Awesome.

[ladybug_archive]

This little webpage has some nice screenshots from a handful of Simon Oakland's roles: http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=13132 It also has an incorrect birth year, but we can overlook that.

And I discovered a Highway Patrol website and wasted way too much time kicking around there finding goodies. http://www.highwaypatroltv.com/

Among the interesting things they have is a guide for writers to follow when working on the episodes. I noticed that some of those rules were later ignored or deliberately broken. Among them is that Dan Mathews can't be shown having any personal relationships with any other characters, romantic or platonic (but he can know his men and their families). Another is that the police can't address each other by their first names. Yeah, that one is just odd. I suppose they were trying for more formality.

I can't recall how well they stuck to those in the earlier episodes, but when Sergeant Ken Williams came along (wonderfully played by William Boyett), those rules went out the window. He and Dan often address each other by their first names. And, although not expressly stated, they quite obviously become friends. They have an amazing rapport. I'm pretty sure Dan was mostly a loner before Ken came along. Ken seems to be his second-in-command. (I'd say partner, but since Dan is the head of the Highway Patrol, I don't think he has a partner.) I actually think their friendship is depicted more powerfully by its subtlety than if they had come out strong with it. There's definitely a sense that they've grown closer by the time the fourth season ends. And there's interesting character development. I'm pretty sure that Ken could not have handled the situation so brilliantly in the episode where Dan is held hostage if it had happened earlier than it did.

In Highway Patrol, the focus is on the crimes and how the police solve them, but there's definitely other content if you're looking. For someone who thrives on subtlety and reading between the lines, there's a lot of fun to be had.

And I really like the cold open for the West Side Story fic. I don't think there's much I can do to change it. But I did stretch things out a bit by having a short flashback interjected after the cold open/shooting scene. That looks pretty good. This fic is inching along at a snail's pace, but maybe it actually will get done. Then I'll find out if I can generate any interest. Anybodys seems to have the largest Jets role so far.

Comments

[rose-of-pollux.livejournal.com]

That little website does have some gorgeous pics of Simon (and Richard Dawson and Robert Clary, I might add... In fact, there's a pic of Richard I hadn't seen before!), but it does have a lot of accuracy issues, though... like crediting Simon for only 4 eps of Kolchak and Robert and Richard for only one-and-a-half seasons of HH? Plus, no mention of Family Feud for Richard? Wot? And to say nothing of the glaring omission of Rockapella from the musicians section... tsk.

And yay for the fic coming along well! I did a cold open for the last HH fic I did--the one that I wrote for Kim, and I was pleased at how it turned out, too.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's really only worth looking at for pictures. (That's neat that you found a new one of Richard!) They also credited Simon for three episodes of Baa Baa Black Sheep when he's in every one of them.

Cold opens are neat. I've been tinkering with the ending of the fic now, not because I'm there yet, but because suddenly the dialogue ran through my mind and I knew I needed to get it written down before I could forget it.