Archive for March, 2009

Thanks MTV, but too little too late

March 30, 2009 · Filed under Television · Tagged

mtvI’ve been complaining for years about the suits at MTV neglecting the music channel’s roots and eventually phasing out the music video format entirely. Instead they’ve provided dumbed-down and exploitive “reality” *cough (bull-shit), cough* programming for the last decade.

So now, a whole generation of youngsters have been deprived of hours upon hours of riveting and influential pop culture study based on life portrayed in back-to-back-to-back music videos. That’s right, I didn’t just grow up on television, I grew up on music television. Where music icons showed me how to dress, love, live and party. Now we get cameras following wannabe celebrities as they show up at malls, splash around in pools and fake-fall in love and then fake-break up. Blech!

Well, apparently someone at MTV got a clue/a hint of nostalgia and decided to bring back a video block, BUT from 3 AM-9 AM, Monday-Thursday. I’m sure they will reach a fair amount of viewers who are tired of the looping Time-Life CD collection infomercials that are offered throughout the pre-dawn hours, and of course the few kids who are able to watch TV and get ready for school at the same time–and still leave on time (not something I was ever able to achieve); yet, as pointed out in this NY Times article, why bother now since music is virtually at everyone’s finger tips, and the music video on television has become somewhat obsolete.

So, nice try MTV… maybe if you bring back “Remote Control,” the most underrated game show in television history, I’ll be a bit more impressed. Here is a clip of said game show where Adam Sandler, Colin Quinn, Kari Wuhrer, Alicia Coppola and Denis Leary got their start/made very early-career appearances. Enjoy! …

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ABC giveth cool cop show, then taketh away cool cop show, then giveth another seemingly cool-looking cop show

March 26, 2009 · Filed under Television · Tagged , ,

marsMy question is: why can’t we have both?? It’s not like we don’t have 12 CSI’s and 74 Law & Orders!! Obviously American’s are cool with repetitive television programming!

Sometimes I wonder what those TV execs put in their champagne and caviar when they decide to cancel shows that are appealing, well done and actually interesting.

Exhibit A: Life on Mars

Now, I know I’ve said that Life on Mars can be confusing, but it’s also really compelling and grows on you if you give it an episode or two. Also, it has consistently provided outstanding performances from Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol, Jonathan Murphy, and Jason O’Mara as the series’ protagonist, Sam Tyler. And it takes place in 1970s New York City: dingy, long-haired/side-burned, leather-jacket wearing, gut-punching, graffiti-covered New York City. It’s part science fiction, part classic cop show, with a rockin’ soundtrack to boot. Given the enormous popularity of AMC’s Mad Men, and the desire for retro pop culture, you would think ABC would hold onto this era-loving series awhile longer and see what kind of mileage they could get out of it.

But nope.

Instead, they will be premiering another cop show, The Unusuals, which also includes a notable cast, Adam Goldberg, Amber Tamblyn and Harold Perrineau (Michael from Lost), as NYC cops. Yet sadly, not the NYC as described above.

*Sigh*

I of course will have to check it out because it does look interesting, well, at least the promos make it seem like it will be cool. But with one episode left of Life on Mars, I’m already missing Michael Imperioli’s handlebar mustache.

Below is a very brief promo for Life on Mars…and I suggest if you haven’t already checked out the show that you catch all the episodes on ABC.com before they go bye-bye. Following that is a brief promo for The Unusuals.

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So, J. Roberts doesn’t do it for you anymore?

March 23, 2009 · Filed under Film · Tagged ,

juliaAmerica has spoken…their former sweetheart, Ms. Julia Roberts, now appears to be less relevant than Jason Segel and Paul Rudd’s bromance, and Nicholas Cage in his latest film, Knowing (which, after watching the promos, I’m convinced that if two other movies Cage has starred in, Next and National Treasure, were to have a baby, it would be this film).

Anyway, as it turns out, Duplicity, the first film Roberts has starred in a few years, was ranked third this weekend in box office returns. And apparently that equals her film career is over. Ok, not really, but now everyone is panicking that she can’t bring out big numbers anymore.

Blah, blah, blah.

I watched Duplicity this weekend and thought it was highly entertaining and quite well-done. Roberts and her co-star, the smoking Clive Owen, had remarkable chemistry. And Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti were brilliant as rival CEO’s.

Yet, regardless of all that, what I was most impressed with was that it was kind of clear on that big massive screen that Roberts has had either very, very little or no work done on her face, at least prior to or while filming this movie, because the expected small wrinkles–they were there. Don’t get me wrong, she still looked stunning as ever, but get this, she kind of looked her age. I know, crazy right?? And she didn’t look anorexic, she looked healthy/normal. So, although she sometimes annoys the crap out of me with her dramatic award speeches and throwing that laugh around constantly, I think it’s refreshing to see a leading actress in her 40′s actually rely on injecting her performance with likability and confidence, not time-altering procedures.

Ok, I’ve stowed my soap box (for now), here is a trailer for Duplicity, enjoy!

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What is with NBC and the “Year of the Goodbye”

March 20, 2009 · Filed under Television · Tagged , , ,

ER-out!

ER-out!

This whole year we’ve had it shoved down our throats how it’s the last season of “ER” (about time if you ask me!), and then on last night’s “The Office” and “30 Rock” we had two “see ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya’s!”

*****SPOILER ALERT******* Do not read past this line if you haven’t seen last night’s episodes and you don’t want to know what happened until you are done watching them via Hulu while your boss thinks you are preparing your TPS report*******************************************

the-office

So, Michael Scott, WHAT? Who knew it would come down to figs…anyway, last night’s cliffhanger on “The Office” with Michael saying buh-bye with a firm handshake was a bit unexpected, but then Jim, Dwight and Pam have all left at one time or another as well. Appears to be a bit of script recycling (which is trendy with everyone going green and all), but I think it’s safe to assume that Michael will be back to work at some point.

310-liz-jonhamm-as-drew

AND THEN…on “30 Rock,” Liz’s hottie (and mine too) Don Draper, I mean Drew, wobbly rode his motorcycle into the Manhattan sunset as Liz had come to dislike his “beautiful bubble” charmed life/ignorance is bliss schtick (Gatorade on salmon? How does Ms. Fey come up with this stuff? Man, she must be fun at parties, heck I bet she’s fun just hanging out in the bathroom), and tried to bring him into her world where people are mean and not everyone wins. Yeah, he wasn’t having any of that, so now she is single, again. I’m thinking this is just because it’s time for Drew to be hottie Don Draper again, and shoot the next season of “Mad Men,” which, of course…

I want to go to there.

Anyway, the television conspiracy theorists in me thinks this is just NBC subliminally trying to get us to tune into “ER’s” final episodes. They are the synergy network after all (somewhere Jack Donaghy is smiling). And while they are at it, maybe they should take the opportunity to say goodbye to all those annoying Howie Mandel shows and “Celebrity Apprentice.”

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