One Life To Live

I currently watch the daytime drama, One Life To Live (OLTL), which first aired on July 15, 1968. My mother did not watch "soaps" and discouraged their viewing, so I had never been exposed to that world. But later, as an adult, and due to some short-term unemployment, I started watching one afternoon, got hooked, and have been a loyal fan since 1981. (My mother still disapproves, but what can I say at this point—LOL). Here is an interesting excerpt from Wikepedia:

Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social issues. Actress Erika Slezak has portrayed central heroine Victoria "Viki" Lord on One Life to Live since March 1971, and has won six Daytime Emmy Awards for the role. The series itself won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2002.

To learn more about the history of OLTL on Wikepedia, here is the link: OneLifeToLive_Wikipedia

I have followed the show, the many changing characters and the sometimes wacky story lines under a revolving door of head writers. But lately, there seems to be more stability under head writer Ron Carlivati, and there is a renewed dedication to the integrity of the original story lines and characters. The fans don't forget how the story started and ended, so the writers can't disregard this loyalty when they try to make drastic changes or "age" characters, to create a new story line.

From time-to-time they bring back the original actor who played a character in the past. The fans always love this and the writers get an A+ for arranging these emotional reunions. If the character was "killed off" in the story, they come back as a ghostly guide, when their advice or encouragement is needed by a friend or loved one and when no one else's advice will do (sometimes there is a secret involved, so they can't confide in anyone else).

All-in-all, I have watched the show for so many years that I actually consider the characters to be like friends. I look forward to what they are doing each day. And since I live in NYC, I have actually encountered several of the actors in everyday situations—just walking down the street, in an ice cream store, on the subway, and the oddest of all, at the laundromat!! That was weird.

Some people who are not viewers of the daytime dramas, may not realize that there are no reruns, except for an occasional holiday. There is a new episode every Monday through Friday. Wow, that is a lot of lines to memorize (they don't work with teleprompters), but since there are many side stories running at the same time, we don't see the same people everyday, and the actors don't have to work five days a week unless they are in the middle of a very intense story line.

The point of all this commentary is to say that, in the future, I will be blogging about OLTL, especially when there is an especially intriguing or controversial story going on. I will not be discussing any "spoilers" since being surprised is part of the fun of the unexpected plot twists.

Please come back and read what I have to say, and feel free to comment. I am also listed on Twitter as BlueJeansDoctor

Til next time..............

Desperate Housewives — 2010 Season Finale

Finally, got a chance to watch the season finale of Desperate Housewives — mainly because I have been completely consumed by the series finale of LOST.

I've watched every episode of DH since the beginning. The series isn't for everyone and it gets mocked and criticized, but to me, it continues to be entertaining and most of the time a lot of fun. There is always at least one dark storyline per season and it rotates from one housewife to the other. Each of the housewives' characters is very different and that contributes to the variety. This season had an interesting ending and was a smart move on the part of the series creator.

I think I speak for a lot fans when I say, I really enjoy it when they bring back characters who have disappeared for one reason or another and it's always fun to see the original actors again, because we get attached to the actors and the characters. Wow, is Susan going to freak out when she sees who is living in her house! Obviously, Lee hasn't been around long enough to know the history of the new renter.

Since the writers tied everything up in a neat little bow by the end, the story is free to go in any of many possible directions. Glad it will be returning.

So until next Fall.....

American Idol Star Studded

Doobies, Bee Gees, Chicago, Joe Cocker, and Alice Cooper.

Paula Abdul reminisced about her time with Simon and then previous Idol winners and Idol hopefuls lined up for a tribute to Simon—Kelly Clarkson, Ruben, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, etc. Remember Justin Guarini?

My favorites:

Did you see Bret Michaels?!?!?  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Did he look awesome or what!  Someone blogged that he was taking a break from his "I'm not quite dead yet" tour.  Maybe it's funny, maybe it isn't; but it makes you wonder if he is going to work right up until the last second of his life.  If he didn't have two very young daughters that will miss him terribly, I suppose it would be okay.

AND then, what can I even say about Ms. Janet Jackson unleashed—WHOA!!

The ultimate "winner" didn't really matter that much to me.  Crystal Bowersox has little, if any, star power and Lee DeWyze sings off key, so........ Like Simon said, the audience is the real judge.

