[bonnee]

Other examples of bittorrent in action ( the largest directory – donkaz – includes movies, music, porn and games. Kindly ignore the porn ‘gateway’ 😳 ).

http://www.donkax.com/bittorrent/

http://www.animesuki.com/

http://sailes.co.uk/new_bt/torrents.php

http://smiler.no-ip.org/BT/BTlinks.php (no files as such , but EXTENSIVE links, info, et al to torrents on the net)

http://nx01.us/index.php?page=torrent

[bonnee]

Thanks elmey – I continued to have trouble. I actually contacted Salon, and they assured me that the problem was likely to be my anti-pop up software. When I disabled it, though, the problems not unsurprisingly persisted – it is difficult to see how anti-pop up software prevents a link from even appearing, especially since I can accees the subsription based option if desired. My assumption is that the problem is more global than indicated, so presumably others would have difficulty in accessing the article. Consequently, I would very much appreciate it if you could forward on a copy to

[email protected] and I’ll attempt an abbreviated version in this thread. 😀

[bonnee]

”elmey” wrote:

Actually, if you go directly to salon.com, you can get a “day pass” to read the premium sites by looking at a short ad. It might be worth it to read the article.

elmey

I can never seem to be able to access/enable the ‘day pass’, and assumed the problem was global – possibly even deliberate to encourage subscriptions. I’ll keep trying and reproduce the text (or the main points) within this thread. I don’t expect to be successful though. 😡

[bonnee]

SadGeezer wrote:

If you notice that the server is running abnormally slow (ie. it takes more than 20 seconds to load a page) please leave a message here (don’t forget to give your general location).

Thanks.

The new Sadgeezer takes just as long to load for me as the old Sadgeezer – sometimes longer (15-25 seconds on average). I’m sort of surprised, because I thought the revamp was intended to increase the site’s accessiblity/manageability. Interestingly, I note no discernible difference if I use my cable connection or dial up. I suppose an unreliable service provider makes all the hard work for naught. 😕

I post from Melbourne Australia, and generally use a cable connection.

[bonnee]

Logan, I’m sorry that you received no money or favours (sexual or otherwise ) for the endorsement. 😳

Thanks for the recommendation – as fate would have it, though, Time Out and Thompson’s book sit side by side on my bookshelf. The only ‘problem’ with Time Out, of course, is that its updated much more frequently than The New Biographical Dictionary of Film – requiring annual incursions.. Stiil, I completely agree with your assessment of it. Definitely a mandatory purchase. I only consult it, though, to get an indication of an informed critical viewpoint. I find myself supplementing it with http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ to get a broader range of perspectives. Nothing wrong with watching complete crap though – often its just an informative and entertaining as the more worthwhile films. 😉

[bonnee]

Logan wrote:

I notice that you first read about it on Kazza (I did a search and found lots of info on that program), I suppose that it’s basically the same as KaZaa (a hacked version of the program perhaps?) I only mention this because KaZaa is definitely spyware and adware ridden, although KaZaa Lite (a hacked version) is supposedly spy/adware free.

Anyway, I’ll follow your advice and look into it ’cause there’s a lot of great stuff at the site you linked to.

Kazza and Bittorent are very different. The main differences are that on kazza you take off someone’s harddrive which has a complete file and its possible to encounter multiple copies indefinitely. With bittorerent, the transfers only occur during the download process , and files only remain active/accessible during the initial demand/exchange. In other words, whilst you download a file off someone else, someone will be uploading what you’ve partially downloaded and so on. Its only p2p insofar as the link remains ‘open’ and peers are sourcing the data at different rates via different transfers. That’s why the peer group is encouraged to keep the link active , even if they’ve finished the download. The file can only be relayed for as long as ‘leeches’ keeps passing it around like a baton in a relay race, feeding off one another’s activity. So it works more like edonkey than kazza (and yes – I use kazza lite if and when needed. You can find the latest version via zeropaid).

btw, given your preference for film resource texts (as mentioned in the ‘bookshelf’ thread), have you got the latest version of David Thomson’s ‘The New Biographical Dictionary of Film’? This is definitely worth having if don’t already have it – its often an exciting and maddening look at filmmakers and their films, and indispensable if you’re into film . No film lovers bookshelf is complete without it. 😉

[bonnee]

Your caution is understandable Logan – especially if the recommendation is coming from me 😆 My understanding is that bittorrent is a relatively recent client, with most people not familiar with it. I have only discovered it myself, when asking around about wanting to download the final season of Oz. I highly recommend it for the simple reason that if you have cable, you can download an entire episode in a couple of hours. It should also be stressed that bittorent is only good for the latest episodes of something – the links become redundant once interest in a particular episode has waned. As far as I know, shows aren’t archived, although many episodes will subsequently debut on (say)kazza – which is actually where I first heard about it.

The site that I’ve drawn your attention to was not my primary source – I used this http://www.turok.info/ instead. I singled out the one above because it is updated more regularly, and seems to be particularly generous with sci fi and cult shows.

There are many other bittorent sites, equally reliant on the ‘standard’ client and catering to more specific needs (anime, movies, music, games, etc). Interestingly, whatever the location or source, bittorent seems to draw from the same pool of resources across the Net. If you have any concerns or questions, I would encourage you to visit an efnet chat room or google message board. A popular p2p information place is http://www.zeropaid.com/ – visit their forums and post a question there. There is a thread dedicated to it somewhere, or someone else can fill you in better than I could. And you can always run Adaware to determine if there is any spyware, etc (I did, and it found nothing). Alternately, you can always wait until its cross over success is complete, and wait until others tell you about it. Even better – download the files on a ‘friends’ computer to road test any concerns 😉

Disclaimer: Sadgeezer.com – nor bonnee – either endorse or condone the downloading of copywrited material. 😳 This topic was posted in the spirit of free speech and /or the mere exchange of ideas. 😉

[bonnee]

oh yee of little faith

[bonnee]

For some strange reason, I’m able to post again. 😛 Almost as strange are Squish’s postings – they now seem to bear the heading of ADM 💡

[bonnee]

Drink lots of fluids. 😆

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Flamegrape:

Eat hot death on toast, bonnee.

---

Ah, the brevity.

(sounds delicious, by the way – and quite at odds with the noble Star Trek sentiments expressed in your previous post. Keep watching them pies in the sky! Maybe your pipe dream will even come true, but dont forget to first look to yourself )

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mandara k:
i know you probably wanted to defend Flame, but why is it that it is easy to jump on me but you praise others wholeheartedly. And you want to know why everyone lurks and no one posts; i got one word….. biased.

---

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Flamegrape:
Whenever I’m around someone who makes fun of Star Trek, I sarcasticly remark, “Yes, isn’t it stupid that some people have a vision of the future where we don’t all destroy ourselves because of politics or religeon? Or even stupidly hope that famine and disease will be eliminated? That people can actually persue their own interests and fulfill their own potential instead of being a slave to the system? Oh, God, how utterly stupid!”

---

Quite the mouthful – do they give you a chance to finish all those sentences?

[bonnee]

A fine selection of S1 episodes, but I would get rid of Tech Girl and the Pilot in favor of ‘Back and Back and Back to the Future’ or ‘DNA Mad Scientist’.

But then that would just be me, and assuming I had any friends to begin with.

Enjoy the show/s! (and don’t forget to point out that the series doesn’t really come into its own until Nerve onwards).

[bonnee]

Audioslave
Talib Kweli – Quality
Roots – Phrenology

…and still, Neko Case – Blacklisted

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Flamegrape:

*YAWN*
It didn’t interest me.

---

Cabalist.

[bonnee]

An article which may or may not interest you http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-littlejohn2dec02,0,2689094.story?coll=cl%2Dcalendar

TELEVISION
Niche networks break the mold

Sci Fi and Cartoon Network were once defined by their reruns. But they’ve grown in 10 years.

