Here is some good news for the future of broadcast television. We may have to wait a while but considering the talent and story line I think it may be worth it. LL Cool J, Mr. James Todd Smith, is going to star in a new television series called The Man. As long time readers know, I respect Mr. Smith on several levels. LL Cool J is one of the few rappers that is not involved in rampant and random violence, his lyrics tend to have some depth and no vulgarity. In addition he actually is a decent actor, having honed his abilities on the In The House sitcom before moving on to various movies (S.W.A.T. and Last Holiday – with Queen Latifah – being the most recent).
The story is interesting as well. It’s focus is on a undercover cop who can provide whatever is needed by the criminals he is surrounded by. While the various stings based on that premise is interesting, there is another facet. Like LL Cool J, the lead character is a family man. In this case the fictional family is comprised of kids who have difficult lives, and he is giving them the helping hand they need.
It’s rare when a television program has a Black African American as a lead in a television program. Even moreso when that lead is in a serious program as opposed to a comedy. I have to say it’s about time that an uplifting positive image gets on the screen. If those were the only factors I’d look forward to the program. But the fact that there is a proven talent and the creator of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on board is solid validation.
Another item that has me looking forward to next year will be of interest to those that have read J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. While many may have been introduced to the books because of the superb translation done by Mr. Peter Jackson, I first read the series in eight grade. I’ve read all 5 books of the series (The Hobbit being the first and The Silmarillion being the last) and enjoyed every page of the fantasy adventure. But it seems that this was not the end of the stories involving Middle Earth.
The son of Mr. Tolkien has worked for 30 years on The Children of Hurin. This tale also takes place in the fantasy realm with elves and dwarves aplenty. This is a tale that Mr. Tolkien started in 1918 but never finished. Considering his expansive imagination and descriptive style this tale could well be the equal to his other works.
If you haven’t read the books themselves I suggest you do. Mr. Jackson was quite good at visualizing the world and the characters of Middle Earth. Yet even with the direct quotes of entire passages of the book Mr. Jackson still falls short of the images that the mind makes of the words themselves. At least this has been the experience that I have had. Thus the prospect of this new book has my mind captured.
This is what I think, what do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment