Sunday, November 18, 2007

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. VIII


Quote of the Week: Honey, I love that you went to a swingers party and it was Nixon that turned you on. (Katie, Journeyman)

Song of the Week: That’s What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick (as sung by Greg, Everybody Hates Chris)

Big News of the Week: The Writers Strike Continues: Yawn. As a wise man once said, “Wake me up when September ends.” Let’s move on to more interesting things.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:

Yvonne Strahovski half naked and under cover


Links of the Week:

BuzzSugar: This week, we debated the greatest TV icons (no Sesame Street or Saget?), felt a little underwhelmed by the new Lost mobisodes, and wondered if late-night shows should have guest hosts to save jobs during the writers' strike.

Daemon's TV: Sandie welcomed everyone to the Chuck train after watching Gossip Girl. Araya realizes what it’s like to feel things after watching Friday Night Lights. And after watching Heroes Araya wished he had a power.

Give Me My Remote: It broke our hearts to recap what could have been the last episode of The Office this season (a moment of silence). At least we still have Pushing Daisies to make us happy, at least for a few more eps. And before hitting the scene this weekend, check out our Cocktail Party Primer and be in the loop on the latest TV soundbytes.

Glowy Box: When she wasn’t on strike to support the WGA, Liz shuddered over a pencil in the eye on Grey’s Anatomy and enjoyed Tyra’s attempt to overshadow the Project Runway premiere on America’s Next Top Model.

Mikey Likes TV: IFC's bizarre role-playing documentary, Darkon, premiered this week, and Mikey wishes more reality TV would explore characters who are that uniquely crazy. He also lamented the premature (and seriously depressing) season finale of The Office.

RTVW: On the strike side of things, we wondered how fans would feel about episodes penned by scabs and offered up ideas on how fans can support the writers. After watching Prison Break, Rae questioned why some of the shows she enjoys fail to leave her anxious to see the next installment.

Tapeworthy: Vance was guest blogging on another site and refreshed his current TV Top 10 List to introduce himself. After the TV bloggers strike, it was nice to see Pushing Daisies again to brighten up the day and to prove why the writers deserve better compensation in the first place. Finally, there were a lot of That Guy this week, on Bones, on House, from Gossip Girl to Heroes (which, has completely lost/confused Vance at this point) and the CBS comedies (the good ones with long names HIMYM and TBBT).

Televisionary: This week, Jace was pre-occupied with the WGA strike but his spirit was buoyed by the fantastic news that FX's Damages was picked up for two more seasons, the return of Bravo's sartorial showdown Project Runway, and a kick-ass episode of Chuck that featured Rachel Bilson.

TiFaux: This week, TiFaux had more than a little Project Runway on the brain. After giving a preview of all the contestants, Dan gave a rundown on the first episode including thoughts on the contestants’ fascination with the celebrity of being on Project Runway. In other news, we plotted various male characters (from Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Dirty Sexy Money, etc) on a chart based on their annoyingness and machismo.

TV Filter: Kate tried to figure out who Gossip Girl is and Raoul interviewed Ambreal from America's Next Top Model.

The TV Addict: Fell in love with Wednesday's Pushing Daisies, took bets on when the WGA Strike would end and posted some incredibly sexy pics of new Terminator on the scene Summer Glau.


Chuck: It bugs me to no end that they would ship off the extremely more entertaining Henry Tang to Hawaii yet let Morgan stick around. There is something to say that the minor characters are more entertaining than some of the main ones (Token Hot Chick and Jayne not included). Case in point, the best part of the episode (aside from the picture above of course) was when we learned that the Curly-looking Nerd Herder’s mom was in prison. And what was with the inclusion of the Brittany Spears song? Seriously, if you really, really wanted to use Toxic (get it? Because the episode was about toxins) why not use the semi-ironic version by Local H instead? And the preview hyped the biggest secret yet next week. Is there anyplace where I can buy Bryce Is Still Alive stock? This of course would solve my biggest complaint of the Pilot that Jayne would kill an un-armed CIA agent. Check out the latest episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.


How I Met Your Mother: This episode would have worked much better the first season when we didn’t know the characters very well. Aside from Barney and his catchphrases, the other character haven’t really done what they were accused of doing, but had they done it ealier when we didn’t know them very well, it would have been much less annoying that they would pull all these traits out of nowhere. Check out the latest episodes over at Innertube. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.


Everybody Hates Chris: This week’s random black dude guest star who hasn’t been seen in at least a decade: Tommy Davidson. But I loved that Greg put on a Superman costume first to go to sleep as Clark Kent. Classic.

Everybody Hates Chris on iTunes



The Big Bang Theory: I loved how Sheldon made a huge speech about the princess stuff, goes on a date with her, and she ends up being an afterthought by the end of the episode. Then the Token Hot Chick making his virgin drink, “a little slutty” was just classic. Check out the latest episodes over at Innertube. You can also download or The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.


Heroes: After they flashed back I get a feeling that the writers didn’t know what was actually going on back then when they wrote the season premiere. Seriously, how does DL get shot with a gun aimed at his chest? If you are going to kill him off at least shoot him in the back so he can’t see the bullet coming. And are supposed to believe that with how methodical The Company is that they wouldn’t make sure their guests wouldn’t be able to talk to each other? And how was Nathan able to grow that bushy beard in two weeks? And of all the flashbacks, how is it we don’t get to see how Sylar goes from being stabbed to the middle of the jungle with the shape shifting chick? But when it comes down to it, seeing Kristen Bell make out with the dude with no acting ability was the most disturbing thing on television this year that hasn’t involved Chris Hansen confronting naked dudes in a kitchen. Check out the latest episode over at NBC.com.


