Make It or Break It

I'm a sucker for girly movies about athletics. The Cutting Edge, Bring it On, Stick It...all suck me in with their numerous cable viewings, and hell, I own two of them on DVD. Just something about young women kicking ass in sports is inspirational. Especially since lord knows I could never do that crap.

So I was really excited to hear about ABC Family's new series Make It or Break It about some high school level gymnasts. I was concerned how the show would structure itself to fit into a weekly hour drama format, since it seems like the kind of idea that is best served by a movie. After all, it's going to lead up to the big competition where the main character conquers adversity to win, right?

And I think that's going to end up being true, but on the way, there are many twists and turns with relationships between the characters, including in a nice change, the lives of the parents of the kids.

The main character of the show is Emily, a promising gymnast whose family has moved to Boulder, Colorado, so she can train at The Rock (a very prestigious gymnastics facility) with head couch Marty. Emily can only afford to be there because she received a scholarship. Her mom is an Erin Brokovich-esque character, single mom, hoping to find work at a salon, dresses like a ho because she likes it blah blah, which sets up the usual "daughter acting as the mother" cliche. But the characters are likeable so it works.

In the pilot we are introduced to the other main characters: the other three girls at the gym, including the wildly bitchy Lauren, their parents, Marty, the head coach, and Alex Cruz, the owner of the gym. Due to Emily's skill, Lauren gets pushed out of a bid to go to Nationals and in retaliation gets her to Dad to lure Marty away to a new gym. This leaves Emily and the other gymnasts high and dry without a head coach.

There's the usual teen drama plots: Emily has two possible suitors, one of the other girls is involved in a forbidden relationship with a male gymnast, Lauren's Dad is involved with his secretary (played by Candice Cameron!), the wife of the owner of the gym is having an affair with Marty, etc. etc. While nothing here is really original, the acting and writing of the show is well done and I find myself rooting for the characters.

As I noted above, there's actually a lot of time spent on the interactions and relationships between the adults on the show which is a nice touch. Clearly ABC Family wants this to be the kind of show that parents and kids can watch, at least the female members of the family, and I think they have succeeded.

So, if you enjoy movies like Bring it On and Stick It, you'll probably also like Make It or Break It. It's a harmless bit of teen fluff with bonus gymnastics! The show airs Mondays at 9pm on ABC Family.

BTW ... WTF?

In case you've been under a rock, word on the street is that the director of the gag-reflex inducing Buffy movie is considering a remake, sans Joss. It think this article from NPR sums it up best ... Very Bad Ideas: Making A Whedon-Free 'Buffy' Reboot.

Moon... Prism... POWER!

I love anime. The characters are expressive, constantly jumping and flailing about. The dialogue is completely random - possibly because something gets lost in the Japanese-to-English translation. The plots are so fantastic that a willing suspension of disbelief is not only helpful, it is necessary. I think it has to do with the manga/anime market in Japan - the audience is voracious, and is willing to read weird-ass stuff. The result is a lot of WTFery, but also a lot of awesomeness. Case in point: Sailor Moon.

Original manga cover. Seriously.

Possibly one of the most well-known anime shows in the U.S., Sailor Moon was at the forefront of the Japanese cartoon invasion. It has something for everyone - short skirts and fighting for the boys, romance and badass chicks for the girls. Serena, the heroine of the show, is a below-average student, a goof ball, a klutz. She also has an enormous capacity to love and can vaporize baddies with a wave of her magic wand. Her pure heart inspires loyalty - she is the undisputed leader of the Sailor Scouts, even though everyone refers to her as "meatball head."

In their defense, she doesn't have to wear her hair like that.

And okay, maybe a sexy superheroine who can't do math is not the best role-model for impressionable young girls. But I'm currently watching the third season, Sailor Moon Super, and was pleasantly surprised at the inclusion of a genderqueer character. Sailor Uranus (pronounced Ura-nis, plx kthx) always dresses in men's clothes when she's not on duty. She has "manly" hobbies and habits, and speaks in a deep voice. It's treated as something surprising but not freakish or wrong, and several of the other Sailor Scouts develop crushes on her masculine persona. Spoiler alert: though she and Sailor Neptune are billed as cousins in the English dubbing, everyone knows they are lesbian life-partners.

"Cousins." Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

It's unusual for a show that is purportedly for children to deal with such issues, at least in the U.S. Even sanitizing of the Uranus/Neptune relationship, in Sailor Moon Super you can't get around the fact that the character is a girl who acts like a boy. Which is probably why DiC Entertainment (a subsidiary of - you guessed it - Disney) only licensed and aired the first two seasons. Oh, well. That's what Netflix is for ... or friends with awesome anime collections. Thanks to Rachel for the loan!

In Plain Sight

The summer can be boring. And let me tell you television goes down in caliber. And this year between Entourage seasons and reality drivel I have been entertaining myself on Sunday nights with USA's "In Plain Sight." Initially I was reluctant to begin watching this show, the commercials were blah and I didn't have the energy to commit to yet another program. However,I couldn't resist trying out the new show after the Law and Order CI time slot.

First of all, the show is good. The characters are well rounded. The main character, Mary (played by Mary McCormick) has got a lot of depth and you can really feel her inner turmoil. She is a US Marshall helping place witnesses into protection in Albuquerque. Each episode has elements of the US Marshall service mixed with details of Mary's social life. She has a mom who is a drunk, a sister who is a drug dealer, and a HOT baseball playing bf.

Each character is interesting. Fred Weller who plays Mary's partner Marshall Marshall (yes punny huh). Adds some much needed comedy show. Their partnerships, as is most male female partnerships on television, is up and down and mixed with comedy and sexual innuendos. As a huge West Wing fan, I was happy to see Joshua Malina (Will Bailey) and Richard Schiff (Toby) show up this season.

