When we watch television we search out cute little shows without a lot of gore and violence. Since we refuse to watch serial killer, CSI type shows our viewing options are limited. Don't get me wrong. I like some gore and violence fests like "Justified", "Sons of Anarchy" and "The Bridge" but your run of your mill torture porn shows like "The Black List" and "Criminal Minds" leave us cold. I mean they are not well done and the plots are really predictable.
We search out some odd little shows on Net Flicks and Amazon Prime which is the future of television. You can catch new shows from all over the world as well as old favorites like "Adam-12" and "Dragnet." So if you want to watch a show without violence and gore right before you go to sleep you have a lot to choose from on these platforms.
Lately we have been watching this odd little show called "Life Unexpected" about a kid who was put up for adoption by a high school mom but shows up 16 years later and the family is reunited. It is surprising because of some of the themes. In it the girl has an affair with her teacher which seems a little out there for a family type show. This show was broadcast on the CW which has a bunch of other family friendly shows like "Hart of Dixie."
The CW is a joint venture of CBS and Time Warner that united two failed attempts at starting a network in the WB and UPN. These had a bunch of "family friendly" shows of which the granddaddy and most popular was "Seventh Heaven."
"Seventh Heaven" was a show about a minister and his large brood of children who got in hi jinks and trouble that were solved by love and Christian Values. It was notable for the actors who included Jessica Biel who went on to movie stardom. It was anchored by reliable character actor Stephen Collins. Who is in a lot of trouble.
It seems he is going through a divorce and his wife had taped him "confessing" to some sexual abuse of minors from many years ago. Supposedly he exposed himself to several young girls and another woman has come forward to claim he touched her inappropriately when she was a young teenager and he was around 23. Exactly the situation in "Life Unexpected." Now this will come to a court proceeding where the facts will come out one way or another. But it seem eerie that the fictional activities of some characters happened in real life. Why would the people who write that show think it was ok to use that as a plot line. I mean I am sure they will be after Collins along with all of the usual suspects. Remember that this tape comes from an estranged wife who is looking for a payday. But it is still a stark reminder of reality.
I just don't know anymore.
7 comments:
We've been watching "Columbo".
It's so funny. The guns don't even fire. The murderers (always and only the murderers) point them at their target, there's a sound effect (one for regular, one for silenced, neither accurate), no muzzle flash, smoke, recoil, nothing.
And the victim, bloodlessly falls to the ground.
The show that gets me is "Blue Bloods."
The New Kids on the Whalberg guy shoots about five or six people every episode. Last year the NYPD shot about 27 people during the entire year. Never more than one at a time.
You have to laugh.
Catching "Adam 12" or "Dragnet" on Net Flicks is a revelation.
Man those dirty hippies smoking that Mary Jane.
You know that is what they called it.
Hey, never forget the words of Sgt. Joe Friday:
"Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb."
But, yeah, there have been dramatically more serial killers, e.g., on any given TV show (much less all of them) than there are in real life.
I like "Columbo". I just saw Vera Miles kill Martin Sheen. And previously, Martin Landau and his twin brother, Martin Landau, had some sort of scheme to bilk Julie Newmar out of her sugar-daddy's money.
Bob Culp has been on three times so far. Murderer every time. Caught every time. You think he'd learn!
Quality entertainment.
To say nothing of it being L.A. in the earliest memories I have. 5 cents a pound for watermelon. Gas at 39 cents a gallon—and outrageously overpriced at that! The Sportsman Lodge in Studio City. The very first episode took place in the building in West Hollywood where I worked prior to the current job.
"Two dollars JUST to park a car?" asks Columbo in disbelief.
First episode of Columbo:
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Shot by Russell Metty ("Touch of Evil", "Spartacus", "Bringing Up Baby")
Written by Steven Bochco
Amazing. A lot of episodes written by Stephen Cannell, directed by Leo Penn (Sean's dad), starring all kinds of has-beens and would-bes, like Roddy MacDowell, Ann Francis, Ray Milland, Leonard Nimoy, Suzanne Pleshette...
Lotta fun.
There was a rumor that he had killed himself tonight. But it was a false alarm.
The cops at his house showed up to apparently raid his place. Not to claim his dead body.
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