Friday, June 25, 2010

What I Realized at 1:00am


I stayed up late last night to watch Royal Pains on USA. While watching, I saw USA's promos for their new CIA show, Covert Affairs as well as their FBI program, White Collar. It occurred to me while watching that there are just so many medical shows (HawthoRNe, Boston Med, Grey's Anatomy, House), law enforcement shows (Law & Order: SVU, CSI, Memphis Beat, Southland, Burn Notice, Chuck), and courtroom shows (Drop Dead Diva, The Good Wife). (Okay, it seems that there aren't as many courtroom shows as there used to be, but the law enforcement programs runneth over!) But this what I want to know: where are the shows about the professors?!?

Life in the academy can be on the edge and suspenseful. Hello! Publish or perish, people! It doesn't get anymore life-or-death than perishing! Plus, just imagine the hours of script that can be written on the tenure process alone! And it can be sexy. We don't all wear corduroy jackets with velvet elbow patches. If you want sexual tension, the mandatory sexual harassment workshop I attend every year insists that there are inappropriate sexual behaviors happening all the time. And then you have the precarious balance between being a parent and a worker who has a job with homework. How do we deal with that? And comedy! The work students attempt to hand in is itself hilarious! And finally, political issues and the greater questions of life could be tackled. This show could have everything. Well, maybe not vampires.

Someone needs to write this series. I'd watch it.

I'm also available for consultation.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've thought that, too, before. And I would watch it!!! Maybe we should write one! ;)

In fact, when I was in grad school, I thought that maybe I'd try to pitch someone a reality show about grad students because OMG, the DRAMA!

I think that's why I love the academic novel so much (which we're talking about over at my place right now).

The Diva said...

We should write one!

DH says only The Steel Magnolia and I would watch such a show. I can't wait to share with him that he is soooo wrong.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant Idea! Has there ever been a TV show about academia since Paper Chase (and even that one was more about the law students than the profs, right)? There have been High School TV shows (Welcome Back, Room 222), too. I remember loving the episodes of "thirtysomething" that focused on Gary's work as an English prof.

So let's write!

First, it obviously must take place at a 2nd tier college in a bucolic rural area so that the professors are forced to be like family to each other.....

Next?

The Steel Magnolia said...

And this is why I love blogging! My hubby also thinks academics are lame, just like TD's husband, but we know the truth! I think most people don't know what really happens in department meetings and behind the scenes. But we are funny and smart and often just starting real careers in our thirties when families and everything else is happening at the same time. Plus, the whole tenure process is FILLED with stress and drama--so I hear. There could be research stealing and professor-student tension (I've heard many stories about students with crushes). I mean, the push-pull between the classes that are filled with inspiration and brilliant ideas versus the ones when NOBODY has read and you can hear crickets--that's dramedy right there! Come on girls! TV needs us!
(Oh, I also loved those scenes with Gary.)

Ink said...

There must be a contentious mix of faculty members.

Oh, how I miss Thirtysomething! I loved it so much, I even bought the soundtrack. ;)

Blackwatch said...

Uh.....Na

Would this be a dramedy, a "reality" show, or an animated adult show, like the Clevland Show?

Siriusly, Let it go.

Perhaps you could show it at confreences like MLA or ASA or something, or via e-mail on a Youtube channel or something, but broad appeal is lacking , in my humble opinion.