I don't think during the regular line up in the fall I would watch this show, and in fact, I doubt I would have noticed it. However, during a blah television summer it fills an ever growing void.

"The name is *Mer-lin.* And I happen to be the world's most powerful wizard! "

Summer television premieres continued last night with NBC broadcasting a BBC import, Merlin. I assume you all are capable of figuring out the basic plot (come on, it's called Merlin people), but think of it as the CW's Smallville meets BBC's Robin Hood.

In the same vein as the recent Star Trek reboot, Merlin, Arthur, and the whole gang have been youngified to appeal to a younger demographic and hijinks predictably result. The show's basic concept is simple: Merlin is a rare person born with innate magical ability (most people have to study and use incantations to make magic, but Merlin can just...do it) who has come to Camelot to study with King Pendragon's and the court's physician. While there he instantly takes a dislike to the King's son, Arthur, a toothy pretty boy bully, but is told by a talking dragon that it is his destiny to protect and guide Arthur so he can become a great King.

Other characters from the Arthurian legends making an appearance are Lady Morgana, a young ward of the King who is a seer and not evil (yet), and "Gwen," Morgana's maid who is also her best friend. She takes a liking to Merlin, and really, who wouldn't, since he is all big-eared, floppy-haired adorkableness.

The show is well-acted, has great production values, and seems so far to be a quintessential summer program: easy on both the eyes and the brain.

It's always nice to see Anthony Head from Buffy, who plays King Pendragon, and some other familiar faces pop up as well. Torchwood fans will recognize Eve Myles as an evil sorceress, and John Hurt (Mr. Ollivander in Harry Potter) provides the voice of the dragon. Word on the street (and by street I mean wiki) is that Michelle Ryan from the defunct Bionic Woman will play this season's big bad.

While the plot seems to deviate pretty sharply from established Arthurian canon, it's fun, doesn't take itself too seriously, and has pretty costumes and people. I wouldn't suggest viewing it to see what life in a medieval court was really like (I'm pretty certain they didn't have teeth-whitening capabilities), but if you like action-adventure and fantasy shows this is right up your ally.

Old Merlin...

....meet young Merlin.

The Other Summer Drama

We all know and love Burn Notice, but what of it's successor Royal Pains? It seems like USA is trying to reproduce a formula - handsome young man, being punished for his precocity by the people who were supposed to be the good guys, decides to become a vigilante and use his powers for good. Michael Westen is a spy who gets burned by his government agency. Hank Lawson is an ER doctor who gets fired by his hospital. They both have some serious MacGyver skills - Westen can build a bomb with what you find in a hardware store, and Lawson can perform surgery with what you've got in the kitchen. Throw in a couple of sidekicks and/or family members, set everything at the beach, and boom - instant smash hit!

Time for a nap.

I will give USA some credit - the premiere of Royal Pains had some artistry to it, like the montage of Lawson's decline into destitution or crazy Ms. Newberg's wrap billowing in the wind as she looks over the Hamptons. And I dig Divya, Lawson's PA, an Indian American princess who dreams of doing something with her life. Sure, if this show was coming out on network TV in the fall, I probably wouldn't give it a second glance. But it's the summer - what else am I going to do, go outside?

Work it, Reshma Shetty.

Hell: Summer or War?

Sure, I’m trying not to write another blog/story about the doldrums of summer for TV, but it’s an annual rite of passage, right?

I’ve never been a fan of reality TV (okay I admit I did watch a couple seasons of The Real World and Road Rules but American Idol and Survivor never really appealed to me). So the summer is even more troubling for me than for some. Couple that with my recent decision to give up on satellite. Well… in actuality my wife and I recently moved in the house we are living in, and thus no longer have access to the satellite. Sure, we could go downstairs and watch, but why bother when we have an HDTV upstairs and most of the shows we watch during the year can be found on Hulu or ABC.com For those rare shows we do like to watch live (CHUCK) we have a trusty pair of digital rabbit ears. And to be honest, it hasn’t been too bad, except for that fact that for some reason we cannot get the local ABC station. So with summer now here and in full bloom, what am I to do?

Let me back up a week. My Grandfather was a WWII Vet. In fact he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. This past summer was the 65^th Anniversary of D-Day, and because my Grandfather was a Vet and because we live so close to the National D-Day Memorial, I dragged Andi to an hour long ceremony. It was a beautiful day to get out of the house, a bit too sunny, but all in all a good day. Being there got me to thinking how I had not seen Band of Brothers in a year or so.

It took me a while to find some time when Andi wasn’t around (she is not a fan of war films), but I finally popped in the DVDs and started watching. You know what surprised me most? How many current TV stars were in this show. Names most people wouldn’t know then, but now may know. Actors from Band of Brothers went on to current and recent hits (and bombs) like Life, Boomtown, Desperate Housewives, Fringe, What About Brian, Battlestar Galatica, Life on Mars (US), and others [Pop quiz: Can anyone match the actors with the shows I just listed?]. Not to mention hit movies like Wanted. Now, Band of Brothers is not for everyone but there are some amazing moments in that mini-series and it shows in great detail, not so much the acts of war, but the day-to-day grind of war. Mostly though, it’s proving me a road map for shows to watch this summer. Ways to pass the time.

I’m starting with Boomtown. It’s a natural evolution since one of the writers for Band created Boomtown, while dragging some actors with him. I’m already two discs in to Season 1(will Season 2 ever see the light of day?), and I have to say how much I miss this show. Not so much for the basic premise of showing the crime from different perspectives as much as the heart of the show, which is these characters. There are definitely some shows out there that could learn a thing or two from this show. But after watching Life, I’m not sure where to go as I have to wait for some of these shows to hit DVD (after watching Star Trek I think I need to give Fringe another shot).