LOST Finale – Revised Interpretation

After publishing my blog last night and then sleeping off my LOST hangover, I realize my perception/interpretation of the final scene was a hasty leap to an erroneous conclusion.  Everything has become clearer in the light of day, and I am much more at peace with the ending.

Like Jack's father said, there is no "now" in the Islander's current "life."  Everything that they remembered was real and each of them died at the time we saw them die in the storyline, or they died when it was their time after they got off the Island, or they died on the Island eventually like Bernard, Rose and Vincent, and Hurley and Ben.  Maybe Desmond used the sail boat to get back to his family. Who knows.....

At any rate, they were all dead by the time they finally came together in the church. It was a reunion and celebration of their own deaths. Since Jack was the last to arrive, he was apparently the last one to let go and accept his death.  It took his dead father to explain it to him ("We all die sometime, kiddo."); which is significant, since Jack always felt that his father was never there for him when he really needed him.

This morning, I read a wonderful review by an AP writer named Frazier Moore. He expresses what I was feeling in the final moments of "The End."  This is part of what he wrote:

Through the run of the series, there was much talk among its characters of being on the island for a purpose. As it draws to a close, "Lost" has sustained the eerie feeling (eerie for TV, anyway) that it was on the air for a purpose — a special purpose beyond selling products and filling time, or even entertainment.

Its cast, producers, writers and the rest seemed drawn to create "Lost," and keep creating it year after year, thanks to fate as much as show-biz urgencies.

Deeper and wider than any TV series should dare to be, it has been thrilling, captivating, confounding (and, at times, pretty tedious), while it challenged its viewers to think, talk and feel.

The series ended where it began six seasons ago after the plane crash: with a close-up of Jack's eye opening as he lay on the ground. But this time, his eye was open and it shut.

That's where "Lost" leaves us viewers as it shuts down. Maybe not so clear about all we've seen, but challenged. Still a little lost, but reassured.

I am planning to watch the final episode again and hope I can glean more answers from it—because I still have questions—but then, I will LET IT GO.   

It was an interesting and enlightening experience, which is, what I think the creators intended.  To be able to open up other ways of looking at things, and to create avenues for discussion and debate, stimulate thoughtfulness and hopefully independent thinking.

Now, the rest of us still have a life to live, there is much work to do, and as they say, time waits for no one.

Peace be with you, as you continue on your journey.

LOST Finale—Thank Goodness for Jimmy Kimmel

I couldn't resist Tweeting during the LOST Finale.  I just kept crying every time someone "remembered."  Since the LOST creators left the ending open for interpretation, it seems like it could be about true love—lost for some reason, and then found!!  I could totally relate to all of the reunion scenes, so that was making me cry the most. 

I did feel sad when it was over and maybe a tiny bit disappointed that there wasn't more to it than—they're all dead.

But—that said—thank goodness for Jimmy Kimmel.  I laughed and laughed through his whole "after" show.  I needed it.  I would not have snapped out of my mood as easily without the laughs. Matthew Fox was somewhat emotional when he first came out, after just watching the finale, but even he laughed at Jimmy's humor.  All of the actors did.  Jimmy (and his writers) are very clever.

I was actually hoping that a lot more of the actors would show up.  Geez.......

Now for Jimmy's alternate endings:

1. Survivor ending—Jeff Probst extinguishes the torch and Sayid has to leave the Island
2. Sopranos ending (in a diner), Jimmy was a waitress, then suddenly black out
3. Bob Newhart and Evangeline Lilly are in bed and then they both realize they are not sleeping with the person they thought they were

Crazy stuff

I'll probably have more to say, but wanted to get these thoughts/feelings out there.  Namaste

LOST Ending — High Anxiety

May 23, 2010: 

I woke up feeling very anxious about LOST coming to its final, final ending.  It's far too late to beg the universe for help, as the taping was long ago.  

We can only hold our breath and hope! 

The promos for the Jimmy Kimmel After Show are promising three alternative endings. I don't know if they are real or just Jimmy spoofs; but Jimmy really gets into it (you saw my blog yesterday with Jimmy and Jacob, right?), so it should be entertaining, whatever it turns out to be.

Ran across this very interesting article published in The Huffington Post today:  "What Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse Had to Say about Their Show (and How it Would End) Way Back in Season3"   Just something to tide you over.

