Oh Charlie....

Every Monday, on one of the hi-def cable channels there is a marathon of the original “Charlie’s Angels” TV shows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie's_Angels).  The show is mind numbing- much like a shot of novocaine directly to the brain.  But, I like to watch the show because being brain-dead every so often is enjoyable- at least to me, and as long as it is figurative. 

“Charlie’s Angels” cycles through the same actors as the bad guys every three or four episodes.  The music is usually some variation of late-1970’s wah-wah guitars with a disco beat.  It would quite a contest to decide who the worst actor of the three women would be, but my vote would be for Cheryl Ladd.  Whenever she tries to play “dumb” she invokes some variation of a southern accent.  Jaclyn Smith, to her credit, seems continually in a daze.  Kate Jackson was supposed to be the smart one and I guess she earns the title by default. 

The series was somewhat controversial in its time.  It was described as “T & A” or “Jiggle” TV.  These three actresses, and the other actresses who cycled through the show, were simply not built to jiggle or to cause one to focus on their collective Ts and As.  It was the late 1970s and the American public had not yet developed its fascination of having everyone grow to the size of an NFL linebacker.  These were petite women who would not have had a muffin top or camel toe because their stretchy clothing was way too tight.  Kate Jackson, in fact, may have had the tiniest waste I have ever seen on an adult woman.  She also had the shiniest hair, but HD shows that she needed to borrow Katy Perry’s Proactiv solution. 

The “Angels” usually never invoked physical violence, and use their savvy to catch the bad guy.  But there was one episode, the title of which escapes me, that maybe should receive special recognition.  The plot was the usual but it required that Kris (Cheryl Ladd) shoot the villain.  She did, as duty called, but she actually had a reaction to it.  She trembled and needed to be comforted by one of the other Angels because “it was her first time.”  This may be one of the few times on TV where someone seemed to feel remorse after shooting someone, even if it was a bad guy.  I liked that, and it was a moment that made sitting through the episode worthwhile. 

So I will, from time to time, shoot up with the mind-deadener that is “Charlie’s Angels.”  They are a beautiful trio caught in bad scripts- but they have nice hair and small waists.   

Shallow as the Rubicon River

·          “Rubicon” is a new spy series on AMC. To see a summary, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubicon.  This may be the slowest-moving TV series I have ever seen.  There is no “Jack Bauer” kill five-people-in-ten-minutes type of action.  Apparently we must wait to find out why any of this plodding is worthwhile.  I hope that sitting through the excruciatingly slow pacing pays off.  The lead character is played by James Badge Dale.  He is a pedestrian actor and I am having a hard time understanding why I should care about his character. 

·         “Heckler” is a movie about; guess what, the heckling of performers (including politicians) during their performances.  But then, it extends the notion of heckling to critics.  Jamie Kennedy is the primary entertainer who explores the notion of critic as heckler.  Mr. Kennedy, who counts among his work “Malibu’s Most Wanted.”  Apparently Mr. Kennedy took quite personally the comments of critics, including several bloggers, concerning the movie and Mr. Kennedy’s participation in it.  Kennedy seemed a bit thin skinned, but I agree that some of the critics make comments about his worth as a human being.  Kennedy confronts two of them directly and they did not back down from their ad hominem attacks.  I think they were rude but Kennedy should check to see if they affected his savings account and investment portfolio.  If I have more in it than mine, then I have little sympathy.  Something about the heat and the kitchen should go here.

·         “Covert Affairs” is a TV series on the USA Network (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_Affairs).  It stars Piper Perabo who plays a female CIA agent and her wacky world of espionage. I am making light of the show because it is, in fact, light.  Perabo gets to look good, and when in a pinch, relies on her male companions to be the muscle.  It reminds me of “Charlie’s Angels” (the original) where all they ever did way point their guns at the bad guys and say “Freeze.”  This show would be good if it were reconceptualized to have as its lead character a bad-ass female agent played by Katee Sackhoff.  Now that would keep me from falling asleep.

