A Class Act

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

300 reasons to see 300

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Did you listen?

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

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

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

See if YouTube has it...

Premieres and Notables March 12-18, 2007

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

Monday, 3/12

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

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

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

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

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

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


Tuesday, 3/13

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

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

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

Wednesday, 3/14

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

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

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


Thursday, 3/15

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

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

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

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

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

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


Friday, 3/16

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


Saturday, 3/17

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

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


Sunday, 3/18

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

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

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

OFFICE new-peats

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

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

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

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

Music to Melt Your Face

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

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

I needed to make my own mix CD.

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

Let me know what you think:

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

Rock is back

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

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

KNIGHTS Tabled

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

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

ROCKETMAN Repeats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Spoilers follow...






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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to the books...

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

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

Check it out.

SIX DEGREES producers sold souls

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

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

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

Premieres and Notables, March 5-11, 2007

Monday, 3/5

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

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


Tuesday, 3/6

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

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


Wednesday, 3/7.

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


Sunday, 3/11

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

Second Chance at FRISKY DINGO

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

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

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

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

News of the Year

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

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

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

"Go Team Venture!"

Why this dude got fired...

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

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

Flogging a Dead Horse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ve Dub in tha Hizz-ouse

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

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

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

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

Premieres and Notables: Feb 26- Mar 4, 2007

Let's get right to it:

Monday, 2/26

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

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

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

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


Tuesday, 2/27

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


Thursday, 3/1

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

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

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


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


Saturday, 3/3

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


Sunday, 3/4

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



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

PRIDE of the comic industry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's a link to the Vertigo solicitation:

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

Like Ya Didn't See THAT Coming...

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

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

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

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




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

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