The oversimplification of a TV show formula

You know what I'm saying here. The formula is so simple and so redundant. We've been saturated with terrible TV shows. ML wanted me to watch a new one the other night because it was on as the same time as another one of her shows. The show was the new Patricia Arquette show, Medium. Let me tell you ... the initial episode was horrible. I have seen very few programs where the overacting was as bad as novelas on Spanish television. This one was worse. The whole premise is this: she is a psychic who all of a sudden through the most inplausible scenarios gets to help police solve crimes. The way she gets to help police is even more implausible; she is an attorney or a paralegal or something. Anyways, she has these visions and she simply calls into the Texas Rangers to help solve one. So out of the 100's of tips, they decide to call her and fly her down. Now here is where the cheese starts. Every episode will have this moment: the police dont' believe her tips and she will have a yelling fit where she tells them that they don't have to believe her but that they should at least look (insert place name) for the body. It's freaking horrible; atrocious; whatever you want to say. It's horrible ... my skin crawls just thinking about the suburban housewifes and slugs that find this show entertaining and believable. CSI was a brilliant concept; it's well written; it's entertaining and more importantly, it's plausible. Medium would have us suspend not only reality but common sense when it comes to watching it.

I think I see the pattern however and I'm going to go to Hollywood to be write TV shows. Here are the basic premises:

Comedy: Fat, wisecracking, wacky husband with disproportionately hot wife who loves him as he is with a perfect home, perfect kids, etc.......

Teen Drama: a group of rich, good looking white kids with "real life" problems such as drinking or getting us to pity them because of the "problems" that having money will bring

Comedy 2: Get an ex-comediane to have a show where she is the wise cracking wife with an good hearted husband who loves her despite her many quirks

Sprinkle into each of these the token wacky ethnic next door neighbor. The African American couple next door who are supposed to be their best friends. The Latin maid who is a smartass. Need I go on? You know what I'm saying here.

New Job?????

On Friday night, I was looking around for clerkships. ML is always on my ass about looking for a way to move near her, but for some reason, I was looking at New Mexico courts. Then it showed up: a position with the US Federal District Court in Santa Fe. It would be a clerk type job where I'd do everything from intake of evidence, ensure filings are on time, help the judges, etc.. The big problem was that the position was closing on Monday. So I spent Saturday night revising and updating my resume.

On Monday morning, I called the human resources director and left a message asking if I could fax in my resume. She called back to say that was fine. So I faxed it in and now it's a waiting game. I called on Wednesday and she said she got the resume. The pay is the same and that is a fucking shame. The position only asked for a HS diploma ... and the pay is the same as what I get where I am now where you need a JD to work there. If I got the job, I would at least be in Santa Fe, which is a happening city ... very trendy and young. Compared to Dayton, it's the difference between night and day. Santa Fe is a progressive liberal city with arts; Dayton is a close minded place where GW republicans rule the roost and I fucking hate that. So keep your fingers crossed.