I'm pretty fortunate that most of the movies/DVDs/shows I watch are of above-average quality. I've used some of the best resources in magazines/friends/the internet to ensure that I filter out the garbage the best that I can and I try to catch as much of the good stuff as possible.
Once in while, though, I watch something that makes me feel changed after watching it. Once in a while, I watch something that so moves me, I'm not sure if I will ever be the same again.
In the waning hours of 2006, I watched one of those movies.
Joyeux Noel ("Merry Christmas") was one of the most beautiful, powerful things I've witnessed in a long time. This movie (now on DVD) told the story of the infamous "Christmas Truce" in World War I.
I heard about the truce a few years ago, and I found the whole thing amazingly unbelievable. On Christmas Eve, 1914, enemies put down their guns, rose from their trenches and celebrated Christmas together. Naturally, the Powers That Be didn't want word getting out about the unwarlike behavior, so actual proof that the truce occurred is hard to come by. But there is proof.
Enough proof that writer/director Christian Carion was able to piece together accounts and create this wonderful (fiction, but "based on real events") film.
In the movie, German forces face French and Scottish troops, and, in a miraculous series of events, they end up coming out of the trenches and meeting each other. They share stories, show pictures of their loved ones to each other, even play football (soccer) against one another on Christmas Eve and through Christmas. They allow each other to bury their dead on the day Christ was born and come together to celebrate the birth of their savior. Even though their states are enemies, the humanity of the individuals allowed them to find peace with each other-- even if it was for only a day.
I won't go it it any more (I'm tearing up just thinking about the movie-- not that it's sad-- it's just that wonderful), so as not to spoil anything. But, seriously, rent this movie. It's amazing.
The movie itself is worth the time, but it really behooves one to also watch the Interview with Director Christian Carion in the special features area after watching the movie. He goes over the history and research (in a very lively way) he put into the preparation of the movie. He also shares anecdotes he discovered (and wove into the story) and proves just how much truth is in the fiction of the movie.
Full disclosure alert: the movie is a French film, and the director (wisely) chose to have the characters speak in their own languages, so the Scots speak English, the French speak French and the Germans speak German. The non-English languages are subtitled. But you cannot let that deter you. Man-up and watch (read) this movie.
I have given a large number of "highly recommend"s in this blog, but this gets my highest. I have not watched or read anything this excellent in the entire year of 2006.
If you find it half as profound as I have, you will find you've changed a little inside as well.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Premieres and Notables Jan 1-Jan 7
Happy New Year! I'm back and trying to keep up with things as usual.
Monday, 1/1:
Craploads of college football. Pick a network and you'll find some dumbass bowl on it. I've got nothing against college football, but I do have something against the unabashed marketing of it. These student-athletes are being raped so their schools can make some coin. It's just wrong.
If you think I'm harsh here, wait until the bullshit "March Madness"...
High Maintenance; E!. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Another moronic reality series from a network that used to have some respect. This piece of garbage gets the hired help's perspectives of their employers on Beverly Hills.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations; Travel Channel. 8 & 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I really dug Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential (highly recommended), but I just couldn't get into this show. I guess I just don't understand great food.
Next; MTV. 4:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Remember when MTV had shows worth watching? Yeah, me neither.
Tuesday, 1/2
Dirt; FX. 9:00 pm CST. Series Premiere.
The first hour-long drama at FX that sounds like crap. Courtney Cox stars as an editor-in-chief of a tabloid rag. I haven't heard a single good thing about this show. I'll check it out because I'm stupid, but no reason for anyone else to make the same mistake.
If I've scared you off of a new show at 9 pm Tuesdays, why don't you jump over to TBS at 9:00 and watch My Boys. It's not great, but it's pretty entertaining. Plus, it's got two of my favorite supporting actors: Jim Gaffigan and Kyle Howard.
Oh yeah, Show Me the Money moves to Tuesdays at 7 pm. (Does anyone watch that show? I haven't met 'em...)
Wednesday, 1/3
Wired Science; PBS. 7 pm CST (but check your local listings). Series Premiere.
A new series inspired by Wired magazine.
Beauty and the Geek; CW. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.
And they dip to the well yet again... The first season was cute, but made any subsequent seasons pointless. Let me lay it out for you: Hot women who aren't so smart team with smart guys who aren't so hot and the teams help each other pass challenges. They come from different worlds, but ultimately see they're people like anyone else... It's a great show, but if you've seen it once, you've seen them all.
According to Jim; ABC. 7 pm & 7:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I used to like this show, but it's like so many network comedies: they sink to the lowest common denominator. Haven't watched it in about three years, so maybe it got better. I doubt it, though...
Knights of Prosperity; ABC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
I looooved Donal Logue's last show (Grounded for Life), so I've got high hopes for this one, originally titled Let's Rob Mick Jagger. BTW: Jagger is supposed to have an awesome cameo in this pilot, so: Must See!
Check it out before American Idol completely buries this show in a few weeks.
In Case of Emergency; ABC. 8:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Starring David Arquette. That's all you need to know.
This show was doomed from the start.
Thursday, 1/4
The "Must See" Thursday block sounds hot tonight:
My Name is Earl: The gang watch home movies; or what other people call Cops.
The Office: Michael returns from Jamaica, and doesn't want to settle down-- until a risque photo from the vacation is circulated around the office.
Scrubs: A rash of far-fetched mysteries are solved by a cane-wielding Dr. Cox (in an obvious House parody). It's supposed to be awesome.
30 Rock: Jack and Tracy take a trip to a GE golf tournament. Okay, so they can't all be great...
Final 24; Biography. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Series about the final day of dead celebs. The pilot profiles John Belushi.
Friday, 1/5
Beyond the Break; The N. 7:30 CST. Season Premiere.
A second season of the surfboard soap.
Wild World of Spike; Spike. 11 pm. Series Premiere.
A mixed-martial-artist, a skateboarder, and a comedian recreate the world's weirdest sports.
Gunslinger Girl; IFC. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Anime series for adults. That's all I've got...
Sunday, 1/7
Alma shows up on Desperate Housewives (ABC, 8 pm). That's big news if you're a fan...
And here are series (and season) premieres, shotgun-style:
Just Jordan; Nickelodeon. 6:30 pm
Grease: You're the One That I Want; NBC. 7 pm. A reality competition with people auditioning for the Broadway show. Seriously.
The Surreal Life Fame Games; VH1. 8 pm. I really liked the first and second seasons of the real show, but since then, they've sucked. This sounds even worse.
The Apprentice; NBC. 8:30, Season Premiere. This season is set in L.A. Oooooo. Someone needs to make The Donald go away. Unless he's talking smack about Rosie O'Donnell-- God, he railed on her...
I'm From Rolling Stone; MTV. 9 pm. Aspiring journalists compete for a staff position at the magazine. Now this sounds good. Except it's on MTV. They'll f*** it up somehow...
Living With Ed; HGTV. 9 pm. Follows Ed Begley Jr.'s eco-friendly life. I'd love to watch it, as I feel it's important, but I just don't think it'll be that interesting/good. Sorry, Ed.
Grey's Anatomy; Lifetime. 10 pm. Lifetime begins reairing the monster hit. I think I'm going to check it out. People love this show.
The L Word; Showtime. 9 pm. Season 4 begins.
Shooting Sizemore; VH1. 9:30. Follows Tom Sizemore's attempts to recover from substance abuse. Why why WHY!!!!!!
Message to VH1: YOU SUUUUUUUUCK!
Monday, 1/1:
Craploads of college football. Pick a network and you'll find some dumbass bowl on it. I've got nothing against college football, but I do have something against the unabashed marketing of it. These student-athletes are being raped so their schools can make some coin. It's just wrong.
If you think I'm harsh here, wait until the bullshit "March Madness"...
High Maintenance; E!. 10 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Another moronic reality series from a network that used to have some respect. This piece of garbage gets the hired help's perspectives of their employers on Beverly Hills.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations; Travel Channel. 8 & 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I really dug Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential (highly recommended), but I just couldn't get into this show. I guess I just don't understand great food.
Next; MTV. 4:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Remember when MTV had shows worth watching? Yeah, me neither.
Tuesday, 1/2
Dirt; FX. 9:00 pm CST. Series Premiere.
The first hour-long drama at FX that sounds like crap. Courtney Cox stars as an editor-in-chief of a tabloid rag. I haven't heard a single good thing about this show. I'll check it out because I'm stupid, but no reason for anyone else to make the same mistake.
If I've scared you off of a new show at 9 pm Tuesdays, why don't you jump over to TBS at 9:00 and watch My Boys. It's not great, but it's pretty entertaining. Plus, it's got two of my favorite supporting actors: Jim Gaffigan and Kyle Howard.
Oh yeah, Show Me the Money moves to Tuesdays at 7 pm. (Does anyone watch that show? I haven't met 'em...)
Wednesday, 1/3
Wired Science; PBS. 7 pm CST (but check your local listings). Series Premiere.
A new series inspired by Wired magazine.
Beauty and the Geek; CW. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.
And they dip to the well yet again... The first season was cute, but made any subsequent seasons pointless. Let me lay it out for you: Hot women who aren't so smart team with smart guys who aren't so hot and the teams help each other pass challenges. They come from different worlds, but ultimately see they're people like anyone else... It's a great show, but if you've seen it once, you've seen them all.
According to Jim; ABC. 7 pm & 7:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I used to like this show, but it's like so many network comedies: they sink to the lowest common denominator. Haven't watched it in about three years, so maybe it got better. I doubt it, though...
Knights of Prosperity; ABC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
I looooved Donal Logue's last show (Grounded for Life), so I've got high hopes for this one, originally titled Let's Rob Mick Jagger. BTW: Jagger is supposed to have an awesome cameo in this pilot, so: Must See!
Check it out before American Idol completely buries this show in a few weeks.
In Case of Emergency; ABC. 8:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Starring David Arquette. That's all you need to know.
This show was doomed from the start.
Thursday, 1/4
The "Must See" Thursday block sounds hot tonight:
My Name is Earl: The gang watch home movies; or what other people call Cops.
The Office: Michael returns from Jamaica, and doesn't want to settle down-- until a risque photo from the vacation is circulated around the office.
Scrubs: A rash of far-fetched mysteries are solved by a cane-wielding Dr. Cox (in an obvious House parody). It's supposed to be awesome.
