Batman vs. Superman: not just a 2015 event

There's been a lot of buzz going around recently about the new 'Batman vs. Superman' movie coming out in 2015. Much of it has been directed at Ben Affleck, who was just confirmed as the new Batman. These two characters are getting a lot of attention right now with the Dark Knight series well on their way and the Superman series just starting up again. Their history goes far beyond the last 5 years though, and I'd thought it'd be fun to take a quick peak at what these characters have gone through in the past.

Firstly, let's go back to the dinosaur ages of 1966. Phrases like "gee wiz" were actually said, as you'll notice only 4 minutes into this episode from the Batman TV series:

The series was never viewed as especially good though, and they clearly had a struggling budget. 

Okay, maybe they were struggling with a little more then their budget. But before this show even existed, there was the "Adventures of Superman" TV show that started back when the pyramids were being built. AKA 1952. 

Moving way ahead in time though, this cartoon was released just last year and features an epic battle between Batman and Superman. I feel like this may give us a good idea of what to expect from the new movie coming in 2015, except instead of a cartoon it's real people and a sh*t load of special effects. 

Best show on television

Hands down, the best show on television at lest in my view, is AMC's Mad Men. it really isn't even close. Before we get to Mad Men, it's pretty incredible what AMC has managed to do over the last five years in terms of picking up and airing critically acclaimed shows. Whether it's the walking dead, breaking bad, or mad men, the quality of AMC's shows are on par with those of HBO, Showtime, and the major networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC. Moving onto Mad Men though, what an amazing show. For those of you who haven't had the good fortune of seeing it yet, the show, which will be entering its fifth season in March, follows the lives of advertising executives in New York City in the 1960's.The show is witty, dark, mysterious, and the most well put together show on television. I began watching the show with father and he said it was like a time machine back to the 1960's. The show has won outstanding drama series at the Emmy awards the last four years, no small feat by any measure. The show is available from start to finish on netflix, but I must warn you, once you start, it is nearly impossible to stop. Enjoy, an get hooked, just like I did.
Here is the promo for season season one.

Welcome to the 60's

Mad Men is one of the most successful shows of the past few years... and of course if wasn't going to be long until other networks wanted a piece of that success. Thus spawned ABC's Pan Am and NBC's The Playboy Club.

Both are shows are about very different, but very glamourous settings in the 60's era with some very strong women protagonists. I'll confess now that I'm hooked on both of them even thought The Playboy Club has already been cancelled!

Pan Am has a better promise though. It's about the Pan Am stewardesses and their dreams of seeing more of the world than the contemporary housewives of the time. There's romance, adventure, mystery, glamour, and a touch of Cold War spies. The pilot opens with a real pilot (punny i know) tipping his hat to a little boy who looks on with wonder, and it ends with one of the stewardesses waving at a little girl looking on with that same look, "maybe I could do that too". They had me eating out of their hands! I'm such a sucker.



As for The Playboy Club... not as great writing and the whole Playboy Bunny murdering the mob boss doesn't go over so well. Still, the setting, costumes, and characters I think are great. I especially love the "Bunny Mother". She plays her role perfectly. Too bad all that wasn't enough and it's already cancelled!

There's a great article from The New Yorker about how the two shows show television's transition from strong male leading roles to strong women leading roles... and whether that's going to work or not. You can read that article here.