Premieres and Notables April 23-29, 2007

Monday, 4/23

The "Robin Sparkles" episode of How I Met Your Mother airs at 7 pm on CBS. Oh, yeah-- it's also the episode that introduced the slap bet.

Here are some sample quotes from the episode that should whet your appetite:

"It's already 'slap o'clock'."

"I wish it was porn; it'd be less embarrassing."

"This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

"The '80s didn't come to Canada until, like, '93."

"Looks like someone suffered from premature e-slap-ulation."

"Just to be clear: you wanted everyone to go to the mall... Today?"

"That's one."

How much more can I talk this show up? Watch this episode, which is up there with the best so far this year, and see what you've been missing.

Hannah Montana; Disney. 6 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Season Two of the show that answers "Whatever happened to Billy Ray Cyrus?"

So, do you think the mullet was that bad now?

For a larger look at this picture, go here: http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/5342/Lov_11270766_400.jpg.html

Cities of the Underworld; History. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A look at the history of places beneath city streets.

Heroes; NBC. 8 pm CST. Return.
The final five "chapters" of season one begin for NBC's most-buzzed about new show of the year. And then NBC will squander the lead-in with:

Real Wedding Crashers; NBC. 9:01 pm. Series Premiere.
Wedding guests are Punk'd when the brides and grooms allow this prank show to turn their wedding receptions into what will look like disasters.


Tuesday, 4/24

Most Extreme; Animal Planet. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Season Five launches with looks at squids, beetles, and others.


Wednesday, 4/25

Bill Moyers' Journal; PBS. 8 pm (check local listings). Season Premiere.
After thirteen years away, the show returns with a look at news coverage leading up to the Iraq War. (And an hour-and-a-half is all it will take?)


Thursday, 4/26

NBC's comedy block (7-9 pm; no B.S. weird times, finally) sounds promising:
Earl goes back to school to get his G.E.D. on My Name is Earl.
A large shipment of paper with an obscene imprint gets sent out to a high school on The Office. No worries: Michael's on the case.
Sean Hayes guest-stars as Kenneth the Page's country cousin on the season-ender of 30 Rock.
And the much-hyped 2-part guest stint of Keri Russell episodes starts tonight.


Sunday, 4/29

Predator vs. Prey; Animal Planet. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
The first episode features grizzly bear vs. elk.

And on Entourage (HBO, 9 pm), Drama lives in fear after he insults Ultimate Fighter Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell in a parking lot. I'm sure Turtle's got his back...

That's Not a Pickle

20 second clip of FRISKY DINGO (posted on YouTube by karaberutsu).

Roy Rules

Something odd happened last night: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE was actually pretty amusing. Here's a clip of the night's video clip (posted on YouTube by wings1914-- just trying to give credit for a change).

I Can't Even Explain This One

Check out this link to a 2 minute video starring Will Farrell and "Pearl":

http://sjl.funnyordie.com//v1/view_video.php?viewkey=3efbc24c7d2583be6925

Premieres and Notables April 16-22, 2007

Monday, 4/16

FOX's Drive moves to its regular night and time (7 pm CST).

CBS' How I Met Your Mother repeats the "Crazy Eyes" episode (7 pm CST).



Wednesday 4/18

Head Case; Starz. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Alexandra Wentworth plays a psychologist with a celebrity clientele in this 15 minute/episode series.

Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Standup; Starz. 10:15 pm. Series Premiere.
A stand-up comedy showcase with an incredibly long title.

Setup; Speed. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Amateur drivers going around in circles. Exciting...


Thursday, 4/19

Steve Carell's finest performance on The Office so far repeats at 7:30 when Michael returns from vacation and word gets out he went with Jan.

Norm McDonald guest stars on My Name is Earl (7:00).

In another great nod to superheroes past, "Wonder Woman" Lynda Carter guest stars on Smallville as Chloe's mother.


Friday, 4/20

Wife, Mom, Bounty Hunter; WE. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Because the world was clamoring for a reality series about such a woman.


Saturday, 4/21

Apparently Scarlett Johansson didn't learn that the show SUCKS her first time, so tonight she has a second stint as host of Saturday Night Live. I think she's talented, but that show manages to quash the talent of anyone unfortunate enough to agree to be a host (Piven, Lee, Carell, Cook).

Spring Watch; Animal Planet. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Six-part series that tracks the development of spring.

The Real Deal; TLC. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A series that shows how to renovate and resell real estate. It is sooo going to be "season pass"ed on my DVR...

The States; History Channel. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Ten-part series exploring the history and lore of the United States. Sounds cool. The first ep focuses on California, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Kansas, and West Virginia.

The War at Home (FOX, 6 pm) has its season finale. Considering the lead just shot a pilot for next year, I'm guessing we may be able to call this the "series finale".

Planet Earth repeats on the Discovery Channel from 8 am to 5 pm and then airs the last two episodes at 7 & 8 pm. After that is an hour-long special about the making of the series.

Slap Bet Montage

Check out what you're missing on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.

HIMYM- That's Two! (Slap Bet)

And the second slap...

Some MOTHER scoop

TV Guide's Matt Webb Mitovich interviewed How I Met Your Mother co-creator and exec producer Carter Bays today.

I love that show, and the interview was great. I forgot Barney still has three slaps coming to him.

Here's the link:
http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting={DA5FB4D2-86ED-49E8-BE20-C49C69551A71}

Sometimes It's Good to Be Right

I don't like awards and awards shows very much. The biggest reason is the pool of nominees is so shallow. It's a complete crime that Buffy the Vampire Slayer never got a major award nomination. The stodgy voters don't open their minds that something as unanimously well-received by the critics (who actually watch the shows) as Battlestar Galactica may be something worth checking out.

But there are a few organizations who go out of their way to shine a spotlight on the less-noticed. One of those is the George Foster Peabody Awards. The Peabody's are taken pretty seriously because the recipients of the award know the people giving it know what they're doing (unlike, say, the Golden Globes, or the nearly laughable Emmys).

This year's list of winners of the 66th Annual Peabody Awards include:

The Office. An NBC comedy that has found its own voice beyond its predecessor (which also won a Peabody).

Friday Night Lights. Probably the most universally praised new show among the critics I read.

Ugly Betty. Harmless, cartoony show with heart that breaks barriers. You've got middle-class Latinos, rich white people, powerful black people, at least one gay person, a trans-sexual, and on and on. But the race/lifestyles play no part in the show. The characters just are. They're people.

Scrubs. A show in its sixth year that is still fresh. It's actually taking more chances as it gets older. Not many shows can make one laugh one minute and then nearly cry (and it's not forced or sappy) the next like this one can.

And the biggest surprise to me (that it was recognized): the "Return of the King" episode of [adult swim]'s Boondocks, which I consider one of the best half-hours I watched last year, and ranks among the best episodes of any show I've ever watched. It's absolutely brilliant. And it's animated. On a "rebel" nighttime network. And the Peabodys still found it. I hate when critics write this, but it's deserving: Bravo, Peabodys!

Here's a link to all the award winners from the official site. As you can see, they hit all formats and all venues from the networks, to cable, to local:
http://www.peabody.uga.edu/news/pressrelease.asp?ID=142

And if you like your information in news release form, here's that link:
http://www.peabody.uga.edu/news/pressrelease.asp?ID=143

Premieres and Notables April 9-15, 2007

Monday, 4/9

Thank God You're Here; NBC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
An improv comedy contest hosted by David Alan Grier and judged by Dave Foley. Those two men are enough to get me to watch, but if they aren't for you, the contestants tonight are: Wayne Knight, Jennifer Coolidge, Joel McHale, and Bryan Cranston. Recommended.

Falcon Beach; ABC Family. 6 pm. Season Premiere.
I know nothing about this show.


Wednesday, 4/11

'Til Death, Friday Night Lights, and Top Design all sign off for the season tonight.

Shear Genius; Bravo. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
As if Bravo didn't have enough crap reality shows, they're adding one about a hairstyling competition. Ooooooo...

And one of my all-time favorite shows, Green Wing, is airing the first three episodes of the nine-ep first season from 2:00am -5:00 am (technically on Thursday morning). I've complained before about BBC America's scheduling (airing some eps, but not others), but I'll keep my eye out for the remaining six eps. This is an insane show. And it's accessible to an American audience. This is the show (even more than The Office) that convinced me that BBC America is one of the best networks on the air.

The premise is similar to Scrubs: doctors having surreal adventures. But the FFC doesn't have a role in cable, so they go much farther than our friends on NBC can. The first ep ends with a doctor using a ski pole to force an especially large "loaf" she pinched down a clogged toilet. Hilarious.

I recommended this show a while back in a previous post. You can check it out here: http://teameck.blogspot.com/2006/08/episodes-of-note-coming-up.html


Thursday, 4/12

Notes From the Underbelly; ABC. 9:01 & 9:31 CST. Series Premiere.
This show was universally derided when previews went out last year. Expect ABC to burn off these episodes as soon as they can. I'll watch a few eps just to see if it's really as bad as every review I read said it was.

