Beau Willimon is known for a lot of things, but what's hottest at the moment is House of Cards. As regular readers know I don't buy premium TV services because there's already so much drek stacked up in my viewing queue that I'll never get around to watching I find it hard to justify.
This is particularly true of movies because they're a huge investment in time and concentration whereas all I want is some background noise while I work so the truth is I hardly "watch" TV at all, I listen to it.
I'm not really in the market for something like Netflix, though there was a time when I considered their mail order offering simply because the catalog was so deep I could often find the kind of quirky bizarre stuff I'd seen once a long time ago and found better than it's critical and box office reception.
Netflix has all but abandoned that business model and is now into streaming with a monthly subscription fee and is indistinguishable from all the other such services like Hulu and Amazon.
Now one way these products differentiate themselves is by investing in original programming and House of Cards is easily the most successful of Netflix's efforts. Besides which it's about politics which makes it a big hit with the pundit chattering class. As for me I've never seen it but it looks like another West Wing only a bit grittier. I wouldn't know because I never watched West Wing either nor am I into medical dramas or cop/lawyer shows.
You can see why Network TV leaves me cold.
I could be more critical of Rachel Maddow but I think I'll spare you. I almost never tune in to cable news any more though at one time I was 24/7. My main news source is the Internet and I monitor 12 or 15 newspapers and wire services and 20 - 30 blogs every day. I seldom find myself under informed except about the day's particular bright and shiny object and that's why I follow The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
The truth of the matter is that there are only 3 or 4 topics a day and they endlessly repeat them, interested more in their own narcissistic reflections than in the story itself. I find it enormously boring and I suspect most people do also which is why their ratings are minuscule and plummeting. Chris Hayes at least makes an attempt and to a lesser extent Rachel does too, but they are the best of a bad lot the bulk of whom are basically no better than Faux Noises endlessly interchangeable cast of blonde airhead newsreaders. To me it's like getting the news from the interviews of Miss America contestants.
Rachel will be pushing her documentary on Iraq Why We Did It which might be good.
Oh and as it turns out Jordan Klepper who debuted last night is John Oliver's permanent replacement.
Tomorrow I'll share why Atrios named Paul Taylor "Wanker of the Day" and what I can glean about Theaster Gates, Stephen's guest.
We'll also preview next week's line up. Remember, starting the 17th I'm switching to full on March Madness Mode including both the Men's and Women's Tournaments and will have very little time for anything else.