When the Sci Fi network launched 10 years ago, it was best known for airing endless reruns of “Battlestar Galactica,” along with the umpteenth TV airing of “Star Wars.” Hard-core sci-fi geeks, it seemed, had found a channel all for themselves. Around the same time, Cartoon Network became the 24-hour hub for fans of nostalgia cartoons, and nothing but. If Bugs was your boy, this channel was your toon boon.

So it went in the early ’90s, when cable channels were launched regularly, and the operating wisdom was that narrowcasting was the way to success. After all, such early successes as ESPN, CNN and Lifetime showed it was possible to be successful on cable targeting sports fans, news junkies and women, respectively. But no longer. As Sci Fi and Cartoon Network demonstrate on their decade anniversaries, to thrive now, even the most targeted networks have to broaden their perspectives and raise their ambitions.

Sure enough, reruns of “Battlestar Galactica” — a TV retread of “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” — are gone from Sci Fi, replaced by a brand-new epic from none other than Steven Spielberg. The new signature for the channel is tonight’s debut of the 10-day, 20-hour, three-generational family saga “Steven Spielberg’s Taken,” Sci Fi’s most adventurous programming attempt yet.

With the filmmaker as one of the executive producers, “Dante’s Peak” screenwriter Leslie Bohem writing the script and some top film and TV directors handling individual episodes, the series is an ambitious undertaking with a darker, more sinister view of alien visitations than Spielberg offered in either “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” or “E.T.”

(Sci Fi hasn’t entirely shed its early habits: The channel’s other signature at the moment, beyond “Taken,” is marathon airings of “The X-Files.”)

This year’s other 10-year-old, Cartoon Network, also expanded beyond simply recycling Turner Entertainment’s catalog of vintage cartoons. These days, it’s as well known for original series, including “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “The Powerpuff Girls.”

Buoyed by a decade of growth from original programming and movies, Sci Fi and Cartoon Network can celebrate their 10-year anniversaries as shining stars among the top niche-targeted cable brands that have learned the importance of creating original, signature programs.

They are hardly the only channels to have learned that lesson. Think of what “The Shield” has done for FX, “Real World” and “The Osbournes” for MTV, “Emeril Live” for the Food Network (which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year) or “South Park” for Comedy Central.

And there are more new channels on the way. As attendees will learn at this week’s Western Show: Broadband Plus in Anaheim, the cable industry’s largest trade show, 57 new networks are hoping to launch within the next calendar year. The National Cable & Telecommunications Assn. notes such new aspirants as APE-TV (Anthropology Programming and Entertainment), the Puppy Channel, the Diversity Network and the Anti-Aging Network, three channels devoted to martial arts and two to the United States military.

All are hoping to benefit from the thirst for programming in the 500-channel broadband environment that is emerging.

“There was a perception about the channel, that it was very geeky, that it was a rerun channel and that it was for boys,” says Sci Fi President Bonnie Hammer, “but we did an awful lot of research and found that there are so many women who are into science fiction. So what I had to do was educate the population to the fact that science fiction is much broader than you think.”

Buttressing the brand had been the goal for Hammer since she assumed the top job in 2001, a banner year for Sci Fi, which reaches 80 million homes. The network had expanded its original series programming with “The Chronicle,” “Farscape,” “Stargate SG-1” and the miniseries “Frank Herbert’s Dune,” which won two Emmy Awards. By next year, the channel will add a female-lead adventure series, “Firestarter: Rekindled,” a spinoff of its popular Stephen King miniseries, and the half-hour animated “Tripping the Rift” to its original series schedule.

Tonight’s debut of “Taken” has already proved to be a word-of-mouth coup for the network. “We started what we call our ‘chatter class screenings’ last month,” says Hammer, “and people have been really surprised at the level and the quality. The reactions have been: ‘This is the kind of thing we would have expected to be on HBO.’ ”

Actually, the miniseries was never intended to air anywhere else, says Darryl Frank, co-head of DreamWorks Television: “The genesis of the project stemmed from a past friendship between Barry Diller [chairman and chief executive of Vivendi Universal, which owns Sci Fi] and Steven. Barry approached him and DreamWorks about doing something for their channel.”

Cartoon Network entered the cable arena backed by the muscle of Turner Entertainment (the AOL Time Warner division that owns the channel) and its library of characters from Hanna Barbera, Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes and MGM, which produced the Tom and Jerry series. But the network, now in 81.1 million U.S. homes and 145 countries worldwide, established itself with such series as “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Powerpuff Girls” and “Johnny Bravo.”

Cartoon Network has continued to add franchises, including programming for adults, with such offerings as “Toonami,” a three-hour afternoon adventure series block; “Adult Swim,” for adults 18 to 34; “Cartoon Cartoon Fridays”; and “Cartoon Theatre,” a weekend destination for animated features.

Mike Lazzo, Cartoon Network’s senior vice president of programming and production, wants to avoid being too rigid in defining the network. “If we start limiting things and have too many rules, then we are behaving unlike cartoons, which tend to break rules.”

That’s in line with its commitment to acquire young, fresh voices to help create the channel’s unfettered tone and to create relationships with top design schools, such as CalArts design school and the Rhode Island School of Design. The strategy proved successful when the network hired young gun Genndy Tartakovsky to create Cartoon’s first original series, “Dexter’s Laboratory.”

“With Cartoon Network, they were looking for more undiscovered talent, people that may have had a hard time getting in,” said Tartakovsky, who debuted the four-time Emmy-nominated “Dexter’s Laboratory” on the channel in April 1996, guiding it to become one of Cartoon Network’s top-rated programs before he moved on to create his follow-up series “Samurai Jack.” “It became a great opportunity to do something. And as I got into it, I realized that they were also offering the creative freedom. They were letting the creators make the shows.”

“That’s why I’ve stayed here,” adds Craig McCracken, creator of the Emmy Award-winning original series “The Powerpuff Girls.” “With a bigger network, they have to make sure they hold on to their place on the mountaintop and … don’t get pushed off, so there’s less of a desire to try new things. It’s not about climbing up the hill and enjoying the trip and seeing where it takes you.”

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Headgehog:

I wish I was making this up.

---

Me too.

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Flamegrape:

Hey bonnee! I found a song just for you!
http://www.flamegrape.com/buttholes urfers/Butthole_Surfers_-_Beat_The_Press.mp3

---

Thanks Flamegrape – I particularly enjoyed the chorus

[bonnee]

I’d see to that coff if I were ewe

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by FX:

we were talking about this last night….plenty of peeps visiting, but nobody stopping by to say hi wassup with that?!

---

Was Sadgeezer’s status as a ‘malignant cabal’ a topic of conversation?

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by snooklepie:
there’s such a big list of what i want at the mo!!! …i’ve made a decision to concentrate any free money i have on expanding my DVD collection first. collecting ST:TNG..it’s a toss-up between SG-1 and Lexx after that, plus HHGTTG, V, Blake’s 7 (if available)…jeeez, i hope i win the lottery soon….

---

Don’t forget to steer clear of Lexx: Season 4

[bonnee]

quote:

---

Originally posted by snooklepie:
[QB]Kerrang!TV have been playing QOTSA’s ‘No One Knows’. i think the video’s great. may well get my grubby maulers on the album on the strength of that track
QB]

---

You haven’t bought/downloaded this album yet? Its a great album, although I’m not sure the single is all that representative. If you want to see its current critical standing, though, follow this link – it provides a look at its critical reception across a variety of sources.

Songs for the Def

[bonnee]

What distinguished the series IMAO, was the palpable sense of mystery and intrigue – not to mention, the moral ambiguity characterising the initial situations and characters. Although these could still be found in the later seasons, the emphasis was upon ‘closure’ and tended to favor something more clear cut.

It was actually difficult to know what was *really* going on – what things meant, where they were headed, etc. The whole thing was initially very tantalising, and trying to determine the difference between right and wrong – who was right, what was wrong, etc – was without peer or precedent in my experience. Take the example of Sandoval – wow, what a complex character. The show actually dared suggest that a traitor might be Mankind’s Saviour – willing to sacrifice millions of lives (and as many values) for the Greater Good. And then Daan was arguably the most interesting alien we’re ever likely to see in a tv sci-fi. S/he was literally caught between two worlds, betraying each in order to honour both.

