April Fools Day Easter Eggs!

Normally I hate April Fools day, but today it did bring a couple of cool tv easter eggs to my tv screen!

First, in tonight's "The Middle" was a scene where Sue, Axel, and Axel's girlfriend make their entrance to the party, and who's there to greet them? Why yes, that's Barry Goldberg from "The Goldbergs", wearing his Philadelphia Flyers shirt and everything! Nice!

And while we're talking about Barry's Flyers shirt, I was also watching tonight's "The Goldbergs" which features this scene where Barry and Adam are running upstairs to Adam's room, when this happens; upon entering the room, Barry's shirt suddenly and inexplicably turns in to a Calgary Flames shirt (my favorite team, oddly enough) before turning back to a Flyers shirt in the next cut! Not an 80's Calgary Flames shirt mind you, as they had not adopted the black version of the logo until the new millennium - which got me thinking...

So young Barry Goldberg is showing up in 2015 Indiana, and Barry Goldberg is momentarily wearing a 2000's Calgary Flames shirt... You know, I think I've figured it out...

When CW's "The Flash" (another "Barry" btw) broke the time barrier a couple of episodes back, he must have somehow also caused a fracture in the timestream, and the cracks are showing up across network television!

Have you seen any other odd events like this lately?

A Belated Tribute

Nobody wore it like you, Mr. Nimoy.

Living where I do, I don't come across celebrities very often, but Leonard Nimoy was an exception. I took an unlikely visit in 2010 to western small town Vulcan, Alberta, literally finding myself mere feet from the man. You can read about it and see my photos here - http://blog.deantfraser.com/2013/02/i-encountered-spock.html

CW's "the 100"

The CW's "The 100" is a show that is possibly even better than it has any business being, but I can't be the only one to notice that they must have a large amount of money budgeted for blood for this show! Am I right people?

Stop Colorizing the Classics!!

Just a note to all you TV people... Stop colorizing old classics! I just saw an ad for the much-beloved Alistair Sim version of "A Christmas Carol" aka "Scrooge", and of course, it's the horrible colorized version they're going to show this year. Stop it! Do you networks think that all your viewers are such uncultured drooling morons, incapable of possibly sitting through anything not in "glorious color"?

Okay, I know what you're going to say - sure, maybe I can figure out how to turn the color down on my TV - maybe... but what a pain. It all seems so unnecessary.

Don't you jerks (I'm looking at you, CBC...) realize that many of these movies were shot the way their were with special use of the medium that the filmmakers had to work with at the time? Don't you see their utilization of contrast, of black and white, of depth and light - to create that timeless atmosphere and feeling? Do you really need to ruin all that by splashing a sickly artificial color tone on top of it? C'mon people, it looks like a pastel nightmare!

Top 10 Coolest Batman - Doctor Who Mashups!

Batman & Doctor Who. Two very cool things that you wouldn't think of going together, but like peanut butter and chocolate, these two things make a great combination!

10. DC & BBC, make this happen! 

By Brad Matthews

9. A Batman/Doctor Who animated film? How cool would that be?

By Dan Gallagher

8. What the Doctor would have to deal with if he didn't have his sonic screwdriver...

by Marc Keller

7. Could you imagine a dark, moody episode of Doctor Who where the Doctor and Batman have to take on some Weeping Angels?

By Gabriel Hardman

6. That Dalek didn't stand a chance...

By GaugeX

5. Fantastic cover, now I want this artist to draw the rest of the book!

By Elvin Hernandez

4. I'd pay money to see this...

by djtoad

3. Yes, there's even a video!

 2. You've got to love this strip... makes a lot of sense, actually :)

 

 

by nebezial

1. I love this piece, everything about it is just great, isn't it?

by dryponder

Do you know any great Doctor Who/Batman mash-ups I've missed?

DC Comics and The Big Bang Theory; The Opportunities

CBS's wildly popular "The Big Bang Theory", while not my cup of tea, seems to have a really nice relationship with DC Comics.

 
The characters are always visiting the local comic shop where a treasure trove of DC comics and merchandise are displayed quite conspicuously. They frequently wear DC-themed t-shirts and merchandise, and on special occasions, even dress like DC characters. I get the impression that they even mention DC comics characters and events pretty frequently.