So, my fellow LOSTies:  I have to run out to the store for provisions.  I want plenty of food and drink prepared well ahead of time so that I won't miss a nanosecond of the finale extravaganza.  Until I blog again tomorrow, savor every moment and enjoy the heck out of it.  Stay up until the end.  It is supposed to be a live broadcast, so it is unpredictable.  Anything could happen......

Jimmy Kimmel and LOST's Jacob

Jimmy Kimmel has a repressed memory of being touched by Jacob, when he was in high school—REALLY funny!

Click the link to see the video:
Jimmy Kimmel and Jacob

LOST 5/18 — What They Died For

The Antagonist and the Protagonist

So, we did actually get a few answers tonight, but the roster of characters is getting pretty slim.  Widmore and his sidekick, Zoe, were eliminated by the new bosom buddies, UnLocke and Ben.  Richard was "smoked" (fate unknown) and Miles chose to make a run for it.

Jacob appears one last time to the Candidates, Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer to explain why they have been brought to the Island:  "I brought you here because I made a mistake."  "I chose you because you were like me—you were all alone."  He goes on to explain that they were plucked from less-than-happy lives anyway, so what difference did it make (quit your whining).

Desmond was brought to the Island by Widmore as the "fail safe" because he can withstand the electromatic forces of the Island and that will undoubtedly come in handy at some point.  He has apparently been rescued from the well, but we don't know where he is. 

Jack chooses to take on the responsibility of Keeper of the Island, drinks the magic water, and becomes like Jacob (whatever that is), and the other Candidates are just glad they didn't have to be the Chosen One.

Interesting.  Good thing they extended the finale by half an hour, because they're going to need it.  I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this.......

TWO and a half MEN

There was an official press release on Monday by Charlie Sheen's publicist.  Sheen has agreed to a new, two-year contract.  Rumor was, he was holding out for $2mil per episode, but so far, there has been no comment on the $$ amount of the contract.

So, did you see the show last night?  [Spoiler Alert]  Jake had most of the best lines (Go Nads, Go Nads).  I know it's bathroom humor, but coming from a teenager, it was pretty funny.  Great to see Martin Mull and his Ojai-So High.  Remember "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman?"  Jon Cryer as Alan is becoming way too rehearsed—not spontaneous enough and just not that funny.  He was always the serious one, but I just don't know how they will be able to keep the show fresh for two more years.  The show has already seen its better days.  There is nothing like the reruns.  I've watched them so many times, I have the dialogue memorized, but I still LOL!!

Bringing back some of Charlie's most memorable girl friends was an interesting idea and it worked for me.  ZZ Top in the living room....whoa!!  And Rose, well.........don't we just love Rose to pieces.  I hope they will have Martin Sheen pop in as her father now and then.  Kudos for that brilliant casting.

And all-in-all, even though I had an uncomfortable feeling about the clock, I didn't really expect that particular ending.  Yikes.

TV Schedule 2010-2011 – Cancelled

This is what I have so far:

Trump's Celebrity Apprentice—The Final Two

Most of the comedians have already joked about this topic: 
Why is Celebrity Apprentice two hours long?
 
But the reality of the situation is—they're watching it every week, regardless.  If it was three hours long every week, they would still watch it.

As I said at the beginning of the season, Trump is still good entertainment.  This week, they brought in the original Apprentice, Bill Rancic and my favorite Celebrity Apprentice, Joan Rivers, to interrogate the final four before Trump fired two of them.  

The final two Apprentice contenders are Holly Robinson Peete and our favorite sweetie pie, Bret Michaels.  WOW!!!

So, the two-hour finale is set for next Sunday, May 23, at 9:00pm; in direct competition with the FOUR-HOUR SERIES FINALE EXTRAVAGANZA of LOST that starts at 7:00pm. Whoa—thank goodness for recording devices!!

Now it's anybody's guess.   In my opinion, the reason this show is such a success is because it is convincingly unpredictable.

The producers do give out subtle clues throughout each episode, so you sometimes get an inkling of what might happen, but quite often it is just a "smoke screen" setup and then you're hit with the shocking surprise ending.

Good for them.  I'll be blogging about Celebrity Apprentice and LOST following the finales on May 23.  Thanks for checking in—I appreciate your support!

Where You Live—vs—What You Do

Again, I'm asking myself:  "Where would I rather live?" 

I've previously discussed this topic in my blog, because I have experienced both the "where you live" and the "what you do" scenarios. 