30 Rock: Jack and Tracy take a trip to a GE golf tournament. Okay, so they can't all be great...
Final 24; Biography. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Series about the final day of dead celebs. The pilot profiles John Belushi.
Friday, 1/5
Beyond the Break; The N. 7:30 CST. Season Premiere.
A second season of the surfboard soap.
Wild World of Spike; Spike. 11 pm. Series Premiere.
A mixed-martial-artist, a skateboarder, and a comedian recreate the world's weirdest sports.
Gunslinger Girl; IFC. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Anime series for adults. That's all I've got...
Sunday, 1/7
Alma shows up on Desperate Housewives (ABC, 8 pm). That's big news if you're a fan...
And here are series (and season) premieres, shotgun-style:
Just Jordan; Nickelodeon. 6:30 pm
Grease: You're the One That I Want; NBC. 7 pm. A reality competition with people auditioning for the Broadway show. Seriously.
The Surreal Life Fame Games; VH1. 8 pm. I really liked the first and second seasons of the real show, but since then, they've sucked. This sounds even worse.
The Apprentice; NBC. 8:30, Season Premiere. This season is set in L.A. Oooooo. Someone needs to make The Donald go away. Unless he's talking smack about Rosie O'Donnell-- God, he railed on her...
I'm From Rolling Stone; MTV. 9 pm. Aspiring journalists compete for a staff position at the magazine. Now this sounds good. Except it's on MTV. They'll f*** it up somehow...
Living With Ed; HGTV. 9 pm. Follows Ed Begley Jr.'s eco-friendly life. I'd love to watch it, as I feel it's important, but I just don't think it'll be that interesting/good. Sorry, Ed.
Grey's Anatomy; Lifetime. 10 pm. Lifetime begins reairing the monster hit. I think I'm going to check it out. People love this show.
The L Word; Showtime. 9 pm. Season 4 begins.
Shooting Sizemore; VH1. 9:30. Follows Tom Sizemore's attempts to recover from substance abuse. Why why WHY!!!!!!
Message to VH1: YOU SUUUUUUUUCK!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Premieres and Marathons, 12/26-12/31
Sorry I'm late this week, but I already posted about the Venture Brothers marathon last night as well as the Boondocks marathon tonight. Cartoon Network's [adult swim] keeps it going the rest of the week as well.
Wednesday, 12/27
When Parents Are Deployed; PBS. 8:00 pm-8:30 pm CST. Special
Cuba Gooding Jr. hosts this Sesame Workshop show for the 700,000 children under the age of 5 who have parents who are away from home this Holiday Season.
Bio Live; Biography Channel. 7:00 pm CST. Series Premiere.
New profile series placing artists in front of a studio audience. Lee Ann Womack is the guest in the premiere.
Robot Chicken; Cartoon Network [adult swim]. 9:30 pm- 4:30 am CST.
A thirty episode marathon of the insane stop-motion toy series. Your mind will melt if you watch it all at once, but in two or three 15-minute episode blocks at a time, you should be okay. Hilarious at times; horrifying at times-- you'll never look at toys the same way again. Creator Seth Green voices many characters, and he enlists friends such as Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scarlett Johansson, Donald Faison, and Ashton Kutcher to lend their voices as well.
Funniest Commercials of the Year; TBS. 8:00 pm. Special.
Just what it sounds like...
Thursday, Dec 28
Squidbillies; Cartoon Network [adult swim]. 9:30 pm - 4:30 am CST.
Another marathon. I gave up watching this show after a few episodes, but if you want to see something completely insane, check it out. Squid hillbillies. That's all I got...
Friday, Dec 29
Smallville; ABC Family. 10 am CST
Nine hours of the show from the pilot to the fourth season finale.
I soooo have to watch the DVDs of this show I've got on my shelf...
Eureka; Sci Fi Channel. 8:00 pm CST
Yet another show I've got on a shelf and haven't watched yet. I hear it's good. This marathon consists of six episodes.
Saturday, Dec 30
Marathon marathons marathons...
Law & Order: Criminal Intent; USA. 10 am CST. Twelve episodes.
Fashion Team; TV GUIDE Channel. 11 am-6 pm.
Mama's Family; CMT. 4:00 pm. Twelve episodes.
Ugly Betty; ABC. 7:00 - 10:00 pm. Three eps from this great series. Note: ABC Family has all ten episodes on Sunday, and SoapNet has them all on Monday.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia; FX. 10 pm CST. The entire uneven first season of this show airs. The second season was better, but there's some good stuff here.
Sunday, Dec 31
Lots and lots of New Year's Eve specials.
And Marathons:
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; USA. 5:00 am. Twenty-four hours of episodes from all eight seasons.
Twilight Zone; Sci Fi Channel. 8:00 am. FORTY-FIVE (!!!) hours of the classic science fiction series. Awesome!
Six Feet Under; Bravo. 9 am. The first five episdoes of the series.
Law & Order; TNT. 10 am. Thirty-freakin'-seven episodes.
Seinfeld; TBS. 6 pm. A six-hour block.
South Park; Comedy Central. 9:00 pm. "Chef Aid" begins this six episode block.
Entourage; HBO. 9:30 pm. The entire third season airs.
Well, that's it for the year. I have to give my props to TV GUIDE for all the scoop I steal from it for these weekly "premieres" posts I make.
Wednesday, 12/27
When Parents Are Deployed; PBS. 8:00 pm-8:30 pm CST. Special
Cuba Gooding Jr. hosts this Sesame Workshop show for the 700,000 children under the age of 5 who have parents who are away from home this Holiday Season.
Bio Live; Biography Channel. 7:00 pm CST. Series Premiere.
New profile series placing artists in front of a studio audience. Lee Ann Womack is the guest in the premiere.
Robot Chicken; Cartoon Network [adult swim]. 9:30 pm- 4:30 am CST.
A thirty episode marathon of the insane stop-motion toy series. Your mind will melt if you watch it all at once, but in two or three 15-minute episode blocks at a time, you should be okay. Hilarious at times; horrifying at times-- you'll never look at toys the same way again. Creator Seth Green voices many characters, and he enlists friends such as Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scarlett Johansson, Donald Faison, and Ashton Kutcher to lend their voices as well.
Funniest Commercials of the Year; TBS. 8:00 pm. Special.
Just what it sounds like...
Thursday, Dec 28
Squidbillies; Cartoon Network [adult swim]. 9:30 pm - 4:30 am CST.
Another marathon. I gave up watching this show after a few episodes, but if you want to see something completely insane, check it out. Squid hillbillies. That's all I got...
Friday, Dec 29
Smallville; ABC Family. 10 am CST
Nine hours of the show from the pilot to the fourth season finale.
I soooo have to watch the DVDs of this show I've got on my shelf...
Eureka; Sci Fi Channel. 8:00 pm CST
Yet another show I've got on a shelf and haven't watched yet. I hear it's good. This marathon consists of six episodes.
Saturday, Dec 30
Marathon marathons marathons...
Law & Order: Criminal Intent; USA. 10 am CST. Twelve episodes.
Fashion Team; TV GUIDE Channel. 11 am-6 pm.
Mama's Family; CMT. 4:00 pm. Twelve episodes.
Ugly Betty; ABC. 7:00 - 10:00 pm. Three eps from this great series. Note: ABC Family has all ten episodes on Sunday, and SoapNet has them all on Monday.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia; FX. 10 pm CST. The entire uneven first season of this show airs. The second season was better, but there's some good stuff here.
Sunday, Dec 31
Lots and lots of New Year's Eve specials.
And Marathons:
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; USA. 5:00 am. Twenty-four hours of episodes from all eight seasons.
Twilight Zone; Sci Fi Channel. 8:00 am. FORTY-FIVE (!!!) hours of the classic science fiction series. Awesome!
Six Feet Under; Bravo. 9 am. The first five episdoes of the series.
Law & Order; TNT. 10 am. Thirty-freakin'-seven episodes.
Seinfeld; TBS. 6 pm. A six-hour block.
South Park; Comedy Central. 9:00 pm. "Chef Aid" begins this six episode block.
Entourage; HBO. 9:30 pm. The entire third season airs.
Well, that's it for the year. I have to give my props to TV GUIDE for all the scoop I steal from it for these weekly "premieres" posts I make.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
More Marathons
I spoke about the Venture Brothers marathon Christmas night, but my DVR scheduler popped up some more marathons of great [adult swim] (Cartoon Network) shows coming up.
On Tuesday, Dec 26, the network is airing 6-1/2 hours of Boondocks, beginning at 9:30 pm CST and running to 4:00 am. This could easily be a network show-- if networks had any balls at all. It's a show about the black experience that can work for any race, and a number of episodes really made me think about the life and cultures around me.
I wish I had time to explain and praise it properly, but it's Christmas Eve, and I just don't.
If you can't commit to the full 6-1/2 hours of the marathon, I highly recommend you check out the episode "The Return of the King", airing from 11:00 pm to 11:30 pm. It poses the question "What if when Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot, he fell into a coma and awoke just before September 11, 2001?" It's a very biting commentary on the political landscape at that time-- and the crazy zealotry of our own country.
It's one of the best episodes of television I've watched the last two years.
And on New Year's Eve, the Cartoon Network airs a four hour and fifteen minute marathon of the heavy metal turned up to 111 show Metalocalypse from 9:00 pm to 1:15 am. This is a crazy show. I recommend using the closed captioning on your TV to catch everything.
There's no real redeeming value to the show. It's bloody, vulgar (the worst words are "bleeped" with guitar), and on the other side of reality, but I find it funny. I'm not hardcore metal, but I understand it.
There's a classic scene where bassist Murderface drops his pants and plays his bass with his schwing-schwang (I hope it airs during the marathon...).
Check it out.
On Tuesday, Dec 26, the network is airing 6-1/2 hours of Boondocks, beginning at 9:30 pm CST and running to 4:00 am. This could easily be a network show-- if networks had any balls at all. It's a show about the black experience that can work for any race, and a number of episodes really made me think about the life and cultures around me.
I wish I had time to explain and praise it properly, but it's Christmas Eve, and I just don't.
If you can't commit to the full 6-1/2 hours of the marathon, I highly recommend you check out the episode "The Return of the King", airing from 11:00 pm to 11:30 pm. It poses the question "What if when Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot, he fell into a coma and awoke just before September 11, 2001?" It's a very biting commentary on the political landscape at that time-- and the crazy zealotry of our own country.
It's one of the best episodes of television I've watched the last two years.
And on New Year's Eve, the Cartoon Network airs a four hour and fifteen minute marathon of the heavy metal turned up to 111 show Metalocalypse from 9:00 pm to 1:15 am. This is a crazy show. I recommend using the closed captioning on your TV to catch everything.
There's no real redeeming value to the show. It's bloody, vulgar (the worst words are "bleeped" with guitar), and on the other side of reality, but I find it funny. I'm not hardcore metal, but I understand it.
There's a classic scene where bassist Murderface drops his pants and plays his bass with his schwing-schwang (I hope it airs during the marathon...).
Check it out.
An ad-VENTURE-ous Marathon
After you send the family home and put the kids to bed on Christmas day, flip on over to Cartoon Network's [adult swim] at 9:30 pm and watch seven straight hours of my favorite show on the network (and I watch lots of [swim] shows): The Venture Brothers.
The [adult swim] website doesn't match my DVR schedule for episodes, but it looks as if the last episode of season one and all of season two will be airing. 9:30 pm CST to 4:30 am CST.
Highlights are:
"Hate Floats": Centering on lovable, yet dimwitted, Henchman 21 and Henchman 24 who become part of The Monarch's attempt to rebuild his empire-- and win back Dr. Girlfriend (The Venture Brothers has the best character names).
"Assassinanny 911": Brock has a secret mission to go on, so he gets his ex, Molotov Cocktease, to watch the boys. Includes a killer line about Dean having Apache Ghosts in his swim trunks.
"Escape From the House of Mummies Part II": A very odd episode (a fake "recap" episode) that contains the best comeback to a threat I've seen in a while, courtesy of Dr. Venture.
"Victor. Echo. November.": Longtime readers may remember my love for this episode when I wrote about it on August 14. (And if I knew what the Hell I was doing with this blog, I'd be able to make a link to it...)
Here are some lines from the episode I noted in that post:
"There were two side effects. One: he can mess up a guy just by touching him. And two: he became a humorless dick."
The Monarch, describing The Phantom Limb's origin.
"Ah, c'mon! Why does that happen? I shook it so hard, I almost hit that pink puck."
Hank, lamenting the fact that he had a"pee stain" on his pants after using the urinal.
"We need one of these at home, it's better than riding sideways on a swing."
Hank, while using the hot air hand dryer to dry the aforementioned stain off his pants.
"Dude, stop wailing on my junk!"
Hank to Dean, who was trying to put out the fire on his pants caused by the hand dryer.
And the crazy two-part finale "Showdown at Creamation Creek" where everything comes to a head: Team Venture gets accidentally captured by the Monarch's minions; The Monarch gets back with Dr. Girlfriend, but The Phantom Limb tries to break them up again; Brock rallies the Monarch's henchmen for the battle, and Hank tries to prove his manliness along with the others; Dean hallucinates that he is a great warrior and that David Bowie is a pack of cigarettes.
So check it out. It's hilarious-- and not bat-sh** insane like most [adult swim] shows are. It's accessible in both plot and animation and is highly recommended.
The [adult swim] website doesn't match my DVR schedule for episodes, but it looks as if the last episode of season one and all of season two will be airing. 9:30 pm CST to 4:30 am CST.
Highlights are:
"Hate Floats": Centering on lovable, yet dimwitted, Henchman 21 and Henchman 24 who become part of The Monarch's attempt to rebuild his empire-- and win back Dr. Girlfriend (The Venture Brothers has the best character names).
"Assassinanny 911": Brock has a secret mission to go on, so he gets his ex, Molotov Cocktease, to watch the boys. Includes a killer line about Dean having Apache Ghosts in his swim trunks.
"Escape From the House of Mummies Part II": A very odd episode (a fake "recap" episode) that contains the best comeback to a threat I've seen in a while, courtesy of Dr. Venture.
"Victor. Echo. November.": Longtime readers may remember my love for this episode when I wrote about it on August 14. (And if I knew what the Hell I was doing with this blog, I'd be able to make a link to it...)
Here are some lines from the episode I noted in that post:
"There were two side effects. One: he can mess up a guy just by touching him. And two: he became a humorless dick."
The Monarch, describing The Phantom Limb's origin.
"Ah, c'mon! Why does that happen? I shook it so hard, I almost hit that pink puck."
Hank, lamenting the fact that he had a"pee stain" on his pants after using the urinal.
"We need one of these at home, it's better than riding sideways on a swing."
Hank, while using the hot air hand dryer to dry the aforementioned stain off his pants.
"Dude, stop wailing on my junk!"
Hank to Dean, who was trying to put out the fire on his pants caused by the hand dryer.
And the crazy two-part finale "Showdown at Creamation Creek" where everything comes to a head: Team Venture gets accidentally captured by the Monarch's minions; The Monarch gets back with Dr. Girlfriend, but The Phantom Limb tries to break them up again; Brock rallies the Monarch's henchmen for the battle, and Hank tries to prove his manliness along with the others; Dean hallucinates that he is a great warrior and that David Bowie is a pack of cigarettes.
So check it out. It's hilarious-- and not bat-sh** insane like most [adult swim] shows are. It's accessible in both plot and animation and is highly recommended.
Monday, December 18, 2006
A Couple More for the Morgue-- and a Programming Change
ABC has pulled Day Break and Show Me the Money from its programming. Doubtful either will come back.
Help Me, Help You also had its new episode this week pulled from the schedule due to low ratings.
ABC has decided to not try to use Lost to lead into a show anymore as it hasn't worked in two years and will move the show to 9pm CST when it returns from the planned hiatus. A nice side effect: it won't air against American Idol.
Sadly, the promising Knights of Prosperity will air against Idol-- and will probably get trounced and cancelled quickly.
Help Me, Help You also had its new episode this week pulled from the schedule due to low ratings.
ABC has decided to not try to use Lost to lead into a show anymore as it hasn't worked in two years and will move the show to 9pm CST when it returns from the planned hiatus. A nice side effect: it won't air against American Idol.
Sadly, the promising Knights of Prosperity will air against Idol-- and will probably get trounced and cancelled quickly.
Awards Season Has Begun
The AFI Top Ten TV programs of the year were:
Battlestar Galactica
Dexter
Elizabeth I
Friday Night Lights
Heroes
The Office
South Park
24
The West Wing
The Wire
Not a bad list. The panel of critics, AFI trustees, academics, and industry professionals chose from the best fictional narrative programming of the year to compile their ten best. The discussions for the list are secret in order to preserve the list and allow the panel to debate freely. That's probably why the list includes only the best-- and not weird calls like the Golden Globes and Emmys can have.
Speaking of the Golden Globes, the major TV-related nominations were:
Best Drama Series
24
Big Love
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
Lost
Best Actress in a Drama:
Patricia Arquette
Edie Falco
Evangeline Lilly
Ellen Pompeo
Kyra Sedgwick
Best Actor in a Drama:
Patrick Dempsey
Michael C. Hall
Hugh Laurie
Bill Paxton
Kiefer Sutherland
Best Comedy:
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
The Office
Ugly Betty
Weeds
Best Actress in a Comedy:
Marcia Cross
Felicity Huffman
America Ferrera
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Mary-Louise Parker
Best Actor in a Comedy:
Alec Baldwin
Zach Braff
Steve Carell
Jason Lee
Tony Shalhoub
Supporting Actress:
Emily Blunt
Toni Collette
Katherine Heigl
Sarah Paulson
Elizabeth Perkins
Supporting Actor:
Thomas Hayden Church
Jeremy Irons
Justin Kirk
Masi Oka
Jeremy Piven
And here we see some of the problems with a five-nominee process with an eventual winner: you just can't win. Where's Deadwood? Sally Field? The Shield? Kyle Chandler? Michael Chiklis? Scrubs? My Name is Earl?
I think the AFI has it right by picking ten shows to say were the cream of the crop for the year-- many of which need a little recognition.
Battlestar Galactica
Dexter
Elizabeth I
Friday Night Lights
Heroes
The Office
South Park
24
The West Wing
The Wire
Not a bad list. The panel of critics, AFI trustees, academics, and industry professionals chose from the best fictional narrative programming of the year to compile their ten best. The discussions for the list are secret in order to preserve the list and allow the panel to debate freely. That's probably why the list includes only the best-- and not weird calls like the Golden Globes and Emmys can have.
Speaking of the Golden Globes, the major TV-related nominations were:
Best Drama Series
24
Big Love
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
Lost
Best Actress in a Drama:
Patricia Arquette
Edie Falco
Evangeline Lilly
Ellen Pompeo
Kyra Sedgwick
Best Actor in a Drama:
Patrick Dempsey
Michael C. Hall
Hugh Laurie
Bill Paxton
Kiefer Sutherland
Best Comedy:
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
The Office
Ugly Betty
Weeds
Best Actress in a Comedy:
Marcia Cross
Felicity Huffman
America Ferrera
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Mary-Louise Parker
Best Actor in a Comedy:
Alec Baldwin
Zach Braff
Steve Carell
Jason Lee
Tony Shalhoub
Supporting Actress:
Emily Blunt
Toni Collette
Katherine Heigl
Sarah Paulson
Elizabeth Perkins
Supporting Actor:
Thomas Hayden Church
Jeremy Irons
Justin Kirk
Masi Oka
Jeremy Piven
And here we see some of the problems with a five-nominee process with an eventual winner: you just can't win. Where's Deadwood? Sally Field? The Shield? Kyle Chandler? Michael Chiklis? Scrubs? My Name is Earl?
I think the AFI has it right by picking ten shows to say were the cream of the crop for the year-- many of which need a little recognition.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Premieres & Notables Dec 18- Dec 24
It's the week before Christmas, so not much is new. Use this time to catch up on the tapes, DVR shows, DVDs, books, magazines, etc that have piled up since September. Or hang with your family/friends.
Monday, 12/18
Identity, NBC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Penn Jillette (of "Penn & Teller" and Penn & Teller's Bullsh**!) hosts this game show where contestants try to match character traits to 12 strangers. Sounds lame, but Jellette is a fantastic entertainer. May be worth checking out. This show airs on NBC every night this week; 8 pm on Monday and 7 pm on Tues-Fri.
Jenna ("Pam") Fisher of The Office is a guest on Craig Ferguson's late night show.
Saturday, Dec 23
FX has a 13-hour block of Christmas-themed episodes of various shows:
6 am-6:30: Dharma and Greg
6:30 am- 9:00: Spin City
9:00 am- 11:00: Fear Factor
11:00 am- 2:30 pm: Married With Children (Classic Episodes "It's a Bundyful Life Pt 1 & 2" guest starring Sam Kinison air 11:30-12:30).
2:30 pm-5:00: King of the Hill
5:00 pm- 7:00: That '70s Show
Sunday, 12/24
It's a Wonderful Life; NBC. 7 pm CST
The classic holiday movie.
Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog; G4. 6:30 pm
If you're not into the "Ho ho ho" thing.
And lots of marathons. I'll list what TV Guide has, but it may be best to check out the marathons you may be interested in online at the network website just to be sure.
Nickelodeon: 16 hours of seasonal cartoons starting at 5 am.
Discovery: 18 hours of Dirty Jobs starting at 8 am.
AMC: 18 hours of the classic Miracle on 34th Street, beginning at 11 am.
ABC Family: 12 hours of Rankin Bass classics; 11 am.
Speed: 15-1/2 hrs of Nascar Beyond the Wheel; noon.
TV Land: 24 hours of Christmas episodes of classic shows; 5 pm.
TBS: The yearly 24-hour non-stop airing of A Christmas Story; 7 pm.
FX: Ice Age-- interspersed with other programming-- for 20 hours; 7 pm.
Court TV: 4 hours of COPS; 7 pm.
Or there's football of course. I may finally check out the man who's kicked major ass for me in Fantasy Football all year, LaDainian Tomlinson, when his Chargers face the Seahawks at 3:15 pm. He's been on a massive record-breaking year, and from what I've seen and heard others say about him, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. No BS touchdown dances and "look at me, look at me" shenanagins; just an amazing player who lets his work speak for him.
Sadly, I won't be personally invested in the game as I just lost my semi-final game this week (not LT's fault-- my receivers suuuuucked) and my work league will not enjoy my presence in the Championship game. Boo!
But I all but wrapped up the Championship in my other league (with a monster performance by Mr. Tomlinson). Pray for a low-performing game tomorrow night with the Bengals vs. the Colts. I've got 80 points on my opponent, but she's got three heavy-hitters in the game to my one decent player.
Monday, 12/18
Identity, NBC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Penn Jillette (of "Penn & Teller" and Penn & Teller's Bullsh**!) hosts this game show where contestants try to match character traits to 12 strangers. Sounds lame, but Jellette is a fantastic entertainer. May be worth checking out. This show airs on NBC every night this week; 8 pm on Monday and 7 pm on Tues-Fri.
Jenna ("Pam") Fisher of The Office is a guest on Craig Ferguson's late night show.
Saturday, Dec 23
FX has a 13-hour block of Christmas-themed episodes of various shows:
6 am-6:30: Dharma and Greg
6:30 am- 9:00: Spin City
9:00 am- 11:00: Fear Factor
11:00 am- 2:30 pm: Married With Children (Classic Episodes "It's a Bundyful Life Pt 1 & 2" guest starring Sam Kinison air 11:30-12:30).
2:30 pm-5:00: King of the Hill
5:00 pm- 7:00: That '70s Show
Sunday, 12/24
It's a Wonderful Life; NBC. 7 pm CST
The classic holiday movie.
Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog; G4. 6:30 pm
If you're not into the "Ho ho ho" thing.
And lots of marathons. I'll list what TV Guide has, but it may be best to check out the marathons you may be interested in online at the network website just to be sure.
Nickelodeon: 16 hours of seasonal cartoons starting at 5 am.
Discovery: 18 hours of Dirty Jobs starting at 8 am.
AMC: 18 hours of the classic Miracle on 34th Street, beginning at 11 am.
ABC Family: 12 hours of Rankin Bass classics; 11 am.
Speed: 15-1/2 hrs of Nascar Beyond the Wheel; noon.
TV Land: 24 hours of Christmas episodes of classic shows; 5 pm.
TBS: The yearly 24-hour non-stop airing of A Christmas Story; 7 pm.
FX: Ice Age-- interspersed with other programming-- for 20 hours; 7 pm.
Court TV: 4 hours of COPS; 7 pm.
Or there's football of course. I may finally check out the man who's kicked major ass for me in Fantasy Football all year, LaDainian Tomlinson, when his Chargers face the Seahawks at 3:15 pm. He's been on a massive record-breaking year, and from what I've seen and heard others say about him, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. No BS touchdown dances and "look at me, look at me" shenanagins; just an amazing player who lets his work speak for him.
Sadly, I won't be personally invested in the game as I just lost my semi-final game this week (not LT's fault-- my receivers suuuuucked) and my work league will not enjoy my presence in the Championship game. Boo!
But I all but wrapped up the Championship in my other league (with a monster performance by Mr. Tomlinson). Pray for a low-performing game tomorrow night with the Bengals vs. the Colts. I've got 80 points on my opponent, but she's got three heavy-hitters in the game to my one decent player.
Monday, December 11, 2006
A PRISON BREAK spoiler of sorts
Okay, if the title didn't scare you away, this bit contains a spoiler that directly follows something from the fall season finale.
You've been warned...
Okay, so Kellerman "flipped" and now is helping Linc and Michael-- and confirmed it by shooting Mahone.
Now, I'm pretty leery that Kellerman actually is on the side of the angels for the long haul. I'm predicting that he's just trying to use the boys to get to Sara and then will kill all three of them. And then he'll get back that which means the most to him: his job.
And while there was hype that "someone major" dies in the fall finale, I just read from Michael Ausiello that Mahone is not dead. I guess it's no real surprise considering I have heard NOTHING about what William Fichtner is going to be working on (which would have happened had he been off the show for real). And, let's face it, it was a pretty bloodless "death" for this show. Of course I'm not happy about being lied to as the only other death on the show was with the woman T-Bag hooked up with that episode.
Oh well...
Other tidbits: Bellick's new nickname: "Fish". Awesome.
Lane Garrison ("Tweener") was involved in a car accident that killed a 15 year old girl and injured some others. Bad, bad news. Worse because alcohol is believed to be involved as well.
And another odd thing I learned: Lane lived with Jessica Simpson for a year when he was 17 and credits her father, Joe, (you know, the one who's pretty much been Jessica's pimp all those years) for helping him get his life together (he was a juvenile delinquent, for sure). Garrison mentioned it was "torture" living there because Jessica is "gorgeous".
Maybe Lane's troubles are one reason why Jess couldn't get through "9 to 5" in the Dolly Parton Tribute Special... Weirder things have happened.
You've been warned...
Okay, so Kellerman "flipped" and now is helping Linc and Michael-- and confirmed it by shooting Mahone.
Now, I'm pretty leery that Kellerman actually is on the side of the angels for the long haul. I'm predicting that he's just trying to use the boys to get to Sara and then will kill all three of them. And then he'll get back that which means the most to him: his job.
And while there was hype that "someone major" dies in the fall finale, I just read from Michael Ausiello that Mahone is not dead. I guess it's no real surprise considering I have heard NOTHING about what William Fichtner is going to be working on (which would have happened had he been off the show for real). And, let's face it, it was a pretty bloodless "death" for this show. Of course I'm not happy about being lied to as the only other death on the show was with the woman T-Bag hooked up with that episode.
Oh well...
Other tidbits: Bellick's new nickname: "Fish". Awesome.
Lane Garrison ("Tweener") was involved in a car accident that killed a 15 year old girl and injured some others. Bad, bad news. Worse because alcohol is believed to be involved as well.
And another odd thing I learned: Lane lived with Jessica Simpson for a year when he was 17 and credits her father, Joe, (you know, the one who's pretty much been Jessica's pimp all those years) for helping him get his life together (he was a juvenile delinquent, for sure). Garrison mentioned it was "torture" living there because Jessica is "gorgeous".
Maybe Lane's troubles are one reason why Jess couldn't get through "9 to 5" in the Dolly Parton Tribute Special... Weirder things have happened.
Quick Reviews
Just a few quick notes on things I've read/watched lately.
Last week's 30th Anniversary show of Inside the NFL was a classy bit of television. There were a few looks back, but mostly, it was a tribute to a show that has become must-see for me (and I don't even care about football).
I love the Wallace & Gromit "shorts" and the feature length-movie, so I used my "daddy persuasion" (not too much as my kids enjoy them as well) and chose Aardman's (with Dreamworks) new feature Flushed Away as a movie to watch with the kids. The movie was made using CGI as opposed to the "Claymation"-style of other Aardman pieces, but the look was the same as Wallace and Chicken Run.
It was a fun movie. Smart for adults, and they didn't dumb it down for kids. Check it out.
Happy Feet on the other hand, was a freakin' mess. It was at least three, distinct movies, and the end sucked ass. The animation was pretty good, but this movie had the biggest thing I hate about the mainstream animated feature business: they got a bunch of "name" actors who had no reason playing voices in this movie.
Pixar movies and a few select others can get away with it because the actors and the characters mesh so well, but many movies just use an actor's name to sell the studio and the audience on a film. There are fantastic voice actors that could have done the voices-- and made them their own.
Okay-- rant over. Anyway, Happy Feet had many more problems than the voices, and I apologize for getting on my soapbox.
Ultimate Fantastic Four Volume 5 "Crossover" also had the good and the bad of the "Ultimate" Marvel Universe (which was designed to use characters/concepts that are 40 years old and reinvent them as if they were created today). It was good, even great, but it took the equivalent of six issues to tell a story that original Fantastic Four creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby would have taken two issues to tell. At least that's cut down from the first few issues of the titles telling a story over six issues that Stan and Jack would have knocked out in one.
"Crossover" is broken into two stories: the first is one where Reed opens a portal to a universe that looks very similar to the one in the regular Marvel Universe (the one fans have been reading about since the '60s), but it's all a trap to lure Reed to a world where the superheroes are actually zombies. It leads to a harrowing adventure (and led to the blockbuster Marvel Zombies mini-series of 2006).
The second tale is about the finding of Atlantis. And the introduction of Namor to the Ultimate Universe. This Namor looks and acts the same, but his background is much different than the regular Marvel's King of Atlantis. I did like the end of the story where the terribly over-matched Fantastic Four ended the fight in an unusual way (and established the Ultimate Namor as a total prick in a different way than the regular Marvel Namor is).
All in all, this is a good read. Mark Millar's story and dialogue were above par. I just wonder why some of the changes between the two universes have to be made. Some changes are so abrupt, it's as if he's painting himself (and others) into a corner. But then again, this is supposed to be a new universe where anything can happen. One change I do like in this "universe" is the attempt to make the fantastic a bit more realistic. Sure they still do crazy stuff, but time is taken to explain the principles of the power/ability whereas in most comic books, things that are just taken for granted "just because" (the team can go deep into the ocean due to a combination of powers-- without Johnny-- whereas the Marvel Reed would just whip up a submarine that would do all the work).
Not to knock Millar, but the stars of this book are penciller Greg Land, inker Matt Ryan, and colorist Justin Ponsor (and Laura Martin). My God, were the pictures gorgeous (as is beginning to be expected of Land). This is some of the most photo-realistic artwork I've ever seen in a comic book. Many, many panels had me stopping (many to say, "Damn, Sue is HOT!") just to take it all in.
The downside to the artwork is it looks as if Land used a number of sources for reference (one is an obvious reproduction of Jessica Alba as Sue from the movie of last year), and a number of times, the same character just didn't look the same (I noticed it mostly with Sue, but then I paid the most attention to her). But, let's face it, that's a pretty small complaint.
Ta Ta for now...
Last week's 30th Anniversary show of Inside the NFL was a classy bit of television. There were a few looks back, but mostly, it was a tribute to a show that has become must-see for me (and I don't even care about football).
I love the Wallace & Gromit "shorts" and the feature length-movie, so I used my "daddy persuasion" (not too much as my kids enjoy them as well) and chose Aardman's (with Dreamworks) new feature Flushed Away as a movie to watch with the kids. The movie was made using CGI as opposed to the "Claymation"-style of other Aardman pieces, but the look was the same as Wallace and Chicken Run.
It was a fun movie. Smart for adults, and they didn't dumb it down for kids. Check it out.
Happy Feet on the other hand, was a freakin' mess. It was at least three, distinct movies, and the end sucked ass. The animation was pretty good, but this movie had the biggest thing I hate about the mainstream animated feature business: they got a bunch of "name" actors who had no reason playing voices in this movie.
Pixar movies and a few select others can get away with it because the actors and the characters mesh so well, but many movies just use an actor's name to sell the studio and the audience on a film. There are fantastic voice actors that could have done the voices-- and made them their own.
Okay-- rant over. Anyway, Happy Feet had many more problems than the voices, and I apologize for getting on my soapbox.
Ultimate Fantastic Four Volume 5 "Crossover" also had the good and the bad of the "Ultimate" Marvel Universe (which was designed to use characters/concepts that are 40 years old and reinvent them as if they were created today). It was good, even great, but it took the equivalent of six issues to tell a story that original Fantastic Four creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby would have taken two issues to tell. At least that's cut down from the first few issues of the titles telling a story over six issues that Stan and Jack would have knocked out in one.
"Crossover" is broken into two stories: the first is one where Reed opens a portal to a universe that looks very similar to the one in the regular Marvel Universe (the one fans have been reading about since the '60s), but it's all a trap to lure Reed to a world where the superheroes are actually zombies. It leads to a harrowing adventure (and led to the blockbuster Marvel Zombies mini-series of 2006).
The second tale is about the finding of Atlantis. And the introduction of Namor to the Ultimate Universe. This Namor looks and acts the same, but his background is much different than the regular Marvel's King of Atlantis. I did like the end of the story where the terribly over-matched Fantastic Four ended the fight in an unusual way (and established the Ultimate Namor as a total prick in a different way than the regular Marvel Namor is).
All in all, this is a good read. Mark Millar's story and dialogue were above par. I just wonder why some of the changes between the two universes have to be made. Some changes are so abrupt, it's as if he's painting himself (and others) into a corner. But then again, this is supposed to be a new universe where anything can happen. One change I do like in this "universe" is the attempt to make the fantastic a bit more realistic. Sure they still do crazy stuff, but time is taken to explain the principles of the power/ability whereas in most comic books, things that are just taken for granted "just because" (the team can go deep into the ocean due to a combination of powers-- without Johnny-- whereas the Marvel Reed would just whip up a submarine that would do all the work).
Not to knock Millar, but the stars of this book are penciller Greg Land, inker Matt Ryan, and colorist Justin Ponsor (and Laura Martin). My God, were the pictures gorgeous (as is beginning to be expected of Land). This is some of the most photo-realistic artwork I've ever seen in a comic book. Many, many panels had me stopping (many to say, "Damn, Sue is HOT!") just to take it all in.
The downside to the artwork is it looks as if Land used a number of sources for reference (one is an obvious reproduction of Jessica Alba as Sue from the movie of last year), and a number of times, the same character just didn't look the same (I noticed it mostly with Sue, but then I paid the most attention to her). But, let's face it, that's a pretty small complaint.
Ta Ta for now...
Dec 11-17 Premieres/Notables
Tuesday, 12/12
How the Grinch Stole Christmas; ABC. 7-8 pm CST
Gotta love this classic.
Rickey Gervais shows up on Letterman. I just saw a commercial for HBO's season 2 premiere of Gervais' Extras that said it begins January 14. Awesome.
Wednesday, 12/13
George Clooney: An American Cinematheque Tribute; AMC. 7-8 pm.
I can't pronounce the title of this tribute, but I have to give a shout out to Clooney, who is one of the best.
Thursday, 12/14
Now The Office gets an hour-long show-- directed by Harold Ramis-- and My Name is Earl gets a rest this week. NBC, 7-8 pm CST.
And Turner Classic Movies is airing Gary Cooper movies all night. If you haven't seen Pride of the Yankees, now's the time to check it out (1:45-4:00 am CST). And, yes, it's okay to cry. If you don't after seeing this movie, then you must be dead.
Sunday, 12/17
Big night for season finales as Survivor, Sleeper Cell: American Terror, Dexter, Breaking Bonaduce, and Celebrity Paranormal Project all end tonight.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas; ABC. 7-8 pm CST
Gotta love this classic.
Rickey Gervais shows up on Letterman. I just saw a commercial for HBO's season 2 premiere of Gervais' Extras that said it begins January 14. Awesome.
Wednesday, 12/13
George Clooney: An American Cinematheque Tribute; AMC. 7-8 pm.
I can't pronounce the title of this tribute, but I have to give a shout out to Clooney, who is one of the best.
Thursday, 12/14
Now The Office gets an hour-long show-- directed by Harold Ramis-- and My Name is Earl gets a rest this week. NBC, 7-8 pm CST.
And Turner Classic Movies is airing Gary Cooper movies all night. If you haven't seen Pride of the Yankees, now's the time to check it out (1:45-4:00 am CST). And, yes, it's okay to cry. If you don't after seeing this movie, then you must be dead.
Sunday, 12/17
Big night for season finales as Survivor, Sleeper Cell: American Terror, Dexter, Breaking Bonaduce, and Celebrity Paranormal Project all end tonight.
Monday, December 04, 2006
December 10 Premieres and Notables
AAAAAARGH!!! I typed the Sunday notables and then gave a longer-than-usual heads up for Sleeper Cell-- and then hit "publish post" and lost everything because there was a burp in my connection.
Well, here's the brief finale to this afternoon's Premieres:
Sunday, Dec 10.
The Amazing Race 10 ends (CBS 7 pm), as does what most critics consider the best show on television: The Wire (HBO, 9 pm).
House of Tiny Terrors, TLC. 7 & 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Families with problem kids move into a house to be studied and counseled by clinical psychologist Tanya Byron.
Alpha Company: Iraq Diary; Military Channel. 7 & 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Profiles of Marines in Iraq.
TV's Best 2006; TV Guide Channel. 7 pm.
This two-parter (part 2 is the next night, same time) looks at the best TV had to offer in 2006 (early). I hope to make a few lists of my own for this blog, so I'll be taking notes.
And the highlight of the night:
Sleeper Cell: American Terror; Showtime. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Man, I wish I still had Showtime... The network is airing this eight-episode season over the next eight nights (or Showtime On-Demand is offering all the eps at once when it premieres).
Michael Ealy's undercover agent infiltrates another cell, but this time, he's leading it. Last year's cell mastermind Farik (the fantastic Oded Fehr, who gave one of my favorite performances of last year) also is returning as the now-jailed leader, who is still running things.
If this season is anything like last year's, it gets my highest recommendation. Much like I noted about BBC America shows, though, it can't be judged until all episodes are shown. Season One was a little uneven, but as a whole it was great. Check it out on DVD. Unlike the snobbish HBO DVDs, Shwotime DVD season sets can usually be found at a decent price (I've seen Sleeper Cell for as low as $20).
Well, here's the brief finale to this afternoon's Premieres:
Sunday, Dec 10.
The Amazing Race 10 ends (CBS 7 pm), as does what most critics consider the best show on television: The Wire (HBO, 9 pm).
House of Tiny Terrors, TLC. 7 & 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Families with problem kids move into a house to be studied and counseled by clinical psychologist Tanya Byron.
Alpha Company: Iraq Diary; Military Channel. 7 & 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Profiles of Marines in Iraq.
TV's Best 2006; TV Guide Channel. 7 pm.
This two-parter (part 2 is the next night, same time) looks at the best TV had to offer in 2006 (early). I hope to make a few lists of my own for this blog, so I'll be taking notes.
And the highlight of the night:
Sleeper Cell: American Terror; Showtime. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Man, I wish I still had Showtime... The network is airing this eight-episode season over the next eight nights (or Showtime On-Demand is offering all the eps at once when it premieres).
Michael Ealy's undercover agent infiltrates another cell, but this time, he's leading it. Last year's cell mastermind Farik (the fantastic Oded Fehr, who gave one of my favorite performances of last year) also is returning as the now-jailed leader, who is still running things.
If this season is anything like last year's, it gets my highest recommendation. Much like I noted about BBC America shows, though, it can't be judged until all episodes are shown. Season One was a little uneven, but as a whole it was great. Check it out on DVD. Unlike the snobbish HBO DVDs, Shwotime DVD season sets can usually be found at a decent price (I've seen Sleeper Cell for as low as $20).
Premieres Dec 4 - Dec 10 Pt 1
Monday, Dec 4
Incredible Journeys; Animal Planet. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Documentary about animals who migrate. This week: a polar bear.
The Eleventh Hour; BBC America. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere
Patrick freakin' Stewart plays a crime-solving physics professor. Stewart + BBC America = Must See.
Supernanny, ABC. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Third Season. A perfect lead-in to What About Brian. :)
And CBS is reairing the season two premiere of How I Met Your Mother at 7:30. Here's your chance to check it out if you still haven't taken my advice and watched it yet.
Tuesday, Dec 5
Campus Ladies; Oxygen. 10 pm. Season Premiere.
Cash and Treasures; Travel. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Host becky Worley travels the country looking for vaulable, offbeat items.
Bad Girls Club; Oxygen. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Another booze-soaked "reality" show from the producers of The Real World. This one is about seven "bad girls" who live together in L.A. The opener highlights the roommates clashing after a night of drinking. Hmmm: drinking and fighting amongst themselves. Wasn't that on an episode of Real World once?
And if there was anyone still watching, MyNetworkTV's first telenovels end tonight.
Wednesday, Dec 6
The King of Queens; CBS. 7 & 7:30 pm. Season premiere.
The ninth (and probably final) season begins. Let's all hope it's better than last season...
Wicked Wicked Games; MyNetworkTV. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Another 13-week telenovela; this one starring Tatum O'Neal.
Watch Over Me; MyNetworkTV. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Does it matter what it's about? I'm sure it's classy.
Dirty Dancing; WE. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Another f-ing reality series. This one's hosted by Chris Judd.
Twentyfourseven; MTV. 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
A reality-show Entourage ripoff. On MTV. I'm not even gonna comment.
Mythbusters (Discovery, 9 pm) will delve into what it would take for Santa's sleigh to fly.
Inside the NFL (HBO, 9 pm-- and lots of reairs during the week) welcomes back original hosts Len Dawson and Nick Buoniconti for the 30th Anniversary show. Now that's what classy really is.
Thursday, Dec 7
My Name is Earl airs a 2-parter at 7 pm and 7:30 pm.
Friday, Dec 8
Mean Girls. For those of you who don't get movie channels or haven't watched the DVD, here's a chance to see Lindsay Lohan in a good role-- and Tina Fey being funny (kinda rare on 30 Rock or SNL). TBS, 8 pm.
Hey, lunch is almost over. I'll get to Sunday's shows within the next day or two...
Incredible Journeys; Animal Planet. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Documentary about animals who migrate. This week: a polar bear.
The Eleventh Hour; BBC America. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere
Patrick freakin' Stewart plays a crime-solving physics professor. Stewart + BBC America = Must See.
Supernanny, ABC. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Third Season. A perfect lead-in to What About Brian. :)
And CBS is reairing the season two premiere of How I Met Your Mother at 7:30. Here's your chance to check it out if you still haven't taken my advice and watched it yet.
Tuesday, Dec 5
Campus Ladies; Oxygen. 10 pm. Season Premiere.
Cash and Treasures; Travel. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Host becky Worley travels the country looking for vaulable, offbeat items.
Bad Girls Club; Oxygen. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Another booze-soaked "reality" show from the producers of The Real World. This one is about seven "bad girls" who live together in L.A. The opener highlights the roommates clashing after a night of drinking. Hmmm: drinking and fighting amongst themselves. Wasn't that on an episode of Real World once?
And if there was anyone still watching, MyNetworkTV's first telenovels end tonight.
Wednesday, Dec 6
The King of Queens; CBS. 7 & 7:30 pm. Season premiere.
The ninth (and probably final) season begins. Let's all hope it's better than last season...
Wicked Wicked Games; MyNetworkTV. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Another 13-week telenovela; this one starring Tatum O'Neal.
Watch Over Me; MyNetworkTV. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Does it matter what it's about? I'm sure it's classy.
Dirty Dancing; WE. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Another f-ing reality series. This one's hosted by Chris Judd.
Twentyfourseven; MTV. 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
A reality-show Entourage ripoff. On MTV. I'm not even gonna comment.
Mythbusters (Discovery, 9 pm) will delve into what it would take for Santa's sleigh to fly.
Inside the NFL (HBO, 9 pm-- and lots of reairs during the week) welcomes back original hosts Len Dawson and Nick Buoniconti for the 30th Anniversary show. Now that's what classy really is.
Thursday, Dec 7
My Name is Earl airs a 2-parter at 7 pm and 7:30 pm.
Friday, Dec 8
Mean Girls. For those of you who don't get movie channels or haven't watched the DVD, here's a chance to see Lindsay Lohan in a good role-- and Tina Fey being funny (kinda rare on 30 Rock or SNL). TBS, 8 pm.
Hey, lunch is almost over. I'll get to Sunday's shows within the next day or two...
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Must See TV?
Fantastic News about NBC's new Thursday comedy block:
It was a success! Each show experienced some of their the highest ratings of the season.
My Name Is Earl had 9.5 million total viewers; best since Oct 12.
The Office had 9.7 mil; best since Sept 21 (awesome as that was the season premiere that "answered" the Jim/Pam finale).
Scrubs had 7.7 mil; best since Feb 28.
30 Rock had about 6.56 million-- and got a full-season pickup on Friday after the numbers came in.
The numbers aren't fantastic, but we all should be happy that if NBC stuck with the shows with lower numbers, that's pretty good news for these four shows (especially with 30's back nine pickup).
To put things in perspective, Ugly Betty had 13.85 million viewers and Grey's Anatomy had 24.27 million. But, other than Betty, there are no other comedies airing that night, so the counter-programming attempt seems to have worked-- thankfully (especially for Scrubs, which is continually on the verge of non-renewal).
Good news for the first episode of Men In Trees to air on Thursday as well: it had its highest numbers since its premiere (11.85 mil) and took second in its slot (Shark was a repeat, BTW).
It was a success! Each show experienced some of their the highest ratings of the season.
My Name Is Earl had 9.5 million total viewers; best since Oct 12.
The Office had 9.7 mil; best since Sept 21 (awesome as that was the season premiere that "answered" the Jim/Pam finale).
Scrubs had 7.7 mil; best since Feb 28.
30 Rock had about 6.56 million-- and got a full-season pickup on Friday after the numbers came in.
The numbers aren't fantastic, but we all should be happy that if NBC stuck with the shows with lower numbers, that's pretty good news for these four shows (especially with 30's back nine pickup).
To put things in perspective, Ugly Betty had 13.85 million viewers and Grey's Anatomy had 24.27 million. But, other than Betty, there are no other comedies airing that night, so the counter-programming attempt seems to have worked-- thankfully (especially for Scrubs, which is continually on the verge of non-renewal).
Good news for the first episode of Men In Trees to air on Thursday as well: it had its highest numbers since its premiere (11.85 mil) and took second in its slot (Shark was a repeat, BTW).
Friday, December 01, 2006
NBC Mid-Season News
Finally, a network stepped up and announced its mid-season schedule. Predictably, it's NBC, which has some hits again-- but not a good schedule to fit them in yet.
Dateline NBC takes over the Tuesdays at 7 pm spot beginning Dec 26.
Friday Night Lights moves to Wednesdays at 7 pm starting Jan 10, followed by Deal or No Deal. The move should keep it out of the horrorshow that American Idol would inflict upon it on Tuesdays. But it still has to lead off the night, which is gonna be tough.
Grease: You're the One That I Want (a reality contest to find actors for the Broadway revival) begins Sunday, Jan 7 at 7 pm followed by the show that should just die already: The Apprentice (Season 6 in L.A.) at 8:30 pm. Crossing Jordan takes the Sunday at 9 pm slot starting Jan 21.
The supposed-to-be-good Black Donnellys will finally premiere in early March and will take Studio 60's spot (leaving four episodes unaired-- unless they find another spot for it; it's a very lucky show to enjoy the Heroes lead-in for much longer than most people would have expected). And Raines will take over Las Vegas' timeslot in early March as well.
Dateline NBC takes over the Tuesdays at 7 pm spot beginning Dec 26.
Friday Night Lights moves to Wednesdays at 7 pm starting Jan 10, followed by Deal or No Deal. The move should keep it out of the horrorshow that American Idol would inflict upon it on Tuesdays. But it still has to lead off the night, which is gonna be tough.
Grease: You're the One That I Want (a reality contest to find actors for the Broadway revival) begins Sunday, Jan 7 at 7 pm followed by the show that should just die already: The Apprentice (Season 6 in L.A.) at 8:30 pm. Crossing Jordan takes the Sunday at 9 pm slot starting Jan 21.
The supposed-to-be-good Black Donnellys will finally premiere in early March and will take Studio 60's spot (leaving four episodes unaired-- unless they find another spot for it; it's a very lucky show to enjoy the Heroes lead-in for much longer than most people would have expected). And Raines will take over Las Vegas' timeslot in early March as well.
Maybe It's Cursed
3 lbs got the ax after three episodes.
Oddly enough, it was in the Tuesday at 9 pm slot that Smith resided in for all of three episodes earlier this season.
Two shows down in less than three months, both starring great actors. How did Jericho make it at this network?
Thankfully, CBS has planty of CSI-related shows they can throw in there-- assuming they don't think the timeslot is cursed.
Oddly enough, it was in the Tuesday at 9 pm slot that Smith resided in for all of three episodes earlier this season.
Two shows down in less than three months, both starring great actors. How did Jericho make it at this network?
Thankfully, CBS has planty of CSI-related shows they can throw in there-- assuming they don't think the timeslot is cursed.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
A MUST SEE show to watch out for
One of the best shows I watched all year, Bodies, is re-airing on BBC America Tuesday am (Dec 5) from 2 am to 5 am (episodes 1-3) and Wednesday am (Dec 6) from 2 am to 5 am (episodes 4-6). That's right: over the course of two mornings, the entire series is airing. Put a tape in or set the DVR.
This six-episode series is amazing. It is truly one of the best shows I've ever watched.
The show follows Rob Lake, a new doctor in the Ob Gyn department of a city hospital as he runs up against his incompetent boss, Roger Hurley. Rob makes a mistake, and Roger covers it up. Roger makes a mistake, and Rob looks the other way. Roger makes another mistake and Rob starts to question his boss' abilities. More and more mistakes, and Rob finds himself in a no-win situation: report his boss and lose his job and career or keep quiet and lose his soul.
You'd think you could easily guess how the story will go, but this isn't American TV. Rob Lake is no Doug Ross (George Clooney's flawed, but heroic character on ER). He doesn't want to lose his job-- especially knowing that Hurley could and will bury his career. He also isn't the most moral man, either; letting a mistake he made be covered up-- or having an affair with a married woman.
As with many BBC America shows, it takes an episode or two to get into. DON'T be discouraged if you aren't feeling a pay-off by the end of the first hour. Most times, a BBC America series is made to be 6 or so episodes long, start to finish, so they often utilize the full episode order to tell a complete story; a luxury American shows don't have.
But be warned: this is a very dark show. Very bloody and very emotional (could they have chosen a more heart-wrenching place to have these mistakes than a birthing unit?).
If you can stomach the blood, the emotions, and the nebulous morality of this show, the rewards will be tremendous.
Seriously, record it and give yourself an afternoon or evening to watch it, start to finish. It gets my highest recommendation. This was the show that made me buy a cable box, so I could record the series to tape to keep (until a DVD set is released, of course).
For added fun, you might recognize the actor who plays Roger Hurley. Yes, it's Patrick Baladi from BBC America's The Office. He played David Brent's boss Neil Godwin on the second season; a nice bloke, who was very friendly and down-to-earth. In Bodies, Baladi plays Hurley as a similar character, outwardly (nice, caring), but Hurley will do anything to maintain his status at the hospital, and there's a very dark side to this character.
This six-episode series is amazing. It is truly one of the best shows I've ever watched.
The show follows Rob Lake, a new doctor in the Ob Gyn department of a city hospital as he runs up against his incompetent boss, Roger Hurley. Rob makes a mistake, and Roger covers it up. Roger makes a mistake, and Rob looks the other way. Roger makes another mistake and Rob starts to question his boss' abilities. More and more mistakes, and Rob finds himself in a no-win situation: report his boss and lose his job and career or keep quiet and lose his soul.
You'd think you could easily guess how the story will go, but this isn't American TV. Rob Lake is no Doug Ross (George Clooney's flawed, but heroic character on ER). He doesn't want to lose his job-- especially knowing that Hurley could and will bury his career. He also isn't the most moral man, either; letting a mistake he made be covered up-- or having an affair with a married woman.
As with many BBC America shows, it takes an episode or two to get into. DON'T be discouraged if you aren't feeling a pay-off by the end of the first hour. Most times, a BBC America series is made to be 6 or so episodes long, start to finish, so they often utilize the full episode order to tell a complete story; a luxury American shows don't have.
But be warned: this is a very dark show. Very bloody and very emotional (could they have chosen a more heart-wrenching place to have these mistakes than a birthing unit?).
If you can stomach the blood, the emotions, and the nebulous morality of this show, the rewards will be tremendous.
Seriously, record it and give yourself an afternoon or evening to watch it, start to finish. It gets my highest recommendation. This was the show that made me buy a cable box, so I could record the series to tape to keep (until a DVD set is released, of course).
For added fun, you might recognize the actor who plays Roger Hurley. Yes, it's Patrick Baladi from BBC America's The Office. He played David Brent's boss Neil Godwin on the second season; a nice bloke, who was very friendly and down-to-earth. In Bodies, Baladi plays Hurley as a similar character, outwardly (nice, caring), but Hurley will do anything to maintain his status at the hospital, and there's a very dark side to this character.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Hey, I read a little, too
I know I focus on TV, big time. Especially during the Fantasy Football season when most of my computer time is spent on my teams (I'm #1 in one league and #2 in the other, so it's paying off).
But I also find time to read. I go on spurts where I read a ton. The last month has been one of those times.
I've promoted library use before, and I will again. If libraries have done anything for me beyond expanding my horizons, so to speak, they also force me to read. Because unlike when I buy books (which doesn't happen so much anymore-- which is okay since I've got hundreds on shelves at home), when I borrow them from the library, I have to take them back.
So I usually end up reading them.
Here's what I've read in the last few weeks:
The Van Halen Encyclopedia, C. J. Chilvers.
I'm a big Van Halen fan. Probably a bigger fan than most. I have every album, nearly every solo work any member has done, an enormous collection of magazines with interviews of any band member, and I've also tried to keep up on the goings on of the members throughout the years.
C.J. Chilvers is a mega-fan. This labor of love must have been an enormous undertaking. He's listed every album, release dates, dates they went gold, platinum, diamond. He's got every album of every member (including Hagar and Roth's solo work, and albums Cherone has been on). He's got as many tour dates as he could dig up (and even gives the usual set list-- or any aberrations).
There's a ton of info in this book.
I plan to hunt down a copy and buy it for my book shelf someday. That's probably the highest recommendation I can give.
Sir Apropos of Nothing, Peter David.
I'm a long-time Peter David fan. It began when he revolutionized the comic book The Incredible Hulk (which I was really lucky to get in on just as he started his 10-year run). I was the owner of some of his earliest work in books (the great Knight Life) until a copy I lent out never came back (it took me years to track down another copy). I can't/won't claim to have read all of his novel work; I'm probably closer to having read about half his work. Apropos, at 500 pages, is, by far, his longest work, and did he ever pack in the story.
Apropos is about as low in the medieval food-chain as one can get (bastard son of a whore who lives in the back room of a tavern), and he's not a very heroic character by any means. In fact, his entire existence is to exist. So he's not about to stick his neck out for someone else. David uses a first person narrative, which is about the only way an outwardly unsympathetic character can gain any possibility of sympathy from the reader. It works very well.
As can be expected in a fantasy novel (which this one is very accessible to any reader), Apropos finds himself in an adventure (actually, a long string of many adventures). I won't go into detail, but let's just say there's enough here to sustain an entire series of books.
As with most Peter David books I've read, the tone of the book is very playful. There's loads of humor and wordplay, and that can be a little offputting to some. I'll admit, once in a while the names pulled me out of the book briefly. Names like Apropos, Sir Umbrage (Apropos "had to take Umbrage"), Queen Beatrice (who likes to be known as Bea; Queen Bea), and King Meander (whose kingdom is a gypsy-like caravan; you know, it meanders from place to place). But that's a small quibble. There's also a number of pretty graphic scenes, some of which involve battles (or Apropos' ways of getting out of battles) and some of which involve sex (no Penthouse-style stuff, but it was in stark contrast to the rest of the book) which probably hit so hard because the book is so playful otherwise.
But I really did like this book, and I've got the next in the series (Woad to Wuin) on hold at the library.
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth, Jenny McCarthy.
Yes, that Jenny McCarthy. The hot blonde, who may not be a great actress, but knows what she's good at-- being funny.
McCarthy took a chance and wrote this book for women. It's a chance because she can pretty much hook a readership of men (although there's no pictures in this book), but women are usually a little less forgiving to let a "hot chick" with no medical or writing experience tell them about pregnancy.
But McCarthy immediately puts herself down and shows she's no different than any other woman, and I'm sure she did a good job (as she's got two more books published since this one). You see, she had the worst pregnancy of anyone I've ever read or heard about. I can't imagine everything that goes on to women when they're pregnant-- even though I'm married to a mother of two-- but Jenny let me into her world.
And she didn't use flowery language. She had to pee like crazy, she puked, she was constipated, she feared crapping on the bed at the hospital (which many women do when giving birth, I guess) and she had much, much more bodily stuff go on that I probably should know.
I can't say this was a great book, but it was fun-- and very easy (and fast) to read. I liked it enough to start reading her next book Baby Laughs.
And saving the best for last:
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks
I don't really dig zombie movies. I've seen a few of the better ones (the original Night of the Living Dead and the comedy Shaun of the Dead) and I like the comic book series The Walking Dead, but zombies don't really do it for me.
But I really, really liked this book.
Brooks takes a very unique approach to this book. Imagine the earth was overrun by zombies, and humans had to fight back. Imagine the humans won (at least have made the planet nearly 100% zombie-free). Now imagine a journalist travelling the world and recording the stories of politicians, soldiers, military leaders, fathers, mothers, children, heroes, scumbags, astronauts, and on and on about their experiences during the Zombie War.
This entire book reads like dozens of people telling their stories. Each story is a few pages long, and all together, they tell a very whole tale.
I found the premise brilliant and very engaging. Each story tells a different piece of the war, or how the zombies acted, or how people reacted. Each storyteller comes from a different walk of life. Many stories move the plot along, others tell a very emotional tale, and a few even gave me the creeps.
I highly recommend this book. It's another easy one to read. As I said, each story is only a few pages long, so it's easy to find a break to set the book down if you're short on time.
But I'll say it is a very difficult book to put down. It pulls you in.
The only quibble I have is that there wasn't a timeline at the end of the book. It's not necessary to the story, but as a reader who was fascinated by the world, I was hoping for a way to really see how long the war took (was it three years? five? it was less than ten?) and how the zombie invasion progressed and then was repelled.
But I suppose I'll have to read it again, and maybe this time, I'll note the places/events as they're told so I can have a concise overview of the war.
Or maybe I'll cheat and Google it...
But I also find time to read. I go on spurts where I read a ton. The last month has been one of those times.
I've promoted library use before, and I will again. If libraries have done anything for me beyond expanding my horizons, so to speak, they also force me to read. Because unlike when I buy books (which doesn't happen so much anymore-- which is okay since I've got hundreds on shelves at home), when I borrow them from the library, I have to take them back.
So I usually end up reading them.
Here's what I've read in the last few weeks:
The Van Halen Encyclopedia, C. J. Chilvers.
I'm a big Van Halen fan. Probably a bigger fan than most. I have every album, nearly every solo work any member has done, an enormous collection of magazines with interviews of any band member, and I've also tried to keep up on the goings on of the members throughout the years.
C.J. Chilvers is a mega-fan. This labor of love must have been an enormous undertaking. He's listed every album, release dates, dates they went gold, platinum, diamond. He's got every album of every member (including Hagar and Roth's solo work, and albums Cherone has been on). He's got as many tour dates as he could dig up (and even gives the usual set list-- or any aberrations).
There's a ton of info in this book.
I plan to hunt down a copy and buy it for my book shelf someday. That's probably the highest recommendation I can give.
Sir Apropos of Nothing, Peter David.
I'm a long-time Peter David fan. It began when he revolutionized the comic book The Incredible Hulk (which I was really lucky to get in on just as he started his 10-year run). I was the owner of some of his earliest work in books (the great Knight Life) until a copy I lent out never came back (it took me years to track down another copy). I can't/won't claim to have read all of his novel work; I'm probably closer to having read about half his work. Apropos, at 500 pages, is, by far, his longest work, and did he ever pack in the story.
Apropos is about as low in the medieval food-chain as one can get (bastard son of a whore who lives in the back room of a tavern), and he's not a very heroic character by any means. In fact, his entire existence is to exist. So he's not about to stick his neck out for someone else. David uses a first person narrative, which is about the only way an outwardly unsympathetic character can gain any possibility of sympathy from the reader. It works very well.
As can be expected in a fantasy novel (which this one is very accessible to any reader), Apropos finds himself in an adventure (actually, a long string of many adventures). I won't go into detail, but let's just say there's enough here to sustain an entire series of books.
As with most Peter David books I've read, the tone of the book is very playful. There's loads of humor and wordplay, and that can be a little offputting to some. I'll admit, once in a while the names pulled me out of the book briefly. Names like Apropos, Sir Umbrage (Apropos "had to take Umbrage"), Queen Beatrice (who likes to be known as Bea; Queen Bea), and King Meander (whose kingdom is a gypsy-like caravan; you know, it meanders from place to place). But that's a small quibble. There's also a number of pretty graphic scenes, some of which involve battles (or Apropos' ways of getting out of battles) and some of which involve sex (no Penthouse-style stuff, but it was in stark contrast to the rest of the book) which probably hit so hard because the book is so playful otherwise.
But I really did like this book, and I've got the next in the series (Woad to Wuin) on hold at the library.
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth, Jenny McCarthy.
Yes, that Jenny McCarthy. The hot blonde, who may not be a great actress, but knows what she's good at-- being funny.
McCarthy took a chance and wrote this book for women. It's a chance because she can pretty much hook a readership of men (although there's no pictures in this book), but women are usually a little less forgiving to let a "hot chick" with no medical or writing experience tell them about pregnancy.
But McCarthy immediately puts herself down and shows she's no different than any other woman, and I'm sure she did a good job (as she's got two more books published since this one). You see, she had the worst pregnancy of anyone I've ever read or heard about. I can't imagine everything that goes on to women when they're pregnant-- even though I'm married to a mother of two-- but Jenny let me into her world.
And she didn't use flowery language. She had to pee like crazy, she puked, she was constipated, she feared crapping on the bed at the hospital (which many women do when giving birth, I guess) and she had much, much more bodily stuff go on that I probably should know.
I can't say this was a great book, but it was fun-- and very easy (and fast) to read. I liked it enough to start reading her next book Baby Laughs.
And saving the best for last:
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks
I don't really dig zombie movies. I've seen a few of the better ones (the original Night of the Living Dead and the comedy Shaun of the Dead) and I like the comic book series The Walking Dead, but zombies don't really do it for me.
But I really, really liked this book.
Brooks takes a very unique approach to this book. Imagine the earth was overrun by zombies, and humans had to fight back. Imagine the humans won (at least have made the planet nearly 100% zombie-free). Now imagine a journalist travelling the world and recording the stories of politicians, soldiers, military leaders, fathers, mothers, children, heroes, scumbags, astronauts, and on and on about their experiences during the Zombie War.
This entire book reads like dozens of people telling their stories. Each story is a few pages long, and all together, they tell a very whole tale.
I found the premise brilliant and very engaging. Each story tells a different piece of the war, or how the zombies acted, or how people reacted. Each storyteller comes from a different walk of life. Many stories move the plot along, others tell a very emotional tale, and a few even gave me the creeps.
I highly recommend this book. It's another easy one to read. As I said, each story is only a few pages long, so it's easy to find a break to set the book down if you're short on time.
But I'll say it is a very difficult book to put down. It pulls you in.
The only quibble I have is that there wasn't a timeline at the end of the book. It's not necessary to the story, but as a reader who was fascinated by the world, I was hoping for a way to really see how long the war took (was it three years? five? it was less than ten?) and how the zombie invasion progressed and then was repelled.
But I suppose I'll have to read it again, and maybe this time, I'll note the places/events as they're told so I can have a concise overview of the war.
Or maybe I'll cheat and Google it...
PRISON BREAK-- non spoilers
Holy Sh**!!!!
Okay, I did not see that coming (until 30 seconds before it happened).
But I wish I would have told SOMEONE about my prediction as I was hoping/expecting one of the characters to do what he ended up doing.
I even e-mailed my friend, Tom, today and almost told him my prediction, but since I didn't know if he's been watching, I didn't mention it.
Well, the producers said "no one is safe", and this episode proves it.
Did anyone else notice the last shot of Bellick was an identical one of Schofield very early on in the series? I really dig Wade (Bellick) Williams, so I hope we continue to see more of him.
Thankfully, we only have until Jan 29 to see what happens (I know FOX was touting Jan 22, but I've been reading that the first date is a recap show to get us primed for the remaining episodes).
Okay, I did not see that coming (until 30 seconds before it happened).
But I wish I would have told SOMEONE about my prediction as I was hoping/expecting one of the characters to do what he ended up doing.
I even e-mailed my friend, Tom, today and almost told him my prediction, but since I didn't know if he's been watching, I didn't mention it.
Well, the producers said "no one is safe", and this episode proves it.
Did anyone else notice the last shot of Bellick was an identical one of Schofield very early on in the series? I really dig Wade (Bellick) Williams, so I hope we continue to see more of him.
Thankfully, we only have until Jan 29 to see what happens (I know FOX was touting Jan 22, but I've been reading that the first date is a recap show to get us primed for the remaining episodes).
Premieres and Notables 11/27- 12/3
Big Week; I'll try to get through them all. If not, expect Part 2 a little later.
Monday, 11/27
The Fall Season of Prison Break ends tonight in what's supposed to be a pretty high-octane episode (I've heard rumblings that another major character bites it this ep) loaded with cliff-hangers. It's been confirmed that the break will be a short one this year, as the show comes back on 1/22 to a recap show, and then with new eps starting 1/29-- with no repeats until the season ends.
For those of you wondering-- The conspiracy storyline is supposed to end this season, so there will be a close to the two-year storyline. Things are hush-hush on next year's storyline, but the body count is supposed to be so high that there are only a handful of characters left to embark on the new story next season. I'm hoping it'll be Schofield hunting T-Bag.
My Super Sweet 16, MTV. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Fourth season? Seriously?
10 Items or Less, TBS. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Another partly-improvised comedy; this time, a guy returns home to run the family store.
Tuesday, 11/28
My Boys, TBS. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Comedy about a tomboy sports journalist and the male friends she hangs with. It's gotten good reviews so far. Check it out.
Dirty Jobs, Discovery. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
American Gangster, BET. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Profiles on infamous black criminals and their stories, while taking pains to not glorify them.
Wednesday, 11/29
My Celebrity Home, Style. 8 pm. Season premiere
Undercover History, National Geographic. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Fresh perspecitves on unsolved events in history.
Corkscrewed, FOX Reality. 7:30. Series Premiere.
Reality series of two American Idol producers and their efforts to buy and maintain a vineyard.
Thursday, 11/30
NBC gets back "Must See TV" with My Name is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock, and the season Premiere of Scrubs.
***Alert: the episode of The Office is written by the original series creator: Ricky Gervais. This is MUST SEE TV, right here.***
Crimes That Shook the World, Discovery. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Horrifying crimes are recalled. This week's ep: the BTK killer.
Friday, 12/1
BBC America is running new series and season premieres in it's Friday comedy block.
My Family (8 pm), The Worst Week of My Life (8:40), and Black Book (10:30)
I love this channel, and will be checking out most of these.
That's it. Unless you want to check out the new The Librarian: The Return to King Solomon's Mines (Sunday, TNT, 7 pm) or Big in '06 Awards (Sunday, VH1, 8 pm). I'm sure they're both garbage...
Monday, 11/27
The Fall Season of Prison Break ends tonight in what's supposed to be a pretty high-octane episode (I've heard rumblings that another major character bites it this ep) loaded with cliff-hangers. It's been confirmed that the break will be a short one this year, as the show comes back on 1/22 to a recap show, and then with new eps starting 1/29-- with no repeats until the season ends.
For those of you wondering-- The conspiracy storyline is supposed to end this season, so there will be a close to the two-year storyline. Things are hush-hush on next year's storyline, but the body count is supposed to be so high that there are only a handful of characters left to embark on the new story next season. I'm hoping it'll be Schofield hunting T-Bag.
My Super Sweet 16, MTV. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Fourth season? Seriously?
10 Items or Less, TBS. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Another partly-improvised comedy; this time, a guy returns home to run the family store.
Tuesday, 11/28
My Boys, TBS. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Comedy about a tomboy sports journalist and the male friends she hangs with. It's gotten good reviews so far. Check it out.
Dirty Jobs, Discovery. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
American Gangster, BET. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Profiles on infamous black criminals and their stories, while taking pains to not glorify them.
Wednesday, 11/29
My Celebrity Home, Style. 8 pm. Season premiere
Undercover History, National Geographic. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Fresh perspecitves on unsolved events in history.
Corkscrewed, FOX Reality. 7:30. Series Premiere.
Reality series of two American Idol producers and their efforts to buy and maintain a vineyard.
Thursday, 11/30
NBC gets back "Must See TV" with My Name is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock, and the season Premiere of Scrubs.
***Alert: the episode of The Office is written by the original series creator: Ricky Gervais. This is MUST SEE TV, right here.***
Crimes That Shook the World, Discovery. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Horrifying crimes are recalled. This week's ep: the BTK killer.
Friday, 12/1
BBC America is running new series and season premieres in it's Friday comedy block.
My Family (8 pm), The Worst Week of My Life (8:40), and Black Book (10:30)
I love this channel, and will be checking out most of these.
That's it. Unless you want to check out the new The Librarian: The Return to King Solomon's Mines (Sunday, TNT, 7 pm) or Big in '06 Awards (Sunday, VH1, 8 pm). I'm sure they're both garbage...
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