Sunday, August 22, 2010

Someone Pays You for This?

I've been recording two new show lately, Fact or Faked and Destination Truth, because they purport to investigate unsolved mysteries and find answers. Sorta like a real life X-Files. Well, I have to tell you that the subject matter of their investigations is good, but the investigations are a joke. They visit these places for a day or two, collect some spots on infrared cameras and spend a WHOLE lot of time creating their own drama and scaring themselves.

They also say things like "the lake is infested with crocodiles" - there was ONE crocodile, hardly an infestation. Or they go into a cave at night, then freak out because bugs and bats move. Or the classic, they're in or on water and then say "something moved in the water." Really? Seriously?

So what could have been a really interesting set of shows is wasted on amateur investigating and better fiction-writing in their scripted drama that I put in my books. In fact, I was thinking about sending them a resume to see if they had an opening for that weak dialogue they write.

Even worse, one of the shows clearly has an agreement with some companies for advertising during the show, so they'll be in the middle of an explanation and say "For our investigation, we would travel south to (wherever), so I logged onto Orbitz.com...." Yeah, that flowed. No one caught on that you were clunking in an advert for Orbitz or anything. If the shows maintains any sort of ratings, I'm afraid that the future might hold even worse dialogue like "We traveled with our Louis Vutton luggage by American Airlines to (wherever), where we rented Land Rovers while wearing Doc Martin hiking boots and eating Snickers bars."

I'm thinking the only group NOT interested in advertising will be MENSA.

I always get frustrated when I see a great concept wasted on foolishness. Then I always wonder how the heck people get investors for this sort of thing. Which inevitably leads me to wonder why no one will make my books into movies. Then I want to drink a beer, because really, at least one of my books WAS infested with alligators, which is far scarier than anything I've seen on those shows.

Any shows frustrating you? Anything you're looking forward to for the Fall season line up? I'm looking forward to HOUSE. Love that show!

Deadly DeLeon

10 comments:

krisgils33 said...

that's why I don't watch TV...too much disappointment. even a not-quite-great romance novel is a gazillion times better than most of the garbage on TV. :-)

Tori Lennox said...

Hey! Don't be dissing my Destination Truth!!! Unless you're watching the seasons with Jael (who's now on Fact or Faked. You can diss her all you want. She's a whiny baby. *g*

I suspect they're actually in these locations longer than it seems, too. They just condense it down. I blame the producers. I blame the producers for pretty much anything on TV that annoys me. LOL!

Jana DeLeon said...

kris - I sooooo agree with you, but sometimes I just need to rest my eyes. I wish they didn't waste good ideas. (sigh)

Jana DeLeon said...

Tori - I think they're all whiney, but I do wonder why Jael went from one show to the other. I guess my frustration is they take some half-ass shots with the cameras, then call it a wrap and always comment that they're "returning to LA to solve the mystery." Uh, no. You don't have any support to solve the mystery.

It just seems to me like all they do is go somewhere, scare themselves, then leave with some dots on the FLIR.

Tori Lennox said...

Well, I watch DT mostly for Josh. He makes me laugh. And my cousin and I rejoiced greatly when Jael left DT. I don't want to say we HATE her but we don't like her at all. *g*

She's not quite so annoying on ForF, thank goodness.

catslady said...

Lately I've been hooked on the show, Forensics. You just can't make that stuff up!!! The cleverness of some and more often the stupidity. The good news is that technology is getting better and better!

Jana DeLeon said...

Tori - yeah, I noticed she's not quite as annoying, but then FoF also doesn't go off to foreign countries much in really dangerous territory. I'm a total tomboy and I would have raised heck over some of the things she was asked to do in DT. I laughed yesterday b/c I was watching an episode when a local who was touring them actually pulled out a gun. First smart person I've seen. LOL

Jana DeLeon said...

catslady - I have not heard of that one! I wonder how I missed it? Now, I need to find it and see if I can get entire seasons on Netflix. Thanks for the tip!

Leslie Langtry said...

I love House and Lie To Me! Both with crusty, sassy brits!

Jana DeLeon said...

I haven't watched Lie to Me, but I love House. Can't wait for the fall season.