Strike!
Well, the writers’ strike is still going on and tvguide.com is continually updating the countdown until our favorite television shows go off-air.
From what I’ve gathered from the articles I’ve read, I am inclined to side with the writers in this one. It may be that they’re asking for too much in royalties, but for the areas that they’re not receiving any royalties, come on, suits! The entertainment industry is scrambling to make laws to stop music piracy, but they’re pirating the work of their employees themselves. It’s kind of unbelievable.
So here we are then–writing a blog about television which, in a couple weeks, won’t be new and exciting.
Producers and other crew on the picket lines were quoted as saying, “this is like losing a best friend.” The sadness of not bringing your planned season to fruition is heartbreaking. They spend so many hours planning each episode and keeping the show on this specific track, but many shows were forced to create quickie season finales in the wake of the strike.
I think the saddest story of all has to be that of Scrubs. It’s a show that people get most fanatical about, but the network has never been kind. This was supposed to be the final season and, although the first 4 or 5 episodes were not impressive to me, the creators and writers had been planning this end for 7 years now. Viewers are so invested in the Elliot/JD relationship and they need closure–but sufficient closure. As big a part as the show was in viewer’s lives in the last 7 years, the actors, crew and creators have invested their entire lives to these characters and to each other. I read an interview with the creator, Bill Lawrence, and it was truly sad to read how he has to struggle with the networks to allow his show to have a proper ending. I hope it gets one–that cast deserves to have one heck of an end.
I’ll point you to tvguide.com’s Strike Chart where they outline how many episodes are left for most of the popular television shows. Most of my favorites have one or two episodes left and it makes me think I might have a chance of focusing on schoolwork this next semester!
But, rather than having this entire post be about the sadness and bleak outlook for the strike, I’ll segue into a discussion of my newest obsession: How I Met Your Mother.
How has this show been overlooked for so long?? I don’t think it’s as underappreciated as Scrubs, but pretty close! A great friend of mine recommended the show, then lent me the first 2 seasons on DVD. In one week, I’ve watched every episode of the show out there and I am enamored.
The show’s writing is priceless; Barney’s character (played by Neil Patrick Harris–Doogie Howser, MD–grown up and hilarious) is so unforgettable. I now quote him at least twice a day because the writing is so relevant and applicable. That’s a mark of a good comedy.
Ted (played by Josh Radnor) is a great character too…he’s flawed and so fragile, but so funny at the same time. You just want to be his best friend. His struggle with loving Robin (Cobie Smulders), yet knowing that she is completely wrong for him is so relatable for every single viewer.
Then there’s Marshall and Lily (Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan). Perfectly casted, Marshall is a goof that will do anything for his only love, Lily-pad. Lily’s this cute, fun girl that has this tom-boy side that makes her loved by girls and guys.
It’s a lovable cast with near-perfect writing: the perfect ingredients for one delicious show. It’s like Friends, but smarter.
As an example of the hilarity of this show, I’ll put a clip from the thanksgiving episode ‘Slapsgiving’ that aired the Monday before Thanksgiving. To set up the clip: In the 9th episode of season 2, Marshall and Barney entered a ’slap bet’ that Barney then lost. Barney then could choose between 10 slaps in a row right then (and these are full wind-up, hard slaps as you’ll see in the video) or 5 slaps doled out whenever Marshall felt like it. Barney chose the 5 slaps, but now lives in fear of a slap at any moment. By the 9th episode of this current season, season 3, Marshall has given 2 slaps and then set up slapbetcountdown.com in order to scare Barney about the last slap. Their thanksgiving then turns into Slapsgiving as the countdown is to run out after the dinner. In this clip you’ll see how the dinner plays out and ends with an absolutely genius scene. Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel deserve Tonys.
So, I guess I’ll leave you with an encouragement to check out some shows you didn’t have a chance to see in these next dry months. They’ll be playing reruns like crazy, so catch up! Especially with How I Met Your Mother. You won’t be sorry!
