Well, what's a well-educated (see previous post), sensitive, latte liberal, Left Coaster supposed to do when she falls--and falls hard--for a TV show? And not a show on PBS. Oh no. Not even on Upper Echelon Cable--or, horrors--basic cable. But on the TV That Dare Not Speak Its Name. Yes, Broadcast Television.
To be more precise: NBC. You know, TV from the Paleolithic.
What happened, as best I can recall is this. Around September, 2007, I happened upon a vaguely snarky review of the new fall series, "Journeyman", in the San Francisco Chronicle. The term that hooked my usually spotty attention was: time travel. But not the prosaic and shockingly common time travel to the future. Nosirreebob. I don't even trust the future. Do you?
No. Time travel to the past! And, again, no--not that been-there/done-that time travel to the distant past. "Journeyman" turned out to be about time travel to the relatively recent past, i.e., decades even I can still remember. Sort of. And, icing on the media cake: the series was set in and around my favorite geography: San Francisco. It was good-looking in another way, too. The lead actor was Kevin McKidd, late of HBO's yummy costume drama, "Rome." (I mean, have you seen this guy? OMG.)
So, I watch episode 1. And it's pretty good. I decide to give NBC's long-mothballed motto, "Must See TV", another whirl, and I watch episode 2 the following Monday. And the second episode is really good. By now I'm hooked on this tasty and smart look at the late 20th century Bay Area from the not-so-much smarter early 21st century.
What really sealed the deal was this: around episode 3, I sat up abruptly on my couch (on which I customarily lounge) to say out loud, This show has just jumped exponentially* in complexity and depth. I'm astounded! It's rounding the "j-curve"** and is heading straight up!
The rest of the episodes rolled around each Monday like polished jewels. Until the 13th, unlucky installment. Episode 12 had appeared as expected, on its appointed Monday, the 17th of December. All blue skies and calm waters. But the next episode, and the last, as it has turned out, appeared just two days later, on an alien Wednesday--with all the abruptness and surprise of a Bay Area earthquake. After that, silence from NBC.
What's a heart-broken TV snob to do?
(to be continued. . .)
*Thanks to the very late and great Thomas Robert Malthus.
**Ditto
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Thank the good Lord I have another email account so the brownboots at Google can't force me into an identity I no longer want. But that's about me and this is about Journeyman.
You are a wonderful writer, I may have already told you that. You have imaginative prose and I am very envious. I have been told I can write, but my stuff is just that, stuff. I'm like the business muse and you are the tiptoe-through-the-tulips Left Coast airy fairy writer. I love it! And I am currently in the second season of Rome and yes, it is brilliant. As a Right Winger who can look past the sex and nudity and bloodshed (well, we never mind the bloodshed, do we? What IS with that, anyway? - Oh, right, Leftists love the sex and nudity, Rightys love the bloodshed, one forgets as one gets older and wiser :) and can appreciate the absolute magnificence of showing Rome in all of its splendid lasciviousness, it is a historical lesson of a waning empire - one, I should think, this country could take serious note of, don't you think? And Kevin McKidd is, yes, drooly to say the least.
Journeyman was a much different turn for him - although he does sort of play hero in both. But Journeyman does something to one's intellect, as you say, that surprised a lot of people (unfortunately not the RIGHT people - a pox on all their business dealings!). It made one turn ON the television, if you have a certain level of understanding. In other words, Journeyman does appeal to a rather elite audience, evidently because it is one of the most brilliant shows I have seen in years. Perhaps it was too brilliant for NBC, you know, it isn't exactly a show for the Price Is Right crowd. It IS, however, a show for the thinking crowd.
A broken-hearted TV snob needs to have some brie with an equally broken-hearted Right Winger and have wonderful discussions to change the world, since, if we ran it, it would be perfect, after all.
After that, we go into heynielsen.com and post away about the delights of this wonderful show. What do you think?
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