Rumor Mill: Apple TV Streaming Service??

Numerous sites have been posting articles today about alleged negotiations between Apple and various cable companies and networks. The idea, they say, is that Apple is working on a premium service not unlike Hulu that would be offered for free with ads or folks could pay a reasonable fee to skip those ads and Apple would give the money from the fees to the companies to cover the lost revenue. 

Now everyone knows that I'm gaga for my Apple Stuff and for movies etc. So yeah this whole thing has got my brain churning. 

I see this as a totally plausible notion but I'm not so sure that I buy that Apple is reinventing the wheel on this. There are a few things (hopefully going with my previous discussions about better pricing etc) that could be going on.

• This is just Apple negotiating for those previously discussed items of missing seasons, better quality etc. 
• Apple could be trying to convince Hulu etc to offer some kind of IAP that would turn off ads. On the Hulu front they might even be trying to get Hulu to allow their free stuff on iOS devices instead of this requiring a Hulu Plus account. And then maybe also removing ads from Hulu Plus (I don't know about anyone else but I'd up what I would pay to $15 a month for ad free viewing)
• Some kind of hybrid deal. Get all shows on season passes etc but offer also a premium pass that includes all the season features, quality blah blah of a regular one AND the ability to stream the episodes to an Apple TV or even iPad from the time of local OTA until the general 'home video' release (which for most shows is between 12-18 hours later)

Now I don't know about anyone else but if they did the last one in combo with the other stuff I've been talking about I'd be in heaven. But barring that or as a mid point I'd happily take an ad free membership to Hulu Plus, turning off ads for things like the CW app (with also more of those apps in the Apple TV) or even being able to subscribe to services like HBO inside the app without the whole 'with a cable subscription from someone that will let you have access' junk. 

Person of Interest is finally online.

No jokes about this. After two whole seasons, Warner Brothers finally allowed Person of Interest to be sold on the iTunes store.

Apple actually gave this 'about bloody time' release a big banner on the top of the TV page.

And shock of shocks, it's both seasons and not some stunt of Season One now and Season Two in another year. No extras though. Oh well, I'm happy that there's something.

Head on over and grab them and have a marathon. It will go nicely with all the PRISM scandal in the news right now (perhaps a tad too nicely)

Now if we could just do something about getting their other stuff up way faster.

Game of Thrones sets new record, but HBO is not pleased

Word has gone out that the HBO hit show Game of Thrones has set a record for the most illegal downloads in the first 24 hours after airing of any single TV show in history.

This 'accomplishment' highlights the dark side of the Internet, where sites dedicated to providing black market videos, often via the BitTorrent system, flourish. And while many are more than willing to admit that their actions are in violation of multiple copyright laws, their desire to see the shows as they air is stronger.

HBO, and almost all of Warner Brothers shows, are not provided to legal services such as iTunes and Amazon until months after the season is over if at all. In fact, the CBS airing show Person of Interest is almost at the end of its second season and the only online video ever to hit iTunes was an 'introduction' video that appeared for about 3 weeks around the time the DVD set for Season One hit the market, only to disappear without a trace.

In the early days of iTunes TV show offerings many studios and production companies spoke out against the service saying that it would only provide pirates with cleaner copies of shows since they wouldn't have to rely on 'wild feeds' (aka the satellite transfers to the networks) for unmarked video. But the myriad of banners, popups etc didn't stop pirates and while a few folks may have figured out how to crack the DRM from sources like iTunes, there has been a surge in HD offerings via the cable companies and the pirates have no lack of resources for their activities which now provide crystal clear video to those that are either too cheap to subscribe to HBO or can't because they are not in the US.

This news, to me, highlights how the studios and networks are stuck thinking old school. People want to see the shows now, they want to talk about them now. Lost was perhaps the first big water cooler show but it was not the last. And it is often cable shows like Game of Thrones, Dexter etc that have folks chatting. Putting the shows on legal sources a year from now grinds this to a halt and since many shows are best viewed without the intimate knowledge of the plot that overhearing your co-workers chatting without you will give, folks will get a copy however they can. Those overseas suffer the email list/forum variant of this and no matter how much you simply say 'then don't read' details seep into things. Yes some folks will live up to their fears and use the materials to provide them illegally to others but many pirates do it for reasons that can be dealt with by the studios, timing of availability being first and foremost

