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November 3, 2009
Contest: Win a copy of the "Glee" soundtrack
Does it seem a little more “Glee”-ful out there today? Is your podmates’ humming more annoying than usual? Do you hear that insidiously catchy, over-produced song in the air? That’s just the “Glee” soundtrack.
“Glee: The Music, Season One, Volume 1” hit store shelves and music download sites today, but I’ve got a free CD for one lucky “Glee” fan (hey — do you think the disc’s name is a subtle clue that there will be more of them on the way?)
From the pilot’s “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” Journey cover to “Dancing with Myself,” the Billy Idol tune “Glee”-ized in the upcoming, “very special” Nov. 11 episode, 17 tracks are featured (thankfully, the “Thong Song” doesn’t appear to be among them).
Here’s how you you can win my still-shrinkwrapped copy: Cheerios’ coach Sue Sylvester has a secret that’s revealed at the end of the next new episode. Take your best or funniest guess at what it is; I’ll choose a random entry and get the CD into the winner’s “Glee”-ful little hands.
Enter by commenting below. One entry per person, please. I’ll post the winning entry on Friday.
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October 27, 2009
A former staffer takes Letterman to task
Nell Scovell, a former writer for David Letterman, is the latest person to come forward and throw her 2 cents into the embattled late-night talker’s sexpoitation controversy. Scovell airs her complaints in a Vanity Fair essay, according to eonline.com. The site says the piece “paints her late ’80s tenure on his NBC Late Night show as one marred by uncomfortable tension, hostile environments and sexual favoritism.”
Scovell also decried the lack of female writers on the show and claims she does not want compensation, revenge nor Letterman’s downfall, eonline reports. “I just want Dave to hire some qualified female writers and then treat them with respect.”
I just attended a panel at the 2009 Austin Film Festival in which comedy writers Chuck Sklar and Dan French revealed that none of the late-night talk shows’ writers rooms has a strong female presence. They seem, in fact, to most resemble middle-school boys’ locker rooms.
Scovell’s other accusations aside, the lack of female writers hardly seems particular to Letterman.
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October 19, 2009
This week's TV picks
Monday:
‘Heroes’ 7 p.m., NBC: Who ya’ gonna’ call? Ernie Hudson, apparently. The once and future ‘Ghostbuster’ guest stars.
‘The Big Bang Theory’ 8:30 p.m., CBS: Hmm, it must be sci-fi guest star week. ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’s’ Wil Wheaton cameos in a showdown with Sheldon.
Tuesday:
‘Melrose Place’ 8 p.m., The CW: Okay, this is just getting creepy. Daphne Zuniga (‘Spaceballs’) returns as Jo Reynolds. Secrets, sex, blah blah blah.
‘The Good Wife’ 9 p.m., CBS: Martha Plimpton (‘Surface’, of course) guest stars as Alicia races against the clock to save three widows’ pensions. ‘Surface’ was a science fiction show, too.
Wednesday:
‘Extreme Competitions’ 7 p.m., TRAVEL: A mustache-growing competition is highlighted. No kidding. Mustache growing. I hope it’s ‘extreme’ mustache-growing. Is this a mini-series? Because I’m not sure how much ‘stache growing can happen in one night.
‘Glee’ 8 p.m., FOX: Sue displays her softer side? Which side is that, exactly? I thought even her deepest interior was gruff exterior.
Thursday:
’30 Rock’ 8:30 p.m., NBC: Will Arnett hanging with the Obama girls? I’m so in.
‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ 9 p.m., BRAVO: Season 2 finale. Aw, already?
Friday:
‘Brothers’ 7 p.m., FOX: Here we go again. E Street Band member Clarence Clemons (‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’) appears as Coach sacks Chill and enlists Mike’s help with his football squad.
‘Lobstermen’ 9 p.m., DISCOVERY: Lobstermen! Half-men, half-lobster! Now there’s a scary — what? On a boat? With nets? Nevermind.
Saturday:
‘Austin City Limits’ 7 p.m., PBS: Singer-songwriter showcase! Andrew Bird and St. Vincent perform.
‘Surprise Inspection’ 9 p.m., TruTV: There’s no description for this show but, just in case, I’m gonna’ make sure everything here is in tip-top shape.
Sunday:
‘Werewolves: The Dark Survivors’ 8 p.m., ANIMAL: A faux documentary explores the lives and behaviors of werewolves. I don’t know about you, but I kinda’ prefer my faux documentaries to explore the practical joke Jim and Pam just played on Dwight.
‘Mad Men’ 9 p.m., AMC: Joan and Greg make plans for the future. Yay! More Joan! Boo! Joan and Greg have a future.
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October 12, 2009
This week's TV picks
Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin star on “30 Rock.”
Monday:
‘Dancing with the Stars’ 7 p.m., ABC: Tune in to see who’ll take over the reality competition’s dramatic narrative now that Tom DeLay is gone.
Tuesday:
‘The Good Wife’ 9 p.m., CBS: Alicia takes on her firm when she suspects jury tampering in a pharmaceutical company trial. Watch quickly before health care reform makes this storyline obsolete.
Wednesday:
‘Hank’ 7 p.m., ABC: Fraisier — I mean, um, Hank, takes a job working alongside his daughter at the mall. Sigh.
‘Modern Family’ 8 p.m., ABC: Shelley Long (“Cheers”) guest stars on the best new comedy of the season.
‘Glee’ 8 p.m., FOX: The club members are pitted against each other again? Didn’t that just happen last week? Is this a “Glee”-peat? Nope, this time Sue (Jane Lynch) is trying to spread dissent.
Thursday:
‘Flash Forward’ 7 p.m., ABC: Yikes! Somebody saw a murder in their vision of the future. Tune in to find out whom.
‘Vampire Diaries’ 7 p.m., The CW: Stefan and Damon continue to duke it out while the sheriff and mayor try to protect the citizens of Mystic Falls. Seriously, people, if you don’t like vampires, stay away from places called “Mystic Falls.”
‘30 Rock’ 8:30 p.m., NBC: Season 4 of NBC’s Tina Fey comedy begins with a show entitled “Season 4.”
Friday:
‘Ugly Betty’ 7 p.m., ABC: Betty, now an associate editor, clashes with her ex-boyfriend boss. Lynn Redgrave and Kristen Johnston guest star on this season 4 premiere.
Saturday:
‘Austin City Limits’ 7 p.m., PBS: Are you a Kenny Chesney fan? He’s crooning his greatest hits tonight.
‘Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri’ 8 p.m., FOOD: Y’all like to tailgate, right? The Food Network personality puts tailgaters from across the country through a game-day grub competition.
Sunday:
‘The Simpsons’ 7 p.m., FOX: The 20th edition of Halloween-themed “Treehouse of Horror” finds take-offs on zombies, Hitchcock and “Sweeney Todd.”
‘Sunday Night Football’ 7:15 p.m., NBC: Chicago at Atlanta. Go, Bears!
‘The Cleveland Show’ 7:30 p.m., FOX: Arianna Huffington guest stars.
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October 9, 2009
Trailer: 'Friday Night Lights' via 'Carnivale'
The teaser trailer for season 4 of “Friday Night Lights” has hit YouTube, and it makes the show look more like the spooky HBO series “Carnivale” than the football drama we know and love (a big, magic tree was central to the imagery of that late, lamented series, too).
The L.A. Times pulls a lot of clues out of the 30-second clip. Frankly, I think they might be reaching but there’s not a whole lot to grasp onto here.
“Friday Night Lights” returns to DirecTV on Oct. 28 and NBC in summer, 2010. Here’s the teaser and, just for fun, I’ll slap a “Carnivale” trailer down below it:
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America blows up the Moon. Again.
In honor of the disappointing, real-life blowing-up of the Moon, here’s the classic “Mr. Show” comedy sketch that must have inspired the folks at NASA. It’s ironic that people actually had viewing parties to watch the disappointing event today, just like in this bit:
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October 8, 2009
Live Chat: Fall TV season
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Live chat today on fall TV season
Come back at 11 a.m. CT and participate in a live chat about the Fall TV season. What’s working for you? What shows do you dislike? DId the networks get the nights/time slots right for your favorite shows? What’s missing? We’ll chat about which shows might get picked up (some have already!) and which shows are likely to get the axe.
See you then!
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October 5, 2009
This week's TV picks
Pam and Jim get hitched on NBC’s ‘The Office’.
Monday:
‘Dancing With the Stars’ 7 p.m., ABC: What dance will Tom DeLay do tonight? And what will he wear? Who cares … all y’all want to do on the TV Blog is argue politics.
‘Gossip Girl’ 8 p.m., The CW: Film star Hilary Duff appears as a film star. Way to stretch those acting chops, Hilary.
Tuesday:
‘Dancing With the Stars: Results Show’ 8 p.m. ABC: Did Tom DeLay make it through? Will he be back next week? Does it matter? Isn’t the important question whether he’s God or the Devil?
‘The Forgotten’ 9 p.m., ABC: The name of this show is going to become its epitaph in about 3 weeks. Mark my words.
