Category: Just Asking

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LIKE PRIMETIME BACK-T0-BACK TV?

Just asking…

Are you regular fans of network TV programming of back-to-back episodes on specific week nights?

Referring to procedurals that tackle crime and punishment, aid and rescue of the injured or ill, embracing car accidents, highrise fires or rampant drug-related crimes?

If so, which of these back-to-back shows do you like best?

Monday on CBS, two procedurals reign: the flagship “NCIS,” the Mark Harmon original, which this season precedes “NCIS: Hawai‘i,” the island-based spin-off.  We watch, though miss Harmon (he’s retired, but his name and image appear in the opening titles), even though it’s no longer the hot show it was for much of its 19 seasons.  The Monday scheduling is a wise lead-in to the Hawaii-shot spiff-off,.

Tuesday on CBS, a trio of investigative shows are intensive, savvy projects:  “FBI,” “FBI Most Wanted,” and “FBI International.” Great casts, with some crossover moments; fresh, incisive scripts.

Wednesday on NBC, it’s must-see TV, the best of triple-threats set in the crime-heavy Chicago, and unbeatable in relevance and timeliness: “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” are often gritty but grand, and the hospital setting unsettling but intriguing,  the firefighting front and the police station daunting but challenging. The mix is the stuff of episodic drams: ER tension, smokey highrise, dangling vehicles over the river, and unexpected flying bullets or bombs bursting. Everyday drama never has been so visible and jammed with fictional stories that demonstrate and spotlight such emotional wallop. And, yes, giving first responders a positive image.

Thursday on NBC, law and order prevail: the original “Law and Order” favorite, Sam Waterson, is back and holding court in a reboot, and time will tell if it has staying power. “Law and Order SVU” still features Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson and remains a powerhouse hour that’s a whole lot better than the third entry, “Law and Order: Crime” which has Christoper Meloni’s Elliot Stabler  attempting to get a handle to outlast and outpower his weekly antagonist.

Friday on CBS used to be the slot for the now-shuttered “Hawaii Five-0,” where “Magnum P.I,” the Jay Hernandez reboot shooting here, preceding the network’s popular “Blue Bloods,” which still stars Tom Selleck, the original Thomas Magnum.”

Incredibly, Dick Wolf is the creator and executive producer of all the “Law and Order” series, all the “Chicago” brands, and all the “FBI” titles, a credit few others can claim. Indeed, he’s the king of the best of the TV franchise shows.

And most of his trademark programss are in syndication, so reruns provide a world of entertaining dramas, on such venues as USA, iOn, We and a few other spots on your TV dial.

With so many heavyweights from the traditional networks, it’s tough to surf the streaming services of Netflix or Disney+ or Amazon Prime. The aforementioned series left the airwaves during the coverage of NBC’s “Winter OIympics,” but happily, regular programming has returned … though most series are approaching their finales for the season.

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GOT A FAVORITE RAINY DAY SONG?

Just asking…

On cloudy, rainy days like today and yesterday, don’t you feel like singing a weather-related song?

That ominous, threatening layer of clouds lingering yesterday over the islands produced a lot of liquid sunshine, prompting me to think about weather tunes.

Ominous clouds over Honolulu yesterday.

Here are 10 tunes — to search for in your disc collections or to request your favorite deejay to play — to keep you in the rainy-cloudy-stormy vein:

  • “Rhythm of the Rain,” by The Cascades.
  • “The Rain in Spain, Stays Mainly on the Plain,” by Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” (varies if film or stage).
  • “Set Fire to the Rain,” by Adele.
  • “Get Off of My Cloud,” by the Rolling Stones.
  • “Singing in the Rain,” by Gene Kelly.
  • “Both Sides Now,” by Judy Collins or Joni Mitchell.
  • “Cloud Nine,” by the Temptations.
  •  “Stormy Weather,” by Lena Horne.
  • “Come Rain or Come Shine,” by Margaret Whiting and various artists.
  • “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” by B. J. Thomas.
    Of course, the childhood-era “Rain, Rain Go Away” might be the simplest song on the rainy list, and if there’s rain, there just must be rainbows, so credit Judy Garland for her “Over the Rainbow” original, and home-grown Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole” for re-inventing his version fused with “What a Wonderful Day.”

