My Love/Hate Relationship With Fall Premiere Week(s)

 

I love entertainment – may it be in a book or via the small and large screen, it is where my soul and heart lies. Creating my own stories, small and large, has given me a deep appreciation of the art of bringing stories to life. So every year, I am looking forward to discovering what is new to arrive – what new characters I can connect with, and what new stories make my heart pound just a little faster. I am looking forward to getting lost in them, their pace, different from our lives, and merge with the fabric of the story in front of me (if it is good one, that is).

There are just too darn many good stories on television this year.

Trying not to get sucked into this world I adore, too much, is the plight of someone who works from home, on her own schedule. I do not have anyone looking over my shoulder, deadlines are those of my own making, may it be for my writing, or for my designs. Yet the pull is strong, and I usually allow myself a little leeway during these few days of discovering pilots, but whatever happened to just one pilot week? I am counting three weeks now!

Time to eliminate some of the contenders, but which ones?

Minority Report already made space for the interesting and faced paced Blindspot. Apparently other people thought the same, considering that the second week viewing dropped by 17 %.

Limitless might not be limitless in its ability to keep my attention. If it would not have been for the little twist at the end of this week’s episode – no I will not tell you, watch it yourself – , I would tell you, that I am not watching it next week. Now I have to. For now.

Quantico has potential, but will it live up to what it can be? At least it does not compete with the middle week frenzy, like some of the other shows that are premiering this week – I am looking at you, Code Black!

So what are your favorite shows of this season so far? Have you decide to abstain from television (I commend you) completely or are you just watching your favorites from last year(s), like Criminal Minds or Castle?

Have a wonderful day!

Claudia

Entertainment, Cookies and Coffee – A Weekend Coffee Share Post

Friends and Coffee Poster by wildapple

If you would come over for coffee today, I would tell you about the books I have on my virtual shelf right now, waiting to be read. I would tell you that I love being a reviewer for NetGalley, but that the downside of that is, my reading list is usually very long. Seldom do I have less than 10 books waiting to be read and reviewed. Thankfully I have always been a fast reader.

One of the books is rather spiritual in a New Age kind of way. The Power Of Positive Living by Norman Vincent Pale is not a new book, rather an old classic, that is now being re-offered as a mass-market paperback. If you are interested in creating a positive life, I highly recommend checking his work out. I personally think we can always use more positive thinking practices in our lives.

The other one I want to mention is a book I got via Kindle Unlimited. Dollars Flow To Me Easily by Richard Dotts had raving reviews, declaring how great of a book about abundance it is. Considering that I was able to borrow it for free, I thought that it would do no harm to check it out.

When I am finished with both books, I will write a review promptly, sometimes in the next week.

Did I offer you yet cookies? How about some of these Brownie Roll-Out Cookies, a recipe I have come across recently. Enjoy!

If you would be over for coffee, I would start talking to you about the upcoming Fall TV season. While I do not see myself in having much time to watch television over the next few months, I make it a point to catch the premieres of my old favorites as well as the new ones coming up. I have collected a few trailers of the television shows I am most looking forward to watching:

Trailer “Blindspot”

Trailer “Code Black”

Trailer “WonderGirl”

Are there any shows, books or movies you are looking forward to watching or reading? What is on your list?

Before you go, I would urge you to join us with your own blog. Just follow this link, and sign up, so we can visit more often.

Happy Weekend!

Claudia

 

 

World Wide Web – A Haiku

breaking the illusions
of distance, boarders and time
differences lost

Copyright Claudia H. Blanton 2015

Book Review: Storm Front by Richard Castle

Title: Storm Front

Author: Richard Castle

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Publisher: Kingswell

Rating: 4.5/ 5 Stars

From Tokyo, to Bonn, to London, high-level bankers are being tortured and murdered. The killer, caught in a fleeting glimpse on a surveillance camera, has been described as a psychopath with an eye patch. And that means Gregor Volkov, Derrick Storm’s old nemesis, has returned. Knowing only one man can match Volkov’s strength and cunning, the CIA calls on Storm to track him down, figure out who he’s working for and why. With the help of a beautiful and mysterious foreign agent, Storm discovers a plot that could destroy the global economy bringing with it untold chaos and the time he has to stop it is running short. 

I am a fan of the show Castle and love the attitude that Nathan Fillion brings to the character, even if the storyline tends to be a little cheesy at times. But what intrigued me even more, is that someone took the time to write the books, that supposedly made Castle so famous, and created with that, actually enjoyable novels.

