This is a somber music preview, no not because of a lack of music (well fairly abundant compared to previous first quarters) but this will be the first music preview with out the obligatory “maybe this is the season when we actually get Chinese Democracy” on account that it came out last November to surprisingly little fanfare. At least we still have Detox to wait for. But here are the albums that you may expect to be released while you are waiting for the weather to turn warm, many of which will be reviewed on the 9th Green. You can pre-order the album through Amazon (where available) or download currently available music by clicking on the artist name. (Release dates subject to change)
You may also expect albums something new by Beastie Boys, Green Day, Eminem, Jay-Z, Gorillaz, Big Boi, and at least one of the three albums Prince promises in 2009 by Spring. If there is anything I left off, feel free to let me know in the comments.
A couple weeks ago one of the major record labels pulled all their videos off YouTube, but I still go there first when looking for new ones intuitively. When I searched for the new Jason Mraz video I found one with a new notice: “This video contains an audio track that has not been authorized by all copyright holders. The audio has been disabled.” So you basically are watching the music with the mute button on because YouTube won’t pull the video but has to strip the audio to avoid copy write infringement. I love getting caught in the middle of uber rich entities fighting with other uber rich entities over pennies.
Yet another reason why Q-Tip landed in at number two of the Best Albums of 2008 list. I can’t imagine anyone who couldn’t get behind this bass line. If you haven’t checked out The Renaissance yet, do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Sounds very much like Maybe which may be my favorite N.E.R.D. song. Get it? I guess that is why I never went into stand up. And what is up with the gratuitous Zune product placement.
And the very first headscratchingly absurd video of 2009 goes to Canadian artist Lights. Still I watched it about ten times when I first came across it.
Big News of the Week: Class of 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced: Run-DMC, Metallica, Bobby Womack, Jeff Beck (who gets in for the second time, the first as a member of the Yardbirds seventeen years ago), and Little Anthony and the Imperials all get in this year. This year’s ceremony should be extra special for Womack because for the first time in twelve years, the induction will actually be held in his hometown of Cleveland where the Hall is located. Of course I am within driving distance to the ceremony so if anyone has an extra ticket or press pass, shout me a holla. I have the date cleared on my calendar.
Also going in this year are Rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson who is being inducted as an early influence as well as three sidemen: Elvis Presley’s bassist Bill Black and his drummer D.J. Fontana, as well as Dewey Lyndon “Spooner” Oldham, who has played piano with everyone from Neil Young to Aretha Franklin to the Drive-By Truckers.
Coalition Links of the Week: From the Gossip Girl spinoff to Chuck's dad to the rise of Adrianna on 90210, Buzz scooped up some news at the TCA press tour. (BuzzSugar)
Sandie watched for the first time and fell in love with The Biggest Loser. (Daemon's TV)
Despite some flaws and some overly Diablo Cody-speak, Vance really enjoyed Toni Collette's new show The United States of Tara and can attest that the episodes get better from there. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace posted an advance review of Season Three of Skins and interviewed series co-creator Jamie Brittain. (Televisionary)
Marisa had long since given up on The Real World, too, but the show's new setting of Brooklyn lured her back. This week she compares the MTV BK with the real thing. (TiFaux)
Heather got to sit on a darkened screening room and watch the first two episodes of the fifth season of Lost and mighty fine she says they were, too... (TV Spy)
Confessions of a Teen Idol: Sadly Time Warner still hasn’t dumped VH1 so I was stuck watching the second episode (but that wasn’t the worst, check the next item for that). I am just glad that the guy whose name I can’t remember called out the stylist for wearing that hideous green shirt. And how does having Marilyn Manson and P!nk on your résumé make you a credible stylist? You can also download Confessions of a Teen Idol on iTunes.
Tool Academy: Just when you think no one could limbo under the bar Ryan Seacrest set with Momma’s Boys, somehow VH1 slithers under that bar for the lowest reality show of the year. With that said, I enjoyed every minute of it. And they couldn’t have done better job casting the Tools. The fashion show where the Tools thought they were competing for Mr. Awesome was the highest of high comedy. The only drawback, much like the Charm School series, is the show is completely rigged where the more interesting people get to stay even if they are much bigger Tools. There is no reason the chair throwing Tool should not have gotten booted for that. As for a prediction, I may have to go with Matsuflex because he seems to be only one that is self aware that he is a humongous Tool. And his girlfriend is definitely the hottest out of all of them. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.
