Category — 2000s

After finishing up the second episode of “Heroes” last night, I decided that this season may be worth the dvr space after all. It seems that Tim Kring & Co. are weaving an intriguing season.  This season seems to be focusing on the idea of giving powers to ordinary people and the subsequent fallout. And they’re bringing back old characters and putting them in the lion’s den with people that hate them (i.e. Sylar and HRG, Claire’s biological mom and adoptive mom, Linderman and Nathan). The show is posing this main question: Can one still be a hero, if you have to make a deal with the devil to win? Or do you become a villain?

Things I liked so far on this season of “Heroes”:

1. The African future painter guy and Parkman’s spirit walk storyline. Their story is a good compliment to future Peter’s actions to change the future.

2. Sylar and HRG being paired up. Talk about opposites attract! I can’t wait for them to stop playing nice.

3.  Angela Petrilli (Peter and Nathan’s mom) running the show at the Primatech Paper (aka The Company). That lady has ambition and will kill anyone who stands in her way.

Things that still annoy me on “Heroes”:

1. Bringing back Ali Larter’s as a new character without explanation. Yeah, it blows my mind that she was made by Dr. Zimmerman, but did she really have to bond with Micah before getting to the bottoms of things?

2. I wish Linderman would go away, along with the God and politics metaphors. I love Mr. McDowell but his character as the devil on Nathan’s shoulders was played out last season.

3. Rebellious Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere). I suppose they do need to lay the foundations for evil future Claire (the one that shoots at her own uncle, future Peter). But could they find some original and non-predictable dialogue and situations to tell that story? We get it, she’s a teenager who can’t die and can do whatever she wants. Sheesh already.

Okay kids, it’s time for the hate stew that I promised you on Friday. Consider it your Sunday supper.

“Dancing with the Stars.” Where, oh where, do I begin? I have deliberately avoided this show for however long it’s been on up to now, but masochism and work obligations got the better of me, and my hand was forced. I finally had to check it out Tuesday night.

The entire production seems like a poorly written sketch parodying reality shows. And, considering how well it does in the ratings, compared to other really worthwhile shows that fail dismally, I can now say that I have lost all faith in mankind.

To call these washed up F-listers “stars” is a flat out lie. Take Kim Kardashian, one of the competitors this season. Her most noteworthy credits include making a sex tape, dating Reggie Bush and having an ass that is often mistaken for a dumptruck.

Yes, with Kard-ass-ian, Susan Lucci and Jefferson from “Married with Children,” being on the show, I can only imagine the list of superstars they must have rejected during casting. Perhaps next season they’ll have Corky from “Life Goes On” competing. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, calling Kim a has-been. Kim Kardashian is actually a never-was, if you want to get technical.

When Tom Bergeron unleashed his manic, lilting, joyless “host” laugh in response to something that was entirely unfunny for the second time inside of 40 seconds, I turned to a friend who was watching with me and asked, “Do you suppose he goes home and just cries and cries? Don’t you think he must really hate himself?” My friend thought for a moment, then answered “yes.”

So, yeah, you could say DWTS was not my cup of tea. Man, I really feel like watching some “Married with Children” now.

Tonight, HBO is premiering Chris Rock’s newest standup special, and ideally his biggest and blackest yet. It’s called “Kill the Messenger,” and I’m hoping the title’s significance will illuminate after viewing.

I’ve been trying to sort out if Rock is the Messenger, and he’s simply toying with the his trademark reputation for viciously and hilariously telling it like it is, for “bringing the pain,” if you will. Then, I started thinking about the whole notion of how a comic is always striving to “kill” with a really great set, and I became less confident with my original hypothesis. I became even more confused when I remembered the movie “The Messenger,” staring Milla Jovovich, and wondered if perhaps Rock was referencing that. After watching that piece of crap, I started vomiting out of my eyes, and the only person I wanted to kill was myself. In conclusion, I guess all questions about the title remain unanswered until later tonight.

