57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXXX

Quote of the Week: And I’m gonna give you a minute to extradite yourself out my face before I have to paint your office with your (expletive delete). (Toby – Justified)

Song of the Week: Eye of the Tiger – Survivor (as preformed by Hawaiian Wedding Band, Modern Family)

Big News of the Week: Early Pick Up’s All-Around: Usually we have to wait until Up Fronts before we know for sure what will be on the schedule, but NBC slowly tricked out their pick up’s and even ABC has even gotten into the early pick up business too. Cannot say I am all that interested with any of the shows, but I will wait for a final judgment when I get to see some promos.

Chuck: Christopher Lloyd appearing on an NBC show is making me start to lean towards him and the Christopher Lloyd who created Modern Family. And funniest scene of the week was when the patients came to Chuck’s defense. Too bad they got shot down before they could actually help. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

The Big Bang Theory: Why does Judy Greer always plays lose women? As soon as she showed up I though, she was going to sneak into Leonard’s room and of course it happened. What I didn’t see is her getting tossed around to all the friends, sans Sheldon of course. But Greer deserves better. You can download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.

Lost: So Smokie isn’t really Locke or even Jacob’s brother (who turned out to be Adam), just an entity that used to be light and if it leaves the island, it will be some sort of Pandora’s Box situation. Alrighty. But much like the Richard Alpert episode, sure we got a lot of big answers, but I was still expecting much more out of this episode. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Justified: After last week’s Deadwood reunion I thought we would get treated to a Eurotrip reunion this week except the guy from the movie in the cast didn’t bother to show up this week. And it was really had to think of the other dude from Eurotrip as some big bag former boxer. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Justified on iTunes.

Parenthood: Second funniest scene of the week: Zeke congratulation his granddaughter for not having intercourse with her boyfriend. Haddie’s reaction was priceless. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Mercy: Oh Mercy, it was a good, guilty pleasure run, but naturally NBC gave you the ax and now I will not get the enjoyment of watching Dawn Summers try to emote on a weekly basis. You will be missed. But not really because VH1 will always have much guiltier pleasure. Except for that offensive 100 Things Guys Do That Guarantee They Won’t Date or Have Sex. You know there won’t be a female version of this special because there is only one. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Mercy on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: Yawn. This should have been the week they did a double tribal council because it was rather boring. Even Sandra ruined what could have been an entertaining moment by not even letting Probst finish his Immunity Idol speech depriving us the chance for the usual ten second edit that the show likes to do in a will they or won’t they play the idol situation. And what was up with Colby this episode? He explodes at his brother because he cannot catch water, then at Tribal; he sits at the ends staring at the ground the whole time. I cannot believe this guy may actually win. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Community: The big problem this show runs into, maybe too often, is they rely too heavily on expecting everyone will get their pop culture references. I understand Troy’s storyline was one big homage, but I have absolutely no clue what it was paying tribute to. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: Holy Mike Leach sighting! I wonder if his pirate rambling was as unintentionally funny back in the fall for those watching on DirecTV as it was for those of us watching on NBC who now know Leach is unemployed. Maybe Coach Taylor can recruit him to the Lions staff next year. But my favorite part of the episode is when Tammy went to the boosters meeting and asked Joe McCoy infront of everyone if he still planned on exposing the mail box scam from season’s past. My least favorite is when Coach told Riggins he had something to show him, and we never found out what. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Die by the Drop – The Dead Weather (rcrdlbl)

Deal of the Week: Mega Savings on Mega Movie & TV Show Hits (Forgetting Sarah Marshall [Blu-Ray], Happy Gilmore, E.T.)

Next Week Pick of the Week: Lost, Tuesday and Sunday at 9:00: Here it is, the final three and a half hours of Lost ever and it cannot not come soon enough. Not because I am that eager to learn how it ends, but I just what to not have to worry about watching the show ever again because I am putting the chances of there being a satisfying ending in the single digits. For the fanatics, ABC is also running the two hour series premiere Saturday and there will be the prerequisite hour primer before the finale and a special Jimmy Kimmel Live afterwards.

