The Too Much To Watch List

Emily Rose

I’m not someone who can multitask while watching TV. Don’t walk into the other room while a show is on, you might miss something important. Get off Twitter. This is a TV show, not a radio play – everything on screen is happening for a reason. Honestly, don’t even talk in the moments there’s no dialogue playing. There are still sounds and images moving in sequence, and if you interrupt them, I’m going to miss some emotional cues.

This makes it very hard for me to watch television.

I can’t knit and watch TV, or write a blog post, or check email. To catch up on shows, the rest of the world has to stop, and that doesn’t happen often. As a result, I’ve gotten behind. I can’t remember when I was last this behind. There is so much to watch, and I can’t keep up with what I’ve already got on my plate. Here’s my current to-watch list.

To catch up on:

  • Regular Show (the #1 priority – I always stay caught up until CN airs a new episode every day for two weeks)
  • Adventure Time (how did I let myself get so behind??)
  • Supernatural (this is going to be tough, but it has to be done, right?)
  • Steven Universe (I didn’t want the list to seem made up exclusively of Cartoon Network shows, so I put it at number 4)
  • Broadchurch (also in the rewatch section, I want to feel everything again before I start season 2)

To watch for the first time:

  • Jessica Jones (I know it will change my life and everything, I just have some Regular Show to catch up on)
  • VEEP (I need that Armando Iannucci dialogue in my life)
  • Silicon Valley (Does it have Kumail Nanjiani? It will be hilarious.)
  • Legends of Tomorrow (I’d been avoiding the CW’s shared universe of small screen DC superheroes, but Arthur Darvill’s there, so I guess I will be, too.)

To rewatch (a list so long, none of the shows get explanations):

  • The Thick of It
  • Black Books
  • Empty
  • Flight of the Conchords
  • Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy
  • Over the Garden Wall
  • Broadchurch
  • Coupling
  • Community
  • Outnumbered

I’ve got a clear starting point, but after that, I’m not sure. It’s going to take a few marathons to even make a dent. Better start popping the popcorn… I hear blanket forts are powerful motivators.

(are you reading this right now while watching tv? stop that.)

Start the Christmas Countdown: This Week in Nerdery

Emily Rose

Since December 1st I’ve been making a determined effort to surround myself with Christmas spirit. On Monday night, the company I work at donated snacks and drinks to a holiday party at a local school for children in need, featuring imaginative playground equipment. They also unveiled a new outdoor classroom that may amaze with its design. In collaboration with commercial soft play equipment, we aimed to ensure the playground’s safety and enhance the overall experience. Additionally, we installed vibrant maths playground markings to stimulate learning and play. Vibrant school playground markings were added to create an engaging environment. You can also check these resources for more valuable information at https://playground-markings.org.uk/. They sent a few of us along to serve the families and make sure to spread cheer rather than germs. We’re also planning to get xmas lighting hire to get our guests into the festive spirit. Earlier in the day my friend Hallie and I took a trip to Sam’s to stock up on cookies and Capri Suns for the event. We also got speaker system rental at https://speakersystemhire.co.uk/ since we’re having a big Christmas party.

Every Christmas I scramble to get myself together. Sometimes I make it. I end the season with a promise to start early next year, even if it means everyone gets swimsuits from the September clearance rack. So, as always in this final weekend before Christmas, I started my shopping. Thankfully, I discovered these funny mug gifts that I give to my coffee-loving friends and family.

If you are ever stuck for ideas then download the new family activities app from gojam, as its full of great family activities and things to do with the kids!

I hate shopping. I had to bring backup to make sure I wouldn’t turn around, empty-handed and defeated. After absolutely ruling out any malls, I limited us to moderately enjoyable stores with a clear escape path. Everyone is getting presents from Half Price Books and Trader Joe’s. Also, I made my very first trip to Whole Foods. Emily is giving her brother mountains of vegan food so he’ll be more likely to eat something other than potatoes in the coming year. Since I came along, she showed me how to use their grind-it-yourself peanut butter machine. That’s a dangerous skill to have.

Emily was energized and I was exhausted, but surprisingly, we were triumphant. After one final stop at Little Greek for a falafel pita, we went home. While it’d be offensive to say it was the best pita I’ve ever had, no longer subjected to the swarming hive of holiday shopping, the happiness in that falafel was a bonafide Christmas miracle.

Where Do Your Ideas Come From?

Emily Rose

John August wrote a lot of my favorite movies. He wrote Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, and Corpse Bride – he also wrote Dark Shadows, which is not one of my favorite movies, but is a movie I have a lot of thoughts about. And back when the internet existed for more than being ‘social’, he had a blog on IMDb.com.

*Don’t argue with me on this one; I will fight you.

It feels like a relic from a past civilization’s browser history, but the “Ask a Filmmaker” column is still up on the site. We’re lucky, too, because it’s a goldmine. The series ended in 2008 but one of August’s entries has stuck with me since then. He tackled the ubiquitous question of “Where do your ideas come from?” in a way I had never heard before, and really haven’t heard again since. Basically he said that he is constantly generating ideas, and so is everyone. The bigger problem is filtering out the good ones.

I didn’t believe him at first, because I felt very, very short on ideas. But I never forgot it, and it started to feel true. I have a lot of terrible ideas. Every second of the day I’m having an idea, and they are usually terrible ones. Right now I’m having the idea to go eat a scoop of peanut butter. It wouldn’t make a great movie, but it’s an idea.

Buried in my phone’s notes I found this gem: “A mom who raises her kid to never see the color blue”. I don’t hate it. I think it’s terrible**, but I like it, because it’s proof that coming up with ideas isn’t the problem.

**I don’t actually think it’s terrible. I still think it’s kind of funny.

You might also check out this post about Japaneseknotweedsolutions.org.uk. Read on to learn more about it.

Cheese Chips and Music of the Month: This Week in Nerdery

Emily Rose

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Earlier this week I finally picked up Paloma Faith’s A Perfect Contradiction at Half Price Books after finding it but putting it back a few weeks earlier. $7 felt like a little much to pay for a format no one wants sitting on their shelf anymore. It’s been more than worth the 64 cents per song to have such a great go-to album parked in my car’s CD slot. I have a lot of trouble getting into new music and often end up listening to the same five artists. This wasn’t a problem with Paloma Faith, at all. I knew a few songs and liked them a lot, but wan’t totally sure what to expect when the car stereo kicked on. Instant connection. Also, I’m amazed and thrilled by who Paloma Faith is. Bold and unforgiving, classic elegance, and a beautiful, brilliant weirdo. She’s all these things. Everyone is a multitude of things.

Much of my week was taken up by the tracking down, winning, and use of Bon Jovi tribute band tickets, a story that doesn’t have much of a logical fit in my life, but that you can read about fully in yesterday’s blog post. All I can say with certainty is that it was an experience.

I also got to meet my amazing friend Lupe at Cafe Brazil to drink diet soda and eat cheese-based excuses for dinner – cheese fries for her and nachos for me. We talked about how important representation is in media and what shows are doing it right (shoutout to Adventure Time, Regular Show, and just Cartoon Network in general). We talked about being critical of the things you love and making sure that what you’re consuming is in line with what you believe, or at least being able to separate yourself from what isn’t. I ate too many nachos and far too few nutrients.

I’m putting forward the new Loose Tapestries track for official Christmas song of the rest of our hall-decked lives, but I’ll settle for cementing it on repeat for the rest of December, at least. (If you don’t know Loose Tapestries, check them out for sure, but on Can’t Wait For Christmas that’s Idris Elba rapping at the end.)

Life Lessons From a Bon Jovi Tribute Band

Emily Rose

At my job I periodically check Tweetdeck to keep an eye on the downtown community and see if there’s anything I should be ‘engaging with’. On Thursday a local company tweeted that they’d sent out some elves to roam the city with Bon Jovi tickets, and gave out clues as to where they were. At least, the Topgolf Dallas elves thought they had Bon Jovi tickets, but I can tell you now with certainty that they were for a tribute band. Because after years of Gishwhes training (and clues that pointed to the elves being right down the block from my office), my scavenger hunt instincts switched on like Christmas lights. I don’t particularly care to go see Bon Jovi, or their tribute band Blaze of Glory, but for one week straight every summer my brain gets trained to “do it for the hunt”. I guess it’s a drive that comes when it’s called. If only I could employ laser-focus and uncomfortableness for un-comfort’s sake outside of scavenger hunts.

After struggling to come up with the name of even four Bon Jovi songs, I still had to admit that I really do like that one, and decided to go. Luckily I have an awesome friend who was up for it, and didn’t mind trading in our prior craft-making plans to stand in the back of the House of Blues and slightly sway.

