I almost never watch TV dramas or comedies any more (except old shows in rerun) but someone recommended I check out a show called "Numb3rs" and I did, obtaining from my library system the 4-pack of DVDs for the show's first season (2005). I am enjoying it; and was interested to see Amtrak and LA Union Station figure fairly prominently in one early episode (I think it was the third); another episode about sabotage on train lines (including a train spotter whose video helped solve the case); and another episode where a shot of a train in the LA area (either a local train or a Pacific Surfliner perhaps) was shown. I am figuring in addition to mathematics, someone involved in writing for the show likes trains!
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Numb3rs is one of my favorites. The only thing I don't like is that they cut out the opening theme song for the 2006 and newer seasons. So enjoy the 2005 opening theme music and opening sequence, because it disappears in later seasons. Bummer.
"Monk" also has lots of railroad themes in it. Union Station in Los Angeles has been the downtown San Francisco Caltrain station a few times. And sometimes when Monk is investigating a murder in the hills of San Francisco, a Metrolink train can sometimes be seen cruising by in the background. For those who have taken the back-lot tour of Universal Studios, you will recognize many of the scenes in Monk. In one episode, they had a toll-taker at the Golden Gate Bridge get murdered. Well, the toll booths were actually the booths where you enter the public Universal Studios lot and pay for parking. It's pretty funny when you know where they really are.
And back to Numb3rs for a moment......I'm not sure if everyone will understand this, but one of the best closing scenes to Numb3rs was when Charlie and Don's father picked up the remote control to the TV and sat down to watch a show. He said something like, "I love these classics that they play late at night" and in the background you could hear the theme song to the TV show, "Taxi". The father is played by Judd Hirsch. (Bonus trivia information: The "Taxi" theme song is called, "Angela" and is a Bob James tune from the album, "Touchdown". The long version is outstanding.)
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
How can you NOT love this??? Bob James and Nathan East. Wow!!
Posted by Ira Slotkin (Member # 81) on :
Oh, thank you sooooo much for that link, Smitty!! A favorite piece and well played.
And speaking of that show, I wrote some poems about being a taxi driver. In one I lament/observe that the the trouble with driving a taxi is that I've become less like Alex and more like Ignatowski.
(Judd Hirsch played the Alex and damned if i can recall now who played Ignatowski...)
Ira
Posted by Dixie Flyer (Member # 4640) on :
Mr. Slotkin,
Christopher Lloyd played The Rev. Jim Ignatowski.
Richard
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Ahhhhhhh
Christopher Lloyd. Brilliant. He later made a franchise being the eccentric scientist in the 'Back to the Future' series of movies.
The man is funny.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Thanks for all the info, everyone!
I have never seen Monk but I will check it out.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Smitty, I just wanted to report back on Monk: I watched the original pilot. I thought it was REALLY good--I laughed and laughed-(and some parts were touching too). I didn't see any trains in it, so I suppose this is yet another offtopic post, I do apologize. But the San Francisco settings were very nice, and I will look for trains in future episodes (which I plan to get on DVDs through the library when I return from the trip). I don't know if the actual show will live up to this pilot, which was around 2 hours long and more like a movie, but even if they're half as good that will be very good. I'm delighted to see all this good stuff from TV now; I stopped watching some time back and apparently missed some very good things.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I'm glad you enjoyed the show! There is a strong following of Monk, and we are called "Monkophiles". LOL! They even have quizzes on A&E's page to see how much we know about Detective Monk. He is afraid of milk, heights, dirt, clowns, ladders, fish, and just about everything else. And remember: "Nature is dirty".
Tony Shaloub and the show itself has won several Emmy's, and I think the next season that will come this summer will be the final curtain call. Bummer.....but there's always syndication of reruns!
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Since we're talking about old TV shows, does anyone else remember the TV show "Supertrain?" It started back in the 70's or 80's -- I don't remember the exact year. It didn't even make it through one season, I don't believe. It was supposed to have been a drama series about a luxury high-speed train built which would take anyone anyplace in the country in record time and in luxury.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
AFAIC, as absurd as was that excuse for a movie "Silver Streak II', but then at least Supertrain did not depict every Rules violation known to man.
Posted by ehbowen (Member # 4317) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: AFAIC, as absurd as was that excuse for a movie "Silver Streak II', but then at least Supertrain did not depict every Rules violation known to man.
What? You mean that climbing on the roof of a passenger train and belly-whopping onto a signal bridge (which conveniently swings out of the way) is not an approved method of disembarkation?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I liked this show, absurd as it was. It starred Edward Andrews, the pink-cheeked character actor who looked like a conductor should look, and was written by Donald Westlake, one of the best comic crime novelists of the time.
It ought to be resurrected now that everybody's talking about high-speed rail to nowhere.
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
Thanks for the video clip, GBN -- I had forgotten who the stars of that show were. Where do you ever find all this "stuff" that surfaces in your posts?!!!!!
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