A Writer's Life

Serial Killers

The big media story lately is the death of all the new serialized dramas the networks have launched over the past two years in an attempt to captue the success of LOST, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES and 24.  Basically, nobody seems to have the time, energy, or trust to commit to a deep, lasting and meantingful relationship with more than one or two of these series. After the death of shows like SURFACE, KIDNAPPED, REUNION, THIEF, INVASION, SMITH, and the anemic ratings of VANISHED, THREE DEGREES and THE NINE, The New York Times reports that the networks are finally getting the hint:

In every television season some new lesson about the American audience is imparted. This season’s lesson was clear within the first weeks of the fall: you can ask people to commit only so many hours to intense, dark, intricately constructed serialized dramas, to sign huge chunks of their lives away to follow every minuscule plot development and character tic both on the air and on Internet sites crowded with similarly addicted fanatics.

“The message we received was that people have strains on their lives,” said Kevin Reilly, the president of NBC Entertainment. “People are saying, ‘I’ve got my handful of shows like this, and I don’t want more.’ ”

[...]Dana Walden, president of the 20th Century Fox Television studio, said: “What the audience seems to be saying is: ‘Enough. We can’t get involved with more of these.’ ”

Logically this result should have been expected. But logic often runs aground in the offices of television executives who endlessly try to anticipate the future by repeating the past. Or, as Preston Beckman, executive vice president for entertainment for the Fox network, put it, “In this business we always overcompensate.”

 

Even LOST is feeling the heat. The Los Angeles Times notes that CRIMINAL MINDS, which is in the same time slot, is drawing almost as may viewers these days.

...conventional wisdom would dictate that "Criminal Minds," now in its second season, should be moldering on TV's rubbish heap.  So why is the series growing into a bona-fide hit that last week delivered its most-watched episode ever, with 16.8 million total viewers, just a shade behind the still-formidable "Lost" (17.1 million), according to Nielsen Media Research?

"This was the year of serialized dramas trying to recapture lightning in a bottle the way that 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Lost,' '24' and 'Grey's Anatomy' did," said John Rash, director of broadcast negotiations for Minneapolis-based ad firm Campbell-Mithun. "But almost all of them were rejected by the audience."

The growth of "Criminal Minds" is maybe the most convincing proof that not everyone wants to be chained to a dense, character-packed drama that unspools like a Dickensian novel. And even those who do have their limits. There is a reason why formula sells, why genres become generic in the first place.

Baywatch Confusion

All 22 episodes of the original, first season of BAYWATCH, which aired on NBC, is coming out on DVD on Monday  in England. A first season boxed set of BAYWATCH episodes is also coming out on the same day on these shores... only they are entirely different episodes. Confused? I know I was.

The first season that's coming out on DVD here is actually season two, the first syndicated season of the show. The U.S. boxed set reportedly has two episodes from the real first season, which they are calling "the lost pilot season." If that wasn't bad enough, the episodes in the U.S. are also missing the original score. What were they thinking? The only reason I care at all about this debacle is because I wrote a bunch of first season BAYWATCH episodes on NBC and, as bad as they were, I wouldn't mind having them on DVD... so I had to shell out $65 to get the Brit version which, by the way, will only work on a multi-standard player or on your computer.

Persuaders still Persuasive

Way back in June 2005, it was announced that Ben Stiller and British comic Steve Coogan were teaming up for a feature film revival of the flop 70s TV series THE PERSUADERS. Apparently, that project has dissolved, because this week Variety reports that the project is now being developed by producer Ashok Amritraj and ANGER MANAGEMENT screenwriter David Dorfman. There was no mention of either Stiller or Coogan's involvement. If they are gone, it makes the reasoning behind mounting this TV revival a real head-scratcher.

THE PERSUADERS starred Roger Moore and Tony Curtis as two fun-loving playboys in Europe who were drafted by a retired judge to solve crimes. The series was produced in England and only lasted a season. But the reruns have a cult following in the UK and France which, apparently, Amritraj thinks is enough to prop up a "tent pole action comedy."  But does anyone besides me and a handful of other TV geek still remember the show?

