57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. XV

Quote of the Week: Is that The Office? Have you ever seen it? It’s so good. Actually, I don’t know if you would really like it. It’s very talky. (Shelley, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: City of Blinding Light - U2 (Barack Obama Campaign Theme Song)

Big News of the Week: Networks Bringing Back Long Forgotten Reality Shows: This past week saw the return of American Gladiators and the strike may have giving a returning The Apprentice a stay of execution. But it looks like they will have company in the “wait, why are they bringing that back” category. ABC is resurrecting both The Mole, last seen in 2004, and The Bachelorette, not seen since 2005. And apparently there is something called MyNetwork TV that is resurrecting Paradise Hotel (2003) and Meet My Folks (2002). Granted if really were my network they would be bringing back Veronica Mars, Wonderfalls and Arrested Development. Or at least watchable reality shows like Project Greenlight or Rich Girls (remember the MTV show with Tommy Hilfiger’s daughter? No? Am I the only one who watched?). But even with all this crappy reality television hitting the airwaves, I still want the strike to continue indefinitely because once it ends, someone is going to write The A-Team: The Movie starring Ice Cube. I wish I were joking.

In scripted news, my sources (no seriously, I have sources) tell me that Battlestar Galactica will be returning April 4th with ten new episodes. In other Sci-Fi Channel news, a new season of Ghost Hunters returns March 5th at 9:00.


Coalition Links of the Week:

Buzz celebrated pop culture prom week. (BuzzSugar)
Sandie interviewed April Matson, who plays Lori Trager on ABC Family's Kyle XY. (Daemon's TV)
Liz finally got around to watching (and inevitably falling in love with) Dexter. (Glowy Box)
Think your job is bad sometimes? Marcia listed the worst workplaces on television. (Pop Vultures)
Four years, six months, and two days later Rae falls for One Tree Hill again. (RTVW)
Vance preferred Cashmere Mafia over Lipstick Jungle but both are inferior replacements to the strike affected favorites currently ending by default. (Tapeworthy
Jace's fiancee, the future Mrs. Televisionary, offers up reasons why Jace should XOXO Gossip Girl. (Televisionary)
Dan's reflections on Project Runway include: Victorya is no Chloe and Kevin's ouster was unjust. (TiFaux)
Jennifer was beyond "psyched" to chat with the boys of Psych. (Tube Talk)
Kate calculated odds for who will be the next Bachelorette. (TV Filter)
Daniel attended the Launch Party for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and was thrilled to meet one of the stars from the show responsible for his unhealthy television addiction (theTVaddict)


New Hampshire Primaries: With the writer’s strike there really isn’t much to watch in primetime that all these debates and results. Granted there hasn’t been anything on network television on Tuesdays since Veronica Mars unceremoniously ended. But anyways. Tuesday’s results were a classic case of good new/bad new. The good being John McCain destroying Mitt Romney with Rudy Giuliani pulling in Ron Paul type numbers. The horribly bad was Hilary Clinton somehow managing to pull out a win.

How she won was the talk of all the pundits this week, more so on how the poll got it so wrong, they typically blamed those being polled on lying or pollsters leaving before the polls closed. But no one I have seen has pointed out the two most likely causes. First, polls are not perfect. Let me give you a little statistics lesson: when you see a poll that says it has a margin off error of ±5% that means that there is 90% chance that the true number is within five more or less than the percentage. That means there is a 10% chance that it isn’t. And it is not like New Hampshire is the first time exit polls have been proven wrong, anyone remember Florida 2000?

With that said, something seems extremely fishy, as much as I hate polls, I have never seen a 15% swing like we had this week and someone should be looking into the votes being rigged, a more likely result than the polls being this wrong. The mainstream media has completely dropped the ball on this one. Of course maybe the Clinton momentum will be slowed down after her statements about Martin Luther King Jr. this past week because they were racist simple and plain (mother (expletive deleted) her and John Wayne) and showed to the whole world that Hilary Clinton Doesn’t Care About Black Puppets.

