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Toys as Narrative

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-12-22T05:34:41-08:00

All three are Secret Service agents; two guys and a girl cracking wise, running, jumping and saving the world by heading out into one adventure after another for WAREHOUSE 13. ... I’m one of two executive producers working with a staff of talented writers who spend their days dreaming up jack-in-the-box surprises for the characters and you. ...And the toy makers that embraced that fascination were rewarded with a legion of boys (and a few girls, I’m sure) who hammered their parents for anything rocket related. ... Bendable, posable (if you had one you know that sinking feeling when one of Matt’s internal wires snapped resulting in an arm or leg akimbo) and willing to undertake any mission you threw him. ... In the “Create Your Own Horror” department (resulting in either a rubbery monster or a burned down house) Mattel gave kids a hot-as-hell hot plate that cooked up bugs, skeletons or, if you had the proper molds, Superman or Tarzan. ... There was endless fascination for me when a negative mold (a carved out representation of a creature in a small block of steel) was filled with liquid plastic (how cool is that?) ... The making of my own toys, the transformation of raw materials into something tangible, something that didn’t exist a few moments before, was my first unwitting step into a career made of cobbling disparate thoughts together to make something (hopefully) greater than the sum of its parts. ...

Here Today. Gone Tomorrow. Back on Tuesday, Maybe.

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-12-10T17:23:28-08:00

Ah, Big Media. You chap my ass so. Find out why.

Travis McGee

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-12-07T10:39:33-08:00

“As Americans debate their retirement options, they should look to the example of private investigator Travis McGee. ... MacDonald, McGee would "retire" after each payday until the money ran out, on the theory that it's better to enjoy your golden years in installments while you're young.” ...So, embracing the failure that I knew was coming, I looked for further diversion. ... MacDonald, McGee was the kick in the ass I needed. MacDonald, through McGee, became a mentor and a handy moral compass for me. To this day, when faced with a ticklish ethical situation, it always helps to ask, “What would Travis do?” That is, after he slugs it out with some baddy, beds a beautiful but fragile client, and suffers through his own clay-footed crisis of faith only to rise, doubtful of his own abilities, and right a gruesome wrong. If you don’t know Travis, start at the beginning. Forgive the quaintness of the 1960s morals and stick with him. ... And, by the way, the books do kick ass.

R.I.P.

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-12-07T08:27:52-08:00

Forry Ackerman has left the mausoleum.

Jekyll

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-11-13T19:22:17-08:00

Now that NBC’s My Own Worst Enemy has succumbed to it’s eventual fate so early in its run I’m compelled to revisit one of the best iterations of the Jekyll and Hyde franchise to date. And it wasn’t MOWE. JEKYLL is a BBC production starring James Nesbitt and written by Steven Moffat. Smart, witty and scary, JEKYLL follows the present-day complications encountered by a family man who’s discovered a personal and terrifying genetic anomaly. In an ultimately futile attempt to keep his wife and twin boys safe from his murderous alter-ego, Tom Jackman (Nesbitt) has moved out of his house and taken up residence in a fortress-like apartment complete with a massive, leather-strapped chair. Thankfully for us, the straps are useless. Not so much for anyone else who crosses paths with Jackman’s bad self. There’s sex and violence, corporate intrigue and love and hope. And Nesbitt. ...

Weasels

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-11-08T11:52:28-08:00

A few posts ago I named this show as one of my guilty pleasures. The guys and gals appeared to be good-natured working stiffs eager to stumble around in the dark and golly-gosh at potential paranormal phenomena with an eye toward skepticism and an appreciation for the thrill of the (ghost) hunt. ...And, yes, GHOST HUNTERS is on the Sci Fi(ction) Channel so truth is subject to interpretation (or avoidance). ...And while those Roto-Rooter staged preambles in earlier episodes were a cute but obvious attempt at promoting the Regular Joe of it all they were still appealing in their clunky-cheesy fakery. But when the vans rolled and the folks wanting answers were met I (stupidly, I know, I know) assumed things were more on the up and up than not. ...Because of a fan backlash (hit YouTube and search for “Ghost Hunters fake fraud”) the bloom is off. Apparently the pressure of continuing to grow their ratings has led to things like the situation you’ll find documented in the video below: ...Isn’t that just the coolest little slip in shit you’ve ever seen? It makes every prior incident of unexplained spookiness just a run of the mill jerk off.

Change

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-11-04T19:05:24-08:00

(null)

There's Bound To Be Bargains

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-31T20:51:38-07:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

If You Won't Listen to Me...

