Best of the Week vol. XXXV

Quote of the Week: There’s nobody out here who’s honorable; there’s nobody out here who’s honorable anymore… except for me. I hate to pontificate about that but you know Martin Luther King says that, “The greatest measure of a man is not the way he handles times of comfort but in the way he rises with controversy and challenges.” (Coach – Survivor)

Song of the Week: Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor - Frédéric Chopin (as performed by David Sheppard, Lost)

Big News of the Week: People Actually Talking About Hockey: I would have to go back to before the lock out since the last time I talked about hockey with anyone yet that was the topic of conversation for most of the past week. And though the start of the hockey started with a yawn, that all changed last Sunday as The United States of America upset host nation Canada in a thrilling back and forth game that could be summed up by the last goal when Ryan Kesler outhustled Corey Perry to grab an empty netted goal.

One week latter it looks like it will be the same teams but with a different goalie. After the American loss, the Canadians decided to pull Martin Brodeur for back up Roberto Luongo, who plays in the arena for the Vancouver Canucks, while his American counterpart Ryan Miller has yet to give up a goal since they last play. But despite the change in gola for the Canadians, I expect the result to be the same. And when the Americans do win, I hope they celebrate on the ice with champagne, cigars and some Iron City Beer.

Free Download of the Week: Trash Day – Butch Walker (Amazon MP3): For those wondering who was that dude with the banjo that joined Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks during the Grammy’s last month, it was Butch Walker who has been making some decent power pop music himself. Here is one of them from his latest album, the awesomely titled I Liked it Better When You Had no Heart.

Deal of the Week: Save up to 50% off with Television Deals (Arrested Development, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Big Love)

Video of the Week: Yesterday I posted a bunch of interviews from the cast of Friday Night Lights and after I did, NBC sent along another one featuring Ted Leland, better known to you and me as Buddy Garrity. Here it is:



Next Week Pick of the Week: Parenthood, Tuesday at 10:00 on NBC: I have been watching so much of the Olympics, I could mimic all the ads for Parenthood perfectly. Thankfully the games end tomorrow (Over/Under 5 ads during the Closing Ceremonies) and the show finally premieres Tuesday. Granted I am more looking forward to the second episode because it seems like I have seen most of the first one through all the commercials.

Around the Tubes vol. XL

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Chuck, Friday Night Lights, Nip/Tuck, Justified, and Ghost Hunters.

- My sources tell me this Chuck preview is pretty spoilery, which means I passed on it so watch at your own risk. But either way, remember Chuck is back this Monday at 8:00 with the Olympics wrapping up this weekend.

Sneaking a Peek


- We are still two months away from the return of Friday Night Lights to NBC (not that they have mentioned that fact during the Olympics, because why promote a television show about sports during a sporting event) but the channel has released five interviews with the cast about the fourth season including Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton, Aimee Teegarden, Taylor Kitsch, and Kyle Chandler (see below):



- Coming this Wednesday is the series finale of Nip/Tuck at 10:00 on FX with Sean and Christian reflecting on their loving, turbulent and decades-long relationship. In other Nip/Tuck news, the entire series is now available for download in HD on iTunes (with the exception of the finale which will be up Thursday).

- With the end of Nip/Tuck next week, anyone on the lookout for a new show will only have to wait two week for the premiere of new FX show Justified Tuesday March 16 at 10:00. To get ready for the show, head over to Justifiedthepursuit.com to play a game where you collect clues to catch a fugitive. Participants will receive an entry into the sweepstakes for every sighting they enter. Four winners will be selected: 1 Grand Prize winner will receive a $5,000 reward and a $500 wardrobe from Stetson that will include a hat, pair of boots, jeans, and a shirt. Three first prize winners will receive $1,000 as well as the $500 Stetson wardrobe.

- Next Wednesdays also sees the return of Ghost Hunters back for its sixth season and hundredth episode at 9:00 on Syfy where the boys hook up with their International counterparts and head out to Alcatraz looking for paranormal activity. Here is a preview:

Feed Your iPod vol. XLII: The Wanderer

Johnny Cash released his final album earlier this week (I assume) but due to my Olympic obsession I haven’t gotten around to give it a listen yet. So I thought I would highlight a song by Cash that some may have missed. The Wanderer is an odd song. Stuck at the end of U2’s eurotrash album Zooropa yet sung by the country icon who had been trolling in obscurity for most of the previous decade (the song was recorded a year before Cash hooked up with Rick Rubin that resurrected his career). And yet it all worked.

The Wanderer – U2 featuring Johnny Cash

Previewing Rules of Engagement

In a measure of full disclosure, it has been a while since I have seen an episode of Rules of Engagement, probably since the first season. And in its fourth season, it looks like I haven’t missed much. Patrick Warburton (The Tick) and Megyn Price (Grounded for Life) are still grumpily married, though are thinking about adding a kid to their equation. Oliver Hudson (Kate’s brother) and Bianca Kajlich (Boston Public) are still dating, though thinking about marriage. And David Spade (Joe Dirt) is still basically playing a version of himself.

The only change of sorts since the last time I watched is the addition of Adhir Kalyan (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) as abused Spade’s assistant. And the addition is a great one as he has some of the funniest bits on the show including the hilarious photoshopping of him into the title screen. His character has even started up his own website: TimmyStrikesBack.com with video and written blogs each week. For those that sympathize with Timmy can even upload your very own written and video content to the site.

