Inventing Situations, Putting Then On T.V...

Hello dear friend.

Yes, that post title is from a Talking Heads song. Thank me later.

I was just thinking about names. Names of people. Names of places. Names of shows.

I had a few little ideas I'm going to rattle off before my date with Tony Soprano. (Yes, I've watched it all, but I'm watching the last Ep of Season 6 again. Amazing.)

So here we go...

Names of People

So far, I like all the names we have for our peoples. However, I had a random though to give the character currently known as "Joel" the new moniker, "Oliver". Why? Because it's a kickass, strong name. It sounds blokey. And it's a little reference to Oli Olsen - a kickass Aussie Post-Punk pioneer from the 1970's Melbourne scene.

I had another little thought for a minor character, appearing in 1, maybe 2 Eps. She is an artist. She goes only by her first name - D'Arcy. (Yes, named for D'Arcy Wretzky from the Pumpkins). She seems very "cool" and aloof at first. Everybody seems to know/be in awe of her. I want it to be hinted that she is the only daughter of a dead rockstar (ie: Francis Bean, Tigerlily).

That's all I got so far...

Names of Places

OK. I had a little idea that could be taken from Nathan Barley - and is sessentially just an excuse for us to mock all those gimmicky/trendy/uber-cool little cafe/art spaces that are popping up everywhere.

It's a "concept cafe" that doubles as an art space and Poetry Reading jam (but the sign states: STRICTLY Avante-Garde Poetry). So, it's wanky, right?

The place is called "CHEAP". And the concept is essentially that you are dining in a back alley somewhere. The walls are brick, cardboard and rotten wood. You sit on milk crates. If you order 2 cups of tea: they bring out 1 teabag and squeeze it into 2 cups. If you order chocolate for dessert, they bring out a block of choc and snap off the appropriate amount of squares ($2 p/square).

The irony is that people find it to be ironic. When in fact, it is just cheap and dirty.

Names of Shows

Or more specifically, "Name of Show".

I'm putting forward the name "The Innocents" as a temporary name.

Why? Cause. Cause it sounds appropriate. Cause every character - whilst not innocent to sin/vice/whatever - is still at a wide-eyed, uncorrupted, naive stage of their lives where they believe anything could happen and the world is theirs to take.

It's also the name of a killer poem by Manchurian Punk Poet, John Cooper Clarke.

Say no more!

Anyway, it's all just thoughts...

-C