JJ Abrams: Person Of Interest

In 2011 JJ Abrams partnered with John Nolan to bring Person Of Interest to CBS (starring Michael Emerson and Jim Cavaziel). This is the ONLY JJ Abrams show still on the air (right now), but not the last he'll put out there.

This is not the show I was alluding to regarding personal freedoms and such in the last past (on Fringe), but I realize, even more than I did, that this issue is near and dear to his heart. Person Of Interest addresses personal freedom in a BIG way. Finch (Emerson) created an AI that monitors every electronic communication we make and gives that information to the government. In this scenario, Finch set it up so that they only received the Relevant Numbers (Social Security Numbers) of people who were "threats." Finch back-doored the system so that he got the Irrelevant Numbers (SS#s) of the people who would either die or kill someone (victim or perpetrator). However, he doesn't have the capacity to actually prevent these murders, so he seeks out Mr. Reese (Cavaziel).

Over the years, the scenarios have dived far beyond receiving an Irrelevant Number and stopping a murder. I'd tell you, but that would be spoiling it for you. And this show is worth watching from the beginning. It just gets better and better.





Have you watched Person Of Interest? Please tell me what you think....

JJ Abrams: Fringe

Lost premiered in 2004 (with much success). In 2008, Abrams launched a totally different show on Fox: Fringe (which also premiered with much success).

Fringe was about fringe science. Or weird science. Let's say extremely weird science. There were five seasons and seven openings of Fringe.

This video features all seven openings. The openings very much walk in lockstep with the content of the shows. Notice that the first six (the first four seasons) are all different, but the same. And then there is the last one (season five). If you want to watch the first and then skip to the last, jump to the two minute mark.




Season five was a totally different Fringe... a hard turn for the show that some viewers loved, but others not so much. And the network... not at all. It was cancelled mid-season (with a wrap-up for the show).

Let's look at a trailer for season one.




In season five, as I already said, the show took a hard turn from fringe science to much more basic issues of freedom and personal control versus government control. Fox cancelled it. However, JJ Abrams wasn't done with this idea, and it would be revisited several years later in a new show on a new network. The irony: it would be cancelled because this time he couldn't keep it about the concepts of freedom and personal control. In season two he introduced.... wait for it... fringe science.

He also went for show number three incorporating all of these issues in season one, and it was cancelled after season one. Do you see a picture yet????

Do you know the later shows to which I'm referring? Did you watch Fringe? What did you think about Season Five?

JJ Abrams: Lost

I started watching Lost (2004-2010) late in the game (2009). I bought it on DVD and caught up and watched the end with everyone else. Man, that show was excellent. Every episode was a surprise. Twist after twist after twist. The other thing you can count on: hard choices. For these characters, it was always one hard choice after another. I don't know about you, but I was constantly asking myself, "Could I make that hard choice if I had to do it?" Of course, until you walk that mile in those shoes, you just don't know.

This is just one of many hard choices...





Did you watch Lost? Were you on the edge of your seat week after week?

JJ Abrams: Six Degrees

At the same time that What About Brian aired (2006-2007), so did Six Degrees. It was a busy season for JJ Abrams. Unfortunately, neither of these shows lasted more than one season. I couldn't find even a trailer for Six Degrees (what's up with that???). But, someone posted the episodes in snippets on YouTube. So, I cued up the pilot. I admit I'm intrigued. JJ Abrams is genius. Shame on those network execs who cancel his shows too soon. (Or don't adequately promote them...)




Did you see this one when it was on? If so, what did you think? If not, did you watch the clip? Are you now intrigued?

JJ Abrams: What About Brian

JJ Abrams' third television offering was a show called What About Brian. I didn't watch this one. In fact, I didn't even know about this one until a few minutes ago. So, I can't cull through YouTube searching for the best video... since I don't know! I can tell you that the show aired from 2006-2007.

Here is the trailer:




Did you watch this one? If so, did you like it? Does making the trailer make you want to watch it?

JJ Abrams: Alias

JJ Abrams' second TV series, Alias, actually began while Felicity was still running. In fact, Felicity was the inspiration for Alias. Apparently, about halfway into the first season it occurred to him how much fun it would be if Felicity lived this secret life. Like she was a spy or something. But, there was no way to incorporate THAT into Felicity. So, the idea germinated and Alias was born. Sydney Bristow, played by Jennifer Garner (who made appearances on Felicity), actually was a spy attending graduate school. Voila. The idea manifested and was a HIT. Alias was one of those shows with talent up the wazoo, tons of action, an over-arcing mystery, and just Awesome. The show aired from 2001-2006.

Also the show had Michael Vartan, who played Michael Vaughn. Sidney and Vaughn were a HOT couple. Just steamin'.





Did you laugh when they realized they were on coms? That older guy was her dad. Can we say AWKWARD???

JJ Abrams: Felicity

Arlee Bird posted recently on Tossing It Out (as part of his A to Z) that a blogger just shouldn't leave their blog unattended (no posts for a LONG time) without at least hanging up a Closed Sign. Well, this blog isn't closed. It's just been neglected.

So, I'm going to post clips again (with as much regularity as I can muster). To kick this event off, we're going to revisit JJ Abrams career in TV. Checking out his list on IMDB, I see that I've watched many, but not all, of his shows. I guess I'm going to have to rectify that!

His first TV show was Felicity. This one I've watched several times. I'd try to explain that obsession, but it would take more words than you want to read. The show lasted four years and it documented Felicity's four years of college. Many of the actors from this show will reappear on Abrams' future TV shows. Felicity aired from 1998-2002.



Did you watch Felicity? Are you a fan of JJ Abrams?