57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXX

The Marriage Ref: My first thoughts when NBC cut into The Olympics Closing Ceremonies to air a special of The Marriage Ref was that it was the worst decision that NBC has made ever. Yes even dumber than the Jay Leno debacle. And then I only got madder when the show managed to be lamer than all the promos I had to sit through during the Olympics led me to believe. Really, three celebrities, many of which have no way to take the high ground on moral issues, making fun of the common folk. Sure there were some funny moments, but it was hard to get through a half hour special, I cannot image how anyone could watch the hour version. Certainly if it didn’t have Jerry Seinfeld’s name attached to it, there is no way The Marriage Ref ever makes it to air.

Granted I had to retract my Worst Decision Ever for NBC after I watched the rest of the Closing Ceremonies the next day which restarted up with a performance by Nickelback and didn’t get much better after that. Seriously Canada, please stop sending all your crappy music south of the border, we have plenty here already. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

Tool Academy: What a strange turn of events. One Tool storms of which for some reason leads to another fight between the Neander-Tool and The Toolette’s boyfriend. Than out of nowhere the Glow Stick Tool starts swinging on him. It is getting to the point where I have to start thinking that this all may be staged. You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.

Chuck: The writer are sure doing their best to make Chuck unlikeable. Really, is there really anything worse that dumping a girl the day after you first have sex with her in front of her parents? Poor Lana Lang, she sure deserved better than that. And let’s hope Sam doesn’t stick for Sarah, but that is a downgrade in a name. At the very least go for the full Samantha. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: Ouch. This episode really hurt. I too was on The Hook at one point in my life. Back in college I asked this chick to a basketball which she responded, “I have a boyfriend, but if you don’t mind we go as friends.” Needless to say that was the most awkward four hours of my life. Thankfully I got off the hook later that summer when I ran into her and she had gotten a nose ring and was starting to morph into a hippie. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Big Bang Theory: Great callback to the best episode of the season so fall. Then throw Sheldon in jail and a Stan Lee cameo and this one is up there for this season. And more Raj musical shirt please. You can download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.

Lost: I really need to start up an office pool of what random character from the main storyline runs into a main character during their flashsideways. This time around, Sayid’s brother (who inexplicable is now married to Nadia for no reason other than the writers saying, “look how we changed history!”) owes money to the dude who killed Ben’s daughter. Tune in next week when Ben has his plumbing fixed by Henry Gale! And now he is best friends with his father! And his daughter is now the sexy French nanny to his kids! Only ten more episodes? Thank goodness. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Mercy: So the show goes away for the Olympics and when it comes back, Ronnie is Tommy Gavin all of the sudden. Alrighty. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Mercy on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: Finally, something interesting. And not just Coach’s absurdly funny monologues (seriously, I was waiting for Tyson to tell him, “Are you crying, there is no crying in Survivor,” but mocking his feather at tribal council will have to do). Finally a blindside. That is the problem with All Star editions; you are less likely to stab someone in the back you already know as opposed to someone you met just a month ago. Though I am not sure it is technically a blindside when the majority of the tribe didn’t vote for Cirie. And they are really being gratuitous with the challenges, last week it was mud, this week baby oil. Is Jello next week? You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Community: I have decided this week I am completely over Abed. Though it was announce the show will be back next season earlier this week, I hope he isn’t. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Best of the Week vol. XXXVI

Quote of the Week: I have dated a lot of liars before so I usually know how to spot them, but you, you are like the best I’ve ever seen. I hope that you’re lies keep you warm at night. (Hannah, Chuck)

Song of the Week: Kick Drum Heart – The Avett Brothers (Parenthood)

Big News of the Week: Canada Takes the Gold: After the greatest three periods of hockey I have ever seen, I had to take a double take when the announcers that overtime would start off four on four. With the exception of football (who ironically were talking about changing their last week), this may be the dumbest overtime rule in sports. You do not play an hour of a hard fought game and just change the rules. Sure, you can speed up games in round robin or regular season, but ion the playoffs where their nothing to play for tomorrow, you play until someone scores man up. At least we can rest in the solace that America is the best five on five hockey team in the world.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: Pilot - Parenthood (iTunes): For my thoughts on the series premiere, check out First Impressions: Parenthood. For the anti-iTunes folks, you can also download it for free on the Playstation Network and Amazon Video on Demand (see below).



