THE GLASS TEAT - A RARE EXCURSION INTO THE WORLD OF TELEVISION.

I don't watch broadcast television - my TV set is not even connected to an aerial. However I have been adding ome of my favourite shows from the past to my DVD collection. Among these was the complete five season run of ALLY McBEAL, a series I adored first time around and have enjoyed even more this time. It's very funny , occasionally very poignant and moving, It had great guest stars, especially of the musical variety, quite brilliant acting and writing (it is often not appreciated that creator David E.Kelley wrote every episode - which very much kept it on track) and a seemingly endless parade of hot women. It was only by accident that I discovered that the series BOSTON LEGAL was also by David E. Kelley. Before buying it I decided to check it out. I was able to do this thanks to my dear friend Fiona who won't mind me describing her as a rabid William Shatner fan. To be honest I was a bit disappointed in the first episode. It was good but I felt it was nothing special. However it took off with episode two and by the end of the first series I was totally hooked. This is writing for television of a very high order with acting to match. Bill Shatner, James Spader, Candice Bergen, Rene Auberjonois and the rest of the cast bring the characters to life. Like all great TV shows BOSTON LEGAL has a endless supply of memorable scenes (the climatic scene of season 1 which features an execution will stay with me for a long time) and great dialogue. Already I am getting the urge to walk up to strangers and simply say "Denny Crane"....but that probaby means there is some thing wrong with me. The series also poses within the episodes some interesting ethical and moral questions. Highly recommended.

AGE OF THE KNOW-NOTHING TOTS

Over on the sidebar you will see a quote from Harlan Ellison which I stole from my pal Cerpts over at The Land of Cerpts and Honey. I don't know where Cerpts got it from but I thought it was important enough to have on my blog as well. I've not read anything by Harlan Ellison for years and years but after I saw that quote I went on YouTube an caught up with some Ellison clips. It was good to see that Harlan has lost none of his bite. Two of the most enjoyable books I read by the writer were THE GLASS TEAT and THE OTHER GLASS TEAT which were collections of Harlan's TV criticism and I've often thought back to those volumes (sadly no longer in my possession) and thought how accurate were Harlan's predictions about the way popular television was heading. Harlan saw it twenty-five years ago. But sadly, the decline is spreading out from TV into the wide world. Good to see you are still out there fighting the fuckers HE.