It seems like every other day I get new information on the upcoming season of Battlestar Galactica (starting April 4th on the Sci-Fi Channel) and I had planned a bigger post yesterday but had some unexpected things that came up that filtered into today. I planned to upload some preview videos of two BSG specials airing this coming Friday with BSG: Revealed at 10:00 that recaps the first three season with executive produceres Ronald D. Moore and David Eick acting as your MC's for the show. That is followed directly by Phenomena, where celerities like Seth Green and Brad Paisley talk about the show. Even though I really do not have the time to upload the clips from those shows, there is no reason to wait until next week to watch them when they come on TV because you can currently download both shows for free on Amazon Unbox as well as the BSG in eight minutes that has been floating around the internet.
One video that I would like to share with you is an exclusive reel from the recent Sci-Fi Upfront which is a new preview of season four. And for the latest Battlestar Galactica videos, be sure to check out the Sci-Fi Channel YouTube Page.
(Scooter's Note: The video has been pulled down as requested by the Sci-Fi Channel)
And here is a press release that goes into detail about everything BSG:
‘BATTLESTAR’ IS BACK
SCI FI’s Emmy and Peabody-Winning Series Returns March 28 With Two Back-To-Back Half-Hour Specials
The wait is finally over for Battlestar Galactica fans. SCI FI’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning original series returns for its fourth original season on Friday, March 28 @ 10pm ET/PT with two back-to-back half-hour specials. The first new episode will premiere the following week, Friday, April 4 @ 10pm ET/PT.
Battlestar Galactica: Revealed (10pm) will serve up the essential information on the series’ past three seasons, providing the uninitiated with an introduction to the characters, relationships and spine-tingling drama that have captured the imagination of audiences around the world. Galactica’s executive producers, Ronald D. Moore and David Eick serve as guides, providing insights and revelations about the critically-acclaimed series.
Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon (10:30pm) is a celebrity-studded celebration of the show’s impact on pop culture. Interviewees, including Seth Green, country music’s Top Male Vocalist of 2007 Brad Paisley, and The Soup’s Joel McHale, and others, wax poetic about why Battlestar Galactica is one of the best frakkin’ shows on television.
As season 4 opens, the last remnants of humanity continue their search for a new home, the thin line that separates them from the rapidly evolving Cylons is being redrawn. Galactica’s crew, rocked by Starbuck’s sudden and mysterious return from the dead – and her claims that she has been to Earth and can lead them there – attempts to make sense of the inexplicable. Meanwhile, four members of the fleet are still reeling from the revelation that they are Cylons and have been all along.
Battlestar Galactica is the gripping saga of humanity's last remnants and their struggle to find a new home while fleeing from their deadly Cylon enemies. Redefining the space opera with its gritty realism, Galactica’s intensity, issues-driven topicality, and command performances have garnered it numerous awards, including an Emmy and the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. The show was recognized by the American Film Institute (AFI) as one of the most outstanding programs of the year two years running. The series is from Universal Media Studios and is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. The outstanding ensemble cast is led by Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park.
Today marks the fifth anniversary of combat in Iraq and with the sagging economy hasn’t really gotten the attention it should even though the humongous debt from the war has attributed to the looming recession. And the war really has gone down as the most ignored war while going on in American history. Then there are the Democrats that would lead you to believe that pulling out in six weeks are a hundred years are the only options currently on the table even though something in-between is much more realistic and appropriate.
One song that I have gone back to over again in these past five years is Mother’s Pride by George Michael that really captures the effect that war can effect people for generations of families and is heartbreaking to think of all the children, mothers, and wives that watch from the shores as their husband, sons and lovers (and now wives and daughters) which could be for the last one. So this is dedicated to the families of our soldiers and I wish a speedy and safe return for those in harms way.
There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.
And now it is time for the token Before He Cheats retreat. Nice touch getting men in black to do your dirty work. But much like her previous singles, the latest from Taylor Swift is overly catchy. I wonder if her performing in front of the wall of sparks is an homage to Rihanna (she has been know to perform Umbrella in concert including a recent Live in SoHo set for iTunes).
At this rate The Roots will have a video for every song from their album actually drops, not that I have a problem with that except with ever track, I get more excited for that release date. Birthday Girl sounds like Gym Class Heroes would sound like if they weren’t extremely cheesy while Get Busy is just another instant classic.
