Stuff.

[the_grynne]

Watch the teaser trailer for HBO's drama pilot Luck, from writer/creator David Milch (Deadwood) and director Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Heat).

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender will star in Steve McQueen's (Shame, Hunger) next film, 12 Years a Slave, based on the true story of Solomon Northrup, a free black man kidnapped in Washington in 1841

Comments

[missnyah]

Hm. I am puzzled by Mr. Rushdie's remarks in regard to The Wire (Games of Thrones I get, the show is thoroughly watchable but I'm not enamored). Either A) they are his true feelings or B) they are not.

In the case of A, I suppose he and I must differ rather dramatically in our opinions of what makes a show great (plus, I'm fairly willing to bet he lacks my allegiance to Baltimore). In which case, I'm interested to see what he produces but not especially confident I will enjoy it.

In the case of B, it's ... what? Pre-meditated defensive boasting? An attempt to piss off people who love The Wire so they won't watch your show? Or to convince us you must be the God of TV if you have the balls to say you could do better?

Maybe he was just running at the mouth?

As for True Blood, sure, let's go bigger, badder, and crazier. I'd like some pre-historic vampires. Then I can't blame them for acting like cavemen.

[the_grynne]

Rushdie is apparently a fan of Mad Men, The Sopranos, and Deadwood. Maybe he is just not a fan of realism and/or police procedural as genres?

Then I can't blame them for acting like cavemen.

...or cavewomen, as the case may be.

TB's attempts to tackle vampire politics make me very nostalgic for Vampire: The Masquerade's consistent, involved world-building. And those justicars, they were really something.

[missnyah]

"Rushdie is apparently a fan of Mad Men, The Sopranos, and Deadwood. Maybe he is just not a fan of realism and/or police procedural as genres?"

Ah, yes. I really should try hard not to see conspiracy where coincidence will suffice.

[missnyah]

Really interesting points you have with literature. I'm not convinced a screenwriter talking down to critically acclaimed shows on the network for which he is writing can really do so without it being boastful but certainly accept that his remarks are not actually offensive. Gutsy but not really offensive. It's not my show, after all, and his is not my opinion.

Not liking any particular television show is certainly a matter of taste. But since you brought up Ulysses, saying The Wire is "just a cop show" is analogous to calling Ulysses "just another pop novel." Ulysses is not, in fact, my favorite novel. But I do understand it would be quite ballsy to imply that it is not well constructed, ground-breaking, etc. I applaud the man's cheek and will look forward to seeing what he produces but he's certainly bought very big shoes to fill.

As for Ulysses taking more criticism than The Wire, though The Wire expects more from the audience than most things on TV do, it is still much more accessible than Ulysses. The Wire's audience is made

[rodlox]

>running at the mouth?
possible. He might also be remembering the boost in sales and tv time he got, back when he was promoting his Satanic Verses (which also involved pissing off a large group of people)