Previewing Explorer: Can the Gulf Survive?

The National Geographic family of networks is premiering three over the next week, starting with two tomorrow all of which tie into the October issue of National Geographic the magazine with a Brown Pelican on the cover with the headline The Spill. The issue features three articles about the gulf in addition to a supplement map on how the gulf works on one side and a map of the affected area on the flip side.

For those that want to learn more about the gulf tragedy and are not fond of reading, the trio of specials starts tomorrow at 9:00 on the National Geographic channel with After the Spill: The Last Catch. The show follows fisherman in Venice LA who were hoping this summer would a comeback year for their profession after Hurricane Katrina only for the oil spill to happen early in the season.

Directly following at 10:00 is Explorer: Can the Gulf Survive? the one program that I have seen prior to airing. Unfortunately it took too long for the show to get around to addressing the question with the first forty minutes devoted to a history of the spill. But Explorer did get extensive access from the coast guard and BP (when they were not getting kicked out of the viewing area because they “might be a distraction”). Below is a clip:



Then coming next Tuesday (October 5) on Nat Geo Wild at 9:00 wildlife expert Mireya Mayor joins forces with underwater cameraman Andy Casagrande for Saved from the Spill to save struggling creatures at the center of the oil spill. Mireya and Andy will work to rescue pelicans, sea turtles, dolphins and many other creatures that migrate through the Gulf.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXLIX

Rubicon: I am surprised that Will at no point thought the chick who lived in the apartment with a clear look into his wasn’t hired by the shadowy figures that put tabs on him. When I first saw her a couple episodes back, that was the first thing that crossed my mind. You can download Rubicon on iTunes.

Chuck: The show is really getting too cartoony in this episode. Sure the “If you die, you die” quote was awesome, but with all the Meta jokes and homage I thought I was watching an episode of Community. And Olivia Munn seemed a little underutilized. And did Sarah Conner really kill Ivan Drago? I was kind of hoping he would stick around. Maybe that is why they used all his catchphrases in this episode knowing he wouldn’t stick around. But the biggest question is with the CIA taking over the Buy More, where does that leave Big Mike and Jeffster? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

The Event: I didn’t want to bring this up in my preview because it would have been way spoilery, but the chick from ER and her buddies have to be aliens, right? But what happened to the plane, did Sophia (who I do not think was a coincidence was the only one that wasn’t knocked down by the blast) have something to do with it, was it some of her buddies that weren’t detained, were they enemies of Sophia. Is The Event a fight between Sophia and another alien race? They have me drawn in for at least another episode. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Event on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: So who is getting married of where Ted will meet his future bride for the first time? Since it was the story of the week, I originally thought it was Rachel Bilson’s, but how could Ted be the Best Man and not meet her roommate, unless the roommate has since moved out (and do lesbian weddings have Best Man’s anyway or just two Maids of Honor?) Next thought was Barney and Robin, but are they really going to get married before Ted? And again, how does the wife get invited to the wedding without meeting Ted first unless she is the date of someone else? But the real question is, can we just meet the mother already. Oh and I predict it is Ted’s dad who is getting married. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

Castle: There are very few things I hate more on television then episodes that start in the third act, then gives us the “Three days earlier.” One of those things I hate more is when they do that only when the episode finally gets back to the third act and what we were meant to believe was going on wasn’t actually was what was going on. Seriously, starting an episode with a dude trying to stand up an egg wasn’t entertaining enough? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes

Parenthood: As a former driving instructor, I am fully behind Christina in being very afraid of a teen driver. And how you get back into a car with someone who leaves the side mirror hanging by a thread is insane. Not to say that my car doesn’t have its fair amount of duct tape on it. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Sons of Anarchy: Even though I did not want to actually see what he was doing, I was a little disappointed we didn’t get to hear the eighties soundtrack Stephen King was utilizing while do his “cleaning.” And what moron thought it was a good idea to let Opie be in the vicinity while his old lady was “working.” I knew how that was going to end when I first saw him. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.

