Books
According to the New York Times, NBC has announced part of its fall lineup. Returning series include Friday Night Lights–yeah!!!
True confession, I’m a football junkie. Grew up going to church with Joe Paterno and my Nittany Lions on Saturday and the Steelers on Sunday. When we trained our puppy to stay out of the dining room, the command we taught her was “Off Sides!” My nephew’s first words were “Touch Down!”
So combine the inside life of a high school football team, no bars held when it comes to the realities most kids face these days (sex, drugs, booze, steroids), the small town that lives and breathes football and hunky coach Kyle Chandler and I’m sold!
Kudos to NBC!
Except, the Times went on to dish out this redux nugget:
The drama that is certain to get the most instant recognition is “Bionic Woman,” a 21st-century remake of the 1970s series. This one stars Michelle Ryan as an accident victim remade with bionic parts who is embroiled in a secret government project, which also includes a previous bionic prototype, played by Katee Sackhoff. The series was once thought to be in trouble, but the pilot is now getting some of the strongest favorable reviews inside NBC.
Are they for real? The Bionic Woman is the best they got???? And it’s getting “the strongest, favorable reviews”????
Jeezit, NBC, just drop me a line next time you’re shopping for a new series with kick ass heroines! I’ve got several manuscripts I’d love to show you–and all of my characters are real women, not silicon!
What do you think? Did NBC just set back the women’s movement by twenty years or what?
Books
According to the Associated Press, 2.5 million Americans are NOT watching TV this spring:
NEW YORK (AP) – Maybe they’re outside in the garden. They could be playing softball. Or perhaps they’re just plain bored. In TV’s worst spring in recent memory, a startling number of Americans drifted away from television the past two months: More than 2.5 million fewer people were watching ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox than at the same time last year, statistics show.
As a writer, I’m hoping they’re all reading!
As a pediatrician, I’m hoping they’re all out there playing with their kids and being a family of do-ers instead of a family of couch-potatoes!
What would you do instead of watching TV?
Me, I have a stack of to-be-read books calling my name like a siren’s song and a new idea for a novel (very dark and twisted!) that wants to come out and play!
Books
I write fiction. Yes, a lot of it is loosely based on real life medical cases, as well as real life heroes, tragedies, crimes and their effects on real people.
But when I write, I stay very aware that my main purpose is to entertain my reader. I hope that I also enlighten and educate, but the main reason for anyone to spend money for my books will be for enjoyment.
Matt over on CrimeRant has a great blog today about how the news media has crossed the line between news and entertainment. Here’s a snippet:
Just two weeks ago, Cho Seung-Hui’s mass killing rampage was 24/7 coverage. And now it’s Paris Hilton’s turn. The word fleeting comes to mind. And that is the sad part of this: all these people affected by crime and their stories the media uses to fill airspace one day, just disappear the next. I guess it’s the nature of a rapidly turning world of crime. The networks decide what is a major crime story and we either watch or shut the TV off.
I think he has a good point. When I want news, I want the facts, not glorified “reality” TV. I could care less about the celebrity talking heads, the trumped up pitch-fever hype, or gossip. I certainly don’t want cameras shoved into the faces of grieving victims and relatives for the sake of “the public’s right to know.”
I want facts revealing in a cool and level-headed way all aspects of a story, including those that I might not have thought of myself. Because of this, I supported NBC’s decision to edit Cho Seung-Hui’s video down to two minutes but to show it so that the rest of us could have some insight into his psyche.
What do you think? Do you want Hollywood Hype to take the place of reporting? Has the news media crossed the line into entertainment?
Books
May Day = Bobbie Fay Day!!
I’d like to give a shout out to fellow debut novelist, Toni McGee Causey, whose novel, BOBBIE FAYE’S VERY (very, very, very) BAD DAY was released today!!
I was privileged to be able to read an early version of BOBBIE FAYE but now that I have the real thing in my hands, I cannot wait to read it again.
This time I’ll be better prepared—no drinking (since it tends to snort out my nose when I collapse in hysterical bouts of laughter), no eating (ditto), go to the rest room first (it’s either that or take the book in there with me because I will not be able to put it down), turn off the phone and computer, and put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door.
Seriously folks, it’s that good of a read—even better, it’s that funny of a read! And I don’t know about you but these days I can use all the humor I can get.
If you enjoy a funny, smart, kick-ass heroine with two to-die for hunky guys, a race against the clock, explosions, wild-life, wild rides, murder and mayhem with a touch of Cajun spice thrown in, then run don’t walk to your nearest store and buy this book.
For more about Bobbie Faye and the equally hysterical life of her creator, Toni Causey, check out her at www.bobbiefaye.com
Enjoy!
CJ
PS: don’t just trust my judgment! Both Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal gave BOBBIE FAYE a Starred review!
Books
Okay the official title of last night’s GA episode was Desire. I think Penis Fish would have been more catchy, but since all the GA eps are named after songs, that might be why the producers didn’t call it that.
And, yes, they did get that right—there is an Amazonian Penis Fish. Really. We learned about it in med school, don’t ask me why, I think the male textbook writers are just morbidly fascinated with the idea of a fish that swims up their urine stream, crawls inside and starts to eat them from the inside out.
You know how guys are about peeing in the woods, something they always hold over us womenfolk’s heads as proof of their natural superiority. Guess maybe they’ll think twice about doing that anywhere near the Amazon now.
For me, other than the penis fish laughs, this episode was a bit rocky. Mainly because the good parts were all muffled by that damn wedding cake. I kept turning the volume up, but no, Burke’s sweet dialogue about his love for Cristina—buried by cake. George and Izzy, trying hard to be “just friends” and failing—buried by cake.
Also, I was disappointed to see Alex and Addi finally do it. I loved the sexual tension between them and she was the last attending (other than the Chief) to actually not sacrifice every ounce of integrity she had and sleep with an intern she is supervising.
I know, I know, GA exists in a world with no sexual harassment laws, no Resident Review Committee, no Medical Board with ethical standards of practice, etc, etc. And of course all the attendings look so damn young that a regular viewer forgets the fact that they are all old enough to be the fathers and mothers of the interns they are sleeping with—a big yuck factor for me to over come.
Yes, all the interns at Seattle Grace have mommy and daddy complexes. And yes, all the attendings act like children. Whiny and pouty, even when they get what they want. Like Derrick confessing to Mer that she’s just wearing him out, his needing to breathe for her…and then he lets her walk away!! This is his idea of communicating?
I’ve had better conversations with toddlers in the midst of throwing a tantrum.
Anyway, I totally understand why the writers need a show like last nights, they have to move all the characters from Point A to Point B before the season ends. Okay, okay.
But could we please have some real character development and a little less cake?