The Big Bang Theory: Yeah, that was enough Walowitz-centric episode for, like ever. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
How I Met Your Mother: Is it really that hard to think of stuffing the magazine in your pocket like I always do? Of course the only problem I run into is a bathroom in the break room and I tend to come out to a dull house that all wonder what I was doing for half an hour. But when you have yet to read about Obama getting elected, you have to get some extra reading in sometime. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
Leverage: Is it every episode where someone says, “This isn’t a typical job we do.” It is only six episodes in, they don’t have a typical job yet, let alone one ever week. Still an enjoyable episode. And they lucked out with next week’s ripped from the headlines story even though the episode was filmed months ago as the gang gets on a plane that may have to make an emergency landing complete with Sheldon’s last girlfriend, Sara Rue, as someone who isn’t very good a flying. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.
Gary Unmarried: There was really nothing more predictable that the art teacher to actually turn out to be hot because she really had a Rachel Lee Cooke in She’s All That quality to her where you’d still hook up with the ugly version. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube.
Free Download of the Week: The Fear - Lily Allen (iHeartMusic.com): It is a little cumbersome to get: you have to give them your e-mail to which they will send a link to for you to download; but it is a great song and in MP3 format so it is worth the extra minute out of your day to get.
Deal of the Week: Buy Two ABC Family DVDs and Save $10 Buy any two of these ABC Family DVD’s: Greek Chapter Two, Kyle XY Season Two, or The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and save $10 on your total purchase.
Video (Game) of the Week: Instead of the usual video this week, here is a game you can play. Based on last night's episode of The Office, The Duel, where you can choose to play as either Dwight or Andy, choose various weapons of attack and defense, and see what the outcome is! There are tons of scenarios so be sure to try them all!
Next Week Pick of the Week: Lost, Wednesday at 9:00 on ABC: I always find the fandom around Lost puzzling, its like people latch onto things they don’t understand in the hopes to not look dumb or out of the loop. I personally resigned myself not to be hugely let down by the inevitable end that I stopped really caring somewhere during third season and just went along for the mind numbing plots: mental time travel, sure, moveable islands, why not, frozen donkey wheels, why not. I’m not sure what is in store from the penultimate season (see what you learn by watching Gary Unmarried), but I’m sure it will result with a bunch of fanfare by people that have no clue what is going on but want people to think they do. And if you cannot get enough Lost, tune in at 8:00 that night for a recap hour where they will most likely forget Shannon, Boone, Nikki, Paulo and the Tailies ever existed.
Someone once said absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I’m guessing whoever said that didn’t have to wait for almost a year for new a new episode of Friday Night Lights. After a couple months without a trip to Dillon, fonder became frustrated quickly. And to add insult to injury, there was the fact that some people got to see the premiere four months ago thanks to DirecTV.
But it was well worth the wait even if there were a few “huh, did I miss something?” moments like Mrs. Taylor is the new principle? Seriously? Lyla and Saresen have been in the same grade the whole time making Lyla a Varsity cheerleader as a sophomore? And then there were the glossed over reveals like Lyla dumping Jesus for Riggins? And the completely ignored like Street’s miracle baby.
But really none of that bothered me because I was distracted by all the goodness that started with opening unmistakable earthly guitar licks (FNL is the best scored show ever in the history of television) and scenes like the Riggins brothers powwow in a strip club and subsequent proposal, Momma Smash, Landry at the Collette house, Tyra telling off the new guidance teacher (since when was it so hard to get into a State college: at one point Ohio State University had a 100% acceptance rate), the status of Tyra and Landry’s relationship, and surely I am forgetting something else.
The show’s strength is how emotions can change on a dime which was best on display during the racquetball scene that starts off as whimsically enough with Smash mentioning it is the whitest sport ever created (which I can attest to as I have an intramural racquetball championship under my belt), but at a drop of a dime Coach lays into Smash for giving up (Mrs. Taylor had her own scene with Tyra earlier which parallels each struggle to get out of Dillon).
