The Light Has Gone Out

The longest running scripted show in broadcast history aired it's last episode on Friday 18th September 2009. It's hard to think that something has lasted for the amount of time that this show has clocked up. 72 years, which includes its birth on radio.

Let's start with CBS pimping out their new daytime schedule without Guiding Light straight after airing As The World Turns. I found it in poor taste to do it before the final nail was even on the casket.
They didn't even show a full set of credits, seeing as it was the last broadcast. To fully list those that worked on the show would have been great.

Lots of people have commented on it was great that certain characters got to have their happy ending but I'm going to comment a couple of things that really got to me. Did there have to be so many weddings in such a short space of time?

Though I think Remy and Christina are cute, but why did they have to waste precious time with them having to get married for the third (fourth, I've lost count) time in less than a year. This time could could have been used to develop/finish other story lines. With scenes being short they seriously didn't need to add in this extra element to the couple. They should have just had them announce their pregnancy to Mel and be done. It perplexed me even more when having read the preview of an episode from CBS' site that there was to be a Doris and Olivia scene, I tuned in to see that the scene wasn't even aired.

Another point was why did everything seem so rushed in the last couple of weeks. The cancellation news came on April 1st and according to an interview with Jordan Clarke (Billy Lewis) they were told in May that there was a 1% chance of the show being picked up by another network and filming ended in August. I'm not a maths genius but there was a little bit of time to sort some stories out properly. This then moves to my next point.

What the hell was with the Jeffrey and Edmund storyline and are they still playing a game of cat and mouse in the one year jump. What was the point of this storyline again other than to keep Jeffrey away from Reva and Dinah away from Shayne. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Jeffrey or Reva fan but I did liked Dinah and Shayne. Plus didn't the scene with Shayne and Marina in the jump scream awkward.

The next thing I'm only gonna touch on briefly, the non Otalia kiss. Yes they should have kissed when everybody else was doing it but this is the thing that bugged me even more. Olivia was allowed to give Doris and Reva a platonic kiss on the cheek but two scenes of Olivia kissing Natalia on the cheek were cut. CBS and P&G have allowed Luke and Noah to kiss on As The World Turns (apparently there was a kissing ban but I won't comment on as I don't know the facts). So why wasn't Otalia allowed - something doesn't quite add up.

I don't know the full Guiding Light history or even past the last few years but it would have been great to see some of the historic characters coming back a little earlier and have more than a couple of minutes on the canvass.

I'm not normally a fan of soaps but this year I became a fan of this show. There was something different about this over the other US soaps that are currently airing. Maybe because it felt more like the soaps produced in the UK or maybe it was the build up of certain story lines and characters (loved Bill, Lizzie and Phillip). It was definitely a sad day for this historic soap and I felt it was fitting for the scene involving Reva and Josh did feature a lighthouse in the background.

So long and farewell. It's a good thing some episodes are online to relive.

Is Life Really That Beautiful?

So Mischa Barton is back on television in The Beautiful Life (not saying it's a good or bad thing). After her character was killed off in Fox's The OC, she has been more known for her life off camera than what work she's been doing. I can't really name anything other than her appearance in St Trinian's and a movie that had something to do with the pop duo Tatu.

The Beautiful Life is co-produced by Ashton Kutcher and also features Elle Macphearson and Corbin Bleu (though I didn't recognise him). It all centres around the world of modelling and the different sides of it. Every model has their own story and some have secrets.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch a drama about the model life and I'm still not sure. I can't say that I went away with with this overwhelming need to watch the next episode but I also can't say that I'm not completely turning myself away from it. The episode didn't draw in even half of what The Vampire Diaries got.

I really don't have many words for this as it really didn't render a reaction from me. I actually struggled to write this because I didn't have anything to say. If it was really good then I would heaping praise about everything and if it was bad then I would go into one but I have nothing. Maybe episode two might give me a response.

A Tree Hill Too Far?

To say I was looking forward to the seventh series would be a lie. I had many questions when I heard that it was coming back for another season but the main one was, where do they go from here.
I wasn’t thinking the best as, in my mind, this would be the moment that one of my top five shows would be bumped off the list.

