Previewing The Event

Back in the first year of Lost, I was so invested; I re-watched the show during its summer repeats to try to catch anything I missed the first time around. I know it was all for naught because 99% of the mysteries on the show was just a big red herring. I bring this up because during every commercial break I was stuck hearing some annoying kid say, “Mom, you smell different” to the point of when Invasion started up that fall I was already sick of the show. I have to imagine anyone who watched any of NBC’s summer shows are tired of hearing, “We have a problem, he’s going to tell him about… The Event.” Thankfully I already know that America doesn’t have talent, so I am only mildly annoyed by the campaign.

Invasion of course was added to the schedule to capitalize on Lost’s success, but much like Lost, Invasion (as well as Surface, Threshold, Heroes, The Nine, Jericho, Journeyman, Bionic Woman, Life on Mars, Day One, Flashforward, and Persons Unknown) is no longer on the air. That hasn’t NBC from trying to recreate that half season buzz they produced themselves during that three episode arc when Heroes didn’t absolutely suck with two shows announced for this television season.

The only one on this fall will be The Event (The Cape is set for midseason, but then again so was Day One last year). It is hard to talk about the show without spoiling it because everything seems to tie into each other. So if you watched Lost to analyze the going on’s of the Dharma Initiative and could have care less about if Kate ended up with Jack or Sawyer, The Event may be for you. And the show does promise the answers will come quickly. Even mentioning some actors in the cast may be too much of a spoiler and certainly explaining why they are on the show are some.

What we do know:

1. The disappearance is not The Event. So Jason Ritter (Joan of Arcadia) and the moderately attractive Sarah Roemer (Fired Up) are on a romantic cruise and of course just when he is about to propose she disappears. And not just goes missing, but disappears with no trace of her ever being on the boat. Do we find out in the Pilot where she goes: no.

2. The CIA cover up is not The Event. Perennial creepy dude Željko Ivanek (Live Free or Die Hard) is the Director of National Intelligence who failed to inform the President of a hundred detainees, led by ER’s Laura Innes. Do we learn why they were detained: no.

3. The assassination plot is not The Event. Blair Underwood (Deep Impact) is the black president with a Hispanic name (take that President Palmer) who sees an airplane barreling toward him during a press conference. Do who know who is piloting the plane: yes (though not who is behind the pilot).

Of course the big question is do we actually learn what The Event is? Not only do you learn what The Event is, you learn of it in the very first scene (I think, something big happens though no one comes out and says, “you see what just happened there, that is The Event we are talking about”) though you won’t know what the frack is going on until the final scene of the episode.

Yep that means we will be doing the time warp pretty early in the show and quite frequently. And this isn’t like Lost where they (usually) fliped in-between two different linear storylines, The Event bounces between three non-linear storylines (Ritter’s, Underwood’s, and CIA agent played by Ian Anthony Dale, Mr. 3000) throughout the whole episode to the point where you wished you took notes because sometimes it is hard to wrap your head around what is going on. So if you added to Lostpedia, this show is definitely for you. Just demand to the writers on The Event that they are not allowed to close the series finale in a church in purgatory.

The Event airs Mondays at 9:00 on NBC.


One quick note on the show that will follow The Event, Chase is your run of the mill Jerry Bruckheimer event. It shows some flashes but is at the end of the day very bland. Less than half way through I thought how they could not have caught the fugitive of the week by now? And the casting is pretty laughable; seriously, the gardener from Desperate Housewives? I guess after assembling most of the main cast of Swinf@n on the network, NBC next will try recruiting actors from John Tucker Must Die with Brittany Snow attached to a midseason show (I can not imagine Sophia Bush has anything better thing to do to create the trifecta). But if you like procedural cop shows, you can do much worse, you will still be better off waiting for the return of the much more superior show about a federal marshal, Justified.

I Thought We Were Doing Beat It

At or With Me - Jack Johnson

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXLVIII

Quote of the Week: Cruelty is the mother of all invention. (Miles, Rubicon)

Song of the Week: Wild One - Little Darlins (Terriers)

Big News of the Week: VMA's Still Living in 2009: It is not a good sign that the only thing worth talking about from your award show is what happened last year. And the two participants were more than eager to talk about it. Taylor Swift debuted a not so subtle ode to Kanye West (but has Taylor ever written a subtle song about a boy yet?) which was an odd mix of scolding and forgiveness of the guy who stole her spotlight. Then after apologizing for most of the last year, Kanye, in the same bright red color Taylor sported last year, jumped onstage to revel in his behavior, beginning his new song to toast the douchebag, jerkoffs and scumbags. Though he apologized for us having to put up with his (expletive deleted) since way too long. And sadly neither of them performed the song that Kanye wrote for Taylor. In the only other non I’mma let you finish news, did the show really open and close with Ellen DeGeneres and Cher? Biggest disappointment of the night is the only award winning video of the night that actually deserved an award, Tighten Up by the Black Keys for Breakthrough Video, was the only winner that wasn’t actually announced during the show. On a side note, does anyone know where I can get the Deadmau5 remix of the song?