Verdict: Last year Friday Night Lights ended the season number one of my Best Television Shows of 2007-08 list and after one episode it is hard to think of any show that will come close to knocking the show off its pedestal. You can and should catch Friday Night Lights at 9:00 on Fridays. You can also stream episodes at NBC.com or download Friday Night Nights on iTunes or Amazon Video on Demand (see below). And you can still get the first two seasons for dirt cheap.
Every since I decided that the January Lyrics Quiz was going to be the ten anniversary o my best of that year list I have dreaded the 1999 list because it is pretty embarrassing as someone that is called a musical snob. In my defense, 1999 was the worst year in music ever in the history of the world. In fact a couple months ago when I did my Guilty Pleasures Lyrics Quiz, I could have well been a 1999-only list. Basically everything was teen pop, Latin pop, and frat rap-rock. But for prosperity sake, here is the list I created back in 1999. 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. Hormones pumping at the speed of light but that don’t mean it’s got to be tonight, baby, baby, baby. (Genie in a Bottle - Christina Aguilera; guessed by Rebekah)
2. Just close your eyes and I’ll take you there. This place is warm without a care. We’ll take a swim in the deep blue sea. I go to leave but you reach for me. (Someday - Sugar Ray; guessed by Rebekah)
3. Since the last time you heard from me I lost some friends, well, (expletive deleted), me and (Name Deleted), we dipping again. (Still D.R.E. - Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg; guessed by Angie)
4. Don’t come hanging around my door. I don’t wanna see your face no more. I don’t need your war machines. I don’t need your ghetto scenes. (American Woman - Lenny Kravitz; guessed by Rebekah)
5. It’s undeniable that we should be together. Unbelievable how I used to say that I’d fall never. (Back at One - Brian McKnight; guessed by Rebekah)
6. Man it’s a hot one, like seven inches from the midday sun. (Smooth - Santana featuring Rob Thomas; guessed by Rebekah)
7. She was looking kind of dumb with finger and her thumb in a shape of an “L” on her forehead. (All Star - Smash Mouth; guessed by Rebekah)
8. Getting back to my MC status, other willie that I kick make the other (expletive deleted) maddest. Moving through your town and situation. Shorty thought she subtle but she was really was blatant. (Vivrant Thing - Q-Tip; guessed by Big Wood)
9. Fell deep in love but now we ain’t speaking. Michael J. Fox was Alex P. Keaton. (Summer Girls - LFO; guessed by Angie)
10. You can buy your hair if it won’t grow. You fix your nose if he says so. You can buy all the make-up that man can make. (Unpretty - TLC; guessed by Angie)
11. We stay all day getting sober just hiding from daylight, watching TV. We just look a lot better in the blue light. You know I got to get out. (Hangin' Around - Counting Crows; guessed by Angie)
12. That was about the time she walked away from me. Nobody likes you when you’re 23. (What's My Age Again? - Blink-182; guessed by Rebekah)
13. Let’s go see the stars, the Milky Way or even Mars. Where they’d just be ours. (Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz; guessed by Angie) 14. We knew from the start that things fall apart. Intenses shatter, she’s like that (expletive deleted) don’t matter when I get home get at her. 15. It has to somewhere, it has to start sometime. What better place than here, what better time now? All (expletive deleted), can’t stop us now. (Guerilla Radio - Rage Against the Machine; guessed by Big Wood)
16. I can’t figure out which Spice Girl I wanna impregnate. (My Name Is - Eminem; guessed by Angie)
17. Lift up your open hand. Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance, silver moon sparkling. (Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer; guessed by Rebekah)
18. It’s on me, if you’re married then get a divorce. (Holla Holla - Ja Rule; guessed by Big Wood)
19. Don’t love the life you kill? The priest is on the phone, you father hit the wall, your mom disowned you. (Slide - The Goo Goo Dolls; guessed by Rebekah)
20. Sometime I feel that I am drunk behind the wheel, the wheel of possibility, however it may roll. (Out of My Head - Fastball; guessed by Angie)
21. I don’t know when I got bitter but love is surely better when it’s gone. (You Wanted More - Tonic; guessed by Angie) 22. Soon I spend every dollar. You became my habit. Other brother’s vive was smoke, mine was carrots. 23. So what can I do I really thank you my lord? To me flirting is just like a sport. (Mambo No. 5 - Lou Bega; guessed by Angie)
24. Cruising in his Pinto he see homies as he pass but if he looks twice they’re gonna kick his lily (expletive deleted). (Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) - The Offspring; guessed by Angie)
25. She wanna pillow fight in the middle of the night. She wanna drive the Benz with five of her friends. (Heartbreaker - Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z; guessed by Big Wood)
I was going to post the parts of my interview with John Lehr yesterday that pertained to 10 Items or Less yesterday but I forgot how cumbersome it is it download videos, edit them, then upload to YouTube. There is a lesson to you kiddies out there, do not procrastinate. But it does be transcribing it. Without further ado, here are parts to and three of my interview with Lehr. And you can check out part one here: Chatting with John Lehr.
