Encore’s Birthday Marathon: Day 8

More pre-birthday musings...

            

Whenever I’m asked which city I’d most like to inhabit I always say Paris. It’s just because I have a sort of obsessive attraction to everything French, even though my knowledge of the language remains sparse after years of school French (I’d probably be a fish out of water, a la Dave Sedaris in “Me Talk Pretty One Day”. As far as being a lover of all things artistic (heh) goes, though, I’d probably choose New York in a heartbeat. Jose was only recently fêting it (well, the Met actually), and with good reason.

 

As far as cinema goes Woody Allen seems to have the monopoly on the city. It probably makes sense because he exudes that sense of zany neuroses that people tend to think of the city with. Still, it’s not Woody who I turn to when I hear the name of the city – I turn to Liza, with Z, first. It’s not just because I’m a lover of Scorsese, I really do think that New York, New York is one of the best films of the seventies (and one of the best films to not receive an Oscar nomination). It has its moments of less than perfect scenes, but it’s an ultimately rewarding experience. For me, its themes effectively evoke that gritty realness tied with the sort of magical sheen that best encapsulates the city – larger than life, really. Plus, the film’s most iconic scene – as far as I’m concerned – is about a budding Broadway showgirl. And what else is as indicative of New York as The Great White Way 

                                                           

It’s not just cinema, though. New York is as much a location as it is a character in two of the greatest comedies of the nineties (and all time, probably) Friends and Sex and the City. Sex and the City in particular depends on that attractive but sometimes exasperating hubbub of the city (which is probably why the excursions away from it tend to fall flat). In truth, I can’t say I’d be interested in seeing New York for the tourists’ attractions. It’s like that Friends episode where Joey didn’t even know that the Met was a museum and not the singular of the Mets – the baseball team. If I do end up in New York I’d probably divide my time between the cinema and the theatre, or maybe I’d make time to do a Jane Fonda and go barefoot in the park.

                 

I don’t know. It’s a sort of perfect tourist’s paradise. I’m not a tourist at heart, but I still want to go.

 

Any New Yorkers reading?

TV Meme, Day 27: Best Pilot

“Welcome to the age of un-innocence, no one here has affairs to remember and no one has affairs to remember.”
                   
These are some of the first words we hear from our de facto “heroine” in the pilot episode for HBO’s Sex and the City. It was the first pilot that came to mind, and of the shows I think of as good (Friends, Six Feet Under, Grey’s Anatomy, The West Wing, Dexter etc) along with Pushing Daisies and Desperate Housewives that I saw from its actual beginning – even though it was not “live”. The pilot for Sex and the City works so well because even though, like most pilots, it’s interested in “tell”, “tell”, “tell” it works because we’re never being told too much. There’s a sweet little montage that occurs at the beginning that works excellently. It’s here we meet my favourite Sex and the City character:

MIRANDA: I have a friend, who’s always gone out with extremely sexy guys and just had a good time. One day she woke up and she was 41. She couldn’t get any more dates. She had a complete physical breakdown. Couldn’t hold on to her job and had to move back to Winsconsin to live with her mother. Trust me, this is not a story that makes men feel bad
              
I could only imagine how shocking it seemed in the nineties, but Sex and the City is never interested in shocking us for the hell of it. It sets its characters up perfectly, and for her faults Sarah Jessica Parker. Really, sometimes Carrie induces an eye roll (okay, most of the time) but even as our heroine she’s not trying to actively woo us, even the virtual absence of any significant male doesn’t hurt it. I don’t get the appeal of Mr. Big (with reason, I suppose) and Skipper is just sad even if he leads to some hilarious comedy with Miranda. Still, I don’t fault a pilot so uncaring about telling us too much and so funny (Samantha’s attempts to woo Mr. Big are just uncomfortably hilarious). It’s an auspicious start to a great show and what makes it work even better is that it works excellently as a stand alone episode.
A+
            
Notable Pilots: Six Feet Under, Desperate Housewives, Dexter
                    
Late again, I really have no excuse. MEME guilt.

TV Meme, Day 18: Title Sequences

Thank God, today is an easy one. No long essays today…just five videos...I didn't even rank them (for shame, Andrew!) Enjoy.

                   

Fun, vibrant and in keeping with the general enthusiasm of the show

               
It’s easy to miss, but look closer – the artwork, the music it’s all very whimsical (and well done).

          

Nostalgia ensues as I litsten to this song, but it’s more than just – the lyrics may be a little too on the nose, but its message is sweet and who can say no to positivity?

               
Sure, Cynthia Nixon isn’t in it – but it's an excellent use of New York the city and New York the character clashing with our neurotic anti-heroine, and I love that affronted look on Carrie’s face…she does know good sex.

What can I say about this...chilling, freaky and a little bit of perfection.

    

Et tu? Which title sequences do you remember fondly?
 
Meme, meme, meme: see more HERE

TV Meme, Day 15: Favourite Female Characters

Choosing my favourite female characters was so much more difficult than choosing the males. I tried to be diverse I tried to be fair and I had to put 6...and here they are...but let me list some runners up first...

