TV Eye: 'If Only' TV

Admittedly faulty logic, curious conclusions, and quirky mash-ups I'd like to see from recent TV events:

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's documentary/travelogue/reality series, Sarah Palin's Alaska, premiered to huge ratings on TLC last Sunday, drawing 5 million viewers. I skimmed it. I'm not a Palin fan, but I suspect we all know who her fans are.

The senior Palin is not the only Alaskan on TV. Daughter Bristol continues on Dancing With the Stars (ABC), reportedly due to strong support from conservative fans (who must not know a paso doble from a cha-cha, considering the on-air DWTS judges consistently give Bristol low marks). Perhaps as a shout-out to her fans, Bristol was shown wearing a tea party T-shirt during rehearsal footage for the show, bringing further cries of consternation that certain viewers were stuffing the ballot box.

Meanwhile, zombie series The Walking Dead is another hit for AMC, also drawing 6-million-plus viewers (mostly men, according to The Hollywood Reporter online). Zombies are scary. They're not smart. Their mindless, ravenous needs will be the death of any sentient living person who is not prepared to fight them because, as much as we'd like to, zombies cannot be ignored. They ravage everything good in their path as their ranks grow exponentially.

Conclusion: Zombies and tea partiers have a lot in common.

Here's the mash-up I'd like to see: Let's stop pretending that Sarah Palin's Alaska is not a series-length 2012 campaign ad. To place it squarely in the realm of entertainment (as its creators insist it is), how about Zombies in the Yukon, wherein Palin and her minions lock and load to blast off the zombies – actual brain-eating zombies, not the figurative kind. When the day is done, they can return home and watch Bristol twist and shout with their hands down their pants as she bossa novas her way into their hearts. If they have any. Honestly, I'm not so sure.

Sarah Palin's Alaska airs Sundays at 8pm on TLC. The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC.

In the Real World

A peek at a new David Brancaccio show airs on PBS this Thursday, and Austinites have two ways to watch: live in the KLRU studio or from the comfort of your living room. Fixing the Future is a prospective series following Brancaccio as he travels across the nation in search of innovative ways to create jobs and prosperity. According to press materials, "Brancaccio talks to working Americans who are re-engineering the future, built on American values of commonwealth, shared prosperity, fairness, wellness, sustainability and creativity."

Austin is front and center in the pilot episode, as Brancaccio visits Yo Mamas Catering Cooperative and finds out how the owners make their small, locally run business work. He also takes a spin in a Car2go smart car, hops aboard an Eco-Wise bus, and later goes for a dip in Barton Springs Pool (for kicks, I imagine). Austin-based filmmaker Ellen Spiro directed the pilot episode, and Austin musician Eliza Gilkyson contributed to the soundtrack.

The public screening of Fixing the Future occurs Thursday, Nov. 18, at 7pm at the KLRU studios on the University of Texas. Brancaccio and Spiro will be on hand to field questions and lead a discussion following the screening. The event is free but reservations are required. Go to www.klru.org to reserve a seat. If you want to watch the show from your couch, Fixing the Future airs at 8pm, Nov. 18, on KLRU.

From the TV Eye Mailbox

Just got this message at press time. I don't know these folks, but the site looks legit and the event potentially helpful for those who want to harness the power of multimedia:

"If you have an interest in diving into IPTV, live broadcasting or multi-media for your website, come and join us this Saturday, Nov. 20, from 3-5pm for a free workshop hosted by TVKnob.com and SpeedStream.TV. This is a zero-risk event that will help you determine what online video can do for your business."

The event takes place in Austin. RSVP at [email protected] for details.

As always, stay tuned.