Monday, 9/1
Labor Day just doesn't mean what it used to. The networks are not taking a day off this year.
Sid the Science Kid; PBS. 12:30 pm CST (check local listings). Series Premiere.
An animated show for preschoolers; a boy uses science to understand the world.
Gossip Girl; The CW. 7 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
One Tree Hill; The CW. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
The Middleman (ABC Family; 9 pm). Season finale.
Raising The Bar; TNT. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Stephen Bochco's new ensemble drama about New York attorneys-- and a feisty judge. It's got Mark-Paul Gosselaar with a bad hairdo, Jane Kaczmarek, and what looks to be Gloria Reuben (Damn TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly Fall Premiere issues aren't out yet, and I'm not scouring the web to find the rest of the cast).
And I don't like dissing a show right off the bat, but I've read tepid reviews about the show at best.
And the mother lode:
Prison Break; FOX. 7 pm CST. 4th Season Premiere.
My favorite show three years ago has slipped and slipped the last two seasons...
But they may have learned their lessons.
Now a government agency recruits Schofield to go after The Company, which prompts the season storyline about a prison break-in. And Sara is back (I swear I saw "the out" they could use-- that it wasn't Sara's head in the box-- long before it was announced).
And I've heard rumors that three characters bite the dust before the end of the first hour of the two hour premiere.
Tuesday, 9/2
The View; ABC. 10 am. 12th Season Premiere.
Isn't this the show where Sherri Stringfield claimed she wasn't sure the Earth was round?
90210; The CW. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
This sequel is getting a gigantic push.
Wanna Bet (ABC; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Comic View: One Mic Stand; BET. 9 pm & 9:30. Season Premiere.
The Shield; FX. 9 pm. 7th Season Premiere.
The show that made FX ends its run this year. I haven't gotten caught up with it (I've just seen the first two seasons so far), but I know this is must see TV right here.
Wednesday, 9/3
Bones; FOX. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Top Design; Bravo. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
America's Next Top Model; The CW. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Sons of Anarchy; FX. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I'm still a little hazy on the details, but I think the crux of it is there's a biker gang that runs guns that's led by Ron Perelman. The gang wants out of that business. But the mother figure (Katey Sagal) won't let that happen.
FX is looking for this show to take over the bad-ass, envelope-pushing slot that The Shield will be vacating, so I expect violence, bad language, and general bad behavior.
Thursday, 9/4
Kitchen Nightmares; FOX. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Gong Show With Dave Attell (Comedy Central; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Live From Abbey Road (Sundance; 9 pm). Season Finale (featuring Brian Wilson, Teddy Thompson, and Martha Wainwright).
Make sure your Fantasy lineups are set (I'm hoping like Hell my Fantasy draft is over by then)-- The Redskins play the Giants in the season opener.
Friday, 9/5
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?; FOX. 7 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
DogTown; National Geographic. 8 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
This two-hour premiere looks at what happens to four of the dogs from Michael Vick's dogfighting ring. Sounds like a great story. Worth checking out.
Samurai Girl; ABC Family. 7 pm. 3-part mini-series.
Jamie Chung stars as the Japanese heiress from the teen novels in this series running the next three nights.
Swingtown (CBS; 9 pm). Season Finale. Hopeful or something? (I expect it to be series finale.)
Saturday, 9/6
Imagination Movers; Disney. 9 & 9:30 am. Series Premiere.
The preschooler-targeted rock band get their own show.
Cops; FOX. 7 pm. 21st Season Premiere.
Over two decades! Crazy.
America's Most Wanted; FOX. 8 pm. 22nd Season Premiere.
Ditto.
We Mean Business; A&E. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Struggling business owners get help from experts.
The Locator; WE. 8 & 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
A show following Troy Dunn, who specializes in bringing people together with their long-lost loved ones.
John Edwards Cross Country; WE. 9 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
Sunday, 9/7
Amazing Wedding Cakes; WE. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I think the title explains it...
Hot Pursuit; Tru TV. 9 & 9:30 pm. 5th Season Premiere.
True Blood; HBO. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Six Feet Under's Alan Ball adapts Charlaine Harris' story about a telepathic woman who befriends a vampire. HBO is behind this show bigtime, and I've heard good things about it.
Entourage; HBO. 9 pm. 5th Season Premiere.
Vince & E's Medellin tanked at Cannes, so Vince and Turtle go into "hiding" while the gang tries to pull itself together.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Premieres and Notables; August 25-31, 2008
Just one more week until FOX kicks off the new TV season. I wonder who will try to jump the gun...
Monday, 8/25
Deal or No Deal; NBC. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Since the show hasn't given away $1 million yet, they're having four of the million dollar winner briefcases in the premiere.
America's Toughest Jobs; NBC. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Thirteen contestants try their hand at oil drilling, Alaskan ice fishing, logging, and others for a grand prize that exceeds a quarter million dollars.
L.A. Hard Hats (National Geographic; 9 pm.) Series Finale.
And the Democratic National Convention begins tonight. There might be a little coverage from networks here and there.
Tuesday, 8/26
Greek; ABC Family. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Guest-starring Charisma Carpenter.
I've heard the show is good, and Carpenter may actually be the thing I need to tune in.
Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency; Oxygen. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.
Didn't I have this show listed a couple of weeks ago?
Wednesday, 8/27
Shear Genius (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Thursday, 8/28
Glam God With Vivica A. Fox; VH1. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I usually don't mention VH1 shows, but I like Fox. I won't watch this reality contest show about finding a "new celeb stylist", but I will mention it.
Friday, 8/29
Queen Bees (The N; 7:30). Season Finale.
Grizzly Man Diaries; Animal Planet. 8 & 8:30 pm. 8-part documentary.
Taking footage shot by Timothy Treadwell, the man mauled to death by a bear as told in the great documentary Grizzly Man, this series looks at bear life in Alaska. Check it out.
Real Time With Bill Maher; HBO. 10 pm. Season premiere.
And all will be right with the world for the next 13 weeks... I don't agree with him 100%, but he definitely skews closer to my view of reality than most do.
And what great timing with the DNC this week. I wonder if he'll have something to say about it...
Sunday, 8/31
Robot Chicken; adult swim (what the Cartoon Network becomes at night). 10:30 pm. Season premiere.
Not always funny, but each ep is only 11 minutes long. It's worth a look.
Monday, 8/25
Deal or No Deal; NBC. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.
Since the show hasn't given away $1 million yet, they're having four of the million dollar winner briefcases in the premiere.
America's Toughest Jobs; NBC. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Thirteen contestants try their hand at oil drilling, Alaskan ice fishing, logging, and others for a grand prize that exceeds a quarter million dollars.
L.A. Hard Hats (National Geographic; 9 pm.) Series Finale.
And the Democratic National Convention begins tonight. There might be a little coverage from networks here and there.
Tuesday, 8/26
Greek; ABC Family. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Guest-starring Charisma Carpenter.
I've heard the show is good, and Carpenter may actually be the thing I need to tune in.
Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency; Oxygen. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.
Didn't I have this show listed a couple of weeks ago?
Wednesday, 8/27
Shear Genius (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Thursday, 8/28
Glam God With Vivica A. Fox; VH1. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I usually don't mention VH1 shows, but I like Fox. I won't watch this reality contest show about finding a "new celeb stylist", but I will mention it.
Friday, 8/29
Queen Bees (The N; 7:30). Season Finale.
Grizzly Man Diaries; Animal Planet. 8 & 8:30 pm. 8-part documentary.
Taking footage shot by Timothy Treadwell, the man mauled to death by a bear as told in the great documentary Grizzly Man, this series looks at bear life in Alaska. Check it out.
Real Time With Bill Maher; HBO. 10 pm. Season premiere.
And all will be right with the world for the next 13 weeks... I don't agree with him 100%, but he definitely skews closer to my view of reality than most do.
And what great timing with the DNC this week. I wonder if he'll have something to say about it...
Sunday, 8/31
Robot Chicken; adult swim (what the Cartoon Network becomes at night). 10:30 pm. Season premiere.
Not always funny, but each ep is only 11 minutes long. It's worth a look.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Odd and Ends
Random thoughts since I just can't find the time to make a proper post:
Success breeds complacency: I won both Fantasy Football leagues I was in last year, and I realized last night at one of my league's drafts for this year that I'm getting lazy. I did no prep, got drunk, and then messed with my picks by taking 4 kickers (you're pretty much a jackass if you take your first kicker in anything but the last round, so four kickers is a bit of overkill).
I cared so little after round ten that I didn't even write my last eight picks in my roster sheet. It'll be like opening a Christmas present once the rosters get posted on our league site. I just hope I get a good surprise like a new TV and not a bad one like an ugly sweater.
But having four kickers was pretty funny. I kept insisting I picked them for "trade bait". (For you people not in the know, sometimes players load up on a position in the draft to force other players to make trades with you because you hogged all the good players.) Of course, with 32 kickers in the league, the "trade bait" excuse was just for laughs.
Not to brag or anything, but I still fully expect to finish in the top third of the league this year-- even if I did tank my draft.
Okay, enough about football and bragging about my Fantasy skillz. On to other things:
Check out the episode of Lawrence of America on Friday morning (Travel Channel, 8 am CST). I mentioned that I liked the show in a post a few weeks ago, and this episode about Nashville was the best of the bunch. Lawrence is very tongue-in-cheek on this show, so please understand he knows he's being ridiculous. It's not the best episode to see for the the first time, but it's too good to pass up.
I read somewhere that Amy Ryan will be in five episodes of The Office this season, which kicks ass. Her character in last season's finale was great, and I'm glad they got to keep her around a while longer.
I watched the first season of Battlestar Galactica. Damn. Good stuff.
Watched the first two seasons of The Wire. It's a different kind of show; it unfolds very slowly over 12-13 episodes, but it's extremely well-done-- and I heard it just gets better season by season.
Meghan from I Survived a Japanese Game Show took the #1 ranking of hottest woman on TV. Seriously, I had no other reason to waste a hour a week on the show other than to see her.
The Mole was pretty weak, which broke my heart as I loved the first few seasons.
Props to the people in the Big Brother house for not splitting over who is more Christian (and, thus, the "morally superior" alliance) and who's not. It's still a show I consider a guilty pleasure, but this season has been better than the last few.
I'm sorry to say Weeds just hasn't been great this year. I like Andy's storyline that has made him a coyote for Mexican illegals (becoming their version of Moses), but even the addition of Julie Bowen hasn't helped a weak status quo.
The Office and the Prison Break spin-offs have been shelved. Cool.
Speaking of Prison Break, I really hope this is the last season. I would hate to lose the great actors on the show (the show is pretty ridiculous, but you have to admit the actors are pretty damn good), but I would hate to see this show that had a fantastic first season continue to plummet in drama and suspense.
And if you haven't heard, Sara's back; rectifying one of last year's worst storyline decisions.
If you haven't seen Dark Knight yet, do so. It is amazing. All the hype is true. Ledger, Caine, Bale, Freeman, Oldman, Eckhart-- how can you not have a great movie? Add Nolan's direction, and it's a sure-thing. You owe it to yourself to see it. I had two quibbles with it, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of it.
For the first time in 25 years, I am pretty much completely out of the comic book scene. I had to stop buying them last summer, but I, at least, kept up with the news in the industry. But this summer, I slipped further and further away. It kinda bums me out, but it's also a relief to have the monkey off my back (the problem with being a comic book reader is it never stops-- every week is another comic or ten; every store has something you don't own). But I feel a loneliness without them. Maybe I'll get back into them when my kids grow up and move out...
And I guess the e-mail address I have to this blog had a problem, so anything I sent didn't actually send. I fixed the issue (I hope), so if you sent me something and wanted a response and never got one-- I'm sorry.