Wednesday:
‘The Middle’ 7:30 p.m., ABC: Sue tries out for the swim team. Trust me, any time Sue tries out for something, it’s a riot.
‘Modern Family’ 8 p.m., ABC: Okay, this show is a big 2-for-2, so there’s no reason to suspect that tonight’s episode won’t be hilarious.
Thursday:
‘Flash Forward’ 7 p.m., ABC: What? The mass blackout somehow involves Nazis now? This show hurts my brain in a good way.
‘Community’ 7 p.m., NBC: This show moves to its 7 p.m. time slot with an episode involving Mr. Chang. Yay! Plus, since the ‘Saturday Night Live’ on Thursday thing is over, there’s a chance ‘Saturday Night Live’ on Saturdays will actually be funny. Win-win!
‘The Office’ 8 p.m., NBC: Jim and Pam get married (yawn) in this hour-long episode. Hey — at least they get their wedding taped for free.
‘Vampire Diaries’ 7 p.m., The CW: Bite, furtive glance, kiss, bite, bite, angst, fainting, angry outburst, kiss, bite.
Friday:
‘Most Terrifying Places in America 2’ 9 p.m., TRAVEL: Paranormal hot spots across the country are explored. Hmm … I didn’t know ghosts used wireless Internet.
Saturday:
‘Austin City Limits’ 7 p.m., PBS: Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 perform.
Sunday:
‘The Simpsons’ 7 p.m., FOX: Bart becomes interested in something potentially dangerous, Marge attempts to get it banned, TV critic finds it more and more difficult to keep defending this show.
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September 28, 2009
This week's TV picks
Old Faithful erupts in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, as shown in Ken Burns six-part documentary series, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” beginning Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7:00 p.m. EDT on PBS. (AP Photo/Florentine Films and WETA, Craig Mellish)
Tonight:
‘Lie to Me’ 8 p.m., FOX: Season 2 kicks off! A woman with multiple-personality disorder could be a witness or a killer. Hmm … that’s several times the usual number of lies to sift through.
Also premiering: ‘Trauma’ 8 p.m., NBC
‘The National Parks: America’s Best Idea’ 7 p.m., PBS: This episode covers the years 1890-1915 and the beginnings of a conservation movement led by the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and Theodore Roosevelt. Additional episodes air Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Tuesday:
‘Melrose Place’ 8 p.m., The CW: Jane Mancini’s back! Josie Bissett returns to Melrose Place and immediately blackmails somebody. There’s a surprise.
‘The Good Wife’ 9 p.m., CBS: Julianna Margulies goes around the State’s Attorney to represent a stripper who claims she was raped.
Wednesday:
‘The Middle’ 7:30 p.m., ABC: Patricia Heaton stars in one of the fall’s best new comedies as a woman stuck in the middle: middle age, middle income, Middle America. It’s wacky, but sweet … like a twisted version of ‘The Wonder Years.’
Also premiering: ‘Hank’ 7 p.m., ABC
‘Modern Family’ 8 p.m., ABC: If there’s a less-qualified person than Phil to be giving anybody responsibility lessons, I’d like to meet him. But that’s just what he’s doing with son Luke. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cameron take their baby to ‘Mommy and Me’ class.
‘Glee’ 8 p.m., FOX: Recent Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth (‘Pushing Daisies’) tries to help Will up the Glee Club’s game.
Thursday:
‘Community’ 8:30 p.m., NBC: John Michael Higgins (‘Kath and Kim’) plays a quirky instructor who jeopardizes Winger’s plan for an easy A.
‘Fringe’ 8 p.m., FOX: A bomb blast in Philadelphia sends Olivia and Peter to Iraq. That must be one powerful bomb.
‘Flash Forward’ 7 p.m., ABC: A suspect in the global blackout is tracked to Utah and Olivia meets the man from her vision.
Friday:
‘Til Death’ 7:30 p.m., FOX: The season 4 premiere finds Ally and Doug returning from Ecuador as man and wife.
Saturday:
‘Austin City Limits’ 7 p.m., PBS: The Dave Matthews Band kicks off season 35 of the popular concert series. Were you at the taping?
Sunday:
‘Three Rivers’ 8 p.m., CBS: The transplants drama underwent its own switcheroo when this episode — originally the second of the series — was swapped to run first.
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September 22, 2009
Obama plays softball on 'The Late Show'
So, President Obama was on Letterman last night. Would he be as calm, jovial, friendly and relaxed as he had appeared in his previous “Late Night” outings as a Senator and Presidential candidate? Or would he be more tense (and intense) … weary from the ongoing battle for health care reform? I had more or less predicted the latter.
I was wrong.
From the moment the President was introduced, smiling and waving to the crowd, he seemed confident, happy and, most importantly, relaxed. Following up on an earlier Letterman bit with an audience member who had brought a heart-shaped potato with her to the studio, Obama took control of the stage, telling Dave that was the real reason he’d come to visit. He then engaged in off-the-cuff banter with the potato’s owner — “Mary Apple? Is your real name? Mary Apple?” — and he pocketed the odd tuber at Letterman’s request, although I’ll bet Mary Apple got it back (along with a great story) after the show.
The first interview segment seemed designed to make Obama appear as normal as possible, given the whole “most powerful person in the free world” thing. Letterman asked about Obama’s summer and the President responded by talking about his daughters. “They basically goofed off all summer, which I couldn’t do,” he stated.
“Others have,” Dave pot-shot to laughter and applause.
Obama explained that his kids don’t really notice the Presidential hubbub; they have slumber parties and spend the night at their friends’ houses like other children. “But their parents get frisked,” Obama added.
“That happens at my house, too,” Letterman joked.
“The thing that we are happiest about is that they are wonderfully normal, happy kids so far,” Obama said. “I give Michelle all the credit.”
It turns out that the telegenic Obama was not on Letterman to sell health care reform to America as much as he was there to re-sell himself (which, granted, would go a long way in helping him sell health care reform). This was driven home by an exchange later in the program, when Letterman noted former President Jimmy Carter’s recent statements that vocal opposition to Obama was partially based upon race.
“Well, it’s important to remember,” Obama said, “that I was black before the election,” reminding America that we voted him in. And, throughout the first half of his “Late Show” appearance, he reminded us why: he appeared confident, smart, well-spoken, decisive. Quick.
Still, the second segment’s would have to be all health care, right? When Obama was on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” in March, nearly the entire appearance was a dry, jargon-filled push for the economic stimulus package — and that was never in as much trouble as health care reform.
Wrong again. Dave held up photos: There’s the President at his desk in the Oval Office, a young child hunkered down and peering mischievously at him from behind the couch.
“I hope that’s Sasha,” Obama quipped, “otherwise there’s been a breach of security that we did not know about.” Quick.
Another photo shows Obama in the White House screening room holding cardboard 3D glasses to his eyes (he couldn’t remember, but the film he’d watched was “Up”). The next picture was of the President and Hillary Clinton seated across from each other at a picnic table outdoors. “This just screams picnic to me,” Dave joked.
“We were having a wonderful time,” Obama replied.
“No potato salad,” Dave noted.
The final photo showed the President running with a football, Presidential dog Bo at his heels. See? Just like you and me.
But President Obama is not just like you and me, and halfway through the show, the pair finally got around to politics … specifically, the economy. Unemployment, housing, household bills, energy, jobs again. Dave asked Obama if the stimulus had worked. Obama explained that without it, things would have been much worse.
He kept things largely simple and matter-of-fact, but terms such as “smart grid” and “broadband” began to creep in, prompting Letterman to cut to a commercial.
41 minutes into the hour, the discussion of the recent shouting at town hall meetings (and Presidential addresses) which led to that Jimmy Carter reference finally leads to a discussion of health care. Time for some tough questions?
“In terms of health care, what am I missing about this?” Letterman asked, possibly the most open-ended, softball query ever. It’s clear that Obama was smart to choose Letterman’s venue to make his case. The President ran through his familiar arguments, largely uninterrupted by his host, whose interjections amounted mostly to comments such as, “I’m not a socialist, but it (universal health care) don’t sound that bad to me.”
“The thing I’d like to see is those ‘death panels’,” Letterman joked. “If we could get those in immediately …”
Health care, economy … what have we missed? The host and his guest finally dipped into foreign policy with a discussion of Iraq and Afghanistan. No tough questions on this topic either, but that’s not why the President was here; that’s what all those Sunday morning news show shots were for.
“I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to watch you work,” Letterman said, concluding the interview. “And remember, when things get tough as things tend to do, going forward … you, sir, are in possession of a heart-shaped potato.”
Former President Bill Clinton visits “The Late Show” tonight at 10:30 on CBS.
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September 21, 2009
President Obama on Letterman's 'Late Show' tonight
Following a sweep of the Sunday morning talk shows (with the notable exception of Fox News) look for President Barack Obama to be David Letterman’s sole guest on tonight’s “The Late Show,” 10:30 p.m. on CBS. Obama knows that he can deliver his message to more Americans in one Letterman appearance than on all of those Sunday shows combined.
Advocating health care reform, it’ll be Obama’s 6th appearance on Letterman, but his first as a sitting President (though he won’t be making history as he did in March when he became the first sitting President to visit a late-night talker — appearing on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” to discuss the economic stimulus package).
