24
These Were Their Stories
May 25, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
“Appointment television” may be defined as the need to be home when a television show airs to ensure we capture every second of the show.
In a Hulu-You Tube-On Demand universe, appointment television in the strictest sense is no longer necessary. We’ll still seek quality, although the viewing time is in our hands. We need to make the appointment to watch the show, not the broadcast or cable networks. But after 24, Law & Order, and Lost, will prime time television ever be that good again?
On Sunday night, we learned that the Flash Sideways story line on Lost was really a waiting state for the dead. Our favorite characters remained there until they remembered their time on the island. Apparently, they needed to remember so they could move forward on their afterlife’s journeys.
Last night, we said goodbye to Jack Bauer. He’s on the run after triggering the exposure of a massive cover-up that reached the Oval Office, not to mention pulling the trigger to seek revenge on almost everyone involved. The cover-up killed Renee Walker, Jack’s paramour and fellow CTU agent.
We also bid adieu last night to Law & Order, one of television’s true stalwarts. With twenty years of episodes, we will easily have ample time to relive the stories of Lennie Briscoe, Mike Logan, Jack McCoy, Anita Van Buren, and the many others who dramatized true-life stories.
When a television show creator pitches a show, he or she explains the first few story lines or ‘bible.’ On Inside the Actors Studio, Dick Wolf recalled pitching L&O to Brandon Tartikoff, then the President of NBC Entertainment. When Tartikoff asked about the story bible, Wolf said that he would get his stories from the front page of the New York Post.
david@davidkrell.com
“Appointment television” may be defined as the need to be home when a television show airs to ensure we capture every second of the show.
In a Hulu-You Tube-On Demand universe, appointment television in the strictest sense is no longer necessary. We’ll still seek quality, although the viewing time is in our hands. We need to make the appointment to watch the show, not the broadcast or cable networks. But after 24, Law & Order, and Lost, will prime time television ever be that good again?
On Sunday night, we learned that the Flash Sideways story line on Lost was really a waiting state for the dead. Our favorite characters remained there until they remembered their time on the island. Apparently, they needed to remember so they could move forward on their afterlife’s journeys.
Last night, we said goodbye to Jack Bauer. He’s on the run after triggering the exposure of a massive cover-up that reached the Oval Office, not to mention pulling the trigger to seek revenge on almost everyone involved. The cover-up killed Renee Walker, Jack’s paramour and fellow CTU agent.
We also bid adieu last night to Law & Order, one of television’s true stalwarts. With twenty years of episodes, we will easily have ample time to relive the stories of Lennie Briscoe, Mike Logan, Jack McCoy, Anita Van Buren, and the many others who dramatized true-life stories.
When a television show creator pitches a show, he or she explains the first few story lines or ‘bible.’ On Inside the Actors Studio, Dick Wolf recalled pitching L&O to Brandon Tartikoff, then the President of NBC Entertainment. When Tartikoff asked about the story bible, Wolf said that he would get his stories from the front page of the New York Post.
Major League
May 27, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
This year marks the 20th anniversary of a movie with a classic early set up and climactic payoff, romance in the B-storyline incorporated into the main plot, and an underdog theme against a baseball backdrop.
Major League.
In this 1989 movie, Charlie Sheen plays Cleveland Indians pitcher Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn, his nickname stemming from his wild pitching. Corrective lenses easily solve this problem.
Sheen later parlayed his movie stardom for small screen success. He took over the lead position in Spin City after Michael J. Fox left the show. Sheen now stars in Two and a Half Men, the successor to the crown of CBS' Monday night comedy lineup previously worn by Everybody Loves Raymond.
Corbin Bernsen plays cocky, skilled, and fast-talking third baseman Roger Dorn. His performance in Major League coincided with the height of his success in L.A. Law where he played cocky, skilled, and fast-talking matrimonial attorney Arnie Becker.
Tom Berenger plays veteran catcher Jake Taylor. Berenger's television work is plentiful.
In guest appearances on Cheers, Berenger plays plumber Don Santry, the man who finally wins the love of Rebecca Howe, played by Kirstie Alley.
Berenger plays real-life icons Teddy Roosevelt and Paul 'Bear' Bryant respectively in the tv-movies Rough Riders and The Junction Boys.
In October Road, Berenger plays the Commander, a.k.a. the father of lead character Nick Garrett.
Berenger made another noteworthy contribution to prime time. Sort of.
In The Big Chill, Berenger plays Sam Weber, the star of the action-packed television show, J.T. Lancer.
James Gammon plays Indians manager Lou Brown. He also plays Nick Bridges, father of Don Johnson's title character in Nash Bridges.
Dennis Haysbert captures attention as Pedro Cerrano, a voodoo-friendly power slugger. A little more than a decade after Major League, he captured attention on a weekly basis as presidential candidate and then President David Palmer on 24.
Bob Uecker provides comic relief as Indians radio announcer Harry Doyle, a boozy play-by-play man who does his best to shade the Indians' pathetic playing at the beginning of the movie with not so accurate descriptions.
Uecker graced the small screen in the 1980's ABC Friday night sitcom Mr. Belvedere, based on the 1947 novel Belvedere by Gwen Davenport.
Major League will inspire you to root for the home team, infuse you with faith even if the odds are against success, and encourage you to keep moving forward even when something goes awry no matter how valiant the effort.
david@davidkrell.com
This year marks the 20th anniversary of a movie with a classic early set up and climactic payoff, romance in the B-storyline incorporated into the main plot, and an underdog theme against a baseball backdrop.
Major League.
In this 1989 movie, Charlie Sheen plays Cleveland Indians pitcher Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn, his nickname stemming from his wild pitching. Corrective lenses easily solve this problem.
Sheen later parlayed his movie stardom for small screen success. He took over the lead position in Spin City after Michael J. Fox left the show. Sheen now stars in Two and a Half Men, the successor to the crown of CBS' Monday night comedy lineup previously worn by Everybody Loves Raymond.
Corbin Bernsen plays cocky, skilled, and fast-talking third baseman Roger Dorn. His performance in Major League coincided with the height of his success in L.A. Law where he played cocky, skilled, and fast-talking matrimonial attorney Arnie Becker.
Tom Berenger plays veteran catcher Jake Taylor. Berenger's television work is plentiful.
In guest appearances on Cheers, Berenger plays plumber Don Santry, the man who finally wins the love of Rebecca Howe, played by Kirstie Alley.
Berenger plays real-life icons Teddy Roosevelt and Paul 'Bear' Bryant respectively in the tv-movies Rough Riders and The Junction Boys.
In October Road, Berenger plays the Commander, a.k.a. the father of lead character Nick Garrett.
Berenger made another noteworthy contribution to prime time. Sort of.
In The Big Chill, Berenger plays Sam Weber, the star of the action-packed television show, J.T. Lancer.
James Gammon plays Indians manager Lou Brown. He also plays Nick Bridges, father of Don Johnson's title character in Nash Bridges.
Dennis Haysbert captures attention as Pedro Cerrano, a voodoo-friendly power slugger. A little more than a decade after Major League, he captured attention on a weekly basis as presidential candidate and then President David Palmer on 24.
Bob Uecker provides comic relief as Indians radio announcer Harry Doyle, a boozy play-by-play man who does his best to shade the Indians' pathetic playing at the beginning of the movie with not so accurate descriptions.
Uecker graced the small screen in the 1980's ABC Friday night sitcom Mr. Belvedere, based on the 1947 novel Belvedere by Gwen Davenport.
Major League will inspire you to root for the home team, infuse you with faith even if the odds are against success, and encourage you to keep moving forward even when something goes awry no matter how valiant the effort.
Have No Fear, Hulu Is Here!
May 18, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Greetings from Seattle! Home of Dr. Frasier Crane, Seattle Grace Hospital, and the 1992 film Singles that inspired the Generation X-themed powerhouse sitcom Friends.
Seattle is also home to the 2009 International Trademark Association's Annual Meeting. Approximately 8,000 trademark owners, attorneys, and branding executives come to the Annual Meeting to discuss their challenges, experiences, and solutions in being the guardians of their respective brands.
Besides providing unparalleled education, INTA's Annual Meeting has networking around the clock. And you never know who you're going to meet.
At the opening reception last night, I met the attorney from Loeb & Loeb who handles the Green Hornet character. A movie featuring the Green Hornet is in pre-production. Seth Rogen is set to star.
After months of telephone conference calls, I met the leader of our workshop group for INTA's 2010 Annual Meeting in Boston where I will have the privilege of being a faculty member. I will tailor my Write This Way 2.0 workshop for an INTA writing workshop featuring panelists from the Jackson Walker law firm and General Electric.
I chatted with Alan Drewsen, Executive Director of INTA. A couple of weeks ago, I had the unique opportunity to pre-tape an interview with Mr. Drewsen for TV Confidential. The interview will air on a future program.
And I also had a brush with celebrity when I met supermodel turned brand owner Elle Macpherson at the Loeb & Loeb dessert reception. Read today's blog entry at Write This Way 2.0 for more about Ms. Macpherson's Keynote Speech at last night's opening ceremony.
The networking continues tonight. I put together a group of eight people to go to the Mariners vs. Angels game.
Baseball and INTA is a tradition for me. Luckily, I've been able to combine my passion for baseball with my passion for intellectual property.
In 2005, INTA held its Annual Meeting in San Diego. A fellow INTA attendee and I had a steak dinner and went to a Padres game with her mom.
In 2006, we repeated the cycle at INTA's Annual Meeting in Toronto. We went to two Blue Jays games at the Skydome -- one with the roof retracted, one with the roof in service.
In 2007, INTA's Annual Meeting took place in Chicago. The White Sox were in town. The tradition continued.
