Gaia: Media & Technology - NETWORK TV

Pushing Daisies

http://s2.gaia.com — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:27:43 GMT

Anybody seen Pushing Daisies?

Wow.

s.

My morning glory
Blooms in my garden in light
Smile colors my world.

Samme S. S.

Re: Cesar Milan - The Dog Whisperer

http://princesamwise.gaia.com — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 01:04:55 GMT

Dear Layne,
Welcome to zaadz and this small but fun pod with wonderful members. Thank you for sharing such cute pictures. It brought more smiles to my day. Congratulations on the new addition to the family. More love!
love,
Samme

Cesar Milan - The Dog Whisperer

http://highmountainwind.gaia.com — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:58:51 GMT

I love this show. I don't watch it every week, but I love it when I stumble across it. Sometimes the Hallmark Channel does marathons of the shows too, so you can really get a dose of Cesar and the wonderful dog and owner stories.

Cesar is a bodhisattva doing a very special thing with dogs and dog owners. I am so grateful he is out there sharing his gifts and skills. When we first found the show we just happened to come across it. We loved it instantly. What is interesting is that at the time we didn't even have a dog! But we both had dogs as kids and knew that one day we would have a dog again. We slurped up the great stories and transformations of dog and owner behavior.

Then ... on January 27th we brought home a puppy! She's a resuce puppy, a Chocolate Lab / Austrralian Shepherd mix - a darling pup we named Tashi Nyima, Tibetan for "Auspicious Sun" or "Sun of Good Luck." We found that all we had learned on Cesar's show prepared us for our new puppy. She is doing great; she's easy to train and is a joy.

Here is Tashi at around 13 weeks:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/389711555_edaa0b435a_m.jpg

I have a set of shots of her and her siblings on Flickr at:
http://flickr.com/photos/applecrisp/sets/72157594490832328/

Thanks, Cesar for your inspiration and incredible information. :))

Layne

Why I Can't Stop Watching Battlestar Galactica. . .

http://darshan.gaia.com — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 02:25:24 GMT

Cross-posted from my personal journal. . .

“Om bhūr bhuvah svah tat savitur varēnyam bhargō dēvasya dhīmahi dhiyō yō nah pracōdayāt.”
or,
“Oh all-protecting lord, please guide our intellects, so that we may proceed in the right direction towards enlightenment.”

Mantra from the Rig Veda, used in the opening of the current Battlestar Galactica series.

In the most recent episode of Battlestar Galactica entitled ”Dirty Hands”, in the space of less than an hour's time there were references both direct and indirect to diverse artworks such as John Sayles' film Matewan, Norma Rae, the poetry of William Blake, Paul Jarrico & Michael Biberman's Salt of The Earth, and even a touch of Python.

In case you have it in your head that this is the Battlestar Galactica which in which, “Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny…” Lorne Greene led “a rag tag, fugitive fleet on a lonely quest” with a swashbuckling Dirk Benedict and a daggett named Muffy in tow… Well, let's just say you're in for quite a shock. Sure, Starbuck is a girl, Cylons look human and the President of the Colonies is a former school teacher, but there again, you're looking at the cosmetic changes of the show.

Consider the episode description for “Dirty Hands”… (Some spoilers follow)

”Mid-flight, a Raptor catches fire and crashes into Colonial One. No one is killed, but when impurities in the craft's tylium fuel are discovered, (President) Roslin and (Admiral) Adama demand answers from Zeno Fenner, the foreman on the tylium refinery ship Hitei Kan. Fenner has shut down his ship's production, insisting that broken machinery, unsafe conditions, and sheer exhaustion make it impossible for his workers to do their jobs well.

Although the fleet's fuel supply is now dangerously low, Fenner threatens to disrupt production further if these problems aren't solved. Then he quotes from a subversive new manifesto about class conflict that Gaius Baltar has written and had smuggled out of his cell. In response, Roslin orders Fenner arrested. Adama sends (Chief) Galen Tyrol to the Hitei Kan to replace Fenner and get the tylium flowing.

Tyrol can't help but empathize with the disgruntled refinery workers. One of his working-class deckhands, Seelix, was recently denied elite pilot training for suspiciously arbitrary reasons; his wife, Cally, even agrees with Baltar's declaration that a new aristocracy of privileged Capricans is systematically oppressing the fleet's working poor. But Tyrol also understands that someone has to do the dirty jobs for the fleet to survive at all.