If past appearances are any indication, Letterman and Obama can create compelling television. Dave is exceptionally strong with political guests (remember his interview with Al Gore, or his turn with Republican Presidential nominee John McCain after McCain blew off a “Late Show” appearance?) and he has a natural chemistry with Obama.
Look for tonight’s appearance to be different in tone than, say, Obama’s campaign-era “Late Show” outing discussing the Sarah Palin “lipstick on a pig” controversy. Obama was jovial and winning, energetic and easygoing, poking fun at himself, occasionally leaning over and clasping his hand on Letterman’s shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. When the host asked about Palin’s then-ubiquity, Obama wistfully recalled when he used to be on the cover of Time and Newsweek, joking that he recently received an offer to be a centerfold in Popular Mechanics.
“Take it,” Letterman advised.
When Obama got a little windy, Dave called him on it: “You’re campaigning now, aren’t you?”
But Obama is President now — and he’s embattled and weary over the health care battle — so the tone of the interview is bound to be different. If Letterman can retain his frankness and good humor, it should serve the audience well. Too much chatter about policy minutiae during the President’s Leno appearance might have been informative, but it made for wonky and boring television. And, love him or hate him, it’s hard to make Obama boring on TV, where he normally excels.
You might not like the President’s message, but he knows what he’s doing by going on Letterman to get it across.
Former President Bill Clinton will be Letterman’s guest on Tuesday.
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September 17, 2009
Review: "Community" (NBC)
(Left to right) Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley, Danny Pudi as Abed, Gillian Jacobs as Britta, Joe McHale as Jeff, Alison Brie as Annie, Chevy Chase as Pierce, Donald Glover as Troy in “Community.” NBC Photo: Paul Drinkwater
Have you spent any time at a community college? Talk about a melting pot … all ages, races and economic backgrounds welcome. If there’s a better setting for a half-hour sitcom, I can’t imagine what it would be.
The creators of “Community,” the newest addition to NBC’s powerhouse Thursday night comedy line-up, have mined that setting for laughs and wrapped them around charismatic Joel McHale, host of E!’s “The Soup.”
Tonight’s episode does a good job of introducing the characters, including McHale’s scheming Jeff Winger, a former lawyer whose license was revoked when his college degree came into question: “I thought you got a degree from Columbia?” his friend and client — and Greendale Community College head — asks. “Yes. And now I have to get one from America,” Winger replies. “And it can’t be just an e-mail attachment.”
The dialogue is snappy and the characters are diverse, including “The Daily Show’s” John Oliver as the ethically bound leader and a surprisingly tolerable Chevy Chase as moist towelette fortune heir Pierce. Characters that sound problematic in theory, such as Danny Pudi’s Abed, who has trouble differentiating between movies and real life (he can’t help but compare Winger’s faux study group to “The Breakfast Club”) really work well within “Community’s” twisted community. Pretty Gillian Jacobs — Abed can’t get past her resemblance to Elisabeth Shue — is a formidable foil for Winger as the street-smart object of his obsessive, slightly creepy affection.
If the name Winger sounds familiar, it might be because McHale’s misdirected character — it’s hard to call him a slacker when he works so hard on his schemes — is a direct descendant of Bill Murray’s John Winger from “Stripes.” “Community” shares (or, I guess, steals) much of that film’s comic sensibility.
You won’t see him tonight, but watch next week for Ken Jeong (King Argotron from “Role Models”) as scene-stealing Senor Chang, an Asian Spanish teacher with a hilarious chip on his shoulder.
“Community” airs at 8:30 p.m. on NBC. Tonight’s episode: B Next week’s episode: B+
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September 15, 2009
Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley are workin' for the weekend
If there’s an afterlife, I like to think Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley are giving a command performance of this classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch and Phil Hartman is watching and busting a gut:
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Review: The Jay Leno Show
Well that was … uneventful — safe, pleasant enough, not hilarious — yep, Jay is back.
Jay Leno’s new, nightly prime-time comedy show debuted Monday night and it was a lot like Jay Leno’s old, late-night comedy show. Oh, the desk and couch were gone (replaced with two easy chairs) and Leno did his popular “headlines” segment at the end of the show instead of the beginning, but otherwise, you’d hardly know the difference.
The show opened on a particularly low-key note that failed to live up to the hype. Jay was announced, walked out and slapped hands with a few audience members standing at the foot of the stage. They then awkwardly returned to their seats (weird) while the host delivered a standard-issue, topical monologue. A taped “Cheaters” segment with Leno confronting his band leader Kevin Eubanks (cavorting in the park with a Leno look-alike) was one of the funnier pieces of the night, although it had an odd, homophobic undercurrent.
The segment with musical comedians The Dan Band (“The Hangover”) was really long, as they serenaded a young woman while her car was washed. That bit was marginally funny, but it’s going to get old fast (and, frankly, it seemed more “Conan” than Jay, except Conan would have done it himself instead of sending out hired guns).
I like Jerry Seinfeld (he’s hilarious later this season on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) but I have to admit I agreed with his confession to Jay that, when he heard that Jay had chosen him as his first guest, he was a bit disappointed. As the tuxedo-clad Seinfeld put it, “I haven’t been on TV in 11 years.” Jerry had a few good lines: referring to Leno’s return, the comic said, “In the ’90s, when we quit a show, we actually left. But not in the Brett Favre, Lance Armstrong double o’s.” Jay asked Jerry leading questions that allowed the comic to launch into a few well-rehearsed bits, including parts of his stand up routine and a short segment with Oprah Winfrey that was more than a little too obvious.
A faux interview with President Barack Obama that spliced Jay’s questions with answers from an actual Obama appearance (pretty lame but technically well-done) was followed by Kanye West, who caused a stir Monday night by stealing the spotlight from Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards. Leno practically made the contrite musical guest cry by asking him how his mother would have reacted to the VMA incident, then immediately and enthusiastically asked him if he was ready to sing. Nice, Jay. And by nice, I mean nice and awkward. This is the kind of situation that David Letterman deals with really well; Leno just wasn’t up to it.
The most interesting thing that happened all night was that KXAN cut smack into the middle of West’s performance (with Jay-Z and Rihanna) to promote its upcoming newscast’s top stories, then cut back to the end of the song. I’m assuming it was a timing glitch, but after watching the show I wouldn’t blame the station for wanting to grab any remaining viewers before they fell asleep (and besides, there’s something poetically just about West’s moment in the spotlight getting interrupted). NBC affiliates across the country are worried about Leno providing a weak lead-in to their local newscasts and I now think that fear is justified. “The Jay Leno Show” had little competition tonight, going up against reruns and movies. But the fall season is here and it’ll be up against real programming soon.
The show-closing “headlines” segment scared me for a minute: Jay used to do this piece at the top of the show and, for a second, I was afraid that I’d have to sit through another 40 minutes or so.
I’m not a big Leno fan and I’ll admit that I did not go into Monday’s debut with high hopes. That said, Jay didn’t even meet my low expectations. Twitter commentary was brutal: “You couldn’t pay me to watch Leno every night. He’s the least funny thing on TV,” one Austin Twitterer wrote during the show. “It’s just boring. Missed first part of monolog. So far haven’t seen anything funny. If Seinfeld isn’t on soon, it’s good bye Jay,” another local tweet read. But Jay’s not going anywhere. The show is cheap to produce and doesn’t need to win its time slot to be considered successful.
That’s the financial bottom line. The bottom line for viewers is this: if you liked “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” (and a lot of people did) you’ll probably like “The Jay Leno Show.” If you weren’t a fan before, there’s nothing new here. Move along.
Did you watch the show? Will you tune in again? Sound off!
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September 10, 2009
In Transylvania, cupcakes eat YOU*
The CW sent over some … interesting swag this morning to promote “The Vampire Diaries,” premiering at 7 p.m. tonight. You can check out my thoughts on the show in my fall TV preview. My friend (and Statesman food critic) Mike Sutter predicts that “The Vampire Diaries” will be better than “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein.”
*Apologies to Yakov Smirnoff.
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On Ellen, "Idol" and Rep. Joe Wilson
Ellen DeGeneres is the new, permanent, fourth “American Idol” judge.
I guess I should have blogged this last night, but I wanted to let it sit for a while. Frankly, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Ellen’s been on ‘Idol” before (back when the show was popular enough to have to “give back”) and I’ve been a fan ever since her earliest television appearances on stand-up specials and the short-lived sitcom “Open House,” but something doesn’t seem right about this.
“Idol” has tried comedy before and failed (remember Brian Dunkleman?). And I’ve got to wonder how a comic’s advice is going to help the contestants. Still, maybe it’s a good idea to place a truly funny, actually gay person on the panel so that Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest can stop slathering each other with juvenile, offensive, accusatory “you’re gay!” “no, you’re gay” innuendo. If that happens, I’m on board.
In any event, I want to go on the record as saying that I think it was a bad political move for Rep. Joe Wilson to shout “You lie!” last night after Sen. John McCain leaned over and whispered the DeGeneres/”Idol” gossip into his ear. There’s just no place for that during a Presidential address.
The Twittersphere seems to be reacting to the Ellen news positively. What do you think?
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September 6, 2009
This week's TV picks
The pretty people of The CW’s “Melrose Place.”
Monday
‘Unwrapped’ 8 p.m., FOOD: Grab a cup of coffee and check out this discussion on donuts, including Krispy Kremes and Mrs. Baird’s. I don’t see anything about my precious Round Rock donuts here, but that’s okay — more for me!
Tuesday
‘Get Schooled: You Have The Right’ 7 p.m., TVLAND, COMEDY, SPIKE, BET, LOGO, NICK, MTV, MTV2, MTV3, MTV-U, VH1, CMT, CMTP: Whew! That’s a lot of networks for one program, but this one’s worth it. Kelly Clarkson and LeBron James discuss the importance of education to their success. Also covered is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Get Schooled” initiative, developed with Viacom, which addresses problems in America’s public schools. Find more information at www.getschooled.com.
‘Melrose Place’ 8 p.m., The CW: Yay! The Fall TV season is officially here! Finally. Didn’t it seem like it was never going to arrive? It’s been a long, long summer. Oh, right … ‘Melrose Place’. Dead bodies. Sex. Laura Leighton. Trashy fun.
Wednesday
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ 7 p.m., FOX: 6th season premiere finds hopefuls showing the crazy legs in Boston.
‘America’s Next Top Model’ 7 p.m., The CW: ‘ANTM’ features a shorter season in it’s 13th year: each of the 14 contenders is under 5’7”.
‘Glee’ 8 p.m., FOX: Okay, so we all saw the premiere months ago. The much-hyped musical comedy’s season really kicks off tonight with the show’s second episode, featuring the glee club’s unexpectedly racy first public performance.
Thursday
‘Vampire Diaries’ 7 p.m., The CW: Did I mention that the Fall season is here? “Lost’s” Boone, Ian Somerhalder, plays the bad boy in this new-pernatural series about two Vampire brothers fighting over an orphaned high-schooler.
‘Fringe’ 8 p.m., FOX: In its new time slot, this repeat of the first season finale ends with the single most stunning and surprising camera shot of any entertainment series from last season, and sets up what should be a great sophomore effort.
‘I Was Bitten’ 9 p.m., Discovery: No, this doesn’t have anything to do with ‘The Vampire Diaries’. It’s actually, appropriately enough, a show about people who have been bitten by tigers, snakes and elephants. Man, I would not want to be bitten by an elephant — not only is that probably a huge chunk out of you, but I’ll bet the wound smells like peanuts.
Friday
‘Dog Whisperer’ 8 p.m., NGC: The host works with problematic dogs at an office. Hmm … I wonder if there’s a co-worker whisperer?
Saturday
‘Lightning Strikes’ 8 p.m., Syfy: A monster rides a lightning bolt to Earth and causes a lot of problems. I hope this isn’t a documentary.
Sunday
‘King of the Hill’ 7 p.m., FOX: Bye-bye Hank, Bobby and Peggy. There’s competition for Bobby’s hand to the homecoming dance in the finale of this venerable animated series set in fictional Arlen, Texas.
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August 30, 2009
This week's TV picks
Andy and Dwight keep each other company at the company picnic on “The Office.”
Monday:
‘CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock’ 7 p.m., ABC: Featured performers include Trace Adkins, Martina McBride, The Judds and Kid Rock. Everybody — sing along with me: ‘One of these things is not like the others …’
‘The Soup Presents’ 9 p.m., E!: This episode spotlights TV’s most dysfunctional couples, including Jon and Kate Gosselin, and Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. Wow. I’m not sure which of those pairs should feel most insulted.
Tuesday:
‘Warehouse 13’ 8 p.m., Syfy: An artifact helps Claudia change a light bulb, which reminds me of a hundred old jokes.
‘Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ 10:30 p.m., NBC: Tonight Conan welcomes Norm MacDonald and Cheap Trick, two of my favorite things that won’t go away.
Wednesday:
‘Glee’ 7:58 p.m., FOX: In case you missed the hugely popular pilot episode of this new fall series, here’s your chance to catch up. It kinda’ goes downhill from here, but this episode’s a winner. Also, in case you skipped over the time, it starts at 7:58 p.m., so don’t miss the first two minutes.
‘Man vs. Wild’ 8 p.m., Discovery: Bear tests his survival skills in Texas’ Chihuahuan Desert. I hope he brings some Milk Bones.
Thursday:
‘The Office’ 8 p.m., NBC: The season 5 closer takes place at the Dunder Mifflin company picnic. In the midst of a fiercely competitive volleyball game, Michael has a sweet reunion with his former love, Holly.
Friday:
‘Making Over America with Trinny and Susannah’ 9 p.m., TLC: Apparently, in order to be a co-host on this makeover show (tonight working miracles on a frumpy Delaware innkeeper) you’ve got to have two n’s in the middle of your name.
‘Catch It Keep It’ 9 p.m., Science: An Xbox must be saved from flaming projectiles, a gasoline-soaked floor and a runaway car. Hmm. I just have to keep my teenage boy’s Xbox safe from soda cans, half-eaten Pop-Tarts and dirty socks.
Saturday:
‘Country Fried Home Videos’ 7 p.m., CMT: In one segment, a pigeon tricks a turtle. Hey, I’d like to sympathize, but anybody who doesn’t know how devious turtles can be just deserves what they get.
Sunday:
‘Amazing Wedding Cakes’ 9 p.m., WE: A bride wants her cake to match her dress. Somebody save me a piece of the train.
‘Reality Hell’ 9:30 p.m., E!: The title of this show is just redundant. That’s right; I went there. Seriously … is the fall season here yet?
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August 24, 2009
TV Profile: Robert Hadlock
You might know them, but do you know what they watch? This week we hop on the couch with a familiar face from KXAN. Check back each Monday to see who’s next.
Robert Hadlock
Weeknight news co-anchor at KXAN Austin News
Number of years in this position: 19
I love my job because: I work with a great team on the air and behind the scenes. Plus, I’ve had opportunities to do some really neat things.
Here’s what’s on my DVR: 5 episodes of Man vs Food; the final episode of Friday Night Lights from season 3; a news blooper from a competing station; Big Brother (for Mrs. Hadlock); Fr. John Corapi; 3 or 4 movies that we were going to “finish watching later.”
My all-time favorite TV show is: Friday Night Lights
You’ll never catch me watching: The Daily Show
If I have insomnia, the show that lulls me back to sleep is: The Larry King Show
A current show I never miss is: The PGA Tour on NBC/CBS
If my TV is on, it’s probably tuned to this channel: KXAN (except for Kathie Lee and Hoda’s 4th hour of TODAY)
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August 23, 2009
This week's TV picks
Eddie Murphy stars in “Bowfinger.”
Monday
‘The Closer’ 8 p.m., TNT: Kevin Bacon directed this episode, which hinges on a stabbing death perpetrated by a ninja. So it should only take you five steps to get to that episode of ‘Monk’ directed by Martin Scorsese.*
‘Property Virgin’ 7 p.m., HGTV: The search is on for a move-in ready home with a big yard in Austin. Big yard? Guess I’ll add this to the list of shows that didn’t film in my neighborhood.
Tuesday
‘Michael McDonald Q Sessions Live’ 8 p.m., QVC: Grammy-winning McDonald hawks his holiday CD, ‘This Christmas’. Hey, it’s never too early to — no, wait … it’s August, right? Okay, too early.
‘Flipping Out’ 9 p.m., Bravo: Business expansion goals lead a designer-and-remodeler to attend a client’s pajama party. Does that excuse really work?
Wednesday
‘Wipeout’ 7 p.m., ABC: Obstacles in tonight’s episode include Swinging Cereal Killer, Ballsy-Go-Round and Mesh Mosh Run. Incidentally, those are also the names of my three favorite rap artists.
‘Lottery Changed My Life’ 7 p.m., TLC: A Texas lottery winner spends millions on a tepee-themed motel. I’ll best the top floor rooms are really small and coney.
Thursday
‘Futurama’ 8 p.m., Comedy Central: The ha-ha network is airing, back-to-back-to-back-to-back, the four episodes that comprise the direct-to-video movie ‘The Beast with a Billion Backs’. Bonus: David Cross is the beast.
‘Monk’ 10 p.m., USA: In this rerun, guest Daniel Stern is wrapped up with a girl’s disappearance and a UFO sighting. I’m not sure, but I don’t think this is the Scorsese one I was talking about.
Friday
‘Bowfinger’ 7 p.m., ABC: Yet Eddie Murphy didn’t get an Oscar nod ‘til ‘Dreamgirls’.
Saturday
‘Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus’ 8 p.m., Syfy: Lorenzo Lamas and Deborah Gibson star. They’re probably not, but it would be really cool if they played the titular characters.
‘The Serpent King’ 7 p.m., NGC: Snake freaks track the threatened venomous King Cobra into the jungles of India. It’s a shame they’re in trouble, because the Earth really can’t have too many gigantic, venomous snakes.
