Tonight's episode of NBC's "Las Vegas" apparently has an Iraq sub-plot that, at least the abstract below suggests, may carry an anti-war message.
SEASON FINALE-- Mike finds out that Sam has been kidnapped
by one of her whales. Meanwhile, Danny takes drastic measures to help a
friend avoid being deployed to Iraq. Elsewhere, Delinda learns
life-altering news for she and Danny. James Caan and Nikki Cox also
stars in this unpredictable and explosive season four finale. TV-14
In a previous season of "Las Vegas," actor Josh Duhamel's character (Danny McCoy) suffered post-traumatic stress disorder following a harrowing tour of duty with the Marines in Iraq.
Vegas co-star Molly Sims (Delinda) and creator Gary Scott Thompson will participate in a live chat at NBC.com following the program's 9 p.m Eastern (8 p.m. Central) airing. [continued after page break]
Thompson's show was one of the television programs scrutinized by the MRC's Business & Media Institute (BMI) study "Bad Company."
While tonight's episode may contain a political message about the Iraq war, the program is largely apolitical and indeed exhibits some conservative themes, according to the June 2006 BMI study:
It’s ironic that network executives had to travel to the
gambling and showgirl capital of America – Las Vegas – to portray
business in a positive way. But NBC’s show of the same name used this
positive narrative to counter “Law & Order’s” cynical portrayal of
business.
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Conservative or liberal, this
March 9, 2007 - 11:56 ET by SmartypantsConservative or liberal, this show "jumped the shark" a while back. It started out with some promise, and certainly plenty of eye candy, but it has gotten downright silly over the last year, and not in a good way.
It's not as good as it once
March 9, 2007 - 12:05 ET by Ken ShepherdIt's not as good as it once was, I'll grant you that. Do you think it jumped the shark with Lara Flynn Boyle being blown off the roof to her demise or was it before that?
Lara Flynn Boyle taking a h
March 9, 2007 - 13:31 ET by Jack BauerLara Flynn Boyle taking a header off the roof -- now that was funny.
I was with the BMI division
March 9, 2007 - 14:17 ET by Ken ShepherdI was with the BMI division at that time and my coworker who compiled the study just busted a gut laughing when he saw that. He'd not seen Las Vegas prior to working on the study. I told him before he began he'd find Vegas to be the most pro-business show in the batch, and sure enough, he came to the same conclusion with his critical, unbiased look at it.
That's when I stopped watch
March 9, 2007 - 13:52 ET by balboaThat's when I stopped watching. Didn't help when they moved it to Fridays.
I still like it, balboa. Go
March 9, 2007 - 14:21 ET by Ken ShepherdI still like it, balboa. Good escapism on those Friday nights I'm stuck at home. Not that that happens all that often.
True. Sonny Corleone, three
March 9, 2007 - 14:31 ET by balboaTrue. Sonny Corleone, three hot women, Tad Hamilton...
You know what show I love? "Psych" on USA.
If it didn't jump the shark,
March 9, 2007 - 14:33 ET by Chris NormanIf it didn't jump the shark, then - it most certainly has jumped the whale, now...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Ken, I think it was headed in
March 9, 2007 - 15:06 ET by SmartypantsKen, I think it was headed in the wrong direction before the whole Lara Flynn Boyle deal, but that is certainly a good spot to pick. I thought bringing her on the show was some act of desperation in the first place. I read that the ratings were not improved with her appearances, so they just wrote her off, probably not wanting to pay her salary any more than they had to. The show was a pretty good diversion when it first came on and, I admit, I still tune in sometimes, but Friday night does hurt it---the kiss of death night, particuarly for a show like that. Wouldn't you think that most of its intended audience is out somewhere on a Friday night?
The show...
March 9, 2007 - 13:44 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasThe show went the way of many a show. It starts out hooking you with the appearance of quality but in reality that isn't their intention at all. Because Hollywood is personality driven more now than ever and the narcissism has reached new heights, sustaining a believable dialogue and storyline isn't going to happen. The exceptions are rare.
Now the producers and writers are on quests of indulgence without regard to the genuine interests of the viewers who expect a certain level of reason in plots and neutrality in politics. Not now. Every box is a soapbox is the Hollywood mantra and if you aren't preaching Lefty Louie's Drunken Diatribe or something similar then you are despised. Characters have to be outrageous and plots on the level of playground drama to shore up an ever juvenille audience.
Remember the first 4 or 5 episodes of Lost? I can't even recognize the show now and of course quit watching after the first year, their departure from any semblence of believability or serious character development began even in that first season. I am thinking daytime Soap Opera writers are taking over all the night time writing and producing slots.
Shut up and blog! If you claim to be a conservative, please don't disgrace yourself and conservatism by thinking and arguing like a liberal. Go Rudy!
Mike finds out that Sam has b
March 9, 2007 - 12:26 ET by Chris Norman"Mike finds out that Sam has been kidnapped by one of her whales."
I don't even want to know...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Yeah, the kidnapping plot d
March 9, 2007 - 12:35 ET by Ken ShepherdYeah, the kidnapping plot device has been played out. Time to resort to my favorite 1980s action show plot device: amnesia.
Think about it, all the big shows in the 80s did it. Knight Rider, MacGyver, I believe A-Team had one as well...
My favorite plot device has
March 9, 2007 - 13:47 ET by Chris NormanKen,
My "favorite" plot device has always been the kidnapping gimmick paired with the ol' "evil twin/look-a-like substitute" schtick that everyone on those shows always fall for - hook, line, and sinker...:)
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
I agree. Knight Rider had K
March 9, 2007 - 14:38 ET by Ken ShepherdI agree. Knight Rider had KITT vs. KARR. Airwolf had the red helo that was commandeered by an evil pilot.
MacGyver never had an evil twin plot line but it did have Murdoch, who always escaped the clutches of certain death.
Damn, they don't make TV shows like they used to.
I have to confess in college,
March 9, 2007 - 14:46 ET by Chris NormanI have to confess, in college, when I was between classes, I used to study with General Hospital on. It had some of the cheesiest plot devices ever recycled - and this was before it got really ridiculous. It gave me something in common to talk about with potential dates...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
On soaps
March 9, 2007 - 22:09 ET by UnsaneYou, as a male, should NEVER EVER admit that, ever, under any circumstances. It just isn't done.
To this day I constantly rip my dear mother for her soap obsession...also I determined early on that if a potential date even showed she followed the things, that I should run from her as fast as I could...
"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???." - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)
This demonstrates the point M
March 9, 2007 - 13:04 ET by mattmThis demonstrates the point Michael Medved made in his book Hollywood vs. America, i.e. that their agenda is ideology-driven, not dollar-driven, as is easily proven by the fact that they'd make alot more money if they offered cleaner, more optimistic, more family-values oriented and more politically-balanced programming.
This doesn't mean we should eliminate eye-candy, explosions, gun fights, etc. but when shows openly promote questionable "lifestyles", ridicule religious people (especially Christians), show mostly the negative regarding our military, misrepresent the "conservative" viewpoint, etc. etc. the bias becomes obvious.
matt,I think that's the poin
March 9, 2007 - 14:06 ET by Chris Normanmatt,
I think that's the point. The liberal production teams use the different familiar (comedy, action, mystery) genres as a cover to sneak in their liberal politcal and social values. They've learned they can sneak this stuff in using a few throw-away lines or plot devices - Law and Order (all thirty versions) is a great example of this. It used to be that shows like the Norman Lear social comedies had the lock on liberal television propaganda - but at least it was obvious and could be avoided. Now, liberalism has permeated almost every show - network and cable.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb