Thanks for everyone who has weighed in with their “I’m out” moments, those onscreen instances that led you to break up with your favorite show. A lot of great examples, some of them moments that have admittedly given me pause as well.
Oh, and to respond to your comment, Das, my objection to yesterday’s example was NOT the fact that he passed up on a date with a super model to be with his depressed friend but the fact that it was completely out of character for him to do so.
Spent most of today working on a series overview for yet another project, this one with The Idea Man, Robert C. Cooper. It was only a three page document, but I am exhausted. I’ll send it his way tonight, he’ll go over it tomorrow, next week he’ll make the necessary calls, get the overview to the right people, we’ll invariably get a green light on the pilot which we can write over the holidays, deliver the script in January, and be in production before summer of 2014! How’s that for positive thinking? And, in the most unlikely event that this particular project doesn’t pan out, I received word that a decision will be made on another project by the end of January. Imagine if we get the go-ahead for both? Or if the network that has been sitting on that OTHER pilot finally discovers it sitting behind the espresso machine where somebody dropped it eight months ago and THEY give us another green light. Well, that’ll be THREE shows in production! If that’s the case, I’m going to need some help. So, if you get a chance, please nominate yourself for a position on the production listing your hopes, desires, and experience. No, forget experience. I can’t afford to be picky. Show of hands! Who wants to direct?!
No one?
Well, finally, after four years with me, Akemi has finally taken the plunge. Yes, my girlfriend has started to watch a Stargate series. I gave her a choice between SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe and she elected to go with the most recent. Why? Well, apparently – surprisingly – she’s a stickler for visual effects. More to the point, she finds dated visual effects hilarious and, at the same time, unwatchable. So, we decided to go with SGU. The verdict so far? She finds Rush very intriguing and likes Greer. She finds it amusing that the older Colonel is named Young. She’s very impressed with the visual effects, less so the jumping back and forth in time in the opening two-parter. She found that confusing. In fact, she found a lot confusing. I continually had to field questions and clarify throughout. No, that’s the Daedalus. No, now we’re back on the Destiny. Now we’re on a base. No, that’s the Earth base. This is the Icarus Base and it’s on another planet. The stones? Oh, they let you switch bodies when you initialize one stone by touching it and someone with the other set initializes theirs by…ah, forget it!
I’m trying to convince her to do episode reviews.
I’ll direct!! I’m great at visualization, but especially good at telling other people what to do. 😀
Who determines when someone is ‘out of character’? Now, I will be the first to gripe when my favorite character completely changes into something or someone I don’t like, but small changes – even surprise decisions? Isn’t that part of character growth? And isn’t that what most want from a character – to see where their arc takes them?
Now, certainly that would only be the case if they continue to build on his decision to help a friend rather than himself, so ‘growth’ really depends on whether this is a stepping stone to something else, or just a one-off plot device to frustrate viewers. What do you think it is?
das
why don’t you just start her with the best of the best, sg1? it’s got everything a scifi (and casual scifi) fan would want, and she won’t have to study or take notes to follow along. and they’re actually likeable characters! :p
OK…Dude, where do we line up to sign up?
Don’t think directing is my speciality…..but willing to do other things as assigned.
This would be sooooo cool. Provided the schedule does not impact work too much. sigh…
Wishing you GOOOOOD vibrations and thoughts!
@Akemi: Gateworld.net is your friend. Read the episode synopses (descriptions) &/or transcripts.
Joe, I’ll take gatekeeper (receptionist /secretary), background researcher, legal assistant, English proofreader & Spanish translator; that can all roll into one position, right? Qualifications: BA Spanish with recent proficiency certification, BS secretarial studies, postgrad certificate from lawyer’s assistant program; decades of public-contact work experience. 🙂
Those stones killed me every time they used them. I never knew who I was watching and who someone was suppose to be. Tell Akemi to watch Stargate Atlantis. It’s THE BEST!!
Well…if you’re looking for production staff…my son will be fresh off his internship at the end of the summer with a shiny new degree in video production. Resume available upon request… 😉
Quick question for your next mailbag…and I apologize if this has been asked and answered already (I tried searching previous blogs but it’s late and my brain is slipping into stand-by mode for the night)…I’m curious as to who (person or organization) “owns”–for lack of a better word–the scripts for the SGA and SG-1 movies? So many of us would love to see those novelized and made part of the Stargate canon…is there any way we could launch a campaign to make that happen? Who would we have to annoy/pester/wheedle/cajole/blackmail? If any group is up to the task, I’m guessing it’s the Stargate fandom.
