Quote of the Week: It was a bold choice, interesting background and a potential Hot for Teacher situation, don’t ya think? (Tony Kornheiser, Pardon the Interuption)
Big New of the Week: John McCain Picks for His Vice President, Wait, Who?: Just an addendum to yesterday’s post, the more I think about the more brilliant the pick of Sarah Palin is for John McCain. After a day of seeing talking heads blast her inexperience you can almost see the democratic strategist realize right after doing so that their candidate is not that much more experience. And having your inexperience at the bottom of the ticket is better than having it at the top. Granted Palin has more executive experience than Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and McCain combined.
And it didn’t take long for the liberal communist of the left to start their smear campaign hitting the internet to make people believe that Palin has had multiple affairs and that Palin faked her last pregnancy and that her eldest daughter is the real mother of her youngest (I even had a couple hits to yesterday searching for Bristol Palen pregnancy) like a bad plot line out of Desperate Housewives. Just because she lives in Juno doesn’t mean all the teenagers are pregnant. This rumor is as truthful as Obama being a Muslim, McCain fathering a black baby, and Biden, well Biden isn’t interesting enough to spread falsehoods about.
(Scooter's Update: More proof that Brisol is not the mother of Trig: she is five months pregnant accorfing to a press release from the Palen clan. Read more about it over at MSNBC.com. This makes my Juno crack a little less funny. Well, it still is pretty funny.)
Coalition Links of the Week: Buzz chatted with 90210's Shenae Grimes about the responsibilities of being "The new Brenda." (BuzzSugar)
Marcia returned from the Edinburgh TV Festival with tales of Heroes and Doctor Who, straight from the showrunners' mouths. Also, new site design! (Pop Vultures)
Rae's spent the summer with her nose buried in a book and it's finally paying off for us with her review of the Burn Notice novel The Fix. (RTVW Online)
Vance loves Gavin & Stacey and insists that you all watch it too so that you too can fall in love. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace took an early look at the first three episodes of the new season of Gossip Girl and offered up which new and returning series he'll be watching this fall. (Televisionary)
Before the conventions started and we got all partisan, Sara got all "thinky" and discussed the optimistic nationalism of the Olympics. Never fear, we'll soon return to our guttural reactions on Project Runway. (TiFaux)
The TV Addict had the time of his life at Fox's Fantastic Fringe series premiere party in New York City. (The TV Addict)
Raoul got excited about the possibility of a (re)animated Buffy Summers. (TV Filter)
I Love Money: How can no one see that Megan is playing everyone. It doesn’t get more transparent than”backstabbing” people she is supposed to be aligned with right in front of them. Yet even with that blatant going aganst her alliance’s wishes, she was able to talk her alliance out of voting off White Boy even though they had just seen her align herself with him against their wishes hours before. I am begining to wonder if Megan is the smartest dumb person ever. You can download episodes of I Love Money on iTunes.
The Middleman: It seems like every week I throughly enjoy The Middleman, but for some reason when I sit down to write 57 Channels I rarely have anything interesting to say about the episode and that pretty much sums up the most recent one. And if I am not mistaken, next week s the season (series?) Finale. Hopefully it goes out with a bang. Literally and figuratively. You can download episodes of The Middleman on iTunes.
Busted: I typically do not flip through channels, but flipping through all the NBC networks during the Olympics had me do it a little lately, that is how I found this gem on MTV. For those that haven’t seen it, Busted is basically Cops for the college age set. So you get a lot of under age drunks and stoned morons. Man, I miss college. My personal favorite segment has to be the two girl who get pulled out of a club and when the cops say they were accused of solicitation, one of the girl, who had the most possible amount of clevage possible without being techincally naked, yells at the cop, “Do we look like prostitutes?” Sadly the cop didn’t say when everyone had to be thinking, yes. Nonetheless, highest of high comedy.
Promo of the Week: Last year was a bit of a down year for My Name Is Earl. This could have been due to the writer’s strike, but Earl spent way too much time in jail or a coma and really didn’t cross much off his list. As the new season suggests, Earl is back to the list, but first, here is a recap for last year.
Pick for Next Week: Stand Up to Cancer, Friday at 8:00 on NBC, ABC, and CBS: It is cliched to say that we all know someone with Cancer, but sadly it is unavoidable with one presidential candidate a Cancer survivor with the other who lost his mother to the disease, granted one would rather give a speech to a bunch a Germans than to show up to Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong Cancer forum. With that in mind it looks like Cancer may be overlooked in whoever is elected’s budget (not so fun fact, our government has spent more in a month on Iraq than all the years combinded since Nixon declared war on Cancer) on so it is again up to the individual to fund a cure. So the big three are banding together (Fox would rather air Guess the Lyrics) for a telethon which includes performance by Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashant, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood. And those are just the people who will be preforming together. Head over to StandUp2Cancer.com for more information and to donate or buy the charity single below.
Every Friday on Race for the White House, the panel picks the winner of the week. And after all the hoopla of the Democratic National Convention that on Friday, the only thing people were asking about was not Barack Obama’s speech but Sarah Palen. Will that turn into a win in November? We will have to wait and see.
But the pick works for this reason, no one vote for a Vice President, but when over twenty percent of Hilary Clinton supporter have switched their support to John McCain, obviously some women are voting with their hearts not their minds as Clinton and Obama are the same people politically, I cannot count the amount of time either of them said I agree during their debate. It should be noted that when Palin name dropped Clinton in her speech yesterday it got a loud cheer and not a single voice was in baritone.
And as a women, Sarah Palen is much more of one than Clinton, a self described hockey mom with five kids, one still in diapers (and I am not referring to John McCain) with down syndrome. In fact Palin was still pregnant when McCain was already the presumptive nominee. And in turns of stories, Palin’s rivals that of Barack Obama, and Palin’s youngest bot in curls rivals the Obama children in terms of cuteness.
Of course the negatives is that Palen could turn out to be Dan Quayle in a pantsuit. There are some ethics questions, but that could end up being a net positive for that important women demographic because that ethics stemmed from firing her ex-brother in law who was accused of beating her sister. But you can’t talk Alaskan ethics without bring up senator Ted Stevens. But not so fun fact: Palin is one of those gun nuts.
Another negative is the former mayor whose residents were half of the number of the people in the arena she was introduced in is that she will be crushed in the debate against Joe Biden in their debate in every category. But keep in mind that of everyone on the presidential tickets, the one with the most executive experience is Palin. And with the Congress, which McCain, Obama, and Biden are part of, and their eight percent approval rating, Palin has an eighty percent approval rating as governor.
Just how much of an outsider is Sarah Palin, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell admitted see had to look up Wikipedia just to have something to say about her, where you can learn such nuggets that unlike Bill Clinton, she did inhale when it was legal to smoke week in Alaska. And if you missed it in her speech, her five kids are named Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trip. Oh those wacky Alaskan.
But it was the Democrats that dominated the news cycle the first four days of the week. Going back to Clinton, her actions spoke much more than her words. In fact I have a shirt the same color as as the pantsuit Clinton wore of which only comes out of the closet on Halloween and whenever I want to annoy people. I wonder if Clinton does the same things. But it is times like this that I am glad that I don't have HD.
One more fun fact about Palin, when pregnant with her most recent child, here water broke at a convention in Texas. She then gave her speech and then flew back to Alaska because, really, who wants to have their kid born a Texan. No offence to Jo. Okay, that was meant to offend Jo because she is my week one opponent in my fantasy football league and I plan to beat her like a red headed step child.
Checking out the cast photo for the latest TNT show Raising the Bar there is one thing that sticks out more than anything else, not one, but two Saved by the Bell alums smiling back at you. Yep that is Zack Morris and Lindsay Wagner, who never actually passed through the halls of Bayside High at the same time, sharing screen time on Raising the Bar. Granted it is neither of Mr. Belding’s favorite students that gets mention in ads for the shows but creator Steven Bochco who also created LA Law, NYPD Blue. Although conspicuously missing in those ads was his involvement with Commander In Chief and Cop Rock.
Zack and Lindsay play public defenders in New York City who routinely go against district attorneys whom happened to be their classmates in law school. Their boss happens to be Gloria Reuben (ER). On the other side of the courtroom include Melissa Sagemiller (Sorority Boys) and J. August Richards (Angel) yet they still get together at the watering hole when the final gavel is hit. Of course every court needs a judge and the young lawyers routinely run into Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) who is a little off kilter.
There is something to say that in the first two episodes each main court cases included a African American and a Hispanic. Then the first Caucasian defendant just happens to have a mental illness and his actual crime was a non violent robbery. Of course one of those African Americans on trial is one Wallace Fennel who beat up the boyfriend of the spiky hair chick Landry Clarke dropped when he hooked up with Tyra. And of course it is nice to see Wallace in something other than a Hot Pocket commercial.
The cases are your run of the mill procedurals you have seen in every other lawyer show before except when Kaczmarek pulls some absurd rulings in her case. Where the show tries to set itself apart is the after hours aspect that was also tried on the short lived Conviction (that Richards also starred in) and the pilot ends in some plot twist with two character who may or may not be shacking up together and one character who may or may not be gay and may or may not hook up with another nineties afterthought in the second episode. And I may or may not be overdoing it on saying may or may not.
If there is a reason to stick with Raising the Bar is to see if any other Bayside graduates show up like Lisa Turtle as a welfare mother or Mr. Belding as someone who gets caught up in a Chris Hansen sting after trying to solicit one of the Chinese gymnast. Personally I cannot wait. Although Zack needs to cut his hair because follicles have not been this distracting since Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code. Raising the Bar premieres this Monday, September 1, Labor Day, at 10:00 on TNT.
You know the story: a band tolls around in obscurity for a decade, becomes an overnight success then collapses under the weight of its own ego. Then has one of two endings: reunited after anyone stopped caring for a tour of state fairs or hope that VH1 lets them be on one of their celebreality show. Then there is The Verve who managed to make an album as good as before the original break up, almost a decade after the band ended with a broken hand and a sore jaw.
For their reunion album Forth, The Verve expands on their space rock set up on the previous three album. And expand being the key word as only one song on the album clock in at under five minutes with the album as a whole comes in at just over an hour for the ten track set. But where some band make long songs in hopes to be epic, very few notes are wasted on any of these songs, from the sweeping Judas to the melancholy closer Appalachian Song or the slow burning I See Houses. Unless you are looking at the clock, you won't even notice the length of the song.
The band really comes together on Love Is Noise with its wall of sound that fills your ears from the start with eerily oooh's and aaah's that haunt you throughout the song and rivals Bittersweet Symphony in terms of sonic brilliance. No matter what Vegas sets the line for another fist o' cuffs, hopefully manages the over or at least until there is a Fifth.
Greek put on a surprisingly good first season by flipping stereotype on the ear by including a engineering nerd and a gay homosexual into the rush family. Through in the Confederate flag loving evangelical roommate the round out the third musketeer who is willing to put aside their differences even if he doesn’t agree with them. That is not to say there is plenty of soap opera moments including the initial love triangle of Cappie/Cassie/Evan that ballooned into a pentagon swallowing up Rebecca and Frannie in the process.
All you need to know about the new season of Greek that debuts tonight at 9:00 is that Frannie appears in almost nothing but knee high socks.
If you are interested in a little more information, the premiere takes part during Greek Week for those going through Olympics withdrawal with those classic Greek events dude cheerleading, powder-puff football and lip syncing. All the competition flares up the males segments of the previously mentioned love pentagon.
And despite the old adage of what happens at Spring Break stays at Spring Break, naturally someone caught Rebecca’s attempted strip tease on their camera phone and posted it on the intertube. This leads to an appearance from someone who made a cameo in the first season. And after the events of the episode, it is safe to say we may see another appearance from the guest again this season.
- Since I have been asked multiple time, the Nike commercial that repeats the chorus, "I got soul but I'm not a soldier" that uses throughout the Olympics is All These Things That I've Done by the Killers.
- For all the lead up to the first ever BMX race in the Olympics, it was pretty short. And it was won by a Latvian of all people.
- In case you missed it, it should be noted that the USA Woman's Soccer gold medal was America's 1000th medal ever.
- I cannot believe the interviewed the nut job priest who disrupted the marathon in Athens for years ago. Another thing I cannot believe, on a perfect August Saturday night, I stayed indoors to watch a two hour Marathon.
- Possibly my favorite human interest story of the games is of Shannon Rowbury, a Irish Dancing turned 1500 meter runner.
- After two weeks of doing everything short of anointing Michael Phelps new dictator of the Olympics, I was surprised that they still called the decathlon the competition for the title World's Greatest Athlete. Which begs the question, why isn't the aquatic version of the decathlon?
- The best thing about the closing ceremonies is that it seems like the host counties do not care anymore. It all seems so lax and is more about the next host than the current. But leave it to the Chinese to insert some more pomp and circumstance in before the games leave their nation.
- I would say Jimmy Paige playing with Leona Lewis is a low point in Led Zeppelin history, but nothing can touch Paige okaying the Puff Daddy sampling of Kashmir.
- Jackie Chan singing? What?
- For those keeping score, eighteen months until the start of the Winter Olympics, and to those over at NBC, if you need a correspondent, I am sure I can clear my schedule. And I promise not to call any of my female co-workers a word you are not supposed to say on television.
A plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Closer, America’s Toughest Jobs, World’s Funniest Commercials, The Office, Dexter, and Valerie Bertinelli
- Tomorrow on the latest episode of The Closer Lyra Sedgwick will be directed by her husband Kevin Bacon, his third time behind the camera for the show. The episode focuses on Det. Julio Sanchez who brother is fatally shot at the beginning of the powerful episode. Look out for that at its regular time on TNT.
- Also tomorrow is the start of NBC’s fall season with the premiere of America’s Toughest Jobs from the guys that have brought you Ice Truck Truckers, Deadliest Catch and Black Gold. Here is a preview of what you will see if you turn in at 9:00:
- Then on Tuesday there is the latest installment of TBS’s World’s Funniest Commercials at 9:00. This show is hosted by Kevin Nelson (Weeds) and Susan Yeagley (Coyote Ugly). Keeping with the Olympics spirt, Scott Hamilton will be announcing the gold medal ad.
- Just over a month until the season premiere of The Office on September 25 at 9:00 on NBC. To tide the fans over, here is the newest clip of Adventures with Angela when she visits Oscar’s house:
- The second season of Dexter was released last Tuesday and if you head over to DexterTherapy.com where users can take inkblot tests to find out if they have a serial killer instinct.
- Valerie Bertinelli is coming back to television sometime soon on TBS. The show will feature the former One Day at a Time actess will play a single mother running a business and will be produced by Dave Caplan whose credits include The Drew Carey Show, The George Lopez Show and The Bill Engvall Show. Even though it is currently untilted, one can assume The Valerie Bertinelli Show is a frontrrunner.
Quote of the Week: You're a total medal (expletive deleted). (Tiki Barber, Olympics Recap)
Big New of the Week: The Return of The Banana Splits: I may be showing my age, but my favorite show as a kid is returning to television courtesy of The Cartoon Network. For those too young to remember the show, that is what YouTube is for.
Coalition Links of the Week:
Buzz got a great interview out of the young actor Tristan Wilds on moving from The Wire's Baltimore to 90210's, well, 90210. (BuzzSugar)
My favorite comedy, The Office will be returning in just a few short long weeks. I'm passing the time by watching season 4 on DVD. You can too. GMMR is giving away a copy of Season 4 of The Office on DVD. (Give Me My Remote)
Vance checks out the new contestants on The Amazing Race (Season 13) and makes gloriously uneducated preconceptions about all the teams. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace reviewed Season One of the adorable, charming, and wickedly funny British comedy Gavin & Stacey, which launches on Tuesday evening on BBC America. (Televisionary)
Is Dan overreacting? He was a bit put-off by the teaser for CBS's The Mentalist which employs some gay stereotypes. (TiFaux)
Raoul gave you his honest take on America's Greatest Dog...and so did Beth Joy. (TV Filter)
I Love Money: Megan's power is so great now, that she can just make everyone beg to her dog in order to stay and use that as her way to choose on who she would send packing. I am not sure if this is genius or the dumbest thing ever in reality history. You can download episodes of I Love Money on iTunes.
The Middleman: If this wasn't the best episode since the pilot, than it was easily the funniest thanks in no small part to evil puppets. Evil puppets rule. And the episode begs the question, who is The Middleman's other true love? My money is on the succubus. You can download episodes of The Middleman on iTunes.
Pick for Next Week: Greek, Tuesday at 9:00 on ABC Family: Let the fall season begin. Greek starts right after Spring Break and I should have a preview in the next couple days. And for those that fear going through Olympics withdrawal, try switching over another wall to wall coverage this time of the Democratic National Convention which goes from Monday until Thursday on all the cable news networks as well as an hour a day on the major networks at 10:00.
- The clear winner of the NBC coverage team this year has been Jenna Wolfe who has been part of the Olympics roundup show everyday on MSNBC. This is really because she obviously doesn’t know anything about sports and doesn’t even bother to pretend. And if you have to be good if you are able to your co-host, in this case Tiki Barber, call you a word on television that George Carlin told me you couldn’t say on television. See you in London Jenna.
- Poor Ping Pong player, not only do no one actually come to see them play, even in a country that is supposed to big on the sport yet couldn’t fill out the area, the sport doesn’t even have ball boys and the athletes have to chase down their own balls like they were playing in my basement.
- As a former huddler myself who also tasted rubber, my heart goes out to Susanna Kallur of Sweden who tripped over the first hurdle of her preliminary race and American LoLo Jones (who should have Rashida do a bio pick on her) who couldn’t quite make it over the eighth hurdle dashing each hope for a medal. If either needs a shoulder to cry on, shout me a holla.
- Do they really need to say it was a clean start on every sprint?
- The gymnastics announcing team has been announcing and I couldn’t quite figure out why until I was flipping back between the competition and Monday Night Football to realize why. The football announces spent three quarters with the second and third strings and treated them with respect though many would be cut within a week or two. Yet the gymnastics would crush these sixteen year old girls saying things like they have “absolutely no chance to medal.” If they have no chance why should we bother to watch? They are dashing the hopes of young girls and their families and friends watching at home, acting like judges on some crappy Bravo reality show caring themselves with no class or professionalism and should be fired on the spot. They didn’t even know the rules and we didn’t even learn what a tie breaker was until Bob Costas broke in and told us. Which begs the question, why wasn’t Béla Károlyi commentating?
- And if we are firing NBC personal, add Andrea Kramer to that list, not only did she suck the life out of the swimming competition, she made a fifteen year old diver who failed to make the finals cry and then just stood their and watch her cry. Andrea, there is this thing called a hug, try it sometime.
- There is no cooler camera use in sports than the diving cam that follows divers into the water.
- Back to Gymnastics, it was nice to see Nastia Liukin actually where a red white and blue get up in the individual competition.
- The Beach Volleyball final in the rain is the reason HD was created. Or so I assume, I am too cheap to buy one.
- Who knew guys played Field Hockey?
- Just to show you how far Boxing has fallen, when it was being shown on CNBC, I chose to watch Synchronized Swimming on Oxygen. And where was all the programming on Oxygen, it seemed like almost every time I flipped on the channel it was always showing Tori and Dean. Which begs the question, who is sitting around all day watching Tori and Dean? Who is watching one episode of Tori and Dean?
- Let the Michael Phelps backlash begin, and naturally it was Best Week Ever who led the charge asking, Is Michael Phelps a Douche?
- Speaking of douches, did anyone else notice that Usain Bolt does the same hand spasms complete with finger kisses that Flavor Flav does? Next thing you know dude will be racing with a Vikings cap on.
- Those not on Michael Phelps overload be sure to head over to NBCDVD.com to purchase Michael Phelps: Greatest Olympic Champion...The Inside Story. Also available are 2008 Beijing General Highlight DVD and 2008 Beijing Opening Ceremony 2-Volume DVD.
There is no band that shaped my formative years more than the Dave Matthews Band. A high school buddy bought me Under the Table and Dreaming back in 1996 and since than I have amassed over thirty of their albums. In the post grunge era they were a breathe of fresh air and that was due in large part to LeRoi Moore, the multi instrumentalist who added an extra level of musicianship with his classical jazz background to the band. His presence was sometimes subtle on the studio albums but it was the live shows where he really shined and thanks to Dave Matthews Band gracious live releases, there is plenty to choose from (I listed my Favorite Live Dave Matthews Band Albums a couple years ago). Below are three of those songs where Moore really shines:
There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though 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 not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.
Lucky Japanese, they go to a Coldplay concert and out comes Alicia Keys. Although all she does is play some piano, chords that I can play (no, seriously, I can), and it sounds like she played an octave too high. Great nonetheless.
There has been a retro renaissance coming out of Great Britain as heard from the voices of Amy Winehouse and Duffy. In the northern part of the British Isles there seems to be a rock resurgence from the lasses of Scotland. First there was the Bo Diddley honoring KT Tunstall with her Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. Now the land of kilts and bagpipes brings us Amy MacDonald, another guitar toting singer with her debut This Is the Life.
Unlike Tunstall, whose formative years were spent in New England, MacDonald is Scottish born and bread leaving her with a thick accent that can even be heard in her singing voice that hasn’t been heard since the chick from The Cranberries. The differences to Tunstall also draw a line in musicianship where MacDonald really has only one gear, where Tunstall could craft many different tunes, each as good as the previous.
But that one gear is pretty good, the showstopper being the title track, an upbeat Celtic folk song about going down to your local pub for some ale and a band. That same esthetic goes the same for Mr. Rock and Roll and the ode to Pete Doherty Poison Prince. The slow, strings laden Footballer’s Wives also get a sarcastic song on their behalf.
Also on the disk is the Mexican horns opening for Let’s Start a Band that conjures up images of the previously mentioned small town pub that quickly morph into stadium with Amy telling Rolling Stone and Glastonbury to get ready. It could make any Guitar Hero to put down a plastic toy and pick up a real ax. The variety may not be as wide on This Is the Life but keep in mind Tunstall has more than a decade on the twenty year old, with age, maybe MacDonald Rolling Stone cover premonition could come true before she hits thirty.
- How does the Women’s Team Sabre team grab a Bronze after sweeping the individual medals? But anyways. The most interesting thing that came out of the Bronze Medal match was that actually have redo. Not only was there was a redo, it was for the deciding point and this is even with instant replay. Imagine if that happened in the Super Bowl, fourth quarter, less than ten seconds and they review a touchdown where the receiver may have been out of bound and the referee comes out of his little viewing station and announces, “Yeah, I have no clue, why don’t we just do that play over.”
- The only rule that may be more silly, and by more silly, I mean secretly brilliant is the baseball rule that if the game goes to eleven innings, both teams start off with runners on first and second. Too bad Bud Selig couldn’t have thought of this instead of that stupid Home Field advantage in the world series crap for the All-Star Game.
- If there were an anti-Michael Phelps it would have to Kate Hoff who seemed to rack up the fourth place finishes. Okay, I may have been a little bitter because she was on my fantasy Olympics team.
- In the rare moment when they were at the Water Cube and not crushing on Phelps, all the inner dating that is going on in basically every country but ours. The most salacious being the tale of Laure Manaudou who left France after winning Gold in Athens, making her a national star, to be with her swimmer boyfriend only for him to break up with her, date one of her rivals, and post the types of pictures to the internet that are typically reserved to beauty queens and Paris Hilton.
- I turned on the television the other day to a soccer game between the United Stated and Canada, the problem being it took me way too long to figure out who was who. Ever since the beret debacle of the Opening Ceremonies, there has been some questionable wardrobe choices for what should be the red, white and blue. But there was no hint of blue in the soccer uniforms. Then there is Nastia Liukin who opted for a pink number in the all around competition. Okay, this was all a ruse just to post of pictures of Heather Mitts and Liukin in that pink leotard.
- Pardon the Interruption had an interesting discussion on if she would become the next America’s Sweetheart. The easy answer is no as it is hard to be America’s Sweetheart with a name like Nastia. Name aside she certainly has the looks; the biggest problem though is that American hasn’t had a real sweetheart since Reece Witherspoon circa Legally Blonde. Sadly the only way females today can get America’s attention for more than one day is for being infamous as seen in the past five years with the parade of Paris, Britney, Nicole, Amy, Lindsay and the chicks from The Hills. Even the Disney stars these days have problems keeping their cloths on.
- Watching the Women’s Marathon I was struck that near the twentieth mile mark, the commentator said that the top woman were running 5:30 mile. I’m not sure I could run just a single mile at that time.
- Nothing says it is time to go to bed than it is 2:00 AM and they are showing the 20K Walk Race. Isn’t a speed walker an oxymoron?
A plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Into the Unknown, Sons of Anarchy, The Closer and House of Paine marathons, Eli Stone, Greek, Samurai Girl, and Raising the Bar:
- Discovery’s new show Into the Unknown starts tomorrow at 10:00. The show is described as, “International explorer Josh Bernstein travels the world on epic quests for knowledge and discovery. Inspired by deep mysteries and burning questions, he takes a series of unforgettable journeys into the unknown; no location is too remote, no culture too exotic, no goal too ambitious. Each quest sparks new revelations and incredible insights as Josh takes us on a thrilling hunt for answers.” Below is a promo:
- More video is coming out of FX’s new show Sons of Anarchy, debuting September 3, here is a behind the scenes look:
- When I got a press release from the Turner networks of their Labor Day plans I thought that was a little early. That was until I looked at my calendar and saw that it is in two weeks. Boo. But anyways. TNT will be running thirteen episodes of The Closer starting at 9:00 AM capping with the series premiere of Raising the Bar at 10:00. Over on TBS, a ten hour, twenty episode marathon of House of Paine starting at 10:00 AM.
- In a story I broke yesterday, ABC.com is hosting Starter Kits for their returning shows, here is the one for Eli Stone:
- ABC Family is getting a jump on the new fall season with the season premiere of Greek on its new day and time of Tuesday, August 26 at 9:00. Then there is also the network’s mini-series Samurai Girl starting September 5 starting the moderately attractive Stacy Keibler (not as the title character, that is instead goes to Real World alumni Jamie Chung). I should have a preview of both in the next couple weeks as well as the previously mentioned Raising the Bar.
Quote of the Week: Goodnight LeBatard’s mustache. (Tony Kornheiser, Pardon the Interruption)
Big New of the Week: It’s the End of the World as We Know It: And I feel sick. The most coveted endorsement: Angelina Jolie. I wish I were making this up. Then Barack Obama finally got around to responding to John McCain’s celebrity ad, keep in mind it took him a week longer than it took Paris Hilton to respond, calling McCain “Washington’s biggest celebrity.” The election better get here soon before someone uses the rubber/glue response.
Coalition Links of the Week: With the news that the Emmys will have actors recite classic TV lines from the past 60 years, Buzz put out a call for your favorite TV quips. (BuzzSugar)
We wind down the week with some Friday Fun, this time featuring battles between some of our favorite sidekicks. Tell us who you think would win. (RTVW Online)
Vance asks all you readers to help pick the Song of the Summer for 2008! (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace took a look at another British import, reviewing the first three episodes of BBC America's new drama Skins, launching this Sunday. (Televisionary)
TiFaux’s coverage of the Olympics included coverage of commercials, hot athletic bodies, the opening ceremonies and, yes, even a few passing mentions of sports! (TiFaux)
This week the TV Addict asked, "Is The Secret Life of the American Teenager the Best Worst Show Ever?" (The TV Addict)
Kate stayed up way too late and decided that Grey's Anatomy is just likeFriends. (TV Filter)
I Love Money: We may just be getting closer and closer to the first reality death. Pumpkin better hope that VH1 brought down some metal detectors. You can download episodes of I Love Money on iTunes.
Sit a side an hour because Best Week Ever has compiled the Ten Best To Catch a Predator segments ever. Don’t ask me how the naked dude who gets tackled by a dude only lands at number eight.
With all the Olympics I have been watching over the past week there have been plenty of NBC programming I have seen. First off, who knew Lipstick Jungle wasn’t canceled? As for the news show, it probably says something that I have only seen one ad for Caruso and Knight Rider, but ads for Kath and Kim and My Own Worst Enemy are shown ad nausea. That is not to hint at the quality of either as both look unwatchable. Kath and Kim looks less funny each commercial and Jennifer Garner makes for a more credible looking spy than Christian Slater.
Free Download of the Week: Primeval: My sources tell me the BBC America show is entertaining but I cannot find that channel on my television, but you can download the first episode for free on iTunes.
Promo of the Week: In about a month shows start trickling back to your television sets, some that we haven’t seen for nine months. So to help you remember the story so far for their returning shows (Lost is supposed to be up next week), ABC.com have Starter Kits. Below is the Starter Kit for the best new show from last season, Pushing Daisies:
Pick for Next Week: More Olympics, All Day, Every Day, NBC Networks: As swimming winds down (thank goodness, the Michael Phelps coverage is leaving me want to hear more Brett Varve new). For those that need a break from Archery, Table Tennis, and Rowing, tonight is the first face to face meeting with John McCain and Barack Obama on MSNBC in a forum on faith starting at 8:00. Well face to face for a few moments.
For three years now I have tested your musical knowledge with a monthly Lyrics Quiz and for that anniversary here is your second chance of song that when unguessed their first time around. As always you need to put both artist and title in the comments section (or you can e-mail me) and if you are correct I will un-bold it and give you credit. The Lyrics Quiz is for entertainment purposes only so please do not use anything besides your own meandering mind to help you up with the answers. Feel free to go through the archives or use the Lyrics Quiz Label to check out some of the previous hints (the list starts from the oldest quiz to the latest). Now onto the quiz:
1. She couldn’t afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis. 2. She said her name was Donnie but her shirt said Marie. 3. Why, why you slap me in my face? I didn’t say it was okay. 4. Exactly how many days you got last, you laughing? We passing, passing away. 5. Natural fact is, honey, that I can’t pay my taxes. 6. I love in a place where there’s no space or time, I love you for my life, you’re a friend of mine. 7. Tryin’ to get my hands on some Grants like Horace. Yeah livin’ the raw deal three course meals. 8. It’s been too hard living but I’m afraid to die because I don’t know what’s up there beyond the sky. 9. I’m not along because the TV’s on, yeah. I’m not crazy because I take the right pills everyday. 10. Wherever there's somebody fightin’ for a place to stand or decent job or a helpin’ hand. Wherever somebody's strugglin’ to be free, look in their eyes Mom you'll see me. (Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen; guess by Rebekah) 11. No prints can come from fingers if machines become our hands. And then our feet become the wheels, and then the wheels become the cars, then the rigs begin to drill until the drilling goes too far. 12. So go ahead and get gone. Call up that chick and see if she’s home. Oops. I bet you though that I didn’t know. What do you think I was putting you out for? (Irreplaceable - Beyonce; guessed by Rebekah) 13. I got a letterman’s sweater with a letter in front I got for football and track. I’m proud to wear it now. When I cruise around the other parts of the town I got my decal in back. 14. I’ll tap into the water try and bring my share. Try to bring more, more then I can handle. Bring it to the table, bring what I am able. 15. I was a starling, nobody’s darling. Lying in perfect circles just for company. 16. Yeah here we go for the hundredth time. Hand grenade pins in every line. Throw ‘em up and let something shine. 17. She was the type to watch Oprah and the Today Show. Be on the treadmill, uh, like OK-Go. 18. Sneakin’ out late, tapping on your window when we’re on the phone and you talk real slow ‘cause it’s late and your mama don’t know. (Our Song - Taylor Swift; guessed by Rebekah) 19. My body’s longing to hold you so bad it hurts inside. Time is precious and it’s ticking away and I’ve been waiting for you all of my life. 20. Let’s go back, back to the beginning, back to when the Earth, the sun, the stars all aligned. 21. There was blood and a single gun shot. But just who shot who? (Copacabana - Barry Manalow; guessed by Rebekah) 22. Secret lovers is what you wanna be. While making love to him, girl, you’re silently calling on me. 23. All the husbands, all the sons, all the lovers gone they make no difference, no difference in the end. Still hear the woman say “you’re daddy died a hero.” 24. So you think my singing’s out of time: it makes me money. I don’t know why. (Cum on Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot; guessed by Rebekah) 25. Your bark was loud, but your bite wasn't vicious and them rhymes you were kicking were quite bootylicious.
There have been over 800 different lyrics and more than 90 different participants in the past two year. And after twenty-four months, here is the leader board in term of all-time points (and of course check out the Winners List on the sidebar).
What a way to start the Olympics (see It's not the Triumph but the Struggle), to be it turned out to be a sham. First we learned that the Chinese CGI’ed some of the fireworks but by far the worst was the axing a young girl to sing their national anthem for a cuter one who lip synced it. Other thoughts of the first week of the Olympics:
- Andrea Kramer may be the worst sideline reporter ever. Couldn’t NBC just rent out Erin Andrews or at least bring back a former golden girl like Summer Sanders or Janet Evans?
