“Every Friday night, no matter what.” “My brother and I grew up on it.” “We watched it in Russian.” “I named my cat Munch.”
Since I’ve started writing on Substack I’ve heard countless stories from those of you who engage on Chat, or email me; they can be funny, touching, mindblowing, or otherworldly. Even before this, I’d heard many stories from friends and fans alike about when they were introduced to the show and the depth of their connection to not only the characters but to the viewing experience itself. Either with their family as young teenagers, with friends, or sometimes alone.
I continue to be blown away and humbled by these Homicide anecdotes. So, it occurred to me, that it would be pretty cool to gather them all together. The added twist is that they might somehow be transformed into a Substack story or an article of some sort.
With this project, I’d like to encourage all of you to embrace your inner writer. Whether it’s a couple of paragraphs, two or three sentences, or a chapter-size story; all of it is valuable and, I believe, worthy of your time. Whether you’ve never been published, or don’t consider what you do ‘writing’; jump on in. The water may be chilly at first, or not, but it warms up - at least from my viewpoint.
What if you didn’t start watching as a teen? Participate anyway. How old were you when you DID start watching? Maybe write about that first experience. Where were you? Who were you with? What was going on in your life at that time? Was Homicide like a strange companion to your daily life, or just a Friday Night watch? What was your initial impression of the show, and why do you think it had a lasting effect on you? Did you pull others into it, or prefer to watch alone?
This is a very active community with lots of engagement. I also appreciate that the engagement can include maintaining a more anonymous presence. It’s all good - read/watch and enjoy. This is but an experiment as Homicide gets ready to drop on Peacock. Yet another avenue to explore why this show bored its way into our collective imagination. You can write anonymously, with a pseudonym, or under your own name.
So, for those who have raved about it, mused about it, had recurring dreams about it, chewed over it, named your kids/cars/cats/dogs after the detectives, bought the merch or the box set(s), or the books, and are feeling the love for its upcoming streaming - this curious little swamdive might just be the ticket. Consider writing your own story into the ongoing narrative and history of Homicide, a show that is ground-shattering not only for its acting, writing, and camera work; but for the love that all of you bring to the table…the Algonquin Round Table (had to work that in).
If you’re a subscriber, I believe you have the ability to email me your stories. Let me know if there’s a better way.
I still really want to do this justice, so I hope I'll have this submitted sometime this week. :) It might be lengthy, though. :/
I didn't know I could email