Scary Movie 4-- Garbage. F
School for Scoundrels— I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this movie before even though it was called something else. I’m pretty sure it starred Billy Bob Thornton, too. C-
School of Life – I’m a Ryan Reynolds fan. I’ll admit it, even if he usually does crappy movies. But this one was different. It was good. It had a good heart and a good message. I’d like to see Reynolds in more movies like these. B+
Sherrybaby— Great performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal, but I just didn’t get into this movie which so many critics and fans liked. It just felt like another “I was so abused growing up that now I’m damaged” movie that’s been done before. B-
Shooter— It was okay. C+
Shrek the Third—theatre— This series loses a little more each time they go back to the well. C
Shut Up and Sing— I thought the whole Dixie Chicks saying they’re not proud of George Bush fiasco was bullshit. We do live in America, where people are free to say such things. Kinda ironic that the rest of the country caught up with the Chicks a few years later. Not that any of the piece of crap talk show hosts or radio station managers would admit they made a mistake… B-
Sicko— Not as eye-opening as Moore’s other films. I mean, we all know the health care system is in the toilet in America. B
Smokin’ Aces-- This movie is all style, little substance. I liked Ryan Reynolds (as usual) as he played against type by not being a wiseass. C+
So Goes the Nation-- A documentary looking at the 2004 Presidential Election and how Ohio factored into it. I was hoping to get some in-depth nuggets here, but the only real thing I took away from it was how “Everyman rancher” George Bush bought his Texas ranch not much earlier than his first run at president. Every politician does it, but he wrapped that rancher tag around him like a cloak. C+
Spider-Man 3—theatre-- I didn’t hate it as much as many people did. It fell into the too many characters problem that super-hero sequels have fallen into since Batman Returns. Some dumb plot coincidences hurt it, and while I like Topher Grace, I would have liked to see a more comic-true bruiser playing Eddie Brock/Venom. B-
Stomp Out Loud!-- amazing. Just shows you that there’s music everywhere. A-
Stranger Than Fiction—Will Farrell plays against type and has a very solid role in what was a much better film than I thought it’d be. B+
Street Fight-- An idealistic younger man takes on the entrenched incumbent in this doc about a mayoral race. A pretty good microscopic look at the problem with politics today. B
Superman: Doomsday-- A story close to my heart as it’s a loose adaptation of one of my favorite comic book runs. The knock-down, drag-out fight between Supes and Doomsday was pretty cool, but the movie had to pack too much into too little. Sadly some of the biggest cuts were from the most effective parts of comic series: how his death affected the world’s population. And the movie also couldn’t make a mystery out of his return from death like the comics did (I was in my comic shop EVERY week to make sure I got the next installment). Quick note: the extras included a great look at the comics this movie was based on and included interviews with most of the creators of them. And two final notes: I like much of Anne Heche’s work, but she was miscast here as Lois Lane. I never bought it. And Superman’s face is pure ugly. Whoever approved the massive cheekbones that were drawn as two gigantic “scars” on direct frontal views should get slapped around. B (movie), A- (extras)
Talledega Nights-- Another goofy Will Farrell movie. It is what it is. B-
Transformers-- I wasn’t a fan of the cartoon or the toys, but I read the comics for about 5 years. This was a decent popcorn movie. My quibble with it is how it clumsily injected more mature elements in some scenes to get a PG-13 rating. B
Uncovered: the Whole Truth about the Iraq War-- With the thesis that the Iraq War was pretty much bunged up from the beginning, it wasn’t a real surprise. B-
Who Killed the Electric Car-- Maybe I’m just burned out on politicians/businessmen screwing the average person. I wasn’t as mad as I should have been. And the answer of who killed the electric car was pretty unsatisfying. C+
Why We Fight— An interesting look at how Dwight Eisenhower predicted that we would become a military-based society over 50 years ago, and how we actually have become one. It doesn’t pile all the blame on Darth Bush and his cronies, but they do get their share. B
Wordplay— I so did not get why this movie was held in such high regards. Was it interesting to learn just how hard it is to make a New York Times crossword puzzle? Sure. But that was about it for me. I’m not knocking it, but it got pretty rave reviews for something that was pretty pedestrian. C
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
2007 Movies/DVDs G-P
Ghost Rider— Much better than I expected. Not great, but good enough. B
The Godfather of Green Bay-- Probably no one outside the western Great Lakes area has even heard of this movie, but for those who would “get” the humor, it was pretty good. It stars Lauren Holly, so you have someone great to look at while watching. B+
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire—TV—These films kinda all flow together for me, so I don’t remember the particulars of this film. But I will say I haven’t watched one that I was disappointed in. Incomplete
Hollywoodland—I read part of Hollywood Kryptonite, so this wasn’t too foreign for me. For others, it may have been. But the performances were great, and it had Superman ties, so it was right up my alley. B+
Hot Fuzz—theatre—Like I said earlier, I’m not a big horror movie buff, but I really liked Shaun of the Dead. I liked some of the ‘80s action-packed buddy flicks this movie “spoofed, but I wasn’t as enamored with it as I was with Shaun. Go figure. But it’s definitely above average and worth watching. Maybe it’s better on DVD. B
The Hudsucker Proxy—TV-- I like much of what the Coen Brothers do, but this one didn’t pull me in like some of their other films do. B
Ice Age: The Meltdown— Not bad, just meh. C+
Jesus Camp-- Many Christians seem to have a problem with what they see as the rabid fanaticism of Muslims, so I find it ironic that these people think “Well, the Muslims go hardcore with kids, so we need to as well.” What these Christians preach is creating an army for God. There were a number of scenes were I actually cringed seeing these kids who have so much thrust on them that they don’t seem to be kids anymore. C-
Jet Li’s Fearless— I believe this was touted as Li’s final martial arts flick, and although I haven’t been exposed to many of those films, this was a good movie—definitely worthy of Li’s retirement in the genre. B+
John Tucker Must Die-- Pretty good teen movie. Worth watching just to see the chops some of these young actors have. B
Joseph Campbell: A Hero’s Journey-- Campbell has mainstreamed the shared human experience of storytelling, but this documentary didn’t really excite me as much as it should have. B-
Junebug—Decent. Nothing really memorable other than Amy Adams. Incomplete
Keeping Up With the Steins— I didn’t expect it to be good, and it wasn’t. I sort of feel bad for Jeremy Piven; he’s been so good as Ari Gold on Entourage that it seems he only gets those types of roles now. C-
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang-- Better than I had expected. Worth watching. It’s a terrible thing that Robert Downey Jr. has had so many personal issues that he isn’t in as many movies as he should be with his talent. B+
The Last King of Scotland— One of those Oscar-bait movies. Forest Whittaker definitely deserved the Oscar he received, but the movie kind of drug at times. But there was one torture scene near the end that turned my stomach in its brutality and woke me up a bit and kind of pieced the film together for me. I’m cringing just thinking about it. B+
The Last Kiss— I don’t remember anything about this movie other than thinking “Rachel Bilson is pretty hot.” Okay, two things-- because I remember being bored as well. C-
Let’s Go to Prison— Crap. The only thing that made it watchable was Chi McBride. F (extra credit for McBride, who earned a B)
Living with Wolves— Interesting. B-
Lucky Number Slevin-- One of new takes on noir movies that come and go. Wasn’t bad. B-
The Matador-- Decent; don’t remember much about it. C+
Maxed Out— It should come as no surprise that banks screw with their customers, but this movie opened my eyes a little bit more to their tactics. B
Monster House— An animated movie for older kids, which may have kept it from getting more popular, but it was pretty good. B
Nacho Libre— Starring Jack Black. You know what you’re going to get, and you’ll get it. C-
The Notorious Betty Page-- Okay. Seemed a little too clichéd. Gretchen Mol did a decent job as the titular character. B-
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest-- A bunch of “cool scenes” barely held together with a plot. Johnny Depp’s work as Jack Sparrow exceeds what is expected of him. B-
Premonition-- Could have been good had it explained some things a little better (what was the deal with the glass door?) and if Sandra Bullock’s character didn’t get instantly dumb at the end. I really only watched it to get a fix of one of my favorites-- Peter Stormare. Unfortunately for me, he had all of three or four minutes of screen time. C-
The Godfather of Green Bay-- Probably no one outside the western Great Lakes area has even heard of this movie, but for those who would “get” the humor, it was pretty good. It stars Lauren Holly, so you have someone great to look at while watching. B+
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire—TV—These films kinda all flow together for me, so I don’t remember the particulars of this film. But I will say I haven’t watched one that I was disappointed in. Incomplete
Hollywoodland—I read part of Hollywood Kryptonite, so this wasn’t too foreign for me. For others, it may have been. But the performances were great, and it had Superman ties, so it was right up my alley. B+
Hot Fuzz—theatre—Like I said earlier, I’m not a big horror movie buff, but I really liked Shaun of the Dead. I liked some of the ‘80s action-packed buddy flicks this movie “spoofed, but I wasn’t as enamored with it as I was with Shaun. Go figure. But it’s definitely above average and worth watching. Maybe it’s better on DVD. B
The Hudsucker Proxy—TV-- I like much of what the Coen Brothers do, but this one didn’t pull me in like some of their other films do. B
Ice Age: The Meltdown— Not bad, just meh. C+
Jesus Camp-- Many Christians seem to have a problem with what they see as the rabid fanaticism of Muslims, so I find it ironic that these people think “Well, the Muslims go hardcore with kids, so we need to as well.” What these Christians preach is creating an army for God. There were a number of scenes were I actually cringed seeing these kids who have so much thrust on them that they don’t seem to be kids anymore. C-
Jet Li’s Fearless— I believe this was touted as Li’s final martial arts flick, and although I haven’t been exposed to many of those films, this was a good movie—definitely worthy of Li’s retirement in the genre. B+
John Tucker Must Die-- Pretty good teen movie. Worth watching just to see the chops some of these young actors have. B
Joseph Campbell: A Hero’s Journey-- Campbell has mainstreamed the shared human experience of storytelling, but this documentary didn’t really excite me as much as it should have. B-
Junebug—Decent. Nothing really memorable other than Amy Adams. Incomplete
Keeping Up With the Steins— I didn’t expect it to be good, and it wasn’t. I sort of feel bad for Jeremy Piven; he’s been so good as Ari Gold on Entourage that it seems he only gets those types of roles now. C-
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang-- Better than I had expected. Worth watching. It’s a terrible thing that Robert Downey Jr. has had so many personal issues that he isn’t in as many movies as he should be with his talent. B+
The Last King of Scotland— One of those Oscar-bait movies. Forest Whittaker definitely deserved the Oscar he received, but the movie kind of drug at times. But there was one torture scene near the end that turned my stomach in its brutality and woke me up a bit and kind of pieced the film together for me. I’m cringing just thinking about it. B+
The Last Kiss— I don’t remember anything about this movie other than thinking “Rachel Bilson is pretty hot.” Okay, two things-- because I remember being bored as well. C-
Let’s Go to Prison— Crap. The only thing that made it watchable was Chi McBride. F (extra credit for McBride, who earned a B)
Living with Wolves— Interesting. B-
Lucky Number Slevin-- One of new takes on noir movies that come and go. Wasn’t bad. B-
The Matador-- Decent; don’t remember much about it. C+
Maxed Out— It should come as no surprise that banks screw with their customers, but this movie opened my eyes a little bit more to their tactics. B
Monster House— An animated movie for older kids, which may have kept it from getting more popular, but it was pretty good. B
Nacho Libre— Starring Jack Black. You know what you’re going to get, and you’ll get it. C-
The Notorious Betty Page-- Okay. Seemed a little too clichéd. Gretchen Mol did a decent job as the titular character. B-
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest-- A bunch of “cool scenes” barely held together with a plot. Johnny Depp’s work as Jack Sparrow exceeds what is expected of him. B-
Premonition-- Could have been good had it explained some things a little better (what was the deal with the glass door?) and if Sandra Bullock’s character didn’t get instantly dumb at the end. I really only watched it to get a fix of one of my favorites-- Peter Stormare. Unfortunately for me, he had all of three or four minutes of screen time. C-
2007 Movies/DVDs A-F
American Dreamz— I liked this movie quite a bit, actually. B
A Brief History of Time— I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, but this was way over my head. C+
A Christmas Story— A classic that probably should have been in the top. B+
A Good Woman— I’m a Scarlett Johannson fan, but this movie was boring as Hell. D
Accepted-- A “dumb comedy” that wasn’t completely awful, just cliched. I also like Justin Long, so that made it watchable. C
Al Franken: God Spoke— I like Franken, but this was a boring documentary. C-
An Inconvenient Truth-- One of the most important movies I saw last year. Probably didn’t rank higher because I had been exposed to the content in all the press the film received. But it’s a critical one to watch. Here’s my take on global warming: Even if it isn’t “real”, do we want to chance it by continuing how we live? Do we really need to pump crap out our tailpipes and smokestacks when we have alternatives? Think about it. B+
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters for DVD— Followed the SNL ‘90s film curse: about 70 minutes too long. C
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theatres—theatre—The extras made the DVD. It even included an entire alternate movie (which was funnier). Dumb move though—the “alternate” movie was sketchy because many scenes were deleted before they were animated. Except a good chunk of the beginning WAS animated (and shown in some of the extras), so why couldn’t those scenes have been “fleshed” out on the deleted movie? B-
Art School Confidential—I don’t remember it very well. Incomplete
Barnyard— Not great. C+
Bee Movie—theatre— Better than Barnyard; not as good as the ones in the Top 20. B-
Beerfest-- It was decent enough; I mean you know what you’re going to get with these guys. I love the non-Broken Lizard actors the troupe is getting to appear in their movies. The villains of the movie are some of my favorite “B/C” level actors. B
Bill Cosby: Himself— A classic standup film. Cos gets ripped a bit because he’s not edgy and because he has been saying some African Americans’ problems are their own fault, but there’s nothing wrong with either of those things. Besides, this film is just, plain standup—something he excels at. A-
Blades of Glory-- Another case of knowing what you’re going to get. I’d give it an above average marks as a Will Farrell movie. B
Borat— As with An Inconvenient Truth, I think the fact that I knew so many of the gags from all the press the movie received kinda ruined it for me. But it was a well above average movie for me. B+
Bottom’s Up— I have no idea what this movie is… Okay, let’s check imdb.com: hmmm... it starred Paris Hilton and Jason Mewes. Oh, damn! Now it’s back in my brain! F
The Breakup—TV— pointless; I also remember the ending as being really dumb. C-
Broken Lizard’s Club Dread— My least-favorite Broken Lizard movie. It was a horror movie send-up, so maybe that hurt it for me (as I’m a not a horror movie guy). Or it could be that the jokes fell flat. C
C.S.A.—Confederate States of America-- What if the South had won the Civil War? A one-joke premise that didn’t find ways to make the joke funny enough to fill 90 minutes. C+
Catch and Release—theatre—I liked the actors, but this was a completely clichéd “chick flick”. There’s nothing wrong with so-called chick-flicks, but when one can see dang near every twist and turn coming, that’s just plain boring. And it’s too bad because there was a decent cast. C+
Clerks II— The original was a classic. This was just uninspired. Smith tried to salvage the movie by actually making the movie about something (growing up), but it was just crass. Crass and funny is one thing; crass and unfunny/boring is another. C
Crank-- Shut your head off and watch the pretty explosions. Bonus points for having Amy Smart in it. B-
The DaVinci Code-- Nothing special. C+
Death of a President-- Didn’t live up to the hype. An interesting premise: what could happen if President shit-for-brains got shot and died. Oddly enough, things would be worse according to this movie. And it’d be boring. C-
Derailed—TV— This movie took a while to get going, but it did pick-up as it reached the end. I like Clive Owen, and it was nice to see Jennifer Anniston play against her type. B-
The Devil and Daniel Webster-- This old movie was pretty good. No big effects and sets; just a story about a guy who made a deal with the Devil and then attempted to win his soul back. B
Employee of the Month— Considering it starred Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson, it wasn’t completely awful. C-
Epic Movie-- Shit. A complete waste of 70 minutes. Yes, I said 70 minutes, and I think the last ten minutes were just the end credits musical montage. F
The Family Stone-- One of those “actor” movies where everyone has a good role because there is so much unnecessary drama (see: TV’s Brothers and Sisters). The good: Craig T. Nelson and Rachel McAdams. The bad: Sarah Jessica Parker and Dermont Mulrony playing the same role they always seem to play—and being boring at it. C
Fantastic Four 2— It was pretty good. It was made with kids in mind, and that doesn’t mean it has to be bad. I would like to see a special effects laden super-throwdown in one of these movies, though. B-
Farce of the Penguins-- With the comedy talent working on this film, you’d think it would be at least a little funny. But all this is is stupid sex jokes and juvenile humor. It did have some good lines, mostly from Samuel L. Jackson’s narration, but it should have been better. D+
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift— I loathed the original, but Lucas Black is one of my favorite actors, so I had to check it out. It was relatively dumb—but didn’t completely insult my intelligence like the original did. And Black made it worthwhile. C+
Fast Food Nation-- Haven’t read the book (which I’ve heard is good), and this movie (which only very loosely follows the book) didn’t make me want to, either. Watching this movie was like watching meat go bad. D+
Flags of Our Fathers-- A good movie that just didn’t do much for me. B
For Your Consideration-- I know it’s unfair to expect Best in Show quality in every film this crew does, but, dammit, I want something that makes me roar in laughter. This didn’t have it (nor did A Mighty Wind). C
Friends With Money-- I can’t remember a thing about it other than I wasn’t impressed. Incomplete
A Brief History of Time— I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, but this was way over my head. C+
A Christmas Story— A classic that probably should have been in the top. B+
A Good Woman— I’m a Scarlett Johannson fan, but this movie was boring as Hell. D
Accepted-- A “dumb comedy” that wasn’t completely awful, just cliched. I also like Justin Long, so that made it watchable. C
Al Franken: God Spoke— I like Franken, but this was a boring documentary. C-
An Inconvenient Truth-- One of the most important movies I saw last year. Probably didn’t rank higher because I had been exposed to the content in all the press the film received. But it’s a critical one to watch. Here’s my take on global warming: Even if it isn’t “real”, do we want to chance it by continuing how we live? Do we really need to pump crap out our tailpipes and smokestacks when we have alternatives? Think about it. B+
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters for DVD— Followed the SNL ‘90s film curse: about 70 minutes too long. C
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theatres—theatre—The extras made the DVD. It even included an entire alternate movie (which was funnier). Dumb move though—the “alternate” movie was sketchy because many scenes were deleted before they were animated. Except a good chunk of the beginning WAS animated (and shown in some of the extras), so why couldn’t those scenes have been “fleshed” out on the deleted movie? B-
Art School Confidential—I don’t remember it very well. Incomplete
Barnyard— Not great. C+
Bee Movie—theatre— Better than Barnyard; not as good as the ones in the Top 20. B-
Beerfest-- It was decent enough; I mean you know what you’re going to get with these guys. I love the non-Broken Lizard actors the troupe is getting to appear in their movies. The villains of the movie are some of my favorite “B/C” level actors. B
Bill Cosby: Himself— A classic standup film. Cos gets ripped a bit because he’s not edgy and because he has been saying some African Americans’ problems are their own fault, but there’s nothing wrong with either of those things. Besides, this film is just, plain standup—something he excels at. A-
Blades of Glory-- Another case of knowing what you’re going to get. I’d give it an above average marks as a Will Farrell movie. B
Borat— As with An Inconvenient Truth, I think the fact that I knew so many of the gags from all the press the movie received kinda ruined it for me. But it was a well above average movie for me. B+
Bottom’s Up— I have no idea what this movie is… Okay, let’s check imdb.com: hmmm... it starred Paris Hilton and Jason Mewes. Oh, damn! Now it’s back in my brain! F
The Breakup—TV— pointless; I also remember the ending as being really dumb. C-
Broken Lizard’s Club Dread— My least-favorite Broken Lizard movie. It was a horror movie send-up, so maybe that hurt it for me (as I’m a not a horror movie guy). Or it could be that the jokes fell flat. C
C.S.A.—Confederate States of America-- What if the South had won the Civil War? A one-joke premise that didn’t find ways to make the joke funny enough to fill 90 minutes. C+
Catch and Release—theatre—I liked the actors, but this was a completely clichéd “chick flick”. There’s nothing wrong with so-called chick-flicks, but when one can see dang near every twist and turn coming, that’s just plain boring. And it’s too bad because there was a decent cast. C+
Clerks II— The original was a classic. This was just uninspired. Smith tried to salvage the movie by actually making the movie about something (growing up), but it was just crass. Crass and funny is one thing; crass and unfunny/boring is another. C
Crank-- Shut your head off and watch the pretty explosions. Bonus points for having Amy Smart in it. B-
The DaVinci Code-- Nothing special. C+
Death of a President-- Didn’t live up to the hype. An interesting premise: what could happen if President shit-for-brains got shot and died. Oddly enough, things would be worse according to this movie. And it’d be boring. C-
Derailed—TV— This movie took a while to get going, but it did pick-up as it reached the end. I like Clive Owen, and it was nice to see Jennifer Anniston play against her type. B-
The Devil and Daniel Webster-- This old movie was pretty good. No big effects and sets; just a story about a guy who made a deal with the Devil and then attempted to win his soul back. B
Employee of the Month— Considering it starred Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson, it wasn’t completely awful. C-
Epic Movie-- Shit. A complete waste of 70 minutes. Yes, I said 70 minutes, and I think the last ten minutes were just the end credits musical montage. F
The Family Stone-- One of those “actor” movies where everyone has a good role because there is so much unnecessary drama (see: TV’s Brothers and Sisters). The good: Craig T. Nelson and Rachel McAdams. The bad: Sarah Jessica Parker and Dermont Mulrony playing the same role they always seem to play—and being boring at it. C
Fantastic Four 2— It was pretty good. It was made with kids in mind, and that doesn’t mean it has to be bad. I would like to see a special effects laden super-throwdown in one of these movies, though. B-
Farce of the Penguins-- With the comedy talent working on this film, you’d think it would be at least a little funny. But all this is is stupid sex jokes and juvenile humor. It did have some good lines, mostly from Samuel L. Jackson’s narration, but it should have been better. D+
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift— I loathed the original, but Lucas Black is one of my favorite actors, so I had to check it out. It was relatively dumb—but didn’t completely insult my intelligence like the original did. And Black made it worthwhile. C+
Fast Food Nation-- Haven’t read the book (which I’ve heard is good), and this movie (which only very loosely follows the book) didn’t make me want to, either. Watching this movie was like watching meat go bad. D+
Flags of Our Fathers-- A good movie that just didn’t do much for me. B
For Your Consideration-- I know it’s unfair to expect Best in Show quality in every film this crew does, but, dammit, I want something that makes me roar in laughter. This didn’t have it (nor did A Mighty Wind). C
Friends With Money-- I can’t remember a thing about it other than I wasn’t impressed. Incomplete
DVD Best Of 2007 Preview
The most difficult thing about writing this blog is the lack of time I have to make meaningful, thought-provoking posts. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when I really have something to say, and by the time I get it all together, the time to say it has passed.
This is one of those cases.
I've been writing down the movies/DVDs I've watched and the books I've read since December 2006 with the intention of going back and reviewing some. Sadly (for me) I'll never have the time for that.
So I'll do what I can manage (even though it's been, like, six weeks of playing with the list on and off) and make a mini-review of them-- and then rate the top ones.
I think it's important to note which DVDs I watched before I give a Best Of list. I watched a stupid amount of DVDs (averaging 2 a week), but even I can't watch every single one that comes out.
I think I got that idea in my head from reading TV critics give their best of the year lists. There's no way a critic saw every single show. I know from personal experience that I don't watch shows I know I'll love due to time or media constraints.
So I'm listing every DVD, film (in theatres), or TV airing (premium, uncut cable versions) I saw from December 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007. And I (probably unfairly) am including TV shows I watched for the first time on DVD. My blog, my rules...
As a way to rank them, I gave them grades. The A grades are must-sees, B grades are above average and recommended, C's could go either way, D's are ones to avoid (but may have one or two redeeming qualities), and F's are ones I saw nothing worthwhile whatsoever in.
Please note: this is my list and my rankings. What mood I was in could play a slight part in my grade, as could how I saw it (ones I saw in the theatres tended to rank a bit higher). Finally, these grades were made by me in Jan of 2008, so there could be a gap of 13 months from when I saw a movie to when I graded it. It didn't change things too much, but there was more than movie I had to go to imdb.com to jog my memory about. Usually those unmemorable ones got a lower grade (I mean, I couldn't remember it, for cryin' out loud!).
And finally, sorry for any spelling mistakes. I combed the list over and over and spellchecked it in Word (Blogger's spellcheck seems to have stopped working for me, though). I'd edit it even more, but then I'd never get this posted.
Finally, all the movies listed I watched on DVD unless noted ("TV" means I watched it via HBO/Showtime/Cinemax, uncut, so like DVD but no extras).
Okay, here's the first batch coming up.
This is one of those cases.
I've been writing down the movies/DVDs I've watched and the books I've read since December 2006 with the intention of going back and reviewing some. Sadly (for me) I'll never have the time for that.
So I'll do what I can manage (even though it's been, like, six weeks of playing with the list on and off) and make a mini-review of them-- and then rate the top ones.
I think it's important to note which DVDs I watched before I give a Best Of list. I watched a stupid amount of DVDs (averaging 2 a week), but even I can't watch every single one that comes out.
I think I got that idea in my head from reading TV critics give their best of the year lists. There's no way a critic saw every single show. I know from personal experience that I don't watch shows I know I'll love due to time or media constraints.
So I'm listing every DVD, film (in theatres), or TV airing (premium, uncut cable versions) I saw from December 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007. And I (probably unfairly) am including TV shows I watched for the first time on DVD. My blog, my rules...
As a way to rank them, I gave them grades. The A grades are must-sees, B grades are above average and recommended, C's could go either way, D's are ones to avoid (but may have one or two redeeming qualities), and F's are ones I saw nothing worthwhile whatsoever in.
Please note: this is my list and my rankings. What mood I was in could play a slight part in my grade, as could how I saw it (ones I saw in the theatres tended to rank a bit higher). Finally, these grades were made by me in Jan of 2008, so there could be a gap of 13 months from when I saw a movie to when I graded it. It didn't change things too much, but there was more than movie I had to go to imdb.com to jog my memory about. Usually those unmemorable ones got a lower grade (I mean, I couldn't remember it, for cryin' out loud!).
And finally, sorry for any spelling mistakes. I combed the list over and over and spellchecked it in Word (Blogger's spellcheck seems to have stopped working for me, though). I'd edit it even more, but then I'd never get this posted.
Finally, all the movies listed I watched on DVD unless noted ("TV" means I watched it via HBO/Showtime/Cinemax, uncut, so like DVD but no extras).
Okay, here's the first batch coming up.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Premieres and Notables; Feb 18-24, 2008
Monday, 2/18
Pass Time; Speed. 6:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Speed's first ever game show. Contestants guess the times of cars racing a quarter mile. Must see TV, I'm sure...
My Dad is Better Than Your Dad; NBC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Father and son/daughters team up to prove which dad is stronger, smarter, and a better parent.
Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious; CW. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
The Pussycats hold a competition to find three women to make up the new Girlicious group.
History of the Joke; History. 8 pm. Special
Lewis Black searches for the best joke in this documentary and goes to many of the best joketellers to find it. I've heard nothing about this show, but I think I could give it a recommended with confidence.
Inside the Vietnam War; National Geographic. 7 pm. Special.
A three-hour look at the conflict, including interviews with over fifty vets.
Prison Break (FOX; 7 pm) airs what is probably its season-- and possibly series-- finale tonight. Michael faces off against Susan B, a major player dies, another gets a life-threatening injury-- and T-Bag reminds us that he is one of the most vile characters on television. I think the show has about run its course, but I also think it deserves a proper send-off that an hour probably can't manage with all the plotlines that need to be tied up.
Wednesday, 2/20
America's Next Top Model; CW. 7 pm. 10th season premiere.
Drag Race High; Speed. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A Tennessee high school shop class builds drag racers and competes against a rival school.
Friday, 2/22
Amne$ia; NBC. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Dennis Miller hosts this This is Your Life/Jeopardy fusion where people have to answer questions about their own lives...
Saturday, 2/23
Lots of Academy Award movies airing today on various networks, but Encore takes the top prize as it airs EIGHT Best Picture winners, starting with Marty at 5:30 am, then going to In the Heat of the Night, Annie Hall, The Sting, The Deer Hunter, Dances With Wolves, Rain Man, and Platoon.
Independent Spirit Awards; IFC. 4 pm CST. Special
Rainn Wilson hosts this Indie awards show.
Sunday, 2/24
The 80th Annual Academy Awards; ABC. 7:30 pm CST. Special.
Jon Stewart hosts this awards show, which should be about normal now that writers can work on the show.
And, of course, with the Oscars at night, there will be dozens of hours of coverage on many networks all day long.
Pass Time; Speed. 6:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Speed's first ever game show. Contestants guess the times of cars racing a quarter mile. Must see TV, I'm sure...
My Dad is Better Than Your Dad; NBC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Father and son/daughters team up to prove which dad is stronger, smarter, and a better parent.
Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious; CW. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
The Pussycats hold a competition to find three women to make up the new Girlicious group.
History of the Joke; History. 8 pm. Special
Lewis Black searches for the best joke in this documentary and goes to many of the best joketellers to find it. I've heard nothing about this show, but I think I could give it a recommended with confidence.
Inside the Vietnam War; National Geographic. 7 pm. Special.
A three-hour look at the conflict, including interviews with over fifty vets.
Prison Break (FOX; 7 pm) airs what is probably its season-- and possibly series-- finale tonight. Michael faces off against Susan B, a major player dies, another gets a life-threatening injury-- and T-Bag reminds us that he is one of the most vile characters on television. I think the show has about run its course, but I also think it deserves a proper send-off that an hour probably can't manage with all the plotlines that need to be tied up.
Wednesday, 2/20
America's Next Top Model; CW. 7 pm. 10th season premiere.
Drag Race High; Speed. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A Tennessee high school shop class builds drag racers and competes against a rival school.
Friday, 2/22
Amne$ia; NBC. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Dennis Miller hosts this This is Your Life/Jeopardy fusion where people have to answer questions about their own lives...
Saturday, 2/23
Lots of Academy Award movies airing today on various networks, but Encore takes the top prize as it airs EIGHT Best Picture winners, starting with Marty at 5:30 am, then going to In the Heat of the Night, Annie Hall, The Sting, The Deer Hunter, Dances With Wolves, Rain Man, and Platoon.
Independent Spirit Awards; IFC. 4 pm CST. Special
Rainn Wilson hosts this Indie awards show.
Sunday, 2/24
The 80th Annual Academy Awards; ABC. 7:30 pm CST. Special.
Jon Stewart hosts this awards show, which should be about normal now that writers can work on the show.
And, of course, with the Oscars at night, there will be dozens of hours of coverage on many networks all day long.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Post-Strike Situation
The WGA strike is over, but what does that mean for your favorite shows?
Well, TV Guide's Michael Ausiello made up a show list, the number of shows left to air, number of shows expected to be filmed, and other tidbits.
Check it out:
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Wga-Strike-Favorite/800032698
Well, TV Guide's Michael Ausiello made up a show list, the number of shows left to air, number of shows expected to be filmed, and other tidbits.
Check it out:
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Wga-Strike-Favorite/800032698
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Premieres and Notables, Feb 11-17, 2008
Monday, 2/11
Crossroads on CMT (7 pm CST) features a concert with Alison Kraus and Robert Plant. Normally I don't note any CMT shows, but I've heard this is outstanding.
Tuesday, 2/12
Jericho; CBS. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
CBS claims the fans brought this show back from cancellation, so it's up to the fans to keep it on the air for the seven episode mini-season.
Big Brother 9; CBS. 8 pm. season premiere.
I'm not sure I'm a fan of this winter edition plan. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I was kinda enjoying the lack of new episodes to watch on TV by watching shows I have collected on tape/DVD the last few years.
And Scott Bakula alert! He shows up on Boston Legal (ABC, 9 pm) as an old flame of Shirley's (Candice Bergen). That's a big deal for two reasons: 1. He's a great television actor, who's had numerous guest apperances on various shows as well lead roles in two fantastic series (Enterprise and Quantum Leap) and 2. he and Bergen played lovers on Murphy Brown fifteen years ago.
Wednesday, 2/13
American Idol (FOX, 7 pm) finally gets to the final 24...
Thursday, 2/14
I just saw that Chiller TV is airing the second episode of Profit at 7 pm. I've heard great things about this show; check it out. Unless you have Charter Cable-- they don't have Chiller (at least in my neck of the woods). Gotta start thinking about a Dish, I think...
Sunday, 2/17
Knight Rider; NBC. 8 pm. Movie
This movie is a (planned) pilot for a new series and just needs good ratings/buzz to get made weekly. David Hasselhoff has a cameo to ensure this movie gets considered a sequel (NBC has sequel rights, but not remake rights), but otherwise everything is new, right down to Will Arnett as KITT's new voice.
Ultimate Recipe Showdown; Food Network. 8 pm. Series premiere.
Yet another "bake-off" competition show. Yawn...
Bulging Brides; WE. 9 pm. Series premiere.
Personal trainers and nutritionists put brides-to-be through their paces to trim them down for the big day.
And finally, CBS is airing the Showtime hit Dexter at 9 pm CST. It's worth checking out from what I hear (I'm holding out for the DVD set from the library-- three more weeks before it's "mine"). It's edited mostly for time on CBS, and the lines with naughty language was shot using less harsh words during filming, so there won't be any bad dubbing. Let's hope this works out as I'd really like to see other premium channel shows on networks (Weeds would be great).
Crossroads on CMT (7 pm CST) features a concert with Alison Kraus and Robert Plant. Normally I don't note any CMT shows, but I've heard this is outstanding.
Tuesday, 2/12
Jericho; CBS. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
CBS claims the fans brought this show back from cancellation, so it's up to the fans to keep it on the air for the seven episode mini-season.
Big Brother 9; CBS. 8 pm. season premiere.
I'm not sure I'm a fan of this winter edition plan. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I was kinda enjoying the lack of new episodes to watch on TV by watching shows I have collected on tape/DVD the last few years.
And Scott Bakula alert! He shows up on Boston Legal (ABC, 9 pm) as an old flame of Shirley's (Candice Bergen). That's a big deal for two reasons: 1. He's a great television actor, who's had numerous guest apperances on various shows as well lead roles in two fantastic series (Enterprise and Quantum Leap) and 2. he and Bergen played lovers on Murphy Brown fifteen years ago.
Wednesday, 2/13
American Idol (FOX, 7 pm) finally gets to the final 24...
Thursday, 2/14
I just saw that Chiller TV is airing the second episode of Profit at 7 pm. I've heard great things about this show; check it out. Unless you have Charter Cable-- they don't have Chiller (at least in my neck of the woods). Gotta start thinking about a Dish, I think...
Sunday, 2/17
Knight Rider; NBC. 8 pm. Movie
This movie is a (planned) pilot for a new series and just needs good ratings/buzz to get made weekly. David Hasselhoff has a cameo to ensure this movie gets considered a sequel (NBC has sequel rights, but not remake rights), but otherwise everything is new, right down to Will Arnett as KITT's new voice.
Ultimate Recipe Showdown; Food Network. 8 pm. Series premiere.
Yet another "bake-off" competition show. Yawn...
Bulging Brides; WE. 9 pm. Series premiere.
Personal trainers and nutritionists put brides-to-be through their paces to trim them down for the big day.
And finally, CBS is airing the Showtime hit Dexter at 9 pm CST. It's worth checking out from what I hear (I'm holding out for the DVD set from the library-- three more weeks before it's "mine"). It's edited mostly for time on CBS, and the lines with naughty language was shot using less harsh words during filming, so there won't be any bad dubbing. Let's hope this works out as I'd really like to see other premium channel shows on networks (Weeds would be great).
Saturday, February 09, 2008
R.I.P. INFL
I was watching what I thought was the season finale of HBO's Inside the NFL when it was announced at the beginning of the epsidode that it was also the series finale of the long-running series.
I've said before (numerous times) that I'm not into sports all that much, but HBO Sports has a way of drawing me in with the insight, humor, and drama their shows possess. Inside the NFL was even more impressive in that regards because it was, essentially, a weekly recap show. It gave high and lowlights of the previous week as well a brief look at the upcoming week's games. And once or twice an epsiode, we got a short look at some unique aspect of the game that could be either uplifting or heartbreaking, or both.
The hosts were a fun gang to watch every week. Dan Marino, Cris Collinsworth, Chris Carter, and Bob Costas were a perfect team. This season was especially wonderful. We got a real, honest, look at a great player who sees his greatest accomplishments get surpassed on an almost weekly basis when Brett Favre broke a number of Dan's records in 2007. While Marino never whined about it-- probably helped because he respects Favre-- you could see a little disappointment whenever the others ribbed him about being 2nd in the record books. Collisworth grew even more as an analyst, and I could see him getting his own show someday. Carter had a few moments, notably when he gave a very intelligent and emotional answer to a question Costas asked him about what can be done to help young players to keep out of trouble, and also, on the last episode when he had just learned he lost his only on-air job-- and was also deeply hurt he didn't get voted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 the previous weekend.
And then Costas, a guy who I'd listen to explain anything he had a passion for. Truly one of the greatest on-camera sports newsmen who have ever lived. And I love Costa's comment to Collinsworth in the finale that they didn't get fired; someone at HBO made a "boneheaded decision". I'm sure he hadn't forgotten that he also hosts the monthly Costas Now on HBO when he said it.
And we can't forget Peter King's weekly reports that really dug into the sport. Or Lewis Black's infrequent rants.
And, finally, the work of Ed Sabol and NFL films was exclusive to the show. These weren't just highlights, those were mini-movies of every game. If you took NFL Films and the outstanding voiceovers by Harry Kalas and applied them to grass growing, it'd be just as exciting as any movie. These people really elevate the craft of filming sports. That may be the biggest loss with INFL's cancellation.
But just because HBO cancelled the show doesn't mean it will disappear forever. The NFL is shopping it around (a few pissed off fans actually blame the NFL for pressuring HBO to cancel the show, so it could gain leverage for its NFL Network with cable companies). But because much of the show's production was through HBO, there are sure to be changes. I expect the newest version to be full of flashy graphics and loud hosts, something the HBO version definitely was not.
I said it earlier, and I'll repeat it: this show was classy. That's the major loss for fans of not only football, but of just, plain good television.
Apparently, the decision to cancel the show came soon before the final taping on Wednesday, so that made things even worse because no one was really able to address it. HBO announced that the landscape of the NFL and media had changed too much in the past 30 years. Now everyone can get replays and highlights on a multitude of networks.
Too bad INFL's own network couldn't see the gem it had.
Talk about devastating. For thirty-one years, the show gave us an inside look into the NFL that no other show has come close to in class and integrity. I only watched the last three seasons, but I'll miss it as much any other show I had grown to love.I've said before (numerous times) that I'm not into sports all that much, but HBO Sports has a way of drawing me in with the insight, humor, and drama their shows possess. Inside the NFL was even more impressive in that regards because it was, essentially, a weekly recap show. It gave high and lowlights of the previous week as well a brief look at the upcoming week's games. And once or twice an epsiode, we got a short look at some unique aspect of the game that could be either uplifting or heartbreaking, or both.
The hosts were a fun gang to watch every week. Dan Marino, Cris Collinsworth, Chris Carter, and Bob Costas were a perfect team. This season was especially wonderful. We got a real, honest, look at a great player who sees his greatest accomplishments get surpassed on an almost weekly basis when Brett Favre broke a number of Dan's records in 2007. While Marino never whined about it-- probably helped because he respects Favre-- you could see a little disappointment whenever the others ribbed him about being 2nd in the record books. Collisworth grew even more as an analyst, and I could see him getting his own show someday. Carter had a few moments, notably when he gave a very intelligent and emotional answer to a question Costas asked him about what can be done to help young players to keep out of trouble, and also, on the last episode when he had just learned he lost his only on-air job-- and was also deeply hurt he didn't get voted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 the previous weekend.
And then Costas, a guy who I'd listen to explain anything he had a passion for. Truly one of the greatest on-camera sports newsmen who have ever lived. And I love Costa's comment to Collinsworth in the finale that they didn't get fired; someone at HBO made a "boneheaded decision". I'm sure he hadn't forgotten that he also hosts the monthly Costas Now on HBO when he said it.
And we can't forget Peter King's weekly reports that really dug into the sport. Or Lewis Black's infrequent rants.
And, finally, the work of Ed Sabol and NFL films was exclusive to the show. These weren't just highlights, those were mini-movies of every game. If you took NFL Films and the outstanding voiceovers by Harry Kalas and applied them to grass growing, it'd be just as exciting as any movie. These people really elevate the craft of filming sports. That may be the biggest loss with INFL's cancellation.
But just because HBO cancelled the show doesn't mean it will disappear forever. The NFL is shopping it around (a few pissed off fans actually blame the NFL for pressuring HBO to cancel the show, so it could gain leverage for its NFL Network with cable companies). But because much of the show's production was through HBO, there are sure to be changes. I expect the newest version to be full of flashy graphics and loud hosts, something the HBO version definitely was not.
I said it earlier, and I'll repeat it: this show was classy. That's the major loss for fans of not only football, but of just, plain good television.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Dog Diary/ Cat Diary
I got this joke today. Funniest one I've read in a long time...
The Dog's Diary:
8:00 am: Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am: A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am: A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am: Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm: Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm: Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm: Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm: Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm: Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm: Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm: Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
The Cat's Diary:
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.
In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe ... for now.
The Dog's Diary:
8:00 am: Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am: A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am: A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am: Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm: Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm: Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm: Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm: Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm: Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm: Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm: Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
The Cat's Diary:
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.
In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe ... for now.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Premieres and Notables; Feb. 4-10, 2008
We've heard this before, but I've got a good feeling this time: rumors abound that the Writers and Producers Guilds are close to an agreement.
Monday, 2/24
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS. 8:30 pm CST 3rd season premiere.
One of the most underrated comedies out there is finally back (what is CBS thinking by treating it so shabbily?). Recommended.
Welcome to the Captain; CBS. 7:30. series premiere.
Jeffrey Tambor, Fran Kranz, and Chris Klein star in this show revolving around the wackos in a Hollywood apartment complex. I haven't heard a good thing about it. Poor Tambor, who excelled on The Larry Sanders Show and Arrested Development, gets another dud.
And CBS repeats an October How I Met Your Mother (7:00) that introduces Barney's "Crazy Scale" for women. Good stuff.
Paradise Hotel 2; My Network TV. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Tuesday, 2/5
Big Gay Sketch Show; Logo. 9:00 pm. Season premiere.
Wednesday, 2/6
UFO Hunters; History. 9 pm. Series premiere.
I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the History Channel because it typically finds some sort of history within its increasingly bizarre lineup, but it's starting to look a little ridiculous...
Thursday, 2/7
Lipstick Jungle; NBC. 9:01. Series Premiere.
Sex in the City creator Candice Bushnell's new series. Let's hope it's at least a smidge better than Cashmere Mafia (which I watched a whole 20 minutes of before deleteing from the DVR forever).
Survivor: Micronesia-- Fans vs. Favorites; CBS. 7 pm. Season premiere.
Ten obsessed fans of the show take on ten former players.
I checked out Eli Stone last week and have to give it a thumbs up. One of my favorite pilots-- and I hope it continues. Check it out on ABC at 9:02.
The Black Canary makes her first appearance on Smallville (CW, 7 pm). Saw a pic of her costume-- yuck. Props for giving her the fishnet stockings that BC is so well known for, but the "mask" is brutal, and where's the long blond hair?
Friday, 2/8
That Mitchell and Webb Look; BBC America. 8:20 pm. Series Premiere.
Robert Webb and David Mitchell star in this comedy sketch show. I really hope it's decent; I loved BBC Am two years ago, but lately their comedies have been pretty blah.
Saturday, 2/9
Petfinder; Animal Planet. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Animal behaviorists find the right pets for families.
Bernard and Doris; HBO. 7 pm. Movie
Susan Sarandon and Raplh Fiennes play Doris Duke and her butler Bernard Lafferty in this fictionalized account of their relationship, which resulted in her bequeathing her fortune to him.
Sunday, 2/10
The Grammy Awards; CBS. 7 pm. Special.
Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, and the Foo Fighters perform.
British Academy Film Awards; BBC America. 7 pm. Special.
Monday, 2/24
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS. 8:30 pm CST 3rd season premiere.
One of the most underrated comedies out there is finally back (what is CBS thinking by treating it so shabbily?). Recommended.
Welcome to the Captain; CBS. 7:30. series premiere.
Jeffrey Tambor, Fran Kranz, and Chris Klein star in this show revolving around the wackos in a Hollywood apartment complex. I haven't heard a good thing about it. Poor Tambor, who excelled on The Larry Sanders Show and Arrested Development, gets another dud.
And CBS repeats an October How I Met Your Mother (7:00) that introduces Barney's "Crazy Scale" for women. Good stuff.
Paradise Hotel 2; My Network TV. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Tuesday, 2/5
Big Gay Sketch Show; Logo. 9:00 pm. Season premiere.
Wednesday, 2/6
UFO Hunters; History. 9 pm. Series premiere.
I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the History Channel because it typically finds some sort of history within its increasingly bizarre lineup, but it's starting to look a little ridiculous...
Thursday, 2/7
Lipstick Jungle; NBC. 9:01. Series Premiere.
Sex in the City creator Candice Bushnell's new series. Let's hope it's at least a smidge better than Cashmere Mafia (which I watched a whole 20 minutes of before deleteing from the DVR forever).
Survivor: Micronesia-- Fans vs. Favorites; CBS. 7 pm. Season premiere.
Ten obsessed fans of the show take on ten former players.
I checked out Eli Stone last week and have to give it a thumbs up. One of my favorite pilots-- and I hope it continues. Check it out on ABC at 9:02.
The Black Canary makes her first appearance on Smallville (CW, 7 pm). Saw a pic of her costume-- yuck. Props for giving her the fishnet stockings that BC is so well known for, but the "mask" is brutal, and where's the long blond hair?
Friday, 2/8
That Mitchell and Webb Look; BBC America. 8:20 pm. Series Premiere.
Robert Webb and David Mitchell star in this comedy sketch show. I really hope it's decent; I loved BBC Am two years ago, but lately their comedies have been pretty blah.
Saturday, 2/9
Petfinder; Animal Planet. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Animal behaviorists find the right pets for families.
Bernard and Doris; HBO. 7 pm. Movie
Susan Sarandon and Raplh Fiennes play Doris Duke and her butler Bernard Lafferty in this fictionalized account of their relationship, which resulted in her bequeathing her fortune to him.
Sunday, 2/10
The Grammy Awards; CBS. 7 pm. Special.
Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, and the Foo Fighters perform.
British Academy Film Awards; BBC America. 7 pm. Special.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sometimes I like these heartwarming stories, but this one is incredible.
In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe' s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe' s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
The New Dance The Kids Are Doing
It's the summer of 1960 and Harold goes to pick up his date, Peggy Sue. Harold's a pretty hip guy with his own car and a duck tail hairdo.
When he goes to the front door, Peggy Sue's mother answers and invites him in. "Peggy Sue's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?" she says. That's cool. Peggy Sue's mother asks Harold what they're planning to do.
Harold replies politely that they will probably just go to the malt shop or to a drive in movie. Peggy Sue's mother responds, "Why don't you kids go out and screw? I hear all the kids are doing it."
Naturally this comes as quite a surprise to Harold and he says Wha...aaat?"
"Yeah," says Peggy Sue's mother, "We know Peggy Sue really likes to screw; why, she'd screw all night if we let her!"
Harold's eyes light up and he smiles from ear to ear. Immediately, he has revised the plans for the evening. A few minutes later, Peggy Sue comes downstairs in her little poodle skirt with her saddle shoes, and announces that she's ready to go. Almost breathless with anticipation, Harold escorts his date out the front door while Mom is saying, "Have a good evening, kids," with a small wink for Harold.
About 20 minutes later, a thoroughly disheveled Peggy Sue rushes back into the house, slams the door behind her and screams at her mother:
"Dammit, Mom! The Twist! The Twist! It's called The Twist!"
When he goes to the front door, Peggy Sue's mother answers and invites him in. "Peggy Sue's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?" she says. That's cool. Peggy Sue's mother asks Harold what they're planning to do.
Harold replies politely that they will probably just go to the malt shop or to a drive in movie. Peggy Sue's mother responds, "Why don't you kids go out and screw? I hear all the kids are doing it."
Naturally this comes as quite a surprise to Harold and he says Wha...aaat?"
"Yeah," says Peggy Sue's mother, "We know Peggy Sue really likes to screw; why, she'd screw all night if we let her!"
Harold's eyes light up and he smiles from ear to ear. Immediately, he has revised the plans for the evening. A few minutes later, Peggy Sue comes downstairs in her little poodle skirt with her saddle shoes, and announces that she's ready to go. Almost breathless with anticipation, Harold escorts his date out the front door while Mom is saying, "Have a good evening, kids," with a small wink for Harold.
About 20 minutes later, a thoroughly disheveled Peggy Sue rushes back into the house, slams the door behind her and screams at her mother:
"Dammit, Mom! The Twist! The Twist! It's called The Twist!"
Premieres and Notables, Jan. 28- Feb. 3, 2008
Today: I guess there's a new episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force at 10:45 ([adult swim]/Cartoon Network). There may have been a new one last week as well. All I've been watching of late on the network is Boondocks, so I'm sure I missed the ATHF bumps.
Monday, 1/28
State of the Union Address; ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, FNC, MSNBC, NBC, and PBS. 8 pm CST. Special.
What's so special about it? It's Darth's last one.
In Treatment; HBO. 8:30. Series Premiere.
HBO's ambitious new series may bite off more than it can chew. Five half-hour episodes a week over the next nine weeks. Gabriel Byrne plays a therapist who counsels a different patient each day from Mon-Thurs and then sees his own therapist on the Friday installment. Reviews I've read say the Friday shows (with Dianne Weist as Byrne's therapist) are the best, but I think I'll be intrigued by the Tuesday episodes as well (with Blair Underwood as the patient).
Cities of the Underworld; History. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Ancient Discoveries; History. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Michael Palin's New Europe; Travel. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Palin visits former Soviet states.
Harlem Globetrotters Special; MNT. 7 pm. Special.
Footage from a current game interspersed with a look back at their eight decade existence.
Wednesday, 1/30
America's Ballroom Challenge; PBS. 7 pm (check local times). 3rd season premiere.
ABC airs last year's Lost finale (7-9), and I read somewhere that there will be extra bits added to this repeat; the way I understood the article, it was like a "Pop Up Video" episode. Wish I could find the article to verify, but I couldn't.
Thursday, 1/31
Lost; ABC. 8 pm. 4th season premiere.
After an hour-long recap shot at 7 pm, the most-anticipated scripted show of the spring returns with just eight episodes. I'm sure that's enough to get people into a frenzy and then pull the rug out again.
Eli Stone; ABC. 9:02 pm. Series Premiere.
Johnny Lee Miller stars as a lawyer who starts to see visions (most notable of George Michael) and believes he may be a prophet.
Friday, 2/1
Dinner For Five; IFC. 9:30. Special.
Jon Favreau's show that ended in 2005 gets a special episode with Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsly, Justin Long, and Keir O'Donnell, and I get that sick feeling in my stomach that reminds me that Charter Communications doesn't have the damn channel on its programming. Booooooo!!!
Sunday, 2/3
Well, the whole day revolves around the SuperBowl, which FOX airs this year (pregame at 1 pm, kickoff sometime around 5:18 pm). I'll have to take some interest as Tom Petty is the featured performer of the halftime show.
After the SuperBowl is a special new episode of House; it wasn't the episode the producers wanted to air, but it's the one they have due to the strike.
And if you're not into football, but are into TV marathons, there's quite a few. A partial list:
Mythbusters; Discovery. 8 am; 18 hours
The Closer; TNT. 11 am; 12 hours
Puppy Bowl IV; Animal Planet. 2 pm; 3 hours (but repeats through 2 am)
Wedding Cake-themed episodes of Food Network shows. 2 pm. 6 hours
Rich Bride, Poor Bride; WE. 3 pm. 5 hours
Suburban Secrets; TRU TV. 5 pm. 10 hours
Monday, 1/28
State of the Union Address; ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, FNC, MSNBC, NBC, and PBS. 8 pm CST. Special.
What's so special about it? It's Darth's last one.
In Treatment; HBO. 8:30. Series Premiere.
HBO's ambitious new series may bite off more than it can chew. Five half-hour episodes a week over the next nine weeks. Gabriel Byrne plays a therapist who counsels a different patient each day from Mon-Thurs and then sees his own therapist on the Friday installment. Reviews I've read say the Friday shows (with Dianne Weist as Byrne's therapist) are the best, but I think I'll be intrigued by the Tuesday episodes as well (with Blair Underwood as the patient).
Cities of the Underworld; History. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Ancient Discoveries; History. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Michael Palin's New Europe; Travel. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Palin visits former Soviet states.
Harlem Globetrotters Special; MNT. 7 pm. Special.
Footage from a current game interspersed with a look back at their eight decade existence.
Wednesday, 1/30
America's Ballroom Challenge; PBS. 7 pm (check local times). 3rd season premiere.
ABC airs last year's Lost finale (7-9), and I read somewhere that there will be extra bits added to this repeat; the way I understood the article, it was like a "Pop Up Video" episode. Wish I could find the article to verify, but I couldn't.
Thursday, 1/31
Lost; ABC. 8 pm. 4th season premiere.
After an hour-long recap shot at 7 pm, the most-anticipated scripted show of the spring returns with just eight episodes. I'm sure that's enough to get people into a frenzy and then pull the rug out again.
Eli Stone; ABC. 9:02 pm. Series Premiere.
Johnny Lee Miller stars as a lawyer who starts to see visions (most notable of George Michael) and believes he may be a prophet.
Friday, 2/1
Dinner For Five; IFC. 9:30. Special.
Jon Favreau's show that ended in 2005 gets a special episode with Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsly, Justin Long, and Keir O'Donnell, and I get that sick feeling in my stomach that reminds me that Charter Communications doesn't have the damn channel on its programming. Booooooo!!!
Sunday, 2/3
Well, the whole day revolves around the SuperBowl, which FOX airs this year (pregame at 1 pm, kickoff sometime around 5:18 pm). I'll have to take some interest as Tom Petty is the featured performer of the halftime show.
After the SuperBowl is a special new episode of House; it wasn't the episode the producers wanted to air, but it's the one they have due to the strike.
And if you're not into football, but are into TV marathons, there's quite a few. A partial list:
Mythbusters; Discovery. 8 am; 18 hours
The Closer; TNT. 11 am; 12 hours
Puppy Bowl IV; Animal Planet. 2 pm; 3 hours (but repeats through 2 am)
Wedding Cake-themed episodes of Food Network shows. 2 pm. 6 hours
Rich Bride, Poor Bride; WE. 3 pm. 5 hours
Suburban Secrets; TRU TV. 5 pm. 10 hours
Monday, January 21, 2008
Premieres and Notables, Jan. 21-27, 2008
Sorry this is later than usual. Luckily the Monday premieres will probably repeat a few times more this week.
Monday, 1/21
Wildfire; ABC Family. 8 pm CST. 4th season premiere.
The Naked Brothers Band; Nickelodeon. 7 pm. 2nd (?) season premiere.
Life After People; History Channel. 8 pm. Special.
A look at what Earth could be like after the death of the human race.
Tuesday, 1/22
The Real Hustle; Tru TV. 9 & 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Pro scammers show you how they steal from others in an attempt to show you how to protect yourself.
Millionaire Matchmaker; Bravo. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
A matchmaker hooks up rich people.
Wednesday, 1/23
Moment of Truth; FOX. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
I'm sure you've heard of this game show: contestants strap themselves into a lie detector and answer personal questions. I give it three weeks before American Idol expands to fill the slot.
Pros vs. Joes; Spike. 10 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Regular "joes" face pro athletes. I'll be checking out tonight's ep because it features Kurt Angle, one of the best athletes I've ever seen. He is an (exceptional) pro wrestler now, but remember, the guy won an Olympic Gold Medal with a "broken freakin' neck".
Thursday, 1/24
ESPN kicks off four days of its Winter X Games.
Friday, 1/25
Gone Country; CMT. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
More singers try to "go country", which will cause "real country" fans to go apeshit because this crew isn't really country. Who'm I talkin' about: Bobby Brown, Dee Snider, Diana DeGarmo, Sisqo, Julio Inglesias Jr., Maureen McCormick, and Carnie Wilson. Niiiice.
Saturday, 1/26
Torchwood; BBC America. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse; Disney. 8 & 8:30 am. season premiere.
Sunday, 1/27
SAG Awards; TBS and TNT. 7 pm. Special.
Writers can be hired for the show, and actors won't have to cross picket lines to attend, so this may actually look like a normal awards show.
Monday, 1/21
Wildfire; ABC Family. 8 pm CST. 4th season premiere.
The Naked Brothers Band; Nickelodeon. 7 pm. 2nd (?) season premiere.
Life After People; History Channel. 8 pm. Special.
A look at what Earth could be like after the death of the human race.
Tuesday, 1/22
The Real Hustle; Tru TV. 9 & 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Pro scammers show you how they steal from others in an attempt to show you how to protect yourself.
Millionaire Matchmaker; Bravo. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
A matchmaker hooks up rich people.
Wednesday, 1/23
Moment of Truth; FOX. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
I'm sure you've heard of this game show: contestants strap themselves into a lie detector and answer personal questions. I give it three weeks before American Idol expands to fill the slot.
Pros vs. Joes; Spike. 10 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Regular "joes" face pro athletes. I'll be checking out tonight's ep because it features Kurt Angle, one of the best athletes I've ever seen. He is an (exceptional) pro wrestler now, but remember, the guy won an Olympic Gold Medal with a "broken freakin' neck".
Thursday, 1/24
ESPN kicks off four days of its Winter X Games.
Friday, 1/25
Gone Country; CMT. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
More singers try to "go country", which will cause "real country" fans to go apeshit because this crew isn't really country. Who'm I talkin' about: Bobby Brown, Dee Snider, Diana DeGarmo, Sisqo, Julio Inglesias Jr., Maureen McCormick, and Carnie Wilson. Niiiice.
Saturday, 1/26
Torchwood; BBC America. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse; Disney. 8 & 8:30 am. season premiere.
Sunday, 1/27
SAG Awards; TBS and TNT. 7 pm. Special.
Writers can be hired for the show, and actors won't have to cross picket lines to attend, so this may actually look like a normal awards show.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Anger Management
Once in a while, I'll read a passage in a book or hear a line on TV that just makes me stop and think. I found this one in Tommy Lee's autobiography Tommyland.
He explains how he had to take anger management classes when he was released from jail. His class was at 6 pm-- right in the middle of rush hour. He believed the class was at that time because people would be jacked up and angry from the drive and had good odds of being late due to the traffic.
"I was late a few times and I always stayed, hoping to get credit for good behavior. I never did, and that made me really [f-bomb]ing angry. Thank God, I was learning how to deal with that."
It's not Shakespeare, but I thought it was pretty funny...
He explains how he had to take anger management classes when he was released from jail. His class was at 6 pm-- right in the middle of rush hour. He believed the class was at that time because people would be jacked up and angry from the drive and had good odds of being late due to the traffic.
"I was late a few times and I always stayed, hoping to get credit for good behavior. I never did, and that made me really [f-bomb]ing angry. Thank God, I was learning how to deal with that."
It's not Shakespeare, but I thought it was pretty funny...
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Premieres and Notables; Jan. 14- Jan. 20, 2007
Monday, 1/14
American Experience; PBS. 8 pm. Season premiere.
The first ep looks at "Oswald's Ghost"-- the fallout and conspiracy theories of the assassination of JFK.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles moves to its regular timeslot of 8 pm CST on FOX. I've been hearing good things: recommended.
Top Sniper; Military. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I'm guessing the title says it all for this reality competition.
Prison Break (FOX, 7 pm) returns for a five-episode run. From what I've read, there are big things going down. Some prisoners get out (some in body bags), new prisoners arrive, Susan continues to find ways to get Lincoln to do her bidding, Sucre and Linc team up to cause trouble, T-Bag makes a move that gets him into the escape plan, and Linc and Whistler's lady start getting close. This show has its ups and downs, but I think we're getting into late-first season territory here-- the really good, exciting stuff.
Tuesday, 1/15
10 Items or Less; TBS. 10 pm. 2nd season premiere.
A show that had flashes of goodness (not greatness) last year-- but may be worth watching just because there's not much else on. Oh, and the premiere is supposed to have some good moments.
American Idol; FOX. 7 pm. 7th Season premiere.
The juggernaut that is Idol should decimate the TV landscape even more this season.
Wednesday, 1/16
Smash Lab; Discovery. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I don't really get the concept here, but this is what TV Guide had to say: "Engineers take a fresh look at established products and technologies and think outside the box to find new uses for them. In the opener, the crew attempts to adapt aviation technology for use on the nation's roadways, thus preventing vehicles from veering into oncoming traffic."
They're going to do all that in an hour?
Reno 911!; Comedy Central. 9:30 pm. 5th season premiere.
Another up-and-down show, but with flashes of greatness.
Thursday, 1/17
American Chopper; TLC. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
Friday, 1/18
George of the Jungle; Cartoon Network. 6:30 pm. Series Premiere.
I don't "get" these "kids networks" sometimes. The series premiere is tonight-- yet I recorded an episode for my kids last Friday.
Saturday, 1/19
About a Girl; The N. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Husband For Hire; Oxygen. 7 pm. Movie
Included because I have a friend who digs My Name is Earl's Nadine Valazquez, and she stars in this made-for-TV movie. Now if Valazquez is enough to get you on the fence, but not over it, the movie also stars: Mario Lopez, Tempestt Bledsoe, Mark Consuelos, and-- wait for it-- Eric Estrada. Yeah, that's right. You're welcome...
Sunday, 1/20
Breaking Bad; AMC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Bryan Cranston stars in this series about a chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with terminal cancer-- so he starts making crystal meth to provide for his family. The creator insists he came up with the idea before Weeds went into production, but it doesn't really matter. It sounds like a different type of show (weed is considered more harmless than meth, so expect a darker show here). I've read reviews which gave this show-- and Cranston-- good marks, and AMC may not churn out many scripted original shows, but what it has aired has been good. Recommended.
American Experience; PBS. 8 pm. Season premiere.
The first ep looks at "Oswald's Ghost"-- the fallout and conspiracy theories of the assassination of JFK.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles moves to its regular timeslot of 8 pm CST on FOX. I've been hearing good things: recommended.
Top Sniper; Military. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I'm guessing the title says it all for this reality competition.
Prison Break (FOX, 7 pm) returns for a five-episode run. From what I've read, there are big things going down. Some prisoners get out (some in body bags), new prisoners arrive, Susan continues to find ways to get Lincoln to do her bidding, Sucre and Linc team up to cause trouble, T-Bag makes a move that gets him into the escape plan, and Linc and Whistler's lady start getting close. This show has its ups and downs, but I think we're getting into late-first season territory here-- the really good, exciting stuff.
Tuesday, 1/15
10 Items or Less; TBS. 10 pm. 2nd season premiere.
A show that had flashes of goodness (not greatness) last year-- but may be worth watching just because there's not much else on. Oh, and the premiere is supposed to have some good moments.
American Idol; FOX. 7 pm. 7th Season premiere.
The juggernaut that is Idol should decimate the TV landscape even more this season.
Wednesday, 1/16
Smash Lab; Discovery. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I don't really get the concept here, but this is what TV Guide had to say: "Engineers take a fresh look at established products and technologies and think outside the box to find new uses for them. In the opener, the crew attempts to adapt aviation technology for use on the nation's roadways, thus preventing vehicles from veering into oncoming traffic."
They're going to do all that in an hour?
Reno 911!; Comedy Central. 9:30 pm. 5th season premiere.
Another up-and-down show, but with flashes of greatness.
Thursday, 1/17
American Chopper; TLC. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
Friday, 1/18
George of the Jungle; Cartoon Network. 6:30 pm. Series Premiere.
I don't "get" these "kids networks" sometimes. The series premiere is tonight-- yet I recorded an episode for my kids last Friday.
Saturday, 1/19
About a Girl; The N. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Husband For Hire; Oxygen. 7 pm. Movie
Included because I have a friend who digs My Name is Earl's Nadine Valazquez, and she stars in this made-for-TV movie. Now if Valazquez is enough to get you on the fence, but not over it, the movie also stars: Mario Lopez, Tempestt Bledsoe, Mark Consuelos, and-- wait for it-- Eric Estrada. Yeah, that's right. You're welcome...
Sunday, 1/20
Breaking Bad; AMC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Bryan Cranston stars in this series about a chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with terminal cancer-- so he starts making crystal meth to provide for his family. The creator insists he came up with the idea before Weeds went into production, but it doesn't really matter. It sounds like a different type of show (weed is considered more harmless than meth, so expect a darker show here). I've read reviews which gave this show-- and Cranston-- good marks, and AMC may not churn out many scripted original shows, but what it has aired has been good. Recommended.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Decision
A man wakes up in the hospital, bandaged from head to foot.
The doctor comes in and says, "Ah, I see you've regained
consciousness. Now, you probably won't remember, but you were in a pile-up on the freeway. You're going to be okay, you'll walk again
and everything, but..... Something happened. I'm trying to break
this gently, but the fact is, your willy was chopped off in the
wreck, and we were unable to find it."
The man groans, but the doctor goes on, "You've got $9000 in
insurance compensation coming to you, and we have the technology now to build you a new willy that will work as well as your old one did - better in fact! But the thing is, it doesn't come cheap. It's $1000 an inch."
The man perks up at this.
"So," the doctor says, "it's for you to decide how many inches you
want. But it's something you'd better discuss with your wife. I mean, if
you had a five inch one before, and you decide to go for a nine incher,
she might be a bit put out. But if you had a nine inch one before, and
you decide only to invest in a five incher this time, she might be
disappointed. So it's important that she plays a role in helping you make the decision."
The man agrees to talk with his wife. The doctor comes back the next
day.
"So," says the doctor, "have you spoken with your wife?"
"I have," says the man.
"And has she helped you in making the decision?"
"She has," says the man.
"And what is it?" asks the doctor.
"We're getting a new kitchen."
The doctor comes in and says, "Ah, I see you've regained
consciousness. Now, you probably won't remember, but you were in a pile-up on the freeway. You're going to be okay, you'll walk again
and everything, but..... Something happened. I'm trying to break
this gently, but the fact is, your willy was chopped off in the
wreck, and we were unable to find it."
The man groans, but the doctor goes on, "You've got $9000 in
insurance compensation coming to you, and we have the technology now to build you a new willy that will work as well as your old one did - better in fact! But the thing is, it doesn't come cheap. It's $1000 an inch."
The man perks up at this.
"So," the doctor says, "it's for you to decide how many inches you
want. But it's something you'd better discuss with your wife. I mean, if
you had a five inch one before, and you decide to go for a nine incher,
she might be a bit put out. But if you had a nine inch one before, and
you decide only to invest in a five incher this time, she might be
disappointed. So it's important that she plays a role in helping you make the decision."
The man agrees to talk with his wife. The doctor comes back the next
day.
"So," says the doctor, "have you spoken with your wife?"
"I have," says the man.
"And has she helped you in making the decision?"
"She has," says the man.
"And what is it?" asks the doctor.
"We're getting a new kitchen."
Something New
So I've got these really big ideas for posts, right, but I don't often have the time to type, edit, and post them, so I thought, "If people are going to read this thing, then post something. So I thought "Why not these joke e-mails I get?
They're funny and they're easy to post. So here goes one for today (and I apologize for any I may repeat in the future).
Why Men Don't Write Advice Columns
Dear Walter:
I hope you can help me here.
The other day I set off for work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn't gone more than a mile down the road when my engine conked out and the car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help.
When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in the bedroom with a neighbor lady making mad passionate love to her. I am 32, my husband is 34 and we have been married for twelve years. When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that he'd been having an affair for the past six months. I told him to stop or I would leave him.
He was let go from his job six months ago and he says he has been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly distant. I don't feel I can get through to him anymore. Can you please help?
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sheila
Dear Sheila: A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the jubilee clips holding the vacuum pipes onto the inlet manifold. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the carburetor float chamber.
I hope this helps.
Walter
They're funny and they're easy to post. So here goes one for today (and I apologize for any I may repeat in the future).
Why Men Don't Write Advice Columns
Dear Walter:
I hope you can help me here.
The other day I set off for work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn't gone more than a mile down the road when my engine conked out and the car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help.
When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in the bedroom with a neighbor lady making mad passionate love to her. I am 32, my husband is 34 and we have been married for twelve years. When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that he'd been having an affair for the past six months. I told him to stop or I would leave him.
He was let go from his job six months ago and he says he has been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly distant. I don't feel I can get through to him anymore. Can you please help?
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sheila
Dear Sheila: A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the jubilee clips holding the vacuum pipes onto the inlet manifold. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the carburetor float chamber.
I hope this helps.
Walter
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Premieres and Notables; Jan 7-13, 2008
I don't remember if I had ABC's Cashmere Mafia premiere tonight on last week's post, but it premieres tonight at 9:01 CST.
Monday, 1/7
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations; Travel. 9 pm CST. 4th season premiere.
Medium; NBC. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Two judges from Dancing With the Stars find something to do until the March premiere of that show.
Tuesday, 1/8
How Much is Enough?; GSN. 8 pm. Series premiere.
Corbin Bernsen hosts this gameshow that has four people competing to not be the greediest...
One Tree Hill; CW. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
In a ballsy move, the show jumps forward four years in time, to the post-college years of the characters. Kinda cool-- it avoids the whole B.S. "everyone ended up going to the same college" storyline that other shows have fallen into.
Street Patrol; MNT. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
This COPS knock-off is brought to you by COPS creator John Langely.
Parking Wars; A&E. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
This reality show looks at the Philadelphia Parking Authority officers who enforce parking laws. [Are you f-bombing kidding me?]
Carpoolers (ABC, 8:30) returns from a brief hiatus, and the pilot episode of House airs tonight on FOX at 8:00 pm.
CBS tries to air the People's Choice Awards at 8 pm. Somehow it's "hosted" by Queen Latifah (without help by the striking writers) and will incorporate acceptance video clips by the winners since no one will cross the picket line.
Wednesday, 1/9
Ghost Hunters International; Sci Fi. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A ghostbuster team investigates the paranormal. Geez... and I thought the network's endless airing of s-bomb-y made-for-TV movies was bad.
The Jewish Americans; PBS. 8 pm (check listings). Mini-series.
This three-part series explores Jewish-American history.
And Cashmere Mafia goes to its regular timeslot (9 pm, ABC).
Thursday, 1/10
Live From Lincoln Center; PBS. 7 pm (check local listings). 33rd season premiere.
Thirty-three seasons? Dang!
Soundstage; PBS. 9 pm (check listings). 6th season premiere.
The first two weeks feature a Tom Petty concert in Florida.
Make Me a Supermodel; Bravo. 9 pm. Bravo.
Well, Thank God Bravo finally stepped up to the plate and responded to the dearth of modeling reality shows. Now young women have a show to go on and compete for a modeling contract. Pretty ingenious idea...
And it just may be possible that one of the the Charisma Carpenter guest-starring episodes of Big Shots that ABC keeps pulling from the schedule just may air tonight at 9:02.
Friday, 1/11
Comedy Central Presents; Comedy central. 9 pm. 12th season premiere.
Stephen Lynch opens the season. [I thought Com Central had given up the stand-up shows... Nice to see they're still there once in a while.]
My Big Redneck Wedding; CMT. 8:30. Series Premiere.
I usually don't include CMT programs in these posts but I had to mention this one. As if redneck weddings weren't cool enough, the show is hosted by Tom Arnold. I just may watch this one.
Monk has some premiere of some sort (season premiere?) on USA at 8 pm. It's hard to tell with all the premieres and specials and all that where this show lies in the "premiere" department.
Real Time With Bill Maher; HBO. 10. 6th season premiere.
Oh good! I was feeling less informed than usual of late. I can't wait until this show comes back. Recommended (wow, it's been a long time since I wrote that in one of these posts).
Saturday, 1/12
Jamie at Home; Food Network. 8:30 am. Series Premiere.
Chef Jamie Oliver lives in a farmhouse, grows his own vegetables, and then cooks 'em up.
Rachael's Vacation; Food Network. 8 am. Series Premiere.
Rachael Ray milks one more second of her fifteen minutes of fame in yet another show.
Sunday, 1/13
Masterpiece; PBS. 8 pm. 38th season premiere
The formerly named Masterpiece Theatre splits its shows up into thirds this season. The first third is classic dramas. Tonight opens with Jane Austin's "Persuasion".
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; FOX. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Tonight and tomorrow launches one of the most-anticipated (even more so now that the strike has killed many shows) new shows of the year. Sarah and John try to rebuild their lives while avoiding the Terminators sent to kill them.
I have a few friends who watch this, so I'll mention it: VH1 airs a second season of Rock of Love, where 20 new skanks and media whores are trotted out so Bret Michaels can eventually drop them all and have a season three. The fun begins at 8 pm.
And NBC will air the very quiet Golden Globes at 7 pm. Writers won't be writing for the show, and the Screen Actors Guild announced that their members will not cross the picket lines this week. At least this way, the show shouldn't run over 3 hours...
Monday, 1/7
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations; Travel. 9 pm CST. 4th season premiere.
Medium; NBC. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Two judges from Dancing With the Stars find something to do until the March premiere of that show.
Tuesday, 1/8
How Much is Enough?; GSN. 8 pm. Series premiere.
Corbin Bernsen hosts this gameshow that has four people competing to not be the greediest...
One Tree Hill; CW. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
In a ballsy move, the show jumps forward four years in time, to the post-college years of the characters. Kinda cool-- it avoids the whole B.S. "everyone ended up going to the same college" storyline that other shows have fallen into.
Street Patrol; MNT. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
This COPS knock-off is brought to you by COPS creator John Langely.
Parking Wars; A&E. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
This reality show looks at the Philadelphia Parking Authority officers who enforce parking laws. [Are you f-bombing kidding me?]
Carpoolers (ABC, 8:30) returns from a brief hiatus, and the pilot episode of House airs tonight on FOX at 8:00 pm.
CBS tries to air the People's Choice Awards at 8 pm. Somehow it's "hosted" by Queen Latifah (without help by the striking writers) and will incorporate acceptance video clips by the winners since no one will cross the picket line.
Wednesday, 1/9
Ghost Hunters International; Sci Fi. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A ghostbuster team investigates the paranormal. Geez... and I thought the network's endless airing of s-bomb-y made-for-TV movies was bad.
The Jewish Americans; PBS. 8 pm (check listings). Mini-series.
This three-part series explores Jewish-American history.
And Cashmere Mafia goes to its regular timeslot (9 pm, ABC).
Thursday, 1/10
Live From Lincoln Center; PBS. 7 pm (check local listings). 33rd season premiere.
Thirty-three seasons? Dang!
Soundstage; PBS. 9 pm (check listings). 6th season premiere.
The first two weeks feature a Tom Petty concert in Florida.
Make Me a Supermodel; Bravo. 9 pm. Bravo.
Well, Thank God Bravo finally stepped up to the plate and responded to the dearth of modeling reality shows. Now young women have a show to go on and compete for a modeling contract. Pretty ingenious idea...
And it just may be possible that one of the the Charisma Carpenter guest-starring episodes of Big Shots that ABC keeps pulling from the schedule just may air tonight at 9:02.
Friday, 1/11
Comedy Central Presents; Comedy central. 9 pm. 12th season premiere.
Stephen Lynch opens the season. [I thought Com Central had given up the stand-up shows... Nice to see they're still there once in a while.]
My Big Redneck Wedding; CMT. 8:30. Series Premiere.
I usually don't include CMT programs in these posts but I had to mention this one. As if redneck weddings weren't cool enough, the show is hosted by Tom Arnold. I just may watch this one.
Monk has some premiere of some sort (season premiere?) on USA at 8 pm. It's hard to tell with all the premieres and specials and all that where this show lies in the "premiere" department.
Real Time With Bill Maher; HBO. 10. 6th season premiere.
Oh good! I was feeling less informed than usual of late. I can't wait until this show comes back. Recommended (wow, it's been a long time since I wrote that in one of these posts).
Saturday, 1/12
Jamie at Home; Food Network. 8:30 am. Series Premiere.
Chef Jamie Oliver lives in a farmhouse, grows his own vegetables, and then cooks 'em up.
Rachael's Vacation; Food Network. 8 am. Series Premiere.
Rachael Ray milks one more second of her fifteen minutes of fame in yet another show.
Sunday, 1/13
Masterpiece; PBS. 8 pm. 38th season premiere
The formerly named Masterpiece Theatre splits its shows up into thirds this season. The first third is classic dramas. Tonight opens with Jane Austin's "Persuasion".
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; FOX. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Tonight and tomorrow launches one of the most-anticipated (even more so now that the strike has killed many shows) new shows of the year. Sarah and John try to rebuild their lives while avoiding the Terminators sent to kill them.
I have a few friends who watch this, so I'll mention it: VH1 airs a second season of Rock of Love, where 20 new skanks and media whores are trotted out so Bret Michaels can eventually drop them all and have a season three. The fun begins at 8 pm.
And NBC will air the very quiet Golden Globes at 7 pm. Writers won't be writing for the show, and the Screen Actors Guild announced that their members will not cross the picket lines this week. At least this way, the show shouldn't run over 3 hours...
Saturday, January 05, 2008
A cool clip
Check out this clip from marvelkids.com. It's really good for something designed for an internet site.
It's less than 2 minutes and features Spider-Man and Iron Man.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1358321660/bctid1364171698
It's less than 2 minutes and features Spider-Man and Iron Man.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1358321660/bctid1364171698
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Premieres and Notables, Dec. 31, 2007- Jan. 6, 2008
I'm back! Sorry for the extended absence, but I needed a little computer break.
Good news: the Fantasy Football season is over (and I not-so-humbly boast I am the League Champ for both leagues I play in), so I should have some more time to post. Let's hope I actually type something as opposed to just writing them in my head (my current actual output to ideas is about 1:8).
Okay, on to the last day of the year, and the end of the easy weeks as networks now scramble to fill their slots with something other than scripted fare.
Monday, 12/31
Lots of New Years Eve specials starting around 10 pm CST-- and if you like college football, you should be able to find something to watch with the ludicrous number of ridiculously titled Bowl games being played the next two days.
Sci Fi runs its annual Twilight Zone marathon from 7 am today to 9 pm Tuesday night-- Eighty-Four episodes of classic Zone goodness!
HBO airs the last twenty episodes of Entourage, beginning at 6 pm (with a break at 11:05 for an ep of Cathouse).
TBS gears up for the Jan. 15th premiere of the second season of 10 Items or Less by airing the first five episodes of the series, beginning at 10 pm.
Tuesday, 1/1
Desperate Spaces; HGTV. 12 noon. Series Premiere.
Two designers visit three homes who each need a room makeover, plans are drawn up, and only one house gets the makeover. Niiiice. May be worth watching to see two couples' dreams shattered each episode. Cruelty know no bounds in reality TV.
The Biggest Loser; NBC. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Is it too late to use the "No, this isn't an MTV/VH1 reality show featuring old reality TV 'stars'"? You know what this is; the rub this time is that contestants are partnered-up, Amazing Race style.
Ocean Force: Huntington Beach, OC; Tru TV (formerly Court TV). 7 & 7:30 pm. Series Premiere.
A real-life Baywatch.
The Music of Seal on Ice; NBC. 3 pm. Special.
Seal's Music + Figure Skating = Something to watch other than college football...
Wednesday, 1/2
Power of 10; CBS. 7 pm. Season premiere.
Whacked Out Videos; MNT. 7 & 7:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Yet another TV show that broadcasts video clips YouTube-style.
Futurama begins a run on Comedy Central at 7 pm (and, most assuredly, many, many reairings after that). Com Central has the rights to all 72 episodes as well as the direct-to-DVD-movies.
Pioneers of Television; PBS. 7 pm (check local listings). Mini-series.
This four-part series looks at early television.
Law & Order; NBC. 8 & 9 pm. 18th Season Premiere.
Thursday, 1/3
Celebrity Apprentice; NBC. 8 pm. 7th season premiere.
I got nothin' to say. Every time I think of this show, I get horrible stomach pains...
Friday, 1/4
Goodbye Zoey; Nickelodeon. 7 pm. Movie.
I betcha Nick is happy as Hell this series finale is all they have left to air of the show. I suppose they would have liked star Jamie Lynn Spears to have gotten knocked up just a few months later, though...
1 vs. 100; NBC. 7 pm. Season premiere.
See what gets to come back when there is a writer's strike?
Ugliest House on the Block; WE. 7 & 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Residents vote on which house in the area is the ugliest-- and then they-- wait for it...-- give it a makeover!
DogTown; National Geographic. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A look at Utah's DogTown animal sanctuary.
Matched in Manhattan; Lifetime. 8:30. Series Premiere.
A real-life Hitch, except without the witty Will Smith as the matchmaker.
Saturday, 1/5
Alien Abductions: True Confessions; WE. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Women talk about their alien abductions. I need to throw up...
Sunday, 1/6
American Gladiators; NBC. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Beefed up athletes try to crush their "average" opponents in this remake of the '90s show. This time around, Hulk Hogan is brought in to add some class to the show.
The Wire; HBO. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
What many, many critics call the best show on television begins its final season.
Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam; HBO. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
After a two-year hiatus, the show returns.
The L Word; Showtime. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
Good news: the Fantasy Football season is over (and I not-so-humbly boast I am the League Champ for both leagues I play in), so I should have some more time to post. Let's hope I actually type something as opposed to just writing them in my head (my current actual output to ideas is about 1:8).
Okay, on to the last day of the year, and the end of the easy weeks as networks now scramble to fill their slots with something other than scripted fare.
Monday, 12/31
Lots of New Years Eve specials starting around 10 pm CST-- and if you like college football, you should be able to find something to watch with the ludicrous number of ridiculously titled Bowl games being played the next two days.
Sci Fi runs its annual Twilight Zone marathon from 7 am today to 9 pm Tuesday night-- Eighty-Four episodes of classic Zone goodness!
HBO airs the last twenty episodes of Entourage, beginning at 6 pm (with a break at 11:05 for an ep of Cathouse).
TBS gears up for the Jan. 15th premiere of the second season of 10 Items or Less by airing the first five episodes of the series, beginning at 10 pm.
Tuesday, 1/1
Desperate Spaces; HGTV. 12 noon. Series Premiere.
Two designers visit three homes who each need a room makeover, plans are drawn up, and only one house gets the makeover. Niiiice. May be worth watching to see two couples' dreams shattered each episode. Cruelty know no bounds in reality TV.
The Biggest Loser; NBC. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Is it too late to use the "No, this isn't an MTV/VH1 reality show featuring old reality TV 'stars'"? You know what this is; the rub this time is that contestants are partnered-up, Amazing Race style.
Ocean Force: Huntington Beach, OC; Tru TV (formerly Court TV). 7 & 7:30 pm. Series Premiere.
A real-life Baywatch.
The Music of Seal on Ice; NBC. 3 pm. Special.
Seal's Music + Figure Skating = Something to watch other than college football...
Wednesday, 1/2
Power of 10; CBS. 7 pm. Season premiere.
Whacked Out Videos; MNT. 7 & 7:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Yet another TV show that broadcasts video clips YouTube-style.
Futurama begins a run on Comedy Central at 7 pm (and, most assuredly, many, many reairings after that). Com Central has the rights to all 72 episodes as well as the direct-to-DVD-movies.
Pioneers of Television; PBS. 7 pm (check local listings). Mini-series.
This four-part series looks at early television.
Law & Order; NBC. 8 & 9 pm. 18th Season Premiere.
Thursday, 1/3
Celebrity Apprentice; NBC. 8 pm. 7th season premiere.
I got nothin' to say. Every time I think of this show, I get horrible stomach pains...
Friday, 1/4
Goodbye Zoey; Nickelodeon. 7 pm. Movie.
I betcha Nick is happy as Hell this series finale is all they have left to air of the show. I suppose they would have liked star Jamie Lynn Spears to have gotten knocked up just a few months later, though...
1 vs. 100; NBC. 7 pm. Season premiere.
See what gets to come back when there is a writer's strike?
Ugliest House on the Block; WE. 7 & 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Residents vote on which house in the area is the ugliest-- and then they-- wait for it...-- give it a makeover!
DogTown; National Geographic. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A look at Utah's DogTown animal sanctuary.
Matched in Manhattan; Lifetime. 8:30. Series Premiere.
A real-life Hitch, except without the witty Will Smith as the matchmaker.
Saturday, 1/5
Alien Abductions: True Confessions; WE. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Women talk about their alien abductions. I need to throw up...
Sunday, 1/6
American Gladiators; NBC. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Beefed up athletes try to crush their "average" opponents in this remake of the '90s show. This time around, Hulk Hogan is brought in to add some class to the show.
The Wire; HBO. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
What many, many critics call the best show on television begins its final season.
Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam; HBO. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
After a two-year hiatus, the show returns.
The L Word; Showtime. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Premieres and Notables: December 24-30, 2007
Monday, 12/24
TBS' annual A Christmas Story marathon runs for the next 24 hours starting at 7pm.
A great How I Met Your Mother episode from last year finds Ted calling Lily a bad, bad word in this Christmas episode. How they skirt the censors is great-- no bleeps here. (CBS, 7 pm).
More marathons: Sci Fi is airing a 20-episode block of Stargate Atlantis, starting at 7 am. TNT airs nine Christmas episodes of ER, beginning at 9 am. And TV Land airs 24 hours of Christmas episodes of various series beginning at 4 pm. And the most bizarre "marathon": Sprout is airing 11 straight hours of host Nina and puppet Star sleeping-- awaiting Santa Claus-- beginning at 6 pm.
Tuesday, 12/25
The Best of Youth; Sundance. 8 pm. Mini-series
A four-part series taken from the (apparently long) film that won the Jury Prize at Cannes.
Sci Fi airs a 21-episode block of Stargate SG-1 at 7 am.
The Discovery Channel airs all 15 hours of Planet Earth starting at 8 am. I've only seen (so far) three episodes, but they were amazing. This series has made many Best of 2007 lists, so check it out.
And there's lots and lots of Christmas-themed specials and movies airing all day on many channels.
Wednesday, 12/26
Lots of college football bowl games. If you care, you'll know where to find them.
Kennedy Center Honors; CBS. 8 pm. Special
Martin Scorsese, Diana Ross, Leon Fleischer, Brian Wilson, and Steve Martin are honored.
Thursday, 12/27
Biography (Bio, 8 pm) looks at U2 front man and activist Bono.
Sunday, 12/30
A very King of the Hill-ish episode of King of the Hill finds Cotton dying in this repeat (FOX, 7:30 pm). It proves that this decade-old series has a big heart-- yet still won't give into schmaltz. I miss that shin-less bastard...
And Dale's act at the end is great...
TBS' annual A Christmas Story marathon runs for the next 24 hours starting at 7pm.
A great How I Met Your Mother episode from last year finds Ted calling Lily a bad, bad word in this Christmas episode. How they skirt the censors is great-- no bleeps here. (CBS, 7 pm).
More marathons: Sci Fi is airing a 20-episode block of Stargate Atlantis, starting at 7 am. TNT airs nine Christmas episodes of ER, beginning at 9 am. And TV Land airs 24 hours of Christmas episodes of various series beginning at 4 pm. And the most bizarre "marathon": Sprout is airing 11 straight hours of host Nina and puppet Star sleeping-- awaiting Santa Claus-- beginning at 6 pm.
Tuesday, 12/25
The Best of Youth; Sundance. 8 pm. Mini-series
A four-part series taken from the (apparently long) film that won the Jury Prize at Cannes.
Sci Fi airs a 21-episode block of Stargate SG-1 at 7 am.
The Discovery Channel airs all 15 hours of Planet Earth starting at 8 am. I've only seen (so far) three episodes, but they were amazing. This series has made many Best of 2007 lists, so check it out.
And there's lots and lots of Christmas-themed specials and movies airing all day on many channels.
Wednesday, 12/26
Lots of college football bowl games. If you care, you'll know where to find them.
Kennedy Center Honors; CBS. 8 pm. Special
Martin Scorsese, Diana Ross, Leon Fleischer, Brian Wilson, and Steve Martin are honored.
Thursday, 12/27
Biography (Bio, 8 pm) looks at U2 front man and activist Bono.
Sunday, 12/30
A very King of the Hill-ish episode of King of the Hill finds Cotton dying in this repeat (FOX, 7:30 pm). It proves that this decade-old series has a big heart-- yet still won't give into schmaltz. I miss that shin-less bastard...
And Dale's act at the end is great...
Monday, December 17, 2007
DARK KNIGHT Trailer
Here's a trailer for the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight. Lots of Heath Ledger as the Joker (and, Thank God, he was the Joker, not Jack Nicholson in face paint like the first movie).
Scary as Hell. And lots and lots of shit blowing up. I don't judge movies by their trailers (especially ones I'm really forward to), but this one looks good.
http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm
Scary as Hell. And lots and lots of shit blowing up. I don't judge movies by their trailers (especially ones I'm really forward to), but this one looks good.
http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Premieres and Notables, December 17-23, 2007
Monday, 12/17
Clash of the Choirs; NBC. 7 pm CST. "Mini-Series"
Six choirs coached by "name" musicians (Patti LaBelle, Michael Bolton, Blake Shelton, Kelly Rowland, and Nick Lachey) compete the next four nights.
Duel; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
And another game show... Twenty-four contestants answer trivia questions-- and try to manipulate each other.
Monday Night Football; ESPN. 7:30 pm. Special (Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears).
I'm in the Championship Game in one of my Fantasy Football Leagues, and I need everyone to think "Adrian Peterson needs to blow up". I'll settle for nothing less than 3 TDs by the guy. And if the Vikings DEF has a great game, that will be icing on the cake for both leagues I'm in.
Wednesday, 12/19
What could be the season (or series) finale for Journeyman airs tonight on NBC at 9 pm.
Friday, 12/21
The Next Great American Band (FOX, 8 pm) picks a winner. Seriously, I had no idea this show was still airing...
Saturday, 12/22
Saturday Night Live; NBC. 8:30 pm. Special
The Best of the 2006-2007 season. Do you think they had enough good (funny) sketches to fill the entire 90 minutes (60, if you take out time for commercials)?
Sunday, 12/23
Masterpiece Theatre; PBS. 8 pm (check local listings). Special
An encore airing of of the Prime Suspect finale "The Final Act". I've never seen the show, but I've read from more than one critic that this was an exceptional "movie" that closed out the series. Since there is so little else to watch, this is definitely something that deserves to be on the radar.
Elmo's Christmas Countdown; ABC. 6 pm. Special.
The Sesame Street gang (and more celebs than I'm willing to type here) help Elmo and Abby Cadabby save Christmas.
Clash of the Choirs; NBC. 7 pm CST. "Mini-Series"
Six choirs coached by "name" musicians (Patti LaBelle, Michael Bolton, Blake Shelton, Kelly Rowland, and Nick Lachey) compete the next four nights.
Duel; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
And another game show... Twenty-four contestants answer trivia questions-- and try to manipulate each other.
Monday Night Football; ESPN. 7:30 pm. Special (Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears).
I'm in the Championship Game in one of my Fantasy Football Leagues, and I need everyone to think "Adrian Peterson needs to blow up". I'll settle for nothing less than 3 TDs by the guy. And if the Vikings DEF has a great game, that will be icing on the cake for both leagues I'm in.
Wednesday, 12/19
What could be the season (or series) finale for Journeyman airs tonight on NBC at 9 pm.
Friday, 12/21
The Next Great American Band (FOX, 8 pm) picks a winner. Seriously, I had no idea this show was still airing...
Saturday, 12/22
Saturday Night Live; NBC. 8:30 pm. Special
The Best of the 2006-2007 season. Do you think they had enough good (funny) sketches to fill the entire 90 minutes (60, if you take out time for commercials)?
Sunday, 12/23
Masterpiece Theatre; PBS. 8 pm (check local listings). Special
An encore airing of of the Prime Suspect finale "The Final Act". I've never seen the show, but I've read from more than one critic that this was an exceptional "movie" that closed out the series. Since there is so little else to watch, this is definitely something that deserves to be on the radar.
Elmo's Christmas Countdown; ABC. 6 pm. Special.
The Sesame Street gang (and more celebs than I'm willing to type here) help Elmo and Abby Cadabby save Christmas.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
HIMYM Slaptastic vids
I've written before about the best comedy on network TV (that'd be How I Met Your Mother for those who have forgotten) and have explained the Slap Bet. But in case you're forgotten, here are some video links:
Here's a video primer from the first episode: The Slap Bet
And here is Barney's reaction to the mind games Marshall has played on him: Slapsgiving
And I just ran across the "music video" to the song Marshall sang in celebration for slapping Barney at Slapsgiving: You Just Got Slapped
Legen--wait for it-- dary.
Here's a video primer from the first episode: The Slap Bet
And here is Barney's reaction to the mind games Marshall has played on him: Slapsgiving
And I just ran across the "music video" to the song Marshall sang in celebration for slapping Barney at Slapsgiving: You Just Got Slapped
Legen--wait for it-- dary.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Premieres and Notables December 10-16, 2007
Monday, 12/10
Paranormal State; A&E. 9 and 9:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Penn State University's Paranormal Research Society members go looking for ghosts.
Yep, folks, "A & E" stands for "Arts & Entertainment"...
Tuesday, 12/11
Twister Sisters; WE. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A pair of Minnesota women chase storms.
Life on Mars; BBC America. 7:00 and 8:00 pm. 2nd Season premiere.
Yet another show I have on tape but haven't gotten to yet. I hear it's good. This begins the final season of the show that finds a cop who was in a hit-and-run waking up in the year 1973. He doesn't know how he got there or what he's trying to accomplish.
Wednesday, 12/12
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants; CW. 8 pm. Series premiere.
Mothers and daughters team up in this beauty contest. Who wants to take bets there will be a season 2?
Party Mamas; WE. 9 pm. Series premiere.
Mothers throw lavish parties for their children.
I'm not the praying type, but I'm gonna give it a shot: "Dear God, please let this unholy writers strike end soon, so we can keep the stench of shit reality shows off the airwaves. Amen."
Friday, 12/14
2007 World Magic Awards; MyNetworkTV. 7 pm. Special.
Roger Moore hosts this award show (that features appearances by Neil Patrick Harris and Penn & Teller).
Sunday, 12/16
24/24 Rule; Court TV. 9 pm. Series premiere.
A show that looks at the last 24 hours of a murder victim's life, and then the first 24 hours of the investigation.
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale; HBO. 8 pm. Special.
Just as he did with The Office, Ricky Gervais closes out his latest series (which he created 2 six-episode seasons for) with a special episode. I'm pretty bummed. I wasn't REALLY into the first season (although it had great moments), but I got more into the show during the second season. And now it's gone...
Paranormal State; A&E. 9 and 9:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Penn State University's Paranormal Research Society members go looking for ghosts.
Yep, folks, "A & E" stands for "Arts & Entertainment"...
Tuesday, 12/11
Twister Sisters; WE. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A pair of Minnesota women chase storms.
Life on Mars; BBC America. 7:00 and 8:00 pm. 2nd Season premiere.
Yet another show I have on tape but haven't gotten to yet. I hear it's good. This begins the final season of the show that finds a cop who was in a hit-and-run waking up in the year 1973. He doesn't know how he got there or what he's trying to accomplish.
Wednesday, 12/12
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants; CW. 8 pm. Series premiere.
Mothers and daughters team up in this beauty contest. Who wants to take bets there will be a season 2?
Party Mamas; WE. 9 pm. Series premiere.
Mothers throw lavish parties for their children.
I'm not the praying type, but I'm gonna give it a shot: "Dear God, please let this unholy writers strike end soon, so we can keep the stench of shit reality shows off the airwaves. Amen."
Friday, 12/14
2007 World Magic Awards; MyNetworkTV. 7 pm. Special.
Roger Moore hosts this award show (that features appearances by Neil Patrick Harris and Penn & Teller).
Sunday, 12/16
24/24 Rule; Court TV. 9 pm. Series premiere.
A show that looks at the last 24 hours of a murder victim's life, and then the first 24 hours of the investigation.
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale; HBO. 8 pm. Special.
Just as he did with The Office, Ricky Gervais closes out his latest series (which he created 2 six-episode seasons for) with a special episode. I'm pretty bummed. I wasn't REALLY into the first season (although it had great moments), but I got more into the show during the second season. And now it's gone...
Monday, December 03, 2007
Premieres and Notables; Dec 3-9, 2007
Has it been a week already? Yeesh! The tapes and have been building up, so I can't say I'm upset that repeat season is in full swing.
But the strike talks didn't pan out, so maybe I'll be itching for new episodes in a month or so. Okay, probably not. I have a lot of tapes (and DVDs) to watch. The world could end, and all I'd need is a generator and a TV, and I'd be set with "new" episodes for a few years.
Oh yeah-- this week's new stuff:
Monday, 12/3
The Closer (TNT; 7-9 pm CST) and Saving Grace (TNT; 9 pm CST) return with new episodes.
And repeat season is a great time to try something you missed earlier. The funniest new show of the year, Aliens in America, repeats its pilot tonight (CW; 7:30). The scene between the two bullies and Justin when they're talking about his sister is priceless.
And my favorite comedy, How I Met Your Mother, repeats a great episode from last season where Marshall's beloved Fiero dies on him just short of hitting 200,000 miles (CBS; 7:00).
Life (NBC; 9 pm) begins a 2-parter that will be concluded this week in the show's normal timeslot (Wed @ 9).
Tuesday, 12/4
Bad Girls Club; Oxygen. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency; Oxygen. 9:30. 3rd season premiere.
Everest: After the Climb; Discovery. 10 pm. (4-part) mini-series.
Phil Keoghan talks to hikers about their adventures.
Wednesday, 12/5
Julia Roberts Tribute; AMC. 7 pm. Special.
The America Cinematheque presents the award to Roberts. Last year's tribute to George Clooney was a hoot (yeah, I said "hoot", so what?), so it's probably a safe bet this one will be funny as well.
Million Dollar Christmas; TLC. 6 pm. Series premiere.
A series that looks at lottery jackpot winners and their first Christmases with the cha-ching.
Thursday, 12/6
Sand and Sorrow; HBO. 7 pm. Special.
A documentary that looks at the plight of the residents of Darfur.
Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007; ABC. 9:02. Special.
Walters gives us her yearly look who she feels are fascinating. Let's take a look: Bill Clinton (hmmm... maybe it's a repeat from ten years ago), David and Victoria Beckham (fascinating because they are, or fascinating because everyone in the media wants us to believe they are?), Justin Timberlake (maybe), Katherine Heigl (ABC does air the special), Jennifer Hudson (okay, props for Babs for going all the way back to the beginning of the year), Hugo Chavez (okay, here we go; I'm fascinated to know what kind of bottles he's got in this medicine cabinet), and MySpace founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe (wasn't YouTube the big web site this year?-- maybe I'm behind). And, of course, the mystery "most fascinating person" (I wonder if she'll consider Rosie O' Donnell for ratings; a 10 round match between the two would be fun).
Friday, 12/7
Christmas Out of the Box; National Geographic. 9 pm. Special.
The secrets of the season. Like: how Santa got the image he has, how stores entice shoppers, and the story behind the Star of Bethlehem.
And I'm not sure if I missed their returns the past few weeks, but I see Monk (USA, 8 pm) and Psych (USA, 9 pm) have new episodes tonight.
Movies Rock! A Celebration of Music and Film; CBS. 8 pm. Special.
Film's most memorable songs are celebrated in this concert performed by popular artists such as Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Fergie, Elton John, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Nelly, Carrie Underwood, and LeAnn Rimes. I normally wouldn't list them all, but doesn't it seem a little odd that all these really memorable songs will be performed by people who probably weren't alive when many of them were written? I mean, you got Elton, who just turned 60, and I was surprised to see J-Lo and Mary J. Blige are older than my 35 years, and then everyone else is younger than me. I guess I don't really have a point...
Sunday, 12/9
Dino Autopsy; National Geographic. 8 pm. Special.
Sounds Alien Autopsy fake, but I'm guessing Nat Geo's look at an especially well-preserved dinosaur fossil will be the real deal.
Robot Chicken's Half-Assed Christmas Special; Cartoon Network/[adult swim]. 10:30-10:45 pm. Special.
The Chicken crew eviscerate the Holiday Season's movies and specials.
But the strike talks didn't pan out, so maybe I'll be itching for new episodes in a month or so. Okay, probably not. I have a lot of tapes (and DVDs) to watch. The world could end, and all I'd need is a generator and a TV, and I'd be set with "new" episodes for a few years.
Oh yeah-- this week's new stuff:
Monday, 12/3
The Closer (TNT; 7-9 pm CST) and Saving Grace (TNT; 9 pm CST) return with new episodes.
And repeat season is a great time to try something you missed earlier. The funniest new show of the year, Aliens in America, repeats its pilot tonight (CW; 7:30). The scene between the two bullies and Justin when they're talking about his sister is priceless.
And my favorite comedy, How I Met Your Mother, repeats a great episode from last season where Marshall's beloved Fiero dies on him just short of hitting 200,000 miles (CBS; 7:00).
Life (NBC; 9 pm) begins a 2-parter that will be concluded this week in the show's normal timeslot (Wed @ 9).
Tuesday, 12/4
Bad Girls Club; Oxygen. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency; Oxygen. 9:30. 3rd season premiere.
Everest: After the Climb; Discovery. 10 pm. (4-part) mini-series.
Phil Keoghan talks to hikers about their adventures.
Wednesday, 12/5
Julia Roberts Tribute; AMC. 7 pm. Special.
The America Cinematheque presents the award to Roberts. Last year's tribute to George Clooney was a hoot (yeah, I said "hoot", so what?), so it's probably a safe bet this one will be funny as well.
Million Dollar Christmas; TLC. 6 pm. Series premiere.
A series that looks at lottery jackpot winners and their first Christmases with the cha-ching.
Thursday, 12/6
Sand and Sorrow; HBO. 7 pm. Special.
A documentary that looks at the plight of the residents of Darfur.
Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007; ABC. 9:02. Special.
Walters gives us her yearly look who she feels are fascinating. Let's take a look: Bill Clinton (hmmm... maybe it's a repeat from ten years ago), David and Victoria Beckham (fascinating because they are, or fascinating because everyone in the media wants us to believe they are?), Justin Timberlake (maybe), Katherine Heigl (ABC does air the special), Jennifer Hudson (okay, props for Babs for going all the way back to the beginning of the year), Hugo Chavez (okay, here we go; I'm fascinated to know what kind of bottles he's got in this medicine cabinet), and MySpace founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe (wasn't YouTube the big web site this year?-- maybe I'm behind). And, of course, the mystery "most fascinating person" (I wonder if she'll consider Rosie O' Donnell for ratings; a 10 round match between the two would be fun).
Friday, 12/7
Christmas Out of the Box; National Geographic. 9 pm. Special.
The secrets of the season. Like: how Santa got the image he has, how stores entice shoppers, and the story behind the Star of Bethlehem.
And I'm not sure if I missed their returns the past few weeks, but I see Monk (USA, 8 pm) and Psych (USA, 9 pm) have new episodes tonight.
Movies Rock! A Celebration of Music and Film; CBS. 8 pm. Special.
Film's most memorable songs are celebrated in this concert performed by popular artists such as Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Fergie, Elton John, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Nelly, Carrie Underwood, and LeAnn Rimes. I normally wouldn't list them all, but doesn't it seem a little odd that all these really memorable songs will be performed by people who probably weren't alive when many of them were written? I mean, you got Elton, who just turned 60, and I was surprised to see J-Lo and Mary J. Blige are older than my 35 years, and then everyone else is younger than me. I guess I don't really have a point...
Sunday, 12/9
Dino Autopsy; National Geographic. 8 pm. Special.
Sounds Alien Autopsy fake, but I'm guessing Nat Geo's look at an especially well-preserved dinosaur fossil will be the real deal.
Robot Chicken's Half-Assed Christmas Special; Cartoon Network/[adult swim]. 10:30-10:45 pm. Special.
The Chicken crew eviscerate the Holiday Season's movies and specials.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Odds and Ends
Rumors are the writer's stike may be ending soon. Don't hold your breath as no one's willing to say it on the record, but we can always hope.
Here's an updated link to Michael Ausiello's blog post with the number of new episodes some (many more than last time) shows have left. It's getting close for some...
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Strike-Chart-Long/800026937
And-- maybe it's just high hopes the strike will end soon-- NBC has given Chuck and Life full-season orders. Who's gonna write the episodes? I don't know.
Here's an updated link to Michael Ausiello's blog post with the number of new episodes some (many more than last time) shows have left. It's getting close for some...
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Strike-Chart-Long/800026937
And-- maybe it's just high hopes the strike will end soon-- NBC has given Chuck and Life full-season orders. Who's gonna write the episodes? I don't know.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Premieres and Notables Nov. 26- Dec 2, 2007
Not many premieres and an odd amount of finales this week.
Monday, 11/26
Nimrod Nation; Sundance. 8:00 & 8:30 pm CST. Mini-series (4 week run).
A documentary about the residents of Waterstreet, MI. [The "Nimrods" of the title are the local high-school basketball team.]
Notes From the Underbelly; ABC. 8:30. 2nd season premiere.
Another surprise renewal by ABC. I dropped it after two painful episodes last year, but I may try it again...
October Road; ABC. 9 pm. New regular timeslot.
Tuesday, 11/27
A Charlie Brown Christmas; ABC. 7 pm. Special.
The classic is back.
Dancing With the Stars season finale on ABC at 8:00 pm.
And House finally finalizes his staff on House (FOX; 8 pm).
Wednesday, 11/28
Eric Clapton gets some of the greatest guitarists alive to join him in this performance from July on Great Performances (PBS; 8 pm-- check local listings). Guests include: B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and John Mayer.
Shrek the Halls; ABC. 7 pm. Special.
If you didn't get enough of the green one from his third movie (and countless advertising) this summer, here's a little more from the same people as the feature films (meaning no lame attempts at replicating voices).
How the Grinch Stole Christmas; ABC. 7:30. Special.
The classic 1966 cartoon I watch a few times every year. Genius...
Christmas in Rockefeller Center; NBC. 7 pm. Special.
The 75th annual lighting of the tree.
Thursday, 11/29
Iconoclasts (Sundance, 9 pm) has its finale with a pairing between actress (and activist) Ashley Judd and former secretary of state Madeleine Albright.
Friday, 11/30
Class of 3000 Christmas Special; Cartoon Network. 7 pm. Special.
Probably not destined to be a classic-- but it's got Santa voiced by Lil Jon. Wish it were Dave Chappelle doing Lil Jon as Santa-- YAY-Yeah!
Two Lifetime finales: Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead (8 pm) and America's Psychic Challenge (9 pm).
Saturday, 12/1
Radio City Music Hall's 75th Anniversary Special ; NBC. 7 pm. Special
Torchwood (BBC America; 8 pm) ends its first season.
And Mad TV repeats the season opener with a look at their most outrageous skits from the past 13 years. It's awesome. We have everything from from "What Can Brown Do For You?" to the classic "Shake-powered Flashlight" bits. Highly Recommended.
Sunday, 12/2
Last Laugh '07 Starring Lewis Black; Comedy Central. 9 pm. Special
Don't you hate it when networks run "best of the year" shows with an entire month left of the year?
Tin Man; Sci Fi. 8 pm. Mini-series (three nights).
A modern take on The Wizard of Oz.
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project; HBO. 7 pm. Special
Profile of the comedian directed by John Landis.
Desperate Housewives (ABC; 8 pm) airs its big sweeps episode in December. A tornado blows through town and leaves at least two regular characters dead.
And Brotherhood (Showtime; 9 pm) ends its second season.
Monday, 11/26
Nimrod Nation; Sundance. 8:00 & 8:30 pm CST. Mini-series (4 week run).
A documentary about the residents of Waterstreet, MI. [The "Nimrods" of the title are the local high-school basketball team.]
Notes From the Underbelly; ABC. 8:30. 2nd season premiere.
Another surprise renewal by ABC. I dropped it after two painful episodes last year, but I may try it again...
October Road; ABC. 9 pm. New regular timeslot.
Tuesday, 11/27
A Charlie Brown Christmas; ABC. 7 pm. Special.
The classic is back.
Dancing With the Stars season finale on ABC at 8:00 pm.
And House finally finalizes his staff on House (FOX; 8 pm).
Wednesday, 11/28
Eric Clapton gets some of the greatest guitarists alive to join him in this performance from July on Great Performances (PBS; 8 pm-- check local listings). Guests include: B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and John Mayer.
Shrek the Halls; ABC. 7 pm. Special.
If you didn't get enough of the green one from his third movie (and countless advertising) this summer, here's a little more from the same people as the feature films (meaning no lame attempts at replicating voices).
How the Grinch Stole Christmas; ABC. 7:30. Special.
The classic 1966 cartoon I watch a few times every year. Genius...
Christmas in Rockefeller Center; NBC. 7 pm. Special.
The 75th annual lighting of the tree.
Thursday, 11/29
Iconoclasts (Sundance, 9 pm) has its finale with a pairing between actress (and activist) Ashley Judd and former secretary of state Madeleine Albright.
Friday, 11/30
Class of 3000 Christmas Special; Cartoon Network. 7 pm. Special.
Probably not destined to be a classic-- but it's got Santa voiced by Lil Jon. Wish it were Dave Chappelle doing Lil Jon as Santa-- YAY-Yeah!
Two Lifetime finales: Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead (8 pm) and America's Psychic Challenge (9 pm).
Saturday, 12/1
Radio City Music Hall's 75th Anniversary Special ; NBC. 7 pm. Special
Torchwood (BBC America; 8 pm) ends its first season.
And Mad TV repeats the season opener with a look at their most outrageous skits from the past 13 years. It's awesome. We have everything from from "What Can Brown Do For You?" to the classic "Shake-powered Flashlight" bits. Highly Recommended.
Sunday, 12/2
Last Laugh '07 Starring Lewis Black; Comedy Central. 9 pm. Special
Don't you hate it when networks run "best of the year" shows with an entire month left of the year?
Tin Man; Sci Fi. 8 pm. Mini-series (three nights).
A modern take on The Wizard of Oz.
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project; HBO. 7 pm. Special
Profile of the comedian directed by John Landis.
Desperate Housewives (ABC; 8 pm) airs its big sweeps episode in December. A tornado blows through town and leaves at least two regular characters dead.
And Brotherhood (Showtime; 9 pm) ends its second season.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Premieres and Notables, November 19-25, 2007
[Note: just going with what TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly printed. Can't promise all these are correct due to network changes due to the strike.]
Monday, 11/19
First Frisky Dingo, then It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, then The Office (even though it had an off year), and now Weeds has its season-ender (Showtime; 9 pm CST). TV is getting less funny by the week.
Odd bit of coincidence: the Weeds season finale features a wildfire that threatens Agresta/Majestic-- and Nancy's grow house. But losing her crop may not be the worst thing in the world as the Feds are about to investigate the house because they used heat sensors and found the gigantic cross Doug stole and then used to help the crop grow.
Tuesday, 11/20
Frank TV; TBS. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Frank Caliendo impersonates/mimics famous people.
Wednesday, 11/21
Ben 10: Race Against Time; Cartoon Network. 7 pm. Movie
Cartoon network takes yet another step away from its name and airs this live action movie based on its popular cartoon series.
Rise of the Videogame; Discovery. 7 pm. Mini-series.
A five week look at videogames, beginning in the 1970's.
Paul "Pee Wee" Reubens guest stars on Pushing Daisies (ABC, 7 pm).
Thursday, 11/22
Countless specials and Thanksgiving episodes.
October Road; ABC. 9:02 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
I have no idea how this show got renewed... Ratings were decent, but it sucked. Maybe it'll be better, but I'm not going to try it to find out for myself.
Friday, 11/23
Star Trek: Enterprise Marathon; Sci Fi Channel. 7 am-12:30 am.
Seventeen episode block from Season 3 & 4 (the last-- and best-- seasons).
SpongeBob SquarePants Marathon; Nickelodeon. 6 am-9 pm.
Fifteen hours of the bizarre one. Great for kids and stoners!
Fashionably Late With Stacy London; TLC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
What Not to Wear's co-host gets her own show.
Saturday, 11/24
Battlestar Galactica: Razor; Sci Fi. 8 pm. Movie.
I haven't gotten around to watching the series yet, but I know this made-for-TV movie has been eagerly awaited by fans for a while now.
Sunday, 11/25
John Mahoney joins David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer as guests on The Simpsons (FOX; 7 pm).
Monday, 11/19
First Frisky Dingo, then It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, then The Office (even though it had an off year), and now Weeds has its season-ender (Showtime; 9 pm CST). TV is getting less funny by the week.
Odd bit of coincidence: the Weeds season finale features a wildfire that threatens Agresta/Majestic-- and Nancy's grow house. But losing her crop may not be the worst thing in the world as the Feds are about to investigate the house because they used heat sensors and found the gigantic cross Doug stole and then used to help the crop grow.
Tuesday, 11/20
Frank TV; TBS. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Frank Caliendo impersonates/mimics famous people.
Wednesday, 11/21
Ben 10: Race Against Time; Cartoon Network. 7 pm. Movie
Cartoon network takes yet another step away from its name and airs this live action movie based on its popular cartoon series.
Rise of the Videogame; Discovery. 7 pm. Mini-series.
A five week look at videogames, beginning in the 1970's.
Paul "Pee Wee" Reubens guest stars on Pushing Daisies (ABC, 7 pm).
Thursday, 11/22
Countless specials and Thanksgiving episodes.
October Road; ABC. 9:02 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
I have no idea how this show got renewed... Ratings were decent, but it sucked. Maybe it'll be better, but I'm not going to try it to find out for myself.
Friday, 11/23
Star Trek: Enterprise Marathon; Sci Fi Channel. 7 am-12:30 am.
Seventeen episode block from Season 3 & 4 (the last-- and best-- seasons).
SpongeBob SquarePants Marathon; Nickelodeon. 6 am-9 pm.
Fifteen hours of the bizarre one. Great for kids and stoners!
Fashionably Late With Stacy London; TLC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
What Not to Wear's co-host gets her own show.
Saturday, 11/24
Battlestar Galactica: Razor; Sci Fi. 8 pm. Movie.
I haven't gotten around to watching the series yet, but I know this made-for-TV movie has been eagerly awaited by fans for a while now.
Sunday, 11/25
John Mahoney joins David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer as guests on The Simpsons (FOX; 7 pm).
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Legendary Hagar
A few weeks ago, I wrote about seeing The Mighty Van Halen in Minneapolis. Well, last week, I got to catch Sammy Hagar and Wabos (along with Michael Anthony's Mad Anthony Express) in Green Bay at the Oneida Bingo and Casino.
I cut and edited an e-mail I sent my friend Brian about it. Apologies if I didn't edit it well enough:
There are a number of things that can "make" a show great: the energy of the place, the song list, how well the band seems to be gelling. Van Halen in Minneapolis was historic, legendary, tight. A must-see.
But Hagar last week was special. Green Bay is becoming one of those "must stops" for him. It's quickly becoming like St. Louis or California's Bay Area for him. He said as much when he said he HAS to stop in Green Bay because he loves the place and the fans. It was not the usual artist B.S. they say on stage to get a big pop. He took the time between the end of the show and the encore to just say how much he loves coming here and gave a number of singular reasons why.
The show began with a 10-15 minute video piece put together for his birthday with best wishes from friends and fans (ZZ Top, James Hetfield, David Hasselhoff, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, and many more). Nothing groundbreaking, but had a few laughs-- and it also helped pass the time before the show started.
Then The Mad Anthony Express (consisting of Michael Anthony, Victor Johnson, and J.D.) played a few songs. Mostly old VH but a ZZ TOP and a Zepplin one as well. New Wabos percussionist J.D. is still kind of an enigma to me, but he was POUNDING the skins during the set. Vic showed he's grown as a showman by sharing vocals on "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" (good voice for that song, BTW) as well as rapping with Mike between songs. Mikey is no Roth in the singing department, but he chose songs that he didn't need to reach too much on. And you gotta appreciate the hard work the members of a "power trio" do for a show.
After that was the 10 or so minute video piece from Cabo he had last year. Again-- nice to have something to do other than look at a dark stage and wait.
Then Hagar and The Wabos came out. I don't remember them all, but here's a little taste: Started with "Sam I Am" and then kicked into "One Way To Rock" and just took it from there. Sang "Piece of My Heart", "I'll Fall in Love Again" (one of my favorite songs), "The Girl Gets Around", "Open", "Serious Juju" (another favorite-- but unlike the Ten13 tour where it didn't work so well, this time it REALLY cooked).
Then he asked Mona to go potty and to send Mike in, and they did "Good Enough" (not a classic song, but one that has major history for me), "Why Can't This Be Love?", and "Poundcake" (Vic didn't have a drill for the opening, but he got a very similar effect from just his fingers). Can't remember off-hand what else. Maybe another song or two-- wasn't a long set for The Other Half.
Then back to the Wabos with "I Can't Drive 55" and "Heavy Metal" followed by "Mas Tequila" and "Three Lock Box". He did a lot more playing around with the waitresses . There was a great moment when he had one pour water on his hands (to get some spilled margarita cleaned off), and he pulled out his waistband to his capri pants (why, oh God why, do these old rockers wear those ridiculous things?) for her to pour on his junk, which she did, and he got surprised when the water came from the one she was holding for him to drink-- and it was really cold.
Then he closed out the show with the thank yous. And improvised a little (Mona had to switch gear) and they played a song ("When the Sun Don't Shine") he wrote for this tour because it's not during the summer time (his usual tour time), but the weather has been so nice, he's only played it in Detroit before Green Bay. Doesn't sound like it'll be a song that'll be on the next disc; he kept saying it was just a tour song. It had a pretty heavy country bent with Vic and his twangy guitar.
And then he stopped and rapped about how sometimes how he feels about a song can change over the years. He wrote this song 20 years ago but it means something different to him now, so he decided to change it up. Then Vic and Mona started on the acoustic guitars (yep, bassist Mona had a six-string), Mike had his electric bass (which he didn't touch until half-way through the song), and David and J.D. played softer drums. Sammy started singing this slow, soft tune, and the words were from "Dreams". It was great. He took a song that I've all heard hundreds of times, and made it fresh again. I really wish that could go on a disc, but I doubt it.
Sam was as youthful as ever. Wore sunglasses the entire show. Vic was all over his part as usual, and like I said, he seems to be stepping out a little and becoming more of a showman. Mona was as solid as ever. Played bass for her parts and played percussion with J.D. here and there and even picked up a six-string for the finale. Still have no idea how someone with hair that long can handle being that warm (it was cozy in that room-- I had on jeans, a T-shirt, and my Cabo beach shirt, and I was sweating). Lauser was the backbone of the group as always. I like the rapport he and J.D. have. I find it amazing that those two can keep in time with each other; there were a few songs when both were smashing their kits exactly the same. I guess I don't understand music well enough, so I find it amazing. Even more amazing: J.D. was chewing gum (with a bubble once in a while) while he was drumming-- I can't get my hands and feet to work together on a drum kit, and he's doing both AND chewing gum!
And, finally, Michael Anthony was Mike. I thought Wolfgang did an admirable job during the VH show, but Mike knows how to work a crowd (something Wolfie will pick up with experience, I'm sure). When he's crankin' on the bass, it's as if every note is like firing a gun for him. The guy puts on a show. More than once he and Sammy looked at each other and you knew neither had anywhere else they wanted to be.
So: great energy from the crowd the band fed off and gave back; tight setlist with some surprising songs (he seems to be rotating out some-- no Montrose, no Capitol/70's stuff-- and working others in-- never heard him sing "Piece of My Heart" before that I recall); great place to play-- nice and cozy but still had room.
It truly ranks up there as one of the best shows I've seen. The guy just turned sixty years old, and he rocks just as much as he ever did. He's been with the Wabos for ten years now, and they just get better and better. I highly recommend anyone check out his show. He's not in it for the money ($25 tickets, for cryin' out loud), and I don't think he'd have it any other way.
I cut and edited an e-mail I sent my friend Brian about it. Apologies if I didn't edit it well enough:
There are a number of things that can "make" a show great: the energy of the place, the song list, how well the band seems to be gelling. Van Halen in Minneapolis was historic, legendary, tight. A must-see.
But Hagar last week was special. Green Bay is becoming one of those "must stops" for him. It's quickly becoming like St. Louis or California's Bay Area for him. He said as much when he said he HAS to stop in Green Bay because he loves the place and the fans. It was not the usual artist B.S. they say on stage to get a big pop. He took the time between the end of the show and the encore to just say how much he loves coming here and gave a number of singular reasons why.
The show began with a 10-15 minute video piece put together for his birthday with best wishes from friends and fans (ZZ Top, James Hetfield, David Hasselhoff, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, and many more). Nothing groundbreaking, but had a few laughs-- and it also helped pass the time before the show started.
Then The Mad Anthony Express (consisting of Michael Anthony, Victor Johnson, and J.D.) played a few songs. Mostly old VH but a ZZ TOP and a Zepplin one as well. New Wabos percussionist J.D. is still kind of an enigma to me, but he was POUNDING the skins during the set. Vic showed he's grown as a showman by sharing vocals on "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" (good voice for that song, BTW) as well as rapping with Mike between songs. Mikey is no Roth in the singing department, but he chose songs that he didn't need to reach too much on. And you gotta appreciate the hard work the members of a "power trio" do for a show.
After that was the 10 or so minute video piece from Cabo he had last year. Again-- nice to have something to do other than look at a dark stage and wait.
Then Hagar and The Wabos came out. I don't remember them all, but here's a little taste: Started with "Sam I Am" and then kicked into "One Way To Rock" and just took it from there. Sang "Piece of My Heart", "I'll Fall in Love Again" (one of my favorite songs), "The Girl Gets Around", "Open", "Serious Juju" (another favorite-- but unlike the Ten13 tour where it didn't work so well, this time it REALLY cooked).
Then he asked Mona to go potty and to send Mike in, and they did "Good Enough" (not a classic song, but one that has major history for me), "Why Can't This Be Love?", and "Poundcake" (Vic didn't have a drill for the opening, but he got a very similar effect from just his fingers). Can't remember off-hand what else. Maybe another song or two-- wasn't a long set for The Other Half.
Then back to the Wabos with "I Can't Drive 55" and "Heavy Metal" followed by "Mas Tequila" and "Three Lock Box". He did a lot more playing around with the waitresses . There was a great moment when he had one pour water on his hands (to get some spilled margarita cleaned off), and he pulled out his waistband to his capri pants (why, oh God why, do these old rockers wear those ridiculous things?) for her to pour on his junk, which she did, and he got surprised when the water came from the one she was holding for him to drink-- and it was really cold.
Then he closed out the show with the thank yous. And improvised a little (Mona had to switch gear) and they played a song ("When the Sun Don't Shine") he wrote for this tour because it's not during the summer time (his usual tour time), but the weather has been so nice, he's only played it in Detroit before Green Bay. Doesn't sound like it'll be a song that'll be on the next disc; he kept saying it was just a tour song. It had a pretty heavy country bent with Vic and his twangy guitar.
And then he stopped and rapped about how sometimes how he feels about a song can change over the years. He wrote this song 20 years ago but it means something different to him now, so he decided to change it up. Then Vic and Mona started on the acoustic guitars (yep, bassist Mona had a six-string), Mike had his electric bass (which he didn't touch until half-way through the song), and David and J.D. played softer drums. Sammy started singing this slow, soft tune, and the words were from "Dreams". It was great. He took a song that I've all heard hundreds of times, and made it fresh again. I really wish that could go on a disc, but I doubt it.
Sam was as youthful as ever. Wore sunglasses the entire show. Vic was all over his part as usual, and like I said, he seems to be stepping out a little and becoming more of a showman. Mona was as solid as ever. Played bass for her parts and played percussion with J.D. here and there and even picked up a six-string for the finale. Still have no idea how someone with hair that long can handle being that warm (it was cozy in that room-- I had on jeans, a T-shirt, and my Cabo beach shirt, and I was sweating). Lauser was the backbone of the group as always. I like the rapport he and J.D. have. I find it amazing that those two can keep in time with each other; there were a few songs when both were smashing their kits exactly the same. I guess I don't understand music well enough, so I find it amazing. Even more amazing: J.D. was chewing gum (with a bubble once in a while) while he was drumming-- I can't get my hands and feet to work together on a drum kit, and he's doing both AND chewing gum!
And, finally, Michael Anthony was Mike. I thought Wolfgang did an admirable job during the VH show, but Mike knows how to work a crowd (something Wolfie will pick up with experience, I'm sure). When he's crankin' on the bass, it's as if every note is like firing a gun for him. The guy puts on a show. More than once he and Sammy looked at each other and you knew neither had anywhere else they wanted to be.
So: great energy from the crowd the band fed off and gave back; tight setlist with some surprising songs (he seems to be rotating out some-- no Montrose, no Capitol/70's stuff-- and working others in-- never heard him sing "Piece of My Heart" before that I recall); great place to play-- nice and cozy but still had room.
It truly ranks up there as one of the best shows I've seen. The guy just turned sixty years old, and he rocks just as much as he ever did. He's been with the Wabos for ten years now, and they just get better and better. I highly recommend anyone check out his show. He's not in it for the money ($25 tickets, for cryin' out loud), and I don't think he'd have it any other way.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Premieres and Notables, November 12-18, 2007
Monday, 11/12
SpongeBob SquarePants; Nickelodeon. 7 pm CST. Special.
An eleven-hour marathon beginning at 8 am culminates in a new one-hour "movie" called "Atlantis SquarePantis".
Thursday, 11/15
A great season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX, 9 pm) ends. Try to catch it in repeats or on DVD.
Wednesday, 11/14
Project Runway; Bravo. 9 pm. 4th Season premiere.
I can't get myself to watch this show, but many critics I respect seem to like it.
Friday, 11/16
Frank Caliendo: All Over the Place; TBS. 9 pm. Special.
The comic gives a stand-up special on the home of his new show Frank TV (premiering 11/20).
Sunday, 11/18
Kenny vs. Spenny; Comedy Central. 10:30 pm. Series Premiere.
TV Guide calls this the premiere, Entertainment Weekly says it's 11:30 pm on Wednesday (11/14). This Canadian import (brought to us through Trey Parker and Matt Stone) pits two friends against each other in ridiculous competitions (who can eat the most meat?, who can produce the biggest fart?).
I don't have high hopes for this, but the spin-off called Ed vs. Spencer BBC America aired last year was pretty entertaining, so maybe this one will be good, too.
SpongeBob SquarePants; Nickelodeon. 7 pm CST. Special.
An eleven-hour marathon beginning at 8 am culminates in a new one-hour "movie" called "Atlantis SquarePantis".
Thursday, 11/15
A great season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX, 9 pm) ends. Try to catch it in repeats or on DVD.
Wednesday, 11/14
Project Runway; Bravo. 9 pm. 4th Season premiere.
I can't get myself to watch this show, but many critics I respect seem to like it.
Friday, 11/16
Frank Caliendo: All Over the Place; TBS. 9 pm. Special.
The comic gives a stand-up special on the home of his new show Frank TV (premiering 11/20).
Sunday, 11/18
Kenny vs. Spenny; Comedy Central. 10:30 pm. Series Premiere.
TV Guide calls this the premiere, Entertainment Weekly says it's 11:30 pm on Wednesday (11/14). This Canadian import (brought to us through Trey Parker and Matt Stone) pits two friends against each other in ridiculous competitions (who can eat the most meat?, who can produce the biggest fart?).
I don't have high hopes for this, but the spin-off called Ed vs. Spencer BBC America aired last year was pretty entertaining, so maybe this one will be good, too.
Possible Strike Questions Answered
TVGuide.com has had pretty good coverage of the WGA strike. Check it out.
Here are a few links to good Q&A posts:
Network Plans
How Many New Episodes Are Left?
Overall, late night chatfests have already been airing repeats, but also will, most likely, come back without writers if the strike goes on too long. I don't remember the last strike, but I read that even Johnny Carson suffered when he did shows without writers.
Dramas mostly have enough episodes in the can to air new episodes until Year's End, but comedies are mostly produced closer to their air date, and have fewer in the can (except Everybody Hates Chris, which has a full season already produced).
New shows that don't have great ratings (Bionic Woman, Life, Journeyman, et al) will probably have a tough time coming back if there is too long before new episodes. And don't expect them to return at all if the season is lost.
And comic book writer and TV writer Brian K. Vaughn does a Q&A-type blog post of his own. In it, he explains that writers want their four cent payment per DVD to increase to eight cents! Oh, those greedy bastards! He also echoed what I've read in a number of other blogs-- the news outlets we see on TV or hear on the radio are usually owned by the companies the writers are striking against, so take that into account.
Check it out here:
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=135331
I also found it interesting that the actors and directors guild contracts are up next summer, so this strike will probably play a large part in those negotiations.
Here are a few links to good Q&A posts:
Network Plans
How Many New Episodes Are Left?
Overall, late night chatfests have already been airing repeats, but also will, most likely, come back without writers if the strike goes on too long. I don't remember the last strike, but I read that even Johnny Carson suffered when he did shows without writers.
Dramas mostly have enough episodes in the can to air new episodes until Year's End, but comedies are mostly produced closer to their air date, and have fewer in the can (except Everybody Hates Chris, which has a full season already produced).
New shows that don't have great ratings (Bionic Woman, Life, Journeyman, et al) will probably have a tough time coming back if there is too long before new episodes. And don't expect them to return at all if the season is lost.
And comic book writer and TV writer Brian K. Vaughn does a Q&A-type blog post of his own. In it, he explains that writers want their four cent payment per DVD to increase to eight cents! Oh, those greedy bastards! He also echoed what I've read in a number of other blogs-- the news outlets we see on TV or hear on the radio are usually owned by the companies the writers are striking against, so take that into account.
Check it out here:
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=135331
I also found it interesting that the actors and directors guild contracts are up next summer, so this strike will probably play a large part in those negotiations.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Premieres and Notables November 5-11, 2007
NBC's "Green Week" begins. Most shows will have some sort of ecological "message" in them. I think it's a great concept just to remind people about the issue, but usually these theme weeks bomb in a bad way (and NBC has been involved with most of those failures).
Monday, 11/5
Murder by the Book; Court TV. 9 pm CST. 2nd season premiere.
Prison Break airs for 2 hours (FOX, 7-9 pm).
Tuesday, 11/6
Frontline/World; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings). Season Premiere.
Real Housewives of Orange County; Bravo. 9 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
Sports Unfiltered With Dennis Miller; Vs. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Miller gives monologues, interviews, and checks headlines in this sports-based show.
Wednesday, 11/7
Swinging; Sundance. 10 pm. 2nd season premiere.
I liked BBC America's similar sketch comedy, Spoons, better, but the plot to one of the sketches in this premiere is a woman brings her dad to a porn film audition. Could be funny.
Clean House; Style. 9 pm. 6th season premiere.
And there's The 41st Annual CMA Awards is you're jonesing for awards shows (CBS, 7 pm).
Thursday, 11/8
NBC comedy highlights: Craig T. Nelson's warden makes a return appearance in My Name is Earl (7 pm); David Schwimmer makes a guest appearance on 30 Rock (7:30); Micheal is barred from the wilderness retreat, but goes into the forest on his own anyway on The Office (8:00); and Tom Cavanaugh returns as J.D.'s brother on Scrubs (8:30). Should be a good night.
And CBS airs a case that has CSI (8 pm) crossing over with Without a Trace (9 pm).
Friday, 11/9
Band of Bloggers; History. 7 pm. Special
A look at how blogging has given soldiers a chance to give the public a first-hand account of the war in Iraq.
Man vs. Wild; Discovery. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
And in sad news, Real Time With Bill Maher's (HBO, 10 pm) season concludes-- but he's got guests George Carlin (who should be better than last week's Martin Short) and Tom Brokaw to send him off.
Saturday, 11/10
C.O.P.S. airs its 7ooth episode at 7 pm (FOX). Let's say that number again: seven hundred!
Sunday, 11/11
Fearless Planet; Discovery. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Six-part look at some of the world's most awe-inspiring wonders. The premiere looks at Hawaii's geological history.
Cotton might be headed to the grave on King of the Hill (FOX, 7:30) and the American Idol judges make an appearance on Family Guy (FOX, 8 pm).
Curb Your Enthusiasm and Tell Me You Love Me (HBO, 9 pm & 8 pm) end their current seasons.
And keep in mind the WGA strike, so expect lots of repeats of the live shows you may be looking for. Saturday Night Live is a definite for airing repeats until the strike is resolved. Most late-night shows will also go into immediate repeats starting Monday (I know that Jay Leno is supporting the strike by not offering new eps); I've read that Jimmy Kimmel's show may still offer new eps for a time (not sure how; could be that he's the main/sole writer himself). I would imagine The Daily Show and The Colbert Report will also be unable to air new episodes.
So take the time to catch up on shows you've previously recorded when other shows you watch are in repeat mode. (I'd recommend DVD box sets, but since that's the big sticking point for the WGA, it'd be kinda ironic if I sent you in that direction.)
Monday, 11/5
Murder by the Book; Court TV. 9 pm CST. 2nd season premiere.
Prison Break airs for 2 hours (FOX, 7-9 pm).
Tuesday, 11/6
Frontline/World; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings). Season Premiere.
Real Housewives of Orange County; Bravo. 9 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
Sports Unfiltered With Dennis Miller; Vs. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Miller gives monologues, interviews, and checks headlines in this sports-based show.
Wednesday, 11/7
Swinging; Sundance. 10 pm. 2nd season premiere.
I liked BBC America's similar sketch comedy, Spoons, better, but the plot to one of the sketches in this premiere is a woman brings her dad to a porn film audition. Could be funny.
Clean House; Style. 9 pm. 6th season premiere.
And there's The 41st Annual CMA Awards is you're jonesing for awards shows (CBS, 7 pm).
Thursday, 11/8
NBC comedy highlights: Craig T. Nelson's warden makes a return appearance in My Name is Earl (7 pm); David Schwimmer makes a guest appearance on 30 Rock (7:30); Micheal is barred from the wilderness retreat, but goes into the forest on his own anyway on The Office (8:00); and Tom Cavanaugh returns as J.D.'s brother on Scrubs (8:30). Should be a good night.
And CBS airs a case that has CSI (8 pm) crossing over with Without a Trace (9 pm).
Friday, 11/9
Band of Bloggers; History. 7 pm. Special
A look at how blogging has given soldiers a chance to give the public a first-hand account of the war in Iraq.
Man vs. Wild; Discovery. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
And in sad news, Real Time With Bill Maher's (HBO, 10 pm) season concludes-- but he's got guests George Carlin (who should be better than last week's Martin Short) and Tom Brokaw to send him off.
Saturday, 11/10
C.O.P.S. airs its 7ooth episode at 7 pm (FOX). Let's say that number again: seven hundred!
Sunday, 11/11
Fearless Planet; Discovery. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Six-part look at some of the world's most awe-inspiring wonders. The premiere looks at Hawaii's geological history.
Cotton might be headed to the grave on King of the Hill (FOX, 7:30) and the American Idol judges make an appearance on Family Guy (FOX, 8 pm).
Curb Your Enthusiasm and Tell Me You Love Me (HBO, 9 pm & 8 pm) end their current seasons.
And keep in mind the WGA strike, so expect lots of repeats of the live shows you may be looking for. Saturday Night Live is a definite for airing repeats until the strike is resolved. Most late-night shows will also go into immediate repeats starting Monday (I know that Jay Leno is supporting the strike by not offering new eps); I've read that Jimmy Kimmel's show may still offer new eps for a time (not sure how; could be that he's the main/sole writer himself). I would imagine The Daily Show and The Colbert Report will also be unable to air new episodes.
So take the time to catch up on shows you've previously recorded when other shows you watch are in repeat mode. (I'd recommend DVD box sets, but since that's the big sticking point for the WGA, it'd be kinda ironic if I sent you in that direction.)
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