Season 2 was when it crash landed in my view, although some season 3 episodes saw it try and take off again. Generally speaking, E.FC appeared to remain caught in the gravitational pull of season 2 (haven’t seen 4 or 5 yet. And I’m not sure I want to see 5 either – the fans shock and disgust has certainly dissuaded me). The season 3 episode where Sandoval genetically engineers Lily and sends her hurtling off into space confused and terrified still takes my breath away.

[ 11-11-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

One of the things that’s odd is a ‘Sight and Sound’ article early this year. Next to the American ‘Film Comment’, Britian’s ‘Sight and Sound’ is the most authoritive and credible film magazine on the English marketSight and Sound (mag only – not the article)[/url]

Prior to the debut of the final EFC season, the show was championed as one of the most intelligent, sophisticated and mature shows on television – going so far as to favorably comparing it the hallowed names of The Sopranos and Homicide:Life on the Street. Although E.FC has been variable season 2 onwards (to say the least), that might have once been a defensible comparison. Or at least, something worth investigating if you didn’t know the show. If the article managed to turn readers onto E.FC for its final season, I wonder what they would have made of its likeness to an especially bad, extended Michael Jackson video. Talk about how the mighty have fallen, if only to satisfy what the makers thought would be more acceptable to sci-fi fans

[ 10-11-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

Sigur Ros (). The brackets are the unofficial ‘title’ of the album (its actually untitled), and () itself includes 8 untitled tracks. Interesting that Radiohead’s reputed favorite band end up sounding like them on many of the tracks. I’m not sure if () is as good as their previous Agaetis Bryjun yet, but its certainly worth hearing – especially if you like 12 minute ‘epics’ in a made up language that is a cross between Icelandic and English. These songs are so long that they won’t all fit on an 80 minute cdr , which is usually the maximum length of a retail CD

[bonnee]

quote

So if they go on with an eighth season, they’re going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

I think Bugs Bunny or Roger Rabbit should be considered instead of Faith or Dawn

[bonnee]

Wow Camelyn – thanks so much for all those potential sources. I’ll try and track down what i’m looking for, and will (presumably) find things beyond my expectations.

As for reading my article, you’re more than welcome to. I’ll probably have to direct you to the journal itself (which you should be able to access via your library) or possibly can arrange to have a free copy sent out to you (for being so helpful). I’ll have to check with the editors though. Or maybe a Word version via email would be easier once its published (Jan)

I have to warn you though – you might be very disappointed. The article is not on Farscape per se, and will tell you what you’re likely to know about it anyway. Basically, I’ve calling it ‘In the Ghetto’, and am writing up a year in review that covers a range of television shows/events. I’m doing it under various headings that vary in length and type of coverage. These include Farscape’s cancellation, Crossing Over’s cross over success, the Wrestling’s sham gay wedding, West Wing’s ongoing look at terrorism, etc.

If you still think you might be interested (and are not deterred by the fact that Farscape is not the focus as such) please let me know.

[ 01-11-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

Thanks very much for those sources Grim Reaper – much appreciated. My concern, though, is not so much its critical reception in various media. I reproduced a quote from the New York Times in the Farscape Downunder thread (which was itself reproduced/encountered in the Australian newspaper), and was hoping to see it in its original context. The point I’m going to make is more polemical – namely that Australians had to be told about the merits of their show by Americans. The NYT would be preferably cited because of its international credibility – not that I think its particularly credible of course.

The sad thing is that I was as guilty as any Australian for not giving the show a chance at first – simply because it was locally produced. If it wasn’t for the Internet, I wouldn’t have known how good it became, so I intend to chastise myself by admitting my own small mindedness.

Again – thanks for going to such trouble to providing resources.

[bonnee]

Camelyn, do you know where I might be able to access a record of Farscape’s critical standing in ‘respectable’ conventional (offline) media sources? Apparently the show has been championed in (say) the New York Times and has featured in some ‘best off’ lists, etc. Anything you might be able to point me to would be most helpful (I intend to write up the show via the notion of Australia’s own cultural cringe towards anything sci fi and/or Australian, with particular reference to Ben’s amusing Willy Loman remark in the JJJ interview you directed me to).

Thanks in advance

[ 25-10-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

Worst. (Rated). Episode. Ever.

One would have thought (hoped) that the week off and high antipation might have done the show *some* good. Edlund must be real ticked off.

Looks like Buffy: Season 8 is a sure certainty then

Scroll down to the bottom 100

Prime-Time Nielsen ratings

The Associated Press Tuesday, October 22, 2002

——————————————————————————–

(10-22) 12:52 PDT (AP) —

Prime-time ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Oct. 14-20. Top 20 listings include the week’s ranking, with rating for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses.

An “X” in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation. The rating is the percentage of the nation’s estimated 106.7 million TV homes. Each ratings point represents 1,067,000 households.

1. (1) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 18.6, 19.9 million homes.

2. (3) “ER,” NBC, 16.2, 17.3 million homes.

3. (2) “Friends,” NBC, 16.1, 17.2 million homes.

4. (4) “Everybody Loves Raymond,” CBS, 13.6, 14.5 million homes.

5. (5) “Law & Order,” NBC, 12.8, 13.7 million homes.

5. (8) “Survivor: Thailand,” CBS, 12.8, 13.7 million homes.

7. (5) “CSI: Miami,” CBS, 12.7, 13.6 million homes.

8. (5) “Will & Grace,” NBC, 12.6, 13.4 million homes.

9. (X) “Fox World Series Game 2: San Francisco at Anaheim,” Fox, 11.9, 12.7 million homes.

10. (9) “Scrubs,” NBC, 11.3, 12.0 million homes.

11. (11) “The West Wing,” NBC, 10.7, 11.4 million homes.

12. (12) “Still Standing,” CBS, 10.5, 11.2 million homes.

13. (12) “Good Morning Miami,” NBC, 10.3, 11.0 million homes.

13. (16) “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” NBC, 10.3, 11.0 million homes.

15. (15) “Judging Amy,” CBS, 10.2, 11.0 million homes.

16. (18) “JAG,” CBS, 10.1, 10.7 million homes.

17. (16) “Without a Trace,” CBS, 10.0, 10.7 million homes.

18. (19) “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” NBC, 9.7, 10.3 million homes.

19. (10) “NFL Monday Night Football: San Francisco at Seattle,” ABC, 9.6, 10.3 million homes.

19. (21) “Yes, Dear,” CBS, 9.6, 10.2 million homes.

——————————————————————————–
21. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 9.5
22. (X) “Fox World Series Game 1: San Francisco at Anaheim,” Fox, 9.4

22. “Frasier,” NBC, 9.4

24. “The King of Queens,” CBS, 9.1

25. “The Guardian,” CBS, 9.0

25. “The Practice,” ABC, 9.0

27. “NYPD Blue,” ABC, 8.7

28. “My Wife and Kids,” ABC, 8.6

29. “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teen-age Daughter,” ABC, 8.5

29. “The Bachelor,” ABC, 8.5

29. (X) “Fox World Series Game 2 Pregame: San Francisco at Anaheim,” Fox, 8.5

32. “Dateline NBC-Friday,” NBC, 8.3

33. “According to Jim,” ABC, 7.9

33. “Third Watch,” NBC, 7.9

35. “Crossing Jordan,” NBC, 7.7

36. “George Lopez,” ABC, 7.6

37. “Providence,” NBC, 7.5

38. “60 Minutes II,” CBS, 7.4

38. “Dateline NBC-Tuesday,” NBC, 7.4

40. “Ed,” NBC, 7.3

41. “Becker,” CBS, 7.2

41. “The District,” CBS, 7.2

41. “Fear Factor,” NBC, 7.2

41. “NFL Monday Showcase,” ABC, 7.2

45. “American Dreams,” NBC, 7.1

46. (X) “Fox MLB National League Championship Series Game 5: St. Louis at San Francisco,” Fox, 6.9

47. “20/20-Friday,” ABC, 6.8

47. “Boomtown,” NBC, 6.8

49. “Hidden Hills,” NBC, 6.6

50. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 6.0

50. “Hack,” CBS, 6.0

50. “Less Than Perfect,” ABC, 6.0

50. “Life With Bonnie,” ABC, 6.0

54. “Alias,” ABC, 5.9

55. “CBS Sunday Movie: Dancing at the Harvest Moon,” CBS, 5.8

56. “The Agency,” CBS, 5.7

56. “Amazing Race: 3,” CBS, 5.7

56. “Bram and Alice,” CBS, 5.7

59. “48 Hours Investigates,” CBS, 5.6

59. “Just Shoot Me,” NBC, 5.6

61. “7th Heaven,” WB, 5.4

62. (X) “America’s Funniest Home Videos-Friday,” ABC, 5.3

62. “Monk,” ABC, 5.3

62. “Touched By an Angel,” CBS, 5.3

65. (X) “20/20 Special Edition-Monday,” ABC, 5.2

65. “Presidio Med,” CBS, 5.2

67. “Primetime Thursday,” ABC, 5.0

67. “Smallville,” WB, 5.0

69. (X) “ABC Sunday Night Movie-Sunday: Liar, Liar,” ABC, 4.9

69. “In-laws,” NBC, 4.9

71. “That ’70s Show,” Fox, 4.6

72. “MDs,” ABC, 4.2

72. “Robbery Homicide Division,” CBS, 4.2

74. “Everwood,” WB, 4.0

74. “John Doe,” Fox, 4.0

76. “Enterprise,” UPN, 3.9

77. “The Bernie Mac Show,” Fox, 3.8

77. “NBC Saturday Night Movies: The Fugitive,” NBC, 3.8

79. “ABC Saturday Night at Movies: Lethal Weapon 3,” ABC, 3.7

79. “Cedric the Entertainer: Presents,” Fox, 3.7

79. “Gilmore Girls,” WB, 3.7

82. (X) “Forensic Files-Saturday,” NBC, 3.6

83. (X) “Cedric the Entertainer,” Fox, 3.5

83. (X) “John Doe,” Fox, 3.5

85. (X) “America’s Most Wanted: Sniper,” Fox, 3.4

85. “Birds Of Prey,” WB, 3.4

85. “World Wresting Entertainment Smackdown!,” UPN, 3.4

88. (X) “American Dreams Encore,” NBC, 3.3

89. “Charmed,” WB, 3.2

89. “Fastlane,” Fox, 3.2

91. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” UPN, 3.0

91. “Girlfriends,” UPN, 3.0

91. “One On One,” UPN, 3.0

94. “Reba,” WB, 2.9

95. “Angel,” WB, 2.8

95. “Dawson’s Creek,” WB, 2.8

95. “Half and Half,” UPN, 2.8

98. “Firefly,” Fox, 2.7

98. “The Parkers,” UPN, 2.7

100. “Push, Nevada,” ABC, 2.3

100. “The Twilight Zone,” UPN, 2.3

102. (X) “Fastlane,” Fox, 2.2

102. “Greetings From Tucson,” WB, 2.2

104. “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” WB, 2.1

104. “What I Like About You,” WB, 2.1

106. “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment,” WB, 1.9

107. “Family Affair,” WB, 1.6

107. “Gilmore Girls,” WB, 1.6

107. “Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye,” Pax, 1.6

110. “Haunted,” UPN, 1.5

110. “UPN’s Movie Friday: The Man in the Iron Mask,” UPN, 1.5

112. “Doc-Sunday,” Pax, 1.4

113. “Do Over,” WB, 1.3

113. “Off Centre,” WB, 1.3

115. “Diagnosis Murder-Thursday,” Pax, 1.1

115. “Diagnosis Murder-Wednesday,” Pax, 1.1

115. “Just Cause-Sunday,” Pax, 1.1

118. “Diagnosis Murder-Monday,” Pax, 1.0

118. “Diagnosis Murder-Tuesday,” Pax, 1.0

118. “Doc-Wednesday,” Pax, 1.0

121. “Diagnosis Murder-Monday,” Pax, 0.9

121. “It’s a Miracle,” Pax, 0.9

121. “Weakest Link,” Pax, 0.9

124. “Diagnosis Murder-Friday,” Pax, 0.8

125. “Americas Favorite Movies: Victor, Victoria,” Pax, 0.7

125. “Candid Camera-Wednesday,” Pax, 0.7

125. “Friday Night Flix: Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye Encore,” Pax, 0.7

128. “Candid Camera-Sunday,” Pax, 0.6

128. “Just Cause-Tuesday,” Pax, 0.6

130. “Body and Soul-Monday,” Pax, 0.5

[bonnee]

I’m also at a loss, but perhaps the following link we’ll help you recognise the title, et al

Episode Guide[/url]

You might need a week or two to work your through A-Z though

[ 16-10-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

quote

It’s worth watching (if only to see the realism of the silence of the spaceships – something I’ve not seen since 2001).

The year or the movie?

[bonnee]

Wow, thank you so much Camelyn I note that all this coverage seems to emenate from Sydney, and I’m Melbourne based (hence my complete ignorance). I’m glad I asked you, because I would have looked like an even bigger idiot when writing up a year in review.

Again, many thanks.

[bonnee]

quote:

---

I know a number of people now who use the site and the newsfeed for updates. I wish they would be a bit more vocal on this forum though!

---

Camelyn, you’ve done such a thorough job that its a little difficult to keep up with you. I’d appreciate it if you could point me in the direction of any Australian responses to the cancellation of the show. Despite being made downuder, the show’s cancellation and subsequent campaign have barely registered on our own radar

[bonnee]

I tend to blame television audiences. TV executives will always attempt to second guess and cater for the market place, but the logic of supply and demand tends to dictate their own reasoning and choices. This is not to deny that executives will always try and play it safe and opt for the easy option. Its just that if there was a bigger market for SF on television – or alternately, greater resistance to generic crap – then people like ourselves would (presumably) be happier.

Witness the example of Firefly on the Fox network . It is currently ‘enjoying’ ratings that would be embraced on smaller networks like UPN on WB, but performing as if it were in syndication does not bode well for its future. If Firefly would have proved to be a bigger hit, executives would have attempted to capitalise on its popularity. I expect that the general lack of acceptance will resonate for years to come.

The recent cancellation of Farscape is equally instructive. Shows requiring talent and imagination cost lots of money, and are difficult to justify if the ratings flatline or go into freefall. It help explains why crap like Mutant X, Stargate and Andromeda are (apparently) cost effective decisions and remain on air. The franchice that is Star Trek speaks for itself, although its popularity turned out to be nostalgic and/or belated.

It seems that most people equate SF with spectacle and action, ensuring that anything making demands on its audiences (like good SF should) will not prove to be viable within a competive marketplace. Apparently its easier to convince people to watch ‘quality’ hospital or cop dramas than it is to watch ‘quality’ SF. Maybe the responsibility is on us to convince family and friends to be more open minded -although if my experience is any indication, we risk making such reccomendations at our own peril.

[bonnee]

Now that I have the Foxtel guide in my hand: just confirming that Farscape has found a new home on Fox 8, beginning Tuesday, 15th October onwards. Note that whilst the show premieres with a double episode at 7.30 pm Tuesday night onwards, it will settle in at 8.30 with single episodes 22nd October on.

Note further that, yes, Farscape continues to get shoddy treatment on Foxtel as well. The Farscape premiere will (somehow) manage to skip most of the first season, and will use only two episodes from season 1 as a lead in to Season 2 onwards. Given that the show premieres with arguably the worst episode in season 1 – not to mention, manages to completely ignore the two most important pivotal/transitional episodes just prior to that (Nerve and Hidden Memory)- Farscape is not likely to make much sense to those who might have otherwise been interested in keeping up with it.

Mustn’t grumble too much though – at least its back on air.

