There are 3 messages totaling 99 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Canada in non-Canadian dramatic television (WAS: Re: Dark Knight...again) (2) 2. Dark Knight...again ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2013 22:22:15 -0400 From: Greer Watson <gwatson2@r.......> Subject: Re: Canada in non-Canadian dramatic television (WAS: Re: Dark Knight...again) >Do Canadians not have a mobile blood-donation set-up? If they do, what is >it called?< Actually, I was thinking of the way the bloodmobile was clearly targeting the homeless as potential sources. "Give a little, get a little," as Doctor Dave says. Well, I don't want to suggest that homeless people lack the instinct for charity; but he wasn't there just for the free orange juice! He does, after all, says it while he counts the money they gave him. In some parts of the States, people can be paid for donating blood. Wherever that situation holds, people who are badly in need of money come to see selling their blood as a quick source of income. Thus, the premise of "Dark Knight": Fenner is specifically targeting anyone whom he suspects might have been the person whose tainted blood infected his mother with hepatitis. Hence, he is selecting only those with same blood type as his mother. (One suspects that his real motive is revenge, for all that he claims that he is acting to prevent another fatal blood donation.) Of course, today this aspect of the plot seems improbable, for nowadays donated blood is carefully tested for hepatitis, among other things. But in 1992 (and still more when "Nick Knight" was made), the premise hearkened back to the tainted blood scandals following the discovery of AIDS, which was passed on to sadly many people who received blood transfusions. In its day, therefore, this plot was almost timely, and certainly would not have seemed implausible. However, Fenner specifically sought his victims only among homeless people--and, as Schanke figured out, those homeless people who had recently provided blood at the bloodmobile. Presumably, Fenner believes homeless people are the likeliest to have hepatitis, so that purchased blood is the probable source of infection. Indeed, Parriott makes sure to include a scene in which two of the three whom Nick has befriended are seen at the bloodmobile, so the viewer will know that they qualify as potential victims. Hence "Give a little, get a little": we see that they *sell* their blood. And it's here that the suspension of my disbelief hit a snag. You see, in Canada, blood is *only* donated. You can't get paid for it. Blood drives do exist here, of course, just as they do elsewhere; but they are attempts to persuade people to *give* blood, not sell it. You don't get bloodmobiles going to poor parts of town trying to solicit homeless people to sell their blood. Greer gwatson2@r....... http://www.foreverknight.org/FK4/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2013 20:41:59 -0700 From: "Libby A. Smith" <libratsie@s.......> Subject: Re: Canada in non-Canadian dramatic television (WAS: Re: Dark Knight...again) **You see, in Canada, blood is *only* donated. You can't get paid for it. Blood drives do exist here, of course, just as they do elsewhere; but they are attempts to persuade people to *give* blood, not sell it. ** I'm not sure about everywhere in the US, but it is actually plasma they are buying though I hear it called "selling blood." The Red Cross doesn't "buy blood" but does do blood drives. Since it was a Canadian based tv series and wasn't most of the cast and crew thus Canadian, wouldn't mistakes like that get caught? --Libby (Still missing Greg Kramer terribly) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:46:54 -0400 From: Susan Bennett <nnpacker@h.......> Subject: Re: Dark Knight...again > Re: Greer Watson – re Watching remainder of Season 3 on Buffalo station after > CTV cancelled I still remember watching Ashes to Ashes in the wee hours. Buffalo played the first half of Ashes to Ashes and the last half of Francesca! UGHHH! I tried phoning them at the time, but no one answered the phone <g> Susan B. nnpacker@h....... ------------------------------ End of FORKNI-L Digest - 9 Jun 2013 to 10 Jun 2013 (#2013-81) *************************************************************
Previous |
This month's list |
Next |