Survivor: Nicaragua: One of the dumbest performances at a Tribal Council ever. Who comes out and threatens the swing vote right off the bat? And it was a battle of bad stereotypes at Tribal between the ignorant hillbilly and the angry black women. I was bored by the first half of the episode, but if the Tribal was any indication, the season could still prove entertaining. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Better With You: I was hopping a little better from this show with its highly likable cast (with the exception of the younger boyfriend who got annoying fast). If it can hit some sort of stride, it can be as good as How I Met Your Mother, so I will give it a couple more tries and it and The Middle could be a nice Hulu viewing on the weekend since I will be too busy with Survivor on Wednesdays. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

Modern Family: I really hope that this was an indication of a sophomore slump because I didn’t find much of the episode particularly funny. But the show has always been at its best when the family intermixes, and there wasn’t much of that aside from Al Bundy helping out with the construction, which was the funniest part of the episode. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Terriers: What the frack is up with that ending? Maybe the most bizarre cliffhanger ever. Was someone breaking into Hank’s attic? Does he have a squatter? Did the wifey forget something important up there that she doesn’t want him to know about? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Terriers on iTunes

The Big Bang Theory: Yeah, this show is way better when Penny and Lenard are not dating. And though I was apprehensive of a female Sheldon, Blossom did have some good lines especially when she and Sheldon were calculating Penny’s sexual encounters. I am not sure if Penny carrying Sheldon and Blossom’s offspring would be the greatest idea even on television or the worst. Maybe hold off that storyline until the seventh season.

Community: “I’m hoping we can move away from the soapy relationship stuff and into bigger fast paced, self contained escapades.” Me too. Also I agree the blurred line between life and television was so season one. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Also check out my first impressions of The Event, Undercovers, and Outsourced.

Best of the Week vol. XLV

Quote of the Week: You watch Mad Men but you don’t watch The Hills? They are the two smartest shows on television. (Bill Simmons, Pardon the Interuption)

Song of the Week: Africa - Toto IV – Toto (as sung by Abed, Troy and Betty White; Community)




Big News of the Week: Premiere Week Redux: CBS took the biggest gable of the fall shuffling two of its biggest shows around and managed to increase viewers at both timeslots. The other big story of the fall is how ambivalent everyone is to the new shows, none of which made much of a splash. But I find it humorous that the most hated new show among critics, $#*! My Dad Says had one of the bigger audiences while no one seemed to watch the most buzzed about pilot, Lonestar. (Sorry Tyra, you should have stayed blonde.) If you missed them, some of the premieres are currently free to rent or download on iTunes.

Pilot - My Generation, Season 1
Pilot - Outsourced, Season 1
All Mixed Up - Cougar Town, Season 2
Pilot - Detroit 1-8-7, Season 1
Pilot - Raising Hope, Season 1
A Deadly Affair - Castle, Season 3
I Haven't Told You Everything - The Event, Season 1
Pilot - Lone Star, Season 1
Pilot - Outlaw, Season 1

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: At or With Me - Jack Johnson (iTunes) Not only is the video featuring Andy Samberg available for free, you can also pick up a remix of the song for the same price.

Deal of the Week: Spotlight Deals: Television (Band of Brothers, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Bored to Death)

Video of the Week: The plot of The Dilemma seems like it is better suited for a sitcom episode rather than a full length movie, but if there is anyone who can stretch turkey meat it is Vince Vaughn.



Next Week Pick of the Week: No Ordinary Family, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC: Look out for my full review of the show coming Tuesday.

Around the Tubes vol. LXVIII

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, Sons of Anarchy, Eastbound and Down, Sharktopus, The Event, The Biggest Loser, Small Town Sound, The Seven, Sportiqe Boutiqe, Deadliest Catch, Martha Speaks, Showtime and Lifetime renewals and premiere dates.

- If you missed the season four promo after the Chuck premiere or just want to watch it again, here it is.

Season 4: Twist and Turns


- If you want to hear Stephen King talk about his appearance on Sons of Anarchy this week and his passion of Harleys will want to head over to the Sons of Anarchy Production Blog.

- Eastbound and Down returns for its second season Sunday (premiering after the latest episodes of Boardwalk Empire and Bored to Death) at 10:30. Check out the trailer below.



- Fans of 30 Rock will want to head over to NBC.com where they can win tickets to the October 14 live show which will air live on both coasts with two separate shows. The winner will also receive round trip travel, a two night hotel stay, and dinner for two.