Rubicon: When they cut to Tanya in the bathroom after the drug test I was really hoping it was going to reveal that she was using a Whizzinator. Which begs the question, is there a Whizzinator for women? You can download Rubicon on iTunes.

Parenthood: Isn’t it enough that Dax Sheppard has tainted Veronica Mars, is he really going to hook up with Lyla Garrity too? It sure looks that is the root they were going. But then again I thought Crosby would take the place of Jabbar in the sleep over. Surely would have made for the better sight gag in the bunk beds. And now I have to decide what will be the annoying catchphrase that I will be using ad nausea for the next couple months, “I hear you; I see you” or “Let’s have a toast for the douchebags.” You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Covert Affairs: Holy Vada Sultenfuss sighting! I was actually hoping she would turn out to be one of the good guys because I liked her character much more than any of the tertiary characters on the show. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Covert Affairs on iTunes.


Free Download of the Week: Pilot - Terriers, Season 1 (iTunes): Missed what I called the best new show of the Fall? Here is your chance to give it a look.

Deal of the Week: DVD's $6.49 and Under (Blazing Saddles, The Wedding Crashers, Little Shop of Horror)

Video of the Week: If you missed last week’s Stand Up 2 Cancer, you missed the two funniest people on television, Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family and Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory, cross network lines to show us that lung cancer is no laughing matter, or is it. And if you missed the show, you can download Stand Up to Cancer on iTunes or the individual musical performances from the show with proceeds going to Stand Up 2 Cancer.

Laughing at Lung Cancer


Next Week Pick of the Week: The Big Bang Theory, Thursday at 8:00 on CBS: CBS has always been known as the network that plays it safe which is why we have multiple versions of CSI, NCIS and CM (Criminal Minds). But CBS took a big chance by moving The Big Bang Theory after its breakout ratings year to Thursday which was previously occupied for most of last decade by Survivor. And then paired the new show with the least amount of buzz, $#!% My Dad Says. Will this gamble pay off? We will find out Friday when the ratings come in. If it doesn’t pay off expect The Mentalist: Boise in the timeslot next year.

Around the Tubes vol. LXVII

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, The Event, Boardwalk Empire, Real Time with Bill Maher, Syfy, ParTea, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Hawthorne, and Memphis Beat.

- Chuck returns Monday at 8:00 and here’s hoping there are no Superman sighting (though I wouldn’t mind the return of Lana Lang). Here is Zach Levi, Yvonne Strahovski and straight from the success of The Expendables, guest star Dolph Lungran talking about the new season.



- After the Chuck premiere is the start of The Event. For those that cannot wait until Monday (and live near New York City), on Sunday night they will be screening the Pilot in Times Square at 7:00.

- It is odd to lead an article calling the upcoming television bleak but suggests nine shows to watch (granted only two are network shows) and only six to shun. Head over to The Daily Beast to see what shows they are.

- One show you can see on the above list, and basically everyone’s must watch this fall list is Boardwalk Empire on HBO (except mine because I am too cheap to subscribe, but I will defiantly be anticipating the show when it comes out on Blu-Ray). Below is a promo of the show that starts up this Sunday at 9:00, or just head over to its Facebook page for an extended promo.



- As for show returning to HBO this weekend, Real Time with Bill Maher returns tonight at 10:00. If you are too cheap for HBO like me, check Podcasts I Listen To in the sidebar and you can download audio versions of the show for free on iTunes.

- Syfy has some new programming coming this fall and here is a teaser of what is coming up:



- Are you an opinionated fan of politics and own an iPhone/Pad/touch? If so you may want to check out the apt for ParTea (nice play on words) for the low, low price of free (but only for a limited time). ParTea America lets users record battles and send them to friends or foes, while allowing the general public to comment via text or audio. And if your argument is good enough it may even be added to the Featured Section.

- The latest Ripley's Believe It or Not! Enter If You Dare! is out now and features stories about a 26 hour soccer match (featuring 500 goals), a blind one armed golfer who hit a hole in one (which is one more than I have), and find out which professional athlete got traded for a twenty-five pound turkey. Check out a spread from the book below (click to enlarge).



- “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora will be fighting tomorrow and if who wantto watch the match in HD, head over to FathomEvents.com to see if it will be playing at a theater near you.

- For those in Boston, they are going to relight the famous Boston CITGO Sign in Kenmore Square tonight during the 7th Inning Stretch of the Red Sox game after being dark the last couple months due to renovations.

- If gambling on football over the weekend isn’t enough for you, check out the odds for the latest season of Dancing with the Stars with the dirty dancer herself Jennifer Grey leading at +200. Check out other current events over at YouWager.

- Fans of Hawthorne and Memphis Beat will be happy to learn that both show has been renewed for a third and second season respectively and are slated to return in 2011.

First Impressions: Survivor: Nicaragua

It is weird to think how much the world has changed in the short amount of time I have inhabited this planet. Thanks to the fall of the Berlin War, Europe looks completely different then when I entered grade school. Nicaragua was a war zone growing up and now they are hosting game shows in the country and Sandinistas and Contras are just album names by The Clash and Vampire Weekend (though the later admits they named it after the NES game).

Nicaragua thankfully is the first Russell Hantz free installment of Survivor in over a year. Though with just the first episode under our belt, all the contestants this year seem a little too nice, in fact is was a pretty pedestrian start to the season after all the bombast of the previous All-Star season. Even without any All-Stars, that doesn’t mean we didn’t’ get a familiar face as former Dallas Cowboy coach and current Fox commentator Jimmie Johnson who promptly started puking during his first night.

We do get two new twists this season. As mentioned previous, this year’s tribes are divided by age, over forties in one tribe and under thirty in another. This probably means that they will switch them up within a month. I kind of wished they would have gone four tribes, twenties, thirties, forties and fifties. The other new twist may be the worst idea the show has had. The Medallion of Power allows the owner gets a head start in challenges and if they choose to use the medallion it will then go to the other tribe. Lame.

The only other contestant of note besides Johnson is the second amputee in the history of Survivor, and first female to walk around the island in a prosthetic. Though I have been starring at the photo of Kelly Bruno (at right, in the pants) and I swear she has two feet there. Did Survivor really Photoshop toes on her for her individual promotion shot but not in the cast photo above? It is interesting the dichotomy between the two tribes where Johnson said they should bring him to the final because no jury would award him a million dollars where the younger tribe talk about how they want to get Bruno out soon because she would be a lock to win Survivor if she made it to the end. Alright it is time to name the hottest hot chick on the beach and who I predict to win.

Contestant I’d Most Like to Have Dirty, Dirty Sex with Even if She Hasn’t Take a Shower in a Month: Alina Wilson

Winner: Kent State’s own Jill Behm

Survivor: Nicaragua airs Wednesdays at 8:00 on CBS. You can stream episodes on CBS.com. You can also download Survivor on iTunes.

Lyrics Quiz: Last Played

I was playing around with iTunes the other day (but not with Ping which manages to be an even more worthless social networking site than Twitter) and though it would be interesting to see which songs that I have gone without playing the longest. The winner by far was Best of Me, Pt. 2 by Mya featuring Jay-Z hasn’t been played since 2005, the year after I first downloaded iTunes (yet managed to get played twelve times that year). The next closest hasn’t been played in three years and here are those songs. As always leave your guesses, both artist and song title, in the comment section or e-mail me. If you are correct I will un-bold the lyric. Please keep in mind the lyrics quiz is for entertainment purposes only so please only use your own meandering mind to guess them. Now onto the lyric quiz:


1. I was a high school loser, never made it with a lady, ‘til the boys told me something I missed. (Walk This Way - Run-DMC and Areosmith; guessed by Rebekah)
2. Acting funny but I don’t know why. ‘Scuse my while I kiss the sky. (Purple Haze - Jimi Henrix Experience; guessed by Rebekah)
3. I fear that I am ordinary just like everyone.
4. You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips. And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips. (You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - the Righteous Brothers; guessed by Rebekah)
5. Breathing is the hardest thing to do with all I’ve said and all that’s dead for you.
6. So I have some to my dog when he began to beg. And then he licked his bowl and looked at me and did the wild thing on my leg. (Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc; guested by Rebekah)
7. Hey! What gives you the right to put up a fence and keep me out, or to keep Mother Nature in? If God was here, he’d tell it to your face, man, you're some kind of sinner. (Signs - Tesla; guessed by Rebekah)
8. Tell me why everything turned around? Packing up, shacking up, is all you wanna do. (Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac; guessed by Rebekah)
9. You finally make it home and the fun begins. You try to pass out but here comes the spins. So you turn and toss, then you toss and turn. Your head gets light and your chest starts to burn. So you lay on your stomach and you tuck in your chin. Pail by your bedside, now the breathing begins.
10. I can feel your body when I’m lying in bed. There’s too much confusion going around through my head.
11. I sit on the stairs ‘cause I’d rather be alone. If I can’t have you right now, I’ll wait here. (Patience - Guns 'n' Roses; guessed by Kyra)
12. Rev me up, rev me up my little buttercup. We can tug sheets, snuggle up and get stuck.
13. But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights. The shades and shadows undulate in my perception.
14. I must confess I still believe if I’m not with you I lose my mind.
15. 'Cause I wanna be good for you, I didn’t mean to be bad. But darling I’m still the best that you ever had.
16. What’s a matter with the car I’m driving, can’t you tell that it’s out of style? Should I get a set a white wall tires, are you gonna cruise the miracle mile? (It's Still Rock and Roll to Me - Billy Joel; guessed by Rebekah)
17. I bet you’re hard to get over. I bet the moon just won’t shine. I bet my hands I can stay here. I bet you need more than you mind. (If You're Gone - Matchbox Twenty; guessed by Rebekah)
18. If I ever get out of here, thought of giving it all away to a registered charity. All I need is a pint a day. (Band On the Run - Paul McCartney and Wings; guessed by Rebekah)
19. No, I can’t forget this evening or your face as you were leaving. But I guess that’s just the way the story goes. (Without You - Harry Nilsson; guessed by Rebekah)
20. And I don’t know, I could crash and burn but maybe at the end of this road I might catch a glimpse of me.
21. You shut your mouth. How can you say I go about things the wrong way? I am human and I need to be love just like everyone else does.
22. She’s just like a maze where all of the walls all continually change.
23. I can’t get any rest. People say I’m obsessed. Everything you say is lies but to me there’s no surprised.
24. This ain’t got (expletive deleted) to do with shampoo, but watch your head ‘n’ shoulders. Brother older bold enough to fold, yo, I told ya.
25. Oh she may be weary. Them young girls they do get weary wearing the same old shaggy dress.

Toss Up: Modern Family vs. Parenthood

When television schedules were announced last year, I marked Wednesdays on my calendar are a good family block with two new shows, Parenthood at 8:00 and Modern Family at 9:00. Both were similar in that they both focused on an extended family which made for easy comparisons. Unfortunately Parenthood got yanked from the schedule and when it popped up it was at the unfamily friendly timeslot of 10:00 on Tuesdays (where it returns tonight). But despite the separation, they were still the best two new network programs and so I thought I would do an old school toss up to see which family show was in fact better.


90’s Sitcom Refugee
Modern Family: Al Bundy
Parenthood: Coach
Winner: Modern Family

Created By
Modern Family: Christopher Lloyd who may or may not be Doc Brown
Parenthood: The guys who brought us Arrested Development and Friday Night Lights
Winner: Parenthood

Younger Brothers Is…
Modern Family: ADHD
Parenthood: Autistic
Winner: Modern Family

Mom from Boston Legal
Modern Family: Carol Vessey
Parenthood: Monica Potter
Winner: Modern Family

Mr. Mom
Modern Family: Cameron Tucker
Parenthood: Joel Graham
Winner: Modern Family

Costume of Choice
Modern Family: Clown
Parenthood: Pirate
Winner: Parenthood

Temptresses
Modern Family: Phil’s ex-girlfriend Judy Greer
Parenthood: Joel’s PTA buddy
Winner: Parenthood

Dude from The Class
Modern Family: Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Parenthood: Jason Ritter
Winner: Modern Family

Absentee Dad
Modern Family: Manny’s father
Parenthood: Crosby
Winner: Parenthood

Underaged Daughter Who, Thank Chris Hansen, Is Over 18 in Real Life
Modern Family: Haley
Parenthood: Haddie
Winner: Modern Family

Ethnic Diversity
Modern Family: Al Bundy married a Latina
Parenthood: Cosby hooked up with a black chick
Winner: Modern Family

Guest Stars
Modern Family: Edward Norton, Elizabeth Banks
Parenthood: Dr. Harold Abbott, Lyla Garrity
Winner: Parenthood

Theme Song
Modern Family: Bob Dylan’s Forever Young
Parenthood: an instrumental
Winner: Parenthood

There you have it, Modern Family squeaks out a victory 7-6. Parenthood airs Tuesdays at 10:00 starting tonight. You can stream episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes. Modern Family airs Wednesdays starting next week at 9:00. You can stream episodes on Hulu. You can also download Modern Family on iTunes.

Previewing The League 2.x

Despite having the best dramas on basic cable, FX struggles on the comedy side thing. Sure Louis has been funny but it certainly isn’t must see TV or something worth talking about around the watercooler. Last year’s The League had its moments but nothing that really stuck out as particularly funny and was one of those comedies that tried too hard to cross the preverbal line.

Tonight is a new season, both of the television show and the football season which means it is time for a new draft. And the boys are going all out this year, drafting in Vegas, with reality dater Chad Ochocinco. There is a funny bit about how they determine their draft order, but I really do not recall much else laughable aside from someone being excited about drafting Monterio Hardesty.

Same goes for episode which sees the inclusion of a new league member when Ruxin’s recruits his brother-in-law who seems to know even less about football than Taco. On the plus side, my sources tell me that Cleveland Brown Joshua Cribbs will make an appearance this season making him the second Kent State alumni to appear on the show after Antonio Gates last season. Granted my alma mater deserves better.

The League airs Thursdays at 10:30 on FX. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The League on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXLVII

Quote of the Week: All we need is Boyz II Men and we’d have a prom. (Tanya, Rubicon)

Song of the Week: (They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters (as hummed by Hank, Terriers)

Big News of the Week: TNT Is Heading to Dallas: For those that had Dallas in your office pool of what eighties project Hollywood would exploit next, collect your prize (I unfortunately drew The Greatest American Hero). Although, I thought that there was a movie in the works with Eva Longoria. But anyway. Much like the unwatchable 90210 rehash, the show will focus on the next generation, with the offspring of brothers JR and Bobby Ewing taking center stage. No word yet on when the show will show up on TNT.

Leverage: You can never go wrong with the Dead Hooker Con (which is what the real name of the con was). Though I really could not follow the cat and mouse game between Nate and the Italian. She really wanted him to believe she intended to kill him in hopes that he would go after the target without her? I really do not get it. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Rubicon: In the first couple episodes, the comic relief seemed shoehorned in and almost like a completely different show, but the show is doing a much better job blending the humor in. I especially like Tanya chiding Grant for not getting the Boyz II Men (though it is about time for a comeback because R&B sucked last decade). reference when the group hasn’t been big since her prom and Cale’s general condescending nature during his test. You can download Rubicon on iTunes.

Also check out my first impressions of the season and series premieres of Sons of Anarchy and Terriers.

Free Download of the Week: Americana Music Awards Sampler (Amazon MP3): Features song by The Avett Brothers, John Hiatt and Steve Earle.

Deal of the Week: The Big Blu Ray Sale (The Dark Knight, Chuck Seasons 1 and 2, The Never Ending Story)

Video of the Week: A new Kristen Bell movie hits the big screen and when she is not campaigning for a revival of Veronica Mars, she apparently is getting in verbal catfights with the cast of You Again. Heartbreakers. Ha ha.

You Again Cast Fight

You Again Cast Fight from Betty White

Next Week Pick of the Week: Survivor, Wednesday at 8:00 on CBS: Survivor is switching it up again this time dividing up its tribes by age in Nicaragua. Granted if I were a bookkeeper, I would set the over/under for how long until the switch up the tribes at 3.5 episodes. Here’s hoping they named the tribes Sandinistas and Contras (and not because of the Clash or Vampire Weekend albums).

In other premiere news, two show are getting early previews after this week’s episodes of America’s Got Talent and I do not think it is a coincidence they both have ties to the 2002 cinema classic Swinf@n. Erika Christensen returns for the second season of Parenthood on Tuesday (which will be its regular night) and the object of her affection Jesse Bradford shows up on Wednesday (before settling into its regular Friday death slot) in the cast of Outlaw, a show about the most conservative member of the Supreme Court who resigns to fight for the little guy. Another Parenthood tie is that Ellen Woglom, who is the best part of Outlaw, could past as Monica Potter’s younger sister. Outlaw tries a little too hard to be House set in a courtroom, but the first episode does feature the RZA.

You will have to wait until next week until another Swimf@n alum gets his own show when The Event starring Jason Ritter premieres September 20. No word when NBC will be giving Shiri Appleby her own show.

Around the Tubes vol. LXVI

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 True Blood, The 19th Wife, Caprica, Mel B: It's a Scary World, and the NFL.

- The season of True Blood is coming to an end this Sunday at 9:00 on HBO and below is a sneak peak. Then after the finale, head over to bloodcopy.com to chat with Kristin
Bauer van Straten following the east coast viewing, and Joe Manganiello will be chatting after the west coast viewing.



- Lifetime’s latest made for television movie premieres Monday September 13. The 19th Wife stars Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy), Matt Czuchry (Gilmore Girls) and Patricia Wettig (Brothers & Sisters) and is based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name. Here is a promo:

The 19th Wife HD Promo


- Mark your calendars Caprica fans, the show returns Tuesday October 5 at 10:00. The show will follow new episodes of Stargate: Universe. In other Syfy news, Sanctuary will return Friday October 15 at 10:00 following Friday Night Smackdown.

