Not Loving the "Half-Season" Trend

Is it just me or is anyone else fed up with this "half-season" trend that has become the standard for science fiction on TV. This past half season of Eureka just F-L-E-W by and was much too short. As with Warehouse 13, Haven, and Doctor Who -- ESPECIALLY Doctor Who.

I accepted and understood that Syfy was being ridiculous about pretty much everything these days and that it was just going to be that way. But I was so dismayed to see that BBCA followed suit with Doctor Who, Being Human, and many other shows in their line-up. A show like Doctor Who is packed with so much information and timey-whimey, bendy-wendy, story line surprises that by half season, it feels like you are just starting to get into the story arch for the season. Then it stops.

I know the theory is to give a big cliff hanger and that will draw people into the next half of the season. The problem is, with most science fiction (and dramas as well), there is an over-arching story line that plays out throughout the entire length of 1 season (and usually a much more involved story arch that plays out throughout the course of the entire show). While the story arch for the entire show can be strung along from season to season with months-long breaks in between and still be followed, sometimes season-long story archs get hard to follow or remember with large gaps in between. Rather than leaving you on a semi-resolved cliff hanger, waiting for the last little bit of information or setting you up for the next big story line, it leaves you hanging off the edge of the mountain with no sense of resolution of anything and irritatingly, impatiently waiting for the rest of the story, NOT being set up for the next big anything.

Irritating.

Ok TV gods, it's time you took a listen. This is not acceptable. Listen to your viewers and start producing TV that they want to see, packaged the way they want to see it, and aired in a timely manner that allows flow and eb. This is not reality TV crap, it actually HAS a story to follow. Think about that the next time you decide that 7 episodes of a show are all that are necessary to be aired in any type of sequential order.

Sci-Fi Site of the Day

While this blog post is quite old it came up in today's StumbleUpon session and I loved it! So I am sharing. Please note that this is not my work. I have listed links and left the by-lines all intact so as to not misconstrue that I wrote it. So, that said, enjoy:

Wacky Sci-Fi “Laws”
by Chris Higgins - August 15, 2008 - 12:56 PM

Sci-Fi writers seem to enjoy coining Laws: adages bearing their own names that live on past their appearances in Sci-Fi stories. Here are five of my favorites, plus one bonus law (actually a Principle) from the world of cartoons.

1. Hanlon’s Razor (aka Hanlon’s Law)

“Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.”Ascribed to various authors, including Robert Heinlein. (Or perhaps it was Napoleon, or another candidate.) This law’s name is also a take-off on Occam’s Razor.

2. Sturgeon’s Law

“Ninety percent of everything is crap.” This adage came after a less successful “first law” by Sturgeon, “Nothing is always absolutely so.” Read more on this bit of wisdom.

3. O’Toole’s Corollary of Finagle’s Law

Finagle’s Law is a variant of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong, will — at the worst possible moment. It was popularized by John W. Campbell, Jr., editor of Astounding Science Fiction and Analog, as well as Larry Niven. But the much wackier O’Toole’s Corollary of Finagle’s Law is:

“The perversity of the Universe tends towards a maximum.”

See also: the second law of thermodynamics.

4. Clarke’s Three Laws

Arthur C. Clarke postulated three laws over his illustrious career. The third is by far the most famous:

• First law: When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
• Second law: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
• Third law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

5. Asimov’s Laws of Robotics

Forming the basis for Isaac Asimov’s fictional universe, these laws for robotic behavior have been the source of much Sci-Fi drama (I, Robot anyone?):

• First law: A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• Second law: A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
• Third law: A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

There’s also a Zeroth Law.

6. The Dilbert Principle

Although Scott Adams isn’t a Sci-Fi writer, his Dilbert Principle is worthy of an honorable mention: the most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management.. (See also: the Peter principle.)

If that’s not enough for you, check out Wikipedia’s list of eponymous laws. (I’m particularly fond ofHofstadter’s Law.)

80's Movies, Old Shows, & Reruns, O My!

Since everything that I enjoy watching seems to be getting cancelled these days, I have decided to start watching old sci-fi movies and shows that I have not yet seen; as well as watching endless re-runs of my favorites. So here's the run-down on what I've been watching lately and where...

V (1983 mini-series)
V: The Final Battle (1983 mini series)
V (1984 TV Series)
All 3 watched via DVR from Syfy's marathon over New Year's.

Doctor Who
Starting at the VERY beginning, via DVD from Netflix and some instant eps via Netflix as well.

Star Trek Movies I-V via Syfy & DVD

Masters of the Universe (1987) via Showtime

Re-runs of:

The X-Files, Doctor Who & Torchwood all 3 via BBCA Sci-Fi Daily
Stargate SG-1 & Stargate Atlantis both via Syfy
Buffy The Vampire Slayer via Chiller
Firefly via OVTV
Primevil via Netflix Instant & DVD
Merlin via Netflix Instant

So, that's the run-down right now. A dose of Syfy everyday keeps the psychiatrist away. ;)

Let Your Geek Flag Fly

I change my ringtone about once a week. Gotta change things up, ya know? So I was trying to decide what to set as my ringtone for this week. I usually use theme songs from my favorite TV shows and movies. And, of course, they are typically science-fiction in genre.

So I was scrolling through, listening to each one, painstakingly attempting to make an impossible decision. First, I thought I wanted Stargate SG-1, for posterity's sake.

Then I decided I wanted to do more to help Save Caprica and use their theme song.

Then I thought I would go old school let my inner X-Phile out again.

Then I thought maybe I would show my support for a currently airing (not to mention fabulous) show, Fringe.

Finally, I settled on my all-time favorite science-fiction show. I decided to support The Doctor.

During my deliberation of the best possible choice, I was considering how well I would be able to hear each ringtone. Then it occurred to me that if it was loud enough for me to hear it well, others around me would hear it well, wherever I was, also. And then it hit me. I am going to be letting my geek flag fly! 

So follow the links in this post or google some yourself, or download them on your phones with whatever app you use, etc etc... but remember to choose well and use your phone to let your geek flag fly high!