Best of the Week vol. LII

Quote of the Week: She also designed the iconic red and black jacket in Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, which I’ve never viewed in its entirety as I find zombies dancing in choreographed synchronicity implausible. And also it’s very scary. (Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory)

Song of the Week: (Expletive Deleted) You – Cee Lo Green (No Ordinary Family)



Big News of the Week: Get Ready for the Ryan Bowl: This season I just hoped the Browns would get blown out in every game. We managed to put a string of wins together at the end of last season because the Mangenius realized that Josh Cribbs was the best player on the team so maybe they should give him more touches. Coming in this season I was hoping for the team to at least be competitive in games with maybe six or seven because the Jake Delhomme / Seneca Wallace was a slight upgrade from Derek Anderson / Brady Quinn tandem. Then they both got hurt with just one win to show for in five games.

Then the Colt McCoy era started. You really could not pick a worse situation to start your career, on the road in Pittsburg against the returning Ben Roethlisberger (who got his suspension reduced because he managed to go without raping anyone for four weeks straight), and yet put up a valiant fight giving us Browns fan the most hope since Bernie Kosar wore the jersey. And if that wasn’t bad enough start, his next two games he had to go toe to toe against two Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks. And he outplayed them both, granted the defense beat the Saints and Peyton Hillis (thanks Denver for thinking he was a good trade for Quinn; finally some cosmic retribution for The Drive) beat the Patriots.

Which leads us to this week, going into this four game stretch, it was clearly the hardest four game string any team had to play this season and we could possibly go 3-1. And if knocking out three Super Bowl contenders in as many games wasn’t enough, there are plenty of storylines that NBC may have wished the flex schedule was in effect this week (well maybe if they didn’t already have Steelers vs. Patriots). Twins Rex (Jets head coach) and Rob (Browns defensive coordinator) going at each other (hunt down Rex’s recent press confress where he dresses up like his brother if you have not already), the Mangenius going against the team that fired him, Braylon “Brick Hands” Edwards going against the team and fans that could not wait to drop him like he does footballs, and rookie quarterback McCoy vs. sophomore Mark Sanchez. I do not think I have been more excited for a football game since the Browns returned.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Video of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: Blue Suede Shoes (Viva Elvis) - Elvis Presley (iTunes): Elvis recently got his own Circ de Soil show and this is a version that is featured in the show.

Deal of the Week: 202 Blu-Ray's Under $10 (Office Space, 3:10 to Yuma, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog)

New CD Release of the Week: ...Featuring Norah Jones

New DVD Release of the Week: Avatar (Three-Disc Extended Collector's Edition + BD-Live) [Blu-ray]

Video of the Week: Ever few years two movie studio decide to release the exact some movie within months of each other whether it be about volcano, asteroids or animated bug. There were even dueling reality spring break movies. 2011 will be the year of casual sex with two trailers hitting the interwebs this week. Friends with Benefits stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis which is described “The story centers around two professionals who meet but are too busy to find a mate. They agree to have an intimate relationship with no strings attached. Things get complicated when the guy falls for the girl, who’s dating someone else.” It is scheduled to be released July 22. No Strings Attached stars Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman (I guess she needed something more embarrassing on her resume than the Wal-Mart baby one) which is described as “This film is about two people a woman named Emma Franklin and Adam Kurtzman who try to have a emotionally free sexual relationship, but they have a revelation of wanting more in a relationship.” It has the jump on the other movie as it is currently set to hit theaters January 21. And don’t forget NBC has a sitcom set for midseason also titled Friends with Benefits. Below are the trailers so you can decide which one you want to avoid more.

Friends with Benefits – Red Band Trailer


No Strings Attached Trailer


Next Week Pick of the Week: Glory Daze, Tuesday at 10:00 on TBS: For those that saw my list of The Best New Shows of Fall 2010 you may have noticed I snuck on a show that had not even debuted yet, Glory Daze which I called the funniest original show ever on TBS (sorry Outback Jack) and better than the similarly theme ABC Family show Greek (though not as good as similarly period piece Everybody Hates Chris). Be on the lookout for my full review of the show later this week and be sure to come back Monday for my eighties-tastic Lyrics Quiz in honor of the show’s debut.

Around the Tubes vol. LXXIV

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 Great Migrations, J.J. Abrams, Bored to Death, Skins, Harry Potter, The West Wing, Christmas in Washington, and The Hasselhoffs.

- In a story I broke last week, the National Geographic Channel has a new special event Great Migrations which will continue this week with Feast or Famine at 8:00 on Sunday with Race to Survive on right after that. Below is a clip of Jellyfish Lake which I mentioned earlier in my Preview of Great Migrations:



- I would argue he never had it, but The Daily Beast thinks J.J. Abrams lost his Midas touch.

