Thin Ice

The novels & the movies

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Little Garwood
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Some random thoughts...

#16 Post by Little Garwood »

I liked the comparitively lighter tone of Thin Ice, with the chainsaw-wielding TS and the character's confidence in his job really impressed me. It's like TS opened up Jesse Stone with this one, after getting over his boozing (for the most part; Jesse did have a relapse) we see how committed Stone was as a cop. Completely unselfconscious performance by TS.

I was confused a bit about the shooting in the beginning, but I'll wait for the DVD and see it without so many interruptions. Aside from the paucity of decent, scripted TV out there, the overload of commercials is what keeps me from 99% of TV today.

I'm not familiar with the books, though I've been told there's much to enjoy about them.

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#17 Post by grapeshot »

Sorry Agatha! CBS usually saves these for sweeps week because of the high ratings that they always get. Our TS stomped all over Dancing with the Stars last year, one of ABC's most popular shows! Very Happy But it would be GREAT if they did air No Remorse this fall...a dream come true for me!
Yes, the Jesse Stone movies are clearly scheduled for broadcast during sweeps, but there are four sweeps a year. "Sweeps" last for a whole month, not just a week, and the months are February, May, and November. July is also a sweeps month, but because it falls in the summer, when the networks traditionally haven't had the normal amount of viewers, they don't really try all that hard during that period. This year, because of concerns with the HD transition in February, sweeps month was in March. Here's a Slate article which is titled "How Does Sweeps Week Work?" -- but then goes on to explain that it's not just a week, but four weeks, during four months out of every year.

So, having explained that, it's quite possible that the next Jesse Stone movie could perhaps air in November. IMDB describes the next movie as "in filming", but it's quite possible that the movie could be finished with post-production (that's editing, sound track, special effects, etc.) in time to air by November. IIRC, Thin Ice was finished last year, and CBS sat on it for about half a year before airing it.

Thin Ice: March 2009
Sea Change: May 2007
Death In Paradise: April 2006
Night Passages: January 2006
Stone Cold: February 2005

Looking at the air dates, it's difficult to see any pattern, other than there seems to be about an average of one Jesse Stone movie per year. BUT there is one year when there were two that aired, and one year when there was no Jesse Stone movie. So, there's perhaps a chance that No Remorse might air this year. (Although there's really no way to read the tea leaves on this, and perhaps the networks will be content to make this an annual event.)

I think that the network's decision when to air the next Jesse Stone movie is at least partly based on whatever else the network has available to air that they think could boost viewership, and also on when they think that the virtually automatic ratings success will help them with getting advertisers.

I also remember in one of the recent interviews with Tom Selleck, he remarked that the network was interested in some sort of more frequent appearance of the Jesse Stone character, but Selleck dismissed that as something he's not that interested in, and that he prefers this to be an occasional movie series.

I must say, from a personal standpoint, it's clear that these movies are carefully written, and very well produced, and made with special care and attention. This is what makes them a standout from the usual network fare. They don't look like most network tv movies, and they certainly don't look like most television shows. The pace of the story telling is more stately, and the photography is quite poetic. The hurly-burly sausage-factory of grinding out a weekly episodic show would adversely affect the quality of what we've come to expect. All things considered, I'll gladly settle for a once a year event.

What I find somewhat amazing is that even though these movies are unlike 90% of what we see on television (and I'm including even other critically acclaimed shows), they are nonetheless successful in the ratings. There are no slam bang action sequences, no stunt casting, no grabbed-from-the-headlines topics, no blood and gore fests, and no wild-roller-coaster-ride plot twists. 15 or so MILLION people tuned in to see this last Jesse Stone movie, and this is quite an achievement in this day and age of fragmented audiences, and niche network shows.

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#18 Post by Agatha »

Thanks for your research on "sweeps", grapeshot! I'm going to think positively and and hope for a November air date with No Remorse. Unless that means NO Jesse Stone in 2010! Hmmmm. It's hard NOT to choose "instant" gratification! :)

You're absolutely right about the movies being made with special care and attention. It doesn't surprise me that they stand out in the ratings! The amazing thing is that the networks don't "get it" that the public wants this kind of television! And Tom's right, too, about not wanting to turn these movies into a series, which WOULD adversely effect the quality and turn Jesse Stone into just another television show.