Other issues in this 'it's better to pirate' situation include pricing, which is often ridiculously high. Home disk sets come with major production costs and yet it is not uncommon to find a Blu-ray box set on sale at the local Best Buy or other box store for as little as $20. And yet the digital file sets run as high as $50-60. And then there's quality. Some shows are still not even in 720p which would put them on par with DVD quality (well on par enough for most) and there are seasons missing due to various contract issues. Getting everything up to the highest possible standards (and complete)  on legal sources really is a must unless studios want folks to keep downloading DVD rips, etc. Subtitles, alternate language audio etc are almost needed items. As are getting features on par with those physical sets. Including cutting out stunts like releasing 'box sets' that have features that would require someone that bought the season as it aired or shortly after to buy the episodes again. There's no reason for it when they could easily offer up those bit and pieces to previous buyers even if at small price. I feel certain the server coding exists for Apple extra to do this if the studios would allow it. Just as they could drop the SD track and offer only the one lineup and pricing with free upgrades as new tech allows for better quality and some kind of iTunes Plus like they did for music. These are the things that would make legal purchasing more appealing to those outside of the whole 'I pirate because I can' crew.

The ironic (?) part is that while HBO executives admit to being 'flattered' that folks are willing to pirate in droves so see the show, the creators have countered that if people could legally buy them even for 99 cents an episode and did, they could afford more FX etc.

So HBO, what say you to that? Are you willing to post the episodes now? And at a reasonable price (I'd say $1.99 for an 'hour' long show is more than reasonable especially if it is 1080p, will be upgraded as additional languages and video qualities are ready etc). Or will you remain flattered while you lose money.

Do No Harm "Pilot"

Do No Harm
Episode: Pilot (101)
Network: NBC
Original Air Date: Jan 31, 2013

Dr Jason Cole is a very respected surgeon with a very big problem -- himself

Episode "Lie With Me" (102)
Original Air Date: Jan 21, 2013
Network: The CW

The adventures of the teenaged Carrie Bradshaw continue chockful of typical teen fare. Carrie works to repair things with her younger sister while trying to deal with the angst of crushing on a guy that has the IT girl of the school targeting him. Despite Donna's attempts, Sebastian claims he interested only in Carrie. But in typical teen girl form (at least the TV version) Carrie isn't so sure and plots to find a way to spend more time with the man of her teenage dreams. 

My wishes for iTunes etc in 2013

First off, Happy New Years to everyone.

Those that have been following my on and off blogging (which I resolve in 2013 to try to be more on than off) know that I'm something of an Apple fanboy (well girl) but not in a cultish "everything else sucks" way. Okay a little but I try to keep that to myself.

One thing in particular that I'm crazed about is iTunes. Not the software so much as the stores (although iTunes 11 is getting to where I think the software should be). I feel very very deeply in the core of my being that in fact the world did end in 2012 in some respects. The main respect being that I believe that the Age of Home Video on physical form is over. Well on the dying stages of being the dominant form. Attempts to keep it on the top spot are basically rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. And Apple has the best position to lead the way into a new digital era.

That said I do have a few thoughts about this whole thing, about what I think Apple and the film/tv industry, cable companies etc should do with this whole thing.

It's the End of the World as We Know It

Okay so the Mayans were, it seems, a tad off with that whole "the world is going to end on Dec 21, 2012". But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves with a movie or a tv marathon. 

Resurrection (Revenge)

Revenge
"Resurrection" (202)
Air Date: Oct 7, 2012

While You Were Sleeping (Elementary)

Elementary
"While You Were Sleeping" (102)
Air date: Oct 4, 2012

Holmes is called in to consult on a burglary turned murder.

Soapbox: Zoom and Enhance and other crimes against reality

Okay I'm stepping up and calling out the film and TV folks on this one.

Maybe back in the day when folks couldn't watch show episodes online, couldn't set up wikipedias with every last detail of every moment and so on, it was okay to be sloppy with the details. But that day is long past and the time has come for writers etc to stop with this nonsense.

What nonsense is that. Well it falls into two categories. One is continuity errors. Screwing up details like characters age and such. Now that writer's assistants don't have to spend all afternoon photocopying script pages they can help write character histories etc and verify that the right information is used.

But the other one, the one that really irks me is making stuff up that violates reality. And most of the time it isn't necessary. It's more just sloppy and lazy.

In the season premiere of Person of Interest, for example, Reese refers to the book labeling as 'the Dewey Decimal System" but it isn't. It isn't even close. It's just some random system that probably dates back to before Dewey. So why not just call it 'shelving codes' or 'acquisition numbers'.

IP numbers are often given that aren't even in the numbers used in IPs. Why not just use real IP numbers say to the show's network home page or the city website for where the show takes place or depending on the show, perhaps a public interest site connected to the episode topic.

