Security Plays A Role

Sep 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By STEPHANIE SILK

It's been said before: The Department of Homeland Security is no “24.” Television shows, fun and thrilling, sad and gripping, are often compared to real life. In fact, technology and security are often their own characters in TV shows that range from drama to sci-fi. Ever wonder how the characters we watch weekly deal with security issues that real people face every day? Let's look at some of the fall's new TV shows with a view toward security technology. And why not watch TV with real technology in mind? On a DVR, of course.

ALIENS IN AMERICA: A tormented social outcast in this show develops an unexpected friendship with his misfit equal — a Muslim exchange student. Security take: Profiling issues aside, think how far in advance the social outcast would have to apply for a passport to visit his new friends' homeland.

BIONIC WOMAN: New take on the old story about an ordinary woman who gets in a car accident, and to save her life, her boyfriend gives her a bionic eye, ear, arm and legs. Security take: Big challenge for metal detectors, not to mention iris scanners.

CARPOOLERS: New show follows the suburban lives of four men who have nothing in common but their daily commute. Security take: When debate ensues over whether or not to run a yellow light, will a traffic light surveillance camera be there to settle the argument — and solve the crime?

CAVEMEN: A popular commercial is turned into a sitcom as three cavemen try to “fit in” in the modern world of today. Security take: Get these guys some smoke sensors and portable extinguishers — they think fire is the only form of light.

CHUCK: The eponymous geek gets an e-mail filled with government secrets that downloads directly into his brain. Security take: Didn't his e-mail program protect him from an obvious virus-infected message? And how to keep top-secret brain matter from showing up on YouTube?

JOURNEYMAN: A newspaper reporter finds himself suddenly and randomly traveling through time. Security take: At least he'll have an excuse prepared when the access control robots of the future tell him his magnetic-stripe ID badge is “so 2007.”

MOONLIGHT: A vampire private investigator saves innocent people from bad guys and falls in love with a mortal. Security take: Let's hope he owns some night-vision cameras.

PUSHING DAISIES: The main character in this new show, Ned, can bring dead things to life with one touch. Security take: Security surveillance at the local morgue would find something to watch on the CCTV screen. We can only imagine how many times security officers would replay the DVR recording of Ned demonstrating his “ability.”

SAMANTHA WHO?: Samantha wakes from a coma after eight days — with no memory of who she is or her former life. Security take: Biometrics to the rescue? Or maybe she could check her photo ID.

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© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

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