TV is the New Reading

Ring in the new

year with a podcast

Happy New Year, everyone. This is a very new year for me, in that this is the first year I’ve ever done a podcast. So apart from a couple of highlights to be aware of in the offing, I wanted to reflect on the past year and outline a couple … I won’t call them “resolutions” so much as maybe continuing priorities for the coming season.

First off, however, a reminder that this week TNT premieres the series “Supernatural” in weekday syndication beginning with the pilot episode Monday at 10/9c, so set those DVRs. As to why you should, you can still catch my colleague and “Supernatural” fan Rod Erdahl’s commentary on the show in last week’s show links under my picture to the right. Click on “tjPodcast” and it’s the entry there titled “NewsRadio’s Catherine is still HOOTTTT" -- that little "POD" button to the upper left of that entry -- and about three-quarters of the way through. Enjoy!

In fact, they’re all still there, dating to my opening salvo, “Castle is a Rock Star,” which laid the foundation for the current format -- mild spoilery commentary, mostly after the fact, but between iTunes and hulu.com, if you miss anything these days you can usually pick it up easily enough in some other way. Back then I was so worried about static and noise I kept volumes so low you can actually hear my heavy-handed keyboarding in my theme music. I found that tap-thump so distracting after awhile I recorded new theme music from scratch toward the end of May, which by August I was finding so tedious I re-recorded Theme 3.0, which I’m still reasonably happy with.

In nine months of podcasting I’ve managed to put more than half a day’s worth of television commentary out there -- a little over 12½ hours, in fact -- on as broad a range of programming as you’d want. I like the biweekly format for people who’ve already read my column and don’t need to hear me read it, with a second entry that’s not tied to the space constraints I’m facing with my column, which I can take a bit farther afield.

I believe the most useful aspect of this format was my discussion of TV music. I can write all day about music featured in television programs, but I think it’s much more worthwhile to simply hear it. That incidentally was a bit of music from my music review podcast dated April 25, and that particular song, “Luisa’s Bones” by Crooked Finger, has been part of my tjShuffle lineup since I first heard it on “Chuck” and tracked it down.

A little help from my friends

Even with two eyes I can’t watch everything so I’ve gotten some help over the past year from “ER” superfan Jaye Jameson, “House” superfan Kim Gifford, “Supernatural” superfan Rod Erdahl I mentioned up there and my colleague, Andrea Johnson, who occasionally steps in for my print column when I’m on vacation and who has graciously shared her voice as well.

I’m astonished to report that despite a cold earlier this fall, a roadtrip in August and a couple of theater productions in the interim, I’ve managed to deliver hot and fresh television commentary every week since I started this process last March. Which incidentally I wouldn’t ever have considered doing if my friend and fellow “Angel” fan Marc Bailey, also known as grailwolf, podcaster extraordinaire, currently on hiatus from the always brilliant, always insightful “Grailwolf’s Geek Life” to focus on his latest project -- rather, his son, Connor, who from his mummy’s uploads to Facebook is adorable!

Other highlights I thought were my marathon reviews of fall premieres from Sept. 19 through Oct. 10. I watched at least one episode of and talked about some 40 shows -- an average of 10 premieres a week -- some of which was in addition to the way-too-much television I watch as it is, part of my Oct. 24 confession, Shoveling out the DVR, discussing the abundance of media I consumed over my vacation. These were especially long entries, topping the half-hour mark -- one week had so many premieres I released it as a three-parter.

All in all, I am enjoying this process. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t. I love the fact that there’s television out there that’s worth talking about, that writers and actors, directors and producers are doing legitimate storytelling, rather than merely filling time or selling detergent.

They have to do that too, of course, which is why some high concept shows fall by the wayside. But just for the attempt, taking a chance on something a bit unusual, off the wall or outside the box, I salute them. A lot of time it fails -- “Eli Stone,” “Pushing Daisies,” “The Unusuals,” just to name a few -- but once in a while it just takes off and you get “Glee,” which is just encouraging.

New years priorities

I mentioned resolutions, or priorities, and I just want to repeat I approach this podcast as an extension of my work with The Minot Daily News and as such I hold myself to the same high standard of honesty and integrity you’d find anywhere in our printed product.

Whatever commentary I make on shows I watch you can rest assured is entirely my own and any comments I make or choose to share will meet the same standards of language and usage you’ll find in the pages of our newspaper. In fact, whether my commentary appears in the paper or not, it does appear in its entirety in this blog. I choose to use iTunes “Clean” designator simply to reaffirm that whatever the rating of the shows I talk about, my podcast is generally suitable for all audiences.

My podcasts are hosted at libsyn.com for a very small monthly fee. Also, there is a practice in new media for its practioners to promote each other’s podcasts when they get a chance, and I engage in this practice when the opportunity arises to spread awareness of other podcasters listeners might find interesting.

But beyond breaking up my own podcast a little bit with someone else’s voice -- and occasionally getting a bit of free promotion myself on other people’s podcasts -- I neither receive nor accept any remuneration for these breaks. And of course, the content on those sites is entirely their own, as is mine on my site. I also promote activities of nonprofit and community celebrations and events in Minot and the surrounding region when I get a chance, as well as upcoming features in The Minot Daily News itself.

Throughout, my goal has been singular: To highlight television and characters worthy of our attention and to get some dialogue going about them. More to the point, to look at media, and then talk about it. I will continue those efforts into the new year. Thank you for your continued support, interest and attention.

Happy New Year, and as always, happy viewing.

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