Monday, June 16, 2008

Princes of the Universe

by Nancy

Did you ever watch an early episode of a hit TV show and wonder how it ever survived to be a hit? I just had that experience with Highlander. I discovered the show late in its run and enjoyed the imaginative worldbuilding and the swordplay, in addition to liking the characters. I received the Season 1 box set for my birthday and sat down to watch it. However, I thought some of the acting was really not very good (not the principals, but the guests). I know there are great actors in Canada--I see them on TV every week, especially on the SciFi network--but they didn't often appear in the early episodes of Highlander.

And seeing one more ignorant rube villain with a wretched abomination of an excuse for a Southern accent might've been the end of the box set. However, I persevered. About halfway through Season 1, the show seemed to hit its stride. The principal actors found a rhythm. The guests seemed much better. The stories felt tighter. Also, there were fewer fake-Southern rubes.

The chemistry between Adrian Paul and Alexandra Vandernoot was also great. The show did a good job, I felt, from its very beginning in exploring the complexities of a relationship between a man who can live forever unless somebody cuts off his head and a woman who's fated to grow old first. The series touched on this theme several times. It also addressed the effect of living with someone who has people literally out for his head. Vandernoot's Tessa was spunky without being unrealistic.

Duke alumnus Stan Kirsch also found his feet pretty quickly. His first appearance foreshadowed something bigger for him, but the series kept it under wraps for the rest of the season. He and Paul had an interesting dynamic, mentor and protege but not always a smooth interaction. My friends who attended Highlander conventions described the cast members as friendly and welcoming to their fans.

So the series had some good things going for it. In addition, it was based on a successful movie franchise starring Christopher Lambert as the original Highlander, Connor MacLeod. Like Stargate SG-1, it had a built-in fan base because it spun off from a successful movie. The movie also had a great "buddy" relationship that evolved from mentoring, with Sean Connery as the mentor-turned-buddy-turned defeated Immortal. And what better excuse to include a photo of Sir Sean in the blog? To his credit, Lambert helped launched the series and appeared in at least one of the TV-movie sequels, Highlander: Endgame.

The swordplay was way cool, also. The DVD extras in my box set include swordmaster Bob Anderson (who "worked with everyone from Errol Flynn to Darth Vader" and taught swordplay on the--speaking of Sir Sean--uneven Arthurian picture, First Knight). He talks about the efforts they made to keep the swordplay safe, and there are other bits about choosing different blades for the individual guest stars. And there was that rockin' music by Queen.

The last episodes, introducing more and varied Immortals, such as Darius and Fitzcairn, and the concept of the Watchers, gave greater depth to the world. So did the Parisian setting, though I have to wonder whether just anyone can tie up a barge across from the Ile de la Cite.

If you visit here often, you know I love Stargate SG-1, with Carter being my favorite character. Yet she had some really, truly, deeply cringe-worthy lines in the first few episodes. They were not just in favor of women's equality but were strident. The show lasted, though, and the characters gained depth. Maybe being on cable helped. I didn't ever glom onto Highlander fandom, but I wonder if the fan base was what kept the show going until it found its feet. Anybody know?



Have you ever hung on to a show that seemed far from fulfilling its promise and then been delighted when it finally reached its stride? Have you done that with a book or with a life endeavor? Have you hung in and been disappointed? Delighted?

56 comments:

Caren Crane said...

I can neither confirm nor deny that I conspired to snatch the GR!! *eg*

Caren Crane said...

Oh, Nancy, I have had so many shows disappoint me. It's a hard topic for me, really. Waiting for payoff...waiting for payoff...no payoff.

A series I loved was Brisco County Jr. That show started off great and, except for some X Files-like detours, stayed great until the (all-too-brief) end of the show.

X Files. While I enjoyed the "monster of the week" episodes, the conspiracy story line sort of fizzled and remains unresolved. Still loved it, but the huge payoff never came.

Then again, Star Trek TNG kept getting better and better. Totally worth hanging in there.

You can tell I haven't watched much TV in this millennium. It was too time-consuming and I couldn't devote real time life to watching it. Now I just wait for people to rave about a show and get whole sesaons on DVD. Much better experience! *g*

Tawny said...

