John’s 2008 Retrospective: Television

On a fandom front, 2008 was an immense surprise for me on multiple fronts. It started out to be extremely dull in the movie theaters so I was left to take solace in the TARDIS and the Torchwood Hub once again. Then out of nowhere, things started getting interesting. Here are some of the things that made 2008 one for the Fandomania history books. For me, at least…

Television Triumphs

When It Comes to Sci-Fi, Britannia Still Rules

By now loyal readers have had it up to their ears with my praising all things Who, but it’s hard not to keep talking about it when the show has not stopped making headlines. Russell T. Davies’ final series with the show proved to be the best series yet as he and his team of insanely talented writers have consistently dared to raise the show to new epic heights, constantly delivering moments that have you overflowing with a dense cornucopia of emotions. It’s also impressive how Doctor Who‘s respective spin-offs, the adults only Torchwood and the kid-friendly Sarah Jane Adventures, have actually made their own waves when they both crossed the pond onto the American television. When the 2009 hiatus ends and we are introduced to a new Doctor in 2010 we can only make vague guesses about what will happen next for all series involved. After all, how can you figure out the destination of a show that can go anywhere?

24: Redemption, As if the show needed to be redeemed

I guess I’m one of the few who found himself to be completely fulfilled by the sixth season of the consistently addictive real-time TV thriller. I found the character development to be the most intriguing element of it, and the story was just as sharp on the dramatic level and the action level. The writers strike put season 7 on hold for a year, and to make up for it, FOX filled the gap by giving us a two-hour thrill ride which picks up a few years after season 6 and perfectly lays down the groundwork for season 7. Best of all, Kiefer Sutherland still dominates the screen with his commanding performance as Jack Bauer. I think Sutherland has finally found that character that will be for the ages, and I hope he stays with it for as long as possible.

TV’s Greatest Crimes

Pushing Daisies needs the piemaker’s touch!

Bryan Fuller just can’t seem to get any love on any network. ABC brought back the urban fairy tale series after the writers strike, and the show maintained the same charm that left audiences enchanted with the first season. The characters are beautifully written, the visual style of the show is one of a kind, and the conclusion of every episode leaves you hungry for the next week… and pie. So what happened? Well you can tell there’s trouble in paradise when a show comes back on the air and the network makes absolutely no effort to promote it. Now Daisies has become the ABC equivalent to Firefly. A great show that the network could care less about has the plug pulled. Well fans, we know what to do. We re-lit the Firefly. Now let’s see what we can do about resurrecting The Piemaker and the girl named “Chuck.”

Heroes needs a Hero

Though the third season is, by leaps and bounds, far better than the irritatingly condensed second season, there seems to be a shadow lurking over Tim Kring’s live action comic book series. Could it be muddled plotting? Lackluster dialogue? Or is it that the spontaneity isn’t as sharp as it used to be? Maybe we’ve become a bit too familiar with these characters, and we are no longer surprised by the plot development. Who knows? Personally I look at the show and see the potential. Usually I don’t condone taking the creative control of a show from the creator’s hands but something tells me that Kring was struggling for salvation one writer’s strike ago. Hey didn’t I hear something about Bryan Fuller waiting in the wings?