"Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

Once again, the conflicting ideals of "Hawaii as actual modern state" and "Hawaii as a postcard perfect paradise" collide...

Snort. This either-or dichotomy is only relevant to the degree that you consider Hawai'i to be only one thing. Hawai'i is urban AND Hawai'i is a pristine wilderness. Is that so hard to imagine? I can't imagine some California tourism official worrying that publicity about Los Angeles might make people decide not to go to Yosemite National Park "because it's too developed".

[kimo55]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

Considering that some of us enjoy "the other side of paradise" strategy of this show, which shows a grittier, more urban Honolulu than most presentations of Hawaii, this article in yesterday's Honolulu Star-Bulletin had some lines that jumped out at me:.

me too;
here's one:
"It's critical that Hawaii establish itself as a destination with a unique sense of place, said Ramsay Taum of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association."

and yet for years, i have heard tooooo mnay people state they dont come here anymore cuz its being turned into another vegas.
wilshire blvd.
Los Angeles.
with too many mainland shops selling the crap you can get anywhere else in the world, having paved over what was once what spelled Hawaii to many people. but now, Hawaii is beginning to (if not already reached that point) resemble each and every other city and state across the nation.

with condos reaching skyward built on every vacant or 'underused" parcel of land. with the resultant traffic gridlock. With polititians promising a band aid on these problems (instead of anyone conferring on its cause.) with the gawdayum corporate fast food chains on each and every block . with development blocking out the views of mountians. DH. the oceans. the sky.
with the televison news, local stations and local print media becoming ever so mainland.
Yes, kids. You don't notice it.
cuz it is an insidious slow cancer growth; But our island life and culture is being slowly destroyed.
Does it matter to anyone?
Not that I can see.
Apathy rules, but who cares?!

This is another one of those Forbidden phrases:
"Hawaii needs to retain a sense of place."

blecch!

This means NOthing nowdays!
its all lip service.

[pzarquon]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

I think how Hawaii is marketed merits a wholly separate conversation (and Kimo's already gotten the ball rolling). I just thought it was funny that the state finds itself in the odd position of courting and encouraging a TV show with a massive audience that purports to give you the shadier side of Hawaii, while at the same time refocusing and promoting natural beauty and a warm, open culture.

NBC's "Hawaii" is making waves in part because it doesn't follow the party line on Hawaii's mainstream image, and for its incorporation of local cultures and actors.

Sadly, it's a double-edged sword, and if it ever becomes a runaway hit, there'll be politicians and community leaders even more up in arms over how the show will hurt tourism... by trying to be too real.

[kimo55]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

Sadly, it's a double-edged sword, and if it ever becomes a runaway hit, there'll be politicians and community leaders even more up in arms over how the show will hurt tourism... by trying to be too real.

this was a bone of contention back 'in the day' when we were watching Hawaii 5-0 and witnessed the filming now and then round chinatown and da Ilikia.( ho, da trills, eh!?)

We would sit on da punee watching da television, laughing about the weekly crimes da boys hadda battle thinking ... well, if they think there's a big crime 4 times a month here, i suppose they will also swallow the idea of guys running aound the island chasing crooks all the while dressed in FULL SUITS!
har.
we gotta kick outta so much that was represented and didnt take it too seriously.
just enjoyed it,
while others raised a brouhaha thinking it shines a bad light on our home; portraying the islands as a den of iniquity. However, the tourism numbers jumped exponentially during the 12 year run of H50 and soon "the end justifies the means" was the summing up slogan...

[LikaNui]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

..gee... another ones we can think of, "ripped from today's headlines?"

Easy! How about a former massively overpaid trustee of, shall we say, a massive estate that also runs a Hawaiian school who is also an attorney and who was caught having sex with a married lady in the public bathroom of a major Waikiki hotel and they were busted by hotel security and the story got splashed all over the headlines and a couple of days later the married lady sadly committed suicide?!
Talk about a classic TV story ripped from yesterday's headlines!