Just some insight into the 57 Channels segments, I typically write my thoughts that night or the following day about the shows. The above was written Wednesday and then Friday saw this headline: Kucinich asks for New Hampshire recount. In the article resident nutjob Dennis Kucinich said there were significant differences in districts that hand counted, that favored Barack Obama, and the machine ones that went to Clinton. Not so coincidentally there have been recent reports on how easily the voting machines can be hacked into.


My Name Is Earl: Nothing like a Christmas episode in January. Seriously, NBC couldn’t cram this in last year but replacing a The Office repeat? But anyways. It is nice to see evil Earl every once in a while. But I really hope the chick from Who’s the Boss doesn’t stick around too long. Check out the latest episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download My Name Is Earl on iTunes.


Republican South Carolina Debates: Wow that was boring. It is getting to the point that I know exactly how a candidate will answer once I heard the questions because they just keep on repeating the same thing. I think for the next couple debates I am going to start a new drinking game, whenever a Republican mentions Regan or a Democrat mentions change, take a shot. Take a double whenever Giuliani mentions 9/11 or Clinton says something racist.


Friday Night Lights: An odd week this week. The main storyline of the sister in law imposing seemed to be off. She was asked to move in to help with Gracie and the last two weeks they tried to portray her as someone who just showed up looking for a place to stay for a couple weeks. The Smash and the recruiters came back out of the blue after not talking about it for a while. And I have to cringe whenever they even hint at the meth dude. It was also interesting that Landry’s dad got more screen time than Landry got. And when did he become so tight with Buddy that they are sitting next to each other at the game? Check out the latest episodes over at NBC.com.


For the observant people, you may have notice the ad on the sidbar offering free Lost recap and preview videos through iTunes. For those that missed it, click the banner below to get your free videos:



Promo of the Week: Ask a regular person on the street how many Bring it On movies there are and I doubt you will find many who will say more than one. Yet the frachinse is on its fourth already. They lucked out on three by having the cheerleader from Heroes in what I think was the last film she filmed before landing the role of Claire. No such luck in the latest instalment as the closest thing to a star is the sister of one of the chicks from High School Musical. For those that are interesting of watching all four movies in a row, ABC Family is having a Bring it On a Thon next Sunday, January 20th capping off at 8:00 the most recent one Bring it On: In it to Win It. Here’s a promo:



Next Week’s Pick: Kyle XY, Monday at 8:00 on ABC Family: You can read my thoughts on the episode here: Previewing Kyle XY and of course you still have a couple days to enter the Contest to Win Kyle XY Season 1 DVD.

Previewing Kyle XY

Last we saw of Kyle and the crew back in September, Jessi had just taken all the information in Kyle’s head and promptly jumped off a cliff, we learned Adam Baylin is still alive, the Tragers started to piece together all the weird things Kyle has done, and Amanda was getting ready to go to a music program. Of course if you want to review the whole last episode that aired, you can download Leap of Faith for free on iTunes. And of course if you want to review the whole first season, check out my Kyle XY DVD Giveaway. As for the second season, ABC Family is running a marathon this Monday.

And of course Monday also sees the midseason premiere of Kyle XY, To C.I.R. with Love. The episode opens right where they left of with Kyle looking over the cliff that Jessi just jump from. Did she survive the jump? Well you will have to watch, but you get a definitive answer about half way through the episode. Here are some other things you can expect on Monday:

Warning: Mild Spoilers Ahead

- Kyle fills in the gap to the Tragers of what is going on.

- Kyle goes after MadaCorp during their open house.

- As you can tell by the title of the episode, the C.I.R. machine makes an appearance.

- Lori decides to go after the first cute boy she sees.

- Andy makes an appearance.

- Josh gives us way too much information.

- There seems to be a new boss at MadaCorp.

- Somebody leaves town (but maybe not who you think).

