Friday, November 11, 2005

Must-See TV...NOT!

I was appalled at the standard of a local TV drama series which premiered last night called "Lifeline", which is about a group of paramedics & police officers. I am all for supporting local talent if it exists! I wonder if the TV stations have quality control people who screen through the programs first before they are allowed to make the cut into prime-time!

I was cringing through the 1-hour episode with the wooden acting, poorly scripted dialogue, unimaginative storyline; even when the credits were rolling, the background showed a scattering of what was supposed to be ECG tracings (I think!) which looked more like the scribblings of someone testing out a pen at Popular (a local chain of stationary/book stores).

Sigh...local TV needs to be revamped, especially the programming. For the last decade or so, prime time slots of between 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm have been reserved for mainly locally produced comedies, reality programs & now dramas, while award-winning TV programs like Desparate Housewives, CSI, & previously X-files, E.R., Chicago Hope etc were relegated to late night slots of after 10 or 11 pm.


SOAPs are like DOPE

Do you realise that soapy dramas like One Tree Hill have an almost addictive effect on its viewers??? I watched one episode of this series (targeted mainly at the teenage female audience)during one of my "nothing-better-to-do" moments & was reluctantly, slowly, but surely, drawn into the convoluted happenings of this small town called Tree Hill. The story revolves around characters from the local high school - two of them, Lucas & Nathan are half brothers on the basketball team. They share the same father (Dan) whose brother (Keith) is in love with Lucas's Mom (Karen). There is a plethora of other characters like Jake (a single parent to an infant girl), Brooke (Lucas's ex-girlfriend), Peyton (Brooke's best friend whom I think had a fling with Lucas but I am not sure cos I wasn't watching the series when it happened), Haley (Nathan's girlfriend & now wife!) & Jessie (???I think that's her name??? - anyway she is the mother to Jake's baby girl). Latest cliffhangers in the season finale has Nathan's mom (Deb) having a one night stand with Keith; Lucas leaving Tree Hill with Keith; Dan having a heart attack; Coach Whitey (basketball coach) on the verge of discovering the diagnosis of his eye condition; Jessie trying to find Jake who has run off with their daughter after she threatened to fight for custody; & Haley & Nathan finally consumating their relationship after a quickie wedding. Confused enough??? My husband begged me not to tell him about the story ("No, no more...enough!!!") when I was trying to explain it to him while I was watching the taped final episode of the season. I think I will try to cold turkey myself off this series even when the new season starts....

4 comments:

Vanessa said...

one tree hill is the best!!!! but then again, i am a 15 year old. it gets better in season 3. and Nikki is Jenny's mother. and Lucas had a fling with Peyton whilst dating Brooke, who later on becomes president of the school... season 3 promises that Lucas and Brooke get back together, but not exclusively until Brooke gets jealous of all the other girls. hahas, =) just told you alot of stuff. One Tree Hill is good drama for people with boring lives, like me. hahaha.

aliendoc said...

thanks but no thanks :)! I will try hard to stay away from season 3...enough drama in real life, without adding more in reel life!

Anonymous said...

hi there, i totally agree. i gave up watching local tv after growing up and under one roof ended. our tv is either too colloquial (pck with his lahs and lors) or too pretentious (tiramisu and chase). on top of that they have "exchanges" btwn channel 5 and 8, so you've these chinesey ppl trying to speak crisp english and it's totally awful and embarrassing! i'll just stick to the overseas fare. heh.

aliendoc said...

Sad but true. I wish that Medicorp would realise that local talent has a long way to go as far as TV is concerned. Yes, support the local talent but not indiscriminately!!!