Unique Properties of Television Worlds

[Locutus of Bored]

A unique property of the (remake of) Battlestar Galactica is how its human civilization is such an absolutely accurate carbon copy of our own - in defiance of all laws of logic and probability. Hell, they even came up with "All Along The Watchtower" 150,000 years before we did!

Isn't the implication that modern humans had a genetic memory as a result of our combined Colonial/Cylon heritage through Hera? The same way the Final Five Cylons carried the memory of "All Along the Watchtower" from their time on the 13th Colony, we carry it today. And the same goes for certain recurring societal and technological developments, hence the question at the end about whether we broke the cycle of violence and wouldn't be nearly wiped out by our own AI/robot creations yet again.

 

[Christopher]

Isn't the implication that modern humans had a genetic memory as a result of our combined Colonial/Cylon heritage through Hera? The same way the Final Five Cylons carried the memory of "All Along the Watchtower" from their time on the 13th Colony, we carry it today.

I think that's too science-fictional an interpretation of what the series implied (while "genetic memory" is a fallacy that was discredited decades ago, it still assumes a purely scientific explanation). Ultimately, Moore's BSG was not so much a science fiction show as a magic-realist fantasy that happened to be set in outer space. It took place in a universe governed by divine will and predestination, one where angels and prophecies were real and history was cyclic. It wasn't genetic memory that caused patterns to recur, it was just the basic metaphysics of the universe.

 

[Mojochi]

Apparently, the Santa Barbara police department as depicted on Psych, routinely enlists the aid of paranormalists, to solve there record amount of murders, and are woefully clueless in determining when one is a fraud. I'd like to see a real world "psychic" investigator try to worm their way into that actual police department after the years that show aired. lol

 

[auntiehill]

^I've often wondered how TV police can actually prove their case a court of law.

 

[the G-man]

^I've often wondered how TV police can actually prove their case a court of law.

Have you ever read Bob Ingersol's column, "the Law is a Ass"? He analyzes comic books from a real world legal perspective. Sometimes he takes on TV shows and movies too.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^I've often wondered how TV police can actually prove their case a court of law.

Simple: They ask Ben Stone, Jack McCoy, Michael Cutter, etc.

And speaking of L&O: Anybody who misses ol' Elliot "Violence" Stabler on SVU should check out Chicago PD. Hank Voight routinely does things to suspects that would make Stabler wince.

 

[the G-man]

^I've often wondered how TV police can actually prove their case a court of law.

Simple: They ask Ben Stone, Jack McCoy, Michael Cutter, etc.

One of the things that always bugged me about "Law and Order" (at least after the first season or two) was that pretrial motions were regularly argued and decided, not in open court (as required by law), but in the judge's chambers without the defendant present.

There was also the fact that Schiff would often tell McCoy to plead out a case and McCoy would refuse. That's a great way to get fired in a real DA office, where the ADAs serve at the pleasure of the District Attorney and can be shitcanned for absolutely no reason whatsoever, let alone for insubordination.

 

[sojourner]

CSI type shows - when investigating a crime scene they will invariably use flashlights and never bother to turn on a light switch.

If there are more than two people in a car more often than not the headrests will be missing from the front seats.

 

[auntiehill]

^That flashlight thing has always annoyed me. There's no reason for them to not turn on the lights 95% of the time, yet they still go around with flashlights.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Isn't the implication that modern humans had a genetic memory as a result of our combined Colonial/Cylon heritage through Hera? The same way the Final Five Cylons carried the memory of "All Along the Watchtower" from their time on the 13th Colony, we carry it today.

I think that's too science-fictional an interpretation of what the series implied (while "genetic memory" is a fallacy that was discredited decades ago, it still assumes a purely scientific explanation). Ultimately, Moore's BSG was not so much a science fiction show as a magic-realist fantasy that happened to be set in outer space. It took place in a universe governed by divine will and predestination, one where angels and prophecies were real and history was cyclic. It wasn't genetic memory that caused patterns to recur, it was just the basic metaphysics of the universe.

Why would you assume that in a show that was largely about bridging the gap between the technological and the divine that the two would be mutually exclusive?

The song still has its origins in the divine since Starbuck --an angelic non-Cylon-- knew of the song as well, and it was the key to sending them coordinates to home. But the implication was still there of the Final Five Cylons carrying residual memories of the song from their past lives on the Thirteenth Colony.

Also, I wasn't just addressing the passing down of the song, but also all the other similarities between our modern culture and the Colonial culture of 150,000 years earlier. And since the Cylons do have a organic "genetic" memory, I don't think it's far-fetched within that universe that a genetic memory would be passed down to the descendants of Colonials and Cylons: us.

And yes, I'm well aware that humans don't actually have a genetic memory. I'm clearly just talking about within the BSG universe.

 

[Taylirious]

FOX was exploring an 'Archie Comics' series "Riverdale" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Comics Think it won't happen. http://screenrant.com/archie-comics-tv-show-riverdale/

I would love to see Sabrina The Teenage Witch on The CW since it is a CBS property.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

My favorite is people on TV shows (especially soaps) having secret conversations in public places where anyone can eavesdrop (and usually do).

One sort of related to this one is when absolute quiet would be called for in real life, such as when sneaking through the woods trying to avoid the axe murderer, characters talk in a normal voice about something personal which totally distracts them from their surroundings, of course until the inevitable sound like that of a twig breaking. I suppose in fairness, though, it seems there are plenty of people who can't for the life of them shut up.

TNG+ Trek was guilty of a variant of this one. When doing something that demanded concentration and precision, for example such as diffusing a tricobalt warhead, characters would chitchat about some banal personal topic. Naturally, though, their focus would return for the critical few seconds.

