The Blank Page

The weather is cold, the nights almost frosty, this is June and as I look down the barrel of another big birthday I wonder who on earth would want to read my blog, but apparently it’s therapeutic – makes you live longer – which is important when you’re looking at the big 5 Oh! And thinking that, unless you are very lucky, you are now on the countdown. Sooo in the interests of a long healthy life and possibly minimizing the possibility of going postal here’s a blog. Much of what I write will be TV and film related, yes I would have liked to have won an Oscar or write a film, or a soap but instead I publish books and teach Media Studies, what of it? Thus, once I get the hang of this I may run a few reviews and the odd Media Studies comment. Thoughts and observations that may end up in a book and hey I haven’t given up on that Oscar

First up on the soap box is the demise of that little but loved series Jericho – yeah curate’s egg as we used to say in our student days – meant good in parts. At least the first series – patriarchal representations of the American family, blondes deciding between men – and men deciding between blondes or whatever – some full on soap (sop) conventions. Do the network executives insist on this? Or is it just a series trying to find its way? I speak as someone who was shown the script to the first series of “Only Fools and Horses” – I gave it coverage – I didn’t write it off – honest. Anyhoo Jericho was cancelled, the fans went nuts (fans will get that – something to do with real nuts and the executives – look it up) and it was brought back better. Gone were the stereotypical blondes and in was more story line for the clever tax woman, the deaf girl and hints at a military coup, corrupt security and the nightmare of survivors in a landscape with insecure infrastructure. It is harsher, braver and more uncompromising, the use of music is not quite so hokey and it is better for it. Some say it may have gained yet another reprieve – maybe so maybe not – bring back The Survivors that’s what I say – oh apparently they are!