teameck's entertainment

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Premieres and Notables August 13-19, 2007

Monday, 8/13

Sesame Street; PBS. 8 am CST (check your local listings). Season Premiere.
Season thirty-eight (!!!) begins with a visit from Tina Fey.

Slacker Cats; ABC Family. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
All I know is it's about two slacker cats-- and it's animated.

Weeds; Showtime. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
The third season of the show starring drop dead gorgeous Mary-Louise Parker as a ganja-peddling mom begins.

Californication; Showtime. 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
David Duchovny stars a s a hack writer who nails any female with a heartbeat. Okay, I'm sure there's more to it; I just haven't heard more about it.

Tuesday 8/14

I Wanna Be a Soap Star; Soapnet. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Wow-- this show made it through three seasons?

Tori & Dean: Inn Love; Oxygen. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
And this show actually made it through one season and is working on Season Two?

Thursday, 8/16

Today is the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, and there will be lots of his movies on TCM from 5 am until about 11 pm.

TV Land will be airing Elvis specials from 11 am to 9:30 pm.

Sunday, 8/19

American Princess; WE. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
These women compete for a chance to win a $50 grand, a date with a European aristocrat, and a British title? Wow...

2007 Fall First Look; TVGuide Network. 7 pm. Special.
Here's an early look at the new shows coming up in the 2007-2008 TV season.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

That Ellis Guy is a Little Off

I know none of my known readerbase reads comic books, but once in a whiole I like to throw it in here.

There's a writer named Warren Ellis who has a big following because he's great (think Spielberg for comics). He also gives great interviews. You don't have to be a comic fan to laugh at this dude's answers.

http://www.newsarama.com/Comic-Con_07/Marvel/AXMEllis.html

Carl Rules

Ahhhhh-- don't read below.

Son... of... a... Bitch!!!!

Well, I obviously don't understand the posting order of this blog.

Sorry, but the next post is the Star Wars Sacrifice review with spoilers, and the one after it is without spoilers. After that is the premieres post for this week I posted last night, and before that are some links to [adult swim] clips I really liked that started last week but posted today.

Sorry for the confusion.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

SW "Sacrifice"-- Spoilers

This blog-thing is tough to wrap my head around sometimes. I wrote the non-spoiler version of events first, but have to post that one second, so no one reads the spoilers in this one by accident.

Okay, Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice is being written about here. Not in any great detail, but with definite spoilers. So, if you don't want it ruined-- and trust me, if you have any inkling you'd like to read this book, then you do not want the plot ruined-- then stop reading.

Seriously.

Spoilers coming.

And here they are:

Jacen Solo is the head of the Galactic Alliance Guard, which has been likened to the Empire (and Jacen has been likened to his grandfather Darth Vader of late as well), and he is using his GAG power to further his goals to become ruler of the galaxy by setting up assassinations as well as working inside the government to find loopholes for him to gain power. In the first few books of the series, he really did believe he could peacefully rule the galaxy, so it was in the galaxy's best interests to have him be the supreme ruler. Lately, though, he hasn't been thinking that way; it's all about power-- and protecting himself and his loved ones (namely his lover and their child).

He has also sent his (unofficial) apprentice Ben Skywalker on a number of dangerous missions to test his mettle as his Sith apprentice (unbeknownst to Ben). Lumiya has been telling him he needs to make a sacrifice of the thing he loves most, and if it's not his parents or his lover (Tenel Ka) and child (Allana), it must be Ben, who has still not wavered in his belief that Jacen's methods are the right ones. In Sacrifice, Jacen sends the fourteen year-old Ben to assassinate the leader of the Correllian people, which he does, and causes Ben to lose a good friend during the mission.

Meanwhile, Jacen has a warrant out for his parents' arrest for the death of Thracken Sal-Solo. He had the chance to capture them, but choose to fire at them instead, badly damaging the Millenium Falcon. He later abandoned them as the space station they were all aboard was coming apart; basically leaving them to die. There was very little Han and Leia in Sacrifice (the events mentioned here are from previous books, namely Exile), but it shows how far Jacen has gone.

As for the Skywalkers, Jacen has taken Ben under his wing in the hopes that Ben will be his Sith apprentice. But Lumiya has been trying to steer him away from Ben, so Jacen and Lumiya (through Jacen) have been sending Ben out on missions with the secondary design that he may not come back. Luke and Mara haven't been fond of Jacen's actions, and they know Lumiya has been hanging around the GAG-- but they think Jacen is just being influnced by others in GAG that Lumiya has gotten to, not that Jacen and her have a relationship already. Luke has been hesitant to confront Jacen for his actions because he doesn't know how far he's gone to the Dark Side and thinks Jacen can pull himself back (just as Luke, Mara, Jaina, et al have done). Mara has defended Jacen because he helped Ben come to grips with the Force so much in the past. But both parents wish Ben had less to do with Jacen.

Boba Fett, now the Mandalore of his people, has been dying. In Sacrifice, he found a cure for his condition. And the Mandalorians have found a lost deposit of Beskar, an ore that can create nearly invulnerable armor, so their stock in the galaxy has just gone up. The Mandalorians are already at work creating a powerful starfighter fleet to protect themselves from the threat of Jacen Solo and the Galactic Alliance when Keldabe and the Madalorians stand against them.

On a more personal note, when Boba was dying, he felt the need to reach out to his daughter and granddaughter. But his reconciliation with his daughter, Ailyn, was cut short when Jacen tortured and killed her during an investigation. Now Fett and his granddaughter, Mirta, are getting to know each other while Boba bides his time before going after Jacen. Fett knows what the Dark Side looks like due to his relationship with Vader, and he knows Jacen has chosen that path. But he wants the galaxy to suffer a bit because it has allowed Jacen to get as far as he has, so he hasn't begun hunting him yet.

At the end of Sacrifice, Mara Jade Skywalker confronts Jacen, and they have a battle. Mara had the upper hand until Jacen "cheated" and poisoned her. Mara's last words were that Ben would never fall to Jacen. Lumiya took the blame for Mara's death, and Luke killed her. Luke was broken up over Mara's death, but still didn't like killing Lumiya. He felt even worse when Ben told him he was with Lumiya when his mom died, so she couldn't have done it. Ben also found out that Jacen had been working with Lumiya and had sent Ben on missions to die. The Skywalkers don't have proof that Jacen killed Mara, but Mara elected not to join the Force when she died, leaving her body behind as evidence. It's only a matter of time before Jacen is found out.

But Jacen has been gaining power little by little and has now made himself Co-Head of the Galactic Alliance, one of the two most powerful people in the galaxy. But will it be enough? There are four books left in the series, and Jacen has gone as far as he can in secret. His murder of Mara led to the sacrifice he knew he had to make. Killing Mara will send Ben into a rage once it's found out that Jacen did it. Anger leads to the Dark Side. Jacen just set up Ben to be his apprentice and eventually his successor. He sacrificed the love and admiration Ben had for him. And he's all alone.

Let's trace the paths that lead to Jacen:

When the Correllians find out Jacen played a part in the damage to their powerful Centerpoint Station as well as the assassination of their Head of State, there will be a revolt.

When the populace of the Galactic Alliance figure out Jacen set all the conflict into motion-- and killed his own Jedi aunt-- there will be a revolt.

The Hapes Consotium has allowed Jacen to do his thing, but when his actions within the galaxy and to his parents-- along with the murder of Mara-- come to light, will even Jacen's lover and queen Tenel Ka forgive him?

And don't forget the politicians of each faction would benefit if Jacen was taken off the table.

Boba Fett has Jacen in his sights for killing his daughter, but has been hanging back until he found a cure for the deterioration of his body. Now that he has it, he's waiting back to make the GA pay for allowing Jacen such power. But sooner or later, Fett will make his move, and he will not stop until Jacen is underground.

Han has disowned Jacen for his actions; and Han will also put him down like a rabid dog once he pieces it all together.

Leia is not a fan of being a fugitive and being shot at by her son, and when she finds out about Mara, it's gonna hit the fan.

Jaina has been screwed with by Jacen. He stripped her of her GA rank. He nearly killed her when his ship nearly destroyed the Millenium Falcon. He killed her Master, Mara. Jaina is the "Sword of the Jedi", and while I don't know what that means, it sounds pretty badass. When she catches up to Jacen, I expect she'll do bad things to him.

The Jedi are starting to agree that Jacen is out of control, but they've held back because Luke has asked them to. When they find out Jacen has killed Mara-- as well as Nelani-- they may not stay in the background any longer.

Luke has known for quite a while that Jacen is following the path to the Dark Side, but has hoped he'd find his way back. When he finds out what Jacen has been doing to Ben, it'll get ugly. When he realizes Jacen killed Mara, it'll get destructive. Add to that the guilt Luke feels for killing Lumiya, thinking she killed Mara, and Jacen may not be able to hide. Jacen is stronger in the Force than Luke, but Luke has beaten the odds before.

Finally, Ben has proof that Jacen lied to him about Nelani's death and that he has been working with Lumiya. He also knows Jacen expected him to die a number of times on various missions Jacen sent him on. He knows Jacen is training to be a Sith. It will not take very long at all for him to piece together how his mother died. Ben knows Jacen needs to be stopped, but when the truth about Mara's death comes to light, Ben will take it upon himself to do it alone. Jacen may have more knowledge of the Force and the Dark Side, but Ben will have revenge on his mind, and that can be the deciding factor when it comes to the Dark Side.

Jacen has pretty much the galaxy against him, but he has completed his final task to become a Sith Lord. Sacrifice ended with Jacen declaring he was Darth Caedus.

Like I said before, I am really into this series, and I recommed it to anyone who is a fan of the of the Star Wars Universe. You may want to read it now because if the body count of fairly major Expanded Universe characters (Mara, Lumiya, Sal-Solo) keeps going up, there may not be much left. I really don't know how Jacen can survive the upcoming onslaught. I just hope they don't cop out and have him redeem himself like Vader did.

On thing I dislike about the series is the tendency to foreshadow major characters with the book covers. In Betrayal, Jacen was the one character on the cover. About half-way through the book, I realized Jacen was the one to do the major betrayal because of the cover (and what I had been reading), even though Jacen's big moment didn't come until the end. Once I figured out Mara was the cover feature of Sacrifice (Mara had to be in her 60s while the cover showed someone who looked to be in her 20s-- maybe Maybelline is really good in a galaxy far far away), I knew she was the sacrifice of the title.

Let's look at the cover again, shall we?

Maybe it was a misdirection to have Jaina on the cover, but Jaina may have had ten pages (and that's generous) in the whole book, so it has to be Mara.

A Game-Changing Saga in the SW Universe

I've written before about the Star Wars: Legacy of the Force book series and how it has really pulled me back into the Star Wars Universe, and the latest book, Sacrifice, keeps up the momentum.

As I've revealed before, Jedi Knight Jacen Solo had a mission that led him to Sith apprentice Lumiya (the former Shira Brie, who has a history with Luke). Lumiya convinced Jacen that he was destined to become the newest Sith Lord. Unlike his grandfather Anakin, Jacen has slowly learned the Sith ways in order to bring the galaxy together peacefully. Book by book, Jacen has come closer and closer to fulfilling his Dark destiny until, finally, he has to make the sacrifice every apprentice has to make to ascend to Darth status.

In Sacrifice, Jacen finally takes that final step. And I must really be out of the fanboy loop (although I was never really into the Star Wars internet groups) because I'm surprised I never heard who Jacen kills because I know old school fans are probably going apeshit about it.

But it did make for a great surprise (sorta-- but I won't give it away until I give the proper alert later).

The author of this fifth out of nine book series, Karen Traviss, along with her Legacy collaborators (Troy Denning and Aaron Allston) was given a lot of leeway to make this series as suspensful as possible. There haven't been deaths on the level of Chewbacca's in the New Jedi Order series, but what we've gotten so far have been what are called "game changing". The Star Wars Universe will not be the same once it's done.

What I especially like about the series is it's simple and self-contained. I read the first few new Star Wars books in the '90s as well as the first few years worth of comic books, but the time span between five to seven years after Return of the Jedi and the 40 years later that Legacy of the Force falls into is pretty much a unknown slate. I know The Solo and Skywalker kids have grown up, Luke created a new Jedi Order and married Mara Jade, Jacen was captured and was exposed to the Dark Side, Chewbacca died, and Boba Fett became Mandalore; but the details of all that are lost to me. The series is also very much in the "feel" of the movies. Most of the books I've read before were just too alien for me; they never really "felt" Star Wars to me.

So check out these books. It's a great ride.

And I'd be remiss in not mentioning the gorgeous book cover by Jason Felix. It's very rare that I just study a piece of art like that, but more than a few times I closed the book and looked at the cover. Truly stunning work. [I suppose it doesn't hurt that Mara looks to be modeled after Famke Janssen.]

Premieres and Notables August 6-12, 2007

Sorry for the lack of posts. Busy week that's going to move into a busy month.

I was hoping to do some upgrades or at least a post about the first anniversary of this blog, but reality will probably keep me from it.

So, anyway, tomorrow will mark the one year point on this thing. Thanks to those who've been here from the start as well as those I've picked up on the way. The four readers I know I have have all propped me up in the last twelve months, so know that I really appreciate it. I wish I could do more, but knowing you this keep me going.

Okay-- the big stuff: this week's premieres:

Monday, 8/6

One of last year's best guest stars, Johnny Galecki, reprises his role as Trouty on My Boys (TBS, 9 pm). His other appearances on the show were great, and I can only expect the same here.

Fat March; ABC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Twelve overweight people walk from Massachusetts to Washington D.C. in a competition. And in a reality show must, competitors are voted off along the way.

Bait Car; Court TV. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Decked out cars with cameras and tracking devices lure car thieves-- and then bust them.

Mission: Man Band; VH1. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I don't normally mention VH1 shows, but this is just too pathetic: former members of 98 Degrees, LFO, Color Me Bad, and 'N Sync come together to form a new singing group.

And the show I was most obsessed about last season, Frisky Dingo, airs its first (and so far only) season on [adult swim] at 11:15 pm (with a repeat of the night's episode at 2:15 am) every weeknight beginning tonight. I love this show-- but I recommend not giving up on it after the first episode. The second is where it takes off; where we meet Awesome X. Xander Crews is a total Bruce Wayne clone taken to 11. There is a great scene in the second ep (airing Tuesday) where Xander is having relations with a hooker and his girlfriend shows up that has the classic line "Shut up, Hooker!". It's only a thirteen episode season (each ep is eleven minutes), so it's not a huge commitment.

Tuesday, 8/7

Power of 10; CBS. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Drew Carey hosts this game show that has increasing dollar amounts.

i-Caught; ABC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Six-part look at the booming video Internet craze and the effects it has on people.

LA Ink; TLC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Miami Ink's Kat Von D moves West and opens her own shop.

Wednesday, 8/8

Knights of Prosperity; ABC. 7:30 & 8:30. Burn-off.
ABC uses up two of the four episodes that never aired. The show was quirky, but it was really well done. Too bad it never caught on.

Cash Cab: After Dark; Discovery. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
It's Cash Cab-- at night.

Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Kansas City Chiefs; HBO. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
A series looking at, well, the Chiefs' training camp. Done by the best in the business: HBO.

Hotel Babylon; BBC America. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A London hotel helps guests live out their kinkiest fantasies. And it's on BBC America, so you know "kinky" is a prefect adjective.

Thursday, 8/9

Bounty Girls Miami; Court TV. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Yet another bounty-hunter reality show. This one features four Miami women who do their thing.

Friday, 8/10

Meerkat Manor; Animal Planet. 7:30. Season Premiere.
The third season of this hot show premieres.

Survivorman; Discovery. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Season two begins.

Flash Gordon; Sci Fi. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
The classic character gets modernized-- but retains a sense of fun (or "camp").

Going Tribal; Discovery. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
The third season begins.

Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge; CMT. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Vanilla Ice, Stephen Baldwin, and other "celebs" try their hand in bull riding.

[I can't believe I just wrote that... CMT has now made my "I will not waste anymore time mentioning their new shows" list. Sorry, readers; if you love this kind of stuff, check their website. I just can't do it anymore.]

Sunday, 8/12

Wedding Central; WE. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Everything you could possibly want to know about "the big day". The pilot looks at-- wait for it--wedding cakes! I'm so there!

Robot Chicken; [adult swim]. 10:30. Season Premiere.
The third season of this stop-motion "toy" show begins. I can't recommend this show in large doses, but fifteen minutes at a time is good, so check out these new eps. Recommended.

Friday, August 03, 2007

More Clips

Here are some official clips from [adult swim]. They don't have all of my favorite bits, but the quality is better than on YouTube... Sorry for the intros/ads.

William Murderface's bass solo on METALOCALYPSE. Classic.

Carl works a "classic" joke on AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE.

Master Shake takes his own life.

The X-Tacles learn what they did wrong on FRISKY DINGO.

Xander mixes genres amongst geeks.

Awesome X gets a surprise.

Xander gets a hooker.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

IRON MAN Armor Unveiled

The Iron Man "trailer" put together for the San Diego Comic Con this week got major buzz, so Marvel brought one of the armors (presumably the first in the movie) to the Con to show it off. Here's the link to the newsarama page with all the pictures, but here's a taste of it below:

And before you poo-poo it as looking like cobbled together crap, in the comic book (and we can assume the movie a well), Stark's first armor is cobbled together from whatever was available. Pics have "leaked out" as to what the "real" armor looks like, and it's much more technological-looking. See:

One last thing: props to director Jon Favreau for making physical armor (in at least some of the movie) instead of relying on (overdone) CGI.

Premieres and Notables July 30-August 5, 2007

Monday, 7/30

My Boys; TBS. 9 & 9:30 pm CST. Series Return.
Hey! A basic cable comedy that isn't pure crap! Actually, this is a pretty good (and funny) show. Jordana Spiro is a great lead, and the supporting actors (particularly the always funny Jim Gaffigan and one of my favorites: Kyle Howard) are very solid. Recommended.

Tuesday, 7/31

Flipping Out; Bravo. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Yet another reality series about a real-estate investor. This time, though the investor is a little wild. I'm sure that's what makes it so essential to add to the already over saturated "flipping" genre.

Murder; Spike. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Two teams of amateurs try to piece together the evidence to solve murders recreated from police files. I'm sure it'll be good; it's on Spike...

Wednesday, 8/1

The Nine returns to burn off the final episodes filmed but never aired (ABC, 9 pm). I liked the show (loved the pilot; one of the best I've ever watched), so I'll check it out.

Thursday, 8/2

Indie Sex; IFC. 11 pm. Series Premiere.
Four-part series that examines the debate over what's too graphic for film and television. I'm glad more and more people are asking this question (check out the DVD This Film is Not Yet Rated to get a look at the problem), and I'm pretty pissed I don't get this channel.

Friday, 8/3

Meerkat Manor Re-Cap Special; Animal Planet. 7:30. Special/recap.
This special recaps the past adventures of the meerkats before next week's season premiere. I checked out the series when it premiered and wasn't hooked (admittedly, I didn't give it a fair chance), but that just places me in the minority. I've heard nothing but rave reviews of this show. Might be worth checking out.

Saturday, 8/4

Fallen; ABC Family. 7 pm. Mini-series.
I don't fully understand this thing. I think a TV-movie about a half-man/half-angel was made last year that became successful enough to continue the story, and tonight and tomorrow have the last two parts? Best I can tell, the first movie airs tonight at 5; the new Part 2 at 7 tonight, and the new Part 3 tomorrow at 7.

Jekyll; BBC America. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
BBC America updates another classic. This time, a descendant of Dr. Jekyll must try to live a normal life despite his "other side".

Grand Slam; GSN. 6 pm. Series Premiere.
Dennis Miller hosts this quiz show, which pits 16 former game show winners against each other.

Masters of Science Fiction; ABC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Some of the best authors of science fiction have their stories receive the TV treatment in this anthology series, starring a number of TV actors.

Sunday, 8/5

Two IFC series begin their second seasons. The Business (10 pm) and The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman (10:30 pm).