I guess all of these would fall under the rubric of talking at inappropriate times and places.

 

[Christopher]

I think that's too science-fictional an interpretation of what the series implied (while "genetic memory" is a fallacy that was discredited decades ago, it still assumes a purely scientific explanation). Ultimately, Moore's BSG was not so much a science fiction show as a magic-realist fantasy that happened to be set in outer space. It took place in a universe governed by divine will and predestination, one where angels and prophecies were real and history was cyclic. It wasn't genetic memory that caused patterns to recur, it was just the basic metaphysics of the universe.

Why would you assume that in a show that was largely about bridging the gap between the technological and the divine that the two would be mutually exclusive?

I'm not "assuming." That word means believing things that have no basis in the evidence. And I'm doing the exact opposite -- limiting myself to what there was actual evidence for in the show and not speculating beyond it. There was no evidence of "genetic memory" in the show, as far as I recall, but there was abundant evidence of a metaphysics based on the cyclic recurrence of historical events.

 

[the G-man]

CSI type shows - when investigating a crime scene they will invariably use flashlights and never bother to turn on a light switch.

If there are more than two people in a car more often than not the headrests will be missing from the front seats.

What I want to know is why the CSI departments in several major cities all seem to have dress codes that require the female investigators to wear low cut tops

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Also in shows like CSI, even though they almost always convict the murderer, the maximum possible murders occur before doing so. Witness? Murdered. Next victim who came screaming for help? Murdered. Victim not quite dead? Finished off. If you're really paying attention these shows are darker than they let on. They're kind of like a fictionalized Cardassian tribunal, designed to deliver peace of mind in the effectiveness of the system. Everyone's always guilty, the police are always right, no lives are ever saved.

 

[Silvercrest]

Well, they might succeed in saving the last victim, but generally there's a trail of bodies leading all the way there. So, yeah.

 

[Push The Button]

I've been watching Hogan's Heroes on and off for the past few weeks. For the entire six season run, it was always winter at Stalag 13, there was always "snow" on the ground and roofs of the buildings, and all of the characters were always dressed for winter and always seemed to be cold. I'm not sure why the episodes were set in winter, but you can see the green trees swaying in the warm California breeze in the background of some of the outdoor wide shots, and it must have been very uncomfortable for a heavy-set guy like John Banner to be bundled up in an overcoat in 80 degree weather.

 

[Timewalker]

My favorite is people on TV shows (especially soaps) having secret conversations in public places where anyone can eavesdrop (and usually do).

For the past two weeks this very thing happened on General Hospital, when several characters who are in prison openly discussed a planned jailbreak - in the visitation room, within earshot of a guard. The guards had no clue a breakout was planned until the male prisoners (one was a woman) showed up in guards' uniforms and hijacked the police truck that was supposed to take two female prisoners to the courthouse.

If it had happened on the docks (GH's favorite secret meeting spot) someone would have heard.

Well, of course they have to meet on Pier 54. Pier 52 got blown up a few years back...

In yesterday's episode, Nathan had Jordan (an undercover cop) pulled in for a "secret meeting" in one of the busiest hallways of the PCPD, saying that was the safest place for them to meet so as not to attract the attention of the new Police Commissioner.

Also: On the soaps, any character who ever gets into a car or truck is going to be involved in an accident. They should learn to take whatever wormholes exist in their town. It's much safer, especially at night, since that's when 99.9% of the accidents happen.

 

[Captaindemotion]

The Unique Properties of 24:

No US President can ever serve two full terms (and few can serve one).

The President's chief of staff and Vice-President are not to be trusted.

Bad guys will always crack under torture but Jack Bauer will always withstand it.

Every US branch of law enforcement and government is riddled with moles and traitors.

Jack Bauer's hunches are always correct.

Not only that, but Jack Bauer is the only person who can ever figure out what the bad guys are up to.

Despite the repeated provenance of the above, his bosses never believe him until it's too late.

A character who will dismiss Jack as a thug, sadist or criminal (or all three) will within a few hours admit that they were entirely wrong about him.

Chloe O'Brian can hack any electronic system in the world.

Being killed is not actually fatal (Jack S4, Tony S5).

Working for CTU pretty much guarantees bad luck - your own death, death of a family member, mutilation, convictions for treason.

A good strong wind will negate the effects of a nuclear bomb going off in a major city.

Every terrorist group out there is actually being manipulated by the industrial-military complex.

Nobody in the world can beat Jack Bauer in a fight.

Most agents not called Jack Bauer are incompetent or corrupt.

All President's families are full of criminals, unstable people and traitors.


Anyone from Jack Bauer's past is likely to turn out to be a traitor.

It is perfectly possible to navigate a large city (LA, New York, London) by car in the space of an hour.

All computer experts are sarcastic.

Becoming romantically involved with Jack Bauer is a death sentence. However, this time, death is invariably fatal.

 

[Christopher]

Not to mention one key thing that's true in fiction like 24 but is rarely true in reality: torture actually being effective as a way of extracting actionable and reliable information. In reality, it's generally counterproductive if your goal is to gather intelligence; people will, of course, lie and tell their torturers what they want to hear in order to stop the torture, and the stress and shock of being tortured can actually impair their memory and impede their ability to provide accurate information. In reality, torture is an indulgence of tyrants and bullies, an excuse to exercise brutality; if your true goal is to gain accurate information, most interrogation experts will agree that building trust and offering positive incentives for cooperation are more successful methods. But in fiction, all too often, torture is portrayed as something that actually does the job and can be morally justified on those grounds. And that's a dangerous lie.