SECTS IN THE CITY [TV police drama]
When the NYPD Division of Religious Outreach was
formed during the civil rights movements of the 1960's,
it was derided as "The God Squad".
But now the NYPD DRO has their hands full.
Staffed with colorful specialists with Talmudic
wisdom, the DRO handles the unusual cases where
religion plays a central role.
In the pilot episode, "Leviticus", a Queens man's
behavior was initially nothing more than quirky.
His literal interpretation of the Old Testament has
led to his loud demands that female store clerks tell
him whether they are menstruating, so he can avoid
the ritual uncleanliness resulting from any form of
interaction with them.
Is he any more than just another obnoxious customer
in the neighborhood bodegas?
But now he has precisely followed the specifications
in the Old Testament to build a sacrificial altar in
his small backyard.
While the odor it sends up may be pleasing to the
Lord, it definitely is not pleasing to anyone in
his neighborhood.
And when pets go missing,
the DRO is called to the scene.
That's SECTS IN THE CITY, premiering right after
COPTS, featuring the men and women of Egypt's
Christian minority.
MA AND PA KETEL ONE [comedy]
A backwoods couple become bartenders
at a Caribbean resort.
Tagline:
"Cocktail" meets "The Beverly Hillbillies"!
This assumes some awareness of
Ma and Pa Kettle....
YOUTH IN ASIA [comedy]
Two young slackers (think "Dude, Where's My Car?"
or "Harold and Kumar") are getting drunk (or stoned,
depending on target MPAA rating) one night while
watching a documentary on a Cambodian children's
charity supported by the oh-so-hot Angelina Jolie.
Thinking that a charity helping Asian children
would be a vehicle to meeting the hot women of
their dreams, they dream up "Youth in Asia".
Imagine their befuddlement when the only people
interested in their cause are some grim Dutchmen
and members of the Kevorkian League!
After some misadventures involving the local
nursing home, our heroes meet some dedicated,
if clueless, hotties.
A REPTILE DYSFUNCTION [suspense / science fiction]
A trend toward increasing mutation rates in reptiles
and amphibians has been observed for several years now.
So far it has largely been blamed on agricultural
runoff: herbicides and pesticides.
But now it appears that increasingly convincing spam
e-mail is leading to vast increases in the consumption
of medications promising increased sexual prowess.
Given the promised amazingly high effectiveness of
these drugs, even the miniscule amounts excreted
through urine and passed through the sewage treatment
system might have some unexpected effect
on the environment.
Recent reports suggest attacks by sexually aggressive
alligators.
Could it be A REPTILE DYSFUNCTION?
See, for example, the 12 January 2009 article in
New Scientist, listing the 11 most frequently
detected compounds in U.S. drinking water:
"Atenolol, a beta-blocker used to treat cardiovascular disease
Atrazine, an organic herbicide banned in the European Union, but still used in the US, which has been implicated in the decline of fish stocks and in changes in animal behaviour
Carbamazepine, a mood-stabilising drug used to treat bipolar disorder, amongst other things
Estrone, an oestrogen hormone secreted by the ovaries and blamed for causing gender-bending changes in fish
Gemfibrozil, an anti-cholesterol drug
Meprobamate, a tranquiliser widely used in psychiatric treatment
Naproxen, a painkiller and anti-inflammatory linked to increases in asthma incidence
Phenytoin, an anticonvulsant that has been used to treat epilepsy
Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic used against the Streptococcus bacteria, which is responsible for tonsillitis and other diseases
TCEP, a reducing agent used in molecular biology
Trimethoprim, another antibiotic"