Torn between these positions, Tyrol coerces the refinery's crew to resume work, but also negotiates with Roslin on their behalf. She proposes that everyone in the fleet with the correct skills should be drafted to take shifts aboard the Hitei Kan so that no one gets trapped forever in an intolerable job.

This solution inevitably creates new problems. One of the draftees, Danny, is a young man who has been chosen only because he briefly worked on a farm to earn money for college. He's understandably scared and angry about his new forced employment.

Seeking better answers, Tyrol reads (from) Baltar's book and visits the imprisoned ex-President (Baltar). Despite himself, he ends up considering Baltar's subversive ideas. Soon afterward, aboard the Hitei Kan, the rickety gears of a conveyor belt jam, nearly causing a deadly disaster. Danny saves the day, worming his body into the machine to fix the jam. But as the gears clank into motion, Danny is snagged and seriously injured.

Seeing this young man — who once dreamed of a college education — bleeding on the floor of the refinery jolts Tyrol into action. He shuts down the Hitei Kan and declares a strike. His workers cheer, but Adama immediately arrests Tyrol for mutiny — and declares that all mutineers will be shot. This time, Tyrol must negotiate not just for his workers' rights, but also for their lives.”

And again, this was just last week's episode!

The writing on Battlestar Galactica is some of the best currently on television. In a scene where Chief Tyrol confronts Baltar on the perceived fallacy of his geographical origin, I was left completely reeling from not only the brillance of performance, but the wealth of ideas and words. Writing crisp, rich, layered and relevant and the acting equally so.

The acting pallate is a broad ensemble of talent from known talents such as Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, veteran character actors such as Michael Hogan and Donnelly Rhodes, and fresh talent such as Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber and James Callis. Each one of these actors lending a quality missing from so much of television's landscape.

In just over three seasons of television, viewers have been treated to discussions of political corruption, torture and terrorism, spirituality and mythos, personal relationships and the value of humanity. We've been been thrillerd by gun battles, dog fights and combat sequences as good, if not better than any done to date on television. The show bridges the gap between intellect and viscera, spirituality and faith, humanity and technology, and in doing so, the new Galactica is New Era material all the way.

In the show's brief run, Producers Ron Moore and David Eick have had the courage to write shows which challenge viewer ideals and assumptions. At one point, Galactica served to many on the political Right as a show which spoke to one's right to commit “justifiable” atrocities in a state of war. When one of the key recurring characters took a turn from a committed and albeit flawed military leader, to a not-so-subtle Osama Bin Laden-like persona, many were infuriated and those sort of polarized viewers left in droves. But no one's beliefs on this show aren't subject to scrutiny, nor are the viewers. And thankfully, there isn't anyone more righteous than another.

Galactica deals with the idea that humans are capable of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, with each one of us containing the material that creates both Messiah and Monster. It forces us all to consider possibilities both positive and negative that none of us may yet be comfortable confronting. It asks us to confront everything that we know and understand, and expects us to entertain the possibility that not everything we hold as sacred is necessarily a good thing, nor etched in stone.

This show offers an avenue for entertainment, but there's nothing escapist about it. It's more invigorating and enlivening, than it is frivolous. It shouldn't come as a surprise to know that Ron Moore, one of the creative forces behind the best years of the Star Trek franchise, can be pointed to as one of the key forces behind the shape and success of Galactica. He has often been sited for taking shows like Next Generation and Deep Space Nine into places that dealt with contemporary issues in a more honest and relevant way.

Where Star Trek was at one point the show that society needed, I believe Galactica is the series that is necessary for this day and age. It's darker and often times more of a challenge to watch. But in it's exploration of the struggle for the roughly 400,000 human refugees and their quest to survive, it deals with the issues of what we fortunate six billion still have to answer for and deal with. Hopefully, not unlike the possible destination at the end of Galactica's road, there still is for all of us, that bright and shining planet known as Earth.

Re: NBC - did you see the message (3 shows same tune)

http://s2.gaia.com — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 20:02:19 GMT

Because 30 Rock and Studio 60, are behind the scenes looks at TV production it is normal that they would comment on the current state of the industry.

