Tag: Television

Have You ‘Cut The Cable’?

I have about 4 years ago, maybe longer. I dropped my cable service because it was expensive and I found that I could save a few bucks by using streaming basically because there was not much on ‘regular’ TV that I liked….I am not into food game shows or reality anything and I definitely could care less about any celeb.

Since I switched I have watched the streaming fees go up and up and the ads are just as irritating as those on ‘regular’ TV.

So why are my fees going sky high?

Remember when cutting the cable cord and switching to streaming services was supposed to save you money?

We’re quite a few years into the streaming revolution, in which big companies and Hollywood studios invested billions into new streaming services, many with a plus sign in their names. We’re talking about Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, plus smaller niche brands like Shudder and Acorn TV. Traditional broadcast networks and some cable channels are still making new shows, but if you’re looking for the most Emmy-nominated, high-profile series with the biggest stars attached, you’ve got to start your internet connection.

It’s all well and good if you like binge-watching, but have you checked your monthly subscription bills lately? Because those charges for Peacock and Disney+ might be quite a bit higher than they were when you signed up.

When platforms like Disney+ and Apple TV+ first arrived, they offered bargain-basement prices for monthly subscriptions to lure consumers into the fold before increasing rates. Since paying for “Bluey” and “Ted Lasso” is already a line item on your budget, you may have missed that fees have been slowly (and sometimes quickly) increasing at almost every service. You want Hulu, and you want it without ads? Well, that will run you a steep $18.99 a month by October, after the latest hike on all Disney services takes effect. Back when ad-free Hulu was introduced in 2015, it cost only $11.99.

Just take a look at the current and upcoming prices of all the major streamers, bundles and new sports-only app Venu, expected this month.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/08/14/why-tv-streaming-prices-are-so-high/74734387007/

It is like everything else in our society….greed is driving the bus….

What to do?

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

On The Road To “Gilead”?

My good friend Pete over at https://beetleypete.com/  (Visit often for Pete is an accomplished writer and storyteller) has commented on the events taking place in the US by comparing it to Gilead of the Handmaiden’s Tale (to be honest I have not watched it but it is on the list for us to partake)….and recently I read an article that confirms what Pete has been saying all this months.

Warning: The following contains discussion of physical abuse, sexual abuse, abortion, FGM, and death.

While watching The Handmaid’s Tale, it may be easy to dismiss the horrors of Gilead as mere fiction, however the uncomfortable truth of Margaret Atwood’s book and the adjoining television adaptation is that much of the story is based on true events and real situations that occurred throughout human history, and some that still happens today. The Handmaid’s Tale originated as a 1985 dystopian novel written by Margaret Atwood that developed into a television series produced by Hulu in 2017. The story follows June, a young woman forced to be a surrogate mother in a horrifying futuristic world wherein women are forced into sexual servitude to increase the human population.

he Handmaid’s Tale is one of the darker dystopian TV shows, and unfortunately, some of its worst moments are also scenarios that have happened in real history. In a sense, this fact only serves to emphasize the terror of the story, and more than that, makes clear that even the most nightmarish situations have connections to our reality. While some aspects of The Handmaid’s Tale happened quite a long time ago, others are still occurring today and are a serious problem for women’s rights and society at large. All in all, The Handmaid’s Tale shows that, at times, we are not so different from villains on-screen.

Innocent Women Were Persecuted During The Salem Witch Trials

One of the most clear examples of history that The Handmaid’s Tale uses is the persecution of innocent women during the Salem Witch Trials. From 1692 to 1693, various towns in colonial Massachusetts conducted hearings and executions, accusing women of witchcraft. Although little evidence supported these claims, these women were publicly executed, and over 200 people were accused during that time period. This historical event is a disturbing one because of its unfair rulings and condemning of innocent women. These themes shine through in The Handmaid’s Tale as the show’s characters must follow Gilead’s rules exactly, lest they become victim to the misogynistic system.

(Read on there is so much more)

https://screenrant.com/handmaids-tale-real-life-gilead-history/#innocent-women-were-persecuted-during-the-salem-witch-trials

The similarities will amaze you….especially if you have not been paying attention.

