Why Can't A Woman Lead?

I recently watched a very interesting BBC 2 series called 'The United States of Television: America in Primetime' (Linky). This was a 4 part series that, each week, examined a different aspect of US primetime TV - Man Of The House, The Misfit, The Independent Woman and The Crusader. It tracked the development of these characters through the last 60 years of television and how these developments reflected wider issues within US society. I really enjoyed this show.

Until the last episode.

This episode looked at the Crusader - the character that is driven to do the right thing, even if by doing the right thing, they have to do the wrong thing. The characters that work in the grey. Here are the characters they discussed:

• Jack Bauer - 24
• Gregory House - House
• Andy Sipowicz - NYPD Blue
• Hawkeye Pierce - M*A*S*H
• Omar Little - The Wire
• Frank Pembleton - Homicide: Life on the Street
• Vic Mackey - The Shield
• Dexter Morgan - Dexter
• Dana Scully - The X Files

Other than the fact that there are some fantastic characters and shows there, notice anything about that list?

ONE WOMAN?

AND NOT EVEN THE LEAD IN THE SHOW?

REALLY??

And this got me to thinking - is there only one woman on that list because this programme in itself was sexist? Or is there only one woman on that list because, for some reason, a female led TV show just isn't accepted by primetime viewers?

If the answer is the second point, then why is this? Why do the majority of viewers struggle with women led, primetime TV shows? And if so, why do these shows tend to well in non-primetime slots - Buffy, Alias, Xena, Scandal, Dollhouse, Dark Angel, Veronica Mars, etc, etc, etc?

What does this say about the majority's view on the role of women? Are people still so entrenched in their view of what a woman should and shouldn't do that they cannot watch her 'kick ass' - physically and/or metaphorically?

As I have no such limitation on my views (thank you Wonder Woman and Col. Wilma Deering), I really don't know the answer to any of these questions.

Things I Love - Conventions

I imagine that some of you just thought "Conventions? Me too!!"

And some of you thought "Conventions? Nerd!"

Yep! And I don't give 2 figs that some of you have just judged me and maybe even stopped reading. You are maybe the people that hear the word "convention" and think of the stereotype images of what happens at a convention and the types of people that go to them.

Allow me to enlighten you.

There are many different types of conventions, but it's fair to say they can be roughly categorised into 2 - the weekend conventions and the signing events. The signing events tend to be larger (such as Collectormania, Sci fi weekender or London Film and Comic Con). They also tend to have a larger selection of guests for you to go along and meet. They are a lot of fun and an equal amount of queueing! The weekend conventions (run by companies such as Starfury and Massive Events in the UK) tend to specialise in one tv show in particular or a certain genre. My personal preference is for the weekend conventions as they have fewer guests and as they focus on one show/genre, I know that all the guests are going to be people I want to meet. But that's just me. 

So at a convention, there are autograph signings, photoshoots with and talks by the guests. I particularly like the talks as you can ask questions and hear anecdotes from your favourites tv shows. The guests are normally very honest and relaxed. I still can't believe some of the people I've been lucky enough to meet - George Takei, Patrick Stewart, James Marsters, J August Richards, Nicholas Brendon, Adam Baldwin, Patricia Quinn, Alex Winter, etc. Talented and SO pretty!! 

But the guests are only part of the reason that I love conventions.

From my first convention 4 years ago for Veronica Mars to my latest, Inva3ion, I have made some amazing friends. I don't just mean acquaintances. I mean FRIENDS. People that have shown me true kindness and support. Last year, for the first time, I was even brave enough to attend 2 conventions by myself, purely because I knew my friends would be there. 

These are people that also fully accept my full on, squeeing, fangirl side! And why? Cos they're as bad as me! It is a fantastic feeling. To know proper friendship with people and to know they aren't judging me.

And don't forget, what happens at the con, stays at the con!

All photos property of me and not to be used without my express permission. Ta

 

The Swindle Hypothesis

I don't watch The Big Bang Theory. I've tried, several times, but just can't get into it. I think this is because . . . .