·        “Heckler” is a movie about; guess what, the heckling of performers (including politicians) during their performances.  But then, it extends the notion of heckling to critics.  Jamie Kennedy is the primary entertainer who explores the notion of critic as heckler.  Mr. Kennedy, who counts among his work “Malibu’s Most Wanted.”  Apparently Mr. Kennedy took quite personally the comments of critics, including several bloggers, concerning the movie and Mr. Kennedy’s participation in it.  Kennedy seemed a bit thin skinned, but I agree that some of the critics make comments about his worth as a human being.  Kennedy confronts two of them directly and they did not back down from their ad hominem attacks.  I think they were rude but Kennedy should check to see if they affected his savings account and investment portfolio.  If I have more in it than mine, then I have little sympathy.  Something about the heat and the kitchen should go here.

·        “Covert Affairs” is a TV series on the USA Network (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_Affairs).  It stars Piper Perabo who plays a female CIA agent and her wacky world of espionage. I am making light of the show because it is, in fact, light.  Perabo gets to look good, and when in a pinch, relies on her male companions to be the muscle.  It reminds me of “Charlie’s Angels” (the original) where all they ever did way point their guns at the bad guys and say “Freeze.”  This show would be good if it were reconceptualized to have as its lead character a bad-ass female agent played by Katee Sackhoff.  Now that would keep me from falling asleep. 

·         “The Pillars of the Earth” is a serialized TV telling of the book of the same name by Ken Follett; for a summary go to : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pillars_of_the_Earth.  After having invested four years in learning about the Tudors, this series is boring, boring, boring.  While Henry wore beautiful clothes in “The Tudors”, the costumers for Pillars must have tried to be historically accurate in making the more simple clothing worn a few centuries before Henry.  I get that, but all of the burlap seems to have just come from the laundry.  There are few worn spots or frayed edges.  Well, what about the plot?  Boring.  What about the characters?  Shallow and not nearly as thrilling as Henry’s court.  What about the direction? Plodding.  What about the photography?  Washed out.  Other than these few quibbles, it’s great.  So this was a best seller book?  Wow.  

Brief Reviews- Kings, Erasers and Lives

Brief reviews:


1. “The Tudors” series ended. Like other movies/series, more time was spent in the early parts of the history and less at the end. So we had a lot of Catharine of Aragon and Anne Bolyn, but little of Kathryn Howard and Katherine Parr. It reminds of the bumper stickers that say “Plan Ahea” while running out of space. Jonathan Rhys Myers did a commendable job of ageing Henry. Rhys-Myers managed to have his lips droop at the ends, as happens with many older folks, me included. He also developed a very gravelly voice, which I assumed resulted from his heavy drinking. He also portrayed the senior Henry as tired, in pain, and troubled by his duties. Sarah Bolger played Henry’s daughter Mary. Bolger was a standout in the entire series. She has a elegance and calm, as well as a beautiful face. She was quite good at giving us hints of the tyrannical zealot that she was to become when she ascended to the throne. Bloody Mary embodied the evil that can arise from fanatical religious beliefs, but I digress. Tamzin Merchant acquitted herself well as Kathryn Howard. She had the right mix of adolescent impetuousness where she was seemingly unable to anticipate the consequences of her actions. Joely Richardson played Katherine Parr. I have not been a fan of Ms. Richardson since her ridiculous role in the TV series “Nip/Tuck”, where she played the dysfunctional wife of a plastic surgeon. In that role, she was a wife and a bad mother. She took a female lover and a little-person lover. Her acting the part of Queen Katherine Parr seemed to suit Ms. Richardson’s reserve and elegance. I enjoyed watching her.

 I will miss the Tudors- they were a fun bunch.