Tonight is the second episode of the season for Ten Items or Less on TBS at 11:00 and last week I had the pleasure to interview its star John Lehr. I inadvertently almost nabbed a second interview that night as I passed Rajon Rondo on my way out from interviewing John as they were staying at the same hotel, but since the Celtics are on such a bad streak, I decided not to ask for one.
For as for the guy I sit down with, Lehr was very personable even though I was last on his dais and my poor interviewing skills (you will notice despite the lengthy introduction, the one think I left out was his actual name). We chatted for about forty minutes (about ten over my limit), thirty of which I got on camera, sorry, you don’t get to here our talk on stupid pet tricks. I cut the interview into four parts with the first below.
Look out later for the final segments later including his (very hilarious and candid) thoughts on his stint as the host of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Until then, check out Chatting with John Lehr parts 2 and 3.
As someone who dislikes spoilers, it is hard to understand why the people behind Traitor would name it as such. It is easy to assume that with that name in big bold lettering above a picture of Don Cheadle (Traffic) that he would be playing a traitor. Yet for the first third of the two hour film it is ambiguous who the title refers to and you just wait for Cheadle to show his hand even though early in the film he is imprisoned for terrorist act.
His arrest raises the eyebrow of the FBI, Guy Pierce (Memento) in particular. Playing the bad cop to Pierce’s good is Neil McDonough who is always a solid go to humongous tool even if he is on the right side of the law in this movie, but he does get the best lines. Also entangled in the storyline, and the keeper of who is the traitor, is Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber).
There is a big plot twist in the second third of the movie, but it has been done numerous times before so it shouldn’t be that shocking as once the scene begins, it isn’t hard to see what’s coming. But Cheadle pulls another twist later that more than makes up for it. With that said, and the spoilerish title aside, Traitor is a solid film that you can tell was well research and as you can tell by the cast, it is well acted with all the actors bringing their A-game. So when you watch it, just forget the title and enjoy the popcorn.
Naturally in this fractured musical era there are plenty of great songs that slip through the cracks many of which I hope I brought to your attention on my 100 Best Songs of 2008. One group that landed two songs in the top thirty (as well as a top ten album) was the Black Keys. They didn’t get there placement solely because they are an Akron based group and I may have taught the orientation class of one of the members, but because they are that good. They get a lot of comparisons to The White Stripes because of the guitar and drum only competition, but musically they are better because of a much better drummer. And they were added by having Danger Mouse release their latest album, the first outsider they ever let in, to add some chattiness to the already high musical IQ. Strange Times may have ranked higher on my list, but since I have already highlighted the laser-tag inspired video a couple times, here is I Got Mine, both of which are worthy of space on your iPod.
Quote of the Week: How was I supposed to know it was a lesbian bar? (Eliot - Leverage)
Song of the Week: Amazing Grace - Johnny Cash (My Name Is Earl)
Big News of the Week: Welcome to 2009 part II: I came to the realization this week that the Monday after New Years Day is the worst day of the year: you have to back to work after a long layoff, it’s cold, one of the shortest days of the year, all the shine has worn off your Christmas presents, and your Christmas lights are mocking you because you were too lazy to take them down over the weekend. Things got better for me later in the week when I got to interview someone that I will be sharing sometime this week. As a hint, they were not as hairy or stupid in person as you would think.
Coalition Links of the Week: With a ton of reasons to watch TV this month, Buzz picked her 12 favorites. (BuzzSugar)
Remember the awesomeness of Sports Night? GMMR's Take 5 looks back at the five best episodes of this fantastic show. (Give Me My Remote)
Vance put Friday Night Lights at the top of his Best of Television for 2008 list! (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace offered advance reviews of the first two episodes of Season Five of Lost (and nearly passed out from excitement) and the first four episodes of The United States of Tara, as well as reviews of the Gavin & Stacey and Doctor Who Christmas specials. (Televisionary)
Ed Westwick's eyebrows? Heidi Klum's legs? Vote on which TV body part gave the best peformance in 2008! (TiFaux)
The TV Addict previewed the new season of 24 with none other than Jack Bauer himself, Kiefer Sutherland. (The TV Addict)
Raoul was shocked --shocked!-- that True Beauty sucked. (TV Filter)
Heather went searching for Easter eggs at Ajira Airlines. (TV Spy)
Rock of Love: Charm School: It is never a good sign when you are assigned to teach women manners and the crowd starts chanting your name á la Jerry Springer. Of course had she faked fought with her guests, maybe Sharon Osborne would still have a talk show. You can also download Rock of Love: Charm School on iTunes.
My Name Is Earl: Getting the Babysitter Pregnant has to be up there as one of the dirtiest things that was on Earl’s list, I really cannot think of anything worst off the top of my head. But I really didn’t need to see Max in nothing but his underwear. But at least it wasn’t Randy. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download My Name Is Earl on iTunes.
Free Download of the Week: The Weight of Her - Butch Walker (Borders): Number 62 on my list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008 can now be yours for the low price of nothing.
Next Week Pick of the Week: Friday Night Lights, Friday at 9:00 on NBC: My worst decision of 2008 is quickly righted in 2009 as I finally get to see the third season of the best show on television because I was too stupid to switch over to DirecTV even though my feud with Time Warner is reaching Olberman/O’Reilly proportions. Luckily my sources (basically everyone with DirecTV) say it is worth the wait.
A plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Flight of the Concords, Battlestar Galactica, Dangerous Encounters, TNT, and one of those stupid blind items.
- It has been awhile since I mentioned you could watch the season two premiere of Flight of the Concords and if you are still on the fence on to watch the full length episode or not, here is a clip. And there is still time to submit you video to flightlipdub.com. And if you would rather watch the premiere tune into HBO on January 18. And if you are lucky I may have more on the show in the near future.
- The best show on television returns next Friday. But enough about Friday Night Lights. Also returning next Friday , and my sourse tell me is almost as good as FNL, is the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica. A bunch of webisodes were released this week and instead of posting them all, you can just head over to Hulu to catch them as well as a video of The Top Ten Things You Need to Know which you also watch this Sunday on the Sci-Fi Channel.
- A new episode of Dangerous Encounters where Brady tracks crocodile as they are forced out of their natural habitat thanks to a recently build dam in South Africa and worth checking out if to see one scared cameraman. Below is a clip:
- TNT is continuing to add more dramas to its network with the recently added Leverage and the upcoming Trust Me (more on that in a couple weeks). Also set to debut sometime in 2009 are two new shows. Jada Pinkett Smith stars as a nurse in Time Heals (which may be a cheesier title than Raising the Bar) while Dylan McDermott headlines the undercover police drama The Line.
Yesterday I had a sit down interview that I will post sometime next week. Here is a hint to their identity: They have worked with Robin Leach but were never featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Granted the people on my Facebook already know who it is because they are special and you could be too.
Here we are a week into the New Year, but I want to take one last look at 2008 (for full Best and Worst of the year, be sure to click on the Best of 2008 label at the bottom of the post). First my annual list of artists that had the most impact on be over the past twelve months with how they ranked in my Best lists in parentheses):
It is hard to predict radio hits anymore aside from your token bland rap dance tracks out there. But Pony (It’s OK) by Erin McCarley can easily replace Sara Bareilles as Love Song starts getting retired from playlists after a year and a half run. It is just as bouncy with the underlying sarcasm to break up the monotony of other female singer-songwriters who have been recreating Fiona Apple for the past decade.
