OK, I stopped doing the day by day listings because they wound up restating a large portion of the day's events rather than focus on one or two. That and I got bored with it. Sorry.
But sticking with the Olympics, watching has allowed me to see some of the top-rated Super Bowl ads, as companies have been getting some extra life out of them. Having now seen the Bud Light "magic fridge" ad, it appears that the ads for Super Bowl XL were as forgettable as the game itself. I really didn't miss anything by skipping most of the first half.
As for new ads, the bulk of them are pretty forgettable, too. They mostly play off of the usual Olympic themes of striving for goals and success, and whether they be inspiring or "humorous," there's not much about any of them that gets me going. There are two that bear special mention, though:
1. The Chevrolet ad where a guy, the middle man of three spelling out "USA," gets frozen in a pond. Now, the decision to skip medical treatment in lieu of Weekend at Bernie's style hijinx is one thing. But towards the end of the ad, someone makes a sno-cone out of scrapings from the frozen guy's torso.
I didn't know Chevy was pro-cannibalism.
2. There's a DHL ad with Dan Jansen that shows him falling a lot as a backdrop for their "Olympic Spirit" award. Towards the end of the ad, Jansen is shown standing at the door to his home, watching a DHL delivery guy almost slip, and then take a header trying to walk up his snow and ice-covered drive. Jansen's response? "I know what that feels like."
Yes you do, Dan. So why don't you cart your ass out to the garage and break out the snowblower or some sand or something, rather than stand there like a jackass while some guy fractures his coccyx trying to bring you a package.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Thursday, February 16, 2006
OlympicsWatch, Day 8
Top event for me is the US-Sweden semifinal in ice hockey. It'll be shown live tomorrow morning, looks to be around 11 am EST. There'll be curling at various times throughout the day, US women versus Russia earlier in the morning, men later in the day.
The sliding sports also come to the fore as we get two man bobsled and skeleton in the afternoon and in prime time. Also in prime time Lindsey Jacobellis tries to break the streak of hyped Americans going without medals when she competes in this snowboard cross that I've never heard of until now.
Oh, and there'll be ice dancing, too. Woo hoo.
The sliding sports also come to the fore as we get two man bobsled and skeleton in the afternoon and in prime time. Also in prime time Lindsey Jacobellis tries to break the streak of hyped Americans going without medals when she competes in this snowboard cross that I've never heard of until now.
Oh, and there'll be ice dancing, too. Woo hoo.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Bored-room
Among the announcement of the contestants for the upcoming "season" of The Apprentice was the nugget that Carolyn and George, who have been assisting Trump in selecting his new hireling, will be stepping out for some number of episodes this season for two new helpers - Donald Trump, Jr. and his sister Ivanka.
This is the sort of idea that, if a team on the show tried it, would land them in the boardroom. Though I can at least see why Junior is in, he being the likely heir to Trump's yooge holdings. As for Ivanka... well, let's just say I hope to be surprised.
Now let's just hope they spice things up this season by having at least one challenge that isn't related to marketing. Wouldn't that be nice?
This is the sort of idea that, if a team on the show tried it, would land them in the boardroom. Though I can at least see why Junior is in, he being the likely heir to Trump's yooge holdings. As for Ivanka... well, let's just say I hope to be surprised.
Now let's just hope they spice things up this season by having at least one challenge that isn't related to marketing. Wouldn't that be nice?
When Judge Shows Invade Prime Time
One of the recurring themes of any judge show, from Judy to Mathis, is that the folks who appear in those fora tend not to display the greatest judgement. And while I like to chuckle at the legion of people who get cell phones under their own name for deadbeats, it worries me a bit when that lack of judgement seeps into prime time programming.
A couple examples have cropped up of late in ABC's programming. First, take the recent episode of Desperate Housewives where Bree, discovering that the man who was arrested for breaking into the Solis home (and who was the proximate cause of Gabrielle's miscarriage) and who is probably wanted after escaping from that hospital, chooses to call her friends rather than the cops. Huh?
Meanwhile, over on Lost, various castaways decide to place enough trust in Sawyer - the well known hoarder and con-man - that he eventually gets control over the group's firearms. Well done, idiots! You've got a guy who you can't trust as far as you can throw, but by all means let him manipulate you into doing his bidding. I suppose we can forgive Charlie - he's pissed at Locke and not that smart to begin with - but Locke and Kate?
I know, prime time TV programs more or less require this sort of poor decision-making to squeeze out episodes and further plot. But perhaps they could find a way to get to the same end without these decisions that seem out of character?
A couple examples have cropped up of late in ABC's programming. First, take the recent episode of Desperate Housewives where Bree, discovering that the man who was arrested for breaking into the Solis home (and who was the proximate cause of Gabrielle's miscarriage) and who is probably wanted after escaping from that hospital, chooses to call her friends rather than the cops. Huh?
