Anyone else see "Chicago Hope" tonight?

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I'm a big fan of Chicago Hope. Tonight, in the final 15 minute segment, Y2K became a hot topic!! I don't recall the character's name, but he's the tall, geeky guy with the glasses. Those of you who watch the show may know his name--he's a minor character. Anyhow, the topic is introduced in the physician's locker room. He starts talking about how those who are truly informed will be spending New Year's Eve in the country with stockpiled food and ammo, never mentioning Y2K, but I and my wife knew immediately. The two doctors he is talking to give each other the "Yeah, right" look.

A few scenes later, he goes to the Chief of Staff, Phillip (played by Hector Elizondo--forgive the spelling if it's incorrect), presents him with his Y2K plan for the hospital, which is in binder form, and which he obviously has spent a great deal of time preparing. Phillip tells him that a plan is in place, the computers are all being looked at, etc. To which the geek shouts, "NO!! This is the plan!! I'm the only one here who gets it and takes this thing seriously, and we have to do it my way!!", or words to that effect.

No further scenes in tonight's episode, but you can bet that next week will pick up where tonight's left off. Bravo!!

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), October 08, 1998

Answers

Steve, I'm gone on Wednesday nights...you'll have to keep me posted on the forum about next weeks show! :-) Pretty soon maybe we'll start hearing about y2k in a lot more t.v. shows! Blondie

-- Blondie Marie (Blondie@future.net), October 08, 1998.

Gosh, I thought it was ER....my brain is absolute mush....still the incremental additon of Y2K to the mainstream is to be expected...and welcomed...especially now.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 08, 1998.

Steve,

I saw that and I'm glad at least they've got the nerve to put it in. But did you also notice how they couldn't resist portraying the guy as something of a nutcase, looked down on by the other characters?

There was a similar thing on "News Radio" sitcom last night. One of the characters was looking into the Y2K problem and warned the others not to use devices, etc. The guy looking into the problem said it was coming early because of the mixup in Jesus' birthday. Naturally, they spoofed the thing though. They showed the phones smoking when in use, the monitor of a computer blew up, etc. When the boss tried to pick up the coffee pot, the whole office went dark to cries of "Don't touch that coffee pot, it's got Y2K problems." Guess the networks feel they have to make fun of the problem so they won't look like a bunch of doomsayers! My experience though is that any exposure is better than no exposure.

-- Greg Sugg (gregsugg@bbnp.com), October 08, 1998.


I did not see Chicago Hope, but NewsRadio (the sitcom Phil Hartman was in) did a spoof on Y2K. They referred to it as "the 2000 computer problem". The show kept it on the humorous side but at least it was on during prime time.

-- John Callon (jcallon@gate.net), October 08, 1998.

Friends - Take a second and think this through. How useful is it if one desires to inform the public about Y2K and get them to prepare to associate preparedness with some wild-eyed looney? If that's what people are told via their favorite shows, that's what they'll internalize, making the task of getting them to take Y2K seriously much, much, MUCH harder. Spoofs do not inform and caricatures only serve to mislead. I've enjoyed "Chicago Hope" over the years, but David Kelley (and thus the characters on the show) has a nasty tendency to speechify, pontificate, and use "straw men" in the show to make his points. He's less inclined to do this on his other two shows, "The Practice" and of course "Ally McBeal", which is why I prefer them.

My task of informing my family is not made any easier now that my wife has watched "Chicago Hope." She already tends to think me someyhing of an alarmist and all I'm working on is getting one month's supplies laid in and then moving up to three months. Think how much harder the task is now that she'll map my behavior and statements to a character who gets the old eye-roll from the "regulars." We should not be pleased with this at all. Only when respected voices sound the alarm should we applaud.

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), October 08, 1998.



I'm with you Mac. I felt myself identifying with the geek, and could just see the faces of all the people i've talked with and it was the same as the "regulars" of the show. "O brother another nut". The people who watch these shows on a regular basis will say to themseleves, "the makers of this show wouldn't joke about a serious problem therefore it must not be real".

Vic

-- Vic (Light_Servant@yahoo.com), October 08, 1998.


If the unwashed masses get the wrong idea from those shows, it will serve them right. Who the hell has time to watch that crap the networks call "entertainment"? Read a book, talk to your spouse, learn something on the web, or even rent a 'real' movie. I must really be out of it, that stuff is like torture to me. (insert canned laughter here)

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), October 08, 1998.

Interesting that people will believe (and base their decisions) on a fake person in comedy put out as a spoof by Hollywood who is blindly reading a script that was written by person with the technical ability of a high school freshmen (or worse), but will take that example as a lesson in a technical crisis over a world-known expert (Yardeni, Yordon, Yourdon, etc.)

Funny, isn't it? But I'm not really surprised, nor am I laughing.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 08, 1998.


Who cares that the guy's a geek? What matters is that the issue is being presented to millions of people in a serious matter, albeit disguised as entertainment, and I expect that David Kelley won't "drop the ball".

Stay tuned.

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), October 09, 1998.


<>

Actually, you did not list the very first scene in the episode. The doctor was talkign to Kate about the problem well she was trying to get some pretzels. He mentioned how machines wouldn't work and she wondered if that meant she would actually be able to get her pretzels from the machine since she never can anyway. As they walked down the hall he mentioned it some more and Kate said she would mention it to Phillip. Upon entering Phillips office he was watching something about a NASA "Mission For The Millenium", Kate said "What is it with men and the Millenium???" in a annoyed voice.

Rick

-- Rick Tansun (ricktansun@hotmail.com), October 09, 1998.



Yup, Y2K is finally making it into the mainstream. Major news coverage of National Guard preparations, public utility worries ... and now a popular TV show (probably more credible to many people than the other stuff!). When the first personal impact of Y2K hits (say in April 1999 with the fiscal year rollovers in many states/govts/busniesses), that will be the Beginning of the End, as people become True Believers and realize that there is no way out....

-- Joe (shar@pei.com), October 09, 1998.

Heureux les creux, le royaume des cieux est a eux...

French for "ignorance is bliss" ;)

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), October 09, 1998.


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