Thanks…and good luck with the projects!
Stella
Somehow I managed to miss yesterday’s entry, so I want to put my TV breakups.
I’m the kind of person who who watches something to the bitter end, even when it’s driving me crazy (hi, Lost), so for me to ditch a show before it reaches its end is pretty big. I can only really think of a few:
1. Dark Angel. For a long time this was just the show that was on between The X-Files and The Lone Gunman. Then towards the end of its first season it started to get really good, so much so that I started paying way more attention to it. I was all jazzed for the second Season… but that just went off the rails, featuring human/animal hybrids and all sorts of stuff that just made it feel like a different show. Quit after the first couple of episodes.
2. Glee. Yeah, I stuck with Glee for quite a while, but I just gave up halfway through last season. I didn’t like the plotlines, the characters were starting to annoy me too much, and the new batch of characters just weren’t interesting. Plus the way the character’s motivations and rivalries shifted between episodes just didn’t make any sense.
3. Falling Skies. I sat through two seasons of that overly-saccharine cesspool of sentimental shit knowing that in there somewhere was a good series. Glimpses of it shone through occasionally, and I actually liked a lot of the characters. But then the evil baby appeared, and the aliens that we don’t know if we can trust (obviously we can’t) and I decided I can’t take dry sci-fi plots alongside all the schmaltzy nonsense.
4. The Bill. I gave up on this long-running British series in its last 1-2 seasons (still came back for the last episode though). The Bill had always been a show that went through transitions. It was a cop show, then part-way through its 26-ish year run it turned into an ultra-soap with little attention paid to the police cases and more to who was sleeping with who, then it came back to being a police show again, and eventually found its balance. Then, almost suddenly, something shifted towards the end. Some long-standing characters were written out rather suddenly, and many of the existing characters were reduced to near-background performers. The focus shifted towards only a few characters rather than a shifting ensemble. It’s not that it was bad, but it wasn’t the same. It was sad to see characters you liked, characters that had received entire multi-episode arc season after season, reduced to characters who maybe got a line every few episodes. Weirdly it was a lot like Generation 1 Transformers’ second and third season, where the main characters from the previous season hardly ever showed up during the
following season. Quite sad.
5. The Blacklist. I gave up on that show when they disposed of a dirty bomb by pushing it into the ocean. Then again, everything I’ve seen since then shows that it has improved, so I may go back to that and catch up before it returns next year.
6. Agents of SHIELD. Haven’t given up, but if that doesn’t improve pronto then I’m done with it. Maybe take a few lessons from the guys making Arrow.
So those are mine. 😀
Put me on the list for Writing Staff for any or all of those projects. If all those positions are filled, the only other thing I can do that you can use is cook, so make Craft Services my plan B. I’ll be waiting for a call!
I’m thinking positive thoughts about all the irons (new and old) that you have in the fire. I hoping you’ll hear the good news soon.
Are we talking Vancouver (I’m in!), LA (maybe…not a big fan of the LA scene), or Toronto (why would I move somewhere COLDER than Chicago)? If you need a point man in Savannah though, I’m in! 😉
Seriously though, directing strikes me as one of those jobs that everyone thinks they can do, but in actual practise becomes very difficult and nuanced to do well. Not a job for a newbie, I think.
And, are we going to have Akemi guest-reviews of SGU? I vote yes!
Hey! Saw this today and immediately thought of you. 🙂
Yes please please Akemi reviewing sga & sgu episodes, impressive. Will you know what torture the viewer firsthand or first paw if you included some of your fur friends in the review.
I nominate myself for cleaning the props deparment ( I like to have that stuff controlled) 😈
If you need someone to run the IT for your shows then count me in! I have production experience and was there when The Lord Of The Rings was put into turnaround and that worked out OK. So maybe I can bring some good luck? You can take your director’s job, though. I’ve seen how hard directors work!
Thank you Joseph ,and all the others in the team of course for these magnifisent shows.
I make a rerun these months in them and see how much i like them for one more time.
Make it happen again with another Stargate show or film!
My directing is very edgy. And by that I mean I fidget a lot and keep accidentally bumping the camera. Do you have a really, really heavy tripod I can borrow?