That in mind, I had some thoughts about how DC could further exploit and respond to this cozy relationship;

- Thanks to Sheldon, the Flash symbol is one of the most visible graphics in America right now. Now, The Flash in CW network's upcoming The Flash tv show features a symbol on his chest that mostly resembles the classic version, but instead of the red color in it, they should go back to the more recognizable classic white and also make the symbol a little bigger. Brightening the costume's red color slightly might be nice too. Perhaps we can hope this recently-revealed costume is just the Flash's prototype suit anyway?

- With Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg all confirmed to be showing up in the upcoming untitled Batman vs. Superman movie - Warner Brothers should capitalize on The Big Bang Theory exposure also, and strive to get the Flash (whether it's Grant Gustin or someone else) and a new Green Lantern on the big screen (if only as cameo), and in the movie-going public's consciousness sooner than later.

- WB should also pull some strings and get the Man of Steel himself, Henry Cavill, to make an appearance on The Big Bang Theory. If you're thinking that Cavill is too big for the small screen - well, when we're talking about the huge audience The Big Bang Theory garners - virtually nobody is "too big". Besides, he's a really nice guy and I don't think the female audience would mind seeing him either. I'm sure the writers could come up with an entertaining reason for him to meet up with Sheldon and the gang. Like I said, I don't really care for the show, but even I would tune in for that. Didn't I hear that Henry Cavill and Kaley Cuoco were seeing each other a while back?

- Finally, DC could even put out a Big Bang Theory comic mini-series (perhaps make it very tongue in cheek and include DC characters), and add some promotion to entice people to read other DC titles.

Anyway, what do you think of my ideas for DC to make the most of their Big Bang notoriety? What are your ideas?

My Dad Said It #3

"If they had known how William Shatner would turn out, they would have called him Captain QUIRK! HA HA HA!"

Tonight's "Person of Interest"...

Never saw it coming. I'm stunned right now. Wow.

The Epic Split

Wow. JCVD is the MAN.

"Person of Interest" - The show "Agents of Sheild" wishes it was.

I've been catching "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." since the beginning. With my being a comic fan, that should come as no surprise, and it also shouldn't shock you that we comic fans like to make comparisons between things we watch, read and listen to.

With respect to Agents, I notice myself becoming more disinterested as the show goes on. I start watching the episode and find myself drifting off to the computer or kitchen. I can't help but compare that to the way I feel watching Person of Interest. I wait anxiously for it to come on and I watch intently. I rush back hurriedly to the TV (with snack in hand) when the commerical break ends.

Why don't I feel like this when Agents is on? Well for me at least, I think I can answer that.

In Agents, it's this constant attempt to show you how witty, sexy and flashy it is. The one-liners come fast and furious, the action is big and bold, and the characters are all, like, super-awesome.

Don't get me wrong, there's certainly nothing wrong with one-liners, big action, or awesome characters, but they shouldn't be the point...

Person tells stories about people; It's about ordinary people and yes, extraordinary people as well. It has a plausible yet unmistakably "science fiction" bent to it via "the Machine", but that aspect never overshadows the characters and their interactions. The witty banter and one-liners are used much more sparingly than in Agents, thus have more impact and "punch".

Now I know that the shows each have different purposes in a number of respects, with Agents being in the same universe as the Avengers, it aims to be more fantastical and more bombastic. Unlike Person though, the characters are frankly not that interesting to me. They're each great at their particular thing, but seem to come off as "know-it-all's" and unlikable jerks.

All TV shows, regardless of premise, need interesting characters - first and foremost.

In Person, Reese will beat up a bunch of guys and be on his way. In Agents, Ming Na's character (don't remember her name) will beat up a bunch of guys, default back to her "action stance", and then deliver a snappy come-back.

I will acknowledge at this point that I may have a bias however, as Person of Interest has been described as a show about Batman, only he is split into two people and there are no costumes. While that seems a bit trite, It's not completely off-base, and the fact that it's creator is Jonathan Nolan, brother to Christopher Nolan, has not gone unnoticed by me...
 
Person concerns itself with engaging you in it's characters. Agents too often gets lost within it's own "awesomeness". To put it simply, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. desperately wants you to know it's cool. Person of Interest just is.

In all fairness though, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is young and just getting it's footing, who knows where it could go?

My Dad Said It #2

"Hey, with that woman on that "The Middle" show, they should make a show called "Everyone Loves The Middle" haha"

No, I actually *don't* watch "The Walking Dead"...

It's odd, I'm often approached by others who tell me about some show they are watching and they genuinely seem surprised that I'm not watching it. They reference some character on one of these shows and I have no idea what they are talking about. Sometimes it's in multiples too, I'm often amazed at the extensive list of shows people tell me they watch!