Deal of the Week: Save Up to 50% off New Blu Ray Deals (WWII in HD, Forrest Gump, Black Hawk Down)

Video of the Week: Lorene Michaels has to be kicking himself for not being able to get all the past (fake) presidents for one skit on Saturday Night Live. Although how were Randy Quaid or Joe Piscope not available to reprise their Reagan. I am assuming I wasn’t the only one who had to look up who played Reagan on SNL after seeing Jim Carrey taking over the role. But watching this only makes me wish Bob Dole had been elected president so Norm McDonald would have been included. Oh well.

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

Next Week Pick of the Week: Lost, Tuesday at 9:00 on ABC: Hopefully the promo monkeys are being extremely misleading because I really hope they were not insinuating what I think they were insinuating. At any rate, it looks like we will be getting a Ben-centric episode and hopefully he returns to form after being neutered by a pre-dead Locke when he took charge of The Others.

Around the Tubes vol. XLI

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 Saturday Night Live, How to Make it in America, The Office, Caprica, and Arizona Dream.

- The hosts this year for Saturday Night Live have been less than spectacular as they seems to be relying too heavily on hot chicks with nominal to no acting skills (I am looking at you January Jones). It only took sixteen episodes, but they finally brought in a professional funnyman to host this weekend with Zach Galifianakis returning to late night after his short lived VH1 chat fest got canceled. Joining him will be Vampire Weekend. Here is a promo (a much watch for the last bit):

SNL Promo: Zach Galifianakis


- Like the new HBO series How to Make in America and do not want to wait until Sunday to watch it, or just want to catch an episode to see what it is like? Well head over to the HBO YouTube page where you can stream the fourth episode Unhappy Birthday for free.

- The Office has launched yet another web series this time entitled The Mentor featuring secretary Erin Hannon as she tries to break into the world of accounting with the help of Angela. Here is the first episode The Pupil and you can find the next couple over at NBC.com.



- For those waiting for the start of James Marsters on Caprica, the wait is over as he will be appearing on tonight’s episode. Here is a sneak peak of Know Your Enemy:



- With his latest movie hitting theaters today, Warner Archives are exclusive releasing Johnny Depp 1993 movie Arizona Dream, also starring Jerry Lewis and Faye Dunaway on their website March 16.

First Impressions: Parenthood

There may not be a more likeable cast in the history of television than that of Parenthood. On the show you have Peter Krause (Sports Night), Monica Potter (Head Over Heels), Lauren Graham (The Pacifier), Erica Christiansen (The Upside of Anger), Craig T. Nelson (Coach), Sarah Ramos (American Dreams), Sam Jaeger (Eli Stone), and Mae Whitman (Her?). That is as close to a Murderers Row of likeability you are going to get on the small screen. Oh, yeah, and Dax Sheppard (Idiocracy) is also in the cast.

Of course as Potter found out with her last foray into television Trust Me (with the ever Tom Cavanaugh and Eric McCormick), likeability doesn’t necessarily makes for great television if the stories and characters are not well conceived. Luckily for Potter, this time around the behind the camera personal is just impressive including Ron Howard, Executive Producer of Arrested Development, Jason Katims, Executive Producer of Friday Night Lights, and Brian Glazer who was also an Executive Producer on those two shows. Keep in mind those two shows both landed in the top six of The 100 Greatest Television Shows of the 00’s so color me excited for Parenthood.

Parenthood, of course, is a remake of the movie (that was already turned into a television show in 1990) but I have a hard time remembering much about either besides the cast and I think there was some storyline about dumpster diving after a retainer accidentally got thrown away at some Chuck E. Cheese type restaurant. And even then I am not entirely sure if that was the movie or the television show. I really couldn’t even tell you about the similarities between the new version to the old ones aside from the extended family and a nice mix of humor and family drama.

