"CBS Airs Gutsy 'Category 6' Miniseries"

[GreenPartyVoter]

CBS should be commended for scheduling "Category 6: Day of Destruction," a four-hour miniseries based on the premise that the nation's electric utilities have imperiled public welfare for the sake of higher profits.

In the film, a calamity unfolds when three enormous weather systems head toward Chicago, creating the worst storm in history - and, along the way, cause the nation's inadequate power grid to collapse, preventing anyone from getting advance word of the disaster.

It is unusual for a "big event" program on a major network to slam big business in such a pointed way. But this is a crucial issue, said executive producer Robert Sertner. He cited a line delivered by Dianne Wiest as the secretary of energy: "We've become a first-world nation with a third-world power grid."

"Deregulation has caused us to use the power grid in a way it was never designed to be used," Sertner said. "Another blackout like we experienced last year is not a question of if but when, and how much worse will it be."

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20041114/D86BS3VG0.html

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[DrWeird]

1. Poor man's "Day After Tomorrow" or whatever.

And that's saying a lot, considering what crap that first one was.

[cali]

3. as it happened, I rented DAT yesterday

couldn't even make it halfway through, turned it off and thought for a moment that it was still on-- Crappy Category 6, or whatever it's called was running. talk about mad movie joss.

[rinsd]

7. Ugh...talk about relying on your eye-candy....

It was your typical disaster flick without the phenomenal acting from the Poseidon Adventure or Towering Inferno!

Just saw it yesterday shaking my head at why I thought Dennis Quaid was a good actor.

[grasswire]

2. did I miss the first episode of this?

Sounds great.

[Connie_Corleone]

4. You didn't miss much.

The storm hasn't even hit Chicago yet. Not until Wednesday I think.

[Connie_Corleone]

5. I thought some whistleblower shut the grid down?

At least, that's what it look like.

[dr.strangelove]

6. I got a kick out of the first part.

I love Brian Dennehy and I thought Nancy McKeon was pretty good. The "special effects" were of the typical sweeps TV variety, but the stroy was pretty funny given the blackout last summer. It was clear to me the writers were making a mockery of our current power grid system. It was sweeps week popcorn entertainment, but I had a shitty weekend, and it helped me fall asleep without any stress.

[Javaman]

8. Oh please, the power grid problems is now the easy target for anyone..

Does the show say why we are in such bad shape? Does it say anything as to why the power grid is fragmented? Does it tell us how the power companies use more coal and create acid rain and increased carbon output into the atmosphere that create global warming that lead to these super storms???
Another crappy show that show cool pictures in the last ten minutes of the show with 3 1/2 hours of stupid melo-drama.
How about this? Turn off your fucking TV!!! Save energy!!

[oscar111]

12. Dereg Utilities Bill coming up:Sign up for alerts, Public Citizen:PUHCA

Deregulation is disaster.

Senator Pete Dominici from NM keeps introducing his awful Energy Bill. It would increase the partial dereg of Electric Utilities disasterously.

Sign up for alerts from the only source i know of...

###########
ex-Nader group Public Citizen's site.. Critical Mass Energy Project CMEP.. homepage button for it.
############

they warn of the Bill introduction each time. Defeated so far, but watch out! It will come again.
FDR began the regulation, called PUHCA i think... PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT. Partly repealed in nineties, but some still in place. Defend it!

Or lose power in August as the greedheads send power out of state to create artifical blackouts to up prices and profits. They did that in CA two years ago. Want that again?

[UNIXcock]

9. The message was spot on but boy, was that a stinker! (n/t)

[hedgehog]

10. At times like these, we need a stinker to take our minds off our troubles>

[bobbyboucher]

11. Maybe to get the Great Unwashed to sign on to rebuilding

the grid at their expense? I mean, if the power generators had to support the grid themselves it would delve into profits.

[nostamj]

13. are you sure you didn't mean GUSTY mini-series?

;-)

insanely lame but.... sometimes you feel like some cheese in a can.

most idiotic (so far) Nancy MacKeon (sp?) broadcasting live to a city COMPLETELY WITHOUT POWER...

[laundry_queen]

16. LOL that's what I kept thinking!

So who wants to take bets on what part of the movie the pregnant lady gives birth in the elevator?
Sad part is I'll probably watch part 2.

[Carl Brennan]

14. Sounds like a sustainable and secure energy source

is a matter of national security. One possible solution

Diversify the energy systems: hydro--tidal shift generators, wind, geo thermal, magnet motors (my favorite), solar,

Just think, we could also solve alot of environmental problems at the same time.


But it will be next to impossible to get these systems on line unless the BFEE is toppled.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. Start from the ground up. Me, if I could afford it I'd build

a snug little passive/active solar house with wind back-up.

Not helpful to city folk, I know, but it would be a good thing for folks in the country to do.

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[Carl Brennan]

18. I just saw a topic yesterday where somebody

posted that their neighbor had a windmill of sorts on his house and it was so efficient that he actually sold his extra power back to the power company.

I've heard of this before, but had never seen a case like this.

Then there was discussion of a "magnet motor" that uses zero fuel.

If we ever got an ounce of rationality into our energy policy we could make this a more livable world in no time.



PS. The recount has been funded. WOOOHOOO!!

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. Here in Maine, you have to be "grid-tied" You don't get paid

for the extra engery you produce but rather hope that what you take in at night will equal what you put out during the day.

Go to the shopping section on the far right side of my main page and you will see a link to solarhouse.com. They do a great job of explaining about grid-tie situations.

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[jjanpundt]

17. I'm definitely a flip-flop on these types of movies...

on the one hand I approve of anything that might make the average joe sit up and pay attention to environmental issues. On the other hand the science or special effects are so crappy that they're easy to dismiss as "hysteria".

I'm watching Category 6 mainly because I really like Brian Denehey (sp?) and to see how they trash Chicago. It's rare for Chicago to be trashed in disaster flicks -- usually Los Angeles or New York.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Welcome to DU. :^)

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