View from the Cheap Seats is kind of an extension of the newsroom. Whenever our three regular reporters, Calvin Daniels, Thom Barker and Randy Brenzen are in the building together, it is frequently a site of heated debate. This week: Which television show would you most like to be stuck in.
Boring and ok with it
As soon as the subject of being stuck in a TV show was proposed, I liked it. Then I started actually thinking about it.
The logical place to start was favourite shows. Murdoch Mysteries came to mind, but I am already out of place enough with the social attitudes of the early 21st century, the early 20th century would have me pulling my hair out.
I thought about M*A*S*H, of course. It would be fun hanging with those guys, but would I really want to be stuck in the Korean War. I don’t think so.
What about other more benign environments? Cheers, Seinfeld, Frasier? Boston, New York or Seattle in the 1980s/1990s with a quirky bunch of people to pal around with have their appeal, but still aren’t quite doing it for me.
What about something science-related and challenging like Bones or House or Criminal Minds. Those would be fascinating, but I’m not really feeling it.
It turns out this topic was a really big challenge.
Ultimately I settled on Newhart. Again, it’s got the quirky group of characters that would be fun to be around, but mostly it is kind of the lifestyle I eventually see for myself. Living in a pastoral eastern setting with a laid back way of life not far from some of the greatest cities in the world.
Like Dick Loudon, I can see myself running a little business like a B&B and writing books heading into Montreal or New York City for the occasional getaway. It’s not very exciting, I know, but that’s kind of where I am and, much to my own surprise, I am okay with that.
—Thom Barker
Back to school
Television is something that pretty much everyone is familiar with, outside of certain religious groups, of course.
So when the question of ‘what television show would you like to be stuck in’ was asked, instantly many different situations were played inside my head.
The first one that instantly came to mind was The Big Bang Theory. It’s a solid show and one of my favourites, however I then thought of how annoying not only Sheldon is, but Raj and Howard as well. In the end, if I were stuck in that show, I’d eventually be television arrested.
The second show that came to mind is the one that I ultimately decided that I’d love to be stuck in.
That show is called Community, and it’s about a group of adults down on their luck that are attending a backwards community college.
It’s a hilarious, entertaining and zany show with many different types of characters and it’s one show that I would absolutely love to be a part of.
In fact the only downfall about being in that show is that I’d have to go back to school, which is something I’d absolutely hate (although if I could be an instructor in the show then that would be golden).
—Randy Brenzen
Beam me up
What television series would I like to be stuck in, if it were reality?
Baywatch … ah maybe not.
Really this is one of those ultra-easy ‘what ifs’ for me.
Beam me up to the Enterprise, preferably the Jean Luc Picard captained version, although I am not fussy on that point, and I’d be quite happy.
I say that for more than a single reason.
To start the earth of the Start Trek Next Generation world has become more than I can currently see this ball of dirt achieving. The countries obviously came together and created a world of understanding, tolerance, and cooperation, which in turn took us to the stars where we flourished.
As it sits with a growing population, and finite land resources, religious rifts, widening class issues, and the backlash against science in the face of climate change, we are far from such a future at present.
Then there is the chance to meet aliens.
I have long looked at the night sky and the thousands of stars and believed others have to be out there, so a chance to go to those stars to meet them is compelling.
To be at the cutting edge of exploration of the stars is a fantasy come true.
There is so much to experience in a reality based on Gene Roddenbury’s imagination I cannot resist.
Of course I have one caveat on picking this show; I do not want a red shirt uniform.
— Calvin Daniels
