Fighting Terror in Primetime?

February 27, 2004 9:42 AM

D.H.S. - The Series. "... a multimillion-dollar episodic series, will explore the inner workings of the Department of Homeland Security, teaming the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, and National Security Administration (NSA) together with "first responders" such as local police, fire and safety administrators." The series is being pitched to prospective networks today and has the full support of President Bush and Tom Ridge. "They love it. They think it is fantastic," say the series' producers at Steeple Productions, located in the Seventh-Day Adventist Community of Zillah, Washington. Not familiar with Steeple Productions? Well, perhaps you might find their four-episode "Creation Vs Evolution" series enlightening.
posted by grabbingsand (16 comments total)

oh, for fuck's sake, it's j. edgar and "The F.B.I." series all over again. someone shoot it before it multiplies.
posted by quonsar at 9:52 AM on February 27, 2004

Please tell me this is a joke.
In very very very very very bad taste.

thank you.
email in profile...
posted by Busithoth at 9:55 AM on February 27, 2004

If I'm not mistaken there is already a series about the department of homeland security called "Threat Matrix".
posted by cmdnc0 at 10:17 AM on February 27, 2004

Zillah's right down the road from where I live. It's in the middle of apple country, which is a nice way of saying there's nothing there. A production company there would have so little to do with homeland security, unless there's something about scablands that's important.
posted by cnx at 10:38 AM on February 27, 2004

i so look forward to the upcoming reality series, "dubyuh interrupted". there's these great scenes where they strap dub in this device called "The Terrorist" and guest stars like MidasMulligan and pardonyou? have to guess the total caloric intake of a low-income non-white family of four each week and for every incorrect answer, they must push a button which causes a red hot iron poker to be inserted up dub's anus. bonus points if he screams his tonsils out! hilarity ensues!
posted by quonsar at 10:39 AM on February 27, 2004

Looking at the Steeple site more closely, they're affiliated with CWTV, the local christian TV station. So it's not just a Zillah Seventh Day Adventist thing, but it's totally Christastical.
posted by cnx at 10:45 AM on February 27, 2004

"Creation X Evolution". Hehe. From their ad page looks more like "Creation". Although tape four promises to show how Hubble is the "Evolutionist's worst nightmare". Poor 'scope. Alone in the dark, battered, broken and now blamed for the fall of Evolution. I wonder what it is - probably photos of the Heaven, the angels and God herself Nasa has been hiding from us. Or a large letterhead at the borders of the known Universe saying "We apologize for the inconvenience".
posted by nkyad at 10:47 AM on February 27, 2004

i hate sites that use freaking java applets for rollovers, i HATE IT!!@! its like using a bulldozer to plant a flower
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 11:00 AM on February 27, 2004

There've been shows like this for decades (Dragnet, The FBI, Law & Order, JAG etc.). It was only a matter of time. As far as the fundie angle goes, hey they're a demographic, too, with money to spend. If the networks wanna go after their dollars, more power to 'em.

As people said in the Howard Stern thread, it's not like anyone's forcing you to watch.
posted by jonmc at 12:03 PM on February 27, 2004

Maybe on the first show they'll catch those evil terrorists who think the day of worship is Sunday!
posted by nofundy at 12:06 PM on February 27, 2004

I can't wait for the episode where they wrestle an old lady to the ground and hog tie her while they carefully remove the knitting needles from her carry-on bag!
posted by briank at 12:06 PM on February 27, 2004

How action packed is this show going to be? Seventh Day Adventists are pacifists. Wouldn't it be kind of ironic if they made a series about bustin' heads?
posted by cnx at 12:13 PM on February 27, 2004

Mmmmm....I love the smell of propaganda in the morning...smells like VICTORY!


ahem. Sorry. Apocalypse Now moments happen to the best of us.
posted by dejah420 at 12:24 PM on February 27, 2004

"Producers at Steeple Productions claim "no other television series has ever had such access and clearance at the highest levels of real-life counter-terrorism agencies: The White House, Dept. of Homeland Security, FBI, EPA, California State Counter-Terrorism Units, LAPD, LAFD and the Los Angeles and Orange County Sheriff's Departments. These government agencies have rallied their resources and support behind the vision of DHS--The Series, including President G. W. Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, who both endorse and contribute sound bites to the introductions of the series." "

The idea that my tax dollars are subsidizing this "special access" makes me want to vomit. ~ ; (
posted by troutfishing at 1:52 PM on February 27, 2004

Simple foolishness, ephermeral and done solely to elicit support for Bush's election at the taxpayer's expense.

There are so very many more important issues to concern ourselves with as American voters that this shouldn't even register on the radar.
posted by FormlessOne at 3:50 PM on February 27, 2004

Funny. This morning I said to my wife, "Homeland Security... It's such a creepy name. Why couldn't they just call it 'Domestic' Security in fine federal bureaucratic tradition."

"Or the secret police," she quipped.

Snap!
posted by Slagman at 9:21 AM on February 28, 2004