Happy Dance Friday #114 & Son of Saturday at the Movies #3: Smash

I've been a snow bunny as long as I can remember, and according to family, even before that. My mother used to have to make me come inside and change snowsuits after a couple of hours because I'd soak the first one through; snowy days were the only ones where I insisted on playing outside all day long. There are many pictures of a very young me with snowmen, on sleds, etc. In short, snow always makes me want to happy dance.

As does the return of Smash for a second season, so that made picking this week's happy dance easy. No snow in this one, but we do have a full on Bollywood explosion of opulence, gorgeous costuming, a great set, plus choreography that makes me want to jump to my feet and join in.



This is another clip I've watched countless times, because there's so much to see - the colors, the huge ensemble, the character tableaux that say quite a lot in a very small frame, and above all, the storytelling. Which is also a huge part of Smash.

A drama about putting together a Broadway musical? Sold. With Katharine McPhee? Sold again; I remember watching her when she was on American Idol and hoping I'd get to see more of her work. Debra Messing is in it, too? Triple sold. I am also weak, weak, weak for British characters in NYC (I thank a friend of my mom's when I was tiny for giving me this bent; Mrs. Bloomer, did you know the seed you planted?) Quadruple sold. Drama and intrigue surrounding the audition process? Ah, they know how to sink their hooks into my very heart. I love, love, love the audition process. In college, I would audition for parts I had no chance of ever getting (including musicals, and I freely admit to having been kicked out of high school robe choir for having a bad voice - teacher's own words, in front of everyone) as well as the ones I could and did get, all because of the rush of standing on that stage and having the full attention of whoever was in those seats, watching to see if I had what they were looking for, feeling the give and take of creative energy.

Then the rehearsals begin, and things get crazy. Though I like Raz Jeffrey's character, Dev, and hope to see more of him in season two (don't burst my bubble yet if you have spoilers, please) I had to sypmathize with Ms. McPhee's Karen, who responded to Dev's proposal with "I'm in tech! Even the financial backing can get insane and everybody has an angle. For some, chaos. For me, bliss.

I can't let this go without mentioning Megan Hilty's character, Ivy. One of the first characters I ever created, back when my day still involved homework and catching a big yellow bus, was named Ivy Lynn, and yes, she was a singer. Bit of a moment there when I first heard Ms. Hilty's character introduce herself. While I'd assumed I'd be rooting for Karen to get the role, then I saw all the work Ivy put into the workshop, and my head did more flip-flopping than a bin of rubber sandals on opening day at the beach. Karen, no, Ivy, no, Karen, no, wait, they're bringing in someone else? Then multiple Marilyns in the shadow selves, then the show's off, then it's on, and now a rival musical may be in the works.

Have you been watching Smash? Who's your favorite Marilyn? Favorite new twist/cast addition? Share in comments, and if Nemo's finding you this weekend, stay safe.

Happy Dance Friday #104 - SYTYCD Top 20 and Anna Finally Gets to Watch Bunheads

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TV's summer cornucopia of dance programming continues with SYTYCD's top twenty reveal, and I finally get to watch the first two episodes of Bunheads. Let's take them one at a time.

SYTYCD: Oh the pretty. Where to start, where to start? The Top Twenty episode can be a mixed bag. There's the excitement of finding out who made the cut and who we hope will try again next year. It's an emotional time for everyone, but since there are only twenty spots and thousands of applicants, as it were, not everybody is going to get the nod. Not sure what dance credentials Zooey Deschanel has, apart from the New Girl interactive video, blogged about here, but if someone can educate me, that would be appreciated. Still, she's fun and enthusiastic, so I won't complain. We get two winners this year, one male and one female.

I'm happy with this year's top twenty. Very excited to see ballroom dancers Witney, Nick and Lindsey, as well as the classically trained Eliana, Daniel and Chehon (aka "that guy who was really really good," as my DH calls him.) Amelia has been a favorite of mine ever since her first audition, and I'm thrilled to see Cyrus from Dragon House will be getting a chance to compete. With these two as finely tuned as they are in their preferred styles, it's going to be interesting to see how they tackle the wide variety of choreography inherent in the show. Season nine brings, IIRC, the first belly dancer and the first stepper to make the top twenty, and even a gent who likes to blend dance with martial arts. Best of all, the group as a whole marked the return of Mia Michaels' choreography, which made me a very, very happy camper:



Did your favorites make the cut?