- We learn the name of the girl in the picture at the diner (who looks like Jessi) and who took the picture.

End Spoilers

Below is a promo for the next episode and don’t forget to enter my Kyle XY Contest before it ends next Friday the 18th.

Contest: Win Kyle XY on DVD

Scooter Note: This contest is over. Congratulations to Doug from New Jersey. Be sure to check back later for other contests.

For those that may not have gotten all they wanted for Christmas, I have one more present to give away that may make things better. In honor of the return of Kyle XY a week from today, Monday, January 14, 2008 at 8/7c (which is preceded by an all day marathon), I have a prize package to away that includes (for an idea of feautures such as bonus features and track lists, or just want to buy now click the links):

- Kyle XY 1.x on DVD

- Kyle XY Soundtrack

- Kyle XY 2008 Calendar

This is a perfect post Christma gift for any Kyle XY fan or any TV fan that needs something new to watch to get through the writer’s strike. Now you know what you will be getting, here are the two ways you can enter (you can enter two times, once each way):

1. We are a week or so into the New Year, what is your resolution for 2008?

2. Mention and link this contest on a blog or message board. (Any link must be posted at least 48 hours before the conclusion of the contest and only one link per message board or blog; feel free to use the badge to the right).

You can e-mail your entries to ScooterKSU(at)aol(dot)com (subject: Kyle XY). If you link the contest, make sure you let me know you did in your e-mail where so you get credited with an entry. You may enter the contest twice (once each way). The contest ends Friday, January 18 at 11:59 PM EST. The winner will be picked at random from all eligible entries and will be contacted shortly after. Also this contest is only open to people with shipping addresses in the Untied States.


Enough with the legal mumbo jumbo, I have actually seen the midseason premiere which I will be writing about in the next couple days. For those that want to go back and rewatch the last episode before the show comes back, as I write this you can download Leap of Faith for free on iTunes if you do not want to wait for the marathon to watch it. Also below is a preview trailer and some cast stills or you can just head over to the official site. You can also check out my Preview of the midseason premiere.

Musings From the Back 9 vol. XIII

- Yesterday after writing about the Hall and Oates Christmas album, I thought I’d hunt down the Jingle Bell Rock video to see if it was cheesy as I remember (it was, click the link to see for yourself) but on the sidebar I noticed another video that caught my eye: Do They Know its Christmas - Band Aid 20. How did this get released in 2004 and I’m just finding it now? And the video is disturbing on so many levels. There is the cringeworth guitar solo from the dude from The Darkness, who has already fallen into obscurity. The weird Thom York sighting. I think I could name more people in the orginal than this one. And most importantly, how could Bono ruin the most iconic line ever, one that he created? But this begs the question, where’s an updated version of USA for Africa? Can we start on that right away so we can have something ready for the twenty-fifth anniversary in 2010?



- The Mitchell Report came out today (click on it view it in its entirety in a PDF file) and conspicuously ran against the Democratic Iowa debate which was announced much earlier than the report. Someone apparently didn’t want the new coverage to be as big with the news channels carrying the debate instead. The report itself was pretty anticlimactic because the names came from two people and previous court cases and nothing will come out of it because Mitchell himself said none of the players should be punished. They should be punished in that none should be allowed in the Baseball Hall of Fame and sports writer who votes for any of them should be fired by their newspaper or magazine. And what is really odd, and somewhat telling, was that Miguel Tejada, who was on the list, goy traded just yesterday as well as Eric Gangé got $10 Million from the Brewers a couple days ago which goes to show how much owners and general managers cared about the report knowing there was going to be a good chance both would be on it.

- Also announced today were next year’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and disturbingly Madonna got in on her first try and no Beastie Boys. Also making the list are John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, The Ventures, and the Dave Clark Five. I’ll have more on them when the ceremony goes down I think in March.

- With no end in sight to the writer’s strike, there will be very little scripted shows at the start of next year, but one of them will be Kyle XY and I have a press release for its return. Also I may be getting my hands on another Kyle XY prize package, though the contest most likely will not start until sometime in the New Year. But that is something to look out for in 2008. Here’s the press release:

THE TRUTH IS REVEALED!

THE MYSTERY CONTINUES ON ABC FAMILY’S
HIT ORIGINAL SERIES ‘KYLE XY’ WITH TEN ALL NEW EPISODES BEGINNING JANUARY 14TH

Kyle looks towards the future while the Tragers finally learn his secrets in the first of ten all new episodes of ABC Family’s original hit series KYLE XY set to premiere on Monday, January 14 (8:00 – 9:00 PM ET/PT). Matt Dallas (“Wannabe”), Marguerite MacIntyre (“The Days”), Bruce Thomas (“Legally Blonde”), April Matson (“Quintuplets”), Jean-Luc Bilodeau (“Ill Fated”), Chris Olivero (“24”), Kirsten Prout (“Elektra”) and new comer Jaimie Alexander (“Rest Stop”) all star in the hit drama.

After his journey with Jessi ends, Kyle returns home and is ready to tell the Trager family the whole truth. With every sordid detail out on the table he wonders if they will be so willing to take him back. Once they hear everything the Tragers only support him more and rally around Kyle to take on Madacorp. With a plan in hand, the family heads to the company picnic to help Kyle take down the corporation’s secret machine.

Meanwhile, torn between her instructions from Madacorp and growing affection for Kyle, Jessi was last seen leaping from a cliff into a raging river…but was it a fatal leap? And if she lived, will she help Kyle, or is she more dangerous than ever?


- Another interesting e-mail I got recently was from an anonymous source about a scene from the upcoming Judd Apatow flick Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story that was recently leaked to the internet, but not in its entirety. Well here is that full scene. Check it out while you can before the powers that be remove it (and if it doesn’t get removed I guess we know who “leaked” it in the first place)



- Just in time for Christmas, the price for Veronica Mars 3.x dropped below $30 and I’m sure you can find someone who would enjoy finding that underneath their Christmas tree in two weeks (i.e. me) and the first two seasons are still dirt cheap (see below for ads):

Win a Kyle XY Prize Package

For the astute readers who read the Cleaning Out My Inbox post might have seen the line “For those who missed the season, I may or may not be able to help you out with that in the near future” and realized I was hinting at a contest and after ironing out the rules and the like I am happy to announce my latest contest where you can win a Kyle XY prize package. Here is what is up for grab:

- Kyle XY Season 1 on DVD

- Kyle XY Soundtrack

- Kyle XY postcards/tattoos

- 3 different teaser posters (as seen below, click to enlarge)



So know you know what you will be getting, here is how you can enter the contest to win yourself. There are three different ways you can enter to win:


1. In the series, Kyle is taken in by the Trager’s. Name your favorite TV foster family of all time.

2. As I mentioned before, the whole no belly button creeps me out, name something that creeps you out but you know shouldn’t.

3. Link this contest on your blog or link it on a message board (only one entry allowed per message board and link must be posted at least 24 hours before the conclusion of the contest).

You can e-mail your entries to ScooterKSU(at)aol(dot)com (subject: Kyle XY) or leave them here in the comment section (but if you leave a comment make sure there is an easy way for me to find how to contact you). If you link the contest, make sure you let me know you did so you get credited with an entry. You may enter multiple times (up to three times), but can only win once. The contest ends Sunday, June 10 at 11:59 PM EST. The winners will be picked at random from all eligible entries and will be contacted shortly after. Also this contest is only open to people with shipping addresses in the continental Untied States or Canada.

A new season of Kyle XY starts up Monday June 11 at 8:00 on ABCFamily. Reader Allison also commented that ABC Family is running a marathon of season 1 of the series the day before, June 10, so check your local listings for the exact start time if you want to check out the show to see what you will be winning or get a refresher if you have already seen the show. If you are not the lucky winner, you can download season 1 on iTunes or buy the DVD on Amazon (see below).



