You might be expecting me to discuss Star Trek: The Next Generation next in this series, but that would be disingenous to the actual chronological order in which the universe of Star Trek developed over the years. For 2 seasons, the blink of an eye by the standards of some series, Star Trek returned to… Continue reading Trek through Trek: The Animated Series
Tag: television
Building Character: The Adversarial Ally
As Heinlein once pointed out, heroes and villains come in complimentary pairs. Sometimes the protagonist of a given tale will spend more time with or thinking about the antagonist than they do their significant other. One might even find fiction that turns the antagonist into the hero’s significant other. However, it could be argued that… Continue reading Building Character: The Adversarial Ally
On The Tube: Fringe
I have fond memories of the days at university when the lights would go out, we’d sit on the couch or floor with our hastily-cooked meals and wait for The X-Files to come on. We drank in the ambiance, the supernatural nature of the weekly problems and the interplay between Mulder and Scully. Not to… Continue reading On The Tube: Fringe
Building Character: Quiet Strength
I know I said I’d be doing a post on adversarial allies next, but a few episodes of House & NCIS completely derailed that line of thinking. To me, at least, what makes for a good character is just as much what somebody doesn’t say as it is what they do say. As an example,… Continue reading Building Character: Quiet Strength
Trek Through Trek: The Original Series
Between the Fan Collective DVD sets to which I have access, either through direct ownership or asking my parents very nicely, and the intelligent and hilarious opinionated reviews by sfdebris (even funnier in video format), I’ve been watching plenty of Star Trek lately. It’s not just good entertainment, it’s rich background material for anybody doing… Continue reading Trek Through Trek: The Original Series
Building Character: The Brain
Not too long ago I discussed some basics on how to build effective characters. I think some specific examples might be helpful to people trying to scribble out compelling fiction, and in the wake of NaNoWriMo, you might be looking back over your work wondering how to improve something. Hopefully, examinations of existing characters might… Continue reading Building Character: The Brain
On the Tube: White Collar
The major networks – CBS, NBC and ABC in this country – seem to have cornered the market on procedurals. In fact, it could be argued that procedurals are overrated. However, occasionally a show will try to take the procedural formula and go in a different direction. Take a cop show, for example, and give… Continue reading On the Tube: White Collar
On the Tube: Castle
I committed a major, MAJOR oversight when I posted my fall preview of television. I neglected to talk about one of my favorite shows which features one of my favorite actors. And it’s about a novelist. Nathan Fillion stars as the titular Rick Castle, a crime drama novelist who has found a measure of success.… Continue reading On the Tube: Castle
On The Tube: Fall Preview
Sweeps is once again upon us, and new shows and old favorites alike are vying for your television attention and advertising market share. Below you’ll find the shows I’ll be tuning in for and why. I have to admit this post is somewhat short and formulaic, but an appointment with the dentist and pending deadlines… Continue reading On The Tube: Fall Preview
On the Tube: Burn Notice
For a long time, television has brought us a plethora of police & detective procedural shows. From Dragnet to Law & Order, Columbo to Monk, we’ve often spent hours at a sitting looking into the lives of the men and women who enforce the law. It’s a rare show that instead deals with the world… Continue reading On the Tube: Burn Notice
