Published Jan 31, 2005
In what can only be interpreted as an attempt to further establish my geek cred, I have to say that, far and away, my favorite TV show of the new season is Battlestar Galactica. Not only has BG gained “keep until I delete” status on my TiVo, I have a seriously hard time waiting until next friday for the next episode. I need my fix, man!
The show’s got three things going for it:
- Concept
- Writing
- Acting
Effects are, as with most cable series, “plenty good enough” (CGI has come so far). But it’s the other parts that make BG stand out. The concept is a fresh, dark, current re-thnking of the original series. Although I think there are a few things from the old show that have been lost — the silly mechanical Cylons, Socialators, and a hundreds-of-years-old Galactica among them — the new “world” is a solid foundation for future seasons.
The writing is also great. The chief writer has credits including HBO’s Carnivale, and he writes great, complicated, dark scripts. Everyone has real weaknesses and real motives. Plots hold together over multiple episodes and little things become important later.
And the actors are great. A real standout is the girl (!) who plays Starbuck, but there’s nobody weak in the whole show. Rare on cable, but great. I seriously can’t wait for next week.
Speaking of real, yes, there’s a reality show that’s easily the best of the new season. That show is Nanny 911. Reality can be crass and exploitative — and this show is both — but Nanny 911 also educates. We see an all-star team of British nannies teach simple lessons like “how to tell your children ‘no’”, “how to discipline consistently”, “how to communicate”, etc. Real people with real families with real problems can really learn from this show. Watch it too.
Next entry: why I don’t actually have time to watch either of these programs.