I Am (Not) IRON MAN

So I mentioned yesterday that I had tickets to the new Iron Man film, and I thought I should give some quick thoughts on it now that I've seen it.

First: some personal background...

It started in fifth grade when I bought Iron Man #216. It was one of the first comics I ever bought, but it rocked my world so much, I was hooked on comics for the next two decades. Even though I had read a couple of comics before then, that's the issue I credit when people ask "What was the first comic book you read?" It had me from the cover; it was like crack cocaine.

Watching that movie tonight was a lot like being in fifth grade again.

Without getting too into it, I haven't been really excited by the direction Marvel has taken Iron Man in the past few years (he's pretty much the biggest prick in the Marvel Universe right now), so I haven't kept up with the character beyond what I've read in news forums and the occasional trade paperback I read from the library.

But the Iron Man in the movie is old school IM.

Rich, genius playboy Tony Stark develops and sells (through his company) the most advanced weapons in the world. During a test run of a new weapon, he's injured (shrapnel embeds itself near his heart) and is taken captive by the enemy. He's told he must redesign that weapon for his captors or they will kill him and his fellow captive. Tony and his co-prisoner work on a suit of armor and plan their escape using it.

After the escape, Tony dedicates his life to saving people instead of killing them. He builds a more advanced suit of armor, and, after a few stumbles, he goes out to kick ass and take names.

There are tweaks to the story (the war is in Afghanistan instead of Korea-- and later Vietnam-- as in the comics; Obediah Stane and James Rhodes are there from the beginning), but it follows the comics very closely. And, why not? It's a great origin story that still works wonderfully in current times.

From there, the story hits many of the beats that every classic Iron Man story has to have: his company is being wrested from his grip, his technology falls into the wrong hands, he has moments where his technology to keep his heart beating fails, and he has a big, knock-down drag-out fight with someone else in a suit of armor.

He's even got the support staff from the comics: Rhodey to cover his back, super-assistant Pepper Potts, and driver Happy Hogan (played by director Jon Favreau-- as if a fan such as himself would not try to be part of the fun...). A tweak that may set some fanboys off, but worked for me: Jarvis the butler takes on a different role for the movie.

Like I said: classic stuff here.

Favreau did a great job not only directing but also casting. I, seriously, can't think of any actor who could have been replaced. Robert Downey Jr. was perfect. He was allowed to be funnier than Stark is in the comics, and it really helped the movie. And anyone who has seen his work knows he also can play vulnerable as well as cocky. Gwyneth Paltrow was great as Pepper. She nailed the slightly adventurous nature of Potts as well as brought the sweet sexual tension she has with Stark from the comics to the movie. Jeff Bridges played Stane perfectly; from supporting mentor to stone-cold badass. Terrance Howard felt a little "soft" as Rhodey, but I think when he dons a suit of armor in the next movie (it was so hinted at in this one), he'll be as tough as Rhodes is in the comics. I also liked the nod to SHIELD in the film as well.

I'm happy the movie worked as well as it did. That's a huge win for Marvel Studios (this was the first movie Marvel produced on its own-- and a failure could have doomed the production company before it got off the ground). I hope fans will flock to the theatre this weekend. I'm a little worried because the theatre I was in tonight was less than half full. But the movie officially opens tomorrow, and the 8 pm first showing I went to wasn't advertised. Hopefully people will tear themselves away from Grand Theft Auto 4 for two hours this weekend.

It also needs to continue to be strong for a few weeks to help lead it into The Incredible Hulk, which opens next month (and had a few issues as can be expected since Edward Norton had a larger role in production than just acting).

Speaking of the new Hulk movie: it's been confirmed that Downey as Tony Stark makes a cameo in it, and it's heavily rumored that his gold-alloyed alter-ego appears on screen as well (one of the perks that Marvel Studios enjoys now that it is producing almost all the upcoming movies starring Marvel Comics characters).

I'm sure part of this is adrenaline here, and I did see it in the theatre (which tends to inflate my grade), but I have to give it a solid A-. It's not going to win Best Picture, but it was fun, action-packed, funny...

...And it was true to my favorite super-hero as a kid.

Ya Gotta Love This Guy

Every comic book fan has story ideas. I don't know if it's the abounding love of characters and concepts or the prevalent belief among fanboys that they could do better if a company would let them work on their favorite book.

Hey, even I have a kick-ass idea for an epic comic book series I've never told anyone about just in case I ever get the chance to write a it (yes, delusion also runs in the veins of fanboys). Although my ideas have been used in Star Trek Voyager, Wolverine, The Hulk, The Avengers, many by Brian Michael Bendis, and on and on. It sucks when my ideas are formed over fifteen years ago and were stolen from me-- and I never got to tell my story!

Just kidding. (About my rage.)

I'm still available to Marvel if they want me to send my series outline...

Anyway, here's a fun blog post by a guy (tongue-in-cheek-ish in spirit, but the dude would take the shot if DC gave it to him) who's offering his ideas for Legion of Super-Heroes. I love this guy's enthusiasm-- and the post was a great reminder of why I love that team.

Don't forget to read the word balloons. Most are pretty funny.