As the new story goes, Nelson, along with Bonnie Bedelia (Die Hard 2) are the parents of four very different children. Graham is moving back with her children to the family abode after running out of money. Krause (married to Potter) is the closest to being a nuclear family of the bunch, or at least that it what it looks like from the outside until his son is diagnosed with autism. Christiansen is the overachiever who leaves her husband (Jaeger) to play Mr. Mom. Oh, yeah, and Dax Sheppard is also a sibling.

After all the advertisings during the Olympics, the show did live up to the hype if not for a few flaws. With a cast this large (fourteen regulars), some characters are going to get lost in the shuffle as the first episode that seemed to focus heavily on Krause and Graham and maybe a line of less to Jaeger and Bedelia. And maybe they were trying to fit too much into the pilot, but storylines seemed to be rush like with the cousins being caught with pot which seemed to go away as fast as it was introduced. Oh, yeah, and Dax Sheppard is loitering on the show somewhere. On the brightside, unless my eyes were failing me, I swear I saw Lyla Garrity somewhere in the season promo.

Parenthood airs Wednesdays at 10:00 on NBC. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes or Amazon on Demand (see below):

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXV

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Stylo – Gorillaz



So does the lead singer of Gorillaz, 2-D, have to undergo a name change now that they have had a visual upgrade? And I have to say I was a little disappointed that Bruce Willis got the better of the band instead of the other way around.


Kandi – One EskimO



Another semi-animated video (you can check out the fully animated version here), this time from One EskimO for a song I just can’t get out of my head the last couple weeks.


This Too Shall Pass – OK Go



Ladies and gentlemen: the greatest game of Mouse Trap ever. Now if only OK Go could make music that was as entertaining as their videos.


Gypsy – Shakira



What is it about tennis players that make Latin artist want to put them in their video? First Maria Sharapova starred in an Enrique Iglesias video and here is Raphael Nadal (sans his patented Capri pants) moonlighting in the latest from Shakira.

Until We Meet Again

I am not a big fan of posthumous albums. They almost never work because it is missing what every album needs, the artist vision. This is the main reason why I am most likely going to pass on the upcoming Jimi Hendrix release next week. But the thing about the two albums the followed the death of Johnny Cash is they may be more a Rick Rubin album as much as Cash who has been in bad health threw much of the recording adding only his voice, and three songs of which wrote to the final two album.

Released last week on what would have been seventy-eighth birthday, American VI: Ain’t No Grave is a fitting end to the career of the Man in Black and doesn’t stray at all from the previous American Recording. Cash and Rubin pick songs that manage to sum up Cash’s life of where he has been and where he was going. But unlike the previous albums where the duo choose some songs aimed at reaching a younger demographic with songs like Nine Inch Nails Hurt or Personal Jesus from Depeche Mode, the most recent cover is Redemption Day from Sheryl Crow’s 1996 album, the next dates back to 1970.

The highlights bookend of the album. Ain’t No Grave (Gonna Hold This Body Down), featuring The Avett Brothers on banjo, footsteps and chains, almost matches God’s Gonna Cut You Down from the last album in its chilling effect on the ear. On the other end of the spectrum Aloha Oe, which dates all the way back to 1977, plays as a heavenly tune, with a ukulele taking the place of a harp, where you can see Cash finally in a well deserved white suit and you can’t help to believe when he delivered the line, “until we meet again.”

Song to Download - Ain’t No Grave (Gonna Hold This Body Down)

American VI: Ain’t No Grave gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Fly Like an Eagle

There are some anniversaries that make you cringe and that happened a couple weeks ago when I saw someone mention it was twenty years ago that Super Mario Bros 3 was released twenty years ago. Most of my formative years were dedicated to playing that game and to hear that the game was released two decades ago just made me feel real old. But the greatness of the game makes it this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame.

