A very special blog
Remember when 80's sitcoms had a plot point that somehow involved a joint or sex, and the commercials would say, "Next, a very special Growing Pains"? They used to do it all the time, even with something so insipid as Family Matters ("Urkel discovers his manhood.") or Step By Step ("Oh, wait...we can't do this...you're my sister!").
Apparently, the "very special" teaser began to lose it's appeal; maybe ratings dropped, maybe they just felt it was time to move on.
But I heard it last night at the end of The Apprentice: "Next, a very special E.R., with an unforgettable performance by Ray Liota."
Normally my bullshit alarm would be blaring and my eyes would begin to bleed from the pain of such tackiness. But this is E.R. I enjoy E.R. It usually has decent writing and (usually) keeps me interested for the entire hour. But this episode was "very special," and I was a little weary.
To sum it up, the show was very well done. Usually E.R. has one inherrant weakness as a show: there's something like 5,786 characters, and keeping relevant and engaging story lines moving across that many characters is pretty difficult. Especially with a one-hour show that is only on 10 times every few months. So, generally speaking, they tend to do establish small plot lines, and switch between them. It's tough, but they pull it off.
This show was different. For the first time in a very long time, the majority of the show was filmed in one room with an alcoholic (Liota, of course) in the final stages of kidney failure. It was a pretty moving show, and the alcohol-induced dimentia and flashback editing was very cinematic and ethereal - two things that broadcast TV generally eschews for mono-syllabic words and irritating catch phrases.
But, there you go. When E.R. does its repeat thing on syndacation, try to check this one out. I would have TiVO'd it. But damnit, I don't have a TiVO.
Makes things kind of difficult.
Oh, and by the way, Halo 2 is the single most important game for Xbox Live. It is truly unbelievable, well planned and beautifully executed.
Had to throw that in there.
Apparently, the "very special" teaser began to lose it's appeal; maybe ratings dropped, maybe they just felt it was time to move on.
But I heard it last night at the end of The Apprentice: "Next, a very special E.R., with an unforgettable performance by Ray Liota."
Normally my bullshit alarm would be blaring and my eyes would begin to bleed from the pain of such tackiness. But this is E.R. I enjoy E.R. It usually has decent writing and (usually) keeps me interested for the entire hour. But this episode was "very special," and I was a little weary.
To sum it up, the show was very well done. Usually E.R. has one inherrant weakness as a show: there's something like 5,786 characters, and keeping relevant and engaging story lines moving across that many characters is pretty difficult. Especially with a one-hour show that is only on 10 times every few months. So, generally speaking, they tend to do establish small plot lines, and switch between them. It's tough, but they pull it off.
This show was different. For the first time in a very long time, the majority of the show was filmed in one room with an alcoholic (Liota, of course) in the final stages of kidney failure. It was a pretty moving show, and the alcohol-induced dimentia and flashback editing was very cinematic and ethereal - two things that broadcast TV generally eschews for mono-syllabic words and irritating catch phrases.
But, there you go. When E.R. does its repeat thing on syndacation, try to check this one out. I would have TiVO'd it. But damnit, I don't have a TiVO.
Makes things kind of difficult.
Oh, and by the way, Halo 2 is the single most important game for Xbox Live. It is truly unbelievable, well planned and beautifully executed.
Had to throw that in there.
posted by The Haiku Review at 8:09 AM
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