Here's the link: http://mightygodking.com/index.php/i-should-write-the-legion/

I thought the ideas were kick-ass, and that's why I love comics-- everyone's got ideas.

("UltraBoy will not be a stupid [f-bomb]ing jackass"... Classic.)

The 2008 Q1 DVD list: A's & B's

Once-- I raved about this one in a previous post, and I will again because the movie has stuck with me a month later. I just listened to some songs from the film soundtrack, and it all came back. There are great movies to watch, and then there are very rare gems that “change” you after watching them. This is one of those gems. A

The Simpsons Movie— At the beginning of the movie, Homer stands up during a showing of the Itchy and Scratchy movie and asks, “Why pay for something we can see for free?” Because you can’t get this kind of quality on free TV. Everything you love about The Simpsons is multiplied by a hundred for the movie. The animation was better and more adventurous, and the story was also beyond what would fit into the show (props to the creators for making an actual movie, and not something that could conveniently be broken up into TV episodes). I still like The Simpsons, but I haven’t loved it in years. I loved this movie, though. A-

The Bourne Ultimatum— A great capper to a great series. Jason gets closer to the truth of his existence. I must say I was surprised to learn his “origin story”. The action was smart and crazy, and the cast was stellar. A-

Eastern Promises— The story was good enough, but the direction and the performances really put this film near the top of the heap. Viggo Mortenson was phenomenal. A-

Shoot ‘Em Up— Imagine every action movie you’ve ever seen turned up to 11. This movie went beyond the point of ridiculous (as was intended), and it’s a testament to Clive Owen (as well as Paul Giamatti)’s abilities that kept it all within the context of the story. Lesser actors would have easily lost control of the ludicrous situations herein. I mean, is there any other actor you can think of that could make chewing a carrot stick as badass as Owen does? The film was a satire of sorts, but the kind where the players are winking at us as if to say “Listen, we know this is beyond over the top, but doesn’t it look cool?” And if you have time, check out the special features on the DVD as they’re pretty funny in their own rights, like the question asked of cast and crew of how many people are killed in the movie and then get answers like “Lots” or “I lost track after 100/200/300”. A-

3:10 To Yuma-- Christian Bale and Russell Crowe at their best. Wow. Just a pleasure to watch them work. And the story was great as well. You kinda know who's gonna die by the credits(there is a bit of a "formula"), but there were a few twists just before and after it that made it very interesting. A-

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix-- Each film in the series has a more grown up Harry, and this no exception. Harry gets a band of “rebels” together to fight against Valdemort because no one else will. Good moments and effects, and the kids are growing into pretty good actors (how cool are their lives, working with the incredible talent they get to work with?) B+

Dexter: Season One -- It’s a cheat that I’ve included a TV series, but it’s a really good one that I saw for the first time on DVD. B+

Stardust-- I read a number of mixed reviews about this fantasy movie, but I really enjoyed it. The effects were good and the story and characters had a nice humor about them. B+

Rescue Dawn—Great story, but nothing groundbreaking other than Christian Bale’s usually great work and Steve Zahn’s very great attempt at pure drama. B

Hairspray— I watched this on a whim, but I’m glad I saw it. I’m not one for musicals, but it worked in this movie. The young cast was great—and the message of the movie was a good one to keep in mind. The biggest downside to this movie was John Travolta’s ridiculous-looking makeup job to look like a woman. I know the part is traditionally played by a man, but they could have done better. Not that Travolta was bad (he was actually quite effective), but I never saw "Mrs. Turnblad", I just saw Travolta in drag. B

The Waitress— I liked the “realistic” attitude of the movie (sometimes pregnancy is not a “wondrous gift” due to circumstances), but some of the characters were a bit over the top. It was very funny (black humor) in many spots, so it’s worth watching. B

Live Free or Die Hard— About half-way through this movie, I completely expected John McClain to get caught in an explosion and emerge from the flames with his skin melted off and continue the movie as a Terminator T-800. I haven’t watched a Die Hard movie since Die Hard with a Vengeance was in the theatres, so I forgot how unbelievably over the top they can be. This one was even more so. But it was fun. And it had Justin Long and Timothy Olyphant (who I really wish could snag a movie role that comes close to the ultra-cool/badass Sheriff Bullock he played in Deadwood). B

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters— A documentary about the struggle between two men to attain the highest score ever achieved on Donkey Kong. It was crazy. And pretty effective. B

Underdog— I watched the cartoon as a kid, but I don’t remember hardly anything about it, so this was a fresh take for me. Yeah, it’s a kid movie, but there were some good lines and good scenes. I doubt I would have watched it if I was childless, but the boys and I liked it enough. B

Superbad— funny but vulgar. But that’s what you can expect from the Apatow clan. Laughs, laughs, and then the inevitable thing that makes you say, “Okay, that was a bit much.” And then repeat the cycle. B

No End in Sight— I don’t know why I do this to myself. Let’s see: a movie that looks at the failings of the United States as it created the Iraq War. No big surprises here when I say the Administration [f-bomb]ed up. Not that the movie isn’t worth checking out—especially since the irritation at the clowns in the White House seems to have worn off for the average American. We should remember that a group of complete morons got us into a war that we’re going to have an incredibly difficult time getting out of. I (and the movie) am not saying we shouldn’t be there to help out—but it’s obvious we went about it the wrong way. B