[ 02-10-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

The second episode appears to have performed worse than the first episode..hopefully the show can hold onto or build upon its audience. Interestingly, Buffy witnessed a big leap between episodes though (and so, the gap is closing between the shows…which can be interpreted either way). Normally, I wouldn’t pay such close attention to rating figures, but given the high profile of the show – not to mention Firefly’s drawing attention to the genre itself – this is not encouraging for either sci fi or Whedon.
——————————————–
Prime-time ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Sept. 23-29. Top 20 listings include the week’s ranking, with rating for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses.

An “X” in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation. The rating is the percentage of the nation’s estimated 106.7 million TV homes. Each ratings point represents 1,067,000 households.

1. (1) “Friends,” NBC, 20.3, 21.7 million homes.

2. (2) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 18.2, 19.4 million homes.

3. (3) “ER,” NBC, 16.9, 18.0 million homes.

4. (X) “Everybody Loves Raymond,” CBS, 15.3, 16.3 million homes.

5. (4) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Miami,” CBS, 14.9, 16.0 million homes.

6. (5) “Everybody Loves Raymond,” CBS, 14.7, 15.7 million homes.

7. (6) “Frasier,” NBC, 14.1, 15.1 million homes.

8. (7) “Will & Grace,” NBC, 13.9, 14.8 million homes.

9. (8) “Scrubs,” NBC, 13.8, 14.7 million homes.

10. (9) “NFL Monday Night Football: St. Louis at Tampa Bay,” ABC, 12.5, 13.4 million homes.

11. (10) “Survivor: Thailand,” CBS, 12.3, 13.1 million homes.

12. (11) “West Wing,” NBC, 12.0, 12.9 million homes.

13. (12) “Good Morning Miami,” NBC, 11.8, 12.6 million homes.

14. (13) “JAG,” CBS, 10.8, 11.6 million homes.

15. (14) “Without a Trace,” CBS, 10.7, 11.4 million homes.

16. (15) “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” NBC, 10.6, 11.3 million homes.

17. (16) “Hidden Hills,” NBC, 10.5, 11.2 million homes.

18. (17) “Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit,” NBC, 10.3, 11.0 million homes.

19. (19) “The Guardian,” CBS, 9.6, 10.2 million homes.

19. (19) “Yes, Dear,” CBS, 9.6, 10.3 million homes.

——————————————————————————–
21. “King of Queens,” CBS, 9.3
22. “American Dreams,” NBC, 9.2

22. “My Wife and Kids,” ABC, 9.2

22. “NYPD Blue,” ABC, 9.2

22. “The Practice,” ABC, 9.2

26. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 9.1

27. “Boomtown,” NBC, 9.0

27. (X) “Presidio Med Special,” CBS, 9.0

29. “Hack,” CBS, 8.4

30. “8 Simple Rules,” ABC, 8.3

31. “NFL Monday Showcase,” ABC, 7.9

32. “Big Brother 3-Wednesday,” CBS, 7.8

32. (X) “In-laws,” NBC, 7.8

34. “60 Minutes II,” CBS, 7.6

35. “Dateline NBC-Friday,” NBC, 7.5

36. “Dateline NBC-Tuesday,” NBC, 7.3

36. (X) “Life with Bonnie,” ABC, 7.3

38. “Fear Factor,” NBC, 7.1

39. “ABC Saturday Night at the Movies: The Green Mile,” ABC, 7.0

39. “Alias,” ABC, 7.0

39. “Ed,” NBC, 7.0

42. “20/20-Friday,” ABC, 6.9

42. “Crossing Jordan,” NBC, 6.9

42. “The District,” CBS, 6.9

45. “The Agency,” CBS, 6.5

46. “In-laws,” NBC, 6.3

46. “Presidio Med,” CBS, 6.3

48. (X) “Bachelor, Revealed,” ABC, 6.2

49. “CBS Sunday Movie: Mission: Impossible II,” CBS, 5.9

50. “Dateline NBC-Sunday,” NBC, 5.8

51. “Robbery Homicide Division,” CBS, 5.6

51. “That ’70s Show,” Fox, 5.6

53. “Fastlane,” Fox, 5.4

53. (X) “Inside NYPD Blue: A Decade on the Job,” ABC, 5.4

55. “MDs,” ABC, 5.3

56. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 5.2

57. “7th Heaven,” WB, 5.0

57. “Monk,” ABC, 5.0

57. “Touched by an Angel,” CBS, 5.0

60. “Bernie Mac,” Fox, 4.9

60. “Cedric the Entertainer Presents,” Fox, 4.9

60. “Cops 2: Coast to Coast,” Fox, 4.9

63. “48 Hours Investigates,” CBS, 4.8

63. “Smallville,” WB, 4.8

65. (X) “American Idol in Vegas,” Fox, 4.7

65. “America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back,” Fox, 4.7

65. (X) “Fox Movie Special: The Matrix,” Fox, 4.7

68. “Grounded For Life,” Fox, 4.6

69. (X) “ABC Sunday Night Movies: Prince William,” ABC, 4.5

70. “John Doe,” Fox, 4.4

71. “Primetime Thursday,” ABC, 4.3

72. “Cops: Kids in Danger,” Fox, 4.1

72. (X) “Fox Movie Special: Rush Hour,” Fox, 4.1

72. (X) “Simpsons Special,” Fox, 4.1

75. “The Drew Carey Show,” ABC, 3.8

75. “Gilmore Girls,” WB, 3.8

75. “NBC Saturday Night Movies: Kiss the Girls,” NBC, 3.8

78. “Firefly,” Fox, 3.6

78. “Whose Line is it Anyway?,” ABC, 3.6

78. “WWE Smackdown!,” UPN, 3.6

81. “Everwood,” WB, 3.4

82. (X) “Celebrity Daredevils,” Fox, 3.3

83. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” UPN, 3.1

83. “Charmed,” WB, 3.1

83. “One on One,” UPN, 3.1

83. “Push, Nevada,” ABC, 3.1

87. “Enterprise,” UPN, 3.0

87. “The Parkers,” UPN, 3.0

87. “Reba,” WB, 3.0

90. “Girlfriends,” UPN, 2.9

90. “That Was Then,” ABC, 2.9

92. “Half and Half,” UPN, 2.8

93. (X) “Simpsons Special 09/29,” Fox, 2.6

94. “What I Like About You,” WB, 2.5

95. “Greetings From Tucson,” WB, 2.4

95. (X) “Spy TV,” NBC, 2.4

95. “WB Wednesday Movie: Blade,” WB, 2.4

98. “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” WB, 2.3

99. “The Twilight Zone,” UPN, 2.2

100. “Family Affair,” WB, 1.9

100. “Haunted,” UPN, 1.9

102. “Do Over,” WB, 1.8

103. “Gilmore Girls Beginnings,” WB, 1.7

104. “Jamie Kennedy,” WB, 1.6

105. “Angel – Sunday,” WB, 1.5

105. “Doc-Sunday,” Pax, 1.5

107. “Diagnosis Murder-Thursday,” Pax, 1.3

107. “Off Centre,” WB, 1.3

107. “UPN’s Movie Friday: The Crow 3: Salavation,” UPN, 1.3

110. “Just Cause-Sunday,” Pax, 1.2

111. “Diagnosis Murder-Wednesday,” Pax, 1.0

112. “America’s Faovrite Movies: How the West Was Won,” Pax, 0.9

112. “Diagnosis Murder-Monday, 8 p.m.,” Pax, 0.9

112. “Diagnosis Murder-Tuesday,” Pax, 0.9

115. “Body and Soul-Monday,” Pax, 0.8

115. “Body and Soul-Sunday,” Pax, 0.8

115. “Diagnosis Murder-Friday,” Pax, 0.8

118. “Candid Camera-Sunday,” Pax, 0.7

118. “Diagnosis Murder-Monday,” Pax, 0.7

118. “Doc-Wednesday,” Pax, 0.7

118. “Friday Night Flix: Heart of Fire,” Pax, 0.7

118. “Weakest Link,” Pax, 0.7

123. “It’s a Miracle,” Pax, 0.6

123. “Just Cause-Tuesday,” Pax, 0.6

125. “Candid Camera-Wednesday,” Pax, 0.5

[bonnee]

Hey, I liked Crusade!! Or at least – a couple of episodes were fantastic whilst others were obviously quite the stinkers. That Merlin, character, though, was a real liability (as performed by Woodward anyway)and it didn’t help that Straczynski had such creative conflicts with TNT over the content and direction of the show. A shame that Sci Fi decided not to pick it up – it would have been interesting to see it develop the way Straczynski intended over the projected 5 year arc. Come to think of it – season 5 of Babylon 5 (the Byron snooze fest) was often awful, so maybe it was the audience who was spared a fate worse than death.

