Books · Movies · TV

The Full Circle

Or the potential joy of ending a series.

One of the recent conversation strings in my house lately has been focused on the ending of a series. This refers to books, movies, and even TV shows.

For those of us who have been followers of television series, this time of year can be tricky. If there is a potential for the series to be cancelled, what happens to bring the story to a close? If the series has been cancelled or decided not to come back for a new season, does that mean they have time to create an ending that will tie everything up?

For example, The Big Bang Theory was able to bring the series to a satisfactory close after 12 seasons. On the other hand, Star Trek, The original series, was canceled after 3 seasons leaving Kirk, Spock and McCoy, along with the rest of the Enterprise crew, out exploring the galaxy. One can’t help but wonder what we might have seen if the series had been given a last season to tie up loose ends.

Movie series don’t seem to have the same issues, mainly because there is often no guarantee that a studio will plan ahead to produce the next film in a potential series. We have seen some attempts at that, however, usually ending with questionable results.

Book series can be tricky, too. Writers dealing with boredom can kill off a series faster than a speeding rabbit. One of my favorite authors has produced a series where a new book was released about every 3 years without fail. Imagine the frustration when the latest book came out 4 years late. Yes, 7 years between books. No matter how dedicated the fan might be to the series, it is almost impossible to keep interest and enthusiasm going with such a delay.

What brought all this to mind recently was the release of the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard. Now, I could expound on the fabulous production values and the fabulous cast – and season 3 has had an amazing cast – and all of that would be an honest POV. What stand out, for me at least, was the amazing amount of work that went into writing the season’s storyline.

This was a labor of love produced by people who have been involved in Star Trek in one form or other for decades. The end product gathered together stories, characters, situations from a variety of Star Trek series (and I do mean series plural) to create an end of series show that was unexpected and engaging.

This was a rarity for any medium.

This particular cupcake came along after a couple of years where favorite authors seemed to forget what they were writing and it showed. Where series galumphed along not really attempting to reach even the more modest levels of quality we had seen in earlier seasons. Where a big studio was advised that if the star they were willing to toss aside didn’t return to a big ticket movie series, don’t bother making the next installment.

If you are committed to a book, movie or television series, things matter. Consistency, timing, commitment, and as much transparency as possible between creators and consumers are important from all sides.

What it all boils down to is simply this: without an audience it doesn’t matter if a book, movie or TV show is available. Keeping that audience is important.

Bingeworthy · Books · Classic TV · TV

From The Reading Table: The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story

The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I’m savoring this gem!

First, I love the extras you could get on DVDs that told behind the scenes stories about the main feature.

Second, I’ve had the pleasure of spending time on some TV and motion picture stages and the experiences were not only fun, but educational.

Third, I came to The Big Bang Theory late, but when I discovered it, I dove in with both feet.

Put all this together and you will understand why reading this book is such a pleasure. If you like learning about how TV shows are made, curious about actor’s method and process, and want to know some of the behind the scenes events that added and aided the creation of a great series, this is your book.

There is a lot of detail here. The tidbits you will discover could make you sit back and shake your head.

Even if you aren’t one of us extras-on-the-DVD people, you might find this an interesting read.



View all my reviews

Books · Media · Musings · TV

Revisiting the Peanuts Gallery

I really can not recall a time when the comic strip ‘Peanuts’ wasn’t around somewhere. I even recall watching the very first Peanuts special (‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’) way back in 1965. Actually, I recall watching every ‘Peanuts’ special from the very first showing. Yeah, I’ve been around that long. 🙂

The thing is, Charlie Brown and friends have been companions in many ways over the years and in some odd way have transcended childhood to adulthood without losing any of their wisdom and magic.

I’ve often been amused when people comment about cartoons or comic strips as only for children and not deserving attention from adults, let alone appreciation for the art form. And they are art forms.

Peanuts may look like just a bunch of kids meandering through their childhood but when you sit down and pay attention you realize that the conversations run deeper than expected, touch on topics you never considered, and often strike a nerve.

Do I have a favorite character? Well, I named my dog Snoopy and I find myself drawn to both Linus and Charlie Brown, so I guess you could say I do. But I appreciate Marcie for her unique outlook. Pigpen is one of those people who live life by their own rules while existing within society’s boundaries. Rerun highlighted the pleasures and perils of being a little kid…especially on his mom’s bike. The kid learned courage early!

