5. & 6. Chelsea Lately and The Soup-- I watched Talk Soup with Aisha Tyler but I stopped at some point for some reason. And because E! has become a network for jackass reality shows and insipid entertainment reporting, I‘ve stayed away from it to the point where I don’t pay any attention to anything that may not be moronic. But I stumbled onto The Soup last June and fell in love with it, and I lucked upon Chelsea Lately not long after.
Reality TV has gone from decent early seasons of The Real World, The Osbournes, Survivor and Amazing Race to pure shit like The Cougar and Keeping up With the Kardassians. Shows used to start out well and then go downhill, but now nearly all start out as crap and stay there.
With all that being said, I am the absolute right person to watch The Soup and Chelsea Lately. Even though they’re on an otherwise useless network, they somehow are able to make fun of the crap on the rest of the network—or what the rest of the network reports on.
On The Soup, we get funny clips made all the more funny by host Joel McHale. McHale (and his writing staff) come up with brilliant lines—some getting very pointed—to describe the stupidity we are about to see (or just saw). Sometimes the show moves into the surreal, but McHale holds it all together very well. He’s also pretty fearless; if the joke involves him dressing up in a ridiculous costume or calling out a celebrity for stupid behavior, he’ll do it. The show itself has become a bit of a continuing story; clips or lines said in one episode may rear their heads again later to continue another clip or joke. Regular viewers will see a sort of progression in a few jokes.
Chelsea Lately is a bit less structured around reality shows and more toward the people we’re being told are “hot” now, whether they’re actors, musicians, or any other idiot the entertainment news is focusing on. Being a late night show, it can get a little raw—and that’s perfect for the absolute stupidity the show comments on every night. Chelsea Handler has an honesty about her that is refreshing in the “entertainment news” business. If she thinks someone or something is stupid, she says it. No ass-kissing there. And it helps that she is very funny.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
2008-2009 TV Top Ten #4
3. How I Met Your Mother— I’ve talked this show up as long as I’ve done this blog, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise this show continues to be a Top Ten show for me. There is no network show I can think of that surprises me as much as this one does on a weekly basis. The cast continues to grow in talent every year, and situations allow them to mix it up a little (such as when they “wrote out” Alyson Hannigan for a few episodes while she had her baby) and not affect the dynamic of the show. And the show still introduces a Seinfeld-ian number of made-up words/definitions, all while telling very poignant tales.
There is also even more of a feeling of “destiny” for the show this year. The premise was and still is: a man in 2030 is telling his children how he met their mother. So the story is often told within the context of what happens next. You may think he could be able to get to the end of the story within the time it took to tell 4 seasons worth of stories, but the show has also always been about the choices one makes, and how they can affect your life. “Future Ted” (who we never see) is telling his children about the events that led to the meeting of their mother; how this relationship or that breakup or the other job got him to the place that had him intersect with his wife’s life. This fourth season was especially working to prove that point because Future Ted made a few mentions about how doing A and then B and avoiding C got him to the end point D.
I don’t believe in destiny or fate or any of that, but I know very well how a single choice can put you on a path you didn’t expect. I could, literally, tell my own kids about how I met their mother, and just the night I did meet her involved about three choices I normally wouldn’t have made that put me in the same place she was that night.
What I find especially interesting or different about the show from others is that Future Ted also includes the wisdom one has from being able to see the big picture that one can’t see while in the moment. Shows that tell the stories in the present don’t have that omniscience to them because we don’t have the comfort of knowing what happened next until it happens to the characters. But in this show, say when Ted has his heart broken, he can say (after years have passed) that it was okay and that things just didn’t work out; in fact, they worked out even better. The creators say Future Ted is an unreliable narrator, but the fact is that the hindsight, even if it’s not exactly 20/20, brings a special element to the show. There’s a maturity that everyone gains over time that really puts a fun spin on things.
So the show continues to grow and get better. And a syndication deal with Lifetime pretty much assured a fifth season (they required 110 episodes, and there have been only 88 so far), so the series could play out this season, secure it would be back in the fall. Of course, next season may be touch-and-go like the first few have been, but I think the show could end very well next year—and they are even closer to the mother, if the year’s season finale is any indication. And because they’ve already filmed the scene with the mother and the kids together, no matter what happens, they should be able to wrap the show up well by giving us the revelation they’ve promised: that we really will know how he met their mother.
There is also even more of a feeling of “destiny” for the show this year. The premise was and still is: a man in 2030 is telling his children how he met their mother. So the story is often told within the context of what happens next. You may think he could be able to get to the end of the story within the time it took to tell 4 seasons worth of stories, but the show has also always been about the choices one makes, and how they can affect your life. “Future Ted” (who we never see) is telling his children about the events that led to the meeting of their mother; how this relationship or that breakup or the other job got him to the place that had him intersect with his wife’s life. This fourth season was especially working to prove that point because Future Ted made a few mentions about how doing A and then B and avoiding C got him to the end point D.
I don’t believe in destiny or fate or any of that, but I know very well how a single choice can put you on a path you didn’t expect. I could, literally, tell my own kids about how I met their mother, and just the night I did meet her involved about three choices I normally wouldn’t have made that put me in the same place she was that night.
What I find especially interesting or different about the show from others is that Future Ted also includes the wisdom one has from being able to see the big picture that one can’t see while in the moment. Shows that tell the stories in the present don’t have that omniscience to them because we don’t have the comfort of knowing what happened next until it happens to the characters. But in this show, say when Ted has his heart broken, he can say (after years have passed) that it was okay and that things just didn’t work out; in fact, they worked out even better. The creators say Future Ted is an unreliable narrator, but the fact is that the hindsight, even if it’s not exactly 20/20, brings a special element to the show. There’s a maturity that everyone gains over time that really puts a fun spin on things.
So the show continues to grow and get better. And a syndication deal with Lifetime pretty much assured a fifth season (they required 110 episodes, and there have been only 88 so far), so the series could play out this season, secure it would be back in the fall. Of course, next season may be touch-and-go like the first few have been, but I think the show could end very well next year—and they are even closer to the mother, if the year’s season finale is any indication. And because they’ve already filmed the scene with the mother and the kids together, no matter what happens, they should be able to wrap the show up well by giving us the revelation they’ve promised: that we really will know how he met their mother.
Monday, June 22, 2009
2008-2009 TV Top Ten #3
3. Doctor Who (Season One)-- The Doctor has been around for decades in various incarnations, but I had next to no knowledge of the concept or the character. I guess it goes something like this: The Timelords travel through time and space and work to keep the timeline as it should be when things go awry. When a Timelord dies, he is “regenerated” in a different form (a very inspired way to allow for different actors to play what is essentially the same character). Sometime before this latest incarnation, there was a war between the Timelords and the Daleks, and The Doctor ended up destroying both the Daleks as well as his own people, the Timelords, in his last-ditch attempt to end the hostilities. The regenerated Doctor is the newest incarnation in this series.
The Doctor this series/season was played by Christopher Eccleston, and he was brilliant. Playing The Doctor is a difficult role, I would imagine. He’s seen everything and can do practically anything—and he is thousands of years old, so he should be an unflappable, “one-step-above-human” force. But he’s not. Eccleston plays The Doctor as very confident and extremely competent—but he lives with a tremendous sense of guilt for killing his own kind to destroy the Daleks. So once in a while, we see him doubting himself. That could be a true, internal, reaction to his loss—or it could be a way to get his human companions to come up with a plan. Because along with that sadness he carries, he seems to have a great joy for watching humans develop.
One of my favorite lines ever on television was uttered by the good Doctor when he mentions something fairly typical about human life, and his companion Rose said something like, “That happens all the time.” And The Doctor responds with, “Yeah! Isn’t it cool?” Right there, the whole series came into focus for me. Sometimes that’s all it takes for me: a single line or scene, and I immediately become hooked. And what’s really cool about those moments are that they are usually the small ones that do it. The joy Eccleston brought to that line was wonderful; the thing he commented on was mundane (so mundane, I can't even remember what it was), but taking a step back and putting the event into perspective, I had to agree that is was cool that those things can happen, even if it happens “all the time”.
Speaking of humans, that brings us to Rose Tyler, a teenager The Doctor saved and took a liking to enough that he invites her along for the trip. Rose is the one who brings humanity to the adventures. The Doctor is compassionate enough, but he is still pretty emotionally scarred from the Time War, and she reminds him that all life is worth preserving. Rose is a character you can instantly fall in love with—and it helps that she was played by the beautiful Billie Piper; an actress talented enough to be strong, vulnerable, gutsy, fearful and any other emotion the stories threw at her.
The two lead actors make an incredible team, and this season of the series has become one of my favorite seasons of television ever. There was a very good range of stories, from the (literal) end of the Earth, to a trip to 19th Century England, to an alien invasion in the present time, the World War II bombing of England, the distant future where television rules humanity’s lives, as well as to a very emotional trip where Rose witnesses her father’s death (she was just an infant at the time it first happened). Like all good science fiction, these stories that couldn’t happen now are able to be great metaphors for what we are experiencing in society. And like all great science fiction, we are entertained while the social commentary is buried within the plots. And like all excellent television, the acting, writing, directing, and effects all come together and become a result that is much more than the sum of all its parts.
The Doctor this series/season was played by Christopher Eccleston, and he was brilliant. Playing The Doctor is a difficult role, I would imagine. He’s seen everything and can do practically anything—and he is thousands of years old, so he should be an unflappable, “one-step-above-human” force. But he’s not. Eccleston plays The Doctor as very confident and extremely competent—but he lives with a tremendous sense of guilt for killing his own kind to destroy the Daleks. So once in a while, we see him doubting himself. That could be a true, internal, reaction to his loss—or it could be a way to get his human companions to come up with a plan. Because along with that sadness he carries, he seems to have a great joy for watching humans develop.
One of my favorite lines ever on television was uttered by the good Doctor when he mentions something fairly typical about human life, and his companion Rose said something like, “That happens all the time.” And The Doctor responds with, “Yeah! Isn’t it cool?” Right there, the whole series came into focus for me. Sometimes that’s all it takes for me: a single line or scene, and I immediately become hooked. And what’s really cool about those moments are that they are usually the small ones that do it. The joy Eccleston brought to that line was wonderful; the thing he commented on was mundane (so mundane, I can't even remember what it was), but taking a step back and putting the event into perspective, I had to agree that is was cool that those things can happen, even if it happens “all the time”.
Speaking of humans, that brings us to Rose Tyler, a teenager The Doctor saved and took a liking to enough that he invites her along for the trip. Rose is the one who brings humanity to the adventures. The Doctor is compassionate enough, but he is still pretty emotionally scarred from the Time War, and she reminds him that all life is worth preserving. Rose is a character you can instantly fall in love with—and it helps that she was played by the beautiful Billie Piper; an actress talented enough to be strong, vulnerable, gutsy, fearful and any other emotion the stories threw at her.
The two lead actors make an incredible team, and this season of the series has become one of my favorite seasons of television ever. There was a very good range of stories, from the (literal) end of the Earth, to a trip to 19th Century England, to an alien invasion in the present time, the World War II bombing of England, the distant future where television rules humanity’s lives, as well as to a very emotional trip where Rose witnesses her father’s death (she was just an infant at the time it first happened). Like all good science fiction, these stories that couldn’t happen now are able to be great metaphors for what we are experiencing in society. And like all great science fiction, we are entertained while the social commentary is buried within the plots. And like all excellent television, the acting, writing, directing, and effects all come together and become a result that is much more than the sum of all its parts.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
2008-2009 TV Top Ten #1 & 2
Here we go, in no particular order.
And you may say it's unfair to include shows not "new" from June 2008-May-2009, but they need a shout-out. I saw some fantastic TV these past 12 months. New or not, they deserve recognition.
And I do apologize if I get off-track on these little write-ups. I had a lot to say and not much time. Just know that each of these ten shows are worth searching for.
1 & 2. These two shows kind of slipped into my DVR scheduler on a lark—and I ended up loving them. First is The Middleman, the show ABC Family aired and then decided to go in a different direction (mainly continuing to base shows around teenage girls). The Middleman (that’s his name—no other was given) is a secret agent-type that deals with unexplainable phenomena such as aliens and ghosts and other Men in Black/X-Files stuff. His mission is to stop whatever evil is going down and cover it up, so no one figures out what’s really happening.
But he’s not always successful on hiding his mission. Enter Wendy Watson, who The Middleman saved from a giant monster that threatened her life at her temp job. T.M. liked her abilities enough to make her a member of the Middlemen, and the two formed a partnership and, together, they solved the cases and saved the world he used to do alone.
What was fun about The Middleman was that the budget was pretty low, so they had to be extra-creative with the effects—and what they ultimately showed on camera. Some of the things looked a bit cheap, but they managed to have charm. Also, the humor was great on the show. And it was fun to see Wendy’s roommate Lacey fall for The Middleman—even though he is all about the job. There were a number of very sweet moments as he tried to let her down easy.
Boo to ABC Family for letting this show go.
The second show in this part is Lawrence of America. I don’t even know how I ended up watching it (it aired on the Travel Channel; not one I usually watch), but I’m glad I did. The premise is very simple: Englishman Lawrence Beldon-Smythe travels to various parts of America to discover the culture of the people. He learned about State Fairs, car racing, Civil War re-enactments, country music, winter Olympic athletes, and many other things in his travels—and each episode was funnier than the last.
You might wonder why a travel show would be interesting to someone with very limited time to watch all sorts of other television, and the answer is: because Beldon-Smythe tried a different approach to his storytelling. Instead of doing the much more standard (and overdone) approach of aiming a camera at something and shooting—or getting involved in the situations-- he acted as if everything he was seeing was incredibly foreign to him. Sure, America has its quirks that other countries don’t understand, but Beldon-Smythe pretended he was discovering a lost jungle tribe. It was all complemented by his choice of attire: beige khaki pants, a neutral-colored shirt—and the pocketed tan vest that every television war correspondent has to wear.
Lawrence always had his tongue in his cheek, but he never put down his subjects. Usually, he was the one getting into the silly situations when he attempted something he had been watching. My favorite episode was when he visited Nashville, and he met a country singer he developed a huge crush on. He couldn’t make his move, so he “lost her”. And then he decided to do what many country singers do when they lose a love: write a country song. It was good stuff—and very funny.
In fact, here’s a little part from a blog post about the episode he wrote:
So, this is the blog I’ve been dreading to write because this episode, filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, shows me at my most vulnerable, and possibly unprofessional. The global correspondent’s code of ethics makes it quite clear a reporter of my stature should never get romantically involved with a subject being investigated. No, I’m sorry, I just re-read the sacred cocktail napkin, and it says one should never let the audience know you’re romantically involved with a subject. Even though Rebecca Lynn Howard and I were never actually romantically involved, I still feel I let my truth guard down. I’ll admit, I was caught under her spell of loveliness. Her beautiful hair, her adorably southern accent, her tempting bosom all distracted me. Mostly the tempting bosom … but her hair was nice.
It doesn’t look like the show is coming back, and that’s a real shame. I may have to find some clips and post them. It’s been close to a year since I last watched it, but writing this bit about it has me missing the show all over again.
And you may say it's unfair to include shows not "new" from June 2008-May-2009, but they need a shout-out. I saw some fantastic TV these past 12 months. New or not, they deserve recognition.
And I do apologize if I get off-track on these little write-ups. I had a lot to say and not much time. Just know that each of these ten shows are worth searching for.
1 & 2. These two shows kind of slipped into my DVR scheduler on a lark—and I ended up loving them. First is The Middleman, the show ABC Family aired and then decided to go in a different direction (mainly continuing to base shows around teenage girls). The Middleman (that’s his name—no other was given) is a secret agent-type that deals with unexplainable phenomena such as aliens and ghosts and other Men in Black/X-Files stuff. His mission is to stop whatever evil is going down and cover it up, so no one figures out what’s really happening.
But he’s not always successful on hiding his mission. Enter Wendy Watson, who The Middleman saved from a giant monster that threatened her life at her temp job. T.M. liked her abilities enough to make her a member of the Middlemen, and the two formed a partnership and, together, they solved the cases and saved the world he used to do alone.
What was fun about The Middleman was that the budget was pretty low, so they had to be extra-creative with the effects—and what they ultimately showed on camera. Some of the things looked a bit cheap, but they managed to have charm. Also, the humor was great on the show. And it was fun to see Wendy’s roommate Lacey fall for The Middleman—even though he is all about the job. There were a number of very sweet moments as he tried to let her down easy.
Boo to ABC Family for letting this show go.
The second show in this part is Lawrence of America. I don’t even know how I ended up watching it (it aired on the Travel Channel; not one I usually watch), but I’m glad I did. The premise is very simple: Englishman Lawrence Beldon-Smythe travels to various parts of America to discover the culture of the people. He learned about State Fairs, car racing, Civil War re-enactments, country music, winter Olympic athletes, and many other things in his travels—and each episode was funnier than the last.
You might wonder why a travel show would be interesting to someone with very limited time to watch all sorts of other television, and the answer is: because Beldon-Smythe tried a different approach to his storytelling. Instead of doing the much more standard (and overdone) approach of aiming a camera at something and shooting—or getting involved in the situations-- he acted as if everything he was seeing was incredibly foreign to him. Sure, America has its quirks that other countries don’t understand, but Beldon-Smythe pretended he was discovering a lost jungle tribe. It was all complemented by his choice of attire: beige khaki pants, a neutral-colored shirt—and the pocketed tan vest that every television war correspondent has to wear.
Lawrence always had his tongue in his cheek, but he never put down his subjects. Usually, he was the one getting into the silly situations when he attempted something he had been watching. My favorite episode was when he visited Nashville, and he met a country singer he developed a huge crush on. He couldn’t make his move, so he “lost her”. And then he decided to do what many country singers do when they lose a love: write a country song. It was good stuff—and very funny.
In fact, here’s a little part from a blog post about the episode he wrote:
So, this is the blog I’ve been dreading to write because this episode, filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, shows me at my most vulnerable, and possibly unprofessional. The global correspondent’s code of ethics makes it quite clear a reporter of my stature should never get romantically involved with a subject being investigated. No, I’m sorry, I just re-read the sacred cocktail napkin, and it says one should never let the audience know you’re romantically involved with a subject. Even though Rebecca Lynn Howard and I were never actually romantically involved, I still feel I let my truth guard down. I’ll admit, I was caught under her spell of loveliness. Her beautiful hair, her adorably southern accent, her tempting bosom all distracted me. Mostly the tempting bosom … but her hair was nice.
It doesn’t look like the show is coming back, and that’s a real shame. I may have to find some clips and post them. It’s been close to a year since I last watched it, but writing this bit about it has me missing the show all over again.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
2008-2009 TV teameck Awards
Yes, this is mostly tongue-in-cheek...
Best show I know you’re not watching—even though you should be: Phineas & Ferb.
Hottest mom: Allison (Sarah Marshall) on Gary Unmarried.
Show that needed to end, and did: Tie: Prison Break and Mad TV.
Funniest show: Summer Heights High.
Best written comedy: How I Met Your Mother.
Best written drama: The Wire.
Biggest disappointment: The Mole.
Show I just cannot seem to stop watching—even though it goes against everything I believe about “good TV”: Big Brother.
I miss Bob Costas…: Inside the NFL (moved to Showtime and changed the “cast”) and Costas Now (“cancelled” when Costas went to another network).
Biggest surprise: Ties: How much I liked Lawrence of America and Summer Heights High.
Show I’ll probably miss the most: The Middleman (F-You, ABC Family).
Show I’m kicking myself for getting late to the party to (just started watching last summer): Tie: The Soup and Chelsea Lately.
Best show I can’t describe: This American Life.
Reason to be pissed at my cable company (Charter) for not airing IFC: Z Rock (which I’m lucky enough to catch OnDemand).
Show I’m embarrassed to watch—but do because my kids like watching it with me: Wipeout.
Show I watched only because of a stunningly beautiful contestant: I Survived a Japanese Game Show (Meaghan Cooper). Sure, the pics of her on imbd.com are stunning, but I liked the natural beauty displayed on the show.
Dumbest show that I couldn’t stop laughing at: Reality Bites Back.
Most improved (since their pilots): Tie: Chocolate News and Gary Unmarried.
What the Hell happened to this once great show?: Tie:
Desperate Housewives (great beginning to the season—and then shot downhill quickly),
Ugly Betty (recycling storylines after just three seasons),
Inside the NFL (they tried hard, but Costas, Marino, Collinsworth, and Carter made that show what it was on HBO),
Moral Orel (one of the least “artistic” of the adult swim shows went “arty” in its last season—and lost the wonderful satire it used to have),
Venture Brothers (I understand the desire to expand the universe of characters, but Hank and Dean are the souls of that show; where’d they go?),
Reno 911 (stopped being funny a while ago, but I couldn’t even finish the season this year)
Robot Chicken (what? run out of jokes or something?)
South Park (what the Hell happened? This used to be the best satire on television.)
The Mole (I don’t know what went wrong, but this season did not work),
Weeds (too many changes that didn’t work this year).
Show that knew it made some bad choices—and called itself out on them: My Name Is Earl.
Best Series Finales: Prison Break, Battlestar Galactica, and The Wire.
“Bad” show that had me roaring with laughter: Eastbound & Down.
Voice I’ll miss most next year: Harry Kalas (of NFL Films; the narrator of the clips used on Inside the NFL). He had the amazing ability to express countless emotions with just the sound and tone of his voice. He will be missed.
Show that made “going green” look so much fun that I got tired of all the ultra-happy, beautiful people frolicking in their “greenness”: Alter Eco.
Underrated family comedies: Tie: Everybody Hates Chris and King of the Hill. (Both of which aren’t coming back next year— I say “Boo!” to their respective networks.)
Moving up the list of my favorite comedies quickly: The Big Bang Theory.
Best premise: Z Rock (rock band has to become a “kiddie band” to pay the bills).
Best opening music (I just couldn’t get out of my head): Z Rock and Summer Heights High.
Best closing music (I just couldn’t get out of my head): The Wire.
Best actor in a comedy: Chris Lilley on Summer Heights High.
Best actor in a drama: Tie: Christopher Eccleston in Doctor Who and anyone in The Wire.