Meanwhile, over on Lost, various castaways decide to place enough trust in Sawyer - the well known hoarder and con-man - that he eventually gets control over the group's firearms. Well done, idiots! You've got a guy who you can't trust as far as you can throw, but by all means let him manipulate you into doing his bidding. I suppose we can forgive Charlie - he's pissed at Locke and not that smart to begin with - but Locke and Kate?
I know, prime time TV programs more or less require this sort of poor decision-making to squeeze out episodes and further plot. But perhaps they could find a way to get to the same end without these decisions that seem out of character?
OlympicsWatch, Day 7
The daytime program has more live hockey (men) and curling (both). The prime time coverage is sure to focus on Yevgeny Plushenko's quest for gold in the men's figure skating long program. Failing that, he could probably get a job as a backup singer for The Darkness. Seriously, what's with his hair?
My main interest in prime time, though, will be speed skating's team pursuit. It seems like just the right amount of chaos for a sport involving ice and bladed footwear (don't get me wrong, I like short track, it just gets a little irritating with all the judge involvement).
Going back to today's programming, I was a little surprised during coverage of the Sweden-Kazahkstan game to hear multiple references to the Soviet Union. In the present tense. I know people don't always keep up with the news, but this seems negligent in the extreme.
My main interest in prime time, though, will be speed skating's team pursuit. It seems like just the right amount of chaos for a sport involving ice and bladed footwear (don't get me wrong, I like short track, it just gets a little irritating with all the judge involvement).
Going back to today's programming, I was a little surprised during coverage of the Sweden-Kazahkstan game to hear multiple references to the Soviet Union. In the present tense. I know people don't always keep up with the news, but this seems negligent in the extreme.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
OlympicsWatch, Day 6
Men's ice hockey kicks off on Wednesday, with 12 hours of live programming starting at 5 am EST. None of the games are between teams considered medal contenders. The most interesting match-up is probably the Czech Republic versus Germany, what with payback for the taking of the Sudetenland and all.
The US will play Latvia in a game that airs in the afternoon - but not live (at least the NBC schedule doesn't list it as such).
There's more curling (US women versus Denmark at 8 am, US men versus Italy at 5 pm).
Prime time coverage should focus on the women's downhill and the luge team of Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin, who are looking to medal in their third straight Games in doubles luge. But we'll probably get a heaping helping of Apollo Anton Ohno, whose skating in a couple of events. Jeremy Bloom competes in moguls (meaning we'll hear his skiing versus football story again), too.
The US will play Latvia in a game that airs in the afternoon - but not live (at least the NBC schedule doesn't list it as such).
There's more curling (US women versus Denmark at 8 am, US men versus Italy at 5 pm).
Prime time coverage should focus on the women's downhill and the luge team of Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin, who are looking to medal in their third straight Games in doubles luge. But we'll probably get a heaping helping of Apollo Anton Ohno, whose skating in a couple of events. Jeremy Bloom competes in moguls (meaning we'll hear his skiing versus football story again), too.
Monday, February 13, 2006
OlympicsWatch, Day 5
Highlights for Tuesday:
* More live curling in the very early hours of the morning.
* Live women's hockey in the more reasonable AM hours, with the live US-Finland game mid-afternoon.
* The usual plethora of events in prime-time, with the men's singles in figure skating the likely focus.
* More live curling in the very early hours of the morning.
* Live women's hockey in the more reasonable AM hours, with the live US-Finland game mid-afternoon.
* The usual plethora of events in prime-time, with the men's singles in figure skating the likely focus.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
OlympicsWatch, Day 4
Curling, baby!
See skips deliver rocks to the house for 10 ends on the first day of curling. The insomniacs (or unemployed) will enjoy live coverage starting in the wee small hours of the morning (EST), with tape coverage later in the day.
There's women's luge in the afternoon and the pairs figure skaters go tomorrow night. But curling!
See skips deliver rocks to the house for 10 ends on the first day of curling. The insomniacs (or unemployed) will enjoy live coverage starting in the wee small hours of the morning (EST), with tape coverage later in the day.
There's women's luge in the afternoon and the pairs figure skaters go tomorrow night. But curling!
Saturday, February 11, 2006
OlympicsWatch, Day 3
The US women's ice hockey team takes on Germany on USA network, while the NBC coverage will have the men's downhill skiing final, men's singles luge finals, and a raft of short-track speed skating. CNBC will have other women's ice hockey games as well.
We've not watched the entire opening ceremony yet, but we did find one thing odd about the first hour: Turin is referred to as Torino, yet all the other Italian cities are called by their English names. If you're going to use Torino, you should really also use Roma, Firenze, Milano, and the like.
We've not watched the entire opening ceremony yet, but we did find one thing odd about the first hour: Turin is referred to as Torino, yet all the other Italian cities are called by their English names. If you're going to use Torino, you should really also use Roma, Firenze, Milano, and the like.