As for my Firefly cancellation/revival remark – I was just being a smart ass of course. Its obviously premature to talk of a show being cancelled after a couple of (poor) showings. With Fox, though, you never know – didn’t the more commercially viable Chris Carter experience similar problems with Harsh Realm and Lone Gunmen?

But then, the wonderful Millennium was allowed to survive despite poor ratings (the kind Buffy gets on UPN), even though Millennium wasn’t renewed for the all important (and promised) final millennial season. Good lord, I watch way too much tv

[bonnee]

For the record, the Firefly premiere permormed better than the Buffy premiere (although I’m not sure what this might mean across such distinct networks).

I’ll let you find the needles in the haystack

Prime-Time Nielsen ratings

The Associated Press Tuesday, September 24, 2002

——————————————————————————–

(09-24) 12:36 PDT (AP) —

Prime-time ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Sept. 16-22. Top 20 listings include the week’s ranking, with rating for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses.

An “X” in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation. The rating is the percentage of the nation’s estimated 105.5 million TV homes. Each ratings point represents 1,055,000 households.

1. (X) “Emmy Awards,” NBC, 13.5, 14.4 million homes.

2. (X) “Survivor: Thailand,” CBS, 13.2, 14.1 million homes.

3. (7) “NFL Monday Night Football: Philadelphia at Washington,” ABC, 11.8, 12.6 million homes.

4. (X) “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” ABC, 11.0, 11.7 million homes.

5. (X) “Life With Bonnie,” ABC, 10.5, 11.2 million homes.

6. (9) “Law & Order,” NBC, 10.3, 11.0 million homes.

7. (17) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation-Monday,” CBS, 9.5, 10.1 million homes.

7. (15) “NFL Monday Showcase,” ABC, 9.5, 10.1 million homes.

9. (2) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 9.3, 10.0 million homes.

9. (3) “Friends,” NBC, 9.3, 10.0 million homes.

11.(65) “Big Brother 3-Thursday,” CBS, 9.0, 9.6 million homes.

12. (7) “Everybody Loves Raymond,” CBS, 8.8, 9.4 million homes.

12. (18) “Will & Grace,” NBC, 8.8, 9.4 million homes.

14. (18) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 8.3, 9.0 million homes.

15. (9) “ER,” NBC, 8.1, 8.7 million homes.

16. (X) “Push, Nevada,” ABC, 7.8, 8.3 million homes.

17. (X) “Miss America,” ABC, 7.5, 8.0 million homes.

17. (X) “My Wife and Kids,” ABC, 7.5, 8.0 million homes.

19. (13) “Becker,” CBS, 7.1, 7.5 million homes.

19. (18) “Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit,” NBC, 7.1, 7.6 million homes.

——————————————————————————–
21. “Fox NFL Sunday Post-Game,” Fox, 7.0
22. “West Wing,” NBC, 6.7

