To: Dick Ebersol, Chairman NBC Universal Sports & Olympics
Re: The upcoming Olympics
Dear Mr. Ebersol,
I am writing with an idea that, I think, will greatly enhance the NBC prime time presentation of the upcoming Olympic Games from Beijing.
There are a number of things that have become standard in NBC's presentation that I've gotten used to. Eight minute segments of a single event strewn over three hours to keep me watching? Check. More personal interest stories than the average issue of People? Check.
But the one thing I have never gotten used to is Jimmy Roberts and his nightly "essays." Simple fact: Jimmy Roberts is not Jim McKay. Never was, and never will be. His voice is too high and nasally, and his presentation can generally be described as unctuous.
I was thinking that, in this year that we lost Jim McKay, it may be better suited to give someone else a turn at making these reports on the background stories of the Games: Morgan Freeman.
Have you seen the ads he's voicing for Visa? They cover some relatively well-known Olympic territory - Kerry Strug's one-legged vault and Derek Redmond's dad-assisted 400 meter run - but are given new life by Freeman's majestic delivery. And have you seen March of the Penguins? The man can deliver the goods, and should get to do so from Beijing. Heck, even let Roberts keep writing the segments, if that'll help.
I know time is short, but if you can swing this I think it'd be well-received by all parties. Well, maybe not from Roberts.
Anyway, hope things go well for you, and thanks for the expanded coverage on the cable networks. It's invaluable for people like me who like to actually watch an entire event from start to finish.
Best,
Mark
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Emmys are actually good for something
So the Emmy finalists were announced last week, and for all that I don't care about them I was taken with the haul of nominations for Mad Men, the AMC show about 1960s ad execs. So when the network ran a marathon over the weekend, I figured I'd sample.
I didn't watch more than an episode, sad to say, but I liked what I saw. Off to find the DVDs!
I didn't watch more than an episode, sad to say, but I liked what I saw. Off to find the DVDs!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Ending on a High Note
It says something about this season of American Idol that the most genuine and surprising moment was its most important one. I won't get into the meaning of David Cook's upset of presumptive Idol David Archuleta, but rather how this made the rest of the season look by comparison.
For all the talk of this being the most talented group of finalists ever (which, of course, is said every year), it was certainly the least interesting group of finalists ever. I never felt like there was a specific performance that stood out. While people on the show still talk about Fantasia's rendition of "Summertime" or, on the flip side, Sanjaya's attempt at "You Really Got Me," there's nothing in this season that we'll talk about in the same way.
I think too that having a group that was so professional didn't help, either. The emergence of new talent is one of the few genuinely interesting aspects of the show, especially when it takes a bit of a sideways turn (Soul Patrol!). This season, contestants were fully formed, and rarely grew (or shrank) before us.
And with the ratings taking a dip from past seasons, it's an open question whether viewers were disinterested in this group or in the show as a whole. Either way, it's probably time for a change. Which leads us to:
MAKING IT BETTER: American Idol
Herewith are five suggestions for pumping some life into the franchise:
1. Fewer wacky auditions, more Hollywood - I've never enjoyed the Bataan death march of wacky auditions. There's a thick dark line between the truly entertaining awfulness and the poor saps the show sets up for a fall, and the more Fox jumps over it the more obvious it is that they're milking things.
I'd take a couple hours of audition coverage and move it to Hollywood. There's more drama there, and there'd be a greater opportunity to even out coverage time among contestants.
2. Shake up the judging panel - the predictability of this group was more evident than ever this season. From Randy's continued focus on pitch problems to Simon's negativity to Paula taking up residence on Neptune, the judges added even less to the show this season than usual.
Rather than give them some input on voting, a la Dancing With the Stars, I'd suggest rotating judges out for certain weeks, or even rotating Randy or Paula out for a full season (or more). One of the few fresh things about America's Next Top Model's judges has been the transition from Janice Dickinson to Twiggy to Paulina Porizkova, each of whom has brought something different to panel. My suggestion: replace Paula with Toni Braxton, who is somewhat less crazy than Paula and could use the work.
3. Introduce a number to vote against a contestant - set up a toll number where viewers would call and select from a menu the contestant they want to vote against. These votes would be subtracted from each contestant's vote total. Donate money from these calls to Idol Gives Back to give the negative a positive spin.
4. Restrict the use of instruments - rather than have half of the contestants rooted behind an instrument, give them four chances to play along over the course of the finals. And to make things more interesting, they can only use the same instrument in three of the four performances.
5. Take a season off - it may be time to give America a breather and let the talent pool refresh a bit. So rather than get all new contestants next season, go back and open things up to any contestant who made it to Hollywood but was not a finalist. Bring back Frenchie Davis, the Brittenum twins, and that kid this year who always wore a tie. Fans always have a couple of favorites who didn't make the finals, so this may reinvigorate the fan base a bit.
For all the talk of this being the most talented group of finalists ever (which, of course, is said every year), it was certainly the least interesting group of finalists ever. I never felt like there was a specific performance that stood out. While people on the show still talk about Fantasia's rendition of "Summertime" or, on the flip side, Sanjaya's attempt at "You Really Got Me," there's nothing in this season that we'll talk about in the same way.
I think too that having a group that was so professional didn't help, either. The emergence of new talent is one of the few genuinely interesting aspects of the show, especially when it takes a bit of a sideways turn (Soul Patrol!). This season, contestants were fully formed, and rarely grew (or shrank) before us.
And with the ratings taking a dip from past seasons, it's an open question whether viewers were disinterested in this group or in the show as a whole. Either way, it's probably time for a change. Which leads us to:
MAKING IT BETTER: American Idol
Herewith are five suggestions for pumping some life into the franchise:
1. Fewer wacky auditions, more Hollywood - I've never enjoyed the Bataan death march of wacky auditions. There's a thick dark line between the truly entertaining awfulness and the poor saps the show sets up for a fall, and the more Fox jumps over it the more obvious it is that they're milking things.
I'd take a couple hours of audition coverage and move it to Hollywood. There's more drama there, and there'd be a greater opportunity to even out coverage time among contestants.
2. Shake up the judging panel - the predictability of this group was more evident than ever this season. From Randy's continued focus on pitch problems to Simon's negativity to Paula taking up residence on Neptune, the judges added even less to the show this season than usual.
Rather than give them some input on voting, a la Dancing With the Stars, I'd suggest rotating judges out for certain weeks, or even rotating Randy or Paula out for a full season (or more). One of the few fresh things about America's Next Top Model's judges has been the transition from Janice Dickinson to Twiggy to Paulina Porizkova, each of whom has brought something different to panel. My suggestion: replace Paula with Toni Braxton, who is somewhat less crazy than Paula and could use the work.
3. Introduce a number to vote against a contestant - set up a toll number where viewers would call and select from a menu the contestant they want to vote against. These votes would be subtracted from each contestant's vote total. Donate money from these calls to Idol Gives Back to give the negative a positive spin.
4. Restrict the use of instruments - rather than have half of the contestants rooted behind an instrument, give them four chances to play along over the course of the finals. And to make things more interesting, they can only use the same instrument in three of the four performances.
5. Take a season off - it may be time to give America a breather and let the talent pool refresh a bit. So rather than get all new contestants next season, go back and open things up to any contestant who made it to Hollywood but was not a finalist. Bring back Frenchie Davis, the Brittenum twins, and that kid this year who always wore a tie. Fans always have a couple of favorites who didn't make the finals, so this may reinvigorate the fan base a bit.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Upfronts - Fox
Fox introduced five new shows, two of which will likely be the most talked-about going into the season, given who's involved.
What's gone? - no real surprises, as most of last season's new shows were cut.
What's back? - Kitchen Nightmares and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are back. Marginal surprises both, as the former wasn't as good as the BBC original, and the latter didn't quite have the ratings Fox was hoping for.
All the older shows are back, with Bones and House moving in 2009 when American Idol comes back. Kudos (for now) to Fox for cutting the Idol results show to a half-hour, but I fear it'll bloat back to an hour given the "to be announced" slot that's currently after it.
24 will also be back in the fall with a two hour prequel of season 7, whetting our appetites for another crazy day with Jack Bauer.
What's new - Five shows, two with notable creators. Dollhouse comes to use from Joss Whedon of Buffy fame. It focuses on people who are being used by a shadowy organization for a variety of missions, after which the agents have their minds wiped clean and reprogrammed for their new mission. Buffy alum Eliza Dushku stars. As it's the lead show from 24, expect a quick hook if it can't deliver ratings.
The other notable show is Fringe, J.J. Abrams' latest show to involve an airplane flight turned sinister. In this case, the flight arrives at its destination (Boston, woo!), but all the passengers and crew have died in grisly fashion (first mystery - how did the plane land?). This sets of an investigation that's more than it seems, etc. Joshua Jackson (known to most as Pacey from Dawson's Creek is the most notable cast member, playing the son of a mentally unstable genius who becomes part of the investigation.
From what I've read the pilot for the show cost $10 million, so it better be pretty damn good. It should help that Fringe will follow House and Idol during the year.
Fox's latest sitcom to avoid seems to be Do Not Disturb, a hotel-based show starring Jerry O'Connell. Between the DOA Welcome to the Captain and O'Connell's flop turn on Carpoolers, this sounds probelmatic from the go. It'll follow Til Death on Wednesdays, though both follow Bones, which makes this an odd night (and one that will likely disappoint if the shows do all get transplanted to Friday in 2009, though I expect this one to be gone by then).
Secret Millionaire will follow Hell's Kitchen on Thursdays in 2009. It will take rich people and move them into less affluent areas, where they'll try to live on minimum wage and become involved in their communities. At the end, they'll decide what people or groups are worthy of getting some of their fortune. It's like an ambush version of Oprah's Big Give, but with it being on Fox I somehow expect that it will explot the poor more than help them.
Sunday's animation block brings two new shows - Sit Down, Shut Up is about the staff at a high school whose personal lives come before the kids. It's from the Arrested Development folks, so this may be pretty interesting. The other offering is The Cleveland Show, which puts Cleveland from Family Guy moves from Quahog to Stoolbend, Virginia to reunite with an unrequited love. It can't be worse than American Dad, even with the likely hillbilly jokes.
Prognosis? - Fox will do fine with its existing shows, and I figure at least one of the new high-profile dramas will do well, though both may stick if fans of other Whedon/Abrams shows come along. I'm less high on any of the comedies, though the animated shows should both last for the season at least. I'm a little irritated that Bones may get shunted to Friday, though I expect something will get canceled to open up a spot somewhere else.
What's gone? - no real surprises, as most of last season's new shows were cut.
What's back? - Kitchen Nightmares and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are back. Marginal surprises both, as the former wasn't as good as the BBC original, and the latter didn't quite have the ratings Fox was hoping for.
All the older shows are back, with Bones and House moving in 2009 when American Idol comes back. Kudos (for now) to Fox for cutting the Idol results show to a half-hour, but I fear it'll bloat back to an hour given the "to be announced" slot that's currently after it.
24 will also be back in the fall with a two hour prequel of season 7, whetting our appetites for another crazy day with Jack Bauer.
What's new - Five shows, two with notable creators. Dollhouse comes to use from Joss Whedon of Buffy fame. It focuses on people who are being used by a shadowy organization for a variety of missions, after which the agents have their minds wiped clean and reprogrammed for their new mission. Buffy alum Eliza Dushku stars. As it's the lead show from 24, expect a quick hook if it can't deliver ratings.
The other notable show is Fringe, J.J. Abrams' latest show to involve an airplane flight turned sinister. In this case, the flight arrives at its destination (Boston, woo!), but all the passengers and crew have died in grisly fashion (first mystery - how did the plane land?). This sets of an investigation that's more than it seems, etc. Joshua Jackson (known to most as Pacey from Dawson's Creek is the most notable cast member, playing the son of a mentally unstable genius who becomes part of the investigation.
From what I've read the pilot for the show cost $10 million, so it better be pretty damn good. It should help that Fringe will follow House and Idol during the year.
Fox's latest sitcom to avoid seems to be Do Not Disturb, a hotel-based show starring Jerry O'Connell. Between the DOA Welcome to the Captain and O'Connell's flop turn on Carpoolers, this sounds probelmatic from the go. It'll follow Til Death on Wednesdays, though both follow Bones, which makes this an odd night (and one that will likely disappoint if the shows do all get transplanted to Friday in 2009, though I expect this one to be gone by then).
Secret Millionaire will follow Hell's Kitchen on Thursdays in 2009. It will take rich people and move them into less affluent areas, where they'll try to live on minimum wage and become involved in their communities. At the end, they'll decide what people or groups are worthy of getting some of their fortune. It's like an ambush version of Oprah's Big Give, but with it being on Fox I somehow expect that it will explot the poor more than help them.
Sunday's animation block brings two new shows - Sit Down, Shut Up is about the staff at a high school whose personal lives come before the kids. It's from the Arrested Development folks, so this may be pretty interesting. The other offering is The Cleveland Show, which puts Cleveland from Family Guy moves from Quahog to Stoolbend, Virginia to reunite with an unrequited love. It can't be worse than American Dad, even with the likely hillbilly jokes.
Prognosis? - Fox will do fine with its existing shows, and I figure at least one of the new high-profile dramas will do well, though both may stick if fans of other Whedon/Abrams shows come along. I'm less high on any of the comedies, though the animated shows should both last for the season at least. I'm a little irritated that Bones may get shunted to Friday, though I expect something will get canceled to open up a spot somewhere else.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Upfronts - CBS
Hard to believe, but the Eye will premiere more shows next season than ABC. Of course, it's only by one, and CBS isn't clogging its schedule with dancing.
What's gone? - Buy your peanut futures now, as Jericho is once again canceled. I do not expect another miracle save. Shark takes the ultimate sophomore slump, while first-year shows Cane and Moonlight either were strike casualties or weren't that good, depending on how you want to spin it.
What's back? - No major surprises here, though the mid-season return of Rules of Engagement puts the last nail in the coffin for my dead pool entry. Some of the dramas look like they've moved, but I can't say I watch much CBS to know for sure. Nothing looks egregious, though I'm not sure that The New Adventures of Old Christine is strong enough to lead off on Wednesdays.
What's new? - Three hours and two half-hours. The hours:
The Mentalist is about a celebrity psychic turned detective who uses his powers of observation to ferret out killers. Like Ghost Whisperer, but with smaller boobs. It's on between NCIS and Without a Trace, which I suppose makes sense given the crime-solving aspects of all three shows.
Eleventh Hour follows a governmental special advisor who investigates "scientific crises and oddities." So it's The X-Files without Scully. But it's on after CSI, so it should get some viewers.
The Ex-List is about a woman who decides that her future love interest is actually a guy from her past, so she goes through the titular list to find him. It stars Elizabeth Reaser, better known as Rebecca/Ava from Grey's Anatomy. It's on after Ghost Whisperer, setting up a femme-friendly Friday that Numbers doesn't seem to fit into. Unless Rob Morrow is the CBS analogue of Patrick Dempsey.
The half-hours:
Worst Week is about a guy who causes problems every time he's around his girlfriend's parents, who don't care for him (for obvious reasons). Nothing special here, though if Kurtwood Smith can bring Red Foreman to the present day, I'm in for at least a couple of episodes. It's the last show in the Monday comedy block, and should already be picking out gifts for Two and a Half Men's lead-in.
Project Gary features a couple who, now divorced after 15 years of marriage, must work around each other as they raise their kids and get back into the dating game. DEAD POOL ALERT: the show stars Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall, which means it may just get canceled during the first commercial break of the first episode.
Oh, there's also the new mid-season drama Harper's Island, where a destination wedding turns into a murder investigation. Who has a destination wedding on an island that had a serial killer run amok, even if it was seven years ago?
Prognosis - Meh. CBS is as CBS does. I don't expect anything to really take off or tank, though I don't have a lot of faith in any of the new shows.
What's gone? - Buy your peanut futures now, as Jericho is once again canceled. I do not expect another miracle save. Shark takes the ultimate sophomore slump, while first-year shows Cane and Moonlight either were strike casualties or weren't that good, depending on how you want to spin it.