Lyrics Quiz: As Seen on TV 2010 Edition

As we wind down the television season, I am going to run down the best music placement of the past twelve months and as an added twist, I am going to do it in Lyrics Quiz form so you have to guess to see the actual list. As usual, place your guesses in the comment (or e-mail me), both artist and song title, and if you are correct I will un-bold the lyric. You can also get a bonus point is you correctly guess which show the song was featured on and double bonus points if you correctly guess the character how sang the song on the show if it was not performed by the original artist (you can steal the bonus point if and only if someone correctly guesses the lyrics).


1. Maybe I can feel you, heal you on the inside. Underneath the willow tree, wearing nothing else but me.
2. I bought a ticket to the world, but now I've come back again. Why do I find it hard to write the next line?
3. She just can’t be chained to a life where nothing’s gained and nothings lost at such a cost.  (Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones;  guessed by Anonymous;  Bonus Not Guessed)
4. A licky boom-boom down. (Informer - Snow; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
5. I’ve been alone with you inside my mind. And in my dreams I’ve kissed your lips a thousand times. (Hello - Lionel Richie; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
6. All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go. I’m standing here outside your door. I hate to wake you up to say goodbye. (Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver; Bonus - Jeffster on Chuck; both guessed buy Anonymous)
7. Don’t come knocking around my door. Don’t wanna see your shadow no more. Colored lights can hypnotize. Sparkle someone else’s eyes. (American Woman - The Guess Who; guessed by Anonymous; Bonus Not Guessed)
8. Get a shoe at me by a mean old man; get my dinner from a garbage can.9. These girls are really sleazy, all they just say is please me or spend some time and rock a rhyme; I said “It's not that easy.”  (It's Tricky - Run-DMC;  guessed by Rose;  Bonus Not Guessed)
10. I’m a runaway son of the nuclear A-bomb. I am the world’s forgotten boy.
11. You got the blues. Yes you ain’t got no one else to use. There’s an open road that leads nowhere. So just make some miles between here and there.
12. She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes and points all her own, sitting way up high. Way up firm and high.
13. Our mothers cried and sang along and who’d blame them. Now you’re grown, so grown, now I must say more than ever.
14. Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand. Lord, don’t they help themselves. But when the taxmen come to the door, Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale.
15. Hold on little girl, show me what he’s done to you. Stand up little girl, a broken heart can’t be that bad. (To Be with You - Mr. Big; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
16. Just like the prodigal son I’ve returned. Anyone stepping to me you’ll get burned. (Jump Around - House of Pain; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
17. Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past; you must fight just to keep them alive.
18. Oh my love, my darling, I’ve hungered for your touch a long, lovely time. (Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
19. Ohhhh, she got a way with the boys in the place. Treat ‘em like they don’t stand a chance.
20. Forget about that, let’s go into the story about a girl named Blah Blah Blah that adore me.
21. You’re talking to a tourist whose ever move’s among the purest. I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine.
22. Excuse me while I tend to how I feel. These things return to me that still seem real.
23. I wanna love somebody. I hear you’re looking for someone to love.
24. Take a little trip, take a little trip, take a little trip with me.25. If I told you things I did before, told you who I used to be, would you go along with someone like me?  (Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John;  guessed by Rose;  Bonus Not Guessed)

Bonus: This song wasn’t actually on television, but an internet tie in with a television show. But it was so awesome; I thought I would add it.
I look for trouble and I find it. It’s such a rush I think I mind it. What am I looking her for. I put the bottle to my lips now. I want to stop but I don’t know how.

Around the Tubes vol. L

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 Friday Night Lights, Treme, Storm Worlds, Perfect Couples, Mary Knows Best, Lost, Late Night, and Miss USA.

- Miss the season premiere of Friday Night Lights? Well here is a two minute replay to get you caught up.



- Anyone who is watching Treme, or just likes the music that comes from New Orleans, will want to head over to 17dots.com where David Rogen, the guy that David McAlary, played by Steve Zahn, is based on, will be contributing a weekly blog to the site.

