Satellites

While browsing Planet Simpson again, I found the exchange on the show that best displays what I think of other nerds:

Comic Book Guy: Last night's "Itchy & Scratchy" was, without a doubt, the worst episode ever. Rest assured that I was on the Internet within minutes, registering my disgust throughout the world.
Bart: Hey, I know it wasn't great, but what right do you have to complain?
Comic Book Guy: As a loyal viewer, I feel they owe me.
Bart: What? They're giving you thousands of hours of entertainment for free. What could they possibly owe you? If anything, you owe them.
Comic Book Guy: [pauses] Worst episode ever.

(From "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show")

One After 909

I'll write something big about videogames when I feel like it.

I am sort of a repeated viewer of the Law & Order series. I remember that, not long ago, I wouldn't miss a single nightly rerun of the original series. And off and on, I will catch parts of the spin-offs. Oh lordy, the spin-offs.

I don't have much to say about Criminal Intent, as I watch it the least of the three, although the main cop (who is essentially a dumber version of Columbo) sticks with me for some reason. SVU is a whole other thing, though. It basically takes the L&O formula and never rests until there are at least a dozen insane plot twists during the hour. It's shit that MUST BE STACKED FOREVER.

The last episode I watched just kept changing directions for no reason whatsoever. First, we got the case, but oh no there's more to it! Than there's even more to it! Than this plot line comes in out of nowhere! And look, just to end it off, we got one more surprise! Combined with the generally preachy and hysterical nature of the 'ripped from the headline' approach generally gives it, and we got a show that is hilariously dumb, but never really boring, despite following formula to a T. And if that wasn't enough, we also have Ice-T getting in witty one-liners, when he's not going insane.

Consider this another guilty pleasure.

H

A thought occurred to me not that long ago:

Back during they heyday of The Simpsons, there were a number of different writers and show runners with their own distinct styles that nerds who watch the show enough (or listen to the DVD commentary) can be able to pick out. Soon enough, you'll be able to figure what was Oakley/Weinstein episode, what was a Mirkin episode, etc. So, during that period, there were talented people who had an impact on the show.

So, here is my query: What is stopping a group of talented writers and directors from coming onto the show now and making it good again? Given that the people who grew up on the show, now my age or older, could now be entering the creative industry, possibly as TV writers. If the show refuses to go down in the future, is it not possible that new recruits to bring the show back up again?

Now, considering that, I must remember there are some other factors to consider:

1)What is the creative environment on the show like today? I wouldn't necessarily think that the show is under more corporate scrutiny now than ever before. The execs have given the show a lot of creative space, and they probably recognize that any sort of exercise in control would hurt their image in the eyes of the audience. Even so, there's still the possibility that the show, which is now considered a staple (ubiquitous, even), may have a different atmosphere for the writers than it did during the earlier seasons.

2)Who are the creators on the show now? I honestly don't know, since I stopped watching. When did they come one? How long have they've been on? Where did they come from? The answers to these questions would likely have an impact on new writers coming onto the show.

3)Is it possible that the show has simply run out of possibilities? That there are no more stories to tell with these characters, this setting? That seems to be a very possible thing, too. As I said, I don't watch the show anymore, but any glimpse I get of it seem, for the most part to be spinning its wheels. Oh look, more marital problems for Homer and Marge! Bart/Lisa finds another possible love interest! I also notice a growing number of fantasy episodes, which in a show like The Simpsons really should be kept at a minimum. All this seems to suggest that there's really nothing left for the show to say, although it could also just be that we have a bunch of hacks in the monkey house.

4)Do any of these creative types even really want to work on The Simpsons, rather than go off on their own? This is an issue that is common for people who want to break into the comics world as well. Especially when you're a big fan, writing your favourite characters would be a dream come true, whether it's Homer Simpson or Spider-Man. But even if you are a big fan of some property, you could still be incredibly savvy about what working on that property would entail. I would think just as many Simpsons fans (myself included) would rather go off and create their own thing using the inspiration they got from the show. This is not a bad thing. It is likely that most of the good comedy we see today and will see in the future comes from people who grew up on The Simpsons (although I won't discount that the major creative figures from the show, Greg Daniels and Oakley/Weinstein for example, have also become diffused among these shows as well).

It was just a thought, though. I thought that would probably have been more relevant three years ago, as by now everyone just wants Fox to let the show finally die with whatever dignity it has left. But that's unlikely to happen any time soon.

I WRITED TV

So today, for the first time in a while, I watched an episode of House with a buddy.

Weird time to do that - the episode featured a hallucinating Dr. House subconsciously trying to kill a patient and a friend.

Now, this got me thinking...House has got some internal conflict going on, and it already is visualizing that internal conflict in a bizarre way. So why not take a step further?

It was my friend who suggested the idea that House could solve his problem by entering his own mind and doing battle with the horrible evil residing in it. And after that, I came up with the idea that the battle ends up splitting House into two people, just like in a thousand dumb cartoons! It could the basis for an entire season.

One House could be the good one - compassionate. But he'd also be completely inept. The other House would be the evil House - sadistic, but at the same time, brilliant. Now the staff has to figure out how to put House back together, but which House do they want to be the dominant personality?

This is what I'd do if I wrote House. It would be promptly cancelled.

(Actually, they wouldn't need to go with the goofier angle for it at all. Just make House suffer from multiple personalities. Same effect, but without the fantasy filth polluting the show about the funny doctor man who should be fired five times a day.)

Hidy Hole

This week is a non-school week. I hope to get things done. Also, Street Fighter.

I've always been thinking of finishing the two other parts of this, just in time for the one year anniversary of the game's release. Boy, doing something to celebrate a year since the release of one game sure sounds pathetic, but you must remember that this game in particular basically absorbed my life for almost two years. Wait, that only makes me sound even more pathetic. I have nowhere to go...

Wow, I can't believe Conan leaves this week. It just seemed to creep up on us all. I don't know how to feel; I've been watching this show for 8 years now, and now it's going to be gone, replaced by a retard pandering to an audience of idiots. Okay, at best, it could just be transferred to a different time slot (where I'd miss it due to work most of the time).

What a strange time we live in.