...with episode 100...

I am what you would call a "middle-of-the-road" Jane Austen fan. I LOVE Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion was pretty good, couldn't ever really enjoy Sense and Sensibility. So when Felicia Day was kind enough to introduce me The Lizzie Bennett Diaries I was super excited.

This production team has done an amazing job modernizing and conveying the story of Pride and Prejudice. The casting/acting is stellar. The production value is top notch.

From very early on in the series I wondered if they were just going to follow the book and end it when Pride and Prejudice ends,or if they were going to try to continue on the story past the traditional ending. Well, I found my answer online this week. The series will be ending this month, with episode 100.

I will be sad to see it end, but it has been a very good telling of the story. I would recommend it to anyone who like Austen.

Below is the link to the playlist. I think it should update as new episodes get added.

Take Me Along For The Ride

(Note: This video actually starts at 00:35:17)

So last week the Vlogbrothers, Hank and John Green, did An Evening of Awesome @ Carnegie Hall in NYC. This consisted of them talking and singing and letting their friends perform, they answered questions, and danced. They pretty much had a great party that they streamed live on YouTube. These gentlemen are amazing to watch. Not because their act is spectacular (though I do find them entertaining), but because of the energy they bring with them, some might call it a spirit. These guys are simply devoted to making "this" place better than they found it.

Along they way they came to create a community of like minded people. And I think that is where this ultimate feeling I have stems from. These are guys you want to work with, you want to know, you want to do "something" with because it seems that everything they touch is good, deep, meaningful. It's these guys that make me want to try vlogging, because I want to be like them, I want to do something with them.

And it comes back to An Evening of Awesome, because as I watched them embrace this opportunity, I wanted to be a part of it. They had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall and instead of making it a self indulgent night of Brothers Green they invited others; other musicians, other artists, Youtubers and shared this amazing night them. Taking it a step further, there was events all over the world and like I mentioned earlier, they streamed the whole thing live so we could all enjoy it. So thanks for taking me along for the ride.

Stuck in Story Mode

It stands to reason, if you know me at all, that a new year would bring about at least one new blog. Last year I started "Let Me Spoil It For You". The sole reason for this blog was to help me track my movie goal for last year. This blog really didn't get much traffic, but that was okay with me because that wasn't really the reason for the blog. I actually had a pretty good time posting on spoiling-it, and I like having a log of the movies for the year.

So this year my movie blog is expanding to a story blog and it is getting a new name. The new name is "Stuck In Story Mode" and the expansion taking place is a simple one. I am going to try to talk about all the stories I indulge in. This will include books, TV, movies, audio dramas, movie trailers, and any other stories that I find to enjoy.

I think I am changing the format in how I talk about movies (and by extension other stories), but all my movies from last year are included in this new blog.

So I would like to introduce you to "Stuck In Story Mode" (www.stuckinstorymode.com). It is looking a little bland right now, but it's a good place to start.

Touched by a red thread

There are a few things that I need to mention here but after the decadent day I have had I need to pull something slightly substantive out of it.

Last night I came home late from a local production of Noises Off, which was really good, sat down to the computer and started downloading some TV eps from iTunes. While I was on I decided to check and see what was being offered for free. The pilot for FOX's Touch was listed among them. I thought, "For free, I'll give it a go."

All I can say is Oh My God! This is a show brought to you by Tim Kring. This is the same guy that brought us Heroes.

The Touch pilot was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! If it can keep up this level of complexity, intelligence, and suspense it will be one of the best shows ever aired on broadcast television.

This show is built on the premise that everything and everyone is connected and there are some of us, kids, that have evolved enough to be able to see these connections, to make sense of the chaos, and be able to effect these connections in a way to make the world better. This show just has such a good heart, despite all the bad.

I was literally yelling at the TV. I never yell at the TV. I can't remember the last time I got this wound up over a story. It was like, you saw it happening and you couldn't believe it. It was stellar! I think I have found myself another Monday TV show!

I think I just broke the code.