- This weekend on the National Geographic Channel there will be the start of a new three part series Storm Worlds. The series shows what would happen if the worst weather conditions in the Universe happen here on Earth. Here is a preview of what you can expect Sunday at 8:00.

Disaster Lights in the Sky


- Just short couples days from announcing their next season schedule, NBC has picked up another new comedy. Perfect Couples sounds like Friends with the cast already coupled up to start the series. But the show will feature Olivia Munn, so they have that going for them. No one else in the cast sounds familiar except the one of the guys from My Boys, the second actor that NBC poached from the show. For those that need to know what next fall will look like on the Peacock, NBC will be making their announcement this Sunday at around 5 PM with their official Upfront presentation Monday at 11 AM.

- SyFy has a new reality block coming Thursdays this Summer and here is the star of Mary Knows Best taking about her show:

Mary Knows Best – Meet Mary O


- For those of you that cannot get enough Lost with the final few episodes closing in, you will want to check out The New Yorker’s article on the composer for the show Michael Giacchino.

- It is Rolling Stones Week on Late Night and you knew The Roots would be involved eventually and here they are backing up Sheryl Crow and Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell for All Down the Line.

Rolling Stones Week: Sheryl Crow


- I really haven’t gotten all the fun surrounding the photo shoot of the Miss USA contestants, just because they always talk about solving world peace, none have come close yet. And it is hard to make some moral pronouncement a contest that already features a bathing suit competition. But anyway. Here is a behind the scenes look at the previously mention scandalous photoshoot.

Waking up in Vegas

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXXII

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.


Un-thinkable (I'm Ready) - Alicia Keys



As a white dude I am not sure what I am more offended by: that when Alicia keys thinks of a token white dude, she thinks Chad Michael Murray, c’mon, when you are such a bad actor that you are not even good enough to star in One Tree Hill anymore you should just give up the profession, or when she thinks white dude in the eighties, he has to have a mullet.


Undo It - Carrie Underwood



You rarely the live performance spliced with non-live and miniskits, but Undo It - Play On gave it a try for some reason. And as much as I want to dislike this song, it just gets stuck in my head for way to long.


If It's Love - Train



Wait, another storyline to live performance video? I guess this is a beginning of a trend. Not so fun fact: the latest music video by Train was directed by Pete Wentz. Why? Who know, or cares.


One Track Mind - Mayer Hawthorne



Alicia Keys thinks she has it bad, One Track Mind is stuck in a love triangle with the real girl from Lars and the Real Girl.

First Impressions: Friday Night Lights 4.x

I am a very patient man; you may not find a more patient man than me. Yet waiting for the new season of Friday Night Lights to start on broadcast television was excruciating to the point that I was asking everyone I know if they had DirecTV last fall knowing NBC wasn’t planning airing the new season until this summer. The Jay Leno debacle gave me some hope of the show returning earlier, but alas we had to wait until May, a full year after the season three finale, and thanks to a tornado, I had to wait a couple days longer.

The show did not disappoint. Even as they recycle out some old cast members (so long Tyra and Lyla) they still manage to find ones to replace them that just intriguing. We meet Michael B. Jordan (a name made for a sports show) running away from the cops, who is lucky enough that one of the arresting officers brothers played for Coach Taylor and Coach is in desperate need of players even if the only football he ever plays is Madden.

Another entertaining introduction, but for an entirely different reason, is when Riggins tumbles out of bed to the sound of flings daughter Becky Sproles singing, who asks possibly the harshest question ever delivered from a sunny disposition, “So what is it like to be the guy who used to be Tim Riggins.” Ouch. That almost makes up for the show trying to make us believe that the pale redheaded Alicia Witt has a high school aged ethnic looking kid.

But that was all peripheral to Coach Taylor who went to three straight playoffs, two championship games and one win but because he took on the rich guy with a son who has a rocket arm, he gets stuck with the short straw when the school does some redistricting. All the good players just happened to stay at West Dillon with Joe McCoy and it seems the only former Panther relocated to East Dillon with Coach was perennial benchwarmer last season, Landry Clarke. And for some reason, even his staff stayed in West Dillon (how dare you Mac McGill after Coach stood by you after racism claims and health problems) except one who I don’t even recognize.

So after three years of a town that cared about football above all else including a new scoreboard when the classrooms were in desperate need of new books, this season will be through the eyes of the football team time forgot with even worse school conditions and I cannot wait to see how the season unfolds as I burn my Panthers blues in favor of Lions reds.

Friday Night Lights airs Fridays at 8:00 on NBC. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Friday Night Lights on iTunes.

Feed Your iPod vol. XLIV: Aisle 10 (Hello Allison)

There is probably a reason why I never do a Next Big Thing post because since sporting a Hootie and the Blowfish t-shirt in high school a good year before they got over played on the radio I have pretty much gone O-fer in predicted what unknown bands would go big. Take Scapegoat Wax, with their quirky rap subjects and live instrumental based beats, I would have put money on them being the heir apparent to the Beastie Boys. They were even signed to their Grand Royal record label and Aisle 10 (Hello Allison) came in at number fourteen on my Best Songs of 2001 list. Then Grand Royal folded and one album later, released by Hollywood Record which is known for being the label to all the Disney stars, the group disbanded. But Aisle 10 (Hello Allison) is worth discovering.

Aisle 10 (Hello Allison) - Scapegoat Wax

I Was Raising Cane, Now I’m Raising Babies

It is a tricky situation when you are in a band and one of the members isn’t up for recording but doesn’t want to leave (with the exception of Jack White who will just start a new one every year). But it has been four years since the last Dixie Chicks album and sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire were itching to get back to work though lead singer Natalie Maines wanted some more rest.

So the sister went with another animal themed side project Court Yard Hounds (not to be confused with the Junkyard Dog). Their self titled debut sounds exactly like what you would expect a Dixie Chicks album without Maines would sound like, very Chicks like, especially circa their Home era, but still mellower affair and songs do not get much mellower that the album opener Skyline. Even faster songs like Ain’t No Son still sounds restrained with Robinson taking over the vocals from the spunkier Maines (whose in her hands would have sounded something like Sin Wagon).

Some stand out tracks include Delight Something New Under the Sun and its funky guitar riff and wall of sound at the height of the song. See You in the Spring, a duet with Jacob Dylan, fits right in with his new folksier sound. Then Didn’t Make a Sound sounds like the most fun the sisters have had on a song a decade. In the end, Court Yard Hounds should be right up the alley of even moderate Dixie Chicks fans, especially the ones that jumped off the bandwagon when Maines started on her Bush tirade, though it is hard not to think how the album would have been better with her behind the microphone.

Song to Download – Didn’t Make a Sound

Court Yard Hounds gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXXIX

How I Met Your Mother: If Ted wrote himself a not as to why not to get back with Robin, why didn’t he read it when he got back with her a couple seasons ago? But anyway. I am completely for the whole separate beds for sleeping. I have enough trouble getting to sleep by myself and that is only exacerbated when there are knees in my back. And why stop there, how about separate rooms? You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Big Bang Theory: As painful as the post breakup interaction of Leonard and Penny were, at least Sheldon trying to play both sides was one of his funniest bits of the season. You can download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.

Castle: Holy Veronica Mars reunion! Okay so Parker and Deputy Leo didn’t share any screen time here or on Veronica Mars, but I will take what I can. And I wouldn’t mind if Parker sticks around because Beckett could us a female friend or just someone to fight over for Castle. But this begs the question whatever happened to Day On that Julie Gonzalo was starring in for NBC? Last I hear it got trimmed down to a two hour movie. You know it is not good when as hard up for programming NBC was, they still haven’t found time to air the show. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes. Also be sure to check out my chat with Stana Katic.

Lost: Seriously, Jin is going to down himself and let his daughter that he never met grow up an orphan? Hurmph. I am really beginning to think I was on the button when I said that the “Real” timeline will end with everyone dying but everyone lives happily ever after in the Flashsideways like in that one Buffy episode. At least there are four and a half hours left before I can stop thinking about this show. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Justified: Holy Dan Doherty sighting! And of course it was Seth Bullock to talk him down. Here’s hoping that this is only a precursor for the show to bring in Al Swearengen. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Justified on iTunes.

Parenthood: Wait, was that really the host of Tool Academy that I just saw on the show? And as one of the “cool” parents? Alrighty. And if Joel was so upset about the soccer quitting, why didn’t he step up and coach when schuedual must be open. C’mon, if the dude from Survivor can coach girls soccer, how hard can it be? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Modern Family: I am not sure who laughed harder, Alex, when talking about her sister flirting with a middle schooler, or me laughing at Alex laughing at her sister. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Happy Town: And we have our first “seriously” moment of the series when it turns out Kubiac (yes, I just made a Parker Lewis reference) turned out to be the one who nailed a rail road spike threw the dude’s head. Alrighty. The second would be the sherriff letting the Kube off the hook for the murder. Sure, why not. And if the dead dude said where the bodies were, why not at least take a look? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Happy Town on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: Hopefully this is the last stand of Russell. Despite the previews, I cannot see Rupert, after his tirade against him this week, teaming up with him. I am really ready to get Russell off my television and if he is ever asked back to another All-Star season everyone is smart enough to get rid of him first. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Community: I loved all the not so thinly veiled pot shots at the college’s glee club: “I’m all for winning but let’s not resort to cheap ploys,” “That is so uninspired,” “Write some original songs,” Couldn’t have said it better myself. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: The season three finale just happened to air as the say day as Opening Day in Cleveland when a rai delay pushed the game into the evening pre-empted FNL and I ended up having to watch it on Hulu the next day. Then almost a year later the season four premiere just happened to coincide with a tornado warning preemption making miss the show because of weather two epidsodes in a row. Huruph. Here’s hoping the episode shows up On Demand so I am not stuck watching it on my computer again. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

Best of the Week vol. XLIII

Quote of the Week: You’re just coitusing with me aren’t you? (Penny, The Big Bang Theory)

Song of the Week: Come on Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners (Parenthood)

Big News of the Week: NBC Already Picks Up Four Shows: We are two weeks away from networks officially announcing their schedules but for the second year in a row, NBC has jumped the gun, last year they had an “in front” and earlier this week they greenlit four programs. First came word of Undercovers early pick up. The show is from J.J. Abrams which I am going to pass on because I am tired of all his high concept, low reward projects.

Later in the week NBC also picked The Event is “is an emotional high-octane conspiracy thriller” starring Jason Ritter (Joan of Arcadia), who hopefully shaved unnecessary facial hair he was sporting on Parenthood, the moderately attractive Sarah Roamer (Disturbia), Blair Underwood (Set it Off) as the president, and Laura Innes (the doctor with the limp on ER) as “the leader of a mysterious group of detainees.” The characters and “Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind.” If NBC brings back Heroes, they can have this and Undercover as a night of high concept low rewards.

Outsourced is about an American transferred to India and hilarity ensures. I don’t think anyone in the cast was in Slumdog Millionaire so no one will recognize anyone in the cast except The Drew Carey Show’s Diedrich Bader. The third is Love Bites which thankfully not another lame vampire show but a romantic comedy anthology starring Becki Newton (Ugly Betty), who made my list of the Hottest Hot Chicks of the 00’s and Jordana Spiro (My Boys) who didn’t.

Can’t say I am exited excited about any of these though I may change my mind when I actually see some sort of promo that will presumably come during the upfronts.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: Merge Records 2010 Digital Sampler (Amazon MP3): This includes songs from Spoon, She and Him, and twelve others.

Deal of the Week: Save up to 58% on Blu-ray Discs (Iron Man, Forrest Gump, Sons of Anarchy)

Video of the Week: For those that cannot get enough Betty White this weekend between her hosting gig on SNL and the WE Golden Girls marathon will want to check out the trailer for You Again, also starring Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garbor, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and that hot chick from the Weezer video.