Sunday
‘Your Kid Ate What?’ 7 p.m., TLC: I don’t even care what they ate — I’m watching, because this show has the best title of the week.
*This is a joke. To the best of my knowledge, Martin Scorsese never directed an episode of “Monk.”
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August 21, 2009
Of papas and pole dances
I recently took some heat on Twitter for a post I made in advance of MTV’s Teen Choice Awards.
Word leaked that tween idol and Hannah Montana alter-ego Miley Cyrus’ live performance would include a pseudo pole dance on top of an ice cream wagon. This news broke on the same day that the Internet exploded with naked photos of another Teen Choice nominee, “Twilight’s” Ashley Greene (who plays Alice Cullen in the series notably popular with teen girls and their moms).
“Miley pole dancing? That ‘Twilight’ actress whose naked pics just broke on the net? I think my daughter will be skipping Teen Choice Awards,” I wrote.
“Yea! And don’t let her play video games, they cause violent behavior!,” a follower replied. “Keep her locked in a closet between school days to be safe.”
I thought that reply was a little sarcastic and extreme, and not particularly helpful. But maybe I’m wrong. Because now Miley’s own dad, country music personality Billy Ray Cyrus, is defending his daughter’s performance, according to US Magazine.
“You know what? I just think that Miley loves entertaining people,” the mag’s Web site quotes Miley’s dad. “I always tell her to love what you’re doing and stay focused for the love of the art and not worry so much about opinion.”
“I give my kids a lot of freedom to make the art they wanna make, and make it in their own voice. I think it’s important,” he added.
Although the performance turned out to be relatively mild, does anybody really think that pole dancing on an ice cream wagon was Miley’s idea and not strategic packaging by parties interested in publicity and the continued shedding of her Disney-clean image (already tarnished by risque Internet pics and suggestive photos in Vanity Fair)? To me, that exploitation is the most obscene part of this whole mess.
Is this the type of thing you’d want your 11-year-old daughter exposed to? Watch the video, then tell me what you think:
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August 17, 2009
TV Profile: Dutch Rall
You might know them, but do you know what they watch? This week we hop on the couch with the producer of “In Context” and the new “Stage Left.” Check back each Monday to see who’s next.
Dutch Rall,
Producer/Director, KLRU
Number of years in this position: 4
I love my job because: Being a PBS station, KLRU allows me to create things for the right reasons.
Here’s what’s on my DVR:
I don’t own one.
My all-time favorite TV show is: Watching Ali fights over at my grandfather’s when I was little.
You’ll never catch me watching: Daytime courtroom reality shows. They’re embarrassing for everyone involved, including the viewer.
If I have insomnia, the show that lulls me back to sleep is: Some old classic on AMC.
A current show I never miss is: “Mad Men” … it’s pretty much perfect.
If my TV is on, it’s probably tuned to this channel: Q - KLRU’s 18-3
Dutch Rall photo by Eli Reed
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August 16, 2009
This week's TV picks
Monday:
‘Cake Boss’ 9 p.m., TLC: A fireworks-themed cake is created, which really makes me nervous about the whole ‘blowing out the candles’ part.
‘Hoarders’ 9 p.m., A&E: This series profiles people with obsessive-hoarding disorder, including a woman who hoards food in two freezers and four refrigerators. Should I be worried that I plan to keep every single episode of this show, along with back-up copies, in big piles of VHS tapes?
Tuesday:
‘More to Love’ 9 p.m., Fox: A group date to a spa and one-on-one dates to a castle and a Moroccan restaurant help Luke cull the remaining ladies to six. Is it right for Fox to put this show on right after ‘Hell’s Kitchen’?
‘Nova scienceNow’ 8 p.m., PBS: Tour a Texas algae farm where researchers work to make biofuel from algae. I’ll be taping this show, too, to use in a future argument with my wife about why not cleaning the shower could actually turn out to be a shrewd investment.
Wednesday:
‘Extreme Collections’ 7 p.m., Travel: Tonight’s episode features collectors of shoes, tarantulas, Barbie dolls and body piercings. Watch out, people … it’s a short drive from collector to hoarder.
‘Survive This!’ 8:30 p.m., Cartoon Network: Sometimes the title of a show writes the mini-review all by itself.
‘Black Gold’ 9 p.m., TruTV: Season 2 of this series following Texas oilmen starts tonight.
Thursday:
‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ 9 p.m., Bravo: The ladies unwind at a King Tut cocktail party. Seriously, King Tut. Somebody’s running out of party themes. And unwinding is never a good idea when there might be mummies around.
Friday:
‘Psych’ 9 p.m., USA: James Brolin guest stars when odd occurrences threaten to close an Old West tourist attraction.
‘A Haunting’ 9 p.m., ID: A strange aura and a shadowy figure plague a home in Tucson. Where’s James Brolin when you need him?
Saturday:
‘Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern’ 7 p.m., Travel: Andrew comes to Texas and checks out the NASA kitchens. He’s supposed to sample a nitrogen-frozen dessert, chocolate bacon and fried alligator. I’m thinking he’s spending some time outside of NASA, because only one of those items sounds remotely like space food. Although, really … chocolate bacon has gotta’ be good anywhere.
Sunday:
‘The Simpsons’ 7 p.m., Fox: Back-to-back reruns from 2009’s resurgent season feature Moe dating a woman he met in an online chat room and Lisa’s experience on anti-depressants. Some of her smiley-faced visions rank among the best visual gags this series has ever produced.
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August 10, 2009
TV Profile: Scott Fisher
You might know them, but do you know what they watch? A prominent meteorologist kicks off our series of local personalities and their viewing habits, but it could be anybody: a television personality; a politician; that oxymoron of a couch potato from your health club. Check back every Monday to see who’s next.
Scott Fisher,
Chief Meteorologist, KTBC FOX 7
Number of years in this position: Nine Years
I love my job because: I love talking to people and telling stories. You name the topic … I love to talk about it! As a FOX 7 meteorologist, I get to tell stories about the weather — it’s my perfect television job in what I think is the perfect city! The fun for me is each and every day finding new and interesting ways to explain what is happening, why it’s happening, what may lead to weather changes and when and how those changes (even subtle ones) may occur.
Here’s what’s on my DVR:
Family Guy
American Dad
Loads of History Channel Stuff (which is interesting, as I dreaded history in high school)
Forensic Files
South Park
Baseball’s Greatest Games and Heroes
Modern Marvels
My all-time favorite TV show is: Seinfeld but Family Guy is my favorite when it comes to what’s still on the air.
You’ll never catch me watching: C-SPAN but C-SPAN2 is AMAZING (just kidding)
If I have insomnia, the show that lulls me back to sleep is: Antiques Roadshow
A current show I never miss is: Family Guy, South Park, 24, The Mentalist, Prison Break (alas, just canceled) and any METS baseball game.
If my TV is on, it’s probably tuned to this channel: Comedy Central or of course, FOX 7
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July 31, 2009
Fall TV preview: 'The Good Wife'
The screeners for the fall television season — such as it is — have started rolling in. I add the qualifier because a new TV season is not as hard and fast a thing as it once was. Lots of shows start in the summer now — mostly low-rent reality fare and and awful imports (like NBC’s late and unlamented “The Listener”); and many promising shows are held back as potential mid-season replacements for those grand or not-so-grand fall experiments that fail.
Finally, some shows, such as ABC’s “Lost,” don’t even begin a new season until January.
Still, the concept of the fall season retains some cache and TV fans wait, hungrily, for any scraps of what the networks are dishing out. (Hmm … must be close to lunchtime!)
So, while our full-blown fall preview won’t hit for another month or so, I’m going to post some first impressions of what I’m watching. And right now I’m watching Julianna Margulies.
She stars in the CBS legal drama, “The Good Wife,” and she carries the pilot in every way. I’m not really a big fan of legal dramas, so this show was a hard sell. Maybe it’s partly because it takes place in my old stomping grounds, but this tale of a wife of a corrupt Chicago politician (does there seem to be any other kind?) worked for me.
Certainly much of the credit goes to Margulies. As the titular good wife, she must return to the workforce in order to provide for her children. Margulies must not only reacquaint herself with the courtroom after a 15-year absence but, because she’s an attorney, also deal with the major players in her politico husband’s (Chris Noth, “Sex in the City”) very public hooker-and-finances scandal on a daily basis.
She’s played an attorney before (2008’s “Canterbury’s Law” didn’t stick around long) but Margulies is best known for her portrayal of nurse Carol Hathaway over 15 years of E.R.
Based solely on the pilot, I’m hoping this show makes it. Margulies’ wounded and vulnerable, but smart character is much more fun to watch than that other wife-of-a-disgraced-Illinois-politician on television, Patti Blagojevich of “I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here.”
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July 26, 2009
This week's TV picks
Members of Wilco are, from left, Pat Sansone, Mikael Jorgensen, Jeff Tweedy, Glenn Kotche, Nels Cline and John Stirratt. Autumn De Wilde photo/Nonesuch Records
Monday
‘The Bachelorette’ 7 p.m., ABC: In the season finale, Jillian’s family grills her final two suitors in Hawaii, which seems kind of extreme. Then she reveals her choice (hint: it’s not Wes).
