Showbits

I've now had a month to play with and evaluate my Christmas bounties and have come to a conclusion: the thought and care that went into my handmade Pac-Man scarf puts it on top, but the first two seasons of Big Bang Theory on DVD made for a close match.

True to the conjecture that "the geek shall inherit the Earth", we finally seem to be in an era where it's hip to be a geek. The world runs on the Internet and is beholden to those who have mastered it, while the success of movies like Batman and TV shows such as Battlestar Galactica are evidence of the consumer power of the geek demographic.

Big Bang Theory puts those geeks in the spotlight with two cohabitating physicists, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons). Together with co-workers Howard (Simon Helberg of Dr. Horrible) and Raj (Kunal Nayyar), they play Halo and Dungeons & Dragons, attend Star Trek conventions and costume contests, and postulate about quantum mechanics and string theory. When Penny (Kaley Cuoco), a cute Cheesecake Factory waitress, moves in next door, Leonard tries to get her attention without abandoning his esoteric lifestyle. Hilarity ensues.

Although the show does play to some stereotypes, it does so respectfully. Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj are respected by their peers and are successful in and fulfilled by their careers and hobbies. The humor arises not from lampooning what it means to be a geek as much as it does by highlighting the culture clash that occurs when geeks try to interact with the rest of society. Besides, how could the show poke fun at geeks when the geeks in the audience can empathize with so many of the jokes? This is a show about laughing with, not at, the heroes.

Although adorable and well-intentioned Leonard is ostensibly the star of the show, the scenes are often stolen by Sheldon, who exaggerates the geek archetype by proving himself completely devoid of emotion. Imagine a creature as logical as Spock but with a complete unawareness of the existence of other organisms' emotions or how to be sensitive to them. Such extreme snarkiness is unattractive, but it makes Sheldon's occasional humanity all the more surprising.

Take this scene from the second season's Christmas episode. Sheldon, not knowing what price range his gift from Penny will fall under, has prepared several gifts to give her based on the value of what he receives. Once he has received and evaluated her gift, he intends to sneak away to choose the appropriate reciprocation.

Would any of us have reacted any differently? (The fact that you're reading Showbits in the first place suggests "no".)

From the opening number performed and sung by Barenaked Ladies to the epilogue, each episode is a riot of intelligent, witty humor. If you liked the superior stylings of Frasier, you'll like Big Bang Theory. My thanks to those who took a chance on introducing me to this series for Christmas.

When Hollywood adapts a television series to film, it's easy to view the maneuver as an uncreative and desperate attempt to cash in on a well-known brand without any respect for the original property and its fans. From Car 54 and Mod Squad to G.I. Joe and The Transformers, there are myriad examples of stories that were best left to the small screen.

But to paint all such adaptations so negatively is to overlook the overwhelming success, both critically and financially, of film such as Serenity and Star Trek. Such home runs give us reason for optimism, even if their lackluster counterparts temper that optimism with caution.

I'm therefore ambivalent toward the feature film reboot of The A-Team. The original series, which ran for 98 episodes from 1983 to 1987, had a colorful and recognizable cast that included George Peppard (Breakfast at Tiffany's), Dirk Benedict (Battlestar Galactica), Dwight Schultz (Star Trek: The Next Generation), and Mr. T (who will not appear in the reboot). It doesn't seem feasible that any modern studio could recapture that magic.

And yet, the following trailer has me positively giddy:

As Dayton Ward said, "Does Liam Neeson look like a dead ringer for George Peppard, or what?" And it goes beyond just superb casting — the opening dialogue, the music, the one-liners, and the action all seem lifted right from the original series:

Maybe this studio knows what they're doing, after all. We'll find out on June 11, 2010.

(Hat tip to ComingSoon.net)

Here's yet another TV preview, this time for Family Guy, which two years ago performed its own rendition of Star Wars: A New Hope with its animated spoof episode, "Blue Harvest". Faster than LucasArts can pump out sequels, you can already catch the Family Guy's Empire Strikes Back, "Something Something Something Darkside", released today on DVD. Here's the trailer:

The timing of this DVD release means it's already available as a stocking stuffer (and in Blu-Ray, too!).