You Again Trailer


Next Week Pick of the Week: Survivor, Thursday and Sunday at 8:00 on CBS: We have hit the home stretch with the final six that have out witted, out smarted and out lasted the likes of Boston Rob, Amanda Kimmel (who was voted off for the first time in three tries) and two previous winners, Tom Weston and J.T. Thomas. Can Parvati Shallow or Sandra Diaz-Twine manage a repeat win? Will remaining Heros Rupert or Colby, who even checked out of the game even before the merge, pull out a win? Can Russell weasel his way into the final tribal just to lose to a lesser player like Jerri because he is the dumbest player in Survivor history? Will The Dragons play the reunion show? If you do not know who The Dragons are, you much watch their music video.

Around the Tubes vol. XLIX

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 Friday Night Lights, Saturday Night Live, Golden Girls, Hot in Cleveland, TNT's 100 Days of Summer, and DVD2Blu.

- It has been 390 days since Friday Night Lights has been on network television, and finally the wait is over for those of us with DirecTV with the premiere. For those that have never watched the show, there is no better time than tonight to see why it was number two on the 100 Greatest Television Shows of the 00’s and landed three inside the top ten of the 100 Greatest Characters of the 00’s. For those that are already fans and cannot wait, below is a preview of Coach Taylor’s first speech to the East Dillon Tigers:

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts


- In honor of her hosting duties on Saturday Night Live tomorrow, WE tv is paying tribute to Betty White by running a Golden Girls tribute from 6:00 PM to 1:00 AM (though keep in mind the episode will focus on the relationship between Dorothy and Sophia with Mother’s Day Sunday). Betty White is also getting her own TV Land show Hot in Cleveland (which is obviously not a reality show because there is nothing hot about Cleveland), below is a preview:

Hot in Cleveland Preview


- After Betty gets off the stage, Alec Baldwin is on the clock as the host of the the season finale of Saturday Night Live with musical guest Tom Petty. Lesser people will make 1990 jokes of the pair but not me. Not gonna do it.

- Last week I mentioned TNT’s 100 Days of Drama, and here is a little video hyping the event:



For those that have a huge DVD collection and find it too price to convert that collection to Blu-Ray will want to check out DVD2Blu where you can trade in your DVD’s for Blu-Ray’s for as low as $4.95 (plus free shipping for orders over $35). They just added 85 Warner Bros titles Pan’s Labyrinth, Corpse Bride, Troy, The Departed, The Shining, Ocean’s Eleven, V for Vendetta and Superman Returns.

Previewing World's Toughest Fixes

Maybe the last play you would expect to see Sean Riley, host of World’s Toughest Fixes would be at Cirque du Soleil, but when an eighty ton rotating stage starts making noises, Riley arrives in Las Vegas to lend his hand in trying to fix the stage to keep the hundreds of acrobats that do their stunts on the stage safe. And Sean couldn’t help himself and tests it out himself complete in a sparkly costume. But that episode doesn’t air until May 20.

For tonight’s season premiere of World’s Toughest Fixes at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel, Sean (who will be live blogging over at NationalGeographic.com during the premiere)heads to Cody Wyoming as the town tries to rebuild the ski lift there by recycling the old parts because the town doesn’t have money to bring in all new part. The money constraints also means they have to haul all the parts in place in under an hour because that is the entire budget can afford for the helicopter rental. Anyone that partakes in the activity will want to see just exactly what it takes to get you up a mountain including a job that only ten people in the whole world can do (no Sean isn’t one of them).

Next week Sean hops the pong to help get three England bridges cleaned (no, the London Bridge is not one of them). You know you are in for something when Sean utters a very rare phase to cross his lips about having never seen anything like it. And as cleaning bridges were not hard enough, they have to make sure the lead based paint that they are blasting doesn’t getting the Thames.

Also this season, Riley tries to fix the X-Sream thrill ride in Vegas (5/27), a leaky cruise ship (6/3), the Philly Mega Transit (6/10), and the San Francisco Bay Bridge (6/17). While you are waiting for tonight’s episode, you can head over to NationalGeographic.com to play their Ski Lift game. You can also check out a preview below:

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXXI

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.


Next Girl – The Black Keys



Frank the Funknosaurus Rex is back for the latest Black Keys video and those the boys in the band don’t seem to like him (I am just hoping that was a pretencious musician meta joke), but I am glad he is back and better than ever.