Now for something that actually should be funny: My Name is Earl finally has a new episode after a month and a half (7 pm NBC).

And ABC is getting ready for the home-stretch with its big hits. Ugly Betty (GREAT show) and Grey's Anatomy (huge fan base show I don't watch) are both having clip shows to bring viewers up to speed as each begin their final airing of new episodes for the season next week.


Friday, 4/13

Stargate SG-1; SciFi. 7 pm CST. Return.
The final 10 eps of the series begin.

Stargate Atlantis; SciFi. 8 pm. Return.

Painkiller Jane; SciFi. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
This series, based on a cultish comic I've never read, follows a DEA agent who finds out she is indestructible, but not impervious to pain.


Sunday, 4/15

100 Biggest Weather Moments; Weather Channel. 7 pm. Mini-series.
A five-part look at the big weather moments. I don't even know what to say about a list that puts the devastating Hurricane Katrina with the Wizard of Oz tornado.

America at a Crossroads; PBS. 8 pm. Mini-series.
An 11 documentary look at the post 9/11 world.

Drive; FOX. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
A probably typical crap FOX show (this time about a mysterious cross-country road race). But it does star the very underrated Nathan Fillion, so it's worth a look.

Ari's beleaguered assistant, Lloyd, gets his chance to shine on Entourage. Lloyd rules. And Turtle and Drama go trolling for ladies at a dog park. I'm
sure that will end well for them.

And I'll make my second recommendation to check out Planet Earth Discovery, DiscoveryHD, and Science Channel all air episodes throughout the week). Even if nature documentaries don't do it for you, you CANNOT deny how amazingly beautiful this show is. I'm way behind (I'm only on the second ep), but I refuse to watch the show unless I know I can sit in front of the TV and take it all in, uninterrupted.

Best... Druggie... Ever

On Tuesday, Keith Richards admitted snorting more than the white stuff that he is usually linked to.

"The strangest thing I've tried to snort?" Richards was quoted as saying in the magazine NME. "My father. I snorted my father.

"He was cremated, and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow. My dad wouldn't have cared. ...It went down pretty well, and I'm still alive."

Awesome.

Of course, the next day, Richards said he was just joking. But one must remember, he's been dealing with the press for over forty years. It's not as if he thought the comments wouldn't be released to the public. So why make it up?

I'll bet he didn't and realized he better do some damage control. At least I'm hoping he's just playing the "joke" card.

"...Grinding him up with a little blow." "...It went down pretty well."

Classic.

Mid-season Disasters

There's very good logic about why mid-season replacement shows don't catch on (except in rare instances): if they were so good, they'd premiere in the Fall.

This season is no exception as shows are getting axed left and right.

The Black Donnellys will air, at max, two more episodes before it goes to that place where mobsters disappear to.

The Wedding Bells won't make it past this Friday, where it will likely air its last episode. FOX says it'll come back, but it'll be just to burn off what was filmed if it comes back at all.

Six Degrees gets the ax effective immediately. It's target audience (18-45 yr olds) wouldn't even tune in. It scored a 1.1 in the demographic (which, if I understand things correctly, translates to just over a million people). In the ultimate insult, Wife Swap REPEATS will air instead.

And the pathetic (or, as Matt Roush describes it: "vomitous") October Road gets a little reprieve. It was going to be pulled after four eps, but it's now just going to take a week off and then finish out its six-episode run. I so wanted to like the show, but the acting and writing are just dreadful; I mean just f-in' painful to watch. Poor Laura Prepon, who is the only good thing on the show...

And Seventh Heaven gets "non-renewed" for a second time. This time, it'll stay dead.

[Note: I have to give credit to Matt Roush for streamlining the info I just gave above. The link to his dispatch, where he describes things in more detail, is right here:
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Roush-Dispatch/Midseason-Madness-End/800012096]

Prison Break "Sona"

I wanted to write this spoiler-free, but I just can't. So if you haven't watched the ep yet, stop reading. I read a number of newsgroups/blogs/etc, and no one got everything right. So watch the finale in innocent bliss and then come back.




So, was that a crazy-ass episode or what? I give the creators credit for not killing everyone (which was what sounded like the plan was for the most part most of this season). By not killing everyone, and from some quotes by actors in various things I read, the show is pretty wide-open for next fall.

First, there's C-Note. He wasn't in the last few eps, but that doesn't mean he can't play a role somewhere down the line.

Bellick is still alive and in jail. I think he and T-Bag will hook up at some point.

T-Bag was cut loose by, presumably, The Company, and while it looks as if his story ended (and it very well could have), can you let a vile character like Theodore Bagwell (and a fantastic actor like Robert Knepper) just go away?

Kellerman does the right thing, and pays the price in what looks like an execution-style murder. But, in a show where blood flows freely, we didn't see any body. Is it possible the killers killed the guard instead of Kellerman? Yeah it's possible, and Paul Adelstein's interview in TV GUIDE left open the possibility that Kellerman is not done yet. Of course, Adelstein is also cast in the Grey's Anatomy spin-off, so maybe Kellerman really is dead. It's not as if the spin-off isn't gonna get picked up. But then, maybe Adelstein's character gets killed or isn't a regular cast member of the show, so he can still make appearances on Prison Break. I, for one, wouldn't mind. I was impressed by his work this season.

Mr. Kim: dead. Like it could go any other way.

Who is "Padman"? I thought he was mute, but he spoke at the end. And while I disliked the whole Company storyline, I admit I am intrigued about why he wants Schofield alive.

Sucre: at death's door. I'm happy he's still around (he was one of the most-predicted to die people in the Season One finale). He will be the link to the outside that Bellick has for a while.

Lincoln: free man. How does that change things for him? Will it matter because you know he's going to try to get his brother help.

Sara: Had a moment of perfect bliss and then lost it. And she killed Mr. Kim, which will (I hope) haunt her for a while. She's the most innocent of all the remaining characters, so I want the killing to torment her. It only adds salt to the wound that Michael is now lost to her again. Sarah Wayne Callies is pregnant in real life, so she won't be seen in the first few episodes next Fall. Rumor has it she will be kidnapped, which will keep her storyline on the back burner until she gives birth and can return to work.

Mahone: Thank God they didn't kill him. Not only that, he is now linked to Schofield as he too is in Sona. They will need to work together although I anticipate an extremely mistrustful relationship there since Schofield set him up-- and caused him to break ties with his ex-wife after almost reconciling. Maybe Mahone won't team-up with Schofield; he may just want to completely break him.

Schofield: Had it all (the money, a free brother, the girl) and then lost it. And then he gets sent to Sona for taking the fall for Sara. And the tattoo does him no good in this new environment.

And the show again will revolve around a Prison Break. Nice.

Premieres and Notables; April 2-8, 2007

Geez, it's been a week already? Sorry I went a week without writing anything (I hope not too many people took their own lives due to the wait). I had all the time in the world to write last weekend (wife & kids were gone a few hours on Sunday), but my lovely cable connection was down for 48 hours. No internet, no cable. Thankfully, most of my Sunday shows repeat during the week, so I didn't miss too much. But I did miss the third ep rerun of Frisky Dingo (I'm taping them all), which enraged me to no end.

Damn you, Charter Communications!

BTW: if your cable or ISP goes down, make sure you complain and get a credit. They screw you too much when the service works, let alone charging you for when it doesn't.

Okaaaay, the week beginning tomorrow:

Monday, 4/2

The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman; ABC. 8:45 pm CST. Season Premiere.
No princes, no actors... This time, the bachelor is a Navy medical officer. I got nothin' else...


Also, The SciFi Channel has been airing Star Trek: Enterprise in four-hour blocks every Monday for months, and the episode on Monday at 9pm ("The Expanse") is the set-up for one of the most exciting TV seasons I've ever watched. This second-season finale paved the way for the ambitious third season of the very underrated show. A probe destroys a large part of earth (including most of Florida) and kills millions of people. The Enterprise is charged with finding out where the probe came from and do what it can to stop the inevitable invasion. The entire third season (which begins reairing next Monday) has this as the conflict: one starship alone against an incredibly advanced civilization Hell-bent on destroying Earth.

Prison Break's season finale airs. I'll admit, this season hasn't been as exciting (or claustrophobic) as last season, but seeing all the pieces come together the past few weeks was a rush because I have NO idea what's going to happen.
I can make predictions, though (remember-- I know NOTHING): T-Bag and Bellick end up together in prison. Sucre breaks them out (so T-Bag will disclose where Maricruz is). T-Bag tells him where Maricruz is and then escapes, with Bellick right behind. Sucre finds Maricruz dead (or maybe doesn't find her at all). He then goes after T-Bag.

Kellerman is shot and killed before he can testify on Sara's behalf; Sara ends up getting 12 years in the clink.

Michael finds Mahone and Lincoln, and attempts to talk Mahone down.
Mr. Kim also shows up, and as he orders the two brothers to be killed, Mahone shoots and kills him and then is killed himself.