Tuesday
‘You Are What You Eat’ 7 p.m., BBC America: I’m a hunk of potato salad, several slices of brisket slathered in BBQ sauce, banana pudding and a large, unsweet iced tea, none of which are discussed in this episode on healthy food choices.
Wednesday
‘Throwdown with Bobby Flay’ 8 p.m., Food Network: The founders of a Manhattan restaurant chain engage in a sloppy joe cook-off. That reminds me — I’m also a sloppy joe.
Thursday
‘World’s Toughest Fixes’ 8 p.m., National Geographic Channel: The program covers a mission to Switzerland to repair the Large Hadron Collider. Isn’t that the thing that has the potential to send us all back to the Stone Age or into an alternate universe if it malfunctions? Yeah, let’s get that fixed.
Friday
‘Surviving Suburbia’ 7 p.m., ABC: Courtney and Henry fight for control of the downstairs TV. I firmly believe that if any member of my household tries to turn on this program, we’ll be having the same problem.
‘Catch It Keep It’ 9pm, Science Channel: A race to save a pyramid made out of 672 beer bottles before an explosives charge goes off resulting in, quite literally, 672 bottles of beer on the wall.
Saturday
‘Austin City Limits’ 7 p.m., KLRU: Okay, so this performance by Wilco is a repeat from 2007; there’s no first-run stuff on tonight that’s any better. Trust me.
Sunday
‘The Storm’ 8 p.m., NBC: In the conclusion, a scientist tries to put a stop to horrific weather conditions — which could lead to world annihilation — brought on by a tycoon’s out-of-control manipulations. Tell you what … if those horrific weather conditions aren’t day after day of sunshine and 100-degree-plus temperatures, that tycoon could probably get asylum here in Austin.
‘Pawn Stars’ 9:02 p.m., History Channel: Among the items featured this week is a 1942 Gibson L-7 guitar supposedly played for Al Capone. Turns out he only wanted to keep the case.
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July 19, 2009
This week's TV picks
A screen shot from ABC’s ‘Dating in the Dark.’ Okay, not really.
I’m starting to realize that these are coming across more as ‘warnings’ than ‘picks.’ However you take them, here’s hoping they help:
Monday
‘The Bachelorette’ 7 p.m. ABC. The men tell all. Really? Have you seen this show? I think maybe they might want to hold some of it back. Just sayin’.
‘Dating in the Dark’ 9 p.m. ABC. I hate to keep picking on ABC, but this is a show — a television show, on television, a visual medium — in which contestants get acquainted in a completely dark room. Those are going to be some gripping visuals. Incidentally, if the room in question is 3 feet by 4 feet and is filled with hanging clothes and dusty boxes, I think I was on this show in high school.
Tuesday
‘Hell’s Kitchen’ 7 p.m. Fox. In the two-hour season opener, Satan (the lord of darkness) prepares a delightful crème brûlée. Just kidding. Sixteen new contestants form two teams and whip up signature dishes in an effort to win a head chef’s job at a future Olympics event site. I’ll bet the athletes don’t have to humiliate themselves like this.
Wednesday
‘Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed’ (rerun) 10 p.m. CW. The CW is repeating this program because, you know — it’s always more fun to learn how a magic trick is done the second time around.
Thursday
‘How Do I Look?’ 8 p.m. Style. Not bad, really. Although, if I’m being honest, you could probably stand to lose a few, especially around the hips.
‘Crime 360’ 9 p.m. A&E. The description reads only, ‘Indianapolis.’ Hmm. ’Nuff said.
Friday
‘Ghost Adventures’ 8 p.m. Travel. Spooky stuff is going on at an English inn that was built over a pagan burial ground. Shocker. Look, I know the real estate is cheap, but c’mon … I wouldn’t even build a Halloween attraction over a burial ground.
Saturday
‘Animal Planet Dog Championships 2009’ 7 p.m. Animal Planet. Behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with owners and trainers at a competition featuring canines from all over the country. It’s like that ‘Best in Show’ movie without the snarky humor, which is why I will be watching ‘Best in Show.’
Sunday
‘Merlin’ 7 p.m. NBC. Morgana helps Merlin when he has to secretly return a druid boy to his people. I hope that’s not Morgana, that busty woman who used to interrupt baseball games by running out onto the fields and kissing the players. Remember her? On second thought, that might make all this medieval mumbo-jumbo more interesting.
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July 15, 2009
My Emmy Dream Ballot
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is set to announce nominations for the Emmy awards Thursday at 7:30 a.m. We’ll be here covering it live right here but, in the meantime, here’s what I’d like to see. I understand some of these are longshots (I’m looking at you, “BSG,” “FNL” and “FotC”) but, hey — that’s why it’s called a dream ballot (and also, I guess, why I don’t get a real vote):
Best Drama
“Battlestar Galactica” (SYFY)
“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
“Friday Night Lights” (NBC)
“Lost” (ABC)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“The Shield” (FX)
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton, “Friday Night Lights” (NBC)
Glenn Close, “Damages” (FX)
January Jones, “Mad Men” (AMC)
Mary McDonnell, “Battlestar Galactica” (SYFY)
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men” (AMC)
Anna Paquin, “True Blood” (HBO)
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights” (NBC)
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter” (Showtime)
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” (AMC)
Hugh Laurie, “House” (FOX)
Denis Leary, “Rescue Me” (FX)
Best Comedy
“Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
“Chuck” (NBC)
“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (CBS)
“The Office” (NBC)
“30 Rock” (NBC)
“United States of Tara” (Showtime)
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who” (ABC)
Toni Collette, “United States of Tara” (Showtime)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (CBS)
America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty” (ABC)
Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)
Mary Louise Parker, “Weeds” (Showtime)
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)
Steve Carell, “The Office” (NBC)
Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS)
Zachary Levi, “Chuck” (NBC)
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
Either Bret McKenzie or Jemaine Clement, “Flight of the Conchords” (HBO)
Okay, let me have it. Who’s on your dream ballot? Which actors, actresses and shows did I miss? Post your picks below.
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July 13, 2009
Did you miss me as much as I missed you?
Good morning, Austin! I’m back from a family vacation, Griswold-style. Are the Michael Jackson tributes over yet?
I watched surprisingly little TV on a trip filled with visits to relatives; outings to zoos; midwestern delicacies such as Polish sausage, deep dish pizza and sliders; and lots and lots of driving. Oh, my father in law tried to goad me into political argument by leaving Fox News Channel on 24 hours a day, but I maintained a zen-like calm and understanding.
While I was gone, Sci-Fi became Syfy (colleagues here are pronouncing it “siffy” — hee!); “Entourage” returned to HBO; Troy Kimmel announced his return to weeknights at KEYE; Ryan Seacrest inked a 3-year, $45 million hosting deal; and Jon Gosselin got a new girlfriend — the daughter of his wife’s tummy-tuck surgeon. Swoon.
Whew.
Let me clear out the 821 messages in my e-mail inbox, change the “out-of-office” message on my phone; sift through the promo DVDs that stacked up while I was out and catch up on the rest of the happenings in TV Town.
Thanks for your great response to (and near universal agreement with) my top ten TV gripes. In case I haven’t heard yours, I’ll be back for a live chat right here at noon today. Stop by and vent. I’m a good listener.
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June 28, 2009
Would ye like some TV picks?
Colin Morgan as Merlin. Nick Briggs photo/NBC
Who’s your TV buddy? Uh-huh. Once again I’ve scoured through hundreds of hours of upcoming television programming so you don’t have to. Here’s some interesting stuff coming up this week:
Monday, June 29
‘Secrets of the Founding Fathers’ 7pm, History Channel: The founding fathers’ connection with Freemasonry is explored. I’m hoping we might also finally learn what Thomas Jefferson was doing in the conservatory with the lead pipe.
Tuesday, June 30
‘America’s Got Talent’ 8pm, NBC: Nationwide auditions continue. After watching this show last week, I’m confused … is the title supposed to be ironic?
Wednesday, July 1
‘I Survived a Japanese Game Show’ 8pm, ABC: No specific program information was available for this episode. That’s probably just as well, because my Japanese is not good and the translation would probably be pretty messed up.
Thursday, July 2
‘Moments of Impact’ 8pm, Discovery Channel: In this reality series debut, a teenager’s pet lion attacks his friend. It’s okay, you can go back and read that again. Alright, are you back? Good. In related news, I am totally going to stop complaining about these little ants that keep crawling across my desk.
Friday, July 3
‘Don’t Tell the Bride’ 8pm, BBC America: A man hopes his bride-to-be will love the medieval-themed ceremony he planned. I hope he ditches the idea to replace the wedding rings with thumbscrews. Also, those custom vows that read, ‘Do you take this wench?’ might not go over so well.
Saturday, July 4
‘48 Hours Mystery’ 9pm, TLC: The 2001 murder of Kent Heitholt in Columbia, Missouri is investigated. There are lots of fireworks stands in Missouri, so there’s your 4th of July tie-in. Happy Independence Day!