“Kill the Messenger” will be on HBO at 9pm eastern, and it’s a pretty big event. Not only is it the first Chris Rock special since “Never Scared,” which was four years ago, but it was shot in three different countries and cut together as one performance. Pretty cool, no?

I will admit my favorite special is by far Rock’s first one on HBO, “Bring the Pain,” but Chris’ appearences on the Late Show with David Letterman and the Howard Stern Show earlier this week have proven he’s just as sharp– and vicious– as ever.

“Dancing with the Stars” started this week, and I watched it for the first time. I would never watch such a show in my real life, but I figure I ought to expose myself to new and terrible things. Hey, it’s in the interest of finding television blog fodder. Nevertheless, rather than unleash my tirade over everything wrong with that show today, I’d rather keep spirits high. It is a Friday, after all. So, I’ll save it for another day, allow the hate stew to simmer, and tell you about something I do like: Carnivàle.

I remember this show when it first began airing on HBO back in 2003, but it looked weird. Too weird. So, I never bothered trying to get into it; plus, the only person I knew who did watch it was an imbecile. Years later, a non-imbecile friend swore up and down that it was his favorite show, and I began to reconsider it.

Long story less long, I put the first disc of Season 1 at the top of my Netflix queue, and wound up watching the entire series within a two week span, slowed down only by the sluggish pace of the United States Postal Service.

It even got to the point where I would bring some of the discs to work to watch at my computer. Granted, I was trying to get fired, but that’s neither here nor there. The moral of the story is, Carnivàle is indeed weird, but it’s a good weird, not “John from Cinncinnati” weird.

The show only lasted two seasons because it was too expensive to produce, considering it wasn’t getting “Sopranos” ratings. But, it is certainly one of the most unique shows I’ve seen, above all, and I watch loads of television. Even if you don’t love it as much as, say “The Wire” (and who could?), it’s worth a look. So, check it out. Go. Go do it now.

DVD shopping links:
Carnivale - The Complete First Season
Carnivale - The Complete Second Season

Samantha Tapping (”Stargate SG-1″) has a new gig on “Sanctuary”, a sci-fi web series that SciFi Channel has picked up for this fall tv season.

The show is about Dr. Helen Magnus (Samantha Tapping), a brilliant scientist who discovers a group of unusual beings have been living among humans for ages. Thus, she tries to track them down with her team and offer them sanctuary. Get it? Oh, and by some miracle of science she’s 157 years old!

Her daughter, Ashley (Emilie Ullerup), is also part of the team. She’s in it for the action of the chase. In the pilot episode, they recruit a forensic psychiatrist named Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) who isn’t as good as Ashley in the field. He seems to have a few problems adjusting to the idea of a world where monsters and supernatural beings exist. Ryan Robbins plays the requisite tech guy, Henry, and Christopher Heyerdahl plays Helen’s arch enemy, John Druitt.

“Sanctuary” was created by Damian Kindler and is produced by Tapping herself (along with a few of the “Stargate” producers like Martin Wood and N. John Smith). The show depends almost exclusively on green screen technology, which I feel can be great for science fiction, but I’m not sure if every building needs to be a cgi creation. I’ll guess I’ll just have to wait for the October 3rd (9/8c) premiere before making up my mind.

Watch the video preview on SciFi.com

“Samantha Who” stars Christina Applegate as the titular character amnesiac who has no memory of her previously mean-spirited ways.

Recent Emmy winner, Jean Smart plays her unforgiving mother and Jennifer Esposito plays her best friend, Andrea. They all help Samantha in her quest to reconcile the person she was with the one she is now. Season one was surprisingly very funny and Applegate was perfectly cast since she excels at playing both the nice and mean version of Samantha.

Buy season one on dvd today so you can catch up before the season two premiere on October 13th on ABC.

