Lazy me...

I haven't had much of a chance to read very much. I spend my time sorting through the mountain of junk I have accumulated over the years. While doing this I have been able to watch or listen to shows on BBC radio as well as Wayne Dyer's latest PBS show (taped for me by my friend Tina who has cable TV).

But today I am most excited about a movie I discovered on YouTube. Callan stars Edward Woodward as a spy/killer with a conscience. From 1967 this show is considered to be a precursor to Woodward's American TV show "The Equalizer" but now that I see it I can see that it is far superior.

Don't get me wrong... I LOVED the Equalizer and I hope hope hope that it will be out on DVD someday so I can Netflix it, but Callan had a weariness punctuated with extreme violence that is so typical of British Cold War/spy shows. the show is basically summed up in the following paraphrase from the show... "Callan kills people to protect the innocent... whoever they may be."

In the new show on USA network "Burn Notice" ex-spies hang out on Miami Beach being clever, snarky and drinking drinks with umbrellas in them. In "Callan" ex-spies live in ratty apartments drinking scotch straight out of the bottle, sleepless from constant nightmares generated by their niggling consciences. Being a spy sucks but living in the real world (presumably where all those innocent people live) is just impossible for a man like that.