Bunheads: This went in a direction I definitely didn't expect. Not as much dance content as I'd thought there would be, though I've only seen up to episode two, and it's a lot of worldbuilding, as it were, getting us used to the people and places. Lead character Michelle is a dancer, working as a showgirl when we meet her, though I'm guessing she'd class her preferred style as Broadway. Even so when she ends up in the tiny town of Paradise, sans the only person she kindasorta knew there, she gets dropped into a ballet studio filled with teen girls (and a couple of guys; would love to see more there)and a former ballerina mother-in-law, Fanny, whose career ended with her first pregnancy. Tragedy strikes, the girls rally, there's a lovely spur of the moment ballet performance, and...the jury's still out. This may be more about fish out of water Michelle than anybody's drive to dance, but time will tell.

In the meantime, we are less than a month from National Day of Dance. How will you be observing? This clip of 200 SYTYCD moves in 200 second should give some good ideas.

Saturday at the Movies #94 - Beauty and the Beast 2.0

In the interests of full disclosure, no, I did not see the original Beauty and the Beast tv series. Love the fairy tale, love the concept of the series, but meh on Linda Hamilton, so gave the original a pass. I know, I know. Underground society of outcasts, in (or under) NYC, tortured romance, but if one of the leads doesn't do it for me, I'm going to have a hard time following. Plus I know what happened to one half of the couple and what the powers that be tried to stick in after that happened, and uh uh, ain't having that. No substitutions when it comes to romance h/hs, thanks.

Still an intriguing concept, though, and so my ears perked when I hear that the CW (also doing an adaptation of Green Arrow, though that's for another post) was doing a new version of the series for the upcoming season, I had to do a little poking around.



Maybe it's that I'm in the middle of a Moonlight rewatch - previously rhapsodized upon here, but I'm getting a similar feel for this; otherwordly hero who used to be human, has been watching over heroine from afar for some time, heroine is in a profession where she gets to investigate suspicious doings, etc, etc. Maybe it's that the background music happens to be "New York," by Snow Patrol, one of my current earworms and a story seed burrowing itself into my brain.



Or maybe it's that I flat out love the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. :shrug: Whatever it is, I'll be tuning in at least to the pilot and see how things go from there. Will you be watching? Fans of the original series, what do you think of the remake?

Happy Dance Friday #103 - SYTYCD Vegas Week, Breaking Pointe and Where The H*ll Is Matt 2012

One of the reasons I love historical and time travel romance is that, no matter where or when we are, people are people and have the same needs. Matt Harding, of the viral "Where the Hell is Matt?" videos, understands this. Traversing the world to do his own happy dance, first solo, and then roping in volunteers of all ages and abilities, Matt reminds us that dance is a universal language that comes from the heart. My favorite locations from this 2012 version? Have to say a tie between Vienna, Austria and Edinburgh, Scotland. Honorable mention to San Diego, USA, because come on, dancing seal.

SYTYCD Vegas Week

Vegas week is one of my favorite parts of the competition, because that's when the dancers get worked over, hard. Sure, they're great in their own style, with their own music and choreography, but now they get tossed into the fire. They're up against a rapidly shrinking cadre of other fabulous dancers, have to learn a new style every day, and then let's jump in the deep end of the group round. Random music, may have to work with complete strangers, and that's after a full day of competition...and then compete first thing in the morning.

It's no wonder the mighty fall, and even before the first round, hip hop, was over, we started to lose such amazing dancers as Hampton "the Exorcist" Williams. Two of the Dragon House guys departed, one without even trying the choreography, though Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer gets my nod for A) doing his best to convince a friend not to drop out, B) responding to Sonya Tayeh's critique with respect and class, and C) his calm reply of "I would love to dance for my life" when asked to do so. Plus this:



DH will always claim not to want to watch SYTYCD, but then he does, and has already dubbed Chehon Wespi-Tschopp "that guy who was really good." Then admitted he mentally adds in the sound of ripping fabric during the leaps.



Breaking Pointe In "Tempo Tantrums," we have rehearsal angst, conductor vs ballerina issues, and relationship drama between dancers Rex and Allison, who aren't on the same side of the friends/more than friends dividing line. Plus costume fittings (gorgeous) and prop hassles (fifty-foot silks, big fancy dresses on wheels) and three ballets that have to be ready at the same time, with first and second casts for both. No idle moments here, that's for sure?

What about you, dance fans? Did you have any favorites in Vegas Week? Watching Breaking Pointe? Pull up a chair and tell me all about it.

Happy Dance Friday # 102 - Breaking Pointe and SYTYCD Utah Auditions

The summer of 2012 seems to be downright terpsichorian (terpsichorean?) and I am not complaining one bit. Breaking Pointe follows the dancers of the troupe Ballet West as they do their jobs. I stumbled onto an episode of this last night while catsitting, and even though my brain is pretty much fried from too much sun (I'm sun sensitive, so I should know better, but the sun was stronger than my protective wear and I can now be the Red Lobster mascot without needing a costume) I found this look at the nuts and bolts of a dancer's life enthralling. From mythbusting popular assumptions/stereotypes to pedicures for much-abused feet and the ramifications of casting for each new ballet, there's a lot to take in, so I will definitely be back.