Samantha Who - Season 1 DVD

HBO’s new series about vampires, “True Blood” is well under way, and the third episode of the series airs tonight. I have to say I wasn’t excited to watch this series before the premiere at all, despite knowing this is Alan Ball’s first TV project since “Six Feet Under.” The whole marketing campaign was labored, uninspired, and It was trying too hard to be sexy and outrageous. Much like a drunk sorostitute dirty dancing in an ill-fitting dress, I was just embarrassed for the both of us. In the end, I only watched the first episode as a way to kill time while I waited for “Mad Men” to start. 

The show centers around Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin), a hick waitress in Louisiana who happens to be able to read minds, and Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer), a vampire, to whom Sookie becomes uniquely bonded.

Within the world of the show, vampires are a reality (obviously, since it’s a vampire show…), and vampires’ rights and social standing are in constant jeopardy. It’s vaguely allegorical to the plight of whatever is the oppressed group du jour, if you want to be joyless and intellectual about it.

However, I’m happy to say the show doesn’t totally suck, as you may have guessed from my subtle lede above. It has gotten progressively interesting in only two installments, and after last week’s episode, I will admit I actually have a twinge of genuine anticipation for tonight’s episode. In short, this show just may be getting good. 

Go ahead and tell your DVR to record it tonight while you’re watching “Mad Men” sweep at the Emmys. If things continue to improve on “True Blood,” it too just may be a contender at next year’s awards.

P.S. Did I mention I love “Mad Men”? Twice? In a post about a different show? Oh, silly me. Well, you should watch that tonight, too.

[Picture source: Cleveland.com]

I can’t believe I just found out about Eric Schaeffer’s reality tv show on Showtime! It is a documentary about the book tour he went on to promote his autobiographical book, I Can’t Believe I’m Still Single, and the subsequent dates he gets set up on by friends, fans, and acquaintances. Thus, his new series is called “I Can’t Believe I’m Still Single”.

Check the promo:

I’m probably one of the only people who has seen the complete Schaeffer oeuvre. And it was just by accident, I swear. Most of his movies I saw by chance on Cinemax or IFC, usually the ones where he was director and star. I would find myself strangely engrossed in the relationships he depicted, as if I was hypnotized. He has a wonderful knack for portraying relationships: like a torrid affair with a model in Fall, or a strange relationship with his best bud (played by Sarah Jessica Parker btw) in If Lucy Fell, or his struggle with sex and drug addiction in Wirey Spindell.

And with the FX television show, “Starved”, it just happened to premiere along with “It’s Always Sunny”, so I watched it and liked it.

So when I was channel surfing on Sunday and came across Eric talking to his assistant about how hot women were in Denver, I obviously was intrigued instantly. The show is honest, funny, and enjoyable for anyone, since it’s all about love and relationships. It’s really about looking for fulfillment in one’s life and coming terms with the idea that it could be a long and windy path to you finding Mr. or Ms. Right. I need to get his book ASAP, from the readings he did during the episode, I’m dying to know his further musings on “America’s Next Top Model”, women, yoga, and so much more.

Related links:
Eric Schaeffer’s Blog
Eric Schaeffer’s Myspace page
Buy his book!

Block out your 10 o’clock hour tonight because season four of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” premieres!

“Day Man…fighter of the Night Man” kills me every time!

The gang is back and ready to push the envelope once again with their self-deprecating, absurdist humor. Don’t know of the wonders to which I speak? You could do two things: check out my hyperbole filled post praising this television show or just rent the “Always Sunny” dvds to find out for yourself.

The last time I watched “TRL” was when I was becoming slightly obsessed with that Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian flick.

Thank god, MTV is putting “TRL: Total Request Live” to bed, so I don’t have to watch my favorite stars in shame as they plug their shows/films on that silly show. Seriously, it was getting really bad for awhile there for stars of television and film. It seemed like it was a pre-requisite to appear “hip” with the 18-24 demographic, one must make a stop at the TRL studios in New York City.

(Picture source: Ben Barnes and William Moseley on TRL in May 2008)