The Best of the Colbert Report-- Good on moderation. Don’t try to watch the whole thing from start to finish like I did because it almost becomes a chore. B-

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End-- Kind of a mess. Okay, quite a bit of a mess. It had enough action and fun scenes, but it tried so hard to wrap up storylines that it jumped around quite a bit—even though the film was squarely hinged on Captain Sparrow; most everyone else was just a player in his story. Depp was better than he should have been considering the movie didn’t expect much from anyone else. B-

Pan’s Labyrinth— Pretty to look at, but very odd. I have to admit I didn’t know what was going on half the time. And the ending made the usual quote from critics: “fairy tale for adults” pretty much sum it up. B-

The Waterhorse—film. Another movie for kids that worked well enough for adults. It did follow the kids adventure formula strictly enough, but Alex Etel was fun to watch as Angus. B-

Iditarod 2007: As Tough As They Come-- I’ve always been intrigued by dog sledding (maybe because the biggest race in the lower 48 states begins in the area I grew up in), and this was a good recap of the 2007 race, but I wish there would have been more than just an hour-long recap of the race. I wonder what HBO Sports could have done with it. Now that would be awesome. B-

Mr. Bean’s Holiday-- Another movie for kids, but an adult can appreciate the goings on as well as the realization that Bean doesn’t speak hardly anything resembling English in the whole movie. It’s tough to have an audience sympathize with a character through just his actions (most of which get him into some sort of trouble). B-

The Actual Q1 DVD List; C's-F

License to Wed—John Krasinski doing what he does best (being a lovable goof), Robin Williams doing what he does best (side gags around the script), and Mandy Moore (sadly) not really a part of it. I’m kinda stuck here. The movie wasn’t much, but it did have good performances at times. At times I was bored and at others I was interested. I didn’t find it great, but I also didn’t find it as bad as many reviews I read said it was. C+

Chalk— A humorous documentary-style look at teaching (think The Office, just not as funny). It had good moments, but I just didn’t care about the characters. C+

Hot Rod—Another one that I had low expectations for. It was dumb and not particularly funny, but worked for a Saturday night. C+

Reno 911: Miami— I usually tire of Reno 911 part-way through the season. This movie was pretty much the same. But instead of great gags in a bare plot as on TV, we got a decent (if unbelievable) plot and not many great gags. C

Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams— I had heard such good things about this import from Serbia, but it was just so depressing, and it waited too long to get to the “reveal” that I wasn’t grabbed by it as I wanted to be. C

The Nanny Diaries—Good performances by Scarlett Johannson, Laura Linney, and a great one by Paul Giamatti, but I just didn’t care about them. C-

The Dead Girl—depressing. I can’t say it wasn’t a good movie but I was completely uninterested in these depressing as Hell characters. And that’s too bad because the movie took a unique approach at the aftermath of the murder of a young woman by showing a number of different angles/stories of women who were affected by it. C-

No Reservations—I wish there’d be a movie that explains the brains of “food people”. I read Kitchen Confidential but even that was a bit too “inside” for me (although I know not to get surf meals from Friday to Monday and that chefs used to get hopped up on some sort of drugs to keep going). This movie did nothing for me. Even though it starred Aaron Eckhart, I still wasn’t drawn in. It was everything a “chick flick” should be because it followed the formula to the letter. D+

Thunderpants—A story about a boy with terrible flatulence, and how he parlayed that “curse” into a gift by saving the world. I didn’t have any great expectations about it, and it certainly didn’t deliver. D-

Waiting—TV. I like Ryan Reynolds and I like Justin Long, but I did not like this movie. It tried being a 21st Century Clerks but it wasn’t funny; it just was vulgar. F.

2008 Q1 DVDs

If you recall, earlier this year I gave my mini-reviews on all the movies I watched last year via DVD, premium cable channel, or actually in the theatre. The posts were a big hit (in my mind-- no one commented on the posts).

Part of the trouble of doing things that way was there was a pretty big distance between me watching and then "reviewing" some of them; sometimes a time gap of a year or longer.

I had some time to go over what I've watched so far this year (I'm on an even larger movie-watching pace than last year) and thought I should try to do it by quarter this year, so here are the movies I watched from January to March, 2008.

I tried to rank them from favorite to least favorite this time. Partially so it made a little sense (and since I haven't watched 100 movies yet this year, it made doing a Top 20 tough) and partially because I am able to remember all the movies I've watched so far better than doing a year at a time.

Before I begin, let me lay down the ground rules (hopefully they're similar to last time's): they were watched on DVD unless noted. Why's that important? I found last year that I graded films I saw in theatres maybe a half-grade higher probably because I was influenced by that experience. Also, DVD extras can play a part in determining a grade (if noted).

