D is for DEFYING GRAVITY and DAY BREAK_ Cancelled too soon

This short-lived 2009 TV series
(A Canadian/American joint effort)
followed the crew of the spaceship Antares on their mission to explore our solar system.
 

The story unfolds by interspersing flashbacks to the astronauts’ training period 

with the actual live mission as they leave Earth for their first destination, Venus.

Their time in space is filmed as part of a reality show that is beamed back to Earth so that planet-bound audiences can follow their progress.

But a series of mishaps besets the crew which leads to the revelation of a mysterious presence known as “Beta” on board the ship

 which is affecting the behavior of the crew members and may jeopardize their mission.

ABC didn't understand the quality, absorbing, and well-written show they had on their hands, cancelling it after only 8 episodes.

 If Netflix has it, do yourself a favor and watch the full 13 episodes.

AND THEN THERE IS 
DAY BREAK:

Think an intellectual GROUNDHOG DAY played for drama. 

It's not often ABC stars a black man as the central figure in a suspense/action/thriller.  Do yourself a favor.  Netflix has this last I checked.

A police detective is re-living the worst day of his life: 

he is framed for murder, his girlfriend is murdered to show what will happen to his sister if he does not confess.

THEN THE DAY REWINDS.

Unlike Groundhog Day, he can die; his wounds don't heal, stitches do not carry over, 

and he somehow knows that if he does not solve the murder, he will stay in this insane cycle forever.

In one episode many days play over and over: 

Sometimes 30 in one episode.  

Lives he fails to save one day mysteriously impact the reliving of the next day.

It resolves at the end in ways that satisfy. 

 Don't miss it.

How Would You Like A FREE AUDIOBOOK?

http://www.amazon.com/Adrift-in-the-Time-Stream/dp/B00VLN1BKI/

Buy this Audiobook and I will GIVE YOU

the first part of the tale

RITES OF PASSAGE!

http://www.amazon.com/Rites-of-Passage/dp/B00E392ZHK/

C is for CORONET BLUE and what remains and what goes wrong

A tune still sings in my head from my first remembered TV theme from an old show I must have seen in cable reruns:

See if it doesn't stay with you. 

Frank Converse plays Michael Alden 

who emerges from a river, knowing only that he had been running for his life and the two words: 

Coronet Blue.

The series was unexpectedly popular but CBS felt it was too intellectual and cancelled it. 

 Sigh.  TV executives.

The secret?  

Converse was actually a Russian spy, trained to appear like an American.  

But his training had been too good.  He decided to defect.  

The group of like trained Russians was code-named CORONET BLUE.

SECOND RUNNER UP IN THE C DEPARTMENT: 

CHUCK

I really enjoyed the first two seasons. The third not so much.  

It seemed when Chuck cut his hair, he lost his appeal in a strange way.

The last two I never watched. 

The writers changed from season to season, and they forgot the secret to the Main Character's charm.  

CHUCK's appeal was that he was a normal guy with an abnormal problem and ability.

When Chuck could fight like James Bond, the appeal left for me.  

His best friend, Morgan, was an irritant.  

Morgan as the intersect was a disaster.

And I missed his sister and brother-in-law.  :-(

DID YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TV SHOW RUINED FOR YOU BY THE WRITERS?

JUST CUZ I WANTED TO

B is for BABYLON 5

BABYLON 5 is the only TV show I know that started out with a definitive Beginning, Middle, and Ending.

The plot-threads were carefully interwoven through the episodes, lending depth and realism to the entire epic.

What GAME OF THRONES is to Fantasy, BABYLON 5 was to Science Fiction.

The Big Questions of Existence were studied through character studies of the various characters. 

Each major character had his own arc.

G'Kar who started out a buffoon, ended up a sensitive, wise prophet of his People.

Londo who started out a friend of Earth found himself a prisoner of his ambitions -- become emperor, he ended up a slave of those he thought his pawns.


Creator J. Michael Straczynski wrote the bulk of Babylon 5, a science-fiction epic set onboard a space station.

Just think:

one writer, producing most of the episodes of a 5 year long series!

Mr. Straczynski shopped his series around long before Paramount hatched DEEP SPACE NINE, though that series got off the ground first.

In fact, he presented it to Paramount, who passed on it and then "created" DS9! 

Hollywood.


Unlike Star Trek and other sf series,

Babylon 5’s characters often shifted their allegiances and outlook, many changing and even completely reversing their original position over the course of the series.

Like GAME OF THRONES, B5 had characters with flaws whose mistakes had life-long consequences.

 Doctor Franklin battled addiction to “stims”, little shots of stimulants he used to get himself through his too-busy days (sound familiar?)

while the chief of security was a recovering alcoholic and

Sheridan’s second in command hid a deep, dark secret of her own.

Even the aliens were far from friends.

Then there are the ones who wait in the shadows and say nothing, watching, observing, calculating,

and who are quite happy to see thousands, even millions die to achieve their mysterious ends.

B5 praised the LITTLE GUYS:

A good example of this is season five’s “A view from the gallery”,

where the story takes place from the viewpoint of two  maintenance workers who go about their normal day

as the people we have come to know as the stars of the show run back and forth dealing with crises.

SOMETIMES THE GOOD GUYS DIE

Over and over, major characters died, letting the viewer know that no one was sacred -- that in real battles not every hero returns.

What is your favorite Science Fiction TV show?

A QUESTION

I have noticed something this past month:

11 separate titles of mine have been bought and refunded the SAME day!  

Only one refund per title.

I mean, after the first SIX I would think the reader would catch on that she or he didn't like the way I wrote!

Can someone copy our Kindle books and then post them as their own on Smashwords or some other venue?

Just today LUCIFER'S ORPHAN was bought and refunded within the same hour!  

That makes 12 books so far!

What do you guys think is happening?

(To End On A Lighter Note)

A is for ALIAS where revenge is mingled with redemption and mystery PLUS JJ Abrams for INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT

Any story about revenge is ultimately a story about forgiveness, redemption, or the futility of revenge.
  - Samuel McCord

 

 

After XENA ended,

I was looking for another show with a strong, intelligent woman driven by ghosts from her past.

(You see that in most of my female characters in my own books.)

I found ALIAS with such a character. 

Best of all, it had the RIBALDI PROPHESY mystery running throughout the show.

ALIAS is like James Bond meets Buffy meets Da Vinci Code.

Fiery female lead character, mysterious ancient prophecy, fun spy gadgets and costumes,

and shifty double-crossing characters who always seem to have alterior motives.

ALIAS also introduced me to JJ Abrams, the creator of the program

and here he is talking about the SECRET TO GREAT STORIES -- THE MYSTERY BOX

for the INSECURE WRITERS' SUPPORT GROUP

BEST OF ALL:

 

You can now binge watch the entire 1st season

on Amazon Instant Video

for only $14.99

http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Be-Told/dp/B00748OL10/