That bouncy vibe continues on Sticky-Sweet, but with more a cabaret feel and it is refreshing to hear a song about candy that isn’t filled with obvious innuendo. Blue Suitcase sounds like something from a time long ago. The title track is a quirky ditty that fills out during the chorus. While Gotta Figure This Out and its soaring guitars sounds like a soundtrack for Friday Night Lights.
There are some the singer-songwriters clichés on Love, Save the Empty. Lovesick Mistake is just your run of the mill ballad meant for montage sequences on crappy television shows. Pitter-Pat is a slightly better ballad which borders on a lullaby. But bonus points for the bongos on Bobblehead.
A solid debut Love, Save the Empty is, but the sophomore record is the true test that tells if McCarley falls into obscurity, bound to easy listening radio staple, or someone with staying power. But for now, as Bareilles so pleasantly put it, there’ll be girls across the nation that will eat this up.
One thing that always works in comedy is the inept boss and you can count Leslie Pool, owner of the Greens and Grains, as one of them. You have no clue how the store stays in business, but you are glad it does so there are more episodes. And for the new season of 10 Items or Less, premiering tonight, it may be harder for the store to stay open thanks to the addition of Kim Coles (In Living Color), the manager from New York at SuperValueMart.
She starts off quick at the stickball competition that quickly turns into gambling. And of course the gambling isn’t traditional but on a new game created by the Meat guy Todd called Turkey Bowling, which is pretty self explanatory.
10 Items of List is a semi-scripted show and unlike many improvisational shows, the show is much more hit than missed. 10 Items or Less airs Tuesdays at 11:00 and you can catch up on previous season of 10 Items or Less on iTunes. Or get 10 Items or Less - Seasons 1 & 2 (there have only been thirteen episodes so far). For a clip of tonight’s premiere, check it out below (and if you are lucky I may have a cooler preview for the episode next week):
Darn you VH1. After the Charm School Reunion (yeah, that fight was totally staged), I stuck around a couple seconds to see if Confessions of a Teen Idol was as cheesy as the premise sounded. Then sixty minutes later I wondered where the hour went. Darn you VH1. Why did Time Warner have to give you a last minute reprieve instead of axing all the Viacom owned cable channels? Hopefully Time Warner yanks the channel by the time Tool Academy premieres.
But I was sucked in from the get go. VH1 has to have the best editors ever because they seem to make the most inane things seem intriguing. Confessions of a Teen Idol takes seven former stars and give them another chance of stardom as men. Included in the mix are two Baywatch castoffs (Jeremy Jackson, David Chockachi), 80’s stars that I only know of because of their commentary from I Love the 80’s (Christopher Atkins, Adrian Zmed, and, um, I actually don’t remember the third guy but apparently he was in Fame: the series), and Eric Neis of all people. How exactly can you get someone whose lone claim to fame another chance at stardom? Beg the producers of the MTV Challenges to let him back on?
The only one of the bunch that you can really feel sorry for is Jamie Walters because the main reason why his career tanked was because a character he was playing pushed Donna Martin down the stairs. Guiding these formal idols through their journey: Chachi and Wayne Arnold. Also listed as producers on the show: Eric Bishoff and J.D. Roth. VH1, please give me back my soul.
The show seems to play off like an episode of Celebrity Rehab but the addiction is fame (as one of the therapist mentions in every promo for the show). But as it usually goes the least famous of the bunch, Neis, may turn out to be the most entertaining as it turns out he may be so insane that the producers had to put a disclaimer on the screen when he started talking about his ways to living a healthier life.
Verdict: Certainly not appointment television, but unless Time Warner actually pulls the station of its lineup, I sadly will eventually see most of the show through reruns. Darn you VH1. Confessions of a Teen Idol airs Sundays at 8:00 on VH1 and will repeat constantly throughout the week because it is VH1.