Okay, gotta go and load up on TV. I'm gonna be gone all weekend, and I need to get the Laurel and Hardy marathon (Saturday, 5 am on TCM) on the DVR. I usually am at 90% capacity on the DVR, so I have some TV to get through and delete.
Thank God for OnDemand. I can still catch the Penn & Teller's I haven't seen...
Success breeds complacency: I won both Fantasy Football leagues I was in last year, and I realized last night at one of my league's drafts for this year that I'm getting lazy. I did no prep, got drunk, and then messed with my picks by taking 4 kickers (you're pretty much a jackass if you take your first kicker in anything but the last round, so four kickers is a bit of overkill).
I cared so little after round ten that I didn't even write my last eight picks in my roster sheet. It'll be like opening a Christmas present once the rosters get posted on our league site. I just hope I get a good surprise like a new TV and not a bad one like an ugly sweater.
But having four kickers was pretty funny. I kept insisting I picked them for "trade bait". (For you people not in the know, sometimes players load up on a position in the draft to force other players to make trades with you because you hogged all the good players.) Of course, with 32 kickers in the league, the "trade bait" excuse was just for laughs.
Not to brag or anything, but I still fully expect to finish in the top third of the league this year-- even if I did tank my draft.
Okay, enough about football and bragging about my Fantasy skillz. On to other things:
Check out the episode of Lawrence of America on Friday morning (Travel Channel, 8 am CST). I mentioned that I liked the show in a post a few weeks ago, and this episode about Nashville was the best of the bunch. Lawrence is very tongue-in-cheek on this show, so please understand he knows he's being ridiculous. It's not the best episode to see for the the first time, but it's too good to pass up.
I read somewhere that Amy Ryan will be in five episodes of The Office this season, which kicks ass. Her character in last season's finale was great, and I'm glad they got to keep her around a while longer.
I watched the first season of Battlestar Galactica. Damn. Good stuff.
Watched the first two seasons of The Wire. It's a different kind of show; it unfolds very slowly over 12-13 episodes, but it's extremely well-done-- and I heard it just gets better season by season.
Meghan from I Survived a Japanese Game Show took the #1 ranking of hottest woman on TV. Seriously, I had no other reason to waste a hour a week on the show other than to see her.
The Mole was pretty weak, which broke my heart as I loved the first few seasons.
Props to the people in the Big Brother house for not splitting over who is more Christian (and, thus, the "morally superior" alliance) and who's not. It's still a show I consider a guilty pleasure, but this season has been better than the last few.
I'm sorry to say Weeds just hasn't been great this year. I like Andy's storyline that has made him a coyote for Mexican illegals (becoming their version of Moses), but even the addition of Julie Bowen hasn't helped a weak status quo.
The Office and the Prison Break spin-offs have been shelved. Cool.
Speaking of Prison Break, I really hope this is the last season. I would hate to lose the great actors on the show (the show is pretty ridiculous, but you have to admit the actors are pretty damn good), but I would hate to see this show that had a fantastic first season continue to plummet in drama and suspense.
And if you haven't heard, Sara's back; rectifying one of last year's worst storyline decisions.
If you haven't seen Dark Knight yet, do so. It is amazing. All the hype is true. Ledger, Caine, Bale, Freeman, Oldman, Eckhart-- how can you not have a great movie? Add Nolan's direction, and it's a sure-thing. You owe it to yourself to see it. I had two quibbles with it, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of it.
For the first time in 25 years, I am pretty much completely out of the comic book scene. I had to stop buying them last summer, but I, at least, kept up with the news in the industry. But this summer, I slipped further and further away. It kinda bums me out, but it's also a relief to have the monkey off my back (the problem with being a comic book reader is it never stops-- every week is another comic or ten; every store has something you don't own). But I feel a loneliness without them. Maybe I'll get back into them when my kids grow up and move out...
And I guess the e-mail address I have to this blog had a problem, so anything I sent didn't actually send. I fixed the issue (I hope), so if you sent me something and wanted a response and never got one-- I'm sorry.
Okay, gotta go and load up on TV. I'm gonna be gone all weekend, and I need to get the Laurel and Hardy marathon (Saturday, 5 am on TCM) on the DVR. I usually am at 90% capacity on the DVR, so I have some TV to get through and delete.
Thank God for OnDemand. I can still catch the Penn & Teller's I haven't seen...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Premieres and Notables, August 18-24, 2008
Monday, 8/18
Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein; Discovery. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Bernstein investigates historical mysteries. In the premiere, he digs into Noah's Ark.
Wednesday, 8/20
Architecture School; Sundance. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A group of Tulane students design low-income homes in New Orleans.
Dinner: Impossible; Food. 8 pm. Season premiere.
Family Foreman (TV Land; 9 pm). Season premiere.
Thursday, 8/21
Bad Girls; Logo. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
The Principal's Office; TruTV. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
TruTV and schools.
Jacked: Auto Theft Task Force; A&E. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I know I've said this before, but it doesn't get old in this instance: A&E used to stand for "arts & entertainment". Not so much anymore.
Tabitha's Salon Makeover; Bravo. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Yet another freakin' reality show spin-off... Tabitha Coffey (from Shear Genius) gets her own show.
MVP (SOAPnet; 10 pm). Season finale.
Friday, 8/22
Discovery's Planet Project; Discovery. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Eight scientists use Al Gore's environment proposal to try to effect climate change.
Who Are You Wearing? TLC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Designers compete to make an outfit for a guest judge.
Saturday, 8/23
Making It Home: Greensburg; TLC. 6 pm. Series Premiere.
Two Trading Spaces guys go to Greensburg to help them rebuild after a tornado.
I wonder if this is the same Greensburg featured on a show on Planet Green, where it followed their efforts to rebuild itself as a "green" city...
Live Through This: Duff McKagen; Fuse. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
The former G'n'R bassist opens up about his struggles with booze and heroin.
And I have waited all summer for this. This is the shiznit, and needs to be on your radar:
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is running a 24-hour marathon of Laurel & Hardy shorts and movies. It had been easily 15 years since I've seen those two geniuses, but I've tried catching up since this Spring. I'll give the complete rundown, and I'll point out the ones I know to be must-sees. (I haven't seen most of them lately, and I do know the movies are usually a little weaker than the shorts-- those darn plots that get in the way of the mayhem when they run an hour or more).
Seriously: watch some of these, put a tape in, or set the DVR. There is great stuff here, and it's a complete shame that this could never play in today's entertainment environment-- even though the best ones hold up extremely well (aside from the less-sophisticated movie-making).
Night Owls; 5:00 am
Blotto; 5:25 am (Stan steals his wife's liquor and goes out on the town).
Brats; 5:55 am
Hog Wild; 6:20 am
Be Big; 6:45 am
Laughing Gravy; 7:15 am
Our Wife; 7:50 am
Pardon Us; 8:15 am
One Good Turn; 9:30 am
Beau Hunks; 9:55 am (Ollie gets dumped and talks Stan into joining the French Foreign Legion-- and then they try to get out of it.)
Helpmates; 10:35 am
Bonnie Scotland; 11:00 am
The Fixer Uppers; 12:25 pm
Them Thar Hills; 12:50 pm (I haven't seen it lately, but it is considered a classic.)
Tit For Tat; 1:15 pm
The Live Ghost; 1:40 pm (pretty good; the guys help a sea captain shanghai a crew for a haunted ship.
The Devil's Brother; 2:05 pm
Me and My Pal; 3:40 pm
Their First Mistake; 4:10 pm
Pack Up Your Troubles; 4:35 pm
Scram!; 5:45 pm
County Hospital; 6:10 pm. (A classic. Stan visits Ollie in the hospital, and they pack in a feature-length movie's amount of mayhem and destruction in just 19 minutes. Check out where Stan keeps his condiments. And it features my sons' favorite line, "Hard boiled eggs and nuts.")
The Chimp; 6:30 pm
****The Music Box; 7:00 pm. (A masterpiece. Absolutely brilliant in so many ways. The guys try to deliver a piano to a house located at the top of a hill. It's a half-hour long, and gets my highest recommendation. C'mon, people-- you can afford a half hour. It's worth it.)
Sons of the Desert; 7:35 pm. (One of their hour-long movies that are entertaining the entire time-- usually there is a non-Laurel&Hardy plot wedged into their full-length movies, but this is all Stan & Ollie. The two lie to their wives about taking a vacation, so they can go to a Lodge convention. It, of course, goes completely awry. Good stuff.)
Way Out West; 8:45 pm. (Another good one that's over an hour long. The two try to get a deed for a gold mine to the right person. Not as much slapstick, but they still get into their share of mishaps.)
Swiss Miss; 10:00 pm
Block-Heads; 11:15 pm (Ollie tries to help his old war buddy Stan-- who guarded a trench for 20 years before he realized the war was over. He brings Stan home, and, of course, things go very badly. There's a great scene where Ollie visits Stan at the VA Hospital and thinks he lost a leg in the war, so he carries the completely healthy Stan around.)
The Flying Deuces; 12:15 am (I haven't seen it lately, but I know it's a fan favorite.)
A Chump at Oxford; 1:25 am (Pretty good. There's a good scene where the two get lost in a maze, and some frat boys(?) mess with them.)
Saps at Sea; 2:30 am (The two get stuck on a boat with a killer. But they have a secret weapon: a trombone. Stan's hysterics as he tries to play the trombone under pressure is good stuff.)
Air Raid Wardens; 3:30 am
Sunday, 8/24
Z Rock; IFC. 10:30 pm. Series Premiere.
A sitcom about three Brooklyn rockers who can be themselves as the band Z02 at night-- and then have to be kid rockers Z Brothers during the day to pay the bills.
The N's Student Body (The N; 7 pm). Season Finale.
Generation Kill (HBO; 8 pm). Series Finale.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein; Discovery. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Bernstein investigates historical mysteries. In the premiere, he digs into Noah's Ark.
Wednesday, 8/20
Architecture School; Sundance. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A group of Tulane students design low-income homes in New Orleans.
Dinner: Impossible; Food. 8 pm. Season premiere.
Family Foreman (TV Land; 9 pm). Season premiere.
Thursday, 8/21
Bad Girls; Logo. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
The Principal's Office; TruTV. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
TruTV and schools.
Jacked: Auto Theft Task Force; A&E. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I know I've said this before, but it doesn't get old in this instance: A&E used to stand for "arts & entertainment". Not so much anymore.
Tabitha's Salon Makeover; Bravo. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Yet another freakin' reality show spin-off... Tabitha Coffey (from Shear Genius) gets her own show.
MVP (SOAPnet; 10 pm). Season finale.
Friday, 8/22
Discovery's Planet Project; Discovery. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Eight scientists use Al Gore's environment proposal to try to effect climate change.
Who Are You Wearing? TLC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Designers compete to make an outfit for a guest judge.
Saturday, 8/23
Making It Home: Greensburg; TLC. 6 pm. Series Premiere.
Two Trading Spaces guys go to Greensburg to help them rebuild after a tornado.
I wonder if this is the same Greensburg featured on a show on Planet Green, where it followed their efforts to rebuild itself as a "green" city...
Live Through This: Duff McKagen; Fuse. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
The former G'n'R bassist opens up about his struggles with booze and heroin.
And I have waited all summer for this. This is the shiznit, and needs to be on your radar:
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is running a 24-hour marathon of Laurel & Hardy shorts and movies. It had been easily 15 years since I've seen those two geniuses, but I've tried catching up since this Spring. I'll give the complete rundown, and I'll point out the ones I know to be must-sees. (I haven't seen most of them lately, and I do know the movies are usually a little weaker than the shorts-- those darn plots that get in the way of the mayhem when they run an hour or more).
Seriously: watch some of these, put a tape in, or set the DVR. There is great stuff here, and it's a complete shame that this could never play in today's entertainment environment-- even though the best ones hold up extremely well (aside from the less-sophisticated movie-making).
Night Owls; 5:00 am
Blotto; 5:25 am (Stan steals his wife's liquor and goes out on the town).
Brats; 5:55 am
Hog Wild; 6:20 am
Be Big; 6:45 am
Laughing Gravy; 7:15 am
Our Wife; 7:50 am
Pardon Us; 8:15 am
One Good Turn; 9:30 am
Beau Hunks; 9:55 am (Ollie gets dumped and talks Stan into joining the French Foreign Legion-- and then they try to get out of it.)
Helpmates; 10:35 am
Bonnie Scotland; 11:00 am
The Fixer Uppers; 12:25 pm
Them Thar Hills; 12:50 pm (I haven't seen it lately, but it is considered a classic.)
Tit For Tat; 1:15 pm
The Live Ghost; 1:40 pm (pretty good; the guys help a sea captain shanghai a crew for a haunted ship.
The Devil's Brother; 2:05 pm
Me and My Pal; 3:40 pm
Their First Mistake; 4:10 pm
Pack Up Your Troubles; 4:35 pm
Scram!; 5:45 pm
County Hospital; 6:10 pm. (A classic. Stan visits Ollie in the hospital, and they pack in a feature-length movie's amount of mayhem and destruction in just 19 minutes. Check out where Stan keeps his condiments. And it features my sons' favorite line, "Hard boiled eggs and nuts.")
The Chimp; 6:30 pm
****The Music Box; 7:00 pm. (A masterpiece. Absolutely brilliant in so many ways. The guys try to deliver a piano to a house located at the top of a hill. It's a half-hour long, and gets my highest recommendation. C'mon, people-- you can afford a half hour. It's worth it.)
Sons of the Desert; 7:35 pm. (One of their hour-long movies that are entertaining the entire time-- usually there is a non-Laurel&Hardy plot wedged into their full-length movies, but this is all Stan & Ollie. The two lie to their wives about taking a vacation, so they can go to a Lodge convention. It, of course, goes completely awry. Good stuff.)
Way Out West; 8:45 pm. (Another good one that's over an hour long. The two try to get a deed for a gold mine to the right person. Not as much slapstick, but they still get into their share of mishaps.)
Swiss Miss; 10:00 pm
Block-Heads; 11:15 pm (Ollie tries to help his old war buddy Stan-- who guarded a trench for 20 years before he realized the war was over. He brings Stan home, and, of course, things go very badly. There's a great scene where Ollie visits Stan at the VA Hospital and thinks he lost a leg in the war, so he carries the completely healthy Stan around.)
The Flying Deuces; 12:15 am (I haven't seen it lately, but I know it's a fan favorite.)
A Chump at Oxford; 1:25 am (Pretty good. There's a good scene where the two get lost in a maze, and some frat boys(?) mess with them.)
Saps at Sea; 2:30 am (The two get stuck on a boat with a killer. But they have a secret weapon: a trombone. Stan's hysterics as he tries to play the trombone under pressure is good stuff.)
Air Raid Wardens; 3:30 am
Sunday, 8/24
Z Rock; IFC. 10:30 pm. Series Premiere.
A sitcom about three Brooklyn rockers who can be themselves as the band Z02 at night-- and then have to be kid rockers Z Brothers during the day to pay the bills.
The N's Student Body (The N; 7 pm). Season Finale.
Generation Kill (HBO; 8 pm). Series Finale.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Premieres and Notables; August 11-17, 2008
A light week because of the Olympics, I'll bet.
Monday, 8/11
Sesame Street; PBS. 8 am CST (check local listings). 39th season premiere.
Read the end of the above line. Un-bee-leevable!
The Mole (ABC; 9 pm CST). Season (series?) finale.
Tuesday, 8/12
Primetime: Medical Mysteries; ABC. 9 pm. Season premiere.
Thursday, 8/14
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Friday, 8/15
Degrassi: The Next Generation (The N; 7 pm). Season Finale.
The Truth With Jeff Johnson; BET. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Half-hour talk show, focusing on issues important to African Americans.
Saturday, 8/16
The Dish; Style. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Danielle Fishel hosts a The Soup-type show that skewers fashion. I'm in.
Sunday, 8/17
In Plain Sight (USA; 9 pm). Season Finale.
The Two Coreys (A&E; 9 pm). Season Finale.
And Chris Noth hangs up his detective Mike Logan suit after almost 20 years (with a break) on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA; 8 pm).
Monday, 8/11
Sesame Street; PBS. 8 am CST (check local listings). 39th season premiere.
Read the end of the above line. Un-bee-leevable!
The Mole (ABC; 9 pm CST). Season (series?) finale.
Tuesday, 8/12
Primetime: Medical Mysteries; ABC. 9 pm. Season premiere.
Thursday, 8/14
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Friday, 8/15
Degrassi: The Next Generation (The N; 7 pm). Season Finale.
The Truth With Jeff Johnson; BET. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Half-hour talk show, focusing on issues important to African Americans.
Saturday, 8/16
The Dish; Style. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Danielle Fishel hosts a The Soup-type show that skewers fashion. I'm in.
Sunday, 8/17
In Plain Sight (USA; 9 pm). Season Finale.
The Two Coreys (A&E; 9 pm). Season Finale.
And Chris Noth hangs up his detective Mike Logan suit after almost 20 years (with a break) on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA; 8 pm).
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Premieres and Notables; August 4-10, 2008
Monday, 8/4
American Gladiators (NBC; 7 pm). Season Finale.
Tuesday, 8/5
I Survived a Japanese Game Show (ABC; 8:01 CST). Season Finale.
Flipping Out (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Smash Lab; Discovery. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Million Dollar Listing; Bravo. 10 pm. Season Premiere.
Wednesday, 8/6
Mythbusters; Discovery. 8 pm. 7th Season Premiere.
I haven't seen much of this show. I have liked what I've seen, though. Tonight, they're seeing if one can tenderize meat using explosives. I haven't heard that myth before, but it sounds fun.
Taboo; NGC. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Dallas Cowboys; HBO. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Last season's camp with the Chiefs was interesting and mildly exciting. I expect no less this year. Remember, people, this is HBO Sports-- it's bound to have some good stuff.
Man Vs. Wild; Discovery. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Black Gold (Tru TV; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Thursday, 8/7
Last Comic Standing (NBC; 7 pm). Season Finale.
I'm pretty sure this time, it is the finale...
So You Think You Can Dance (FOX; 7 pm). Season Finale.
My Boys (TBS; 9 pm). Season Finale. Gone so soon...
Friday, 8/8
The 2008 Summer Olympics begin with NBC's coverage of the Opening Ceremonies (7 pm). Then for the next couple of weeks, NBC's family of networks (NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, Oxygen, and Telmundo), some new cable and satellite channels created just for the Games, and live streaming video on nbcolympics.com will combine for 3600 hours of Olympics coverage. If that number wasn't huge enough, think of this: that's more coverage than all the other games since the first broadcasts on 1960 combined.
Saturday, 8/9
Primeval; BBC America. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Time anomalies and dinosaurs mix as a zoologist tries to link his wife's disappearance to the appearance of a dinosaur.
{Geez-- sounds like a no-brainer. Did anyone check the dino's stomach?}
Sunday, 8/10
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries; PBS. 8 pm (check local listings). Season Premiere.
American Gladiators (NBC; 7 pm). Season Finale.
Tuesday, 8/5
I Survived a Japanese Game Show (ABC; 8:01 CST). Season Finale.
Flipping Out (Bravo; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Smash Lab; Discovery. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Million Dollar Listing; Bravo. 10 pm. Season Premiere.
Wednesday, 8/6
Mythbusters; Discovery. 8 pm. 7th Season Premiere.
I haven't seen much of this show. I have liked what I've seen, though. Tonight, they're seeing if one can tenderize meat using explosives. I haven't heard that myth before, but it sounds fun.
Taboo; NGC. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Dallas Cowboys; HBO. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Last season's camp with the Chiefs was interesting and mildly exciting. I expect no less this year. Remember, people, this is HBO Sports-- it's bound to have some good stuff.
Man Vs. Wild; Discovery. 9 pm. Season Premiere.
Black Gold (Tru TV; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Thursday, 8/7
Last Comic Standing (NBC; 7 pm). Season Finale.
I'm pretty sure this time, it is the finale...
So You Think You Can Dance (FOX; 7 pm). Season Finale.
My Boys (TBS; 9 pm). Season Finale. Gone so soon...
Friday, 8/8
The 2008 Summer Olympics begin with NBC's coverage of the Opening Ceremonies (7 pm). Then for the next couple of weeks, NBC's family of networks (NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, Oxygen, and Telmundo), some new cable and satellite channels created just for the Games, and live streaming video on nbcolympics.com will combine for 3600 hours of Olympics coverage. If that number wasn't huge enough, think of this: that's more coverage than all the other games since the first broadcasts on 1960 combined.
Saturday, 8/9
Primeval; BBC America. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Time anomalies and dinosaurs mix as a zoologist tries to link his wife's disappearance to the appearance of a dinosaur.
{Geez-- sounds like a no-brainer. Did anyone check the dino's stomach?}
Sunday, 8/10
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries; PBS. 8 pm (check local listings). Season Premiere.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
PSAs You May Not Have Seen
Our friends at the Middleman TV show (ABC Family; Mondays at 9 pm CST) have taken the time to warn us about such things as vampire cows, probes, the dangers of copying, and others.
Check out this link to the vampire cows PSA, and then click on the others (they're all less than 30 seconds).
http://abcfamily.go.com/abcfamily/path/section_Shows+Middleman/page_Video-Middleman_PSA4
Then check out the show. It's low budget, but it has fun with that. After watching a few in a row, I appreciate that there is quite a lot of heart in this little show about two people who are "consultants" to things that can't be explained.
Check out this link to the vampire cows PSA, and then click on the others (they're all less than 30 seconds).
http://abcfamily.go.com/abcfamily/path/section_Shows+Middleman/page_Video-Middleman_PSA4
Then check out the show. It's low budget, but it has fun with that. After watching a few in a row, I appreciate that there is quite a lot of heart in this little show about two people who are "consultants" to things that can't be explained.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Premieres and Notables; July 28-August 3, 2008
Monday, 7/28
Paranormal State; A&E. 9 pm CST. 2nd season premiere.
Elvis has his work cut out for him as he tries to get Quentin Tarantino to open up about about the movie industry on Elvis Mitchel: Under the Influence (TCM; 7 pm CST).
{I don't understand why shows still book the tight-lipped writer/director...}
Tuesday, 7/29
I normally wouldn't even mention that this turd was having its season finale tonight, but TV Guide's blurb about this episode of Celebrity Family Feud (CBS, 7 pm) said that the American Chopper (Teutul) clan had never seen the show before, so they "had to explain the concept several times." Where the f-bomb do these people live that they've never seen an episode of this game show in thirty-some years?
I haven't watched the show in twenty years, but I bet I could play on a moment's notice...
Jurassic Fight Club; History. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
I don't know what it's about because, you know, the first rule of Jurassic Fight Club is...
{Yes, it was a corny/stupid joke, but I had to go there. It's mandatory with a set-up like that.}
Eureka; Sci Fi. 8 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Yet another show I have on tape, just waiting to be watched. I've heard good things. It's low budget, but it's supposed to be just funny/silly enough to get away with it.
It's Not Easy Being Green; Sundance. 8 pm. Season premiere.
Wednesday, 7/30
Lewis Black's Root of All Evil; Comedy Central. 9:30 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
Baby Borrowers (NBC; 8 pm). Season finale.
Thursday, 7/31
Hopkins (ABC; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Friday, 8/1
Dr Who (Sci Fi; 7:30 pm). Season finale. It's old friends galore as Donna, Martha, Rose, Sarah Jane, and Captain Jack all return to help out the Doc.
Saturday, 8/2
Long Way Down; FOX Reality. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
For those of you who liked 2004's Long Way Round (where buddies Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode motorbikes across Asia and America)-- or even if you didn't see it-- this "sequel" finds them riding 15,000 miles from Scotland to South Africa.
Robin Hood (BBC America; 8 pm). Season finale.
Sunday, 8/3
Summer Showdown; HGTV. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A reality show with two competitors who need to makeover some rooms.
Novel concept!
Wedding Central; WE. 10 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Design Star (HGTV; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Battleground Earth; Planet Green. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Tommy Lee and Ludacris compete to see who can be "greener". Lee is pretty funny, so it should be entertaining, and if it's anything like Alter Eco, it should also be informative. I've kinda felt like being more "green" this summer (and have done small things to accomplish it), so I'll be checking this show out.
L.A. Hard Hats; NGC (National Geographic?). 8 pm. Series Premiere.
The Deadliest Catch crew follow the construction workers who are building an eco-friendly high-rise in La-la Land.
Pam: Girl on the Loose; E!. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Another f-bombing reality show about someone who needs to be in the spotlight so much, they'll have cameras follow them around everywhere. This one is on Pam Anderson.
{If there's any good that will come from this show, it's that Chelsea Lately and The Soup are both to be sure to rail on it. BTW: both shows are great. I f-bombing HATE E! and it's moronic programming, but I love that the network does allow those two shows to rip them to shreds...}
Sunset Tan; E!. 9:30. Season Premiere.
And speaking of E!'s moronic programming...
Paranormal State; A&E. 9 pm CST. 2nd season premiere.
Elvis has his work cut out for him as he tries to get Quentin Tarantino to open up about about the movie industry on Elvis Mitchel: Under the Influence (TCM; 7 pm CST).
{I don't understand why shows still book the tight-lipped writer/director...}
Tuesday, 7/29
I normally wouldn't even mention that this turd was having its season finale tonight, but TV Guide's blurb about this episode of Celebrity Family Feud (CBS, 7 pm) said that the American Chopper (Teutul) clan had never seen the show before, so they "had to explain the concept several times." Where the f-bomb do these people live that they've never seen an episode of this game show in thirty-some years?
I haven't watched the show in twenty years, but I bet I could play on a moment's notice...
Jurassic Fight Club; History. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
I don't know what it's about because, you know, the first rule of Jurassic Fight Club is...
{Yes, it was a corny/stupid joke, but I had to go there. It's mandatory with a set-up like that.}
Eureka; Sci Fi. 8 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Yet another show I have on tape, just waiting to be watched. I've heard good things. It's low budget, but it's supposed to be just funny/silly enough to get away with it.
It's Not Easy Being Green; Sundance. 8 pm. Season premiere.
Wednesday, 7/30
Lewis Black's Root of All Evil; Comedy Central. 9:30 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
Baby Borrowers (NBC; 8 pm). Season finale.
Thursday, 7/31
Hopkins (ABC; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Friday, 8/1
Dr Who (Sci Fi; 7:30 pm). Season finale. It's old friends galore as Donna, Martha, Rose, Sarah Jane, and Captain Jack all return to help out the Doc.
Saturday, 8/2
Long Way Down; FOX Reality. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
For those of you who liked 2004's Long Way Round (where buddies Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode motorbikes across Asia and America)-- or even if you didn't see it-- this "sequel" finds them riding 15,000 miles from Scotland to South Africa.
Robin Hood (BBC America; 8 pm). Season finale.
Sunday, 8/3
Summer Showdown; HGTV. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A reality show with two competitors who need to makeover some rooms.
Novel concept!
Wedding Central; WE. 10 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Design Star (HGTV; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Battleground Earth; Planet Green. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Tommy Lee and Ludacris compete to see who can be "greener". Lee is pretty funny, so it should be entertaining, and if it's anything like Alter Eco, it should also be informative. I've kinda felt like being more "green" this summer (and have done small things to accomplish it), so I'll be checking this show out.
L.A. Hard Hats; NGC (National Geographic?). 8 pm. Series Premiere.
The Deadliest Catch crew follow the construction workers who are building an eco-friendly high-rise in La-la Land.
Pam: Girl on the Loose; E!. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Another f-bombing reality show about someone who needs to be in the spotlight so much, they'll have cameras follow them around everywhere. This one is on Pam Anderson.
{If there's any good that will come from this show, it's that Chelsea Lately and The Soup are both to be sure to rail on it. BTW: both shows are great. I f-bombing HATE E! and it's moronic programming, but I love that the network does allow those two shows to rip them to shreds...}
Sunset Tan; E!. 9:30. Season Premiere.
And speaking of E!'s moronic programming...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Premieres and Notables, July 21-27, 2008
Monday, 7/21
Wanna Bet?; ABC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
British TV comics Anthony "Ant" McPartlin and Declan "Dec" Donnelly host this show which sees celebs such as Drew Lachey, George Wendt, Tom Green, and Jerry Rice place wagers to see if people can perform outrageous stunts.
Catch 21; GSN. 6:30. Series Premiere.
A blackjack game show.
Date My Ex: Jo and Slade; Bravo. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I guess these two were once a couple on the Real Housewives of Orange County, and now they're broken up. But in order to stay in the public eye {okay, that's my take on it}, Slade agrees to live in a house with suitors for Jo, and help her pick the right man for her.
...At least until Season Two.
{Bravo-- how far can you fall?}
Extreme Forensics; ID (sorry, no idea what channel that is). 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A look at real forensic scientists.
{I wonder if they, too, can solve a crime in an hour.}
Take Home Nanny; TLC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Just what the world needs: another nanny show.
Tuesday, 7/22
Highway 18; Golf. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Golfers travel the state of Florida in a golf marathon across the links.
General Hospital: Night Shift; SoapNet. 10 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Antonio Sapato Jr. returns to Port Charles.
Road Tested With the Neelys; Food. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Pat and Gina Neely travel the country to find the best local food. The premiere has whiskey s'mores, found in Minneapolis, MN.
How to Look Good Naked; Lifetime. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Wednesday, 7/23
Sordid Lives: The Series; LOGO. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A series based on a 1999 film starring Olivia Newton (who also stars in the series).
Chris Angel: Mindfreak; A&E. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.
Sunday, 7/27
Jingles; CBS. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Contestants write and perform jingles for various products.
{I smell a Survivor-level amount of product placements...}
Mad Men; AMC. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
The critical (and now Emmy) darling is back. Yet another in an ever-growing numbers of shows I've taped but haven't watched-- but I really want to. I haven't heard a bad thing about it.
Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job!; [adult swim]. 11:30 pm. 3rd season premiere.
I just don't get it. Some mildly amusing stuff, but some people worship this program. It's worth checking out as it's only 15 minutes long.
And "Shark Week" begins today on the Discovery Channel.
Wanna Bet?; ABC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
British TV comics Anthony "Ant" McPartlin and Declan "Dec" Donnelly host this show which sees celebs such as Drew Lachey, George Wendt, Tom Green, and Jerry Rice place wagers to see if people can perform outrageous stunts.
Catch 21; GSN. 6:30. Series Premiere.
A blackjack game show.
Date My Ex: Jo and Slade; Bravo. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
I guess these two were once a couple on the Real Housewives of Orange County, and now they're broken up. But in order to stay in the public eye {okay, that's my take on it}, Slade agrees to live in a house with suitors for Jo, and help her pick the right man for her.
...At least until Season Two.
{Bravo-- how far can you fall?}
Extreme Forensics; ID (sorry, no idea what channel that is). 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A look at real forensic scientists.
{I wonder if they, too, can solve a crime in an hour.}
Take Home Nanny; TLC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Just what the world needs: another nanny show.
Tuesday, 7/22
Highway 18; Golf. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Golfers travel the state of Florida in a golf marathon across the links.
General Hospital: Night Shift; SoapNet. 10 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Antonio Sapato Jr. returns to Port Charles.
Road Tested With the Neelys; Food. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Pat and Gina Neely travel the country to find the best local food. The premiere has whiskey s'mores, found in Minneapolis, MN.
How to Look Good Naked; Lifetime. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Wednesday, 7/23
Sordid Lives: The Series; LOGO. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A series based on a 1999 film starring Olivia Newton (who also stars in the series).
Chris Angel: Mindfreak; A&E. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.
Sunday, 7/27
Jingles; CBS. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Contestants write and perform jingles for various products.
{I smell a Survivor-level amount of product placements...}
Mad Men; AMC. 9 pm. 2nd Season Premiere.
The critical (and now Emmy) darling is back. Yet another in an ever-growing numbers of shows I've taped but haven't watched-- but I really want to. I haven't heard a bad thing about it.
Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job!; [adult swim]. 11:30 pm. 3rd season premiere.
I just don't get it. Some mildly amusing stuff, but some people worship this program. It's worth checking out as it's only 15 minutes long.
And "Shark Week" begins today on the Discovery Channel.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Summer Surprises
Gonna just do a "off the top of my head" list of things I'm really digging this summer:
Middleman; Monday, 7 pm CST, ABC Family. This show wasn't on my radar at all, but I heard a few good things right before it debuted, so I checked it out. Low budget cool. Funny, a bit silly, and an all-around good time. Check it out.
Wipeout; Tuesday, 7 pm CST, ABC. There is nothing about this show I'd like enough to watch more than once, but my six-year-old loves it. The fact that he and I can laugh at these people getting brutalized on those stupid obstacle courses makes it worth "wasting" an hour on something I wouldn't come near normally. It's a sad comment on the state of TV and entertainment in general that my kids and I can't watch TV together, for the most part. This show is safe enough. Any risque jokes go way over his head. And what guy isn't going to like the fact that he can say "big balls" during the show without it meaning anything other than the Big Balls area of the course?
I checked out Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog at drhorrible.com, and it's another low budget, fun project. Ep One went online yesterday (and completely crashed their server; which is not fixed), Ep Two is due tomorrow, and Ep Three goes up on Saturday. All three are free to stream until Sunday. You can also download each ep (or the entire 3 ep season) on iTunes (where it immediately became the #1 download yesterday). It start Neil Patrick Harris as a mad scientist/villain wannabe.
Finally, I was checking out G4 TV's coverage of E3, and I realized that I had forgotten that I love Morgan Webb. I don't know how I could forget such a thing, and go more than a year without watching the channel, but I remember now: I love Morgan Webb. Better put XPlay on the DVR "to record" list, so I don't chance forgetting that again...
Middleman; Monday, 7 pm CST, ABC Family. This show wasn't on my radar at all, but I heard a few good things right before it debuted, so I checked it out. Low budget cool. Funny, a bit silly, and an all-around good time. Check it out.
Wipeout; Tuesday, 7 pm CST, ABC. There is nothing about this show I'd like enough to watch more than once, but my six-year-old loves it. The fact that he and I can laugh at these people getting brutalized on those stupid obstacle courses makes it worth "wasting" an hour on something I wouldn't come near normally. It's a sad comment on the state of TV and entertainment in general that my kids and I can't watch TV together, for the most part. This show is safe enough. Any risque jokes go way over his head. And what guy isn't going to like the fact that he can say "big balls" during the show without it meaning anything other than the Big Balls area of the course?
I checked out Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog at drhorrible.com, and it's another low budget, fun project. Ep One went online yesterday (and completely crashed their server; which is not fixed), Ep Two is due tomorrow, and Ep Three goes up on Saturday. All three are free to stream until Sunday. You can also download each ep (or the entire 3 ep season) on iTunes (where it immediately became the #1 download yesterday). It start Neil Patrick Harris as a mad scientist/villain wannabe.