After an unnecessarily silly sequel, the Super Mario Bros. series got back on the right track with the third of the original NES trilogy. Similar to the first game, SMB3 tweaked the game just enough and in the right places like adding more power ups giving Mario the ability to fly for the first time like the Raccoon Suit (granted the Frog suit was a little too silly). As well as adding a world map that gave you more choices in your route to completing the game, not just a straight threw version of previous games.

The world map also gave an element to a new two person version where you could “challenge” your opponent to who goes next if they go over the spot you were occupying by playing the original Atari game Mario Bros. And back in college we would play the old school Mario Bros. most that almost every other game that led to more fights than alcohol.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXIX

Winter Olympics: It is sad that the curling competition not just because last night will be the last time we see the Norwegian uniform, but we will have to wait another four years until we get to watch another curling match. Seriously, cannot ESPN find a spot to air some matches? Certainly they could find some open time on The Ocho.

Tool Academy: You know it is true love when your Tool spots a decade old line from a chick flick while sobbing. “You complete me.” To quote Kyle, “Psst, chicks, I don’t know.” And it only took the girlfriends two episodes this season to break out the claws. And did the skinny dippers conveniently forget they had a dude and a lesbian lurking around? You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.

Greek: No Dale and Rebecca scenes this week. Hurfph. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Lost: So Jack has a kid because Jacob never touched him. Alrightly. Naturally the writers played coy with the mother but really there is only one plausible (not that Lost hasn’t dealt with unplausibility), and mommy dearest will turn out to be Juliet. The kid it too old to be Carol Vessey’s and it would be a very long stretch for anyone else (and extremely disappointing if it is someone we haven’t met). But of course, the time for questions is over!

While back on the island we get yet another anticlimactic ending with Smokie turning out to be Claire’s friend. But we do not learn why she was so angry that someone took her baby when it was actually she left her baby unattended in the woods all alone which is why someone took Aaron.

But the biggest smack to the head dumb was Jacob having Hurley leading Jack to some Lighthouse where everyone was once again listed (just how many more places are the names scribbled across the island?) on some dial like apparatuses, only for Jack to smash the mirrors. The mirrors that helped Jacob (presumably) help guide the candidates to the island. Sure, why not? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: I call baloney. For years now, Probsts has been telling tribes that they could not sit out the same people in back to back challenges only to explain away Courtney sitting out two in a row by saying that it resets every episode. Lame. This deprives us from seeing Candice body slam her into the mud. And not to sound chauvinistic, but they really need to incorporate mud challenges more often. And you know it was gratuitous because there was an unnecessarily amount of mud that went up to some contestants knees. The only way it would have been more gratuitous would be if they made them compete in the mud. Maybe next season. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.

Best of the Week vol. XXXV

Quote of the Week: There’s nobody out here who’s honorable; there’s nobody out here who’s honorable anymore… except for me. I hate to pontificate about that but you know Martin Luther King says that, “The greatest measure of a man is not the way he handles times of comfort but in the way he rises with controversy and challenges.” (Coach – Survivor)

Song of the Week: Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor - Frédéric Chopin (as performed by David Sheppard, Lost)

Big News of the Week: People Actually Talking About Hockey: I would have to go back to before the lock out since the last time I talked about hockey with anyone yet that was the topic of conversation for most of the past week. And though the start of the hockey started with a yawn, that all changed last Sunday as The United States of America upset host nation Canada in a thrilling back and forth game that could be summed up by the last goal when Ryan Kesler outhustled Corey Perry to grab an empty netted goal.

One week latter it looks like it will be the same teams but with a different goalie. After the American loss, the Canadians decided to pull Martin Brodeur for back up Roberto Luongo, who plays in the arena for the Vancouver Canucks, while his American counterpart Ryan Miller has yet to give up a goal since they last play. But despite the change in gola for the Canadians, I expect the result to be the same. And when the Americans do win, I hope they celebrate on the ice with champagne, cigars and some Iron City Beer.

Free Download of the Week: Trash Day – Butch Walker (Amazon MP3): For those wondering who was that dude with the banjo that joined Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks during the Grammy’s last month, it was Butch Walker who has been making some decent power pop music himself. Here is one of them from his latest album, the awesomely titled I Liked it Better When You Had no Heart.

