Theos-Talk Archives (November 1995 Message tl00231)

Aki:
>Can or will you live without television?

In the early years of our marriage my husband and I did not own a television
but succumbed when science fictions shows began to appear.

In Chicago we are lucky to have a very good public television station and
channel 50 a UHF station that are alternatives to network TV. PBS runs a lot
of documentaries and children's shows and is supported for the most part by
subscriptions from the viewers escaping the trap of commercial television
where the sponsors call the shots.

I refer to Channel 50 as the "Hero With A 1000 Faces Channel" because they run
so many series that feature men with some special power or skill that they use
to defeat evil where ever they go. Our favorite is Babylon 05 a science
fiction series that is also popular in Europe. It's straight line story that
will unfold over five years time a novelty in US TV. Most series are episodic
with no real beginning or end. The scriptwriter Michael Stryczynski is taking
risks I have never seen before by being "blatantly spiritual" in his stories.
This mythic wonder is an example of what television could be if the networks and
sponsors weren't solely concerned with demographics and selling products.

- ann