I dream of being a best selling author, a screenwriter with a hit tv show, I dream of building businesses that supply great products from gluten-free foods to futuristic robot bodyguards. I don't know if I can do any of it. I don't know what's possible but I'll never know if I don't try.
So I'm trying, getting better, making mistakes and learning along the way. Occasionally something happens though that makes me think it's not just possible but probable.
One thing I do when I'm sick, bored or just need inspiration is watch TV and recently I've seen some terrible television. Writing so bad it makes me think not only can I make it but I can do better than what's already out there.
The first time I felt this way was when I watched "Gilmore Girls: "A Year in the Life,"" and realized my spec script was better than it by a million which isn't hard to do as compared to the original show this follow up was terrible and not true to the characters of the show.
So tonight I was watching "Virgin River" a Netflix original about a nurse who loses her husband and starts over in a small town.
They are using sets and actors from "Hart of Dixie" and so I have high hopes for the show. They cast Tim Matheson the actor who played Doctor Brick Breeland as Doctor Mullins, you can't go wrong there.
While so far "Virgin River" hasn't had the hilarity or feisty spirit Rachel Bilson (Dr. Hart) and Leila Gerstein (Creator) brought to Hart of Dixie, Alexandra Breckenridge holds her own as Nurse Melinda Monroe.
But the writing! Whoever was supposed to be proofreading and story editing must have been drunk or high! Here's a little snippet and keep in mind this is supposed to be a feel-good romance healing story, not something written by Stephen King.
S1E2 Minute 11:38 to 12:38
Young Melinda: "Is that me or you in mom's arms?"
Young Joey: "That's you. I'm over with dad by the train." (Young Joey flips page) Young Melinda: "Go back. I wanna see what's on that page." Young Joey: "No I'll get in trouble. Young Melinda: "We're best friends you can tell me...please" Young Joey: "Fine." (Joey flips back to page) "Mom's not holding you in that picture. It's our sister Chloe. Young Melinda: "Chloe?" Young Joey: "She died before you were born."
Young Melinda: "We had a sister?"
Young Joey: "Yeah but don't tell mom I told you. She'll get really mad."
Young Melinda: "I'll never tell. I promise. Cross my heart hope to die. I love you Joey."
Young Joey: "I love you too Squirt."
END SCENE
And we're left wondering how long the family freezes bodies to pose them for pictures with the new babies they had to replace them, and when mommy gets really mad will Joey or Melinda be the next one to go in the freezer?
As someone who goes over every line I write a hundred times and still makes mistakes, I get not everything is going to be perfect but something like this should have been caught by the writer, or script editor or even the director.
Now if this were some indie film company I could accept a few big mistakes in production forgivingly knowing the budget of reshooting just wasn't there but for a NetFlix original? Nope.
Instead, schadenfreude takes over and I am dancing on air because I think if someone who makes gaffes like this can make it as a Netflix writer I definitely have a bit more than a snowball's chance in hell of making it as well!
One thing I do when I'm sick, bored or just need inspiration is watch TV and recently I've seen some terrible television. Writing so bad it makes me think not only can I make it but I can do better than what's already out there.
The first time I felt this way was when I watched "Gilmore Girls: "A Year in the Life,"" and realized my spec script was better than it by a million which isn't hard to do as compared to the original show this follow up was terrible and not true to the characters of the show.
So tonight I was watching "Virgin River" a Netflix original about a nurse who loses her husband and starts over in a small town.
They are using sets and actors from "Hart of Dixie" and so I have high hopes for the show. They cast Tim Matheson the actor who played Doctor Brick Breeland as Doctor Mullins, you can't go wrong there.
But the writing! Whoever was supposed to be proofreading and story editing must have been drunk or high! Here's a little snippet and keep in mind this is supposed to be a feel-good romance healing story, not something written by Stephen King.
S1E2 Minute 11:38 to 12:38
Young Melinda: "Is that me or you in mom's arms?"
Young Joey: "That's you. I'm over with dad by the train." (Young Joey flips page) Young Melinda: "Go back. I wanna see what's on that page." Young Joey: "No I'll get in trouble. Young Melinda: "We're best friends you can tell me...please" Young Joey: "Fine." (Joey flips back to page) "Mom's not holding you in that picture. It's our sister Chloe. Young Melinda: "Chloe?" Young Joey: "She died before you were born."
Young Melinda: "We had a sister?"
Young Joey: "Yeah but don't tell mom I told you. She'll get really mad."
Young Melinda: "I'll never tell. I promise. Cross my heart hope to die. I love you Joey."
Young Joey: "I love you too Squirt."
END SCENE
And we're left wondering how long the family freezes bodies to pose them for pictures with the new babies they had to replace them, and when mommy gets really mad will Joey or Melinda be the next one to go in the freezer?
As someone who goes over every line I write a hundred times and still makes mistakes, I get not everything is going to be perfect but something like this should have been caught by the writer, or script editor or even the director.
Now if this were some indie film company I could accept a few big mistakes in production forgivingly knowing the budget of reshooting just wasn't there but for a NetFlix original? Nope.
Instead, schadenfreude takes over and I am dancing on air because I think if someone who makes gaffes like this can make it as a Netflix writer I definitely have a bit more than a snowball's chance in hell of making it as well!
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