‘Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular’ 9pm, CBS: Would I leave you hanging without a real 4th of July-related pick? No. Craig Ferguson hosts and Neil Diamond performs. I picture Diamond throwing his sequin-studded, jump suited arm around naturalized citizen Ferguson and singing, “he’s commmming to America,” but, oddly, I picture that fairly often.
Sunday, July 5
‘Merlin’ 7pm, NBC: Lancelot saves Merlin from a magical, winged creature, so Merlin talks him up to Arthur. I’m not sure if I’ll be sitting on my throne, munching on a turkey leg and watching this program, but I’ll bet that guy from ‘Don’t Tell the Bride’ never misses it.
‘Storm Stories’ 7pm, The Weather Channel: I keep checking, week after week, but they’re still not covering how my wife corrals us all into the bathtub and throws a mattress on top of us every time the wind gets strong enough that we can hear the chimes.
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May 24, 2009
Random thoughts for new TV Blog readers
I’ve made quite a few new Facebook friends and been followed by a bunch of you on Twitter today, so I’m going to assume that somebody read my debut column. Welcome aboard!
Space in the paper can be tight, but here on the Internet our boundaries are virtually unlimited, so let’s get this conversation started!
What shows are you passionate about? Which do you hate? What TV-related subjects would you like to see us cover in the Statesman? Please post below.
Okay, I need to go bone up on “Jon and Kate Plus 8” for Monday’s big premiere. How will TLC balance the need to deliver fans the show they’ve come to love with the reality that the infidelity accusations which have been burning up the tabloids and chat rooms will almost certainly change it?
I’ll be watching right along with you to find out.
Blogger Charlie at “Interesting Pile” has a list of series marathons running this Memorial Day weekend (including “Jon and Kate”). Check it out here
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April 17, 2009
Bongos and SpongeBob
Fresh from all of the Burger King “I like square butts” controversy*, tonight’s episode of “SpongeBob Squarepants” guest-stars Johnny Depp — not as a pirate, but as Jack Kahuna Laguna, a muscle-bound surfing guru who must teach marooned SpongeBob and starfish pal Patrick to hang ten so they can return to their home of Bikini Bottom.
Sporting stringy blond hair and a 5 o’clock shadow, the laid-back Laguna bears more than a passing resemblance to Matthew McConaughey (he even plays the bongos, but remains clothed).
The first SpongeBob episode to be aired in HD, “SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One” was previously available only on a compilation DVD released March 3rd of this year. The episode airs on Nickelodeon Friday at 7 p.m. Central.
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April 20, 2007
TV Turnoff Week? No way!!
I’ve always been offended by the concept of TV Turnoff Week — which arrives with absolutely no fanfare next week (April 23-27).
I’m all in favor of turning off really stupid TV programming (hello, “Dog the Bounty Hunter!”), but ditching the entire medium? Ridiculous. Television, for those who choose carefully, is packed with news, information and fine entertainment.
If you blacken your TV screen next week, you’ll miss the return of “Heroes” on Monday, the revival of “Bill Moyers Journal” on Wednesday and the season finale of “30 Rock” on Thursday. Why deny yourself? Plus, the NBA playoffs are beginning.
TV Turnoff Week is the brainchild of Adbusters, which is convinced that all television is evil and unhealthy.
This year, apparently to prove they’re fighting a pointless and useless battle, they have created some TV ads to make their case. Get this straight now: Adbusters is running ads on TV telling people to turn off the TV.
That’s a pretty bizarre concept to wrap your brain around, isn’t it?
Hair today, gone tomorrow
Sanjaya Malakar swooped onto “The Tonight Show” Thursday night, grinning madly and prompting lots of odd expressions on Jay Leno’s face.
The faux-hawk boy-wonder, who finally got the boot Wednesday night on “American Idol,” says he plans to pursue acting, modeling, singing “and other performing opportunities” (hmmm … one can only wonder).
Does this mean he’s dropping out of high school? He’s only 17 years old. It’s quite possible that he has an exaggerated opinion of his show biz career prospects, so it might be a good idea to at least graduate from high school.
As if we needed further evidence of the wacky world we live in, Sanjaya will be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington on Saturday night.
Obviously that fine journalistic group has loose membership requirements. Sanjaya will be the guest of People magazine, which covers the White House only when the First Daughters get into trouble, Laura is promoting a cause or the first dog does something truly hilarious.
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July 10, 2006
More heat on "The View?"
Talk about stunt casting:
Barbara Walters’ daytime chat-fest “The View” has revealed that Shannen Doherty, best known for being difficult on every show she’s ever worked on, will be a substitute co-host at some point this summer.
You may recall (unless you were in a coma or orbiting Mars) that the substitute co-hosting was necessitated by the sudden and highly dramatic departure of another temperamental woman, Star Jones Reynolds.
In a move that surprised Baba Wawa, Star announced on the air that she was moving on. That move was followed by all kinds of juicy revelations about a Star vs. Baba feud. In a nutshell, Star’s contract wasn’t renewed, Baba told Star the show would give her a big send-off and not say that she had been fired. Star circumvented that plan with her announcement, and both women accused the other of betrayal.
The highly combustible Doherty has a reputation for nastiness and even occasional violence on “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Charmed.” If Ms. Walters is looking for some spice for “The View,” she may be getting a hotter variety than she hoped for.
Other celebs who will rotate into the mix over the summer (until a permanent replacement is found and before Rosie O’Donnell joins the show in September) include Brandi, Susan Lucci, Kelly Monaco and “nice judge” Carrie Ann Inaba of “Dancing With the Stars.”
First title change of the new season
ABC has announced that it has ditched the confusing title of its new sitcom “Let’s Rob … ” about a group of dimwits plotting a break-in of Mick Jagger’s New York apartment.
The new title is “Knights of Prosperity,” which doesn’t make much sense either, but at least it doesn’t have that silly ellipsis. And it isn’t as bulky as “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” which doesn’t fit into any listings grid anywhere.
Hope you like Peter
If you’re not a fan of Dallas actor Peter MacNicol, you’re in for a rocky new season.
The co-star of CBS’ “Numb3rs,” who is best known for his hilarious stint on “Ally McBeal,” is going to keep his CBS gig and also join the cast of Fox’s “24” when it returns in January. No word yet on whether he’ll play hero or villain.
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March 31, 2006
Tori, Tori, Tori
For those of you nearly doubled over in anticipation, Tori Spelling’s new semi-reality sitcom “So NoTorIous” debuts Sunday night at 9 on VH1.
Spelling, the plain but filthy rich daughter of TV mogul Aaron Spelling, has been parodied her whole life — at least since she joined the cast of Daddy’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” as a teenager. Her (first) wedding was so extravagant that even the star suck-ups at “Entertainment Tonight” were rolling their eyes during coverage.
Tori probably figured she might as well cash in on the jabs and parodies, so her new sitcom — in which she plays her rich-and-spoiled self — does just that. Tori’s real-life mom Candy is said to be miffed at Loni Anderson’s portrayal of the fictional Tori’s mom, but she’ll probably change her mind if the show is a hit.
You or U.S. should decide what’s good to watch?
In a recent survey sponsored by the anti-censorship group TV Watch, an overwhelming majority of registered voters believe that viewers should decide what’s appropriate to watch, not government censors. Surprise, surprise.
The phone survey, conducted by researchers not connected to TV Watch, found that 82 percent favored self-censorship, while only 12 percent preferred to assign that task to the government.
TV Watch’s members include the American Conservative Union, the Media Freedom Project, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NBC, CBS, Americans for Tax Reform and The Creative Coalition. Among the individuals in the group is Linda Gale White, former first lady of Texas.
The organization was formed last year to help educate parents about how to make (and enforce) choices for family viewing. A big educational push was made on behalf of the V-chip (which only a small percentage of viewers actually use — or even know how to use). The group also touts blocking devices available on most cable and satellite systems.
Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission levied a $3.6 million fine against CBS for an episode of “Without a Trace” that featured a teen sex orgy.
It’s no secret that TV programming has become cruder in terms of sex and language over the years. Producers and network execs say the public prefers this more realistic approach, and the networks say they must provide it to compete with less restricted cable channels such as FX and HBO.
Changing the channel or turning off the set is the logical solution to offensive programming, but some parents argue that they shouldn’t have to watch everything their kids watch on free, over-the-air network TV.
I bet we’ll see a big chill in over-the-air shows come fall, when the networks present their new series. With the FCC in the mood to levy million-fines and a vocal (if apparently smaller) segment of the viewing public ticked off, pushing the envelope may not be as appealing as it once was. Even Steven Bochco admits he doesn’t think “NYPD Blue” could get on the air today.
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January 27, 2005
Help! My TVs Are Possessed!
My colleague and next-door-desk neighbor Katy Barron, who writes a column called “Homebody,” has a very funny piece today about those little robotic vacuum cleaners called Roombas.
What does this have to do with the television? Nothing, but Katy’s hilarious description of the Roomba — whirling around her house with a mind of its own, eating her throw rug and getting stuck under her stove — reminded me of a couple of bizarre incidents I’ve had with televisions.