Deal of the Week: Save up to 50% off with Television Deals (Arrested Development, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Big Love)

Video of the Week: Yesterday I posted a bunch of interviews from the cast of Friday Night Lights and after I did, NBC sent along another one featuring Ted Leland, better known to you and me as Buddy Garrity. Here it is:



Next Week Pick of the Week: Parenthood, Tuesday at 10:00 on NBC: I have been watching so much of the Olympics, I could mimic all the ads for Parenthood perfectly. Thankfully the games end tomorrow (Over/Under 5 ads during the Closing Ceremonies) and the show finally premieres Tuesday. Granted I am more looking forward to the second episode because it seems like I have seen most of the first one through all the commercials.

Around the Tubes vol. XL

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, Friday Night Lights, Nip/Tuck, Justified, and Ghost Hunters.

- My sources tell me this Chuck preview is pretty spoilery, which means I passed on it so watch at your own risk. But either way, remember Chuck is back this Monday at 8:00 with the Olympics wrapping up this weekend.

Sneaking a Peek


- We are still two months away from the return of Friday Night Lights to NBC (not that they have mentioned that fact during the Olympics, because why promote a television show about sports during a sporting event) but the channel has released five interviews with the cast about the fourth season including Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton, Aimee Teegarden, Taylor Kitsch, and Kyle Chandler (see below):



- Coming this Wednesday is the series finale of Nip/Tuck at 10:00 on FX with Sean and Christian reflecting on their loving, turbulent and decades-long relationship. In other Nip/Tuck news, the entire series is now available for download in HD on iTunes (with the exception of the finale which will be up Thursday).

- With the end of Nip/Tuck next week, anyone on the lookout for a new show will only have to wait two week for the premiere of new FX show Justified Tuesday March 16 at 10:00. To get ready for the show, head over to Justifiedthepursuit.com to play a game where you collect clues to catch a fugitive. Participants will receive an entry into the sweepstakes for every sighting they enter. Four winners will be selected: 1 Grand Prize winner will receive a $5,000 reward and a $500 wardrobe from Stetson that will include a hat, pair of boots, jeans, and a shirt. Three first prize winners will receive $1,000 as well as the $500 Stetson wardrobe.

- Next Wednesdays also sees the return of Ghost Hunters back for its sixth season and hundredth episode at 9:00 on Syfy where the boys hook up with their International counterparts and head out to Alcatraz looking for paranormal activity. Here is a preview:

Feed Your iPod vol. XLII: The Wanderer

Johnny Cash released his final album earlier this week (I assume) but due to my Olympic obsession I haven’t gotten around to give it a listen yet. So I thought I would highlight a song by Cash that some may have missed. The Wanderer is an odd song. Stuck at the end of U2’s eurotrash album Zooropa yet sung by the country icon who had been trolling in obscurity for most of the previous decade (the song was recorded a year before Cash hooked up with Rick Rubin that resurrected his career). And yet it all worked.

The Wanderer – U2 featuring Johnny Cash

Previewing Rules of Engagement

In a measure of full disclosure, it has been a while since I have seen an episode of Rules of Engagement, probably since the first season. And in its fourth season, it looks like I haven’t missed much. Patrick Warburton (The Tick) and Megyn Price (Grounded for Life) are still grumpily married, though are thinking about adding a kid to their equation. Oliver Hudson (Kate’s brother) and Bianca Kajlich (Boston Public) are still dating, though thinking about marriage. And David Spade (Joe Dirt) is still basically playing a version of himself.

The only change of sorts since the last time I watched is the addition of Adhir Kalyan (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) as abused Spade’s assistant. And the addition is a great one as he has some of the funniest bits on the show including the hilarious photoshopping of him into the title screen. His character has even started up his own website: TimmyStrikesBack.com with video and written blogs each week. For those that sympathize with Timmy can even upload your very own written and video content to the site.

