Comments on: New Shows, 3: Community, The Beautiful Life, Flash Forward

By: Jonathan Gray

Jonathan Gray — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:35:14 +0000

Interesting. No, I haven’t seen one of those. Mind you, I haven’t seen much ABC lately … though that’ll change soon since this is a big premier week. Donnie Darko seems a great intertext to invoke for this show, though, so kudos to whoever thought of that, whether up here or down under

By: Sean

Sean — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:15:05 +0000

On the Flash Forward adverts here in Sydney, ‘Mad World’ is running in the backround. Not, of course, the Tears For Fears version, but the Gary Jules cover version from Donnie Darko. This is another reason why I want to see the program! Is it the same in the States?

By: Sean

Sean — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:37:14 +0000

As you mention, there many reasons as to why such stories are prevalent. Reflections on 9/11 and a post Bush era is certainly one of them.

‘Knowing’ was decidedly strange in that it postulated a more right-wing, christian fundementalist view-point (mixed up with angels come aliens!), reminding me of what I have read about the ‘Left Behind’ series.

Or maybe the producers are worried not so much by the imminence of the end of the world but their pay checks!

By: Jonathan Gray

Jonathan Gray — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:20:52 +0000

I’d guess it has something to do with Americans feeling at risk. Terrorism was a problem in may other places, but post-9/11, and with Bush’s War on Terror only angering more people elsewhere in the world, you’ve got an American audience and American producers worrying about the end of the world and its imminence. Plus, it’s just a neat premise to play with, and thus I imagine that some writers just feel they can do such stories now without being looked at askance, so they’re running with it.

By: Sean

Sean — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:52:22 +0000

Flash Forward is currently recieving a great deal of publicity here in Australia and will start running in a few weeks. And your right, it does look good. And I am looking forward to it.

An interesting question is why such post-apocalyptic shows and films are currently so popular? Knowing, for instance, has just been released on DVD. A number of books also address this theme: Flood by Stephen Baxter and the new mMrgaret Atwood novel for instance.

Not all of these relate to environmentalism – which would be one answer; some are positively millennium end of the world type narratives. Why now?

Best, Sean.