Speaking of main titles...

...Andrew Dignan analyzes in minute detail the main sequence of THE WIRE, which changes every season.

The Wire's opening credits are not an ordinary credits sequence, but a series of four short films that distill each season's themes, goals, and motifs.

I Should Kill More Critics

I killed Chadwick Saxelid in the latest DIAGNOSIS MURDER novel, but that didn't stop him from giving THE DOUBLE LIFE a great review.

For the seventh book in his series of Diagnosis Murder tie-ins, author Lee Goldberg has concocted a mystery concept so unnerving, it would even give veteran medical thriller writer Robin Cook the willies.

[...] mixing an emotionally nuanced character study (of Steve Sloan, this time around) with an intricate puzzle of a mystery, where finding out howdunit is just as essential, and entertaining, as finding out whodunit.  Like the best of series fiction, The Double Life both satisfies and leaves the reader hungry for more.

TV Main Title of the Week

I'm out-of-town, so here's a second main title for your pleasure...action as only Robert Stack can deliiver it.

Brilliance

What would happen if Aaron  Sorkin wrote a series about baseball? Emmy-winning writer  Ken Levine gives you a brilliant example.

EXT. KAUFMAN STADIUM -- NIGHT

THE MANAGER, LEO, TROTS OUT TO THE MOUND TO TALK TO BELEAGURED PITCHER, DANNY (THERE’S ALWAYS A DANNY). THE BASES ARE LOADED. THE CROWD IS GOING NUTS. IT’S GAME SEVEN OF THE WORLD SERIES.

LEO
You can’t get a good lobster in this town.

DANNY
Last I checked we were in Kansas City.

LEO
4.6 billion pork ribs sold every year and 18.9 tons of beef consumed annually since 1997 –

DANNY
They like their beef, what can I tell ya?

LEO
But you’d think just for variety’s sake.

DANNY
I can still throw my curve.

LEO
For strikes?

DANNY
I’m not throwing enough?

LEO
I’ve seen more lobsters.

There's more... much much more...and it's hilarious.

A View to a Goldberg

If you missed my sisters on THE VIEW, here's your chance to see the clip:

Greetings from Germany

I'm sorry you haven't seen me much around here, but I am currently in Cologne, where I am writing, teaching, pitching and going on helicopter rides (my friends at Action Concept love their helicopters). Over the weekend,  I was taken out by an experienced race car driver to Nurburgring,  where we drove a BMW M5 on a winding track that's  considered one of the most demanding in the world.  When I say "we drove," I mean I sat in the passenger seat while he sped at 240+ km around unbelievably tight turns.  I loved it. I thought it was incredibly exhiliratiing. Unfortunately, before I got my turn at the wheel, the car completely crapped out.  Somehow we managed to blow the transmission. We had to push the car into a parking spot, where we waited three hours for a tow truck to take us back to the nearest BMW dealership. It was great fun anyway and I got to see a lot of cool cars. Speaking of cars, I also visited the Daimler-Chrysler HQ in Stuttgart, which was fun, too.

But the best part of my trip so far has been all the conversations I've had with German writer/producers and network executives. I think I've learned as much from them as they have from me. The exchange of ideas, methods, and philosophies about writing, showrunning,  and the television business has been every bit as exhilirating for me as my high-speed race around the track.

TV Main Title of the Week

I Love It When Tod Gets Hate Mail

My brother Tod gets the most amusing hate mail from the strangest people:

You're perhaps the most unlikable, trivial, angry person I've ever read online. You would be an incredibly successful female middle-school student. Try inserting a few spurious capital letters and misspelling (more) words, and you could fit right in at MySpace. Your photograph looks very Arabic and not very Jewish, and it's also extremely creepy. Some people were born to write (not you) and some born to be photographed (not you, either).