On the one hand, I have moved to another city to do work that I enjoy doing; and on the other, I've taken whatever job was available in the town or city where I was living due to circumstances such as spousal relocations or family obligations.

In my opinion, even though a job can be a large part of one's life, one's living environment seems to have a much greater impact on personal peace of mind.  Quality of life issues can suck the life out of you and if you are putting all of your energy into dealing with no heat and/or no hot water, small living spaces with inadequate storage, crazy people who get in your face and noise pollution beyond reason—you don't have anything left for creativity!!

My creativity wants calm, quiet, and peaceful.  My cats want the same things. 

Sometimes we do have to compromise within reason, but should we?

FlashForward Might Be Cancelled

So far,  ABC has not renewed FlashForward for another season, and it most likely will be cancelled.  I don't think anyone really cares anymore.  I'm hearing zero buzz around the Web—and like I've blogged several times before—it is not holding my interest either.  

We gave it a very fair evaluation.  We gave it plenty of time.  It simmered but never boiled.  There were only two characters that had any real heat—Lloyd Simcoe (Jack Davenport) and Olivia Benford (Sonya Walger).  Even Dominic Monaghan (our beloved Charlie from LOST, and this time playing a fairly dark character), couldn't hold it together all by himself.  Besides, he didn't get nearly enough face time.

I've cut my losses and moved on, but it is still frustrating when you have to accept you've just wasted a lot of time for nothing.  The only cure for this kind of disappointment is, forget about it, get over it, and have a great Summer!!

LOST 5/11 – Across the Sea – Jacob and MIB

I guess WOW is in order for Jacob and his twin the MIB.  Who'd a thunk it, but, here we go again.  New characters and new back stories, as though the series is going to go on forever!!  How in the world are they going to wrap this up?!?!

I saw Evangeline Lilly on Letterman last night and she hinted that the final, final ending will be similar to the way LOST ends each episode—fade to black and leaving us with lots of questions.  Great!  If that happens, there will be fans out for blood.  Could be scary for the series creators.  I'm optimistic they won't do that to us.  It was just a joke.  It was just a joke. It was just a joke. 

She was also on Jimmy Fallon tonight—definitely making the rounds.  Why?  Do they think no one will watch the finale if they don't promote it? 

Everyone is jumping on the fan wagon now that the series is ending.  Jimmy Fallon and "LATE" is awesome, but hey, where was the love during the anxiety years!!  The devotees, were there!!

Okay LOSTies, thanks for reading and good luck with those expectations.

LOST 5/4 – Well, that SUCKED!!

That was just too much!  But as always, it was unpredictable, and that counts for a lot.  I never thought  they would kill off any more of the main characters, but what do I know.  Tonight, we lost, Sayid, Lapidus, and Jin and Sun.

Now, we're down to Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, Claire and Desmond—and of course, Whitmore and Flocke.

And—what happened to Miles and Richard, and also Ben?

Two more Tuesday-night episodes and then the 2.5-hour finale (how is that even possible—is it starting early, or ending late?) on Sunday, May 23. 

Tell me this will all be worth it.

I'm holding my breath, and hopefully, I won't drown...........

Summer Sanders

Last night's Celebrity Apprentice was uneventful.  Everyone got along and both groups produced well-performed radio spots for the client.

I was surprised that the client picked the team that "cracked" a joke about their plumbing business, but apparently they thought the spots were livelier or more memorable, and they really liked the voice over done by Bret Michaels.

In the end, Summer Sander's team, was the losing team.  No one seems to like Curtis Stone that much, but I can see why they (the show's producers) didn't want to lose one of the last two men standing, so, Summer was expendable; and since she was the project manager, it was justifiable, and she had to be fired.

Next week, they'll be reorganizing the teams again and Curtis will be transferred to the team where he is least liked.  That should stir things up, unless he produces some phenomenal results for his team.  They will be decorating a room.  That should be interesting!

Calvin Borel Rides to Kentucky Derby Victory on Super Saver

Churchill Downs, May 1, 2010 — I'm not really a big fan of horse racing or any sport that involves animals, but the Kentucky Derby is hard to resist.  I almost always watch it live. 

I've seen several interviews with Calvin Borel, and he has such a heart-tugging back story, you can't help but love the guy.  I was thrilled to see him win again.  Wow!