The Writer's Life 9/23 - New Season

I hadn’t looked forward to a TV series since I was a kid. These days I sample a few and stick with those that are entertaining, despite their faults, which in some cases are many. I had to keep telling myself not to get my hopes up too high for Gotham, which premiered last night on Fox at eight. It’s off to a solid start. I don’t care if Batman, my favorite super-hero, ever shows up. I’m perfectly content that future Commissioner Jim Gordon is the lead character. Ben McKensie, with whose work I was heretofore unfamiliar, seems perfect for the part. He reminds me of a young Russell Crowe. I enjoyed the way the Caped Crusader’s youthful, future nemeses were injected into the story. I got misty when the Waynes were murdered in front of their son, although I’ve seen two similar scenes in the film series. And there was a great line late in the show, spoken by mob kingpin Falcone, something like: “You can’t have organized crime without law and order.” It may not be entirely true, but gangsters have a lot more to plunder in successful societies. I’d be surprised if this show doesn’t fare well.
Scorpion debuted at nine on CBS. I was afraid I would react to it as negatively as I do to other dramas dominated by a young cast playing obnoxious know-it-alls. Surprisingly, that aspect didn’t bother me. It seems this series will require suspension of belief. Episode one was fast-moving, silly fun, as over-the-top as Person of Interest has become. Veterans Robert Patrick and Katharine McPhee are on hand to lend a little balance to the proceedings -- very little. Will it last? It's too early to tell.
The season finale of Under the Dome aired at ten on CBS. The once interesting storyline, adapted from the novel by Stephen King, has deteriorated. The writers are substituting shock for ideas. The ending wasn’t definitive, so I guess it will return next summer. As dreadful as it has become, fans deserve closure.

The most surprising developments in Week Three of the 2014 NFL season is the poor play of San Francisco and Green Bay. Was 49ers' QB Colin Kaepernick a flash in the pan? His athleticism is always impressive, but he seems prone to the same problem most athletic QB's suffer -- excessive turnovers. As for the Packers, I'm not sure what the problem is. As for the local teams, the Giants and Jets, so far they have performed exactly as expected.

I sold seven books today. Five were in Russian. My thanks to the buyers.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/