Ooooh, Caren got the GR :-) WTG!!!

The first series to come to mind is Star Trek: The Next Generation. Oh man, the melodramatic dreck that was that first season. It was campy, overdone and soooooooo syrupy that I'm amazed I was hooked on it. Of course, I only started thinking it was melodramatic, campy and syrupy after I went back and watched the first season again after a few years.

*sigh* I loved that series. And now I think I've found my next ellitpical treat (I bribe myself with series on dvd to get myself to exercise)! thanks, Nancy :-)

Christine Wells said...

Snork, PoshT! Nancy, that post was way cool.*g* Loved the Highlander movies. Wasn't aware of a Highlander series, though I don't watch TV much so it might have passed me by quite easily.

I can't recall a long-running TV series that didn't taper off towards the end. So many don't know when to quit. It seems to me that they start off with their original writers, the ones who conceive the idea, and then the writers change and the series takes a downhill turn. I think series with a finite number of episodes are often the best--many English ones are like that. Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, etc maintained the same quality all the way through.

Does anyone recall a show about a Canadian mountie joining the police force in the US? I loved that show but it was only on here for a season. The mountie was a cutie too.

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Woo Hoo Caren, congrats on the GR, if I had gotten up on time I might have had a shot.
I am not a big TV watcher but there have been several books that I started and then wondered if it was ever going to get better. Some I hung in til the bitter end and some I closed and took to the UBS without finishing. Too many books, too little time. My TBR pile is just huge and there is not enough time to read unsatisfying books.

Nancy said...

Caren, congratulations on the bird!

Caren and Tawny, I also think STTNG improved with time. I really didn't like it much at first, though that may have been because of the stodgy Original Trek fan inside me. I don't remember Brisco County.

Christine, I think the series you're referring to, with the Mountie, was Due South with Paul Gross as the Mountie, but I couldn't swear to it. I watched that series, too.

Dianna, I rarely give up on a book before I finish, but it has been known to happen. As you say, there isn't enough time to whittle down a big TBR pile. When I do give up, it's usually because the book just never really grabbed me and not because I actively disliked it.

Fedora said...

Oooh, congrats on the GR, Caren!! Brisco County, Jr. was a good one! We watched some Star Trek TNG, too (I grew up watching the original episodes, too!) And we never watched Firefly until after it was only on DVD :(

You know, I think I'm more like Dianna--there just isn't enough time to get hooked onto many shows because my TBR is way too big! And books will win every time :)

Louisa Cornell said...

Nice snatch of the Golden Chook, Caren! I thought I smelled a conspiracy!

I have to agree with you, Nancy. I knew I WANTED Highlander to continue, but at the beginning it looked a little shaky. Same thing goes for Star Trek TNG. It took them a while to warm up.

I don't watch as much television these days. Too busy reading and writing.

One series that debuted this year - Moonlight - had smart, classy writing from the beginning and the acting was good and just got better and better. Of course the powers that be canceled the show! And some of the stuff they are putting out now and touting for next year does not even hold a spark of promise for me. Oh well. I don't need to watch television anyway.

Susan Sey said...

Hey, Nancy! I've never seen Highlander or any of the sci-fi sort of shows that seem to draw such cult followings. (I'm kind of scared to admit this, but I've never seen a single episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek TGN, Stargate, or any of those. Then again, I've never seen Dancing with the Stars, American Idol... The list goes on & on.)

Anyway, the one show I fell in love with that just broke my heart when it failed to find an audience was Arrested Development. It was on for three seasons, which I watched entirely on DVD long after the show was cancelled. Still, the writing was whip smart, razor sharp & very, very funny. And I also spent an uncomfortable amount of time thinking, "Boy that Jason Bateman sure is a cutie" which I haven't done much of since I was thirteen but there you go. :-)

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Whoohoo Caren!! Congrats on the GR...Ya gonna feed him cheese grits this morning?

I have a confession to make. I was a first season groupie for The Highlander. Yep, discovered it the very first episode, hadn't seen the movie, and was confused as hell...........but, there was one thing that kept me watching....

Adrian Paul

Oh dear mama!!