Naturally my Arabic-looking brother, who clearly has too much time on his hands since my Mom moved from his neighborhood to mine, responded right away and asked the writer to be his mentor. He wrote, in part:

My mother and father, while both Jewish, were apparently quite ugly, which lead to the unfortunate photo of me you saw that apparently makes me me look Arabic. I guess looking Arabic would be a bad thing? I'm sorry if my Fertile Crescent appearance in that photo doesn't please you, my mentor, but I assure you that there are other photos of me online where I look Italian, which might please you. There are also some where I look Persian, which probably wouldn't please you too much. Others still make me look like a Russian Jew, which I am, but that might make you think I'm a Communist. I assure you, Neal, I love America and am not a Commie. I do like Russian dressing, but only on a certain chicken dish...

[...]I'm sad that you find me the most unlikable person online. That means you've never visited my brother's blog. He could use your help, too, Neal, to see the way out of failure toward success. [...]Will you be my life coach? Will you teach me how to write midnight letters to novelists who you stumble upon while searching for the lyrics to The Ballad Of Irving? That was you, wasn't it Neal? Writing me from the Lutheran Medical Center in Denver? Neal, I feel safe in saying that I need you in my life now more than ever.

Neal immediately wrote back:

Now, the most important part of my advice. Masturbate one more time (it's the closest you'll come to  losing your virginity) and then kill yourself. Don't stretch it out for twenty-odd more years of sucking dick to pay for your meth, getting turned down by crack whores, and constantly referring to your family as if anyone knows them. Just get it over with.

I am not kidding, the world will thank you. Your funeral will be a party, and we'll enjoy dancing around your unmarked cardboard box.

Neal also cc'd his lawyer on his reply, which is the perfect punchline to the whole thing.  I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at a blog post (though it was probably one of Tod's famous Letters to Parade columns).

Visual Chronicles is HOT

After their appearance on THE VIEW, my sisters' book is #32  on Amazon and #45 on B&N. That is the power of Rosie.

Airing Tonight in Oblivion

A year ago, I wrote abou lost TV series that were ordered and shot but never aired. Variety reports that the new CBS series WATERFRONT is destined to be another show that will only be broadcast in oblivion.

Over at the Eye, "Waterfront" was originally slated for midseason. But with few holes to fill on its sked, CBS execs decided to pull the plug on the drama from Warner Bros. TV.

Jack Orman created the skein, which starred Joe Pantoliano as the mayor of Providence, R.I. William Baldwin, Mary Stuart Masterson and Larenz Tate also starred.

Four episodes, plus the pilot, of "Waterfront" had already been shot. Insiders said net execs weren't completely pleased with the show's direction; without a pressing need to schedule it, the net decided to pass.

Each episode of the show  probably cost at least $2 million to produce. Plus it's likely that the producers and cast have pay-or-play deals, meaning they will have to be paid for 13 episodes whether they are shot or not. So this decision essentially means that CBS  will be flushing over $10 million down the toilet.

Inhuman

I've never written a biography, but I must get two or three emails a month from complete strangers who want me to write a book about their lives. Here's one I got today (I took out the name of the person and the company she mentions):

I am 70 years old and I have been told that my autobiography should be written.I won an inhuman case against XYZ COMPANY.As you know that it is not the money you win, but I have been in therapy for many years. I have Newspaper clipping of the Inhuman treatment I received.I do hope you can help me, or know someone that can.

If you're interested in writing about this woman and her inhuman case, let me know and I'll put you in touch with her.

Watch My Sisters on THE VIEW Tomorrow

Set your VCRs and Tivos...my sisters Karen Dinino & Linda Woods are going to be special  guests on THE VIEW tomorrow, Oct. 19th,  on ABC. They will be doing some projects from their book VISUAL CHRONICLES with Rosie and the gals.

Off To Germany Again

I am leaving today for another two week stint in Germany, where I will be teaching for The Media Exchange and doing some consulting work for Action Concept, the country's leading producer of action shows and movies (you'll be hearing a lot more about them, and the work we are doing together, in the coming months). I'll try to report back here occasionally...but don't be surprised if you don't hear from me much. Note: While I am away, I am holding all comments for approval before posting them. When I return, I will deactiviate the comment-moderation.

TV Main Title of the Week

My Secret Shame

Bill and I actually wrote an episode of this show.