I’m glad to say that I have the original specials not only on VHS but also on DVD. I strongly recommend them as additions to any media library. You never know when you might need a visit by the Great Pumpkin in the middle of Summer.

Don’t overlook the movies! Visually stunning, the storylines are interesting and enjoyable. A great way to spend an afternoon or evening with popcorn.

Peanuts is a treasure for so many reasons. Like fine wine, it just gets better with age.

Bingeworthy · Classic TV · Cord Cutting · TV

Discovering Classics

One of the unexpected surprises of cord-cutting and streaming is the ability to dig out classic TV or movies and discover just how good (or not) they are. PlutoTV has been updating its service and some of the updates have been quite surprising. And enjoyable.

While I’m astounded that it took so long to get a 24/7 I Love Lucy channel – considering how many other similar channels are available – I found myself with a bit of a grin and a touch of anticipation when I heard about this new addition to the service. If you are a fan, you understand, if not it won’t matter.

This evening, over on the Classic TV channel (still part of Pluto TV) I was surprised to find a stack of episodes from The Avengers and I took the time to indulge in a couple. I’ve heard of the show my entire life but never took the time, or had the opportunity, to actually watch. I’m glad to say I understand the furor over the show (my episodes were pre-Diana Rigg) and enjoyed them very much.

I’ve spent time recently looking over the several free platforms that are on my Roku Channel Guide – even the Roku Channel itself. There is a lot of material out there and some of it is worth getting out the popcorn, etc. and diving in.

You don’t need a Roku, if you have a Smart TV, you’ll probably already have apps on it, or you can use your Amazon Fire TV Stick. My point is that there is a huge variety of material if you are willing to do a bit of digging. 😉

What’s next? I have no idea. That is the fun of the hunt. Enjoy!

Media · TV

Cord Cutting Experimenting With Free or Not So Free

I’ve had a Roku for years. I enjoy the freedom and flexibility it offers. I have friends who have Amazon Fire and enjoy that, too. The neat thing about cord cutting and smart TVs is that you don’t need either to indulge in streaming platforms.

Xumo Play

Xumo is one of those channels I’ve had on my list for a while, drop in to view every once in a while and then tend to overlook, okay forget about, until I see it in my line up and dive back in again. That is until recently when I noticed the name change on my screen and decided to check it out.

It turns out that XumoPlay is a great collection of a wide variety of material in a new (to me) format that captured my attention far more than in the past. When Craftsy TV showed up I couldn’t stop watching. If you like watching shows dedicated to a variety of crafting this could be right up your street.

Check out their network list HERE.

As much as I enjoy PlutoTV, I’m finding this different collection of similar shows captivating.

The MeTV Conundrum

A few months back I was thrilled to announce I’d found a way to watch MeTV on my Roku. Sadly, that didn’t last long. The channel creator had collected a great variety of free to view channels and put them together on a Roku channel that found itself removed within 60 days. I don’t know what happened, I can guess, but I will let all that be and walk on.

At this point, MeTV has not developed a streaming platform.

The Elephant In The Room

While not totally unexpected, costs across the board for streaming services seem to be on the rise. There has been, and continues to be, consolidation of different services and platforms (I’m thinking Paramount+ & Showtime). For those of us who walked away from cable years ago, these cost updates are not nearly as costly as cable but could prove to be a budget issue if not reviewed.

I continue to stress that, if possible, an over-the-air antenna allows a lot of free TV. There are numerous places to get information on how to find and install one.

I also stress that you may not ‘need’ to have all the streaming platforms. In fact, if you look carefully, you may only need one or two. The thing is you need to pay attention to what you watch, when you watch, and what you can shift.

For example, if you love Star Trek but don’t want a yearly subscription to Paramount+, you have the option of subscribing for a period to binge your favorites and move on. The thing is that Paramount+, like other streaming services, is beginning program accordingly. The 3 big Trek series are no longer being scheduled in strip, instead they are being spread out through the year, so your short term binge might not be quite so short.

