture.

Tim and Eric aren’t the first TV cult icons to make the crossover from the small screen to the silver screen. Movies are often a haven for cancelled TV shows with cult followings because there is a built-in audience already dying to see what happened to their favorite characters. While these movies aren’t always financial or critical successes, they do provide one last hurrah for fans of the original TV series.

Twin Peaks – Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

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Twin Peaks wrote the book on cult TV and the 1992 thriller Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me paved the way for other cult TV shows to become feature films. This psychological quagmire served as both a prequel and epilogue to the TV series and was nigh incomprehensible unless you were a diehard fan of the show.

Firefly – Serenity

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Joss Whedon’s sci-fi epic was cancelled with a fizzle during its run on Fox, but DVDs breathed new life into the show, which quickly gained a cult following of loyal geeks. This led to Serenity, a movie sequel that served as the grand finale to the short-lived space western.

The X-Files –The X-Files: I Want to Believe

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The first X-Files movie was released while the show was still on the air, but ten years later Mulder and Scully returned to the big screen in The X-Files: I Want to Believe. The movie was a standard sci-fi mystery that felt like a longer episode of the original series, but it did give audiences one final adventure with the characters.

Family Guy – Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story

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It’s hard to believe nowadays, but there actually was a time when Family Guy was cancelled. During those dark years, Family Guy fans had only this DVD movie to get ther Seth McFarlane fix. Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story was really three separate episodes tied loosely together, but it eventually paved the way for Family Guy to return to the airwaves.

The Kids in the Hall – Brain Candy

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The Canadian comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall were famous for their sketch TV show both in their native land and in the United States. Although Brain Candy didn’t feature any of their familiar characters from the show, it did feature all five actors playing the majority of the roles—both male and female.

Strangers With Candy – Strangers With Candy

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This comedy series about a 46-year-old high school dropout who decides to return to school was re-imagined as a big-screen comedy with the original cast a few years after the original run. The movie served as a prequel to tell the story of how Jerri Blank returned to Flatpoint High.

If It Hadn’t Been Cancelled: Firefly

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Dabney B

Welcome to our newest segment, If It Hadn’t Been Cancelled, a series that explores what might have happened is a show kept on ticking.

Friday, December 13, 2002. The CEOs at FOX had just gotten off of a conference call with Satan, promising the deliver the souls of several orphans in exchange for a 5.3% increase in ratings in the 2003 year. After ordering the secretary to go find some puppies to kick, one of the FOX CEOs grabbed his diamond-encrusted “Murder Phone” called up Joss Whedon, and told him the following message:

Translated into the mortal tongue, that message means, “We’re cancelling Firefly. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha.”

And as they hung up, Joss felt a great disturbance, as if millions of nerds suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Unfortunately, it was something that a lot of us could see coming. Joss Whedon’s television series, Firefly, was off to a shaky start but hat a devoted group of fans. These fans, calling themselves the “Browncoats,” started a campaign to send postcards to FOX, begging them not to cancel the show.

Predictably, FOX killed the show to cut losses and save money, but that turned out to be a mistake. Since the DVD release, Firefly has gained a massive following based on a mere 14 episodes, as that was all it took to capture the hearts of millions of fans. Firefly may have been a late bloomer, but it has proven to be a true heavy-hitter, prompting Stargate co-creator to call it “possibly one of the best canceled series in history.”

Here are 5 episodes we would have loved to see if Firefly hadn’t been crushed.

5. High Noon

One of the crew members of Serenity picks a fight with the wrong person and ends up getting pulled into a duel with a local sharpshooter. This classic Wild West duel is just too classic to pass up.

Image: Tyler's Happy Place Blogspot

The Twist: While we might think of the Captain as being the perfect candidate to shoot down the local thug, think again. Mal already fought a duel in “Shindig,” so expect the duelist to be Zoey, Wash, or maybe even Simon.

The Climax: Jayne, high atop a building in a sniper’s roost, shoots the gun out of the bad guy’s hand, making it look like Simon is the deadliest gun this side of the border planets. Kaylee swoons.