The Fine Print of Self-Publishing

I firmly believe it's a mistake to pay to have your book published by a vanity press and that it's tantamount to flushing your money down a toilet. But if you are intent on doing it anyway, then you must read THE FINE PRINT OF SELF-PUBLISHING by Mark Levine first.  He analyzes the major vanity presses and their contracts, their pluses and minuses, and gives you a thorough understanding of how that business works. 

He starts by talking about how he chose the vanity press route for his first book:

"In 1994, when I finished the novel, I put it into the hands of a few big-time publishing houses. They all told me the same thing. 'We like the writing, but in order for us to sell it, you have to rewrite this and rewrite that, then send it back to us.' I wasn't about to start rewriting my book so that maybe some traditional publisher would take it."

To me, that attitude pretty much sums up the problem with most of the writers who go the self-publishing route.  He goes on to say his book was awarded 'Book of the Year' by the publisher he paid to publish his book, making it a dubious honor at best, and the fact that he's proud of it, and touts it in his book, made me wonder about the guy and his credibilty (he claims that President Clinton read the book and that's certainly worth touting).  On the other hand, he recognizes that a vanity press publication is, at best, a small step towards becoming a publisher yourself or landing a traditi0nal publishing contract. 

But Levine quickly won me over with his knowledge and professionalism in his approach towards his topic.  Levine is obviously pro-vanity press, but even with that bias, he does a remarkably thorough job analyzing the companies and their practices, even singling out the worst offenders by name (Authorhouse and PublishAmerica among them) and detailing exactly what they are doing wrong, line by line, in their contracts. During the research phase of his book, he even succeeded in getting some publishers to adjust their contracts to be more author-friendly.

The book is breezily written and very informative. THE FINE PRINT OF SELF-PUBLISHING is a long overdue, much-needed book and is worth buying whether you're contemplating self-publishing or not simply for the education Levine gives in how to read a publishing contract and understand the terms.

Civility

I spent an hour or two today catching up on some of the "back-blog" debates here... the discussions going on in the comments to my posts. I tend to post, watch for a day or two, and then not look back. Well, today I looked back and I was surprised at how the discussions have eroded into name-calling and personal attacks.  I prefer not to meddle in the discussions, even when people are calling me names and criticizing my work, but now things are getting out-of-hand.  You can feel free to disagree with me and one another -- I think that's great. But I am going to start deleting name-calling and personal attacks (unless I am the one doing it. Hey, it's my blog, after all).  I am also seriously considering either holding comments for approval before they are posted or going back to Typekey authentication to prevent anonymous posts. I'd rather not do either of those things so please, try to be civil, okay?

Why I Love Main Title Sequences

Main Titles create an emotional link between the viewer and the show. But for a writer, they are so much more. Here is an excerpt from SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION WRITING, the book I wrote with William Rabkin. The excerpt will be followed an example, along with text from the book.

Main titles are created to introduce the audience to the show they are about to see. But for the writer, there is much more information to be gleaned.  It is a chance to read the mind of the executive producer.  How does he perceive the show?  How does he perceive the characters? 

How does he perceives the tone?  What kinds of stories does he want to tell? Most main title sequences will answer all those questions and more.

There are basically three different kinds of main title sequences:  Format sequences, that actually tell you in narration and in writing what the show is about; Mood sequences that convey the type of feeling and tone they are going for; and Character sequences, which delineate who the characters are and how they interact.  Many main titles are combinations of these three sequences. 

Since TV changes so fast, we’ve chosen some examples from some established series you probably know very well and, if not, can easily find in reruns...

The rest comes after the jump...

Novik on Fanfic

Author Naomi Novik got a terrific write-up in the New York Times today. She's had enormous success with her first book HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON and her husband Charles Ardai runs Hard Case Crime, another enormous success. This is a couple on a major winning streak in the publishing business.  Novik and I were guests on an NPR radio show about fanfiction a year or two ago.  We were on opposite sides of the debate...our opinions on the subject are very far apart. I was not at my best on the air, though, or in my posts about the show here afterwards. But that said, I was struck by an aside in the article:

Around 1994 Ms. Novik began writing fan fiction, stories based on the characters of other writers. She called it “embarrassing, terrible early work” that could not be published — thankfully, she said — because it would be tantamount to copyright infringement on other authors’ characters.

