From
22 through 24 October 2009, Janice and I helped out with a fund-raiser for the
Animal Rescue League of Boston at the Dedham Animal Shelter, where Janice
volunteers on most Sunday mornings. The Halloween-themed event focused on historical
and ghost stories about pets buried at the Pine Ridge Cemetery, including those
of the infamous Lizzy Borden.

Not
many visitors came on Thursday night, no doubt because most children had to
attend school on Friday. On Friday, several groups went on the tour, for which
we helped light numerous candles and directed drivers to parking. Janice also
baked brownies to accompany the complimentary cider and hot chocolate, and we
came in our tricorn hats and cloaks (see above). On Saturday, rain curtailed the tours, but I think they were a
success. We also put up our Halloween decorations.

We then had lots of recorded television to catch up on, including IFC's
documentary about Monty Python, the musical episode of Batman and the Brave and the Bold, Young Green Arrow — I mean Smallville,
and SyFy's Sanctuary. I've dropped Fast Forward, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, and Stargate: Universe, and I haven't missed them. (I had already drifted away from Dollhouse and Fox's Sunday cartoons because of time constraints.) USA's latest sleuth/caper series, White Collar, was decent light entertainment from the same folks who've brought us Monk and Psych. I'll finish my
series of second takes on the new TV season later this week.

Yesterday,
we ran errands in Dedham and Norwood. Thanks to new restaurants and stores in
and around Legacy Place and the Walpole Mall, there is less need for us to
fight traffic to get to Framingham/Natick, Newton and Waltham, or downtown
Boston. Of course, I have some favorite eateries and book shops in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, and elsewhere, but for regular shopping, I'm glad to avoid the
expense and time of driving 10 miles or more.

I've
already blogged about supernatural conspiracy series, among other recent shows.
I'm still enjoying Heroes, despite
its declining ratings and sophomore slump. Many critics and fans were turned
off by the inconsistent plotting ("Who's evil this week?") and
convoluted continuity (a hazard when a few characters can travel through time).
Although the ensemble effort doesn't excite me as it initially did, I think the
scripts have improved lately.

Heroes has suffered in comparison
with other shows involving large casts and supernatural conspiracies, such as Lost and Flash Forward. All require a significant suspension of disbelief,
despite being set in our world — unlike most high fantasy or space operas. As
a longtime fan of comic book superheroes, I still enjoy seeing ordinary people
gaining extraordinary abilities and trying to figure out what to do with them.

Smallville has continued chugging along, pleasing fans of the DC
universe with more cameos by costumed vigilantes but still teasing us by not
having young Clark Kent don Superman's tights and cape. I like the acting on
this metahuman melodrama more than the sometimes shaky writing. If I'm feeling
nostalgic or purist, at least I can turn to the Superman and Batman
serials of the 1940s or the Timm/Dini animated versions of the 1990s.

I've
argued that superheroes are more easily adapted from comics to cartoons than to
live action, as the latest wave of four-color shows demonstrates. I've mostly
dropped Iron Man: Armored Adventures
and Fantastic Four to make time for
other shows, such as Wolverine and the
X-Men and Marvel's Super Hero Squad
Show, which has grown on me despite its lowbrow humor and low-budget
animation.

Batman and the Brave and the
Bold's
much-ballyhooed musical episode is this week, following the tradition of Hercules/Xena, Buffy: the Vampire Slayer,
and Dr. Horrible (and let us hope not
Cop Rock). Speaking of Silver Age
campiness, I need to catch up on Spectacular
Spider-Man because I've missed a few episodes.

Most
of the shows I've just mentioned are adaptations of Marvel superheroes, with DC
Comics sticking with direct-to-video releases for older audiences. I'm looking
forward to Justice League: Crisis on Two
Earths, Superman/Batman 2, and
switching back to Marvel for a moment, a hopefully good Avengers team TV series.

There
are several characters I'd like to see on television that wouldn't require lots
expensive effects. If the writing was good, I'd happily tune into a show
focusing on Green Arrow, Daredevil, or the Shadow (but don't get me started
about SyFy's upcoming bastardization of the Phantom).
Which superheroes do you like, and who would you want to see in live-action or
animated TV shows?

Coming soon: Space opera on TV

Disclaimer:
I grew up on the sleuthing shows of the 1970s and 1980s. From Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew and Rumpole to Magnum P.I., Remington Steele, and Moonlighting, I grew fond of private detectives, romantic comedy,
and their long-suffering friends. Thus, I'm pleased that the subgenre has
bounced back after the wave of grim-faced police procedurals — and related forensics,
legal, and medical dramas — of the past two decades.

At
the moment, Castle is the best
example, with an eccentric but brilliant amateur detective, hard-working
police, and bizarre crimes following the template established at least since
the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. I'm also a big fan of Psych, which adds pop culture silliness
to the mix and just ended for the season.

I
already miss the caper series Leverage,
which is in a related subgenre and on hiatus, but spy spoof Chuck will soon be returning. I do enjoy
serious detective dramas, such as Inspector
Lewis (a spin-off of Inspector Morse)
on BBC/PBS's Masterpiece Mystery. Of
course, many of the paranormal conspiracy and horror programs I mentioned in my
previous blog post overlap with murder mysteries. What are your favorites?

Coming
soon:
Space opera and superheroes!