Storm Front, a spy thriller, is one of these books. Surprisingly well written, it is funny, tight and full of action, without losing the voice of Richard Castle, making it a story within a story, that is well worth diving into. At times a little too sarcastic and leaving me with the hint of the feeling that the writers of this book poked fun at the readers, I still enjoyed the novel, which reads like a well-crafted spy novel should. Full of twists, turns and romance, while always finding a way to make me chuckle in the most unexpected ways. I am glad I picked up this book, now I just wish, I could actually congratulate the person or persons who wrote this little gem, for a job well done.

Storm Front is available on Amazon now!

New Series “The Last Ship” Comands Attention

I was torn to watch last night between watching “Rising Star” or “The Last Ship” on TNT. Considering that I read the devastating reviews of the former, I am glad I met the decision to commit to the Drama.

And I think you should take a look at it too.

With the presence of a full force action movie, rather than an hour-long drama, the pilot pushed its way into our Sunday evening, never letting go, with dramatically and well performed roles, from the leads, all the way to the minor characters.
The man formerly known as McSteamy, Eric Dane, took control off every frame he stepped in, and not in the cartoonish annoying way he did in Grey’s Anatomy (can you tell I was not a fan?), to my surprise filling this role as the Commander of a Naval vessel with ease, without loosing his charm. Faced with a seemingly impossible situation – a pandemic killed off most of the Earth’s population, while they were on a mission that forced them into radio silence – the Commander and it’s crew, including a CDC Doctor, Dr. Rachel Scott (played well by Rhona Mitra) have no choice but to become a solution to a problem that seems to doom the world. They have become the only hope.

Here is the trailer:

Produced by Michael Bay

The Wil Wheaton Project – A SyFy Channel Original

Do you remember Wil Wheaton? The young nerdy, and way too smart kid from Star Trek: Next Generation?

Of course, you might remember him from Stand By Me, or more recently “The Big Bang Series”. SyFy has given Wil a new platform, “The Wil Wheaton Project”, a thirty minute show that highlights the current genre entertainment, in a comedic style.

I was happy to hear about this adventure, until I watched the first episode (which is currently available on the channel’s website as well as Hulu), and was incredibly disappointed. Lame jokes, bad laugh tracks, games that are supposed to be funny, but are really not, litter the show, and make it more of a waste of time, then honoring the genre that I love. The quality is that off a purely produced YouTube channel, and I must say, I have seen a lot better on YouTube.

Maybe the second episode will learn from the mistake of the first, but I will not stick around watching it, as the first experience was already too disappointing.

 

Summer TV Shows – Something To Look Forward To

Summer break – many things come to mind, when I hear those two words, good television is usually not one of them. It has traditionally for me been always the time of waiting between shows (okay, I don’t just watch TV and sit around at home, but I do find a good show a relaxing break from writing, and the stress of owning a business) for something good to watch, that does not require a trip to the theater.

This year seems to be different. Some shows have caught my attention.

1. Murder In The First (June 9th TNT)

Yes, you saw that correct, this show includes someone from the Harry Potter cast, all grown up! Tom Felton joins this highly anticipated drama. Sounds interesting!

2. Extant (July 9th CBS)

Halle Berry is coming to the small screen! I am looking forward to the new SciFi show. Here is taste:

3. The Last Ship (June 22nd TNT)

What if the only hope we have laid on a ship? Yes, this is another outbreak, epidemic story, and we have seen many of those (fail), but after watching the trailer I want to give it a try. At least Eric Dane (McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy) is an incentive to watch show that could be a good premise, if it has been realized to its full potential. Directed by Michael Bay, do I need to say more?

Happy Watching!

 

V Is For Variety

Last night, a new show premiered by the name of “The Black Box” promising a unique variety to the usual drama shows, that currently are shown on the small screen.

“The Black Box” follows a young Dr., who despite her age is an expert in her field – neuroscience,  carrying within her a pretty big secret – she is bi-polar. With this unique point of view she seems to be able to connect with her patients on a deeper level, while desperately trying to hang on to her own life, as a professional, as a fiance, and as a mother.

The premier in my opinion was great! Unique, out there, a little surreal and over the top, but different, which is such a refreshing aspect. The main character, Catherine Black (played fearlessly by Kelly Reilly) is eccentric to say the least, but her out of the box thinking is exactly what is needed within the field she specializes in.

Mental illness is an important subject, that is often overlooked in the creative cinematic arena, unless it makes a convenient serial killer, or used to explain behavior. This show has the opportunity to go deeper, to show how the day to day aspect of a live of someone with mental disorder is effected, and how it effects those surrounding them. I am exited to see what the producers and writers of the show will make out of this opportunity. I will be watching, and I hope you will give it a try.