- The season finale of of Bored to Death is this Sunday at 10:00 following Boardwalk Empire on HBO. Here is a preview:



- MTV is finally getting back into the scripted television game after such notable shows like Dead at 21 and Undressed. Coming early next year to the former music television is a remake of the controversial British show Skins. Controversial is the key, so be warned before checking out the below promo titled Lick This:

Skins - MTV Shows

- For those that need a refresher of what has happened to Harry Potter before the premiere of the Deathly Hollows, the first five movies will be available this month On Demand from your cable or satalitte provider or for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, XBOX and PlayStation and other online digital retailers.

- For the grownups out there, there is The West Wing which is now available to download for the first time in high definition. Get all seven season on iTunes or Amazon Video on Demand.

- Its that time again where it is time to drag out all the Christmas decoration and TNT is celebrating the season again this year with Christmas in Washington. Ellen DeGeneres will be handling the hosting duties this year with performances by Mariah Carey, Maxwell, Annie Lennox, Miranda Cosgrove, and Matthew Morrison. Mark your calendars for Friday December 17 at 8:00.

- And just when you thought they ran out of subjects for new reality shows: The Hasselhoffs premiering December 5 on A&E.

I Guess He’s an X-Box and I’m More Atari

I always viewed Cee Lo Green as a novelty. He was the weird troll looking dude in the eccentric rap group Goodie Mob, who managed to make OutKast seem normal in comparison. He went on to make weird RnB music on his solo work. And lest us not forget his cameo of daddy dearest on an episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen (um, not that I watched the show, I just heard he was on it). I never took notice of him as a credible artist until he hooked up with Danger Mouse for two ambitiously great albums under the moniker Gnarls Barkley. Even after that success, when I heard he was recording a new solo album, I thought, yawn, wake me up when he’s back to recording with Danger Mouse.

Then I caught wind of the name of his first single off The Lady Killer, the unapologeticly titled (Expletive Deleted) You. Despite the title, the song turned out to be no novelty song which was debuted with a viral video the featured the song lyrics scrolled across a fluorescently colored background. Not only was the song no novelty, it was the most infectious song released since his own Crazy, and also featured the greatest sing-a-long chorus that you wouldn’t dare sing in front of your mother since Closer wanted to (expletive deleted) you like an animal.

Much like his work with Gnarls Barkley, it is hard to classify The Lady Killer; is it Retro-Soul? Psychedelic RnB? Experimental Pop? Whatever you try to label it, it is highly entertaining. The biggest risk on the album may be his cover of the psychedelic pop rock of Band of Horses where Green turns up the beat on No One’s Gonna Love You and turns it into a solid gold gem.

Other stand out tracks included the disco themed Bright Lights, Bigger City which I will blindly believe was inspired by the awesome Michael J. Fox movie of the similar name. Love Gun may be the best James Bond theme song never written (the bookends to the album has Cee-Lo throwing his hat in the ring to be Agent 008). Satisfied is a Stax horn infused that will leave you like the title suggests thanks to a sixties girl group style chorus. Then Old Fashioned is just that and could have fit in nicely when Teddy Pendergrass and Curtis Mayfield were belting out RnB classics. With that all said, how about another Gnarls Barkley album by next year?

Song to Download – (Expletive Deleted) You

The Lady Killer gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

The Best New Shows of Fall 2010

It seems like every other year, most people are complaining about how bad the new crop of shows are, and after the big buzz last year around Modern Family, Glee and Vampire Diaries, this year follows that tend with a dud of a season. Before we even went to the polls to vote in the midterm elections, we had already voted Lone Star and My Generation off our television with Outlaw and Undercovers joining the scrap heap once NBC burns off their remaining episodes. Thankfully cable saved us from the network slop with a few shows to talk about. Like I do every year, I invited some television blog buddies to help me compile a list, then take their votes, send them overseas, and this is the list that was sent back from India along with places where you can stream or download if you would like to catch up:

1. The Walking Dead (AMC) Hulu - iTunes

Sandie of Daemon’s TV says: It's on AMC, it has zombies in it, but it's really about the human condition. What's not to love?

Kim of TV Screener says: Totally not into the vampire or zombie thing in general, but this is just entertaining TV.

2. Raising Hope (Fox) Hulu – iTunes

Vance of Tapeworthy says: The crassest new show also has the most heart. Plus Martha Plimpton is simply amazing.

Kim says: It has the same mix of quirky humor and heart that made My Name Is Earl good, and it has the cutest baby I've ever seen on TV.

3. Terriers (FX) Hulu – Terriers

Scooter of the 9th Green says: Some people like to say that AMC is the best network on basic cable, but with Sons of Anarchy, Justified, Rescue Me and now Terriers, I’d rather tune into FX.

