X-Message-Number: 23731
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 16:57:53 -0800
From: "John Grigg" <>
Subject: New tv series, "Century City"     


Saturday night I watched "Century City" on CBS (next episode will be this 
Tuesday night).  It is set in a law firm circa the year 2030, and shows how 
various technologies like cloning, A.I., etc. may impact humanity.  The episode 
I viewed had a father who wanted the government to give back a cell sample from 
his tragically ill son, so that therapeutic cloning could be carried out to save
his life.  With "L.A. Law" type flourishes, the lawyers battled it out in a 
courtroom and the writing was quite good in showing the various intellectual and
emotional arguments for both sides.  But the case for therapeutic cloning was 
seen as the sensible and even humane option which had to be chosen.  I was proud
of the writer/producers for pointing that out.


On the negative side, the other storyline was how a N'Sync type band was 
planning on reuniting for a reunion tour, but one of the former members had 
never gotten the cosmetic surgery & DNA rejuvenation treatments to look young 
again.  His bandmates were angry and wanted to legally force him to do it.  
Otherwise, it would be three guys who appeared to be in their late twenties with
one guy in his sixties!  This plotline was largely played for laughs, except 
that it had the "mature" regular cast members making derogatory comments about 
anti-aging technology and how it was against nature and very vain.  I felt the 
irony when the beautiful genetically-engineered blonde haired lawyer said how 
much she was offended by their use of such technology.  And so therapeutic 
cloning was seen as a valid subject for the show to make a stand, but not life 
extension science.


The show has fairly good production values and a solid cast.  The level of the 
writing and the acting did pleasantly surprise me.  But this may ultimately not 
matter a bit.  The show has gotten extremely low ratings and may only last a few
more weeks.  I think this is in part because the network has not promoted it 
enough. 

This is from the official site:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/century_city/ 

John




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