Fancy Falls: Re-Focus
In which nothing I watch is very inspiring, but I inspire myself
Here is my single resolution for 2026.
I will write six episodes of ‘Fancy Falls TV’ (title TBC) by the end of this year
In a fit of self-fulfilling prophecy, last week’s post, entitled Trudging On, had the lowest number of views of any recent post. It’s still fine for numbers, but further evidence of a little slump. Fear not, there are plans afoot in the Fancy Falls section below to reinvigorate my energies, and get to something concrete a little quicker.
Televigion Update
Dunk and Egg Magic (Sky Atlantic) - Tue 24th
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a show with magic. Not the dragons etc who we know are just dormant, but the magic of doing something new with the genre.
The moment where we appear to see Ser Arlan’s death as the music swells, to then be undercut, but THEN make a relevant thematic point with it.... That’s nothing but TV magic.
Magical performances, humour and the ability to go grand and then back to small is why I love this show.
Deep Space Nine S2 (Paramount+) - Tue 24th
I started the next phase of my Deep Space Quest last night in bed, as 45mins of BTTF2 was not quite enough TV for me1, but being in bed means I’m less tempted to snack2.
It immediately seems a little more confident, and comfortable in longer form storytelling. It was odd pacing to have a big action scene midway through, then mostly talking for the rest of the episode, but maybe that’s just DS9’s speed.
Oh I did also watch a Steve Shives YouTube video on First Officers first, but zoomed through at 2x speed as it was less than satisfying at standard speed. I’ll try to remember to stick to actual episodes.
Dinosaur (iPlayer) - Wed 25th
I gave up at the end of episode 5 last year, as it fairly lost its steam for me. But season 2’s arrival, and trying desperately to write my own sitcom, pushed me to get back to it. It’s both occasionally overwritten and overly blunt in characterisation, but it’s definitely also charming, with likeable characters.
Let’s see what season 2 brings.
Scrubs Revival (Disney+) - Thu 26th
Scrubs is back! 25 years later! Hearing the theme song “Superman” was a huge sense memory. I remember downloading it as an MP3 in my first year of university and it took a reasonably large number of minutes. Seeing the x-ray swiped from a tablet rather than physically placed during the opening titles made me feel old, but happy.
This version is very easy watching and captures the magic of when I used to watch, which ended at some time in the middle of the initial run. It’s nice to have an engaging sitcom while I try to write mine.
Yes it’s schmaltzy and saccharine, and veers wildly from clowning to tragedy, but it has heart and cares about things. Sacred Heart on its sleeve really.
Also Vanessa Bayer is a great addition, and very funny.
Doctor Strangelove Live (Sky Arts) - Sat 28th
I watched the first half of this after my emotional Starfleet Academy experience3, and the War Between the Land and the Sea behind the scenes doc that was 35mins of very little, but I’m a sucker for that sort of thing.
Doctor Strangelove Live was very funny, though Steve Coogan seems to be overacting a bit for the screen when filmed. I’m sure it was right for the theatre. I really only noticed it for the Air Force base captain. His Doctor Strangelove was the best part, and saved for just a few strong moments.
Hopefully the second half is even better.
Dinosaur S2 and Doctor Strangelove Live Pt2 - Sun 1st
I had episode 1 of Season 2 of Dinosaur on in the background while I wrote my daily diary last night for my daughter. It’s a good test of whether it seizes my attention or not. It didn’t. It’s really fine, but I don’t particularly care or find it funny. I gave up at episode five of the first batch for good reason it seems. Nothing particularly wrong with it, just not for me.
The second half of Doctor Strangelove Live was just about as entertaining as the first, but overall I didn’t quite see the point. The film exists and does it better. I thought we might have got an update to some of the story or things it had to say, but no. It was a feat of performance for Steve Coogan and all well enough done, but not vital in any way. Probably better live I guess.