@HBMC
… Gotta admit, that’s probably the first time I’ve ever seen The Bill compared to Transformers!!
It’s not a scripted show, but I can absolutely pinpoint the exact moment that I stopped watching The Gadget Show.
Xmas episode, about 5 or 6 years ago. They were doing a TV Showoff between 3 TVs. A Samsung, a Sony and..um.. something else, I think maybe Panasonic.
They lined the 3 TV up next to each other, in front of a windows, and had a camera on the other side of the window.
In front of that sat a Xmassy scene, santa, tree, snow, yada yada.
Basically a test of “Perfection”, by comparing the three TVs and the real-life through the window view.
“Absolutely perfect”, and “Like looking through the window” was the comment given for the Samsung.
.. followed by “But the Sony is MORE VIBRANT, so that’s our winner!!!”
…
Um.. derp!?
What’s the point of doing that entire setup, if you’re going to go against the exact results that you were actually aiming for!?
Haven’t tuned in again, since.
I’d be in for set decoration and costuming!
I wish I could tell my 16 year old self that Art Director would be the career to shoot for, sounds fascinating to me, even the budgeting bits.
Hey, Utah is “film friendly”. Big tax breaks and tons of experienced people, and all those talented Mormons hanging around.
I’m in for craft services. Or directing. Or…Director of Craft Services.
Akemi reviewing episodes would be awesome. Just remind her that we are laughing WITH her.
Happy Friday everyone.
Hope all three shows get the green light. *paws crossed* I’ll be standing outside your office door looking for a writing job. 😉
Akemi should have started with SG-1 because of the humour. As much as I loved Atlantis, Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal’c will always be my favourite SG characters, and I still tear up when I see General Hammond in the reruns. Don Davis. <3
I didn't comment on the entry about breaking up with favourite shows, because my memory is fuzzy lately due to hatred of…December for so many reasons. Family stuff. However, last night I remembered that I broke up with Scandal last week. I can put up with a wonderfully strong character like Olivia Pope turning into a wuss when Fitz crooks his little finger at her, because she does fight her attraction, but I cannot deal with the gore they've become so fond of lately. Olivia's mother chewing on her own wrists complete with strings of blood and tissue dripping from her mouth was a stomach turner. That's when I realized that White Collar is on in the same timeslot on Bravo. If I'd known that I'd have been watching that all along. Last time I checked WC was a season behind the States. Not any more. So, I'm happy.
However, last night I thought I'd give Scandal another try. Mistake. Cyrus upchucked into a sink very, um, realistically and I was back to White Collar. There is nothing offensive or stomach turning about White Collar. Quite the opposite. Sorry, Scandal. I'm done. I knew Shonda Rhimes would do something to her show to put me off eventually. It happened with Grey's Anatomy, but then it was mostly the characters behaving like bratty children. I've rekindled my romance with Grey's, although not to the same degree of fervor, but Scandal is toast for me.
I really liked Huck, but he's part of the problem. *sigh*
I’ll direct!
But only if I never have to leave my house, so I’ll need an assistant to carry my laptop around the set with the web cam on. And another to watch my computer here when I run down to the local Starbucks.
I hope on having David Hewlett play the part of the cranky scientist and or quirky computer technician, and that David Hasselhoff be hired to eat hamburgers off the Teamster’s bathroom floor. For the female lead I desire that young woman who works at the Starbucks down the street. She’s not only really great looking but you can tell she’s a great actress. She acts like she doesn’t have the least bit of interest in me.
I really hope I’m getting the “Pugs In Space” show to work on!
Fingers crossed for the green light on a project!!!!!
I must be getting used to jumping back and forth in time on TV series. When I was listening to my Mp3 audio book while working, the tracks got out of order. Not having time to reload/rearrange the tracks, I just thought of it as a TV show that jumps times while I listened to the story. So thanks to all the writers that made it seem like a normal story. 😉
The stones were interesting but I thought it was odd that people didn’t mind what happened to them while someone occupied them. They could get a disease from unprotected sex, they could get pregnant, or really ……anything was possible. Some kind of agreement pre-occupation would have been nice. It was fascinating to see the mind switch with the quadriplegic. I’m not sure I could have given up the healthy body, if I was her. To be trapped in your own body, indefinitely, would be beyond tragic.
Wasn’t Greer’s popularity a surprise?
