Jingle Bells Rendition

Halie Auditions For Christmas Idol

I've been saving this one for almost a year. Finally-- it can be unveiled!

Community's Alison Brie plays Halie, a contestant on Christmas Idol:



Damn... No-- da-yam!

"I don't think I should stand."  Classic...

Premieres and Notables: December 27-31, 2010 and January 1-2, 2011

As usual around this time of the year, it's pretty light.
But I'm sure next week will ramp things up as recent history has shown (used to be January was pretty sparse for debuts; not anymore).


Wednesday, 12/29

I Swear: The History of Dirty Words; History.  8 pm CST. Special.
Could be interesting...


Saturday, 1/1

Primeval; BBC America. 8 pm CST. 4th Season Premiere.


Sunday, 1/2

Worst Cooks in America; Food Network. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Nicolas Cage Movie Montage

Titled "Nic Cages Losing His Shit".
Perfectly describes this 4+ minutes.

.

Premieres and Notables; December 20-26, 2010

Monday, 12/20

Million Dollar Money Drop; Fox. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Some sort of game show where up to a million dollars could drop through a hole (don't know if that's good or bad for the contestants).


Wednesday, 12/22

Psych (USA; 9 pm, CST). Season Finale.
I don't lnow how accurate calling it a "finale" is. This show has one of the trickiest schedules I've seen. Three new eps, disappears for a month, comes back with a special episode, and then nothing for three weeks, and then six new eps and then gone for three months... [No, I'm not using actual data for what I wrote; just saying how frustrating it is to try to record-- or watch-- new episodes of this show without a DVR...]


Friday, 12/24

The annual 24-hour airing of A Christmas Story begins at 7 pm CST on TBS.


Saturday, 12/25

NBC reairs the stop-motion animated holiday episode of Community at 7 pm CST.  Great stuff-- especially to people familiar with the show as it nails the characters pretty well.

The Haunting Hour; The Hub. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Because nothing says "Christmas" quite like a series based on R.L. Stein's tween-friendly horror books...

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol; BBC America. 8 pm CST. Special.
I can't recall if the Doctor Who Christmas specials have ever debuted in America alongside their British debuts, but this is pretty cool.  The specials are always great single-story adventures, and it'll be fun to see Matt Smith get his turn at one.
This one's based on the classic Charles Dickens tale mentioned in the title.
Starring Michael Gambon-- Michael Gambon-- as a Scrooge-like fellow.

The Fuzz Trailer

If only it were a real movie...

Premieres and Notables; December 13-19, 2010

Monday, 12/13

Movies and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood (TCM; 7 pm CST). Series Finale.

If you've missed any or all of this season's The Vampire Diaries; The CW is repeating them all this week, 2 hours a night, from 7-9 pm CST.


Tuesday; 12/14

The Biggest Loser (NBC; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.


Wednesday, 12/15

In a truly odd promotion effort, Seth Rogan visits Mythbusters (Discovery; 8 pm CST) to discuss myths pertaining to his new movie role as The Green Hornet.

24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic; HBO. 9 pm CST. Mini-series Premiere.
Four eps that follow the two teams as they prepare for the outdoor NHL classic.


Thursday, 12/16

While I feel this season of The Big Bang Theory (CBS; 7 pm CST) has lost a step (jokes too obvious and Two and a Half Men-like in their sexual infantileness), but tonight's ep finds the gang dressed like members of the Justice League.  That's gotta be good for some hardcore geek-style laughs.

Burn Notice (USA; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Funniest Commercials of the Year 2010; TBS. 9 pm CST.  Special.
Since I FF through commercials as a rule, this is my best way to see the best of the year.
And this year the show is hosted by the Old Spice Man himself: Isaiah Mustafa.

FX airs the previously only on DVD It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Christmas Special at 9 pm CST.  It's insane and raunchy-- but funny too. Even more than a typical episode.


Saturday, 12/17

Ricky Gervais: Out of England 2-- The Stand-up Special; HBO. 9 pm CST. Special.
I wasn't a huge fan of Gervais' first special.  Moderately funny, but nothing close to as brilliant as his scripted comedies.
But I'll tune in as a fan.
And because he promises to tell the most tasteless joke he knows in it...


Sunday, 12/19

Survivor (CBS; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

Leverage (TNT; 8 & 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

Robot Chicken (adult swim; 10:30 pm CST) has its third-annual Star Wars special tonight.  This one is an hour long-- four times longer than a typical Chicken ep.
And I don't want to make any bold statements here, but the Chicken creators and producers Seth Greene and Matthew Senreich were recently hired as consultants on George Lucas' new animated Star Wars series in development, and I wonder if something will be mentioned about it on this episode.
Probably not-- but I don't want to discount the slight possibility...

Turkey Caller Fail

It may be a fail-- but thumbs up for the technique.

Epic Rap Battle: Darth Vader vs. Hitler

So incredibly wrong-- but it's funny...

Charles Bronson is Killing Hipsters

"Turn it down. No one wants to hear your playlist."

Premieres and Notables: December 6-12, 2010

Monday, 12/6

The Sing-Off; NBC. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Cake Boss: Next Great Baker; TLC. 8 pm CST. Series premiere.

Tabitha's Salon Takeover; Bravo. 9 pm CST. Series premiere.

Men of a Certain Age; TNT. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.


Tuesday, 12/7

Cupcake Wars; Food Network. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

In Treatment (HBO; 8:30 pm CST). Season Finale.

Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys; Sundance. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A show that looks at normal gay guys and the women who love them.


Wednesday, 12/8

American Ninja Warrior; G4. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Thursday, 12/9

Abed wakes up to find his world looks like a Claymation Christmas Special on Community (NBC; 7 pm CST), so he decides to seek out the meaning of Christmas.

Amy Ryan returns as Holly in an hour-long episode of The Office (NBC; 8 pm CST).