SYTYC winds up auditions in Salt Lake City, which means tons o'ballroom. Tons o'ballroom makes for a happy Anna, and Witney Carson's performance put me in mind of my dancer heroine from the current ms, so extra happy points there.



One doesn't see a krumper like Mariah Spears every day, but I love how she owns what she does.



Usually, the kooky auditions aren't necessarily memorable for the best reasons, but Gene Lonardo's praying mantis routine earned him a ticket home...good thing he lives in Vegas already. He's through to the next round.

Who are you hoping to see in Vegas?

Happy Dance Friday #101 - Dragon House and TWO new dance shows on tv

It's a dance cornucopia this week. Not only did the Atlanta auditions for SYTYCD turn out some amazing talent, like the three gents from Dragon House -let's take a peek at Boris here, and learn a bit about the group:



Hip hop to piano instrumental...how original is that? I love when a dancer can impress me with something I've never seen before, and the Dragon House guys definitely did that. I love that they have a dance floor instead of a dining room and a whole bunch of dancers together in one house - can you imagine the energy? If I bring a portapotty, can I come over for dinner to observe and interview?

ABC Family's new Bunheads is headed our way on June 11th, starring Sutton Foster as a down on her luck showgirl who marries and moves to what looks like a small town. Looks like she's teaching ballet from what I've seen here. Say no more. I'm there.



Then, confirming that it must be Dancemas this week, Travis Wall has his own TV show. Do not adjust your screen; you read that right. Emmy-winning choreographer and SYTYCD alum Travis Wall has his own TV show, with SYTYCD season one winner Nick Lazzarini and friends. All The Right Moves debuts on Oxygen on July 31st. Feast your eyes on an intro here:



Loads more talent in the Atlanta auditions; all three gents from Dragon House will be making it through to Vegas, where they'll get a chance to strut their stuff along with some of these people:


Who are your favorites from the Atlanta auditions? Will you be watching Bunheads and/or All The Right Moves? For those who are having issues with the comment function, thanks for your patience; I'm looking into it.

Happy Dance Friday #100 - SYTYCD LA Auditions and One Hundredth Post

When I first started the Happy Dance Friday posts, it was as a challenge to myself to post at least once a week. Common wisdom is to write about something that's already interesting, and since I've always been interested in dance, and was and am writing (now rewriting) a dancer heroine, dance seemed an easy topic.

After all, who can't say "hey, look at this clip" once a week? It's become more than that, and I have to thank the readers, old and new, who stop by and double thanks to those who comment. Mushy hugs, much love and all that good stuff, because it's time to move on to the cornucopia of the LA auditions. I know I'm going to leave out some favorites because there was so much good stuff and only so much space here, so let's get to it.

Stephen Jacobsen's audition again reminded me of the similarities between dancing and writing, especially in light of recent manuscript issues and finally finding the right voice. A former member of the Cincinnati Ballet, his first audition must be seen to be believed (and not in the good way) but there was definitely something there. When given a chance to do what he does best (yes, ballet-ballet) jaws drop. Lesson? In words of judge Jesse Tyler Ferguson, "Trust yourself; you're so good."


With Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey and Cirque de Soliel on her resume, I have a feeling Eliana Girard could have had a ticket to Vegas on experience alone, but I'm glad we got the chance to see her in action. Clip may be NSFW, as it involves arial pole work. SFW audition only clip here.


I crazy love the entire audition process, and one of my favorite aspects of SYTYCD is seeing the dancers who get cut and come back...and back and back and back. Ultimate example this year is Marshea Kidd. Declared dead at the scene of an auto accident six weeks ago, declared okay to dance, now going through to Vegas, along with his sister. And what excuse do we have for not following our own creative passions? Yeah, didn't think so. Bonus choreography round in this clip, which shows some of my other favorites, but that's another post.



See you next year, Johnny Waacks and Caley Carr. See you in Vegas, Sam Lenarz. Oh, and can the Ninja Twins please come on as guest performers?



Okay, dance fans? Who are your favorites?

Happy Dance Friday #99 - SYTYCD Season Nine Flexes Creative Muscles

Does my Second Life avatar think she can dance? Still too soon to tell, but So You Think You Can Dance is back for season nine, and it's got me thinking.

While watching the New York and Texas auditions last night, it hit me why I love this show with such a fierce passion. Clue is right there. Fierce passion. Australian dancer Daniel Baker fell in love with the US as a child, and became a ballet dancer so he could get a US visa (and bonus points to him for understanding that one book can change a whole life.) Another dancer confessed to training "like a lab rat" to perfect his ability to flip over objects. Yet another didn't need to tell us that his dance interpreted the poignant loss of his dear friend in the 9-11 attacks; his body told us the story in the pure language of emotion. I greatly appreciate that this season, at least so far, has been focusing on the truly excellent dancers, and their passion shines bright.



