In the Episode 7 of the web series—Rocket Boys—there is a beautiful interview scene between the characters of Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam and Dr.Vikram Sarabhai. My first reaction after watching the series completely (ends with Episode 8), was to pick up my copy of Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography—Wings of Fire—and look for a reference to this in his book.
Rocket Boys does two things for you. First and foremost it creates an element of curiosity to dig deep into the real life of the lead characters. Second, it makes us acknowledge the scientific sprit of India and cheer its successes. This is a feat not many can match, in the recent times.
“Rocket Boys” is a brilliantly made web series that dramatises the space and atomic revolution in India. It primarily deals with the overlap of the lives of Dr.Homi J. Bhabha and Dr.Vikram Sarabhai, with the hero in wings, Dr.APJ Kalam, making his entrance and his presence felt. It stands out in all crafts, especially in writing and production design department, with the lead actors, casting a spell on the audience. The subject matter so Indian yet has the potential to woo audiences all over the world. Wonder why Sony Liv is still not available abroad, especially in USA.
Tail piece: Did I find a reference to the interview in ‘Wings of Fire’. No. Does it matter? No. Do I wish it were true? Yes. Is Rocket Boys a must watch? Yes 🙂
St.Elsewhere (1982-1988) was an acclaimed and award winning TV series that appealed to a niche audience.It was set at the fictitious St. Eligius Hospital, which was often derided as St.Elsewhere in the medical circles for its not-so-great infrastructure.
The TV
series takes us through the lives of the dedicated staff, who fight it out
against all the odds to give the best possible medical care to their patients. The
episodic format allowed the writers to introduce a new patient (in the form of terrific
actors like Tim Robbins, Thomas Hulce etc) and weave his/her personal story into
that of the key characters.
The structure
of the TV series hovers around these four. (Spoilers ahead)
Establish the not so perfect world through the eyes of the key characters (The hospital itself being treated as a character. The long takes are as if the hospital, a third eye, allowing us to peep in to the extent it wants.)
Introduce new characters often as patients every week bringing in new problems that affect the lives of the lead actors/protagonists. (Sometimes non-patients are introduced as well, like a lawyer who helps out on a malpractice suit or a heart specialist from Hungary or a lobster fisherman struggling with his brother’s cancer etc)
The key characters learn something about themselves while teaching or treating or just interacting. (Dr. Auschlander’s conversation with a liver patient is one of the best, who sees hope in life inspite of his own terminal condition. Second best is Dr. Westphall’s honest feedback to Dr.Craig and how he takes it.)
Present the flow of life. Life goes on no matter what, and how hopeless it seems to be. (Season 1 ends with Auschlander making a toast to life)
St.Elsewhere
Season 1 is top notch, both writing and acting wise. The ensemble cast is out of
the world, featuring seasoned hands (at that time) like Ed Flanders (As Dr.
Donald Westphall), William Daniels (as Dr.Mark Craig), David Birney (as Dr.Ben
Samuels), Norman Lloyd (as Dr. Daniel Auschlander) and also top actors today
who just started out back then like David Morse (as Dr.Jack Morrison), Denzel
Washington (as Dr.Philip Chandler) and a host of others weeklies like Tim
Robbins (in ‘Bypass’), Thomas Hulce (in ‘Family History’), Ray Liotta (in ‘Rain),
Dick O’Neill & Michael Madsen (in ‘Remission’), Howard Duff (in ‘Addiction’)
and Pat Hingle (in ‘Brothers’).
Tailpiece 1:
In one of the episodes, Dr.Craig prepares a definitive list of to-do for his party, sort of a harbinger to Craigslist? 🙂
Tailpiece 2:
The hospital’s nickname, “St. Elsewhere”, is a slang term used in the medical field to refer to lesser-equipped hospitals that serve patients turned away by more prestigious institutions; it is also used in medical academia to refer to teaching hospitals in general. Source: Wikipedia
Tailpiece 3:
St.Elsewhere used to be aired on Doordarshan in godforsaken hours. Back then DD used to telecast adult movies during the same time. My father wondered what these episodes were, and watched a few with me. Later, left me alone 😉
Tailpiece 4:
The mix of traits from Dr.Craig and Dr. Westphall probably makes the best manager in the world.
In Indian mythology, Hindu God Krishna teaches a lesson to the dreaded child killer Kamsa, and announces his arrival as the incarnation of Supreme God. Perry Mason’s legend begins the moment he solves the crime involving a child killing and when justice is delivered both in and out of the court room.
Image Courtesy: HBO
Perry Mason
(HBO) Season 1 springs several surprises during the course of its eight
episodes, by toying with the pace of narration, as in the super fast
transformation of Perry Mason into a lawyer. But the writers keep the best for
the last. (Spoilers ahead)
In Episode 8, showing the actual perpetration of the crime while Perry Mason struggles to weave a coherent and convincing argument sets up the emotional build-up very nicely. It gives a reason to his outburst, as someone who knows for sure what the truth is and the innocence of his client, yet has to find a way to get it across to the jury. In one masterstroke, the writers managed not only to create the drama in the court room but also help Perry Mason understand what lawyering (with a profanity for emphasis), is all about. And in the process also bring out the key differentiator in the characterization of Perry Mason, as someone who is a crusader, and takes everything very personal. A case is always a more than just a case for our detective turned lawyer, and hence a hero with a mission.
What’s
really terrific about the series is the lavish scale on which it is mounted and
the effort in bringing out the racial and gender prejudices that are relevant
even today. And it warms your heart when
Ms.Della Street announces her intentions to be a lawyer without a modifier and
his detective having no inhibitions in haggling for his fee. Differences apart,
they make one heck of a team.
Season 1 of
Perry Mason succeeds in creating the legend of how it all began and now the audience
is ready for his exploits. It would be interesting to see how Season 2 is
handled, if it would be one big case again or a series of small ones set for a
big finale.