The Apprentice (NBC; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

"Sweet" Dee gives birth on  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX; 9 pm CST).

Taxicab Confessions; HBO. 10 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Friday, 12/10

Friends and enemies converge in Smallville's Fall Finale (The CW; 7 pm CST).

The Good Guys (Fox; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.


Sunday, 12/12

The Amazing Race (CBS; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

Dexter (Showtime; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Black Man Angry at KFC

Drunk Santa in Parking Ramp

Probably fake... But still funny.

The Veronica Spaceflight Program

This is awesome.

This player of Fallout: New Vegas tries to see how much C4 will blow up the indestructable NPC Veronica.

Love the bounce...

Kirk Clears the Stage

No one puts stupid-ass beach balls on Metallica's stage...

Wedding Piggyback

Yeah-- you can guess this isn't going to work out...

Premieres and Notables; November 29- December 5, 2010

First off, Sunday, 11/28, Adult Swim will begin to repeat all of The Venture Brothers from the first ep and air a repeat a week.  The first season was my favorite as it focused on Hank and Dean, the amazingly naive teenage sons of a bitter man who could never live up to his dad's almost super-hero existence.
It's a great time to jump on.


Tuesday, 11/30

Strange Days With Bob Saget; A&E. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Saget travels the country and looks into "subcultures", such as this week's look into biker clubs

Sons of Anarchy (FX; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Wednesday, 12/1

Terriers (FX; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.
Odds are, it's the series finale. 
Hope not 'cause it's been a pretty season, and I think it's just starting to find its potential.


Thursday, 12/2

Brad Meltzer's Decoded (History; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Sunday, 12/5

Boardwalk Empire (HBO; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

The Walking Dead (AMC; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.
A season two is a done deal-- but it sucks that we'll probably be waiting until the end of October for it...

Bundaberg Rum-- Favorable Lie

Huzzah!

Oprah's Latest Gift to Her Fans

Black Man Angry at Redbox

He loves Pokemon-- and hates paying for movies.

The Woman You'd Love Your Woman to Be

Great parody of the Old Spice commercials...

Premieres and Notables; November 22-28, 2010

Monday, 11/22

Skating With the Stars; ABC. 8:11 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Tuesday, 11/23

Carol Burnett guest-stars on Glee (Fox, 7 pm CST) as Sue Sylvester's mom.
Sue Sylvester's ex-Nazi-hunter mom...

Dancing With the Stars (ABC; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.


Wednesday, 11/24

Firebreather; Cartoon Network. 6 pm CST. Special
An adaptation of the Image comic about a teenager who gets superpowers from his monster father.

Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special; NBC. 7:30 pm CST. Special
Dreamworks poops out another special based around a holiday-- but Kung Fu Panda is one of my favorite recent animated films, so I'll give it a try.


Friday, 11/26

Young Justice; Cartoon Network.  6 pm CST. Series Sneak-Preview
The proteges of the Justice League form their own team as they train to become heroes in their own right.
(Probably) loosely based on the comic of the same name of the '90s, and it's a cool concept, so it's worth checking out.


Sunday, 11/28

Top Gear; History. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
An American version of the British hit.

Jerry Jones Just Drafted This Dude

He'll finally have someone who can score at Cowboys Stadium...

The Mad Hatter Plays Beer Pong

And he's a little drunk...

Black Man Loves Pokemon

Probably staged-- but it doesn't make it less funny.

Diving Board Fail-- Bigtime

Bad Azz Kids Gettin' Picked On

Ipswich 2010 World Final Heat 2

This is called banger racing. They actually did this on purpose.

Video Clips-- new shows

Glory Daze:



Brew Masters:

Premieres and Notables; November 15-21

Monday, 11/15

Robin Sparkles makes a return to How I Met Your Mother (CBS; 7 pm CST).
--And she brings her friend, Jessica Glitter...

Weeds (Showtime; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.
If previews are any indication, the shit will finally hit the fan...

The Big C (Showtime; 9:30 pm CST). Season Finale.


Tuesday, 11/16

Glory Daze; TBS. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
An '80s-based sitcom set in college about four freshmen in their attempts to get into a fraternity.


Wednesday, 11/17

Human Target; Fox.  8 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.

Top Chef: Just Desserts (Bravo; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Friday, 11/19

Jack Black shows up on tonight's double-sized iCarly (Nickelodeon; 7 pm CST).

Dennis Miller: The Big Speech; HBO. 9 pm CST. Special
Miller's 8th HBO comedy special.


Sunday, 11/21

The Next Iron Chef (Food Network; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Brew Masters; Discovery Channel. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Dogfish Head Brewery founder Sam Calagione travels the country, checking out the great beers.

The Futurama Holiday Spectacular; Comedy Central. 9 pm CST. Special/New Episode.

Neature Walk Ep 1

I found this to be pretty neat.

The Weather is a Dick

Breaking News: Mexico is pregnant!

Thousands of girls match description

"One Win"

I watched an episode of Inside Studio 42 With Bob Costas in December 2009 where he interviewed 90 year-old Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Feller, and I just loved this line, so I thought I'd share it on this special day.

Feller was a monster pitcher.  Costas said he was a legend before the age of 20-- and if Costas says something like that about a baseball player, you know it's true.  He had amazing numbers.  One such number was his win total: 266 games.  But in the middle of his career, he missed three full seasons and most of a fourth by serving in the Navy in World War II.

Costas said to him, "At the pace you were at, you would have easily surpassed 350 wins had you not been in the war."

Feller responded with, "I only wanted one win. World War II was the one we had to win."  He then went on to talk about his personal as well as the nation's "unrelenting resolve" to win the war, and rattled off the death tolls of some of the battles he was in (note, the fact that he knows those numbers after 60 years is remarkable in and of itself, and tells of the passion he has for the subject). 

