If you want to watch any of the 6 episodes of Andy Barker, P.I. (including the 4th episode in the US- I don't think it works elswhere) go here:
Andy

---

I had a huge crush on Jane. You know, the kind of crush one has for a TV writer one has never met.

Had? Is it over? You and your JE crush were my OTP. Whenever I read her blog, I wonder if you're reading it too, and then I start thinking about Willow's hats. It's a thing.

I’m swear to God I’m remembering this right, and hope she wouldn’t mind me mentioning it, but a long long time ago, on a board far far away, Kristin cited the scene between Joyce and Buffy at the end of Innocence as... something like an inspiration. Like, this is what she wanted to do. Write stuff like that. The end of Innocence, from Buffy and Giles in the car, to Joyce and Buffy on the couch, is one of the best ten or whatever minutes of TV I’ve ever seen, and somehow seeing that again and remembering that about Kristen tied together for me the shows we love, the fandom cool and crazy, the writers we crush on, the lives on-line we get to watch, and showed it to all be worthwhile.

That's wonderful. It's before my time, but I love knowing stuff like that.

I didn't think much of Doug Petrie initially, but I loved his commentaries, which made me appreciate him more. I like a guy who sees his name on the screen and thinks it should have little sparkles around it.

Heh. Doug did some stunning work though, P-C. Revelations, Bad Girls, Enemies, This Year's Girl, The Yoko Factor, Fool For Love, Checkpoint (with Jane -- this is one of my therapeutic-for-me episodes). There's more, but the point is, I love the Petrie. In addition to what little bam bam said, Doug Petrie had a real flair for Faith, and gave good characterization, all around.

---

True story -- I never really used to pay much attention to who wrote TV. Like, at all, really (although nowadays reading the credits is a must for me). I mean, "Passion". That -- to me -- is one of the best Buffy episodes, as it's one which really pushes Giles as a character, and the group emotionally. And Buffy. But I never paid attention to who wrote it. The thing which made me pay attention was, in actual fact, Tim Minear. He used to post on UTMA years ago, and I used to find his posts fun and interesting, and usually spot on about Angel The Series and the character. And, after a while, I realised something: he wrote for the show, I'm a bit dense for not noticing, and that I liked waffles (and waffling).

Personally, I think there's a realisation that the writers hold the power in TV, which isn't apparent if you don't know that fact. But as a viewer, you'll notice, and if you do it changes the way you appreciate shows, and TV generally.

---

Personally, I think there's a realisation that the writers hold the power in TV, which isn't apparent if you don't know that fact.

That really depends on the show. For ME shows the writer is king. That's not always the case.

---

Well, in theory, it should be the case, unless the cast are also producers. In practice, I've no idea how these things work.

---

unless the cast are also producers

Why do you single out the cast? There can be other non-writer types who get to make serious calls.

---

Yeah! John is an Ass Prod now!

---

Ouch.

---

Why do you single out the cast? There can be other non-writer types who get to make serious calls.

True enough. I've no idea why I single out cast -- I suppose, just from not thinking about it enough. I suppose when I say 'power' on a show, I refer to being able to make the story suck or not suck, which should really be the writers and producers responsibility (in my head).

---

which should really be the writers and producers responsibility

But the producers don't have to be either writers or cast.

---