2. I saw “Eraserhead” again. This is the late 70’s masterpiece by David Lynch. I use the word “masterpiece” because others have used it. I like Lynch, but the general weirdness of his movies, grows wearisome. In fact, much of what appears in “Eraserhead” appears in his later movies, e.g, strange furniture, some of the ugliest lighting fixtures I have ever seen, strange music, and certainly odd characters. But, in the context of the late 1970’s, this movie was groundbreaking. The plot is not much (click here for a synopsis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eraserhead). For me, Lynch’s greatest accomplishment in this movie is the persistent feeling of dread, anxiety, over control with the ever-present possibility of losing control, and losing contact with reality. The buzzing drone of the soundtrack heightens the potential fear. If the sign of a good movie is that it makes us feel, then “Eraserhead” did that for me. I just wish it would have been a positive feeling.

3. I have previously reviewed “The Life Before Her Eyes.” I caught it again and still think it is a very good movie. Rachel Evan Wood is fascinating to watch. Uma Therman has always been a favorite of mine. It’s a confusing movie, but it is supposed to be. Some of the discussion on the web is so off-the-mark for me. It usually discusses an abortion the main character had and how that influenced her later life, i.e., lots of guilt. This is only the case if you really didn’t understand the plot. I guess anytime abortion is discussed, it is loaded with excess meaning and plenty of heat, but not much light.

Bill Maher's season finale

Maher's show has been bothering me lately. I think his show may have jumped the shark. On his show last night the allowed Mahar gave way too much time to Bill Frist, the former republican leader. Frist is a self-serving rupublican mouthpiece. Another guest, Oliver Stone can't get to the point even if he tried, and I bet his points would be good ones. The worst, however, was the interview with Queen Noor. I believe she has real concern about nukes and there is little doublt that we should be attending to their proliferation. But Mahar's question about whether she thought that the instituion of a monarchy and her being queen is uncesssary and anachronistic in this modern time. She is a poised woman but seemed a bi ttaken about by the rude question. I personally have no objections to monarchies as long as they are benevolent, and not in political leadership. Manarchs are symbols of a country just like our flag, which to us, represents our country, and just as Queen Elizabeth represent the history of England. If cultures want monarchs- go for it. I only wish I was born one, since I would make a helluva king. I deserve to be called "Your Majesty."

Again, American exceptionalism rears its ungly head.

Miscellaneous TV and a brilliant suggestion

“The Tudors”- the final season is here.  Katherine Howard (Tamzin Merchant) is the queen and Henry is showing his age, although efforts to age Jonathan Rhys-Myers don’t make him look like the elder Henry VIII.  He does not weigh 300 pounds and the stench of his leg ulcer certainly does not come through the TV, which is a good thing.  Merchant is quite good.  She is young, as was Katherine, and she has a naïve quality, especially when dealing with Henry’s daughter Mary.  Seeing her quizzical in the cathedral when Mary stands next to Henry was enjoyable and believable.  Judging from the show, and some brief history on the web, Henry was cuckolded by Katherine, as well as his assistant Thomas Culpepper, played by  Torrance Coombs.   I am sure that history was never this good looking, but what a triumvirate of genetic blessings.  “The Tudors” has been worth the time invested.  I have learned more about English history than ever before.  As Mel Brooks said “It’s good to be King.”

“Nurse Jackie” is in its second season.  Edie Falco plays Jackie, a drug-taking, but great nurse.  She plays around on her husband (Dominic Fumusa), with seemingly no guilt.  She has a very neurotic 10-year old daughter, who may be on her way to becoming psychotic.  She has a pharmacist-lover played by Paul Schulze, who is unscrupulous.  He has befriended Jackie’s husband and threatens to reveal his clandestine relationship with Jackie.  Peter Facinelli stars was a self-absorbed physician- I know- a stereotype!  Anna Devere Smith plays Gloria Alkalitis, the ER administrator.  Falco is very believable, as she always is.  From her days on “Oz” she has played strong female characters that control through dint of their strong personalities, but also through her sexuality.  She is one actress that I would be happy to spend an hour with over dinner.  Anna Devere Smith plays her cynical character perfectly.  She infuses the right amount of humor to make her Machiavellian machinations believable.  There are a few hanger-on characters that are not that compelling to me.  One is a nursing student Zoey Barkow, played by Merritt Wever.  She flies between being naïve, to being in-charge, to being manipulative.  Another less than believable character is Dr. Eleanor O’Hara, played by Eve Best.  One problem for me is that Best’s English accent and soft voice make it difficult to understand what she is saying.   She has a lover, played by Julia Ormond, who has never been a believable actor.  “Nurse Jackie” is a showcase for Falco’s talent and is she makes the show worth watching.

