The Fall TV Lineup

In the eighties, when I lived alone, I watched alot of television. I watched much less once I started hanging around with the wily Mr. D.O.A., and even less once baby D.O.A. came along.

In the last few years, I've bought some TV shows on DVD, and I just watch those in commercial free bliss, picking them up when ever I want and returning to the storyline at will.

This was all ruined by Lost, which I had for a couple of years before watching any episodes, then once I'd seen the first one it was just boom boom boom till I had caught up with the series and had to be tortured last season along with everyone else waiting a whole week between episodes. Fiendish.

I'm currently losing sleep watching Smallville till the late hours (for me). I am appreciating as I watch good science fiction based TV, how nice it is to see characters develop and storylines unfold, and to have a bit of time between episodes to absorb what has happened and ponder what might be.

I am looking this season to actually watch some new shows:


V

Moved into a November release, this series is a remake of the old V for "visitors" from another planet series. Starring Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost's Juliet) as an FBI agent suspicious of the motives of these aliens who promise us everything, but mean to destroy us, this is my favorite of the new offerings. It is classic science fiction at its best, with those nasty invaders smiling and being up to bad bad stuff.

Clips from the new and old V!


Looks like good production values and good acting.


German subtitles but the clearest video clip!


Flash Forward

Based on the novel by Robert J. Sawyer, the premise is that everyone in the world blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. When they come to, those who survive have visions of their future six months from now. The question is, what happened during the blackout, and are the visions real? Can you change what you see for yourself and should you even try?

Since most television shows last 6 or seven years, you have to wonder how the tale could be stretched out that long.


On this show I really like actress Olivia Benford, Dominic Moynihan and from Star Trek(!) John Cho. I just loved Cho as the new Sulu, so I'm ready to like him here as well.

The Forgotten

In the mystery vein is The Forgotten starring Christian Slater and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. A group of volunteer amateur detectives take on cases where victims are unidentified and they try to find who they were and solve the crimes if they can. It sounds like just letting families know what has become of their lost loved ones is a large part of the story, as much as solving a crime.

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I'm not an NCIS watcher at all but something about the clips from the new show NCIS: Los Angeles with LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell (Robin in my mind :) seemed appealing.

Chapter & Verse Book Club at Red Balloon Bookstore for adults who love children's books

This would be me! Although I'm not and have never been a children's librarian, ah how I do love the books. Perhaps because I had access to libraries (school only) beginning in about sixth grade, books written for that age and a bit younger and a bit older are always enjoyable to me.

There was an article in the paper a week or so ago on this club and I have kept it in the back of my mind because I'd love to go.

From Red Balloon's web site:

It's a Book Club!
Good News for Children’s Literature Enthusiasts!

Beginning February 19 and continuing on the third Thursday of each month, a book club for adults who love to read and discuss children’s literature will meet at The Red Balloon Bookshop from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The club, called Chapter & Verse, is co-sponsored by Children’s Literature Network and The Red Balloon Bookshop. Membership in Chapter & Verse is free. Participants who attend meetings at The Red Balloon Bookshop will receive a 20% discount on the price of book-club titles.

Discussions about children’s and young-adult fiction, nonfiction, picture books, and poetry will be led by Gail Nordstrom, who is the youth services supervisor at Stillwater Public Library. Gail served on the 2002 Newbery Award Committee for the American Library Association and has organized metro-area Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz Award mock discussions for teachers and librarians since 1997.

The titles for the February 19 meeting are: Madapple, a mystery for young-adult readers by Christine Medrum, and How I Learned Geography, a picture book by Uri Shulevitz.

Visit www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org to find the book list (under the Events heading) for the next several months.