So I thank Pete for his insights and the recommendation.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

May Day Surprise

Today is the International Day of the Worker….

Do you enjoy your TV?

You may have a sad time coming…….

Hollywood is now hours away from a strike that would affect scores of TV shows and films—as well the people who watch them. And the main sentiment in coverage is that a deal looks unlikely before the midnight deadline. Details:

  • Two sides: On one side is the Writers Guild of America, and on the other is the studios who pay them, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. In broad strokes, the guild is seeking about $600 million in pay increases, along with other demands, per the Los Angeles Times. But the main sticking point is an extremely complicated one—how to fairly pay writers in an age when streaming has upended the traditional production model.
  • Hope fades: Both the LA Times and CNN report that the two sides are far apart. No temporary extension appears to be in the works, either. If no deal is reached, the writers will go on strike at 12:01am Tuesday (West Coast time). The last such strike 15 years ago lasted 100 days.
  • The impact: The first shows to go dark would likely be the late-night talk shows, as well as ones such as Saturday Night Live and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver that rely heavily on writers, per the BBC. Soap operas would quickly be in trouble, too. “If this goes on, we’ll see more reality, news, and sports,” Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney, tells CNN.
  • Impact, II: Scripted shows and films will see a different impact, depending on how far along they are in production. The BBC notes that some projects might be able to theoretically continue shooting, but actors who support the strike may balk at participating.
  • The arguments: This isn’t about posh lifestyles, argues screenwriter Zack Stentz in a New York Times essay: “At stake is nothing less than the survival of film and television writing as a viable middle-class career for the majority of our membership.” On the flip side, studios are under intense pressure from Wall Street to cut costs and make money from their streaming businesses, notes the LA Times.
  • Nitty-gritty: Deadline has a comprehensive look at the details and the main players. One modern wrinkle is how to handle the advent of artificial intelligence when it comes to crediting (and paying) writers.

There is an outside chance that you American Idol, Masked Singer and the Bachelor will not be interrupted…..but do not hold your breath.

Me?   I could care less for I know how to read.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“The Day After”

For about 6 months the national leaders and MSM and bloggers have been fanning the fear of a new nuclear scare. That got me thinking about decades ago when millions of Americans became paranoid about the possibility of the nuke attack on this country.

The Pentagon issued its annual report on China……

The Pentagon this week issued its annual report on China’s military power that claimed Beijing could nearly quadruple its nuclear stockpile by 2035, bringing it to 1,500 warheads.

Current estimates put China’s nuclear stockpile at about 350, although the Pentagon claims the number has surpassed 400. Beijing has signaled it plans to increase its nuclear deterrence, but it’s not clear if they will build new warheads at the rate the Pentagon estimates.

China’s arsenal is vastly smaller than the US and Russia’s and, unlike Washington and Moscow, has a no-first-use policy. Including retired warheads that are expected to be dismantled, the US is estimated to possess 5,500 warheads, and Russia is said to have 6,250.

(antiwar.com)

Now this brings me to a piece of the past.

Does anyone remember the TV series “The Day After”?

Let’s look back.

Before Nicholas Meyer’s made-for-television film The Day After had its official airing on November 20, 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan and his Joint Chiefs of Staff were given screening copies. In his diary, Reagan recorded his reaction to seeing Meyer’s graphic depiction of a nuclear holocaust that devastates a small Kansas town, writing:

“It’s very effective and left me greatly depressed. So far they [ABC] haven’t sold any of the 25 spot ads scheduled and I can see why. Whether it will be of help to the ‘anti-nukes’ or not, I can’t say. My own reaction was one of our having to do all we can to have a deterrent and to see there is never a nuclear war.”

Just a few days later, the rest of America would see what had shaken their president. Preempting Hardcastle and McCormick on ABC, the 8 p.m. telefilm drew a staggering 100 million viewers, an audience that at the time was second only in non-sports programming to the series finale of M*A*S*H. According to Nielsen, 62 percent of all televisions in use that night were tuned in.