- And you cannot talk swimming without talking Michael Phelps. His Olympics aren’t even over but there is talk of him being not just being the greatest Olympian ever but the best athlete ever. Personally I view swimming these days like the baseball in the nineties. But instead of horse roids, you have these swimsuits that put all these world records with asterisks. Really, there should be a rule that if you cannot put on your suit yourself, it should not be allowed. If Phelps wants to impress me, break all the world records with an old school Speedo and a seventies porn mustache. And NBC is doing everything to turn Phelps into a God even refusing to even mention that whole DUI he got to avoid tarnishing his image. But I will give it to him that he is better athlete than Tiger Woods that has been brought up in the discussion. Golfers and baseball players should never be in any discussion for best athletes. When your peers can be obese and great, your sport by definition is not athletic.
- One of the most mesmerizing sports is badminton. It’s like the Curling of the Summer Olympics for me. One reason is because I have played the sport against natural Asians and got beat down like a red-headed step child. Literally. I came away with welts and bruises from the shuttlecock being imbedded in my chest multiple times. The shuttlecock of course is the fastest instrument in sports.
- What could have been the a symbolic picture of the games, Georgian beach volleyballers embracing their Russian counterpoint is a little less symbolic when you learn the Georgian team are actually Brazilians born duel citizens who spent only a couple more days in Georgia than I have. There are some lax eligibility rules for who you can play for.
- Speaking of eligibility rules, what is with all the weird age requirements? You have to be sixteen or older in gymnastics, a sport that benefits the youth, but there was a fourteen year old diver. But the most odd is soccer where it is something like player must be twenty-five ore younger but you are allowed like three players that are older than that. Oh, and if the female Chinese gymnastics are really sixteen and older, they should really become decoys for Chris Hansen.
- Certainly everyone knows Natalie Coughlin, Jenny Finch and Ana Ivanovic (who sadly had to drop out of the Olympics), or at least the dudes out there, but here is possibly the hottest chick with a gun, and Olympics bronze medalist Corey Cogdell:
One movie I probably should not have seen was 21, a movie about a bunch of MIT students who go to Las Vegas on weekends and land big money by counting cards. I shouldn’t have seen it not based on the quality of the film but after watching I thought to myself, I could do that. And that is the exactly reason why Vegas liked the movie, it causes people to think they can count cards when it is not as easy as the movie suggests. (Okay, it is actually is as easy as the movie would suggest, it just takes a lot longer to actually get a lot of money than the movie suggests.)
My aspirations to lose my entire fortune aside, 21 is more than a gambling film. The movie follows Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe) while he finds a way to get into Harvard Medical School and it is not his grades keeping him out and the promotion at his clothing store isn’t going to put a dent into that tuition. Luck would have it that his professor Kevin Spacey (Pay it Forward) is looking for another student to recruit into his Vegas field trips. Along for the ride is Kate Bosworth who hasn’t looked this attractive on film since Blue Crush.
21 is actually funnier than the trailer would have you to believe thanks mostly to Jim’s two friends and science club buddies who are building a robot together. And that juxtaposition of the nerdier, cold, wintry Boston and sleek, cool Vegas almost makes two distinctive films with the card counters even playing cooler versions of them. Now if there is anyone who would like to be my own personal Kate Bosworth, I will meet you in Vegas.
Apparently some people actually left their houses this weekend to go see Pineapple Express. Personally I stayed in to watch chicks play badminton. For those that went to see the movie, you may have been treated to a new song from Huey Lewis (at least I am assuming because the song is on the soundtrack yet some movie soundtracks do not have many of the songs actually in the movie). So after twenty years Lewis finally found the new drug he wanted. Below is his performance, along with The News, on Jimmy Kimmel and just because, the video for I Want a New Drug. Wow, dude has not aged. Now if you excuse me, I believe there is some team handball being played.
As a corny white dude in the suburbs, there was nothing more entertaining than Shaft, and I am of course referring to the movie that is older than I am, not the Samuel L. Jackson version from a couple years ago, to the point I even did a report in college on the film. The greatness of the movie was much attributed to its theme that sent the tone perfectly for the film. Isaac Hayes may not have written the greatest theme song ever, but it is easiest the coolest one ever which everyone from Peal Jam to The Simpsons copied the infamous, That Shaft is one bad mother…” line. Naturally this guy also repeated the line multiple times if only to see whether anyone would tell me to “shut your mouth,” and if they would I know we could be friends.
To those of my generation not familiar with the original Shaft, they may most know Hayes as Chef from South Park even if he was a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee from the class of 2002. On South Park he again became quoteworthy and even did some singing in on the show. For more on the life of Isaac Hayes, head over to VH1.com: Isaac Hayes, Soul Legend and the Voice of South Park Character Chef, Dead at 65.
Quote of the Week: A song even Michael Bolton can’t ruin. Don’t tell anyone I said that. (Tyler, The Middleman)
Big New of the Week: It’s the End of the World as We Know It: And I am starting to get a little queasy. It was bad enough that John McCain included Paris Hilton in one of his political ads, but then the Paris respond ad just inched us even closer to the impending apocalypse. And when you thought, or at least hoped, that was it, John McCain responded to the Paris Hilton ad saying her energy plan was better than the one of Barack Obama. Let me repeat, the presumptive republican nominee responded to an attack ad from Paris Hilton.
