We need a steenkin' subject
I just got done watching the pilot episode of Burn Notice (Because, hey, it's only been 20-some days since I bought the first season at Target); it is a pretty boss little show. Entertaining and witty, and I'll take Michael Weston over Jack Bauer's emo ass any day. Also: Bruce Campbell, and a surfboard female lead with an Irish accent.
Anyway, it got me to thinking about the USA Network--they make a ton of good shows that don't register too big of a blip on the national radar (except for Monk, for some reason). I was actually thinking...USA is developing a habit of coming out with a noteworthy show unknown to the public that ends up getting ripped off by one of the big Networks and turned into huge bucks.
I first noticed this a few years ago when NBC was coming out with Heroes, and I thought "Wow. What's up, 4400 ripoff?" But Heroes had enough different that it was not totally discernible. A bunch of random average people are given superpowers mysteriously. Some go bad, some go good, some do both; they all seek about finding out what happened to them and re-acclimating to my own life. Although, really, I've had a similar story going on as The Chosen for the past decade, so...what do I know? I remember when Heroes came out initially, I re-read some of my older Chosen stuff and was like "WHO STOLE THIS?" Ha.
Then this past year, CBS (I think) just BLATANTLY stole the entirety of the show Psych, cut out the black sidekick (Because, let's be honest, the networks don't cast minorities in leading roles), and called it The Mentalist. This one is hilarious to me; I remember hearing about it for the first time: "[Main Character Guy] is not a psychic, he just notices the things no one else does. But what the fuck...he just pretends he's a psychic to solve crimes using his powers of perception." I was like "Are you fucking kidding me? That was almost word-for-word what USA said to hype the first season of Psych". How do people get away with this?
I can't think of any Burn Notice or Monk knock-offs, and I'm hard-pressed to think of any more shows from the USA Network (well, did anyone rip-off Dead Zone? Not successfully if they did...), but I wonder how many gift baskets CBS and NBC have sent USA as a way of saying thanks for the big cash cows.
Today was a waste. I went to the store, but...that was about it. I tried to take a walk, but it is 15 degrees out, not the balmy, pleasant mid-40's of yesterday. Other than that, here's a rundown of my day:
I played Chrono Trigger.
I downloaded some more Phoenix Wright MP3's.
I watched some Supernatural season one.
I watched some Office season four.
I watched some Burn Notice season one.
I napped.
THRILLING.
I wanted to go out for a bit and do some shop-about and mall-walking, but I ended up getting suckered into taking my dad to the store (which is a whole activity, because he turns into a Romero zombie in Wal-Mart. We just wander up-and-down the aisles as if he's never seen a Wal-Mart before, often heading into the same aisle two or three times to re-supply). By the time we got out of Wal-Mart (and he wanted to stop at the Salvation Army to get a new pair of household jeans; I will not buy found clothes), I was so worn out (more parenthetical statements--I CAN'T GET ENOUGH: I'm serious, going out to the store with him is an endurance test. It's harder than running a marathon. Triathletes should TRY to keep up with his Wal-Mart A.D.D. THEY COULDN'T DO IT) that I just crashed for two hours.
I just realized I haven't paid my weekly bills. Must pay bills circa the end of this entry...
After this, I'm going to grab my notebooks and do some more writing; not anything solid, just some idea mapping and plot sketching. I'm moving at a glacial pace; it's terrible, but I'm going to re-certify my Resolution for the year to February--January was a waste, waiting to get my lappy, then waiting to set it up. I'm all together now. February is the start of a new month, so we will be getting it handled then.
I have some emails to send out, too. Why do I put these off? I hate replying to things; it just feels like homework.
Happy weekend, I guess!
Anyway, it got me to thinking about the USA Network--they make a ton of good shows that don't register too big of a blip on the national radar (except for Monk, for some reason). I was actually thinking...USA is developing a habit of coming out with a noteworthy show unknown to the public that ends up getting ripped off by one of the big Networks and turned into huge bucks.
I first noticed this a few years ago when NBC was coming out with Heroes, and I thought "Wow. What's up, 4400 ripoff?" But Heroes had enough different that it was not totally discernible. A bunch of random average people are given superpowers mysteriously. Some go bad, some go good, some do both; they all seek about finding out what happened to them and re-acclimating to my own life. Although, really, I've had a similar story going on as The Chosen for the past decade, so...what do I know? I remember when Heroes came out initially, I re-read some of my older Chosen stuff and was like "WHO STOLE THIS?" Ha.
Then this past year, CBS (I think) just BLATANTLY stole the entirety of the show Psych, cut out the black sidekick (Because, let's be honest, the networks don't cast minorities in leading roles), and called it The Mentalist. This one is hilarious to me; I remember hearing about it for the first time: "[Main Character Guy] is not a psychic, he just notices the things no one else does. But what the fuck...he just pretends he's a psychic to solve crimes using his powers of perception." I was like "Are you fucking kidding me? That was almost word-for-word what USA said to hype the first season of Psych". How do people get away with this?
I can't think of any Burn Notice or Monk knock-offs, and I'm hard-pressed to think of any more shows from the USA Network (well, did anyone rip-off Dead Zone? Not successfully if they did...), but I wonder how many gift baskets CBS and NBC have sent USA as a way of saying thanks for the big cash cows.
Today was a waste. I went to the store, but...that was about it. I tried to take a walk, but it is 15 degrees out, not the balmy, pleasant mid-40's of yesterday. Other than that, here's a rundown of my day:
I played Chrono Trigger.
I downloaded some more Phoenix Wright MP3's.
I watched some Supernatural season one.
I watched some Office season four.
I watched some Burn Notice season one.
I napped.
THRILLING.
I wanted to go out for a bit and do some shop-about and mall-walking, but I ended up getting suckered into taking my dad to the store (which is a whole activity, because he turns into a Romero zombie in Wal-Mart. We just wander up-and-down the aisles as if he's never seen a Wal-Mart before, often heading into the same aisle two or three times to re-supply). By the time we got out of Wal-Mart (and he wanted to stop at the Salvation Army to get a new pair of household jeans; I will not buy found clothes), I was so worn out (more parenthetical statements--I CAN'T GET ENOUGH: I'm serious, going out to the store with him is an endurance test. It's harder than running a marathon. Triathletes should TRY to keep up with his Wal-Mart A.D.D. THEY COULDN'T DO IT) that I just crashed for two hours.
I just realized I haven't paid my weekly bills. Must pay bills circa the end of this entry...
After this, I'm going to grab my notebooks and do some more writing; not anything solid, just some idea mapping and plot sketching. I'm moving at a glacial pace; it's terrible, but I'm going to re-certify my Resolution for the year to February--January was a waste, waiting to get my lappy, then waiting to set it up. I'm all together now. February is the start of a new month, so we will be getting it handled then.
I have some emails to send out, too. Why do I put these off? I hate replying to things; it just feels like homework.
Happy weekend, I guess!