SNL S51 Ep13 Connor Storrie (Sky Comedy) - Sun 1st
That was genuinely very good! Much siller and stranger. I did of course skip quickly through the Trump opening, the first sketch that was just a funny(!) accent and most of Weekend Update, but Connor Storrie was game for anything and I hope this is what the UK version is like, when we get it in three weeks time4!
The World of Fancy Falls
Feedback Loop - Tue 24th
I was invigorated creatively this evening, as a good friend asked me to read her latest work and give some feedback. I really enjoy having people I trust who will read and give opinions on my work, and who trust me to do the same. It was a fantastic and long lasting benefit of doing the writing course that I did, which was now 18 months or so ago. There are three of us who burst into flurries of chat on WhatsApp whenever there is a new piece from anyone to share and feed back on, or if we’ve watched something exciting in comedy, often great new TV. Sometimes there are personal achievements to share, rare but certainly non-zero.
Doing the analysis and suggesting alternative lines is enlivening for my creative brain. I’ll channel it into my own writing world tomorrow. But tonight I watched the first 45mins of Back to the Future Part II with the Televigion Wife. I must have worn myself out.
Patrick Stewart Sees Ghosts and Auras - Thu 26th
This title says it all, but his autobiography5 rather surprised me with these revelations. I suppose I’m conflating him with the serious and scientific Captain Picard or Professor X too much to disbelieve it. Also, it sounds like he was a randy bugger in his youth, which plays into his Extras persona.
I love the idea of ghosts as a storytelling device, but certainly don’t believe in them. We’ll see if Patrick discusses them any further (he has already teased that he does), and whether that surprise could be incorporated into anyone in Fancy Falls TV.
Notebooks Everywhere - Thu 26th
In an effort to get more done for Fancy Falls, I’m going to put notebooks in more places. My work desk, my bedside table, my coat pocket (that’s not new, I’ve had a thin notebook in there since my stand up days 15 years ago, but these days it’s an emergency drawing pad for my daughter in a cafe...)
We’ll see if this works. Remove barriers, however small.6
Time to Film - Fri 27th
I decided yesterday, after much angsting and struggling over my jealousy of seeing others performing and that feeling like something missing from my life, that I’m going to get myself a ring light and green screen setup for my birthday. This is so I can start filming short sketches of myself as various characters from Fancy Falls. I’ll get them defined better first, but writing and performing in that world, to share on social media and Substack, should cover all of my feelings of inadequacy, without resorting to things I don’t think will help and are just distraction from The Resolution (acting classes, amateur theatre groups).
It’s also an excuse to bring my editing and effects skills up to date, something I loved when I was making short films 15 years ago.
So that feels like a plan!
Fancy Falls Inspiration: Starfleet Academy Ep 8 The Life of the Stars (Paramount+) - Fri 27th
It took reading articles and reviews to get me past the halfway point of this episode of the latest Star Trek series, but I’m so glad I did.
Why can I take the schmaltz and earnestness of Scrubs so much more easily than the same in Starfleet Academy? It’s the comedy lens I guess, comedy makes everything easer to swallow. But it was a bold episode that I eventually managed to watch, and directly inspired some Fancy Falls revelations.
People want to use Fancy Falls TV to feel part of a story that means something, not just living their mundane life. They want the shape of an arc, developing plot and some form of meaning or motivation. Life is cruel and unfathomable for everyone at some point, but if you’re in a story, it feels grand and with purpose.
Footnotes
See Fancy Falls section below. The eternal and epic battle of Themed Sections vs Actual Chronology.
The hurdle of stairs is nicely limiting, as is the shame of crunching that would wake the Televigion Wife.
Themed Sections vs Actual Chronology part deux!
Hot off the press, they’ve just announced the writers for SNL UK and my old writing partner and great friend Hari is in there! I am absolutely delighted for him, an opportunity he fully deserves!
The team behind Ghosts are also making a feature film version, if you need to see another excellent, and admittedly more established, creative team.
It led to filling out a character matrix of how they all see each other and themselves. Success!
I look forward to watching your videos!
I was pleased with the new Scrubs, it's hitting the right tone overall and knows it needs to be funny. The HR woman is fantastic.