               

Here they are: for constantly being excellent even when their cast does not back them up I submit a quintet of excellent ladies from Grey's Anatomy in preferential order - Chandra Wilson as Dr. Bailey, Katherine Heigl as Izzie Stevens, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang and of course Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey; for managing to cross over to another show and become an even greater character Kate Walsh in Private Practice, for bringing the funny and being real Isobel Sanders on The Jeffersons, for saving the world again and again Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the combined female casts of Sex & the City, Desperate Housewives, Glee and Brothers & Sisters

                  

#6: Lorelai Gilmore

 Show: Gilmore Girls

Actor: Lauren Graham

Trade Marks: Devotion to Rory - her daughter, crazy banter with everyone around especially her mother (played excellently by Kelly Bishop), a predilection for Luke's coffee and Luke, bad decisions,

Turn Offs: her parents - especially when they want to control Rory's life, boys who get in the way of her daughter's education (I'm sensing a trend here), boring people

Why I Love Her: Because Lauren Graham plays this role so beautifully it makes me sad when people forget that she so talented. The part of the kooky mother may be a stereotype, but don't tell her that because Lorelai is a creation all her own. It doesn't matter what she is doing, you cannot take your eyes off her performance. That is called good acting.
              

  #5: Sharona Flemying                               

 Show: Monk

Actor: Bitty Schram

Trade Marks: devotion to her son and her boss – Adrian, wisecracks, gumption and dedication worthy causes, being a hot mom. 

Turn Offs: her boss – Adrian when he's out of control, Randy, Natalie (at first), her deadbeat ex-husband (until he cleaned up his act)

Why I Love Her: Because Sharona was my favourite character on Monk more than Monk himself somtimes. So wise, so streetsmart, good looking, and dedicated to her son. When she left the show I stopped watching for months only coming back in bits. Traylor Hackford (what kind of a name IS THAT?) could never replace her. Sigh.

               

#4: Miranda Hobbes

Show: Sex & the City
Actor: Cynthia Nixon
Trade Marks: Pragmatism and sensibleness, her red hair,
Turn Offs: Wishy-washy men, not getting promoted, models and modelizers (love that episode)
Why I Love Her: Because the fact that she has two Emmy's is no fluke. Every episode I wait for Miranda to come, and when she turns up with her red hair and intelligence and delivers smart cutdowns that are still hilariously, I ask myself - why the hell does she not have a proper film role?
             
#3: Phoebe Buffay

Show: Friends
Actor: Lisa Kudrow
Trademarks: Kookiness, vegetarian ways, guitar and song, random humour, her pornstar twin sister, her massages

Turn Offs: Evolutionist theory, her twin sister, sad endings, mean people
Why I Love Her: Because Lisa Kudrow is just amazing and Phoebe's random humour is essential to the show. From watching Phoebe run in the park, to watching her banter with Joey and Mike and everything that comes in between there's no doubt that she is one brilliant character.

        
#2: Olive Snook

Show: Pushing Daisies

Actor: Kristin Chenoweth

Trademarks: Breaking into song, rash behaviour, devotion to Ned regardless of obstacles, perkiness, sweetness, all around awesomeness

Turn Offs: Anything between her and Ned - aything, quietness

Why I Love Her: Because she is played by Chenoweth (just kidding, sort of). Olive is so lovely and Chenoweth makes her so loveable even when we should not be rooting for her, and she sings (what more can we ask more) and maintains this all while still defending our hero.

                      

#1: Karen Walker

Show: Will & Grace
Actor: Megan Mullally
Trademarks: Accompanying drink in hand, devilish cackle, arguments with her maid – Rosario, spending her husband’s money, inability to use public amenitie, extensive use of the word "honey".
Turn Offs: Poorness, work, Minnie Driver and the character she plays - Lorraine Finster, Candice Bergen
Why I LOVE Her: Megan's comedy genius cannot be touched by ANY ACTOR on TV. It's the sort of genius that leaves me gasping for air, not only from the writing but from her ability to make even the most tired jokes something tired.
                

The ongoing TV MEME goes on, for it must.


Which of these women remind you of the wonders of TV? Whom have I missed?

TV Meme, Day 10: A Show that I Didn’t Expect to Love

Generally, I’m good at gauging what I’ll like and what I won’t. I don’t think there’s ever been a show I expected to hate which I ended up loving but often I think of Sex and the City as one of those shows that I never saw myself becoming a big fan, and in the wake of the film which has made everyone seem to forget the excellence that was the series I think it’s definitely one that is worthy of some devotion.

I think I saw a random episode of Sex and the City some time during its actual series run, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. Sometimes afterwards I bough the first two seasons for my sister and I sat down to watch a few episodes and I was quite surprised. Sex and the City is a series that works even when it shouldn’t work so well, and that’s because (unlike its big screen incarnation) Sex and the City goes about its business complete without any self-consciousness. Its humour is bawdy, but it also hits you with moments of poignancy – sometimes simultaneously. Sex and the City seems to emanate sentiment that reeks of unsophisticated femininity (no offense), but that’s merely superficial. Sure, it’s rooted in the actions of its four female protagonists but if it’s a “chick-flick” – a moniker, that unfortunately, exists as one of deprecation – it’s in the vein of Mean Girls not Material Girls. None of the characters in it are trying to gain our approvals – even if Charlotte is a bit of a people pleaser.

Incidentally, Sex and the City shows up on a few more days in the meme and I’m proud to admit allegiance to it. I don’t want to see the sequel, even lovers of the show are aware of its fault. But I hope King gets that long-awaited epiphany and realises what it was that make it the hit it was in the first place. Episode after episode did not depend on outlandish guest stars on convoluted departures from the city. It was a smart show posing as drivel – often deliberately to prove a point. I didn’t think I’d like it – I’m obviously not the target audience, but I’m glad I gave it a try – it was definitely worth it.

      

This is an entry in the meme of ongoing ruminations on the small screen.