From: H. Nunes <hwnunes@leland.stanford.edu>
Subject: Re: Going to Extremes
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A76F8FD34F0100F0@naranja-pc-175.stanford.edu>
X-Xxdate: Tue, 5 Jan 93 19:19:47 GMT
Organization: CaveMakers, Inc.
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d17
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 93 03:19:47 GMT

In article <1993Jan5.225701.4764@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> Cliff Chen,
cliff@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu writes:
>>The show started out strong, then went completely in the dumper, but
then
>>there were two very strong episodes back to back... the christmas
episode
>>was pretty good, also.  But I have officially stopped taping the show
>>because overall, I don't care much for it, and with the shows REALLY low
>>rating following 'Rosanne' and the 'Jackie Thomas Show,' it has been
>>moved to Wednesday and will be canceled (unless Brand/Falsey have some
>>special deal we don't know about).
>
>	I have to disagree.  The show started out rather poorly, which is
>why so many Falsey & Brand fans gave up on it.  But the show has
definitely
>taken an upward trend and I have to say that the GTX Christmas episode is
>easily comparable with some of the better NEXP episodes.

Whoa!!!  Talking about to absolute polar views on one thing... we might
as well be Siskel and Ebert.

>	The show began trying too hard to be another NEXP.  And that was
>unfortunate because Charlie and Alex are not Joel and Kathleen is not
>Maggie.  For a time I was drawing lots of parallels between the shows:
>Charlie/Alex as Joel, Kathleen as Maggie, Henry Croft as Maurice, and
many
>more.  But they are finally developing aside from their NEXP-ness.  They
>are much more interesting characters (perhaps that is only because I know
>the Cicelians so well and am just getting to understand the Jantiquans).

I believe that there are clear comparisons to NX, too.  Croft and Maurice
are obvious.  That one native, Rob (?), was an obvious clone of Ed.  The
island natives are comparable to the lot in Cicely.  Then there is the
Kym (?) and Chris paradox.  But that's where the comparison ends on an
individual basis.  All five med-school character (the frustrated Collin
who is stuck there another year, the insecure Kate, the arrogant but
charming Alex, the neurotic Charlie, and the one who misses
'civilization' the most, Sheryl) combined would equal one Dr. Fleischman.
 THat's where I point to as the weakness of the show... it lacks dynamic
characters where it needs it most, the students.  Sure you got that
anatomy professor (for got the name of the character from Austrailia with
the pony tail) and Dr. Davis, but those are supporting characters while
the students are pretty boring.

>	But I strongly think that people who like Falsey & Brand and gave
>up on this show early on, should tune in now, as the show has improved
>considerably.

I never gave up on the show... I have seen and taped every episode.  I
was the only sole posting positive messeges about the show.  I have given
up now mainly because I have no desire to record the show and it is
headed for cancelation.  Unlike "Civil Wars," critics haven't exactly
fallen in love with the show.  I will probably continue to watch the
hsow, though.

>	One disadvantage GTX has is that it is not as easy to just turn on
>and be absorbed by the characters, like NEXP.  The problem is that with
GTX
>you have to have seen the previous episodes in order the fully understand
>the characters motivations.

Actually, no.  The characters seem to have no motivations for their
actions.

>	It would be a shame if the show was cancelled, especially when the
>first sexual tension relationship is just beginning to form
>(Kathleen/Colin).

The Kate/Colin relationship is a great example of the stumbles the show
has made... these two were practically forced onto each other in the
pilot, but then nothing happened.  They didn't even have that many scenes
together.  That one episode where Kate learns that her old boy friend is
getting married (I think it was titled "Lover's Leap") was really lame,
especially the ending."

>						Cliff Chen
>						cliff@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu

To each his own... at least NX isn't headed for cancelation any time soon.
Newsgroups: alt.tv.northern-exp