Ahoy-hoy? No, you have the wrong number. This is 4-2-*4*-6. I suspect you need more practice working your telephone machine. Not at all. Ahoy!

8F13 - Take THAT Aristotle Amadopoulos

First things first. Let’s get the pleasantries out of the way. My name is Thomas Ford. And no, I didn’t direct “A Single Man” or invent Gucci. Neither am I related in any way to Henry Ford. (Sidenote: Possible Funny Character idea, Henry Food, inventor of Food)

I studied film and media arts at Temple University and graduated with my bachelor’s degree. I’ve been a student of television while at the University. I’m an aspiring television writer, and since I can’t “Those who can, do” yet, I figure I can play the role of arm chair quarterback/back seat driver/teacher. I can pass on whatever knowledge I’ve picked up over years of studying the ever changing landscape of the Idiot Box.

My goal for this site is to simply provide constant updates and analysis on some of my favorite(and not so favorite) shows. I hope that this strict policy of a schedule can overlap into my personal writing life, and that it can inspire me to write more often and with greater frequency. Mind you, I fancy myself no expert, but even though the guy who can build his computer from scratch isn’t an IT technician, I still more likely know more than then the average viewer.

So schedule huh? Ford? What’s this you say? How on a crucifix can you have a schedule when my favorite show airs three weeks and then takes a hiatus for sixteen? To consider tailoring a schedule to the Networks, who’s taste change on that of a whim, would be absolutely impossible. Instead, five days a week will be devoted to a column detailing a categorization of television, detailing and discussing a single show in earnest.

Need Your Passport – Every Thursday, we will profile those series whose origins are from a foreign land. Whether it be Japanese anime, United Kingdom sitcom, or Bollywood drama, all countries are included in this makeshift Television UN.

Bermuda Triangle of Television – Where series go when they’re forgotten. Every Friday, our crack investigative television reporter(s) profile a series that has slipped past America’s attention. Whether this be a series from forty years ago to shows currently airing with incredibly low viewership, expect these series to be “Brilliant but Cancelled”.

Elite of the Elite – Where the stars shine. Every Saturday, we will profile a series that stands above and beyond all others in terms of storytelling, characters, and artistic design. Expect this category to be laden with critically acclaimed series that no American television viewer should go without seeing.

Animation Domination – Fox used this slogan for an ad campaign about their Sunday block a few years back, and it’s only more appropriate here. We take a look at animated classics, from adult sitcom pioneer the Simpsons all the way to classic kids fare like Looney Tunes. All drawn or computer generated graphic shows go here..

You Gotta Pay for It – Here’s where we detail those shows on networks where you have to pay an additional subscription fee to enjoy. Shows on networks such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz are relegated here.

Mind you, shows in the category “Elite of the Elite” may very well fit into one of these other categories, and will be categorized as such. Our first such series we shall profile in the “Elite of the Elite” category is also a “You Gotta Pay For It” series. In these cases, the show will have a subcategory for archival purposes.

Mondays & Tuesdays are where I give my opinions about ongoing series, profile various breaking news stories, and have a topic about the general Television industry as a whole. At times, these days may be without reports, but as I’ve set up the schedule now, every three weeks I take a Tuesday off. Here is also where you would find off topic posts, but don’t worry, expect these off topic posts to still contribute to the television landscape in some way.

As this blog gains readership, I hope to hear feedback and have active discussions about these topics. Also, fair warning, just because I’ve seen a lot of television doesn’t mean I’ve seen it all. I know, for shame, but I won’t be talking about Six Feet Under or Deadwood for a long time. Nor Grey’s Anatomy or Desperate Housewives or Law & Order or CSI, although I don’t feel nearly as much shame about that. I like my comedy’s single camera(for the most part) and like my dramas without melodrama. That’s why Season 6 of Buffy is the worst of the bunch. You can have angst and heartbreak and sadness without TELLING us about your angst or your heartbreak or your sadness. There’s a clearly written rule about writing, and it’s fitting to all forms of media.

Show Don’t Tell.