Come Home, John Adams, We Miss You!

I'm really looking forward to HBO's John Adams, which starts Sunday night. It's getting rave reviews, stars wonderful actors (Laura Linney as Abigail!), and shines a light on a man whose PR was never as good as Jefferson's.

Too bad it was shot in Virginia (my home state, yes, but not my adopted home and certainly not Adams'). I've whined about this before, but what with the premiere coming up, it seemed like a good idea to do it again. Fortunately, things are looking up for our commonwealth, what with all the movies now being shot in Massachusetts because of incentives like this (and those plans for a film and television complex in Weymouth). Maybe all this means we'll be the location for Tall Tom Jefferson: Well, I Declare! That would be fair, as in "turnabout's fair play."

(Oh--and don't bother looking for that show on IMDB.com--I made it up. Just daydreamin'.)

Least SFNE TV Show Ever Renewed!

The little show that could, Friday Night Lights, has been renewed by NBC, despite less-than-stellar ratings. Yay! Being the most critically acclaimed show of the year probably helped.

If you heard about this show but were fearful of getting attached to it, only to see it disappear, now's your chance. NBC has all the episodes online (and presumably there will be DVD set soon).

Fair warning, though: ONLY watch if you like shows with compelling characters, outstanding acting, and excellent writing. Plus, if you've ever lived out West (Texas in particular), you will nod your head in recognition during many scenes. And if you've never lived out West, but have ever been a teenager, parent, spouse, athlete, class geek, person struggling with a disability, caregiver, or car dealer, you'll nod your head in recognition during many scenes. Remember--I warned you.

Photo courtesy of NBC.com.

Gilmore: A Beloved and SFNE Show Comes to the End

It's sadly official: The CW announced the cancellation of Gilmore Girls. Although I only got hooked on the show about three years ago (because of scheduling reasons in the days before my second TiVo--yes, I watch a lot of TV), I avidly watch reruns and new episodes (hint: the older ones are better). In the end it was cancelled for that most prosaic of reasons--stalled contract negotiations.

Set in the magical, fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow (a distant suburb of Hartford--I said it was fictional), the show hooked millions of us on the relationship between the "girls"--single mother Lorelai and her precocious daughter Rory Gilmore--and their loves, friends, relatives, and fellow Stars Halloweenians. When you watch it--especially the earlier episodes--the dialogue flies funny and fast (think: His Girl Friday fast), with pop culture references that occasionally even flew over my head (and I'm very pop-conscious). You either get it or not, but if you get it, then you love it. (Ask my brother--I got him hooked, too.)

You know how when you watch one of those shows that's "set" in Boston (I'm talking to you, Ally McBeal!) that it might as well take place in Detroit? Despite being filmed in California (I visited the set once on a studio tour), Gilmore was totally SFNE. Granted, because it's supposed to be southern Connecticut, the accents are sort of northeastern bland, but there's the continuing thread of participatory democracy/town meetings (some of the funniest stuff), celebrations of the seasons (winter carnivals, harvest festivals, etc.), and continual references to Providence and Boston.

More evidence: Lorelai's dad is a king of the Hartford insurance world, and she runs a successful inn (ever since Newhart, one of the most SFNE of occupations). Heck, there was even a recommendation to eat at Barnacle Billy's in Ogunquit in a recent episode. And okay, Rory chose Yale over Harvard (and where were the good public schools in the mix, huh, huh?), it's still a New England school. I'm even guessing applications to Old Eli bumped up a tick after the idyllic portrayal of life at the school. (Minus two points on the SFNE Scale for never mentioning the Sox, though, or--god help us--those &^%#$@ Yankees.)

So goodbye, Lorelai, Rory, Luke, Emily, Richard, Lane, Zach, Sookie, Jackson, Mrs. Kim--even you, Kirk and Taylor. I'll miss you all--and a little bit of magical New England along with you. Let's hope you get a fitting farewell.

Photo courtesy of TVGuide.com.