I don't know much about who does what on a movie. But I certainly think I see many Magnum qualities in Jesse Stone movies...what I like to call "insider information" (bits that people who are familiar with the shows learn to recognize and look for) and characters with character and interesting filming sequences..."poetic" is a great description! I was watching Sea Change last night. There are a couple of times when the hooker who's up for race week asks Jesse if he's questioning her ownership of a car (and then a schooner). Just like people used to question Magnum's ownership of the Ferrari! I JUST LOVE IT when they do that! And, as I say, I don't know who's responsible for those things but if it's Tom, as Executive Producer, then I'd say he was learning his craft from Bellisario during his Magnum years.

I do know we can count on Tom to hold out for what's best...IN SPITE of what the networks think. Now if they'd just listen to him about the Magnum movie.... I'm hoping the Magnum movie won't happen until the networks see enough public reaction to Jesse Stone that they finally agree that Tom Selleck KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING!!

:)
Isn't the ocean beautiful at sunset? So soft....so peaceful...so romantic!

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#19 Post by Agatha »

Oops! That was Death in Paradise that I was watching last night. I watched Sea Change the night before...

:)
Isn't the ocean beautiful at sunset? So soft....so peaceful...so romantic!

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#20 Post by Braddah Kimo »

watching Jesse Stone: Thin Ice. good stuff. engaging intelligent script. the "little boy blue" mom bugs da hell outta me. her head bobs and weaves and bounces all over the place like a ceramic 60's head nodder in a texas tornado. Bad edit; first interview with her, she is finishing a sentence they cut to her and her lips are not moving. Overall, a good show. been lomg enuff I can watch all eps online without remembering if I saw them before or not.
Some reviewer points out its a realistic production and it seems that way....

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#21 Post by Braddah Kimo »

Ya notice the dog expressed his one and only scene of being happy and smiling after he saw his master "git some"... with IA officer Sidney Greenstreet. Wait! Sidney Greenstreet?! why da hell they do that?!

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#22 Post by Braddah Kimo »

Mobster eating oyesters has gotten three drips of sauce on his tie. Sloppy, for an otherwise impeccable gay thug. Or budget didn't call for attentive wardrobe. When Tom's buddy in wheelchair sez "yer uh, blockin my light" that is banter and no more; Light streams in from beHIND them both.


TV shows and movies both heavyily depend and overuse the phrase "I'd like that". Said twice within two commercial bookends here. dammit. Devane is brusque with his cigs; One he blows the long ash all over himself while gazing at it. Then, he puts out a half smoked coffin nail into his coffee. hiiisssss!
The baddy tails Tom and suitcase into a building, knocks the plate glass in shards fully, outta the door. Glass falls to the floor from an low angle shot. Then side shot of the door, additional large pane miraculously appears to then fall.

I left the room just the way it was when Eric died. Really??? With multiple lamps always on?!

When Tom uh jesse coldcocks the baddy, and drags him leg first, his head, being dead weight would drag against the linoleum floor. Actor avoided that uncomfy prospect so we see his head float above the floor some. whuuuhuhu.

what da hell is wrong with people? When the IA babe sez to jesse "if you go after teddy leaf, I WILL put you away!" jeZUSSS! what kinda goofy upside down life do these people lead? When a close one can not be protected and the gestapo state overrides all?!

Braddah Kimo
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#23 Post by Braddah Kimo »

Mobster eating oyesters has gotten three drips of sauce on his tie. Sloppy, for an otherwise impeccable gay thug. Or budget didn't call for attentive wardrobe. When Tom's buddy in wheelchair sez "yer uh, blockin my light" that is banter and no more; Light streams in from beHIND them both.


TV shows and movies both heavyily depend and overuse the phrase "I'd like that". Said twice within two commercial bookends here. dammit. Devane is brusque with his cigs; One he blows the long ash all over himself while gazing at it. Then, he puts out a half smoked coffin nail into his coffee. hiiisssss!
The baddy tails Tom and suitcase into a building, knocks the plate glass in shards fully, outta the door. Glass falls to the floor from an low angle shot. Then side shot of the door, additional large pane miraculously appears to then fall.

I left the room just the way it was when Eric died. Really??? With multiple lamps always on?!

When Tom uh jesse coldcocks the baddy, and drags him leg first, his head, being dead weight would drag against the linoleum floor. Actor avoided that uncomfy prospect so we see his head float above the floor some. whuuuhuhu.

what da hell is wrong with people? When the IA babe sez to jesse "if you go after teddy leaf, I WILL put you away!" jeZUSSS! what kinda goofy upside down life do these people lead? When a close one can not be protected and the gestapo state overrides all?!

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