Disney+ has tons of great programming, but don’t be surprised if you start seeing things exit. Same with HBO Max, and I have no clue what their thought process is over there, but it is worth keeping in mind they have been at the front of the clear out and clean out of their program library.

I think the days of drop in for a month or two and leave are gone.

That doesn’t mean you can’t do that, it just might mean you miss out on things.

I’ve been a long time subscriber to Acorn TV because I love their mix of Canadian, Australian and British programming. With the loss of Miss Fisher, however, the only mainstay I had was Murdoch Mysteries. In past years when the current season was already under way in Canada, Acorn TV had put the show on in January. For whatever reason, this didn’t happen this year. In fact, when I reached out to Acorn TV a few weeks ago, they had no schedule date. Considering what I was not watching, and not definite date for the return of Murdoch Mysteries, I cancelled my subscription.

Fast forward to mid-February and Murdoch Mysteries has a Season 16 release date on Acorn TV of late March. <sigh> At this point, I have no plans to subscribe, but time will tell.

I understand contract negotiations, etc., but personally, it comes off as a bit of a ‘eh’ to the viewer. I had the option of adding a cable subscription so I could watch on another network (???!!!!) but that is not anything I’m interested in.

One thing I’ve noticed is a variety of programming showing up on a variety of platforms, some free, some not. Lots of classic TV, for example, pops up in a wide variety of channels like Pluto TV and Xumo. It pays to look around and see what is available. You might be shocked. I have been. 🙂

Happy Viewing!

Classic TV · Cord Cutting · Media · TV

Why I Won’t Give Up My Library

I have a rather interesting collection of books, DVDs, LPs, CDs, and even VHS tapes. I have no plans to get rid of them, either. Why? Simple, not everything moves to another format or platform and, as we have seen with some of the streaming platforms, some material has been removed.

I’ve had a hard and fast rule in my house regarding the DVDs and VHS tapes that I purchase. They have to be shows or films I want to watch more than once or it doesn’t come home with me. I simply do not have the space. That being said, I haven’t ventured to purchase TV shows or films that remain in the cloud until I choose to watch it. You never know when access to that particular service might end.

Hey, things happen.

The simple truth is that the only way to maintain such a collection is to actually make choices. I am looking to find an adapter that will allow me to use my DVD and VHS players with my TV. In the meantime, I still have an old hybrid (analog/digital) TV that I can use with those machines.

The issue with any type of collection is storage and maintenance. If you are able and willing, you can accumulate all sorts of things. For me the most important question is what I mentioned above, how much I might want to watch.

While it might seem silly, I do have things that I have yet to find on any streaming service and are no longer available for home use. Not even on YouTube. Yeah, amazing, I know. LOL!

While there have been times when some folks would have just dumped the collection and moved on, I’ve been thankful and grateful that I still had my library. For me it has been worth the price.

Sometimes you really just need to spend some time with old favorites, right?

Bingeworthy · TV

Throwback TV: Cro

Way back in the 1990s, when ABC TV still had a Saturday Morning Cartoon line up, Cro was a favorite of mine.

Produced by the Children’s Television Workshop – the same folks who produced Sesame Street – Cro focused on a group of characters who showed problem solving. While that might not sound all that exciting, the series took a collection of interesting characters, set in an unusual time period, and tossed in the time travel trope to capture the interest of a young audience. Or, in my case, a not so young audience.

You can learn more about Cro by clicking HERE. You can watch the episodes by going to YouTube and searching for Cro ABC, which will bring you to a couple of collections of the episodes in addition to individual episodes.

I found this gem on YouTube recently and found myself revisiting Phil and Dr. C, not to mention Cro and his friends and family. The stories are interesting, the topic is presented in a captivating manner, and the fun is the twist on animal intelligence.

Sadly, the series is not available on DVD, or it would be on my shelf. Like The Magic School Bus, it is one of those wonderful series that combines great viewing with great learning without your being aware that you actually have learned something. 🙂

Check it out!

Books · Media · Musings · TV

Why Do We…?

I’ve been pondering something lately. Have you ever thought about why we connect with certain shows, books, or characters? What compels us to keep up with series – be it TV, movies or books?

Some folks spend decades deeply involved while others can take it or leave it.