Now, I'll go out on a limb: One of the brothers takes a bullet in the firefight. Linc makes the most sense as his story is coming to a close, but wouldn't it be a shock if Schofield goes down...?

Next season: Bellick and Sucre team up to hunt down T-Bag. The surviving brother works to get Sara out of prison. C-Note is needed for some reason or another and since Mahone is dead, he doesn't have to stay in Witness Protection.

The thing is about this show: none of what I wrote above will happen. They'll find a better way to tell the story.

I'm just happy the conspiracy storyline will end (damn! I didn't predict how that would happen: hmmm-- okay: Kellerman's first words on the witness stand after he takes the oath and says who he is, is: "Lincoln Burrows is innocent." and goes on to explain the conspiracy, but gets killed before he implicates anyone specifically).

Creator Paul Scheuring said over half the remaining cast will survive to next season, which is a greater number than expected.


Tuesday, 4/3

Deadliest Catch; Discovery. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
The third season of the risky crab fishing reality show begins.

The Shield; FX. 9 pm. Season premiere.
The sixth, and penultimate season begins with Vic on the rampage to find the person responsible for the death of a teammate. And he's going to be shocked when he finds out who it is. I've slipped on watching the series after the second season (I have the DVDs and tapes waiting to be watched), and I've heard each season is better than the last. Highly Recommended.


Wednesday, 4/4

In Performance at the White House; PBS. 7 pm (check local listings). Season Premiere.


Thursday, 4/5

NBC is doing its "super-size" nonsense again. Thankfully, the folks at The Office and Scrubs (as well as Earl) add actual worthy content-- unlike shows of yesteryear (Friends, Will & Grace). Speaking of The Office, the first new ep in a few weeks shows what happens now that Roy knows about Jim and Pam's kiss. And a new Scrubs has a person leaving the staff. Alas, Earl is a repeat, but it's a good one guest-starring Christian Slater and also has Randy seeing people as if they were Claymation characters.


Friday, 4/6

P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy; HBO. 11 pm. Season Premiere.
Because when I think of "bad boy", I think of "P. Diddy".

Standoff; FOX. 7 pm. Return.
What do this show's producers have on FOX? Pictures of FOX execs in compromising positions, possibly?

The Office's Jenna Fischer is a guest (along with Entourage's amazing Jeremy Piven) on The Tonight Show. She's there to talk Blades of Glory, but you just know Jay will ask about her TV show as well.


Saturday, 4/7

If Friday's Piven appearance on The Tonight Show isn't enough for you, the Saturday Night Live he hosted in January repeats Saturday. As SNL has done for my other favorites the past few years, it manages to make him just as unfunny as the rest of the cast (will NBC PLEASE just take this show out back and put it out of its misery already?)

It's puppypalooza on WE:
America's Cutest Puppies; WE. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Adventures in Doggie Daycare; WE. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.


Sunday, 4/8

In probably the biggest night of the year since American Idol premiered, we get the final episodes of the season and the series of The Sopranos on HBO at 8 pm. Highly Recommended.

As icing on the cake, we also get the second half of the third season of Entourage on HBO at 9 pm. And the second layer of icing on top of that icing is the fact that not only are Vince, E., Drama, Turtle, and Ari coming back to our TV sets, but the new episode also has Carla Gugino's debut as Vince's new agent (Ari screwed up big-time, so Vince fired him last summer). Highly Recommended. [If you want to see what the buzz is about, most major retailers are selling the first 2 DVD seasons (as well as Tuesday's Season 3 Pt 1 DVD set) for less than $25 this week.]

I also want to make a recommendation that you check out new eps of Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel on Sundays (and try to catch the repeats all during the week on the Discovery Network Channels). I caught the first fifteen minutes of the premiere a few minutes ago and had to shut it off because I couldn't sit and watch it. It is AMAZING! Camera crews set up all around the world over five years and took absolutely breathtaking shots. I haven't missed the High Def channels I cancelled last year until this show. Something that looked as good as it did on my regular connection would be crazy-good in HD. Highly Recommended.

MAD Goes to War

No political comment here, I just love this cover to The Mad War on Bush.

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

Here's the YouTube Video Award for Most Creative video.

Premieres and Notables March 26- April 1, 2007

Monday, 3/26

Two episodes of Prison Break left. Everyone's going in different directions, which are all going to end up coming together. Season finale next week.


Tuesday, 3/27

The story point that caused a brief Friends-gasm is finally airing. Dirt has a special guest star in Jennifer Aniston, and she locks lips with Courtney Cox. I still don't think it is going to help this show get renewed.

Great American Dream Vote; ABC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Eight contestants compete to have their dreams come true, with voters deciding who gets their wish. [Thank God ABC has the most pilots in development for next season; if this is what they've got on the shelf for the rest of the year, I won't have any idea what to watch with my extra time.]

Driving Force; A&E. 9 & 9:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Thursday, 3/29

Don't forget: FIVE (repeat) episodes of The Office air on NBC tonight from 7-10 pm (except from 8:30-9). This HR-centric marathon is hosted by Paul "Toby" Lieberstein.

1000 Places to See Before You Die; Travel Channel. 8 & 9 Pm. Series Premiere.
This wildly ambitious (who thinks they'll get to place #1000?) show looks at Alaska in the pilot and then at Italy in the second ep.


Friday, 3/30

Raines moves to 8 pm Fridays.

Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search; CMT. 7 pm. Season Premiere.


Sunday, 4/1

Mind of Mencia; Comedy Central. 9 pm. Season Premiere.

The Tudors; Showtime. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
The early years of King Henry VIII. I've heard decent things about this show. Recommended.

Sons of Hollywood; A&E. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Randy Spelling and Sean Stewart (sons of Aaron Spelling and Rod Stewart) star in yet another reality series.
[Does anyone know if A&E still stands for "Arts and Entertainment"? Just curious.]

Jerry Seinfeld: The Comedian Award; HBO. 8 pm. Special.
This tribute (from November-- what the Hell was the wait?) is hosted by Anderson Cooper and has appearances by Chris Rock, Garry Shandling, and Robert Klein.

PRISON BREAK Renewed

In what I thought was already a done deal, Prison Break was officially renewed for a third season.

Here's a link to TV Guide's Matt Webb Mitovich's talk with Break creator Paul T. Sheuring about the next season. There aren't spoilers per se, but from reading between the lines, you will know of at least three characters who will survive to next season.

http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting={6777747F-5F75-4827-A0B8-63E69359E0D4}


I hope to give my predictions on what will happen the next two episodes, but, odds are, I'll run out of time. But if anyone has any predictions themselves, leave a comment.

Aaaaaand discuss...

A Little EXTRA

Bad news time: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant decided to not do another season of Extras. They'll close out the series just as they did The Office, with a special.

Neither would comment on how soon we'd see the finale.

It's a total bummer because I thought the second season (I've seen about half so far) was even better than the first.

But then any show which has a guy masturbating to a novelty pen has to jump to the top of anyone's favorite list...

Get Your Irish On

Yesterday was a Perfect Storm type of day for me.

The city I live in is called New London for 51 weeks out of the year. The week of St. Patrick's Day, though, it undergoes a change in style and name to New Dublin. All things Irish are celebrated in my little city, and it all culminates on the Saturday nearest St. Patrick's Day with a big parade and a few bands playing in a beer tent.

I hadn't really had any plans other than I knew I was going to watch the parade with the family. But then my wife went and got cash, so now I had some greenbacks in my pocket, the beer seemed to be going down the throat a little easier than usual, my in-laws told us to go to the tent after the parade, I saw one of my favorite people in the world (who even made a point to find me), and ran into two other very fun people I used to work with, and then we all partied right in front of this kick-ass Celtic Rock band called Reilly.

I can't say as I've heard much Celtic/Irish music, and I know Reilly is a bit of a departure from Traditional Celtic music, but, damn, if they weren't fun to listen to.

Like I said, a perfect storm: family, friends, beer, and rock.

Of course, every storm fades sometime. It happened about 8 pm, when I headed upstairs to my bedroom and went dead to the world until 3 am.

I'm such a wuss...

Hey, here's Reilly's webpage. Check it out:
http://www.reillyrocks.com/

24 Season Seven Plot?

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know about the rampant stupidity of Boston's reaction to the [adult swim] guerrilla marketing of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie.

But what if it was real? What if the Moonites really did plant a bomb? Who could possibly save the day? 24's Jack Bauer, of course.

National Lampoon gave us a taste of what it would be like in this less than 4 minute video:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid203712201/bclid192880073/bctid474534652

Trend-setter hits 10 years

One of TV Guide critic Matt Roush's reader's offered up this question: has any show impacted the TV landscape to the extent Buffy The Vampie Slayer (which premiered ten years ago last week) has in the past ten years?

I found that to be an interesting question. While Buffy didn't hit the ratings jackpot, it certainly created/reconstructed how some stories could be told. Arguably, without Buffy there would be no Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, and Alias. The reader also went as far as saying Buffy's style also impacts multi-genre shows like Grey's Anatomy, Veronica Mars, and The O.C.