Shows I have recorded/on DVD but NEED to get to soon to still consider myself a lover of great TV: Tie: Friday Night Lights, Rescue Me, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Lost.
Best show I know you’re not watching—even though you should be: Phineas & Ferb.
Hottest mom: Allison (Sarah Marshall) on Gary Unmarried.
Show that needed to end, and did: Tie: Prison Break and Mad TV.
Funniest show: Summer Heights High.
Best written comedy: How I Met Your Mother.
Best written drama: The Wire.
Biggest disappointment: The Mole.
Show I just cannot seem to stop watching—even though it goes against everything I believe about “good TV”: Big Brother.
I miss Bob Costas…: Inside the NFL (moved to Showtime and changed the “cast”) and Costas Now (“cancelled” when Costas went to another network).
Biggest surprise: Ties: How much I liked Lawrence of America and Summer Heights High.
Show I’ll probably miss the most: The Middleman (F-You, ABC Family).
Show I’m kicking myself for getting late to the party to (just started watching last summer): Tie: The Soup and Chelsea Lately.
Best show I can’t describe: This American Life.
Reason to be pissed at my cable company (Charter) for not airing IFC: Z Rock (which I’m lucky enough to catch OnDemand).
Show I’m embarrassed to watch—but do because my kids like watching it with me: Wipeout.
Show I watched only because of a stunningly beautiful contestant: I Survived a Japanese Game Show (Meaghan Cooper). Sure, the pics of her on imbd.com are stunning, but I liked the natural beauty displayed on the show.
Dumbest show that I couldn’t stop laughing at: Reality Bites Back.
Most improved (since their pilots): Tie: Chocolate News and Gary Unmarried.
What the Hell happened to this once great show?: Tie:
Desperate Housewives (great beginning to the season—and then shot downhill quickly),
Ugly Betty (recycling storylines after just three seasons),
Inside the NFL (they tried hard, but Costas, Marino, Collinsworth, and Carter made that show what it was on HBO),
Moral Orel (one of the least “artistic” of the adult swim shows went “arty” in its last season—and lost the wonderful satire it used to have),
Venture Brothers (I understand the desire to expand the universe of characters, but Hank and Dean are the souls of that show; where’d they go?),
Reno 911 (stopped being funny a while ago, but I couldn’t even finish the season this year)
Robot Chicken (what? run out of jokes or something?)
South Park (what the Hell happened? This used to be the best satire on television.)
The Mole (I don’t know what went wrong, but this season did not work),
Weeds (too many changes that didn’t work this year).
Show that knew it made some bad choices—and called itself out on them: My Name Is Earl.
Best Series Finales: Prison Break, Battlestar Galactica, and The Wire.
“Bad” show that had me roaring with laughter: Eastbound & Down.
Voice I’ll miss most next year: Harry Kalas (of NFL Films; the narrator of the clips used on Inside the NFL). He had the amazing ability to express countless emotions with just the sound and tone of his voice. He will be missed.
Show that made “going green” look so much fun that I got tired of all the ultra-happy, beautiful people frolicking in their “greenness”: Alter Eco.
Underrated family comedies: Tie: Everybody Hates Chris and King of the Hill. (Both of which aren’t coming back next year— I say “Boo!” to their respective networks.)
Moving up the list of my favorite comedies quickly: The Big Bang Theory.
Best premise: Z Rock (rock band has to become a “kiddie band” to pay the bills).
Best opening music (I just couldn’t get out of my head): Z Rock and Summer Heights High.
Best closing music (I just couldn’t get out of my head): The Wire.
Best actor in a comedy: Chris Lilley on Summer Heights High.
Best actor in a drama: Tie: Christopher Eccleston in Doctor Who and anyone in The Wire.
Shows I have recorded/on DVD but NEED to get to soon to still consider myself a lover of great TV: Tie: Friday Night Lights, Rescue Me, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Lost.
Premieres and Notables; June 22-28, 2009
Thanks to blogger.com for allowing me to hold postings a week, so this shows up while I'm on vacation-- and yet close to my normal day to post these things. And thanks also to TV Guide for having yet another double week issue that gives me their weak-ass second week of listings (due to printing the issue so far in advance) and screwing me out of yet another issue of my subscription. But at least I have some listings.
(Sorry-- Entertainment Weekly actually likes to put out issues most weeks, so I don't have the issue I need for this post. Typically, I get the more interesting shows from that source. Maybe I'll catch up when I get back from vay-cay.)
Monday, 6/22
The Secret Life of an American Teenager; ABC Family. 7 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
Sorry, but I'm still pissed Middleman's not coming back...
Make It or Break It; ABC Family. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
And in the spot that should have been Middleman's, this new scripted series about the world of teen gymnastics.
Tuesday, 6/23
America's Got Talent; NBC. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Oh super; I thought I'd have to go a week without hearing about another stupid-ass reality contest. Bonus: it airs tomorrow too.
The Cleaner; A&E. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
Guest-starring Whoopi Goldberg.
Wednesday, 6/24
The Philanthropist; NBC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Unlike The Cleaner the The Closer, this series actually spells out what this person is in the title. Rome's James Purefoy stars as a man who risks his life and his money for others.
Too bad it's on NBC. It's doomed to bomb.
Thursday, 6/25
Penn & Teller: Bullshit!; Showtime. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Where else but teameck's entertainment are you going to see the full name of this series typed out? Yeah-- I'm reader-friendly.
The bullshit subject this week: orgasms.
Sunday, 6/28
Hung; HBO. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Not about a person who tried hanging himself...
And not about a jury...
Nope, this Thomas Jane-starring show is about a high school coach who takes up a side-job as a male escort because he carries a big stick.
Or as Elliot on Scrubs would say, "He's a big schwing-schwang."
[I'm talking about his penis, people...]