Coming up this Monday on the season premiere, Warburton takes some advice from Spade to return some harmless flirting to a co-worker which naturally backfires. Much funnier is the next episode (airing 3/8) where it turns out Warburton has the same penchant of hitting the snooze button that I do to the dismay of Price. Also this season expect a guest spot from Jamie Pressly (Not Another Teen Movie). Rules of Engagement still isn’t the funniest show on television, but it is a better bridge from How I Met Your Mother to The Big Bang Theory than Accidently on Purpose, granted there is still the unfunny Two and a Half Men in-between.

Rules of Engagement airs Mondays at 8:30 on CBS. You can download Rules of Engagement on iTunes.

Let's Go Out to the Movies

It is hard to come up with any new post as most of my spare time over the past week has been devoted to watching curling, so I thought today I would quickly highlight some movies coming out over the next couple months I that I am looking forward to.

Hot Tub Time Machine


Not since Snakes on a Plane has a movie has been must see by its title along, but by this trailer it looks like the movie may be as entertaining as the Sam Jackson classic.

Kick-Ass


I do not believe I have been this excited for a Nick Cage movie since, well, this will be the first.

Get Him to the Greek


I was a little skeptical when I heard of a Forgetting Sarah Marshall spin off that didn’t feature Marshall Erikson or Veronica Mars, but this movie look watchable if only for the full Diddy scene. I cannot believe I just wrote that sentence.

She’s Out of my League


Okay, this is probably no going to be any good, but Alice Eve is certainly moderately attractive.

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXIV

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Giving up the Gun – Vampire Weekend



Sure the whole world is focused on Winter sports right now (and how the Americans went to Canada to upset the host nation last night), but Vampire Weekend are still stuck in the Hamptons mindset and featured tennis in their new video and who better than the RZA to be the referee. And as a tennis coach? Of course, Lil John, because he always tells the truth.


Maybe So, Maybe So – Mayer Hawthorne



Another summer pastime, instead of the thrilling snowboard cross, we get a leisurely skateboarding romp in the latest Mayer Hawthorne video.


Alice – Avril Lavigne



Straight from her ProActive commercial (seriously, how much money are they paying all these celebrities to go on television and say, “look how bad my skin used to be”) Avril Lavigne gets the theme to the new Alice in Wonderland movie. Considering his track record on reenvisioning (Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Willy Wonka) I am not sure why Tim Burton is going back to that well again considering how inventive his original ideas are.


The Only Exception – Paramore



Get your lighters ready, it’s a Paramore power ballad.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXVIII

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics: With all the success the U.S. team it having, it is depressing that our curling team started out to a combined 0-6. It got so bad that someone changed the Wikipedia page of skip John Shuster (who missed three straight game winning stones) calling him the biggest choke artist drawing inspiration from “Bill Buckner, Brad Lidge, Scott Norwood, and the city of Cleveland (hey now). He currently works as a quality control specialist for Toyota.” But them something happened and both went on a two game win streak and we have one man to thank for the turnaround: Vernon Davis. Yes, the San Francisco 49er Tight End. Apparently Davis took up the sport last year and was named honorary captain and once he arrived in Vancouver, American has not lost. If the woman end up getting knocked out of contention, I will be rooting for Germany if only for one reason: Melanie Robillard.



But today’s games will be all about hockey as we take on host Canada, both undefeated (with the USA with more points as Canada needed shootouts to beat the Swiss who we easily defeated) at 7:40 on MSNBC. I understand why NBC delegated hockey, but a game of this magnitude should get the main network treatment. Although considering everyone goes into the metal round, only the top four teams get a first round bye, and the winner will be guaranteed a bye (even with a loss, the U.S. could still do that). At least if there is a rematch in the gold medal match that will be on NBC next Sunday at 3:00.

Tool Academy: The guiltiest guilty pleasure is back and I cannot be happier. One the best moments on television is that moment when they reveal to everyone that that are actually on Tool Academy. And it is clear three seasons in; there are no shortages of Tool in America. The big news this season are there two female Tools this year (one straight, one lesbian) and the change actually makes things better as the Toolettes have to room with their male counterparts. And you have to wonder if girlfriends will want to put moves on the lone guy when they inevitably get fed up with their Tools. You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.

