Tempting Tuesday: Themes Songs To Love

I'm going to thoroughly date myself with this post, but that's okay. Remember the awesome 80s TV theme songs? Dramas weren't introduced by gritty, guitar based chordes (True Blood and Sopranos). They were as bold as their groundbreaking shows and commanded attention. My attention, anyway. Here are the ones that shaped my childhood and that I'll never forget.

1. Dallas 1978-1991

I was only a year old when this show first aired. My parents watched it from the pilot, and the song is one of my earliest memories. My mom loves to tell the story of a four-year-old me running into the living room when the song came on the radio and telling her it was "Dallas, Mommy, Dallas!" I still love it, and it will always bring a smile to my face. Seriously, who doesn't remember wondering "Who Shot J.R.?" It was all my parents talked about that summer. T-shirts were printed with the slogans "Who Shot J.R.," and "I Shot J.R.," and the stunt helped popularize the idea of a television cliffhanger.

2. Hill Street Blues 1981-1987

One of the first serial police dramas, Hill Street Blues has been ranked as one of T.V. Guide's Greatest T.V. Shows of All Time. To be honest, I don't remember the show that clearly, although I do remember the faces I see during the credits. I didn't watch this as faithfully as I did Dallas; all I cared about was the music in the opening credits. My parents would call me in from whatever I was doing to make sure I didn't miss it. It's still one of my favorites today.

3. Little House on the Prairie 1974-1982

I dearly loved this show. Laura was my hero, and the books triggered my love of reading and history. By the time I started watching, the show was nearly through its run, so I saw a lot of syndicated reruns. I remember driving my brother crazy because I had to watch it every time it was on. It's one of those themes you recognize on the first note, and it brings back a lot of great memories for me.

4. Dukes of Hazzard 1979-1985

Okay, so this show certainly wasn't great television history, but who didn't love Bo and Luke constantly outsmarting evil, old Boss Hogg? I remember watching this show along with HeeHaw (remember that one?), and I can still hear Dad's funny laugh every time Boss got his.

5. North and South 1985, 1986 (I don't count the third one).

I saved the best for last. The North and South miniseries based on the John Jake novels is considered one of the best miniseries of all-time, and as much as I loved Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing, he was born to play southern gentleman Orry Main. Composed by Bill Conti, the emotion of this theme song never fails to make me feel near the edge of tears. For me, it represents a time in American history that was full of change and heartache, and it was this miniseries that cemented my love of history and interest in the Civil War. No theme will surpass it in my mind.

What about you? Do you remember watching these shows? What were some of your favorite them songs?

Tempting Tuesday: Billy the Exterminator

Billy Bretherton

Today's topic is about one of my favorite shows, Billy the Exterminator on A&E. He doesn't look like your average exterminator, does he? That's because he isn't. Billy is an animal lover, roach and wasp killer, family man, genius (yes, literally), and family man.

He got his start on an episode of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe (another household favorite) and was eventually offered his own show featuring his pest control business, Vexcon. Located near Shreveport, Louisiana, the business is a family affair. Although Billy and his brother Ricky are listed as the owners, their mom and dad run the office, and there's no doubt who's the boss: Donnie Bretherton, matriarch and somewhat control freak. She loves to get involved in younger son Ricky's love life and is constantly thwarting her husband's attempts to sneak out of the office to a job. He's had some health problems, including a heart attack, and she won't let him do much.

L-R: Ricky, Bill Sr., Donnie, and Billy.

Back to Billy. He's not just some backwoods rube running around with spiked hair and scary leather. He's educated, and according to his brother Ricky, his I.Q. is at genius level (as well as Ricky and Bill, Sr's.) Billy entered the Air Force in 1987 with dreams of law enforcement, but he tested so high in biology, science, and chemistry he was put into the field of entomology.

When I found out [about being placed in entomology] I actually started bawling my head off when I called home to my Mom and Dad because I just joined the United States Air Force to be the Orkin Man and squish bugs. --Billy Bretherton

Although he was disappointed, Billy credits the Air Force with giving him stellar training in the field. After an honorable discharge, he spent five years working with the industry's leading entomologist. He furthered his expertise by studying at Purdue University, and then earning a masters certification for termite control at LSU. Billy is an expert in using organic, non-chemical procedures to rid his customers of unwanted pests. Vexcon is one of the only companies to use eugenol oil - an organic element that zaps the pests but doesn't hurt humans or animals.

Billy and Ricky going after a big alligator.

He started Vexcon with his father in 1996 and the business quickly grew. What I love about Billy is that you see how intelligent and compassionate he is on every job. He always relocates animals if at all possible, including alligators (although the state of Louisiana states that an alligator over five foot must be disposed off), bees, raccoons, foxes, possums, snakes...the list goes on.

Billy loves working with his younger brother Ricky, and many of the shows episodes feature the two of them going up against all sorts of creatures. Vexcon is known for its compassionate treatment of wild animals, but Billy always makes sure to explain to customers - especially kids, how dangerous and unpredictable wild animals can be.

