57 Channels and Only This Is On - 4/23/11

The Killing: Sterling being the girl in the video seemed like a bit of a cop-out. Shouldn’t the detectives have figured that out that it wasn’t Rosie’s with a simple blood test? Isn’t that forensics 101? You can download The Killing on iTunes.

Chuck: From the moment Chuck proposed, my first thought was, “great, now they can bring back Gary Cole” and finally he showed back up in Burbank this week. And the episode did not disappoint unless you count at the hints that Gary may actually miss the wedding itself. And are we ever going to learn what is going on with Sarah’s mother? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

The Event: Come next month at the Upfronts, this will the episode I look back on and give an indifferent shug when the show does not show up on NBC’s schedule. Seriously, Hal Holbrooke after pulling the strings all season, put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. What the frack? Random character deaths are one of the many things that ruined Lost. I officially no longer care about this show. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Event on iTunes.

Parenthood: No show on television has a higher tears to laughs ratio than Parenthood. It seemed like I was alternated between the two every five minutes of the finale. With Friday Night Lights ending the season, Parenthood has to return next year. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Survivor: Redemption Island: Still waiting for something interesting to happen. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Modern Family: Back in college I worked as rock climbing belayer for a week and actually had a guy about the size of Cameron walk in and needless to say I was not thrilled to have to spot him. Thankfully the guy did not make it more than two feet off the ground, but when he fell, it shot me about four feet off the ground. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Justified: Uh oh, things between the Bennetts and Gibbons just got escalated. But is Raylan really going to take away two of Mag’s sons from her? Should make a great next episode. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Justified on iTunes.

Community: While watching the final season of Fresh Prince of Bel Air (see my review: You’re Moving in with You Auntie and Uncle in Bel Air) I was treated to a blooper show, but I wondered where a proper clip show was. Of course Community had to take the clip show and flip it on its head by only featuring clips that never actually aired. R.I.P. The Cape. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: When I first saw Luke take out the other quarterback in the season premiere, my first thought was back to the Pilot with Jason Street and I am a bit surprised that was never touched on so far. Was the person that took Street out suspended? And Like how Becky was glad someone cared enough about her to be angry that she stayed out too late. It is about time something went right for that girl. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

Best of the Week - 4/22/11

Quote of the Week: Wait! I think I hear future Lily sending us a message from her stripper pole. Thanks gay-dad dads; this dance is for you! (Cameron, Modern Family)

Song of the Week: Hard Times Come Again No More – Brett Dennen (Parenthood)

Big News of the Week: Weird Al Has a New Subject: Something fishy went on in the world of "Weird Al" Yankovic this week. Early Wednesday Al posted an extremely lengthy post on his website detailing the run around Lady GaGa gave him as he tried to get her approval to parody her Born This Way (permission by law he does not even need but does out of respect of the artist) only to reject his Perform This Way which Al then uploaded to YouTube for everyone to hear since we would not get it on his next album. Wouldn’t you know after a day of bad press, Gaga throws her manager under the bus saying she never rejected the song and now give full permission for Al to give it a proper release. Alrighty. Although given the song a lesson, it may have been for the best, because Perform This Way is not his strongest parody. Give the song a listen for yourself:



Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: 20 Years - The Civil Wars (Amazon MP3): The more I hear from this duo, the more it makes me want to find more. If you liked the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss album but wished they made more music together, you will want to check out The Civil Wars yourself, starting with this free track.

Deal of the Week: Seed Your Cloud: Amazon is continuing to deeply discount great ablums to announce their new Cloud and you can get albums by The Avett Brothers, Drive By Truckers, Jay-Z and The Black Crowes or under four dollars.

New Album Release of the Week: Layla and Other Love Songs [Super Deluxe 4CD, 2LP, DVD] - Derek and the Dominos

New DVD Release of the Week: Growing Pains: Complete Second Season

Video of the Week: I have distaste for crappy talent competitions so I will not be tuning into The Voice this Tuesday at 9:00, but I am intrigued by the competition aspect of the “mentor” picking their singers to compete against the other ones. But at the end of the day it is just dudes singing karaoke. But on the other hand, this happened:



Next Week Pick of the Week: NFL Draft, Thursday at 8; Friday at 6; Saturday at Noon on ESPN: During the Super Bowl, the NFL likes to run a commercial saying everyone is undefeated tomorrow. This gives fans of perennial bad teams a sense of optimism for a couple months. That optimism usually ends draft day when the offseason gets kick started. After a great draft last year and Peyton Hillis on the cusp of being the first player voted onto the Madden cover (EA Sports would not actually let dog killer Michael Vick win right?) things are looking up for my Browns. Of course that is they actually play any games in 2011.

Around the Tubes - 4/21/11

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 Cinema Verite, Talking Funny, Treme, Svetlana, Authur, Neverland, Joan Rivers, Drew Carey's Improv-a-Ganza, Iron Chef, Hawaii Five-0, and Planet and the Planeteers.