People have been telling me for quite some time now that I need to read the Hunger Games Trilogy. I would say the better part of a year anyway. Every time I am asked I always say, "It's on my list." or "I plan to." And when I said it I genuinely meant it. But I really had no intention of even considering starting the trilogy until after the new year. My plan was to have them done before the movie came out.

Last week though I had five, yes five, people ask me about the series. Two of them even offered to lend me the books when I said I hadn't read them yet. I took this as a sign. I needed to read this series, whether there is something I am suppose to glean from it, or the fates realized I needed a little imagination and inspiration I do not know, but I devoured the first book in two days. And it has taken everything in my power to not stay up extra late this week and power through the other two books. I was going to put it off until the weekend, but I just can't help myself. I am about a third the way through Catching Fire. I haven't been this excited about a book series since I started reading Lord of the Rings.

I find my mind running wild with what the possibilities will hold for these characters and this place. I have to keep reminding myself that the audience for these books are young adults. So I find myself  worrying that I am over thinking it, and I worry that I will disappointed if it doesn't pan out the way I am thinking. I can't believe how excited I am to find out though.

This brings me to my over arcing point. I don't know why it has taken me this long to figure out, but I think this series has helped me figure out the code for a successful story. You need two guys that are both beloved, one girl that can be tolerated and a situation that threatens the standard way of life (to some degree). It sounds so simple when I lay it out here, but it has evaded me to this point. So I think I might take this new found info and maybe pick the novel up again. I still have time to get is started before the end of year, which I think means I can put a check in the plus column for my yearly goals.

It's a matter of scheduling

It's getting to be that time again. Fall television is ready to start, and I just learned something I found interesting. I was perusing my Facebook News Feed on Friday and I noticed my local NBC affiliate was advertising a new local show slotted for 9pm on Monday nights. In my head I was thinking, "That's odd. Monday @ 9pm is a high roller prime time slot. Why would NBC leave that open for local affiliates to fill, and why would my local affiliate fill it with all things, a pseudo talk show about the people and places of our state. I mean did Jay's prime time show not teach them anything?"

So I did a little digging and found this gem. KSL, the local NBC affiliate here in SLC, is refusing to air NBC's new Monday night show The Playboy Club. And for those of you who have spent a good portion of your life in Utah, you will know that this isn't the first time KSL has done this. Back when KSL was a CBS affiliate they chose to stop airing Picket Fences in prime time, but found a "late night" slot for the show to air in.

But before I write more about content, lets talk go back to the time slot for a minute. This new local show is competing against Castle (my Monday night choice) and Hawaii Five-0 (a good runner up). So your telling me that of all the content NBC Universal has the rights to, KSL couldn't use any of it. They couldn't even get their hands on re-runs of an older popular show, or something that was canceled but still had un-aired episodes? It was almost like they said, "We know were screwed in this time slot, so lets just give up."

Now back to content. There are a certain set of standards that KSL has, and this particular show flies directly in the face of those standards. But...I had to have a but right...nobody likes being told they can't do something even if it is just watching a show. My thought is this, KSL made a commitment to NBC when they became an affiliate. They should suck it up and air the show. One of two things will happen. Either the dismal ratings will help get the show get canceled, and show NBC this kind of program isn't what their viewership wants, or it will go off the hook and show KSL they are mis-reading their market.

Personally, NBC doesn't really do it for me. I can count one, maybe two shows that I watch on occasion, but they don't really have anything I am in love with or dedicated to. I can say this though, I want to see The Playboy Club now, just to know if it is really as bad as KSL is making it out to be.

Does this irk anyone else

I understand that all the stories are saying Lopez is happy about Conan joining the TBS family, and maybe he is, but it still irks me.

Conan threw a fit when NBC wanted to bump him back a half hour, and he made a stink that the network never really gave his show a chance to thrive before they wanted to make changes...

Now Conan is signing a contract with TBS that will bump George Lopez back a whole hour, and to add insult to injury (if I am doing my math right) George has barely been on 6 months. Conan had 8 NBC...

Something about this just doesn't seem right...even if George asked him to come on board...