What's back? - No major surprises here, though the mid-season return of Rules of Engagement puts the last nail in the coffin for my dead pool entry. Some of the dramas look like they've moved, but I can't say I watch much CBS to know for sure. Nothing looks egregious, though I'm not sure that The New Adventures of Old Christine is strong enough to lead off on Wednesdays.
What's new? - Three hours and two half-hours. The hours:
The Mentalist is about a celebrity psychic turned detective who uses his powers of observation to ferret out killers. Like Ghost Whisperer, but with smaller boobs. It's on between NCIS and Without a Trace, which I suppose makes sense given the crime-solving aspects of all three shows.
Eleventh Hour follows a governmental special advisor who investigates "scientific crises and oddities." So it's The X-Files without Scully. But it's on after CSI, so it should get some viewers.
The Ex-List is about a woman who decides that her future love interest is actually a guy from her past, so she goes through the titular list to find him. It stars Elizabeth Reaser, better known as Rebecca/Ava from Grey's Anatomy. It's on after Ghost Whisperer, setting up a femme-friendly Friday that Numbers doesn't seem to fit into. Unless Rob Morrow is the CBS analogue of Patrick Dempsey.
The half-hours:
Worst Week is about a guy who causes problems every time he's around his girlfriend's parents, who don't care for him (for obvious reasons). Nothing special here, though if Kurtwood Smith can bring Red Foreman to the present day, I'm in for at least a couple of episodes. It's the last show in the Monday comedy block, and should already be picking out gifts for Two and a Half Men's lead-in.
Project Gary features a couple who, now divorced after 15 years of marriage, must work around each other as they raise their kids and get back into the dating game. DEAD POOL ALERT: the show stars Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall, which means it may just get canceled during the first commercial break of the first episode.
Oh, there's also the new mid-season drama Harper's Island, where a destination wedding turns into a murder investigation. Who has a destination wedding on an island that had a serial killer run amok, even if it was seven years ago?
Prognosis - Meh. CBS is as CBS does. I don't expect anything to really take off or tank, though I don't have a lot of faith in any of the new shows.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Upfronts: The CW
A few changes to report on at the WBUPN, most of which will not concern you unless you are under 25, deeply into fashion, or a media business nerd.
What's out? - Girlfriends is the oldest show to get the hook, while Beauty and the Geek gets the hook at least one season too late. Aliens in America is also toast, a bit of a strike casualty I think. Then there are all the generically-named shows like CW Now and Online Nation that no one could tell apart.
What's back? - Among last year's new shows, Gossip Girl and Reaper managed to stick, with the latter coming back in midseason. Gossip Girl will team with One Tree Hill on Monday, Smallville and Supernatural will hold down Thursday, while Everybody Hates Chris and The Game are banished to Friday.
What's new? - Tuesday brings one of the more talked about shows with 90210, a return to the teens of West Beverly Hills High, hopefully with actors whose ages are closer to 20 than 30. Jennie Garth will have a recurring role, the only link to the original. It's paired with Surviving the Filthy Rich, the story of an Ivy-educated journalist who gets fired and becomes the tutor/nanny for a rich family's girls. It's based on some chick lit book I've never heard of, which isn't a shock as I'm not exactly in the genre's target demo.
Wednesday will pair America's Next Top Model with Stylista, another Tyra Banks reality show which lands on the other side of the camera as it seeks to find an up and coming editor for Elle.
Sunday's lineup will no longer be reruns (Friday gets an encore of ANTM, though), but instead will feature shows from Media Rights Capital, an independent producer of movies, TV and new media content. The announcement pushed the idea that this allows the CW to focus on weeknights, with an emphasis on Friday as an important night for "retailers and marketers with a weekend product push." Friday night seems a little late to push things for the weekend, but I'll allow them their spin. I'm sure the CW's inability to program Sunday in the past has nothing to do with this.
Prognosis? - Great, if you're a 14 year old girl. 90210 may intially bring in some parents who remember the original, but I'm not sure there'll be enough nostalgia to keep them around. Thursday and Friday seem like the nights with the most potential for a diverse audience, but I don't think they can compete on either night (though Friday is pretty much a wash for everyone). I don't expect this lineup will see the CW break out of netlet status, but it's going to really work for the CW's core viewers.
What's out? - Girlfriends is the oldest show to get the hook, while Beauty and the Geek gets the hook at least one season too late. Aliens in America is also toast, a bit of a strike casualty I think. Then there are all the generically-named shows like CW Now and Online Nation that no one could tell apart.
What's back? - Among last year's new shows, Gossip Girl and Reaper managed to stick, with the latter coming back in midseason. Gossip Girl will team with One Tree Hill on Monday, Smallville and Supernatural will hold down Thursday, while Everybody Hates Chris and The Game are banished to Friday.
What's new? - Tuesday brings one of the more talked about shows with 90210, a return to the teens of West Beverly Hills High, hopefully with actors whose ages are closer to 20 than 30. Jennie Garth will have a recurring role, the only link to the original. It's paired with Surviving the Filthy Rich, the story of an Ivy-educated journalist who gets fired and becomes the tutor/nanny for a rich family's girls. It's based on some chick lit book I've never heard of, which isn't a shock as I'm not exactly in the genre's target demo.
Wednesday will pair America's Next Top Model with Stylista, another Tyra Banks reality show which lands on the other side of the camera as it seeks to find an up and coming editor for Elle.
Sunday's lineup will no longer be reruns (Friday gets an encore of ANTM, though), but instead will feature shows from Media Rights Capital, an independent producer of movies, TV and new media content. The announcement pushed the idea that this allows the CW to focus on weeknights, with an emphasis on Friday as an important night for "retailers and marketers with a weekend product push." Friday night seems a little late to push things for the weekend, but I'll allow them their spin. I'm sure the CW's inability to program Sunday in the past has nothing to do with this.
Prognosis? - Great, if you're a 14 year old girl. 90210 may intially bring in some parents who remember the original, but I'm not sure there'll be enough nostalgia to keep them around. Thursday and Friday seem like the nights with the most potential for a diverse audience, but I don't think they can compete on either night (though Friday is pretty much a wash for everyone). I don't expect this lineup will see the CW break out of netlet status, but it's going to really work for the CW's core viewers.
Upfronts - ABC
Remember when ABC took the pasta approach to programming and threw a dozen or so series against the wall to see which one or two would stick? Well, those days are over, at least for now (or they've transplanted that approach to summer, given the 392 reality shows they appear to be launching). Only four new shows have been announced for next season, so if you liked something ABC had on this year, you'll probably get to see it next year.
What's gone - Unless, of course, you liked any of the following: Men in Trees, Women's Murder Club, Big Shots, Carpoolers, Cavemen, Notes from the Underbelly, Cashmere Mafia, Miss/Guided, October Road or Oprah's Big Give. Not much to miss there, but I thought that Miss/Guided was worth a renewal, at least moreso than According to Jim, which continues to taint my dead pool.
What's back? - Of the established shows returning, Eli Stone is the only real surprise, surviving its mid-season launch to get picked up for next year. Also coming back - though not to its original network - is Scrubs, which will make its ABC debut at mid-season.
And as much as I didn't like to see Jim return, I'm downright puzzled about The Bachelor coming back. It should have been put to pasture a long time ago.
What's new? - Not much, as ABC only announced two new shows for the fall and two for mid-season. For the fall, we'll get Opportunity Knocks a reality/game show where the show surprises a family at home and then quizzes people on how well they know each other. Meh. The other fall show is the US version of Life on Mars, a British drama where a current-day cop is transported back to the 1970s. I'd always meant to watch this when it was on BBC America, and will probably give its American cousin a go.
For mid-season, there's The Goode Family, a Mike Judge-animated show about a family that tries to, well, do good (by recycling and the like), with humorous unintended consequences. We'll see. The other show is an untitled "beauty pageant unlike any you've ever seen," from the genius pairing of Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks. How this escaped the CW I'll never know.