- If I were to give a reality show to a Spice Girl, it would have been Baby Spice. But alas, nobody has let me run their network, including the Style Network who instead went with Scary Spice for Mel B: It’s a Scary World. Here is a preview of Sunday’s new episode:

Mel B: Date Night Fiasco


- NFL starts off this week, which means it is week one of fantasy football. Run out of orginal smack to talk to members of the league? Then heaqd over to Cameo Stars to have the likes of Drew Brees and Tony Romo insult your rival’s team on their Facebook page. Check out some outtakes below.

- And what better way to watch football than in HD, this will be my first season with it. For those that do not, Aaron’s has an 82 inch (that is almost seven feet) 3D ready Mitsubishi DLP that you can rent for $199 a month.

- In other NFL news, if you cannot enough of football and have a gambling problems to the point where you feel the urge to bet on which teams that will face a black out this season, head over Bookmaker.com to place your bet. Currently Kansas City and Cincinnati are you best bet at +500.

I’m Going Down, Follow if You Wanna

There was not a more subversive love song in recent memory then the one Sara Bareilles titled it. It screamed to be sung along to when coming on in your car. But behind the bouncy piano bop was a snarky response to her record company who wanted, well, you know. One assumes that same executive is who we have to thank for King of Anything (though I would like to think she wrote it Kanye West) which bounces around, this time with a brass band, and even snarkier lyrics perfectly visualized in the video when she holds out her hand, with a crown ring, to be kissed during the line, “Let me hold your crown babe.” This guy may be a tool, but thanks to him we have gotten some pure pop perfection from it.

King of Anything is just a sign of what is to come for her sophomore album Kaleidoscope Heart which brings a broader sound that her first outing. Hold My Heart is an anthemic balled heavy on the bass and drums. Gonna Get Over You is reminiscent of the days of girl groups complete with a nonsensical sing-along chorus.

Basket Case (not a Green Day cover) may be Sara’s most vulnerable song to date where she takes on the attributes of the title “whenever you’re gone” and trades in her piano for an acoustic guitar for much effect. She plugs in for the next song Let the Rain which starts as a ballad before exploding into a hand clapping groove. Where Love Song and King of Anything hide their vemon behind bouncy tracks, there is no hiding the distain on Machine Gun where Bareilles lets loose on the chorus “Maybe no body loved you when you were young.” You know this is the type of song you just have to hear live.

Song to Download – Machine Gun

Kaleidoscope Heart gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Previewing Terriers

Remember back in the early nineties when MTV was such a cultural phenomenon even their commercials could launch a career (of course now they cannot even launch a musical act). Now all those commercial stars are convening on FX with their own television shows, Denis Leary is in his last season on Rescue Me. Tonight Donal Logue, also known as Jimmy the Cab Driver, gets his own show Terriers.

The show follows Logue as he travels between two worlds, his old life and his new one. In his old life, he was a cop with a by the book partner in Rockmond Dunbar (who conspicuously looks like a thinner Rockefeller Butts complete with an oral fixation) while in his new life he can barely get by as a private investigator with a former petty thief for a partner as played by Michael-Raymond James (who conspicuously looks like a younger Eddie Finnerty). In his former life, he was married to Kimberly Quinn (Two and a Half Men) but now he is resigned to buying the house they lived, and got divorced in despite the lack of a steady cash flow.

Things seem start to pick up for the PI duo while looking for a friend’s daughter who just so happens to works for a developer who gives the guys a retainer to get back “sensitive material” that she took. And yes, the sensitive material is what you think, but much more. Despite a conclusion at the end of the episode, I do not expect this storyline to go away even though the next couple episodes deal exclusively with case of the week plots with an occasional mention of what happens in the first episode. And the third episode features maybe the most bizarre cliffhanger ever (be sure to pay attention to the upper right part of the screen).

Though the best new show of the fall, be warned Terriers is not as funny as the promos would have you to believe and is more of the tone FX’s other freshman series, Justified. But Raylan Gibbons these guys aren’t. Logue’s jokes are more of a rundown bitter man who quips bitterly when asked questions he does not want to answer than his usual punch line fare of his sitcom work. And despite the title, the dog of choice is for some reason is a bulldog. It is still unknown to me why the show is called Terriers. But the show gets bonus points for the cheeky seventyish title sequence.

Terriers airs Wednesdays at 10:00 on FX. There is a Terriers page on Hulu so presumably episodes will show up there eventually.