(Sorry-- Entertainment Weekly actually likes to put out issues most weeks, so I don't have the issue I need for this post. Typically, I get the more interesting shows from that source. Maybe I'll catch up when I get back from vay-cay.)
Monday, 6/22
The Secret Life of an American Teenager; ABC Family. 7 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
Sorry, but I'm still pissed Middleman's not coming back...
Make It or Break It; ABC Family. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
And in the spot that should have been Middleman's, this new scripted series about the world of teen gymnastics.
Tuesday, 6/23
America's Got Talent; NBC. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Oh super; I thought I'd have to go a week without hearing about another stupid-ass reality contest. Bonus: it airs tomorrow too.
The Cleaner; A&E. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
Guest-starring Whoopi Goldberg.
Wednesday, 6/24
The Philanthropist; NBC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Unlike The Cleaner the The Closer, this series actually spells out what this person is in the title. Rome's James Purefoy stars as a man who risks his life and his money for others.
Too bad it's on NBC. It's doomed to bomb.
Thursday, 6/25
Penn & Teller: Bullshit!; Showtime. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Where else but teameck's entertainment are you going to see the full name of this series typed out? Yeah-- I'm reader-friendly.
The bullshit subject this week: orgasms.
Sunday, 6/28
Hung; HBO. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Not about a person who tried hanging himself...
And not about a jury...
Nope, this Thomas Jane-starring show is about a high school coach who takes up a side-job as a male escort because he carries a big stick.
Or as Elliot on Scrubs would say, "He's a big schwing-schwang."
[I'm talking about his penis, people...]
THE WIRE: Carver Uses a Different Approach
The Wire's Carver is tired of chasing kids in the alleys. He decides to demand the perp show himself. Classic.
Friday, June 19, 2009
2008-2009 TV Master List
As I noted in my last post, I'm listing all the shows I watched-- and tried to watch-- from June 2008-2009.
They're all alphabetical. Shows I put in italics are ones I didn't see the whole season's worth of episodes for. The ones with numbers of episodes behind it are shows I just quit watching. Shows in italics with no numbers of episodes are ones I'm planning on getting to this summer; just got behind. I got at least half-way through the season of those shows I got behind of; enough to know what to expect quality-wise.
I'm also listing the shows I watched via DVD or tapes recorded in years past. Why include them? To show what I was watching when I wasn't watching brand new episodes of other stuff. And like NBC used to say, "If you haven't seen them before, they're new to you." These shows are new to me-- and usually very good.
Alter Eco; Planet Green- 5 episodes
American Dad; FOX
Batman: The Brave and the Bold; Cartoon Network
Battlestar Galactica; Sci Fi
Big Brother 10; CBS
Big Love; HBO
Chelsea Lately; E!
Chocolate News; Comedy Central
Chuck; NBC
Costas Now; HBO
Crash; Starz- 1 ep
Cupid; ABC
Desperate Housewives; ABC
Dirty Sexy Money, ABC
Do Not Disturb; FOX
Drinky Crow Show; [adult swim]-2 eps
Eastbound & Down; HBO
Eli Stone; ABC
Entourage; HBO
Everybody Hates Chris; CW
Family Guy; FOX
Gary Unmarried; CBS
Hard Knocks: Dallas Cowboys; HBO
How I Met Your Mother; CBS
I Survived a Japanese Game Show; ABC
In Plain Sight; USA— 5-6 eps
Inside the NFL; Showtime
Iron Man; Nickelodeon
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; FX
Kath & Kim; NBC-. 2 eps
King of the Hill; FOX
Krod Mandoon; Comedy Central
Last Comic Standing; NBC—6 eps
Lawrence of America; Travel
Leverage; TNT
Life After People; History-- 3 eps
Little Britain; HBO—3 eps
Mad TV; FOX
Metalocalypse; [adult swim]
Middleman; ABC Family
Moral Orel; [adult swim]
My Boys; TBS
My Name is Earl; NBC
My Own Worst Enemy; NBC- 1 ep
Mythbusters; Discovery
One Way Out; Discovery
Parks & Recreation; NBC
Phineas and Ferb; Disney
Prison Break; FOX
Pushing Daisies; ABC
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO
Real Time with Bill Maher; HBO
Reality Bites Back; Comedy Central
Reno 911; Comedy Central-- six eps
Robot Chicken; adult swim
Rules of Engagement; CBS
Samantha Who?; ABC-- 6-7 episodes
Secret Diary of a Call Girl; Showtime
Sons of Anarchy; FX--. 1 ep
South Park; Comedy Central
Star Wars: the Clone Wars; Cartoon Network
Summer Heights High; HBO
10 Items or Less; TBS
Testees; FX
The Big Bang Theory; CBS
The Middleman; ABC Family
The Mole; ABC
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS
The Office; NBC
The Sarah Silverman Program; Comedy Central
The Simpsons; FOX
The Soup; E!
The Soup Presents; E!
30 Days; FX
30 Rock; NBC
This American Life; Showtime
‘Til Death; FOX
Ugly Betty; ABC
United States of Tara; Showtime
Venture Brothers; [adult swim]
Weeds; Showtime
Wipeout; ABC
Worst Week; CBS
Not new during June 2008-May 2009:
Alias Season 4
Battlestar Galactica Season 1, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0
Doctor Who Season 1
Duck Dodgers (various episodes)
Mythbusters; Seasons 1-6 (various episodes)
This American Life Season 1
The Wire Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Z Rock Season 1
They're all alphabetical. Shows I put in italics are ones I didn't see the whole season's worth of episodes for. The ones with numbers of episodes behind it are shows I just quit watching. Shows in italics with no numbers of episodes are ones I'm planning on getting to this summer; just got behind. I got at least half-way through the season of those shows I got behind of; enough to know what to expect quality-wise.