The final season of “24” is playing itself out.  It is several notches better than the last 5 seasons.  Jack Bauer has become a more vicious operative who thinks his job is to provide justice without benefit of trial and jury.  Chloe(Mary Lynn Rajskub) has unbelievably been made a very dyspeptic acting director of CTU.  The President, played by Cherry Jones, is an idealist who is willing to sell out her principles in search of peace in the middle-east.  Who knows, that probably happens every day in Washington.  Anil Kapoor, of Bollywood fame, played Kamistan President Omar Hasson.  Annie Wersching plays a somnambulant, vombified Renee Walker.   Freddie Prinze, Jr. plays agent Cole Ortiz, who is badly in need of some sum to color his overly white complexion.  The real standout of this season, however, is Katee Sackhoff as Dana Walsch, an unscrupulous and devious CTU employee.  I have been a fan of Sackhoff since her BSG days.  Seeing the fear in her face as she is being held hostage by a group of mercenaries is gripping.  Her terror is palpable.  Her strength in the face of waterboarding is also powerful.  Sackhoff is a muscled woman, who is built like a swimmer.  I hope that she finds a strong character to play in a series of her own.  In fact, she would make a wonderful special agent Jacqueline Bauer.  Seeing her rough up male baddies would be a treat.  This could be the idea of the TV century.  Fox- give me a call and we’ll talk.

Caprica- a disappointing first season

It is the end of Season 1 of “Caprica.” I still revel in the relationship between Daniel Greystone (Eric Stolz) and his daughter Zoe, played by Alessandra Torresani. Daniel knows that his daughter’s avatar is resident in a cylon. He has attempted to get some acknowledgement of this from the avatar, but to no avail. He has used her fear of fire and her love of her pet to try to coax her into revealing herself, but she steadfastly refuses. There are two issues for Daniel- he loves his deceased daughter and would like to experience her again and he must fulfill a government contract for a working cylon. He has been unsuccessful in making a successful robot except in the model that has Zoe’s avatar. If he doesn’t produce, he will lose his company. If Zoe doesn’t acknowledge him, he will not experience his daughter again. Stolz plays Greystone as very controlled and detached, yet we feel his longing for his daughter. The confusing part for me is that Zoe is not all that nice of a person. She seems to dislike her father and is avoiding communication with him. She is an adolescent who believes that she will make a big difference in the world and, at the same time, is in open rebellion with her parents. I just don’t particularly like her no matter what future history may have in store for her.


There is a subplot that has Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) searching for his deceased daughter’s avatar in the virtual New Cap City, a virtual world of violence and odd characters. Morales is not very good. In one scene in a nightclub, he is asked a riddle by a drag queen master of ceremonies. Morales acts frightened as if he was a 6-year old child. He stamps his foot and says that he just wants to find his daughter. It was silly and unconvincing. This whole New Cap City part of the plot hasn’t really engaged me and seems like a waste of time since I can’t tell where it is going.

The subplots with Amanda Greystone, Daniel’s wife, are equally frustrating. We learn that she has had psychiatric hospitalization in the past after she accidentally was responsible for the death of her brother. Now she is seeing him wherever she glances and she has visions of running after him, apparently in the hospital where she was treated. All of this is too similar to the famous opera house marathons in BSG, and thus seems repetitive and unoriginal. There is also a relationship developing between Amanda and Sister Clarice Willow, played by Polly Walker. At times the relationship seems very intimate, but we know the Sister is paying respect to Amanda only because she is the mother of Zoe, who is believed to the one who will bring monotheism to Caprica, whose inhabitants believe in multiple gods, the names of which are similar to the names are those of the ancient Greek and Roman deities.

