The SF Site: The Small Picture by David Liss

The Small Picture
by David Liss

Fall isn't what it used to be, and with cable networks running shows in the winter and summer, premieres and finales are now a year-long phenomenon. This fall is unusual in that the original big three US networks each has a science fiction program in the offing. These shows are obviously part of the post-Lost phenomenon, but I'm not complaining. Serialization, in my view, is television's natural idiom, so I'm happy to see more efforts to tap into Lost's ratings magic.

The Small Picture
TV reviews by David Liss
Among the things so remarkable about Lost's precipitous third season demise is the degree to which, in its effort to both answer question and complicate the drama, it has distanced itself from the formula that made it successful in the first place. Lost's early appeal was based not on the mysterious isolation of its characters.

The Small Picture
TV reviews by David Liss
Back in the old days, fictional wizards and witches were made, not born. You gained magical powers either through study of arcane texts you weren't supposed to read or through bargains with supernatural beings you weren't supposed to know. Very ambitious sorcerers hedged their bets and went for both. It's a great tradition, going back to antiquity. We were happy with it literally for thousands of years, and then came the cultural shift.

The Small Picture
TV reviews by David Liss
By now, anyone with even a vague interest in science fiction on television know of Battlestar Galactica's buzz as one of the best programs on the air, a distinction particularly remarkable given the high quality serialized dramas currently airing. The show's reputation is well deserved, though David had a hard time signing on to the first season.

The Small Picture
TV reviews by David Liss
With Lost on break until February, it seems like a good time to take a step back and take stock of where the show is and where it may be going. And ABC is filling the space with the 13-episode series Day Break which attempts to combine the sense of mystery of its time-slot-mate with the compelling action of 24.

The Small Picture
TV reviews by David Liss
Fall isn't what it used to be, and with cable networks running shows in the winter and summer, premieres and finales are now a year-long phenomenon. This fall is unusual in that the original big three US networks each has a science fiction program in the offing. These shows are obviously part of the post-Lost phenomenon.