So... any suggestions on how to survive TV hell, after all Burn Notice is only on once a week and Eli Stone will only be back for 3 or 4 episodes?

MSCR: Word Girl

Recently, I switched from cable TV to a digital antenna ... please contain your gasps of horror. It's actually been great - instead of flipping endlessly before finally settling on some random VH1 "reality" show, I stick to the network shows that I actually want to watch. Besides, I do a significant amount of watching online (if Hulu subscriptions are in the future, I may have to succumb - it will still be most cost-effective than paying for 50 channels of crap). But I do miss a few things ... like cartoons. More specifically, random toonage from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.

Cartoons are a colorful, zany escape from the daily grind and the laws of physics. I added “Monkey Sri’s Cartoon Round-up” to the blog a long time ago, to celebrate this genre. Once I cut the cable, I wondered if I'd be able to continue these posts. Luckily, it's PBS to the rescue! While these cartoons lack the senseless violence and adult humor I've so grown to love, many of them are freakin' adorable. Take, for example, Word Girl.

If you read her back story, it becomes obvious that
Word Girl is an... *ahem*... homage to Superman.

Okay, first off - she has a pet monkey. Bonus points right there. Secondly, she flies around town, using her super speed and strength to battle costumed villains, all while improving your vocabulary. Each segment of the show teaches two pretty tough words - things like "edible" and "cumbersome." The key of course, is repetition and colorful demonstrations. It's actually quite entertaining, and I can see how it would be great for kids.

According to Wikipedia, Word Girl started as a short that aired along with Maya and Miguel. This spin-off is now going strong in it's second season. The show's website also offers several flash games and puzzles, as well as a ton of resources for parents and educators. It airs (at least where I am) Monday-Friday at 5:30 pm.

Secret Boyfriend of the Week: Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Some shows from your youth stay with you forever. They don't have to be particularly good, they just have to come along at a particular time. Saved by the Bell is just such a show. And anyone in their late 20s who grew up with a television in their home and doesn't agree is lying.

I happen to think that Saved by the Bell was a good show that had good actors, but that's neither here nor there. What actually is here is the awesomeness of Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Most tv-savy people know that he went on to find success on shows like NYPD Blue and the current Raising the Bar (which I hear is kind of terrible), but he will forever be known as Zack Morris of Bayside High.

And you know what? He owns it. He doesn't disavow the show that made him famous and gave him his start, he's ok with it. He likes talking about, and he sure as hell as a great sense of humor about it.

All this was confirmed in his appearance on Jimmy Fallon's late night show last night when Mark-Paul came out as Zack Morris. And conducted the entire interview as Zack. He never broke character, never let on that it was just a joke, but he played it straight the whole time. And it was awesome. But don't take my word for it:

I found this interview with Mark-Paul about his appearance here. And what really makes him SBOTW worthy, is that the whole thing? Was his idea. He had to sell Jimmy Fallon on the plan to come out as Zack. And thank god he did, because it's one of the funniest and best things I have ever seen.

Drinking the Kool-Aid

When Gossip Girl started two years ago, I was over-stuffed with shows and it didn't make the cut. And then I resisted the urge to get involved even though a lot of people kept going on and on about how great it was. It's not every show that gets consistent A+s from Jacob over at TWOP.

And then I went to Las Vegas with my friend Chris and he brought the first season on DVD. And we watched the first episode. And I got hooked.

It's not like I really wanted to get addicted to a show about a bunch of privileged self-involved high schoolers. And it's not like ANYONE's high school experience is actually like this. And don't point me in the direction of Bravo's new series NYC Prep, because you know those kids are lying through their teeth and just want to be on reality television.

ANYWAY. Gossip Girl is really good, the characters aren't as one dimensional as I was expecting, the clothes are just as ridiculous as I was hoping*, and this show is totally going to be the current generation's Dynasty.

And how can I resist something that has the involvement of Kristen Bell? She is the gossip girl, after all.

*speaking of clothes, what the eff is up with Chuck Bass' wardrobe? Seriously, it just gets more and more weird. Scarves are his thing? Ugh. Also, I have some trouble telling all the white boys apart on this show. Chuck, Nate, Dan...they kind of all look the same.

Scarves? Really?

I mean, seriously.

I knew it was too good to be true...

Something about Hulu always seemed too good to be true. All the network shows I want, free of charge on my computer, with only minimal commercials? It just never smelled right.

And now I know why.

They were just lulling us into a false sense of security before charging our asses for content! According to articles all over the internet, Jonathan Miller, the new chief digital officer* of the corporation that owns Hulu stated recently that he sees Hulu charging for content in the near future. Meaning you would need a subscription to view all your favorite shows.

So I would think twice before throwing out my television for good....

You lied to me Baldwin! Lied to meeeeeeeeee!

* Chief digital officer?? Seriously? LAME.

Viewer Discretion Advised

One of the benefits of living near your parents (well, it's a benefit if you actually like them), is being able to stop by and visit whenever you want. In fact, I have a standing Wednesday night appointment with my Dad and Stepmother; they agree to provide me dinner and I agree to grace them with my presence. Seems fair.

During these visits, we typically watch one episode of a series television show, and it's kind of our "family television hour." But I realized the other day that the shows we usually pick are not what you would call family friendly. Actually, they're pretty much as far from that as you could get.

Example: the first show that kicked off this lovely tradition was Showtime's Dexter. That's right. Our family television hour was centered around a serial killer (on a quest for justice!) and included explicit violence and language. We followed that up with Supernatural, Dexter Seasons 2 and 3, and have now moved onto True Blood. Which not only has graphic violence and adult language, but also has the added bonus of really explicit sexual content.

As we sat around the table eating our dinner and watching a vampire fucking a woman from behind while drinking her blood, I started wondering: is this normal?

I know a lot of families watch television together, but I find it hard to believe that most watch such adult shows. But the thing is, my Dad has a loooong history of allowing his children to watch what most people would consider inappropriate television and movies. Every other weekend when we stayed with him, he would often nap on the couch leaving my brother and me to our own devices and with possession of the remote control. This meant a steady diet of movies such as Predator, RoboCop, Rambo, Jaws, etc. etc. I wouldn't say I became desensitized to R-rated movies, but it has definitely made me something of a connesieur.

So it's not a surprise that now as a family we enjoy such adult entertainment. After a steady diet of R-rated movies in my youth, my Dad and I connected in later years over shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dark Angel, The West Wing, and Veronica Mars. If you think about it, all the premium cable series we now watch are really just mature extensions of those other shows. I guess.

Or maybe we're just a really odd family. Either way, it's going to take a while for me to get totally comfortable watching graphic sex scenes with my family, but we'll get there eventually. I just haven't figured out if that's a good thing.

+2 Intelligence, -3 Charisma

You may know her as Penny from Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, Vi from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that ballet snob from Bring It On Again, or even as that girl from the Sears commercial. But Felicia Day is actually a formidable script-writer and producer, as evidenced by her delightful web series, The Guild. Which is why that you should love her as much as I do.

Of course, I have a well-documented weakness for redheads.

The Guild will make you crack up, but it will also make you cringe. The show concerns itself with the lives of six painfully awkward role-playing gamers who finally meet each other IRL ("in real life"). Each of them is hilariously inept and uncomfortably real. My favorite is Zaboo (played by my homeboy, Sandeep Parikh). He's a "HinJew" - Hindu mother, Jewish father - with a stalker-ish crush on Day's character, Codex. Parikh steals the show - his comedic timing is second to none.

Damn, but these geeks are hot.

You don't have to be a gamer to enjoy The Guild. You just need a couple hours to watch the entire series (a total of 22 episodes, each 3-9 minutes long), and a l33t dictionary. Some key phrases...

QQ moar, n00b
Keep crying/whining, newbie. It amuses me.

AFK
Away From Keyboard (this happens very rarely).

Pwned
I just made you my bitch!

The latest news is that Microsoft has signed on for a third season of The Guild. Bonus: there will be a sneak peak at Comic Con in July! Meanwhile, catch up and support the show online.

Does anyone watch the MTV Movie Awards live anymore? Or more importantly, do the MTV Movie Awards represent anything more than a 3 hour commercial for upcoming movies? Answers: no and no.*

So, confession time. I did not watch the MTV Movie Awards. Shocker! But then again, I'm not really their target demographic anymore. I'm a girl, yes, but I am not 14 years old. But even though I missed the show, after reading about the best and worst moments on EW.com, I decided to check out some of the clips on MTV.com.

While I probably could have skipped seeing Sacha Baron Cohen smash his genitals into Eminem's face, I had to see the New Moon trailer and the Harry Potter preview. Oh, and check out the clip for best kiss. It's pretty hot.

*Ok, so I took a little artistic license. The awards show actually had it's best ratings in the last 5 years....most likely due to all those tween Twilight fans. Never underestimate the power of the tweens!

The Doctor Is In

Well, at least the Doctor is back for those of us lucky enough to have BBCA. Here's what TV Guide has to say about it all! I feel a little bad for Sci-Fi getting dissed, but since I've got DISH with BBC America I am not too upset.

In other retcon news...

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains plot details from the season finale of Bones.

--

The season finale of Bones came off like alternate-universe fan fiction - amazingly good fan fiction, but still. It opens with a huge fan service for all us Booth/Brennan shippers - the two principles obviously in a loving relationship, jumping right into bed. Then you realize, Booth and Brennan have been recast as the married owners of a nightclub called The Lab.

How cute is John Francis Daley?

Angela, Zack, and the rest of the "squinterns" play employees at the club - with the exception of Clark Edison, who plays a rapper who wants to debut at The Lab, and Arastoo Vaziri, who plays a Persian businessman interested in buying B&B out. Sweets is the bartender/budding musical talent. Caroline plays, surprise surprise, the nightclub's attorney. Cam and Jared play cops, investigating a murder that had taken place on the premises, and Max Brennan plays a corrupt councilman trying to blackmail B&B. Randomly, Angela's ex-husband Grayson Barasa shows up as Clark's gangsta brother. Finally, Hodgins provides the narrative voice as a booze hound crime writer.

Best Line goes to Mr. Nigel-Murray:
"I’m not going to fare well in jail... I'm lovely."

You'll spend about 30 seconds going, "the hell?" And then you just go with it. It's a fun ride, with lots of great lines. After the serious revelation of Booth's brain tumor in last week's episode, it was a relief just to be silly with these characters for a while. Wait a minute ... OMG brain tumor!

Well played, Bones. Well played.

Yes, it all turned out to be Booth's coma dream. Or is it? Right at the end, Hodgin's narration switches to Brennan's voice, and we see her typing by Booth's beside. She deletes the story just as he wakes up mumbling, "it was so real!" *sniff, sniff* And now, just to make me feel better, here is some gratuitous cuddling.

Awwww...

Doctor of Mindf*ckery

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains plot details from the last two episodes of House, M.D.

--

I'm of two minds about the House, M.D. season finale (pun intended, for those who've seen the episode). I was actually pretty bored with the first 35 minutes. I'm not a Huddy shipper, so their hookup in last week's episode didn't really do anything for me. This episode opened with House waking up alone, and acting all nostalgic about the night before. Which, while really really cute, was disappointingly out of character for him.

Gregory House getting all schmoopy over forgotten cosmetics? Really?

Then, of course, it fell to Cuddy to be a raging bitch the next day and screw everything up. No one can be as bitchy as House, but she gave it her best shot. Next there was a lot of Wilson-enabled sophomoric behavior, as well as some tooth-achingly sweet moments of playing with Cuddy's lipstick. At this point, I was surfing the internet and seriously considering taking a bathroom break without pausing my Hulu playback. Yeah, it was that bad.

And then they drop the bomb - it was all a drug-induced hallucination. House never detoxed. He and Cuddy never hooked up. And the lipstick he was playing with? Actually a bottle of vicodin. My mind, she is blown. Side note: ghost of Kutner cameo! Kal Penn = LOVE.

"Sup?"

Overall, I liked the finale. The side stories with Cameron and Chase's wedding and the old man who squawked (played by the hilarious Carl Reiner) really tugged at the old heartstrings. But I don't know if the payoff of the big reveal was worth slogging through the hot Huddy mess that was the first 3/4 of the episode.

Gobsmacked

Well, slap my ass and call me Sally.

Two shows that I never thought had a chance at renewal got a reprieve. Both Dollhouse and Better Off Ted have been renewed by FOX and ABC, respectively.

According to Michel Ausiello over at Entertainment Weekly, the budget for Dollhouse has been drastically reduced (and I loooove his idea of giving the douchey Topher the boot) all as part of the deal for renewal.

In other good news, Castle has been renewed as well! Hurray!

I suggest checking over at Ausiello's page at least daily for updates. The networks are due to make all their final decisions regarding their fall schedules next week starting on Monday.

UPDATES: Chuck is now officially renewed for 13 episodes! Yay! But, Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles is officially cancelled. Boo! You suck FOX! I can't believe they would keep Dollhouse but can T:TSCC. Maybe because it's so much more expensive with all that terminator CGI?

Make Me A Supermodel

... no, seriously, go make me one.

While skimming the site for Popular Science, I came across this: The Latest Model. It's a robotic fashion model! Several LOL-inducing thoughts:

1. Even though it approximates human movement, right now it can't really walk, or glide, or strut down the catwalk. It stomps.
2. The programmers are experimenting with a variety of facial expressions, but apparently they all come across as "surprised."
3. I cannot wait until this makes it into the zeitgeist and I get to hear Tyson tell some poor hapless model, "You look like one of those crazy Japanese robots that is going to make us all useless by the year 2030."

That's right, bitches. Your days are numbered.

Looks like Ted's heading for a better place

A few weeks ago I raved about ABC's Better Off Ted. Unfortunately, real life got in the way and I missed a few episodes. So the other night I went to the show's website to catch up. Immediately, I noticed something was wrong. First of all, they only have episodes 6 and 7 (out of 7) online. Secondly, episode 7 was labeled "season finale." Cold dread began to creep up my spine. I rushed to Wikipedia... a total 13 episodes are listed, but the air dates for everything after episode 7 are listed as "TBA." Finally, I found this A.V. Club article that shares my suspicions. Looks like the show will be canceled mid-season.

I know, Phil. I'm upset, too.

This news is just depressing. Sure, Better Off Ted may not have been the next Lost. What did ABC expect - hardly any promotion, a moving time slot (okay, so they moved it once, but still!), and only 7 weeks to make things work? They hardly gave the show a chance.

But maybe it's not too late! There's an informal poll on Entertainment Weekly's site about saving the show. It's slightly inconvenient to fill out (they ask for an email address, even though they don't display it, and one of those 'confirm you are a person' code thingies), but well worth the effort! According to EW, ABC announces it's new prime time schedule in less than a week - sign the poll and help save Better Off Ted!

It's not Project Runway.

Don't be looking for Tim, Heidi, Nina, or Michael. There are two challenges every episode, including a mini-challenge that the designers have only 1 hour to complete. The runway show is performed in front of a crowd of "fashion industry insiders." There's no independent mentor; co-hosts Isaac Mizrahi and Kelly Rowland are both judges AND mentors.

It's not Project Runway.

But you know what? I like it.

The Fashion Show debuted last Thursday at 10pm on Bravo. Since losing Project Runway to Lifetime, I guess Bravo decided to just make the same show, but with some well-placed tweaks.

Isaac Mizrahi was delightfully bitchy (telling the designers how embarrassed and disappointed he was with the first runway show) and Kelly Rowland was kind of useless but looked great. The third regular judge Fern Mallis (the woman who runs New York Fashion Week) knew her stuff and the guest judge was an actual designer.

The challenges were interesting and really showed off what the designers were capable of. The mini-challenge was to create a little black dress from just a black t-shirt (they had only one hour) and the main challenge was to organize into teams, come up with one "must have" piece and incorporate it into five different looks to form a collection. So it was a team challenge, but each designer was in charge of one of the looks. They expressed themselves individually, but needed to design for a team collection as well.

I like that the runway show is performed in front of an actual crowd, but I'm not sure how I feel about having the crowd vote on the winner. Things could get....interesting. The judges are (so far) only responsible for picking the person who gets the boot.

As for the designers....most of them are difficult to distinguish at this point. Of course, Merlin stands out (watch the show, you'll know why--picture a gay latino fairy-magician), and I was really impressed with the initial design of Reco. Other than that, I'm going to shy away from making any predictions...you never know with these kind of competitions!

MSCR: Ed, Edd, n Eddy

This is Cartoon Network's longest-running series (celebrating its 10^th year), and it's easy to see why. "The Eds" are a trio of adolescent boys, scheming and dreaming through an endless summer in an idyllic suburban cul-de-sac. These kids are having the childhood we all wish we had – non-stop hijinks with our best friends. You might think that having three protagonists with the same first name would be confusing. But each is such a unique little miscreant that there's never any doubt.

Eddy is the leader of the group, and a born con-man. His harebrained plots and unapologetic greed for jawbreakers are constantly getting The Eds into trouble – which is basically his element. He lovingly refers to his compatriots as "sock-head" and "lumpy."

Edd, aka Double D, is the brains of the operation. He's a tremendous nerd, trying to apply a rational approach to an irrational world. While he often tries to dissuade Eddy from his more dangerous stunts, he usually gives in and ends up helping. Ed's little sister Sara has a bit of a crush on Double D … and so do I.

Ed is a gentle giant, an amiable simpleton whose frequent non sequiturs are the highlights of the show.

Ed: Hey guys?
Eddy: What, Ed?
Ed: I say, the cheese is always twice the fence post.

The cast is rounded out with a diverse group of frenemies from around the cul-de-sac, as well as the Eds' would-be paramours, a trio of trailer park girls known as the Cankers. I deliberately call it a "cast" because each character is well-developed and the interactions between them are complex and organic. In other words, despite the far-fetched plots, Ed, Edd n Eddy feels real in a way other cartoons don't. Check it out at the official website, or the next time it airs on Cartoon Network

Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Pile of Crap

In theory, I should love Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. I liked Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and I knew that this would be a parody of that genre. The production values are pretty good, which was one of my major concerns when I first heard about the project. The title has umlats in it, which makes me smile. And the lead actor is a dreamy Irish Englishman rock star, Sean Maguire. His Krod Mandoon is a new kind of hero - one who is more sensitive and in touch with his feelings.

Who said Hufflepuffs can't be hot?

But even the pretty cannot distract me from the fact that this show is basically shit. Sure, I found some elements funny - but that says more about me than about the show. To call the humor sophomoric would be an insult to sophomores everywhere. The writing is something a 14 year-old boy might come up with, full of gratuitous toilet and sex jokes. Beyond that, there is an undertone of misogyny that sticks in my craw. I'm referring to the token female character, Aneka.

Aneka is billed as a "pagan warrioress," an obvious send-up of Xena. Except, she's super slutty. In the first episode she goes home to her village to complete the Rite of the Raccoon or some such, where she sleeps with 300 men. Part of the rite is doing a strip tease for a catcalling crowd of lecherous men. And already I'm clutching my poor abused frontal lobe in agony.

Just one of many disturbing misconceptions about paganism.

That's when it hit me - there is no need for a parody of Hercules and Xena. Those shows were already parodies of themselves, because they were fully aware of their campy glory. And that was part of the fun - liking a show but also laughing at yourself for liking it. Krod Mandoon, in trying to take the genre "over the top," devolves into the lowest form of humor imaginable.

You people should be ashamed of yourselves.

The season (and with any luck, the series) finale aired yesterday. I didn't bother to watch. Though I may catch it in one of the million reruns of the show Comedy Central will use to fill air time.

Hidden Sponsor?

Why is everyone so thankful to Oprah today? I don't get it. For those of you not aware on yesterday's episode Oprah announced she was giving away chicken (by way of a downloadable coupon)

All the interviews today of local people are people THANKING Oprah! Why?!? She is clearly getting paid by KFC! This is a purely sponsored event to sell KFC's chicken. Why are people pretending this is something other than a giant COMMERCIAL.

The news coverage, the online coverage and the radio coverage are all free advertising for KFC's grilled chicken (though I am sure it wasn't completely free given the amount they had to pay Oprah).The link the coupon is below if you are dying for grilled chicken:

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090430-tows-kfc-coupon-download

New Show Watch: Glee

As we near the end of the television season, all the new episodes dry up, and a tv-blogger has nothing to occupy her time. But wait! There's all the new shows coming down the pike to dissect and discuss!

So what's the new show that is currently making me wriggle with glee?

Glee!

Glee is a new FOX program slated for this fall, but for one night only on Tuesday, May 19, FOX is airing a special preview of it after American Idol.

So what's the deal with the show and why is Maggie so excited about it? Here's the run-down from FOX:

GLEE is a one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of all: Nationals.

Will Schuester, a young optimistic teacher, has offered to take on the Herculean task of restoring McKinley's Glee Club to its former glory. Everyone around him thinks he's nuts. He's out to prove them all wrong.

Musical? Comedy? A heart-warming story of a bunch of rag-tag kids fighting their way to the top? Dude. I am so in.

According to this article, the soundtrack will feature musical numbers each week, ranging from classics to current pop hits. Woot! And Kristin over at E! is reporting that there are plans for several soundtrack albums in the works AND featured songs will be available for download on Itunes immediately after the show airs. Also expected are guest appearances by Kristin Chenowith (love), Victor Garber, and Josh Groban.

Did I mention that it stars people who have been in Hairspray on Broadway and Veronica Mars, Heroes, and Nip/Tuck?

Seriously, what is not to love?

For an extended preview, click here! I don't about y'all, but I got chills, they're multiplying.

When your ratings are down...add Jeff Goldblum

Sunday marked the first episode of the show including our quirky detective. Bloggers around the tvsphere wrote diligently months ago that Goldblum was the reason for the massive delay in releasing the latest Law and Order episodes. Apparently, he wanted the final say on all of his episodes.

I wanted Goldblum to suck. Really badly in fact, however, not so much. Granted he is no Goren, a love I will never quite understand, but he held his own. Julianne Nicholson (Wheeler) has stayed on as the fourth detective on the show. The opening credits photos were entertaining because they were all Jeff Goldblum and none of her.

I doubt the add a detective will help, especially since Jeff himself failed so miserably on NBC with his bomb Raines (despite awesome production assisting). Hopefully, Vincent will carry the show enough to keep it on USA another season.

Remembering Bea Arthur

For the past couple days, I have been thinking of how to compose a post that would do justice to Bea Arthur, she of the snarky comeback and proof positive that older people are intelligent, funny, and people just like any other.

Then it came to me! I wasn't the one who should be writing about Bea, my good friend Chris, who practically worshiped the ground she walked on, was the perfect choice. So here's a guest post from Chris on Bea:

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge Golden Girls fan, like most gay men I know. And I mean huge. I own all seven seasons, still watch it on TV, can quote most of it and, to the annoyance of my family, laugh at most of the punch lines before they're even uttered. This isn't a recent obsession. I watched the Girls when it was originally on the air on NBC. Picture me, just short of my twelfth birthday, sitting in a chair directly in front of the TV, crying at Dorothy leaving Blanche, Rose and Sophia to marry Blanche's Uncle Lucas. If that wasn't my parents' first clue I'm gay, seriously, what would it take?

But I digress. Most people our age know Bea as Dorothy from Golden Girls. Thanks to Lifetime (and now Hallmark Channel), the show's been running perpetually for over a decade. Our parents and grandparents probably know Bea as Maude, a character originally cast as the liberal feminist cousin of Edith Bunker on All in the Family. Maude was so popular a character that CBS spun off an entire series based on her, which ran for six seasons. The show hit some nerves, most notably with Maude deciding to have an abortion. Keep in mind, this episode aired before Roe v. Wade, meaning that in many parts of the country, abortion was still illegal in all circumstances. Bea earned the first of two acting Emmys in 1977 for her role as Maude. By the end, Bea (as she was apt to do), decided it was time to leave the show. This is how Golden Girls ended as well.

What most people probably don't know is that Maude was Bea's first television gig, at age 50. After her appearance on All in the Family, CBS executives famously asked "'Who is that girl? Let's give her her own series.'" Thus, Maude was born.

However, by this time, Bea was already a very successful actress on Broadway. From Wikipedia:

On stage, her roles included Lucy Brown in the 1954 Off-Broadway premiere of Marc Blitzstein's English-language adaptation of Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, Yente the Matchmaker in the 1964 premiere of Fiddler on the Roof, and a 1966 portrayal of Vera Charles to Angela Lansbury's Mame, for which she won a Tony Award. She reprised the role in the 1974 film version opposite Lucille Ball. In 1981, she appeared in Woody Allen's The Floating Lightbulb.

But back to why I loved Bea: her witty humor on Golden Girls. I can picture my mom and I having a similar relationship when we get old. A sometimes testy friendship, but in the end willing to move mountains for each other. I mean, come on, who hasn't wanted to call their mom a "furry little gnome"? The chemistry of the show was perfect, and she will be sorely missed. I only wish I could have seen her one woman show when she was on tour.

Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in.

SPOILER ALERT! This post contains plot points from the Heroes season finale.

--

Heroes - when it's good, it's the best thing on television. Hiro Nakamura is basically my favorite character ever (Ando Masahashi takes a close second). Almost every episode has a truly gasp-worthy moment. And it's integration of classic themes from comic books not only made it truly original (and all the rarer for it). It made geekiness mainstream - dare I say, even cool?

Nerd is the new black.

At the same time, when it's bad, it's godawful. As much as I love (to look at) Mohinder, he continues to be the stupidest man on the planet. Every time I saw the wonder twins (Maya and Alejandro), I wished my eyes would turn black and kill things. Ooh, and remember Peter's acid trip to Ireland? Caitlin was probably glad that he abandoned her in the future.

Blame it on the writer's strike if you must, but I think we can all agree that Heroes first season = awesome while the second season = pathetic. At the beginning of this season, I was tried of the unbearable hope and constant disappointment. So I gave Heroes an ultimatum. "I can find something else to do with my Monday nights," I lied. "Shape up or ship out." Then I watched, with a jaded eye and one hand on the clicker.

Yesterday, they went and killed Nathan Petrelli.

Here's how it went down: with no forewarning whatsoever, Sylar slashes Nathan's throat. I scream, "OH MY GOD!" and pull my t-shirt up to my nose. I spend the next thirty seconds trying not to scream again. My neighbors consider calling the police. For the next twenty minutes, I'm glued to my television - I kind of needed to pee, but there would be time for that later! I'm not entirely sure I blinked until the start of Mohinder's closing voiceover.

You got me, Heroes. I'll see you in season four.

Screw Jared, I'm doing it for Chuck.

Got lunch or dinner plans today? If not, then head out to Subway and show some support for Chuck!

On his website, Zac Levi is asking Chuck fans to visit Subway today (Monday, April 27) and purchase a $5 footlong. While doing so, take the time to fill out a comment card noting that you are supporting Chuck, or mention it to manager.

We all know money talks, and since Subway is Chuck's main sponsor, this represents a great opportunity to put your money where your mouth is.

Also, subs = yummy. Everybody wins!

Jim Beaver and his Fab Hats

It’s no secret that I love Jim Beaver. I first discovered him on Supernatural, but when I saw him in Deadwood, I really started to adore him. But now, with the rumors of a major death on Supernatural this season and his appearance as the Sheriff on Harper’s Island (where anyone could die at any minute), I live in constant fear that none of his characters will survive to the end of their shows.

TV Guide has a nice interview with Jim Beaver here, where he talks about his television shows and his new book, Life’s That Way, about his wife’s cancer.

See how great he looks in hats?

So, to sum up. He's a great actor, an author, and a nice person. And can rock a hat.

To the show-runners of Supernatural and Harper's Island: if you kill his characters, I might consider breaking up with you. You have been warned.

Unusually Good

I was flipping through the channels not too long ago, when I spotted the sweet smiling face of Amber Tamblyn. I hadn't seen her in anything really worthwhile since Joan of Arcadia, so I flipped back. Within minutes I was treated to Harold Perrineau (of Lost and The Matrix fame) and Adam Goldberg (loved him in The Hebrew Hammer). After watching for a few minutes, I realized I had stumbled on to the dynamite ensemble cast of The Unusuals.

"Shabbat shalom, motherfuckers!"