- B-Movie lovers rejoice, Sharktopus finally premieres tomorrow at 9:00 on Syfy. Here is a promo to tide you over until then.

Sharktopus – Sporkupine


- For those that cannot get enough of The Event, NBC has plenty of online resourced to elve deeper into the show. Creator Nick Wauters participated in a Twitter chat which you can find the transcript here. Nick also updates his The Event blog here. Lastly, there is a mysterious figure blogging about the events on the show (and may even show up on future episodes over at Truth Seeker 5314.

- Fans of The Biggest Loser will want to check out the interview with Farm Sanctuary.



- If you are in an all female band you will want to head over to http://www.mauricesmusic.sonicbids.com/ who are looking for the next best independent female rockers in a nationwide talent search called “Small Town Sound” which will be judged by The Bangles and Akron’s own Chrissy Hynde. Grand prize winner will perform locally and have a chance to open for The Bangles and Sick of Sarah at a major music festival in the spring

- MTV has a new pop culture driven live news show starting Monday called The Seven which will be counting the top ten biggest news items of the day (just kidding, just seven items). Tune in at 5:00 for inaugural guests Drake and the cast o the Social Network, Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield & Justin Timberlake. The Seven will be hosted by Kevin Manno and Julie Alexandria,

- Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose was recently spotted filming a commercial for ESPN wearing a Sportiqe Boutiqe t-shirt which will hit the store next week.

- Apparently something fishy is going down with the Deadliest Catch proposed spin-off with the Discovery Channel suing two of its stars. For a full rundown of the case head over to The Hollywood Reporter.

- For those with youngin out there, the new season of Martha Speak returns October 11 on PBS Kids (check your local listings. Here is a preview:

Martha Speaks The Making of the Show


- The moderately attractive Emmanuelle Chriqui (who was lucky number 13 on my list of The Hottest Hot Chicks of the 00’s) will have a three season arc on the upcoming Showtime period piece The Borgias coming to Showtime spring of next year. In other Showtime in 2011 news, Californication returns January 9 at 9:00 followed by new shows Episodes starring Matt LeBlanc and Shameless starring William H Macy and Emmy Rossum. Also both The Big C and Weeds have been picked for another season.

- In other renewal news, Lifetime has ordered up more second of Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva.

Previewing Outsourced

We have gotten so politically correct over the past decade that that the people who cry racism more any other group these days are white dudes. And I am not even referring to the Glen Beck type nut jobs who claim President Obama is a racist (he is half white and was raised by that half you morons), but those liberal communist white dude who cry racism on behalf of minorities even when they really are not that offended at all.

Case in point, Outsourced, a sitcom about a mid western mid level employee of a novelty supply company who gives the new employee two choices, move to India where they shipped their customer support or join the unemployment line. All the WASP-y critics cry foul at stereotypes yet no Indian rights group have stepped forward to complain (which begs the question, who is the Indian Al Sharpton anyway). And these jokes are really no more or less offensive than the ones made at the expense of Raj on The Big Bang Theory.

Really it is us Anglos, if anyone, who should be offended by the depiction of their ethnicity on the show. For instance it is the white dude who doesn’t know that cows are sacred in India, calls his co-worker’s head gear silly, think a guy whose name sounds like Man Meat is funny, and in the lunch room would rather sit with the only other white dude that he has never met than with his Indian co-workers.

What truly is offence are these critics that use racism as a crutch because what they are really upset about is that Outsourced is not pretentious enough for the other NBC comedies and they think it is taking the slot of Parks and Recreations (seriously, point me to one review of Outsourced that doesn’t mention the absence of Parks and Recreations this fall which is befuddling because it got some poor reviews when it came on too). Like if Outsourced becomes a hit, NBC will decide never to air Parks and Recreations or even cut the number of episodes for the show. CBS should buy Outsourced, put it after The Big Bang Theory instead of the unwatchable $#*! My Dad Says and watch it double the ratings all the pretentious NBC sitcoms.

Another complaint I do not get is the critics who wonder who would want to see a show about telemarketers when Americans hate them. Do you know what are the three least favorite professions in the country are, even more than telemarketers: doctors, cops, and lawyers. That makes up ninety percent of primetime scripted programming. (Note to self: if Outsourced is successful, pitch used car salesman series to the networks.)