Not Myself Tonight – Christina Aguilera



Had Christina Aguilera made this exact video a decade a decade ago I may have thought it was the greatest music video ever in the history in the world. But since then she got the most unnecessary breast augmentation ever in the history of the world, started looking more like a contestant from RuPaul’s Drag Race than the girl from Genie in a Bottle, got married, had a kid and now knowing all that, watching the video now just feels, well, dirrty.


Rewind – Diane Birch



Not the head scratcher of her last video, but when Diane Birch writes a song as beautiful as this you do not need all the bells and whistles (or whips and gags).


Rise Up – Cypress Hill featuring Tom Morello



This may not Prince, but Cypress Hill teaming up with Tom Morello makes me want to party like its 1999. I am not sure that is a good thing. The video even looks very 90’s.

Music Will Lead Her Away; Her Heart Will Bring Her Home

Casting movies that rely heavily on music can be a sticky situation because there are very few actors that are great actors and great singers. So do you cast an outstanding singer with nominal acting ability, or do cast a great actor who may not be best at carrying a tune. Preacher’s Kid did both. For the former there are the LeToya Lukett (she was one of girls kicked out of Destiny’s Child about ten years ago) and Durrell “Tank” Babbs (who had a number one R&B song with Please Don’t Go), while gospel artist Kiki Sheard also has a smaller role in the movie. On the other side of the coin is Sharif Atkins (ER) who has someone else sing and play piano for him.

With the music sung mostly by professionals, the songs are a stand out for Preacher’s Kid, especially the ones that open and close the movie, to the point you wonder why an accompanying soundtrack album wasn’t released s it would have don’t pretty good in the Christian and gospel charts.

But when the music stops, things tend to drag on until the next musical moment. We have all seen this story before, this time from first time director and writer Stan Foster (who also wrote the stage play Daddy Can I Please Come Home which serves as the backdrop for Preacher’s Kid), the prodigal son (or daughter in this case) leaves home against a parents blessing to experience the big bad world alone while fighting the temptation to give up to return to the comforts of home even if they got the dreaded, “If you walk out that door” speech.

Even though the two leads are novices, the supporting cast is solid most notably Clifton Powell (Next Friday) as the shifty producer of the play that Luckett runs off to join. Gregalen Williams (Baywatch) is convincing behind the pulpit as Luckett’s bishop father. While Essence Atkins (TBS’s upcoming sitcom version of Are We There Yet?) provided some nominal comedic relief as Luckett’s lone friend on the traveling play. But still Preacher’s Kid feels like a Lifetime movie for the large majority of the film.

As for the extra on the Blu-Ray (which is part of a combo pack that includes a Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital Copy version of the film; you can also buy the DVD version separately or a digital download, all available today) you mostly have your standard issue fair. There are four featurettes (a making of, music of the film, and bios of Luckett and Atlanta, where the movie was filmed) which combined total around twenty minutes. Then there is another twenty minutes of deleted scenes including a storyline about how Powell got money to put on the play. You can also check out the official site at PreachersKidMovie.com.



Full Disclosure Notice: This Blu-Ray was given to me on behalf of Warner Brothers Entertainment for the sole purpose of reviewing the movie.

Feed Your iPod vol. XLIII: 40 Dogs (Romeo and Juliet)

Here’s a song that I have been listening a lot to for no specific reason, just has a high repeatable to it.

40 Dogs (Romeo and Juliet) - Bob Schneider

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXXVIII

Quote of the Week: I guess I was just grossed out that I had to hear, like, fifteen billion poems about my mother’s vagizzle. (Amber, Parenthood)

Song of the Week: Leaving On a Jet Plane – John Denver (as performed by Jeffster, Chuck)

Big News of the Week: Oil Slick: As someone who lives by a river that caught fire all by itself, it is weird to see someone purposely set the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico on purpose. And as sad as it is, leave it to the conservative nutjobs who think it is an environmental plot to stop offshore drilling. And the liberals are not without their nutjob conspiracy theories when they ponder if a border patrol agent in Arizona getting shot just after the passed a controversial immigration law was a coincident. God bless nutjobs, because without them, how could get a laugh out of truly horrible situations.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:


