Thursday, December 11, 2008

Your New Most Inept Executive In America Is...


This hasn’t been a good year for inept executives, Isaiah Thomas and Matt Millen were both axed and George Bush is down to his last month in office. With the three worst executives in America all gone, there is a scrabble to claim the top spot. Their have been plenty of contenders like the big three auto execs taking private jets to ask for millions of taxpayer dollars and the Illinois governor trying to profit from naming Barack Obama’s replacement in the Senate. But the clear choice for the next generation of inept executive top moron clearly goes to Ben Silverman, head of NBC’s entertainment division, with his recent announcement that 10:00 on the Peacock network would be a Jay Leno only time zone.

One horrible decision doesn’t shoot you to the top of the inept list and Silverman has yet to draft three straight receivers, but he has steadily sunk NBC so far down, it will soon rival The CW. You knew he was destine for most inept executive title with his very first move at the head of NBC when he brought The Apprentice back to life and added D-List celebrities to the mix because lack of no name star power was everyone decided to stop watching in the first place.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg as Silverman was also the guy who thought not making pilots wouldn’t hurt new shows which has led to My Own Worst Enemy (already canceled), Crusoe (all but canceled) and Kath & Kim (should be canceled). But then again pilots even when he sees them, like the backdoor pilot of the Knight Rider movie, which was universally panned by critics and viewers alike, still get ordered to series (and then has the episode number cut). And this was after the reinvention of Bionic Woman tanked a year early. Not to mention American Gladiators which lost it’s nostalgia after two episodes. Should we expect The New A-Team on the 2009 schedule? Or should I not give him an idea?

Other brainchildren from Silverman were to cancel Journeyman but brought back Lipstick Jungle for a second season (only to give it the ax a couple weeks in), thinking Heroes was NBC’s own Lost only to find it getting doubled in the ratings by Two and a Half Men, and maybe his most egregious move: thinking Jimmy Fallon was funny enough to give his own talk show. Let us not forget this is also the guy that brought us Clash of the Choirs, My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad, Celebrity Family Feud, The Baby Borrowers, Celebrity Circus, Phenomenon and brought Quaterlife from the computer monitor to the television screen. As well as the upcoming Momma’s Boy a dating show where a mom has a hand in which person their child dates. Wait, did he still that idea from I Love New York?

And not only is Silverman a complete moron, the Jay Leno move shows that he is also lazy giving him five less hours of television to fill each week. Keep in mind NBC already has one whole night already blocked out for programming thanks to Sunday Night Football. Of course this is a guy who thought it was time to take vacation to the Beijing Olympics just before the new season launched. This begs the question, with the Jay Leno 10:00 hour taken up, how long until Silverman announces that 9:00 is a Law and Order only hour? Or should I not give him an idea?

Naturally the Leno deal is a bad idea to end all bad ideas. Early talk shows have failed time after time and as seen by Rosie’s recent variety debacle, people don’t want that kind of stuff in prime time. And if Leno happens to be successful, and even if he isn’t, it will undermine the three other talk shows on NBC, which will be more than the other networks combined. Who will get the top names when the switch accuser, Leno or Conan? This may make the Leno/Letterman spat look cordial. Seriously, the NBC corporate has to be the most entertaining event ever.

Of course NBC is getting what it deserves. This is what is going to happen when you hire someone who’s “hits” only include stealing already successful shows from countries like The Office, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Ugly Betty. I would think that the five less hours would likely spell the death nail for Friday Night Lights (keep in mind his second order of business was to stop airing FNL reruns that summer) but with Silverman’s laziness he most likely won’t cancel it as long as DirecTV still foots half the bill.

So congratulations Ben Silverman, you are a first ballot Moron Hall of Fame. If you are lucky Ken Lay will induct you. And if we are lucky you will be eligible for the Class of 2014.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

You be Smokey, I’ll be the Bear


Universal Mind Control - Common

In a story I broke earlier, music under the Obama administration is gonna suck. The latest case in point, Obama’s Chicago brethren, Common, who managed to make an even cheesier pro-bama song than will.i.am’s two silly diatribes with Changes. And Common’s is actually scary because he forces a child to spout lines about the future president. That is right out of Third-Reich playbook of propaganda using children to make something seem alright for political gain. With that said: Anh Cao 2012!

Thankfully that was Common’s only politically charged song on Universal Mind Control. Unfortunately like his other Chicago brethren, Kanye West (who shows up on the uninspired Punch Drunk Love, but at least 'Ye does not sing), Common seems to have been listening to too much of one genre. Where 808’s & Heartbreak relied too much on emo and auto tune, Universal Mind Control has set up shop in the Zulu Nation with an overabundance of techno beats throughout the album.

It is set up well with the title track opener with Common spitting a few decent rhymes over The Neptunes production but the schick gets old quick leaving you wanting something different by the third track. As luck would have it, Cee-Lo shows up on that third track, Make My Day, which would have fit nicely on a Gnarls Barkley album even without the Danger Mouse production.

The real downside is Common spends way too much time only the album trying to act like he is the king of the booty rap with lines like, “You be Smoky, I’ll be the bear.” (Sex 4 Suga) Seriously, what does that even mean? He even claims that stripper always choose his songs to do their job too. Even though I can’t say I have ever patroned a strip club, I doubt any Common song ranks high on their playlist.

But the worst lyric comes in the other wise solid Gladiator, which intertwines lines from the Russell Crowe epic with A Tribe Called Quest references, but is bogged down by suggesting to get Michael Vick out of jail. I am certainly not on PETA’s Christmas card list, but even I can agree dude needed to spend some time behind bars. Hopefully by the next album, Common doesn’t suggest O.J. Simpson got a raw deal and he drops the techno.

Song to Download - Make My Day

Universal Mind Control gets a Terror Alert Level: Guarded [BLUE] on my Terror Alert Scale.



Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Previewing Leverage


The Cast of LeverageWatching Leverage, one has to think how hard is it to make a television show that is watchable (which ninety-five percent of it isn’t). Yet Leverage doesn’t have great writing, the acting isn’t stellar (even with Academy Award Winner Timothy Hutton) but the show is still highly enjoyable. The show actually reminds me of one of my favorite shows of all time: The A-Team.

Of course the concept is updated for the new millennium with gadgets, higher bounties, and, thankfully, moderately attractive chicks. Hutton (Beautiful Girls), who comes up with the plans that he loves when they come together, fills the shoes of Hannibal. Christian Kane (Carrie Underwood’s So Small video) provides the muscle much like B.A. Baracus and even does so with his own unconventional hair style (what is with dudes on TNT and their long hair?).

Timothy Hutton of LeverageThe resident nut job is Beth Riesgraf (My Name Is Earl and mother of Pilot Inspektor) who might as well share a cell with Murdock. The Face of the operation is Gina Bellman (Coupling, the English version) who play any role to get her team in except when on stage or in front of a casting director. While Aldis Hodge (Friday Night Lights Voodoo Tatum) rounds out the team with his technology knowledge.

The rag tag group of former thieves are much like The A-Team when it has a very select pool of clientel. And even though it doesn’t have the government after them (even though they all broke out of jail in the first episode), there seems to be a building nemesis in Hutton’s former employer, an insurance company that pulled the plug on his son’s health insurance that may have kept him alive. They get mentioned quite a bit, and if there is one complaint is that they bring up his son way too often, and next week the company gets a public face in Hutton’s replacement.

The Cast of LeverageMuch like The A-Team, each character is unique and likable in their own way which brings me back to my original thought because some television show manage not to have one likable character on their whole show. And the differences creates plenty of humorous friction of former advisories, Kane and Hodge looking for gang members in the Christmas episode airing December 23. And how the team comes together in the episode tonight is reminiscent of The Justice League and is so entertaining you almost wished it was a weekly gag.

Leverage airs Tuesdays at 10:00 on TNT (catch a reairing of the first episode tonight at 9:00). You can download . Leverage at Amazon Video on Demand. And for those interested in an extra $100,000 spending cash this Christmas (although I think you will not recieve the money until after the holidays), head over to LeverageHQ.com to play Get Ready to Get Even.

Monday, December 08, 2008

I Want My Music Television vol. XL


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


I Believe in Father Christmas - U2



Christmas just doesn’t feel like Christmas until I have Bono tell me, “Well thank God tonight it’s them instead of you.” Much like Do They Know its Christmas, proceeds to this song goes to a good cause as it is part of the new (Red)Wire music service where you get exclusic music with the money going to buy medicine for people in need.


My Lucky Day - Bruce Springsteen



Remember the days when new music videos were such an event that Michael Jackson’s Black or White was simulcast on Fox, MTV, VH1, and BET? To put in perspective how far the music industry has fallen, the latest Bruce Springsteen video debuted this on Amazon.com. Oh, and if this is any indication, music is gonna suck under an Obama administration. Huckabee 2012!


Listen Up - EPMD and Teddy Riley



It took me a while to figure out this wasn’t a long lost video from the nineties. EPMD featuring Teddy Riley with Max Headroom-quality graphics and references to Andre Rison and Jim Carey. Really if it weren’t for the E-Bama mention I probably would have continued to think that.


Mixed Up S.O.B. - Presidents of the United States of America



The Presidents of the United States of America is one of those bands you feel bad for because they should be remembered as a One Hit Wonders but actually scored a second hit and sadly VH1 doesn’t run Two Hit Wonders specials. But on the bright side one of those two hits was actually parodied by “Weird Al” Yankovic who coincidentally directed their latest video. Speaking of Al, he has finally discover he can release songs as singles on iTunes right after writing them instead of waiting to have enough to fill an album. So if you haven’t already checked out his version of T.I.’s Whatever You Like do so ASAP. Now if you excuss me, I am going to move to the country and eat me some peaches.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. LVIII


Chuck: For those keeping track at home, in successive weeks, they have put in jail Chuck’s ex-girlfriend and Casey’s former sensei. Things are not looking up for the Token Hot Chick’s father who popped up in the promo this week. Although I am not sure if I am comfortable with Sarah’s father’s turning out to be someone who’s O-face I have seen. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

Eli Stone: I never understand why show drag episodes that aren’t that very strong in the first place out into two-partners. Maybe the fault was with the casting director because I spent more time wanting to smack the kid then feel sorry him. But the duel shouting match between Eli/Taylor and Maggie/Matt was mildly entertaining while it lasted. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com. You can also download Eli Stone on iTunes.

Pushing Daisies: For those that missed the back story about the Muffin Buffalo lady, she was a character on Wonderfalls that Brian Fuller, who created both shows, didn’t tell ABC was a crossover until they actually filmed the episode because he knew they wouldn’t let him use her because Fox owned the character. When Fuller finally asked for permission to use the character, the people at Fox said it was okay and they were happy to see the show live on. Um, if you wanted the show to live on, why did you cancel it after four episodes? Have I mentioned lately I hate Fox? And was the Dr. Burton underneath those bandages?
You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com.

Pushing Daisies on iTunes


Survivor: How can Kenny be such a mastermind and get suckered in believing a fake Idol? This is mind blowing. Not only that be he was willing to turn on Matty to go with Corrine and Bob even though if he is in the final three with either of them, he loses in a blow out. Now he can easily be as exposed as the turncoat and be on the outs with the person with the real Idol. All he had to do was stay down and he had the fast track to the million dollars and now he may get the boot before Bob. Moron. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube.

Survivor on iTunes


My Name Is Earl: I know the liberal communist judges out there would call it cruel and unusual punishment, but they should really have those t-shirts for real criminals. Guilting people into not doing crime is much more effective than fining people anyways. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download My Name Is Earl on iTunes.


* Please note that if anyone out there did not get the previous Office Space reference, we cannot be friends.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Best of the Week vol. VI


Quote of the Week: Those seven years of MacGyver finally paid off. (Chuck, Chuck)

Song of the Week: Eternal Flame - The Bangles (as sung by Olive Snook, Pushing Daisies)

Big News of the Week: Television Shows Back on the Big Screen: From Star Trek to Firefly I cannot think of any canceled shows bringing back all their principle actors for a major movie (for years they have had made for TV movie reunions and re-cast big budget flicks). But this past summer saw the resurrection of both Sex and the City
and The X-Files both to moderate success.

Maybe thanks to those movies, just in the past week or so there has been a lot of buzz of resurrecting a few gone before their time. First the on again off again movie resurrection of Arrested Development (which was predicted by Maeby in the series finale) looks to be on again as Mitch Hurwitz and Ron Howard recently have signed on to write the script with Jeffery Tambor saying in an interview fans “can be sure it’s happening.” While Jason Bateman “hopes to start filming next summer.”

Also being booting around the rumor mill since its demise is a Veronica Mars movie that has been fueled by both Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell stating they’d be up for it, which tends to be the first question any interviewers asks about. Recently Thomas mentioned that he has started an outline and hopes to get it hammed out during the holiday seasons. What could help in giving him more time is ABC recently cutting the number of Cupid episodes down to nine. Also helping out is Bell finally getting killed off of Heroes this week. If only you could see my happy dance.

The most recent possible second chance is the HBO series Rome where creator Bruno Heller (who recently created The Mentalist) was quoted this week as saying talks of a movie “Is moving along. It’s not there until it is there (Scooter’s note: how Yogi Berry of him). I would love to round that show off.” Each episode of Rome seemed like a movie so this may be the most natural transition.

Of course I would be happy if just one of these shows live on as if I were to make a list of the greatest television show of the ’00, those three shows at the very least would be in the discussion for the top ten. Granted I am cautiously optimistic than any of them happen because I am still waiting for the promised Angel movies that have yet come to fruition. But with the success of Twilight, there is rumors that Buffy the Vampire Slayer may get resurrected too, which actually started as a really crappy movie.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:

Yvonne Strahovski in glasses


Coalition Links of the Week:
Buzz suggested a few possible scenarios for the Gossip Girl spinoff. (BuzzSugar)

GMMR shared some news and pics from her recent visit to the set of Privileged. (Give Me My Remote)

The holiday season has arrived and with it a brand new TV Advent Calendar including our favorite advent "treat" this week... How to make a holiday work wheel Ă  la The OC and Seth Cohen's Chrismakkuh Work Wheel. (RTVW Online)

Vance fell behind in TV blogging November sweeps so did a little blogging cleaning up on over a dozen shows. (Tapeworthy)

This week, Jace took a look back at those five suggestions to improve Fringe that he made in October to see if the writers had addressed any of them since then. (Televisionary)

Our national nightmare came and went. Dan evaluated Rosie's debacle of a variety show. (TiFaux)

TV Spy got a bit bogged down making the huge Christmas double issue of TV & Satellite Week. But somehow, amid all the madness and mince pies, Ben and Gareth found time to ponder Heroes: The Eclipse Pt2, and reckoned they spotted some definite signs of improvement. Phew! (TV Spy)

This week, the TV Addict got an exclusive update on the status of the Veronica Mars movie from Papa Mars himself, Enrico Colantoni. (The TV Addict)

Kate was a little sad to see Stylista's surgically enhanced little fashion urchin get the boot. (TV Filter)

Deals of the Week:
1) Blu-ray Deals and Discovery: Amazon and Sony are offering incredible values on high definition products such as Blu-ray players and movies, as well as PlayStation 3 consoles, games, and accessories. New deals will be debut every week through Feb. 7, 2009.
2) Save up to 60% on Over 550 DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. Offer valid from 11/17–12/16.
5) The Big DVD Sale—Great Entertainment as Low as $5.99. Offer valid from 11/17-12/16.
3) Save at Least 42% on ABC TV shows. Offer valid from 12/2-12/15.
4) Save up to 60% on over 900 DVD Boxed Sets. Offers posted from 12/2-12/22.
5) The TV Holi-Daily Deal: Special one-day deals on favorite TV shows. Offers posted from 12/4-12/16.
6) Save at Least 50% on Movies & TV: Offers posted until 12/18.

Free Download of the Week: Brooklyn (Go Hard) - Jay-Z featuring Santogold (Rcrd Lbl): I have been critical of Jay-Z’s unretirement, but this is the first of his songs that really matches any of his preretirement work.

Video of the Week: The first of ABC Family’s new programming for 25 Days of Christmas debuts next Saturday. Here is a preview of A Misers Brother’s Christmas. Personally I am looking forward to the sequel to Snow the following day.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Leverage, Tuesday at 9:00 on TBS: The show actually premieres tomorrow after The Librarian (see Previewing The Librarian), but for those that forget, the first episode reruns Tuesdays because it settles into its regular timeslot at 10:00 right after. Barring the apocalypse, I should have more on the show coming up Tuesday.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Previewing The Librarian


Noah Wyle as The LibrarianIt is nice the best idea to call your movie The Librarian because people may think it is the most boring thing ever or possibly something you find in the naughty section of your video section. This isn’t helped much when Noah Wyle (ER) is said librarian. But The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice works in a low budget, quirky Indiana Jones kind of way with Wyle playing the librarian / treasure hunter perfectly and actually believably.

The movie is the third in the series but if you are like me and stayed away based on the title alone; you can jump right in without missing anything. Except I did spent the first ten minutes trying to figure out if what I was seeing was some sort of dream sequence or was actually happening (it was happening). But once that is figured out, it turns out to be a nice set up to what’s to come.

Stana Katic in The LibrarianAnd by the title you could tell trying to find the Judas Chalice is what is to come. This leads Wyle to New Orleans where he is guided around the city by Stana Katic who disappeared from Heroes as quickly as she appeared in accordance to the show only keeping around bad actors in unlikable roles and Katic’s wi-fi character was just too interesting to stay on the show and whose flimsiness in this role is even more entertaining. Her costumes don’t hurt either.

Bob Newhart in The LibrarianJoining Wyle in returning roles are Bob Newhart (Newhart) and Jane Curtin (Kate & Allie) as Wyle’s bosses and caretakers of the library. But both veterans take a back seat to Wyle to the point you wonder why put such big names in such small roles. Joining them for this go around is Bruce Davidson (Knight Rider; um, the crappy version; well, the latest crappy version) as a professor kidnapped by Wyle’s nemesis in the film in order to get to the Chalice before Wyle does.

The plot twists in the movie are somewhat predictable, but the ride to the ending is enjoyable enough to over look that and New Orleans is a character upon itself and a cab driver that picks up Wyle upon his arrival to the city steals all the scenes he is in. The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice premieres this Sunday at 8:00 on TNT. It also reairs on Tuesday at 7:00.



Thursday, December 04, 2008

We on Award Tour: 2009 Grammy Nominations


The Grammy Nomination special, the first time in prime time, was just a silly exhibition. With that said if they do it next year, I’m totally watching. Especially if the Foo Fighters sing more Carly Simon songs and announce country songs. I did like that they had singers perform songs in the Hall of Fame instead of just trotting out their latest hits. And as an added bonus we wintness John Mayer’s attempt at the worst goatee ever, even worse than my attempt when I was seventeen. Here were the nominations announced last night:


Best New Artists
Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan

Wow, for the first time since I can remember there is no token rock groups, instead we get Duffy and Adele who are for all intents and purposes are the same person. I would pick either of them but they could split the vote (and Amy Winehouse won last year) which could open the door for someone else.


Album of the Year
Raising Sand - Robert Plant and Allison Krauss
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends - Coldplay
Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
Year of the Gentleman - Ne-Yo
In Rainbows - Radiohead

In the biggest shocker of the night, Ne-Yo gets a nomination over Grammy darling Alicia Keys whose As I Am landed at the top of my Best Albums of 2007. Not that any of this matters because they might as well hand the gramophone to Plant and Krause right now. Hey, it will be a step up from Herbie Hancock singing Joni Mitchell.


Best Collaboration with Vocals
Lessons Learned - Alice Keys and John Mayer
4 Minutes - Madonna and Justin Timberlake
Rich Woman - Robert Plant and Allison Krauss
If I Never See Your Face Again - Rihanna and Maroon 5
No Air - Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown

Plain and simply, Plant and Krauss will be favored in every catergory they are nominated in. But all these songs were really sub-par to me although I really can’t thing of anything better off the top of my head.


Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Royal Flush - Big Boi featuring Raekwon and Andre 3000
Swagga Like Us - Jay-Z featuring T.I. and Kanye West
Mr. Carter - Lil Wayne featuring Jay-Z
Wish You Would - Ludacris featuring T.I.
Put On - Young Geezy featuring Kanye West

Really all that needs to be said about this is that rap were royals, there would be a lot of inbred prince and princesses.


Record of the Year
Chasing Pavements - Adele
Viva la Vida - Coldplay
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
Please Read the Letter - Robert Plant and Allison Krause

If there were any justice M.I.A. would take this home, but sadly the combination Plant and Krause are the front runner. The biggest omission has to be Duffy’s Mercy which is far catchier than Chasing Pavement. It is also odd that Lewis is here instead of Duffy yet not in Best New Artist.


Surprising they omitted Song of the Year from the broadcast, here are those nominations
American Boy - William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle Swaray & Kanye West, songwriters (Estelle Featuring Kanye West)
Chasing Pavements - Adele Adkins & Eg White, songwriters (Adele)
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz, songwriter (Jason Mraz)
Love Song - Sara Bareilles, songwriter (Sara Bareilles)
Viva La Vida - Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)

Now here’s the catergory for me because I could vote for any of these, well maybe not the Estelle song. Not sure why that is nominated for a song writing award.


It is late and I am tired so I really can’t go threw all 100+ awards, okay I’m not going to bed because right after the Grammy special there was Adriana Lima taking off her clothes. But anyways. Head over to Grammy.com for the complete rundown.