TV

I was watching one of my favorite shows today at work.  I think I've mentioned it before but The Andy Griffith Show is still one of the best programs ever put on the air.  It's interesting to me that the writers were able to make quirky characters that were funny yet never made jokes at the expensive of those characters.  The civility of the show is just an amazing thing to watch in a day when the cheap laughs of insults are the dominating tool of modern writers.  I don't doubt that there is some sort of cause/effect working there in our society but I'll save it for another time. 

The one thing I noticed that I thought was kind of peculiar was that any time someone entered or exited their vehicle, they always did so from the passenger side.  Why is that?  Was it just for the benefit of the camera?  I'm not old enough to remember the 50s and 60s, but was that common back then?  Maybe I'm just putting too much thought into it.

On another note, my wife and I have been watching "John From Cincinnati" on HBO this season.  I can't believe they replace Deadwood for that, how would Swearengen put it, M__F___kin, C__S__king piece of horse S__t!  I've watched every episode and for the life of me I can't figure out why I do.  I guess it's because I have the mistaken notion that it can't possibly be as bad as it is and the next show will make everything sensible.  I mean it's HBO, even their worst shows tend to be better then networks best.  I had really decided to give up on it a couple of weeks ago but in a way it's almost more fun to see just how badly the creators can screw it up.  Let's start with the premise; "A Family of Troubled Surfers living in California".  I mean, seriously?  That's the pitch that got them a deal?  Ok maybe there's more to it, if nothing else it's a unique premise right? Well...

First off the kid who plays Shawn couldn't get the lead in an elementary school version of Chicken Little.  You have never in you life seen lines delivered with such non-expressive demeanor or banal tone since Bill Paxton in Twister.  Next the writers have decided that the reaction to anything must be an overreaction.  I don't mean a little bit here, I mean an OVERREACTION.  This isn't just one or two characters, most of the cast has been asked to have a meltdown over virtually any common event the day brings them.  There's lots of characters who just stand around delivering lines but not serving any real purpose for being there.  Why are you here?  It's a question I ask constantly throughout the show, only to find myself frustrated by the lack of answers.  Then there's the title character, who by the way isn't from Cincinnati or named John for that matter.  For some reason they (the other characters) have decided to call him that.  The central them to the show seems to be who is JfC and what can he do and why is he here.  Questions that seem to have no answers in sight.  I understand that mystery shows are in fashion at the moment but without some explanation along the way what's the point? 

Well, I used to think that HBO was the class of network programming. They still put out great shows but the shine is a little duller for me having seen this piece of crap show.  How anyone gave this a green light is beyond me.  On a redeeming note, check out Flight of the Concords if you get a chance.  I'll admit the humor might not appeal to everybody, but I think it's funny as heck.