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-29T21:16:25-07:00

Merlin Mann is the guy behind the blog 43 Folders. It’s hard to describe the site but it’s focus is on helping you to get things done. ...And he’s got passions. ... But one of the things he’s most passionate about is the HBO series The Wire. That DVD set you keep meaning to watch. If you could only find the time. ...You’re sick of people talking that damn show. And it’s off the air now anyway so who cares? ... And I dare you to read his piece about the show and not come away at least a little intrigued. ...Find the time.

The War of the Worlds

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-26T12:42:13-07:00

He adapted the novel. Assembled the actors. And changed entertainment history. The website The Mercury Theater on the Air has the audio files of his most famous radio drama along with more that you've probably never heard of or listened to. Go on over there. You're in for a treat. And, with Halloween just around the corner, if you're up for a truly creepy radio drama from the golden era of creepy radio dramas get over to Escape and Suspense! They've got a story (scroll down) called "Three Skeleton Key" read by Vincent Price. Listen to it in the dark. If you've got kids young enough to be scared pissless then by all means, park them in front of the speakers.

Placing Product in Your 30 Rock

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-23T23:21:59-07:00

In this age of TiVo (did I capitalize the right letters?) advertisers are being increasingly forced to outsmart what used to be a semi-docile, sometimes captive audience. They always wanted to trick you into buying something. Now they really want to trick you. And they’ve enlisted some major (stars’) help. Check out this fantastic article in New York Magazine’s online edition about the lengths some Mad Men will go to snag your eyeball.

Porn in the Afternoon

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-21T08:14:02-07:00

“...we acted very fast to get it off.” – Nancy Cottenden, Director of Communications for Rogers Cable.

Murdoch, Redstone & The Credit Crunch

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-21T08:03:43-07:00

Interesting article by Julia Boorstin over at the CNBC site. The credit crunch is hitting the whole media sector — and hard. Two media moguls in particular, Sumner Redstone and Rupert Murdoch, have seen their firms' stock prices hammered. But they're finding themselves in diverse spots and they're spinning their situations quite differently.

Distracted? Let Colin Explain It All For You

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-19T10:52:08-07:00

Digital. Not Digitalis.

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-16T10:58:02-07:00

50 Years Ago Today

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-16T07:50:50-07:00

Lights in a box. The New York Times explains it all.

The Object of My Affliction

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-14T22:30:27-07:00

Apple dropped some new hardware today. In spite of the fact that I’ve got more Macs than I know what to do with... I want. Check it here.

Disaster Coverage

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-11T08:00:15-07:00

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Another Sci Fi and More Channel

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-10-06T22:21:06-07:00

Remember when TV used to promise to take you places you’d never been and show you wondrous things? The AMC Network is beginning to convince me that it remembers that promise. MAD MEN is part of that. Writer/director Michael Nankin is working on a series set in WWII about downed B-17 fliers trapped behind enemy lines. And the novel Carter Beats the Devil about the trials and adventures of an early 20th Century magician is slated for production. As the networks keep regurgitating the same old same old it’s heartening and inspiring to see AMC (and A&E) reaching up to embrace ambitious stories that can elevate and entertain.

Okay, This is Just Great

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-27T20:17:27-07:00

My Guilty Ghostly Pleasure

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-26T22:43:27-07:00

My wife laughs at me for loving this. ... I have absolute, unabashed deep affection for two New England plumbers and their little band of cohorts who travel around the country searching for creepy stuff. Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes are the show’s two leads. They’re accessible, disarming and determined to debunk what they can. ... With SUVs loaded to the fenders with high-tech gear (and stalked by a run and gun video and sound crew) they roll into some town or city and crash for the night at the local spook spot. Bars, hotels, factories, or families’ homes are their playground. ... I’m not saying I believe in supernatural jump-up (at least not while my pragmatic psychotherapist wife is watching). But I do believe Grant and Jason have a blast chasing it down. ...Check out the clip below to see some of their “findings.”

Fender Benders

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-23T20:23:50-07:00

Over at The Zicree Simkins Podcast Marc Zicree and I had a great conversation with TV writer/producer Lee Goldberg. Lee tells a great tale of going to Germany to help the TV industry over there get a grip on how to get and keep a growing audience. To get a glimpse of one of Germany’s more intriguing efforts check out the clip below. Ladies and Gents, ALARM FOR COBRA 11.

Hey, I (Re)Wrote a Pilot!

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-19T17:10:08-07:00

Actually, Brent Mote wrote the pilot. Jane Espenson then tackled the material followed by Rockne O’Bannon. I batted writerly clean-up and produced the pilot with Jace Alexander directing. And now... Hey, We’ve Got a Series! Read the Variety article here.

Hey, I Wrote a Movie!