23. (X) “Christopher Reeve: Courageous Steps,” ABC, 6.6

24. “Judging Amy,” CBS, 6.5

25. (X) “Cosby Show: A Look Back,” NBC, 6.4

25. “Yes, Dear,” CBS, 6.4

27. “JAG,” CBS, 6.3

28. “Bernie Mac,” Fox, 6.2

28. “Cedric the Entertainer Presents,” Fox, 6.2

28. “Frasier,” NBC, 6.2

28. “My Wife and Kids-Wednesday,” ABC, 6.2

32. (X) “Big Brother 3,” CBS, 6.1

32. “Fastlane,” Fox, 6.1

32. “King of Queens,” CBS, 6.1

35. “20/20-Friday,” ABC, 6.0

35. “The Guardian,” CBS, 6.0

35. “John Doe,” Fox, 6.0

38. “That ’70s Show,” Fox, 5.9

39. “America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back,” Fox, 5.7

39. “My Wife and Kids,” ABC, 5.7

39. “Primetime Thursday,” ABC, 5.7

42. (X) “Fox Movie Special-Sunday: The Fugitive,” Fox, 5.6

42. (X) “National Geographic Pyramids Live,” Fox, 5.6

42. (X) “Regis and Kelly in Primetime,” ABC, 5.6

45. “7th Heaven,” WB, 5.5

46. “Push, Nevada,” ABC, 5.4

47. “48 Hours,” CBS, 5.3

47. (X) “ABC Big Picture Show: Armageddon,” ABC, 5.3

47. (X) “World’s Funniest Movie Outtakes,” Fox, 5.3

50. (X) “60 Minutes Special,” CBS, 5.2

50. (X) “Countdown to Emmys,” NBC, 5.2

52. “Big Brother 3-Saturday,” CBS, 5.1

52. “Grounded for Life,” Fox, 5.1

54. (X) “Becker-Sunday,” CBS, 5.0

55. “Cops 2: Coast to Coast,” Fox, 4.9

56. “Everwood,” WB, 4.8

56. “Fear Factor,” NBC, 4.8

58. “Dateline Friday,” NBC, 4.7

59. (X) “America’s Funniest Home Videos: The Battle of the Best,” ABC, 4.6

60. (X) “Carol Burnett Show: Show Stoppers,” CBS, 4.5

60. “CBS Sunday Movie: Tomorrow Never Dies,” CBS, 4.5

60. (X) “Just Shoot Me 9/17,” NBC, 4.5

63. “Cops: Coast to Coast,” Fox, 4.3

64. “The Drew Carey Show,” ABC, 4.2

65. “Ed,” NBC, 4.1

66. “Firefly,” Fox, 4.0

66. “Providence,” NBC, 4.0

66. (X) “Push, Nevada,” ABC, 4.0

66. (X) “Survivor: Thailand,” CBS, 4.0

70. “Third Watch,” NBC, 3.9

71. “Whose Line is it Anyway?,” ABC, 3.8

72. “Charmed,” WB, 3.7

72. “Crossing Jordan,” NBC, 3.7

74. (X) “Favorite Stars: Then and Now,” ABC, 3.5

74. “WWE Smackdown!,” UPN, 3.5

76. “The Agency-Saturday,” CBS, 3.4

77. “Reba,” WB, 3.3

78. “Enterprise,” UPN, 3.2

79. (X) “Fox Movie Thursday: The Rats,” Fox, 3.0

80. (X) “Latin Grammy Awards: 3rd Annual,” CBS, 2.9

80. “NBC Saturday Night Movies: LA Law: The Movie,” NBC, 2.9

80. “The Twilight Zone,” UPN, 2.9

83. “Smallville ,” WB, 2.8

84. “One on One,” UPN, 2.6

85. “Girlfriends,” UPN, 2.5

85. “Girlfriends 9:30pm,” UPN, 2.5

85. “WB Wednesday Movie: Blue Streak,” WB, 2.5

85. “What I Like About You,” WB, 2.5

89. “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” WB, 2.4

90. “Family Affair,” WB, 2.3

90. “Greetings From Tucson,” WB, 2.3

92. “Do Over,” WB, 2.2

93. “Gilmore Girls,” WB, 2.1

94. (X) “Meet My Folks,” NBC, 2.0

95. “Jamie Kennedy,” WB, 1.9

95. “The Parkers,” UPN, 1.9

95. “UPN’s Movie Friday: Set It Off,” UPN, 1.9

98. “Gilmore Girls,” WB, 1.8

99. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” UPN, 1.7

100. “Diagnosis Murder-Thursday,” Pax, 1.5

101. “Doc-Sunday,” Pax, 1.4

101. “Off Centre,” WB, 1.4

103. “Just Cause-Sunday,” Pax, 1.3

104. “Diagnosis Murder-Wednesday,” Pax, 1.2

104. “Enterprise Tuesday,” UPN, 1.2

106. “Diagnosis Murder-Friday,” Pax, 1.0

106. “Diagnosis Murder-Monday,” Pax, 1.0

106. “Diagnosis Murder-Monday 8pm,” Pax, 1.0

106. “Doc-Wednesday,” Pax, 1.0

106. “Just Cause-Tuesday,” Pax, 1.0

111. “Body and Soul-Monday,” Pax, 0.9

111. “Body and Soul-Sunday,” Pax, 0.9

111. “Candid Camera-Wednesday,” Pax, 0.9

114. “Weakest Link-Pax,” Pax, 0.7

115. “America’s Favorite Movies: Gigi,” Pax, 0.6

115. “Candid Camera-Sunday,” Pax, 0.6

115. “Friday Night Flix: Omega Code,” Pax, 0.6

115. “It’s a Miracle,” Pax, 0.6

119. (X) “America’s Favorite Movie Trailers,” Pax, 0.4

[bonnee]

quote

on an ominous note, did you guys notice that the beginning scenes for the intro include shots from several seasons, as opposed to the usual previous season shots? i guess i am watching the end of another series, just like lexx…dammit, i hate that!!!

Season 8 Update (from Sci Fi Wire http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2002- 09/23/14.00.tv )

Buffy Season 8 Mulled

Marti Noxon, executive producer of UPN’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, told SCI FI Wire that producers are already mulling options for how to continue the show beyond the upcoming seventh season, with or without star Sarah Michelle Gellar. Among the possibilities: a show centered on Buffy’s little sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) or one centered on wayward slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), Noxon said in an interview. Gellar’s contract expires at the end of the new season, and she has previously expressed doubts about returning full-time.

An eighth season of Buffy “is a discussion that we’ve begun to start having … with both [producing studio] Fox and UPN,” Noxon said. “But it’s really … stages. I think the main thing that [creator] Joss [Whedon] feels, and I also feel, is that we wouldn’t continue if we didn’t feel that we had something exciting to bring to the table. If it felt like we were desperately trying to keep the franchise alive, that’s not something that I think interests him. I think it’s much more about, can we come up with a concept that might be either Sarah-free or Sarah-light that feels, you know, like a show worth doing? And if we’re all excited about doing it and have the same level of passion, then gung ho, you know? But if we don’t, I think nobody sort of wants to see a pale imitation of what was. It’s a tough call. It’s a tough thing. We’ll see. But we do have some ideas. And Joss has some great ideas. And we’re kicking those all around. And we don’t know. Sarah has not said definitively no, but I think it’s pretty likely that she’d at least want to scale her involvement back.”

In the upcoming seventh-season premiere, viewers will see a much more active Dawn. Is that setting the stage for Trachtenberg to take up Gellar’s stake and cross? “We don’t really have a firm plan,” Noxon said. “I mean, that’s obviously one of the possibilities. But we haven’t settled on that at all. … I think it was just time to grow Dawn up a little bit. And it’s just sort of a natural thing that she would want to sort of follow in Buffy’s footsteps. So it’s much more about story. And if at the end of that process, we’re like, ‘Wow, she’s a natural replacement,’ then that might happen. But it’s not a foregone conclusion at all.”

Noxon confirmed that Faith will return toward the end of the seventh season. But whether or not she’s poised to replace Buffy “depends entirely on [Dushku],” who has an active film career, Noxon said. “But it’s definitely a very interesting possibility. I know some fans … are pretty excited about that. So we’ll see. I mean, I can really see that show. I know what that show is. And so that’s nice, you know? She’s such a good character. And Eliza’s very charismatic. So I can see what that show would be. But again, many, many hurdles. And I don’t even know if Eliza’s interested.” Buffy kicks off its new season on Sept. 24 in its regular 8 p.m. ET/PT Tuesday time slot.

[ 25-09-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

Season 8 Update (from Sci Fi Wire http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2002-09/23/14.00.tv )

Buffy Season 8 Mulled

Marti Noxon, executive producer of UPN’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, told SCI FI Wire that producers are already mulling options for how to continue the show beyond the upcoming seventh season, with or without star Sarah Michelle Gellar. Among the possibilities: a show centered on Buffy’s little sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) or one centered on wayward slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), Noxon said in an interview. Gellar’s contract expires at the end of the new season, and she has previously expressed doubts about returning full-time.

An eighth season of Buffy “is a discussion that we’ve begun to start having … with both [producing studio] Fox and UPN,” Noxon said. “But it’s really … stages. I think the main thing that [creator] Joss [Whedon] feels, and I also feel, is that we wouldn’t continue if we didn’t feel that we had something exciting to bring to the table. If it felt like we were desperately trying to keep the franchise alive, that’s not something that I think interests him. I think it’s much more about, can we come up with a concept that might be either Sarah-free or Sarah-light that feels, you know, like a show worth doing? And if we’re all excited about doing it and have the same level of passion, then gung ho, you know? But if we don’t, I think nobody sort of wants to see a pale imitation of what was. It’s a tough call. It’s a tough thing. We’ll see. But we do have some ideas. And Joss has some great ideas. And we’re kicking those all around. And we don’t know. Sarah has not said definitively no, but I think it’s pretty likely that she’d at least want to scale her involvement back.”

In the upcoming seventh-season premiere, viewers will see a much more active Dawn. Is that setting the stage for Trachtenberg to take up Gellar’s stake and cross? “We don’t really have a firm plan,” Noxon said. “I mean, that’s obviously one of the possibilities. But we haven’t settled on that at all. … I think it was just time to grow Dawn up a little bit. And it’s just sort of a natural thing that she would want to sort of follow in Buffy’s footsteps. So it’s much more about story. And if at the end of that process, we’re like, ‘Wow, she’s a natural replacement,’ then that might happen. But it’s not a foregone conclusion at all.”

Noxon confirmed that Faith will return toward the end of the seventh season. But whether or not she’s poised to replace Buffy “depends entirely on [Dushku],” who has an active film career, Noxon said. “But it’s definitely a very interesting possibility. I know some fans … are pretty excited about that. So we’ll see. I mean, I can really see that show. I know what that show is. And so that’s nice, you know? She’s such a good character. And Eliza’s very charismatic. So I can see what that show would be. But again, many, many hurdles. And I don’t even know if Eliza’s interested.” Buffy kicks off its new season on Sept. 24 in its regular 8 p.m. ET/PT Tuesday time slot.

[bonnee]

Sad, if you want to know more about John Doe, visit the page I posted before regarding the collection of Firefly reviews. Doe is reviewed directly below it. My smart ass remark about ‘for posterity’s sake’, appears to have been prophetic. Like the opening camera shot, remember to scroll down to bare all.

Posterior[/url]

[ 23-09-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

Marty, if you’re tried to access Soul Seek since your post, you might have found that it was ‘down’. It should be back online shortly – possibly even as you read this. Just thought I’d let you know that the problem was temporary, and highly unusual. So please don’t be detterred, and keep trying.

Soul Seek is literally the best application for ‘electronic’ music and wonderful for the really obscure and marginal stuff (but hey, there’s plenty Orbital and the Orb to to be shared too).

Slight Update

Its back up (four hours later).

[ 23-09-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

It didn’t have you whistling dixie? Well, as long as you didn’t spit chewed tobacco at your screen…..

[bonnee]

If you want an overview of Firefly’s critical reception, visit the following collection of links ( scroll down). This will continue to move down the page (and disappear) as TV Tattle updates its overviews, so best to view ASAP for posterior’s sake.

Twang[/url]

[bonnee]

quote

I haven’t read the prior posts on this, but I will say my CD player usually has some sort of techo (e.g., Orbital) stuff in it.