Prognosis? - Good. ABC didn't mess with Sunday or Thursday at all (other than putting Life on Mars on after Grey's Anatomy, which can't hurt), and Monday and Tuesday still have Dancing With the Stars to bring in viewers. Wednesday is the biggest test, as ABC will get to see if Pushing Daisies, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money can build on their strike-shortened seasons.
What's gone - Unless, of course, you liked any of the following: Men in Trees, Women's Murder Club, Big Shots, Carpoolers, Cavemen, Notes from the Underbelly, Cashmere Mafia, Miss/Guided, October Road or Oprah's Big Give. Not much to miss there, but I thought that Miss/Guided was worth a renewal, at least moreso than According to Jim, which continues to taint my dead pool.
What's back? - Of the established shows returning, Eli Stone is the only real surprise, surviving its mid-season launch to get picked up for next year. Also coming back - though not to its original network - is Scrubs, which will make its ABC debut at mid-season.
And as much as I didn't like to see Jim return, I'm downright puzzled about The Bachelor coming back. It should have been put to pasture a long time ago.
What's new? - Not much, as ABC only announced two new shows for the fall and two for mid-season. For the fall, we'll get Opportunity Knocks a reality/game show where the show surprises a family at home and then quizzes people on how well they know each other. Meh. The other fall show is the US version of Life on Mars, a British drama where a current-day cop is transported back to the 1970s. I'd always meant to watch this when it was on BBC America, and will probably give its American cousin a go.
For mid-season, there's The Goode Family, a Mike Judge-animated show about a family that tries to, well, do good (by recycling and the like), with humorous unintended consequences. We'll see. The other show is an untitled "beauty pageant unlike any you've ever seen," from the genius pairing of Ashton Kutcher and Tyra Banks. How this escaped the CW I'll never know.
Prognosis? - Good. ABC didn't mess with Sunday or Thursday at all (other than putting Life on Mars on after Grey's Anatomy, which can't hurt), and Monday and Tuesday still have Dancing With the Stars to bring in viewers. Wednesday is the biggest test, as ABC will get to see if Pushing Daisies, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money can build on their strike-shortened seasons.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Upfront 2008 - NBC
Combine a sputtering economy and a writer's strike which limited the number of pilots, and you have what's shaping up as a lame upfront season. NBC didn't help matters by ditching the traditional upfront presentation, going instead with smaller presentations in April they called "infronts" and by having something today called the NBC Universal Experience. I'm assuming cotton candy and pony rides are involved.
In any case, if this is any indication, NBC may have been smart to lay low. The basics:
Who's gone? - Las Vegas leads a slew of new shows (like Bionic Woman and Journeyman) and game show/reality offerings (like 1 v. 100 and The Singing Bee) into the abyss. It'll also become more clear tomorrow if Scrubs is done or finally moving to ABC.
What's back? - Everything you'd expect, plus Lipstick Jungle. ER is back for what is being called its final season. Finally.
Oh, and The Apprentice is back, too. No word on it being its last season, unfortunately.
What's new - Nothing that looks likely to get the Peacock out of fourth place. For scripted shows there's the trio of Merlin, Kings and Crusoe, all of which seem like they were stolen from Sci-Fi. None sound particularly compelling, though Merlin may pick up some cult TV fans with the casting of Colin Morgan (from Dr. Who) and Anthony Head of Buffy fame.
The most notable hour-long show is probably My Own Worst Enemy, which stars Christian Slater as a man whose two personalities - one a dull suburbanite, the other some sort of genius secret agent who can kill with his teeth - begin to cross over into each other. I'm thinking there'll be less interest in the concept than in Slater's involvement.
The other two hour-long shows are The Listener about a paramedic who can read thoughts (pass - I'll wait for Matt Parkman to get back to work on Heroes) and The Philanthropist, which is about a billionaire who uses his money and connections to directly help people. This show originally involved Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson of Homicide fame, but both have left the show due to the network moving the focus of the show away from social issues to more escapist plots. At what point do these two just stop trying to work with NBC?
For sitcoms, there are two options: an as-yet untitled spin-off of The Office and the US version of an Australian show called Kath & Kim. The former doesn't seem to actually involve any characters from The Office; it's more of a spin-off for Greg Daniels. The latter stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair as a mother-daugter pair who are now living together after the daughter gets divorced. Snore!
There's lots of reality junk, too, from a show that seems like it's been ripped off from BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing to a show that seems to follow the day to day exploits of Howie Mandel. That has to be a joke, right?
I will say I have some interest in Who Do You Think You Are?, which will take a new celebrity each week and look at their family tree for interesting stories. It may only appeal to geneaology nerds like me, but I'll take it over Ryan Seacrest's new show looking for momma's boys.
Prognosis? - It's hard to make this call without seeing the other networks, but I have a feeling there won't be night that NBC won't be getting its ass handed to it. Monday and Thursday look like the nights where things will go least poorly, though the post-football Fantacrap Sunday (Merlin, Medium, Kings) may be different enough to pull in some viewers.
In any case, if this is any indication, NBC may have been smart to lay low. The basics:
Who's gone? - Las Vegas leads a slew of new shows (like Bionic Woman and Journeyman) and game show/reality offerings (like 1 v. 100 and The Singing Bee) into the abyss. It'll also become more clear tomorrow if Scrubs is done or finally moving to ABC.
What's back? - Everything you'd expect, plus Lipstick Jungle. ER is back for what is being called its final season. Finally.
Oh, and The Apprentice is back, too. No word on it being its last season, unfortunately.
What's new - Nothing that looks likely to get the Peacock out of fourth place. For scripted shows there's the trio of Merlin, Kings and Crusoe, all of which seem like they were stolen from Sci-Fi. None sound particularly compelling, though Merlin may pick up some cult TV fans with the casting of Colin Morgan (from Dr. Who) and Anthony Head of Buffy fame.
The most notable hour-long show is probably My Own Worst Enemy, which stars Christian Slater as a man whose two personalities - one a dull suburbanite, the other some sort of genius secret agent who can kill with his teeth - begin to cross over into each other. I'm thinking there'll be less interest in the concept than in Slater's involvement.
The other two hour-long shows are The Listener about a paramedic who can read thoughts (pass - I'll wait for Matt Parkman to get back to work on Heroes) and The Philanthropist, which is about a billionaire who uses his money and connections to directly help people. This show originally involved Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson of Homicide fame, but both have left the show due to the network moving the focus of the show away from social issues to more escapist plots. At what point do these two just stop trying to work with NBC?
For sitcoms, there are two options: an as-yet untitled spin-off of The Office and the US version of an Australian show called Kath & Kim. The former doesn't seem to actually involve any characters from The Office; it's more of a spin-off for Greg Daniels. The latter stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair as a mother-daugter pair who are now living together after the daughter gets divorced. Snore!
There's lots of reality junk, too, from a show that seems like it's been ripped off from BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing to a show that seems to follow the day to day exploits of Howie Mandel. That has to be a joke, right?
I will say I have some interest in Who Do You Think You Are?, which will take a new celebrity each week and look at their family tree for interesting stories. It may only appeal to geneaology nerds like me, but I'll take it over Ryan Seacrest's new show looking for momma's boys.
Prognosis? - It's hard to make this call without seeing the other networks, but I have a feeling there won't be night that NBC won't be getting its ass handed to it. Monday and Thursday look like the nights where things will go least poorly, though the post-football Fantacrap Sunday (Merlin, Medium, Kings) may be different enough to pull in some viewers.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Three Guys a Girl and a Singing Place
We're down to the final four contestants on American Idol (you can thank me later for not writing about contestants five through 24):
David Archuleta has been the once and future Idol pretty much from the start. He's not been in the bottom group at all, and will likely not face elimination until the finals. He's a 16 year old who likes to sing inspirational songs, so he gets love from pre-teens and grannies alike. Or at least those who aren't sick of his weekly dose of hope, love and dreams. That and his sometimes irritating naivety may be the only thing that can do him in.
Odds of winning: 1 to 4
Jason Castro is living proof that you can wear dreads and live in Texas without someone named Joe Jack trying to beat you to death with a tire iron (although he's from what looks to be a Dallas exurb, which may not have as many good ole boys as it once did). I'm not a fan of the dreads, but they do draw attention away from his nose, which is a point for those who say that things grow bigger in Texas.
Castro is a bit of a hipster doofus, appealing to the Jack Johnson crowd with his penchant for performing only with his acoustic guitar (or, once, a ukelele). His performances are often compared to late-night dorm sing-alongs or other settings which suggest a certain herbal mood enhancement. He winds up in the bottom group on occasion, thanks to a limited vocal range and the occasional odd song selection (his choice of "Memories" during Andrew Lloyd Webber week stands out). I can't see him making it past next week, and am a little surprised he outlasted a couple of the more recently-dispatched women.
Odds of winning: 25 to 1
David Cook is this year's rocker, though he's only about 70 percent as rock (or as pretentious) as Chris Daughtry. He's also taking the Blake Lewis/Chris Sligh approach by rearranging songs to fit his style, though not hitting the Lionel Ritchie-as-Coldplay depths thanks to mostly using existing arrangements (such as Chris Cornell's version of "Billie Jean"). And, like Daughtry, he's the finalist who could put out an album next week if he had to.
Unlike Daughtry, Cook will make the finals. And even though he'll probably lose, I think he'd be happy with continuing the Daughtry comparison through his debut album, at least.
Odds of winning: 8 to 1
Syesha Mercado is the last female contestant standing, which is pretty impressive for someone who has no discernible personality. She's pleasant enough, and fits the traditional diva role well enough, but otherwise she's a bit of a cipher. We know she acts a bit, and can mimic a crying baby pretty well, but beyond that it's like a shadowy government agency has deleted her past.
Mercado is also the last African-American contestant standing, so if you put much stock into gender or ethnic voting blocs you can make the argument that she'll be in the finals. I don't think that'll happen, but you never know. Not that making the finals would help her, as Archuleta is a better diva than she is.
Odds of winning: 11 to 1
David Archuleta has been the once and future Idol pretty much from the start. He's not been in the bottom group at all, and will likely not face elimination until the finals. He's a 16 year old who likes to sing inspirational songs, so he gets love from pre-teens and grannies alike. Or at least those who aren't sick of his weekly dose of hope, love and dreams. That and his sometimes irritating naivety may be the only thing that can do him in.
Odds of winning: 1 to 4
Jason Castro is living proof that you can wear dreads and live in Texas without someone named Joe Jack trying to beat you to death with a tire iron (although he's from what looks to be a Dallas exurb, which may not have as many good ole boys as it once did). I'm not a fan of the dreads, but they do draw attention away from his nose, which is a point for those who say that things grow bigger in Texas.
Castro is a bit of a hipster doofus, appealing to the Jack Johnson crowd with his penchant for performing only with his acoustic guitar (or, once, a ukelele). His performances are often compared to late-night dorm sing-alongs or other settings which suggest a certain herbal mood enhancement. He winds up in the bottom group on occasion, thanks to a limited vocal range and the occasional odd song selection (his choice of "Memories" during Andrew Lloyd Webber week stands out). I can't see him making it past next week, and am a little surprised he outlasted a couple of the more recently-dispatched women.
Odds of winning: 25 to 1
David Cook is this year's rocker, though he's only about 70 percent as rock (or as pretentious) as Chris Daughtry. He's also taking the Blake Lewis/Chris Sligh approach by rearranging songs to fit his style, though not hitting the Lionel Ritchie-as-Coldplay depths thanks to mostly using existing arrangements (such as Chris Cornell's version of "Billie Jean"). And, like Daughtry, he's the finalist who could put out an album next week if he had to.
Unlike Daughtry, Cook will make the finals. And even though he'll probably lose, I think he'd be happy with continuing the Daughtry comparison through his debut album, at least.
Odds of winning: 8 to 1
Syesha Mercado is the last female contestant standing, which is pretty impressive for someone who has no discernible personality. She's pleasant enough, and fits the traditional diva role well enough, but otherwise she's a bit of a cipher. We know she acts a bit, and can mimic a crying baby pretty well, but beyond that it's like a shadowy government agency has deleted her past.
Mercado is also the last African-American contestant standing, so if you put much stock into gender or ethnic voting blocs you can make the argument that she'll be in the finals. I don't think that'll happen, but you never know. Not that making the finals would help her, as Archuleta is a better diva than she is.
Odds of winning: 11 to 1
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Two Apologies
1. To the three people who probably check this site on any basis, as I've been very neglectful towards posting anything. I'll work to rectify this, though it may be tough given that we're in kind of a dead zone with shows beginning to trickle back on with new episodes.
2. To Chris Parnell, for not being particularly favorable towards your work based on Saturday Night Live, which was based less on what you actually did and more on my general lack of interest in the show. Your work on 30 Rock and Miss Guided changes things quite a bit.
(On a related note, I did manage to catch two episodes of the latter show last week, and I thought it was pretty good. Certainly better than most of the sitcoms ABC threw at us this season, and more worthy of a shot at a full season in 2008-09, too. Then again, I also have kind of a thing for Judy Greer, so take that bias for what it's worth.)
2. To Chris Parnell, for not being particularly favorable towards your work based on Saturday Night Live, which was based less on what you actually did and more on my general lack of interest in the show. Your work on 30 Rock and Miss Guided changes things quite a bit.
(On a related note, I did manage to catch two episodes of the latter show last week, and I thought it was pretty good. Certainly better than most of the sitcoms ABC threw at us this season, and more worthy of a shot at a full season in 2008-09, too. Then again, I also have kind of a thing for Judy Greer, so take that bias for what it's worth.)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Not a Sympathy Strike
How to explain my absence here? Simple: laziness. I've been watching TV, but just not writing about it. It's been pretty boring, truth be told, as our DVR backlog delayed any meaningful entry into the new season until recently.
About the only thing of note is that I've become a very late convert to The Amazing Race. Caught an episode over the holidays and watched from there on out.
For scripted stuff I have nothing to add other than excitement over the return of Lost this week. Well, I will add some disappointment with the current seasons of House and Grey's Anatomy. I'm more irritated at the latter, as I figure House has one story line per year that irritates me, and this year it's the hunt to replace the Cottages (tm Television Without Pity).
I do find myself watching more news of late, especially election coverage. I want to hit Wolf Blitzer every time he refers to the CNN panel of talking heads as the greatest political team on television. That or cry on the off chance that he is, indeed, correct.
About the only thing of note is that I've become a very late convert to The Amazing Race. Caught an episode over the holidays and watched from there on out.
For scripted stuff I have nothing to add other than excitement over the return of Lost this week. Well, I will add some disappointment with the current seasons of House and Grey's Anatomy. I'm more irritated at the latter, as I figure House has one story line per year that irritates me, and this year it's the hunt to replace the Cottages (tm Television Without Pity).
I do find myself watching more news of late, especially election coverage. I want to hit Wolf Blitzer every time he refers to the CNN panel of talking heads as the greatest political team on television. That or cry on the off chance that he is, indeed, correct.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
New on TV Kitchen Nightmares
The success of Hell's Kitchen on Fox led to this American version of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, which has been running on BBC America. I was concerned about Fox doing the US version, given that it's a show that perhaps doesn't need a dose of that Fox attitude.
Based on the first episode, my concerns were only partially allayed.
On the positive side, the show mostly follows the original's blueprint. Ramsay shows up, tries some of the food, watches the workings of the restaurant for a day, and then makes changes. But the way this plays out is wrong. More time was spent showing the staff arguing or the hotheaded restaurant manager looking to fight bill collectors than on talking about turning the restaurant around.
When that does start, the show then gets too Extreme Makeover by springing for new kitchen appliances. The original never did that, and my take is that it allows the manager to get away with the poor decisions he'd previously made regarding the kitchen. I suppose it should be comfort enough that he finally learned that he was the restaurant's biggest problem.
The way the show was put together reminded me of Nanny 911 more than the original of this show. I think it's the production and the voice-overs. Or perhaps it's all the yelling.
Oh, one change that I did not like is that they don't go back to the restaurant to see if the changes had stuck and how the restaurant was now faring. Could be that they taped too recently to do this effectively, but that's an interesting part of the original that they should have kept.