Phone numbers are another fun one. That old '555' trick wasn't as noticeable when folks couldn't rewatch shows but now its become a joke. Do as one might do with an IP and find a real number. Some shows have done it. Their stars have some big charity interest and their characters phone number actually calls whatever group they support

Using the wrong terms for various medical or forensic terms, totally unreal computer interfaces etc. The list goes on

But the big one, the one that has become something of a joke on the web and shows still pull off on a weekly basis is the classic "Zoom and Enhance". We've all seen it. It's a common one in police shows where they are looking at camera footage. It's all grainy etc and someone says they will enlarge it and clean it up. But it's always photo or video quality that is too poor to do anything with to get more information. My all time favorite is Enemy of the State. They are looking at Will Smith in a retail store and pull a magical 180 degree turn around to see his bag. WTF? How about "do we have a camera on the other side?" It's a high end store so there were probably cameras everywhere.

Seriously writers it's beyond time to clean up your acts. Get the facts, keep the straight and make your stuff make sense. We do notice and that kind of sloppy, lazy stuff can turn us off so much we turn off our TVs.

It's some Bad Code (Person of Interest)

"Bad Code" (202)
The search for Finch and ROOT takes Reese and Carter to Texas to search for clues about a cold case involving the disappearance of a young girl. 
Original Air Date Oct 4, 2012

666 Park Avenue (Pilot)

666 Park Avenue
"Pilot" (101)
Air Date: Sept 30, 2012

"Henry and Jane take a new job as resident managers at an Upper Side apartment building."








We begin our tale with the symphony. The focus on is a violinist, first chair it appears who is disturbed to see that his fingers have actually begun to bleed as he is playing. He continues on, his eyes turned up towards the seats where an older gentleman and his wife (late 40s to 50s, very upscale) are watching.

The violinist returns home where he furiously packs a suitcase before smashing his violin into pieces. He races downstairs only to see the doors of the empty building lobby slam shut on their own, barring his path. An old style telephone begins to ring and the violinist picks it up. On the other end of the call is the older Gentleman (Terry O'Quinn) who informs the violinist that his contract is up. The violinist smashes his way outside and for a moment thinks he is safe. Only to be literally sucked back inside the building by an unseen force. The lightning of the rain store flashes on the building's sign 999 Park Avenue, only the shadow that appears actually reads 666 Park Avenue (creepy much)

Morning, a day or perhaps several later, a young middle class couple arrives at the building for a job interview. They cross paths with a young woman who knows they are at the building for a job interview (building gossip or something else?). Gavin Doran (O'Quinn) originally refuses them the job as live in managers only to be persuaded by Jane's spunk. Or was he? It quickly becomes clear that his refusal was a con and they are exactly who he wanted, the only question being why.

Jane and Henry (Taylor and Annable) settle in and Jane begins work as well as satisfying her curiosity about the building's history. We also meet several of the residents including Brian, a playwright who seems to spend more time spying on the woman in the building next door than writing. His wife, Louise, a rather self centered and high strung photographer on the verge of her big break. There's also John, who is seen furiously attempting to wash blood off his hands Lady Macbeth style, having apparently killed someone in a devil's deal to bring back his dead wife. And Nona, the girl from the lobby, who warns Jane that someone is stealing small items from apartments.

While doing a walk through of the building, Jane finds an old mosaic in the floor in the basement which she goes to research. Her research reveals references to an old 'brotherhood' and a door that has been since cemented over but so far little else.

Jane and Henry are invited to an upper class party by Gavin and his wife Olivia (Williams). Olivia even insists on taking Jane shopping for a dress (a very expensive dress). Gavin takes Henry to the putting range where they encounter the owner of a building Gavin is determined to buy. After the man refuses, Gavin tricks John into killing the man to keep his wife alive. But he can't do it and Mary jumps to her death again (an act witnessed by Jane but she thinks it was just a dream). John has his own sucked into the building moment. Louise has a freak elevator accident just days before her big shoot.

Despite her night of weird dreams, Jane and Henry sign their work contracts and lease and Jane accepts a request by Gavin to consult on remodel plans to update the building without destroying the original history (Jane's thing is historical building preservation). Even as they celebrate, Nona, having stolen Jane's favorite necklace, picks it up and has a vision of Jane being chased down a dark hallway before being attacked by someone with an ax.

A little soapy and over the top perhaps but well shot in a technical sense and while I'm not totally sold on the middle class innocence of Jane and Henry, or the allure of Olivia, Gavin gave me the creeps from the first moment. Whether he was being a charmer or a figure of darkness (devil incarnate or just high priest???), I felt an overwhelming need to wash everything after every scene. Terry O'Quinn was perfectly cast in this role. I'll keep watching as long as he keeps giving me the chills no matter how clique or soapy this could become.

Trivia fun: The series is based on a not yet finished book series by Gabriella Pierce, who helped create the tv show.