The man could've been reciting cardboard cereal boxes and I would've tuned in the next week! And every dark haired hero in any Scottish historical looks like Adrian Paul to my mind's eye!!

Keira Soleore said...

Caren--woot! on the GR. Is this the first time he's visiting the Smoky Mountains?

I started watching Law & Order when the original show was already in re-runs. I've been a faithful watcher of the show, but since the broadcast is out-of-order, I have no noticed character-growth or plot-growth. The newer off-shoots have entirely different characters and story premises, so I don't know how to compare, and I don't watch those regularly.

The other shows I watch, again, don't seem to have character or plot growth or even sophistication in direction growth. Reality: Dancing with Stars, Project Runway, and Top Chef.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Ooooooooooo Keira, I adore L&O in any and all versions!! I fell in love with Chris Noth in the firs season of the original and was delighted in them bringing him back for the L&O:CI a few years ago. He's a good foil to D'Onforio (sp?) character on the opposite weeks.

Another show I liked and was hoping they'd show more of over the years was Young Riders. Of course that could just be because I adore American Historicals and Westerns.

jo robertson said...

Provocative post, Nancy.

I think most TV shows have that "freshman year" unevenness.

I remember the first season of "Seinfeld," the little show about nothing. How everyone said a show about "nothing" was a no-go amd ridiculous to boot.

The first episodes were awkward, uneven, and sometimes stilted, but soon enough everyone got his "sea legs" and the damned thing took off! I love that show and believe it's one of the best, if not THE best sitcom ever produced.

Proof is in the fact that so many "Seinfeld-isms" have jumped into mainstream language. Ones that jump to my mind are "not that there's anything wrong with that" and "jump the shark."

Sneaky, sneaky Caren, such conspiracies to snatch the golden rooster are the fodder for massive social upheaval, gal!

jo robertson said...

Caren, I know what you mean. You wait and wait for the payoff and sometimes it just DOES NOT come.

I always try to give new shows a chance to work. When I taught high school drama, I learned that so much about ensemble working is the players finding their specific niches and learning how to play off one another, especially in comedy.

I think writing a book is much the same thing. I'm working on a revision right now and I can't get the characters to gel with one another. One of the pesky creatures is dominating everyone else and twisting my story around.

I'm a rabid, yes RABID, TV fan, so I'll try just about anything.

jo robertson said...

I so agree with you, Christine. The best shows know when to call is quits and go out with a bang instead of a whimper LOL.

I'm thinking Friends, Seinfeld, and Everybody Loves Raymond, especially.

jo robertson said...

Louisa, I was devastated when they cancelled Moonlight. What were they thinking? That was one of the best vampire shows ever and Mick was to die for. I certainly hope we see more of him.

I'll tell you, there's no accounting for the tastes of the television public!

jo robertson said...

Hehehehehehe, Suz. I would've figured you for a Highlander girl!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Oh Jo...I was so envious of all the people who got to go to the RT convention and see Adrian Paul!! I'm sure I would've spoken to him with such grace and decorum...I mean honestly I wouldn't have acted the "fangirl" geek ever...not moi!

Nancy said...

Flechen, books will always be there for me, too. Leonard Pitts had a recent column about finding reading more difficult in the internet age. I wonder if a lot of people who spend long periods on the net are having that problem.

Louisa, I heard good things about Moonlight but hadn't managed to catch an episode when it was canceled. Maybe it will pop up on SciFi, as Jericho did.

Susan, I caught a few episodes of Arrested Development, and I thought it was very well done. It wasn't a time slot I could watch regularly, though.

Suz, I think "AP," as I understand his fans call him, was a major draw for the series. I salute you for sticking with it. Much as I love any show with swordplay and intriguing as I found the concept, I'm not sure I'd have hung in. It's hard to know with hindsight. I never saw The Young Riders, I'm sorry to say.

Keira, we're serious about Top Chef around here. We came late to Project Runway but are looking forward to the next "season," which I hear will be this summer because Lifetime has bought the show, starting in the fall.

Jo, considering the phenomenon Seinfeld became, it's interesting to me to learn that it didn't have such a great start. I didn't see the early episodes.

Nancy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hellie Sinclair said...