(Scooter's Note: to get this contest posted as soon as possible, I have postponed the latest induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame until later next week)

Cleaning Out My Inbox

For the extended weekend I spent the whole time waterproofing my deck. Well actually I spent the whole weekend powerwashing the deck to get it in condition to waterproof it which I finally got it clean enough to do today. On a side note, I’m not entirely sure what I hate more in this world powerwashing wood or stripping wallpaper. But anyways. Since I just got done minutes ago and don’t have the time or really the will power to write anything new, I thought I’d clean out my inbox of a few press releases that have piled up but never really had a time to post. Hopefully some you find them useful:

I missed Kyle XY last year when it first aired mostly because one look at the dude with no belly button totally freaked me out. For those that didn’t find that creepy and enjoyed the first season I’m happy to tell you that the new season starts June 11th on ABCFamily. For those who missed the season, I may or may not be able to help you out with that in the near future. And if you are thinking about jumping in for the second season, here is a synopsis:

More questions arise and the risk of danger escalates in the second season of the hit ABC Family original series Kyle XY. Kyle begins to learn the truth about his past, but under the strict training of Tom Foss, he must also learn the full scope of his abilities. And all of this must be kept secret -- even from the Tragers, who just want to help him return to the life of a normal teenager. Kyle must learn to live with his double life and the unknown dangers that lurk outside the family’s walls. The peril only increases when the girl in the pod is set free and is on the hunt for Kyle. But can Kyle keep the threats away or will they come straight through the Trager’s front door? Kyle XY stars Matt Dallas, Marguerite MacIntyre, Bruce Thomas, April Matson, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Chris Olivero, Kirsten Prout and Jaimie Alexander.

-----------------------------

I have long since left the target MTV demografic, though I still catch the latest Real World/Road Rules Challenge, so I doubt that Vmtv is something I use. But if you still catch all there shows, this may be for you:

Vmtv is a virtual MTV world where users can create an avatar, meet new people, shop and try on new clothes, chill at the beach, club hop and hit the dance floor. Buy a virtual car and pimp it out, hit the road or the track to show off their racing skills. Become a fashion designer, make and sell their own clothing and enter the fashion challenges!

Hang out with celebrities such as the cast of Pimp My Ride, The Hills, Laguna Beach, and musical guest like Korn, Linkin Park, MIMS, Mario and more to be announced! Fans can experience Spankin New Music Week with new music, special guests and smokin' hot events all in Virtual MTV!



-----------------------------

One thing I have been meaning to check out for a while but it was sent to me right around the time I had finals and I may check it out later now that I ran across the e-mail again is MixSherpa.com. According to the e-mail it is a Sprint sponsored website where you can create personalized music playlists and receive commentary on your lists from the voices of MixSherpa.com, Ian Westbury and DJSupahboy5. Once you create your playlist, Ian and DJ will recommend a song to compliment your playlist choice. I should really check this one out because they offered me free stuff (although I’m not entirely sure if it for me or to give away).

-----------------------------

Speaking of free stuff, I was going to wait to talk about it until I actually got it, but I should be receiving a copy of That Thing You Do! Director’s Cut soon to review and here is a lengthy press release:

FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRATES THE WORK OF ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S “BIG”GEST STARS
Two All New Two-Disc Editions Of Big and That Thing You Do Available May 8, 2007
Nearly Twenty Five Minutes Longer, Big Extended Edition Features A Huge Selection Of Bonus Materials Including Eight Deleted Scenes

That Thing You Do: Tom Hanks’ Extended Cut Includes An Additional Thirty Nine Minutes Of Footage With A Myriad Of Bonus Features

CENTURY CITY, Calif. – You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll sing! Fox Home Entertainment presents a collection showcasing the work of one of the silver screen’s most accomplished actors. With his outstanding performances and ability to charm audiences by playing the lovable everyman, two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, 1993; Forrest Gump, 1994) has become one of cinema’s most recognizable and critically acclaimed actors. Now, Fox Home Entertainment brings all-new, two-disc editions of two of his brilliant accomplishments to DVD on May 8, 2007 – Big Extended Edition and That Thing You Do: Tom Hanks’ Extended Cut. Each film is available individually for the suggested retail price of $19.98 U.S. / $25.98 Canada.