These changes in advertising useage is putting a lot of pressure on the writers. It directly effects story telling. Commercial artists like those who create TV for networks always are going to be faced with comprimises between the purely artistic and the need to attract large numbers to the party.

For a show like the Office, I think having advertising like "Staples" is not only appropriate but lends a sense of reality to the space.
s.

Re: NBC - did you see the message (3 shows same tune)

http://trust22.gaia.com — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 20:40:59 GMT

Absolutley... I just tought it was intresting that they were "asking" permission or felt the need to explain that in the future you will see more of it.

Re: NBC - did you see the message (3 shows same tune)

http://s2.gaia.com — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 19:43:18 GMT

A common misunderstanding is that television networks somehow make a profit from their audience. This has never been the case.

Advertisers are the clients of the networks. The networks job is to deliver as many eyes to the advertisers as possible. The networks profits are completely dependent on this. From the point of view of the networks their programing is attractive glitter to attract people to their advertising.

As TV audiences have eroded due to competing media such as DVDs, cable/satellite and Internet, it has become more difficult to justify the cost of producing major series. The commercial dollar will not support 40+ million dollar season's of Lost.

Product placement is a compromise to offset the costs of production.

Frankly, I have no problem with product placement. I don't think product placement alters commercial TV content in anyway. The history of the TV content has always been friendly to consumer culture and the ideology it evokes.

Those who want respite from this ideology go to alternative programing such as PBS. And these days have plenty of alternatives living on the Internet, DVD's. And for a more refreshing approach local live events, lectures, music, theater, and the like offer sympathetic alternative content.

s.

NBC - did you see the message (3 shows same tune)

http://trust22.gaia.com — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 07:14:18 GMT

Ok ... here is the deal... and I am a little scared that I saw this, just because it means I been watching a lot of TV ... BUUUT Fu....k it I been traveling for 6 month and my TV hours went down to almost zero so I have to catch up ;) Anyway Everything begun on Thursday when I was watching the office... in the middle of the episode they had a big shredder with a staple sign and they were explaining how to use the machine. Then first commercial after that segment... THE STAPLES MACHINE THAT SHREDS PAPER CD AND MORE.... mmmm that was a little too much Anyway then same night same network 30 rock the whole episode was about how GE was making the network have product placement and how f-k up it was and how much the didn't like it... so to get back at the network they wanted to have a VP or something do a sketch MMMM SOMETHING IS HAPPENIGN today Monday only 3 days later I was watching Studio 60 (pause ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS ON TV... I used to work in a live show and man is bringing me back toooons of memories) The whole show was how they had to have product placement instead of firing people ... they had to sacrifice "creative" or people job ... mmmm Just finding super interested that NBC is giving us explanation and telling us why they are doing product placement ... AMAZING HOW TECHNOLOGY (TIVO, DVR, etc) is changing TV ... it happen with music and now is happening with TV (Films you are next) The best part is that TV begun with product placement ... is just interesting to see how things happen and we are going back to the future :)

Animal Miracles!

http://Oceann.gaia.com — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 18:02:43 GMT

i adore this series!
i watch these episodes over and over, and i also adore the sweet Animal Vets episodes.

it's so heart-warming to see how other species and our species interact and are devoted to each other!

Re: House

http://joybringer.gaia.com — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 03:00:11 GMT

Jesse,

Me too. :) They lost me fo a while to the Dancing show, but now that it is returning back to its original time, I am back with joy...

Hugh Laurie makes Dr. House a memorable one in so many ways. One of his many gems:

“The great thing about telling somebody they’re dying is it tends to focus their priorities. You find out what matters to them. What they’re willing to die for. What they’re willing to lie for.” - Dr. Gregory House (“Three Stories”)

What is your favorite House-ism?
And episode/moment?
D a r i n a :)

House

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 07:45:16 GMT

This is my favorite show on TV with real people... haha (south park). I love his character and he really is a deep complex personality and the show is always really interesting if you are into medical stuff. Anyways... let me know if you guys are a fan

Re: Heroes!!!

http://s2.gaia.com — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 05:27:18 GMT

I watched the show, and liked it and hated it.