And this is all on top of the video games, role-playing card games, comics, and movies that people tell me they're into!

Some of these shows (maybe most of these shows?) just don't sound like something I would enjoy. I'm not turned on my zombies or vampires either....  But even if I was interested, there's too much to do and too few hours in a day as it is! Where do you people find the time to consume all this stuff?!

I didn't watch the Sopranos and I didn't watch 24. I don't watch Vampire Diaries, I don't watch Mad Men, I don't watch Boardwalk Empire, I don't watch Walking Dead, I don't watch Game of Thrones, I don't watch Breaking Bad, and I don't watch Sons of Anarchy. And I know next to nothing about them. And I'm fine with that.

I have a handful of shows I enjoy, and watch them when they come around. I can't imagine taking on much more though. America's Got Talent has been an adequate summer distraction for a few years, but for whatever reason I've grown pretty cold towards it this year. I've been giving "Under the Dome" a shot, but (for a number of reasons) it feels more like a chore to watch the further it goes. I've missed the last couple of episodes and don't expect I'll be going back.

Frankly, if I had to choose, I would prefer to drop shows rather than pick up new ones.

People tell me that this or that show is "superb" or "basically the best show ever". Well, I don't know whether it is or not, but that's the problem. There's always going to be a show come around (or game, or movie etc.) that is the new "best ever". How can I keep up with it all? Do I even want to? Blech.

Are You A Nitpicker?

Do you see yourself as a nitpicker? I think when it comes to nitpicking - especially when it comes to movies and tv - the Nostalgia Critic puts it well. Give his editorial a watch;

Back to Vulcan!

A while ago I recounted my trip to Vulcan, Alberta where I got to experience Leonard Nimoy's visit to the community and take in the sights of the day. Well I visited the Star Trek themed town again this weekend for their annual Spock Days! It was my first time for the town's summer celebration and I snapped a few pics to share with ya... (click images to enlarge)

Upon first arriving, I could see the town's parade sailing down main street - headed by a "USS Vulcan" float that was actually kind of awesome. 

Yeah, someone should have told Captain Kirk about getting his Tribbles neutered!

Also of great note in the parade - the guests of honor for Spock Days 2013 - Star Trek Voyager's "The Doctor", Robert Picardo, and "Neelix", Ethan Phillips!

 Later there were some photo ops with both actors, held at the new "Trekcetera Museum" - which unfortunately did not open to the public as scheduled because it "wasn't quite perfect yet". Bah, just open it!

 

Later there was a garage sale at this church, and on the outside of the building I saw a bewildering sign. "Star Trek service"?

 Ok, I have to say something about this. What the heck, people! Besides just being lame, don't you know that this kind of junk diminishes both Star Trek, and more importantly, the things of the spirit? Ugh... Anyway...

A beautiful print depicting the Vulcan Enterprise monument.

I was pretty amazed by this sight! You never see a spread of comics like this in a grocery store any more! But there it was, right in the Market Street grocery. Comic fans visiting Vulcan, go get your titles here! Wow.

It's been a hard day's trekkin'. (Your captions welcome!)

 Anyway, I hope you go visit Vulcan, Alberta some time. Oh, and don't forget to stop in at the bakery, mmmm!

"The Big Bang Theory" - 4 Reasons Why I Don't Get The Love

Am I the only one who doesn't get the popularity of The Big Bang Theory? I've tried watching it at various times, I even drew versions of the characters for my Springfield Punx blog - but I don't get the love for it. I just can't get into it. As a whole, it seems... mediocre at best. Yet it's basically the highest rated show on TV!! How can this be?

Here are 4 Reasons for my confusion:

1. Boring Stereotypes. It's one thing that the show has a weird moral ambiguity, but the show also bores me very quickly. Okay. You're nerds. You want buxom girls, but you're socially awkward. We get it! How can this premise have lasted for... what, 6 seasons and counting?!

2. It's Patronizing. I did catch the Wil Wheaton episode, which admittedly was kinda fun; And hey, I'm a comic book fan, I'm supposed to like this show, aren't I? I like seeing the characters wear superhero costumes and I enjoy being able to gaze into the background of the comic store scenes and recognize the comics on the shelf. Unfortunately you can only do that for so long before you start to hear the dialogue! Sure, the show throws a bone to people who want to hear about scientific concepts and sci-fi continuity, but from what I've seen of the show, it largely treats those things as just shorthand for "I am a weird awkward guy and hard to communicate with." Nanu Nanu.