We've all seen the other kind, those who, and I'm not naming names, state that their greatest ambition is "to be a celebrity," are twentysomethings who are convinced they know more than seasoned dancers with decades of combined experience, champions in their field, and in the case of Li'l C, can honestly say that they are the co-originator of a wildly popular dance style. Ugly attitudes do not impress anybody. Phenomenal artistry does.



I love SYTYCD because it shows artists in love with their art, whether classically trained or self taught, who push themselves to the limits of their knowledge base, and in doing so, come away with a whole slew of new tools for their artistic toolbox.

My very favorites, though, are the ones who know exactly who they are and bring us into their world, like flapper-obsessed Amelia Lowe. Maybe it's the strong connection to a bygone era, maybe it's that authorial voice is big on my mind lately or that my current heroine is a dancer, but all of the really good auditions from last night sent me away from the tv with a spring in my step and that burning passion to get some sleep and then pound some keys. We writers may not get a stage and an auditorium filled with our cheering peers (but sitting across a hotel dining room table from an editor or agent is pretty sweet, too,) and I think I'm safe in saying the majority of us are not staggeringly fit twentysomethings, but other than that, it's the same. We channel our burning passion through words, while they channel through movement, and the emotions we have the privilege of being able to touch are the same.



How are you going to flex your creative muscles today?

Saturday at the Movies #89 - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel andExplaining the Intermission

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It's been a while. Life happens. In this case, it was DH's brush with kidney failure (thank God and modern medicine, he's now fine and back at work) and the resulting caregiving and I will never ever take that most rare and beautiful thing, the nap, for granted even once for the rest of my life.

That being said, all of the above means there is indeed a need for movies and tv. With tv season coming to a close - season finales of both Bones and How I Met Your Mother air tomorrow- and summer, the season of needing to seek air conditioning approaching, I'm on the lookout for a few good films. Haven't seen this one around here yet, but The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel had me at hello. Bill Nighy, Dame Judi Dench, and it's set in India? Ticket, please; I do not need to hear anything more. Already sold. For those who require a bit more, how does this strike you?



Since I still like the Saturday at the Movies and Happy Dance Friday numbers to be the same, looks like I have some fancy footwork to do in order to get things current, but then again, we do have season finales, summer season shows starting, it's summer blockbuster season before too long, and we'll need to bid hail and farewell to a few shows that had one bright shining season (Alcatraz and Awake, I shall miss you, my lovlies.) What are you looking forward to viewing this summer?

Happy Dance Friday #90, Saturday at the Movies #89, More Real Life, and I am Going Somewhere With This, Trust Me

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Originally, I was going to let the real life interlude have this spot and not post today. Still dealing with the events that led to last week's ER visit, wrangling the home while the home team is a man down, reasonably optimistic that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a train, giving the writing doubt monster the stinkeye, needing a nice long nap, wondering if TBR pile could double as a pillow; all good reasons not to post today. Not to mention that it drives me crazy when my Happy Dance Friday and Saturday at the Movies numbers don't match, BUT....okay, two buts.

Second thing first (I'm punchy, just go with it) and reason for the triumphant baby turtle above. I realized that I do have some extremely minimal dance cred. Okay, more of a brush with fame. In certain circles. When my age could be measured in single digits. With pictures to prove, but they and I are not in the same place, so let's meet here again next week after I've had a chance to scan and upload, mkay? Thanks much. For now, I can honestly say that I took dance classes at a school founded by former Rockettes, sisters Romayne and Mary Ann Strilka. Ballet and tap, and while I did break my arm on the property, it was horsing around on the sidewalk outside rather than an injury for the art.

Which leads me to the first thing, which is where our Saturday at the Movies tag comes into play. I will admit to being a Degrassi fan from so far back that Mr. Simpson, the principal, was in junior high. So, when, during an airing of that show, I saw a promo for this one:



My first thought was, "hot dang, Degrassi with dancing." I wasn't far off. Our viewpoint character is Tara, a young dancer from rural Australia, who comes to the prestigious Dance Academy in Sydney to hone her craft. There, she meets students and teachers who all share a passion for dance -main discipline being ballet, but also including other forms, though I clear my throat and tap foot in annoyed fashion because there is no ballroom. Really, people? Really? Hip Hop but not ballroom? Really?- and have to navigate their own way through the vicissitudes of life.