A sequel parodying Return of the Jedi titled "We Have A Bad Feeling About This" is planned.

Star Trek has long been known for its technobabble — a quantum fissure ruptures space-time and is sealed by reversing the polarity and emitting a tachyon pulse from the deflector dish — but occasionally, its cast is concerned by dilemmas as low-tech as the equipment used to make the show. This was especially true of TOS, which once pitted Captain James T. Kirk against a slow-moving lizardman:

A cannon fashioned from bamboo, charcoal, sulfur, and diamonds? That's simply not feasible… or is it? The Discovery Channel's cult favorite, Mythbusters, tackles this classic scenario next Monday, December 28, at 9 PM. Here's a preview:

Poor Gorn. The lizardman had only the best of intentions:

For more of Captain Kirk's ham-fisted battle strategies, check out the independent film, The Kirkie.

(Hat tips to Dayton Ward, SCI FI Wire, and SciFi Diner Podcast)

The holidays are upon us, and with them are a sleighful of television specials. The Eighties were a particularly good decade for the genre, presenting the season in schmaltzy but memorable vignettes, whether it be a one-off or a very special episode of a regular series.

If you long for that era and can't find your favorite special in this year's lineup, then check out A BeTaMaXMaS, a Web site that uses YouTube to aggregate various classic specials into a retro theme. Whether you're looking for Silver Spoons, Perfect Strangers, the Smurfs, or the Muppets, you'll find them all in this family den, complete with spotty reception. Play with the antennae to reduce the snow, or use the remote control as well as a TV Guide to access additional programming. It's a charming throwback to the days before 54" high-definition televisions, 5.1 surround sound, and other audio-video standards we now take for granted.

One of my favorite treats from that era was Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas Celebration, featuring the California Raisins. The entire 24-minute special has been posted to YouTube, including musical numbers such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Carol of the Bells", and "We Three Kings" (featuring the Caramel Camels!).

Wanting something newer but still familiar? The Muppets are always happy to accommodate:

If, despite all this cheer, you're still a Scrooge, then take off the rose-tinted glasses and see these holiday specials for how terrible they really are with a bit of help from RiffTrax:

Whatever your television preferences, may your season be merry!

I've never seen 24, but I think its protagonist, Jack Bauer, is a cross between MacGyver, Chuck Norris, and Maxwell Smart, using whatever means are at his disposal to keep our country safe from terrorists. But what if Bauer and his team had existed 15 years ago — would they be nearly as effective with the technology of 1994?

Being a veteran of early online communities and a staunch supporter of the hardware that ran them, I can say with confidence that the above video is remarkably accurate. We may love to sugar-coat the past… but it sure is easier to get things done now!

What other shows do you think would require signficant revamping if transplanted to a modern context?

What show isn't improved upon by a good musical number? Otherwise tonal adventures such as Xena and Buffy have featured impromptu chorus numbers and dance routines not only to break from the traditional script but also as a way to gently lampoon themselves.

Batman has often proven ample fodder for other sorts of parodies, perhaps because the Dark Knight takes himself so seriously. In the October 23rd episode of his latest televised incarnation, The Brave and the Bold on Cartoon Network, the villanious Music Meister, played by Neil Patrick Harris, uses his own symphonic satire to bring down Gotham's defender. Courtesy Entertainment Weekly, here's a sneak peek at one such scene:

The traditional television schedule seems to be a thing of the past, with new series starting whenever in the year they please. One recent example is Defying Gravity, which ABC premiered on August 2nd. While it's common for shows like Heroes and Sarah Connor to stream its new episodes on their Web sites, I've never been satisfied with the experience of watching a television show in a Web browser. So imagine my pleasant surprise to find that the first three episodes of Defying Gravity were, for a limited time, available as a free download from iTunes, allowing me an opportunity I'd otherwise get only on DVD.