THEY'RE CONNING US

The show always seems to be laughing AT nerds, not WITH them. I recently saw some of an episode in which Penny (Kaley Kuoco) became addicted to playing online games. She stopped washing, going to work and doing her hair (one joke played on the fact that she had cheetos stuck in her bird-nest like 'do'). What is this saying about the show's writer's opinions of gamers?

Think of all the characters in the show. Then think of the stereotypes of nerds. Now think of the all the characters in the show again. See what I mean?

I have to applaud the writers of this show for this feat. They've managed to create a show that points fun at the very people that sit watching. And then, they've managed to cast certain guest stars who are well known sci fi genre actors!! 

*slow claps*

This is just my opinion.

Things I Love - Somewhere In Time

I can't remember the first time I saw this film. In fact, I can't remember a time in my life when I hadn't seen this film. 

Image from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081534/

I should start by saying, I am not really a fan of soppy, romantic films (except for The Notebook!!), but for some reason this film really captured me. Let me try to explain why.

Somewhere In Time tells the story of a young playwright, Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve). On the opening night of his first play, he is approached by an elderly woman he doesn't recognise. She gives him a pocket-watch and says to him "Come back to me". He is bemused by this encounter. Several years later and, the now successful, Collier is suffering from a severe case of writer's block and decides to leave the city to find some inspiration. His journey takes him to the Grand Hotel, where he sees a photograph of a beautiful young actress, Elise Mckenna (Jane Seymour), who performed in a production at the hotel in 1912. He immediately falls in love and decides to find out everything he can about her. During his investigation, he finds a picture of Elise taken just before her death. Elise Mckenna is the same lady that gave Richard the pocket-watch 8 years previously. This knowledge and his intense feelings for her drive him to travel a strange path.

(I would like to think that anyone that sees this post and hasn't seen this film will give it a watch after reading this, so I won't give any more details)

But why did I love the film?

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somewhere_in_Time_%28film%29

1. Christopher Reeve - he plays this role beautifully - from the bemusement of the original meeting, to the passion and the heartbreak. He is also very handsome. He also has a beautiful chemistry with . . .
2. Jane Seymour - you really do believe they love each other. 
3. The location - the Grand Hotel is the perfect location - so timeless and elegant. It is a character in itself.
4. The story - well written and though fantastical, is believable.
5. The Soundtrack - the music is sublime!! I cannot hear it without crying - it is so evocative. This, too, is a character in its own right. There are two pieces that mean the most to me. The first is a piece by Rachmaninov, Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. The second is the main theme written by John Barry. Perfect.

The film is based on a book, Bid Time Return, by Richard Matheson. The book has now changed its name to be the same as the film title. I recently read the book for the first time. It too is fantastic. Very cleanly written, with little 'waffle'. It differs slightly from the film in a few places, but overall, the book and the film are very similar. My personal preference is for the film.

I would love to hear thoughts from anyone else who has seen the film and also from anyone who watches the film based on this (fingers crossed maybe one of you will!).

Film (1980)

Starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

Book (1975)

Author Richard Matheson

Original Title Bid Time Return

D r a g g i n g I t O u t

 

Sometimes, you watch a show and think

 

'Why did they drag it out for so long?'

There have been a few shows over the last few years that would have been greatly improved if they had not stretched the story out for a 22/24 episode series on US TV. A few, in particular, spring to mind - Flashforward, V and the last series of Torchwood. I'll come back to Torchwood but the other two were shows that I was really looking forward to - they had strong casts and interesting premises. But, jeebus, they went on! As for Torchwood, compare, if you will, the last series (Miracle Day) with series 3, Children of Earth.

• Children Of Earth was 5 episodes shown Monday to Friday in the same week. This was incredibly exciting. The characters were developed, but the small number of episodes meant that the pace was what made the show exciting.

• Miracle Day was 10 episodes shown weekly. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and loved the emotional resonance of learning more about Capt Jack's lost love. However, it was WAY too long! They could have easily cut out 2-4 episodes of this and the pacing, which was at best turgid, would have been at the same level of Children of Earth.

Some ideas are not meant to be stretched out over 22/24 episodes and 5 series. And that is OK. 

This is another reason why I like the cable networks approach of doing fewer episodes in a season - True Blood is 12 episodes and Game Of Thrones is 10. 

I don't mean that I don't want any 22/24 episodes seasons. I'd just like them to contain a story that suits that format.

Things I Love - This Life

Image from:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/tvandradioblog/2006/dec/08/ilove1996

BBC Two

32 Episodes (1996 - 1997)

Reunion episode (2007)

I was 21 when This Life first aired in the UK and I watched it from the beginning. This was unusual for me at that time, as I watched very little TV (other than SM:TV on a Saturday morning while hungover!). I can't remember quite WHY I did choose to watch it, but I did.

The story centres on a a group of lawyers in training, sharing a house in London.

• Egg - played by Andrew Lincoln (now the lead in The Walking Dead). Egg is struggling to fit in as a solicitor and is not sure he has taken the right path. He is down to earth, loves football and is in a long-term relationship with. . .
• Milly - played by Amita Dhiri. Milly is very calm and focussed on becoming a solicitor. Some may say she is not a party animal, unlike . . . 
• Anna - played by Daniela Nardini. Anna is a vixen! She is strong and ballsy. And a little bit slutty! She also has her demons. One of them being . . .
• Miles - played by Jack Davenport (went on to star in the Pirates of the Caribbean films and the TV series Smash). Miles is arrogant and scared. Scared of not being perfect. And scared of his Dad. Anna and Miles have a strong attraction that is played on throughout the series. Miles does not have such a happy relationship with . . . . 
• Warren - played by Jason Hughes. Warren is welsh and gay. His openness causes Miles some discomfort along the way, but Warren is an immensely likeable and warm character. He is only in series one, during which he meets . . .
• Ferdy - played by Ramon Tikaram. Ferdy becomes Warren's lover, though he is not openly out and is engaged to be married to a woman. After Warren's departure at the end of series 1, Ferdy moves into the house in his place.

This Life was a quality show, as seen in the cast list. The writing was fantastic. The characters entirely believable and could be related to. It also had a fantastic humour.

But most of all it didn't hold back in the storytelling. The show was aimed squarely at the age group being portrayed by the characters and showing issues affecting them. And it did it in a very believable way - the characters messed up, made mistakes and swore! A lot. And shagged. A lot.

It is also an important show in the depiction of the gay characters within it. With Warren and Ferdy, we were given 2 gay men that weren't the stereotypical mincing queens, as it seems they had previously been depicted as. It showed the gay characters in such a light that showed that (shock horror!) they were just the same as straight characters, going through the same issues, having the same feelings. I found this fantastic.

Adults Only

Last night, I was dragged taken to the cinema by my husband to see the new film Evil Dead. Don't get me wrong, horror is one of my favourite genres. The reason for my lack of enthusiasm for this particular horror was twofold:

1. Getting a little bit sick of remakes.
2. Getting a lot sick of 15 rated films.

I understand the logic behind 15 rated horror and action films and I have enjoyed many of these offerings - in particular The Cabin In The Woods and the Paranormal Activity films. 

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhead_%28Hellraiser%29

But I grew up in a time of Freddie Krueger, Pinhead and Jason. 

A time of proper, bloody, 18 rated, adult films. And not just horror films. Action films too, such as Die Hard, which I recently rewatched. It wasn't until said rewatch that I realised quite how much I am missing 18 rated films. Go and rewatch the first Die Hard, then watch the latest in the franchise and you will see what I mean.

The assumption by the studios that teens are the only demographic with the disposable income to spend at the cinema is insulting and galling. 

And this is why I am so glad to see the return of the 18 rated horror film in Evil Dead. This film is by no means perfect but I found myself engrossed in it. It is tense, grippingly so. Jane Levy in the main role is fantastic and proves her ability to carry the lead in a film as she has proven that she can carry the lead in a tv comedy in Suburgatory. It is beautifully shot, with the use of camera angles adding to the tension. They have managed to add in some backstory to the characters without making it schmalzy - not an easy thing methinks. It also had several nods to fans of the original, including Sam Raimi's Oldsmobile, without excluding newcomers.

I would like to think that Evil Dead being released with an 18 rating in the UK and hopefully being a commercial success will herald a change. 

And so, I would ask you to go and see this film. Make the studios aware that are people over the age of 18 in the world. 

Yippeekayay Motherfucker!