Do you have a weather-related song you wanna hear  on a cloudy day?

And here’s to a sunny tomorrow…

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THE JOYS OF CHRISTMASES PAST

Just asking…

Have you been listening to Hawaii’s Christmas radio station, KSSK, to reminisce the yuletide via songs old and new?

I’ve been loving the walk down memory lane, to hear traditional carols alongside pop and rock Christmas fare.

More importantly, since I downsized a couple of years ago, I no longer have a stash of vinyl 33 1/3 discs that I’d haul out every December. I tried to update, without much success, rereleases of popular titles available on CD. I kept a few LPs but not 45s.

Andy Williams

So the outpouring of sentimental journeys, via KSSK, has made it a blissful holiday.

Yuletide melodies get you into the holiday spirit. Bing Crosby. Perry Como. Dean Martin. Andy Williams. Gene Autry. Karen Carpenter and The Carpenters, principally Karen Carpenter, Bobby Helms. All silenced by death, but back to the future via holiday classics.

Karen Carpenter

Oh holy nights and days.

Happily, the king of Christmas serenading – Johnny Mathis – provided many signature hits. He’s one of the greats still alive. Add Brenda Lee, Mariah Carey, Michael Buble and Pentatonix for today’s bank of Christmas crooners.In the mix: local tracks by Henry Kapono, Gail Mack, Willie K, The Brothers Cazimero.

So to these singers and the stations that share them, mahalo plenty. And Mele Kalikimaka!

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FRUITCAKE: LOATHE IT OR LOVE IT?

Holiday fruitcake has a love/hate presence every year.

To those who must have a wedge of fruitcake: Why do you adore it? It’s a dense brick of a cake; often the butt of jokes…that it can be crack a window when hurled.

Dark and fruity…

To those who nix the fruitcake: What don’t you like about it? The preserved soaked-in-liquor fruit and nuts, with too little cake?

Me? Not a huge fan of traditional “dark” fruitcake loaded with preserved fruit with a high liquor presence, and less cake.

…or blond and pinappley?

Prefer the local “blond” cake, the Happy Cake concocted in 1967 by the late Dick Rodby  of Kemoo Farm. This is the version chock full of pineapple and macadamia nuts – and more pound-cake than fruitcake..

And it’s still being produced  by Hawaiian Happy Cakes. Visit hawaiianhappycakes@mail.com or call  (808) 922-1957.

What’s your stance on the fruitcake debate?

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SONGS FOR THE SEASONS…

Just asking…

Are there specific songs that you associate with the appropriate holiday or season in Hawaii?

Radio would be the prime source of listening to thematic music, unless you have a phonograph or CD player.

For the yuletide, KSSK has the lion’s roar, for its day-and-night programming of Christmas tunes all month beginning in November and concluding during Christmas weekend.

Bing Crosby’s “Mele Kalikimaka” 78 rpm disc.

That’s sweet.  And a lot of merry mele.

So I was wondering, what essential tune would you associate with Hawaii right now? I suppose “Mele Kalikimaka” is our logical anthem. Written by a local, Andy Anderson, but popularized initially by Bing Crosby (with assist from the Andrews Sisters) because it was the flipside of his megahit, “White Christmas.”

I yearn to hear Don Ho’s “Silent Night,” aka “Po La‘i E,” because he sang it in English and Hawaiian in his inimitable style; I no longer possess the LP on which he performed that tune.

What about other key holiday songs would you expect to hear throughout the year? My thoughts:

  • For New Year’s, “Auld Lang Syne.” Barbra Streisand and Mariah Carey have separate, powerful versions of this New Year’s Eve fave,  its turn-the-clock and calendar implications.
  • For Valentine’s, “At Last” by Etta James or “Close to You” by the Carpenters.Either exudes a strong aura of romance.
  • For Easter, “Easter Parade,” with Bing Crosby delivering the classic, timeless version.
  • For Fourth of July, “God Bless the U.S.A.,” by Lee Greenwood or “God Bless America” by Kate Smith. Patriotic to the max.
  • For Halloween, “Monster Mash,” Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s silly but a seductive novelty.
  • For Thanksgiving, “Autumn Leaves,” with Nat “King” Cole delivering the original vocal, and Roger Williams doing the precise instrumental version. Even if our trees don’t change hues.

Any thoughts to share?