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I just finished watching the season finale of Eli Stone and I am hoping the tv executives over at ABC have enough brains to renew this great show for a 2nd season. In a time when tv is dominated by stupid reality shows and 15 versions of CSI it is refreshing to see an intelligent show that is truly original. Eli Stone has improved each week and the writers really seemed to have hit their stride in the last few episodes. I can only imagine the interesting places they could take this show next season, if ABC will only give them the chance.

The ratings have been up and down but with reruns as a lead in the past few weeks, it is difficult to judge the show’s true popularity. Eli Stone deserves a second season and the fans who enjoy tv shows that make you think deserve to have something worthwhile on tv. I actually don’t watch much tv because most of it is utter crap. That is why it is extremely frustrating to see the few good shows on tv get prematurely cancelled. There are undoubtedly more important things in the world than what is on tv, but if they are going to inundate the American public with mindless garbage they might as well gives us a few quality shows as well for the rest of us with half a brain.

ABC has not made an announcement yet but if you are a fan of the show now is the time to let them know how you feel. Please contact them and let them know that you enjoy Eli Stone and want more:

Snail Mail

ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4551

Email

http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html?lid=ABCCOMGlobalFooter&lpos=CONTACT

My wife and I recently returned from a 4 day trip to New Orleans and we had an incredible time. For those of you who are wondering if the city is still underwater or decimated, believe me it is open for busines and they will welcome you with open arms.

The city is still recovering from the devastation of Katrina but if you are a tourist visiting the city it is difficult to notice unless you go looking for it. We spent a majority of our time in the French Quarter and while it can be a tourist trap in some ways, it is still one of the best places on Earth. It was my 2nd visit to New Orleans as I went to Mardi Gras in 2002. This time there was a French Quarter Festival the weekend we were there but there was also more room to spread out minus the madness of Mardi Gras.

During my first visit I was single and spent most of my time walking up and down Bourbon Street jumping from bar to bar. This time I returned with my wife and actually did some sightseeing. I didn’t think it was possible but New Orleans was even better than I had remembered it. There is no other city in the US which has such a combination of history, great food, incredible architecture and entertainment.

My wife absolutely loved the city, probably because it is so different than any other place yet somehow still familiar. As we sat in a bar on Bourbon Street one night it is hard to describe the incredible feeling of joy and happiness that overtakes you. New Orleans is the true melting pot of the United States and is the one place where everyone seems to blend together to create a truly unique atmosphere. Young and old, black and white, local and tourist, everyone just seems to come together with the same objective; to have a good time. You get the feeling as you sit there watching everyone have fun together that this is how it is supposed to be.

The people of New Orleans have been through a difficult few years but they are a hardy bunch and it is easy to understand why they refuse to leave the Crescent City. They are very welcoming and seem to love sharing their beautiful city with visitors from around the world. It is a city that has something for everyone. Although it may not be the first thing that comes to mind, it is also a very romantic place when you go with someone you love.

I remember that dark day when Katrina hit back in 2005 and I remember saying to my wife how sad I was to see a city that I fell in love with being destroyed. Now my wife understands why I felt the way I did as she has fallen in love with New Orleans as well. If you want to help them continue on their road back to recovery the best thing you can do is go visit the wonderful people of New Orleans and spend some time (and money) with them. They will be glad to see you.

For some interesting things to do we recommend the following:

Grayline Tours
We went on the Supercity and Katrina tour and they were worth every penny. The Super City Tour is a head spinning adventure as you learn the fascinating history of New Orleans.

The Katrina Tour while sobering is very educational and enables you to get a first hand account of what really
happened from a local. Our tour bus driver was a great guy who gave us the facts rather than the hyperbole we
all saw on tv.

Haunted History Tour of the French Quarter
This was a lot of fun as the guide shows you some of the most interesting and spookiest places in the French Quarter

Steamboat Natchez
We spent one afternoon taking a ride down the Mississippi on a real working steamboat. We had a blast and some of the scenery was incredible.

National World War II Museum
Believe it or not the official national World War II musuem is in New Orleans. This is one of the better museums we have been to and it was very educational. They are expanding constantly so it will only get better in the future. Take some time to visit and shake hands with a few members of our greatest generation.

There are a ton of great restaurants, my favorite though was The Original Pierre Maspero’s. Try the roast beef poboy and you will be in heaven.

New Orleans is a definitely a city where a rental car is not needed and actually will be a hindrance. Spend a little extra and stay in the French Quarter or at least on Canal Street. Trust me, your feet will thank me.

Have fun and enjoy the most unique city on Earth.

It appears that the reports of Jericho’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated as the show has become the Lazarus of television. The New York Times casually mentioned in a story today that CBS Paramount and Comcast have been in talks to possibly form a deal whereby Comcast would subsidize some of the production costs of Jericho. In exchange they would receive the exclusive rights to air new episodes before they air on CBS. This is similar to a deal that Directv and NBC agreed to last week in regards to Friday Night Lights.

I’m up for anything that keeps Jericho on the air but I have a few causes for concern. I have Brighthouse (Time Warner) and don’t have the option of Comcast in my area so does that mean I’d have to wait weeks or months to see these episodes? While that is better than nothing, it is far from ideal. Why should certain fans be punished because of where they live? I’m tempted to say I would rather see new episodes on pay per view but I’m afraid what can of worms that could open as well. If the episodes were available in HD Quality on Amazon Unbox or iTunes I might be willing to pay $1-2 an episode provided they are commercial free. Another question is how many fans would be tempted to just download the show from Bit Torrent instead of waiting?

Either way, at least there is some hope for us Jericho fans. I guess we now know where to direct our attention, Hello Comcast.

Good luck and Lets Make History Together (again)