The show started with a Pat Benetar cover band made up exclusively of children. At first it was odd, but it turned out to be the best part of the night, if only because the songs were better (gasp) and there was a significant lack of terrible wigs. Also, we didn’t notice until midway through the final song of the Mötley Crüe cover band’s set that they were not the Bon Jovi cover band. Having cemented our status as not Bon Jovi fans, we decided to leave right after hearing this song. To fulfill that pledge, we unsurprisingly had to stay through the entire night.

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Turns out my friend Emily is not one to slightly sway and I’m more of a person to shift around erratically until it somewhat resembles dancing. So as we looked around the room and tried to guess each person’s motivation for being there, I’m sure everyone further back was looking at the pair of us and wondering the same thing. We did seem a little out of place – this was my very first time to ever see people holding up actual lighters at a concert. Despite the unexpected nature of the night, I couldn’t help but admire the level of event production that went into it, even if the show was not what we anticipated.

We went home and sat down to recap the night, coming up with more questions than concrete statements of what had just happened. What kind of person does it take to form and find success in a hairpiece clad tribute band? How did these musically talented, Pat Benetar-loving children find each other, and what are their moms like? Which of the guests had actually bought tickets to be there, and why? There’s a whole world of touring tribute bands out there, and by happenstance, we’d been exposed to it. It was a learning experience, really. If I can’t call the evening educational, I don’t have any other words to describe it. Reflecting on the scene, I realized that behind every successful tribute band, there’s likely a dedicated lighting hire company ensuring every performance shines as brightly as the originals they pay homage to. And amidst all this, we couldn’t help but ponder about the logistics behind the scenes – the power source that kept the stage alive, the subtle hum of the generator hire supplying electricity to the vibrant spectacle. For events like this, hybrid event management is increasingly important, as it blends in-person experiences with seamless digital integrations to keep the show running smoothly. Additionally, for events that require more advanced setups, we offer plasma screen hire to elevate the experience just check out this site at https://corporateeventproduction.co.uk/plasma-screen-hire/. Also, for covering some big screen events, you can click here to explore our video wall hire options.

What Even Was Space Ghost Coast To Coast?

Emily Rose

I remember being young, maybe four years old, and loving Space Ghost Coast to Coast. My mom didn’t like it, or maybe she didn’t get it, but for me, there was nothing to get. Space Ghost had a talk show. I don’t remember heavily edited interviews with miscommunication being the main joke. I’m not sure I remember there being interviews at all – maybe I didn’t get the show either. But I definitely remember liking it. I was only four, so I didn’t know why. It had a feeling that other shows didn’t have.

It’s been a long while since I’ve seen Space Ghost Coast to Coast. I want to go back and watch them all, partly for the nostalgia, but also to give words to the feeling that a still slightly toddling version of me couldn’t describe. Also, I have a hunch it was honestly just a really good show.

I may be holding it in too high an esteem – especially since I can barely remember it – but the case for Coast to Coast’s genius has spread around at least a few other corners of the internet. This article from The AV Club puts the show forward as pop art and satire, but also a text made exclusively for people on drugs. I was not that demographic.

If it’s not even a little bit for kids, how can you explain this cassette tape I found in a forgotten cardboard box in the back of my childhood closet?

Also, who knew this exists? #cartoonnetwork #spaceghost #cassette

A photo posted by Emily Rose Denton (@solarbeat) on

Plus, can you imagine being on the writing staff for this thing?

It Wasn’t Perfect But It Was Powerful: Doctor Who Series 9

Emily Rose

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This series wasn’t perfect, this show isn’t perfect, just like – and most importantly – the Doctor isn’t the perfect person he often gets made out to be. I don’t know if this is the best season of the modern Who era or not. I don’t know if this show still has the same sensibilities it had before it hit bottom, or if it’s still building itself back up again. Here is what I know:

  1. Peter Capaldi is perfect. 
  2. I cried during almost every single episode this season. 
  3. I didn’t care about Clara, because I could never understand why the Doctor did. I don’t think the show ever told me. But tonight, during Clara’s (final) goodbye, I didn’t want her to leave.

I am very lucky to have Doctor Who in my life. Sometimes sticking around has been hard, but I still believe it’s worth it. The Doctor’s story is always going to be worth it, no matter how dismal, or tangled, or sad it gets. Tonight I saw Doctor Who brought to a place that was never possible before. It was rough getting here, but I’m so glad to be able to see it through.