Thursday, October 11, 2012

O'BSERVATIONS - ALTERNATE VIEWINGS


One problem I've had in being so fixated on Earth Prime-Time is that I become O'Bsessed with cramming as many TV shows into that particular TV dimension, to the point where I lose interest in any TV show that just can't qualify to be worthy of the main Toobworld.

There are exceptions, of course - currently 'Veep' and 'Castle' with 'The West Wing' being the high point in extra-dimensional series. But it's because of this focus on Earth Prime-Time prevented me from enjoying and staying involved with '24', 'Scandal', 'The Walking Dead', 'Prison Break', and the final season of 'The Dead Zone'.

In this new TV season, we've got two new shows which must be relegated to alternate dimensions - 'Revolution' and 'The Last Resort'.

There can be no doubt that 'Revolution' is taking place in another TV dimension - in the first ten minutes of the pilot episode, all electrical power is lost all over the world. And fifteen years later, it's still gone and the world is radically changed. There's no way Ted Mosby is going to be telling his kids about that on 'How I Met Your Mother' in the future!

As for 'The Last Resort', the POTUS was under impeachment in the pilot episode and by the time it was over, Pakistan was a nuclear wasteland. So that's not going to be mentioned any time soon around the study table in 'Community'.

What I'd like to see would be an ABC crossover with their other TV series set in an alternate dimension - 'Scandal'. Of course, that would mean Shonda Rhimes would have to agree President Grant being impeached and to the nuclear strike on Pakistan. And at least on that latter point, I doubt she'd want to stray too far from events in the real world.

But it would be better than her making a crossover between 'Scandal' and 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Private Practice'. I'd rather not lose them from Earth Prime-Time.
O'Bservations:

I watched the pilot of 'Revolution' and liked it a lot - especially the fact that it didn't remain stuck in the time period immediately following the massive blackout. Instead it jumped ahead fifteen years. But when it came time to watch the second episode, I couldn't bring myself to do so. When the third episode rolled around, I canceled the recording adn then deleted that second episode.

Maybe my friend Ivy was right - I am too deeply immersed into the Toobworld concept to enjoy any alternate TV worlds. (She wants me to watch 'The Walking Dead', but aside from it not being the main Toobworld, I just see no future for the storyline.)

I think the reason I enjoyed the pilot for 'Revolution' so much is due to the circumstances in which I watched it: I was alone at my cottage on vacation; it was online and so I could watch it at the dinner table; it was a drizzly evening; and there was nothing else to watch at that hour.

The viewing ambience is always critical. I can't take watching 'The Office' when I'm alone, but when I'm with others, I like it a lot.

For now, I'll stick with 'The Last Resort'. If certain details were altered, it could have happened on Earth Prime-Time. But Thursdays are a busy night for recording shows and 'Community' hasn't even come back yet. I'm already sacrificing 'The Big Bang Theory' to catch this on my DVR......

And so it goes.

BCnU!

3 comments:

Brian Leonard said...

I'm still sticking with Revolution for now. Haven't seen any ratings, so I dunno how it's been doing since the pilot. But I don't blame you for leaving. Last Resort, though, has been great and I don't see myself dropping it.

Brent McKee said...

The new show "Chicago Fire" emphatically placed itself in the Main Toobworld on Wednesday night. The firefighters of the station were supposed to be reviewed by the Mayor, but after a certain number of complications eventually went on a call to a fire. at the end of that scene, someone said "It looks like we're going to meet the mayor after all." A motorcade arrives at the scene of the fire and out steps the mayor of Chicago...played by Rahm Emmanuel, mayor of Chicago.

Toby O'B said...

Cool! Thanks, Brent! So "Boss" is definitely in an alternate dimension. And I see no reason why it can't be in the 'West Wing' dimension....