I loved this show...though admitted when I bought the first season I realized all the episodes I'd ever caught of it were AFTER the first season. Yes, it's...hokey, but dang, Adrian Paul, with a sword, occasionally wearing a kilt? I'm sorry, but it couldn't go wrong. Bad writing and acting aside. I think around season 5 was my favorite season.

Friends was like this, I think. It took a few episodes to click, then there were the seasons in the middle of the run that we all could have lived without...but then it ended on a good note. And I think I felt this way about That 70s Show...about half the episodes of the first season were hit and misses, but funny enough to keep watching...then some of the middle seasons were so funny it didn't matter. The last season was the worst with two of the principal characters gone.

Ruth Kaufman said...

Nancy was kind enough to post the link to my Highlander 5: The Source set visit journal, but the link didn't come through, so I'll try:

highlanderworldwide.com/thesource/ruthreport.shtml

One shot of me made it into the movie, but if anyone watches the 'making of' feature on the DVD, there are several more.

Ruth Kaufman
www.ruthjkaufman.com

Nancy said...

Ruth, thanks for fixing that link. It came up correctly in this box but didn't post in full. Also, Ruth was an ATII finalist, not ATIII, as I originally and mistakenly said. I deleted the incorrect info and incomplete link comment.

I hope you'll pop over and read that blog. It's great!

limecello said...

Hm... I can't remember sticking with a show that I thought was bad then being pleasantly surprised... but I have stuck with shows that I loved, that started becoming awful. :X Gilmore Girls is one. Grey's Anatomy is another. GG ended, while I've simply stopped watching Grey's.
For life things... in college, I was on leadership with this organization, and I stuck with it for another year, after pretty much two bad years... and by the time I got out my senior year, things were all weird and everyone associated me with the org anyway. Sad.

Nancy said...

Mshellion, the show was rocking along when I first saw it, too. I think I probably started around Season 3.

Nancy said...

Limecello, thanks for sharing the great-to-awful flip side. In college, the dh had a situation similar to yours with this organization. People came to associate him with a policy he didn't create ad didn't like. It was, indeed, sad.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

WTG on the GR, Caren!

Interesting post, Nancy. I admit I never saw the Highlander series, but I did see the original movie and then Endgame which was UGH! Could not follow it at all, nor did I care to since I hadn't seen the series.

I don't watch much TV and most of what I do watch has disappointed me lately. Two shows that started with so much promise and then went sour for me are Lost and Medium. In both cases, I thought the first seasons were fresh, innovative, interesting, but they just went downhill from there. :-( I still watch both occasionally but am not the rabid fan I once was.

I used to be more forgiving with books and would plow through to the end no matter what. Now, I agree with Dianna, "too many books, too little time!" You need to hook me in the first 30 pages and keep me hooked!

Oh dear, I'm beginning to sound like AN EDITOR! And speaking of those, my editor Deb Werksman will be guesting again on the Casablanca Authors blog tomorrow. Please spread the word and hope you can stop by. She was very forthcoming last time on what she looks for in a submission.

AC

Jane said...

I remember when Conan O'Brien took over the 12:30 am slot from David Letterman. He was awkward and seemed out of his element, but I still continued to watch and now he's one of the funniest guys on tv.

Esri Rose said...

Congrats on the GR, Caren!

Nancy, I just had this experience.

My husband put The Muppet Show on our Netflix queue. It started out mediocre and went to UNREALLY BAD. After seeing the nadir (guest star Steve Martin), I turned to him and said, "How did this ever succeed? Don't get any more." But there were still a couple of episodes on that disk, and it turned around just in time. They must have figured out that they needed to pay someone to write it, instead of just writing down their dreams from the previous night.

EilisFlynn said...

Great post, Nancy. Highlander was always a cult thing--I thought it was interesting, but never something to go ga-ga over. The only reason I watched The X Files in the first season was because it was on after the charming Brisco County, and I adored Bruce Campbell (hey! same initials! Back then, if you take a look, he looked like comic artist Joe Staton had drawn him into life--that amazing chin). XF slowly drew me in, and the chemistry between Duchovny and Anderson finally won me over.