Finally, I was checking out G4 TV's coverage of E3, and I realized that I had forgotten that I love Morgan Webb. I don't know how I could forget such a thing, and go more than a year without watching the channel, but I remember now: I love Morgan Webb. Better put XPlay on the DVR "to record" list, so I don't chance forgetting that again...
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Premieres and Notables; July 14-20, 2008
Monday, 7/14
Emeril Green; Planet Green. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Emeril Lagasse teaches people how to use the most healthful ingredients in his new cooking show.
Top Gear; BBC America. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
The Closer; TNT. 8 pm CST. 4th season premiere.
Saving Grace; TNT. 9 pm CST. 2nd season premiere.
Tuesday, 7/15
The Cleaner; A&E. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Benjamin Bratt stars as a recovering addict who leads an "extreme interventionist" team who get addicts treatment.
Say Yes to the Dress; TLC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Life at a New York City bridal shop. I am so setting my DVR for this...
{Sarcasm just doesn't translate well on a blog, does it?}
Hurl!; G4. 8:00. Series Premiere.
A gameshow where people who eat the most and puke the least are rewarded.
Wednesday, 7/16
Dog the Bounty Hunter; A&E. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Project Runway; Bravo. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
This last season on Bravo has already stirred up fans. All I have to say is chill out; it's a freakin' reality show.
Family Foreman; TV Land. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A look at the life at the George Foreman house. I expect fun times when the phone rings, and the caller asks to speak to "George", 'cause, you know, there are six George's in the family...
Celebrity Circus (NBC; 9 pm) Season premiere. {It was still airing?}
Thursday, 7/17
The Gong Show With Dave Attell; Comedy Central. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Uhhhhh...
Wrecked; Speed. 9 & 9:30. Series Premiere.
A look at the dangerous work of Chicago tow truck drivers.
What Horse of the Apocalypse am I up to now? Third, fourth? Fifth? Whatever; I'm sure this is one of them.
Last Comic Standing (NBC, 7 pm) did not have its season finale last week. Sorry, but I get my info from other, apparently not 100% accurate, sources.
Reality Bites Back; Comedy Central. 9:30. Series Premiere.
A reality spoof hosted by Michael Ian Black. I'm sure it'll be pretty bad, but I gotta watch because of MIB.
Friday, 7/18
Monk; USA. 8 pm. 7th season premiere.
Monk's back-- with new therapist Hector Elizondo.
Psych; USA. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Sunday, 7/20
Shameless; Sundance. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
The Stagers; HGTV. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Let's take a guess. Does this show have anything to do with trying to sell a house?
Ding ding ding!
It sure does.
High School Musical: Get in the Picture; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
C'mon, like Disney wasn't going to milk the Hell out of this franchise...
This reality competition is for the starring role of a music video that will run after the High School Musical 3 film in October. Yes, that's right: this entire show is for a f-bombing music video.
Squeeze, Mickey, squeeeeeze.
Emeril Green; Planet Green. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Emeril Lagasse teaches people how to use the most healthful ingredients in his new cooking show.
Top Gear; BBC America. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
The Closer; TNT. 8 pm CST. 4th season premiere.
Saving Grace; TNT. 9 pm CST. 2nd season premiere.
Tuesday, 7/15
The Cleaner; A&E. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Benjamin Bratt stars as a recovering addict who leads an "extreme interventionist" team who get addicts treatment.
Say Yes to the Dress; TLC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Life at a New York City bridal shop. I am so setting my DVR for this...
{Sarcasm just doesn't translate well on a blog, does it?}
Hurl!; G4. 8:00. Series Premiere.
A gameshow where people who eat the most and puke the least are rewarded.
Wednesday, 7/16
Dog the Bounty Hunter; A&E. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Project Runway; Bravo. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
This last season on Bravo has already stirred up fans. All I have to say is chill out; it's a freakin' reality show.
Family Foreman; TV Land. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A look at the life at the George Foreman house. I expect fun times when the phone rings, and the caller asks to speak to "George", 'cause, you know, there are six George's in the family...
Celebrity Circus (NBC; 9 pm) Season premiere. {It was still airing?}
Thursday, 7/17
The Gong Show With Dave Attell; Comedy Central. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Uhhhhh...
Wrecked; Speed. 9 & 9:30. Series Premiere.
A look at the dangerous work of Chicago tow truck drivers.
What Horse of the Apocalypse am I up to now? Third, fourth? Fifth? Whatever; I'm sure this is one of them.
Last Comic Standing (NBC, 7 pm) did not have its season finale last week. Sorry, but I get my info from other, apparently not 100% accurate, sources.
Reality Bites Back; Comedy Central. 9:30. Series Premiere.
A reality spoof hosted by Michael Ian Black. I'm sure it'll be pretty bad, but I gotta watch because of MIB.
Friday, 7/18
Monk; USA. 8 pm. 7th season premiere.
Monk's back-- with new therapist Hector Elizondo.
Psych; USA. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Sunday, 7/20
Shameless; Sundance. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
The Stagers; HGTV. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Let's take a guess. Does this show have anything to do with trying to sell a house?
Ding ding ding!
It sure does.
High School Musical: Get in the Picture; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
C'mon, like Disney wasn't going to milk the Hell out of this franchise...
This reality competition is for the starring role of a music video that will run after the High School Musical 3 film in October. Yes, that's right: this entire show is for a f-bombing music video.
Squeeze, Mickey, squeeeeeze.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Premieres and Notables; July 7-13, 2008
Monday, 7/7
Emeril Live!; Fine Living. 6 pm. Network change.
TCM Presents Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence; TCM. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
And longest title goes to...
Okay, I'm looking forward to this. I don't follow Mitchell's work very much, but I have liked what I've seen. And the dude's got kick-ass hair.
He's also got one of Sydney Pollock's last interviews in this episode.
How'd That Get on My Plate?; Food. 8:30. Series Premiere.
Sunny Anderson looks at how things get from one place to another in the food world. First up: how honey gets from Hawaiian bee farms to cream soda.
Tuesday, 7/8
30 Days (FX; 9:05 pm). Season finale. Morgan said this 30 day episode living with the Navajoes was the one that has affected him the most.
Not Going Out; BBC America. 7:40 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Out is the American roommate and in is the U.K. Office's Sally Bretton (who played Donna the Intern). The show is medium-level quality for me, but it's the summer, and comedies are rare. It's worth watching.
AFI Life Achievement Award; USA. 8 pm. Special.
Are these only yearly? I swear I just typed the above not too long ago.
Anyway, Warren Beatty gets the award this time.
Hell's Kitchen (FOX; 7 pm). Season finale.
Wednesday, 7/9
Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns; PBS. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Scare Tactics; Sci Fi. 9 & 9:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.
New host: Tracy Morgan.
WTF........?
Koppel: The People's Republic of Capitalism; Discovery. 9 pm. 4-part series.
Ted Koppel looks at the changing culture in China.
Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Standup; Starz. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Thursday, 7/10
Greatest American Dog; CBS. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Twelve people and their dogs live together and vote each other out one by one. Uhmmm... Is Big Brother really the show they should be emulating?
Burn Notice; USA. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Yet another show "on my list to watch", but I've heard it's really good. Check it out.
And: it's got Bruce Campbell. Everybody loves Bruce Campbell.
And2: it's also going to have Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer for parts of the season.
Reno 911 (Comedy Central; 9:30). Season finale.
Last Comic Standing (NBC; 7 pm). Season finale. For real? I've three eps behind, but I haven't even seen the real competition yet. Weeks and weeks of barely humorous auditions, a few weeks of the competition, and then done?
Friday, 7/11
Queen Bees; The N. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Seven selfish girls live together, and, hopefully, will grow up a little bit after the experience. If this was MTV or CBS, I'd say "fat chance", but maybe because this show airs on The N, we may actually see progress.
Ashley Paige: Bikini or Bust; TLC. 9 & 9:30. Series Premiere.
Apparently Paige is a swimsuit designer, and this show follows her efforts to run her own business. I don't care, I just think the title of the show is stupidly funny.
The N's Student Body; The N. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Laila Ali gives tough love and warm advice while motivating a dozen overweight teens to get fit.
Flashpoint; CBS. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
An elite team of police make the world safer. Stars Enrico Colantoni, Hugh Dillon, and Amy Jo Johnson. Looks like it may be okay. Don't know what to make of the Friday night timeslot, though...
Stargate Atlantis; Sci Fi. 9 pm. 5th season premiere.
Saturday, 7/12
I Want That! Kitchens; Fine Living. 8 am. Season Premiere.
Zula Patrol; NBC. 9:30 am. Season Premiere.
Sunday, 7/13
Big Brother 10; CBS. 7 pm. 10th season premiere.
This is usually my one big summer guilty pleasure, but this year I am not excited for it at all. Could be because we just had a Winter edition of the show, or it could be because the last two seasons were boring as Hell. Sell me on this, CBS, or it'll probably be the last summer I waste three hours of my week watching. And for those of you wondering: yes, there's a bound to be stupid "twist" as usual. CBS just isn't letting the cat out the bag yet (which lowers my expectations even more).
Earth: The Biography; National Geographic. 8 & 9 pm. 5-part series.
A look at how amazing nature can be. First up: volcanoes.
Generation Kill; 8 pm. HBO. 7-part Series Premiere.
The Wire creators' new series about an elite Marine team's missions in the early stages of the Iraq War. This will be a good show. Check it out. The review I read said it starts out slow, but by the second hour, it gets really good.
Emeril Live!; Fine Living. 6 pm. Network change.
TCM Presents Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence; TCM. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
And longest title goes to...
Okay, I'm looking forward to this. I don't follow Mitchell's work very much, but I have liked what I've seen. And the dude's got kick-ass hair.
He's also got one of Sydney Pollock's last interviews in this episode.
How'd That Get on My Plate?; Food. 8:30. Series Premiere.
Sunny Anderson looks at how things get from one place to another in the food world. First up: how honey gets from Hawaiian bee farms to cream soda.
Tuesday, 7/8
30 Days (FX; 9:05 pm). Season finale. Morgan said this 30 day episode living with the Navajoes was the one that has affected him the most.
Not Going Out; BBC America. 7:40 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Out is the American roommate and in is the U.K. Office's Sally Bretton (who played Donna the Intern). The show is medium-level quality for me, but it's the summer, and comedies are rare. It's worth watching.
AFI Life Achievement Award; USA. 8 pm. Special.
Are these only yearly? I swear I just typed the above not too long ago.
Anyway, Warren Beatty gets the award this time.
Hell's Kitchen (FOX; 7 pm). Season finale.
Wednesday, 7/9
Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns; PBS. 7 pm. Season Premiere.
Scare Tactics; Sci Fi. 9 & 9:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.
New host: Tracy Morgan.
WTF........?
Koppel: The People's Republic of Capitalism; Discovery. 9 pm. 4-part series.
Ted Koppel looks at the changing culture in China.
Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Standup; Starz. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Thursday, 7/10
Greatest American Dog; CBS. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Twelve people and their dogs live together and vote each other out one by one. Uhmmm... Is Big Brother really the show they should be emulating?
Burn Notice; USA. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Yet another show "on my list to watch", but I've heard it's really good. Check it out.
And: it's got Bruce Campbell. Everybody loves Bruce Campbell.
And2: it's also going to have Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer for parts of the season.
Reno 911 (Comedy Central; 9:30). Season finale.
Last Comic Standing (NBC; 7 pm). Season finale. For real? I've three eps behind, but I haven't even seen the real competition yet. Weeks and weeks of barely humorous auditions, a few weeks of the competition, and then done?
Friday, 7/11
Queen Bees; The N. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Seven selfish girls live together, and, hopefully, will grow up a little bit after the experience. If this was MTV or CBS, I'd say "fat chance", but maybe because this show airs on The N, we may actually see progress.
Ashley Paige: Bikini or Bust; TLC. 9 & 9:30. Series Premiere.
Apparently Paige is a swimsuit designer, and this show follows her efforts to run her own business. I don't care, I just think the title of the show is stupidly funny.
The N's Student Body; The N. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Laila Ali gives tough love and warm advice while motivating a dozen overweight teens to get fit.
Flashpoint; CBS. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
An elite team of police make the world safer. Stars Enrico Colantoni, Hugh Dillon, and Amy Jo Johnson. Looks like it may be okay. Don't know what to make of the Friday night timeslot, though...
Stargate Atlantis; Sci Fi. 9 pm. 5th season premiere.
Saturday, 7/12
I Want That! Kitchens; Fine Living. 8 am. Season Premiere.
Zula Patrol; NBC. 9:30 am. Season Premiere.
Sunday, 7/13
Big Brother 10; CBS. 7 pm. 10th season premiere.
This is usually my one big summer guilty pleasure, but this year I am not excited for it at all. Could be because we just had a Winter edition of the show, or it could be because the last two seasons were boring as Hell. Sell me on this, CBS, or it'll probably be the last summer I waste three hours of my week watching. And for those of you wondering: yes, there's a bound to be stupid "twist" as usual. CBS just isn't letting the cat out the bag yet (which lowers my expectations even more).
Earth: The Biography; National Geographic. 8 & 9 pm. 5-part series.
A look at how amazing nature can be. First up: volcanoes.
Generation Kill; 8 pm. HBO. 7-part Series Premiere.
The Wire creators' new series about an elite Marine team's missions in the early stages of the Iraq War. This will be a good show. Check it out. The review I read said it starts out slow, but by the second hour, it gets really good.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Teameck's Top Ten of the 2007-2008 TV Season (R-Z)
Now the second half of my list of top ten shows I watched this past year (in alphabetical order).
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO. What every sports news show should aspire to be. The team of reporters are all at the head of their class, and they dig deeply into a story; most of which you’d never hear of outside of this venue. The pure range of stories is amazing, and within a single hour, it can bring you to any number of emotional responses. Just this last year, I got to see the former circus ringleader of FOX Sunday football coverage, James Brown, have a very touching discussion with a severely disabled little girl who explains her equine therapy. Or the difficulties the soccer team plane-crash survivors, who were stranded on a mountaintop and had to resort to cannibalism, had when they returned back to civilization. Or the heartbreaking story of former NFL players in their 40s and 50s who have brain deterioration found in the average 80 year old due to countless head injuries—or just injuries in general. When you see Conrad Dobler, one of the fiercest men who ever stepped on the field, using a cane to walk—due to extremely swollen knees which have had a half-dozen surgeries in the past couple of years—say he’d take his own life if he could, it’s chilling. And then it can bring tears to your eyes when they spotlight a five-year-old boy who watched Tiger Woods on TV and somehow picked up the perfect golf swing. Just an amazing story about an amazing kid that warms the heart. And then they hit you with the fact that he had cancer in his eye and nearly died twice. Now he has a glass eye—and the kid just lives life and still golfs with a swing that others would pay unlimited money to have.
Reaper; CW. There are a handful of shows that could be on this list instead, but I think Reaper has lots of untapped potential that needs an audience, so it can grow. Bret Harrison is one of the best young comedic actors out there right now, and even though this is a drama, his humor makes Sam more believable and relatable. Tyler Labine gets the best lines, and uses them masterfully. Rick Gonzalez is finally getting something more to do than just being the pensive one of the group. And you can’t mention acting on this show without mentioning Ray Wise’s Devil, who is spot-on (as “spot on” as one can be to a character that has many interpretations).
The show floundered about a bit at first, but then it had an inspired storyline about demons banding together to overthrow the Devil. This is the type of mythology a genre show needs to survive. I think it’ll be great—even if they killed off Michael Ian Black’s demon in the process.
Slings and Arrows; Sundance. Quite a bit was packed into this six episode season. Geoffrey prepares a production of King Lear and hires a major star to lead it. The problem is said star knows this is his last production, and he wants everyone’s “A” game; and he doesn’t care that most of the others have nowhere near his experience. Oh yeah, the star also is dying of cancer and shoots up heroin to keep going. Geoffrey’s inability to control the star causes a rift between he and Ellen, and his dead friend Oliver is haunting him more and more. Richard makes some adjustments to the concurrently running musical and finds himself finally doing some creative work, which comes at the expense of his financial work that needs to be done. And it wouldn’t be S&A without a young love storyline.
It was a bittersweet season as the series came to a close, but it ended well. Sadness mixing with happiness. Just like life.
This American Life; Showtime. I got on this train a little late, but I was instantly attracted to it. This NPR show transplant works just fine on television. Each episode has a theme, and 2-3 stories that fit into that theme. The thing is: usually these stories are very “small”, but the show makes them vastly interesting. It’s not exciting, it’s just stories about American lives done very well.
Weeds; Showtime. Season Three got a little loopy, but it held together. After two seasons of Nancy's new career being explored, the stakes got higher when she got involved with big time dealers and really started to move her own strain of pot ("MILF Weed"). And then things came crashing down. The season finale was one of the most series changing episodes I've ever seen. Things would not be the way they were-- ever again.
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO. What every sports news show should aspire to be. The team of reporters are all at the head of their class, and they dig deeply into a story; most of which you’d never hear of outside of this venue. The pure range of stories is amazing, and within a single hour, it can bring you to any number of emotional responses. Just this last year, I got to see the former circus ringleader of FOX Sunday football coverage, James Brown, have a very touching discussion with a severely disabled little girl who explains her equine therapy. Or the difficulties the soccer team plane-crash survivors, who were stranded on a mountaintop and had to resort to cannibalism, had when they returned back to civilization. Or the heartbreaking story of former NFL players in their 40s and 50s who have brain deterioration found in the average 80 year old due to countless head injuries—or just injuries in general. When you see Conrad Dobler, one of the fiercest men who ever stepped on the field, using a cane to walk—due to extremely swollen knees which have had a half-dozen surgeries in the past couple of years—say he’d take his own life if he could, it’s chilling. And then it can bring tears to your eyes when they spotlight a five-year-old boy who watched Tiger Woods on TV and somehow picked up the perfect golf swing. Just an amazing story about an amazing kid that warms the heart. And then they hit you with the fact that he had cancer in his eye and nearly died twice. Now he has a glass eye—and the kid just lives life and still golfs with a swing that others would pay unlimited money to have.
Reaper; CW. There are a handful of shows that could be on this list instead, but I think Reaper has lots of untapped potential that needs an audience, so it can grow. Bret Harrison is one of the best young comedic actors out there right now, and even though this is a drama, his humor makes Sam more believable and relatable. Tyler Labine gets the best lines, and uses them masterfully. Rick Gonzalez is finally getting something more to do than just being the pensive one of the group. And you can’t mention acting on this show without mentioning Ray Wise’s Devil, who is spot-on (as “spot on” as one can be to a character that has many interpretations).
The show floundered about a bit at first, but then it had an inspired storyline about demons banding together to overthrow the Devil. This is the type of mythology a genre show needs to survive. I think it’ll be great—even if they killed off Michael Ian Black’s demon in the process.
Slings and Arrows; Sundance. Quite a bit was packed into this six episode season. Geoffrey prepares a production of King Lear and hires a major star to lead it. The problem is said star knows this is his last production, and he wants everyone’s “A” game; and he doesn’t care that most of the others have nowhere near his experience. Oh yeah, the star also is dying of cancer and shoots up heroin to keep going. Geoffrey’s inability to control the star causes a rift between he and Ellen, and his dead friend Oliver is haunting him more and more. Richard makes some adjustments to the concurrently running musical and finds himself finally doing some creative work, which comes at the expense of his financial work that needs to be done. And it wouldn’t be S&A without a young love storyline.
It was a bittersweet season as the series came to a close, but it ended well. Sadness mixing with happiness. Just like life.
This American Life; Showtime. I got on this train a little late, but I was instantly attracted to it. This NPR show transplant works just fine on television. Each episode has a theme, and 2-3 stories that fit into that theme. The thing is: usually these stories are very “small”, but the show makes them vastly interesting. It’s not exciting, it’s just stories about American lives done very well.
Weeds; Showtime. Season Three got a little loopy, but it held together. After two seasons of Nancy's new career being explored, the stakes got higher when she got involved with big time dealers and really started to move her own strain of pot ("MILF Weed"). And then things came crashing down. The season finale was one of the most series changing episodes I've ever seen. Things would not be the way they were-- ever again.
Teameck's Top Ten of the 2007-2008 TV Season (A-P)
And, finally, my list of top ten shows I watched this past year, starting with the first five (listed alphabetically).
Aliens in America; CW. It’s a crime this show didn’t attract more viewers. An overly worried mom wants her unpopular son, Justin, to have a handsome and popular best friend, so she signs up her family to host an exchange student. Unfortunately for her plan, the exchange student is from Pakistan (he’s mistaken for a terrorist a lot and dresses differently than most of the rest of the world). But what started out as disappointment ends up being a learning experience for everyone. And while Justin didn’t get more popular, he did have a few adventures he wouldn’t have had, and Rajah helped him out of.
The humor was edgy at times (like when bullies accused Justin of being gay because he wasn’t attracted to his hot sister), but the crux of the show was heart. Rajah became a member of the family, and had to experience the good and the bad of it.
How I Met Your Mother; CBS. Repeats as my favorite network comedy (only [adult swim’s] Frisky Dingo comes close) for the second straight year. This season just got better. First we saw Ted & Robin deal with their breakup as well as their attempts to move on. We saw Marshall and Lily deal with the problems at their dream place. Barney took Ted on a whirlwind spree of serial dating/getting laid and then hooked up with Robin himself. Ted fell in love with a new woman; one who just might be the titular mother.
I don’t know why this show isn’t more popular. The cast is great, the writing is amazing. It has a progression to the storylines like the best episodes of Friends had, and it could add to the classic television lexicon much the same way that Seinfeld did. Each episode stands on its own, yet each episode also carries the thrust of the series a step further. And, waiting in the wings, is the mother we are supposed to meet by the conclusion of the series. I just love that this show has a map of where it’s been and where it’s going. Part of the fun is when someone refers back to an episode months or years in the past, and you say to yourself “I remember that”. And there’s the occasional referral to something that will happen in the future that makes you say, “Oh yeah, ‘Old Ted’ said that was going to happen."
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; FX. Bring Seinfeld into basic cable and make it a one-camera show, and you’re just hitting the tip of the iceberg of this show. These five characters are about as self-involved as you can get, and will stab anyone in the back to get what they want. But as repulsive as they are as people, they sure can make me laugh. It helps that they always get what’s coming to them by the end of the episode.
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS. I was a bit surprised to see this one make the cut, but I had to remind myself what I told a friend of mine during this latest season—this show makes me laugh harder than most any I can remember. I mean, really laugh out loud laughs, not the chuckles most other great comedies get out of me. The show has really grown the past few years, and this season was very tight. The focus is now-- finally-- solely on Christine, and they’re not trying to force New Christine, the ex, or the son into every episode. It has strengthened the entire show by making the supporting characters actually support Old Christine instead of being a focus themselves. And they’ve gotten funnier as a result.
The biggest credit needs to be put on Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who I’ll go on a limb and say is the funniest female in a comedy. I know Tina Fey is the “hot” one to praise, but Louis-Dreyfus has more range right now (yes, much of that is how the character is written, but she can take even the most humiliating of situations, and make them funnier than many others could).
Phineas and Ferb; Disney. Every once in a while, a show “made for kids” just blows me away. This one is definitely made for kids, but there is a maturity and sophistication to it that an adult like me can love. The premise is very simple: two boys decide not to sit around during summer vacation, so they make these gigantic plans every single day in order to live life to the fullest. Disregard the fact that they must be super-geniuses—and super-rich—to even accomplish these ideas; just bask in the idea that every single day should be one of adventure and learning.
The zealousness of the main characters and funny “throw away” lines by everyone make this an infectious show, but take one step back and see how each episode is constructed, and the show becomes that much more fun and sophisticated. I’ll say 90% of each episode contains the following: Phineas and Ferb come up with an idea. Their sister Candace finds out about it, and tells their mom. Mom doesn’t believe her. Phineas asks, “Where’s Perry?” Their pet Perry the Platypus sneaks off to get his orders from Major Monogram. Monogram tells Perry what Dr. Doofenshmirtz has planned, and sends Perry to stop him. P&F continue to work on the day’s project, and someone they have to get materials from asks, “Aren’t you a little young to be doing [whatever they’re doing]?”, and Phineas responds with, “Yes. Yes I am.” Isabella, the cute neighbor girl with a crush on Phineas arrives and asks, “Whatcha dooooin’?” and Phineas answers, and oftentimes drags her into the plan. Candice gets a step closer to “busting” them but mom still doesn’t believe her. Perry breaks into Doofenshmitrtz’s lair and Dr. D. captures him. Dr. D. does something stupid, and Perry escapes, and turns the tables on Dr. D. Dr. D.’s plans fall apart just as Phineas and Ferb finish their adventure for the day, which is just when Candice convinces her mom to see what the boys are doing. And somehow, Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz destroy whatever the boys had created just seconds before their mom shows up.
And every episode also contains at least one short, original song in the spirit of the episode.
And what’s even more amazing—every episode feels different. It follows a formula, but it’s always presented in a different way.
Aliens in America; CW. It’s a crime this show didn’t attract more viewers. An overly worried mom wants her unpopular son, Justin, to have a handsome and popular best friend, so she signs up her family to host an exchange student. Unfortunately for her plan, the exchange student is from Pakistan (he’s mistaken for a terrorist a lot and dresses differently than most of the rest of the world). But what started out as disappointment ends up being a learning experience for everyone. And while Justin didn’t get more popular, he did have a few adventures he wouldn’t have had, and Rajah helped him out of.
The humor was edgy at times (like when bullies accused Justin of being gay because he wasn’t attracted to his hot sister), but the crux of the show was heart. Rajah became a member of the family, and had to experience the good and the bad of it.
How I Met Your Mother; CBS. Repeats as my favorite network comedy (only [adult swim’s] Frisky Dingo comes close) for the second straight year. This season just got better. First we saw Ted & Robin deal with their breakup as well as their attempts to move on. We saw Marshall and Lily deal with the problems at their dream place. Barney took Ted on a whirlwind spree of serial dating/getting laid and then hooked up with Robin himself. Ted fell in love with a new woman; one who just might be the titular mother.
I don’t know why this show isn’t more popular. The cast is great, the writing is amazing. It has a progression to the storylines like the best episodes of Friends had, and it could add to the classic television lexicon much the same way that Seinfeld did. Each episode stands on its own, yet each episode also carries the thrust of the series a step further. And, waiting in the wings, is the mother we are supposed to meet by the conclusion of the series. I just love that this show has a map of where it’s been and where it’s going. Part of the fun is when someone refers back to an episode months or years in the past, and you say to yourself “I remember that”. And there’s the occasional referral to something that will happen in the future that makes you say, “Oh yeah, ‘Old Ted’ said that was going to happen."
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; FX. Bring Seinfeld into basic cable and make it a one-camera show, and you’re just hitting the tip of the iceberg of this show. These five characters are about as self-involved as you can get, and will stab anyone in the back to get what they want. But as repulsive as they are as people, they sure can make me laugh. It helps that they always get what’s coming to them by the end of the episode.
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS. I was a bit surprised to see this one make the cut, but I had to remind myself what I told a friend of mine during this latest season—this show makes me laugh harder than most any I can remember. I mean, really laugh out loud laughs, not the chuckles most other great comedies get out of me. The show has really grown the past few years, and this season was very tight. The focus is now-- finally-- solely on Christine, and they’re not trying to force New Christine, the ex, or the son into every episode. It has strengthened the entire show by making the supporting characters actually support Old Christine instead of being a focus themselves. And they’ve gotten funnier as a result.
The biggest credit needs to be put on Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who I’ll go on a limb and say is the funniest female in a comedy. I know Tina Fey is the “hot” one to praise, but Louis-Dreyfus has more range right now (yes, much of that is how the character is written, but she can take even the most humiliating of situations, and make them funnier than many others could).
Phineas and Ferb; Disney. Every once in a while, a show “made for kids” just blows me away. This one is definitely made for kids, but there is a maturity and sophistication to it that an adult like me can love. The premise is very simple: two boys decide not to sit around during summer vacation, so they make these gigantic plans every single day in order to live life to the fullest. Disregard the fact that they must be super-geniuses—and super-rich—to even accomplish these ideas; just bask in the idea that every single day should be one of adventure and learning.
The zealousness of the main characters and funny “throw away” lines by everyone make this an infectious show, but take one step back and see how each episode is constructed, and the show becomes that much more fun and sophisticated. I’ll say 90% of each episode contains the following: Phineas and Ferb come up with an idea. Their sister Candace finds out about it, and tells their mom. Mom doesn’t believe her. Phineas asks, “Where’s Perry?” Their pet Perry the Platypus sneaks off to get his orders from Major Monogram. Monogram tells Perry what Dr. Doofenshmirtz has planned, and sends Perry to stop him. P&F continue to work on the day’s project, and someone they have to get materials from asks, “Aren’t you a little young to be doing [whatever they’re doing]?”, and Phineas responds with, “Yes. Yes I am.” Isabella, the cute neighbor girl with a crush on Phineas arrives and asks, “Whatcha dooooin’?” and Phineas answers, and oftentimes drags her into the plan. Candice gets a step closer to “busting” them but mom still doesn’t believe her. Perry breaks into Doofenshmitrtz’s lair and Dr. D. captures him. Dr. D. does something stupid, and Perry escapes, and turns the tables on Dr. D. Dr. D.’s plans fall apart just as Phineas and Ferb finish their adventure for the day, which is just when Candice convinces her mom to see what the boys are doing. And somehow, Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz destroy whatever the boys had created just seconds before their mom shows up.
And every episode also contains at least one short, original song in the spirit of the episode.
And what’s even more amazing—every episode feels different. It follows a formula, but it’s always presented in a different way.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Teameck TV 2007-2008 Awards
Taking a page fro the Comic Shop News and its "Red Kryptonite Awards", I'm going to do some goofy "awards" of my own from the past TV season (June 2007-May 2008).
Here we go:
Best Comedy: How I Met Your Mother
Best New Comedy: Aliens in America
Most Anticipated New Season: Frisky Dingo
Most Improved Comedy: It’s Sunny in Philadelphia
Most Improved Dramedy: Desperate Housewives
Most “Wrong” Show: Moral Orel
Comedy MVP: J.B. Smoove; Curb Your Enthusiasm, ‘Til Death, and Everybody Hates Chris
Dramedy MVP: Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies
Multi-genre MVP: Blair Underwood; New Adventures of Old Christine and Dirty Sexy Money (and In Treatment-- which I didn't watch).
Recurring guest star MVPs: Michael Ian Black and Tony Moreno; Reaper
Biggest Crime: Inside the NFL gets cancelled.
I can now cripple someone because I watched this show: Human Weapon
Show that can make me laugh, cry, uplifted, and outraged all in 60 minutes: Real Sports
Biggest Surprise (show I hadn’t planned on watching, but ended up loving): Phineas and Ferb
Biggest Surprise (show that made me laugh much more than I expected): New Adventures of Old Christine
I appreciate the attempts, but they just didn’t work out: All the “outside the box” storyarcs on My Name is Earl
Show I should have loved but didn’t “get”: Spaced
Show I love that needs to end soon before it gets so ridiculous even I won’t watch it: Prison Break
Show that should have been saved: Aliens in America
Hottest mom: Mary-Louse Parker on Weeds
Show I would have liked to see go on, even though it ended well enough: Journeyman
Show that best found its voice from pilot to season finale: Big Bang Theory
Character I wish I could see more of, but know too much of something isn’t always a good thing: Marmaduke from Carpoolers
Show that makes me laugh, even though I should feel dirty that I do: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Show that is lucky to be on adult swim because Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would crucify it were it anywhere else: Boondocks
Show that tells me what’s really going on in the world: Real Time with Bill Maher
Show that was pretty funny last season and pretty not this season: Head Cases
Show whose pilot was just too good to live up to: Reaper
Show whose pilot was just too good to live up to— and somehow did: Pushing Daisies
Worst behind the scenes problem that ended up affecting a show: Sarah Wayne Calles and Prison Break producers cannot agree on a work schedule or a story arc.
Channel I wish I had more time to watch: History
Most misleading title: John Safran vs. God (he’s not challenging God; he’s exploring religion)
Best Save: ABC, for letting Scrubs finish out its run on its own terms.
2nd Best Save: Reaper getting some show mythology.
Where did all the great shows go? BBC America, which was my favorite of all channels two years ago, but doesn’t have any more than one series at a time that I watch now.
The season finale that most brought its show back to where it needed to be: My Name is Earl
Season finale with the most promise for next year: Desperate Housewives
Season finale that has me the most afraid things will change too much: Weeds
Here we go:
Best Comedy: How I Met Your Mother
Best New Comedy: Aliens in America
Most Anticipated New Season: Frisky Dingo
Most Improved Comedy: It’s Sunny in Philadelphia
Most Improved Dramedy: Desperate Housewives
Most “Wrong” Show: Moral Orel
Comedy MVP: J.B. Smoove; Curb Your Enthusiasm, ‘Til Death, and Everybody Hates Chris
Dramedy MVP: Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies
Multi-genre MVP: Blair Underwood; New Adventures of Old Christine and Dirty Sexy Money (and In Treatment-- which I didn't watch).
Recurring guest star MVPs: Michael Ian Black and Tony Moreno; Reaper
Biggest Crime: Inside the NFL gets cancelled.
I can now cripple someone because I watched this show: Human Weapon
Show that can make me laugh, cry, uplifted, and outraged all in 60 minutes: Real Sports
Biggest Surprise (show I hadn’t planned on watching, but ended up loving): Phineas and Ferb
Biggest Surprise (show that made me laugh much more than I expected): New Adventures of Old Christine
I appreciate the attempts, but they just didn’t work out: All the “outside the box” storyarcs on My Name is Earl
Show I should have loved but didn’t “get”: Spaced
Show I love that needs to end soon before it gets so ridiculous even I won’t watch it: Prison Break
Show that should have been saved: Aliens in America
Hottest mom: Mary-Louse Parker on Weeds
Show I would have liked to see go on, even though it ended well enough: Journeyman
Show that best found its voice from pilot to season finale: Big Bang Theory
Character I wish I could see more of, but know too much of something isn’t always a good thing: Marmaduke from Carpoolers
Show that makes me laugh, even though I should feel dirty that I do: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Show that is lucky to be on adult swim because Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would crucify it were it anywhere else: Boondocks
Show that tells me what’s really going on in the world: Real Time with Bill Maher
Show that was pretty funny last season and pretty not this season: Head Cases
Show whose pilot was just too good to live up to: Reaper
Show whose pilot was just too good to live up to— and somehow did: Pushing Daisies
Worst behind the scenes problem that ended up affecting a show: Sarah Wayne Calles and Prison Break producers cannot agree on a work schedule or a story arc.
Channel I wish I had more time to watch: History
Most misleading title: John Safran vs. God (he’s not challenging God; he’s exploring religion)
Best Save: ABC, for letting Scrubs finish out its run on its own terms.
2nd Best Save: Reaper getting some show mythology.
Where did all the great shows go? BBC America, which was my favorite of all channels two years ago, but doesn’t have any more than one series at a time that I watch now.
The season finale that most brought its show back to where it needed to be: My Name is Earl
Season finale with the most promise for next year: Desperate Housewives
Season finale that has me the most afraid things will change too much: Weeds
Monday, June 30, 2008
Another Free Album
Gotta give a shout out to my pal, Brian, who gave me a link to Duff McKagen's band Loaded's new album DARK DAYS.
As with Nine Inch Nails' album THE SLIP (which I wrote about here ), it's free to download. I've had in the background the past half hour, and it's decent. I'll probably burn it to a CD and listen to it in the car to see if I really like it or not.
But, hey-- it's free. You can't go wrong with that price while trying it out. The link isn't working for me when I post this, so try a cut and paste in your browser window:
idolmanagement.com/duffmckagan's/loadeddarkdays.htm
As with Nine Inch Nails' album THE SLIP (which I wrote about here ), it's free to download. I've had in the background the past half hour, and it's decent. I'll probably burn it to a CD and listen to it in the car to see if I really like it or not.
But, hey-- it's free. You can't go wrong with that price while trying it out. The link isn't working for me when I post this, so try a cut and paste in your browser window:
idolmanagement.com/duffmckagan's/loadeddarkdays.htm
So... What Do YOU Do During the Writer's Strike?
If your name is Joss Whedon, you made a pet project with some friends, will let everyone in the universe see it for free for a few days, then will make it available for download, and finally put it on DVD with scads of extras.
The project is called Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. Part 1 premieres on July 15, Part 2 on July 17, and the third and final part on July 19. It'll be free until midnight on July 20.
So why should you care? Joss Whedon. The guy is a fanboy wet dream. And you know if he put the time into this project without any guarantee of compensation, he must believe in it.
If that's not good enough, how about Nathan Filion as Captain Hammer, Felicia Day as Penny, and NPH himself as Dr. Horrible? Yep, the former Doogie Howser and current Barney Stinson plays the titular character.
It's a comedy; it's a musical; it's probably going to be pretty good.
Here's the link to the site: http://www.drhorrible.com/
Here's a link to TV Guide's Matt Roush's chat with Whedon: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Roush-Dispatch/Joss-Whedon-Dr/800042425
The project is called Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. Part 1 premieres on July 15, Part 2 on July 17, and the third and final part on July 19. It'll be free until midnight on July 20.
So why should you care? Joss Whedon. The guy is a fanboy wet dream. And you know if he put the time into this project without any guarantee of compensation, he must believe in it.
If that's not good enough, how about Nathan Filion as Captain Hammer, Felicia Day as Penny, and NPH himself as Dr. Horrible? Yep, the former Doogie Howser and current Barney Stinson plays the titular character.
It's a comedy; it's a musical; it's probably going to be pretty good.
Here's the link to the site: http://www.drhorrible.com/
Here's a link to TV Guide's Matt Roush's chat with Whedon: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Roush-Dispatch/Joss-Whedon-Dr/800042425
Teameck's 2007-2008 TV Awards: Series List
Better (way) late than never.
I worked on this most of May and then never put the finishing touches on it (story of the life of this blog). But as a bit of fun, I compiled a list of all the television shows I could remember watching from June 2007-May 2008 and then made a few comments on them.
Lots of critics (not that I am one) make Top Ten Lists of shows, but they're usually done in December. In December, I'm too busy, so I thought I'd go against the grain and do it after what is recognized as the "television season" (in May). I included the shows that aired in the summer of 2007 because in August/September, I'm way too busy to do this.
For those of you new to my lists, I give the rundown of everything I watched during the time period. Why, you ask? Because I cannot possibly watch every single show. Hopefully, those of you who think I'm crazy for not including The Sopranos or Lost can see that I didn't watch either during this season (they're on my "to watch" list).
Here's the list of shows I watched from June 2007 through May 2008 (at least the ones I could remember) as well as the ones I tried (2 or more episodes). Shows in italics are ones I didn't watch every episode of.
Aliens in America; CW
American Dad; FOX
Aqua Teen Hunger Force; adult swim
The Big Bang Theory; CBS
Big Brother 8; CBS
Big Brother 9; CBS
Big Shots; ABC
Boondocks; adult swim
Boston Legal; ABC (up until the the post-strike shows; I'll be getting to the rest.)
Californication; Showtime (halfway through the first season; I'll be getting to the rest)
Carpoolers; ABC
Cavemen; ABC
Chuck; NBC
Costas Now; HBO
Curb Your Enthusiasm; HBO
Curious George; PBS
Desperate Housewives; ABC
Dirty Sexy Money, ABC
Entourage; HBO
Everybody Hates Chris; CW
Extras, HBO
Family Guy; FOX
Fantasy Insider; ESPN2
Frisky Dingo; adult swim
Hard Knocks: Kansas City Chiefs; HBO
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law; adult swim
Head Cases; Starz
Hollywood Residential; Starz
How I Met Your Mother; CBS
Human Weapon; History
Inside the NFL; HBO
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; FX
John Safran vs. God; Sundance
Journeyman; NBC
King of the Hill; FOX
Last Comic Standing; NBC
Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil; Comedy Central
Life; NBC
The Loop; FOX
Metalocalypse; adult swim
Miss Guided; ABC
Moral Orel; adult swim
My Boys; TBS
My Name is Earl; NBC
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS
The Office; NBC
Penn & Teller: Bullshit; Showtime
Phineas and Ferb; Disney
Pushing Daisies; ABC
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO
Real Time with Bill Maher; HBO
Reaper; CW
Robot Chicken; adult swim
Rules of Engagement; CBS
The Sarah Silverman Program; Comedy Central
Samantha Who?; ABC
Scrubs; NBC
The Simpsons; FOX
Slings and Arrows; Sundance
South Park; Comedy Central
Spaced; BBC America (just wasn't into it after four eps)
10 Items or Less; TBS
That Mitchel and Webb Look; BBC America (just wasn't into it after five eps)
30 Rock; NBC
This American Life; Showtime
Tim and Eric Awesome Show; adult swim
Unhitched; FOX
Weeds; Showtime
And some not-new seasons I watched for the first time in the past year:
Alias Season 4
Dexter Season 1
I worked on this most of May and then never put the finishing touches on it (story of the life of this blog). But as a bit of fun, I compiled a list of all the television shows I could remember watching from June 2007-May 2008 and then made a few comments on them.
Lots of critics (not that I am one) make Top Ten Lists of shows, but they're usually done in December. In December, I'm too busy, so I thought I'd go against the grain and do it after what is recognized as the "television season" (in May). I included the shows that aired in the summer of 2007 because in August/September, I'm way too busy to do this.
For those of you new to my lists, I give the rundown of everything I watched during the time period. Why, you ask? Because I cannot possibly watch every single show. Hopefully, those of you who think I'm crazy for not including The Sopranos or Lost can see that I didn't watch either during this season (they're on my "to watch" list).
Here's the list of shows I watched from June 2007 through May 2008 (at least the ones I could remember) as well as the ones I tried (2 or more episodes). Shows in italics are ones I didn't watch every episode of.
Aliens in America; CW
American Dad; FOX
Aqua Teen Hunger Force; adult swim
The Big Bang Theory; CBS
Big Brother 8; CBS
Big Brother 9; CBS
Big Shots; ABC
Boondocks; adult swim
Boston Legal; ABC (up until the the post-strike shows; I'll be getting to the rest.)
Californication; Showtime (halfway through the first season; I'll be getting to the rest)
Carpoolers; ABC
Cavemen; ABC
Chuck; NBC
Costas Now; HBO
Curb Your Enthusiasm; HBO
Curious George; PBS
Desperate Housewives; ABC
Dirty Sexy Money, ABC
Entourage; HBO
Everybody Hates Chris; CW
Extras, HBO
Family Guy; FOX
Fantasy Insider; ESPN2
Frisky Dingo; adult swim
Hard Knocks: Kansas City Chiefs; HBO
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law; adult swim
Head Cases; Starz
Hollywood Residential; Starz
How I Met Your Mother; CBS
Human Weapon; History
Inside the NFL; HBO
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; FX
John Safran vs. God; Sundance
Journeyman; NBC
King of the Hill; FOX
Last Comic Standing; NBC
Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil; Comedy Central
Life; NBC
The Loop; FOX
Metalocalypse; adult swim
Miss Guided; ABC
Moral Orel; adult swim
My Boys; TBS
My Name is Earl; NBC
The New Adventures of Old Christine; CBS
The Office; NBC
Penn & Teller: Bullshit; Showtime
Phineas and Ferb; Disney
Pushing Daisies; ABC
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO
Real Time with Bill Maher; HBO
Reaper; CW
Robot Chicken; adult swim
Rules of Engagement; CBS
The Sarah Silverman Program; Comedy Central
Samantha Who?; ABC
Scrubs; NBC
The Simpsons; FOX
Slings and Arrows; Sundance
South Park; Comedy Central
Spaced; BBC America (just wasn't into it after four eps)
10 Items or Less; TBS
That Mitchel and Webb Look; BBC America (just wasn't into it after five eps)
30 Rock; NBC
This American Life; Showtime
Tim and Eric Awesome Show; adult swim
Unhitched; FOX
Weeds; Showtime
And some not-new seasons I watched for the first time in the past year:
Alias Season 4
Dexter Season 1
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Premieres and Notables, June 30-July 4, 2008
Not much this week (Thank God).
Monday, 6/30
History Detectives; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings). 6th Season Premiere.
The War of the World; PBS. 9 pm (check local listings). Three-part Series.
Historian Niall Ferguson challenges assumptions about World War II.
46664: A Concert For Nelson Mandela; VH1. 8 pm. Special.
Normally, I don't mention VH1, but this 90th-birthday tribute sounds pretty cool. This special features two hours of highlights of the show, hosted by Will Smith, and scheduled appearances by Leona Lewis, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, and Queen with Paul Rodgers among others.
Friday, 7/4
Lots of marathons, specials, fireworks, concerts and the like all over the airwaves.
Pick your favorite channel, and you'll probably find something you'll like.
Sunday, 7/6
Extreme Living; HGTV. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A look at "extreme" house, like the one on a bridge that's seen in the premiere.
Monday, 6/30
History Detectives; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings). 6th Season Premiere.
The War of the World; PBS. 9 pm (check local listings). Three-part Series.
Historian Niall Ferguson challenges assumptions about World War II.
46664: A Concert For Nelson Mandela; VH1. 8 pm. Special.
Normally, I don't mention VH1, but this 90th-birthday tribute sounds pretty cool. This special features two hours of highlights of the show, hosted by Will Smith, and scheduled appearances by Leona Lewis, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, and Queen with Paul Rodgers among others.
Friday, 7/4
Lots of marathons, specials, fireworks, concerts and the like all over the airwaves.
Pick your favorite channel, and you'll probably find something you'll like.
Sunday, 7/6
Extreme Living; HGTV. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
A look at "extreme" house, like the one on a bridge that's seen in the premiere.
Destined to be a Classic
Sorry for the PG-13 nature of the joke. It's just so much funnier with the word in it...
Recently I was asked to run a marathon.
At first I said, "Naaahhh!"
Then they said to me, "Come on, it's for handicapped and blind kids."
Then I thought, Fuck...I could win this..!
Recently I was asked to run a marathon.
At first I said, "Naaahhh!"
Then they said to me, "Come on, it's for handicapped and blind kids."
Then I thought, Fuck...I could win this..!
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