- An American Family is a bit before my time, but the PBS show was one of the earliest reality shows back in 1973 and this Saturday at 9:00 HBO is revisiting the show with Cinema Verite staring Diane Lane and Tim Robbins as the Louds while James Gandolfini as the show’s producer. In the trailer below I also spied Justified’s Loretta as the Louds youngest daughter.



- For more on Cinema Verite, check out a piece in this week’s The New Yorker where Laurie Winer talks with the show’s original director Craig Gilbert.

- Also premiering this weekend on HBO is their new special Talking Funny featuring Louis C.K. Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock talking about their craft Friday at 9:00. Below is a teaser:



Rounding out the weekend of HBO premieres is the second season of Treme on Sunday at 10:00 for an eleven episode run.

- In other premiere news, the second season of HDNet’s Svetlana returns Wednesday at 8:00.

- With Earth Day tomorrow PBS Kids Go!’s Arthur will be celebrating with five brand new episodes. Check your local listings for times.

- Syfy’s latest childhood story reimagining for the holidays will be that of Peter Pan. The four hour Neverland will be a prequel to the J.M. Barrie and will even see the return of Bob Hopkins to the fictional place while Keira Knightley will get everyone to believe in fairies as Tinkerbnell. Here is a teaser:



- The immortal Joan Rivers recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to talk her Fashion Police and Charlie Sheen.

- Drew Carey’s Improv-a-Gaza is still airing nightly on GSN and if you need some incentive to watch, the network has launched Drew’s Clues and Watch and Win sweepstakes where you can win a daily prize from now until June 3 of a trip for two to MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Head over to GSNTV for rules and to enter.

- For those interested in who will be competing on the next episode of the Iron Chef, head over to Guide Posts to meet the Paleys.

- Though not officially renewed yet, fans of Hawaii Five-0 can breathe a little better knowing that TNT recently acquired the off-network rights to the show, which should make it a lock for a sophomore season. Those that missed the show the first time around can expect TNT to start airing the first season in 2014. Mark your calendars now (assuming the Mayans were not right about the world ending next year).

- Just a remainder, Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Season 1 was released earlier this week just in time for Earth Day tomorrow.

Don't Call it a Comeback vol. V: The Cardigans

It seems like once a week I am listening to my iTunes library and I hear a song that makes me go, this artist really needs a comeback. So I thought I would start a new feature here on the 9th Green highlighting an artist that really needs to reenter the public consciousness. The only criterion is that the artist hasn’t had a legitimate hit in over a decade.

Due for a Comeback: The Cardigans

Biggest Hit: Lovefool



Last Hit: My Favorite Game (1996)

Where Are They Now: Though ignored stateside for most of the last decade, the band’s last three albums went to number one in their native Sweden as they have recorded off and on since breaking here. Lead singer Nina Persson has released two solo albums, the last in 2009. The band has been on a break since 2007.

Why the World Needs a The Cardigans Comeback: Because bubblegum pop has been unbearably bad for the past decade. Ironically I didn’t care for that fluffy sound for the first thirty seconds I heard Lovefool when it came on the work radio station. But that changed quickly when a moderately attracted co-worker of mine (that I would have a very short fling with later until she decided to become a hippy) shrieked with joy over how she loved the song. If Lovefool was you first experience with the band, I recommend you go and hunt down Carnival (it should be in the Key Tracks, but it is currently missing from Amazon MP3, but it is on iTunes). But The Cardigans were bubblegum pop with an extra bit of bite to it (they were heavy metal fans who covered Iron Man), just listen to the extra crunch in Been It. After their breakout album in America filled with sugary goodness, the band took a turn for the dark for their follow up which loss them there bubblegum fans ironically just at a time when bubblegum exploded on the radio with the Spice Girls and Britney Spears. It is a shame Gran Turismo lost the band some fans because it was still worth a listen and My Favorite Game deserved to be as big as Lovefool. And just in case their sound did not change drastic enough between those two albums, the next one, Long Gone Before Daylight, had a country tinge to it.

You’re Moving with Your Auntie and Uncle in Bel Air

Back in middle school there was a trifecta of shows that were required watching or there would be nothing for you to talk about the next day in class: The Simpsons, In Living Color and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. We all started watching the latter because D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince imparted the greatest one-two pearls of wisdom you can bestow on a pre-teen: 1) Parents just don’t understand and 2) Girls ain’t nothing but trouble. Now we can all reminiscent about those days with all six season of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
now available, own it on DVD starting today.

As the Fresh Prince of Bel Air entered its final season just as Will Smith the comic rapper was transitioning into Will Smith the action hero as the season started just months after Bad Boys became a worldwide smash, and ended just weeks before he became the king of the July 4th weekend with the release of Independence Day. And transition was the theme of the sixth season: Carlton spends the season trying to get into his father’s alter mater Princeton, Hilary has her new talk show, the appropriately titled Hilary, Ashley is trying to get into the New York School of Performing Arts, Uncle Phil thinks about transition his work on a Hollywood Madam trial into a political career, and even Geoffrey transitions into being a dad after learning of a grown son. All this leaves Will in flux to figure out his own life.