Greek: Sign me up for more Dale and Rebecca pairing. After one meeting of the mind Dale quits and I feared that might be the end of it. But thankfully he took the job back. I feel cheated that it took this long for them to figure out how to get Dale in the ZBZ house. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Lost: Sign me up for the buddy sitcom spin-off following Ben and Locke teaching at a middle school. But I guess it is clear that every week we are going to get a new Other in a flashsidways, so who is next: Zeke, One Eyed Willie, Ben’s daughter? And where are Faraday and his parents? Wll any of the Tailies show up? As for Locke’s flashsideways, did Peg Bundy really suggest his dad attend their wedding? Did Locke forgive his father or did he no longer push him out the window. And if so, how did Locke get in the wheelchair? Of course, the time for questions is over!

Back on the island, Smokey is apparently trying to recruit people to help him get off the island. Though I am not entirely sure why he is going about it the way he is. He knocks out Richard just to let him go. Then he brings Sawyer to some cave just to make an “inside joke.” Then we learn what is with the numbers, except we have no clue as to why the Dharma Initiative co-opted them. And “Jacob likes numbers” may go down as the lamest answer Lost ever gives us. And that is saying a lot. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: How can the Heroes be that bad at puzzles? That is two big leads they lost in consecutive weeks. And both times they were nowhere near to being close to winning. And I cannot remember would said it, but I agree the show may benefit by taking a page out of Mark Burnett’s other show, Celebrity Apprentice and go to two hours. I’ve noticed that they have been combining reward and immunity challenges lately and two hours would give them plenty of time to do both. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.

Best of the Week vol. XXXIV

Quote of the Week: This is the weirdest damn funeral I've ever been to. (Frank Lepidus, Lost)

Song of the Week: Search and Destroy – The Stooges (Lost)

Big News of the Week: Tiger Woods Apologies Four Months Later: Yawn.

Free Download of the Week: 20 In 10: Digital Collection – Sister Hazel (Amazon MP3): Many people forgot about Sister Hazel in the nineties, but they are still at it and put out five albums last decade and here is a twenty song sampler of songs from those albums.

Deal of the Week: Mega Savings on Mega Hits (Serenity, Back to the Future Trilogy, Curious George)

Video of the Week: It was a decade ago when Erika Christiansen became the It Girl of the moment after a breakout performance in Traffic. Then she signed onto Swimf@n and things went downhill from there. Hopefully her inclusion in the highly likeable Parenthood will hel her fiannalkly live up to her promice. Here she is talking about her character:

Inside Julia


Next Week Pick of the Week: The Winter Olympics, All Week on NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, and USA: A week in and there are still plenty of must see events as they hand out the rest of the medals including curling (men’s on Saturday at 6:00 on CNBC; women’s on Friday at 6:00 on CNBC) and hockey (Sunday at 3:00 on NBC). Head over to NBCOlympics.com for full listings.

Around the Tubes vol. XXXIX

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 Explorer: Vampire Forensics, The Presidents, The Life and Times of Tim, The Marriage Ref, Yo Gabba Gabba, Celebrity Apprentice, The Yes Men Rule the World, and Louie.

- Vampires were so last decade (I predict the supernatural beings for the Teens will be Zombies), but there are still some still trying to milk the vampire craze into this new decade like Explorer which follows forensic anthropologist Matteo Borrini as he digs deeper into the legend of “shroud eaters” from the 16th century. Explorer: Vampire Forensics airs Tuesday February 23 on The National Geographic Channel. Here is a preview:

Flesh Eating Corpse


- In honor of the recent President’s Day, iTunes and History have dropped the price of the eight episode documentary The Presidents that goes into the personal lives and legacies from George Washington to the second George Bush. Head over to iTunes before February 23 to get them for $.99 each.

