57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXXXIV

Quote of the Week: Because I am just one jackass comment from doing some serious damage and if that happens I will lose my job. And I love my job, you get me? (Coach Traub, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Crazy – Patsy Cline (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: Obama Has His Biggest Pop Culture Week Since Being Sworn In: Barack Obama was everywhere in pop culture running for president but that has been slowing down ever since he was sworn in. But he was back in a big way this week. First we learned that he may or may not have been in the music video for the early nineties rap anthem Whoomp! There it Is! (I was more of a Whoot! There it Is fan). But it wasn’t all fun with Obama’s other pop culture reference of the week when he drew the ire of Jersey Shore weirdo Snookie who claims she no longer uses tanning beds because “Obama put a 10 percent tax on tanning.” I guess we now know why Republicans recently won the governorship of New Jersey for the first time in a decade). More disturbing is that John McCain actually responded to Snookie, who went on to say, “McCain would never put a 10 percent tax on tanning, because he's pale and he would probably want to be tan,” via twitter saying, “u r right, I would never tax your tanning bed! Pres Obama's tax/spend policy is quite The Situation. but I do rec wearing sunscreen.” Well actually someone poising as Senator McCain said that because, let’s face it, he cannot even turn on a computer.

MTV Movie Awards: My viewing of this award show can best be summed up by the look on the face of the dude from Inglourious Bastards after losing who had a I Came All Here Just to Lose Best Villain to Some Twelve Year Old who Looks Like a Young Ellen DeGeneres face. MTV should realize that they are losing more viewers by catering to the Twilight crowd than gaining from it. And how pathetic were all the crowd shots and they kept a heavy rotation of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Mike Tyson. Did any presenters bother to stay for the whole show? But I bet most of the viewers left too.

Happy Town: I am quite befuddled by the big twist of the week. So Mama Haplin pays an absorbent amount of money to keep Henley from exposing a murder weapon, but one of her conditions is to keep a person who knows about said murder weapon in her hometown. Um, why? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Happy Town on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: With every passing episode, Becky Sproles is moving further up my list of favorite characters on television. I just love after her long winded speech at the end of the episode; Tim just cuts her off and says, Becky… shut up… please.” But considering how amazing they dealt with sending off former castmembers last season, the two that left this week weren’t so much. Lyla comes back just for another romp with Tim including a weird interaction with Becky. While Matt was this weird open ended ride off in the sunset where we are not sure if it was a proper goodbye, or just a short (or long) joy ride.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Pretty Little Liars Pilot (iTunes): You can also find the episode for free on Amazon Video on Demand.

Deal of the Week: The Big DVD Sale (Blu-Rays) (The Dark Knight, Band of Brothers, True Blood)

Video of the Week: True Blood returns for a third season tonight at 9:00 on HBO and from the video below, the marketing team at the station went a little overboard in promoting the show. And for fanatics of the show who have found the previous 11, below the video is the 12th and final collectable poster that HBO has been releasing over the past twelve week leading up to the return.





Next Week Pick of the Week: Persons Unknown, Monday at 10:00 on NBC or Pretty Little Liars, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family: I recently did a Toss Up between the shows, but take your own pick for yourself.


One last television note for the week, I had originally planned to include the unaired pilot for The Big Bang Theory that hit the web this week, but by the time I wrote my blurb about and when I was posting it, Warner Brothers had it taken down. I have seen a couple others uploaded and taken since then. If you haven’t caught it yet, I recommend trying to find it before WB does because it is an interesting view. Try typing “The Big Bang Theory” and “unaired pilot” or “Amanda Walsh” into You Tube or your favorite video sharing site. Below is what I originally wrote about it.

Every year pilots are filmed and are almost always reshot for tinkering or cast changes, even if it is just a couple scenes and in some cases completely new episode. Such is the case of The Big Bang Theory which hit the internets this week and it surprising just how much is changed; no Kaley Cuoco, Raj, or Howard and, gasp, Sheldon actually had sex and even adhered to the profound theory posed by the great sociologist Dr. Sir Mix-a-Lot PhD. that guys are predetermined to like big butts. The unaired pilot is actually funnier than the one that aired on television but it is good they did make the changes because Katy (the Penny precursor played by Amada Walsh) is pretty unlikeable here and the boys actually having a female friend (who was likely the basis of the Sara Gilbert character) is just weird. But not as weird as Sheldon actually having sex.