3. That Laughtrack. Now, I certainly understand the sentimentality of holding on to things we've enjoyed in the past, but the laughtrack is one of those things I'm definitely ready to part with - like, yesterday. I've grown up to know what is funny to me and what is not, can we take the nagging, laughtrack-training-wheels off already?!

Besides their cop shows, laughtrack sitcoms are pretty much CBS's bread and butter - and I don't watch any of them. Come to think of it, I watch only one show on CBS, the addictive Person of Interest. Nothing else on the network appeals to me - but CBS sure gets the ratings, so from a business standpoint - more power to 'em, I guess.

4. It's a Mile Long and an Inch Deep. If you enjoy The Big Bang Theory and want to watch it, that's certainly up to you. You might say, "Hey dude, it's just TV. It's probably best not to overthink it." True perhaps, but that's what bugs me most about the show.

Maybe people like The Big Bang Theory because it's "comfortably mediocre". It's easy, MSG flavored fast food for the brain. It's quick, it's not very complex, and it asks little of the audience. As far as I can see, it thinks little of the audience as well.

Even if I were to grant that it was a decently amusing show, is it really so head-and-shoulders above the other prime-time sitcoms on TV? Enough to warrant ratings that leave shows like NBC's Community in the dust? I don't get it.

The First Family is Terrible

Is it just me, or are there a lot of White House themed shows popping up these days?

I was up to an unholy hour last night working on a project and had neglected to pull myself away to get up and change the channel on the TV. A show appeared on my screen that I had never laid eyes on before. By the look of the set and the Fresh-Prince-knock-off music, I could immediately deduce that this was a sitcom, and not a good one.

The show takes place pretty much entirely in the White House, and follows the hi-larious family life of the U.S. President. Beside his being black, the character's movement and style of speech peg him as an obvious Obama analogue - but with a thin goatee to offer a degree of plausible deniability.

 
His family is full of  "colorful characters", including his relatively normal tween-ish children, his I'm-a-strong-woman-and-you're-sure-gonna-know-it wife, and incidentally, Gladys Knight as an overly "urban" live-in grandma or aunt or... something, I don't know.
 
As I hear the back-and-forth dialogue between family members as they pose and pout for the camera, I can't help but think of the classic "Full House". The laugh-track (of course there's a laugh track) is a smidge more obnoxious than it needs to be, and often broke in with a confusing chours of laughs in response to dialogue I could not even identify as an attempt at a joke. I mean literally, the construction of the speech did not contain any discernible allowance for there to be a joke there. Yet there was the laugh track!

Apart from the President of the United States thing, The plotlines seem to be the tried and true sitcom fare. In the one episode, the President is invited by his daughter to "Bring Your Parent to School" day, where a number of her classmates (in an admittedly cute exchange) forgo the typical "what is your favorite color?" inquiries and ask the President some sophisticated questions about the economy and foreign relations - To which he provides the conventional "government-is-the-solution" soundbyte answers (if the previous Obama comparisons weren't enough). In usual sitcom fashion though, the President clumsily reveals to his daughter's classmate that she likes him. The obligatory "I'm angry with you daddy!" and "how could my husband do something so stupid!" scenes ensue. Spoiler - At the end they make up and hug! Wow!

The next episode (yep, they subjected the viewers to 3 episodes of this in a row) presented a dubious moral lesson. There's a reoccurring character in this show, a "comedic" foil to the President character, I think he's a Senator or something? - Forgive me, but it really seems like this character is supposed to be their "Scheming Rich White Republican Guy™" (don't worry, I consider both parties little more than a bunch of schemers) who wants to wiggle his way into the Presidency any way possible.

Anyway, this Senator guy is supposedly a ping pong master and in an attempt to embarrass him, challenges the President to a match, wagering 5 million dollars to the President's choice of charity. The President declines this offer (for a reason I'm not clear on) and after the Senator basically calls him a "chicken", the First Lady gives the President some odd speech about how when they were first dating, he would get so jealous and protective and she missed that "fire in his eyes".

The President is apparently inspired by this speech and agrees to this goofy match which takes place in the Oval Office. You see a zoom-in on the center of the table, with balls zooming past the camera, and then a few quick cuts of each man feverishly waving their paddles. The President wins the match - I guess. The Senator hands over a 5 mil check and that's basically the end.

