Your favourite Television Scene

Callaghan has a post asking folks to nominate their favourite scene from a television show.

It didn't take me long to pick mine.

Star Trek: TNG Episode #118.

"Cause and Effect".

The teaser.

The Enterprise is sailing along when out of nowhere comes this ship. They try to turn, to push it away, it's no use. The Enterprise collides with the ship and explodes into a billion pieces.

Holy Shit!

Studio 60 and the Simpsons' Turn

One of the great things about the Simpsons is that you don't really know what any episode will be about until ten minutes in. You think it'll be about Marge and the new toll road, but it turns out to be about who Homer's real father might be. I call this: The Simpsons Turn and I think I just saw one on #104 of Studio 60.

I'm sure there are many better writers than me out there that saw the turn coming. But when I watch some shows the critical software turns off, and the act turn totally surprised me. There I was thinking, it was going to be about Matt and Harriet and knowing that he was going to see her and her new beau smooching, and wondering how Sorkin was going to make that fresh. Or it was going to be about Ricky and Ron and "the piece" and, what, were they gonna take credit for it? How were they going to try and turn this small success to their advantage?

Nope. With that act turn discovery, they made the episode gave our hero's their monkey paw wish: Ron and Ricky are offering to quit and Matt gets shaken out of his Harriet slump and is given a reason to concentrate on the show.

And not only that, the Turn actually gave the last piece of the show's theme puzzle-- what does it mean to call something "yours", and in doing so gave me a new way to think about writing About Something.

The show ended a little neatly for my taste but, I gotta say, Best Episode Yet.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: The Departed

YES!

BattleStar Galactica this Saturday

Just a reminder, for those who need it. Season Three of BSG begins this Saturday, October 7th, on Space here in Canada.

The Best Television of the last 25 years

Over at Scanners they're having a discussion about the best films of the last 25 years. Lots of great fodder for discussion.

But what about television?

I think there's a case to be made that we're entering a new age of great television. Over the past five years I think we've seen some of the best television ever... and, as it makes a kind of sense, some of the worst.

How 'bout it... what is your top TV pick from the last 25 years... Or your top five. Let's put this in a little perspective. 25 years ago tonight I could have been watching: One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, CHiPs... maybe looking forward to the ABC or NBC Sunday Night movie... A little later in the week my "must see TV" would include: WKRP, Mork and Mindy, Magnum PI, and that Saturday Night killer combo "The Love Boat" then, "Fantasy Island."

Canadian shows I'd watch during fall 1981? SCTV, for sure. The production values were getting really good and Martin Short was introducing all kinds of new characters to the show. This is the Law (the other quinessential canadian "game show" after Front Page Challenge). The Irish Rovers...what the hell? I wasn't a kid, but I definitely remember watching... and enjoying it! But not much in the way of "canadian drama." The King of Kensington...maybe... if I had to.

How's that for perspective.

That's the season where we begin. Let's start with the "best" or "most influential" or "favourite"... then we can follow up with the guilty pleasures, best canadian, etc.

For me, top ten. In no particular order:

Twin Peaks (season one)
Band of Brothers
Seinfeld (season four)
The Simpsons (season four)
Six Feet Under (season one)
Deadwood (season one)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The West Wing (season one)
The Office
Star Trek: TNG (season five)

And I haven't even got into Good Rockin' Tonight!

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Jackass II

Yes.

"Is he having a laugh?"

I just saw Season II Episode One of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Extras. It was a surprise. I'm not sure if it's going to please people but I enjoyed it and it made me excited to think where the series might possibly go.

As a writer, particularly when you're thinking about spec script, you're always looking to break the spine of a series. How is every episode of a show the same as every other episode. And I think I'd argue it's usually the things that are consistent in the shows you like that keep you coming back. And when a show messes with that-- they've either run out of ideas, or they've changed the show-runner, or they've lost their minds.

Ricky Gervais has obviously lost his mind. And that's an exciting thing for me. Last season I knew what every episode of Extras was going to be about more or less: Ricky is stuck with an bit part in some big movie, he tries to make something bigger for himself, he gets smacked down. I thought this season was going to be more of the same... But if this season's first episode is any indication what the show is going to be about is very different. It's seems it's about what happens when we get what we say we want.

I'll save spoilers for the comments sections so people can avoid them if they want.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Jet Li's Fearless

Yes.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: The Protector

No.

Fancy Thoughts about Writin'

...and how I don't have any at the moment.

Funny thing how having to work on different phases of three "actual" projects dries up any fancy thinkin' I might have about writing, writers and the whole catastrophe.

It's nose to the grindstone time and I'm just trusting whatever "stuff" I have will just kick in without thinking about it. It's really important to avoid the centipede syndrome* now. My boss almost accidentally put a voodoo jinx on me this afternoon. We were sending notes back and forth about these outlines that were about to go to draft and she mentioned something about her process... and I said something about mine--- just before I was about to start writing my draft!

