An Actual Phone Call I Made at 7:30pm on a Saturday Night Because I Am Just That Annoyed:
Woman: Hi, this is Channel 9. How can I help you?
Me: I’d like to make a complaint about one of your shows.
Her: I can take your complaint. What is it?
Me: It’s about your new show Fringe. I was really looking forward to seeing the show and I was glad it came out so soon here. I watched the show and really enjoyed it, so I was just reading about it online and discovered that there were several scenes that were MISSING in the version that was broadcast here. And I just think that if you’re going to heavily advertise that a show has been “fast-tracked straight from the US” because you don’t want people to download it off the Internet, then you shouldn’t give us a chopped up version! I mean, one of the scenes that was cut was the one that actually EXPLAINED THE TITLE OF THE SHOW.
Her: Thanks for that. I’ll pass it along.
I hope I enlivened her night, anyway. So how friggin’ annoying is that? I actually did enjoy the show, but there were some confusing plot gaps that I didn’t quite understand. I figured it was just because it was all X-Files-y. I mean, they didn’t even explain the title! And where did my sister get “astral projection” from anyway? (I mean, that’s clearly what they did with the LSD tank thing, but it was never mentioned by name.) So I decide to check out the TWOP recap and see if I missed anything… when I come across FOUR PARAGRAPHS that I don’t remember. “Huh, that’s odd.” So I go back to the TiFaux and play the episode again. Nope. Cuts right from Pacey saying “When do we leave?” to the door opening at the mental ward. ARGH. And now that I’m reading further, I’m finding more stuff. We also didn’t see Olivia get shot up with the drugs before she goes into the tank.
So thanks, Channel 9. I was actually getting excited about watching Heroes without having to download it, but you’ll probably cut bits out of that too. YOU SUCK.
Addendum: Kunaal has just pointed out that Heroes is on Channel 7. Whatever. I still don’t trust any of them now.
WeeB
September 21, 2008 — 12:51 pm
*Small spoiler warning*
I watched it and didn’t think it was too bad until it jumped straight into a conspiracy at the end of the show.
It’s a case of “oh great, let’s see how long they drag this who can be trusted scenario.” I don’t really want another Lost where it just drags on and on. For them to start it off from the start doesn’t give me much hope. I’ll watch a few more eps to check what happens but bleh.
“Psych” is the best find i “came” across recently. Have you seen this at all as it provides some nice chuckles 🙂
Also watched an animated film, “Dragon Hunters” which was good. Worth checking out too.
Kris
September 21, 2008 — 10:17 pm
Well, they had to get her and her team set up somehow, didn’t they? Although I guess they could’ve done it without the conspiracy aspect. The whole “dragging on” thing is *exactly* why I don’t watch Lost. So if this one continues down that road… I’m not sure if Pacey will be enough to keep me watching it.
(However, like my sister, I am entranced by the floating 3-D location titles.)
aim
September 22, 2008 — 1:55 am
It IS a pretty gruesome show, man. A little ridiculous at times (I snorted a LOT during ep. 2.) I don’t know how much further I’ll follow, but I’m one of those people (self-admitted Lost-ie; the Dharma Initiative keeps sending me emails trying to recruit me, heh heh…) for whom the most annoying parts of shows like these are also the most addictive. And I love me some Josh Holloway just as much as I love Joshua Jackson.
WeeB
September 23, 2008 — 1:15 am
I normally give new series about 4-5 eps before i decide my final verdict on whether to stick with it. Will be interesting to see how it pans out. Fingers x’d for it though 🙂
Leslie
September 24, 2008 — 5:19 am
They do the same thing in the US with BBC shows on BBC America. I found myself scratching my head lots, especially during crime-mystery shows (Wire in the Blood, Waking the Dead) to the point where I won’t watch them on BBC-A anymore– I rent the DVDs. Frustrating…
Steph
September 26, 2008 — 10:08 pm
I didn’t even wait for it to be shown here, and haven’t been disappointed yet.
One thing we learnt growing up as kids, was if you wanted to watch a movie, do it at the cinema, not TV as they would chop it to shreds, and it would loose all meaning…
Steph
September 26, 2008 — 10:09 pm
Oh and the new Heroes is quite dark