4. Impounded

The Alliance finally makes good on their threats and impounds Serenity. The crew’s only chance to buy back their ship in the upcoming auction is to pull a daring suicide mission for a hefty sum. The problem? They’ve got to do it with a rental ship of dubious quality.

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The Twist: Serenity was impounded because somebody sold them out, and the crew is bound to encounter this low-life in their suicide mission.

The Climax: “Now get off my ship,” Mal spits at Alliance scum as he wins back his pride and joy.

3. Road Trip

The gang takes a detour to visit Wash’s home. An episode like this was bound to happen sooner or later, as Wash was one of the most underdeveloped characters. Unsurprisingly, the Washburnes are in some trouble and need help.

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The Twist: The Washburnes are even weirder than Wash.

The Climax: Wash saves Zoey, or vice-versa. Copious love-making ensues.

2. Siblings

The crew hears tale of another person who was smuggled out of Alliance custody, just like River. Simon convinces the group to visit the fellow fugitive to learn more information about River’s condition.

Image: Firefly Wikia

The Twist: Unbeknownst to our heroes, the Alliance is hot on the trail of the other fugitive, or is using the fugitive as a trap to lure out River.

The Climax: River and the other fugitive simultaneously break out in a brutal display of ass-whoopery, saving everyone’s hides.

1. I’ll Take the High Road

An excellent season finale, the group must split up to evade some terrible danger, half of the crew in Serenity and half of the crew in Inara’s shuttle. Both groups manage to make it out alive, but a problem with communication scrambles the message containing their rendezvous point. The crew is split in halves, without any way of knowing where in the ‘Verse their friends are.

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The Twist: Mal, ever practical, is ready to cut his losses and start hiring new crew. Kaylee breaks down, wondering how he could ever abandon Wash and Zoey, leaving them stranded and alone. Mal gives her one of his captain speeches, informing her that they’re going to have to hire some unsavory folk if they are going to get the manpower they need to track down the rest of the crew.

The Climax: Shocking no one, some of the new crew betrays Mal, but other members of the new crew band together with Mal, helping him defeat the baddies and reclaiming Serenity. The ship gains 1 or 2 more permanent residents.

TV Secret Santa, Part 2

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Dabney B

It’s time for your second round of presents from your favorite TV personalities. You got plenty of great gifts in part 1, so let’s see what else is waiting for you under the tree. Unwrap your presents to find out!

1. Dr. House – House

When you want a cure for a rare and bizarre disease, come to Dr. House. When you want to feel good about yourself and hang out with a buddy, keep on walking. House isn’t exactly the friendliest guy you’ll ever meet, but he can still give a decent Christmas gift when the time comes.

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2. SVU Group – Law and Order: SVU

Working the hard crimes of the Special Victims Unit is bound to leave people a little cynical. Luckily, the holidays are all about letting go of some of that negativity to celebrate life and happiness. The crew might get a bit stressed with all of the evil they experience on a daily basis, that hasn’t stopped them from pitching in and buying you a really thoughtful – and useful – stocking stuffer.

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3. Elena – Vampire Diaries

Living around a bunch of vampires is a rather exhilarating experience for a sexy young woman. On the one side of the coin, you get to be surrounded by a bunch of smoky, sexy vampire guys. On the flip side is the whole blood sucking thing. That’s kind of a buzz kill. So, how does Elena cope with all of the love triangle drama and remain sane? This year, Elena is sharing with you her personal, secret outlet for all of her pent-up sexual frustration.

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4. Jayne – Firefly

Jayne can be a rough and tumble guy, but his heart’s in the right place when it matters (by that, I mean that it’s in the right place if you’ve recently paid him). Any diehard Browncoat knows that Jayne can really pull out all of the stops and give a very thoughtful gift. Just don’t expect to get Vera, his very favorite gun; he doesn’t give away things like that to just anyone.

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5. The Soup Nazi – Seinfeld

When you want the best soup in all of New York, get your money ready and go over to the Soup Nazi’s place. Just don’t mess around at the cashier. But don’t worry too much, you’re on his good side! And this year he got you something special.

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