What they watched didn’t really qualify as entertainment; Meyer stated he had no desire to make a “good” movie with stirring performances or rousing music, but a deeply affecting public service announcement on the horrors of a nuclear fallout. He succeeded … perhaps a little too well.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/when-em-the-day-after-em-terrorized-100-million-viewers-with-a-vision-of-nuclear-war

What made me think of this movie was something one of our nuclear chiefs has said….

The commander that oversees US nuclear forces delivered an ominous warning at a naval conference last week by calling the war in Ukraine a “warmup” for the “big one” that is to come.

“This Ukraine crisis that we’re in right now, this is just the warmup,” said Navy Adm. Charles Richard, the commander of US Strategic command. “The big one is coming. And it isn’t going to be very long before we’re going to get tested in ways that we haven’t been tested [in] a long time.”

Richard’s warning came after the US released its new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which reaffirms that the US doctrine allows for the first use of nuclear weapons. The review says that the purpose of the US nuclear arsenal is to “deter strategic attacks, assure allies and partners, and achieve US objectives if deterrence fails.”

The NPR says the US “would only consider the use of nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States or its Allies or partners.”

US Nuclear Forces Chief Says ‘the Big One Is Coming’

I am wondering how long will it be until there is a remake or a re-issue of this movie to sell the idea more than their reports are doing so these days.

Whatcha think?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–31Jan22

Good-bye to Johnny Fever

Many years ago my favorite sitcom was WKRP….all the characters were spot on for the day but my favorite was Johnny Fever…..

He has died…well the actor that played the part…..Howard Hesseman.

Howard Hesseman, who played radio disc jockey Johnny Fever on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati and actor-turned-history teacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class, has died. He was 81. Hesseman died Saturday in Los Angeles due to complications from colon surgery, his manager said Sunday. Hesseman, who had been a radio DJ in the 1960s, earned two Emmy nominations for his work on CBS’ WKRP, which ran from 1978 to ’82. The role made Hesseman a counterculture icon at a time when network television featured few hippie characters, the AP reports. “Impossible to overstate Howard Hesseman’s influence on his and subsequent generations of improvisors,” Michael McKean posted Sunday.

“I think maybe Johnny smokes a little marijuana, drinks beer and wine, and maybe a little hard liquor,” Hesseman told the New York Times in 1979. “And on one of those hard mornings at the station, he might take what for many years was referred to as a diet pill. But he is a moderate user of soft drugs, specifically marijuana.” Hesseman knew the territory. He said he once served 90 days in the San Francisco County Jail for selling an ounce of marijuana, though the conviction was reversed for entrapment. In 1983, per the Hollywood Reporter, Hesseman conceded that he’d conducted “pharmaceutical experiments in recreational chemistry.”

 

Hesseman grew up in Lebanon, Oregon, and attended the University of Oregon before moving to San Francisco, where he was a DJ for KMPX, an underground rock station. He joined the Committee, an improv group, appearing with other members in the 1971 film Billy Jack. Hesseman also had roles in Shampoo, the Sunshine Boys, and the Other Side of Midnight. His many TV roles included Boston Legal and That ’70s Show; his character married Bonnie Franklin’s on One Day at a Time, per the Wrap. When introduced to the station manager—and the show’s viewers—in the WKRP pilot, Hesseman’s character was said to be Johnny Caravella. “I’m also known as Johnny Midnight, Johnny Cool, Johnny Duke, Johnny Style, and Johnny Sunshine,” Hesseman said

Hesseman’s passing made me nostalgic for WKRP……

May his family and friends find some sort of joy knowing that he was loved by his fans.

Rest In Peace

“lego ergo scribo”

Police Reality Takes It In The Butt

No Pun Intended!

Police Reality TV has had better days.

All the protests and accusations of police brutality it appears that some networks are dropping their police reality programming…..’Live PD and the all-time longest cop show…… “Cops”……

A&E Network has canceled the police reality series Live PD following weeks of protests over the death of George Floyd and a report that a crew from the show filmed the death of another black man in police custody. The cable network announced the move Wednesday, a day after the similar show Cops, on the air for 33 seasons, was dropped by the Paramount Network, the AP reports. “This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD,” A&E said in a statement. “Going forward, we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them.”

