I just watched a taped episode of my favorite TV show, Medium. This show, based off the real-life Phoenix, Arizona psychic, Allison Dubois, is simply outstanding. I’m a tad disappointed that they no longer play off the fact that she used to see these dead people walking around with the living, but I guess there must have been some hush-hush agreement with that “other psychic show,” wherein they (the “other psychic show”) use that device, while Medium uses the dream bit. Too bad. But Medium more than makes up for my little disappointment with its incredible scripts and acting. For its incredible depth. I just love this show. The other thing I wonder, however, is how far is it gonna go? I mean, I know that what the real Allison Dubois is doing is great, but if you’re going to have a TV show, how do you keep all that fresh and interesting--and is what she’s doing really just limited to body counts? Does she get into any, say, alien (E.T.) encounters, or participate in better paths for Humanity to take in dealing with global warming and mitigating war and terrorism? I mean, though, again, the Medium does an excellent job of it, you can only go so far with the premise of dreaming up Whodunits and where bodies are buried. Or maybe I’m just too jaded by all the cops shows already out there. In any event, those issues notwithstanding, I simply love the show. Another show I also really love for its excellent acting and production was the Sci Fi Channel’s Eureka. Yeah, some of the stories were a little hokey, but the characters, the acting, the humor was great, and they did it all in style. I like SF and its ilk, but don’t watch too much of it for various reasons (mainly time), some of which are because I think the shows typically are not done all that well, or I simply don’t get into the milieu/idea (e.g., witchcraft, giant creatures attacking us, aliens coming to eat us/dominate us/eat us). Eureka is a rare exception, in my humble opinion, in how well it is done, and it is slated to return this Summer, I believe, so I’m very much looking forward to it. Not SF, but still one of the best shows I’ve ever seen (and I’m glad it’s back in reruns) is Northern Exposure. Man, what a well-done show that was! And, of course, I was a huge fan of the X-Files, though never got into their monster episodes. Yeah, I know, you can only do so much with UFOs, and you have other timeslots to fill, so I guess that’s why they did the noble thing and went off the air, but I think that was a great show, too. But you wanna talk truly great SF? Twilight Zone. That was the best of all of them. It started everything, and always had something to say about the Human Condition, which is probably what good TV is (or should be) all about. Showing that no matter how different we all think we are, we’re really all alike. Trying to do the best we can with what we have and who we are. Shoestring or hokey, cause it had its moments, too, but TZ delved into the paranormal and wasn’t just about cops and criminals. It tried to say something about how and why we’re here. The Human Struggle for meaning, and, maybe, besides all the SF and E.T. trappings, that’s what really interests me, stories about the all-too human need to understand and overcome.
