Re: TV

David S (david@cybermail.net)
Fri, 19 Sep 1997 11:07:20 -0400 

At 08:03 PM 9/18/97 -0500, someone wrote:

>there has been some television that you can respect for the craft that
>went into the writing.  not often, not not recently i think, but it does
>happen.  cheers for example was full of tons of well-crafted episodes.
>as was taxi driver and mash.  now that i think about it, law and order
>has some pretty good writing in it.  

I don't think Cheers, Taxi, or MASH had anything that shows today don't
have. You just gotta know where to look. There is more quality stuff on TV
now than ever before... and it's nothing to get upset about. If "Seinfeld"
makes you laugh (it sure as hell does me), then it's FUNNY! I like to read
too, but TV and books don't necesarily have to be arch enemies. People say
that TV ruins kids' minds, shortens their attention span. Now, because of
TV, kids can't be entertained by the same simple things that their parents
were. Hey, maybe that's evolution? I think it's a GOOD thing...

>and although i may be crucified for
>saying so, the x-files has some of the worst writing ever.  it's the
>star-trek of the 90's.  in ten years it'll be "campy."

Star Trek of the 90's huh? You mean in 35 years, they will STILL be making
X-Files TV shows and movies and people will still be loving it? Oh poor
them. Star Trek is nothing to cough at. It was full of original ideas.
Inspired people to create a lot of technology that really exists today. The
world is a better place for it. Ok, when the writing was bad, it was REALLY
bad. But when it was good, it was REALLY good. That's fair enough, isn't it?



>>Well there has been some good tv on . Take Northern Exposure for
>>example. I can still see Chris running around trying to find something
>>to fling in his giant catapult he constucted, after deciding against
>>his
>>original choice, a live cow. When the catapult finally did fling a
>>piano, the expressions on the towns peoples faces as they watched it
>>fly
>>through the air, were ones of people seeing something beautiful.
>> It reminded me of the end of " The Catcher in the Rye " when Holden
>>and
>>his red hunting hat are getting drenched watching Phoebe go round and
>>round the carrousel. He saw something beautiful. Something so nice he
>>didnt care if he got wet. He just wished we could've of >>been there.

I remember that episode of Northern Exposure and I loved your comparison to
Catcher. If I was just a LTITLE more emotional I would have a tear in my
eye.