The year is 2052, eleven years before First Contact. The International Space Organziation (ISO) is set to launch a single six-year manned mission to the solar system's seven planets (discounting Earth and Pluto). Eight astronauts and their ground support are eager to confront the unknown… but before they know it, the unknown comes to them. A mysterious entity is pulling the mission's strings, which only the upper echelons of the ISO are aware of — and oddly, they seem more than willing to cooperate.

Ron Livingston of Office Space is the show's main character and narrator. In the eyes of the public, Maddux Donner is a fallen hero, ever since he abandoned two astronauts on a mission to Mars, although the movie's pilot makes clear he made the right decision and obeyed orders. He opens and closes each episode with a monologue, with other storytelling elements including the flashbacks, personal video logs, and one character whose sole purpose seems to be to document the ship's happenings for the edification of terrestrial grade school students.

More central to the plot than Donner's public image is his relationship with the rest of the crew, and them with each other. Multiple flashbacks to five years prior show us how this crew came to know each other during the application and training for the mission, at which time it seems everyone slept with each other at least once. Now spacebound, the astronauts are supposedly limited by HALOs — hormone-activated libido oppressors that impact one's physical performance but not emotional desire, thus doing nothing to prevent sexual awkwardness.

HALOs are one of the few technological developments humanity has achieved in the next 50 years. The Antares ship must have some sort of improved propulsion to make a six-year solar tour, but there's no evidence of warp drive. Further, the application of antigravity is inconsistent. It's stated early on that nanofibers in the crew uniforms keep them upright and attached, and we see tossed objects and even vomit moving laterally across a room in support of that theory. But in other scenes, baseballs sail in graceful arcs, and an exercise room's weight machine functions normally. Perhaps crew quarters rotate, offering centripetal force that isn't present elsewhere. Regardless, Defying Gravity is closer to our own level of advancement than most science fiction.

Likewise, culture and society has seen few changes, though I appreciate that the possibility for more sweeping evolution is subtle. The existence of the ISO suggests a a world unification, or at least collaboration beyond a single space station. Home pregnancy tests are now illegal. And Donner longs for "the mountains and what's left of the beaches", suggesting some consequence of global warming. But the broader environment in which this mission was launched is not the show's focus, and picking up on these clues is more a reward for the astute viewer than being hit over the head with more jarring differences would be.

If only the rest of the show was as shrewd. The macguffin of the unknown puppet master is intended to keep viewers hooked, but it's too obvious a plot device for me. I prefer hidden elements to be subtle and not critical to the show's very foundation. A particular character can have a secret, or a particular episode or story arc may need a deus ex machina — but this entire show seems driven by a creature named "Beta" who we may not be seeing for some time.

Fortunately, any problems I have with the script do not extend to the cast. Livingston seemed somewhat clueless in Office Space and has a similar air here, but at least he's earnest about it. Ty Olsson, who played Captain Aaron Kelly on BSG and Magento's guard in X-Men 2, is tough but thoughtful Rollie Crane. Among the astronauts, there is a lack of independent female role models, but mission control includes Karen LeBlanc as assistant flight director Eve Weller-Shaw and Claire Dereux as Maxim Roy, who know how to get a grip (when they're not pining for their cosmic boyfriends).

Defying Gravity, which has been described as Lost in space (har, har) or Grey's Anatomy in space, came strongly recommended from someone who said these three episodes had justified committing to the rest of the season. Such a strong first impression is rare: if I'd had to judge Star Trek: TNG or DS9 that quickly, I might not have stuck around. Defying Gravity may likewise mature into a fine show, but since I have no television service, I'm left with the decision of buying the show online or on DVD, or not at all. Given what I've seen so far, I'll save my money and leave others to boldly go. In the meantime, only the behind-the-scenes featurette remains a free download from iTunes, while full episodes can be watched on ABC.com by installing their spyware plug-in.