Coming up this Monday on the season premiere, Warburton takes some advice from Spade to return some harmless flirting to a co-worker which naturally backfires. Much funnier is the next episode (airing 3/8) where it turns out Warburton has the same penchant of hitting the snooze button that I do to the dismay of Price. Also this season expect a guest spot from Jamie Pressly (Not Another Teen Movie). Rules of Engagement still isn’t the funniest show on television, but it is a better bridge from How I Met Your Mother to The Big Bang Theory than Accidently on Purpose, granted there is still the unfunny Two and a Half Men in-between.

Rules of Engagement airs Mondays at 8:30 on CBS. You can download Rules of Engagement on iTunes.

Let's Go Out to the Movies

It is hard to come up with any new post as most of my spare time over the past week has been devoted to watching curling, so I thought today I would quickly highlight some movies coming out over the next couple months I that I am looking forward to.

Hot Tub Time Machine


Not since Snakes on a Plane has a movie has been must see by its title along, but by this trailer it looks like the movie may be as entertaining as the Sam Jackson classic.

Kick-Ass


I do not believe I have been this excited for a Nick Cage movie since, well, this will be the first.

Get Him to the Greek


I was a little skeptical when I heard of a Forgetting Sarah Marshall spin off that didn’t feature Marshall Erikson or Veronica Mars, but this movie look watchable if only for the full Diddy scene. I cannot believe I just wrote that sentence.

She’s Out of my League


Okay, this is probably no going to be any good, but Alice Eve is certainly moderately attractive.

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXIV

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Giving up the Gun – Vampire Weekend



Sure the whole world is focused on Winter sports right now (and how the Americans went to Canada to upset the host nation last night), but Vampire Weekend are still stuck in the Hamptons mindset and featured tennis in their new video and who better than the RZA to be the referee. And as a tennis coach? Of course, Lil John, because he always tells the truth.


Maybe So, Maybe So – Mayer Hawthorne



Another summer pastime, instead of the thrilling snowboard cross, we get a leisurely skateboarding romp in the latest Mayer Hawthorne video.


Alice – Avril Lavigne



Straight from her ProActive commercial (seriously, how much money are they paying all these celebrities to go on television and say, “look how bad my skin used to be”) Avril Lavigne gets the theme to the new Alice in Wonderland movie. Considering his track record on reenvisioning (Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Willy Wonka) I am not sure why Tim Burton is going back to that well again considering how inventive his original ideas are.


The Only Exception – Paramore



Get your lighters ready, it’s a Paramore power ballad.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXVIII

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics: With all the success the U.S. team it having, it is depressing that our curling team started out to a combined 0-6. It got so bad that someone changed the Wikipedia page of skip John Shuster (who missed three straight game winning stones) calling him the biggest choke artist drawing inspiration from “Bill Buckner, Brad Lidge, Scott Norwood, and the city of Cleveland (hey now). He currently works as a quality control specialist for Toyota.” But them something happened and both went on a two game win streak and we have one man to thank for the turnaround: Vernon Davis. Yes, the San Francisco 49er Tight End. Apparently Davis took up the sport last year and was named honorary captain and once he arrived in Vancouver, American has not lost. If the woman end up getting knocked out of contention, I will be rooting for Germany if only for one reason: Melanie Robillard.



But today’s games will be all about hockey as we take on host Canada, both undefeated (with the USA with more points as Canada needed shootouts to beat the Swiss who we easily defeated) at 7:40 on MSNBC. I understand why NBC delegated hockey, but a game of this magnitude should get the main network treatment. Although considering everyone goes into the metal round, only the top four teams get a first round bye, and the winner will be guaranteed a bye (even with a loss, the U.S. could still do that). At least if there is a rematch in the gold medal match that will be on NBC next Sunday at 3:00.

Tool Academy: The guiltiest guilty pleasure is back and I cannot be happier. One the best moments on television is that moment when they reveal to everyone that that are actually on Tool Academy. And it is clear three seasons in; there are no shortages of Tool in America. The big news this season are there two female Tools this year (one straight, one lesbian) and the change actually makes things better as the Toolettes have to room with their male counterparts. And you have to wonder if girlfriends will want to put moves on the lone guy when they inevitably get fed up with their Tools. You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.

Greek: Sign me up for more Dale and Rebecca pairing. After one meeting of the mind Dale quits and I feared that might be the end of it. But thankfully he took the job back. I feel cheated that it took this long for them to figure out how to get Dale in the ZBZ house. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Lost: Sign me up for the buddy sitcom spin-off following Ben and Locke teaching at a middle school. But I guess it is clear that every week we are going to get a new Other in a flashsidways, so who is next: Zeke, One Eyed Willie, Ben’s daughter? And where are Faraday and his parents? Wll any of the Tailies show up? As for Locke’s flashsideways, did Peg Bundy really suggest his dad attend their wedding? Did Locke forgive his father or did he no longer push him out the window. And if so, how did Locke get in the wheelchair? Of course, the time for questions is over!

Back on the island, Smokey is apparently trying to recruit people to help him get off the island. Though I am not entirely sure why he is going about it the way he is. He knocks out Richard just to let him go. Then he brings Sawyer to some cave just to make an “inside joke.” Then we learn what is with the numbers, except we have no clue as to why the Dharma Initiative co-opted them. And “Jacob likes numbers” may go down as the lamest answer Lost ever gives us. And that is saying a lot. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: How can the Heroes be that bad at puzzles? That is two big leads they lost in consecutive weeks. And both times they were nowhere near to being close to winning. And I cannot remember would said it, but I agree the show may benefit by taking a page out of Mark Burnett’s other show, Celebrity Apprentice and go to two hours. I’ve noticed that they have been combining reward and immunity challenges lately and two hours would give them plenty of time to do both. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.