Despite the fact we don't have any manned missions to Mars planned, nor do we even have any unmanned missions to Mars planned, I am trying to get pumped up over what is a great scientific achievement -- just not one I can easily get worked up over. I stayed awake watching the live feed from JPL Sunday night, not just because one of my former bosses was the technical director for the event, but because this really is the last of the big missions by the US government's space program. In a like manner, I decided to also watch the Discovery Channel's special about the rover, even though I have seen a steady decline in the ratio of sizzle versus steak in Discovery's programing in recent years.
First and foremost, they did a good job naming a lot of people who worked on the mission, and they did a just-above-average job of explaining the goals of the mission. What I was sort of hoping for was twofold: First, I wanted to see more on the construction and testing of the rover because the technology interested me. Second, in keeping with the name of the rover, I wanted them to pique my curiosity. One thing that wasn't needed was the segment on people hacking away at a chunk of the Oregon desert. The narration seemed to indicate this would help to illustrate what the rover will be doing on Mars, but this seemed extremely dumbed down. I mean, some verbs like "dig" don't really require visual aids and metaphor. Another unnecessary segment was about the "Mars One" plan to send people to Mars which -- instead of instilling me with hope or optimism -- only served to remind me that if/when a human sets foot on Mars, it is unlikely the United States will have anything to do with it. Last but not least, I want to say a few words about the hosts, Ziya Tong and Dan Risken. What was the deal with their hand gestures? Anybody remember the early Monty Python episode featuring the two Frenchmen explaining their plans to weaponize flying sheep? In that absurd sketch, only the Frenchman wearing the fake French mustache could speak. In a like manner, when one of the hosts of this special spoke, they gestured wildly with their hands but as soon as one stopped speaking, the other started talking and flailing their arms like the robot from Lost In Space. The hand gestures often didn't match what they were saying, and it was distracting. My last note has to do with the blue dress Ziya Tong wore throughout the show. The tight blue dress. The very tight blue dress. How tight was it? Well, I've never watched the host of a documentary and been able to tell -- conclusively -- that her bra unlatches from the front. So -- I guess -- my thanks go to Ms. Tong or her wardrobe person for making the show entertaining. -- Kevin M. (RPCV) -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