Bad Idea.

Usually going from outline to draft is a breeze for me... the draft is never particularly pretty but it's down there. And once it's down I figure I can make it beautiful any time I like.

I stared at my laptop for a half an hour.

Then a voice, that sounded eerily like my father said: "Okay Balzac, quit your screwing around." And I got to work.


*you know, where the guy asks the centipede: "How do manage to walk without tripping yourself up?" I'm not going to explain any further. Plus I think the whole thing was on a Facts of Life episode or something.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Black Dahlia

No.

Other People's Writing

It's fall, a particularly dangerous time for writers of all sorts, but particularly television writers. We have a whack of work that's waiting on our to-do list. Outlines, beatsheets, one-sheets, first drafts, specs... they're all just sitting there waiting for us to finish while we download, read and watch OPW.

OPW... Other People's Writing.

It's the biggest obstacle I have to getting my own writing done. Lately it's been a sneak preview of that show everybody's been talking about... which is as good as everybody's says. And the last season of that show that everybody watched but still didn't get good ratings... which was as notsogoodasearlierseasons as everybody said. And that's just the television. There's movies, books and comics sitting in piles around my apartment. Calling me.

The summer is fading quick and there's a definite getting back to business vibe everywhere I look. Jim is writing a review of every movie at the TIFF, or so it seems. Will has posted a crazy Posto de la Gargantua about the State of the Industry, and Denis is back to his pre-summer blogging level. So that's it... I'm cutting myself off. No more extra-bonus-webisode-can't-miss-it procrastination. No more watching movies through twice (once with, once without commentary), no more special-featuring my boxed sets. Nope. I'm going Basic cable, kids. Spend a little more time trying to become somebody else's OPW.

Except on weekends... and holidays... and as a special reward for getting something done... like a blog post or something.

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: Hollywoodland

No.

BattleStar Galactica Webisodes not available in Canada, you say?... Pity.

Scifi is offering a series of webisodes leading up the the season opener on Oct 3rd. Trouble is, you can't see them from here and Space is offering nothing.

This can't be happening. Not on the Internet! And they look really good too!

It's happened where I've gone and found programming "unavailable in my area"-- but it never mattered before. This aggression will not stand. I know there's a geek out there that has probably already solved this injustice with some kind of IP spoofer or Internet Region Cloaking Device... right? A cloaking device?! No?

UPDATE: An anonymous friend has flipped us this URL and provided a convenient work around until the IRCD is invented. It was great to see Robson Arm's very own Alisen Down make an appearance in the second spot!

Dave's Yes/No Movie Review: The Wicker Man (2006)

No!

Feeding the Writer

One of the more enjoyable rituals after returning from a trip is: the restaurant debriefing. I sit with my pals, usually at some restaurant or other, and start listing the places I went and the things I ate.

The Marketplace: (Burrard and Nelson) I used to have breakfast "out" when away. And let me tell you I'm a breakfast fiend. I love bacon, eggs, toast, sausages, pancakes, hashbrown and a cup of tea almost better than any other meal. Sadly, I can only do that once a week nowadays, maybe twice. Instead, I left the Sutton Place and went next door to the Marketplace (for east-coasters it's like Sobeys only much smaller and much trendier). I got myself some milk and Raisin Bran and my breakfasts for the week were pretty well taken care of. [He wipes away a tear.]

SteamRollers: (Robson and Bute) When I was staying at the Sylvia on my first trip out three years ago, SteamRollers' steamy windows beckoned on those cool February evenings when I walked to and from our story meetings. But that first trip was heavy on itinerary and I didn't have a chance to go. But my next trip... and every trip after... For those of you who don't know what a SteamRoller is, their slogan isn't much help: "They're steamed...and rolled". Basically, it's a steamed burrito filled with rice, beans, meat, cheese, veggies and sauce, in endless variations. And hot sauce... Hot sauce which they can add on the burrito or you can take away in a little cup and drizzle into every bite. Oh, baby.

Royal Thai: (Robson and Bute) Right beside SteamRollers, is my favorite Thai place. This is usually the first place I stop after the hotel tells me my room isn't ready yet. The lunch specials are under $10 and delicious. Favorite dishes: Cashew Chicken, Garlic Beef and Brocolli, Hot and Spicy Prawns. I ate there twice this trip.

Shanghai Chinese Bistro: (Alberni?) Although it is deservedly famous for it's Dim Sum it's the General Chow's Chicken that keeps me coming back. Sweet and Spicy.

Kamei Royale: (Burrard and Alberni) I'm not a sushi aficionado so I can't really speak to the quality of the sushi here (although the people I was with liked it) I did enjoy the tempura shrimp and veggies and the noodle soup. The Chicken Teryaki didn't do it for me though.