Chuck: I am a little wishy washy on the whole Chuck and Sarah romance. Sure all the duel fighting with handcuff was fun, but I am not entirely sure how that can sustain the relationship. One thing I am not wishy washy is that Morgan needs to be caught in some friendly fire, or unfriendly fire, I really do not care, but the more screen time he gets, the less I care if the show gets renewed or not. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

Parenthood: Another daughter / parent showdown with the former refusing to leave her boyfriend’s house. And almost word for word to point that I hope it was intentional. All it was missing was the parent personally dragging the daughter out of the house (which it came close to). You can stream recent episodes on Parenthood on iTunes.

Mercy: So a chick you had sex and didn’t talk to since after you told her you were gay casually mention she has a kid and you do not ask how old the kid is? That would be the first question out of my mouth. And that doesn’t even crack the top five most absurd plot points of the episode. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Mercy on iTunes.

Happy Town: After a slow start, the show did give reason to check out another episode with the ending where we learn that the Ashley Greene look-alike’s name is actually the same that the dude from Lost kept repeating and has the brand of the Magic Man on her shoulder (although if you are using a alias, shouldn’t you go with something less Googleable as Henley Boone? Wouldn’t something like Sarah Brown be more conspicuous? You know the first thing Root Beer did when he got home was Google the new hot chick in town to get her vital stats.). So here is my theory on the show, Henley’s “mom” is not really her mom but the Magic Man who kidnapped her years ago, brainwashed her to think she is her mother (she branding her with his symbol upon the kidnapping) and now needs her to get something out of the third floor that can get her powers back (that kept the Magic Man from doing his yearly kidnapping). And it will turn out that Henley is Steven Weber’s daughter.

The Challenge: Fresh Meat 2: I have witness quite a few fights in my life and even broken up a few (though I tend to go with the hockey referee approach where I just circle around until the guys (or gals) get tired) but never I have I seen someone go with the fontal bear hug technique that Wes employed. You can stream recent episodes over at MTV.com. You can also download The Challenge: Fresh Meat 2 on iTunes.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains: Just the other day I was debating with someone if you were allowed to steal someone’s Hidden Immunity Idol (I took the affirmative because if you are dumb enough to leave it where someone could find it then you deserve to lose it) and here we a similar situation with Danielle finding the clue to the Idol and Amanda stealing it leading to the least entertaining cat fight in the history of television. Then Colby, in what would have been the dumbest move on almost any other season (seriously, why are these supposed All-Stars making so many stupid moves), rules that clue is the sole possession of Danielle even though she is in the opposite alliance. Moron. And how do you not follow Danielle around knowing that she had the clue and the resign to the fack she would just find it herself. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Community: Was there really no one on the show or at the network that didn’t realize that characters mockingly repeating everything for half an episode does not make for a good episode? It, at best, is a 1:00 hour Saturday Night Live sketch, not a prime time full episode. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Free Download of the Week: Jackal Onassis Backstage - Party Down (Amazon Video on Demand): The new season of the Starz comedy recently started and those that want to test out the show without subscribing can do so. You also check out the first season of Party Down as recently released on DVD. And those with On Demand features may want to check out to see if the episode is available to preview (it is here on my Time Warner Cable) along with two first season episodes and the upcoming extremely hilarious episode, Steve Guttenberg’s Birthday which features, besides the title character as himself, McLovin’ as Bill Haverchuck’s writing partner, a pairing made in Judd Apatow casting heaven.

Deal of the Week: Save up to 58% on TV Shows (Sons of Anarchy, How I Met Your Mother, Pee-wee’s Playhouse)

Video of the Week: Friday Night Lights is back this week and here is an interview with new cast member Madison Burge who I take it is the new Lyla Garrity.

Next Week Pick of the Week: Friday Night Light, Friday at 8:00 on NBC: The wait is finally over for those of us without DirecTV as we get to see Coach Taylor take the reins of the East Dillon Lions.