television
TV Big Shot
Monday, September 24, 11:32 PM By
Bryan
It's game week at TTOTD.
But, today's little Thing is a pointer to TV Big Shot---it's like Fantasy Football for TV Nerds. You buy shows, create a mini network and see how they do in the ratings. (BTW, I'm doing really well in the Fantasy Football league I was coerced into joining, who knew?) So, I bought some shows. I balanced cheap shows like Kitchen Confidential and Reaper which may pay off benefits in moderate ratings for a low price (Isn't that the modern TV programmers modis operandi? That explains the glut of reality shows.) with high profile shows like Private Practice and Ugly Betty. We'll see how it goes.
One show I picked is a drama I screened a few months ago, Dirty Sexy Money. I think this show might be big and have at least one big season. It's a big old-time soap with an okay mystery at the center, a great cast, fast pacing, clever writing and more edge-pushing than most soaps. There's really only one likable character, Peter Krause as the family lawyer, Nick George. As you've probably gathered from the promos, Krause is running around getting the evil, rich spoiled family out of trouble. The great thing about Krause, as he was on Six Feet Under, is he can be both a sympathetic and jerk character in the same scene. If he was a genuinely good guy, you'd be mad at him for putting up with the craziness. That's the other good part about the show, almost no one else is a moral, good person. It's a show of highly motivated, good looking Larry Davids without the apologies. Fortunately, one of the benefits of a highly capitalistic society is that seeing rich people suffer is almost a mechanism of the zeitgeist. In that way, Dirty Sexy Money almost fulfills a social mandate. Yeah, evil rich people is a cliche, but clever, spoiled, whiney, well-acted rich people transcends. The twist is that all these spoiled kids have their political, religious (a entitled New Yawk social climbing Minister) and talent-based jobs paid for by Daddy Evilbucks (Donald Sutherland in a great scene-chewing role). And it's by the people who brought us Arrested Development.
It's a good show. I put the show on my team. So, it'll probably get cancelled.
A quick mini-review: Pushing Daisies is a very pretty, cute show about a dark topic that could at any minute devolve into preciousness. Check it out, give it three episodes.
But, today's little Thing is a pointer to TV Big Shot---it's like Fantasy Football for TV Nerds. You buy shows, create a mini network and see how they do in the ratings. (BTW, I'm doing really well in the Fantasy Football league I was coerced into joining, who knew?) So, I bought some shows. I balanced cheap shows like Kitchen Confidential and Reaper which may pay off benefits in moderate ratings for a low price (Isn't that the modern TV programmers modis operandi? That explains the glut of reality shows.) with high profile shows like Private Practice and Ugly Betty. We'll see how it goes.
One show I picked is a drama I screened a few months ago, Dirty Sexy Money. I think this show might be big and have at least one big season. It's a big old-time soap with an okay mystery at the center, a great cast, fast pacing, clever writing and more edge-pushing than most soaps. There's really only one likable character, Peter Krause as the family lawyer, Nick George. As you've probably gathered from the promos, Krause is running around getting the evil, rich spoiled family out of trouble. The great thing about Krause, as he was on Six Feet Under, is he can be both a sympathetic and jerk character in the same scene. If he was a genuinely good guy, you'd be mad at him for putting up with the craziness. That's the other good part about the show, almost no one else is a moral, good person. It's a show of highly motivated, good looking Larry Davids without the apologies. Fortunately, one of the benefits of a highly capitalistic society is that seeing rich people suffer is almost a mechanism of the zeitgeist. In that way, Dirty Sexy Money almost fulfills a social mandate. Yeah, evil rich people is a cliche, but clever, spoiled, whiney, well-acted rich people transcends. The twist is that all these spoiled kids have their political, religious (a entitled New Yawk social climbing Minister) and talent-based jobs paid for by Daddy Evilbucks (Donald Sutherland in a great scene-chewing role). And it's by the people who brought us Arrested Development.
It's a good show. I put the show on my team. So, it'll probably get cancelled.
A quick mini-review: Pushing Daisies is a very pretty, cute show about a dark topic that could at any minute devolve into preciousness. Check it out, give it three episodes.
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TV Roundup
Monday, August 27, 11:55 PM By
Bryan
Awhile ago, Shelly and I did a
TV Blog. It was mostly a bust. Sure, I'll take the
fall. Anyway, I work for a giant media conglomerate in the way a
worker drone serves their queen and I've seen the pilot episodes
for some new fall shows on a network that rhymes with
'Shmay-She-See.' I thought today's Thing would be a short review on
these new shows. To make it hard, I saw the pilots, like, two
months ago and the reviews are hazy. TV is best remembered half-way
anyway. I usually see the Shmay-She-See pilots early. I have a
track record of liking shows that die a quick death. So, the shows
I don't like should be your cue to grab that TIVO pass. Also,
bosses, please look kindly, I consider myself part of that New Geek
Consumer that determines national tastes and is mentioned in every
article about Comicon. In college, they just called us music nazis
and Point dexter.
Comedies today, dramas later. So in no particular order.
Miss/Guided
A mid-season replacement. I'm a fan of Judy Greer and I've liked her in almost everything I've seen her in, even crap. And she's the lynchpin of this show. Like David Duchovny and Californication, this show wouldn't work without her or with another actress. My network has caught onto geekmania but is contractually obligated to skew female, so this is the result. The premise is a female Welcome Back Kotter where Kotter was the unpopular nerd kid. Unstated theme, you can always re-invent yourself, Ugly Betty without the camp and gay. Judy's a guidance counselor who, get this, could use social counseling herself. Wack-ee. She has an unrequited crush, a popular girl arch-enemy and (the new stereotype for the new century, IE 1970's) an exasperated, overworked black principle. Actually, I liked the show. The pacing was Earl-esque, Judy's great, most of the adults are okay, they could use less kids, but, hey, it's a high school. Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas has already been on the show and left, so that's not good news. I keep hearing 'retooling' when people talk about the show. I have a feeling the pilot I saw will not look like the show they'll air three times before canceling it. Yea, I liked it. It's canceled. And it's a mid-season show, so look for According to Jim to eventually replace Miss/Guided which will replace...
Carpoolers
Quick, name a four person all male buddy sitcom that was a success. Y'know, the one that is inevitably called "The male Sex In The City." Can't do it. Hasn't been one. Seinfeld had Elaine, she doesn't count. And the gawd-awful Wild Hogs is a movie. But hey, all the cliches are here--- the newly married naive guy, the lothario with no furnishings in his bachelor pad save his plasma TV and exercise chair/barcalounger, the hen-pecked weak husband who uses the carpool as his escape, and the normal guy who feels emasculated. And the hook, they share a car pool. Yep, that's the whole flimsy premise. Male bounding through sitting in traffic. There's lame 'a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do' speeches, the weirdo grown-up son, ironic jobs, and other sitcom-land conventions. At least it's not all done on a sound studio. It's really generic on all fronts. I understand Jerry O' Connell and Faith Ford will work cheap and the rest of the cast just needs a job, but c'mon, step up people. It's hacky on almost all fronts. It's isn't According to Jim eye-searingly bad, but Jim will be doing double-duty soon. There's another show with incredibly lame premise, you've heard of it, hell, you may even have their insurance. But at least...
Cavemen
doesn't suck. Yea, I know, I'm surprised too. Mind you, it isn't a great show. But, Cavemen benefits from living up to low expectations. I'm not TIVO'ing it, but I'll ditch working to watch it. The premise, Cavemen are the new black people. They don't come out and say it and they even conspicuously have one black bit part in the pilot to drive that point away, but who's kidding who? Cavemen living in modern times are subject to all kinds of racists (specieists?) stereotypes. They're the dumb weather guys on TV, their athletic, and so on and so on. And this notion is what makes a dumb premise watch-able, there's some satire in the show. It isn't razor-sharp, but there's room for improvement and growth as the subculture and regular folks reactions are explored. Although, the show could get dumb fast if they stick to the three main characters personalities instead of widening out. There's the dumb one, the sarcastic one and the one who wants to fit in. (See a pattern here with sitcoms?) A few nifty visual gags, clever sarcastic remarks and a drunk Julie White (Work that cliche, baby!) made the tired set-up of rednecks at the country club trying to woo daddy (John Heard, slummin' away) to get the way-too-hot girl actually not seem painful. Caveman will probably only last a season just by name-recogition alone. Could go longer if the right tone is set. Speaking of toney, or Shmay-She-See's attempts at it...