While Tara has to learn how to go from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond, her fellow students have their own challenges. One must learn how to stand on her own and escape the shadow of her mother, a ballet superstar. Another must find a way to integrate his Jewish faith and dedication to dance. For another, dance is his one ticket out of an extremely rough life when even his last remaining relative wimps out on him. Plus there's a male ballet instructor who I know would have broken the heart of my time travel heroine oh so hard if she'd met him prior to the hero (after, pfft, he wouldn't even register.) Oh, and it's on two times per week, and what's this about season two already? (Possible shippy spoilers in clip below, FYI)



I'll be watching; will you? Does anybody else have ballet class memories to share?

Happy Dance Friday #87 - Happy (Belated) Birthday, Micky Dolenz

With the sad passing of Davy Jones, Monkees fans could certainly use a real happy dance, and since this is the day after Micky Dolenz' birthday (and gives me the urge to make it Monkee Month) today's choice is a natural. If Davy was the song and dance man of the group, Micky was the clown, and no wonder; his first acting job was as the youthful lead of the tv series Circus Boy. An actor playing a drummer, who then became a drummer, Micky brought his own brand of delicious insanity to the Monkees antics, providing lead vocals on such upbeat classics as "I'm a Believer":


Even songs of social commentary, like "Pleasant Valley Sunday" or "Last Train to Clarksville" got the special Micky touch:


"That Was Then, This is Now" has got to be one of the bounciest second chance songs I've ever heard:


Though embedding is disabled on the official video (click here to see) of the Monkees' "Heart and Soul" video, which has the trademark Monkees hijinx as they tackle the 80s, Micky's optimistic attitude shines in this live version:


Remember, a truly heartfelt happy dance negates the calories of an extra helping of birthday cake, and "Tomorrow's Going to be Another Day." Happy Birthday, Micky!

Saturday at the Movies #86 - Being Human (UK)

Confession: I haven't seen this yet. Not a bit apart from the few seconds I managed to see while we set up to record the two episodes that currently wait on the family DVR. Apart from my dearly beloved, dearly departed Moonlight I'm not that big on vampire shows. Still, as a CORW sister pointed out not that long ago, I do have a tendency to file the "para" off any paranormal dramas and study the human aspects of the supernatural characters. So it doesn't come as much of a surprise that when I can get my mitts on a program where that's kind of the whole point, well, yeah.

All flatmates George, Mitchell and Annie want is a normal life, only that's kind of a challenge when George is a werewolf, Mitchell is a vampire and Annie is a ghost. Which is pretty much all I know so far, but a show that "which deals more with the horror of living in modern Britain than the horror of the undead?" Sold. I do not need to hear more.



Normally, I don't jump into something like this, this far into the game. By my best guess, the episodes on the DVR are from series four (and big things are about to change, including most of the cast, I take it) so I expect I'll be doing a lot of "who's that" and "what are they talking about" and looking things up online while the show is on pause. Or it won't work for me after all, but that's why there are delete buttons.

Yes, I do know there is a US version, okay, more properly North American, as it's a US/Canadian endeavor, and I may peek at that in the future, as they're not trying to remake the UK version with different accents, but go more in the (pardon the pun) spirit of the thing:



Not to mention the UK's other offering, Becoming Human, which started as a web series, but apparently has moved to BBC3, but not yet found its way across the pond.


No time to dive into this new franchise today, so this was more of a preview post, so stay tuned for impressions of one who's come late to the party in a future entry. How about you, faithful readers? Have you had a taste of Being Human in any incarnation? What should a newbie know? Which side of the pond tickles your fancy?

Happy Dance Friday #85 - Hey Girl Interactive Video

I know, I know, the title card usually means we're talking about a movie or TV show, but come on, Zooey Deschanel, an impromptu house party straight out of a wacky sixties comedy, spontaneous tap dancing, pajamas, Hawaiian kitsch, random ukeleles, tuxedo t-shirt-wearing gents in a kickline, bright colors, confetti, baloons everywhere, and all in a choose-your-own-adventure format. If that's not the very picture of a happy dance, then I don't know what is.

While Zooey's own choice is loads of fun:


As are the versions selected by cast members (click name for their personal director's cuts) Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, and Hannah Simone...

The real fun is that...get ready for this...you get to make your own. Yep. Right here. I'm sure a more mathematically inclined reader than myself could figure out how many different combinations of clips are possible, but my official guess is...a lot.

Have you had a crack at finding your own way through the "Hey Girl" video? Which choices did you make? Any options you wish had been in there but weren't? Whatever way you choose to observe Happy Dance Friday, you're doing it right.

Saturday at the Movies #84 - Awake

What if you could have the two things you love most in this world...but not at the same time?

That's the problem faced by our hero, Detective Michael Britten, when he's in a car accident along with his wife, Hannah, and their son, Rex. The first time waking up after a huge and unwanted life change is always a jolt, but what if that happened every day? For Det. Britten, that's exactly what it is. Every time he wakes, he wakes to one of two different realities. Either Hannah is alive and Rex is dead, or Rex is alive and Hannah is dead.