He finished with, "I'm not a hero of the war.  Heroes seldom return from a war. Survivors return from wars.  I'm proud of my miltary career, and I don't miss those hundred wins whatsoever.  We're a free country, and that's what it was all about."

Were the men and women who lived during the 1940s the "greatest generation"?  Yeah, no doubt.

Take a little time to think of where we're at in the country we live in because of our veterans. Those who fought in World War II, as well as those who served before and after because, as Feller said-- and bears repeating: "We're a free country, and that's what it's about."

Thanks to all the veterans-- as well as those serving now.

Kittens Getting Shot With Lasers

Don't know how they did it (trained kittens?), but I think this is pretty clever.

Go! Bwah!

Very short clip. --But the title is explained:




And because no clip can exist on its own in this new internet climate, a remix:

ABBA mosh-pit

I love video clips with different music...

Favre Further Looks For Attention

Now the guy is taking nutshots like countless men do to get notoriety on the Internet.
Has he no shame?



This happened on October 13-- and even then, no one stopped to ask if he was okay.

Premieres and Notables; November 8-14, 2010

Monday, 11/8

Conan; TBS. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
The whole late-night thing is finally over.
Conan O'Brien gets his shot at his own show-- and can then prove whether or not he should have been "the guy" at NBC.
Frankly, I tired of it all months ago. Of course, I don't watch late-night talk shows (/"stroke-fests"), so I guess it doesn't matter.
I am curious to see if Conan's legion of fans follow him or if, like most things this blown out of proportion, his show kind of fizzles after a few weeks, and he ends up just "in the pack" by the end of the year.


Wednesday, 11/10

Psych; USA. 9 pm CST. Return.

Harry Loves Lisa (TV Land; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Thursday, 11/11

Burn Notice; USA. 9 pm CST. Return.


Friday, 11/12

In a pretty cool nod to the past, Teri Hatcher has a cameo as Lois Lane's mother on Smallville (The CW; 7 pm).
[And if you don't "get" the reference, Hatcher played Ms. Lane on Lois & Clark back in the '90s.]

Wizards of Waverly Place; Disney Channel. 8:45 pm CST. 4th Season Premiere.


Saturday, 11/13

There's a Doctor Who Season Five marathon on BBC America from 8 am to 9 pm; everything you need to catch up with the Eleventh Doctor.
Matt Smith had huge shoes to fill when David Tennant left the show, but he did it very well by being both a little more goofy-- and a little more scary.  The stand-off he had with alien invaders in his first episode is one of my favorite TV moments.  It gave proper respect to the Doctors who came before-- and it solidified the fact that there was a new Doctor on duty.
Highly recommended.

And if you want a look at Smith's predecessor's work, the last story that David Tennant starred in ("The End of Time") airs from 5 am to 8 am this morning (ending with Smith's first appearance as The Doctor).  It was both heartbreaking (knowing Tennant's Doctor was going to die) and uplifting (Tennant got a beautifully-written-- and very respectful-- send-off; truly worthy of one of the best to have that role).
This, too, is highly recommended (although it may "mean more" to you emotionally, if you watch all/many of the episodes Tennant worked on first).

Tracy Morgan: Black and Blue; HBO. 9 pm CST. Special.
Morgan gets a stand-up special on the premium net.


Sunday, 11/14

Sarah Palin's Alaska; TLC. 8 pm CST.
I'm really torn over this one.  On one hand, you have one of the country's most beautiful states on display.  On the other, you've got Palin hosting the show.
I think I'll save my pennies for an Alaskan vacation over seeing and hearing that nitwit any more than I have to.

Tina Fey: The Mark Twain Prize; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings). Special.
If you haven't gotten enough Tina Fey yet, then this program is for you.
(I'm not a Fey-hater; but I am a little worn-out with her.)

Cougar Life

Ummm...
Wow...
Really?

Smell Like A Monster

He didn't even need to use Old Spice...

Sheffield Village Taser Incident

The folks in Sheffield Vilage don't screw around.

"Taser, taser, taser.  Deploy!"

Premieres and Notables; November 1-7, 2010

Monday, 11/1

Driver Dan's Story Train; Sprout.  5:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Tuesday, 11/2

Running Russell Simmons; Oxygen. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Yep, anyone can get a reality show series.
This one follows Simmons and his assistants.


Wednesday, 11/3

Circus; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings).  Mini-series Premiere.
A look behind the scenes of the Big Apple Circus.
I've read it's supposed to be a pretty good docuseries...


Thursday, 11/4

I Can't Believe I'm Still Single; Showtime. 10:30 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.


Friday, 11/5

Supernanny; ABC. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Operation Wild; Planet Green. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Saturday, 11/6

Downsized; WE TV. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A family who lost their jobs deal with their new reality in this reality series.


Sunday, 11/7

Great Migrations; National Geographic. 7 pm CST. Mini-series Premiere.
The largest multi-media event in Nat Geo's 122 year history is showcased by this 7-hr mini-series that follows land, air, and sea animals and their migrations.

It's only a week late, but The Simpsons (Fox, 7 pm CST) can air its annual "Treehouse of Terror" episode.

Shake It Up; Disney. 7:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Two tween background dancers on a TV show get their own series that follows their wacky adventures.
Oddly enough, I feel the urge to note that this is a scripted series-- not a reality show.
And I feel sick I had to do that because as I said earlier: anyone can get a reality show nowadays.

Eastbound & Down (HBO; 9:30 pm CST). Season Finale.

Heckraiser?

Some things are just wrong.

Like this child's Pinhead Halloween costume:

Sign: 1; Man: 0

Drunk Dude Crashes a Rodeo

Walking Dead Trailers/Clips

Okay, like I said in the premieres post, AMC's The Walking Dead is the show I've looked forward to the most this season. Heck, I can't remember being this excited for a premiere since Prison Break years back.