P Is For Pieces

Picking up the pieces of the few things I have encountered through the week, starting with the letter P

1. Pacific Rim

The movie started promising, I was pretty exited about the visual effects and the intro part of the movie – the world coming together to safe itself. What a wonderful concept. And then it fell apart for me. Love the three main characters of the movie – the experienced warrior Raleigh Becket, who lost his brother in battle, the  man in charge, Stacker Pentecost played by Idris Elba, and the inexperienced but enthusiastic rookie Mako Mori, played by Rinko Kikuchi.

The rest of the cast was less then impressive, giving the movie an old school over the top cartoonish feel, and not in a good way. I got bored half way through, not caring much about the fate of anyone else but the above mentioned three, which let me to pause the movie often, and get back to it later.  I hope the rumors of the creation of a possible part 2 are wrong. There are many beautifully crafted screenplays out there, that would do better with the studios time and money.

2. Person of Interest

The show I go to when there is nothing better on Television and I am bored. It has enough action scenes to keep the individual episodes interesting, and the thread that holds the entire thing together is unique enough to wonder about what what could happen next. But the individuals rescued and or hunted each week are predictable to the point of painful, their reactions rarely arising because of who they are, rather following a certain non-cooperation, no matter how rational a different responds would be. Too much formula, too predictable to be my favorite, but if I had a choice to watch this show and one of the really horrible comedies on TV right now (with the exception of Big Bang Theory), I would tackle Person of Interest.

3. Predictable Books

A few books that are currently on my reading list to be reviewed, have been stricken off it before I got to the half way point. There are two predictable points that usually are signs that the book is going to go bad right from the start

• First person – unless you are really, really good at it (Megan Hart’s “Beneath The Veil” is one example of a masterful story told in first person), it usually falls flat. It is a lot more difficult to create a story from this point of few, so I urge authors to reconsider the use of it – and I beg you, do not follow the “50 Shades of Grey” idea of first person, present tense – that is just wrong.
• Taking too long to get to the meat of the story – I have usually 5 books every week to read, that does not include homeschool lessons, short stories, blog posts and editing my own junk, so if a book does not hook me in the first few pages, I toss it. I am sorry, that makes me a bad reviewer in some peoples eyes, but I just don’t have the time for boring.

Now, I am going to try to find some peace and quiet, despite the fact that it is Friday, which means is Lawn Crew day in our condo complex – my dog usually barks most of the morning till late afternoon, at the intruders, who trim our small garden space, and rake the many leaves our oak tree filled grounds bring forth on a regular basis.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

N Is For NCIS – Spinoff, After Spinoff, After Spinoff

I used to love watching JAG (yes, this post is about NCIS, bare with me, people). It was interesting, engaging, had likable characters, and mostly smart story lines, specifically if you compared it with what was on television at that time.  You don’t remember JAG? Let me give you a taste:

It’s spin-off NCIS was an absolute improvement though. Instead of focusing around two main characters who would dance around the fact that they were attracted to each other, despite trying to maintain a professional relationship, NCIS was less personal, yet relationship driven, a mix off well planned action with relate-able and deep characters, which never seemed flat, and all had enough of their own baggage, to make your head spin.

I am staying away from the whole switching the female character issue at this moment.

Then came it’s own spin-off. Unlike the improvement that brought the JAG to NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles never really got me as interested. Even after watching it a few times, it does not have the depth or flair of the main NCIS show. Worst for me is the person in charge of the team, Hetty Lange, who is supposed to have this long list of skill sets and knowledge that would make a person the size of L.L. Cool J envious, yet she barely reaches to his arm pit. She speaks too many languages while being a supposed great fighter, and marksman, all that while having lived in a time where women were rarely taken seriously, and even less if they were as tiny as she was ( she is 4’9″). Oh, and did I mention she is also a novelist?

The rest of the cast is better, and they do carry the show enough to make it interesting enough to watch it. The line-up – right after the main show most likely contributes to it’s high ratings, which is  a clever move on CBS’ part.

Here is a taste of NCIS – Los Angeles in action

But because that was not enough spin-off action apparently, we got another one. Let me introduce this falls “NCIS: New Orleans”

Scott Bakula will be in charge of this new twist on the NCIS family. So far we had an introduction to this aspect of the family during a two part episode of NCIS in March. My first impression was rather non-favorable. It overplayed the stereotypes of what people think of when they hear New Orleans, to the point that if it would not have been for Bakula, I would not have watched the second part. When it will appear in this falls line-up I am sure, I will be reporting on it, hoping it will be better then its introduction.

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. NCIS might be touching on that boarder by creating another version of itself, watering down the quality of the shows, rather then having CBS focus on something new, exiting away from the formula. Instead keep on bringing the high quality we are used to for the main show.