Enough about pretentious television critics. Outsourced is actually just like any other workplace comedy (even, gasp, The Office, of course Outsourced is created by the guy who directed the first and one hundredth episode of The Office). There is the annoying guy that everyone tries to avoid. The office kiss up. There is the co-worker angling for the boss’s job. And it seems like there are even setting up a love triangle. But my favorite character, who conspicuous looks like Adam Goldberg with a darker tan and a turban, who doesn’t actually say anything in the first episode but has the best reaction shot on television.

I will not go into the individual characters because the only one I recognized was Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show) who plays a call center vet that the lead sits with instead of his employees who is solid as always. There is also a hot Australian (and NBC knows a little something about hot Aussies) who runs another call center in the building. Okay, there might be something legitimately to be offended about that all the call centers in India are run by Caucasian foreigners.

Where the show will work is that it is a fish out of water story from both sides. The American that has to adapt to living in a new country, and the Indians who have to learn about American culture because their job is to sell American novelties. And if the show actually hits a stride (much like The Big Bang Theory, which was also universally dismissed by critics when it first aired, did in the middle of its first season) it may end up being the funniest show on NBC.

Outsourced airs Thursdays at 9:30 on NBC. You can stream the show after it airs on Hulu. You will also be able to download Outsourced on iTunes.

Previewing Undercovers

J.J. Abrams is a hack. There I said it. J.J. Abrams is a hack. Sure the first episodes of Lost and Alias were great, but knowing what you know now about how they turned out, would you begin watching the shows again? Didn’t think so. The guy is the king of high concept, low reward. Which makes Undercovers an interesting show in that for a J.J. Abrams show it is a pretty pedestrian concept to the point you wonder why it isn’t on CBS? There are no prophesies or polar bears in exotic locals, just a boring married couple who own a catering company.

Oh yeah, and that couple used to be CIA agents and the agency wants them back. Sure a slight twist, but it isn’t the first undercover couple that fights bad guys that we have seen on television. But that set the bar much lower for the viewer than any J.J. Abrams show before it that Undercovers can walk over said bar.

With the high concept out the door, J.J. Abrams still brings back some of his favorite go to’s, most notably the ability to make sure his female lead finds the way of her clothes as much as possible. And Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Dr. Who) is more than happy to oblige multiple times in the first episode. And we do travel to many European cities in the span of an hour, with city place cards that are very Aliasesque. And maybe my least favorite J.J.isms, there is plenty of non-English dialogue. Seriously, there are very few things I hate more than having to read while watching television.

After all the high concept, low reward shows in his past, Undercovers swings too far to the other way to the point it is almost too boring. The show goes too far out of its way to make the leads; Bori Kodjoe (Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion) is the male half, a boring married couple. There is a younger sister working at the catering business who is too frantic. They are quick to ruin Ben Schwartz’s (Parks and Recreations) character that starts out very fun; he is introduced in a very Pink Panther type fashion, but turns creepy real fact with his man crush on Kodjoe. The only thing more embarrassing than the man crush is how many times the writers tries to cram in the word sexspionage into the episode.

The only person that stands out performance that doesn’t turn creepy is by Gerald McRaney (Deadwood), a grumpy CIA man tasked to re-recruit the former agents that might as well be Chuck’s John Casey in twenty years after he has been forced into a desk job. If he gets more time in the field, the show may start being worth checking out as long as we are guaranteed that the show will not end with the cast members congregating in a church.

Undercover airs Wednesdays at 8:00 on NBC. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

The Ten Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2010

We are coming upon the fourth quarter which means record companies will actually start releasing albums in hopes that you will buy some to giveaway at Christmas. Please note that release dates are subject to change. Click the album name (or album artwork) to pre-order it on Amazon. Click the artist’s name for their iTunes page.

1. Dark Twisted Fantasy (working title) – Kanye West (11/16): He really shouldn’t be this high considering his last album was one of the worst of last decade. But this will be a return to rap, and it is hard not to get excited when the album will be headlined by two stellar tracks, Power and Runaway. I suspect there will be plenty of toasting to this douchebag this fall.