I was more excited about “Caprica” at the middle point of this season. Now I think it is going in too many directions and it’s leaving me a bit unclear of what its ultimate destination is. Maybe that is the way it should be, but it should tantalize me a bit more so that I will be sure to return for the next season. I am only hanging on by a thread at this point.

"Embarrassing Bodies"- Lets schedule it opposite Oprah at dinner time

There is a TV show on BBCs Channel 4 called “Embarrassing Bodies.” The show presents various illnesses and diseases that occur usually on intimate parts of the body. This past week we saw a quite close up look at a severe case of hemorrhoids, a rash on a male pubic area, and a scar from an episiotomy. Only Larry Flynt’s “Hustler” had closer views with a brighter light. It’s unfortunate that the show is not called “Embarrassing Conditions” because the current title seems to stigmatize the patient’s body rather than the illness. The show is hosted by one Christian Jesson, MD. He is a blond Nordic-looking fellow who seems to find any excuse to remove his shirt. He is usually delegated any activity that requires examining female breasts. He is openly gay, according to Wikipedia. There is also one Pixie McKenna, MD, who peers under sheets covering spread legs. While doing her exams, her forehead becomes wrinkled, almost as if she is frightened. I assume she is trying to look sympathetic to the itch or pain, but she looks like she is horrified. I would not want her looking at my intimate parts. The third physician is Dawn Harper, MD. Not much to comment about her. The show is interesting, but I find myself looking away from the TV. Have you ever seen a close-up of roids? If the show were on American TV, everything would be so pixeled out that there would not be much to see. Thanks goodness for our Puritanical heritage. It protects us from so much reality, especially during my dinner time.

BSG final episode- its worth repeating

The final two hours of Battlestar Galactica were amazing. There was an exciting final battle between the humans and the remaining cylons who wanted to exterminate the humans. The ramming of the giant ship into the cylon base was epic. The special effects were far superior to anything I can remember on television. It is important to remember that this done by the humans to rescue one little girl. It also spelled the death of the BSG. Its ageing and creaking body was teetering on the brink of destruction. Seeing its bulwarks fly into space with the resulting release of oxygen was, if you will pardon the pun, breathtaking. The final scenes took place on a new world, which looked, not so surprisingly, earthlike. Aside from the plot itself, BSG ended with several wonderful themes. The first was that the relationship between Adama and Roslin was deep and abiding. She died in his care, with a look of peace and joy on her face. I cannot remember the last time that we have unashamedly shared the love affair of two people over 50 years old. The second is that we learned that Starbuck, and the projections of Baltar, and Caprica were supernatural beings akin to angels. Their influence, both good and bad, on the final outcome of the journey of the humans and cylons was profound. Third, the planet itself was green and lush, a sharp contrast to the darkness of the BSG itself. Fourth, we learned that the terrible experience of the war so profoundly affected the main characters that they chose to be alone, even as they found their garden of eden. Adama wanted to be beside his fallen lover, alone, rather than be with his son. Adama had shouldered the burden of keeping the human race alive and he seemed existentially worn out and battered. He both chose and deserved his solace. He reached his goal of a new place to live, but it came at such a high price to his self-esteem, his pride, his spirit, and his view of what he was as a person. I regret that this show is over. It held up a mirror to the human experience. It held up a mirror for me to reflect on my battles with my personal cylons and how those battles extracted their pound of flesh from me. Maybe we are all Adama, but maybe we all are fortunate to have the angels showing us the way and propping us up. At least I hope so.

"Caprica"- I can't wait to see Moore.

I finally was able to see all of the episodes of “Caprica” in one sitting.


From Wikipedia: Caprica is a television series set in the fictional Battlestar Galactica universe. Beginning 58 years before the events seen in Battlestar Galactica, Caprica tells the story of how Colonial humanity first created the robotic cylons( a cybernetic lifeform node), who would later plot to destroy human civilization in retaliation for their enslavement., who would later plot to destroy human civilization in retaliation for their enslavement.