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-16T22:16:34-07:00

Eighteen months ago my wife was pregnant with twins. I wasn’t working. Well, not “working” working but there was a lot of baby-prep going on. Dan Myrick, a good friend, approached me with an idea for a movie. We kicked it around some and, since I had a little time before the baby shoes dropped, I wrote it. He produced it. Ben Rock directed it. Julia Fair did a terrific production rewrite when the twins arrived and I was pulled into two wonderful other directions. Here’s the trailer for ALIEN RAIDERS.

The Object of My Affection

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-15T21:30:36-07:00

In 1999, feeling nostalgiac for one of the the films that inspired me, I started looking around for an off-the-shelf model kit of the Nautilus submarine from Walt Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. ... So, after searching the web relentlessly for anything coming close to a replica of the sub, I discovered a fellow named Jim Key. Jim’s website, Custom Replicas, spelled out services for the discriminating yuppie desperate to relive his youth. Jim is a former prop builder for movies and television. But after years of toiling in model shops he found his talents being pushed aside by computer generated effects. So he offered his skills to anyone wanting a, well, custom replica of whatever anyone might want. ... Jim and fellow artisan Scott Brodeen, a Nautilus aficionado, went to work. Within the year I had a 5’6” Nautilus. ... A small cottage industry began and the sub has gone slightly mainstream. ...

Barack Rolled!

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-07T13:39:23-07:00

Just. Watch.

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-06T11:31:00-07:00

Writing in a Vacuum

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-09-04T09:22:26-07:00

The only time I feel like I’m actually writing for television is when I’m on the set, the scene to be shot sucks, bad dialog is actually rearranging the actors’ teeth it’s so clunky and we’re losing the light. ... and grab the back of an envelope to try and work out, untangle, cut and recreate the moment, the nut of the scene that worked so well three, five, ten months prior in a first written-in-the-heat-of-creation draft... where was I? ... They’re like suddenly discovering you’re riding a tiger (that’s been gnawing your leg) when all along you thought you were on a horse and now, hey look, who’s got a tourniquet?! ... One of the best experiences I’ve had working with an actor was with Paul Blackthorne on THE DRESDEN FILES. Before each week’s work he would call me from Toronto (where the show was shot) and we would go through the script, page by page (and not just his scenes) working out the truth of the moments. ... If an actor can come along and keep me from puking by simply making my point with a smile, a look, an eye roll or a drop of the head then please, God, eye roll. ... Great writing is setting up a thought-circus then opening the gates and letting the audience in to wander at will. ... Later, if the circus is revealed to be a little flat, someone will come along with the “perfect” score to shove you into phoney-emotionville or wow-wasn’t-that scaryland? ...And this week, as the cut was being prepared for audience testing (yikes) I’ve been working on a story for a possible episode should the series get ordered. ... For so long now I’ve let other people define what’s good and bad about my writing that I’ve sort of taken my ego out of it.

The Wire - Season 5

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-08-30T19:47:53-07:00

“When you walk through the garden you got to watch your back.” If you’re a fan, you know. The Wire is the best show now not on television (unless it’s on your DVD player and right this moment it’s on mine). If you haven’t seen it – or maybe you tried it and gave up – there will come a time when you will become immersed. And you’ll become a zealot. You will gift seasons of The Wire to your family, your friends and to your mailman.

Lord Bowler, R.I.P.

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-08-30T10:46:47-07:00

My friend John McNamara emailed me a few weeks ago to give me the news. ... In the early 1990s I was five years beyond the one film I’d written and had produced. ... Then I got a call that two producers, Carlton Cuse and Jeffrey Boam, were looking for a little help in scripting a western tv series for the then-fledgling Fox Broadcasting Network. Carlton and Jeffrey gave me the concept, the setting, and the names of the characters. ... We worked out the story and I wrote the pilot. Fox approved and we made the series “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.” ... But the actor I knew was one of the funniest, kindest and quick-to-laugh men I’ve ever met. His character alongside Bruce’s Brisco was designed to be insecure, violent, sensitive, full of bluster, bravado, irrational fears and untapped courage. It was a tough thing to embody that character and to also be the comedy relief to Bruce’s deadpan (and very funny) straight man. ...

Simkins sez hey.

davidsimkins@mckinleywhitehall.com — 2008-08-28T18:57:49-07:00

Thanks for dropping in. In short order I’ll be adding to this site, shoveling in some observations, opinions and other items of limited interest. I know this place sounds like a law firm. Actually the site name, the name of my company, is a callback to my formative years. ... The place where, as a kid growing up in the midwest, I spent hours watching television and loving it. This was the tv of the 1960s and 70s. The years of Quinn Martin and Irwin Allen. Of Jim West and Alexander Mundy. Of Partridges and Bunkers and Fugitives and Cronkite getting me to the moon and back. If you’ve got an interest how TV works or a question about the biz you need answered drop me a quick note.