The main reason for this is I think the season six ender should have been the series ender. Everything seemed to come together in that episode, barring the limbo that Dan Scott was left in. It felt right to me to end it on that note plus sometimes if you continue something for too long then they tend to lose what good about them.

Had a moment of deja vu with Millie's first scene, as it was reminiscent of Brooke's scene in season five when Millie was her assistant, this time Millie is the one with an assistant. At first it made me chuckle but then I asked how far has it moved now.

I know that there was another time jump between the series so where was everyone going to be now. I’m not going into the whole episode but I’m touching upon one thing. Something was missing and that was two of the five main characters over the past six seasons, Lucas and Peyton.

Let's start with no mention of Lucas or Peyton in the previously section. Was it because they wanted a clean slate, money (not sure if they would have to pay the actors if they showed them) or something else?

First mention of Peyton was that she was gone (which we knew) but there was no elaboration. Next mention was Lucas and a birthday note for Jamie, still no explanation. Third mention was regarding Peyton and her famous 'people always leave' line. Mention four was in a conversation between Jamie and Nathan regarding Lucas and basketball. Mention five was a snide comment regarding Peyton choosing motherhood over her record label. Now I do have to give them their dues for not completely wiping the slate of these characters but there could have been something else.
The same question I came with before the start is the same one I left with. Where did Lucas, Peyton and Sawyer go?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the couple (Leyton or Pucas however people want to call them) but they were part of what made me like the show. Their dynamics with the characters I actually like. Lucas and Nathan’s rivalry turned into sibling understanding, Haley and Lucas’s friendship that showed that there are male and female friendships that are purely platonic and the longstanding friendship between Brooke and Peyton, which went through their share of ups and downs.

Now we are left with the Haley, Nathan and Brooke dynamic. There is a Haley and Brooke dynamic that works but we’ve never really been treated to a Brooke and Nathan friendship (there was a brief moment they shared before Q’s funeral and I’m not counting when they hooked up in high school). With the new characters coming in, I feel like I have to get to know the established characters over again because the new characters will be bringing a different side of them. The main example is the introduction of Haley’s sister Quinn, which is a completely different dynamic to what Haley, has with the other sister we’ve seen, Taylor.

With that, the newbies have their own story to tell which in time shall be revealed but I leave with this thought, how on earth did Dan Scott get on television?

Taking a Huge Bite

The Vampire Diaries' first episode drew in the biggest audience for a debut, for the CW, with 4.8m viewers. With an opening that let's you know that this isn't your ordinary teen show, it sets itself apart from the off.

Many have called it the Twilight of TV but for me that's an unfair comparison. There were vampire stories before Twilight and there will be more after. Let's not forget that Buffy The Vampire Slayer was popular with the teen market. With Twilight being the hot commodity at the moment, it was obvious that comparisons would be made.

Both are based on books but unlike Twilight, I've not read any of the books so I come with no pre conceptions of what to expect.

Having seen Nina Dobrev on Degrassi: The Next Generation, for the past couple of years, I wasn't expecting much as she played one of my least favourite characters. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance and the episode. Other than the interactions between Stefan and Elena, I was also intrigued by the dynamics between their respective siblings. The contrast between them makes for some good and interesting scenes and I hope this will play well throughout the whole season.

A Warehouse of Slow Proportion

I've stopped myself from commenting on this show on purpose. The main reason was that I found the pilot hard to watch and at times I stopped paying attention, or stopped it to leave the room. I just found myself easily distracted while it was on. Maybe it was the length of the first episode or the slow pace they had taken. If you asked me what happened in the episode, then I won't be able to tell you anything past the wish pot (or whatever it was).

The one thing that I did decide was that I wasn't going to give up on the show that easily. There have been many times that I've initially wrote a show off by its first episode and a couple of seasons later I come back to it and love it. Examples of this are One Tree Hill, House, New Adventures of Old Christine and 30 Rock. It is definitely my rule from now on to try and give a show more than one episode of my time, though I threw that rule out the window briefly with Hung.