Samantha Who
falls a little short of that new brand comedy that's funny and failing over there at NBC. Okay, it's a female My Name is Earl, no getting around it. There's no list or wacky meth addicts, but the redemption template is pretty well set in stone. Bad girl Christina Applegate gets amnesia (hi-larious!) and uses her forgetfulness to atone for her bad past. What bad thing did she do in the past, I bet a funny flashback will let us know. It's a high-brow show 'cause, c'mon she was a bad girl and she's our hero. But now she wants to be good. Having cake and eating it, mmmmm, mmmm. It's also high-brow 'cause it's set in the big city, people wear fashion and between scenes are handwritten title cards. Frasier what have you done? Now that I think about it, that's one of the things that bugs me about Flight of the Concords. That conceit hasn't really worked since Rushmore. And indie movies probably have more cliches than sitcoms. Anyway, don't remember much about the show (hee!), nor do I remember either liking or hating it. I think the show may be the highest rated of the new sitcoms because it's glossy, men and women like Christina Applegate (and she's fine in the role), there's the appearance of outrageousness without any pesky bite and a large female segment needs more than the Sex and the City reruns on TBS. Two seasons.
I can't think of any more half-hour comedy pilots I saw a few months ago, but I do have a few recommends of the current half-hour comedies I'm watching.
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman on IFC. I've always said women will never be equal in comedy until they can be the total assholes men have no problem being. (Wow, I think that makes me an asshole for saying it.) This show gives me hope. (Plus any show that has a Merril Markoe cameo is ok by me)
Weeds. Catching up. Love Mary Louise Parker's loopy determination. A weird mix of Xanax and white wine. Thought I was going to say something else, eh?
Californication. Man crush on DD, but not there yet.
Flight of the Concords. My son said it best, just Youtube the songs. Shelly uses it as her night-night show.
The It Crowd. The British version. Watch it on Youtube now. And complain about how the American remake sucks. The second season just started.
Dramas later.
Comedies today, dramas later. So in no particular order.
Miss/Guided
A mid-season replacement. I'm a fan of Judy Greer and I've liked her in almost everything I've seen her in, even crap. And she's the lynchpin of this show. Like David Duchovny and Californication, this show wouldn't work without her or with another actress. My network has caught onto geekmania but is contractually obligated to skew female, so this is the result. The premise is a female Welcome Back Kotter where Kotter was the unpopular nerd kid. Unstated theme, you can always re-invent yourself, Ugly Betty without the camp and gay. Judy's a guidance counselor who, get this, could use social counseling herself. Wack-ee. She has an unrequited crush, a popular girl arch-enemy and (the new stereotype for the new century, IE 1970's) an exasperated, overworked black principle. Actually, I liked the show. The pacing was Earl-esque, Judy's great, most of the adults are okay, they could use less kids, but, hey, it's a high school. Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas has already been on the show and left, so that's not good news. I keep hearing 'retooling' when people talk about the show. I have a feeling the pilot I saw will not look like the show they'll air three times before canceling it. Yea, I liked it. It's canceled. And it's a mid-season show, so look for According to Jim to eventually replace Miss/Guided which will replace...
Carpoolers
Quick, name a four person all male buddy sitcom that was a success. Y'know, the one that is inevitably called "The male Sex In The City." Can't do it. Hasn't been one. Seinfeld had Elaine, she doesn't count. And the gawd-awful Wild Hogs is a movie. But hey, all the cliches are here--- the newly married naive guy, the lothario with no furnishings in his bachelor pad save his plasma TV and exercise chair/barcalounger, the hen-pecked weak husband who uses the carpool as his escape, and the normal guy who feels emasculated. And the hook, they share a car pool. Yep, that's the whole flimsy premise. Male bounding through sitting in traffic. There's lame 'a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do' speeches, the weirdo grown-up son, ironic jobs, and other sitcom-land conventions. At least it's not all done on a sound studio. It's really generic on all fronts. I understand Jerry O' Connell and Faith Ford will work cheap and the rest of the cast just needs a job, but c'mon, step up people. It's hacky on almost all fronts. It's isn't According to Jim eye-searingly bad, but Jim will be doing double-duty soon. There's another show with incredibly lame premise, you've heard of it, hell, you may even have their insurance. But at least...
Cavemen
doesn't suck. Yea, I know, I'm surprised too. Mind you, it isn't a great show. But, Cavemen benefits from living up to low expectations. I'm not TIVO'ing it, but I'll ditch working to watch it. The premise, Cavemen are the new black people. They don't come out and say it and they even conspicuously have one black bit part in the pilot to drive that point away, but who's kidding who? Cavemen living in modern times are subject to all kinds of racists (specieists?) stereotypes. They're the dumb weather guys on TV, their athletic, and so on and so on. And this notion is what makes a dumb premise watch-able, there's some satire in the show. It isn't razor-sharp, but there's room for improvement and growth as the subculture and regular folks reactions are explored. Although, the show could get dumb fast if they stick to the three main characters personalities instead of widening out. There's the dumb one, the sarcastic one and the one who wants to fit in. (See a pattern here with sitcoms?) A few nifty visual gags, clever sarcastic remarks and a drunk Julie White (Work that cliche, baby!) made the tired set-up of rednecks at the country club trying to woo daddy (John Heard, slummin' away) to get the way-too-hot girl actually not seem painful. Caveman will probably only last a season just by name-recogition alone. Could go longer if the right tone is set. Speaking of toney, or Shmay-She-See's attempts at it...
Samantha Who
falls a little short of that new brand comedy that's funny and failing over there at NBC. Okay, it's a female My Name is Earl, no getting around it. There's no list or wacky meth addicts, but the redemption template is pretty well set in stone. Bad girl Christina Applegate gets amnesia (hi-larious!) and uses her forgetfulness to atone for her bad past. What bad thing did she do in the past, I bet a funny flashback will let us know. It's a high-brow show 'cause, c'mon she was a bad girl and she's our hero. But now she wants to be good. Having cake and eating it, mmmmm, mmmm. It's also high-brow 'cause it's set in the big city, people wear fashion and between scenes are handwritten title cards. Frasier what have you done? Now that I think about it, that's one of the things that bugs me about Flight of the Concords. That conceit hasn't really worked since Rushmore. And indie movies probably have more cliches than sitcoms. Anyway, don't remember much about the show (hee!), nor do I remember either liking or hating it. I think the show may be the highest rated of the new sitcoms because it's glossy, men and women like Christina Applegate (and she's fine in the role), there's the appearance of outrageousness without any pesky bite and a large female segment needs more than the Sex and the City reruns on TBS. Two seasons.
I can't think of any more half-hour comedy pilots I saw a few months ago, but I do have a few recommends of the current half-hour comedies I'm watching.
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman on IFC. I've always said women will never be equal in comedy until they can be the total assholes men have no problem being. (Wow, I think that makes me an asshole for saying it.) This show gives me hope. (Plus any show that has a Merril Markoe cameo is ok by me)
Weeds. Catching up. Love Mary Louise Parker's loopy determination. A weird mix of Xanax and white wine. Thought I was going to say something else, eh?
Californication. Man crush on DD, but not there yet.
Flight of the Concords. My son said it best, just Youtube the songs. Shelly uses it as her night-night show.
The It Crowd. The British version. Watch it on Youtube now. And complain about how the American remake sucks. The second season just started.
Dramas later.
Spectra
Friday, August 24, 01:17 PM By
Shelly
I don't watch a lot of reality shows.
In general, reality television needs to be a fad that is over! But
one of my favorite shows right now is a reality show, but it's so
much better than regular reality television. Who Wants to be a
Superhero? on Sci Fi, is campy, fun, exciting, adorable, and
inspiring. After watching it last night, I fell asleep thinking
about what my superhero name, costume, and ablities would be. I was
going to make her in Hero Machine, which the kids have been playing with
a lot lately, but the SciFi website had something better!
www.becomeasuperhero.com
www.becomeasuperhero.com
Big Brother Love
Thursday, July 12, 10:13 PM By
Shelly
Sopranos Comic
Friday, June 08, 11:56 PM By
Shelly
What will happen on the Sopranos
Series Finale?
Click on "Read More" to see the large size. Read More...
Click on "Read More" to see the large size. Read More...
Lost: Through the Looking Glass
Thursday, May 24, 10:12 PM By
Shelly
i.e. my thoughts on what happened on
the season 3 finale, and what will happen in season 4.
Recap of season finale:
*the fast forward was just a dream brought on by the smoke monster (as seen in drawing) as proven by Jack's father being dead, but he refers to him in the fast forward, and in Kate not being in jail in the fast forward (she's a fugitive, if she gets off the island, she still is a fugitive!)
