god I love tv

[Kestrel]

Yes. Idris Elba. Yes.

[iris lily]

Yes. Idris Elba. Yes.

Oh, Stringer? Yes, he's a nice hunk. But honestly, I'm a Bunk fan.

[Rogar]

Yeah, History, National Geographic, local PBS programs, and more. We do like the military channel now and again -- if it has B17s in it, I'll watch it. Our son gets Smithsonian, which we'd love to get, but don't want to pay the extra $$.

I have to confess that I have this semi-secret ambition/fantasy of taking a ride in a B-17. The Confederate Air Force, I think it is, comes through every year or so at a local air show and you can go up in a B-17 for a ride. It ain't cheap. I've watched Memphis Belle about five times. Must have something to do with a previous lifetime or something.

I don't know what cable cost is running these days, but at last check it is not in my budget. I call Netflix my poor man's cable and The Wire is one of the finest series ever produced for TV. Treme was also great. I think some of the HBO/AMC series exceed the quality of most standard high budget theater type movies. I may watch the Northern Exposure seasons for the third or fourth time this winter. It is truly a pleasure to spend the cold or hot days watching a few of these.

Unfortunately, the only shows worth watching on standard broadcast TV in my house are PBS documentaries and features. I am actually amazed that there is an audience for most of the commercial broadcast TV shows. Night time is poor and day time is worse. I keep thinking one of these days they will get a clue, but maybe my tastes are just different.

[Kestrel]

B17s are amazing planes. Of course I first got to "know" them long after WWII when they were fighting forest fires. Beautiful machines and the sound of the engines is awesome. I have a B17 belt buckle, flying head-on, and the props work. We always go see them if they're at an air show, but have never taken a ride. Nine-0-Nine was the last one we saw, I think. And it's the Commemorative Air Force now. I may have had a previous-lifetime experience with them as well, as I "know" them.

Northern Exposure was one of our favorites too. We lived "near" Roslyn WA for about ten years and used to visit often. Our minister's mother played Ruth-Anne, the shopkeeper, tho we didn't know that till about five years ago, long after she'd died. (Our minister is still alive.)

But we don't just love all GOOD shows -- one of our favorites has been "Who's Line is it Anyway?" . Hilariously funny. Crazy, of no redeeming social value, but we loved it anyway. And laughed and laughed and laughed.

Bedtime ... finally ...

[JaneV2.0]

Whose Line--Colin Mochrie! He can make me laugh by raising an eyebrow. There's a new improv show on ABC called Trust Us With Your Life with Mochrie, Wayne Brady and others.

[Kestrel]

Thanks, Jane -- I didn't know about Trust Us With Your Life! Could you tell me what night it's on? We're leaving on two-week vacation Monday and I'd like to record them while we're gone. THANKS! (I could search, I know, but if you know that would be quicker.)

[Kestrel]

Speaking of B-17s, Rogar -- a friend JUST sent me a link to the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston TX where you can fly in a B-17! It's not likely that we'll ever go to Texas (why??), but they do have a B-17 DVD which I'm going to order. Cool! http://www.lsfm.org/

[JaneV2.0]

Tuesdays at nine, it says here:
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/trust-us-with-your-life
And you can stream episodes.

[Rogar]

Speaking of B-17s, Rogar -- a friend JUST sent me a link to the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston TX where you can fly in a B-17! It's not likely that we'll ever go to Texas (why??), but they do have a B-17 DVD which I'm going to order. Cool! http://www.lsfm.org/

Neat! Thanks. The $425 cost for a ride is about what I remember and not necessarily out of my price range but would take some dialog with my bank account. The ones I've seen here do about a 20 or 30 minute cruise over town. I've seen them overhead and even the engine roar gets me going.

If you have a chance to Netflix Memphis Belle and haven't seen it, it's a good one. A lot of your standard war movie shoot em up, but good B-17 type watching experience. If I remember, they used 3 real life B-17s and a vintage WWII English airfield. It was before computer enhanced imaging was too big, so not a lot of half real looking scenes.

[Kestrel]

Yes, I've seen Memphis Belle, but only once, and not recently. It deserves another watching! And I should just buy it. We buy very few movies, and only the ones that are very special to us. Thanks for the reminder!

And JaneV2.0 -- thank you, too!