One of the most beloved comedy gems of the past 20 years, Big garnered Hanks his first Academy Award nomination and was ranked number 15 on Premiere magazine’s list of “100 Greatest Performances of All Time” for his portrayal of Josh Baskin, a boy who wishes to be “big” and virtually transforms into a childish middle-aged adult overnight. The Big Extended Edition is 25 minutes longer than the original film, includes never-before-seen deleted scenes with optional introductions from director Penny Marshall, two behind-the-scenes featurettes and much more.

Hanks steps behind the camera for That Thing You Do, his feature film directorial debut about the brief success of a fictional rock band in the 1960s. Also written by Hanks, the That Thing You Do: Tom Hanks’ Extended Cut is thirty nine minutes longer and comes loaded with special features including commentary by cast members, several all new featurettes, an HBO “Making Of” documentary and the music video for Josh Clayton’s “Feel Alright.”

DVD Features:
Each title in The Tom Hanks Promotion is available in Widescreen and is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

Special features include:
Big Extended Edition:
• Extended cut of Big feature film with an additional twenty five minutes of footage
• Big Brainstorming – Audio documentary by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg using archival audio material of the original creation of the script
• Eight deleted and extended scenes with optional introductions by director Penny Marshall
• “Backstory: Big” featurette
• “Carnival Party Newswrap” vignette
• “Big Beginnings” featurette
• “Chemistry of a Classic” documentary
• “The Work of Play” featurete
• TV spots and theatrical trailers
That Thing You Do: Tom Hanks’ Extended Cut:
• Extended cut of That Thing You Do feature film with thirty nine minutes of additional footage
• “Making That Thing You Do” featurette
• The Story Of The Wonders” featurette
• That Thing You Do Reunion
• “The Wonders – Big in Japan” featurette
• “The Making of That Thing You Do” – HBO first look
• “That Thing You Do Title Song Submissions”
• TV spots and theatrical trailers
Synopses:
Big Extended Edition:
The classic story about a boy who grew up overnight is back in an all-new, all-grown up Director’s Cut DVD! Featuring a wish-list of never-before-seen special features including a audio commentary by director Penny Marshall, deleted scenes, five featurettes and more, this “hilarious” (Newsweek), “nimble comedy” (The Hollywood Reporter) has never been bigger! All twelve-year-old Josh Baskin wants is to be big. But when his wish is granted beyond his wildest dreams, Josh finds a new face in the mirror… his own, at age 30. Now, aided only by his boisterous best friend, he’ll have to keep the secret of his true age as he tries to fill his own oversized shoes. But as his innocent charms help him rise to the top of the adult world, Josh will face the biggest decision of his life – return to his own age, or remain big forever!

That Thing You Do: Tom Hanks’ Extended Cut:
Tom Hanks writes, directs and co-stars in this refreshing, big-hearted comedy that captures the overnight triumph of an American rock band during the glory days of rock and roll. When a young appliance salesman agrees to fill-in for an injured drummer in a local talent show, four shooting stars Page 3 of 3 are born. Faster than you can say "That Thing You Do," a Play-Tone Records executive (Hanks) signs the group and catapults them to fame as their signature tune skyrockets to the top of the charts!

-----------------------------

Lastly, for those who won my Win a Copy of Neptune Noir Contest, I sent along your e-mails to the people who will handle the shipping this past weekend so you should be expecting that soon. If you didn’t win be sure to head over to the BenBella website to order a copy.