I'm also listing the shows I watched via DVD or tapes recorded in years past. Why include them? To show what I was watching when I wasn't watching brand new episodes of other stuff. And like NBC used to say, "If you haven't seen them before, they're new to you." These shows are new to me-- and usually very good.
Alter Eco; Planet Green- 5 episodes
American Dad; FOX
Batman: The Brave and the Bold; Cartoon Network
Battlestar Galactica; Sci Fi
Big Brother 10; CBS
Big Love; HBO
Chelsea Lately; E!
Chocolate News; Comedy Central
Chuck; NBC
Costas Now; HBO
Crash; Starz- 1 ep
Cupid; ABC
Desperate Housewives; ABC
Dirty Sexy Money, ABC
Do Not Disturb; FOX
Drinky Crow Show; [adult swim]-2 eps
Eastbound & Down; HBO
Eli Stone; ABC
Entourage; HBO
Everybody Hates Chris; CW
Family Guy; FOX
Gary Unmarried; CBS
Hard Knocks: Dallas Cowboys; HBO
How I Met Your Mother; CBS
I Survived a Japanese Game Show; ABC
In Plain Sight; USA— 5-6 eps
Inside the NFL; Showtime
Iron Man; Nickelodeon
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; FX
Kath & Kim; NBC-. 2 eps
King of the Hill; FOX
Krod Mandoon; Comedy Central
Last Comic Standing; NBC—6 eps
Lawrence of America; Travel
Leverage; TNT
Life After People; History-- 3 eps
Little Britain; HBO—3 eps
Mad TV; FOX
Metalocalypse; [adult swim]
Middleman; ABC Family
Moral Orel; [adult swim]
My Boys; TBS
My Name is Earl; NBC
My Own Worst Enemy; NBC- 1 ep
Mythbusters; Discovery
One Way Out; Discovery
Parks & Recreation; NBC
Phineas and Ferb; Disney
Prison Break; FOX
Pushing Daisies; ABC
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO
Real Time with Bill Maher; HBO
Reality Bites Back; Comedy Central
Reno 911; Comedy Central-- six eps
Robot Chicken; adult swim
Rules of Engagement; CBS
Samantha Who?; ABC-- 6-7 episodes
Secret Diary of a Call Girl; Showtime
Sons of Anarchy; FX--. 1 ep
South Park; Comedy Central
Star Wars: the Clone Wars; Cartoon Network
Summer Heights High; HBO
10 Items or Less; TBS
Testees; FX
The Big Bang Theory; CBS
The Middleman; ABC Family
The Mole; ABC
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS
The Office; NBC
The Sarah Silverman Program; Comedy Central
The Simpsons; FOX
The Soup; E!
The Soup Presents; E!
30 Days; FX
30 Rock; NBC
This American Life; Showtime
‘Til Death; FOX
Ugly Betty; ABC
United States of Tara; Showtime
Venture Brothers; [adult swim]
Weeds; Showtime
Wipeout; ABC
Worst Week; CBS
Not new during June 2008-May 2009:
Alias Season 4
Battlestar Galactica Season 1, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0
Doctor Who Season 1
Duck Dodgers (various episodes)
Mythbusters; Seasons 1-6 (various episodes)
This American Life Season 1
The Wire Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Z Rock Season 1
2008-2009 TV Season Recap
It's a couple weeks late, but this is tough to write up. It doesn't help that I get all sorts of issues getting what I start as a Word doc into the blogger format, so bear with any formatting issues.
Also, by waiting, I'm able to post these during my ten day vacation. That's what I like to do for my single-digit readership: have at least one new post a day.
First, I'll list what shows I watched in the grey-area of the 2008-2009 TV season (running from June 2008-May 2009, with a slight overlap). Sure, I'm early, but the Fall is the worst time of the year for me to do big blog posts, so I'm fudging and going from summer to summer instead of fall to fall.
Why list all the shows? Two reasons:
1. To give people an idea of what I watch. Also to explain while not actually explaining how I can omit certain shows. I always hate reading a critic's list (not that I consider myself a critic) and not knowing if they watched a certain show/movie as maybe being the reason why it didn't make the list. I never mentioned The Wire before this year. The reason why is I hadn't watched it until this year.
2. To brag. I try to give advice and feedback for certain things. I consider television my strongest subject. Listing everything I watched gives a little credence to what I write because it should tell you, "he watches an unhealthy amount of TV, so if he recommends The Big Bang Theory, then it's got to be a show worth watching."
After my Master List, I'll give some silly shout-outs to certain shows & people.
Then I'll make little essays/fan gushing posts for my Top Ten shows of the year. So sit back and read about the brilliant shows I watched this past year.
Next post: the Master List...
Also, by waiting, I'm able to post these during my ten day vacation. That's what I like to do for my single-digit readership: have at least one new post a day.
First, I'll list what shows I watched in the grey-area of the 2008-2009 TV season (running from June 2008-May 2009, with a slight overlap). Sure, I'm early, but the Fall is the worst time of the year for me to do big blog posts, so I'm fudging and going from summer to summer instead of fall to fall.
Why list all the shows? Two reasons:
1. To give people an idea of what I watch. Also to explain while not actually explaining how I can omit certain shows. I always hate reading a critic's list (not that I consider myself a critic) and not knowing if they watched a certain show/movie as maybe being the reason why it didn't make the list. I never mentioned The Wire before this year. The reason why is I hadn't watched it until this year.
2. To brag. I try to give advice and feedback for certain things. I consider television my strongest subject. Listing everything I watched gives a little credence to what I write because it should tell you, "he watches an unhealthy amount of TV, so if he recommends The Big Bang Theory, then it's got to be a show worth watching."
