The fall television season remains [depending on your show of choice] three or four months away but I’m already in full freak-out mode over the future of the greatest dramedy to ever grace the 420i screen.
It’s no secret to even the most casual reader of this page that yours truly believes the greatest show in town—without question—is found on Cox Cable’s Metro 21 whenever the Metro Council is in session.
So hooked am I on this twice-a-month council confusion comedy, spiced with over-the-top NIMBY drama, that a satellite dish shall never grace my rooftop so long as Cox retains exclusive broadcast rights.
Simply put, I can’t get enough of this show that stars Joe Greco, Wayne “Spider” Carter, Pat Culbertson, Lorri Burgess and Ulysses “Bones” Addison in its cast of 12. You have to go back to 1975 and the first season of Saturday Night Live to find so much comedic talent assembled on one set.
Yet almost the entire cast will be gone following the fall elections—a fact that threatens to turn my world upside down every-other Wednesday. Frankly, I see no way the show can survive, leaving me to ponder: What’s left for me on Wednesdays other than Pardon the Interruption?
Of course, those crazy enough to believe the council’s first responsibility is smart, effective, parishwide government will likely have a different spin on this news.
Who knows how this will play out over the summer and early fall, but it’s possible that as many as 10 new council members will be seated. Not since SNL whacked almost its entire cast [only Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller and Nora Dunn survived] have we seen such a dramatic overhaul.
Four members are out because of term limits—Culbertson, Greco, Burgess and Charles Kelly. Three others—Carter [running for mayor], Darrell Ourso and Mickey Skyring—have announced they simply aren’t running. Byron Sharper, who allegedly has problems keeping his hands off female constituents, and David Boneno have yet to decide their political future, leaving just three members planning to seek re-election.
Addison, who for months said he was done with the council, now says he will give it another shot, though insiders say he may move to Florida for personal reasons. That leaves Martha Jane Tassin and Mike Walker as the only incumbent locks to go before the voters this fall.
I’m worried that without these characters we’ve grown to love the Metro Council will, as they say in TV land, jump the shark. Maybe it’s best some district elect Heather Locklear, a proven show-saver who rescued Melrose Place and Spin City. She gets my vote should she move into District 3. Is it possible she’ll believe Dennis McCain, the man responsible for Council TV, is a relative of the late Aaron Spelling, who managed to cast Locklear in no less than seven different television series he produced?
Let me say this: If we’re stuck with Tassin and Walker to do the heavy comedy lifting it’ll be like going from Happy Days to Joanie Loves Chachi and, seriously, does anyone really want to relive that? I’m not saying either are bad people or bad public officials, but entertaining they ain’t. Good luck drawing that coveted 18-25 demographic with these 50-year-old plus cardboard cutouts. [Though I confess, Martha Jane sharing conversations she has with her 20-something son does hold some appeal.]
There’s also solace in knowing someone from District 10 might actually cast a yea or nay vote—something Burgess hasn’t done on any meaningful issue in years. [She does, however, get huge props for earlier this year waking from the dead long enough to nominate Verge Ausberry to BREC, knocking the lunatic Darrell Glasper off that commission.]
Still, it won’t be the same without these characters I’ve come to love—and ridicule.
Who knows, maybe if voters recognize just how much the council—and their decisions—truly impact our lives we’ll take the fall elections seriously and put wonderfully qualified people in place.
Wouldn’t it be something if our entertainment void was filled with good—and dare I say, progressive—government?
Comments
Posted by pmccarron on June 3, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Now Wade Shows, the EBR Parish Attorney is calling it quits too. I agree this metro council and the politics that takes place is better than any other program on TV. I am worried the new 2009 line up will not have the zeal and personality dynamics this current administration has.
Posted by rhymeswithorange on June 4, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Incomprehensible, mumbling Joe Greco should have been gone LONG ago. And to give him the Pro-tem position when he can't even SPEAK? Did no one give that great thought before he fought for that position?
Larry the Cable Guy should be long gone out of public "service" as well. Man, if Carter had an education, he sure does a superb job hiding it. I very much hope he doesn't spread his brand of politics to any other political entity. Why inflict that on ANYONE?
When I watch those televised council meetings and all the planning and zoning meetings, I cringe because all those "leaders" have all the power to make postive and progressive changes in our community and at every chance, they bow to backward thinking NIMBYs. The sad thing is that honest, hard working people's lives hang in the balance. And NO ONE on the council has the intestinal fortitude to handle a topic when presented. It's tabled time and time again until an applicant just goes away to another area to start life over. No wonder our children want to high tail it out of the Baton Rouge area and outside of Louisiana to pursue a productive adult life. You simply can't live in the 21st century here.
Some folks don't care to cast their vote simply for comic effect. That would be asinine. I am overjoyed to see a nearly all new council. Maybe there will finally be hope and needed progress with a totally new council. Maybe at least the new crop of council members will at least TRY to get one right once in while.
Posted by fourx5 on June 4, 2008 at 2:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If I hadn't moved out of the area last year, the A6 mailing I got this morning would possibly have enticed me to look into running for the council. It certainly sounds like the impetus for change is there, but the truly ugly side of the coin is that anyone who looks to run will likely have to deal with and make concessions to "the machine" of status quo. J.R., do you have any ideas about helping fiscally conservative but progressive 'leaders of tomorrow' combat the inertia of Baton Rouge's past fifty years?
Posted by pmccarron on June 9, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with "rhymeswithorange" that the NIMBY influence has been strong for many years over council members and their ability to get re-elected and stop developers with great ideas and make them move elsewhere. When a council rep is pro-development, (example Mickey Skyring and his support for Rouzan), the attacks from the NIMBYs can be overly excessive. It is one thing to disagree with a council rep - but it should never resort to personal attacks on the person or their family (something I have been guilty of with my council rep) - being a council rep is not an easy task when a district is divided over an issue - especially a zoning issue. Although there are a few questionable characters on the council - for the most part this council does the best they can - they have difficult descisions to make that affect a lot of people's property, not just the developer's dreams to contribute to their community. Some council reps are more pro development - some are more pro-NIMBY - but all seem to have good intentions and do it from the heart. Try to put yourself in their shoes before you chop off their heads.
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