Friday, February 10, 2006
OlympicWatch: Days 1 and 2
OK, here's my listing of what's worth watching each day for the Olympics. Consult your listings for full info on what's being shown. You could even try the TV listings on the NBC Olympic site, but it's awful. Half the time it doesn't load. I fear this presages future craptaculence by the NBC Universal family of networks, but let's think happy thoughts.
Day 1, Friday 2/10: Opening Ceremonies, 8 pm EST, NBC
Brian Williams steps in for Katie Couric. No word if he'll deliver the inane banter or if he'll leave it to Costas. They could make for an interesting pairing if they don't force Bruce Vilanch-type material on them.
There's a repeat airing at 2:30 am if you can't catch it in prime-time.
Day 2, Saturday 2/11: Women's ice hockey, USA-Switzerland, 12 pm EST, USA Network
The capper of 7.5 hours of women's hockey, with the previous two games (Finland-Germany and Sweden-Russia) kicking of at 7 am on CNBC.
The afternoon show on NBC (3-6 pm EST) will feature men's singles luge.
Prime time on NBC features the men's 5000 meters in speed skating. There's also moguls, pairs figure skating, and a men's downhill preview.
Day 1, Friday 2/10: Opening Ceremonies, 8 pm EST, NBC
Brian Williams steps in for Katie Couric. No word if he'll deliver the inane banter or if he'll leave it to Costas. They could make for an interesting pairing if they don't force Bruce Vilanch-type material on them.
There's a repeat airing at 2:30 am if you can't catch it in prime-time.
Day 2, Saturday 2/11: Women's ice hockey, USA-Switzerland, 12 pm EST, USA Network
The capper of 7.5 hours of women's hockey, with the previous two games (Finland-Germany and Sweden-Russia) kicking of at 7 am on CNBC.
The afternoon show on NBC (3-6 pm EST) will feature men's singles luge.
Prime time on NBC features the men's 5000 meters in speed skating. There's also moguls, pairs figure skating, and a men's downhill preview.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Do I Love Monkey? Meh.
"Meh" is about the most insightful thing I have to say about Love Monkey after watching the two episodes that have aired so far. It's not a bad show, but it's not particularly good, either. Which is too bad, as the set-up - Tom Cavanagh plays an A&R guy who is transitioning from a large label to an indie - is a nice break from the crime procedurals that clutter up the prime time landscape.
But I'm not sure this is going anywhere. The music-related subplots are OK - the first was a Jerry Maguire-inspired dash to sign a new talent, the most recent involved getting a star from Tom's old label to play a benefit sponsored by his new one - but there's a fakeness to it. I think it's the musician cameos, which seek stuck in to draw viewers. The second episode had both Ben Folds and LeAnn Rimes in very small speaking parts that had nothing to do with the show (outside, I suppose, showing that Tom knows all these big names).
That and Tom's apparent genius seems a little suspect to me. Take the last episode. The pop star wants to play one of her own songs at the benefit - an awful dirge called "My Inner Pain." She first plays this at a studio while interrupting a session with the hot new talent. To me the answer seems obvious - get the new kid, who says he's a fan of the pop star, to work with her. But when this eventually happens, it's hailed as visionary.
Perhaps I just watch too much TV and could see it coming.
The supporting cast is good but unexciting. There are some recognizable names among them (Jason Priestly, Larenz Tate, and Jane Greer most notably), but none of them have had much of anything interesting to do. Though there is promise in the friend who is a former baseball player turned sportscaster. At the end of the pilot he's seen bringing flowers and wine to someone's house - a male someone's house.
(Insert your own Mike Piazza joke here.)
Of course, this show may not last long enough for us to see how this - or anything else - plays out. We can only hope, given the likelihood of CSI: Bozeman if this doesn't get picked up for next season.
But I'm not sure this is going anywhere. The music-related subplots are OK - the first was a Jerry Maguire-inspired dash to sign a new talent, the most recent involved getting a star from Tom's old label to play a benefit sponsored by his new one - but there's a fakeness to it. I think it's the musician cameos, which seek stuck in to draw viewers. The second episode had both Ben Folds and LeAnn Rimes in very small speaking parts that had nothing to do with the show (outside, I suppose, showing that Tom knows all these big names).
That and Tom's apparent genius seems a little suspect to me. Take the last episode. The pop star wants to play one of her own songs at the benefit - an awful dirge called "My Inner Pain." She first plays this at a studio while interrupting a session with the hot new talent. To me the answer seems obvious - get the new kid, who says he's a fan of the pop star, to work with her. But when this eventually happens, it's hailed as visionary.
Perhaps I just watch too much TV and could see it coming.
The supporting cast is good but unexciting. There are some recognizable names among them (Jason Priestly, Larenz Tate, and Jane Greer most notably), but none of them have had much of anything interesting to do. Though there is promise in the friend who is a former baseball player turned sportscaster. At the end of the pilot he's seen bringing flowers and wine to someone's house - a male someone's house.
(Insert your own Mike Piazza joke here.)
