Day 04 - Your favorite show ever

If you've read this blog at all, you know what I'll be writing about today:  Combat!

Mmmm.  Combat!  What a show.  From the first time I watched an ep, at the tender age of 14, I have loved and adored Combat!  I even co-maintain a fansite for it, Fruit Salad, where Deborah Koren and I share our fanfiction, screencaps, my humorous ep reviews, and various other (often "hidden") goodies.  I wouldn't pour that kind of time and effort into just any show, so what makes Combat! so special?

The Squad

Partly, it came into my life at the perfect time.  I was 14, just beginning to grow up, and starting to recognize good writing and acting from bad.  It was 1994, the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day, and all kinds of classic war movies were being released on video.  My dad loves war movies, so we watched quite a few of them that year.  And then, Combat! came into my life, one of many old shows on a brand new channel starting up, TV-55.  My dad remembered it from his childhood, we recorded some episodes, and from then on, it's been an important part of my life.  A year or so later, I started writing seriously, and one of the first stories I wrote was, technically, Combat! fanfiction, though I didn't yet know such a thing as fanfic existed.

Partly, it's the setting.  I'm a history buff -- I love learning about WWII and the 1940s, and that makes this show right up my alley.  I also love heroes.  Combat! is about heroes, the real, dirt and grime and daily grind kind of heroes.

Littlejohn (Dick Peabody) and Billy Nelson (Tom Lowell)

Then there's the writing.  This show has some of the best doggone episodes I've ever seen in any show.  It grapples with serious, deep, sensitive subjects.  Betrayal, revenge, justice, mercy, fear, courage, love, hate, kindness, cruelty, good, evil -- it's all here.  Combat! introduces us to cowards, murderers, musicians, artists, grocery clerks, shoe salesmen, writers, every kind of character you can imagine.  And it does all this in just 152 episodes.

Lt. Hanley (Rick Jason)

There's also the acting.  The main cast members are all superb:  Vic Morrow, Rick Jason, Pierre Jalbert, Jack Hogan, Dick Peabody, Conlan Carter, and Tom Lowell.  They're supported with a truly impressive list of talented guest stars.  Actors and actresses like James Coburn, Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Eddie Albert, Mickey Rooney, Nina Foch, Leonard Nimoy, James Caan, Beau Bridges, Roddy McDowell, Sal Mineo, Frankie Avalon, Robert Duvall, James MacArthur, Joan Hackett -- I could keep going, but you get my point.  Some of these pros even requested to be on Combat! because they knew it was such a swell show.

Kirby (Jack Hogan), Doc (Conlan Carter), and Caje (Pierre Jalbert)

But most important for me are the characters.  The main ones are all great, but from my first episode, my heart has belonged to Sgt. Saunders.  He's played by Vic Morrow with a depth of feeling and understanding I have never seen equaled in a mere TV show.  He transcends the stereotype of Hero.  He's brave, but also fearful.  He's noble, but also human.  He's intelligent, but also fallible. He's compassionate, but also uncompromising.  In other words, he's the kind of complex character I'm still trying to learn to write.  He's so multifaceted, he feels real to me, and I sometimes forget he's fictional.

Sgt. Saunders (Vic Morrow)

So.  I love the setting, the writing, the acting, the characters. For sixteen years, my pulse has quickened every time I hear the familiar duh duh-duh-duh duh-duh rhythm.  I don't expect to lose interest any time soon.

Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)

I'm only watching one new show this season:  the reboot of Hawaii Five-O.  So far, it's been quite fun :-)  I dig Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly and Scott Caan as Danny Williams.  Alex Laughlin and Grace Parks are nice scenery.  The eps have been solid enough, and James Marsters played their first Bad Guy, so can't complain about their guest casting.  I doubt this will ever be one of my Favorite Shows Ever, but oh well.  Like the original, it's watchable, exciting, and a good cop show.  And so far, it doesn't seem to be trying to be one of the forensic crime solving shows, but it's sticking to being a show about cops catching criminals.  Kind of refreshing.

 

Though, for me, Scott Caan doesn't hold a candle to the original Danno, James MacArthur.  He's the whole reason I watch the original.  I've had a thing for James MacArthur since the first time I saw The Swiss Family Robinson, and he never fails to delight me. I always get the feeling he's really nice in real life.

I guess Daniel Dae Kim is probably the reason I'm watching this one so far, which feels pretty weird, because not so long ago, I just knew him as the evil Wolfram and Hart lawyer, Gavin Park, on Angel.  I especially detested Gavin because he replaced Lindsey.  But after Lost, I quite dig Dae Kim, and decided to see what he has to offer in a detective show.