*Ben thought the shot or the fall would re-paralize Locke
*Why were Sun and Jin in the plane with Jack? (or were they?)
*The commercials gave too much away, like Des shooting the cyclops in the looking glass hatch, and the three shooters on the beach not being dead
*Charlie could be NOT DEAD. There might be an air bubble or something. If he is dead, that was a cheap, unmourned death, like the supporting actors that were buried alive
*Why does the transmission go straight to Penny?
*Maybe the flight 815 crash was all Jack's fault just like the lady on the bridge's crash ended up being all Jack's fault.
*The reason children are taken off the island, is because they will age quicker when they are off the island.
Predictions for Season 4:
*Ben and the origional islananders "purged" the Dharma group, Naomi and her ship are Dharma people trying to get back to the island
* The guy from Suddenly Susan is actually running everything
*Everyone on the island now will have to work together to stop the Dharma ship people
*Penny's transmission is just her continuing to search for Des, and it was being blocked
*"Jacob" is just an acronym for Just A Creation Of Ben's
Recap of season finale:
*the fast forward was just a dream brought on by the smoke monster (as seen in drawing) as proven by Jack's father being dead, but he refers to him in the fast forward, and in Kate not being in jail in the fast forward (she's a fugitive, if she gets off the island, she still is a fugitive!)
*Ben thought the shot or the fall would re-paralize Locke
*Why were Sun and Jin in the plane with Jack? (or were they?)
*The commercials gave too much away, like Des shooting the cyclops in the looking glass hatch, and the three shooters on the beach not being dead
*Charlie could be NOT DEAD. There might be an air bubble or something. If he is dead, that was a cheap, unmourned death, like the supporting actors that were buried alive
*Why does the transmission go straight to Penny?
*Maybe the flight 815 crash was all Jack's fault just like the lady on the bridge's crash ended up being all Jack's fault.
*The reason children are taken off the island, is because they will age quicker when they are off the island.
Predictions for Season 4:
*Ben and the origional islananders "purged" the Dharma group, Naomi and her ship are Dharma people trying to get back to the island
* The guy from Suddenly Susan is actually running everything
*Everyone on the island now will have to work together to stop the Dharma ship people
*Penny's transmission is just her continuing to search for Des, and it was being blocked
*"Jacob" is just an acronym for Just A Creation Of Ben's
Lost Fourth Season Mysteries
Thursday, May 24, 04:46 AM By
Bryan
Now that the big "Snake in the Mailbox" season finale has shocked America, it's time to look ahead to the fourth season, it's time to look ahead eight months.There's still so many more questions and today's comic Thing prepares to ask those obvious Lost questions.
Please do not read on if you're not completely caught up on the TV show Lost. If you've never seen the show, then, man, this comic won't make a lick of sense. To see the big size of the comic, click on the comic or visit the flickr page or read more.
Read More...
Lost Prediction
Wednesday, May 23, 09:49 PM By
Shelly
Here's a quickly scribbled drawing to
show my prediction of what will happen on tonight's season finale
of LOST. (Yes, I see what time it is, but I haven't watched it yet,
it's on the TiVo)
To clarify:
You see, those two girls Charlie met in the looking glass hatch (Bambi and Thumper are their nicknames) are decedents of the island's original, original inhabitants, that date back to ancient times. These people worshiped a parthenon of gods and made statues all over the island to please them, the foot is the last of what remains of these. After interrogating Charlie, they decide the person they most want to talk to is Locke, who they search for and find, almost dead, so they take him to the foot of the foot to pray to their god to heal him.
OK, seriously. I predict the two girls aren't bad guys, that Locke AND Charlie will live, and we will again see the giant foot statue!
Now, off to actually watch!!
(And remind me next time to make my prediction a little sooner!)
To clarify:
You see, those two girls Charlie met in the looking glass hatch (Bambi and Thumper are their nicknames) are decedents of the island's original, original inhabitants, that date back to ancient times. These people worshiped a parthenon of gods and made statues all over the island to please them, the foot is the last of what remains of these. After interrogating Charlie, they decide the person they most want to talk to is Locke, who they search for and find, almost dead, so they take him to the foot of the foot to pray to their god to heal him.
OK, seriously. I predict the two girls aren't bad guys, that Locke AND Charlie will live, and we will again see the giant foot statue!
Now, off to actually watch!!
(And remind me next time to make my prediction a little sooner!)