So I thought I'd post the official trailer again...


This behind the scenes look featuring members of the creative team and the cast...


And this crazy time-lapse clip of one single woman getting made-up to be the "bicycle girl" zombie.  Three hours, people.  And the end-result is absolutely disgusting.
This show is going all-out to give motion-picture level visuals along with a fleshed-out storyline that can only be told on television...

Premieres and Notables; October 25-31, 2010

Monday, 10/25

In Treatment; HBO. 8 and 8:30 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.

Thintervention (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.

Dead Set; IFC.  11 pm CST. Mini-series Premiere.
This British mini-series airs the next five nights.
In other parts of the world Big Brother is a "big thing".  The British version of the show found itself ripe for a "new take" with this mini-series (not affiliated with the actual Big Brother) that explores the lives of the houseguests-- who have no idea the outside world has been overrun by zombies.  Until a live eviction episode...

Make this another case where I hate my current cable provider-- Charter Cable-- for not having IFC as a channel.  I get a little bit OnDemand, but the f-ing time it's available is, like, three days.  Lame.


Tuesday, 10/26

Melissa and Joey (ABC Family; 7 pm CST). Mid-season Finale.


Wednesday, 10/26

Friday Night Lights; Direct TV. 8 pm CST.  5th Season Premiere.
The final season begins here-- and then reairs on NBC next year.
Recommended.


Thursday, 10/27

Project Runway (Lifetime; 8 pm).  Season Finale.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX; 9 pm) finally addresses an issue they've avoided all season so far with loose clothing and blocking that keeps viewers from seeing Kaitlin Olson's baby-belly when a Halloween mystery is presented: who knocked up Sweet Dee?

The Fairy Jobmother; Lifetime. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Career specialist Hayley Taylor helps families find work.


Friday, 10/29

What Not To Wear; TLC. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
The prem features Facts of Life star Mindy Cohn getting told "what not to wear".


Sunday, 10/31

The Walking Dead; AMC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
And it's finally here; the show I've most looked forward to this season.

Based on Robert Kirkman (with artists Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard)'s comic book series about some of the surviving humans in a world overrun by zombies.  It's a fantastic series about the human experience; love, life, how/why to "go on" during troubled times...  And if you don't want to really watch a show that may make you think a bit, that's okay: there are plenty of zombies and death and surprises to keep you entertained.  There is a heavy body count to the comic, so we can only assume that many of the people we meet on the show will eventually be killed as well.

I'm not a horror fan, but I am a lover of great storytelling and the man who brought the comic to the screen-- and directed the 90-minute pilot-- is Frank Darabont, who also directed such films as The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. So I think the "great storytelling"-thing is taken care of.

But Darabont knew a good thing when he saw it, so he made sure Kirkman was on-board as a consultant-- and has assured fans that while the show won't be a slavish adaptation of the comic book, the comic will be the backbone to the show. The show may diverge and tell a story we didn't read-- but it will always come back to the source material. 

So, the show opens as the comic did: Sheriff's Deputy Rick Grimes gets into a shoot-out and is injured.  He wakes up in a hospital and finds it abandoned.  He struggles to make his way through the mess of the hospital in search of anyone who can tell him what's going on.  He finds no one, so he decides to return home to make sure his wife and son are safe.  On his journey home, he finds decaying creatures; some of whom are still able to move-- and want to do him harm.

I urge you to give this show a try-- and watch the first three eps or so, so it gets a fair shake-- and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.  And this season is only six episodes, so it's not a gigantic time investment.

So, let's go over this again: Robert Kirkman. Frank Darabont. Producer Gale Anne Hurd. AMC, which has an almost Pixar-like ability to choose the highest-quality shows to air.  Premieres Halloween night. 
Sounds like a winner...
Highly recommended.

Premieres and Notables; October 18-24, 2010

Monday, 10/18

The Talk; CBS. 1 pm CST. Series Premiere.
It's The View with six women (Julie "Chenbot" Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Holly Robinson Peete)-- and in the afternoon.

Jennifer Morrison guest stars on How I Met Your Mother (CBS; 7 pm CST) as the latest possibility to be the titular mother.


Tuesday, 10/19

Tower Prep; Cartoon Network. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
DC Comics animated guru Paul Dini created this live action (c'mon Car-Net-- live action again?) show about an isolated prep school, for teens with special abilities.  A new student believes there is more to the school than what he's been told, so he recruits some fellow students to uncover the truth.

Independent Lens; PBS. 9 pm CST (check local listings). 12th Season Premiere.
America Ferrera now hosts this show.  The first ep opens with "The Parking Lot Movie" which profiles lot attendants in a college town. 
I am told it's more interesting than it sounds.


Wednesday, 10/20

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes; Disney XD. 7:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Any Man, Wasp, Hawkeye, Black Panther and others, I'm sure, form a team featuring the world's greatest heroes.

Tailgate Warriors With Guy Fieri; Food Network. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Yet another pit-two-people-against-each-other food show. This time it's team people/teams trying to prove their superiority in tailgate cooking.

Lay It Down; Fuse. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Cee Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley (and the singer on the "F*** You" song/video I posted a couple of weeks ago) hosts this new hip-hop and rap chatfest.


Thursday, 10/21

Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert for Autism Education; Comedy Central.  8 pm CST. Special.
Jon Stewart hosts this show that is pretty much described in the title.

Kick Off Cook Off (TLC; 9 and 9:30 pm). Season Finale.


Saturday, 10/23

Kevin Smith: Too Fat for 40; Epix. 8:30 pm CST. Special.
Smith talks about turning 40-- and trying to get over a bad movie-- in front a few thousand fans in a New Jersey theatre.


Sunday, 10/24

Sherlock; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings). Mini-series.
The detective gets the modern treatment in this 3-part mini.

