The Professionals

I just read that The Professionals, one of our much-loved British televisions series of the seventies, will be transposed into a modern day film (supposedly starring Jason Statham and Gerard Butler).  I can remember Kongkong and I waiting every week for each new episode, and we were thrilled with the pace of the CI5 brand of crime-fighting.  The plots were slightly more complicated that that of American TV shows, and the action was gritty, bordering brutal at times.  And yet we loved Cowley, Doyle and Bodie--they truly made our day (or week, rather!)

Chuck

Monique just loves for the television series Chuck, which tells the story of computer-geek-turned-international-spy Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi).  I managed to watch a few Season 4 episodes last week and it turns out that the series has loads of funny situations, light romance and even kung-fu action, all told with witty conversation (reminds me a lot of television in the late seventies).  The simple story line revolves around how Chuck starts his career as a spy, when the Intersect, the database of the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency, somehow gets embedded in his brain.  Veteran agents John Casey (Adam Baldwin) and Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) are assigned to initially baby-sit and later on provide support to Chuck as he learns the ropes of the spy trade.  What actually amazes me is the depth of the stars who have had guest roles on the show--Timothy Dalton (James Bond 007), Linda Hamilton (Terminator), Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap), Brandon Routh (Superman), Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), Carrie-Ann Moss (Matrix), Summer Glau (Firefly), Stone-Cold Austin (WWF) and veteran actors Chevy Chase, Armand Assante, Richard Chamberlain, Morgan Fairchild, Bruce Boxleitner, Gary Cole, Richard Burgi and Dolph Lundgren.  After watching a couple of episodes, I must say I am hooked!  Now, I too have a soft spot for the gentle spy Chuck, and it's a real pleasure to point out to Monique all the famous guest stars on the TV show, and to explain to her their previous work from 30 years ago. 

Sesame Street

Back in Fairview, I was busy rummaging through my old stuff when I came across a cassette tape of Sesame Street!  Yes, I bought one of these albums many years ago, and I let loose several chuckles looking at the playlist.  Memories automatically came in, fast-flooding my brain with all the fun clips and tunes from that most-loved educational kiddie TV show.  Even now, as I write this blog entry, I'm humming Kermit D. Frog's version of "Green," one of those meaning-of-life songs that are both  melancholy and uplifting at the same time.  I myself didn't watch Sesame Street to learn (I was a bit too old for that), but I remember Anella was glued to it, and I sometime sat with her watching the show.  Who can forget those characters?  Oscar the Grouch, Ernie & Bert, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, The Count, Elmo...  Probably too numerous to mention all of them, but I'm sure most of you have some idea of who they are.  Jim Henson's muppets gave so much life into that show, and the human characters (don't even remember the actor's names), made educational TV so enjoyable.  I don't know why the show was pulled off the air (I don't think they had poor viewership), but sadly, even good things come to an end.  Many thanks to the Children's Television Workshop, which produced the show, we all loved and enjoyed it!

Game of Thrones

I'm an absolute sucker for medieval fantasy epics, and the HBO mini-series Game of Thrones is exactly that.  Introduced to me by a business colleague, the George Martin  epic centers around the struggles of the seven houses in their bids to control the Iron Throne of Westeros. Mesmerizing and interwoven story-lines, intriguing characters filled with rage and angst, lots of mythical characters and creatures of the night, expensive sets and lavish costumes, beautiful scenery (excellent cinematography), strings of beautiful and sensuous women, plenty of swordplay (gory, in fact), an onrush of savage hordes, tales of strength, honor, cruelty and ambition, and a factual depiction of life's brutalities--many of the interesting features that lie in store for the viewer.  The series features Sean Bean (who has appeared as rogue agent 006 in the James Bond movie Goldeneye and as Boromir in the Lord of the Rings trilogy).  Note, however, that the series is not for the faint-hearted. 

Gilmore Girls

This has gotta be the all-time, most-loved television show of Vicky & Monique--Gilmore Girls.  I think they have seen all episodes, not just once, not twice, but probably four times over.  Lauren Graham stars as cooky & fun-loving single parent Lorelei Gilmore, who struggles to raise her intelligent and charming daughter Rory (played by Alexis Bledel) despite all odds.  Lots of laughter, tears, witty lines, puppy love, young love and female bonding; I understand that the series has already ended, but will forever live on in the hearts of Vicky & Monique.  As for me, I still find Lauren Graham super hot, and wouldn't mind giving her the role of Wonder Woman!  Whaddya think?

Star Trek

Space.  The Final Frontier.  These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.  Its continuing mission: to seek out new life and new civilizations, and to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Star Trek has been a part of my life since it first aired in the late sixties.  As a Trekker, I have memorized that voice-over by Bill Shatner.  I have read most of the books detailing in print the adventures serialized on television.  I have seen the 11 movies.  I have the DVDs of most of the follow-up series: The New Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise.

And as envisioned by its creator, Gene Roddenberry, hopefully there will come a time when man will learn how to travel faster than light, and we will reach for the stars.  Humankind's physical presence, and ultimately, our version of humanity and morality will either envelop or drown in the universe.  Such is life, such is existence. For now, we push the borders of time and space, and in the process, we find that we learn more about ourselves.

Battlestar Galactica

Battestar Galactica.  I enjoyed the original 1978 television series starring Lorne Greene, Dirk Benedict & Richard Hatch when I was young.  It tells of the overthrow of the human race by the Cylons, a race of machines initially created by humans, and the subsequent escape of the remaining human race across the galaxy, heading to the "Last Colony" which is Earth.  I found myself watching the series finale of the updated version with Edward James Olmos & Mary McDonnell last night and I especially like the ending in which the trial for the human traitor Gaius Baltar (played by James Callis) comes to a close.  Admiral Adama (Olmos) breaks a 2-2 deadlock vote and chooses to acquit Baltar.  President Roslin (McDonnell) laments the acquittal, to which Adama says "not guilty is not the same as innocent."  In a world where every remaining shred of human dignity is lost, where all civilization no longer has any meaning, where lving is reduced to human survival, the morality of all acts becomes relative, and the only thing that separates man, beast & machine is the way we face life as life goes on.  I've been pretty much a jaded man these days, but sometimes, on rare occassion, I see the spark of humanity still shining through.  Sometimes it takes a fantasy TV series to philosophize and internalize the meaning of life...

The Samurai

Talking about Mighty Thor has made me a bit sentimental.  I've been longing to find out whatever happened to the TV series "The Samurai" starring Koichi Ose as Shintaro Akikusa.  I never got to find out if the white ninjas prevailed over the black ninjas... You remember his sidekick, Tombei the Mist?  I still remember one word of advice given by Tombei that "Ninjas are forbidden to worry," and I still think of these words whenever I encounter the stress of daily life.  That was one much enjoyed television series in my time, and I can't help but think of this as the roots of the "Naruto" anime series the kids enjoy today.  Well, not just the kids... I must admit, I am a Naruto fan too....  Now ain't that a revelation...!  ;-)