Either the reporter is mis-characterizing her views or Novik has significantly changed her very liberal attitudes on the subject since becoming an author herself.

Cross-collateralizing Royalties

There's a fascinating and informative discussion going on (as usual) at Joe Konrath's blog. Today my friend is talking about basketing or "cross-collateralization" deals, which he had on his first three books.

My royalty statements confirm this. As of my statement of June 2006, both Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary have earned out their advances. They did this on the paperback releases.

Unfortunately, I won't see any royalties until next year, because of basketing. Basketing is a form of joint accounting. When books are basketed in a contract, the publisher doesn't pay out royalties until all of the books have earned out. So the earnings from Whiskey and Bloody are paying the advance for Rusty Nail. Which is fine. By next year, I should be in a royalty situation. This is a good thing.

Author PJ Parrish left a comment, noting in part:

This cross-collateral accounting is, I am told, simply an easy way for a publisher to withhold money due to a writer while spreading its risk over several books.

For example, you might have two books with $10,000 advances, but if one does great and the second poorly, you still won't see any royalty money until the entire $20,000 advance earns out. Why shouldn't each book stand on its own merits? Why should an author be penalized for the success of one and not another when so many factors that go into that success are out of the author's hands? I'm sorry, but I don't buy it and I don't think any author should.

I'm with her on this.  My DIAGNOSIS MURDER books are cross-collateralized and so are my MONKS. It's standard in multiple book tie-in deals and not something I had the leverage to exclude from my contract. I wish I could.  It benefits the publisher and screws the writer. Which brings me to nit-picking one of Joe's comments:

I've said, from the very beginning of my career, that my goal is to make money for my publisher.  For my first two books, I'm doing just that. It will be interesting to see where it takes me."

My goal is to make money for me. Obviously, that means making money for my publisher, too. But enriching my publisher and enriching myself should go hand-in-hand. That doesn't happen in cross-collateralization deals or when you spend your advances...and then some...on promotion. It might pay-off in the long run, but if you want to make a living as a writer, it's a delicate balance.  Joe made another comment that I don't entirely agree with:

Royalties are like found money. You're earning on work you did years ago. Your publisher also likes royalties. They no longer have to spend marketing dollars on your backlist, but it keeps generating income. Earning out an advance is a good indicator that the book made a profit, and the longer it stays in print, the more profitable it becomes.

I disagree with his first line but I agree with everything else. Royalties are not found money, it's money you've earned, it's how you make a living. And in cross-collateralization deals, the publisher is keeping your money from you.

Royalties are where the real money for an author is over the long run. Yes, you have to promote your books to sell enough to generate royalties, but again...it's a balance. 

If you're making a living as a writer, advances and royalties (or script fees and residuals in TV) are how you pay the bills. If you spend your advance on promotion, and your royalties are caught up in cross collaterization, you are succeeding in making money for the publisher...and screwing yourself.

I am not saying this is the case with Joe, and I certainly think self-promotion is important (just look at me at what I do), but I think it's a mistake for newbie writers to necessarily follow Joe's example unless they have a lucrative day job.

I See a Mystery Novel in this

The New York Times reports that mystery writer Carol Higgins Clark was one of the tenants in the NY building that was hit by a private plane yesterday flown by Yankee Pitcher Cory Lidle.

The building is a condominium with residents like Marvin R. Shanken, the publisher of Cigar Aficionado and other specialty magazines; Marvin S. Traub, the former head of Bloomingdale’s; and Carol Higgins Clark, a mystery writer who is the daughter of Mary Higgins Clark.

Getting Political

Thriller novelist Raelynn Hillhouse has started a political blog called The Spy Who Billed Me. She joins a growing number of authors (like Barry Eisler) who are avoiding the usual self-promotion/writing advice blog that most writers opt for. That's not to say there isn't a sly promotional angle at work here... her blog focuses primarily on the outsourcing of the war on terror, which just happens to be the subject of her next novel, OUTSOURCED, which comes out in May.