I initially did not enjoy the series, in part because I didn’t think it could be as good as BSG, but also because Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, and Katee Sackoff aren’t in it. However, it does have:

Main cast:
• Eric Stoltz as Daniel Graystone
• Esai Morales as Joseph Adama
• Paula Malcomson as Amanda Graystone
• Polly Walker as Sister Clarice Willow
• Alessandra Torresani as Zoe Graystone
• Magda Apanowicz as Lacy Rand
• Sasha Roiz as Sam Adama
• Scott Porter as Nestor

Eric Stoltz plays a Bill Gates-like technical genius who loses his daughter in a terrorist attack perpetrated by a group of dissidents who believe in one god rather than the Caprican many gods. Sound familiar? Dr. Graystone is so distraught over his daughter’s death that he implants an avatar of her in a cylon robot that he recently created for the government. The point of this is to keep his daughter alive so the grieving doesn’t hurt so much. Stoltz plays the father as a bit distant and intellectual but with great internal angst over the loss of his only child. Allesandra Torresani is compelling as the daughter. She is the right mix of youth, rebelliousness, and intelligence. There are scenes where Zoe is seen as the avatar and the camera shifts to where we see her as a cylon. This is particularly well done when she is speaking to her best friend.

Esai Morales plays the father of the William Adama (Olmos in BSG). Adama is a Tauron, a group that is despised and discriminated against in Caprica. His daughter was also killed in the attack and he wants to experience the same relationship that Graystone has with his daughter post her death. Morales shows his character’s grief through anger directed toward the Graystone’s who he blames for raising a terrorist daughter. Adams has a gay brother who is part of a Tauron mob.

While all of this may sound a bit convoluted, and maybe even silly, it does hold up a mirror to our own society. The reflection of our fear of terrorists and our discrimination against those who we think might be terrorists because of their skin color or their country of origin rings true. I am reminded of last year’s ejection of a “middle-eastern looking family” from an AirTran flight simply for talking about what the safest part a plane is and having dark skin. The view shared by some in our society that technology will solve our problems is also well portrayed. The similarities to Gates are remarkable. Even the Graystone mansion looks a bit like the Gates property. But, it seems like Graystone may also change his focus to non-technological ways to improve society, as has the Microsoft founder, but that remains to be seen. The conflict among groups that believe that their god (or gods) is better than another group’s also is a strong theme in “Caprica”, as was also the case in BSG. Irrational, yet understandable” emotional responses to the loss of loved ones is also an important them. Zoe’s rebellion against her family’s religious beliefs and how that leads to rebellion among the cylons as a group will be interesting to see unfold. This rebellion sets up the whole BSG story.

The series is filmed in Vancouver, which looks phenomenal. The music is by Bear McCready who also composed for BSG. His music is never incongruous with a scene. It is also full of creative orchestrations and is always interesting to listen to.

I look forward to seeing “Caprica” unfold. Ronald D. Moore writes stories that are full of detail and long thematic arcs. This means that missing episodes can interfere with understanding. It’s good that the series in available on the SyFy website.

Things I don't understand about TV- an ongoing monologue

Things about TV I don’t really understand:


1. Why when people on TV drink a cup of coffee, they cradle it in their hands, have a far-away look in their eyes, and look like they are having a drug-induced euphoria? To me, it’s just a cup of coffee.

2. Why is the movie “Armageddon” on TV so frequently? Why also “Striking Distance”?

3.  Does any one really believe that lady with the 'fro and the part on the South Beaach commercials.  She looks like she doen't believe herself what she is saying.  Watch her eyes. 

Irish TV and "Design for Life"

Irish television is rather limited. There are about 15 channels. Two are in Arabic, two are soccer dominated, two are news channels and the rest are made up of period dramas, antique shows, game shows (in great supply), Springer clones, Ellen, Oprah, Dr. Phil, and Judge Judy. They seem to like our old TV westerns and “Murder She Wrote.” The best programming seems to be very late at night. Some of these shows are signed, which is not the norm during the day. Apparently the hearing- impaired only watch TV at 3:30 in the morning.