As you might imagine, I put a lot of wear and tear on a TV set. Between recorded programming and broadcast/cablecast fare, I keep the TV humming for several hours a day. Well, several hours a night, actually, since I’m at work, often watching the suspended-from-the-ceiling TV above my desk.
But back to my original Katy-inspired point. I had a large TV in my den a few years ago that, in its waning years, would suddenly begin speaking in Spanish. We never did figure out why or how it would switch itself to the SAP channel, but it did. On a regular basis.
We would be watching a football game or an episode of “The X-Files,” and, through no overt action of our own, the announcers or Mulder would begin to habla español. It was jarring but educational. Before we leaped up to switch off the SAP switch, we picked up a few more words for our Spanish vocabulary.
When we traded in that TV for a new model, I sort of missed hearing Peter Jennings pop into Spanish. We can still use the bilingual switch on the TV, but this new-and-improved model doesn’t do it on its own.
A smaller TV we have in the bedroom is also possessed, which is making me think there’s something going on in our house that should be investigated by the “X Files.” Or ghostbusters. This TV doesn’t speak Spanish, but it does occasionally turn itself on.
My husband and I first noticed this when we were awakened at 2 a.m. to a loud man trying to sell us some sort of kitchen appliance. I staggered out of bed and turned the set off, trying to put out of my mind the chilling suspicion that a burglar was lurking in the house and had brushed against the TV, accidentally turning it on.
The bedroom TV may turn itself on and off during the day, when nobody is home, but the times we’ve seen it happen were always in the middle of the night. The thing just clicks on all by itself and blasts away until somebody turns it off.
This mind-of-its-own appliance isn’t as endearing as the Spanish-speaking TV. In fact, it’s downright creepy, and I’m going to purchase a replacement soon.
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December 31, 2004
The TV critic's resolutions ... sort of
Last year — and the year before, for that matter — I didn’t make any New Year’s resolution. But I did promise myself last year that I would make some this year.
Resolutions, I’ve found over the years, are pointless if you don’t actually write them down. Nobody’s going to remember them by the end of the month, let alone by the end of the year.
So I’m committing myself to a handful of modest resolutions; to hold my feet to the fire, I’m posting them here for all to see.
I will not watch more than three previews back-to-back. No matter how carefully I take notes, three shows blend together in my addled brain. It’s a fact, and it’s time for me to admit it.
Last fall when I was writing capsule reviews of the new fall shows, I somehow confused the premise of Jason Alexander’s “Listen Up” with John Goodman’s “Center of the Universe.” That happened because I had watched seven pilots in a row. Not good. Thank God for editors.
I will watch more PBS for pleasure. My public television consumption has slacked off because of all those evil reality shows that must be seen when they air, as opposed to the convenient previews supplied for other genres. This year, if I have no clue who’s on “Survivor” or “American Idol” midway through the competitions, I’m not going to feel guilty, especially if it means I can watch a multiepisode installment of “Masterpiece Theatre” without interruption.
I will not use my home previewing time for perpetual grazing. There’s an awful temptation, especially when slogging through groaningly bad sitcom pilots or TV movies, to scarf down anything that’s in the fridge or pantry. During that horrendous “Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure” (it’s coming Sunday on ABC, so watch out), I consumed an entire tube of Oreos and was thinking about Pringles by the time Krystle and Alexis fell into that watery catfight.
I will read more books, and not just the ones about television — although Paris Hilton’s “Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose” was a riot-and-a-half that I breezed through while waiting in line at Border’s to buy magazines. No, I’m going to read actual books in 2005 — fiction and nonfiction. Stuff with words of more than one syllable and more than 100 pages. Really. I’ve been meaning to read “The Da Vinci Code” and Paul Nagel’s John Quincy Adams biography for months.
I will not get sucked into the History Channel for an entire Sunday afternoon just because I tuned into one episode of “Modern Marvels” and couldn’t stop. This is a sickness, and it’s got to be cured. History Channel addiction is a threat to home and office, and I’ve simply got to get over it.
So there. Those are my resolutions, and I’m sticking to them. I think … Of course, there’s always the possibility that I won’t. But I’m counting on you folks to embarrass me into doing the right thing. Maybe.
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December 27, 2004
Watching TV for Fun . . .
I recently came to a stunning realization: I watch almost as much television when I’m on vacation as when I’m not.
In defense of myself, let me point out that I didn’t actually go anywhere. I was home nesting and lolling, which I love to do in December. If I had been skiing in Gstaad or surfing in Maui (fat chance), I’m sure my TV time would have been zilch.
I’ve always assumed that I watch hours and hours of TV a week only because I have to. I always look forward to vacation, in part, so that I won’t have to keep up with popular programs, search hundreds of channels for new ones or take notes on dozens of mostly horrid previews.
But over the past few weeks, I not only kept up with a few series, I watched a couple of midseason previews. Let me stop right here and tell you that NBC’s heavily hyped “Medium,” with Patricia Arquette as an overwrought woman solving crimes with ESP, is awful.
Surprisingly, however, CBS’s “Numb3rs” is pretty good. There’s not a TV listing in the world that’s going to spell that squirrelly title with a number. It looks too much like a typo, and I just tangled up the fingers of my left hand trying to render it. Nevertheless, Rob Morrow and David Krumholtz are enjoyable as brothers busting bad guys for the FBI.
And I watched three episodes of the new season of “24,” which has its implausibilities but kept me riveted for three straight hours. Jack Bauer, mulled wine and a roaring fire go very nicely together, thank you.
The anti-TV folks among you will say I’m addicted. I watch so much (too much?) TV because I can’t help myself. I don’t think that’s true. I don’t don’t watch everything when I’m on vacation.
I pick and choose and watch only what I like. I never just sit down and start punching the remote because I’m bored with life. I’ve been known to go for at least a couple of days without turning on the TV. With the exception of the three-episode marathon of “24,” I rarely watch more than a couple of hours at a time unless it’s for work.
And I’m choosey about what I watch when I’m watching for fun. Before they started their holiday reruns, ABC’s Sunday faves “Desperate Housewives” and “Boston Legal” had terrific episodes, by the way.
Now that I’m back at work, I’ll dive into the dreaded reality sludge, watch more news programming and tackle all the midseason previews that have piled up on my desk while I was gone.
Oddly enough (and this is perhaps an even more stunning confession), I’m looking forward to it. I’m glad to be back!
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August 29, 2004
Notes from an empty nest
*NOTE TO READERS: I promised, when I began writing the daily TV blog, that I wasn’t going to write about my personal life. I didn’t want it to become a diary filled with embarrassing revelations.
But television isn’t on my mind right now, even though I’m preparing to hunker down for four days of watching the Republican Convention. I wrote this little essay about what IS on my mind, and I hope some of you will understand and appreciate the brief diversion …*
This is the time of year when the scent of freshly sharpened pencils usually wafts through our house.
Colored folders, stacks of notebook paper and a brand-new (but soon to be smelly) gym bag are scattered about — along with fresh hopes for a happy and brilliant school year.
But this back-to-school year is different. There’s no eau de pencil, no school supplies. Instead, there’s a big suitcase and boxes to be packed, a one-way airplane ticket has been bought.
My baby boy is flying off to college in Boston. He’ll be gone by Labor Day and won’t be home until Christmas.
I’ll visit him in October for Parents’ Weekend, but he’s opting to spend Thanksgiving with a cousin in New Hampshire rather than fight crowded airports for two days at home before final exams arrive in early December.
So this is an exciting but not totally happy time in our house.
It’s the end of an era. I won’t be there to welcome him home after the first day of classes. My husband and I will be cell-phone parents, straining to read vocal intonations from a thousand miles away.
For the first time, I won’t get to meet his teachers or his new friends. I won’t get to check on homework or beg for details about his social life. I won’t spend weekends driving around Texas searching for cross-country track meets in the middle of nowhere.
And for the first extended time in 18 years, I won’t be able to sneak into his room and watch him sleeping.
He’s on his own, and so am I. He’ll do fine, but will I? The proverbial empty nest is going to be painfully empty — except for the dog, who will mourn in loud, obnoxious, houndlike fashion.
My husband and I work, so we won’t be sitting around wondering what to do with ourselves. We’re planning to have a more active social life with our friends. We’ll be available, now that we won’t be waiting for a car to pull in the driveway at curfew. Or the phone to ring with a semi-plausible excuse.
Parenting is a series of goodbyes — from weaning to school to driver’s licenses to college. You hope some hellos will be sprinkled among the goodbyes, and you hope the boy who leaves will become the man he seemed destined to be. And you hope he deals with the separation better than we will.
We’ve done our best, we love him more than he’ll ever know. And we’re proud he’s starting a new life on his own.
But we’re struggling with this goodbye, and so are parents everywhere, quiver-chinned moms and dads packing suitcases and buying one-way tickets to far away places. My best friend Missy, who lives in Washington, D.C., went through this trauma two years ago, so I asked for advice. Her reply is worth repeating:
“It’s tough sledding for a while. You just tuck your kid up under a sweet spot in your heart and move along, bringing him out when he’s around and keeping him safe while he’s gone.”
Maybe if I sharpen a few pencils …
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