A friend of mine asked me how I see so many better than average movies, and the simple answer is: I try to keep abreast of good things out there. There is way too much crap on DVD, in theatres, in books, etc that I use critic reviews as guidelines often (not for my "reviews", but as a kind of guidebook to what to watch or read). If Entertainment Weekly or my newspaper gave a book or a movie a good review, I either put it on hold at the library or write it down on my "to watch/read someday" list (which is getting much too large). I also use friends a little (I'm usually the most-informed person I know of such things-- not bragging, just keepin' it real) and sometimes I just take a chance. And I watch 75-100 movies a year as well as around 100 TV shows a year, so I'm getting pretty good at picking out what I'll like. That's why you'll find many, many more B's than D's. I'm able to make better choices for me.

Maybe my choices can help you. I wish I had more time to review each one, but I barely had the time for these little writeups.

Like last time: A's are the cream of the crop, and a heartily recommend them. B's are better than average and good for entertainment in most cases (or at least showcase good to great acting or directing). C's still have value, but could be above or below average slightly (depending on how I was feeling when I watched it). D's have little going for them; maybe a good performance by an actor or enough funny lines to make watching it not completely a waste of time. F's have no redeeming value, and you are only going to put yourself through the misery I went through.

One last thing: if you actually paid any attention to the 2007 grades, note that I didn't consult that list to make these grades. It's possible that a movie I gave a B+ to last year would have earned a B- this year. Don't take too much stock in the grade other than just as the guidelines I established in the last paragraph. Ranking them as I do this year will help with that, too.

Lovely... My intro took up more space than I thought.

Okay, next post will be the list (or a part of it-- we'll see how big it gets).

Something's Not Right

I don't want to jump on any bandwagon or anything, but something struck me as very odd this afternoon:

I went to Burger King to work on completing my Iron Man toy collection, and my cheeseburger meal came to $2.84.

I drove a mile down the road and noticed the price of a gallon of gas is $3.64.

I got a cheeseburger, a small Coke, and small fries-- and a freakin' toy-- for almost a dollar less than a gallon of gas. Crazy.

I also heard earlier today that the major oil companies had better than expected first quarters again this year.

Well, thank goodness the economic troubles we're in isn't affecting everyone.

Let's end on a happier note (for me anyway; I feel bad for you other suckas): my ticket to the first Iron Man showing on the big-ass UltraScreen tomorrow night just printed out of my printer. I don't let myself get excited for much (keep expectations low), but I am excited for this movie. I love Batman and Indiana Jones, but I was a BIG Iron Man fan back in the day...

Premieres and Notables, April 28- May 4, 2008

Monday, 4/28

Return:
House (FOX, 8 pm CST)

Season finale:
High School Confidential (WE, 9 pm CST)

I'm a Star Wars fan, but I don't know if I'm this much of a fan: Deal or No Deal (NBC, 7 pm) has a 2-hr episode built around a Star Wars theme, with Stormtroopers, models in "slave girl" outfits, Chewbacca, Darth Vader as The Banker, and an appearance by Carrie Fisher. Can I get myself to watch this thing or not? If anything comes of it, it may be that the Star Wars Holiday Special from the '70s may not be a low point for the franchise on TV anymore.


Tuesday, 4/29

Raw Nature; Animal Planet. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Filmmakers get up-close and personal with dangerous animals.

The Streak; ESPN2. 8 pm. Special
This documentary looks at the pressure for wrestlers at Brandon High School in Tampa, who have a 451-match winning streak-- started in 1974!

Robin Williams plays a rabble-rouser who wants people to question authority on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 9 pm).

Season Finale:
The Riches (FX, 9 pm)

Return:
Shark (CBS, 8 pm)
Women's Murder Club (ABC, 9:02)


Wednesday, 4/30

Farmer Wants a Wife; CW. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Ten city girls compete to win the affections of one farmer.

Move/new day:
Boston Legal (ABC, 9 pm)


Thursday, 5/1

Earl finally gets out of the coma on My Name is Earl (NBC, 7:00). I love that the show still takes chances, but the coma thing didn't work for me.

Stanley has enough of Michael and tells him so in a meeting, and Michael decides to give him an "attitude adjustment" on The Office (NBC, 8 pm).

After Dr. Kelso's classic (but not classy) exit last week, Dr. Cox finds himself the Chief of Medicine on Scrubs (NBC, 8:31).


Friday, 5/2

Speed Racer: The Next Generation; Nicktoons. 6 pm. Series Premiere.
Speed's son takes over the family business.

Return:
Man vs. Wild (Discovery, 8 pm).


Sunday, 5/4

TCM acknowledges the tenth-anniversary of the death of Frank Sinatra by offering blocks of music and movies featuring him every Sunday and Wednesday night in May.

This American Life; Showtime. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.

Season finales:
Wire in the Blood (BBC America, 7 pm)
Family Guy (FOX, 8 pm)

Premieres and Notables, April 21-27, 2008

Monday, 4/21

Robin's "previous life" as Robin Sparkles comes back to haunt her again when old flame James Van Der Beek shows up on How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30 CST).

Return:
Gossip Girl (CW; 7 pm)

Season Finale:
America's Prom Queen (ABC Family, 8 pm CST)


Tuesday, 4/22

The Pixar Story; Starz. 9 pm. Movie.
Documentary that charts the history of the famed studio. How many other studios have as high quality a "batting average" like they do? I'll tell you: none.

Wednesday, 4/23

Secrets of the Dead; PBS. 7 pm CST (check local listings). 7th season premiere.

National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth; PBS. 8 pm & 9 pm (check local listings). 2nd season premiere.

And I wanted to point you in the direction of 'Til Death (FOX, 7 pm), which has really taken off (or gotten some) in hilarity with the addition of J.B. Smoove. Good stuff.

And Jesse L. Martin ends his 9 year (almost 200 episodes) run on Law and Order (NBC; 9 pm). I've never seen the show, but that's an impressive tenure-- and it's been getting lots of press, so it might be worth checking out.

Season finale:
Pussycat Dolls Presents: Girlicious (CW, 8 pm).


Thursday, 4/24

Michael and Dwight hit the NYC clubs with Ryan on The Office (NBC; 8 pm). I know I'm going out on a limb here, but I expect some awkward fish-out-of-water moments.

Returns:
Ugly Betty (ABC; 7 pm)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC; 8 pm)
Supernatural (CW; 8 pm)
Lost (ABC; 9:02 pm)


Friday, 4/25

Return:
Moonlight (CBS; 8 pm)


Saturday, 4/26

The Mighty B!; Nickelodeon. 9:30 am. Series Premiere.
Amy Poehler voices this 9 year old tween who only needs 4584 more Honeybee troop badges to turn into a superhero. The commericals have been funny, so who knows?

And I want to point you in the direction Phineas & Ferb (Disney; 7:30 pm-- don't let the DVR scheduler fool you, it hasn't been on at 7:00 in a month). This show is awesome-- even if you're not a kid. Just sit back and marvel at the way the writers can wind three plots together that all converge by the end of the 12 minutes. (Nearly) every ep follows the same formula, but how they get there is pretty amazing-- every single time. And it's full of funny lines. Highly Recommended.

Robin Hood; BBC America. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.

And if you're lucky enough to have the Monsters HD Channel, check out the Bruce Campbell triple feature of Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Bubba Ho Tep that begins at 7 pm.


Sunday, 4/27

Carrier; PBS. 8 & 9 pm (check listings). Mini-series.
A 10-part series airing from tonight to Thursday looks at life on the USS Nimitz.

Celebracadabra; VH1. 8 pm. Series premiere
I normally avoid even mentioning VH1 shows, but this one I think just encapsulates why I think this network sucks ass. Here is a show about seven celebs (as defined by VH1 standards: C. Thomas Howell, ANT, Chris "Kid" Reid, Hal Sparks, Lisa Ann Walter-- who?--, Carnie Wilson, and Kim Wyatt-- who again?) who train as magicians. You know that VH1 barely considers these people celebs when their own damn website won't even list all the names on the front page of the show (I had to go to tvguide.com for the info).

Return:
Aliens in America (CW, 7:30). Hey, check this awesome show out; it needs the ratings.

Season Finale:
Tracey Ullman's State of the Union (Showtime, 9 pm). I like Tracey and all, but this show was not funny (unless it got way better after the first 20 minutes of the first episode, which is all I could watch).

Robin Sparkles Returns

On the April 21st episode of How I Met Your Mother, we get to experience the B-side to Robin's smash hit (in Canada) "Let's Go to the Mall" in a little ditty called "Sandcastles in the Sand".

If you can't wait until then, here are links to the song and for a one-minute preview of the video of Robin (with James Van Der Beek, Alan Thicke, and Tiffany for spice).

As TV Guide's Mickey O' Connor said, the "song is made of crack cocaine". Be careful-- because it'll be in your head for days.

Premieres and Notables, April 14-20, 2008

Monday, 4/14

Returns:
Bones (FOX); 7 pm CST
Rules of Engagement (CBS); 8:30 pm

Season Finale:
New Amsterdam (FOX); 8 pm


Tuesday, 4/15

I read that Secret Talents of the Stars (CBS) got canned after one ep, so you'll have to watch something else in place of it. I know you really wanted to see Jo Dee Messina do urban dance, but those are the breaks...

Deadliest Catch; Discovery. 8 pm. 4th season premiere

NOFX: Backstage Passport; Fues. 9 pm. Series premiere.
A reality show following punk-band NOFX on tour.

Deion & Pilar Sander: Prime Time Love; Oxygen. 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Good old Neon Deion still marches to the beat of his own drum as we see in this premiere ep, which has him refusing to make the bed. You see, Primetime don't make no beds.

Work Out; Bravo. 10 pm. Season premiere

Deadliest Catch; Discovery. 8 pm. 4th season premiere

Return:
Law & Order: SVU (NBC); 9 pm

Season Finales:
The Biggest Loser: Couples (NBC); 7 pm
The Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo); 9 pm


Wednesday, 4/16

Under One Roof; MyNetworkTV. 7 pm. Series Premiere
A sitcom about a recently released convict who moves in with his well-to-do brother and his family. Sounds like a classic. Oh, did I mention that it stars Flavor Flav? Yeah-- now you'll be tuning in...