(We don't get any channels on our actual TV, so I watch shows online at either cbs.com or hulu.com.  I love the internet!)


Super Exciting News!  According to his official website, James MacArthur has agreed to be in an ep of the new series!  Ooooooooooo!

And yes, I got Dano's nickname from the original Hawaii Five-O.  I'm a dork.

Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching

I'm interpreting today's topic to mean a current TV show that I wish had a bigger audience. 

I wish  NCIS:  Los Angeles had more viewers.  Including me.  I wish I'd watched the first season, and I'm glad it got a second season because I'm hoping I'll be able to watch some of it.  Because I love love love Chris O'Donnell.  I love Linda Hunt.  And I dig some of the music in this show a whole bunch.  (Is that odd?  To like a show for its music?)  So I wish more fans of NCIS would give the spin-off a chance and keep it on the air.  I know I'm going to try.

Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled

Easy. Firefly.  They canceled it before it really got started. 

Sure, I'd love to have had another season of Angel -- it had just refound its stride when it was canceled.  And sure, I'd love more Nero Wolfe adventures.  But Firefly didn't even get to finish its first season, and that is a crying shame.

 This is such a shiny show, what there is of it.  I didn't watch it in its initial run, so I myself am partly to blame for its cancellation.  Firefly aired the first year Cowboy and I were married.  He was finishing college, I was working my first full-time job, and I was already addicted to Joss's other two shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.  I didn't think I had time for another show, didn't really know what Firefly was about, didn't give it even one chance.

Then the Firefly 'verse came to the big screen in 2005 with the movie Serenity.  My brother-in-law, Noumenon, asked if I wanted to go see it with him.  I love going to the movies, and it's rare I get to see one with another person, so I said sure, anything to support Joss Whedon.  I loved the concept, the characters, the writing -- instant fan.  (You can read about my initial impressions here.)  But, clearly, a show that is literally about cowboys in space was just too oddball for the network execs, and they pulled the plug.  Evil, silly, annoying execs.  Grr.  Arrgh.

(I really want this shirt!)

TV Meme Lineup

Like I said yesterday, I'm rebooting my blog by doing a few long memes that my friend DK did on Sidewalk Crossings.  I figured I'd start with this one cuz the TV season has just begun and I'm all psyched about my fave current shows :-)

The line up:

Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
Day 05 - A show you hate
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you’ve watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - What the...? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death

No idea if I'll be able to do one of these every day, but I'm sure gonna try.  See you tomorrow!

Let's Try This Again

As Sam Gamgee said, "Well, I'm back."

I thought for a while that a post about my first experience seeing Hamlet live seemed like a sort of capstone for a blog titled Hamlette's Soliloquy.  Plus, I loved seeing the Playbill whenever I visited this blog.  I didn't want that post to get pushed down, much less end up in my archives, as if my memory of that magical evening would also be displaced.  Silly me.  That's a memory I'll cherish all my life -- it's not dependent on whether I blog again here or not.

And so, I'm back.  I've changed up the look of things a bit, as you've no doubt noticed.  A lot has changed in my life since I last wrote here, nearly a year ago.  I gave birth to our daughter, Mercy, in February -- she's now 7 months old and learning to walk.  Dano will be 3 in a couple weeks, and he's learning to read.  And we'll all be moving soonish, whenever Cowboy's new job is ready for him.  Just a transfer to a new position, but it means we'll be moving to a different state.  Oooh, that's gonna be fun.  Anyway, thought a new look for this blog might be nice, kind of an "All the world's a stage" look, I think.  I changed my user icon too, from Sir John Gielgud as Hamlet to Liev Schreiber as Hamlet.  Because I'm crushing on Liev lately and it's a cool shot.

I'm going to get back into this blog's groove by doing a meme or two.  My dear friend Deborah Koren did several 30-day memes on her blog, Sidewalk Crossings, this year, and they've been tempting me, begging me to come back to the blogosphere.  I'm heeding their call at last.  Haven't quite decided which one to do first yet, so I'll post about that more tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

I have now seen Hamlet performed live. On Broadway, starring Jude Law, no less! It's been a dream of mine to see the play live ever since I fell in love with it, lo these twelve years ago. Cowboy had to go to NYC for work this past weekend, and Dano and I went along for the ride. One of Cowboy's coworkers is also a Shakespeare fan, so she and I decided we could not miss out on the chance to see this production.