Previewing Sons of Anarchy 3.x

On most network shows, I usually have trouble remembering what happened three months previous, but cable show are either worse. Thankfully Sons of Anarchy returns tonight with a lengthy two minute “previously On” segment. I remembered Jax had his son stolen from him, but I forgot pretty much everything else. But that wasn’t the only cliffhanger were for left with last season. Gemma had to go on the lamb when agent Stahl framed her for the murder of Cameron Hayes’ son which set the Abel kidnapping that also left the prospect lying in the pool of his own blood trying to protect Abel.

At the start of season three, SAMCRO is in full find Abel mood with all available members trying hunt him or Hayes’ whereabouts with the lone exception of Tig (and a couple of red shirts) who is on Gemma duty. And with the strong headed Gemma, things do not go as planned for Tig with keeping her on the down low including a trip to her father in the form of Hal Habrook (Into the Wild) which is an odd place because wouldn’t immediate family be a place the FBI would look for a fugitive? But anyway.

Halbrook isn’t the only notable guest star as Deadwood’s Paula Malcomson doesn’t have to hide her Irish accent as cousin to Cameron with ties to Sons of Anarchy: Belfast and the real Irish Republican Army. Kenny Johnson (Saving Grace) will also be back this season as SOA Tacoma member who has bad blood with Tig (which I cannot remember what). And Ethan Zobelle may go unmentioned in the first couple episodes, but Alan Arkin interesting enough is listed as director of Episode 11 and I would be surprised if we do not see him in front of the camera sometime this season because the death of his daughter by the hand of Gemma cannot be sitting well with Ethan.

The show is back with a vengeance tonight with the boys on the warpath to find Abel, but the other factions around Charming won’t be sitting still waiting for SAMCRO’s personal drama to settle down. The final scene of tonight’s premiere may include the most violent in the show’s history to date.

Sons of Anarchy airs Tuesdays at 10:00 on FX. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.

Previewing 9/11 Specials

We are inching up to the ninth anniversary of 9/11 and the National Geographic Channel has a pair of shows to commemorate the day, both airing tomorrow. First up at 9:00, they look back on the event through the eyes of then mayor of New York City with Giuliani’s 9/11. The special features interviews about where he sought strength, motivation and perspective with the backdrop of amateur and news footage from the day. Check out a preview below.



Following that at 10:00 is Witness: DC which takes a view from two hundred miles to the south and. If you saw last month’s Witness: Katrina, it follows in real time the nation’s capital’s reaction to the plane the hit the Pentagon entirely through the lens of home video; fire, rescue and police footage; and news coverage including Footage from the Pentagon crash site taken shortly after impact captures a raw view of the devastating aftermath. Below is a preview:



For those who cannot sit through 9/11 retrospectives because the wounds as still to raw and need some light fare, try out the new series Lion Ranger: Trouble in the Pride on Nat Geo Wild premiering tomorrow at 9:00. Check out a preview below:

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXLVI

Quote of the Week: I'm glad you are as confused as I am 'cause when I first heard it I thought it was a big number. You know after a jillian come pavilion. (Sean, Rescue Me)

Song of the Week: Whatever Hot Chip song they played on Rubicon, but I am just not gay enough to know the name of the song. You know is gay enough? Apparently Cale’s rent boy. Didn’t see that coming.

Big News of the Week: TV Fall Season Kicks Off: FX will be getting a jump of its network counterparts with the premieres of three show next week. Here is the schedule of what I will be watching this fall and the date of when they return:

Mondays
8:00 - Chuck (September 20)
8:00 – How I Met Your Mother (September 20)
9:00 – The Event (September 20)
10:00 – Castle (September 20)

Tuesdays
8:00 – No Ordinary Family (September 28)
10:00 – Sons of Anarchy (September 7)
10:00 – Parenthood (September 14)

Wednesdays
8:00 – Survivor: Nicaragua (September 15)
9:00 - Friday Night Lights (October 27)
9:00 – Modern Family (September 22)
10:00 – Terriers (September 8)
10:00 – The Challenge: Cut Throat (October 6)

Thursdays
8:00 – The Big Bang Theory (September 23)
8:00 – Community (September 23)
9:30 – Outsourced (September 23)
11:00 – I Love Money 4 (September 16)

Sundays
10:00 – The Walking Dead (October 31)


Leverage: Finally back to the overarching plotline of getting that dude who the Italian chick sprung him from jail for. I almost forgot about that whole storyline. And even more back story in the process when we learn that Sophie may actually be royalty. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Rescue Me: Assuming that Damien really isn’t faking, is Tommy now hallucinating the living know? Did Damien die right there? But last week would have been the better end to the season. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes. You can also check out my season review: He Wasn't Bulletproof and Neither Are Any of You.