The Big 4-0; TV Land. 9 pm. Series premiere
A look at people's last 40 days before their 40th birthday.


Thursday, 4/17

Returns:
Smallville (CW); 7 pm. Lex goes closer to the dark side as he kills someone. (I've heard it's a pretty major character.)

Season Finale:
Eli Stone (ABC); 9 pm


Friday, 4/18

Doctor Who; Sci Fi. 7:30 pm. Season premiere.

Season Finales:
Canterbury's Law (FOX); 8 pm
Your Mama Don't Dance (Lifetime); 8 pm


Saturday, 4/19

Season Finale:
Torchwood (BBC America); 8 pm.


Sunday, 4/20

Kimora Lee Simmons: Life in the Fab Lane; Style. 7 pm. 2nd season premiere

Return:
Brothers & Sisters (ABC); 9:02. The most depressing family on TV is back!

Finales:
Oprah's Big Give (ABC); 7 pm. Season finale
John Adam's (HBO); 8 pm. Mini-series finale

Why This Is the Best Show on TV

On last week's How I Met Your Mother, there was a reference to one of Barney's former conquests making a website called tedmosbyisajerk.com. Why is one of Barney's one-night-stands hating on Ted? Barney used Ted's name and occupation (architect) with her instead of his own.

Well, as HIMYM and Scrubs have been doing, they actually made a website using that name.

Check it out: http://tedmosbyisajerk.com/

In it, you get a little background on why this woman thinks "Ted" is a jerk. Then click the link to "the letter"-- classic.

What makes this site even more fun is this particular conquest was actually part of a past episode. Barney did use Ted's name, did have a one night stand, and did bail on her as she took a shower-- and left a note claiming he was a ghost.

For an even more obscure reference, the link to Ted as a porn star is from another episode where Ted found out there is a porn star with his same name. I don't remember all the details, but the "Lance Hardwood: Sex Architect" sounds very familiar from the episode.

I love this stuff. I love that the creators/writers of this show are weaving a web of past, present, and future events within the "mythology" of the series. What's even better is you don't need to know any of these to enjoy the episodes. All the episodes are self-contained.

But if you've been watching from the beginning, there's that extra little rush when something like this happens.

Shedding a Little Light on the NBC Sked

I wrote a quick post with a link to the upcoming NBC schedule here.

But now I have a little scoop on the new shows, courtesy of this week's Entertainment Weekly.

Here's what some of these new shows are about.

Knight Rider: the "you knew it was going to happen" ongoing series based on the sequel movie that aired over the winter.

Robinson Crusoe: a "retelling" of the story according to EW. Don't know if it takes place in the original time, in the present, or in the future...

Kings: the "updated" King David story. Again, no details beyond that-- other than it stars Ian McShane, the f-bombing star of HBO's f-bombing Deadwood, f-bomber. [If you don't get that, buy/rent the awesome series.]

My Own Worst Enemy: Christian Slater stars as a secret suburban spy.

Fear Itself: a horror anthology.

Kath & Kim: a remake of the Aussie series that could be found on Sundance at one time (don't know if it still airs there; I tried it but didn't stick with it); this one stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair.

Premieres and Notables; April 7-13, 2007

Monday, 4/13

Extreme Fisherman; Bio. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere
A reality show that looks at professional fishermen off the coast of Scotland.

Return:
Samantha Who? ABC @ 8:32 pm

Season finales:
Canterbury's Law; FOX @ 7 pm
Cheerleader U; WE @ 10:30 pm


Tuesday, 4/14

Secret Talents of the Stars; CBS. 9 pm. Series premiere
Clint Black tries being a stand-up comedian, Marla Maples tries gymnastics, Danny Bonaduce rides a unicycle and George Takei takes up country music singing.

American Idol (FOX, 7-9 pm) has its second "Idol Gives Back" episode to raise money for charities. Guests this year include Fergie, Brad Pitt, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, John Legend, Reese Witherspoon, and Bono. Note: this could also take place on Wednesday; I've got conflicting information from TV Guide. Because f-bombing Blogger won't let me cut-and-paste, I'm leaving it here.

The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo; HBO. 9 pm. Special.
Rape survivor Lisa F. Jackson filmed rape victims in the Congo-- and then turned the camera on the rapists.

Just For Laughs (ABC, 7 & 7:30 pm) has its season finale.


Wednesday, 4/9

High School Reunion (TV Land; 9 pm) has its season finale-- and an appearance by an "awesome" '80s band.


Thursday, 4/10

Returns (all on NBC):
30 Rock; 7:30 pm
The Office; 8:00
Scrubs; 8:31
ER; 9:01


Friday, 4/11

The Sarah Jane Adventures; Sci Fi. 6:30 pm. Series premiere
The 90-minute opener for the second Dr. Who spin-off; this one focuses on former Who companion Sarah Jane, who rolled with the Doc from 1973-1976.


Saturday, 4/12

Groomer Has It; Animal Planet. 8 pm. Series Premiere
Another cleverly titled cable show... yawn. Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez hosts this new reality competition based around dogs. Poor Jai-- he always was the forgotten Queer Eye guy...


Sunday, 4/13

Night of Too Many Stars: An Overlooked Benefit for Autism Education; Comedy Central. 7 pm. Special.
A live fundraiser with guests such as Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, and Stephen Colbert hosted by Jon Stewart.

Return:
Desperate Housewives; ABC, 8 pm.

Season finales:
Rock of Love 2 (VH1, 8 pm)-- My fingers are crossed he finds his true soul mate among the skanks VH1 surely picked out for him...
Dirt; FX, 9 pm. Wow, that was a fast season. I swear I wrote the season premiere notable just a few weeks ago.

NBC Announces Fall/Winter/Summer Sked

Not much time to write my thought, but here's a link to the announced NBC schedule for the next twelve months (take the winter and summer 2009 skeds with a grain of salt):

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Nbc-Fall-Schedule/800036704

Quick takes:

I was hoping The Office spin-off rumor was just a bad dream. Considering the mother show hasn't been super this season so far, I'm hoping it doesn't get diluted.

Last Comic Standing coming back? Interesting.

Not a surprise, but I held out hope that Journeyman could catch a break.

And, finally, major props to NBC for thinking outside the box and finding a way to bring Friday Night Lights back-- even if it is a second-run from Direct TV.

Premieres and Notables, March 31- April 6, 2008

Monday, 3/31

Bingo America; GSN. 6 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Patrick Duffy + quiz show + bingo = something I plan on not watching.

Barney tries to figure out who is sabotaging his love life on How I Met Your Mother by putting the 64 most likely women into March Madness brackets and narrowing it down from there (CBS; 7:30-- watch this show, dammit!).

CBS's much-abused comedy (yet one of its best-- just behind HIMYM) The New Adventures of Old Christine signs off for the season (8:30 pm).


Tuesday, 4/1

Big Ideas For a Small Planet; Sundance. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.

Hell's Kitchen; FOX. 8 pm. 4th season premiere.


Wednesday, 4/2

Jean-Michel Clousteau: Ocean Adventures; PBS. 7 pm (check local listings). 3rd season premiere.

Ultimate Fighter; Spike. 9 pm. 7th season premiere.

Criminal Minds; CBS. 8 pm. Return.

CSI: NY; CBS. 9 pm. Return.

DEA; Spike. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
COPS + the DEA + Al Roker as host = another show I'm not adding to the DVR.


Thursday, 4/3

My Name is Earl; NBC. 7 pm CST. Return.
New eps of Earl! Yay! Guest-starring Paris Hilton! Boo! Well, keep in mind, I can think of only one guest star that didn't do so hot on the show (Roseanne), so maybe it'll work out. Maybe not. C'mon-- New Earl!

Step It Up & Dance; Bravo. 10 pm. Series premiere.
Leave it up to Bravo to finally catch up to a trend that's just about spent...

Miss Guided (ABC, 7 & 7:30 pm) finishes its first season. It was okay; nice distraction from having so little new airing at the time...

Make Me a Supermodel (Bravo; 9 pm) ends its latest season as well. I have no idea about it other than the titles is so rude.

CSI; CBS. 8 pm. Return.


Friday, 4/4

Duel; ABC. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Really? I have heard nothing about this show and whether it really needed to return.

Ghost Whisperer; CBS. 7 pm. Return.

Numb3rs; CBS. 9 pm. Returns with stupid-ass spelling of title as well.

Battlestar Galactica; Sci Fi. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.
The first half of the final season begins here.


Saturday, 4/5

Date My House; TLC. 7:30. Series Premiere.
Hey look! Another selling a house show. There aren't enough of those. This one lets potential buyers do what they want to the house (stay overnight, host parties) to see if it's "The One".

Split Ends; Style. 5 pm. Season premiere.


Sunday, 4/6

Wire in the Blood; BBC America. 7 pm. 5th season premiere.
I've heard good things about this series. I guess this season is a departure as the Brit lead character has to go to Texas for a trial.

America's Port; National Geographic. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
No idea; something to do with an American port...? I'm guessing a reality show...

The Star Wars reimagining via the Family Guy characters repeats Sunday on FOX at 8 pm.



And two I missed last week, but ran into this week. Sunday, March 30 has:

Comedy Central airs the direct to DVD movie Futurama: Bender's Big Score at 6 pm.

And Cartoon Network/[adult swim] airs the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie at 10:30 pm (repeat at 2:00 am, March 31). The [swim] "bump" last week mentioned they might air it backwards. I thought it was funny. And then I remembered it was [adult swim] we're talking about; they just may do it.

HIMYM Dictionary

Here's a link to a couple-minute-long video clip giving definitions for some of How I Met Your Mother's infamous words.

Most (all?) are from the first part of this season, so there are still lots of new words to discover by checking out the DVD sets or repeats.

Here's a taste: http://video.tvguide.com/ID/828627?autoplay=true

A Big PRISON BREAK Change

Okay, I'm not going to be the spoiler, but, seriously, there is no way the show is going to be able to keep this quiet for the next six months. Heck, they'll probably scream this news from the rooftops themselves this summer.

Here's the link if you want to check out the news (I promise not to spoil it below, either): http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Prison/800036399


Okay. I'm not exactly sure what to think other than I already had this thought in my head while watching last season.

Implausible? Yeah, probably, but c'mon-- this show stopped being plausible about three episodes into the series. What this is, is HUGE news. It's a way to correct a very terrible wrong (done for the right reasons). It's also a way to get back to the "promise" we were given way back in season one. You know, how something just has to go a certain way. This plotline wasn't why I kept tuning in, but it was a nice counter to all the other stuff going on.

Congrats to all the parties on making this happen.

The Fall can't come soon enough...

Great news and not-so-great news

First the great news: Prison Break is coming back for a fourth season.

Now the not-so-great news: it's getting a full season.

I loved the first season, was kinda blah about the second, got into the third more, but the thought of a full 22 episode season next year has me wondering when it's going to end. The show has ventured into ridiculous before, but it's getting almost comical how the guys are put into worse and worse situations.

I hope the show wraps itself up next season. I think it was on the road to doing it this season but got side-tracked with the writer's strike and had to settle for a planned mid-season finale versus a real season or series finale.

Here's to hoping the show gets itself back to what it was and is able to tie up the loose ends by the end...

Have a FRISKY Tuesday

Forgot to mention in my notables post that Frisky Dingo Season One goes on DVD on Tuesday.

It's a bare-bones episode-only DVD, so that's a bummer there's no extras. But from what I've read, we're lucky we're getting what we are.

I've mentioned the show before and because it's an [adult swim] series, it's not for everyone.

But I love it.

And because the DVD is a stripped-down season set, it's cheaper. I ordered my copy from deepdiscount.com for $13.59. You can't even buy a new DVD feature movie for that anymore.

Here's the link: http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=30942841

Season Two is almost over, so check it out. Just don't get attached to the characters-- the last few episodes have been especially unkind to them.

Better Late Than Never

I've spent the past ten years of my life in Northeast Wisconsin. That's by Green Bay.

Now, growing up in Northern Minnesota, I learned that a true Minnesotan (which I really, truly believe I still am even after all these years) can't like the Green Bay Packers.

So a few of my Minnesotan friends who may read this will probably give me Hell for this, but I just gotta write it:

Congrats on your retirement Brett Favre.

(That wasn't so hard, really. And just because it's been a few weeks doesn't mean it's not sincere.)

As I always qualify my remarks when I write about sports: I don't follow them. Just not my thing. But you cannot live in this part of the country and not have an appreciation for the history and legacy of this team.

And for the past sixteen years, you could not separate the Green Bay Packers from Brett Favre.

While I watched very little of Favre at work, I am acutely aware of what he meant to the team, to its fans, and to this area in general. Also, since I've started paying attention to the NFL for Fantasy Football, I have become aware of just how important he was to the league.

It is truly astounding that he was traded to a team who had experienced two decades worth of bad seasons, the smallest team in the market, and the only publicly-owned company in the league (three really bad strikes against the team for this young player), and led it to a Super Bowl and kept Championship dreams alive for almost twenty years.

Even more astounding: he started every single game for the Packers since he took over for an injured Don Majowski in the third game of the 1992 season. A quarterback! The player every player on the other side of the ball wants to get a piece of.

You've probably heard the accomplishments besides the remarkable consecutive games started. Many of those accomplishments came this year: most career touchdown passes, most career passing attempts, most career passing yards. He also won a Super Bowl as well as played in another. And he is the only three-time MVP in history.

But the records, although enormous, weren't what he was about. The guy played balls-out every game. Sometimes it got him into trouble-- he also owns the most career interceptions (although INTs come with the territory when putting the ball in the air as much as he has). But sometimes it allowed him to complete truly astounding plays as well. He has been called the last of his breed-- the guy who can go out and pull off a miracle nearly single-handedly (and although he always gave the props to his team, it was his leadership and confidence that allowed things to happen)

And off the field, his accomplishments were probably even greater. His notoriety in this area allowed he and his wife to start two foundations to help people in need. These programs will most assuredly continue even though Favre's career has ended.

For years, Favre led the team, but had usually had some help. But this year, the 37-year old had the entire team on his shoulders; especially in the early part of the season when the run game was truly pathetic and most of the five guys he had to throw to were second-year players or younger. But he led the team to a 14-4 season and was one throw away from another Super Bowl appearance. That's just crazy, but he did it.

But it got to be too much. And how couldn't it? I mean, not only an entire NFL football team carried their dreams on his shoulders, but an entire state also relied on him. That's a huge burden, and although he could still play at a high level next season, he decided he couldn't live up to the expectations that would be on him. And you have to respect that.

He gave everything he had to this team and to its fans and to the league for sixteen years, and we're all grateful. He will go down in history as not only one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, and not only as one of the greatest players ever-- but also one of the greatest people to ever play the game.

Congrats again, Brett. You have earned it.

And for those of you who may not have read it, check out the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (only the third quarterback ever to have the honor) article about him from last year at the attached link. It truly captures the essence of who this man is.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/magazine/specials/sportsman/2007/12/03/sportsman.2007/