Of course, this show may not last long enough for us to see how this - or anything else - plays out. We can only hope, given the likelihood of CSI: Bozeman if this doesn't get picked up for next season.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Lame Duck
As you've likely heard, The West Wing will be ending its run this year, which makes a certain logical sense what with Jed Bartlett riding off into the sunset and the untimely passing of John Spenser. And I can't say I was too interested in watching a Santos or Vinick administration unfold; as much as I like Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda, I don't think either could match Martin Sheen's performance over the series.
Not that we've gotten to see too much of him this season, what with the focus on the campaign and all. Which is interesting, given how the original idea for the show was going to be light on POTUS and more about his staffers. I think that's what's made this season seem uneven for me - when Danny went off on CJ a couple of episodes ago about how Bartlett was running out the clock, it was hard to say if he was right or not because we'd seen him do precious little of anything. It makes one long for the days when we got a Presidential aside about Assyrian history or Victorian typography or something similarly esoteric.
Many of the articles I read in the wake of this announcement talked about how the show made government cool or brought civics to the masses, etc. I wouldn't go that far. It was entertaining - at times - and instructive on how government probably operates - at time, and with a caveat about the show reflecting the ideology of its creators - but not exactly a treatise on government written for the current generation. More often than not, though, what we got from The West Wing was entertaining and at least a little instructive. That's more than we get from most prime time fare.
Not that we've gotten to see too much of him this season, what with the focus on the campaign and all. Which is interesting, given how the original idea for the show was going to be light on POTUS and more about his staffers. I think that's what's made this season seem uneven for me - when Danny went off on CJ a couple of episodes ago about how Bartlett was running out the clock, it was hard to say if he was right or not because we'd seen him do precious little of anything. It makes one long for the days when we got a Presidential aside about Assyrian history or Victorian typography or something similarly esoteric.
Many of the articles I read in the wake of this announcement talked about how the show made government cool or brought civics to the masses, etc. I wouldn't go that far. It was entertaining - at times - and instructive on how government probably operates - at time, and with a caveat about the show reflecting the ideology of its creators - but not exactly a treatise on government written for the current generation. More often than not, though, what we got from The West Wing was entertaining and at least a little instructive. That's more than we get from most prime time fare.
U! P! Dead!
I was pretty stunned by today's announcement that the WB and UPN are planning to merge into something called The CW. It's not like either network was setting the world on fire, but given the rhetoric each has used towards the other, this wasn't the most obvious move.
It'll be interesting to see what gets saved and what gets dumped as they integrate each other's shows into a common schedule and try to combine the WB's quest for young viewers with UPN's "urban" demographic.
This is also a bonanza for TV dead poolers, but I'm pretty sure that's an unintended consequence. I'll be happy either way as long as Related doesn't survive the merger.
A merger also means that there are several current affiliates who will soon lose their network. I hope this marks a return to independent TV stations, who have some flexibility to offer distinct programming options. I worry that someone else will get the bright idea to form a new network out of the ashes of the merger. I am horrified at the possibility that all these stations will become shop at home or infomercial outlets.
I wonder if this is the Curse of Michigan J. Frog?
It'll be interesting to see what gets saved and what gets dumped as they integrate each other's shows into a common schedule and try to combine the WB's quest for young viewers with UPN's "urban" demographic.
This is also a bonanza for TV dead poolers, but I'm pretty sure that's an unintended consequence. I'll be happy either way as long as Related doesn't survive the merger.
A merger also means that there are several current affiliates who will soon lose their network. I hope this marks a return to independent TV stations, who have some flexibility to offer distinct programming options. I worry that someone else will get the bright idea to form a new network out of the ashes of the merger. I am horrified at the possibility that all these stations will become shop at home or infomercial outlets.
I wonder if this is the Curse of Michigan J. Frog?
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Bluths Saved?
According to a post over at TV Barn, both ABC and Showtime are making offers to pick up Arrested Development once Fox officially gives it the boot (interestingly, when Fox reduced the number of episodes to 13 this season it allowed a contract clause to kick in OKing these negotiations). ABC is looking for a one year deal, Showtime two. While the latter would allow the Bluths the full limits of their insanity, I am pulling for the ABC deal as it means I'd still get to watch for free.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Daniel by the Book
While I've not seen any of The Book of Daniel yet - and from what I've read, I don't seem to be missing too much - I have enjoyed watching the contrivoversy unfold as it did for shows like God, the Devil and Bob and Nothing Sacred:
1. Network creates show involving religion that may or may not have elements religious folks and conservatives would objext to.
2. Those groups object anyway.
3. A handful of TV stations refuse to air the show. Network enjoys free publicity.
4. The show tanks, gets cancelled, we forget about the contretemps until some suit decides to repeat step one.
With that in mind, I wonder if it is impossible to create a show that takes a compelling look at contemporary religious issues? To my money the closest candidate was Nothing Sacred, whose depiction of an inner city Catholic parish showed promise when it wasn't trying to do either Issue of the Week or attempt to make star Kevin Anderson TV's hottest priest. It also had the misfortune of airing during the reign of Jamie Tarses at ABC, a woman who never met a show she couldn't cancel.
Other recent attempts haven't fared much better, as anyone who sat through an episode of the nonsensical Revelations could attest. The dueling John Paul II movies earlier this year failed to generate much interest, though it was entertaining to think of Jon Voight playing a pope.
History suggests that we like TV and religion combinations to be unthreatening and vaguely upbeat - hello 7th Heaven and Touched by an Angel - but with some of the great drama that's unspooling across TV sets now, you'd think that we could get one show that's about clerics rather than cops, lawyers, or forensic scientists. On the other hand Father Dowling Mysteries were pretty popular...
1. Network creates show involving religion that may or may not have elements religious folks and conservatives would objext to.
2. Those groups object anyway.
3. A handful of TV stations refuse to air the show. Network enjoys free publicity.
4. The show tanks, gets cancelled, we forget about the contretemps until some suit decides to repeat step one.
With that in mind, I wonder if it is impossible to create a show that takes a compelling look at contemporary religious issues? To my money the closest candidate was Nothing Sacred, whose depiction of an inner city Catholic parish showed promise when it wasn't trying to do either Issue of the Week or attempt to make star Kevin Anderson TV's hottest priest. It also had the misfortune of airing during the reign of Jamie Tarses at ABC, a woman who never met a show she couldn't cancel.
Other recent attempts haven't fared much better, as anyone who sat through an episode of the nonsensical Revelations could attest. The dueling John Paul II movies earlier this year failed to generate much interest, though it was entertaining to think of Jon Voight playing a pope.
History suggests that we like TV and religion combinations to be unthreatening and vaguely upbeat - hello 7th Heaven and Touched by an Angel - but with some of the great drama that's unspooling across TV sets now, you'd think that we could get one show that's about clerics rather than cops, lawyers, or forensic scientists. On the other hand Father Dowling Mysteries were pretty popular...
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
And They Danced
Notes from the first week of Dancing With the Stars:
* Kenny Mayne was the first "star" to get the boot. He shouldn't have been. Though he clearly would have been the second. His sense of humor will be missed, though his inability to display it in short bursts won't be.
* Master P should have gone first, given that he may be the one man in America who is a worse slow dancer than me. Not sure if he got through based on his fan base or the fan base of his partner, who danced on the first installment. And while sartorial idiocy seems the norm for ballroom dancing, I'm still wondering who thought the baseball cap with the rhinestone 'P' was a good idea.
* George Hamilton is no John O'Hurley. But he seems to recognize that.
* During the results show, Tatum O'Neal spent pretty much the entire half hour talking to her partner. He may just tank a dance next week so he can get some peace and quiet.
* The producer who decided that the two male judges should be more over the top needs to be beaten. The British guy is annoying but tolerable; the Italian guy makes Roberto Begnini seem restrained. The WWE woman who is in the competition (Stacey Kebler? Is that right?) should get involved.
* Speaking of whom, she dances very well. I'd not be surprised to see her in the finals.
* Can we get the folks at Intervention to get Lisa Rinna in for an episode to get her off the collagen? Make it a 2 hour episode, anything. Her lips need saving.
* Jerry Rice showed surprising skill, though I think he was trying to downplay expectations when he said during a sideline interview that the dancing was harder than going across the middle in the NFL. I think he'll do well, but may not outlast someone like Drew Lachey, who (like McIntyre last time) is showing that boy band dancing may be good for something.
* Oh, there was a crowd shot of Nick Lachey during the Thursday show. I wonder if that fulfills any contractual obligations for ABC? It's not like he and the ex-wife will be doing any more variety shows. Thank God.
* Tom Bergeron has a new co-host this year. I don't care for her. She's a little too much E! correspondent for me.
* Kenny Mayne was the first "star" to get the boot. He shouldn't have been. Though he clearly would have been the second. His sense of humor will be missed, though his inability to display it in short bursts won't be.
* Master P should have gone first, given that he may be the one man in America who is a worse slow dancer than me. Not sure if he got through based on his fan base or the fan base of his partner, who danced on the first installment. And while sartorial idiocy seems the norm for ballroom dancing, I'm still wondering who thought the baseball cap with the rhinestone 'P' was a good idea.
* George Hamilton is no John O'Hurley. But he seems to recognize that.
* During the results show, Tatum O'Neal spent pretty much the entire half hour talking to her partner. He may just tank a dance next week so he can get some peace and quiet.
* The producer who decided that the two male judges should be more over the top needs to be beaten. The British guy is annoying but tolerable; the Italian guy makes Roberto Begnini seem restrained. The WWE woman who is in the competition (Stacey Kebler? Is that right?) should get involved.
* Speaking of whom, she dances very well. I'd not be surprised to see her in the finals.
* Can we get the folks at Intervention to get Lisa Rinna in for an episode to get her off the collagen? Make it a 2 hour episode, anything. Her lips need saving.
* Jerry Rice showed surprising skill, though I think he was trying to downplay expectations when he said during a sideline interview that the dancing was harder than going across the middle in the NFL. I think he'll do well, but may not outlast someone like Drew Lachey, who (like McIntyre last time) is showing that boy band dancing may be good for something.
* Oh, there was a crowd shot of Nick Lachey during the Thursday show. I wonder if that fulfills any contractual obligations for ABC? It's not like he and the ex-wife will be doing any more variety shows. Thank God.
* Tom Bergeron has a new co-host this year. I don't care for her. She's a little too much E! correspondent for me.
Monday, January 09, 2006
A disturbing trend
Clip shows masquerading as "catch up" shows. ABC has done this twice with Desperate Housewives, did it last night with Grey's Anatomy, and will do it on Wednesday (also for the second time, I think) with Lost.
I can see the value for this for a show like Grey's Anatomy, which started in mid-season and built buzz as it went along. However, I think they could all be avoided if ABC would air new episodes in a normal manner. It seems like the last time we had new episodes of these three shows in the same week was sometime in November.
I can see the value for this for a show like Grey's Anatomy, which started in mid-season and built buzz as it went along. However, I think they could all be avoided if ABC would air new episodes in a normal manner. It seems like the last time we had new episodes of these three shows in the same week was sometime in November.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Televisions Second Most Exciting Season
It's midseason! So what new offerings are out there?
ABC - Most notable on the schedule is the Monday night "romance" lineup, with Emily's Reasons Why Not (starring Heather Graham), the inexplicable return of the John Stamos sitcom Jake in Progress, and the return of The Bachelor, this time a doctor who is handing out roses in Paris.
I can't say any of this interests me, which probably isn't a surprise given where I fall demographically. I'd happily tune in to look at Heather Graham if (a) this were HBO, thus increasing the odds of disrobing, and (b) she wasn't starting to take on Shelley Duval's bug-eyed look. Seriously, I find the protrusion of her eyes a little discomforting.
Thursday gives us the return of Dancing With the Stars and Crumbs, a new sitcom featuring the likes of Jane Curtin and Fred Savage. I'm sure I'll watch the former, given how the wife drew me in to the original (I suppose I'm rooting for Jerry Rice). The latter, eh. It strikes me as a watered-down Arrested Development, though it's supposed to be based on the family of the creator of Caroline in the City. That's strikes two and three right there.
Friday delivers inJustice - or is it In Justice? - where Kyle MacLachlan leads a team of lawyers and investigators focused on springing prisoners who were wrongly convicted. I suppose it's better than another police procedural. MacLachlan looks old, though I assume it's to give his character more gravitas.
CBS brings Jenna Elfman back to TV - were we really clamoring for that? - in Courting Alex, where Elfman plays an attorney who is looking for love, etc. It's based on a British show called According to Bex that I know almost nothing about, though the few comments I have seen were not kind.
On the positive, it has Dabney Coleman, which makes me want to like it. It also has Josh Randall, best known for playing Dr. Mike Burton on Ed. I may actually have to watch the first episode now. Argh.
Tom Cavanagh, Ed himself, stars in Love Monkey, a dramedy (sorry) about a single guy in the music industry. That it's an hour-long show not involving some facet of the government trying to either incarcerate or unincarcerate people, it already stands out.
CBS, in its wisdom, put the show on Tuesdays at 9. Where it gets to face Commander in Chief and an American Idol-amped House. Man, I hope Les Moonves is patient.
NBC will mostly get nods for the return of Scrubs and the return of the two hour sitcom block on Thursday, completed by the moving of My Name is Earl and The Office. One of their new shows is in that block, Four Kings. The four kings in questions are four single guys living in New York. I'm unsure if it's trying to be Friends or a male-themed Sex in the City. The Boston Globe review of it was unstinting in its criticism, comparing it to some of the lesser lights of "Must See TV" Thursdays past.
On Friday we get The Book of Daniel, where Aiden Quinn plays a minister with a variety of problems, some of which he hashes out in talks to Jesus - by which I mean face-to-face conversations, not just praying. A wackier Joan of Arcadia? Possibly.
Oh, and there are the Winter Olympics from Turin, which will take up a goodly chunk of February.
Fox is mostly returning stuff at mid-season, most notably 24 and American Idol (if you've seen more than 90 seconds of Fox primetime programming in the last month, you know about the latter show's return). The one new show: Skating With Celebrities. Why watch House and its fake injuries when you can see Dave Coulier give Nancy Kerrigan an actual subdural hematoma?
The WB brings back Beauty and the Geek and Life With Fran, but no new shows as of yet. That's kind of amazing.
U!P!N! offers two shows for people who like to look at and hear things, but maybe not pay that much attention. The first is Get This Party Started, where a team of party planners puts together an event for a deserving person. It's like Three Wishes, but with a DJ and cake.
The other show is South Beach, which tries to put some drama into the vapid Miami club and fashion scene. Jennifer Lopez is involved. Thankfully, it'll give way to a new cycle of America's Next Top Model sometime in early spring.
