Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Samantha Hunter | Television is Good For You – At Least, it’s Been Good for Me
Uncategorized / July 14, 2008

We find our inspiration in different places. Some of us sit on sidewalks and people watch, some listen to music, some do writing exercises and talk with friends. I think I’ve done all three from time to time, and one of the most fruitful sources of creative inspiration for me is television. It was one of my favorite things as a kid, and it still is. I’m always amazed at the current idea that letting kids watch TV is bad for them. I grew up pretty much physically connected to the TV – my parents didn’t hover over me every moment of every day attending to my every need because they were working, and working hard. It was good – it was how I learned to be independent and develop my own work ethic. It never stopped me from reading, from achieving academically, and it remains a huge source of inspiration for me, as well as relaxation. Movies and TV shows (though mainly TV – I rarely find movies I enjoy any more) are fertilizer for my imagination. The only thing better is travel, but I can’t do that as often as I’d like. I can actually feel something creative…

Anticipation…anticipate…wait
Uncategorized / October 19, 2007

During the summer I feel like I’m constantly waiting, anticipating the last week of September when the fall TV season begins. This summer was no different. I already had “my shows” picked out, my TiVo prepped and primed with a new To Do List, quivering with TV thrills. I salivated at the bright, Technicolor dream “Pushing Daisies,” brought to us by Bryan Fuller (“Dead Like Me” and the prematurely canceled “Wonderfalls”), while just barely noticing “Cavemen.” Now before I break any hearts, I do want to mention that I enjoy “Pushing Daisies” and I plan to watch it as long as it stays entertaining, but it just wasn’t as flawless as I anticipated. I had expected a fabulously whimsical fairy tale of unrequited love and unattainable intimacy, but what I got was a flashy and colorful visit to Willy Wonka’s factory. The images far overshadowed the superior writing and acting, and left my teeth throbbing. This is not to say the show is a bust, I just think it was too hyped, too, well, anticipated for its own good. On the other hand, “Cavemen,” which I had no intention to watch until I discovered that Nick Kroll starred on the…