I still miss Brisco County. Sniff.

Cassondra said...

Hmmm.

I watch zero tv. But in years past, I got hooked on Moonlighting, and actually thought it started out GREAT--but it did hit a fantastic stride, then they ruined it and it drizzled off to bleh.

Another one that I had really high hopes for was Ally McBeal. I recorded every show. Then it just went flat. :0/

Honestly I think it's a good thing that shows cannot be relied upon to be consistently worth watching. I use that as a reason to not even get started. I barely have time to eat, sleep, and do all the stuff in between that is necessary to live (you know--work, pay bills, work, pay bills....oh, and there's this idea of writing that I talk about doing but if I ever watched tv, would have even less time for).

I do remember hating it whena show started to go south--one that I really liked a lot.

I want Sex In The City on DVD. It's expensive, and I keep stalling about getting it because I'm afraid I'll spend all that money and then half way through I'll get bored with it. So tell me somebody....did they ruin it? Or was it good right up until the end?
How do you people watch all this tv and still write?????Inquiring minds want to know. Do you have more than 24 hours in your day? TELL ME!

Helen said...

Congrats Caren it has been a while since he has visited you I think have fun with him

Nancy I don't watch much TV at all and sorry to say I have never watched Highlander although my hubby loves the movies and has them on DVD. If a show interests me from the previews I will give it a go but if it doesn't come up to scratch for me I stop watching it I would rather read. As for reading books there have probably only been a couple of books that I have not finished in all the years I have been reading I might put one down and start another but I always go back to it gotta finish a book.
Have Fun
Helen

Pat Cochran said...

My son introduced me to Highlander
and Adrian Paul. I was immediately
enrolled in the ranks of AP fans.
My husband told me about Brisco
County, Jr. and we watched the show
together. The men in my life seem
to know my interests well! LOL! Son
also introduced me to Project Runway
the year when our hometown girl
Chloe won the competition!

Pat Cochran

Esri Rose said...

Cassondra, we actually don't get any TV. We live too close to the foothills to get reception, and we don't have cable. So we just rent stuff. That way it's under our control. Otherwise I'd be a junkie.

Sex in the City stayed good all the way up to the end. You're safe. :D

Trish Milburn said...

Louisa, I'm right there with you on Moonlight. I'm so ticked the canceled.

What bugs me is that the current line of thinking seems to cause cancellations of shows before they hit their stride or build an audience. It took awhile for The X-Files to do so, and it ended up being successful. What I'm thinking of is Firefly. It's like FOX wanted it to fail. They insisted that an episode that was supposed to be shown later in the first season be shown as the pilot instead of the pilot, which left people confused about what the heck was going on. Firefly was awesome -- great writing, great characters, interesting concept (Joss Whedon is a genius), but it didn't even make it out of its first season. I just hope FOX doesn't screw up with Dollhouse, another Whedon show that's set to premiere this fall. Can't wait!

Trish Milburn said...

Susan, I didn't watch Buffy or Angel when they were on, but I glommed them all in the summer of 2005 on DVD and I now am a huge fan, own every season on DVD, and subscribe to the "Season 8" Buffy comics and the "After the Fall" Angel comics.

And just FYI -- I saw Adrian Paul at RT back in April. He was wearing, I kid you not, a purple soon and SO made it work. :)

Trish Milburn said...

Ruth, I didn't know you'd been in a Highlander movie. How cool! I need to talk to you sometime about how get extra parts in movies. That's something I want to do before I kick it.

Ruth Kaufman said...

Trish, I have been an extra in SIXTY movies/TV shows and am scheduled to work on the Johnny Depp/Christian Bale movie Public Enemies later this week.

Anna Campbell said...

The Mountie show was called something like Due South and it had a gorgeous white dog in it called Dieffenbacher who I think was Canada's first premier? Does anyone know any Canadian history? The guy was pretty cute too ;-)

Oh, man, the X-Files. I felt that I'd been sold a crock with that, when as you say, Caren, a lot of the episodes were fantastic. And that ending was just stupid.

Nancy, really enjoyed your post. As Christine says, my experience has more to do with things losing their steam than finding their stride. The Nanny was another example. I absolutely adored that show - it was sharp and funny and really entertaining with some excellent sexual tension. And then the last season was just pathetic. They should have stopped when they were ahead!