I missed the first five minutes of the show, due to a stomach disturbance I blame on NYC food, but I was back in my seat before Hamlet himself wandered out on stage, so I wasn't too sad. Anyway...

It was magnificent.

The set was very austere, with tall stone walls on both sides, and a back wall that could be big wooden doors, or it could be open to the "outside" with a brick wall behind, or it could just be an interior wall. There were very few props, just a chair or bench now and then, and swords/daggers when needed, etc. -- quite minimalistic.

The costumes were modern, all blacks and greys, except during "The Murder of Gonzago" when the Players wore all white. The men wore expensive suits and ties, while Gertrude and Ophelia wore dresses -- most of the characters were attired similarly to the audience, in fact. Horatio was the rebel, always in biker boots and a black leather jacket, with long black hair slicked back into a queue. And Hamlet wore many shades of grey, very layered, and more casual on a whole. (In this pic, you see Horatio, The Ghost/First Player, Gertrude, Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius taking a bow.)

As for performances, Gertrude was sympathetic, and a strong woman, not a silly one. Claudius was excellent, and his closet soliloquy was heartfelt and compelling. Polonius was officious, but not unbearable. Ophelia was okay, though she was portrayed as timid and pliable. Laertes was acceptable. They went the rash, young, headstrong route, which is not my favorite interpretation. He was sweet to Ophelia, but lacked that brotherly protectiveness I always look for. But I'm hugely picky about my Laertes, and only Liev Schreiber has ever played him to my complete satisfaction (so far), so I wasn't too disappointed.

Horatio. Ahhh, Horatio. Not only was he hot, he was good. This Horatio was the best friend Hamlet totally needs -- strong, resilient, quiet, and completely devoted. He seemed to exude an aura of "I'm here, don't worry," and also a sense of protectiveness. And his "Now cracks a noble heart" brought me to tears, it was so heartwrenching. He had a great voice too, deep and just a little husky. Reminded me a lot of a young Cary Elwes, with his movements and body language, anyway. He'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.

And then, there was Hamlet. I'm not a big Jude Law fan -- I like him okay, but I don't seek out his movies. But he CAN act. No question. His Hamlet was confused, melancholy, jumpy, and so very tired of this whole mess. He did several scenes barefoot, which pleased me no end; it seems when he put on his antic disposition, he took off his shoes. And he made me cry twice, with his "Rogue and peasant slave" soliloquy (which he got clapping and cheers for, and rightly so, as it was probably his best moment) and his "If it be now" speech, which is not a place I usually choke up. He was just soooo tired of it all and ready to die if need be, so at peace with his fate after railing against it for so long... I loved it. Excellent portrayal overall.

I really liked the way they staged the first part of the bedchamber scene between Hamlet and Gertrude. A big, white, sheer curtain dropped down parallel to the backdrop, and Polonius hid behind it on the audience's side, while Hamlet and Gertrude were behind it, where they were still visible, but not perfectly. It reenforced the fact that we, the audience, are all eaves-dropping on the play, which rocked. When Hamlet stabbed Polonius, then the curtain fell down over him and we could see the whole stage again.

And I adored all of the soliloquies -- Hamlet broke the 4th wall every time and addressed us as if confiding his innermost self to a diary or bosom friend. The overall effect, for me, was to make me want to run down to the stage, throw my arms around him, and promise that everything would be all right. It was intensely personal and awesome.


The "To be or not to be" soliloquy was probably the least personal of all -- Hamlet came onstage "outside," with snow falling around him and blanketing the ground. He was still barefoot, and did most of that speech far away from the audience, only coming closer toward the end of it. A very meditative reading, and quite delicious.

And the end was perfect. Hamlet died in Horatio's arms, with Horatio sitting on the floor, one knee up to support Hamlet a little, who died with his back to Horatio's chest. After "Now cracks a noble heart," Horatio kissed him on the forehead, very reminiscent of the death of Boromir in LOTR. And then Horatio stayed there, cradling him, through the rest of the scene. He looked very much the steadfast, protective, broken-hearted friend to the end. He would periodically smooth Hamlet's hair, or lay his cheek on Hamlet's forehead, and remained very focused on him, only paying Fortinbras the barest attention. Perfect. I was bawling.

I would say Jude Law combined Mel Gibson's almost reckless energy and drive with Richard Burton's weary snarl, if I had to compare him to performances I've seen on dvd. The cast on a whole was excellent, and I'm so glad this was my first live Hamlet. Bravo. My only regret is that I'll probably never get to see it again, as it closes in December.