Two more episodes down the line and I see that it might be worth watching a couple more episodes. There is potential but it does seem like it's still moving at a slow pace. I'm waiting for that episode which makes me think it's found its feet. I liken it to the first couple of episodes of Dollhouse, where they were trying to establish the show and then bam, one episode got people talking.

The relationship of Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering was bound to be compared to others like Mulder and Scully and Brennan and Booth but I don't think that would be fair. The chemistry in X-Files and Bones is undeniable between the two main characters and any show, like this, with a male and female lead is unfortunately going to be compared to things of that standard. My opinion is that the show shouldn't try to recreate what those shows have but not let it become an uncomfortable element for us to sit through. There are many shows where you can tell that there is either no chemistry or the actors are uncomfortable and awkward.

10 Things or Less

I'm not sure that I came to this with an objective view. I've seen the movie and own it, though I haven't yet been able to watch it for a couple of years. People might have thought that this was because of the death of Heath Ledger but it's partly because I bought it on VHS and I no longer have a working player.

That being said, I was trying to give the TV show a fair crack of the whip and judge it as a standalone teen show. Well first of I don't see a point to this being turned from a film into a TV show. I'm sure there a way they could have done a teen show without having it tied to the movie. Though the name would give it publicity, not being tied to the film would give it a chance without having it hang over their head. Comparisons will be made, regardless of it being intentional or not.

I wasn't overly impressed by the performances and frankly there could come up with something else to show on ABC Family. I have the next two episodes sitting, waiting for me to watch and I'll eventually get round to it but I can't see myself watching the series in its entirety. I don't think it offers anything new to the table and there are other teen shows going, that I don't necessarily watch. I guess being shown in the summer will prevent it from being drowned if it was shown any other time of the year

The End of The Light

I just wanted to make a quick mention to the news that Guiding Light hasn't managed to find a new home and will definitely come to its broadcasting end on September 18th. It's hard to think of anything lasting over 70 years but this show has. I haven't grown up with it like other viewers have but over the past few months, this show has come to be a huge part of my television viewing.

I will never learn the full history of the show and some of that history is making appearances as the show counts down to its last broadcast.

People have complained about the "production model" which seems alien to me as I'm used to this way being prominent in British soaps. It gives it the realism that you can't get in a studio. Sometimes the outside can be a distraction, like flying aeroplanes but sometimes filming outside can help produce and enhance beautiful scenes.

I didn't get the chance to see the transition that the show had to make but having seen a couple months worth of episodes from 2005, I can say that I prefer how its being shot now.

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been a couple of things have made me wonder about where they were going with things like Who killed Edmund or whoever that body is and how does one kill with a baby stroller.

Saying that some story lines have shown the talents of people that I was never aware of until now - Kim Zimmer, Crystal Chappell, Jeff Branson, Robert Newman, Gina Tognoni, Jessica Leccia and Grant Aleksander. The only person that I knew of before watching Guiding Light was Daniel Cosgrove from his time on Beverly Hills 90210 and the film Van Wilder. What I do know is that I shall remember them and they might even make me watch other soaps, if they, like Crystal Chappell find another soap to work on.

Unusual and Unpopular

The Unusuals was one of the few new shows cancelled that I actually enjoyed and I should say still enjoy. Though it hasn't been renewed, I'm glad that the remaining episodes were shown.

I thought that there was a niche that this show could capitalize on, but I, and the people behind it were wrong. Maybe this kind of show would have been better served on a cable network, who knows.

The dynamic between Adam Goldberg and Harold Perrineau as Detectives Delahoy and Banks make me laugh especially as Delahoy has been told he has a brain tumour but won't get treatment and Banks constantly wears a bulletproof vest as he has turned 42 and his father, uncle and grandfather died at that age. Their contrasting dilemmas are part of what makes their dysfunctional dynamic work.



I'm not big at watching cop shows, as they usually use some of the same principles used in previous shows but part of what drew me to this show is the fact that its not a straight out, hard hitting drama and the light relief kept me interested. It's a shame that this wasn't given another chance.