Francine Brokaw's Blog

Posted by Francine Brokaw

Posted by Francine Brokaw

I'll admit it. I am a big fan of the movie Stargate and the TV series SG1. I think the cast of the series was the perfect mix and had great chemestry. I was less enthusiastic with Stargate Atlantis. And I am even more disappointed with SGU.

SGU, at least this far in the season, fails in the character department. There are no characters that really catch my attention and make me want to tune in for another episode. And so far, the episodes have been dark and void of much interest.

Star Trek was a franchise that continually reinvented itself with great casts and interesting storylines. The Next Generation was more exciting than the original series, and Voyager was just as appealing, with enjoyable characters and interesting plot lines.

Unfortunately, for me, so far this season,SGU has been a major disappointment. And coming from a die-hard Stargate fan who has been eager for another series in the franchise, this is a big let down.

It is still early in the season. Things might change. But without the humor of a Jack O'Neill or the wit and wisdom of a Daniel Jackson, that looks highly unlikely. While these characters do make periodic appearances in SGU, they are not enough to hold my interest in the series.

My opinion seems to be in the minority as the ratings are improving for this series. Hopefully something will arise that will make me excited about watching.

Posted by Francine Brokaw

With The Jay Leno Show taking up the last hour of primetime TV on NBC, the network loses those hours that are generally slotted for major drama series'. Up against such popular shows as CSI: Miami and others that have consistently ranked in the top ten, Jay Leno has his work cut out for him.

Leno doesn’t expect to overtake the big dramas. He hopes that when they are in reruns, however, that his new programming will entice viewers over to NBC.

Many of those in the Writers Guild are not pleased about this new show as it takes away from five different groups of writers. The hours that Jay Leno is talking about headlines and other things are generally filled by five dramas, which each have their writing teams.

So, the talk of the town is whether The Jay Leno Show will do well enough to hold its own in the ratings. And, if it does, that is another headache for the writers and actors who would generally have jobs filling the weeknight hours. If other networks decide it is more cost-effective to put a talk/variety show on in lieu of a drama series, actors, writers, and the viewers will be missing a lot of good TV.

But this remains to be seen. It will take awhile for Jay Leno to hit his stride. After that, we’ll see. Will we be in for more of this type of format? Hopefully, this won’t be as popular as the reality show format, which continues to be successful. However, with the expense of regular drama series’, the future is up in the air.

Posted by Francine Brokaw

• PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: “Battlestar Galactica” (Syfy)
• OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM: “True Blood” (HBO)
• OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: “Mad Men” (AMC)
• OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
• OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION: “The Alzheimer’s Project” (HBO)
• OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: “Yo Gabba Gabba” (Nickelodeon)
• OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINI-SERIES & SPECIALS: “Grey Gardens” (HBO)
• INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
• INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)
• HERITAGE AWARD: “ER” (NBC)
• CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: Betty White

Posted by Francine Brokaw

Harper's Island was a new kind of series. It was meant to last a total of thirteen episodes, with a beginning, middle and end. Last weekend it concluded with the killers being revealed and the reason for all the murders explained.

But the explanation was far-fetched and there were many holes in the storyline. I'm a persona who likes all the t's crossed and i's dotted. I don't like it when I find flaws in stories. Of course, I do realize that it is a work of fiction; however there were many things that simply did not add up.

Perhaps that is the reason the plug was pulled on this show. At least the viewers were not left wondering who was behind all the bloody murders. That fact was revealed. But the reason for the brutal attacks was lame.

Even though I was disappointed with the conclusion, I, along with all the other fans of the show, am grateful that CBS completed the storyline. They could have pulled the plug weeks ago, leaving viewers wondering what in the world was going on on that island. I give the network credit for wrapping up the series.

Serialized Television

Taking into account that this fictional, far-fetched story was created for entertainment, the show held many viewers’ attention for thirteen hours, myself included. I like the fact that it was a short-lived series. Many shows that go on and on year after year often lose their intrigue and get tiresome. After several years, a lot of viewers simply get tired of the same thing week after week in serialized TV.

Serialized TV requires that for the most part, viewers need to watch every single episode, which is often not easy, even in this day and age of digital video recorders. And if they miss a week or two, they are often out of the loop when they return to the show.

Serialized TV requires a commitment by the viewers, and a commitment by the network to complete the story and not leave the viewers hanging, as they have done several times in the past. Sitcoms are a completely different genre and viewers can miss a week without wondering what is going on with the characters.

While Harper’s Island is now complete, it was an interesting experiment in short-term television. It was implausible and left a lot to the imagination, but it was highly regarded by die hard fans of the show.