The Company; TNT. 7 pm. Mini-series.
This six-hour mini-series (2 hrs each of the next three Sundays) adapts Robert Littell's novel about the rise of the CIA during the Cold War. It stars Chris O'Donnell, Alfred Molina, and Michael Keaton (I'm so there).

Taboo; National Geographic. 8 & 9 pm. Season premiere.
The second season begins for the show that looks at "odd" customs from around the world.

Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane; Style. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Another reality series centered around a diva. When will this insanity end?

And my favorite thing I've watched all summer is repeating tonight: the "Turn the Other Cheek" episode of Moral Orel (from 11:15-11:30 on [adult swim]). It is riotous. I wrote about it before right here. (Go ahead and click the link-- I'll wait). So if that wasn't enough incentive-- tape, DVR, or just watch this episode!!!

And the Pro Football season begins with the Saints and the Steelers facing off in the Hall of Fame Game. Not that I care-- I am just reminding myself that I need to get my crap together for the upcoming Fantasy Season. I've got a title to defend, you know...

Friday, July 27, 2007

Press Tour 2007 Final Two Days-- ABC

Well, the press tour has wrapped with the final two days going to ABC. Here's what my "men on the inside" thought:

Ausiello Day 1.
Ausiello Day 2.

Roush Day 1.
Roush Day 2.

For some Lost news from the San Diego Comic Con, check out this.

Monday, July 23, 2007

FOX Press Tour Day 2

FOX wraps up its second day of the press tour. Here's what Michael Ausiello thought.

And Matt Roush talks about Terminator: The Sarah Connors Chronicles.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Get FRISKY

Just saw a commerical that the show I was most obsessed about last season (Frisky Dingo) is reairing again starting Sunday (7/29) from 11:00-11:15 on [adult swim] (you know, where Cartoon Network goes when it's dark out).

It's starting where it left off a few months ago. Sunday's ep is where the X-Tacles have to find a replacement kidnapp-ee for Xander.

I'll try to post some video clips to get you in the mood later this week. Until then, here's a clip I posted earlier called That's Not a Pickle.

Sunday's Press Tour

And the Press Tour resumes; today was FOX's first day. Here's what Michael Ausiello thought of it. And here's what Matt Roush thought of it.

The TCAs Get Right What the Emmy's Got Wrong

The EMMYs are the pinnacle of the television industry awards, but the system is flawed. It gets a lot right, but also gets a lot wrong.

The Television Critics Association (TCA) fares much better because the actual people who are paid to watch television list their nominees and winners They watch every episode of every show they enjoy (and probably a lot they don't), and, thus, get a better view of a seriesd as whole as opposed to the EMMY process of submitting a single episode for consideration.

Anyway, the TCA announced their yearly winners yesterday, and here is the press release.

And here is what Matt Roush had to say about the awards.

Premieres and Notables July 23- July 29

Monday, 7/23

Saving Grace; TNT. 9 pm CST. Series premiere.
Holly Hunter stars as a recklessly-living cop who sees an angel while on her cases. I've heard the show's supposed to be decent.

And if the laughs have been too few and far between this summer, my favorite show of last season, How I Met Your Mother, has two great repeats on CBS at 7 pm & 8:30. The first repeat finds Lily moving in with Barney, so they can poses as spouses to scare away his one-night-stands the next morning. Great moments in this episode. The second finds Marshal hitting the dating scene again.

Tuesday, 7/24

Damages; FX. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
There are two shows that critics have been saying are must-see this summer. The first began last week (Mad Men); the second is this Glenn Close-starring legal drama.

Wednesday, 7/25

Hot Ghetto Mess; BET. 9:30. Series Premiere.
BET is quickly gaining ground on CMT for number of new series that premiere every week, but this one about black pop culture stars The Chappelle Show's Charlie Murphy. If I had the channel, I'd tune in. The single bit he did on Chappelle about his "feud" with Rick James should go down in history as one of the funniest moments of television.

S.O.B. (Socially Offensive Behavior); BET. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Punk'd with average people, hosted by D.L. Hughley (see what cancelling Studio 60 did to some people?).

My World; Golf. 9:30. Series Premiere.
This show answers the question on everyones' minds: what do pro golfers do with their time off the courses?

Thursday, 4/26

Who Wants to Be a Superhero?; Sci Fi. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Season two of the reality contest begins. It's hokey, goofy, cornball-- but it has a lot of heart. If you're tired of people backstabbing, lying, and sleeping around to get ahead on reality shows, this one is for you. Get past the cheesiness and see that there are still people out there that honestly believe in truth, justice, and the American way.

Welcome to the Parker; Bravo. 10 pm. Series premiere.
Reality show about a high-class Palm Springs hotel.

Mind Control With Derren Brown; Sci Fi. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A mentalist makes people do things they normally wouldn't. Okay... so Sci Fi gets it wrong more than it gets it right...

Dallas SWAT: A&E. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
The third season begins.

Sunday, 7/29

Design Star; HGTV. 8 pm. Season Premiere.

And on Entourage (HBO, 9 pm), Ari suffers one of his biggest humiliations in life when he has to enroll his son in a public school (the private school his daughter went to refused to allow his son to enroll-- because of Ari's behavior).

Friday, July 20, 2007

TCA Friday, 7/20

Today was CW day. Here's what Michael Ausiello and Matt Roush thought of it.

REAPER Preview

Here's what is sure to be my favorite show this upcoming season.

Other CW previews are at the link as well...

Odds and Ends

ABC is going to burn off the remaining episodes of The Nine in August. I'm happy. BTW: I finally watched the eps that aired, and I liked it. The pilot was one of the best I've seen.

Speaking of The Nine, former cast member Camille Guaty (who was also a Prison Break Maricruz) got cast in Las Vegas. I just may have to watch that show again...

Guaty's on the left.

The Bill Engvall Show's premiere was the third-highest rated basic cable sitcom telecast ever. Pray that it drops next week. That show is a turd-- even with Nancy Travis.

I picked up The Flash #13 where [spoiler alert], Bart gets killed by the Rogues. Kinda weird that the last issue I picked up was #1 when he became The Flash and the second I picked up, he gets killed. I didn't like the fact that DC made him The Flash a year ago (by aging him to an adult from a teenager during Infinite Crisis), and I also didn't like feeling that he was killed because sales of the book sucked. But the issue was pretty powerful-- even if I didn't understand everything going on. Bart sacrificed himself for personal as well as "world-saving" reasons, and that's about all a character can ask for in a death story. If there's any good that comes from it, it's that Mark Waid is back writing the newly repowered Wally West's Flash adventures.

I kinda wonder what's gonna happen to Tim "Robin" Drake. The kid loses his dad (killed by Captain Boomerang), friend/crush Spoiler (killed by Black Mask), best friend Connor/Superboy (killed by Superboy Prime) and now Bart (killed by The Rogues) all in the space of, maybe, 18 months of comic book time. Sounds like there is lots of potential for future Robin stories if DC plays its cards right. No way a teenager should brush off that kind of death surrounding him.

I may have to start picking up some titles again if my budget allows...

Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Emmy Noms

Here we go. Some ones who should have been there, some who shouldn't, and some missing.
[admittedly, I did some cut-and-pasting from Matt Webb Mitovich's post.

Included are my takes; I won't write anything if I didn't watch the show-- usually. And I'm not trying to dis the ones I wasn't thrilled about (except Two and a Half Men), but sometimes I think some are nominated for a single episode when the entirety of a season is more of what I'm commenting on (Emmy's are won and lost by single episodes entered, not the whole season).

Outstanding Drama Series:
Boston Legal I like the show... but outstanding drama? Not this season.
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
House
The Sopranos

Outstanding Comedy Series:
Entourage Mandatory
The Office Yep
30 Rock Came on at the end of the season, but isn't ready yet
Two and a Half Men Didn't watch it again this season, but have heard it sucked as much as it did when I actually wasted time on it
Ugly Betty I wish there was a "dramedy" nomination, but I guess it fits here-- and it does deserve praise

Outstanding Reality Series:
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

Outstanding Miniseries:
Broken Trail
Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre)
The Starter Wife

Outstanding TV-movie:
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Inside the Twin Towers
Longford
The Ron Clark Story
Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series:
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Show with David Letterman
Real Time with Bill Maher Absolutely.

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:
America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) Yes
Tina Fey (30 Rock) Sorry; not yet
Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) Her best work was dramatic-- but she did overcome bad storylines
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine) She's really underrated; her work on the drunk wedding episode was great
Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) Yes-- but lead actor?
Steve Carell (The Office) Yes
Ricky Gervais (Extras) Perfect in Season Two
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)
Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men) Again: didn't see it, but-- REALLY???

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl) Inspired choice, and very deserving
Jenna Fischer (The Office) I feel like such a heel because I love her, but I'm not sure she had enough going on this season
Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men)
Conchata Ferrell (Two and a Half Men)
Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) Deserving
Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds)

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Kevin Dillon (Entourage) Yes, yes, a million times yes
Jeremy Piven (Entourage) Has become an automatic selection
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) Not as prominent as last season, but had real growth
Rainn Wilson (The Office) I'll take him, but there may have been others

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series:
Dixie Carter (Desperate Housewives) Yep
Laurie Metcalf (Desperate Housewives) Absolutely-- deserves the win
Elaine Stritch (30 Rock) Sure
Judith Light (Ugly Betty) Okay
Salma Hayek (Ugly Betty) Absolutely

Guest Actor in a Comedy Series:
Martin Landau (Entourage) Brilliant. FANTASTIC performance.
Sir Ian McKellen (Extras) Great work
Stanley Tucci (Monk)
Giovanni Ribisi (My Name Is Earl) Just under Landau in this category
Beau Bridges (My Name Is Earl) Good work; not sure if ithere wasn't someone more deserving

Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
Patricia Arquette (Medium)
Minnie Driver (The Riches)
Edie Falco (The Sopranos)
Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters) The show was a little too "actorly" at times, but fully deserves the nom
Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
James Gandolfini (The Sopranos)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Denis Leary (Rescue Me)
James Spader (Boston Legal) Has done fine work before, but I think there could be someone better
Kiefer Sutherland (24)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters) Good work, but I'm not sure...
Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)
Chandra Wilson (Grey's Anatomy)
Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy)
Aida Turturro (The Sopranos)
Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
William Shatner (Boston Legal) I love Shat, but he was better in previous seasons
Masi Oka (Heroes)
T.R. Knight (Grey's Anatomy)
Michael Emerson (Lost)
Terry O'Quinn (Lost)
Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos)

Guest Actress in a Drama Series:
Kate Burton (Grey’s Anatomy)
Elizabeth Reaser (Grey’s Anatomy)
Marcia Gay Harden (Law & Order: SVU)
Leslie Caron (Law & Order: SVU)
Jean Smart (24)

Guest Actor in a Drama Series:
Christian Clemenson (Boston Legal) Yes. Great work. Deserves the nom-- and the upgrade to full cast member for next season
Forest Whitaker (ER)
David Morse (House)
Tim Daly (The Sopranos)
John Goodman (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) Had a great arc.
Eli Wallach (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) The storyline he was in featured great work

Lead Actress in a Miniseries or TV-movie:
Queen Latifah (Life Support)
Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect: The Final Act)
Mary-Louise Parker (The Robber Bride)
Debra Messing (The Starter Wife)
Gena Rowlands (What If God Were the Sun)

Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV-movie:
Robert Duvall (Broken Trail)
Tom Selleck (Jesse Stone: Sea Change)
Jim Broadbent (Longford)
William H. Macy (Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King)
Matthew Perry (The Ron Clark Story)

Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV-movie:
Greta Scacchi (Broken Trail)
Anna Paquin (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee)
Samantha Morton (Longford)
Judy Davis (The Starter Wife)
Toni Collette (Tsunami: The Aftermath)

Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV-movie:
Thomas Haden Church (Broken Trail)
August Schellenberg (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee)
Aidan Quinn (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee)
Edward Asner (The Christmas Card)
Joe Mantegna (The Starter Wife)

Here are Michael Ausiello's and Matt Roush's takes on the nominations.