The cancellation also comes a day after a reports from the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV that 40-year-old Javier Ambler, who was black, died in Texas last year after sheriff’s deputies repeatedly used stun guns on him, despite his cries for help and pleas that he was sick and couldn’t breathe. Prosecutors investigating Ambler’s death said the presence of the Live PD crew made the arrest, which was captured on police body-camera video obtained by the news outlets, particularly troubling. A&E said in a previous statement that its video never aired because of a policy against showing a death, and it did not keep the footage after it was informed the initial investigation had closed.

Good Riddance!

The IQ of the viewing public just went up by 50 points.

Now can we get to work on the rest of the drivel that goes by the name of Reality TV?

When we take those out we can then concentrate on Game Shows.

Making society smarter one television cock up after another.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Space Force (Netflix)

I have written a lot on the US newest military service, the Space Force, I think it will be a huge siphon of cash from the taxpayer…..but that said this post is about a Netflix series entitle as it were Space Force.

But first….the real mission of the real Space Force……https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-space-forces-real-mission-wasting-taxpayer-dollars/

Welcome Spacemen!

The series was in the works before the official announcement of the Trump’s Space Force……a series created by and starring Steve Carell with John Malkovich……

A couple of trailers for your consideration…

But this is not a review of the Netflix series but rather the name…Space Force….it is about a legal question that could arise….

This from The Hill……

The Netflix original comedy “Space Force,” which is based on the new branch of the military launched by President Trump, reportedly obtained trademark rights for the name before the government.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show secured trademark rights to “Space Force” in multiple places, including Europe, Australia and Mexico, while the Air Force owns only a pending application for registration in the United States. That means the show has more confirmed trademark rights than the U.S. military. 

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office usually grants trademarks based on a “first-to-use” system, and Netflix filed for the trademark as early as January. 

The Netflix show named after the branch debuted late last month and follows Steve Carell’s character, who works as a general developing the new Space Force. In addition to Carell, who portrayed the popular character Michael Scott in “The Office,” the series also stars actors John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Jimmy O. Yang, Diana Silvers and Lisa Kudrow.

While most people understand the difference between the show “Space Force” and the military Space Force, the trademark could play into merchandise confusion if clothing or a mug, for example, were to hit stores and customers were curious as to who was actually selling the goods.

(thehill.com)

In case you are interested……Very funny…..the series not the idea of a Space Force…..

We are on our way to the Moon…..and it is not for scientific research but rather as an occupying force…..something to think about when you watch Netflix series, The Space Force.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Mallorca Files–A Review

I would like to take a short break from all this Covid-19 stuff…..and all the news around this killer….and offer something entertaining….my review.

I do not often do many review movie or TV or book….but from time to time something just catches my fancy…..and so it was with a British crime drama entitled “Mallorca Files”.

This was a no brainer for me….for I lived on Mallorca as a teen for 3 years and then again as an adult for 2 years…..and still hold the island in high regard…..although it is not as laid back as it was in my youth…..it has become the playground of the rich and famous which is the kiss of death for a culture.

But the islands lend well for a series especially a series about murder and stuff……

Mallorca Files…..

Set on the sunny Spanish island of Mallorca, this 10-part BBC Daytime drama (co-produced with German channel ZDF) is written by Good Karma Hospital‘s Dan Sefton and features a brilliant partnership in the form of uptight British cop Miranda Blake (Elen Rhys) and laid-back German policeman Max Winter (Julian Looman).

In the opening episode, DC Blake is in Palma de Mallorca to escort a star witness back to the UK: the gang-boss-turned-informant Niall Taylor (Aidan McArdle). To put things mildly, things do not go to plan.

Miranda soon finds herself paired with Max, a German police officer who has somehow ended up on permanent secondment with the Spanish police force. Together they form that classic “unlikely duo” beloved of buddy cop movies, but in a knowingly-naff kind of way with a heavy dose of sexual tension. Miranda is diligent, blunt, obsessive and angry; and despite the German stereotype, Max is the one who is chilled out and much more attuned to the Spanish pace of life.

(radiotimes.com)

Watch a couple of trailers…..

My thoughts…..

I get it on Britbox and only have 4 episodes at this time and so far I like the idea of this show…..Mallorca is a lovely place and has a rich history to go with the amazing scenery……I recognized the round castle….the Basilica de Santa Maria, the harbor of Palma and the mountains on the north side of the island.