I'd have to agree with the argument (as Matt did; saying only The Sopranos has had as much an influence on the last decade of TV as Buffy).

Any thoughts?

BTW: the link to the article is below. The question posed above is at the end.
http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Columnists/Ask-Matt/Default.aspx#01heroes

Premieres and Notables March 19-25, 2007

Monday, 3/19

Dancing With the Stars; ABC. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I saw Billy Ray Cyrus in a publicity photo for the show. You'd think after the "Achy Breaky Mullet", he wouldn't take styling risks.


Tuesday 3/20

The Whitest Kids U'Know; Fuse. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
TV Guide said this show has the same type of comedy as Kids in the Hall-- but edgier. The mag also says it premieres Tuesday, but I checked my DVR scheduler, and there are episodes airing Sunday and Monday nights.

Tori & Dean: Inn Love; Oxygen. 9:30 CST. Series Premiere.
Newlyweds Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott open a bed and breakfast. And they brought the cameras along. For real...


Thursday, 3/22

Penn & Teller: Bull!; Showtime. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I love this show. I wish I had Showtime again, so I wouldn't miss it. In the fifth season premiere, the guys tackle the country's obesity problem and go after "peddlers of diet misinformation".

This American Life; Showtime. 9:30 CST. Series Premiere.
Ira Glass brings his NPR program to the video screen.


Friday, 3/23

Six Degrees; ABC. 8:01 CST. Return
Critics usually find one or three shows every TV season to beat up on (they usually have good reason to). This was one of those shows for the current TV season. ABC either believes in this show, or it wanted to stick its tongue out at the people who snickered when the show was promised to return after it got pulled last Fall. Or maybe it just wants to keep creator J.J. Abrams happy.

Acceptable TV; VH1. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Although I have banned the craptastic VH1 and MTV shows from this blog, I thought this would be of interest. Viewers can submit homemade shorts to this show, which will be aired along side professionally made sketches. I predict a lot of crap, but maybe some diamonds in the rough will pop up from time to time.


Sunday, 3/25

Planet Earth; Discovery. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
This 11-part series "examines Earth's habitats and wildlife by touring more than 200 locations around the globe".

Gene Simmons Family Jewels; A&E. 8 pm Season premiere.
The season begins as that wacky Gene searches for his missing costume and not-wife Shannon takes a pregnancy test.

Finale-a-palooza: Rome and Slings and Arrows go to that TV network in the sky with their series finales, Battlestar Galactica (whose finale is supposed to rock-- I've heard how big it is for months now) and The L Word just have season finales, and Grease: You're the One That I Want and Surreal Life Fame Games will, hopefully, never pollute the airwaves again.

Racing Reality

Here's a link to TV Guide dot com's news about ABC's new celeb reality racing show Fast Cars and Superstars.

Brian: you definitely need to check it out. You'll like at least one of the celebs.

Me? I'm pumped to see Shatner mashing the pedal to the floor. The WWE's John Cena should be entertaining as well (the dude is funny).


http://community.tvguide.com/thread.jspa?threadID=800010733

for more info, here's another link:

http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting={B8AF9929-B069-431E-B78A-CADF5BC0298C}

More Van Halen HoF Induction Thoughts

After a lively communication via e-mail today with my music guru, Brian, I thought I should follow-up on with some comments about the post I made last night after the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Brian told me that the bit at the end of Velvet Revolver's rendition of "Ain't Talkin' About Love" was supposed to be "Runaround". I've been a hardcore VH fan for 20 years, and I must have heard that song hundreds of times. The fact that I couldn't recognize the song when VR performed it means it was a complete botch-job. I'm sure VR is a good band. I've heard good things about them, and they do have some talent just on reputation. But if they couldn't do a recognizable rendition with a few weeks preparation, then they shouldn't have made the attempt.

Brian also gave me the idea to make sure Paul Schaffer got props for the obviously last-minute addition of "Why Can't This Be Love?" that Sammy and Mike performed with Schaffer and his CBS band. The word I got was that Sam & Mike were not going to be able to perform because the rets of the band wasn't going to attend. Schaffer, presumably, pulled some strings and allowed the two to bask in the moment and take the stage just as the others inductees got to. That's a classy move right there, and I gained much respect for Letterman's "sidekick" from that.

Also, I know I've been pretty snarky about Eddie's timing on his latest rehab stint in previous posts, but I do want to make clear that he IS in rehab, and from what Sam & Mike alluded to last night, he needed it. I do wish the guy luck and success. When he returns, hopefully clean and sober, there will still be problems, but maybe they can be worked on and the fans can get what they've been craving for over 20 years: a reunion and tour with Roth. Talent like Eddie's should not go to waste. I feel like his latest work was his best (the Van Halen 3 work; not the Hagar reunion work). He should not be relegated to soft-core porn soundtracks like he did last year. Hell, I didn't even buy the porno, and I bought the awful Wild Life movie Eddie did the soundtrack to in the '80s.

A Class Act

I'm a huge Van Halen fan. Have been for 20 years (I "discovered" them in 1987, and yes, that puts me in the Sammy camp). Admittedly when Sammy left/got booted from the band, some of the magic was lost. I was excited Gary Cherone got the gig after Sammy, but that fell flat (no fault of Gary's). Then the breakups and makeups. The "almost reunions" and then nothing from the Van Halen Bros for so long. Mike getting the boot for daring to go on tour with Hagar (like he was just supposed to sit around for almost a decade). And then the past two months...

But to say I was excited the band finally got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a little of an understatement (even though I think the whole thing is a farce at times).

Of course, drama seems to plague the band. First Roth and Sammy joked that "who knows what'll happen" at the induction, hinting that there could be some good backstage antics/fights. Then Van Halen announced a tour with Roth, but without Mike. Then Ed and Alex weren't going to go to the induction. Then Dave hemmed and hawed (yeah, like Roth would ever shy from the spotlight). Then Ed announced he was going into rehab. Then Dave said if he couldn't sing with Velvet Revolver (the band that was tapped to play VH songs at the induction), he wasn't going. The only thing anyone knew for sure was that Sammy and Mike were going to be there.

Frankly, I was tired of it all. It's a big honor, and some of the children weren't going. It's embarrassing that Van Halen has become a punchline as opposed to just being the best band in the world/universe. I was pretty soured by it (and the past ten years of B.S.).

But as I FF'ed through the 4+ hrs of the live induction ceremony, I stopped at the part I was interested in: the Van Halen induction. The opening "package" reminded me that this band was it in their heyday. When these guys got together, magic happened.

After the package, the members of Velvet Revolver introduced the band as inductees into the Hall. Why this band was chosen, I can't guess. It was like watching five clowns behind the podium. Thank God they weren't drunk (or didn't act like it).

As expected, only Sammy and Mike were there to accept the honor (I can't believe Roth didn't show, but maybe he was discouraged from attending by the Brothers Van Halen). Mike started out by thanking the people and the band members who helped make the band what it was. You saw real emotion there. This guy got what it was all about-- a celebration of the accomplishments a band he was in had. He wished Eddie luck (maybe there really is something to the whole rehab thing-- I admit I thought it was an excuse to not attend). He also gave a shout out to Gary Cherone, which was a classy move. He said Gary was a part of the band, so he deserved some recognition. Poor Gary has been erased from existence (think you'll ever see a Cherone song on a future VH "Best Of"? Don't hold your breath), and that's tragic.

After Mike spoke, Sammy said some words. He, too, wished Eddie luck. He also expressed how honored he was that he was included. One of the B.S. parts of The RnR Hall of Fame is they can induct certain lineups and exclude others (for example: Gary didn't get an award). And not including Hagar could have happened-- especially since Van Halen pulled Roth back into the fold for a tour as the inductees were announced. Hagar knew the worth of the honor as well.

Which is what's so disappointing that Dave, Alex, and Ed didn't show. You get inducted once. Maybe Ed & Alex can be inducted with the Gary lineup, but I'm not thinking that'll happen. And while I like some of Dave's solo stuff, I don't think that'll be his second-chance ticket into the Hall. Childish antics robbed them of a chance to be honored by their peers.

Back to the show: after Sammy and Mike left the stage, Velvet Revolver sang "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love". I'll give the band the benefit of the doubt and say the mix sucked. If you're a fan of cymbals, then the performance was for you. If you like vocals, then you were out of luck because the mic was turned way down. And Weiland's movements were unnerving and distracting. Are we sure he's not on the nose-candy again?

After VR left the stage, Paul Schaffer's band (with Mike on bass) backed up Sammy in a rendition of "Why Can't This Be Love?". Again, the mix sucked. And I know Schaffer's band isn't hard rock (although Paul does have a healthy appreciation for bands such as Van Halen), but horns during the song? Didn't work. But at least Sam and Mike got to do their thing on stage. That could have been a last-minute addition as VR was supposed to play Hagar-era song "Runaround". And Dave's comments that he wasn't going to attend because he couldn't sing also lead me to believe that last-second changes were made.

And at the end of the show, we got to see the jam song, where the inductees and presenters (except Velvet Revolver) all come together. Sammy got some good solo time-- and I could actually hear him.

After they were inducted, we got to see a little bit of Mike and Sammy in the press area. They looked to be on top of the world posing for the cameras. And while I couldn't hear some of the questions, it looked as if Mike was explaining why he was booted from the band. His answer: an incredulous "I don't know". Sammy also answered a reunion question by saying Roth needs to go out on tour with the band. When that one's done, everyone needs to grow up-- himself included-- and go out together; he and Dave and the others.

It'll never happen, but it was a nice thing to say, and a nice dream to give a guy after 20 years.

300 reasons to see 300

I don't get pumped up for movies. I've found that if I keep my expectations low, I'm much more satisfied (how do you think I got through Star Wars Episode 1?).

But ever since I saw the 300 trailer, when Leonidas screams, "We are Sparta!" and kicks the Persian messenger into the well, I knew I needed to see this movie.

I watched it last night, and I have to say I was not disappointed in the least.

Here are 300 reasons to see this movie (no real spoilers here):

1. Gerard Butler kicks all sorts of ass.
2. The Spartans have funny phrases and act like any action heroes do-- but I actually believed it when they laughed at death instead of thinking it was the usual heroic posturing.
3. Visually stupendous (there were no sets; just actors and a green screen).
4. If your favorite color is red, you'll see lots of it.
5. For the ladies: the Spartans wore loincloths and capes in battle.
6. For the guys: the ladies didn't wear much more.
7. A movie based on a graphic novel without the requisite cartoony stuff-- and the movie wasn't as full of itself as, say, Sin City was.
8. "Then we'll fight in the shade."
9. Leonidas eating an apple while his men are making sure the piles of bodies contain dead opponents.
10. The wall the Spartans build before "The Immortals" arrive.
11. Leonidas would make Arnie, Stallone, and Eastwood piss their pants.
12. Xerxes' travelling throne.
13. The men laughing while being bombarded by arrows.
14. Learn about anatomy as various body parts are split from the torso.
15-299. It just plain kicks ass.
300. "We are Sparta!"

Seriously, I wish I could write more, but I don't have time. Maybe after my friend, Tom, sees it this week, he'll fire my memory up a little more, but I just wanted to put it out there that this is a must see movie.

Note: If you haven't heard, it's pretty violent, so if that kinda thing makes you queasy, you may want to pass.

Did you listen?

I just finished watching Frisky Dingo episode 2 ("Meet Awesome X"), and I was reminded how freakin' hilarious that show is. Hopefully you took my advice last week and watched it.

I can't describe it; ya just need to watch. Definitely catch this episode, though.

"You paid five million dollars for a blow job?"

See if YouTube has it...

Premieres and Notables March 12-18, 2007

Quite a bit of stuff to get to. Here goes:

Monday, 3/12

The Prisoner airs on BBC America every weekday for the next 17 days at 3 pm CST. I happy I can finally catch this classic mystery-drama from the beginning.

Style Her Famous; Style. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.

And while I heard the movie isn't that great, A&E is airing Kings of South Beach at 8 pm. It's notable because two stars of the much-missed Boomtown (Donnie Wahlberg and Jason Gedrick) star in it.

The Riches; FX. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver star in this show about a family of con-artists who move into the house of a dead couple and take on their identities. Sure, Dirt let us down, but since this is an FX show, it's recommended.

And even though some members of Van Halen are being dicks (*cough* Eddie *cough*) and won't show, Sammy and Mike will still be there, watching Velvet Revolver perform some of their hits on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony airing on VH1 Classic at 7:30 pm CST. Watch it here as it's live. Who knows what will be cut out when the official broadcast airs later in the week?

[Official note: The offical word is Eddie Van Halen is going/has checked himself into rehab, so he can't attend the ceremony. My best wishes to him. Although, it's awfully suspect timing, don't you say?]


Tuesday, 3/13

Bullrun; Spike. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Described as The Amazing Race meets Cannonball Run, so it's sounds interesting. But it airs on Spike and is hosted by Bill Goldberg, so it'll probably crash and burn.

American Heiress; MyNetwork TV. 7-9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
I smell something. Oh yeah: crap.

The real American Idol begins tonight as they've actually finally gotten to the Final 12 after 2 months.

Wednesday, 3/14

Saint and Sinners; MyNetworkTV. 7-9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
More crap.

Jon Stewart is the guest on this week's Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg (TV Land, 9 pm).

Halfway Home; Comedy Central. 9:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Another improvised comedy show. This one is based in a halfway house for paroles.


Thursday, 3/15

As I noted in a previous post, The Office (NBC, 7 & 7:30) is airing repeats, but ones that have been reworked to include new footage.

Andy Barker, P.I.; NBC. 8:30 CST. Series Premiere.
I've liked Andy Richter's shows in the past, but I've been reading that this newest show isn't as good as 30 Rock, and that's saying something because Rock's pretty uneven.

Raines; NBC. 9:01 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Jeff Goldblum stars as a homicide detective who imagines the victims in his investigations are speaking to him, trying to help him solve the murders.

October Road; ABC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A young author returns to his hometown after ten years.

The Showbiz Show with David Spade; Comedy Central. 9:30 CST. Season Premiere.
Spade normally grows old fast, but this show is a hilarious enough send-up of the ridiculous entertainment shows (Entertainment Weekly, Access Hollywood, The Inside) that by the time the half-hour is up, I kinda miss him. Highly recommended.

Addiction; HBO. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
The beginning of a 14-part documentary series (made up of different specials) looking at substance dependency and addictive behaviors.


Friday, 3/16

Identity; NBC. 8 pm. Return.
The Penn Jillette-hosted game show returns for a seven week run.


Saturday, 3/17

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony; Vh1. 8 pm. Special
The "official" broadcast of Monday's ceremony. Should have the extraneous things clipped out, but not the "live" moments (you know someone's gonna drop the F-Bomb).

Hellboy: Blood and Iron; Cartoon Network. 6 pm. Special
The second animated sequel to the motion picture airs before you can buy it on DVD.


Sunday, 3/18

Galapagos; National Geographic. 7-10 pm CST. Special.
A look at the ecosystem that helped Darwin form his theories on evolution.

Christopher Titus: The 5th Annual End of the World Tour; Comedy Central. 9 pm. Special.
Get your fix of Titus that has been missing since his sitcom was canned.

And the top-notch supermarket hostage episode of Desperate Housewives repeats tonight (ABC, 8 pm). If you gave up on the show after last season (I don't blame you), check this one out and see what you've been missing. Laurie Metcalf better get an Emmy nom from this.

OFFICE new-peats

In an effort to freshen up the repeat doldrums of March, producers of The Office have re-edited two previously aired episodes ("Traveling Salesman" and "The Return") and added previously unseen footage for the March 15 airings.

So, while you've seen the episodes before, you haven't seen them quite like this.

My DVR is considering the episodes repeats, so if you use one yourself, you may want to double-check that the episodes will record.

Also, Paul Leiberstein ("Toby") will host a five-episode "Human Resource Nightmare" marathon on March 29 (the episodes will air around Andy Barker, P.I.).

Music to Melt Your Face

I've recently had to relocate to a new building/city for my job. One of the perks of the new place is a workout room. So I've decided to take advantage of it.

I flipped through some of the mix CDs and tapes the room had. "Joe's Workout '98", " '80s Dance", and "Rob's Party Mix" just weren't gonna do it for me. I needed some way to let people know I am a hardcore badass-- even though my abdomen screams: "Eight months pregnant".

I needed to make my own mix CD.

But I had rules: nothing expected (sorry Metallica) or too profane (Disturbed's "Sickness"), or something too "poppy" (311's "Down"). And I needed to spread the love a little; no more than one song per CD; no duplicate artists (except Van Halen; but I had different singers for that one and Anthrax because I had enough room for two). No, I needed heavy songs that will make people stand up and notice (and have a few favorites thrown in as well); songs that would up the blood pressure before I even got on a machine. I think I made the perfect CD for my needs: 79:50 minutes of attitude.

Let me know what you think:

1. "Gravity", Nuno; Schizophonic
2. "Only", Anthrax; Sound of White Noise
3. "Serious Juju" (radio edit), Sammy Hagar; "Serious Juju" Single
4. "Symphony of Destruction", Megadeth; Countdown to Extinction
5. "Cult of Personality", Living Color; Vivid
6. "Bawitdaba", Kid Rock; Devil Without a Cause
7. "Wild Thing", Sam Kinison; Have You Seen Me Lately
8. "Unchained", Van Halen; Best of Both Worlds
9. "Come Out and Play", Offspring; Smash
10. "Different Breed", Dead On; Shocker Soundtrack
11. "Bring the Noise", Anthrax (with Public Enemy); Attack of the Killer A's
12. "Break Down the Wall" (Chris Jericho); WWF The Music Vol 4
13. "Thunder Kiss '65" (LP version), White Zombie; Nightcrawlers: the KMFDM Remixes
14. "Spacelord", Monster Magnet; Powertrip
15. "Humans Being", Van Halen; Best of Volume 1
16. "Rusty Cage", Soundgarden; Badmotorfinger
17. "Shame", Stabbing Westward; Wither Blister Burn + Peel
18. "Unholy", KISS; Revenge
19. "Mouth of War", Pantera; Vulgar Display of Power

Rock is back

I just read this on THE ONION's website. Classic...

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/unreleased_jimmy_page_guitar_riff

KNIGHTS Tabled

ABC has benched Knights of Prosperity effective immediately. There are four unaired epiosdes in the can and nine scripts that are still on order, so it's possible it may return. But its (painfully low) 4.2 million member audience was too small to continue right now. The ABC classics (*snicker*) According to Jim and George Lopez will fill the timeslot for the time being.

This development is a disappointment. Knights is an odd duck, but I think it had a lot of heart. I found it along the lines of My Name is Earl with the ability to continue to tell stories based around a very limited premise.

ROCKETMAN Repeats

The six-hour Rocketman mini-series/season repeats on BBC America on Wed and Thurs from 2-5 am CST.

I watched the first hour, and was very moved by the emotional impact it had on me. I didn't get the chance to watch the last 5 episodes, but I hope to get to them soon.

The show follows the efforts of a widower who is trying to launch a rocket that will take his wife's ashes out into space. The first episode was very moving, and I'll admit, it brought tears to my eyes on a few occassions. While the man tries to fulfill his promise to his dead wife to get her into space, he has all but abandoned his two children. Their attempts to get him to remember they were still alive were heartbreaking.

Anyway, take some time and check it out. It's only six hours (five or less when you take out the commercials).

STAR WAAAAARS! Nothing but STAAAR WAAAARS! Pt 1: Legacy of the Force

I've had trouble in the past trying to follow the Star Wars Universe. The sheer volume of books, comics, games, and everything else makes it virtually impossible to keep track of everything. I certainly gave up when 2-3 books every month were published back in the late '90s. I just couldn't afford it. And the comics I kept buying kept piling up, and I used the backlog I had as an excuse to stop buying (always with the intention of buying the trade paperback that collected the stories).

But over the past two months, I dove into the expanded (non-movie) universe in a big way. Let's start with some books:

It started last Spring, when I read some great books that were accessible to someone who'd been away for years like I had. And then, last Fall, I read the first of the Legacy of the Force books: Betrayal. I wrote about it here:

http://teameck.blogspot.com/2006/08/disturbance-in-force.html


I didn't give away the big spoiler in my original post, but it's been six months, and in order to explain the next two books, I need to reveal the big betrayal.

Spoilers follow...






At the end of Betrayal, Jacen Solo ran into former Darth Vader apprentice Lumiya with his cousin Jedi apprentice Ben Skywalker (who eventually was knocked unconscious) and fellow Jedi Nelani Dinn and decided he needed to turn her in to the authorities. Lumiya told him to search the future to see what would happen if she was arrested, and Jacen used the Force to create visions of him arresting Lumiya, and, in each one, he eventually killed his uncle Luke. He decided he could not arrest her. When Nelani decided to arrest Lumiya herself, Jacen overpowered her. When she admitted defeat, Jacen hesitated and then killed her. He later wiped Ben's memories of events that had happened prior to his injury and decided to follow Lumiya's teachings of the Sith order to get a better grip on events that are beginning to happen in the galaxy.

Pretty ballsy stuff for someone who has become a major character in the Expanded Universe.

The next two books on the Legacy of the Force series are Bloodties by Karen Traviss and Tempest by Troy Denning. Due to them somehow becoming available at the same time from my library, I read them back-to-back over a three week span, so they've kinda become merged together in my memory.

The two books show Jacen's further descent into the Dark Side of the Force (all while trying to do it for a larger good, just as his grandfather Anakin attempted). His power is growing by leaps and bounds, and while he still believes Luke is the strongest in the Force, It's becoming pretty obvious that Jacen will soon surpass him due to some Dark Side tricks he's learning. Once he completely gives himself over to the Dark Side (he's still trying to ride a fine line between Light & Dark), he just may be unstoppable.

Meanwhile, his parents (Han & Leia) and sister (Jaina) think he's gone insane (and secretly fear he's gone over to the Dark Side). His uncle Luke is too afraid to think of the worst-case scenario. His aunt Mara wants to believe that Jacen's still good, if only because he's training her son, Ben. Ben knows something is "off" with Jacen, but he still trusts him-- and Jacen's never steered Ben wrong. So while we've got a galaxy-wide problem with Corellia trying to defect from the Alliance, and Jacen's commando unit trying to keep them from doing so, there is also a strong familial element to the storyline.

I'm pretty wrapped up into the storyline, and I can't wait to see how it all sorts out (figuratively; literally, I've got a year or so before all the books eventually get released). It's not a real big secret, so I'll mention it here (it's announced in an ad in Bloodlines, anyway). Jacen will take on a Darth name in a book coming out this year.

As a side note, there was a fan contest at http://www.starwars.com/darthwho to come up with the best Darth names for Jacen, and either the fans didn't get it-- or they're much more subtle than Mr. Lucas. You see, the fans came up with names like Darth Acheron, Caedus, Judicar, Paxis, Taral (these were the five finalists), which all have some meaning to them that aren't obvious words in the English language. I find it really funny that Lucas created such overtly dastardly names for his Sith Lords: Tyrannus, Bane, Maul, Sidious, Plagueous. "Vader" is really the only name that doesn't sound like something destructive from first hearing it. I think it's pretty funny that the fans are not smacking the galaxy over the head with a name like "Darth Annihilate" or "Darth Decimate", or (my favorite) "Darth Bad Guy", but maybe that's just me.

Anyway, we'll learn what Jacen's new Darth name is in the fifth book: Sacrifice, due out in May.

Back to the books...

Bloodties did have an initial drawback: a side-story on my least favorite character, Boba Fett. But there was an upside: Fett's clone body is rapidly deteriorating, and he'll die within a year. But I will admit, I found the overhyped bounty hunter a good fit to the story.

The series seems to be pulling out all the stops now that George Lucas is not going to be playing in the post-original trilogy sandbox anymore. A couple of minor characters die, and some others surprisingly turn up when not expected. They really are making some plot moves that will change the galaxy far, far away forever.

Check it out.

SIX DEGREES producers sold souls

Okay, ABC promised the show wasn't cancelled, but no one believed it. Six Degrees was considered dead as a doornail last fall when ratings dropped below "see level" (Holy sh--, that was a bad pun...) and was dropped from the schedule.

But ABC announced last week that it'll come back on Friday, March 23.

You gotta wonder if ABC brought it back just to say "I told you so." It's like a game of chicken where they made the critics blink.

Premieres and Notables, March 5-11, 2007

Monday, 3/5

The most improved show I watched all season, The Class, has its season finale tonight (CBS, 7:30 pm CST).

A sneak-preview of Spider-Man 3 is on Heroes tonight (NBC, 8 pm CST). I saw a screen shot of Spidey punching through the Sandman. You just know this movie's gonna be good...


Tuesday, 3/6

And the longest title of a show goes to:
The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll; The CW. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
You know, most show titles give just a hint (at most) of what the show is about. Not this show. What you see is what you get.

College Hill; BET. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.
So judging from the title, what is this show about?
See what I mean?


Wednesday, 3/7.

South Park; Comedy Central. 9 pm CST. Season premiere.
The best satire on TV begins its eleventh season. That's a lot of poop jokes.

Wedding Bells; FOX. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A show about wedding consultants, created by David E. Kelley.
Its regular timeslot is Fridays at 8 (where this pilot will repeat this week).


Friday, 3/9
Fridays... Where stupid pilots go to die...

Debbie Does Dallas Again; Showtime. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
A behind-the-scenes documentary series that follows production of the sequel to the 1978 porn flick.

Karaoke-Dokey; CMT. 8:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
These "singers" give their all to Dolly Parton songs.

Star on Stars; FSN. 3:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
NBA star Stephon Marbury brings an insider's viewpoint to this interview show. First up: Kobe Bryant.

Clatterford; BBC America. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Now here's something that could be good. 1. It's on BBC America. 2. It's on their pretty-good Friday night comedy block.

And Las Vegas has its big blow-out season finale. I won't spoil with details, but I know two cast members aren't coming back next season (way to go NBC, for spoiling what could be a killer moment or two).


Sunday, 3/11

Blood Ties; Lifetime. 8 & 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A (male) vampire and a (female) private investigator team up. Hmmm: smells a liitle like Buffy to me.

Second Chance at FRISKY DINGO

Okay, a month or so ago, I posted that [adult swim] was reairing the awesome Frisky Dingo series. And, after it aired the first episode "Meet Killface", it didn't air again.

I see the first ep scheduled to air again tonight, and then the second ep, "Meet Awesome X" is scheduled to air next Sunday.

The time it's on is Sunday's from 11:30 pm to 11:45 pm CST.

Check it out. I can't explain it, but all you need to know is it's funny as all get out.