Billy and Ricky relocating a skunk.

One of my favorite episodes is from Season 3. Last year, Billy and Ricky went down to the Gulf to see the oil spill for themselves. They were sickened by what they saw. A guide took them through some of the marsh areas where the oil was beginning to encroach, and a raccoon was in serious danger, with oil already on its fur. The guide told Billy he couldn't legally rescue it - the state was only focusing on birds and taking mammals was strictly prohibited. Billy couldn't leave the stranded animal, so without much equipment, he and Ricky caught the coon, and Billy took him to shore and the heat that went with saving the animal.

Billy and Ricky looking at the destruction of the oil spill.

I'm not the only one in the house who loves Billy. Grace has declared her love for him. He and Justin Bieber are her boyfriends, and she's determined to be Billy for Halloween. I love the guy, but I'm not sure I want my five-year-old daughter running around the neighborhood looking like this:

I couldn't get this link to convert, but take two minutes and watch Billy explain how to capture a coyote without harming it. He's got no interest in the traps that clamp down and seriously injure the animal's leg. He wants to relocate it, not hurt it.

Billy the Exterminator is on A&E, Tuesday at 10/9 central.

Dexter: New American Hero?

I’m late to the Dexter phenomenon. We don’t have Showtime, and I just recently started watching this amazing show. Now halfway through season 4, I’m convinced he's one of the best characters I've ever come across—on television or in literature.

At first glance, Dexter seems pretty cut and dried. A psychopath (or is it sociopath? The two often go together) who gets his kicks murdering people, but with a caveat: only the bad guys, so he’s at least contributing to society. This ‘code’ was established by his adoptive father to keep Dexter alive and to help the old man from accepting the fact that his son was a coldblooded killer.

Sociopaths and psychopaths are intermixed and sometimes hard to define. They don’t care about anyone but themselves, have no conscious, no morals. They feel nothing, although many can mimic feelings in order to blend in. Psychopaths are often defined as the monsters in society, and this is how Dexter sees himself. A monster fulfilling his need the best way he can.

Throughout the series, Dexter repeatedly says he can’t feel. He has a girlfriend to appear normal, and she’s perfect because she’s got dark issues of her own. She’s also got two kids he’s very good with. The closest person in his life is his sister, Deb. Still, he doesn’t believe he truly cares for these people. In his mind, he’s going through the necessary motions. And yet he consistently goes the extra mile for all of them.

As the show progresses, Dexter goes from seeing himself as a monster happily blending in to questioning everything he’s been taught by his father. He grows more attached to his girlfriend and her children, going so far as to call them ‘my kids’ when one of them is threatened. He saves his sister’s life at great personal sacrifice and has no regret because he’s ‘fond of her.’

The interesting thing is these aren’t contrived actions. None are done simply to look like he’s the good guy. They’re visceral reactions he can’t explain. After all, he’s the monster who can’t feel.

Yet nearly the entire show revolves around what he’s feeling: about himself, his place in life, the people closest to him. He tries to fit in not because he has to but because he wants to. Even when his darkness calls, he sticks to his code because of his trust in his father’s advice. Dexter claims to have no conscience, and yet every major decision is weighed carefully, with visions of his now deceased father chiming in with guidance.

So what is Dexter? A killer with a conscience, certainly. But is he a true psychopath? There are worse monsters out there. Dexter only kills murders, and only after he has concrete proof.

Eventually Dexter discovers why he kills, and the knowledge sends him on a path of self-discovery. Considering what he experienced, it’s a miracle he functions in society at all. Experts debate whether psychopaths (and sociopaths) are made or if their problems are genetic. One thing they all seem to have is a stressor, a trigger that sends them down the wrong path. This certainly happened to Dexter, and I have to wonder if he would have ever had the urge to kill had he not experienced such trauma.

I don’t believe he’s a true psychopath. His experience likely made him a killer, but Dexter cares too much about those around them to be considered a psychopath. I think he’s convinced himself he’s a monster because he’s afraid to admit he cares. Keeping people at arm’s length not only protects his dark secret but his emotions as well.

One of the most moving scenes (and an awesome performance by Michael C. Hall) is early in season four. Dexter is getting ready to kill a woman who murdered her family. She pleads with him, telling him he's no different from her, that he hides himself from his family. As Dexter thinks of Rita and the kids, a stunning realization hits him: he doesn't want to lose them. He's blown away by the thought and tears come to his eyes. It's an incredible moment of growth for the character, and it's this type of humanization that sets him apart.

However you define him, Dexter is a character of complexities and contrasts. He’s committed horrible crimes and is utterly callous with his victims. He’s out for self-preservation. And yet, he’s a good man. He takes care of his family and friends, his girlfriend and her kids. He lives by a moral code no other criminal would follow. He is in constant flux, trying to understand himself and his place in this world. Viewers root for Dexter. We want him to get away with murder and sometimes we can’t wait until he kills his victim, because they deserve to pay the ultimate price.

What other character has garnered such a range of emotions? None that I can think of. Dexter is a true original.