It's not a bad adaptation, but I wish it was more like the original.
Based on the first episode, my concerns were only partially allayed.
On the positive side, the show mostly follows the original's blueprint. Ramsay shows up, tries some of the food, watches the workings of the restaurant for a day, and then makes changes. But the way this plays out is wrong. More time was spent showing the staff arguing or the hotheaded restaurant manager looking to fight bill collectors than on talking about turning the restaurant around.
When that does start, the show then gets too Extreme Makeover by springing for new kitchen appliances. The original never did that, and my take is that it allows the manager to get away with the poor decisions he'd previously made regarding the kitchen. I suppose it should be comfort enough that he finally learned that he was the restaurant's biggest problem.
The way the show was put together reminded me of Nanny 911 more than the original of this show. I think it's the production and the voice-overs. Or perhaps it's all the yelling.
Oh, one change that I did not like is that they don't go back to the restaurant to see if the changes had stuck and how the restaurant was now faring. Could be that they taped too recently to do this effectively, but that's an interesting part of the original that they should have kept.
It's not a bad adaptation, but I wish it was more like the original.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
New on TV: Merv Griffin's Crosswords
I caught this pretty much by accident last week (it's on during the dinner hour on the MyTV affiliate in New Hampshire), and it was interesting, if not particularly compelling.
A group of five contestants try to solve a crossword puzzle, with two contestants playing for money and three others acting as spoilers. If the spoiler gets a word correct, they can choose to replace one of the money contestants, who then moves to the spoiler's podium. So if you like marginal word games and lots of walking, this show is for you!
At the end, the player with the most money gets to play the bonus game, which is 90 seconds to complete the puzzle. It's enough time, though the rigamarole that the contestant has to go through for each word - say the clue number, host repeats, screen zooms in on word, host reads hint, player gives and spells answer, host verifies - there's a lot of time lost in process.
The big prize was a trip to Mexico, which harkens back to the great syndicated game shows of the 1980s. If only AMC were still around to give away Eagle station wagons to five-time champions.
So no, it's not a great show. It's better than the likes of Starface, though.
A group of five contestants try to solve a crossword puzzle, with two contestants playing for money and three others acting as spoilers. If the spoiler gets a word correct, they can choose to replace one of the money contestants, who then moves to the spoiler's podium. So if you like marginal word games and lots of walking, this show is for you!
At the end, the player with the most money gets to play the bonus game, which is 90 seconds to complete the puzzle. It's enough time, though the rigamarole that the contestant has to go through for each word - say the clue number, host repeats, screen zooms in on word, host reads hint, player gives and spells answer, host verifies - there's a lot of time lost in process.
The big prize was a trip to Mexico, which harkens back to the great syndicated game shows of the 1980s. If only AMC were still around to give away Eagle station wagons to five-time champions.
So no, it's not a great show. It's better than the likes of Starface, though.
The South Shan't Rise Again
We have our first casualty of the new TV season, as Fox yanked Nashville after just two airings. Given its similarity in set-up to the youth-oriented Laguna Beach, I'm not sure why Fox put this show on Friday nights, when most of the young people are out doing stuff.
This is one of the shows I skipped over in the LaPlaca in favor of shows like Cane and Rules of Engagement, both of which did well in their season premiers this week. I am not going to do well this year.
This is one of the shows I skipped over in the LaPlaca in favor of shows like Cane and Rules of Engagement, both of which did well in their season premiers this week. I am not going to do well this year.
Monday, September 17, 2007
New Season, New Losers?
As a new season gets into gear tonight, let's take a look at the shows whose demise I've predicted in the LaPlaca Open, ranked in order of bonus points I'll get if the show gets the axe:
10: Carpoolers - I've read nothing positive about this show, and the promos on ABC have not been helping. It also features Jerry O'Connell, who I don't exactly think of when it comes to comedy.
The one saving grace this show may have is that it's not up against any blockbusters. And if Cavemen manages to draw people in, it may survive as the bridge into Dancing With the Stars.
But I don't think so.
9: Moonlight - It's bascially Angel for the moms of that show's fans. That or this show about a LA vampire turned detective is just an amazing coincidence.
Fridays are pretty quiet to begin with, so I'm not sure how this will fare against the praised but lightly sampled Friday Night Lights or ABC's new female-centered line up of Women's Murder Club and Men in Trees.
8: New Amsterdam - more immortal crime fighters, but this time a NYC cop whose been living for hundreds of years. Fox pushed this back to mid-season, which suggests a lack of confidence and, hopefully, a mid-season burn off.
7: Lipstick Jungle - another mid-season pick, not sure why I went with it other than it seems awful late in the game to try to rip off Sex and the City. For now it looks like it's going to take the Sunday at 10 spot for NBC, which seems an odd replacement for Sunday Night Football.
6: Cavemen - I thought there was a rush to judgement on this show based on its genesis from Geico ads, but when the negative press continued based on early show reviews, I figured I'd jump in. Novelty may keep this afloat for a while, and I hope we don't have a repeat of Til Death where enough people watch to keep the show going until it finds itself.
5: Rules of Engagement - kind of desperation pick, really. I'm hoping it gets lost between Heroes and 24. I should have gone back and taken a shot at Notes From the Underbelly.
4: Scrubs - I didn't read that this was an official last season, so I got uck here. Just didn't rank it highly enough.
3: According to Jim - yes, I went back to the well. It can't live forever. Can it?
2: Cane - kind of counter-intuitive, given the growth in Hispanic programming, but reviews are pretty marginal, and I'm counting on the desire not to watch crap transcending ethnicity. It has to, otherwise we'd still be stuck with Freddie.
1: Chuck - a total guess here, based on what reviews I could find. Could work with Heroes, perhaps by cutting that show's bombast with some humor.
Popular picks I didn't make:
Viva Laughlin - really should have gone with it. The bizarre factor will only keep it on the air for so long.
K-Ville - I have hopes for this show, given that it's not set on either coast and has a cast whose diversity isn't the obvious by-product of a marketing team. I do worry that Fox will make it more about swamp boat chases and New Orleans atmosphere than anything else.
Samantha Who - passed because it had a couple of decent early reviews and it has a nice time slot - at least for the fall. It may fade when it starts sharing Monday with Wife Swap rather than Dancing With the Stars.
Life - a cop unjustly sent to prison uses his experience when he rejoins the force after being released. It does have a very tought time slot, as Wednesday at 10 already has CSI: New York and the new Dirty Sexy Money.
Nashville - given its tankalicious debut last week, a clear miss for me.
10: Carpoolers - I've read nothing positive about this show, and the promos on ABC have not been helping. It also features Jerry O'Connell, who I don't exactly think of when it comes to comedy.
The one saving grace this show may have is that it's not up against any blockbusters. And if Cavemen manages to draw people in, it may survive as the bridge into Dancing With the Stars.
But I don't think so.
9: Moonlight - It's bascially Angel for the moms of that show's fans. That or this show about a LA vampire turned detective is just an amazing coincidence.
Fridays are pretty quiet to begin with, so I'm not sure how this will fare against the praised but lightly sampled Friday Night Lights or ABC's new female-centered line up of Women's Murder Club and Men in Trees.
8: New Amsterdam - more immortal crime fighters, but this time a NYC cop whose been living for hundreds of years. Fox pushed this back to mid-season, which suggests a lack of confidence and, hopefully, a mid-season burn off.
7: Lipstick Jungle - another mid-season pick, not sure why I went with it other than it seems awful late in the game to try to rip off Sex and the City. For now it looks like it's going to take the Sunday at 10 spot for NBC, which seems an odd replacement for Sunday Night Football.
6: Cavemen - I thought there was a rush to judgement on this show based on its genesis from Geico ads, but when the negative press continued based on early show reviews, I figured I'd jump in. Novelty may keep this afloat for a while, and I hope we don't have a repeat of Til Death where enough people watch to keep the show going until it finds itself.
5: Rules of Engagement - kind of desperation pick, really. I'm hoping it gets lost between Heroes and 24. I should have gone back and taken a shot at Notes From the Underbelly.