- Last week I mentioned the premiere of The Life and Times of Tim on HBO. For those of you like me that are too cheap to pay for premium channels, you can watch the first episode on College Humor.

- Here is Marv Albert rehearsing for The Marriage Ref. So a show about giving advice to married couples will feature the back bitter, the twice divorced Madonna, and Alec Baldwin who didn’t really have an amicable divorce with his former wife. Alrighty.

Marv on the Set


- For those out there with little ones, mark your calendars for Monday March 8 as the third season of Yo Gabba Gabba at 10:30 AM. And it boosts a nice array of guests to start it off with “Weird Al” Yanovic stopping by. While the rest of the week sees Weezer (Tuesday), Anthony Bourdain (Wednesday), and Mos Def and Devo (Thursday). Also showing up this season will be Fred Armisen, Erykah Badu, Band of Horses, Blitzen Trapper, Chairlift, Rob Dyrdek, The Faint, Flaming Lips, The Killers, Solange Knowles, Mix Master Mike, Angela Kinsey, The Sounds, Taking Back Sunday, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Charlyne Yi and John Francis Daley, Samm Levine and Martin Starr from "Freaks and Greeks." In addition, Biz Markie is back with his regular “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment teaching preschoolers how to beat-box, singer/illustrator/composer Mark Mothersbaugh returns in his recurring “Mark’s Magic Pictures” drawing segment and Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer visit with their recurring “Knock Knock” joke segment.

- You know you are watching too much of the Olympics when you start reciting the commercials word for word (but seriously, it is time to start switch up your advertising). This of course includes the new season of Celebrity Apprentice (did you know Bret Michaels is the bad boy of rock?). I split on watching the new season because on one hand I had a massive crush on Summer Sanders during my formative years, but on the other I hate Donald Trump and never want to endorse anything he is involved with. For those that can tolerate him, The new Celebrity Apprentice site is now live where you find Q&As with all the contestants and hear them talk about the charities they’ll be representing this season and read full bios.

- You have to love the tag line for The Yes Men Fix the World: Sometimes it Takes a Lie to Expose the Truth. Naturally a movie about pulling pranks on the corporate greedy is being released on DVD on April 1 (April Fool’s Day).



- There has been a slight change to the premiere of the new FX comedy Louie which now will start after the new season of Rescue Me beginning sometime in June.

Breaking Down the 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 00’s

Last decade was when MTV and VH1 decided to move away from airing music videos to more reality based programming relegating when made them must watch channel into hours when most people are asleep. But it is hard to complain about the demise of Music Television considering at the same time there was the rise of video streaming sites such as YouTube even if record labels fought with them for most of the decade. Hopefully the Teens will not see those problems with the launch of Vevo, a joint venture between the record labels and YouTube. Below is how The 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 00’s broke down by year, artist and director.

Music Videos by Year
2000 – 5
2001 – 10
2002 – 5
2003 – 6
2004 – 10
2005 – 6
2006 – 12
2007 – 16
2008 – 11
2009 – 19

Artists with Multiple Videos
Kanye West – 8
Jack White (The White Stripes, The Dead Weather) - 5
Gnarls Barkley – 4
Lily Allen – 4
Outkast – 4
Weezer - 4
Jay-Z – 3
Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim, The B.P.A.) - 3
Bat for Lashes – 2
Coldplay – 2
Common – 2
Dave Matthews Band – 2
Jack Johnson – 2
Johnny Cash – 2
Ludacris – 2
Norah Jones - 2
Radiohead – 2
The Killers – 2
“Weird Al” Yankovic – 2

Directors with Multiple Videos
Chris Milk – 4
Marc Klasfeld – 3
Patrick Daughters – 3
The Malloys - 3
Anthony Mandler – 2
Bryan Barber – 2
Chris Robinson – 2
Dave Myers – 2
Joseph Khan – 2
Marcos Siega – 2
Mark Romanek – 2
Matthew Cullen – 2
Michael Blieden – 2
Paul Fedor – 2
Robert Hales – 2
Sophie Muller – 2
Spike Jones - 2