What is always great about watching (or re-watching) old television shows is spotting stars that were not as famous as they are today like the post Saturday Night Live, pre-Bring the Pain Chris Rock who shows up in a dress. And who remembers that Cousin Ashley once dated Steve Urkel? Michael Clarke Duncan shows up in one of his first acting roles. Will and Carlton went on a double date with Castle’s Tamala Jones and The Jamie Foxx Show’s Garcelle Beauvais. Zachery Ty Bryan stopped pestering Tim Allen long enough to harass Carlton. Duane Martin, currently palling around with Paul Riser, was delivering babies on the set of Hilary. And there were plenty of big names stopping by the final season too including Jay Leno, Joan Van Ark, William Shatner, Wayne Newton, B.B. King, Richard Roundtree (in his second appearance on the show with a different character), and of course D.J. Jazzy Jeff shows up a few times as Jazz. Dick Clark also shows up for a bloopers episode (remember when sitcom had these, now there are reserved for DVD sets). And if you didn’t see, or just forget, telling you the sitcom luminaries that show up, in their best known characters, for the series finale would be too spoilery.

The season 6 DVD features all twenty-four episodes on three disks, but for fans of bonus content, sadly there is none to be found. Here is a synopsis:

It’s a rap: the final season! The Fresh Prince’s reign is over. Will Smith and the rest of the hilarious cast take their final bows with all 24 Season 6 Episodes on 3 Discs. A lot’s happened since Will’s life got flipped, turned upside down and he showed up at the Banks’s Bel-Air doorstep. And the final season keeps the fun rollin’ to the very end with hip comedy style, phat one-liners, a not-to-be-missed blooper episode, and guest stars that include William Shatner, B.B. King, Dick Clark, Richard Roundtree, Wayne Newton and – in a standout turn – Chris Rock as an on-the-rise comic and his butt-ugly sister. Any guess who ends up as Will’s date for a night for dancin’ and (ugh) romancin’? You go, Will!

Full Disclosure Notice: This DVD was given to me on behalf of Warner Bros. for the purpose of reviewing the season.

Feed Your iPod vol. LVIII: White Blank Page

Over the past year, very few acts have very much staying power on the album charts beside Justin Beiber (of course it is easier when you release four albums in that time). The only other act is the antithesis of Beiber: Mumford and Sons. For those that still have not yet caught on to English lads it is time to jump on the bandwagon. A bandwagon that recently welcomed Taylor Swift who performed the band’s deep cut White Blank Page. The country starlet turned the passionate song and turns it into a subdued ode of yearning. Both are worth a listen.

White Blank Page – Mumford and Sons




White Blank Page – Taylor Swift

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 4/17/11

The Killing: Wow, that video popping up was shocking. It does help my case that the dad could be involved, getting rid of Rosie maybe to cover up such a video from getting out. You can download The Killing on iTunes.

Chuck: I am a little surprised the show didn’t go full Hannibal Lecher and wheel Volcoff in with the mask on. But this show has been much more fun this season (with the exception of the C.A.T. Squad) with Timothy Dalton on the screen. Great scenes with him and the gun runners and the chess bit. It is a shame he did not escape. Hopefully with Vivian having the weapon, they will have to wheel him back in a couple more times before the end of the season. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: As entertaining as Graduation Goggles was, the longer Jennifer Morrison sticks around, the bigger a drag she becomes. Hopefully next week is the break up episode because it is time for her to go. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

Castle: Finally my theory of the most recognizable guest actor as the killer did not come to fruition because I had Erik Palladino pegged from the moment he popped up on screen. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes.

Parenthood: I was surprised to look at the description for next week to see it is already the season finale. Even though we got ten extra episodes this season, it doesn’t feel like it should be over all ready. And it should be a great one with the Braverman’s coping with Amber’s accident. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Survivor: Redemption Island: Thank goodness there were two eliminations this week because watching the slow decimation of the old Zapatera tribe. Hopefully someone on the old Ometepe tribe comes up with a big play soon because this is becoming excruciating to watch. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Justified: Somewhat of a filler episode. We did get a great scene between Raylan and Art, but everything else seemed to be a transition to the stretch run of the season. But it was nice to see Herc up and walking again. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Justified on iTunes.

Community: You really cannot go wrong with a good Veronica Mars reference. It is about time the pop culture junkies on the show finally gave her a shout out. Speaking of which, when is Community going to get around to making a noir episode? You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Outsourced: I remember when I got my palms read back in college and how we made fun of it the whole time. But the chick did say I had a long life line and I am still alive, so she had that going for her. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Outsourced on iTunes.

For those looking for my thoughts on the Friday Night Lights return, I wrote about them back when it premiered on DirecTV, check them out at First Impressions: Friday Night Lights: The Final Season.

Also check out my Preview of Happy Endings.