Revolution... a step back in TV evolution?

I don't normally write about TV shows, but this one got me baffled. Moderate spoiler alert!

Revolution started airing on New Zealand air last night, with the second episode happening later. The main premise of the story is about the world suddenly losing electricity. In one fell swoop, cars stopped in the middle of the roads, neighbourhoods turned black as night, planes fell from the sky, hospitals and emergency services collapsed. It was no longer possible to generate and harness electricity. The ensuing months become expectedly chaotic as governments crumbled. People fled the cities and formed small communities in small pockets.

Intriguing, isn't it? 

Tropang Trumpo!

If there's one thing I miss from the Philippines, it's the sitcoms.  Hilarious!  The closest thing we have here in New Zealand, I think, is the Naked Samoans and the Laughing Samoans, which are theatre acts.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen any local comedy shows on TV...

We were just watching some YouTube videos and I read somewhere that you can find almost anything in it.  So I searched for some obscure stuff such as the 70s anime Candy Candy and some 70s Philippine TV commercials.  Voila.  Found some.

And then I remembered Tropang Trumpo, one of my favourite 90s TV shows ever.  And look what I found!  What a trip down memory lane.

Undercover Boss' Baja Fresh Episode: inspiring

One of my favourite TV shows currently is Undercover Boss where a top management personnel (usually the CEO or General Manager) works with the ranks disguised as a trainee.  All the episodes I have seen so far have been great, but this one tops the list so far and has prompted me to blog about it.

reVisited

Wednesday last week, we were treated to a feature-length episode to kickstart the new TV series V. As a fan of the original 80s show, I was excited to see this getting a reboot. And a couple of days ago we had another feature-length (2 hours) episode of V! We're getting a V overload.

My reaction: looking good! The series has been fast-paced so far. In the first installment, the roles of the main characters have been defined: a single-mother FBI agent who learns about the sinister side of the V's and tries to keep his teenage son away from them (to no avail), a priest who also knows but is beset by people returning to the faith, looking for answers in the face of the Visitors and their miraculous healing centers, a Visitor who has turned his back on his kind and loves a human. Very interesting twists.

Incidentally, Joel Gretsch (as Fr. Jack Landry) reminds me of the original series' Marc Singer. I wonder if the resemblance is just coincidental.
I look forward to more compelling episodes!

V

They're baaaack, and I'm excited.

V is a TV show from 1983, though I think it was shown later in the Philippines. I loved watching V at that time, and faithfully followed the series on primetime. For the uninitiated, V is a sci-fi series which is about the sudden appearance of alien ships on planet Earth and they, so to speak, comes in peace. They would like to forge a harmonious relationship with humans and share their technology for our benefit.

It was too good to be true. Turns out they had a sinister agenda all along!

A lot of rats and hamsters were "harmed" in the making of the series. At the latter part, I remember there was one born of human and alien, so she was a hybrid of sorts. But with her lineage also came a prophesy that she will bring salvation to the world.

And then things get blurry from there... I don't recall seeing the ending of the series.

But V is getting a reboot! And the first episode is showing at TV2, 8:30PM tonight. Looking forward to it!


Photo credit: Le Canapé

Dear Future Me

A friend and I have been watching the hit TV series Heroes recently, where ordinary men and women possess extraordinary powers. One day we theorized what sort of powers we would like to have in case something in our DNAs get "messed" up and get evolutionized a gazillion notches up the chain.

So what will it be? Invisibility, memory recall, flying?

"It would be great to have Petrelli's power. He merely touches the others and he can already imitate their power." My friend said.

Hmmm... good point. Right now, the only real power I have is walking fast (friends usually call out to me and ask what's the hurry... it's just that we walk everywhere in Baguio that it's second nature. And then there's also my power to have migraines.

"Oh wait... Hiro's power is cool too. The power to bend time and space."

Oh yes. Wouldn't it be great to go back in time and correct your mistakes? Or go forward in time to see how you and the world would fare? I wonder how you would count your age then, with your present getting mixed with the past and future? Hmmm...

Well, here's a way to travel and catch up with your old self in the future. Best part is, you don't need to have such power!

FutureMe.org enables you to write a message to yourself and send it to a date of your choice in the future. What an excellent idea! Why haven't I thought of this myself!?

Uncle BatJay introduced this site to the blogkadahan members. It was such an interesting topic that it's currently the thread in the blogkadahan blog. My present self is planning to write my future self as well. It's a great idea in keeping track of where you were and where you will be when you receive the letter in the future.

I can just imagine my surprise when I read an e-mail from my past self (I would feign surprise hehehe). Delighted? Or Saddened? Depends on what I would have done with my life between the creation and submission of the letter.

What about you? Interested to write to your future self? Then head on to FutureMe.org today. It's free!

Happy weekend everyone!

Photo: Rizal goes to Luneta for execution before the firing squad. Taken at Fort Santiago.

I remember yesterday, the world was so young ...

 


I was all smiles last night. Why? Because my wife and I bought something from our childhood: Wonder Woman!

Well, it's the VCD for Episodes 1 and 2 of the TV show actually. Readers from other countries might not be familiar with the VCD format; suffice to say that it's a precursor of the DVD.

When the opening song blared on the speakers and the cartoony stars splashed on the screen, I was transported back in time. It's one of the few shows we were able to watch in Channel 9 because it did not conflict with the Basketball schedule. The photo above was taken from here. Turn up your speaker volume if you want to hear one version of the show's theme song!

It's funny that I remember Wonder Woman having a sidekick (Wondergirl); I have such a poor memory that I only remember bits and pieces of things. I am also very poor at remembering names, so pasensya na po if ever I do forget yours when we meet. :-)

Anyways, ang ganda talaga ni Lynda Carter! She's really gorgeous, even with those exaggerately-huge spectacles on.

Watching Wonder Woman brought back memories of other things I was fond of when I was a kid. Eto po ang mga nami-miss ko:
1. Nintendo Game and Watch - yup, I grew up playing with this nifty electronic toy. Back when it was popular, you can rent one by the hour! We used to visit a house nearby, and they would have a tray with lots of Game n Watches. Simply pick out what you like and play the time away.
2. Dungeons and Dragons - the cartoon show. It was my introduction to the world of magic and RPG. Kasama na rin dito ang Macross.
3. Saturday Fun Machine - tambay sa bahay buong umaga ng Sabado sa harap ng TV!
4. Bioman and Kyodyne - tama ba yung spelling nung huli? I remember the latter because I was bedridden for quite some time and this show kept me company. They ate through a siphon that's attached to their stomach. Plus they have TV monitors showing their human faces when they get their mask off. Wierd huh?
5. Hiking - from our home near Burnham Park to Camp John Hay, Imelda Park (now Botanical Garden), Hyatt (now gone with the 1990 earthquake)... basta lakad kami ng lakad. I have grown so accustomed to walking that even today, I'd keep a steady pace and unknowingly outwalk my friends (maghintay ka naman!)
6. Torones - a small block of candy similar to Tootsie Roll that tastes like Peanut Butter. It was sooo popular in my high school days that we even had an unofficial Torones Club. Add to that the Haw Flakes, a sweet Chinese concoction that we shared a-la communion.
7. Just being in the 80's was one heck of a party!

Aaargh. I have to get out of this reverie. Trabaho muna! Back to work!