For instance, I’ve spent decades keeping up with a book series or two, only to walk away after all that time because, finally, something just…snapped. Either my patience with an author ran out or there was no real evolution or movement to keep me interested. Or both.

I’ve been a fan of a couple of TV series that moved into movies (or the reverse, come to think of it). During all the years of engagement, some more heavily involved than others, there have been things that kept me connected, interested, somewhat involved. One, in particular, has had a tremendous growth over the past couple of decades, resulting in some amazing expansion from the original kernel that started it all in the first place.

There are a couple of book series that have been moved into radio, TV, and movies over the years. Each iteration has been interesting. Some were carefully crafted to stay in keeping with the original works, others have veered in directions I’m sure the original author would never have imagined. Some worked, some didn’t.

At the end of the day, I’m still curious about why we stick around. I don’t believe the answer to the question is easy or simple. I think that each individual case is unique. Sometimes we outgrow an idea while other times the idea outgrows us. Sometimes the creator – or creators – can’t maintain the level of creativity that caught our attention to begin with. Sometimes we just really like spending time with characters in places that are familiar.

What do you think?

Bingeworthy · Classic TV · TV

The End of My Summer Binge

It came as a bit of a surprise.

I have come to enjoy that rerun period between May and September by engaging in a binge of something. One year, it was Agents of SHIELD, which led to Agent Carter and so on. Another it was Once Upon A Time. And, again, one year it was Only Murders In The Building.

As you can imagine, all these binges led me to watch the full series, something that I really enjoyed. This year, however, the options for new(ish) series that I’d not seen just wasn’t all that captivating. Until…

This year, MeTV brought back Perry Mason Mysteries and I eagerly dove in. I’d seen many, if not all, of them when they were first broadcast. All that being said, I enjoyed each of them for pretty much the same reasons, and a couple in spite of some weak writing. <shrug> 😉

Well, the last of the series aired on October 30th. In the credits was a tribute to Raymond Burr, who passed away after the episode was filmed. Knowing that he was ill during the production of these movies was always in the back of my mind.

All that being said, watching these films is watching a who’s who of the era. The guest cast is astounding. But it is really Perry and Della who steal the show, each and every time. That story is one for the fans.

I’m pretty sure MeTV will continue to air the films and they are worth watching. But for me it was a wonderful Summer Binge that is much appreciated.

Movies · TV

One Thing Really Does Lead To Another

Recently I found myself indulging in a bit of Old Hollywood Retrospectives via YouTube. I don’t recall the provider but the theme was Old Hollywood Romances. I’m a sucker for old time Hollywood. It really was a different place and time.

Anyway, I found myself not only learning a bit about some seriously gifted actors, but also discovering (or rediscovering) some classic films.

I know I’m not nearly as knowledgeable about many of these films but they piqued my interest for a couple of reasons. First, quite a few were films that I had either not known or forgotten that certain performers had been in them. Second, the subject matter, captured at a time before the sanitation of the various ratings systems, was often eye opening and thought provoking.

I was once again reminded that I really should spend some time to find what I could and sit back to watch.

With the passing of Angela Lansbury, I found myself amazed at her body of work. She was in films as early as her late teens. The mind boggles. I’ve been lucky enough to see clips of some of her work on Broadway, too. What an amazing performer! Her television work was also stellar. Consider taking on a job that required up to 20 hours a day and actually lasted for several years when you are in your 60s. Yeah, I can’t even begin to comprehend how she did it, and did it so well, too. Especially when she included some film work in the middle of the TV work.

I’ve long been a fan of what I think of as craftsman performers. They are the folks who step up, and into character, for a variety of projects. What I think separates them from the majority is that you forget who they are when they are performing a role. If they’ve done their job properly, you don’t think “Oh, that’s So-and-So from … ” They are few true craftsman performers, but lots of folks who step into a role and you rarely not think of the actor’s name as you watch.

If you are inclined, make a list of performers that capture your interest and look up their filmography. imdb.com is a great place to start. Put together a list of those projects you want to see and dive in. You might be surprised at what you can find.

Indulge in a movie night that isn’t the latest and loudest, but something a bit more classic.

Oh, and brace yourself. The ride you embark on could change the way you contemplate entertainment. 🙂