I used to be the director of a live TV call-in show. It was on a local cable TV channel. It was fun.
I wish you (really wish you) for 2014 that something more substantial happens more substantial on your many projects. If it is 3, so let’s rejoyce !
So, ever since I began following your blog *years* ago (ack!), I have found your pics and stories of your pugs super adorable. Well, my friend just bought a pug puppy and I got to meet him yesterday and let’s just say, I’ve never been so excited to meet a dog before, and he was just the cutest thing ever. I have definitely determined, when I am grown up (aka out of grad school and can pay my bills, lol), I am totally getting myself a pug. You have made me a pug lover!
I’m really more of an idea person.
Wow, I’d be honored to work on one of your productions, with your team! Imagine the knowledge one could soak up, by being around that kind of talent.
I write. I direct. I act. I produce. (On a much smaller scale than you all, but still..you gotta start somewhere? Right?
Best wishes on all of your projects in production (or on the wait list). Can’t wait to see what you venture into next!
StellaByStargate said: “I’m curious as to who (person or organization) “owns”–for lack of a better word–the scripts for the SGA and SG-1 movies? So many of us would love to see those novelized and made part of the Stargate canon…is there any way we could launch a campaign to make that happen?
i’m seconding stellabystargate’s request!!
Hey, I could probably direct! I mean, it would probably mean just pointing at people and saying, “You – do that better!”, but if I really tried I could probably be an impatient, tyrannical divo. Otherwise, I couldn’t write worth a damn, but I am very willing to criticize other people’s work, which I consider my specialty! 😉 So, if there’s a job for that, I’ll gladly take it.
I really can’t imagine starting to explore SG by starting with SGU first – there’s just so much backstory that make the viewing richer when you know what came before. There is a great “Stargate 101” feature with Daniel Jackson on the SGU S1 DVDs though that Akemi needs to watch at least. Regarding the VFX, I actually really like to watch the show from the beginning because I can see how the quality and approach for stuff like the effects, photography, lighting, etc., evolved as the show progressed. Fascinating stuff.
Joe, yesterday I received an order of macarons that I ordered for myself (and a box for some friends as well) from Soirette, and I have to say they’re even better than I remember. My friends (who had never had them before) loved them as well! Now I’m trying to avoid cracking open the box of Beta5 seasonal collection chocolates for at least a couple of days! 🙂
I am on good show buzz right now; I finally binged AHS Asylum and I got to watch the Misfits finale yesterday; both were just so amazing. And I’ve still got the latest ep of Coven to look forward to, and I discovered Almond-Dark Chocolate-Chili Kind Bars which are heaven.
I hope Akemi will watch a little Atlantis; Home, Michael, Harmony, Vegas and Tracker are so good. Okay I meant to recommend just one and got a little carried away!
i hope that least one of the three gets made.
i could be (somewhat) cheap labor. need lights set up? a set assembled? i’m your gal. i couldn’t be a personal assistant though, some people are too demanding. i could be a front desk person, but i’d probably end up being annoying like david spade’s character on saturday night live.
akemi should’ve went with sg-1. i wouldn’t say the special effects are dated (not like the original star trek) and it’s what lead to the other series. transcripts can help figure out what is going one.
http://www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/Main_Page
“DP on December 13, 2013 at 2:06 pm
‘I’m really more of an idea person.’ ”
Me, too. Hey, Joe, maybe we can still work a raccadillo in, as well as love lives for some secondary characters (the equivalents to Gen. Hammond & Maj. Davis).
I said idea. Not ideas. I’m still stuck on the live action parkour series with an Initial D storyline.
Just to clarify, I’m making a joke out of being a nightmare colleague. I’m not nearly this horrible.
Query, where was the Daedalus in SGU? I thought that was the Hammond or the Odyssey, not Daedalus.
I’ll be the official pet sitter for everyone who brings their pups on set (OF COURSE).
Love that pug video. I’m going to post that on my business FB page.
I think the odds are that you will have 3 shows happening at 1 time. Feast or famine, right?
Oops, forgot to comment on Akemi’s SGU watching. I found the cutting back and forth in the first episode very confusing, too. I had to watch it multiple times to understand it, pick up on things I had missed, etc. My mind just did not want to process the visual that way. That is a funny observation about Young. She always does see things in a different way.
Stargate Was Awesome, except the fact that Universe was Cliff-hangered way tooo much!