[Peshkwe]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

eh, howzit Peshy! talk to the P-man lately?

..as for stories, not being racial here or anything... anyone think they need to start using some haoles & papolos as the bad guys-most of um have been local/asian! lol!

oh, on 50 First Dates...

Yeah, Schnieder's accent was pretty bad alright... I did like the movie though (kinda a sweet story behind it). Did they even have a local-consultant on there? Then again, James Grant Benton was the one on "Birds of Paradise" and that sucked... and as for Kekaula.. bleh.

Hey!! How ya doin?

Geez... sorry I didn't see this!

Yeah I talked with him last Friday, trying to pick his brain on artwork n stuff.

[kimo55]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC

aaah.. settlin in fo anodda ep of "Hawaii" with a martini.
how hawaii kai 2004 decadent can ya get?!

another good ep. they're getting better. Da big bruddah getting better positioning in the eps.

the shack they crashed early on is.. well, i wont say where... but its the same place da two haoles were kept after they went horseback riding inadverdently into a pakalolo field in the north shore series a month ago.

And its the same location used in Tears of the Sun.

What was that look da sistah wen give da haole guy as he was making a lunch date with the drug girl on his cell phone?!

They had lunch at what looked like the second floor of Fishermans wharf restaurant.
that was a cool old kine tiki roadside we wen spok as da guys found the gun in da water..

[EastCoastTropics]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

Yeah, another good ep! Glad to see Andy Bumatai again!

[Linkmeister]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

The current issue of Newsweek (9/20/04) has a review of fall TV shows; it pans "Hawaii" but is intrigued by "Lost."

[pzarquon]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

I liked last night's show, but I think last week's is still my favorite. I still chuckle over some of those lines. "I hope you got the extra insurance..."

Like in the pilot, once again it seemed like we were being introduced to a character who supposedly has a long history with police, but who ends up caught and locked up by the end of the show. And so much of the hunt was a wild goose chase anyway. It was a bit unsatisfying.

As soon as I saw the cruise ship yesterday, I smacked myself in the head. There's an obvious source of several storylines right there. And hell, if the Pride of Aloha continues to suck, I'm sure they'd be willing to let NBC film on board. It's not like they need all that space for paying passengers!

Check "mahu" (or, "mahoo" according to the closed captioning) off the list of local things depicted on the show. I snickered at how the long shot of that street revealed what appeared to be a veritable parade of scantilly clad women (and men dressed as women).

The River Street jet ski chase was fun, although anyone who has to drive around there knows you'd be lucky to get out of second gear, let alone speed mauka at 50 mph.

And I liked the East Oahu setting of the judge's house. Rather, that we see swanky island residences like that, as well as the hot and dusty walk-up "dingbat" apartments in town, in the same show. When other series tend to pick a "class" and stick with it (except when class warfare makes a convenient plot point), here we see regular people at different ends of the economic spectrum.

[LikaNui]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

Agreed, Ryan. And I got a kick out of last night's show where the police scuba divers were going in the water to look for the gun. They were looking at a chart and pointing to (and mentioning) Keehi Lagoon, then seconds later the divers are in the water.
At Makapu`u Point.
Cuz it looks so very much like Keehi Lagoon.

[kimo55]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

And I liked the East Oahu setting of the judge's house. Rather, that we see swanky island residences like that, as well as the hot and dusty walk-up "dingbat" apartments in town, in the same show. When other series tend to pick a "class" and stick with it (except when class warfare makes a convenient plot point), here we see regular people at different ends of the economic spectrum.

unconciously compared that to hawaii 5-0s similar scenes;
this one last night; the actress was unconvincing.

they need a better wrangler;
the dog was verrrry distracting.

Hawaii 5-0's seemed better thought out and constructed. This scene seemed whipped up last minute. No establishing pan shots.
mo bettah li dat they have a wide tracking shot slow zoom in to the conversation of the three of them.

[admin]

Re: "Hawaii" on NBC: The Early Returns

With the fourth episode aired Sept. 22, let's roll this thread once more.