Big Time Geek

Thanks to that scumbag William Simon, I have become a YouTube addict...and to justify my nocturnal wanderings over there, I've created a blog of TV main title sequences.

Write On

The Writer's Room has reviewed our book SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION WRITING which is, of course, all about TV writer's rooms.

After promising myself not to buy any more books on scriptwriting, I succumbed to this purchase while browsing in an Los Angeles bookstore with a bewildering array of film books. And I can truly say, it's worth every dime. This is one for those who are serious about writing. Full of practical advice and exercises, the book is an insightful account of the realities of being a writer for hire. It’s sort of a TV equivalent to “Adventures in the Screen Trade”, William Goldman’s infamous book.

At the back of the book are a series of appendices which would be worth the cover alone. Goldberg and Rabkin include a detailed “beat sheet” for an episode of Martial Law which demonstrates just how well an American show is structured with tense cliffhangers at the end of every act. There are also character outlines, the details of which could be helpful in writing your own treatments. It’s very useful to see just how well-thought out each character is and how much depth to go into in order to “sell” an idea.

Considering how long the book has been in print, it's always a pleasant surprise to stumble on a review (while relentlessly googling your own name in a pitiful attempt to avoid writing) and to discover that people still find our book relevant and helpful.

Let the Reimaginings Begin

One of the exec producers of the reimagined BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is resurrecting another old series from the Universal vaults: THE BIONIC WOMAN, a spin-off from THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN. Variety reports that David Eick has hired screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis to tackle his latest reimagining for NBC.

"It's a complete reconceptualization of the title," Eick told Daily Variety. "We're using the title as a starting point, and that's all."

"It's going to be a meaningful departure" from the original, he said, using words such as "nanotechnology" to hint at what's in store.

Dr. Sloan is Back

For many years, you could tune in to see Dr. Mark Sloan on DIAGNOSIS MURDER every Thursday night at 9 pm on CBS.  You can still tune in every Thursday night at nine to see Dr. Mark Sloan... only now you'll find him on ABC, practicing medicine on GREY'S ANATOMY, and flauting his wonderous pecs:

"Grey's Anatomy" certainly raised the steamy quotient again. Last week, Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) walked out wearing only a towel and displayed his chiseled body.

The characters may have the same name, but  I don't think anybody is going to mistake Dick Van Dyke for Eric Dane.

TV Main Title of the Week

Tie-in Space

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers now has a MySpace page. We think this will get a lot of  tie-in writers laid. Will you be our friend?

Battlestar Galactica is Back...

...and it may just be the best show on television. The two-hour season opener was stunning. I really admire showrunner Ron Moore for the risks he's willing to take with his characters and his franchise... and his absolute willingness (more like his zeal) to ignore all of TV's Star Trek-inspired, scifi conventions. It's a creative high-wire act and to see him at work is almost as entertaining for me as the show itself.

UPDATE: I think my brother Tod nails it.

Let me just say this once and for all and then we can be done with it until, yeah, I feel the need to announce it again: Battlestar Galactica fucking rules. What's better than:

1. Fat Apollo.

2. Starbuck killing that Cylon and then finishing her dinner...because he's just coming back in an hour anyway.

Dumb You Tube Question

How do you download clips from YouTube? I'm a moron and can't seem to figure it out.  Please explain it to me in the comments. Thanks!

And thank you again, William Simon, for hooking me on the video crack. I can't seem to get enough of all those main title sequences, which I often use as part of my course when I teach TV writing.

Showtime Series For Free

In a bid to get more subscribers, Showtime is offering free episodes of DEXTER, L WORD, WEEDS,  BROTHERHOOD, and SLEEPER CELL on Yahoo to get you hooked. They are also aggressively courting bloggers like me to get the word out. Obviously, its worked, since here I am, talking about it.But this is not the first time Showtime has tried to reach bloggers and their readers.