News of the Year

It's old news by now, but I just read that [adult swim] renewed The Venture Brothers for TWO new seasons. That is about as kick-ass as I can imagine.

The bad news: new eps won't be ready until early 2008.

Good news: Season Two is going to be released on April 17.

"Go Team Venture!"

Why this dude got fired...

Here's a great clip about a guy and his story about why he got fired from Apple Computer.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=QFS0xl4_LAA

Flogging a Dead Horse

Comic Book writer, Paul Jenkins, does a semi-regular column called "Flogging a Dead Horse" that showcases his creativity as well as highlights his insanity.

I found his latest missive absolutely hilarious. You don't have to understand comics at all; although, if you do, it certainly enhances the experience (especially if you decide to listen to the song his little group created).

The background: Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Joe Quesada, creates and performs with his band a little song every year around Christmas that pokes fun at the industry. It's all a lark and certainly not of professional caliber (although, with computers these day, anyone can do a competant job-- how else can you explain Jessica Simspon's singing success?).

Anyway, Jenkins decided to poke fun at his boss and get a group of people together who were willing to poke fun at themselves as well, and make a little song to put the Marvel one to shame.

Here's the link, and, like I said, even if you don't listen to the song, Jenkins' set-up and picture captions are well-worth checking out.

http://http://www.newsarama.com/general/Flogging/Flogging31/Flogging31.html

Ve Dub in tha Hizz-ouse

Ever since I first saw Peter Stormare as John Abruzzi in Prison Break, I've been a fan. During his hiatus after T-Bag attacked him, he did a few commercials for Volkswagon that I find pretty funny (especially since the chracter is such a departure from Abruzzi).

Here are three of the commericals. Go to the third row and the first three from the left are Stormare's "Unpimp My Ride" commercials.

I gotta give a shout out to my homie, Brian, for sending me this link:

http://www.vw.com:80/vwlife/commercial.html

Premieres and Notables: Feb 26- Mar 4, 2007

Let's get right to it:

Monday, 2/26

The Black Donnellys, NBC. 9:03 -10:00 CST. Series Premiere.
Four Irish-American brothers defend their turf in this mob drama. I've heard nothing but good about the pilot. Must See.

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern; Travel Channel. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Zimmern travels the world in search for odd foods.

Gregory Itzen returns as VP (according to TV Guide; I thought he was Pres) Charles Logan on 24.

And, following the emotional episode of Prison Break last week (was it not great seeing Stacy Keach again?), this week finds Sara and the brothers with the evidence needed to exonerate Linc, Mahone uses a former inmate to trap the brothers, and Kellerman goes after the president on his own.


Tuesday, 2/27

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?; FOX. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Yet another show from Survivor producer Mark Burnett. Yet another game show hosted by a comedian; this time it's Jeff Foxworthy. Like the title implies, this game show asks questions from elementary school textbooks to adults. Yippee! I guess the most-asked question in any school can finally be answered: "When am I gonna need to know this?"


Thursday, 3/1

Swinging; Sundance. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
An ensemble sketch show about sex and relationships from the U.K.

The Office November repeat where the Scranton branch shut-down was leaked will repeat at 7:30. It's an amazing coincidence that my job had a similar thing go down just days before this episode aired, so it was especially relevant to me at the time.

If you're not a regular watcher, now's the time to try Scrubs as the regulars reminisce about the past six years in this clip show episode (8:00).


Friday, 3/2
For my friend, Brian: U2's Bono will be honored at the NAACP Image Awards (FOX, 7 pm) along with Bill Cosby (I just watched Bill Cosby: Himself on DVD last weekend-- good stuff) and Soledad O'Brien from CNN. (Is she the "hottie" Soledad from The Today Show?).


Saturday, 3/3

Robin Hood; BBC America. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
An old-school story with new-school attitude. The commercials and reviews makes this look really promising. Must See.


Sunday, 3/4

The Winner; FOX. 7:30. Series Premiere.
And, yet again, FOX throws a live-action comedy into the middle of its successful animated Sunday block... This one looks pretty good, though. Rob Corddry plays a guy who finally becomes a man at the age of 32.



Robin Hood; BBC America. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.

PRIDE of the comic industry

I just finished Pride of Baghdad and had to make my comments about, arguably, the best graphic novel of 2006 (unfortunately, I can't read many GNs anymore, but most critics made the book their Top Pick).

The DC Comics/Vertigo Imprint GN written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Niko Henrichon takes a bit of real life and adds multiple dimensions to it to get a very complex look at the price of freedom.

In 2003, four lions escaped a Baghdad zoo and roamed the streets. Vaughan took that bit of information and molded a story around this pride of lions. He created a world where animals spoke (not in a cartoony way at all) and struggled with the concept and realities of freedom as they walked the streets.

The pride of lions consisted of the male, Zill, his mate, Noor, an older lioness, Safa, and a cub, Ali. Noor longs to escape the zoo, and when U.S. fighter jets bomb the area and damage their cage, she gets her chance. But Safa remembers what it was like to be in the wild, and she's perfectly content to remain where she has been safe for years. Ali wants to explore; his animal instinct hasn't been dulled yet by the easy life at the zoo. Zill doesn't seem to care (in the lion world, the lionesses do the work).

Through the conversations and situations the pride gets into, a very thought-provoking story comes out. I tend not to read too much into movies, comics, books, etc, but the intent is there. Vaughan wants us to wonder if freedom can be given, or does it have to be earned? Obviously, you can take it a step further and relate that question to what is going on in Iraq.

I don't want to give too much away, so I'll let you discover the story for yourselves. It's wonderous; funny at times and also gut-wrenching at times. There are scenes and panels that will stick with me for a long while. It's wonderfully written, and, as you can see in the pic, the art is amazing and the colors are beautiful.

Check it out from the library, or if you've got a GN collection, by all means, add this one to the bookshelf without hesitation.

Here's a link to the Vertigo solicitation:

http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=5723

Like Ya Didn't See THAT Coming...

As is typical with Van Halen and David Lee Roth, a wrench has been thrown in the works...

The tour that was planned (and never officially announced) is on indefinite hold.

I just can't believe something got messed up with this group.

But at least they were all together to take a picture (or maybe not; PhotoShop can do amazing things):




Ya gotta wonder what fifteen-year-old Wolfgang thinks of his fifty-year-old dad wearing a goofy hat for the shot. I can just imagine the after-picture scenario: "God, Dad, you're so embarrassing."

[Thanks to Brian for the info and the pic.]

Premieres and Notables Feb 19- 25

Well, I should be in bed since I have to get up earlier for work tomorrow, and exhaustion is going to beat the insomnia thing tonight, but since I know I'm such an invaluable resource, my dedication to giving you the lowdown on what's new every week demands I push on. I am an unstoppable force of TV info (those of you I work with know where the joke is in that... does anyone I work with actually read this?).

Besides, I can't do it during lunch anymore...

Monday, 2/19

The Wiggles; Disney. 6 am CST. Season Premiere.
I like the Wiggles, and my kids (well, the youngest one as the oldest has moved on) love them. I'm not a big fan of the show because it seems as if the secondary characters and animation has taken over, but the fact that this show is in its fifth season is pretty cool. I don't know if this season has Greg at all (he had to leave the group due to an illness), so it may be interesting to check out.

And, Brian, I am starting to get that "Wiggles: Behind the Music" bug again. Thanks again for putting it in my head.

Three never-before-seen episodes of Spongebob Squarepants debut on Nickelodeon at 6 pm CST.

And Pope returns to Prison Break; and, I'm guessing we'll get some follow-up to the splat from two weeks ago.


Wednesday, 2/21

Sit Down Comedy With David Steinberg; TV Land. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.
The second season opens with a chat with Jerry Seinfeld.

Thursday, 2/22

Say goodbye to The O.C., bitch. Series finale at 8 pm.

And after, what, a MONTH of B.S. auditions, American Idol actually has a results show tonight.

A January repeat of Smallville brings us the episode when the Justice League formed.

Jan and Michael go public with their relationship on The Office.

Speaking of The Office, I've been meaning to mention that Rashida "Karen" Jones is in a Fall pilot, so if it gets picked up, the Pam/Jim/Karen love triangle will probably fall apart (good move on creators' parts by getting Roy and Pam back together early).


Sunday, 2/25

A little awards show called the Academy Awards finally happens. ABC gets the ceremony, which begins at 7:30 CST and ends who knows when. The TV Guide Channel and E! will be running Oscar-related shows all day long, so you'll know everybody's answer to "What are you wearing?".

Watch SCRUBS?

Scrubs has had a number of real phone numbers and web sites on it over the past few years that have actual content, and this past week had an awesome bit about a website called TheToddTime.