4: Scrubs - I didn't read that this was an official last season, so I got uck here. Just didn't rank it highly enough.
3: According to Jim - yes, I went back to the well. It can't live forever. Can it?
2: Cane - kind of counter-intuitive, given the growth in Hispanic programming, but reviews are pretty marginal, and I'm counting on the desire not to watch crap transcending ethnicity. It has to, otherwise we'd still be stuck with Freddie.
1: Chuck - a total guess here, based on what reviews I could find. Could work with Heroes, perhaps by cutting that show's bombast with some humor.
Popular picks I didn't make:
Viva Laughlin - really should have gone with it. The bizarre factor will only keep it on the air for so long.
K-Ville - I have hopes for this show, given that it's not set on either coast and has a cast whose diversity isn't the obvious by-product of a marketing team. I do worry that Fox will make it more about swamp boat chases and New Orleans atmosphere than anything else.
Samantha Who - passed because it had a couple of decent early reviews and it has a nice time slot - at least for the fall. It may fade when it starts sharing Monday with Wife Swap rather than Dancing With the Stars.
Life - a cop unjustly sent to prison uses his experience when he rejoins the force after being released. It does have a very tought time slot, as Wednesday at 10 already has CSI: New York and the new Dirty Sexy Money.
Nashville - given its tankalicious debut last week, a clear miss for me.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
What I Watched On My Summer Vacation
With the new season around the corner, figured it was high time to, you know, post something.
My plans for the summer, TV-wise, was to catch up with the backlog of recorded programs. That hasn't gone quite as planned, as we're only now up to the final finale for The Apprentice and are a good three or four episodes remaining on our other regular shows (most recent shocking plot twist: Mrs. McCluskey has her hubby stashed in her basement freezer on Desperate Housewives).
What's been slowing us down is our real-time (or close to real-time) summer viewing. Lots of food-related programming here - Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Dinner: Impossible. The wife also worked through all 700 hours of So You Think You Can Dance, most of which I was spared by the new placement of the computer relative to the TV.
Nerd programming also slowed us down, as we got through Simon Schama's The Power of Art while we have several History Detectives waiting for eventual viewing. I have solo nerd duty for Eureka, which I think I've enjoyed more this season than last.
We've had to pass on most other summer offerings, including a short-lived attempt to record Damages for future viewing. Sorry, Glenn.
This summer has proved to me, more than any other, that there is no more off-season for TV. I may never catch up.
My plans for the summer, TV-wise, was to catch up with the backlog of recorded programs. That hasn't gone quite as planned, as we're only now up to the final finale for The Apprentice and are a good three or four episodes remaining on our other regular shows (most recent shocking plot twist: Mrs. McCluskey has her hubby stashed in her basement freezer on Desperate Housewives).
What's been slowing us down is our real-time (or close to real-time) summer viewing. Lots of food-related programming here - Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Dinner: Impossible. The wife also worked through all 700 hours of So You Think You Can Dance, most of which I was spared by the new placement of the computer relative to the TV.
Nerd programming also slowed us down, as we got through Simon Schama's The Power of Art while we have several History Detectives waiting for eventual viewing. I have solo nerd duty for Eureka, which I think I've enjoyed more this season than last.
We've had to pass on most other summer offerings, including a short-lived attempt to record Damages for future viewing. Sorry, Glenn.
This summer has proved to me, more than any other, that there is no more off-season for TV. I may never catch up.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Curses! Foiled Again!
It's old news by now, but given the ratings for the show I'm sure many didn't notice that According to Jim got picked up by ABC for next season. This was kind of a surprise, especially as there was some thought that Courtney Thorne-Smith was leaving the show.
I stop to mention this here because, for the second time in my life, According to Jim has been a stumbling block for me in the LaPlaca TV dead pool. It's not that big of a deal this time around - ABC's renewal of both Men in Trees and Notes From the Underbelly did me in well beforehand - but it was a rather nasty parting shot from the Alphabet Network nonetheless.
It must be something about family-oriented sitcoms. The very first year of the pool my lone miss was Yes, Dear, while the following year I took Reba and my first pass at Jim. I won't get into the year where I bet heavily on longer-running shows (Drew Carey, Becker, and Friends) and took it on the chin.
In any case, I can guarantee that of the 10 shows I submit this year, According to Jim will not be among them. I clearly am not the man to bring Belushi down.
I stop to mention this here because, for the second time in my life, According to Jim has been a stumbling block for me in the LaPlaca TV dead pool. It's not that big of a deal this time around - ABC's renewal of both Men in Trees and Notes From the Underbelly did me in well beforehand - but it was a rather nasty parting shot from the Alphabet Network nonetheless.
It must be something about family-oriented sitcoms. The very first year of the pool my lone miss was Yes, Dear, while the following year I took Reba and my first pass at Jim. I won't get into the year where I bet heavily on longer-running shows (Drew Carey, Becker, and Friends) and took it on the chin.
In any case, I can guarantee that of the 10 shows I submit this year, According to Jim will not be among them. I clearly am not the man to bring Belushi down.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
More fun: the show or the sniping?
You would have expected a TV blog to comment on the end of The Sopranos in a more timely fashion than I am, but my late entry into the topic is explained by a simple fact.
I've never watched a full episode of the show.
Two pretty simple reasons for this: one, I'm too cheap to get HBO, and two, I've not watched half of the DVDs I have now to take on a new show. That being said, I know tangentially about the show, but wasn't really in the same mode as many people when the last episode cut to black. And I'm really not in the same mode as those who have vented their spleen at the lack of "payoff" in the show's open-ended ending.
But I have enjoyed the griping, such as this discussion at TV Barn. And I've gotten to enjoy it for free, saving the untold hundreds of dollars I'd have spent on HBO over the run of the show. So I should at least thank David Chase for that.
I can't really say if I'd have been mad at this ending were I a fan, but I will say that I was disappointed with the Homicide movie that was made to wrap up that series. Perhaps there are some stories that aren't meant to end cleanly.
I've never watched a full episode of the show.
Two pretty simple reasons for this: one, I'm too cheap to get HBO, and two, I've not watched half of the DVDs I have now to take on a new show. That being said, I know tangentially about the show, but wasn't really in the same mode as many people when the last episode cut to black. And I'm really not in the same mode as those who have vented their spleen at the lack of "payoff" in the show's open-ended ending.
But I have enjoyed the griping, such as this discussion at TV Barn. And I've gotten to enjoy it for free, saving the untold hundreds of dollars I'd have spent on HBO over the run of the show. So I should at least thank David Chase for that.
I can't really say if I'd have been mad at this ending were I a fan, but I will say that I was disappointed with the Homicide movie that was made to wrap up that series. Perhaps there are some stories that aren't meant to end cleanly.
Friday, June 08, 2007
It worked?
Fan protests rarely bring back a show once cancelled, and the various histrionics used in the attempt are, at best, fun to watch. You'd think after the annual rite, fans of cancelled shows would get the hint and, rather than create Internet petitions, sit quietly and wait for the DVDs.
Don't expect that to happen any time soon, now that fans of Jericho have apparently convinced CBS to bring the show back on a limited basis next season.
I'll admit to being one of those people who got away from the show after its mid-season vacation, always planning to catch up with episodes on Comcast On Demand but never quite doing so. I don't feel like I've missed much, but with this announcement and a summer with mostly reruns, I figure I'll get back on board. The only question is will I fall back off between September and whenever the show actually returns?
Don't expect that to happen any time soon, now that fans of Jericho have apparently convinced CBS to bring the show back on a limited basis next season.
I'll admit to being one of those people who got away from the show after its mid-season vacation, always planning to catch up with episodes on Comcast On Demand but never quite doing so. I don't feel like I've missed much, but with this announcement and a summer with mostly reruns, I figure I'll get back on board. The only question is will I fall back off between September and whenever the show actually returns?