Every day, Det. Britten wakes to the opposite reality from the day before, and his life takes two different paths. Different partners at work, different therapists to help him deal with his losses. In one life, he and Hannah discuss having another child after losing Rex, and in another, our grieving widower hero begins to feel romantic stirrings for another woman. As disconcerting as that can be, he also finds he's able to make connections between his two lives, enabling him to solve previously impossible cases in both worlds. Which life is real and which the hallucination?

I have to admit, they had me right at the concept, but the cast drive it home Jason Isaacs (British actor playing American character alert)plays Det. Britten, while B.D. Wong, From Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, as one of his therapists makes me do a happy fangirl squee with flailing arms and everything. Then add Steve Harris, from The Practice, and Wilmer Valderrama, from That 70's Show, as our hero's partners, and this has the makings of appointment TV.



What do you think, faithful readers? Will you be staying awake for Awake?

Saturday at the Movies #82 - The River and ramblings

First off, I can say with authority that opening a car door directly into one's face is exactly as fun as it sounds. Which would be exactly none. I came out of it relatively unscathed though, and one Puppy Bowl later, am back in the saddle. Well, keyboard, and it would be at the keyboard rather than in it, but in either event, it's February.

For TV lovers, this means February Sweeps, and that means the good stuff is coming. Which means favorite shows will overflow with big name guest stars, characters will break up, or make up (or both) secrets will be revealed and events transpire. It's time for the sensational, the scandalous, and the midseason replacement. Enter The River.

I am taking the cautiously optimistic stance on this one. We have a nature show host who disappears somewhere in the uncharted Amazon, leaving behind puzzled loved ones, including an estranged son, Lincoln. Six months later, Lincoln is finally ready to move on, but lo and behold, Dad's emergency beacon goes off, and a motley crew begins the search.

This works for me because I like the adventure aspect, the scenery promises to be lush and exotic, and the big question of whether Lincoln's dad (and the fact that I keep having to refer to the Wikipedia entry to remember his name -Emmett- should indicate who looks like the central character to me at this point. I could be wrong.) of what really happened to Emmett could go in a multitude of directions. Is Emmett alive? Is he dead? Is he the one activating his emergency beacon or did a random alligator lay an egg on the panic button? Since the show is touted as paranormal/adventure/horror, things may not be as they seem and I'm sure somebody is going to learn a valuable lesson somewhere.

That's the optimistic part. The cautious part comes from the fact that I am still not over other shows with equally engaging premises. Reunion, for one. The Jury. The Nine. All of which had me eager for the next episodes, all with complex characters with complex relationships -six high school friends over the course of twenty years, one of them the eventual murderer of another; a random selection of the populace selected to sit on the same jury; or complete strangers bound together forever by being in the same place at the same time when a crime occurs - and all of which vanished after a few episodes.

Hopefully Emmett will be the only thing that vanishes quickly in The River, and we won't be left with dangling threads to haunt us years later. What do you think, faithful readers? Will you be tuning in? What shows ended too soon for you and still demand some answers?

Saturday at the Movies #81 - Cold Case

This is going to be a tricky one, but in a way, that's fitting. Cold Case is not available on DVD, most likely due to copyright regarding the music that plays a heavy role in each episode, and I'm okay with that. I wouldn't want a single note changed. Reruns are currently on Ion Television and that's good enough for me.

Detective Lily Rush and her colleagues delve into unsolved homicide cases from the past, and it's the victims, perpetrators, and those they left behind who are the real stars here. What makes Cold Case work for me the most is that it's not only about solving crimes, but providing closure. Stories unfold over the course of each episode, with flashbacks to the events preceding the deaths. With these glimpses into the lives and worlds of the victims, accompanied by period-appropriate soundtracks, we not only find out what happened, but why.

Whether homicide, accident or even suicide, each case is comprised of multiple layers. Victims have their perspective, but so do witnesses, friends, family members and often the killers as well. Not everybody has all the pieces to any puzzle, and it's only years later, when there's been some distance to allow for new perspective -or for investigative techniques or technology to catch up- that everything can fit together. Witnesses who were children at the time can now see through more mature eyes. Detectives may have to dig hard to unearth memories from older witnesses with memory disorders. A formerly drug-addicted witness may now be thinking clearly, or a sober one might have spent the intervening years in an alcoholic fog from guilt or despair. Viewers get to see the characters involved in each case shift between their past and present selves, the change fluid and poignant.