Links
Official Site

Get the season on iTunes
Get the books on iTunes

Destiny (Revenge)

Revenge
"Destiny" (201)
Air Date: Sept 30, 2012


We open on a nighttime search and rescue finding The Amanda with a male body (face not shown) on board. The presumption would be that it's Jack but after last season, it's very likely that it is in fact not. But we won't know for some time. Then again, after last year's double move not showing us it is Jack to make us think it is not Jack when it is in fact him would be right up the producer's twisted little alley

Every plan needs a Contingency (Person of Interest)

"The Contingency" (201)
The Machine continues to send Reese numbers according to Finch's contingency plan but Reese is more concerned with finding Finch even without the Machine's help.

A series of flashbacks recap our story so far as well as provide a little more history into The Machine as we see Finch from the system's POV on Jan 1, 2002 which is labeled Day 1. He's testing The Machine's facial recognition and labeling systems. We quickly move through scenes of Finch and Nathan, Alicia Corwin and Nathan etc until we reach Day 3550 where Finch tells Reese he has built in a contingency should anything bad happen and then Day 3791 when Finch was kidnapped by the hacker ROOT.

Elementary (Pilot)

Elementary
"Pilot" (101)
Air date: Sept 27, 2012

Former doctor Joan Watson takes an assignment as sober companion to Sherlock Holmes and finds herself dragged into a murder investigation. 

Revolution has begun

The Fall TV series is kicking off with the first of several pilots for new shows, which also makes it the first show in that yearly game of "how soon might it be cancelled".

Our first contestant in this game is Revolution.

Revolution is a dystopian adventure set in the former United States (Illinois at least for the pilot) that tells the tale of what happens some 15 years after a mystery event causes all electrical devices to fail all at once. The show counts among its producers none other than JJ Abrams and Bryan Burk and even at least one of its stars hails from the Abramsverse -- Elizabeth Mitchell. Although it appears she was just a guest star. Another star, Giancarlo Esposito, was seen last season in Once Upon a Time, created by graduates from the Abrams School of TV. Whether these connections might give Revolution, which apparently debuted to satisfactory numbers last night, a full life remains to be seen. After all, end of the world shows (be they about the event itself or the aftermath) aren't typically light fare and more often than not burn out and typically rather fast.

The Almighty Johnsons

Hello World!


So, I have joined the ranks of Fangirls, and for my first number, I would like to draw your attention to the New Zealand TV Show "The Almighty Johnsons".

Here's the official run down:
"A comedy-drama series about four brothers, raised in heartland New Zealand, who also happen to be the living incarnations of Norse Gods. They even have their own super-God-powers. Sort of - it's just that their powers aren't actually all that powerful. Well, not yet - but that could all change soon"

A different idea to save a show

So about a month ago I mentioned that fans of the TV show Terra Nova have been campaigning to get Fox Net to change their minds, then to show support to Fox Studios and the various production companies when they picked up the cast contracts, etc and started 'shopping the show to other networks etc. They even tried Netflix (who turned them down about two weeks ago).

I've been watching the #SaveTerraNova tag on twitter and a couple of days ago a new online petition turned up. It's so perfect that I have to give it a call out. In part because it is based on an idea I have also written about. But in a much more radical way.

Terra Nova Cancelled but not out of the game

Okay I don't do this often but Fox has announced that they are not renewing Terra Nova. This is despite revealing that the show actually did pay for itself during the season (unlike their baby Fringe which has been losing money all season if not also last season).

That said, there is a ray of hope. 20th Century Fox has said they are pitching the show to other networks. They want to find a new hope for Terra Nova and fans can help this effort by sending feedback asking for a pickup. Now the studio hasn't revealed who they are talking to but that shouldn't efforts. Just think smart and go with places that make sense. Like Syfy, even Starz or HBO or heck Netflix. Be nutty and go for the majors as well. It wouldn't be the first time that someone like NBC picked up a show someone else rejected. Personally I think Syfy is the best choice, Terra Nova isn't far off their family focused Merlin pick up.

Keep the notes positive and full of love for the show. And since them right off before the cast etc contracts have a chance to expire and folks get other jobs. It would suck to lose a good little adventure because O'Mara went and booked a sequel to "One for the Money" (a movie that basically sucked except for him).

Oh and it wouldn't hurt to get the studio some love as well. Let them know to keep up the efforts. Even if it means producing more episodes and selling them straight to viewers on sources like iTunes. I know I've  sent my notes.

Would you pay to keep your favorite shows on the air?

As the new year begins we find ourselves reaching that point in the TV year known as Mid Season. For some shows that started late, this is the time they will be airing the rest of their initial pickup. That is if they are still around. This year has seen several shows flame out in only a handful of episodes (Playboy Club, Charlie's Angels etc) . And some that have aired their full 13 episode first run weren't picked up for a 'back 9' and have no real clue if they will get a second season (Terra Nova for example).