However, face recognition will only take you so far - even the best actors can't sell the viewer on wimpy characters. Also, police procedurals are notoriously formulaic, character-driven though they may be. There were so many ways for The Unusuals to actually be more of the same.

Happily, this is not the case. Several characters in The Unusuals are interesting twists on well-known tropes. The tough-as-nails cop is also the sexually voracious love interest (without, at least so far, compromising her professionalism). The brown-nose turns out to be quite a sympathetic character. The goody-two-shoes rookie is also the cop with a shady past. And the street-smart mentor/father figure Jason Walsh, played by Jeremy Renner, is actually one of the pair of protagonists (side note: if he dumps the tough-as-nails cop for the other protagonist (Amber Tamblyn), I will be very disappointed). This multitasking not only gives these typical throwaways more depth, it makes room in the ensemble for some truly original characters.

Amber Tamblyn plays Casey Shraeger, an up-and-coming cop who happened to up-and-come from a wealthy family. She doesn't want her co-workers to know, and often has to scramble to hide her connections. I know it sounds weak, but the interplay of her two worlds is really well done.

Furthermore, Harold Perrineau plays a cop who lives in constant fear of death or injury and whose partner, played by Adam Goldberg, seems to have a death wish. The cast is rounded out by some really strong support – the DA who went to school with Shraeger and must be blackmailed to keep her secret, Shraeger's handsome yet bumbling accountant, and the Sergeant who has asked Shraeger to spy on her partner.

As you can see, there's a lot going on with this show. But it all fits together well, with divergent story lines and motivations coming together to into a coherent plot. So check out The Unusuals, online or Wednesdays at 10pm on ABC.

Secret Boyfriend of the Week: Bobby!

A couple weeks ago I spotlighted the Return of My Boys and to reinforce my love for the show I want to spotlight My Secret Boyfriend of the week: BOBBY~Here are some Bobby Highlights!

Famous Sports Writer!

Gets along perfect with your friends!

Rich (Bobby's family has millions and a villa in Italy.....I repeat....VILLA IN ITALY)!

Great sense of humor!

And look at him....Ok, maybe I should have started there.

Catch My Boys tonight!


As a side note my spotlight is on Bobby....Kyle Howard (the actor who plays Bobby) is currently dating Lauren Conrad from the Hills....he loses all points for bad taste.

When fandoms collide!

CSI is a show that I catch when I can. Usually on Thursday nights at 9pm, my DVR is hard at work recording Supernatural and The Office/30 Rock, so unless I can remember to set the VCR, CSI loses out.

But this week, I'll be sure to catch it. There's been a lot of internet chatter about this week's geektastic CSI Star Trek Battlestar Gallactica mash-up.

Here's the official expla:

Hodges and Wendy run into one another at a science-fiction where a TV producer is murdered. The two help in the investigation which reveals that the producer was re-making a beloved sci-fi series and giving it an ultra-violent twist that upset many devout fans.

Oh, awesome. There are sure to be many shout-outs for sci-fi fans, especially fans of the newer incarnation of BSG who are familiar with the controversy and ire that erupted four years ago when the news broke of the BSG's remake. According to TV guide, the episode was written by former Star Trek and Battlestar writers and features BSG's Ellen Tigh and creator, Ronald D. Moore.

Here's a cute interview with the guy who plays Hodges on the episode and how his character may finally act on his crush on fellow lab-rat, Wendy.

Well, well. It's always the quiet ones.

"Can a company be bitchy?"

I am pleased to report that my computer, Babs, has finally returned from her trip to the Mac home world. She now boasts a replaced gizmo and a shiny new thingamabob, the combination of which allows me to actually turn her on. Yay! We celebrated by cuddling on the couch and watching streaming video all weekend long. I am pleased to report that I have caught up on (almost) all of the shows I want to watch. This in turn heralds a massive influx of TV blog posts ... i.e. hopefully more than one. So, without further ado, my review of Better Off Ted.

This is the story of Ted Crisp, the head of R&D at the Veridian corporation, a faceless monolith with its finger in every pie. From scratchy office chairs that improve productivity to organic vegetables chock-full of antidepressants, Veridian does it all! And while it doesn't necessary mean to be evil... well, you get the picture.

They put one of their scientists in a cryogenic chamber,
without knowing that they would be able to reanimate him.
That's cold.

After watching the first episode, I started searching my office for surveillance equipment. Even though the situations are farcical, the characters and relationships could have been lifted from my life. Ted has to constantly walk the line between basic human decency (embodied by his daughter, Rose) and the absurdities that arise when powerful people become completely detached from reality (see his boss, Veronica, played by Portia de Rossi). I get that.

Best line of the first episode goes to Rose:
"Do grown-ups even care about right and wrong?"

It doesn't hurt that the cast is filled out with great, quirky characters. Linda is the disgruntled employee stealing creamer as an act of rebellion. Phil and Lem are the sweet, harmless scientists who often need protection from the company - and themselves. And the writing is so great that Ted's monologuing, delivered directly to the camera and shattering the fourth wall into a million tiny pieces, is not annoying in the slightest. My advice - cancel your two o'clock and get caught up with Better Off Ted online, and catch it on the air Wednesdays, 8:30 on ABC.

In related news...

As a response to Maggie's previous post, I just wanted to mention that the "Save the Dollhouse" movement started early. Like, before the show aired. You know why? Because while hope springs eternal in the human breast, Joss Whedon fans (Maggie Cats and myself included) were not born yesterday. Don't believe me that the campaign (technically to "hype" the show) started before a single episode was seen? Check it:



Save the Dollhouse, save the world!

BTW, recommendations include:
1. Catching up on Hulu (Check!)
2. Getting in touch with Fox (Wait, via Twit-ter? Oh, hells no.)
3. Pre-ordering the DVD on Amazon (That, I might do.)