Earl's: Earl's is a big chain out west. It's a nice-looking restaurant staffed with pretty girls and boys and serves fancy pub food. I had the Jeeri Curry. It was all right.

Savory Coast: (Robson) My first visit to this place. The location is great and it has a very nice patio area that overlooks Robson. It's moderately priced (especially when compared with the delicious but expensive Cin Cin across the street). The people I was eating with all ordered salads which led to my declaration: "I didn't travel all the way across this country to have a freaking salad!" I got the peppercorn steak and garlic mashed which was tastey... and/but in european portions.

Subway: On our last day, we started out feeling cocky. We broke two stories by lunch the day before and thought we had this last one sewn up. But lunch time came and went and we didn't get past our act one turn. It's wasn't pretty. The boss went out to Subway and brought back a couple of subs for everybody (I had the Cold Cut Combo) and some cookies. They were good, but didn't help. Eventually, the four of us went for a walk and just dumped the story we were working on and picked up one that was just mentioned in passing the day before. By the time we got back to the room, we had the story mostly broken down. Le phew.

Pre-pre-pre Production

My brain is squeezed.

Today we had our first meeting about possible story lines for the possible third season of Robson Arms. It's funny how something so indefinite can begin to take shape with such determination. Maybe it's just where my head is at right now, but it feels like that it's an entity that exists, somehow, independent of the six of us in the room... And it wants to live!

I have no idea how my brain will refill itself by tomorrow. My hope is that tea, mindless television and a good night's sleep will do the trick.

Dirty Purple

This probably old news to people who go to the malls and check out the latest fashions...

But it was apparent to me , while I was walking through a shopping centre off Robson Street today, that the International Designer Conspiracy, the cabal that determines what Everybody Will be Wearing Next Year, decided sometime last year that everybody will be wearing some shade of dirty purple this fall.

The good news though... that it seems like that purple goes nicely with all those browns you've been buying for the last year or so.

Horray!

UPDATE: My observations seemed to be confirmed by both CNN and Breakfast Television this morning. Within five minutes of one another both commented on the presence of purple on the red carpet at last night's Emmy Awards.

What Writers Wear Writing: Confessions

Okay!

Now we're cooking with an efficient, non-polluting, renewable resource!

The "What Writers Wear: a survey" post provoked a crazy and unprecedented response. And I knew when I posted it that this post would shortly follow.

Writers: what do you wear writing?

Forget the penny loafers and the tweed jacket with the patches on the elbows and the little hash burns on the lapels that you toss on when you step out. What have you got on when you're scribbling your play on the yellow pad, typing up your novel on the old Smith-Corona, dancing your fingers across your laptop's keyboard as you pump out quality television programming? -- if anything at all!

Tell all; omit no detail however stained, worn, or sophisticated in aroma.

Since I do most of my writing when I literally first get out of bed, I'm not wearing much. Sometimes my Stanfield's and a t-shirt-- usually picked up off the floor where I dropped them the night before.

Lately I've been wearing one of those wrap around things fat guys wear in Bali. It took a long time for me to work up the courage to get one but I got tired of using a towel and pretending I was Yul Brynner's younger, bigger-boned, brother. So I got this very manly one; it's a black and gold number that I just slap on when I stumble over to the kitchen for my Raisin Bran and fire up the computer... I'm lovin' it.

What writers wear: A survey

It's the end of August and that means a trip to Mark's so that I can be properly attired when I arrive in Vancouver this weekend for the super top secret plans for Robson Arms Season III. Coming to you in 2008... or not.

So what does a well-dressed writer wear? I have no idea.

Josh Friedman has an hilarious description of his wardrobe, and if it's only half-true it's scary. Scary because it rings so true.

Now me, I'm no Hollywood bigwig screenwriter who can afford your fancy Beverly Hills tracksuit that the high rollers like Mr. Friedman don. Nope. I'm a Mark's Work Wearhouse guy. I got a pair of these nylon skater shorts that older, fatter guys who want to be cool wear. I've worn them so much this year they're transparent. I've gone back to Mark's countless times to find me more of these exact shorts-- no luck. There will be a ritual burning of what's left of them this fall.

I'd turn to the story department of Robson Arms for inspiration but it's mostly girls. Jesse McKeown drops in from time to time with a signature cap or toque hanging at some jaunty angle but after returning from India he's as thin as a PEI phone book so that's no good. The rest of the writing department is either a fitted Ironhead Tee with Lululemon casual pants and a jacket or a homemade knit sweater over a pair of capri jeans and some funky boots.

So... what am I to do? I need a "look" before I head back to the big city. Denis, what are you wearing to your Across the River story meetings in TO? Alex, I'd love to hear what the well-dressed Montreal screenwriter with a box office record breaking film has on as he strolls down St. Laurent. Jane, you of the bright and bold sweaters, can you tell us what Andy and the rest of the boys are wearing as you break one story after another? Diane, you're chatting with a lot of writers... who's wearing what?