Several weeks before DEXTER premiered, Showtime sent bloggers personal emails with links to the pilot in an effort to generate word-of-mouth for the show within the blogosphere. As far as I know, this is the first time a network has so actively attempted to court bloggers to hype their shows.  DEXTER scored well in its premiere...it will be interesting to know, if it's even possible to determine, how much Showtime's aggressive web push played in those numbers.

Self-Published Book Gets D.A. Thrown off Rape Case

My cousin Daniel Barer pointed me to this California State Appeals Court ruling regarding a Santa Barbara Assistant D.A. who showed astonishing bad judgement by writing a self-published novel about a rape case she was in the midst of prosecuting. The Appeals Court threw her off the case.

TV Main Title of the Week

Here are the opening titles to the ITC series THE ZOO GANG...featuring an instrumental theme by Paul McCartney. YouTube is destroying my life.

Fantastic!

Many thanks to William Simon who sent me this link to Gene Barry singing the theme to BURKE'S LAW... accompanied by a slide show of scenes of Gene in action taken from his short-lived 70s show THE ADVENTURER. It's wonderful. Here are some of my favorite lyrics:

"Hey lover, lets make the scene
I've got a crazy high-fi in my limousine"
Birds of a feather
should wing it together
If we are forsaking love
We're breaking Burke's Law..."

TV Blues

I'm a TV geek. I kept every copy of TV Guide that came out since I was nine years old.  I couldn't wait for the TV Guide Fall Preview Edition.  I used to make a conscious effort to watch (and tape) at least the first episode over every new drama.

But this summer I gave away all my TV Guides to the Los Angeles County Library. I forgot to buy the TV Guide Fall Preview Edition. And this season, for the first time in my life, I seem to have no interest at all in the new fall shows.

I don't know whether it's because I'm too busy or if the shows themselves just aren't that captivating. Or is it the serialized nature of most of them -- and an unwillingness on my part to make the committment?  Or perhaps it's the knowledge that most of the new shows will be cancelled -- so why bother? -- and I'll get Emmy DVDs of the ones that survive.   Or maybe there are just too many shows on too many networks and not enough hours in the day to watch them all.

The point is, I'm just not watching. And I don't feel like I'm missing anything. 

The only new series I've seen are SHARK and STUDIO 60.  I've got a bunch of others clogging my Tivo...but I doubt I'll get to them before they are  deleted to make room for new stuff I won't watch.  But like the rest of America, I'm keeping up on most of the shows I was watching before...like LAW AND ORDER: SVU, BOSTON LEGAL and GREY'S ANATOMY... and I can't wait to see the new season of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

So have I changed...or has TV changed?

Bouchercon 4

This isn't really about Bouchercon, since I skipped Sunday's program and headed out of Madison at 9 am. In a first for me, I only bought one book at Bouchercon and two in the city (vintage paperbacks by Harry Whittington and Charles Willeford for only $5.50 each!). I was quite pleased with my restraint. 

I drove into Milwaukee early, about six hours before my connecting flight to Chicago, so I would have a chance to explore the city. I roamed around mostly on foot and was charmed by the architecture of all the old buildings downtown. I even stumbled on a used bookstore and found some Richard Wheeler and George Gilman westerns I didn't already have. Even so, I didn't go crazy and didn't spend more than $3-a-book.  Such restraint.

But then I went out to the Milwaukee airport, where I made a monumental discovery...The Best Airport Bookstore ever.  The place is called Renaissance Books...and it's a used bookstore...in the airport.  And best of all, it's full of vintage paperbacks at super-cheap prices.  I went wild.  I bought books by Harry Whittington/Whit Harrison, E.L. Doctorow (WELCOME TO HARD TIMES), Peter Rabe, Bart Spicer, Albert Conroy, Vin Packer, Stephen Marlowe, Frederick Manfred, and an IT TAKES A THIEF tie-in by Gil Brewer....at the airport! And only one of the titles, the Doctorow book, was over $7. I could have spent hours there if not for the flight I had to catch to Chicago.

So much for my book-buying restraint at Bouchercon.