4. Blue Bloods (CBS) CBS.com – iTunes

5. Hellcats (The CW) CWTV.com - iTunes

Doug of the 9th Green says: Everyone loves a good guilty pleasure. Is better than a show about college cheerleading should be.

6. Outsourced (NBC) Hulu – iTunes

Vance says: Started off terribly, but improving along nicely.

7. Luther (BBC America) iTunes

8. Sherlock (BBC/PBS) iTunes

Sandie says: A modern Sherlock Holmes from the brilliant mind of Steven Moffat = Must See Television.

9. Glory Daze (TBS)

Scooter says: This is the funniest original show ever on TBS (sorry Outback Jack) and better than the similarly theme ABC Family show Greek (though not as good as similarly period piece Everybody Hates Chris).

10. No Ordinary Family (ABC) Hulu - iTunes

Doug says: Great concept but poor execution. I'm sticking with it for 1 reason only: Michael Chiklis

Also receiving votes: Nikita, The Big C, The Event, Tower Prep, Better with You, The Defenders, Detroit 1-8-7, IRT: Deadliest Roads


And in a measure of full disclosure, here is my list:

1. Terriers – Some people like to say that AMC is the best network on basic cable, but with Sons of Anarchy, Justified, Rescue Me and now Terriers, I’d rather tune into FX.

2. The Walking Dead – Suck it whiny vampires, this is the decade of zombies.

3. Glory Daze – This is the funniest original show ever on TBS (sorry Outback Jack) and better than the similarly theme ABC Family show Greek (though not as good as similarly period piece Everybody Hates Chris).

4. The Event – After being burned by the Lost finale just months before, I gave this show an episode by episode trial run and keeps me engrossed enough without annoying me.

5. Outsourced – I am still waiting until the show hits its stride, the elements are there, and once it does it would be one of the funniest shows on television.

Previewing Inside the State Department

The Secretary of State is a relatively thankless job. How many of them can you name that served more than a decade ago beside Henry Kissinger? Well you should be able be name more that that as the position used to be a stepping stone to the president like out very first Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson. Last year Hilary Clinton became the sixty-seventh to head the State Department.

Tonight the National Geographic Channel takes you Inside the State Department tonight at 9:00 for a week that will take Clinton and her team from the UN General Assembly in New York City to Pakistan to Afghanistan, as well as unplanned stops in Abu Dhabi, Israel and Egypt. You will see just how much work in keeping the person fourth in line to the presidency safe from outside attacks. We also get to go inside the bunker that house all the gift in consideration to give to foreign dignitaries donated from various American including painting, jewelry, and a signed bat from Derek Jeter. Check out the clip below featuring Clinton at a town hall meeting in Pakistan just days after a bomb killed a hundred people:

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CLV

Chuck: I really did not see that plot twist coming. I actually like the bumbling James Bond act and not once did it cross m mind that he would turn out to be Volkoff. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: It has become pretty clear that Jennifer Morrison doesn’t have the best comic timing ever, the only problem is that the show already has too many of those type of actors on the show (*cough* Robin *cough*). You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

Sons of Anarchy: Rember when they started to repeat Lost with the Pop Up Video bubbles ton tell you what was going on? I think I need that for this show. I am really having a trouble remembering who’s who in Dublin and why exactly why they are doing what they are doing. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.

Survivor: Nicaragua: I wonder when there is an obvious two people on the chopping like there was this week, those two will team up and try to get someone else out? When Alina (who thankfully made it to the jury so we can still see her every week) ask Fabio to vote for Marty and he said NaOnka, I thought to myself, why doesn’t Alina team up with Fabio, grab Marty and go after NaOnka? At the very least you could flush out the idol. Also this week we learned why they have never given Benry any screen yet. Dirt squirrel? This may be the most unlikeable cast since Thailand. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Modern Family: Finally our first Dylan sighting of the season, and too bad he was only in one scene. And just how many smoke detectors do the Dunphy’s have? Shouldn’t two be enough, one upstairs, one downstairs? One in every room seems excessive. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



The Challenge: Cutthroat: Nothing like a serious iunjury to make something like someone doing a face plant on the water to make it much less funny. I was loving them at the beginning but after Chet had to be taken to the hospital, whenever someone did that all I could think was I hope they were not hurt. Okay, Ty at The Gulag was still pretty funny. You can stream recent episodes on MTV.com. You can also download The Challenge: Cutthroat on iTunes.

The Big Bang Theory: Aw, good call back to the time Howard crashed the Mars Lander to impress a chick (which, if I am not mistaken, Leonard actually stole from him. And it was of course good to see Penny back, matching wits with Sheldon and he tries to drink his sorrows away.

Also check out my First Impressions of The Walking Dead and Friday Night Lights.