I like how they use the Buddhist-like spiritual message of people reaching their full potential.

On the other hand I did not like how they co-opted this message in the name of getting eyes in front of the tube to sell products.

I could not have helped think that the message would be better served if the characters and their problems could have been approached with more honesty and credibility rather than relying on "X Files" like gimmicks of slo-mo, special effects and synth music. This is wrapped up in plot conventions pulled from X-men, traditional horror movies (how many Cheer-leaders have we seen in tatered cloths?), and the ubiquitous mysterious G-man. Original material does not go down well with focus groups.

But alas, the goal is to sell Nikes, and honesty gets in the way of that goal.

Do any of you Zaadsters out there understand how networks make profits? Let me give you a clue, Networks to not manufacture sneakers.

s.

In the name of disclosure: I am currently employee of Warner Bros. TV

Re: Four Arguments for the Elimination...

http://s2.gaia.com — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 02:21:16 GMT

I love Jerry Mander's book. Much of what he says is true. Did you read "In the Absense of the Sacred" where he looked at the effects of television signals coming for the first time to Eskimo villages? Good stuff.

I tell my son there are two kinds of people in the world, those who watch television and those who make it. It's better to be the later.

I work in television. Although I agree with some of Mr. Mander's theories I also understand there is a great deal to be gained through the power of television. Just like we are gaining through the power of the internet. Many of his criticisms about TV are not completely valid. For example he discusses how TV shows material better than spirit, conflict better than resolution. I disagree. I do not think the media has an inherent predispotion to filter content. TV is what people make of it. Right now most TV is controlled by huge corporations, so of course it is going to reflect the inherent ideological charactor of international corporate greed.

But there are plenty of people who are out there trying make good TV. Children's Television Workshop, Frontline, and others.

And as a diversion it is great. No better way to unwind after a hard day and take in modern mythic story telling in the form of Lost or Curb Your Enthusiasm. Even the Dalai Lama talks about enjoying sitcoms. The point here is not to make it an end all and certainly not to confuse television as a beneficial relaxation technique like yoga.

s.

Re: Four Arguments for the Elimination...

http://princesamwise.gaia.com — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:48:02 GMT

I don't watch TV for many years now. But, I buy the DVDs of tv series that I like to watch like I have bought Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Will & Grace, Desperate Housewives, and Lost. But next week when Season 3 of Lost begins, I would like to watch it on tv every week because I just could not wait almost a year for the next DVD box set to come out again. The plot and story of LOST is just amazing and well written and presented. For those who missed out on seasons 1 and 2, you can watch it online and even the season 3 they will show it online after each episode. LOST rules!

Four Arguments for the Elimination...

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 16:42:06 GMT

I don't watch TV. Keeps my mind clear. For anyone who is thinking of giving it up, Jerry Mander's all time classic, FOUR ARGUMENTS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF TELEVISION will help you turn it off and end paying monthly cable bills.

LOST

http://samzen.gaia.com — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 17:51:40 GMT

Lost Season 3 starts next Wednesday. Are there fans out there of this amazing show?

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Re: Heroes!!!

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:57:26 GMT

There's hope for Network TV after all. After almost giving up because of the proliferation of unreality tv, here comes something entertaining and mind expanding at the same time. No chemicals needed, this show is indeed a trip.

I pray to be a hero…constantly…real soon :)

changing the world everyday,

c.j.

Animal Planet Heroes!

http://Oceann.gaia.com — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:17:58 GMT

Animal Planet heroes are my favorites!
i love the growing up series, the traveling filmmaker couple on 'caught in the moment',
Jane Goodall's show of animal heroes!
backyard habitat!
all inspiring!

Re: Heroes!!!

http://Oceann.gaia.com — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:15:55 GMT

Animal Planet heroes are my favorites!
i love the growing up series, the traveling filmmaker couple on 'caught in the moment',
Jane Goodall's show of animal heroes!
backyard habitat!
all inspiring!

Re: Heroes!!!

http://ladybear.gaia.com — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 12:39:48 GMT

Hi!

Thanks for the new pod!
I agree about HEROS. it is such a different format, fast moving, thoughtful
the music is great, and i loved how it intergrated every story in the show
together at the end.
Hopefully, this will be a winner with the networks.
Peace on....