A shot of prozac for the masses

George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series on HBO Season 2 deputes on April 1, 2012... Fandom has reached a fever pitch just as many of my friends have decided to drop the book series.

Unfortunately.. so have I. Were the gaps too long? Partially, but to be frank, the series has become too convoluted, with too many characters (many of them who I don't care about), and just plain... dull. Do I care about Arya, Jon, Tyrion, or Jamie? I can't really remember, and by page one hundred, scratching my head, trying to remember book four, I gave up.

To my surprise, I've slowly become tired of sex, violence, gore, and zombies? HBO's True Blood and Game of Thrones, Showtime's Borgias and AMC's Walking Dead... all trying to make each new season more shocking, more violent, more risqué. Even Mad Men, with such overly flawed characters, I've become jaded.

There isn't anyone to root for.

If they get shot, or perhaps... choke on a olive in a martini, do I care? If I knew them in real life, perhaps I would help them off the cliff. Perhaps that's why America has fallen in love with these shows, to run away from the mundane realities of life (or reality television).

A colleague of mine hated War Horse, hated The Artist, hated any film that wasn't rooted in reality, thought they were too optimistic, too saccharine, too romantic, too ridiculous. And that is what we are feeding the general population. Maybe it's a fine line, Hunger Games was a diluted version of Battle Royale, appealing to the masses, Snow White and the Huntsman looks to be injected with a shot of video game madness... and the Hobbit? Well Tolkien doesn't need much editing.

What we all really need? Get outside, leave your phone at home, and get a bit of fresh air.

Wisteria Sisters

It may be getting warmer, with longer days and nice evenings on the beach, but for some of us that don't want to roast in the sun... we will escape indoors. Pilot season has officially begun and America has a huge roster starting production. Some of them look like possible gems, some are disasters waiting to happen.

Let's start with the Americanised version of Sherlock, starring Johnny lee Miller as Sherlock and Lucy Liu as Watson.

Some people love this idea, with a feminine spin injected into a predominately male series... some want Sherlock and Watson to fall in love. Others... such as me... hate this idea.

I'm not British, but this attempt is similar to changing Harry Potter to an American in a magical boarding school, swapping Mulan to a young Brit during World War I, James Bond to an Indian secret agent, or Aladdin to a Celtic fairytale. Yes it can be done, but why bother?

Sometimes, it can work, but in most cases, only if the series isn't widely known. AMC's "The Killing" based on the Danish Series for one, however Prime Suspect starring Maria Bello didn't make the cut. With the huge success of Walking Dead, Mad Men, Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, and True Blood, original novel adaptations will always rule the airwaves.

I think it's only a matter of time that the smash hit "Downton Abbey" is revised for American audiences. This idea is completely unnecessary, considering the wealth of excellent American writers such as Edith Wharton and Henry James. With the female audience beckoning for more period dramas, (how many more Jane Austen versions can one make?) the time is perfect to launch a series based on three or four sisters in old Boston itching to make their mark on society. After all, history loves ambitious, feuding sisters. Think the Bouvier sisters, the Mitford Sisters, the Cushing Sisters, and now... the Middleton Sisters.

The question is, who will do it first?

Now or never

And we wonder why the world is going to the dogs. With the new iPad 3 release, not to mention new phones, toys, cars, and other "wants" rather than needs, it's no surprise that we're all cash poor. Articles have sprung up on how to rid yourself of your iPad 2 and get a bit of your money back.

A relative of mine was lamenting of how old my phone was. Why not get the iPhone 4s? I said I wanted to wait... and her reply? Buy the new one and just sell it when the new one is released... after all, why wait a few months. With idiotic logic like that, it's little wonder where all her paycheques go.

When did it become a sign of weakness to be patient? Anticipation, is not longer sexy, it's all about instant satisfaction and I'm finding... I can't keep up... and I no longer want to.

Ignorance isn't always bliss, but sometimes it can be a blessing.

The Diamond in the rough

Although I'm certainly not a recruiter, this book was a fascinating read about what to look for when building a team, company, or star. Exceptional talent has to be cultivated, and in many cases great potential is overlooked because of a few rough edges and narrow qualifications.

It's an unstable time, when uncertainty and flux is the only thing you can be sure of. But it's also a time when a few people will use this time of turmoil to launch a new career, world, or maybe just a simple idea. A fantastic site 99% is a gold mine of information about what happens after the first one percent of inspiration.

The ninety-nine percent of perspiration that leads to great accomplishment.

B B C

With America's present obsession with fairy tales (Grimm, Once Upon a Time, medical dramas (Bones, Greys etc...), Musicals (Smash) and Mad Men knock offs (Bomb girls, Pan Am), Hollywood has been scratching their heads at the sudden obsession with Brit exports such as Downton Abbey and Sherlock.

Coming into their own, Sherlock's sophomore season returned with a strong start. For those of you who are beginning to rash from all the waiting, the two stars will soon become household names after 2012 and be hard to miss. Benedict Cumberbatch (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse & the untitled Star Trek sequel) and Martin Freeman (Hobbit 1 & 2), can they go any bigger than that?

Similar to James McAvoy's launch from the excellent six part series State of Play, BBC has launched many careers into the Hollywood mainstream. Unlike most Hollywood folks, many thespians aren't afraid to occasionally play smaller, or roles on the small screen.

Helen Mirren (who has voiced interest to play the next Doctor Who)

Jonathan Rhys-Meyer (returned for the Tudors)

Sean Bean (Game of Thrones)

Cillian Murphy (The Silent City)

Kate Winslet & Guy Pierce (Mildred Pierce)

Alan Rickman (The boy in the Bubble/Seminar)

Just to name a few...

Not only does it showcase a level creative risk and humility, it proves that some actors.. no matter how high they rise... are willing to steer clear of Hollywood bullshit and keep their feet on the ground.

Cross your fingers that Sherlock will return for season 3...