Re: Things presented in-story as Good Ideas that seem like really Bad Ideas

On Tue, 10 Sep 2024 17:34:14 -0000 (UTC), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

In article <hnr0ej9n73p041mlj8glqham0ca8mrq7go@4ax.com>,
Paul S Person  <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 9 Sep 2024 19:40:49 -0000 (UTC), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:
>

In article <vbnesl$r81$1@panix2.panix.com>,
Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:

In article <lk79hhFp0bkU1@mid.individual.net>,
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:

Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's
"Prime Directive".  Things like that.
>
Examples?

>
When I watched SF as a kid, everybody had some sort of pocket communicating
device.  Kirk had a communicator, Napoleon Solo had a fountain pen, and
even Maxwell Smart had a shoephone.
>
But not ONCE did any of them ever get a call about their car warranty.

>
I read a review of NBC's Search (1972 to 1973) in which the reviewer
was greatly distracted by the agents' scanners. These were communication
and information gathering devices compact enough to fit into a tie-
clip or a ring jewel. They seemed to have infinite range and nothing
appeared to block the signal. The reviewer speculated that perhaps
they used phased neutrinos.
>
Huh. Only 23 episodes. It felt like it ran longer than a year.

>
That's not, generally, a good sign.

>
I have fond memories that I am sure would not be bitterly betrayed if
I found an episode or two to watch. After all, Columbo is standing
up. OK, there is the issue I've able to spot the killer in every
episode so far.

It's been a long time, but my memory suggests that some/most/all
episodes were more about how Columbo figured it out.

IOW, the idea was that we would watch Columbo solve a problem that we
already knew the solution to (ie, whodunit). This is not the same as a
classic mystery, where the audience is given the same clues as the
investigator and so may be able to solve the case on its own.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"