Street Beef in Prague

This is a cut version of the whole thing, with just the good parts-- and "epic" music.

Who the Hell keeps a broadsword in their car?

Police get a different kind of donut

Failapalooza

NYC breakdancer knows how to sweep the ladies off their feet

What the Heck did they use as a camera?  It's like, reverse letterboxing...

Two Cars, One Post; Two Nuts, Zero Nuts

This YouTube clip had a great reaction comment.  The person wondered why it's only white people who do stupid stuff like this.  I thought long and hard about it (at least 30 seconds), and I couldn't think of an exception; I guess it's true: only white people do this stupid crap.

Interesting how about one hundred years from now, there won't be any white people.
I mean, all white males will be sterile after this stuff...

Thuunder Busters

This mash-up of "Thunderstruck" and "Ghostbusters" is much, much better than it should be:

Luther Trailer Plus another new show

Here's the trailer for Luther from BBC One (couldn't find one for BBC America) with a special intro by star Idris Elba:



I haven't seen anything other than the above, but I've read enough reviews and comments to say this one's a winner. 
Make sure you check it out.  Sunday, BBC America, 9 pm CST.
Six hours total; no big deal.


And I didn't have this one on the premieres list because I don't normally list VH1 (or MTV or CMT or a few other) shows due to the pure crap they usually air. But my music guru told me that Michael Anthony appears a few times on this five-episode show, so I have to watch it now.

And I see it's hosted by the awesome Carrie Keagan, so, yeah: I'm listing-- and watching. She wasn't mentioned in the promo, but I like her work on Attack of the Show, so she's earned a look from me.

Rock N' Roll Fantasy Camp; VH1 Classic. Saturday, 10/16 9 pm CST. Series premiere.
A five episode series about normal Joes and Janes who go to Rock Camp, form bands, write songs, and perform in front of a crowd.

Wear Your Seatbelt

Here's some clips from a rollover crash test for a Ford Expedition:

Premieres and Notables; October 11-17, 2010

Monday, 10/11

Carlos; Sundance. 8 pm CST, Mini-Series
The career of Carlos the Jackal comes back to life in this three-night mini.


Tuesday, 10/12

Private Chefs of Beverly Hills; Food Network. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Nick Swardson's Pretend Time; Comedy Central.  9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A new skit-based series from the absurdist comic.


Wednesday, 10/13

Bitchin' Kitchen; Cooking Channel. 9:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Nadia G. gets her own show.
No, I don't know what that means...


Thursday, 10/14

Howard's imagination gets the better of him as Katee Sackhoff returns-- and George Takei makes an appearance-- on The Big Bang Theory (CBS; 7 pm CST).

The Vanilla Ice Project; DIY Network.  8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
When Ice took time off from music, he became a home renovator.  In this show, he buys, renovates, and tries to sell a house.
I'm just happy we can call him "Ice" again (he hated that name after a while...)

Food Feuds; Food Network.  9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
All these shows sound the same to me...
In this one, Iron Chef Michael Symon travels the country, pitting two local eateries against each other to see who is "the best".
See? Sounds like every other flippin' show on this channel...

Conspiracy Theory With Jesse Ventura; TruTV. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Friday, 10/15

School Pride; NBC. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Think: Extreme Makeover: School...


Sunday, 10/17

Rubicon (AMC; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Paranormal State; A&E. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Mad Men (AMC; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

Luther; BBC America. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Idris Elba and Indira Varma star in this series about a tortured detective who is trying to solve a murder case.
Like many BBC shows, it takes a little time to get rolling, but it gets there by halfway through the six-episode season. 
Hmmm... Maybe the above didn't sell this one very well.
Firstly, Varma is currently on Human Target and also played key roles on Rome and Torchwood. 
Secondly, Elba has been all over the place of late. But he'll always be The Wire's Stringer Bell to me; one of the best characters on the best show ever.
This show is highly recommended. One of my two most-looked-forwarded-to shows this season (the other one is premiering soon...)

Disney Blams

I don't watch much on The Disney Channel anymore, but I have seen Blam!s like this:




Now, here's one a fan did that's so wrong, it's hilarious...



I mean, seriously, if you can take one of the saddest sequences in any movie I've ever seen and make it funny, that's pretty good.

Yet another remake

Just like Hollywood-- all the original ideas are gone...

The original:


The remake:

DivorceEz

Straight talk from a lawyer...

Crazy Mike Has a Moment of Clarity

Right about at the 21 second mark...

Morphing cats

I had never seen this connection before...

NASA Honeyfuggling America

Been a while since I posted a The Onion clip.

"Pillowy parts..."  Classic.



Now go back and read the "ticker". The one about "Timers" saying Obama was responsible for 9/11 was great.

Fail fail fail fail...

Using a head as a jackhammer...

I bet he's 2" shorter now:

Made By Betty

Yes, she may be at the saturation point of celebrity (just about too much), but she keeps making funny stuff:

OK Go-- White Knuckles

Yet another great video from this group.

Spanish Protester Fires Rocket

Oops...

Drunken dildo fight

Yes, you read that right: dildo



That is one huge-ass phallus.
I'd hate to run into the woman who uses that bad boy...

Walking Dead Opening Titles

Not the official ones-- but a kick-ass, fan-made clip that makes me want to see this show even more:



Premiere Halloween Night on AMC.
This show is gonna rock!

Here's the bio from the creator of this little masterpiece:

Daniel M. Kanemoto is a writer/director whose 1999 debut, A LETTER FROM THE WESTERN FRONT, won the Gold Medal for Best Animated Short at the Student Academy Awards. For the past decade, Dan's diverse body of work (from feature films to national commercial campaigns) has been featured on Nickelodeon, MTV, the Discovery Channel, and film festivals around the world.