After four episodes I noticed a bit of the repartee of Shakespeare and Hathaway…..in short a little comedic relief….works for me….I cannot wait to see the rest of the season and the next season when it is released.

If you liked the scenery of Death in Paradise…then you should truly appreciate the rich culture of Mallorca and the fantastic scenery.

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–13Feb20

Does anyone remember Jim Bakker and the Praise The Lord (PTL) club……if not then a quick update for you…..

Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were among the most famous televangelists in America, living a life of luxury with multiple houses, expensive cars and more money than God, when their empire all came crashing down amid sex and financial scandals.

By the mid-’70s, the Bakkers were becoming household names through their TV show, “The PTL Club” — PTL stood for “Praise the Lord” or “People That Love.” Initially it aired on a small North Carolina station owned by media mogul Ted Turner.

“What [Bakker] really wanted to do… was create a Christian version of ‘The Tonight Show’,” said John Wigger, author of “PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire.” “Which was really the first of Bakker’s big innovations, the Christian talk show.”

https://abcnews.go.com/US/scandals-brought-bakkers-uss-famous-televangelists/story

Prison and financial ruin could not stop Bakker….and thanx to the new virus he is back…..

Right Wing Watch reported that televangelist Jim Bakker is urging his followers to drink a solution of colloidal silver to protect themselves from coronavirus — and a guest who was selling it promised that a dose will cure them and strengthen their immune system within 12 hours.

“Well, let’s say it hasn’t been tested on this strain of the coronavirus,” said his guest. “But it’s been tested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours. Totally eliminate it, kills it, deactivates it. And then it boosts your immune system, so then you can support the recovery, because when you kill the virus, then the immune system comes into action to clear it out. So you want a vibrant immune system as well as an ability to deactivate these viruses.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/televangelist-urges-people-to-drink-liquid-silver-to-stave-off-coronavirus/

Drink silver to fight the virus….kinda like the days when drinking mercury was suppose to cure syphilis….

Anything for a buck huh Jim?

Please do not let this snake oil salesman sell you anything especially a cure for this virus or your trip to Heaven….he is LYING!

Do not waste your money Because according to our Imperial majesty the virus will be gone by April.  (another lie no doubt)

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Live From New York!

When you retire you have plenty of time to wax nostalgic….and the weekends are the perfect time for me to do so…..

I remember those iconic words to the intro of a new comedy show on NBC….starring Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray and John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Garret Morris ( I am sure I forgot someone)(plus my spelling could be off as well)…..

I was a bar manager in those days and it became a ritual of watching SNL…the jukebox was off, the band had to take a break, etc. and the bar would settle in for some great humor.

I admit that once the original cast departed I lost interest….don’t get me wrong the replacements were humorous and good for the parts but they were not the originals…..and IMO not as funny.  Yes Will Ferrel is funny…..and Eddie Murphy….and….they all are funny just not as funny as the originals.

Recently Chevy Chase has made the news around SNL…..

“The worst [expletive deleted] humor in the world.” That’s what Chevy Chase has to say about today’s Saturday Night Live, FOX reports. Chase, an original SNL cast member, made the comment during a lengthy interview with the Washington Post, during which he also took shots at a couple former cast members. Will Ferrell’s George W. Bush? “Just not funny.” Tina Fey? He liked her, but “didn’t see what all the folderol was about.” As for SNL co-creator Lorne Michaels: “I’m amazed that Lorne has gone so low. And the audience of millions? “A whole generation of s—heads.” So when, in Chases’ estimation, was Saturday Night Live worth watching? The first couple of seasons, he says, adding “Why am I saying that? Because I was in it? I guess.”

FINALLY!

You should see the looks I get these days when I tell people I do not think SNL is as funny as it should be…..most look like I just insulted Jesus or someone of equal importance.

I know what am I thinking?  Well to be honest I do not think Seinfeld is all that funny either……so if you like chalk it up to me being an old fart.

Glad to see I  am NOT alone.

Time for that relaxation I look for on weekends……(the “honey dos” are getting a bit much, LOL)