Yeah, boring video, but if you like the song, you can download it for free, along with another track off their upcoming Saturday Nights, Sunday Morning, over at their website, countingcrows.com.
I am optimistic this year about my chances in the March Madness pool (it has been four years since I have won any money) because I think many of my competitors made their picks after ten too many green beers yesterday. Of course the old adage of the person that knows the least is the one that inevitably wins may have helped their picks. But anyways. Here are my (sober) picks for this year:
East Finals: North Carolina (1) over Louisville (3) Upset Special: George Mason (12) over Notre Dame (5); St. Joseph’s (11) over Okalahoma (6)
Midwest Finals: Georgetown (2) over Clemson (5) Upset Special: (To avoid jinxing my alma mater, I won’t pick Kent State (9) over Kansas (1) in the second round, instead) Davidson (10) over Gonzaga (7)
South Finals: Texas (2) over Pittsburg (4) Upset Special: Temple (12) over Michigan State (5)
West Finals: UCLA (1) over Xavier (3) Upset Special: I actually went with chalk in bracket except Drake (5) over Connecticut (4) and Xavier (3) over Duke (2) neither of which are much of an upset.
Final Four North Carolina over Georgetown UCLA over Texas
Finals UCLA over North Carolina (72-68)
Scooter Update: While Barack Obama was busy thowing his grandmother under the bus (seriously, who does that?), John McCain was busy filling out his brakets and you can play against him over at his website johnmccain.com and you can even win a McCain fleece, hat or pin.
St. Patrick's Day just isn't St. Patrick's day without Denis Leary's Traditional Irish Folk Song (fun fact: this was my answering machine message for a semester in college).
Quote of the Week: Find yourself another peon to pee on. (Maggie, Eli Stone)
Song of the Week: Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet (South Park)
Big News of the Week: Sitcoms Fight for Worst Actress: Recently My Name Is Earl announced the it nabbed Paris Hilton to guest as herself for its post strike return only to be trumped by How I Met Your Mother who is bringing in Britney Spears (whose sister will be popping up on new ABC sitcom Miss Guided). It is a toss up which is the worse decision, I don’t think anyone let Spears act after the Crossroads debacle (fun fact: the movie was written by the “mastermind” behind Grey’s Anatomy) until now and Earl is smartly not making Hilton stretch her acting chops to wide by having her play herself. In other bad decision news, The CW is resurrecting Beverly Hills, 90210 with Rob Thomas at the helm. How do you go from the smartest teen drama ever to the most vapid? And doesn’t The CW already have a failed modern day 90210 in Gossip Girl?
And just when I thought that 90210 Redux would be the final death nail in The CW coffin, the very next day it was announced that they gave an eight episode order to a Sam Raimi produced show. Then I went back to not caring about the channel when I found out that the show, 13 is a reality competition. Lame. How about Raimi scripted show, preferably staring Bruce Campbell instead? Think about how much better Reaper would have been if Raimi had done it, not a bunch of guys ripping off Sam Raimi.
Coalition Links of the Week:
Buzz chatted with Parker Posey about Project Runway and The Return of Jezebel James. (BuzzSugar)
Sandie talked about why she loves HBO's new show In Treatment. (Daemon's TV)
Marcia said farewell to yet another season of Project Runway. (Pop Vultures)
Rae couldn't stand it anymore and finally made (time) to talk about America's Best Dance Crew. (RTVW)
Vance celebrates that the Sun is finally shinning! At least on Lost. Toronto is still pretty snowy and grey (blech). (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace was disappointed by the latest obnoxious "twist" on Beauty and the Geek, depressed about the pilot for the US adaptation of Spaced moving forward, and was surprised by how much he actually still enjoys CBS's multi-camera sitcom Old Christine. (Televisionary)
Dan loves Rashida Jones from her days on The Office, but he simply can't endorse her new sitcom Unhitched. (TiFaux)
Jennifer weighs in on Britney Spears guest starring on How I Met Your Mother, and it isn't pretty. (Tube Talk)
After watching the premiere of Canterbury's Law, the TV Addict uncovers the secret method to FOX's Madness! (the TV Addict)
Raoul interviewed Joel from "Survivor." (TV Filter)
Everybody Hates Chris: Couldn’t that have gotten Flavor Flav to play himself as it was obvious that Slaver Slav was a stand in for him. You can’t tell me Flav wouldn’t have done that.
South Park: I think there is anything or anyone that is so successfully of making you laugh at things you know you shouldn’t laugh at than South Park.
Survivor: I must have been spoiled with a month straight of blind sides but I was all giddy during tribal council fully expecting for Ozzie to get the boot when Chet ruined everything and ended up actually getting everyone to vote for him instead of deciding to last another night to get rid of Ozzie. Ugg. Check out the latest episode over at Innertube.
Smallville: Product placement is a necessary evil, something I have grown content with, but couldn’t the writers of Smallville come up with a better way to include a gum, that will not be named here (unless of course they want to pay me), than to have a random band play in a gum factory? Yet another example that these writers didn’t deserve a raise that they went on strike for. I know that all product placements can be as good as Wayne's World 2, but certainly they could have done better than this. Now if you excuss me, I need to go to my local Appleby’s, order some Gatorade while sporting my new Under Armour gear.
Lost: I don’t know what was worse, the way I thought the episode actually ended with Jin being alive while Sun and Hurley didn’t know he was, or after when some uber-nerd informed that Jin was actually a flash-back while Sun was experiencing as flash-forward. Seriously, how is anyone who isn’t a complete lose supposed to know that 2004 was the year of the dragon that the toy store clerk mentioned? Either way this episode sucked massively. Then there was the most un-anticlimactic scene in Lost history, which is saying a lot, when we finally learn, about five episodes too late, that Michael is on the freighter. I really hate Lost as well as myself for still watching. Check out the latest episode over at ABC.com.
Eli Stone: Back when I gave my First Impressions of Eli Stone I was so high on the casting that I said, “Seriously, if Andrew from Buffy the Vampire Slayer shows up I may have to check to see if I also have an aneurysm.” Then this past week I was checking out the guest star list (which I do with every show even though it can act as a spoiler) when I saw “Tom Lenk” who was the infamous Tucker’s Brother on Buffy. Then an hour later no Andrew. So I’m thinking I may have just had an aneurism and seeing random actors’ names. Granted after a Blingo search (which is like Google except you win stuff, and if you sign up I win stuff too) it turned out he was there in a blink and you’ll miss it roll. Hopefully he will begin to play a bigger role later and is signed on in a recurring role.
Missing Andrew aside, a really enjoyable episode now that Eli isn’t the defendant. After some bad scenes in the ealier episodes, the writing problems seemed to be ironed out and there was a great set up for a love triangle with Jordan and Maggie playing against each other. I know who I will be rooting for. This show is definitely going on me with each passing week. I did noticed that Lost will be soon moving into its timeslot with no mention of Eli Stone showing up elsewhere on the schedule. Is it too soon for a Save Eli Stone campaign? Should we sending George Michael mp3’s to ABC? Check out the latest episode over at ABC.com. You can also download Eli Stone on iTunes.
Last week I sent out a call to find out who the Best Characters on Television are and some of the voters were brave enough to reveal their ballots as well as explanations. I did give my list on the Best Characters list but didn’t explain why, not because I am lazy but because didn’t see the need because you should all accept my superior knowledge. Well that and because I’m lazy. Here are the people that revealed their ballots to give you an idea on how top 25 ended up like it did.
Promo of the Week: As promised on Friday, here is a Battlestar Galatica promo for the show’s return on April 4:
I also mentioned on Friday that I had some behind the scene videos of The Riches, who second season premieres this Tuesday over at my sister site, so you can check those out by clinking the link.
Next Week’s Pick: The Big Bang Theory, Monday at 8:00 on CBS: It is not a coincidence that Sheldon came in at number two on my favorite characters on television list as he put the smart in smart-alic and overshadowed the other Monday show How I Met Your Mother of whom they switch time slots over the hiatus.
as well as the BSG in eight minutes that has been floating around the internet.
debacle (fun fact: the movie was written by the “mastermind” behind 
with Rob Thomas at the helm. How do you go from the smartest teen drama ever to the most vapid? And doesn’t The CW already have a failed modern day 90210 in 
, but certainly they could have done better than this. Now if you excuss me, I need to go to my local Appleby’s, order some Gatorade while sporting my new Under Armour gear.
shows up I may have to check to see if I also have an aneurysm.” Then this past week I was checking out the guest star list (which I do with every show even though it can act as a spoiler) when I saw “Tom Lenk” who was the infamous Tucker’s Brother on Buffy. Then an hour later no Andrew. So I’m thinking I may have just had an aneurism and seeing random actors’ names. Granted after a