Any drama filled with history and emotion is a no-brainer for me, and Cold Case fits the bill. With periods ranging from the early 20th century to the 1990s and all points in between, viewers get to engage in some vicarious time travel as past and present intermingle to weave the whole tale that could not be told until the time was right. All good on its own, but the angsty, sniffly bow that ties up every story is the closing montage. Without dialogue, we see the case close, the evildoers taken into custody, and the loved ones begin to heal. The crowning moment of closure comes when a vision of the deceased person appears to the one most affected by their passing, and with a wistful smile, they vanish, their business now complete.

If you haven't seen these episodes but plan to, SPOILERS are in the closing montage clips below, from my two favorite episodes.

Season One's "Lover's Lane" requires detectives to reopen the case of a teenage girl, beautifully played by Mae Whitman, when DNA evidence exonerates the man wrongly convicted for her death in 1986:


Season Two's "Revolution" stars Sarah Jones, now starring in Alcatraz, as a Vietnam-era small town girl torn bewteen caring for her disabled veteran brother and fleeing to Canada with the love of her life:

Being a romance writer, I want to reach into the episodes and grab these wounded characters out and make everything turn out better. They make me feel and invest in the lives of people with human wants and fallibilities, living out stories that could not have taken place if they had lived in any other time. I find Cold Case a wonderful lesson in how to marry the history to the emotional journey, and quite possibly that could turn into a springboard for an upcoming workshop lesson.

How about you? Do you have a favorite Cold Case episode? Know of any other shows or movies that use past and present to tell a single story? Ever rewrite endings in your own head to make them turn out the way you'd like?

Saturday at the Movies #80 - Alcatraz

Alcatraz, oh Alcatraz, where do I begin? With some shows, you know. With Moonlight, I knew. With Lost, I knew. With New Amsterdam, I knew. There were others: State of Grace; Cold Case, The Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels, even How I Met Your Mother.

I had that same feeling the first time I caught a glimpse of Alcatraz. No surprise to my regular readers that anything with that gloomy grunge aesthetic is going to catch my attention. There's the fact that we have a prison on an island, as in

...and there are spooky goings on and since this is on network TV, odds are that I will not have to watch every week through my splayed fingers (and I am still too chicken to watch Shutter Island, and yes, I do know it's also a book, but that's for another entry.) Bonus points to Alcatraz for being a real place, and the fact remains that since it still stands and I am still alive there is a chance that I might actually be able to go there at some unspecified place in the future and indulge my love of places-where-people-should-be-but-aren't.

What cemented my interest, though, is that the cast includes Jorge Garcia, who was amazing as Hurley on Lost. In Alcatraz, he's Dr. Diego Soto, Alcatraz expert and comic book writer. I am sold right there and would not have needed to hear more. Add in the bit about missing people from the past coming back to the present (okay, sure, they're all convicted crimnials...well, and the associated staff, so we do have a chance for some good guys) possibly for some greater purpose, though we don't know if that's a good purpose or a bad one, and I'm there. Cherry on top is Sarah Jones as Detective Rebecca Madsen, the homicide cop who has tragically lost a partner and has her own take on how the job should be done, and in certain shots, giving off a rather Sophia Myles-esque vibe. All we need now is a couple for me to ship. Jeffrey Pierce, as Jack Sylvane, the first inmate to reappear, is certainly equipped with the looks to qualify him as a possible love interest for Detective Madsen, and he has a sympathetic backstory, and I'm genre-savvy enough to know that a four-letter name ending in a consonant is code for hero material in such well favored gentlemen, but...

:happy sigh: Yeah. I could seriously go for these two, and since the first thing Dr. Soto says to Det. Madsen is "marry me," well, come on. I'm a romance writer. What do you expect? Granted, the proposal was an expression of admiration for Det. Madsen's knowledge of comics lore, but what male comic book aficionado wouldn't fall hard for a gorgeous blonde who also loves comics? Come, on, it's perfect. Nope, Dr. Soto doesn't have a rock-hard physique (pun intended) but he's got that geeky-suave charm, he's smart, enthusiastic, and he works what he's got, and I think this could work. What do you think, faithful readers? Am I barking up the wrong shipping tree, or am I on to something? Or does it not matter because of the great visuals, the history angle and super cool plots? Take a look at the trailer below. What do you think?

Combination post: Happy Dance Friday #80 and Saturday at the Movies #79

see more Daily Squee

Random sleepy puppy, as Monweek wasn't quite done with me yet, though Saturday brought a wondrous repast with friends and Sunday's NECRWA meeting put a spring back in my writing step. Which is why you get last week's Saturday post along with today's happy dance post, because it irks me when the numbers don't line up for these entries.

Speaking of springs and steps, I don't think any happy dance could top this four legged fellow's:


Though my DH would likely urge me to post this next clip if he were looking over my shoulder, so I'll stick it up on his behalf.


