Funny, I Pegged Ballard As a "Fear Factor" Man

Actually, the news that J.G. Ballard is hooked on CSI makes perfect sense, given his pioneering role in fetishizing forensics. "Given that there are no interesting characters, no car chases or shoot-outs, no violently stirred emotions and no dramatic action," he wonders, "why is the CSI series so riveting? What is it that grips us to the end of the episode, which is scarcely more than an elaborate crossword puzzle with human tissues in the place of clues?" Ballard being Ballard, the correct answer is looking forward to death.

He also makes an offhand reference to a British police show, The Bill, which sounds rather nifty, though we here in the States will probably never get to see it...