Marty, if you haven’t heard Layo and Bushwacka’s Night Works or MRI’s All That Glitters, you might want to consider checking them out. These two records have been the stand out ‘techno’ albums of the year IMO (they’re very different to each other ). They can both be readilly accessed on Soul Seek, my preferred peer to peer application (and particularly popular amongst those into electronic music).

Soul Seek[/url]

[ 18-09-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

quote:

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Queens of the Stone Age -Songs for the Deaf.
On repeat in the car. For one week and going.

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quote:

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We wind the evening down with Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul.

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[bonnee]

After noting Farscape’s absence in the September ‘free to air’ tv guides, I decided to ring channel 9’s programming department (Melbourne). According to them, they have NO INTENTION of showing Farscape EVER AGAIN – despite indications that they had intended to begin with season 3 onwards this September. (Note that the situation *might* differ in other Australian states, but I was told that this was 9’s general attitude for the following reason). The person insisted that channel 9 were no longer involved with the production of the show season 3 onwards anyway, which may or may not partially explain its recent cancellation (the loss of a local financial backer would presumably have contributed to rising production costs). The show was said to be ‘no good for 9’.

All is not lost. According to the online Foxtel guide, Farscape returns to cable, Tuesday October 15. In fact, there are two episodes being shown that night (7.30 and 8.30). I’m not sure what this does with the currently screening UK version of Queer as Folk at 9.00 pm. Trouble is – and I’m sure you knew there just had to be a catch – the episodes do not begin from the begining. Instead, Farscape makes its debut on Fox 8 towards the end of season 1 (the last two episodes, Bone to be Bad and Family Ties respectively). Given that the Foxtel guide only permits access to its schedule up to a month ahead (and it only September 15 here), it is also possible that season 2 might begin proper a couple of days later in a different timeslot – presumably Friday night). Hopefully, then, this abrupt beginning is just setting up Season 2 onwards, which channel 9 showed out of order, across timeslots and without 6 pivotal episodes.

Ahh, its good to be a SF fan

[ 16-09-2002: Message edited by: bonnee ]

[bonnee]

Here’s Herc’s P/review of Firefly (from Aint it Cool) http://aint-it-cool.com/display.cgi?id=13271

We’re not going to be seeing the “Firefly” pilot Joss Whedon wrote and directed until December, when Fox airs a version augmented with reshoots as an “origin special.”
Herc saw the version “Novagrass” did and he’s here to tell you it was a plenty fine pilot before the reshoots. But why fret? It’ll all come out on DVD eventually. Am I right?

Here’s “Novagrass”:
I just got myself a copy of Firefly’s 80minute pilot episode. I thought you guys might like a review.

Let’s break this down Herc Style…

So, what are you reviewing?
Firefly’s pilot episode, Serenity. People keep saying it’s two hours long, but it’s not. Maybe if they added the commercials… but as it is, it’s an 80minute episode.

Well then … did you like what you saw?
I sure as hell did.

Sum up the plot in 5 lines.
Mal, Zoe, and Jayne steal Alliance goods from ship. Try to sell it, fail. Pick up passengers at Persephone (Big, CG city) to bring to Boros (a planet or moon or something along those lines). Inara sponge-bathing. Fed on board, after a fugitive and his sister in box. Kaylee shot. Crew outruns Reavers in space. Mal finally sells goods. Outrun Reavers again. Simon and River offered sanctuary on Serenity.

Hold up a second… who did what to who? Who are all these characters?
Mal Reynolds- Captain of the ship.

Zoe- Mal’s right hand woman

Jayne- Mercenary

Wash- Pilot, Zoe’s husband

Inara- Intelligent, cultured prostitute

Kaylee- Cute mechanic

Book- Shepard who’s been out of the world for years.

Simon- Young doctor

River- Doctor’s crazy (brilliant) sister.

God that’s a lot of characters… Are they actually given personalities?
Seeing as this is a Joss Whedon show, it’s not at all surprising that every character is treated very delicately, and yes, they have distinct personalities.

Who’s your favorite?
I like Simon… or Inara… or Mal… or Kaylee… or River… or… oh, I give up.

While we’re talking about the all-human cast… how are the actors?
For a pilot episode, I was really impressed with how well the actors have found their characters. I especially enjoyed Adam Baldwin’s portrayal of Jayne. Sure Jayne may be the stereotypical tough-crude thuggish mercenary guy, but Baldwin plays his with this amazing subtlety that’s really great. He has the standout performance here. Sean Maher’s Simon, Jewel Staite’s Kaylee and Monica Boccarin’s Inara come close to Baldwin’s Jayne… but they fall barely short of his performance, I think. My only problem in the acting area was Gina Torres’ performance toward the middle of the episode. She seemed almost bored… and I can’t really understand why.

So, we’ve talked about the characters… now, what’s the story like?
It’s slow and deliberate in places, full of action in others, and humorous in yet others. The drama is realistic, and just when you think it’s getting to be a bit too much… oops, it’s just a joke. The drama isn’t melodramatic and it isn’t too light. I’d go as far as to say it’s perfect.

FOX ordered a different episode for the initial airing… why do you think that is?
Like I said above, the story is slow and deliberate. Apparently FOX doesn’t like that… something about their average viewer being too mentally incapable to keep up? They might be right… I mean, look at what was in its timeslot last season.

You said earlier that there was some action. What’s it like?
Think Sergio Leone and you’re right on the money. It’s pretty spaghetti western-esque. And it’s very cool, very well done. It proves just how badass Mal and Co. really is.

Firefly has been compared to Farscape. What’s your take on this?
While I love Farscape, there is little to compare between it and Firefly. They’re different shows completely, in tone and style. I think that Farscape fans will find enough similarities to keep them interested… but they’ll find more than enough differences to keep from feeling they’re watching another episode of Farscape. The differences lie mainly in the characters. And there are no aliens… or muppets.

You mention style? Is there anything unique about the style?
Funny you should ask… or I should ask… or… whatever. Yes. There is A LOT of style. About 99% of the show is filmed using handheld cameras. This technique really helps in sucking you into the story. Even the special effects look handheld. I really like it. It’s cool.

Since we’re relying on an all-human cast… how are the actors?
For a pilot episode, I was really impressed with how well the actors have found their characters. I especially enjoyed Adam Baldwin’s portrayal of Jayne. Sure Jayne may be the stereotypical tough-crude thuggish mercenary guy, but Baldwin plays his with this amazing subtlety that’s really great. He has the standout performance here. Sean Maher’s Simon, Jewel Staite’s Kaylee and Monica Boccarin’s Inara come close to Baldwin’s Jayne… but they fall barely short of his performance, I think. My only problem in the acting area was Gina Torres’ performance toward the middle of the episode. She seemed almost bored… and I can’t really understand why.

Now to the important part… how are the special effects?
The special effects range from good to spectacular. I can easily say that these are the best television series special effects I’ve seen. Not only do they look nice, they’re almost seamlessly integrated into the show. While a show like Enterprise has some nice special effects, they are pretty boring and really don’t influence the show’s storytelling. What’s great about Firefly’s special effects is that they help in the storytelling as opposed to simply looking nice. The handheld camera look of the effects adds to the storytelling aspect. Then there’s the electronic paper. In the scene with Badger, there is this great effect where they put moving electronic imagery on regular paper. It’s like paper meets computers, and it’s a great detail… A great detail.

So, we know Firefly is a Joss Whedon show. How does it compare to his other shows, Buffy and Angel?
Well… Firefly shares the great character development and intriguing relationships that Buffy and Angel are known for, and that’s about where the similarities stop. Firefly is more down to earth than Buffy/Angel. It’s more real-world centric, and while it takes place in the far future, I have an easier time putting myself in Firefly’s world than I do putting myself in Buffy’s. Firefly is a little less conventional in its camera work too, and I like that. I’m going to say that Firefly is all around better than Buffy, even though the differences between the shows might be too strong to make an accurate comparison.

Firefly sounds great. Is there anything you’d like to add?
Umm… I think everyone should watch it. Cause it’s amazing.

[Author]

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