I saw a very interesting show last night at about 2:00AM. It’s called “Design for Life” and it is similar to our reality shows like “Top Model,” “Project Runway,” and the various cooking shows. I liked it because it involves several students designing a product that, if deemed the winner of the competition, will result in one of the students being placed in the studio of Phillippe Starck, who is a French product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style. His designs range from spectacular interior designs to mass produced consumer goods such as toothbrushes, chairs, and even houses.

The students must design a product that will help people. One designed a cane-like stand to assist the elderly to stand up from a chair. Another designed a glove-like device for women to wear that can be used to shine a bright light into the eye of an attacker. The third student designed a wobbly chair for children to improve their coordination. The final student designed a tray with utensils for the blind. They must not only design the project, have a model made of it, but also create a logo and marketing material for it. The students were bright, serious, and articulate. This show would never make it on American television. It is too cerebral and design as a profession has never penetrated the popular culture in the way that clothing- and people-designing has.

I enjoyed watching Starck give feedback to the students. They are from the UK and he is from France, of which there is no doubt because of his thick accent. While they are attempting to design a useful product for persons in special circumstances, Starck’s comments are very conceptual. The challenge for the students is, of course, to makes sense of what the master is saying and apply it concretely. I remember working in a consulting firm where the owner gave such conceptual comments that I was somehow to apply to writing a proposal for government funding. I think he thought he was brilliant. I usually walked away wondering what he, in fact he had said. I was miserable at implementing his lofty feedback. Fortunately, I think he did not know what he was saying or did not remember it because he was fairly bad at following up. In contrast, Starck has two assistants who do follow up and appear to understand his feedback, although they add a lot of their own ideas, much like Tim Gunn on “Runway.”

It was a privilege watching Starck at work. He has a vision for the student’s design projects and it seems to justify his lofty reputation. He also has a sense of humor and seems approachable. There are two finalists and I hope to see who the winner is, but given the lack of predictability in my travel and my sleep, it’s unlikely.

I liked seeing genius at work. Mostly I do not see it at work on American TV. I never get the sense of genius in Heidi Klum, Tom Ford, or Tyra Banks. Not even Bill O’Reilly, in spite of what he thinks of himself.

"Three Rivers"

As you may know, I am a big fan of Pittsburgh.  Partly it is due to growing up there but part of it is due to my habit of rooting for the underdog.  But aside from those emotional issues I think it is a beautiful city.  I also admire the Pittsburgh Symphony as one of the great in the world. 

Last night, CBS premiered "Three Rivers" a medical drama based in a hospital specializing in transplants.  This makes sense given that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is one of the major transplant centers in the country.  3R is one of those medical dramas where we learn about the personal lives of the patients and maybe eventually we will learn that all of the staff are sleeping with each other.  The only actor I knew of in the show was Alfre Woodard as the hospital administrator.  Apprently she is a physician also (like Cutty on "House").  I always think that this a tremendous waste of medical knowledge and realize that others trained to be hospital administrators are better at it.  I am biased because I once replaced a physician as a hospital administrator and thought I did a better job than him. Go figure.

I did not see anyone in the cast who was over 30.  Amazing- maybe that accounts for how wooden their perfromances were.  There was also a husband whose wife and child were in danger because she needed a heart transplant.  He was so unconvincing and I never felt that he was really upset since he seemed to have a Geroge W. Bush smirk.  The hospital facilities were beautiful and they had a computer system like in "CSI Miami" where everything appeared on a wall and all control was achieved by hand movement.  I understand that such technology is several years away, but it is an easy way to show patient records to the audience. 

The shots of Pittsburgh were wonderful and showed what a beautiful city it is.  The flyovers were particularly good. 

The show was sort of a nodder.  I couldn't muster enthusiam for any of the characters or situations.  As much as House is one of the most dysfunctinal characters in prime time, the show's humor and edge are appealing.  "Three Rivers"- not so much.