So, A Funny Thing Happened

... hey, ya'll! I haven't been posting much. Have you noticed?

Crazy busy. Trying to write a book. Haven't written prose, I feel, since some time around second grade. Hard to pick my head up out of it twice a day to look at final ratings, let alone post them. So... this summer may be a pretty quiet one here.

In the meantime, I've been watching a bunch of pilots, both picked up and busted. Here's the problem: I kind of dislike almost all of them, but don't feel that strongly. Writing glowing reviews is a breeze because I wanna share the love. Writing reviews where I absolutely, 100% can't stand something? Easy because it's, like, a giant rant and those are fun.

Writing a middling review about something I don't really care one way or the other about, made worse because it leans a little to the "bad / uninspired" side?

Impossible. And would take me into a the whole "OMG TRAVIS WHY ARE YOU WASTING YOUR TIME AND NOT WRITING YOUR BOOK" self-hate/death spiral, which is sooooo good for the already unfamiliar, uncharted personal creative zone that is prose writing.

So, I'm gonna be doing a review dump over the next couple hours with my quick take on everything I've watched. Just so it's off my chest. Stay tuned...

Weekend!

I'm going to be away from the computer this weekend, but I'm bringing some scripts with me to try and cut down on the pile!

A little tease (um, because I'm not done with the script yet... about 15 pages to go) on HAWAII 5-0, which if you believe Nikki Finke's PRIMETIME PILOT PANIC word-of-mouth polling from about 7 people across the various networks, studios, agencies, etc all trying to push their clients' and favorite projects' buzz, has come in fantastic.

The script is AMAZING.

The original series is WAY before my time and I've never seen an episode of it. I don't know (and, frankly, don't care) how close it is to the original. I mean, it is a remake.

Doesn't change the fact that GOD DAMN this script knows drama and conflict and theme and...

Anyway, I'm excited. By a CBS procedural script.

Of course, we all know that my ability to judge these is poor at best since they aren't traditionally my cup of tea. What with my really liking the Washington Field script last season and it turning into the campiest piece of camp that ever camped when the screener came out. But Hawaii 5-0 has something on WF in that it spends the first 9 pages making us really, really, really give a flying f*** about the lead character. While also blowing up tanks and helicopters in South Korea and giving us a universal theme to sink our teeth into.

Anyway... there's your tease. Seeya in another life, bruthas.

I Have Returned!

A little worse for wear...

I finished a draft of my pilot on Friday, sent it out. Was getting all ready to get back to ratings posting, catching up on stuff I'd missed.

And then Sunday my hard drive failed.

Monday was spent running around LA trying my best to get it repaired / data recovered.

I did not fully succeed in getting all my files back (thankfully I had a backup of all my writing EXCEPT the script I'd just finished... and thankfully that was in e-mail as a PDF so I can just copy / paste into Final Draft and spend some tie reassigning elements... and it'll all be fine), but I didn't lose EVERYTHING.

Will be spending the next couple days trying to retrieve / recompile stuff I couldn't get off the busted HD, and taking breaks to post back-ratings (in the predominantly repeat world of late December, I'm only going to post original ratings...), but I will be posting current ratings as they come out. Then, perhaps, I'll have time to post thoughts on stuff - i.e. Better Off Ted: awesome - but in more detail than that.

In short... back up your hard drives, kids.

Yay!

I (finally) finished the draft of my script I'd been working on. And while it was after my self-imposed target date, it was before my deadline. So... yay.

I will post some screener reviews tomorrow, as well as some reactions to the goings on of cable shows (Top Chef! Top Chef Masters! THREE AND A HALF HOURS OF PROJECT RUNWAY!?!?) and will post this week's original finals at PIF (possibly getting to that late tonight).

Tomorrow.

Have some stuff to take care of now and then a birthday party tonight, so it'll have to wait.

Looking forward to being on a semi-break (am currently breaking story on a pilot... so many things going on... which is better than having nothing going on!) and picking up on this blog again.

Also I'll be posting fast nationals next week at PIF for Marc Berman. Watch for it!

Once More, With Feeling...

... I am not dead.

I am trying to meet a deadline on a script, trying to get funding on a feature film, and in the beginnings of a new actual job (and just came back from a week-long, perhaps ill-timed vacation)... so life, as you may expect, is busy.

If I can meet my writing goals this weekend, screener reviews will recommence on Monday.

Wish me monsters.

FYI...

I'm out of town / touch most of this week, so won't be posting any reviews... hopefully will be able to (late at night) post final ratings at PIFeedback.

Mmm, vacay...

PS - I'm Not Dead

Just very, very bored by the summer ratings. I'm not getting regular / complete cable numbers, so reporting on anything is spotty (and big stuff like the Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Weeds, Nurse Jackie, The Closer, and Raising the Bar premiere data is actually being written up in the trades).

Will get to screener reviews as I can, but have been embroiled in some writing projects that have definitely occupied my time and / or brain.

What can I say? Summer sucks.

On recommendation, I have been watching So You Think You Can Dance for the first time this summer... what a treat last night's performance show was! The audition and Vegas rounds... not so much. Judging the performances from home is very, very different for SYTYCD than it is for Idol. On Idol, you know when there's a missed note or pitchiness or whatever. On SYTYCD all of the dancers are amazing, but the line separating them on any given week or performances seems to be the choreography they're given within the genre they receive, and the amount of personality brought to the performance. It's not like any of the Top 20 wiped out last night (do they ever? Again, this was my first performance show viewing).

Some brief notes on the cable premieres of the last week...

Burn Notice - still a ton of fun, glad to see that even though they sort of seemed to explode the premise for the show at last season's end, the episodes are still very much in the same vein... but with even more sense of danger because Michael is now on the grid. Glad to see USA pushing Donovan and Anwar for Lead Male and Supporting Female Emmys in the trade FYCs.

Royal Pains - the opening 15-ish minutes were a pain and a bit of a buy (what with the hospital board black listing the lead character everywhere in NYC...), and I found the lead character to be very annoying with his repeated protest that he wasn't going to be the concierge doctor in the Hamptons... it's the premise for the show, so it didn't hold any water after his first complaint. Looking forward to the first post-pilot episode tonight, which won't have to deal with setting the premiere up, and hopefully won't have Dr. Hank quite so recalcitrant.

Weeds - I'm not sure why I'm still watching this show. It wasn't funny last season and it isn't funny now. I don't even like any of the characters anymore (even Shane).

Nurse Jackie - the press has gone gaga over this show, and it's good to see Falco in such an interesting (and different) role. looking forward to what episode two has in store.

The Closer - same old summer popcorn background noise. Was kind of surprised at the lack of a post-Brenda's-wedding plotline or even a mention. Much like Burn Notice... business as usual.

Top Chef Masters - fun if different from the Mothership. I didn't warm to Kelly Choi, and definitely miss Padma and Tom. However, if the Mothership wants to bring Gael Greene on as a guest judge at any point in the coming season, I'm all for it.

Oh, Right, The Blog...

Been distracted with the run up to the coming TV season. Will get some reviews out eventually, especially as the screeners pile up.

Unfortunately, that will be delayed further by today's California Supreme Court decision, as my RL self is pretty damn active in the LGBT community. Will be at the WeHo protest tonight at 7pm, outside the Beverly Hilton where Obama will be tomorrow, in Fresno on Saturday, and probably Pasadena on Sunday.

Find a local protest and get involved!

Oy

The last week has been so incredibly busy / packed / stressful (the combination of apartment hunting, birthday, Passover and Easter... well it's a lot to fit in!) Promise to start posting some pilot script reviews soon. Perhaps even tomorrow.