2008 can be classified as N/A because the Annual Meeting occurred in Berlin, Germany.
And the tradition continues tonight.
Only this time we've extended the group.
Next year, the Annual Meeting is in Boston. My friend, a devoted citizen of Red Sox Nation, hopes the Red Sox will play at home during the 2010 Annual Meeting and allow us to keep pace with our tradition.
While I'm looking forward to the game, I'm also going to miss tonight's Season Finale of 24. Will Kim Bauer escape from the creepy couple at the airport? Will Tony Almeida break under interrogation techniques that he knows about and maybe even helped invent? Will the president's daughter get arrested for her participation in Jonas Hodges' murder?
After four months of not missing an episode this season, I may have to read about the Season Finale on the Internet. Not exactly the same as watching it.
At least that's what I thought until I discovered hulu.com puts episodes of 24 on its site the day after the episodes air. So, I'll be a few hours behind the rest of the world in seeing how Jack Bauer solves his latest crisis. But I'll see it.
The convergence of television and the Internet takes a massive step forward in hulu.com. The site provides television programming with limited commercial interruption. Full-scaled programs, not the clips of ten minutes or less that you see on YouTube.
By the way, hulu.com doesn't just post episodes from current series -- Lost, House, 24. There's also a nice offering of shows from decades past -- Charlie's Angels, The White Shadow.
Will appointment television be a thing of the past because of hulu.com and potential similar sites and business models yet to be created?
Stay tuned.
david@davidkrell.com
Greetings from Seattle! Home of Dr. Frasier Crane, Seattle Grace Hospital, and the 1992 film Singles that inspired the Generation X-themed powerhouse sitcom Friends.
Seattle is also home to the 2009 International Trademark Association's Annual Meeting. Approximately 8,000 trademark owners, attorneys, and branding executives come to the Annual Meeting to discuss their challenges, experiences, and solutions in being the guardians of their respective brands.
Besides providing unparalleled education, INTA's Annual Meeting has networking around the clock. And you never know who you're going to meet.
At the opening reception last night, I met the attorney from Loeb & Loeb who handles the Green Hornet character. A movie featuring the Green Hornet is in pre-production. Seth Rogen is set to star.
After months of telephone conference calls, I met the leader of our workshop group for INTA's 2010 Annual Meeting in Boston where I will have the privilege of being a faculty member. I will tailor my Write This Way 2.0 workshop for an INTA writing workshop featuring panelists from the Jackson Walker law firm and General Electric.
I chatted with Alan Drewsen, Executive Director of INTA. A couple of weeks ago, I had the unique opportunity to pre-tape an interview with Mr. Drewsen for TV Confidential. The interview will air on a future program.
And I also had a brush with celebrity when I met supermodel turned brand owner Elle Macpherson at the Loeb & Loeb dessert reception. Read today's blog entry at Write This Way 2.0 for more about Ms. Macpherson's Keynote Speech at last night's opening ceremony.
The networking continues tonight. I put together a group of eight people to go to the Mariners vs. Angels game.
Baseball and INTA is a tradition for me. Luckily, I've been able to combine my passion for baseball with my passion for intellectual property.
In 2005, INTA held its Annual Meeting in San Diego. A fellow INTA attendee and I had a steak dinner and went to a Padres game with her mom.
In 2006, we repeated the cycle at INTA's Annual Meeting in Toronto. We went to two Blue Jays games at the Skydome -- one with the roof retracted, one with the roof in service.
In 2007, INTA's Annual Meeting took place in Chicago. The White Sox were in town. The tradition continued.
2008 can be classified as N/A because the Annual Meeting occurred in Berlin, Germany.
And the tradition continues tonight.
Only this time we've extended the group.
Next year, the Annual Meeting is in Boston. My friend, a devoted citizen of Red Sox Nation, hopes the Red Sox will play at home during the 2010 Annual Meeting and allow us to keep pace with our tradition.
While I'm looking forward to the game, I'm also going to miss tonight's Season Finale of 24. Will Kim Bauer escape from the creepy couple at the airport? Will Tony Almeida break under interrogation techniques that he knows about and maybe even helped invent? Will the president's daughter get arrested for her participation in Jonas Hodges' murder?
After four months of not missing an episode this season, I may have to read about the Season Finale on the Internet. Not exactly the same as watching it.
At least that's what I thought until I discovered hulu.com puts episodes of 24 on its site the day after the episodes air. So, I'll be a few hours behind the rest of the world in seeing how Jack Bauer solves his latest crisis. But I'll see it.
The convergence of television and the Internet takes a massive step forward in hulu.com. The site provides television programming with limited commercial interruption. Full-scaled programs, not the clips of ten minutes or less that you see on YouTube.
By the way, hulu.com doesn't just post episodes from current series -- Lost, House, 24. There's also a nice offering of shows from decades past -- Charlie's Angels, The White Shadow.
Will appointment television be a thing of the past because of hulu.com and potential similar sites and business models yet to be created?
Stay tuned.