Just finished watching a game show on NBC called Minute To Win It. Basically you do small challenges based on simple objects, that get progressively harder and you can win up to a million bucks. First time I’ve seen it, and I can’t say I like it all that much. I think the most entertaining aspect of the whole show was the fact that one of the “regular folks” who was the first contestant just happened to be a beautiful cheerleader in skin tight, skimpy clothing. And all of her tasks just “happened” to involve her shaking her hips, bouncing up and down, or bending over.

Big freaking shock huh.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the producers of the show had told her what to wear in the first place. “No no, that outfit is much too conservative. Give her something 2 sizes smaller, and lower cut. Boobs people, boobs. We are airing this in HD, we want to see those puppies jiggling all over the 50 inch screens in living rooms across the country! I want to feel like they are smacking me in the face every time the camera zooms in! Just think of the ratings!”

And the games are pretty blah as well. I know they are meant to be simple, and the sort of thing that you could do right at home, but it just isn’t very exciting watching someone roll and egg across the floor. Or bounce a spoon into a cup. Unless you really like boobs.

I find it more than a little ironic that Sarah Palin is going to be hosting a reality TV show based on, and in, Alaska. After all, she basically abandoned us Alaskans in search of greener pastures. All the while claiming that she was only doing what was “best” for Alaska.  I know it would be easy to crack a joke and say, well, getting rid of Sarah really was best for Alaska! — but you would have to be an Alaskan to really feel the sense of resentment this whole sad affair has stirred in (most of) our hearts.

She didn’t quit her job as governor of Alaska to do what was best for Alaska.  Sarah Palin quit her job as governor to do what was best for Sarah Palin.  The really twisted part of all this is the fact that since she left she has continued to try and use Alaska to her own personal benefit, always telling stories about how she’s just this down-to-earth Alaskan soccer mom;  or she’s just a rugged Alaskan hunter;  or she’s just a hard working Alaskan fisherwoman.

Give me a break.

You quit.  You left.  You’ve lost the right to whore the state of Alaska out for your own personal crusade, Mrs. Palin.  I mean it takes some balls of solid steel to do what she’s doing.  Imagine a man leaving his wife for a hotter, younger woman, then nominating the woman he just abandoned for a Mother Of The Year award. Oh and then writing a book about how he left his wife, and going to her house to give her a signed copy of it.

Yeah, that is what Sarah is doing to Alaska.

She needs to stop pretending to be this great representative of my state. I don’t care if she sleeps with a fresh salmon in bed next to her and rides a moose around the country on her book tour, she just isn’t an Alaskan to me anymore.

I love cop shows.  Most of the time they just make no sense whatsoever. Was just watching COPS, and heard this gem of a quote:

He barricaded himself in, and that gave us probable cause to enter the building and get him.

Hey now, wait a moment. How would you know the door was barricaded unless you had tried to already enter the building? So you had no probable cause to go into the house, until you tried to go into the house and realized you couldn’t get in, so then you’re allowed to go in. Yup, sounds logical…

Victoria was awesome enough to get me the DVD of the Legend of the Seeker, the whole first season.  Five DVD’s full of my favorite TV show, based off one of my favorite book series of all time, The Sword of Truth, by Terry Goodkind.  Of course they don’t exactly follow along the story of the books, so the TV show is described as “inspired by” the books, but it’s good enough for me.  I was a little bummed at first, but now I love the show.

How often does our favorite book actually get turned into a good TV show?  That is the way I look at it now, I should feel lucky this show is even on!

Explore a world of fantasy and mythology in the unforgettable epic adventure LEGEND OF THE SEEKER.  Take a coming-of-age journey with The Seeker as he joins forces with a mysterious woman and a wise, powerful wizard to combat Darken Rahl, the demonic sorcerer intent on taking over the world. In the ultimate battle between good and evil, who will answer destiny’s final call?

Legend of the Seeker

(A review of Legend of the Seeker).  It seems sort of a dangerous thing, writing a review about a TV show that is based on the first ‘fantasy’ series of books that I ever read, but here goes my shot at doing just that.  When first giving Legend of the Seeker a viewing, a fan of the books from which they are based (The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind) might instantly fall into the thought process of, “Hey, it didn’t happen like that in the book!“. That was my initial reaction every time something happened out of sequence of the written story, was left out, or even completely made up.  I was ready to write off Seeker as just another butchered book-to-video translation.

Then I realized I was thinking wrong about the whole thing.  Why waste time being mad about the inconstancies?  Instead, why not think of The Seeker as ‘an addition to’ the main story.  Or even yet, exclusive content we didn’t get to ‘read’ about the first time around.   The books are over and done, so anything that keeps the ball rolling is a good thing, right?  Sure, some of the events in Seeker completely change the feel of the books themselves, but the basic storyline is true enough to form that you can — if you allow yourself to — enjoy the show as-is.

You still get your fill of sword fighting, good-against-evil, magic, adventure and romance.  The choice of actors for the characters in most cases was well done, though Richard does seem a bit more scrawny and height-challenged than the books depict him.  Adie was spot on.  Zedd is great, though he towers over the other actors.  The only person who seems out of place is Chase, but I got used to it after a few episodes.

The shining gem in Seeker though is the landscape of the sets, from the opening sequence you know you are in for a beautiful and wild ride, with amazing mountain vistas and dangerous chases through ancient forests.  Castles, small villages, even a quick ‘bath’ in a lake all make for a feel that this is indeed a world other than ours.

All in all I would highly recommend this for any fan of the books, or for fantasy fans in general.  If you go in with an open mind, and are willing to disregard the less-than-strict adaptation, I think you’ll find the show as enjoyable as I have.

You can watch all 22 episodes of the first season for free, right on Hulu:  http://www.hulu.com/legend-of-the-seeker