Dan was raised in northcentral Wisconsin and is a 1998 graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts film program. He hates writing about himself in the third person, but pretty much loves everything else about making movies.

Looks like he can be found at http://vimeo.com/danielkanemoto

Premieres and Notables; October 4-10, 2010

Monday, 10/4

Sid the Science Kid; PBS. Check Local Listings.  Season Premiere.


Tuesday, 10/5

Caprica; Syfy. 9 pm CST. Mid-season return.
The slooooooow BSG prequel returns after this Spring's big cliffhanger.


Wednesday, 10/6

Great Performances: Macbeth; PBS. Check Local Listings.  Movie.
Patrick Stewart stars in the title role.
His work on the live performance received rave reviews, so it's expected he'll shine on this movie as well.

Steven Seagal Lawman; A&E. 9 and 9:30 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.


Thursday, 10/7

The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town; HBO. 8 pm CST. Movie.
This documentary looks at the late-70s making of Bruce Springsteen's "masterpiece of isolation".
(Yet another album I've never heard of.)


Friday, 10/8

Dog Whisperer With Cesar Milan; National Geographic.  7 pm CST. 7th Season Premiere.

Fatal Attractions; Animal Planet.  8 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Saturday, 10/9

Law & Order: UK; BBC America.  8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Yep-- the series even got a British spin-off (now in its third season across the pond), which debuts in The States today.
Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber is one of the leads-- as is my mega-huge crush from the last year: Doctor Who's Freema Agyeman. 
I'm so in-- and I'm psyched I get to try out the show before I spend money on the DVD set (Season One currently $30 at Target).  You know, just in case Freema's got a really small part.
Yeah-- I like Agyeman that much.  I'd blind-buy a TV series starring her.


Sunday, 10/10

Food Feuds; Food Network.  9 pm CST. Series premiere.

Mountain Bike Human Jump Stunt

You know this can only end in failure...

Farting Dolphin

Fat Cat in Pot

Took two attempts, but the cat did it.



And, in case you're wondering:

Ol' Dirty Bastard Confuses Drew Barrymore with E.T.

I wonder how high that dude was...

MIke Rowe on QVC

Mike now hosts Dirty Jobs, but, years ago, he hosted the dead time on QVC (late night).

You can just tell he hated that gig...



Here's something I'm wondering: why on Earth does someone have a clip-- from 1992!-- of a QVC show?  Seriously...
You didn't know Rowe would be a "name" 15 years later...
YouTube couldn't even be comprehended in the '90s...
And it's QVC...  QVC!!!
Who the Hell records-- and keeps-- QVC programs on tape?

Real Time New Rules 9/17/10

Yes, Bill is on one side of the debate (and he's done his share of criticizing Obama)-- but I believe he's on the right side (at least when it comes to the whole Obama as American debate).

See Bill kick the TeaBaggers in the nuts on this one.

Stupid debate, stupid to keep feeding bullshit to the rubes at Tea Party rallies; just, plain stupid fringe-Republican nonsense...

Half-Speed Judge Judy

Before the show, they all had a few beers and smoked a little weed...

Premiere Trailers

No Ordinary Family:

(And don't get disappointed by what looks like another show filmed as a documentary. It's not as it looks.)


Law & Order: Los Angeles (no, I didn't look really hard to find something more substantial...):



The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret:

Premieres and Notables; September 27, October 3, 2010

Monday, 9/27

Sesame Street; PBS.  Check Local listings.  41st Season Premiere.

The question of who Barney's father is rears its head again on How I Met Your Mother (CBS; 7 pm CST); guest-starring Wayne Brady, Francis Conroy, and Ben Vereen.

The Buried Life; MTV. 9:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I normally don't list MTV shows (because my fingers hurt after writing about garbage), but my friend says this one's pretty decent.  I'll give him-- and the show-- the benefit of the doubt.


Tuesday, 9/28

No Ordinary Family; ABC. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A family take a trip and return with super powers.
I watched the pilot a month ago, and while I wasn't blown away, I was satisfied.  It flirted with cliches, but it seems to want to have a different take on the genre.  It's more of a family drama (with the powers as a nice distraction that I hope keeps some of the usual family-drama stuff at bay: job loss, sick/"messed up kid, cancer, etc), and not a crime-fighting show.  The characters have normal problems-- that their powers can help with (and I'm sure they'll be a burden as well).
And you have to think stars Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz must have liked what they heard about the where the series wants to go if they signed-on...

Glee (Fox; 7 pm) has another artist-specific episode tonight.  The so-so news is the artist is Britney Spears. But the great news is the main character this ep is Brittany, who probably needs some extra "love" since she spend the summer in the sewers (according to a throw-away-- but hilarious-- line in last week's premiere).

Baseball: The Tenth Inning; PBS. 7 pm CST (check local listings). 2-part series.
Ken Burns returns to the most-watched PBS series ever when he adds these four hours (tonight and tomorrow) where the 1994 original left off. 
There's the 1994 strike, the steroid scandal, Cal Ripkin Jr.'s "Iron Man" record, and the Yankee's post-9/11 championship, among many more to cover.

Stargate Universe; Syfy. 8 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.

The Good Wife; CBS. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.


Wednesday, 9/29

Law & Order: Los Angeles; NBC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
NBC gave up the prospect of being the network that aired the longest-running drama in history when it cancelled Law & Order just one season shy of the record.  ...And they picked-up this spin-off...
Alfred Molina and Terence Howard alternate weeks as attorneys on the show.


Friday, 10/1

Human Target; Fox. 7 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.

Teach: Tony Danza; A&E. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Tony Danza teaches 10th Grade English in this reality show...

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret; IFC. 9 pm CST. Mini-series Premiere.
David Cross created, wrote, and stars in this six-episode series as an office temp who gets sent to England to market a toxic sports drink.