Covert Affairs: My biggest complaint about the show is: are we really supposed to believe that Annie really fell that deeply in love after one meeting? And how exactly does the agency know about the tryst and even think anything of it? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Covert Affairs on iTunes.

Persons Unknown: Weren’t we promised an actual ending? That seemed like a pretty big cliffhanger to me. Like what is with the cages the editor and the ambassador were put in? Just too many things that were not explained are not well enough explained for my liking. And the last episode seemed so rushed and seemed to be missing major scenes and just jumped to the end because they were out of time. At least the elevator took them up to a church where patchy explained that the town was a place they created so they could meet up in some other dimension. You can also download Persons Unknown on iTunes.

Free Download of the Week: NFL Follow Your Team (iTunes): The new NFL season kicks off this week and iTunes has released 2009 highlights fall all thirty two teams to remind you how your team did last season.

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5 (Amazon MP3): This deal includes albums by John Mayer, Pink Floyd, Sara Barielles, and The Avett Brothers.



Video of the Week: In a story I broke last month, Friday Night Lights hits syndication on ABC Family this Tuesday and will air weeknights. So if you missed it the first time around, or just want to watch it again from the beginning, here is your chance. Below is a promo:

Next Week Pick of the Week: Terriers, Wednesday at 10:00 on FX: Forget AMC and all their pretentious shows, FX has the best dramas on basic cable. They landed three shows on my list of the Best Shows of 2009-10 and they may increase that total on next year’s list with their latest program Terriers. Look out for a full review later this week.

Around the Tubes vol. LXV

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 Undercovers, The Office, My Trip to Al-Qaeda, Parenthood, Two and a Half Men, Bones and United States of Tara.

- For those that love high concept / low reward television shows, J.J. Abrams has a new show coming to NBC this fall and you can watch the premiere in style by entering the Undercovers - Get a Room Private Screening contest. Click the contest link and fill out the form before September 6 and you could win receive an all-expense-paid trip for two including round-trip transportation, a romantic dinner for two at the Gordan Ramsay restaurant, a pampered hotel stay at the posh London hotel complete with spa services and other amenities, and a chance to get under the covers while watching Undercovers in a private in-room screening.

- For those that like entreting contest by do not have a significant other for a romantic dinner, try entering The Office contest where you can win a $3000 VIP trip to Universal Studios for two. Runners-up will win 1 of 4 collections of NBC TV DVD sets worth $250 each. Follow these four easy steps to enter:

1. Select a date to hold an Office-inspired party and invite as many friends and colleagues as you want to celebrate the release of The Office Season 6, on Blu-ray and DVD September 7!

2. Host your Office Season 6 marathon viewing party and take lots of pictures -- the more creative, fun and Office-like, the better!

3. Go to The Office Facebook page on or after Tuesday, September 7th to register and create your Ultimate Office Party gallery.

4. Spread the love. Get your friends to view your entry and wait for recognition, praise and winnings!

- Next Tuesday at 9:00 is the premiere of HBO’s latest documentary My Trip to Al-Qaeda by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney. Below is the trailer.

Trailer

- Parenthood is getting a jump start to the fall season returning a week earlier than most shows Tuesday September 14 at 10:00. Here is a sneak peak.

Pac-Man?


- Have nothing better to do Labor Day? FX is running a twelve hour Two and a Half Men Marathon starting at noon. Also at noon is the start of the Bones Marathon over on TNT that with run eight hours and will be followed by new episode of The Closer and Rizzoli and Isles.

- Production will begin on the new season of The United States of Tara later this month and showing up for work will be Eddie Izzard who will be guest starring.

I Want My Music Television vol. XCI

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.


Mine - Taylor Swift



What a striking difference between the last two lead videos from Taylor Swift. Love Story was all about princesses and fairytales, while Mine is strikingly real, warts and all. Though after Valentine’s Day, someone should have told Taylor that it is not a good idea for her to run on camera.


(Expletive Deleted) You – Cee-Lo



Apparently if there was one thing Cee-Lo learned from Kick-(Expletive Deleted) it is that ten year old’s swearing is thoroughly entertaining. There is word on the street that Green is releasing a version to the radio called Forget You. Song unheard, this is a bad idea, you never want to cram two syllables into where only one should be. Too bad he isn’t a Battlestar Gallactica fan because Frak You would have been better. But if I were making the decision I would have went the ironic root and change it to Thank You.


The Bike Song – Mark Ronson and Business Intl



Well Mark Ronson is continuing his theme of futuristic-retro Japanese talk show videos for better or worse.


The Catalyst – Linkin Park



I have no idea what is going on during this Linkin Park video and song, but I just watched it about ten times straight.