The Long Way Up

The arts is such a vast and varied collection of creative activity and expression emanating from depths of the human mind. It is life captured and translated into different forms with the goal of charming and enthralling some, or provoking and inspiring others. My first introduction to the arts was by way of crayons and coloring books. As a kid, I was enamoured by the fact that I could assign whatever shade I want to the shapes and forms drawn on pale white, sometimes drab gray, pages. A little later after that, audible art found its way into my ears and became a staple art form in my life for years to come. Music soothed me, excited me, motivated me, consoled me, and accompanied me through the many seasons I have been through. Much later still, I got into photography and discovered I had a knack for it. Taking pictures afforded me opportunities to capture what I considered interesting and attractive in life, and immortalize them in polaroids, photo paper, and pixels. ...

With the abundance of television networks, cable channels, and streaming services available in this day and age, finding one that consistently provides superb output has become as arduous as looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Over the years, there have been standouts in this industry that left in me ineradicable admiration for the quality of their programs. Among them is HBO , which produced Six Feet Under ,  The Night Of , and the widely (and wildly) successful Game of Thrones . Another is ABC , which put out  Lost , Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , and Once Upon a Time (not counting the seventh season). And, of course, AMC , which wowed me with  Breaking Bad  (my all-time favorite series), along with its spin-off, Better Call Saul . In mentioning these three-letter networks, it's good to take note that their success has increased the competition in broadcast media and, as a result, also increased the quality of television, cable and streaming se...