Saturday, 10/2

T.U.F.F. Puppy; Nickelodeon. 10 am CST. Series Premiere.
A dog and a cat team-up to protect the city they live in from Fairly Oddparents creator Butch Hartman.

Iconoclasts; Sundance. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Jane Goodall and Charlize Theron are in the premiere.


Sunday, 10/3

Wallander II; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listing). Mini-series Premiere.

The Next Iron Chef; Food Network. 8 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.

American Dad; Fox. 8:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.
And it's also the 100th episode...  And they're going to kill-off 100 characters...

CSI: Miami; CBS. 9 pm CST. 9th Season Premiere.

Spider-Man meets his match

A little unintended humor from 1970

Friday Premiere Trailer

Blue Bloods:

New Vivitar Camera Commercial

I don't know if I love this because old people are cool, or because it's so unintentionally funny-- in a retro way.

Thursday Premiere Trailers

My Generation:

ABC really is hyping this one [I'm being sarcastic.]. Couldn't even find a freakin' trailer on their website...
I predict this show tanks-- and tanks quickly...


$#*! My Dad Says:



Outsourced:

Beach Parkour Fail

Teabag!

Blackstar Warrior Trailer

Lando Calrissian's blaxploitation film.
Awesome.

Wednesday Premiere Trailers

Undercovers:



Better With You:



The Whole Truth:



The Defenders:

Boyz 'n The Ring

Gandalf brings gangsta to Middle Earth:

Star Wars: The Solo Adventures

Here's a video the DAVE School of Digital Arts and Visual Effects in Orlando created that explains why Jabba had that bounty on Han's head.

Wonderfully done. It even got premiered at the recent Star Wars Celebration.

Tuesday Premiere Trailers

Raising Hope:


Running Wilde:


Detroit 1-8-7:

Monday Premiere Trailers

Lone Star:


The Event:


Mike & Molly:


Hawaii Five-O:


The Chase:

No point watching the pilot-- I think you've just seen it above...

Premieres and Notables; September 20-26, 2010

Here it is: the biggest week of the year. Damn near every network TV series premieres in the next seven days.

[Because I'm going to get tired of typing it: all times are CST. Why? Because that's how I roll.]

Monday, 9/20

Dancing With the Stars; ABC. 7 pm. 10th Cycle Premiere.

How I Met Your Mother; CBS. 7 pm. 6th Season Premiere.
After a untypically weak season last year, the show returns with a renewed the purpose of getting to complete Ted's story.  No promises we'll meet the titular mother, of course, but the show will be jumping around time more as it heads to the end.

House; Fox. 7 pm. 7th Season Premiere.

Chuck; NBC. 7 pm. 4th Season Premiere.

Rules of Engagement; CBS. 7:30 pm. 5th Season Premiere.

Two and a Half Men; CBS. 8 pm. 8th Season Premiere.

Lone Star; Fox. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
New sensation Jimmy Wolk stars as a con-man who is trying to go straight.  There's also something about him living multiple lives with two wives.  I don't know about this one.  But Wolk did get high marks from many critics I've read...

The Event; NBC. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Another brave attempt at having a show revolve around a mystery. In this case, "The Event" is the thing that changes everything; except we don't know what this event is.  And I don't think we will find out until Season Two.  But, in the meantime, we can only hope that actors such as Jason Ritter and Blair Underwood have material good enough to work with (both are great when given great work).  I'll be checking it out...

Mike & Molly; CBS. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Melissa McCarthy and Billy Gardell star in this show about plus-size people making a love connection.  I'll give it a try, but I haven't read much good about it, The main complaint is there are too many "easy" fat jokes.

Castle; ABC, 9 pm.  3rd Season Premiere.

Hawaii Five-O; CBS. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
CBS gives Alex O'Loughlin his third show in three years (Moonlight and Three Rivers were one and done shows that got canned before the season finales), and this looks to be the one that sticks.  The remake of the classic CBS series from 40 years ago also stars Daniel Day Kim, Scott Caan, and Grace Park, so there's a solid cast.  Hopefully the shows doesn't try to get too cute and just tells solid stories. From what I've read, the pilot blows the doors off the place, so it has a good start.

The Chase; NBC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer brings us this series about U.S. Marshall in pursuit of their "men".


Tuesday, 9/21

NCIS; CBS. 7 pm. 8th Season Premiere.

Glee; Fox. 7 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
I'll be the first to admit the show has some weaknesses (sometimes it relies too much on cheap gimmicks to elicit an emotional response from viewers; some plots were exaggerated way beyond realism; and sometimes it seemed to force the musical numbers into the episodes), but they're easily overcome by the things that are great about it: the masterful use of music, the wonderful Jane Lynch, the hilarious lines and situations-- and Brittany, one of my favorite characters from all of TV last season.  I mean, a cheerleader who has brilliant quotes such as "Dolphins are gay sharks," and "I think my cat has been reading my diary," cannot go wrong.
And I'm pretty pumped to know Brittany is going to get more screen time this year...

The Biggest Loser; NBC. 7 pm. 10th Cycle Premiere.

Unnatural History (Cartoon Network; 7 pm). Season Finale.

NCIS: Los Angeles; CBS. 8 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.

Raising Hope; Fox. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
My Name is Earl creator Greg Garcia brings yet another oddball show to the airwaves. This one finds a poolboy raising a baby he didn't even know he had.  Supporting actors Martha Plimpton as his mom (mom?) and Cloris Leachman as his grandmother bring some Big Guns to the cast.

Running Wilde; Fox. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Arrested Development producer Mitch Hurwitz and star Will Arnett come together again i n this show about a man (played by Arnett) who tries to buy the affections of a woman (Keri Russell) he's longed for most of his life.  And the show is narrated by Russell's young daughter.  Odd-- could be good, though.

Detroit 1-8-7; ABC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
ABC gives a new, gritty police show NYPD Blue's old spot.
But this show is set in Detroit, and stars Michael Imperiloi (who got lots of props based on reviews I've read).


