Analee Newitz at io9.com is going absolutely gaga for Caprica, which apparently begins for real this Friday night (last Friday’s “pilot” was the broadcast of material that became available last spring on DVD and through other means). “[W]e think this series could become a classic.” If Ron Moore and Jane Espenson can pull that off, it would put the back to back Battlestar franchises in the rarest of air. I would also note, for good measure, that a show need not be a smash hit to become a classic.
Tag Archives: io9
And we’re off….!
I take a few days off and the next thing you know, I’ve got about three hundred unread items in Google Reader. Some of these items are from that haul and some of them have whiskers on them (meaning older than three days) and some of this isn’t related to anything at all.
- Let’s start with a topic that I’ve had rattling around the old coconut for a few decades now. It was nice to see Stephen Goldmeier raise the issue over at io9, but i think his discussion only begins to scratch the surface. The issue is aliens who, as Goldmeier puts it, are truly alien. Forget the whole to arms, two legs, two eyes deal (Avatar – looking at you right now). In fact, forget the whole corporeal existence. Let’s get into something really strange. Noticeably absent from Goldmeier’s list is 2001: A Space Odyssey (although Rendezvous with Rama is discussed).
- One of the most consistently original and authentic voices in music is gathering steam for a new Release. From Never Get Out of the Boat, I learned this morning that the Latin Playboys (Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and Louis Perez) are gearing up for a release and tour. Here is a little sample of the good work they do:
- And, if you are a Battlestar Galactica fan, and you miss your favorite post-apocalyptic series, this should help cure you:
- I mentioned this story over at Tumblr about the possible shortcomings of iPhone, but it’s so preposterous that I need to post it again. In short, there may not be anything wrong with AT&T’s network.
- And, speaking of cell phones, since it is now officially the first half of 2010, may I have an update for my HTC Hero, please?
- For my classmates who were in Providence, RI back in the early 90’s, it has been exciting to watch the meteoric rise of RISD grad Shepard Fairey. Although my local baseball squad couldn’t close the deal in the World Series, we had some great fan-sourced (unlicensed) shirts come along the way. Mr. Fairey’s work was the inspiration for my favorite of these, and it’s good to know that he’s not intending any litigation.
Now I’m going back to sitting on my ass for one more day, getting ready to listen to the Eagles (vs. Dallas) on the radio and walking my big puppy in the sub-zero wind chills.
Pretty impressive show to get someone THAT riled up
Over at io9, there is a link to a massive analysis of why the Battlestar finale is the worst ending in sci-fi history. That’s a mighty assertion, but Brad Templeton seems to have the analysis to back it up. Unless I have a mssive flare-up of colitis and have to spend the next few hours in the men’s room, I’m not sure whe I’ll have time to read this, but one thing is for sure: any TV show that can get someone to do this kind of work is pretty powerful stuff.
And I’ll take this opportunity to keep banging the drum about what these people (Ron Moore, et al.) do for a living – they write series. A series does not have a beginning, middle and end. If you told a sponsor that you had solid gold viewership, millions of fans week in and week out, but that the show was only going to be on the air for a few months, would you get that sponsor’s support? Maybe, but networks, sponsors, show-runners, all crave stability and consistency. If it’s here today and gon tomorrow, that’s not really helpful, from a business sense.
So, who really cares if they flunked the ending? Who cares if the mysteries aren’t fully resolved and the questions aren’t once-and-for-all answered? Was it a good show? Did you enjoy watching it? Yes? Then STFU. I think the abuse of Bob Dylan in Battlestar is basically a crime against nature, but that’s not going to make me a hater. Battlestar Galactica still one of the best things to ever come out of that idiot box.