2. Speak Now - Taylor Swift (10/25): And how can you mention Kanye West without Taylor Swift? She gave us a definitive answer at the Video Music Awards to the question of if she would be addressing the Kanye incident from last year on the new album. Between Innocent and Mine, it sounds like Taylor is growing up quickly and moving further away from her country roots.

3. Wake Up! – John Legend & The Roots (Today): Fall 2010 looks like the season of collaborations with Ben Folds teaming with writer Nick Hornsby, Elthon John recording with his idol Leon Russell, and Mark Ronson hooking up with, well, everyone. But the union I am most interested in is this one from The Roots and John Legend covering mostly obscure soul records.

4. Record Collection – Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. (9/28): After bringing retro back in style with Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and his second album, Ronson has been working with Duran Duran and that comes though in a big way on this album which sounds very synth heavy. Look for appearances by Q-Tip, Ghostface Killer, Boy George, D’Angelo, and Simon LeBon himself.

5. Come Around Sundown – Kings of Leon (10/19): After their breakout with Only by the Night it is interesting how the Followell boys will follow up the success. From the sound of first single Radioactive, it will be more of the same.

6. Hands all Over – Maroon 5 (Today): After a pretty good debut album, every successive Maroon 5 album has gotten blander than the previous one. First single Misery doesn’t give me too much hope that Hands all Over will turn that around, but the album was produced by hair-band uber-producer Mutt Lange, so maybe it will be worth a listen.

7. Second Chance - El DeBarge (9/28): C’mon, who isn’t down with an El Debarge comeback? One can only be disappointed in that he didn’t bring the whole family with him.

8. Lonely Avenue – Ben Folds and Nick Hornby (9/28): Here was an album I had to do a double take when I first saw it announced. Quirky pop master Ben Folds and novelist Nick Hornby. For illiterates like me that are unaware of Hornby, his books that have been turned into movies include High Fidelity (which was number 10 on my list of The 100 Greatest Movies of the 00’s), About a Boy, and Fever Pitch (but do not blame him about the horrible adaptation because his book was actually about soccer). Hornby contributed the lyrics with Folds coming up with the music including a song about Alaska’s least favorite son Levi Johnston.

9. The Lady Killer - Cee Lo Green (12/7): I really was not interested in a Cee-Lo album that didn’t involve Danger Mouse, but after hearing the ultra-catchy (Explative Deleted) You, color me intrigued. But seriously, after this, lets get another Gnarls Barkley album out please.

10. Hot Sauce Committee part 1 - Beastie Boys (TBA): Putting this on the list may be a bit of wishful thinking because there is no release date announced yet, but with Adam Yauch doing better these days, he’s hoping he is well enough to do the rigors that surround promoting a new album.




Other albums of note:

Today
The Sound of Sunshine – Michael Franti and Spearhead
Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time – Santana
You Get What You Give – Zac Brown Band
A Year Without Rain – Selena Gomez and the Scene

September 28
Clapton – Eric Clapton
Invented – Jimmy Eat World
Pete Yorn – Pete Yorn
Le Noise – Neil Young
6: Commitment - Seal
The Dissent of Man – Bad Religion
Going Back – Phil Collins

October 5
Tiger Suit – KT Tunstall
Glow – Donavon Frankenreiter

October 12
Charleston, SC 1966 – Darius Rucker
The Rock and the Tide – Joshua Radin
The Age of Adz – Sufjan Stevens

October 19
Sale el Sol - Shakira
The Union – Elton John and Leon Russell
Libra Scale – Ne-Yo
Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V - Rod Stewart

October 26
Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager - Kid Cudi

November 2
...Featuring Norah Jones – Norah Jones
National Ransom – Elvis Costello
Dreams – Neil Diamond
Sidewalks – Matt and Kim

November 16
Born Free – Kid Rock
Loud – Rihanna

November 23
Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes – Social Distortion

Unknown Dates
Songs of Ascent – U2
The Believer – Common
Walk with Me Now and Fly with Me Later – DMX
Give Till it’s Gone – Ben Harper and Relentless7
Nothing – N.E.R.D.

And what would a music preview be without an obligatory this may actually be the season that Dr. Dre releases Detox mention.