After seeing all this, I almost long for a show like Admiral Baby.
ABC - Most notable on the schedule is the Monday night "romance" lineup, with Emily's Reasons Why Not (starring Heather Graham), the inexplicable return of the John Stamos sitcom Jake in Progress, and the return of The Bachelor, this time a doctor who is handing out roses in Paris.
I can't say any of this interests me, which probably isn't a surprise given where I fall demographically. I'd happily tune in to look at Heather Graham if (a) this were HBO, thus increasing the odds of disrobing, and (b) she wasn't starting to take on Shelley Duval's bug-eyed look. Seriously, I find the protrusion of her eyes a little discomforting.
Thursday gives us the return of Dancing With the Stars and Crumbs, a new sitcom featuring the likes of Jane Curtin and Fred Savage. I'm sure I'll watch the former, given how the wife drew me in to the original (I suppose I'm rooting for Jerry Rice). The latter, eh. It strikes me as a watered-down Arrested Development, though it's supposed to be based on the family of the creator of Caroline in the City. That's strikes two and three right there.
Friday delivers inJustice - or is it In Justice? - where Kyle MacLachlan leads a team of lawyers and investigators focused on springing prisoners who were wrongly convicted. I suppose it's better than another police procedural. MacLachlan looks old, though I assume it's to give his character more gravitas.
CBS brings Jenna Elfman back to TV - were we really clamoring for that? - in Courting Alex, where Elfman plays an attorney who is looking for love, etc. It's based on a British show called According to Bex that I know almost nothing about, though the few comments I have seen were not kind.
On the positive, it has Dabney Coleman, which makes me want to like it. It also has Josh Randall, best known for playing Dr. Mike Burton on Ed. I may actually have to watch the first episode now. Argh.
Tom Cavanagh, Ed himself, stars in Love Monkey, a dramedy (sorry) about a single guy in the music industry. That it's an hour-long show not involving some facet of the government trying to either incarcerate or unincarcerate people, it already stands out.
CBS, in its wisdom, put the show on Tuesdays at 9. Where it gets to face Commander in Chief and an American Idol-amped House. Man, I hope Les Moonves is patient.
NBC will mostly get nods for the return of Scrubs and the return of the two hour sitcom block on Thursday, completed by the moving of My Name is Earl and The Office. One of their new shows is in that block, Four Kings. The four kings in questions are four single guys living in New York. I'm unsure if it's trying to be Friends or a male-themed Sex in the City. The Boston Globe review of it was unstinting in its criticism, comparing it to some of the lesser lights of "Must See TV" Thursdays past.
On Friday we get The Book of Daniel, where Aiden Quinn plays a minister with a variety of problems, some of which he hashes out in talks to Jesus - by which I mean face-to-face conversations, not just praying. A wackier Joan of Arcadia? Possibly.
Oh, and there are the Winter Olympics from Turin, which will take up a goodly chunk of February.
Fox is mostly returning stuff at mid-season, most notably 24 and American Idol (if you've seen more than 90 seconds of Fox primetime programming in the last month, you know about the latter show's return). The one new show: Skating With Celebrities. Why watch House and its fake injuries when you can see Dave Coulier give Nancy Kerrigan an actual subdural hematoma?
The WB brings back Beauty and the Geek and Life With Fran, but no new shows as of yet. That's kind of amazing.
U!P!N! offers two shows for people who like to look at and hear things, but maybe not pay that much attention. The first is Get This Party Started, where a team of party planners puts together an event for a deserving person. It's like Three Wishes, but with a DJ and cake.
The other show is South Beach, which tries to put some drama into the vapid Miami club and fashion scene. Jennifer Lopez is involved. Thankfully, it'll give way to a new cycle of America's Next Top Model sometime in early spring.
After seeing all this, I almost long for a show like Admiral Baby.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
This Party Was Over a Long Time Ago
I've been meaning to write something about the end of Monday Night Football, but have had some trouble getting motivated. Which, really, says more about my relationship to the show than anything.
The show clearly has places in both TV and sports history, at least. It also has some unusual cultural cachet - a fair number of Americans heard about John Lennon's killing on MNF, and we all got to talk about race in America when Alvin Garrett was compared to a primate. But for as much of a football fan as I am, MNF was must sample TV rather than must watch.
Four reasons come to mind for this:
1. My home team, the New England Patriots, once went 13 years without a Monday night appearance. It's not like they were being snubbed - the team was legitimately awful, and the city father of Foxborough generally had a negative stance on Monday night games. But when your team goes that long without getting on air, and when that dry spell is during one's formative years, you can see where that might set a pattern of casual viewing.
2. Some teams got on MNF based on demographics rather than talent. There's been some awful football on Monday nights, thanks to the need to show a lousy team from a major media market. I wouldn't watch these teams on a Sunday afternoon; why would I lose sleep to watch them during the week?
3. The games started at 9 pm (actually later, as the coverage started at 9). That guarantees a finish time after midnight (and generally closer to 1 am than midnight), which I could do when I was a student. Not so much now when I have to get up and go to work. I could have recorded games, but why bother when you can get a solid condensed recap on Sports Center or the like?
4. I can now see new football games, between college and pro, pretty much every night of the week. If there's not a new game, I can probably find a game from last week being repeated, or catch an old one on ESPN Classic. This saturation made Monday night less of a requirement for getting one's pigskin fix.
As for the personalities, I never really had the problems with booth or sideline personnel that others had, outside of Lisa Guererro, who was awful (possibly even worse than Eric Dickerson, who was at least entertaining in a fish out of water kind of way). I enjoyed the Dennis Miller experiment as much as John Madden's sound effects, and recall Howard Cosell's bombast as well as Frank Gifford's dull but sonorous voice. Speaking of which, he did not compare well to Don Meredith. Dandy Don looked pretty good, although he appeared on the last episode via tape, while Frank was live. So to speak.
(Also speaking of Gifford, I will say that the period where he did intros and Chris Berman did stuff from the ESPN Zone restaurant was not good, either. At least they killed that off quick.)
I suppose the biggest argument against missing MNF is that there will still be Monday night football - just on ESPN. Like the vast majority of America, I have that channel. I just hope they start the games earlier.
As an American male I should feel more passionate about the end of Monday Night Football, but I don't.
The show clearly has places in both TV and sports history, at least. It also has some unusual cultural cachet - a fair number of Americans heard about John Lennon's killing on MNF, and we all got to talk about race in America when Alvin Garrett was compared to a primate. But for as much of a football fan as I am, MNF was must sample TV rather than must watch.
Four reasons come to mind for this:
1. My home team, the New England Patriots, once went 13 years without a Monday night appearance. It's not like they were being snubbed - the team was legitimately awful, and the city father of Foxborough generally had a negative stance on Monday night games. But when your team goes that long without getting on air, and when that dry spell is during one's formative years, you can see where that might set a pattern of casual viewing.
2. Some teams got on MNF based on demographics rather than talent. There's been some awful football on Monday nights, thanks to the need to show a lousy team from a major media market. I wouldn't watch these teams on a Sunday afternoon; why would I lose sleep to watch them during the week?
3. The games started at 9 pm (actually later, as the coverage started at 9). That guarantees a finish time after midnight (and generally closer to 1 am than midnight), which I could do when I was a student. Not so much now when I have to get up and go to work. I could have recorded games, but why bother when you can get a solid condensed recap on Sports Center or the like?
4. I can now see new football games, between college and pro, pretty much every night of the week. If there's not a new game, I can probably find a game from last week being repeated, or catch an old one on ESPN Classic. This saturation made Monday night less of a requirement for getting one's pigskin fix.
As for the personalities, I never really had the problems with booth or sideline personnel that others had, outside of Lisa Guererro, who was awful (possibly even worse than Eric Dickerson, who was at least entertaining in a fish out of water kind of way). I enjoyed the Dennis Miller experiment as much as John Madden's sound effects, and recall Howard Cosell's bombast as well as Frank Gifford's dull but sonorous voice. Speaking of which, he did not compare well to Don Meredith. Dandy Don looked pretty good, although he appeared on the last episode via tape, while Frank was live. So to speak.
(Also speaking of Gifford, I will say that the period where he did intros and Chris Berman did stuff from the ESPN Zone restaurant was not good, either. At least they killed that off quick.)
I suppose the biggest argument against missing MNF is that there will still be Monday night football - just on ESPN. Like the vast majority of America, I have that channel. I just hope they start the games earlier.
As an American male I should feel more passionate about the end of Monday Night Football, but I don't.
Ringing in the New Year - Briefly
We decided to usher in 2006 in a low-key style, catching up on recorded TV and taking it easy. Even so, we avoided pretty much all of the New Year's Eve specials, save for two or three minutes to see the ball drop. This was long enough for me to make two comments:
1. Stuart Scott got in that final pointless comment of 2005 when he asked that viewers make a New Year's resolution not to boo athletes because they do things we can't do.
So please, people, don't boo the millionaires.
2. I didn't get to see much of Dick Clark on ABC, but I did get to hear him. As you'd expect from someone who'd had a stroke, his speech was slurred. But from the short bit I caught he was intelligible, and will hopefully make further progress in the new year. Signing Ryan Seacrest to co-host (and eventually take over) seems about right.
1. Stuart Scott got in that final pointless comment of 2005 when he asked that viewers make a New Year's resolution not to boo athletes because they do things we can't do.
So please, people, don't boo the millionaires.
2. I didn't get to see much of Dick Clark on ABC, but I did get to hear him. As you'd expect from someone who'd had a stroke, his speech was slurred. But from the short bit I caught he was intelligible, and will hopefully make further progress in the new year. Signing Ryan Seacrest to co-host (and eventually take over) seems about right.
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