Overall The First Family comes off like "The Fresh Prince of D.C." It is hilariously awful 100% All-American 1991-dated cheese... and you should see it for yourself if you can.

I Encountered Spock!

I was going through some of my photos and found some I had taken one memorable day in 2010 - A day I took a trip to Vulcan to see the real Spock!

(Image heavy, click a photo enlarge it, click it again to return to article)

In April 2010, the city of Calgary was going to hold it's big Comic and Entertainment Expo - and as these big events go, they often bring in big names. One such name was that of the incomparable Leonard Nimoy. A small farming town an hour south of the city had taken notice of this fact...

A bit of background first; For a quarter century, Vulcan, Alberta has faithfully adopted Star Trek (and particularly Mr. Spock, the favorite son of the planet with which the town shares it's name) as a theme for the town and a tourist draw, complete with statues, murals and annual "Spock Days" in the summer. Sort of a Canadian prairie version of Roswell, NM

As a reward for it's faithfulness to Star Trek all these years, the town had lobbied Paramount Studios the previous year to hold a special premier of the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie in the town, a request that was soon turned down as it was deemed there was no facility suitable in the town of under 4000 for such an event. It turns out however, that Mr. Nimoy caught wind of this news and at his insistence Paramount did honor the town with a special advance screening in Calgary. Vulcans seemed to love the movie, despite the planet's fate in the film.

When the time came for the Calgary Expo, the small town was to be blessed further - It was announced that Mr. Nimoy would pay a visit to the town while in the area!

Now, a pop culture and sometimes-sci-fi fan like myself couldn't pass up such an opportunity, so my Dad and I both took that afternoon off to make the drive to Vulcan.

I though it would be a big event, but upon arriving in town, my expectations were exceeded when I saw cars, trucks and news vans parked everywhere. We docked the car at a motel and I ran ahead down the street to see if I had missed anything. With camera out, I swam into the crowd, spying over their heads to see a wonderfully cheesy USS Enterprise (or to be accurate USS "ExtendiCare") float with billowing smoke and a girl perched on the each side; one green and one blue.

I then saw a handful of big burly men accompanying a dark, slow moving SUV and swarms of camera-wielding people enveloping it. With surprising ease, I asserted my way right up to the vehicle (well, as close as the burly men allowed) and craning my neck to peer in the window of the thing, I saw a shadowed figure sitting inside. It was Nimoy! I gave a quick wave and snapped a couple of photos. He looked pleased to just sit back and take it all in.

Now, I'm certainly not one for people worship, but knowing that the famous Leonard Nimoy... Mr. Spock... spent a second or two of his life looking directly at me - Well the thought did strike me as kinda cool.

The SUV soon disappeared somewhere into the crowd, so I went on over to a modest stage where everyone seemed to be gathering. After a few minutes of confusion, a surprisingly great looking Spock bust was unveiled, followed by some introductory blah blah blah. A cheer roared through the crowd as Leonard came up on stage to speak. "Spock has finally come home!" was his well-received opening remark. He went on to say he had never received such a warm welcome, and spoke humorously about his career, the show, and William Shatner. He spoke of his hopes for the future and left us with his sincere thanks.

 

 The crowd dispersed quickly once he had departed, but things were far from over and there was still more to photograph...

The bald man on the far right here giving the Vulcan salute is the town's mayor (a quite unpredictable development if a once-classmate of his in my family is to be believed). I found some incriminating evidence on the guy though...

I also spotted this;

 I have no idea what "Romulan Ale" really is.

This happy accident was a quick over-the-shoulder photo. The man in the maroon jacket is an area CTV news producer.

The lady in red here is Canadian senator Joyce Fairbairn.

 

The Trek-themed Vulcan visitor's center was packed tighter than I've ever seen (or likely ever will.) Nimoy even lent the center a pair of his screen-worn Spock ears for a year.

 

 

 

I even found some Kids' Trek-inspired drawings posted at a gas station...

 

 

 

 

 

All in all it was a cool experience and a perfect day for someone like me who gets a kick out of kitchy, campy stuff. If you do too, I'm sure a visit to Vulcan's "Spock Days" this summer will have a lot to offer you :) Be warned, comparing your hand size against Nimoy's giant cement handprints may leave you with an inferiority complex.

Oh, and be sure to stop at the bakery where a friendly old gentleman will sell you the best cream puff you've ever eaten!