Coalition Links of the Week: Buzz tested your knowledge of how much money TV stars make. (BuzzSugar)
This week, Sandie took a first look at Katie Holmes' guest appearance on Eli Stone. (Daemon's TV)
As part of a week-long series on TV vs. film with TiFaux, Marcia takes a look at some of the ways TV creates more varied characters than film. (Pop Vultures)
Rae steps into the RTVW Confessional and spills about liking good stunt casting, citing such examples as LiLo on Ugly Betty and Katie Holmes on Eli Stone. (RTVW Online)
Vance giddily recaps the finale of So You Think You Can Dance Season 4. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace waxed poetic about the latest Peggy-and-Pete-centric installment of Mad Men, easily the one of the most complex, vibrant, and vivid series on television right now. (Televisionary)
In an exciting first for TiFaux, Dan teamed up with Marcia from Pop Vultures to discuss the merits of TV versus film. In his first entry, Dan talked about how couch potatoes are given a bad reputation as anti-social shut-ins. Which, for the record, he only is when Project Runway is on. (TiFaux)
Jack Bauer would me proud as this week, the TV Addict did the impossible and infiltrated the set of 24. (The TV Addict)
Kate was saddened to realize that pretty much any great woman's life can be turned into a Lifetime Original Movie. (TV Filter)
The Middleman: For anyone that didn’t catch all those Ghostbusters references, I do not think we can be friends. You can download episodes of The Middleman on iTunes.
My Boys: Predictable ending, but I have no clue if the wedding will end up going off next season or not. Catch up on recent episodes over at TBS.com. You can also download My Boys on iTunes.
Last week I introduced the cast of Raising the Bar and no one was able to catch the one decree of separation of two of the cast mates, here is a hint:
Free Download of the Week: Man vs. Wild: I was late to hyping the new season, but it just so happens that you can download some bonus material for free on iTunes.
Pick for Next Week: Beijing Olympics, all the time on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, and Oxygen: Pretty much all I watched this weekend, and all I did, and that looks to continue all week.
For the first time ever, the Olympics come to the Asian mainland for better or worse. Like pretty much every Olympics recently, the lead up was mired in questions on how the would come up thanks to construction and pollution questions. Then there was the added tension of political protest following the Olympics torch wherever it went. Politics aside (besides of course the Obama/Paria Hilton ad that ran) this should be the most contested medal count race since the Soviet Union desolved. Here aresome thoughts of the opening cerimonies that featured 15,000 performers and cost 300 million dollars.
- The Olympics just are not the Olympics without Bob Costas. I do not think I can remember on without him.
- I was surprised to hear that George Bush is the first sitting president to go to a non-American hosted Olympics. Considering most are lame-ducks by the time the Summer Olympics roll around that someone would like the vacation. Leave to Bush who took more vacation time in his first year than most had in their whole term to do so.
- Odd that the national anthem of a Communist country is called March of the Volunteers.
- And like many Olympics before it, the Opening Ceremonies is full with stuff that despite looking cool, I have no clue what they are trying to get to get across and that is even after the commentators explained everything. That whole painting scroll thing is just the most bizarre thing I have ever seen.
- And I am corrected already. After those flowing boxes stop and all the people popped out is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen.
- The Parade of Athletes is at the same time the best and worst part of the Olympics. It is excruciatingly long, but thanks to the length Bob Costas starts to go off script and says some inane things. But what was with the bagpipes through the parade?
- Another part of the Parade is the native costumes with African nation always being the best best. The Americans as usual are lane. This year created by Ralph Lauren complete with ascots and Berets.
- The whole footprint thing is pretty cool.
- Wait, there is no more Zaire? When did that happen?
- Okay, the torch lighting was the most bizarre of them all. Consider my mind blown.
- After all that I flipped throughall the NBC networks and no games yet even though it was noon over there.
By the time you read this the Olympics will most likely already started (although we have to wait for the tape delay to witness the start later tonight). Below are a couple of widgets to to keep you up to date with what is going on with the games. And of course, for all things Olympic, head over to NBCOlympics.com.
alums smiling back at you. Yep that is Zack Morris and Lindsay Wagner, who never actually passed through the halls of Bayside High at the same time, sharing screen time on Raising the Bar. Granted it is neither of Mr. Belding’s favorite students that gets mention in ads for the shows but creator Steven Bochco who also created LA Law, 
. Although conspicuously missing in those ads was his involvement with 
and Cop Rock. 
). On the other side of the courtroom include Melissa Sagemiller (
) and J. August Richards (
) yet they still get together at the watering hole when the final gavel is hit. Of course every court needs a judge and the young lawyers routinely run into Jane Kaczmarek (
) who is a little off kilter.
who beat up the boyfriend of the spiky hair chick 
dropped when he hooked up with Tyra. And of course it is nice to see Wallace in something other than a Hot Pocket commercial.
(that Richards also starred in) and the pilot ends in some plot twist with two character who may or may not be shacking up together and one character who may or may not be gay and may or may not hook up with another nineties afterthought in the second episode. And I may or may not be overdoing it on saying may or may not.
. Raising the Bar premieres this Monday, September 1, Labor Day, at 10:00 on TNT.
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on my 
to put down a plastic toy and pick up a real ax. The variety may not be as wide on This Is the Life but keep in mind Tunstall has more than a decade on the twenty year old, with age, maybe MacDonald Rolling Stone cover premonition could come true before she hits thirty.
over at Amazon MP3 for free.)
. Sadly the only way females today can get America’s attention for more than one day is for being infamous as seen in the past five years with the parade of Paris, Britney, Nicole, Amy, Lindsay and the chicks from 
) while he finds a way to get into Harvard Medical School and it is not his grades keeping him out and the promotion at his clothing store isn’t going to put a dent into that tuition. Luck would have it that his professor Kevin Spacey (
) is looking for another student to recruit into his Vegas field trips. Along for the ride is Kate Bosworth who hasn’t looked this attractive on film since 
.