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Water Cooler Talking Points: Lost
1. BOOM! - the surprise plan against the Others only partially works, as Jin misses his target. Sayid, Bernard, and Jin are captured, and the Other in charge threatens to kill Jin unless someone fills the Others in. Bernard cracks, and tells them that Juliet and Carl had tipped them off, and that the main group is headed towards the radio tower. They radio to Ben, who upon learning all of this decides to cut off the castaways before they can reach the radio tower and send their distress signal. He takes Alex along, planning to cast her away with the others for her role in sending Carl as a warning.
2. Down the hatch - Charlie is getting slapped around and interrogated by the women in the Looking Glass, as they try to figure out what he's doing. He pretty much tells them, and as they argue in private Desmond come up through the moon pool, chased away from the canoe by Mikhail, who is shooting at him. Mikhail, for his part, is there to check on the situation, and is ordered by Ben to kill everyone. He only gets partway through when Desmond comes out of hiding and shoots a spear into his chest.
3. Meet you at the tower - Ben does cut the group off, and tries to convince Jack that he has to confiscate the satellite phone because everyone will die if Jack allows the rescue to happen. Jack says no, and Ben orders the deaths of Jin, Sayid, and Bernard. We hear three shots on the walkie. Jack beats the crap out of Ben, and goes back to the group.
4. Now I want a Sunkist - before Bonnie (one of the Looking Glass ladies) dies, she tells Charlie that the code to disable the jammer is set to the tune of "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. Good thing he's a musician. He punches in the code while Desmond gathers diving equipment. Charlie is successful, and immediately a transmission comes in - from Penny! She learns that Desmond is there, even though Charlie doesn't know where they are. He does learn that the boat that Naomi came in on wasn't sent by Penny. That's about all they have time for, as Mikhail (who escaped through the moon pool) shows up at the porthole with a grenade. He blows the porthole open, and water rushes in. Charlie seals himself in the room, saving Desmond but killing himself - but not before he writes a warning on his hand that the boat isn't Penny's.
5. Back to the beach - Upon the failure of the beach surprise, Kate wants to go back to save their friends. She asks Sawyer to join her, but he passes and tells her not to go. Surprisingly, not soon after he tells Jack he's going back. Kate is annoyed, and then moreso when Juliet joins him. She says she can get guns from a cache on the way. She kisses Jack before leaving; Jack will shortly afterwards say that he didn't let Kate join them because he loves her. Nice mixed signals! Anyway, Hurley tries to join Sawyer and Juliet, but is rebuffed due to his size. Not to be dismissed, Hurley actually saves everyone by using the Dharma van he found to storm the beach and run over the Others. Good thing, too, as Juliet was lying about the guns.
6. We're saved? - Once Charlie shuts down the jammer, Naomi gets a signal on the phone. She dials, but doesn't get to do much else before she dies - from a knife thrown into her back by Locke! (Earlier, while in the pit, he finds a gun with which he's going to kill himself, given his wound and the returned paralysis in his legs. Before he can do that, he sees Walt(!), who tells John that he can't kill himself, as he has work to do.) Locke tells Jack pretty much the same thing that Ben said, but Jack isn't buying it. Someone finally picks up, confirms that they can lock in on the phone's signal, and rescue them all. Well, except for Locke, who slinks off into the woods, and Rousseau, who had said earlier that she wasn't leaving.
7. Flash-what? - throughout the episode we get flashbacks of Jack, who is bearded and rapidly falling apart. His descent begins (appropriately) when he's flying into LA on an Oceanic flight, and when given a newspaper instead of another drink, he learns that someone has died. He takes the news badly, and plans to jump from a bridge - but he winds up saving a woman and her son from a burning car wreck (which he kind of caused). We watch Jack get worse up to his going to the funeral for our unnamed corpse, and it turns out Jack was the only mourner. After several aborted calls during the flashes he finally talks to the person he wants, and sets up a meeting at the airport. Turns out he was calling Kate - and that the flashbacks are actually flash-forwards! Jack tells Kate that he's been using the free flights Oceanic gave the survivors, going to Asia or Australia every weekend in the hopes that the plane will crash and he'll get back to the island. He's now firmly on board with the idea that they weren't meant to leave when they did. She's less impressed, and tells Jack to move on. She then says she has to get back, as someone is expecting her. Not sure who that is, or who the dead person is (though Jack was surprised that Kate didn't go to the funeral, so it's clearly an island person).
I have to imagine that this is going to be a very different show when it comes back in January.
2. Down the hatch - Charlie is getting slapped around and interrogated by the women in the Looking Glass, as they try to figure out what he's doing. He pretty much tells them, and as they argue in private Desmond come up through the moon pool, chased away from the canoe by Mikhail, who is shooting at him. Mikhail, for his part, is there to check on the situation, and is ordered by Ben to kill everyone. He only gets partway through when Desmond comes out of hiding and shoots a spear into his chest.
3. Meet you at the tower - Ben does cut the group off, and tries to convince Jack that he has to confiscate the satellite phone because everyone will die if Jack allows the rescue to happen. Jack says no, and Ben orders the deaths of Jin, Sayid, and Bernard. We hear three shots on the walkie. Jack beats the crap out of Ben, and goes back to the group.
4. Now I want a Sunkist - before Bonnie (one of the Looking Glass ladies) dies, she tells Charlie that the code to disable the jammer is set to the tune of "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. Good thing he's a musician. He punches in the code while Desmond gathers diving equipment. Charlie is successful, and immediately a transmission comes in - from Penny! She learns that Desmond is there, even though Charlie doesn't know where they are. He does learn that the boat that Naomi came in on wasn't sent by Penny. That's about all they have time for, as Mikhail (who escaped through the moon pool) shows up at the porthole with a grenade. He blows the porthole open, and water rushes in. Charlie seals himself in the room, saving Desmond but killing himself - but not before he writes a warning on his hand that the boat isn't Penny's.
5. Back to the beach - Upon the failure of the beach surprise, Kate wants to go back to save their friends. She asks Sawyer to join her, but he passes and tells her not to go. Surprisingly, not soon after he tells Jack he's going back. Kate is annoyed, and then moreso when Juliet joins him. She says she can get guns from a cache on the way. She kisses Jack before leaving; Jack will shortly afterwards say that he didn't let Kate join them because he loves her. Nice mixed signals! Anyway, Hurley tries to join Sawyer and Juliet, but is rebuffed due to his size. Not to be dismissed, Hurley actually saves everyone by using the Dharma van he found to storm the beach and run over the Others. Good thing, too, as Juliet was lying about the guns.
6. We're saved? - Once Charlie shuts down the jammer, Naomi gets a signal on the phone. She dials, but doesn't get to do much else before she dies - from a knife thrown into her back by Locke! (Earlier, while in the pit, he finds a gun with which he's going to kill himself, given his wound and the returned paralysis in his legs. Before he can do that, he sees Walt(!), who tells John that he can't kill himself, as he has work to do.) Locke tells Jack pretty much the same thing that Ben said, but Jack isn't buying it. Someone finally picks up, confirms that they can lock in on the phone's signal, and rescue them all. Well, except for Locke, who slinks off into the woods, and Rousseau, who had said earlier that she wasn't leaving.
7. Flash-what? - throughout the episode we get flashbacks of Jack, who is bearded and rapidly falling apart. His descent begins (appropriately) when he's flying into LA on an Oceanic flight, and when given a newspaper instead of another drink, he learns that someone has died. He takes the news badly, and plans to jump from a bridge - but he winds up saving a woman and her son from a burning car wreck (which he kind of caused). We watch Jack get worse up to his going to the funeral for our unnamed corpse, and it turns out Jack was the only mourner. After several aborted calls during the flashes he finally talks to the person he wants, and sets up a meeting at the airport. Turns out he was calling Kate - and that the flashbacks are actually flash-forwards! Jack tells Kate that he's been using the free flights Oceanic gave the survivors, going to Asia or Australia every weekend in the hopes that the plane will crash and he'll get back to the island. He's now firmly on board with the idea that they weren't meant to leave when they did. She's less impressed, and tells Jack to move on. She then says she has to get back, as someone is expecting her. Not sure who that is, or who the dead person is (though Jack was surprised that Kate didn't go to the funeral, so it's clearly an island person).
I have to imagine that this is going to be a very different show when it comes back in January.
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