ghost2

No spoilers. Just a bit of my opinion.

I liked it, and I say this as someone who saw and hated the initial American pilot (set in Los Angeles). The revised pilot is set in New York and there have been major cast changes, for the better. Unfortunately, the role they most needed to recast, Sam Tyler, is still played by Jason O'Mara and good Lord, I could see him acting throughout most of his scenes. He needs to get better, fast. But if you can get past his acting, LOM was a solid effort.

Already I've seen plenty of criticism about how the show is "too much" like the British original and also how it won't be enough like it because of certain plans TPTB have mentioned for further down the line. Really, all TPTB can do is try to put together the best show they can, because there's no way they're going to make everyone happy.

I won't even get started with my answer to the "Why did they even bother to do a remake/why don't they just air the original series instead?" question right now. Yes, I can address that issue in some depth, because I understand why the British series is not simply rerun on a major American network--I've made a bit of a study out of the American TV industry, just as a hobby, and along the line it's become clear that I know more about it than most people care to. Therefore, I'm fairly likely to agree with network decisions to, say, cancel programs (including shows I like--Veronica Mars, I'm looking at you), because I see the numbers and have a reasonably good idea of what they mean and whether a series is financially viable. In fact, one of my pet peeves is the misspelling of Nielsen, as in those handy Nielsen ratings that measure series performances.

But back to LOM: I judged the show on its own merits, not against the original. I enjoyed it. Will I like next week's episode? Hell, I don't know. I might hate it. Then again, I could say that about any show on the air, including my favorites like Gossip Girl and The Amazing Race. The best I can do is go week to week, and this week, I liked Life on Mars.

Happy birthday, innogen!

Well, I am now caught up with the show, but it won't much matter. This one's on the verge of cancellation. The ratings are horrible and it's providing a dreadful lead-to to Prison Break, a more valued program. I'm betting production stops soon and there is NO WAY Fox picks up the back nine episodes for this season. No one else is going to want a show that has been bleeding viewers, so whatever's already been shot is all there'll be. Even then, some of those episodes might never air. Fox could get better ratings by airing informercials in that timeslot.

It's too bad, because SCC is pretty good right now. I loved the pilot, then lost interest as the first (abbreviated) season went along. This year is an improvement, though, with John being less annoying, Cameron more awesome, and the writing more even. Enjoy this one while it lasts.

Happy birthday, wondygal!

Happy birthday, fantasyjax!

Happy birthday, hhertzof!

Happy birthday, taeliarose!

Happy birthday, amaresu!

FYI: Not everyone who plans to vote Republican in this year's presidential election is stupid. (For that matter, not everyone who plans to vote Democrat is, either.) Will people please STFU with the insults already? Just because someone has different views than you, places different values on certain issues, whatever, does not automatically mean that it's okay to make rude, disparaging comments about them. Doing so makes you look like a jackass.

Prison Break is back tonight. And One Tree Hill. (Yes, I watch it. Have since the start. Shut up. ;)

All right, so PB was pretty sucky last season. Somehow I made it through. Kind of. Admittedly, I fell asleep during the finale. Twice. By which I mean, on two separate dates, because I tried to watch the original airing of the finale and then I tried to watch the rerun of it last week. I succeeded in falling asleep both times, out of sheer boredom.

However, I'm willing to give the show another try. I still have hopes that it will return to form, or at least hold my attention enough that I don't nod off again.

(BTW, here is where I'd like to thank my local newspaper for running a TV column that included a spoiler. No, not that old casting news that I quite like; rather, a specific plot point I would rather had been a surprise. Damn it, now it's not. This is the same newspaper that won't run a nightly TV grid because it "takes up too much room" yet is perfectly willing to ruin story developments.)

As for One Tree Hill, I enjoyed last season a lot. Now I want to know what happened with Dan! Where Nathan's career is going! Whether Mouth found a good new job! But no, I don't care about Lucas's love life.