Carol said...

Caren,
Great snatch! hmmmm... neither confirm or deny!
Something scratchy! methinks!(g)
Maybe a certain GR needs to fill his bag with 'Southern Comfort'!

My favourite of all time is
Dr Who. 'who" never disappoints.
In the early episodes the sets were done on a shoestring but such fun and the latest 1 hour series is simply a never miss for me and he...
I do love Boston Legal, such a quirky program with usually a serious social issue raised.
Try to never miss it even though they put in on really late!

Grays anatomy has lost the plot and 'gone to the dogs'.

Great topic Nancy. Cheers Carol

Fedora said...

Nancy, I'd never given that too much thought--using the Internet possibly interfering with reading, but I suppose it's possible. Probably anything that is open to a lot of jumping around can affect one's ability to focus and one's attention span and all that.

Esri, LOL at your observations on the Muppet Show! I haven't seen that in years!

Beth Andrews said...

What a great, fun topic, Nancy! I can't think of any shows that I watched despite not being crazy about them in the beginning. But the most recent show that disappointed me was October Road.

It was a mid-season replacement and I loved the premise wich was: small town boy leaves hometown on vacation only he doesn't come back leaving his girlfriend, his friends and his family behind. He becomes a famous author for writing a fictionalized book about his hometown and friends--which doesn't show them in the best light.

Anyway, he returns when he has writer's block and tries to reconnect with his family, friends and perhaps his old love (who now has a son that she swears isn't the hero's)

The first few episodes were great but then they just fizzled out and ended up being canceled *g*

Really, this is why I avoid new shows - they end up getting axed. I wonder if it's me?

:-)

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Nancy, I understand that, if you aren't into it from the start it is not necessarily the author's writing, it could be the storyline just doesn't grab you. The ones that I have had to give up on are usually very well written, just didn't get into the story for whatever reason.

Kim Castillo said...

Nancy--I LOVE Highlander and Adrian Paul. *swoon*

I can't believe you didn't mention Methos though. He's my favorite:D

Nancy said...

AC, I know what you mean about series disappointing you. I probably watch way too much TV, but a series has to really grab me to make me come back week after week--to plan around it. I'm looking forward to the return of Heroes in the fall but am half afraid they won't sustain the story-telling after this long break.

Jane, we like Conan, too. I agree that he wasn't the smoothest guy on the small screen when he first appeared. I also give him a high-five for hosting Davidson Wildcat Stephen Curry after the playoffs. The Cats are my team.

Esri, that's interesting about the Muppets. I never saw it until it was well established.

Eilis, I was never ga-ga over Highlander, either (never went to a convention, which I would've if I'd cared that much). Bruce Campbell was on TV in something recently, but I can't remember what.

Nancy said...

Cassondra, I liked Ally McBeal when I saw it, which was intermittently. The sort of Walter Mitty-ish aspect really appealed to me, as did the music, but I thought the last season didn't hold up when compared to the earlier ones.

Helen, reading is so convenient, isn't it? You don't have to wait for it to be scheduled.

Pat, Chloe is from your hometown? I didn't see that season (except in reruns), but the clothes I've seen of hers are so cute--and generally wearable. How cool!

Trish, one of my favorite 80s shows, Hill Street Blues, almost got the axe halfway into its debut season. Only critical acclaim saved it, and it went on to be a huge hit for years. These days, shows don't seem to get that chance.

Speaking of TV shows and Joss Whedon (major Battlestar Galactica fan), who do think is the 12th Cylon on BSG?

Ruth--Sixty? Wow!

Anna C., glad you liked the post. And yeah, the Mountie (Paul Gross) was way seriously cute!

Carol, thanks for the kind words. We love Boston Legal, which we discovered early in Season 2. The New York Times had an article yesterday about Dr. Who being reshaped into SF for the family, even with occasional nods to more mature themes. Last year at DragonCon, I went through the badge pickup line with a woman who worked for the BBC and had done publicity for Dr. Who!

