More Vampires? Really?

I have watched the first two episodes of ABC's new series The Gates and it is not as bad as I thought it would be.  It is basically Desperate Housewives with monsters.  The real question is why ABC went this route at all.  Talk about coming to the party late!  Currently, we already have True Blood on HBO, Being Human on BBC America, and Vampire Diaries on CW, not to mention Twilight in the theaters.  And while I will not speak for the quality of the film, all three television series have merit and variety - the Deep South (True Blood), high school (Vampire Diaries), and British society (Being Human).  And what is interesting is that all of these shows also have another common theme, this being werewolves and witches.  I did not know all the creatures needed to travel in packs, but this seems to go all the way back to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the friendly werewolf played by Seth Green.  In Being Human the vampire and werewolf are so comfortable with one another that they share a flat.

And what does this say about America (and Britain by extension) and our need for bloodthirsty entertainment?  Well, first of all I think it is just plain fun, and it is not so new.  Just think of Angel, Blood Ties, and Moonlight, and you will see this vampire pile-up is pretty common.  However, something else may lie beneath the surface.  The New York Times may have been onto something last year when the paper noted the following:

The vampire’s attraction is “all about the titillation of imagining the monsters we could be if we just let ourselves go,” suggested Rick Owens, a fashion bellwether whose goth-tinged collections sometimes evoke the undead. “We’re all fascinated with corruption, the more glamorous the better” and, he added, with the idea of “devouring, consuming, possessing someone we desire.” 

I think it may be even more basic then that.  Americans have always liked heroes - especially super heroes - and all of these shows have "good" vampires who protect innocent women or society at large from other big, bad monsters.  It is the same old tale with new wrappings.  If these creatures were simply feasting with no love interest and no real point would we care?  No more than watching a lion at the zoo, which is interesting for about 3 minutes.  So sit back, enjoy the show, and know you are part of a long line of viewers looking for a good story where our hero vanquishes the "real" evil out there.

Historical Shows on the Way - The Pillars of the Earth

If you enjoyed HBO's Rome and John Adams, you will be happy to read we are in for more historical series.  The Starz network, which recently brought you the provoking series Spartacus, is now finalizing work on its 8-hour series that will bring Ken Follet's best selling book The Pillars of the Earth to life.  Having read the book, I will be very interested in seeing how this 12th Century story will look on TV.  The new series is slated to begin on July 23 at 10pm EST.  I am already impressed with the actors lined up to perform in this series, including Ian McShane and Donald Sutherland.

 Here is how Starz describes the epic:

This epic tale of passion and greed begins when a mysterious secret disrupts the succession to the English crown and an unlikely member of King Henry’s family takes the throne. A power struggle between Henry’s daughter, Maud, and nephew, Stephen, causes England to be torn by war as battles rage for the rightful heir. Meanwhile, Bishop Waleran Bigod and the Hamleigh family manipulate the conflict to satisfy their own ruthless ambitions. Within this tumultuous setting, Prior Philip fights insurmountable obstacles to keep Kingsbridge and his dream of building a magnificent cathedral alive. The task is daunting, but master-mason Tom Builder, his gifted stepson, Jack, and noblewoman Aliena work together to achieve their dreams. And in the process, the long-hidden secret is revealed.

Visit here for more information and here for a trailer.

Are You Lost?

We have left the month of May and the concluding drama of Lost.  While the networks have a number of interesting shows on the way this summer, it is unlikely anything will capture our imagination as did Lost.  And this may be just as well.  Lost was draining in many ways.  At times I felt I needed a large board with lines connecting photos to remember and understand the plot - something like the board in Flash Forward (which if anything is another failed attempt to mimic Lost).

I watched each and every episode to the bitter end.  And it was bitter at times.  While I am not disappointed in the ending, I am somewhat dismayed as others may be.  And the Jimmy Kimmel Special did not help.  The show periodically wandered too far, such as the Temple of Doom staging at the end of the series, but most of the characters stayed true.  And when they did not remain the same person, as with Locke, at least the changes were subtle and some of the former character was still there.  Of course, if you want to dissect every scene you will always have Lostpedia and thousands of other such sites. 

At this point much of what needs to be said about the series has been said, but I do hope this is truly the end.  I heard talk about a second series with Hurley and Ben running the next phase of the island.  Bad idea, unless you truly want to go the route of Gilligan's Island or Fantasy Island.  Let it go, and enjoy the reruns.