Journeyman: Well that was a waste of Bo Duke. Of well. But I guess if you ask, you actually receive. Last week I said it was time for a big reveal, and Olivia is from the 1940’s and is traveling to the future is a big one, and definitely something I never saw coming. But this begs the question is current day Olivia still alive? I guess she would be in her eighties or nineties so it is plausible she still is. Now we just need to learn how the Dr. dude figured into this all. Check out the latest episode over at NBC.com. You can also download Journeyman on iTunes.


Pushing Daisies: Maybe my favorite episode of the season so far. I would still like to see them do without the Ned’s childhood prologue ever week though. And seeing Jenny Wade as one of the wives made me wonder whatever happened to Project Greenlight, the second best reality show ever? With the strike looking like it will never end, how about getting thins back in production. Since the scripts would be coming from amateurs, you don’t have to worry about the WGA. Plus you get great television and possibly a watchable movie out of it. Check out the latest episodes over at ABC.com.


Bionic Woman: Well I guess two decent episodes in a row is all we are going to get out of Bionic Woman. What really bugged me this week is how they switched the cinematography between your token slick sci-fi camera work with shaky, Friday Night Lights, zoom for close up expressions. Have they always done this and I have never notice before or was this the first time? Check out the latest episodes over at NBC.com.


My Name Is Earl: Gotta love the movie trailer into. But this episode belonged to Joy trying to induce labor and Crabman who delivered the baby even after he got the induced labor drug. And surprise, even Michael Rappaport wasn’t as annoying as usual with him being mesmerized with Joy’s birth. Still, I hope he is in the Hole for the rest of Earl’s prison stay because I really could do without seeing him ever again. Check out the latest episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download My Name Is Earl on iTunes.


Survivor: It was really annoying that last week during the promo they teased that something was going to happen after Tribal Council only for this episode to end with that tease. Some promo monkey needs to be fired for that. Especially since it will be two weeks until we finally see what is going to happen because next week’s Thanksgiving episode is a clip show. Check out the latest episode over at Innertube.

Survivor on iTunes



Smallville: With all that is wrong with Heroes this season, I forgot to mention how it broke one of the three worst television clichés: amnesia. I bring this up because, for no real reason, Kara just happens to be transported to Michigan without any memory. Yawn.


Friday Night Lights: This show is the best at casting characters, from the lead roles to the extra to the guest stars, but what is with the English teacher and his hair? Don’t dudes like that get beaten down in Texas. What is worse is that Tammi, as a mother and a guidance councilor, didn’t call the dude out for being alone behind closed doors, breaking the number one cardinal rule for teachers, with her daughter. Hopefully the dude gets a newspaper job in Wisconsin next episode and is never seen again. At the very least can we get Chris Hansen down to Texas?

Thankfully the rest of the episode was vintage Friday Night Lights. From Tyra and Lyla teaming up to Coach being passive aggressive with Buddy again to Smash’s mom finally getting some quality screen time. And at least the lame teacher did led to a great scene when Coach complained his “No comment” was because he was behind the bathroom door. Check out the latest episodes over at NBC.com.

Rush’d: I’m a little backlogged on the online show for ABC Family’s Greek that is chronicling five fans as they compete for a walk on role on the show. But I thought I’d mention that voting starts tomorrow and goes until Friday. You can vote three times a day for your favorite. As I mentioned before, I’ll be rooting for fellow Ohioan Laura Wise, also known as White Cup. Below is a picture of her from the set with Frannie, who just happens to be my favorite character on Greek. And of course head over to Virtual Rush to vote for White Cup (or one of the other contestants if you choose so) and/or check out the latest episodes of Rush’d.

Laura Wise aka White Cup with Tiffany Dupont aka Frannie



Next Week’s Pick: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday at 9:00 AM on NBC: Now in it’s 81’s year, it is a Thanksgiving tradition for me to watch the festivities while getting things ready for the meal part of the day. Okay, this year’s guest list is less than stellar: Ashley Tisdale, Bindi and Terri Irwin, Corbin Bleu, Dolly Parton, Good Charlotte, Grandma from the Big Apple Circus, Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Kay Hanley, Lifehouse, Menudo, Michael Feinstein, Miss U.S.A. 2007 - Rachel Smith, Ne-Yo, Nikki Blonsky, Sarah Brightman, and Wynonna Judd. Seriously, Menudo? And should I even know who Tisdale, the Irwin’s, Blue, Grandma, the Jonas’ Sparks, Hanley, Blonsky, or Brighman are? But as long as there is a five story Garfield I’ll be happy.





2 comments:

  1. several thoughts:
    1) I think this should be added to our "officially old when" list..that I don't know who most of the performers on the parade are and don't care to know.

    2) Nice multiple Chris Hansen references.

    3) If amnesia is one of TV's three big clichés (and I agree), what are the other two? I'd love to see an entire post dedicated just to TV clichés by you. :)

    4)I'd love to see Project Greenlight come back too. Because I want to compete on it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1) Ugg.

    2) This is what happens when you write a post five days apart. Had I known I made two Hansen references I would had added a third because of the comedy rule of threes.

    3) I have touched of the three big clichés before. It started during the Lost first season when they broke two clichés in back to back weeks with Claire's amnesia and Boone's dream sequence. The third being when a dude beats he could make any girl into the Homecoming Qween and the friend inexplictatively pick the a hot chick in baggy cloths and glasses. It is rarely used lately after being exploited in the nineties with like five movies with this premise in three year span. But every eighties and early nineties sitcom that had teenagers use this storyline at least once. And of couse at the end of the episode Zach and A.C. et al would learn that you can't judge a book by its cover.

    4) After the last one I even started a screenplay in hopes of being picked for the next one, but there hasn't been a next one yet.

    ReplyDelete