Flchen, the thesis of Pitts's column is just what you suggested, that dealing with something that has such quick changes and short chunks interferes with sustaining attention. So far, I'm not having that problem, I'm happy to say.

Kim, Methos is also way cute, and I really liked him, too, but he wasn't in Season 1. Peter Wingfield turned up in X-2, I think, and he played a Goa'uld on Stargate SG-1 for several episodes. He's great!

Nancy said...

Beth--glad you liked it. October Road sounds great, but it clearly went away before I had a chance to notice it.

Dianna, you make a good point. Sometimes, we just don't click with a particular storyline.

Caren Crane said...

Christine, one of my friends was totally hooked on Due South. She was crazy for mounties!

I also saw Firefly only on DVD long after it was cancelled. It was great! Sadly, I think I prefer waiting until they're on DVD. The obsessive/compulsive in me leaps with joy and chortles with glee when there is a chance to gorge on five or six episodes in a row. Only having to put one in the mail and wait for the next from Netflix saves me. *g*

Nancy said...

Caren, I like watching back to back, too. I also missed Firefly until it was on DVD, but I enjoyed watching several hours in a row.

Caren Crane said...

Eilis, I missed Brisco so much that my son gave me the series on DVD for Christmas. *g* Oh, and speaking of Bruce Campbell, we're watching "Bubba Ho-tep" right now!

Caren Crane said...

Carol, I'll have you know the GR found no Southern Comfort on his arrival. That is not to say that he may not have convinced someone (*cough*my cat Chaps*cough*) to procure him some while I was at work.

Matter of fact, he convinced my youngest to make him cheese grits AND bake him chocolate chip cookies . The middle child had to take him to visit a popsicle and lemonade stand some children erected on the corner. It was a very hot day, so I can't blame him.

EXCEPT, I got a complaint from the pool guy that a certain rooster was harrassing him while he tried to shock the pool. Seems the GR had invited friends over!

Keira, we are sadly NOT in the mountains, but in the hot and very rolling, low hills of the Piedmont. Matter of fact, the sandhills are about an hour from us in Raleigh. From here, it's about 3 hours to the beach and 4 to the mountains. Heaven!

Caren Crane said...

Beth, that's so funny! Every time my husband and I find a show and love it, we realize it's doomed to cancellation.

We really liked one called "Key West" that starred Fisher Stevens. It was very quirky and funny - and lasted 13 episodes. We knew it was doomed because we liked it!

Oh, I also discovered "Dead Like Me" after it was cancelled. Insanely quirky and funny - lasted two seasons.

I gave up on TV. Too much heartbreak.

Pat Cochran said...

Nancy,

Chloe and her family, which includes
seven sisters, are from a suburb just
northwest of where we live. She has
a shop, with her sisters, in the Village section of SW Houston.
She currently is being featured in
tv promotions for the transportation
system here in Houston.

Pat Cochran

Anne said...

Anna Campbell said: The Mountie show was called something like Due South and it had a gorgeous white dog in it called Dieffenbacher who I think was Canada's first premier? Does anyone know any Canadian history?
Now really, Anna Campbell, I know Canadians are huuuuge dog lovers -- but I'm sure they don't elect dogs as prime ministers.
Mind you, we have occasionally. And we have politicians who sniff seats, just like dogs. Hmmmm, maybe there is some truth in your ahem, tail after all. ;)

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Miss Gracie! Great to see you here. I'm yet to be convinced dogs wouldn't make BETTER leaders than people!

Terry Odell said...

God, I LOVE Highlander. It's where I got my writing start (all due to a misunderstanding of a comment my son made, but that's TOO long a story.)

Heck, if you look at the hero in one of my books, you'll see a lot of Duncan MacLeod.

I think the later seasons of Highlander didn't live up to the early ones, but by then, it didn't matter.

And since I didn't find Highlander with the first episodes, I sort of started halfway into the first season and worked in both directions.

I gave up on ST (disappointedly so) with Enterprise. I tried to like it, because I like Scott Bakula, but I couldn't get hooked.

And StarGate lost me when Richard Dean Anderson left. (I was a big MacGyver fan, too, although I came into that series late as well -- it ran against Simon & Simon and I'd already gotten hooked on that one.)