Quote of the Week: Fate can be changed, Eli, except for when it can’t. (Frank, Eli Stone)
Song of the Week: No music this week, except of course you count my list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008
Big News of the Week: Welcome to 2009: Is anyone else disconcerted that we are one year away from the end of the decade and we have yet to settle on a nickname for the 00’s. I prefer it as O’s as in Cheerios but I have also heard the Aught’s. Even VH1 copped out naming their (premature) rundown of the decade I Love the New Millennium. So just for clarification purposes, if I were to make any best of the decade lists this year, I would want everyone to pronounce the decade like Cheerios when you read the title.
Leverage: It was a little too soon for anyone to get injured on the show. The show is much better the lighter it is and they really should have waited until the second season at least before they made a partner in serious peril episode. With that said, a nice twist being able to solve a second case while in the middle of a different heist. You can stream current episodes over at TNT.com. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.
Eli Stone: Hopefully that was it for the dark arts. Of course with only three episodes left there isn’t much time for anything. Let’s hope the show goes out with a bang. Actually let’s hope it doesn’t so I don’t have to ponder an ABC boycott. Of course one quick way to a boycott would be not showing them or the final Pushing Daisies episodes so we aren’t stuck having to get the DVD. The least they could do is burn them on Saturday when they just show reruns anyways. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com. You can also download Eli Stone on iTunes.
Free Download of the Week: Pony (It’s OK) – Erin McCarley (iTunes): I heard this catchy ditty a while ago and have been waiting to take a listen to a full album which comes out this Tuesday (although you can currently download it on iTunes).
Next Week Pick of the Week: Rock of Love: Charm School, Tonight at 7:00 on VH1: Nothing I watch returns this week sans My Name Is Earl, but what I am really looking forward tonight is the reunion show where Sharon Osborne, the headmaster of Charm School who was there to teach the contestant how to be more like ladies, beats down one of her pupils. It is a little fishy that she just happens to attack Megan Hauserman who just happens to be getting her very own reality dating show and apparently no charges were filed. Not that I am accusing that anything VH1 does is staged.
- Andrew Bird
- Franz Ferdinand (iTunes pre-order)
- Duncan Sheik
- The Bird and the Bee (iTunes pre-order)
- The Fray (iTunes pre-order)
- 50 Cent
- Willie Nelson
- Lisa Hannigan
- Ben Kweller
- The BPA
- Dan Auerbach
- Beastie Boys
- Lionel Richie
- M. Ward
- N.A.S.A.
- Charlie Wilson
- J.J. Cale
- Neil Young
- Chris Cornell
- Kelly Clarkson
- Busta Rhymes
- Pearl Jam
- Depeche Mode
Buy any two of these ABC Family DVD’s: Greek Chapter Two, Kyle XY Season Two, or The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and save $10 on your total purchase.
) that he would be playing a traitor. Yet for the first third of the two hour film it is ambiguous who the title refers to and you just wait for Cheadle to show his hand even though early in the film he is imprisoned for terrorist act.
) in particular. Playing the bad cop to Pierce’s good is Neil McDonough who is always a solid go to humongous tool even if he is on the right side of the law in this movie, but he does get the best lines. Also entangled in the storyline, and the keeper of who is the traitor, is Jeff Daniels (
).![Terror Alert Level: High [ORANGE]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebDZ0qqwOVKMZj7oFSUe8Hm3ax54U9Hp1fThJPgiddTyzcdwx_5SV6E3b7hkKyxbaDiym4COmUXT2YJnsKCUjBHI_a2xZtNoY7qFQRslP5AGO5gLkJwn2ZbO0wIF80ycbKrgPPA/s400/small_high.png)
on my 
(there have only been thirteen episodes so far). For a clip of tonight’s premiere, check it out below (and if you are lucky I may have a cooler preview for the episode next week):
castoffs (Jeremy Jackson, David Chockachi), 80’s stars that I only know of because of their commentary from I Love the 80’s (
, 
, and, um, I actually don’t remember the third guy but apparently he was in 
: the series), and Eric Neis of all people. How exactly can you get someone whose lone claim to fame another chance at stardom? Beg the producers of the MTV Challenges to let him back on?