No clip yet, but I'm very eager to see how Copper turns out. 1860s New York, Irish immgirant neighborhood and a police officer who wants to do right, but finds that a complicated task? Pop the corn, I'm there, and save all talking for the commercial breaks. I'll pretend John Amsterdam is in the office down the hall, because, well, he could have been, and I still miss that show.

In the can't-believe-I-Missed-It category, Smash. I love stories set in the theater world, love the audition process, and let's take a look at the cast - Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, and Katharine McPhee, who made an impression on me back in her American Idol days. Definitely need to catch the premiere and remember to record this one. Extra points because in a show set on Broadway, there's got to be some dancing.


Also missed out on the premiere of The Fades (this is why there is On Demand, right?) I'm not as much interested in the undead/ghost aspect as I am the psychological/social issues - twins, social awkwardness, insider/outsider dynamics. What do you think, faithful readers?


All current on this front, and tomorrow, Alcatraz....

Saturday at the Movies #77 - Hell on Wheels

I did not see this one coming. Normally, I don't have much interest in westerns, novels by Maggie Osborne excepted. Still, the lure of a historical drama on television is strong, rare birds that they are. Two things drew me in, though.

First, the grit. If I'm going to do a western, then give me something raw, something harsh, a trek into the unknown, undertaken by the adventurous and the desperate. In short, don't give me a nice, mannerly story here. I expect something that's still finding its way, tension between characters who might not otherwise ever breathe the same air, and I am fully aware words and actions are going to get ugly at times. That, for me, comes with the territory. Aforementioned Maggie Osborne novels are good examples, or for those who aren't opposed to some very gritty spiritual content, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

Second, Colm Meany, who plays a New York senator and entrepreneur here. I first noticed him in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and was beyond pleased with his performance in The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, so anything with Mr. Meany in it automatically has my interest.

Okay, two and a half if we count the visuals. :points to title card above:

This may not be the most romance-rich program out there, though we do have some characters who would be right at home in a western romance novel. There's the recently widowed Lily, a woman alone in the rapidly changing world as the birth of the railroad means the death of the unspoiled frontier. Confederate veteran Cullen Bohannon, a man now without a country, bent on avenging the assault and murder of his wife at the hands of his Union counterparts. Elam Ferguson, a freed slave who rises to a position of power amongst the railroad crew...and may be having more than merely physical grownup fun time with one of the local working girls. Then there's the man known as "The Swede," who isn't Swedish, but will get the job done, by whatever means neccessary.

There's preachers, Indians, immigrants, former slaves and survivors of Indian captivity, jockeying for position in this rapidly changing world. This is the birthing pangs of a new era and the death throes of an old one, happening at the same time. Colm Meany's "Doc" Durant is a nineteenth century spin doctor, keenly aware of not only what he is actually doing, but how his actions will be perceived, though his motives are far from altruistic.

Hell on Wheels delivers everything I want in a historical drama, even if it is outside my comfort zone, setting wise, and I'm okay with that. I can already tell this is one I'm going to want to watch multiple times to catch bits I've missed on the first viewing. How about you? How gritty is too gritty for a historical drama, or is there no such thing as long as it stays true to the times?

Happy Dance Friday #75 - Happy for Deep People

Kathy Nightingale: What did you come here for anyway?
Sally Sparrow: I love old things. They make me feel sad.
Kathy Nightingale: What's good about sad?
Sally Sparrow: It's happy for deep people.

"Blink" - Dr. Who

This quote pretty much sums it up for me. Even though my DH had some fancy talking to do to keep me from doing the television physical harm during the "Blink" episode of Doctor Who (I am sure his ears still ring with my outraged shrieks of "that is not romantic!")I connected strongly with Sally's character. Old things, old places, abandoned yet full of the ghosts of what ifs and might have beens, always give me a delicious shiver - what seeds of stories could be found in what looks to others like a lost cause? For a historical romance writer, ruins are a treasure trove.

I must have watched the video for Adele's "Someone Like You" at least a dozen times already, and there has to be a story in there somewhere. The black and white film takes us into both the bleakness of a lost love, the scenery is gorgeously old world and Adele herself is utterly stunning. Pay special attention to her expression in the sequence that begins at 4:09, and the slow, heartbreaking reveal in the background.



I have mad, crazy love for Christina Perri's "Jar of Hearts," which has been beautifully interpreted on So You Think You Can Dance, but it was Josh Krajcik's performance on X Factor that made me stop in my tracks. Give this song to a male, and the impact, at least for me, heightens. Shivers, absolute shivers.



Pop star accompanied by a symphony orchestra? I am there. Since "Evaporated" by Ben Folds perfectly encapsulates where the hero of my postapocalyptic medieval ms enters the story, imagine my delight at finding a version where Mr. Folds' backup musicians happen to be the West Australian Symphony Orchestra:



What about you? Do you find beauty in the dark places to get your idea hamster running?