After my Master List, I'll give some silly shout-outs to certain shows & people.
Then I'll make little essays/fan gushing posts for my Top Ten shows of the year. So sit back and read about the brilliant shows I watched this past year.
Next post: the Master List...
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
K.P. Anderson Schools McHale
Anderson, the head writer of The Soup discusses why Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is insulting.
Sure, the clip is old, but it's funny...
Sure, the clip is old, but it's funny...
Monday, June 15, 2009
New York = Class
Now see, I thought the maxi pad comment last week was classy.
...But she tops it here:
...But she tops it here:
It's Great to See Paris Has Raised Her Standards
Sure, she made a sex tape, was on an insipid reality show, is currently in a moronic reality show, acts like a Gen-X stoner, and has been known to not wear panties even though she can't keep her legs crossed near the paparazzi...
But, dammit, her new BFF won't do the same things.
But, dammit, her new BFF won't do the same things.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Zack Morris Returns
Hilarious interview on Jimmy Fallon's show.
I was a fan of Saved By the Bell back in the day, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar's still got it. Pretty cool.
I was a fan of Saved By the Bell back in the day, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar's still got it. Pretty cool.
Premieres and Notables; June 15-21, 2009
Monday, 6/15
Greek (ABC Family; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
Tuesday, 6/16
Wedding Day; TNT. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
An upscripted look at real-life weddings.
Presumably on TNT because Lifetime's schedule is full.
The Lazy Environmentalist; Sundance. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Host Josh Dorfman proves that going a little greener doesn't have to be difficult.
Sounds cool. Check it out.
HawthoRNe; TNT. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Jada Pinkett Smith stars as an RN (thus the oddly-capitalized title-- clever) who has problems of her own.
Please... Wanna see a nurse with problems, go check out Showtime's Nurse Jackie.
The Real Housewives of something or other (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.
That's how much I care...
Saving Grace; TNT. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Wednesday, 6/17
Survive This; Cartoon Network. 7:30. Series Premiere.
A new series where teenagers have to figure out how to survive different situations.
Note: this series is not animated. Boo to Cartoon Network for giving us this when there are hundreds of more appropriate networks. Maybe the network will pull a bullshit SciFi Channel deal and call itself KarTune, so people don't get the wrong idea about it.
[For those of you who don't remember my rant, "Sci Fi" is changing to the stupid-as-shit "SyFy" sometime this summer.]
Gordon Ramsay's F Word; BBC America. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
I'm almost tempted to watch to finally learn what his F Word is.
Maybe they didn't get the note that "F-Word" is now "fag", and "F-Bomb" is the Bad Boy of four letter words.
The Unusuals (ABC; 9:01). Series Finale.
Hmmm. Guess I can delete them all from my DVR...
Thursday, 6/18
Soundstage; PBS. 9 pm (check local listings). Season Premiere.
Jackson Browne opens the season.
Friday, 6/19
Jeffery and Cole Casserole; Logo. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Another in a long line of sketch shows. This one revolves around viral videos.
Saturday, 6/20
ABC continues to be the best network for cancelled shows ever as it will now air the remaining four episodes of Eli Stone (9 pm) instead of making us buy/borrow the DVD sets later.
Tip of the hat to ABC-- again.
Sunday, 6/21
Merlin; NBC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
A modern take on the classic story.
The subject is something I'm interested in, but the execution sounds terrible. Kind of a cross between a CW soap and a Sci Fi Channel original movie. Stay away.
Greek (ABC Family; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
Tuesday, 6/16
Wedding Day; TNT. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
An upscripted look at real-life weddings.
Presumably on TNT because Lifetime's schedule is full.
The Lazy Environmentalist; Sundance. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Host Josh Dorfman proves that going a little greener doesn't have to be difficult.
Sounds cool. Check it out.
HawthoRNe; TNT. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Jada Pinkett Smith stars as an RN (thus the oddly-capitalized title-- clever) who has problems of her own.
Please... Wanna see a nurse with problems, go check out Showtime's Nurse Jackie.
The Real Housewives of something or other (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.
That's how much I care...
Saving Grace; TNT. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Wednesday, 6/17
Survive This; Cartoon Network. 7:30. Series Premiere.
A new series where teenagers have to figure out how to survive different situations.
Note: this series is not animated. Boo to Cartoon Network for giving us this when there are hundreds of more appropriate networks. Maybe the network will pull a bullshit SciFi Channel deal and call itself KarTune, so people don't get the wrong idea about it.
[For those of you who don't remember my rant, "Sci Fi" is changing to the stupid-as-shit "SyFy" sometime this summer.]
Gordon Ramsay's F Word; BBC America. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
I'm almost tempted to watch to finally learn what his F Word is.
Maybe they didn't get the note that "F-Word" is now "fag", and "F-Bomb" is the Bad Boy of four letter words.
The Unusuals (ABC; 9:01). Series Finale.
Hmmm. Guess I can delete them all from my DVR...
Thursday, 6/18
Soundstage; PBS. 9 pm (check local listings). Season Premiere.
Jackson Browne opens the season.
Friday, 6/19
Jeffery and Cole Casserole; Logo. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Another in a long line of sketch shows. This one revolves around viral videos.
Saturday, 6/20
ABC continues to be the best network for cancelled shows ever as it will now air the remaining four episodes of Eli Stone (9 pm) instead of making us buy/borrow the DVD sets later.
Tip of the hat to ABC-- again.
Sunday, 6/21
Merlin; NBC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
A modern take on the classic story.
The subject is something I'm interested in, but the execution sounds terrible. Kind of a cross between a CW soap and a Sci Fi Channel original movie. Stay away.
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