Wednesday, 9/22

The Middle; ABC. 7 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
Modern Family got most of the hype last year, but this one was pretty solid as well. Check it out.

Hell's Kitchen; Fox. 7 pm. 8th Cycle Premiere.

Undercovers; Fox. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
J.J. Abrams created this show about a married couple who get brought back into the spy game.  The lead actors are great-looking, and Abrams knows a little something about doing a great spy series (ever heard of Alias?-- at least the two seasons Abrams had his hands on).

Better With You; ABC. 7:30. Series Premiere.
Don't know hardly anything about it. Something about sisters in different stages of their relationships.  Add their parents, and you've got three relationships.

Modern Family; ABC. 8 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
Highly Recommended.

Criminal Minds; CBS. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
After some cast changes, this show continues where it left off.

Law & Order: SVU; NBC. 8 pm.  12th Season Premiere.

Cougartown; ABC. 8:31. 2nd Season Premiere.
Hopefully you ignored the stupid name and watched this show last season because this ended up being a very solid-- and very funny-- show.  And tonight's premiere guest-stars Jennifer Aniston...

The Whole Truth; ABC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Rob Morrow and Maura Tierney star as opposing lawyers in this series that looks at a case from both sides of the courtroom.

The Defenders; CBS. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
James Belushi and Jerry O'Connell star as lawyers in this Vegas-based series with a light touch.


Thursday, 9/23

My Generation; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
A decade in the lives of nine friends is looked at in this new series.

The Big Bang Theory; CBS. 7 pm. 4th Season Premiere.
Sheldon gets a girlfriend.
Well, she's a girl-- and a friend.

Bones; Fox. 7 pm. 6th Season Premiere.

Community; NBC. 7 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
One of the best shows of last year. Check it out.
And Betty White shows up tonight as a nutty anthropology prof.

$#*! My Dad Says; CBS. 7:30. Series Premiere.
This comedy based on the popular Twitter feed stars William Shatner, so, right there, you know it's got some potential (Shatner acting bat-shit crazy like on Boston Legal is a sure thing). 
God knows about the rest of the show, though...
Oh yeah, let's get this out of the way: the title is said like "Bleep My Dad Says". Really easy.
And if you have no other reason to check it out, do it just because those d-bags at the PTC have already whined about the title. Censorship sucks, so stick it to those dinks by watching-- and buying the crap of the companies that buy commercial time for the show.

30 Rock; NBC. 7:30. Season Premiere.

Grey's Anatomy; ABC. 8 pm. 7th Season Premiere.

CSI; CBS. 8 pm. 11th Season Premiere.

Fringe; Fox. 8 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.

The Office; 8 pm. 7th Season Premiere.
Enjoy it while you can; it's Steve Carell's last season.

Outsourced; NBC. 8:30. Series Premiere.
This workplace comedy about an American who moves to India to work in a call center hasn't gotten much in the way of good reviews. Too bad; it's a decent concept.

Private Practice; ABC. 9 pm. 4th Season Premiere.

The Mentalist; CBS. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.


Friday, 9/24

Medium; CBS. 7 pm. 7th Season Premiere.

Smallville; The CW. 7 pm. 10th Season Premiere.
Clark gets ever-closer to wearing the blue suit in this final season of the series.

CSI: NY; CBS. 8 pm. 7th Season Premiere.
Melina Kanakaredes is out and Sela Ward is in.

Supernatural; The CW. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Word is: it could be the last season for the Winchester boys.

The Good Guys; Fox. 8 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
After a few weeks off, this summer-season show returns for more.
The first season had some ups and downs, but Bradley Whitford engulfs his role as a washed-up, hard drinking, amazingly lucky cop. And Colin Hanks is perfect as his straight-laced-- and exasperated-- partner.

Fish Hooks; Disney. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Three fish do their thing in this animated series.
No, I do not have any idea what "their thing" is. I was trying to be purposefully vague.

Blue Bloods; CBS. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Tom Selleck, Bridget Moynaghan, Will Estes, and Donnie Wahlberg star in this family-based drama about NYC cops.


Saturday, 9/25

Sharktopus; Syfy. 8 pm. Movies.
So f-ing stupid, I had to mention it.
Shark head, octopus body.

Saturday Night Live; NBC. 10:30 pm. 36th Season Premiere.
I think it stars Tina Fey and Lady Gaga.
Doesn't matter; I'm sure it'll be crap.


Sunday, 9/26

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; ABC. 6 pm. Season Premiere.

The Simpsons; Fox. 7 pm. 22nd Season Premiere.
Let me spell it out: twenty-second season.

The Amazing Race 17; CBS. 7:30 pm. Season Premiere.
Note the time; looks like CBS expects a late NFL game.

The Cleveland Show; Fox. 7:30 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.

Desperate Housewives; ABC. 8 pm. 7th Season Premiere.
Last season changed the status quo a bit, and it continues with Paul Young's return and the addition of Vanessa Williams to the cast.  Good pick-up, there...

Family Guy; Fox. 8 pm. 9th Season Premiere.

Dexter; Showtime. 8 pm. 5th Season Premiere.
My biggest problem with this show (after seeing one season) is Dexter is completely unsympathetic.
Of course, after last season's shock ending, maybe he'll finally gain some sympathetic qualities...

Brothers and Sisters; ABC. 9:01. 5th Season Premiere.
I guess last year had cancer, business problems, car crashes, HIV...

Why not just drop a nuke on these people and put them out of their misery? 

Undercover Boss; CBS. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.

Bored to Death; HBO. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
I watched one ep last season, and the title fit it perfectly.

Eastbound & Down; 9:30. 2nd Season Premiere.
After Kenny pussed-out last season, he finds himself south instead of east in a Mexican league .