Check this link out. You probably won't "get it" if you're not a Scrubs watcher, but if you've got a juvenile sense of humor, you just may like it in spite of having no knowledge of "The Todd".

http://thetoddtime.com/

I've "Ignored" the VH Subject Long Enough

Anyone who knows me fairly well knows I'm a huge Van Halen/Sammy Hagar fan, so I'm sure it's a bit of a surprise to those people that I haven't had much to say about the Roth reunion. I've had lengthy e-mails with my buddy Brian (who, interestingly, I got "into" VH/Hagar and has since become my source of VH/Hagar info) about the situation, and we've covered most of the details I'm outlining below.

But when my friend, Tom, asked me my take, I wrote a pretty concise (and funny in parts) response back. Hopefully he'll forgive me for posting my personal response to him, but my brain's kinda fried from my current state of insomnia (let's just say I'm loving my job right now), and I felt I should use some of my awake time to post to this thing before people give up on it.


Here is my response to Tom about the Roth/Van Halen reunion. Get some info, get some laughs:


"I could, of course, write forever on the subject, but it's gotten obvious I just need to answer and leave the rest of the comments alone.

Roth is back with Van Halen-- for just a 40 date tour. It coincides very nicely with the B.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (B.S. because they should have gotten in already, and B.S. because Grandmaster Flash does not exactly count as RnR in my book). This is the third attempt at some sort of reunion with Roth, so I'm not holding my breath it'll be a happy ending.

Also, in a typical "Eddie's a prick" move: Michael Anthony is no longer in Van Halen. Ed's been pushing him out for a decade now, but since Mike's been touring with Hagar (like what the f*** else is he supposed to do while waiting for the VH Bros to actually do something?), Ed found this to be the perfect time to kick Mike to the curb.

Mike's replacement: Edward's son, Wolfgang Van Halen. Wolfie will turn 16 next month.

The pluses: 1. the teenage son/nephew of the Bros probably won't put up much of a struggle for power, leaving Roth all by himself. 2. Ed says he kicks all sorts of a** on bass, so I'm willing to believe it.
Minuses: He's SIXTEEN! Handing off the bass duties from one of the most beloved members of the group-- who got kicked out no less-- is a Hell of a lot of pressure for anyone, let alone a teenager.

For Wolfgang, pluses: a member of one of the most beloved bands of all time should get all the tail and drugs he could ever want.
Minuses: his dad and uncle will probably cock block him at every turn.

Up until a few weeks ago, Roth had never met with VH-- even though VH had put the feelers out for a tour with Roth singing. In the meantime, the VH Bros and son have been playing away amongst themselves, with Wolfie doing most of the singing.

My prediction: sometime before the end of the tour, they'll announce that Roth wasn't working out, and that Wolfgang will be handling the vocals.

It may not mean they won't finish the 40 dates with Roth, but he'll definitely be gone once their tour is up.

I'm excited to hear Van Halen again, but the s*** they've done to their former members really sours me on them. And putting Wolfgang in the band may seem good in the short-term, but the pressure and scrutiny he'll be under will be unbearable for a sixteen year old."

Maybe she should just go back to no panties

[Normally I wouldn't comment on this, but it's just too bizarre.]

Well, it seems as if K-Fed was actually the common sense in the marriage because Brit's apparently forgotten that there are good ways to get media attention. First, she was skankin' around with Lindsay Lohan-- goin' commando, no less-- and now she's shaved her head after a brief stint in rehab (or, as they call it in Hollywood: "a vacation").

Here's a link to the fun stuff:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=entertainment&id=5042740

Yeah, it's sad that a woman can't change her image a little-- or get tattoos-- without the vultures all over her, but it's also like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion. Have we reached the end of the crash, or does Brit have more in store? I'm thinkin' we'll get a short-term lesbian relationship to comment on by year's end.

Punkin' for the Lord

Just a quick recommendation for all of you who may be looking for something different:

Check out One Punk Under God that the Sundance Channel is airing. It's six (half-hour) episodes long, and Sundance has run it through a few times, so you should be able to catch up on it quickly. One episode airs multiple times every week.

The show follows Jim (and Tammy Faye) Bakker's son, Jay, as he tries to reconnect with his dad, comfort his dying mom, goes through a crisis of conscience (which results in a crisis to his ministry), and agonizes whether it is time to pack up and move, so his wife can follow her dreams.

I wasn't really keen on watching this show. As you can surmise from my comments in previous posts, I don't "go to church", and, frankly, I have a lot of issues with organized religion (I don't think they're wrong for people as a whole; just wrong for me). I've spent many years really being disgusted with the innundation of Christianity that has been shoved down my throat by politicians and other heads of churches the past two decades.

But new media looks at religion by shows like Big Love (yeah, they're polygamists, but it was fascinating to see their love of God as an every day thing), The Book of Daniel (a very positive show that got the shaft from right-wing nutjobs who hadn't watched the damn thing), Joan of Arcadia (a sometimes overdone show, which had a great version of God as a character), and, yes, it's true: Real Time With Bill Maher (which had an episode that summed up my disgust with religion mixed with politics so perfectly, I was able to let go of the rage) gave me a new look at religion.

No, I didn't find God or anything, but I was able to be reminded that there are many more religious people out there in the world than the zealots that whine about anything rated above something a 7-year-old could watch, or say gays or single mothers or divored people are affronts to humanity, or politicians who say they prayed for guidance-- and then did the wrong thing.

Aaaaanyway, to get back on track (I did feel I needed to explain my background a little, though), One Punk gives us a look at a man who started a church (called Revolution) that meets in a bar, and has taken in many people whom other religions have left behind. Jay, himself, would probably be shunned (or given strange looks) at many churches because he's scraggly, he smokes, he's got tattoos all over his body, and he's got a few piercings to boot.

It was pretty inspiring to see the kind of church he built. I've long felt that the outdated views some religions have will ultimately be their undoing.

And to add to it, he's trying to reconnect with his father, and, throughout the six episodes, you really get a sense of how each views the other-- and I have to say what happens in the final episode couldn't have been better if it was written that way. He's also trying to comfort his terminally ill mother, and he lets the camera film how he deals with it. To see a woman who knows she is dying fight through it to spread her message as long as she can was pretty inspiring.

And, just as warning (because it could turn some people off), Jay felt that God spoke to him and said gay people are okay. So Jay gave a heartfelt sermon about how, maybe, it's wrong to discriminate. As you can imagine, his backers (who, oddly enough, are Christian Conservatives) pulled out, which sent his ministry in a tailspin.

That storyline right there (especially when he discusses the events with his father) sums up large religion for me. Jay went out on a limb by saying "the right thing", and forces conspired to shut him down. Because Jay doesn't pass the collection plate around at church, he really relies on his financial backers. I won't say what happens to him and the church, but I will say he stuck with his convictions which, in it's own way, is very heroic (and Jim comments about that in the finale).

Well, I certainly wrote more than I expected (and ended up saying very little), but if you're looking for a very well-done reality show (Jay really let us see into his life) or maybe to get a glimpse of an alternative religion, then check it out. It's a very honest look at one man's life. The ups and downs, triumphs and defeats.

I'm glad I took Entertainment Weekly's advice and watched it, and I really don't think you'll be disappointed if you watch it too.

Premieres and Notables Feb 12- 18

Sorry for the lateness again-- but this is a quiet week (finally), so you're not gonna miss anything.


Wednesday, 2/14

Catch up with one of the hottest new shows of the season when CBS runs a Jericho recap at 7 CST. Next week begins the new epsiodes.


Thursday, 2/15

Buffy creator, Joss Whedon, directs an episode of The Office where Michael speaks at Ryan's business school, and Dwight tangles with a bat in the office.

Friday, 2/16

Instant Star; The N. 7:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Mail Call; History Channel. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I wish I had more time to watch this fascinating show.

Real Time With Bill Maher; HBO. 10 pm. Season Premiere.
Must See TV, right here.

Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry; HBO. 11 pm. Season Premiere.


Saturday, 2/17

Justin Timberlake's last hosting duty on Saturday Night Live caused a buzz with the video "Dick in a Box", and tonight's your chance to catch it again (or the first time). But since SNL sucks-- hard-- here's a link to the (uncensored) video without having to watch all the rest of the garbage:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA

SNL usually makes me puke, but those three minutes made me laugh.


Sunday, 2/18

Amazing Race; CBS. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
I had been a faithful watcher of the show until last year, when I stopped watching due to time constraints. But this season is an All-Star one. Yeah, frickin' Rob & Amber are on it (now using family and friends' fifteen minutes of fame, apparently), but so are Kevin and Drew-- two of the funniest reality show contestants on any show. Recommended.

Planet Carnivore; National Geographic. 7 & 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Series looking at some of the most skilled predators on the planet. The first ep is about a lioness in Tanzania.

An, finally, the Sundance Channel airs the entire second season on Slings and Arrows from 2-7 pm CST (six 50-minute episodes). Admittedly, I wasn't as excited about the second season as I was the first, but it's still great television. The 2nd season followed the attempts to get a performance of MacBeth made. Also, there was some great moments and commentary about marketing when the festival's main financial contributor pulled out, and the marketing firm hired to raise awareness of the show continually insulted all their season ticket holders as well as theatre itself.

After the season rerun, the third season of the show begins (7 pm CST).