Busy Day

According to Kristen from EOnline, looks like Reunion is also getting the ax. I'm not too upset, as long as they tell us who ended up murdering Sam.

This is NOT the Next Friends

You know what I'm really sick of? Everyone looking for the "next Friends". Take for example Coupling... awful show (at least the US version) because it tried too hard to re-create a Friends type environment in the Friends timeslot. Now, to be fair, I absolutely loved Friends... I watched it until the bitter end. But the reason I loved it so much was because it was different than the other sitcoms that were on, not because it was the same formula as the comedies I loved before it (i.e. Perfect Strangers and Growing Pains)NBC has pretty much lost its ability to find a good comedy. The only good comedy it really has left is Scrubs, and the network doesn't even give that show the respect it deserves.

What I think the next great comedy is How I Met Your Mother... this has the potential to have a nice long 5 or 6 year run, and not get stale. I like this show because the plots seem fresh (not the stale recycled scripts that tend to take over sit-coms these days) and the cast is likeable. The show is really starting to come into its own - I like the fact that they are starting to bring in some secondary (possibly recurring) characters, like the bartender in last night's episode. Also in last night's episode, they never solved the mystery of the pineapple... how great would it be to find out where the pineapple came from out of nowhere in a random episode in Season 3? (Hopefully the show makes it that far!) What else I like about the show is that the writers have said that Ted (the main character) most likely won't meet his wife in Season 1. Right now they seem to be focusing on his love story with Robin (apparently his wife's sister)... another good episode for a future season could be a "flash-forward" (as opposed to a "flash-back", where we actually meet "current Ted", his wife, and Aunt Robin... and see the interactions. And then of course there has to be a wedding episode eventually, and there is always plenty to work with during a wedding! Definitely get on this train while they are still laying the groundwork for future inside jokes.... afterall, this could be the next... well, nevermind. CBS, Monday's at 8:30.

I'm Done Pouting

Okay - I'm done pouting for the end of Alias... truth be told, I'm just glad that they pulled it together for Season 5, because I wouldn't have been able to take another Season 4 anyway... hopefully they'll answer the big questions, and really bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. Here's what I'm looking for:

1. Are Irena, Jack and Sloan "good" or "evil"?
2. What are Jack & Sloan plotting?
3. What happened to Irena?
4. What was Rambaldi's end game? Is he still alive (or can he be resurrected?)
5. Was it the Prophecy that came true at the end of Season 4, or is it yet to be realized? Is the Prophecy about Sydney, Irena or somebody else?
6. Is Michael Vaughn really dead?
7. What is Prophet 5? (How is Mueller related to Rambaldi?) And who are the Watchmen?
8. What is the SAB 47 project *really*?
9. What are the explicit answers to all the questions Lauren asked Sydney right before she got shot at the end of Season 3?
10. What was the questionable item on Thomas Grace's resume?

After the hiatus, I expect the show to have very detailed, very plot driven episodes until the finale, where the Rambaldi end game is revealed. Hopefully they'll keep it after Lost on Wednesdays, which is a much better fit. Actually, a good line up for Wednesdays would be Alias at 8, Lost at 9 and Invasion at 10. I guess we'll have to wait until March and see!

Alias is Over

Well sports fans - this day has been coming since the ridiculous first episode of Season 4. As of May 2006, the Alias saga will be over... Click here for details.

Mothwoman

Okay, now I normally love Las Vegas, but last night's demise of Monica (Laura Flynn Boyle) was a little over the top - the concept could have been really cool if it was executed properly - but the whole thing was so... hokey. I mean, its not even like the gust really carried her fast! Danny could have totally saved her if he wanted to. Also, Mary's boobs have got to be put back in her dress. They are looking so saggy, you have to look away. I am excited for Dean Cain's return though - Sam Marquez is definitely the best character, and I like seeing her interact with her ex. I guess we still have yet to learn who will "never set foot in the Montecito again" - hopefully, this time they will put some effort into it.

Channel surfing over to How I Met Your Mother... love the Erikson family recipe for Thanksgiving salad (16 cups of mayo will make anything delicious!) This show has so much potential, I almost wish it wasn't on CBS (aka, the old person's network)...

From Sunday, Desperate Housewives is starting to seem more like a chore than anything else... and its way overdue for creepy George to leave...

Over the weekend I got booted from the TiVo by T and the boys watching Sunday Ticket (this is a weekly event), and I caught Spanglish on HBO - I love this movie so much... this is when I really saw that Adam Sandler was a good actor. If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend it! (Although, you may never be able to take Tea Leoni seriously again!)

Too Many Cooks...

So, along with Arrested Development, Bradley Cooper's Kitchen Confidential also got cancelled... how Fox can cancel a show after its only aired twice is a mystery to me... what's more of a mystery to me is how Freddie (also a show about a chef, but terrible) is going 4 or 5 episodes strong, with no signs of it being cancelled... how wrong is that? Bradley Cooper is a million times the actor that Freddie Prince Jr. is (also, you're not 12 anymore, must you insist upon going by "Freddie"???) To continue my list of annoyances with this whole situation, the Alias reunion on KC was supposed to happen tonight with guest star Michael Vartan, but they even postponed that until December after sweeps, bumping it for repeats of Prison Break instead. This is all Baseball's fault - if Fox didn't have to break for a million episodes just for baseball, I bet KC would have gained momentum and stayed on the air.

Well, I'll still tell you to watch - maybe Fox will give its new show a chance once its actually aired it.... keep an eye out for new eps in December!

I hate you all

Arrested Development just got canceled.

You people ruin everything.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051111/tv_nm/shows_dc

Solo

I am just thrilled with Alias this season... its like falling in love all over again. I've loved Rachel's quote last night: "I'm just going to put on my strappy shoes and my teeny dress... and by this time tomorrow we'll see if I can do it or not." Rachel's story is running quite parallel to Syd's Season 1 with the whole leaving an evil org to join the real CIA... the question is this: is it TOO perfectly parallel? Could Rachel be evil? I think I would like her even better if she were... (I started loving Lauren Reed after she turned out evil.) This would be even better, because Sydney never liked Lauren, so it made everyone feel better when she turned... but we all like Rachel, how heart-wrenchingly awesome would it be if she was evil all along too? I don't think she works for Dean, but maybe she's a big part of the Prophet 5 gang? Speaking of Dean - he's a terrible bad guy. To be honest, he just doesn't seem smart enough to lead a large terrorist organization... and while I was liking Amy Acker this season so far, her acting last night was terrible, and I'm ready for Rachel to get rid of her now (need I remind you of the terribly emotionless line "You bitch... I was going to feel bad about killing you, but now its just going to be fun"). All in all, it was still a great episode - I enjoy watching Renee Rienne in action, and Sydney using her pregnancy again and again as her aliases... Also, I think enough was said last night to believe that Sydney had nothing to do with Vaughn's death. (Yes, Vaughn is dead, get over it.) However, Jack's involvement could still be questionable... Can't wait until next week!!!

Doogie Rocks

Being Neil Patrick Harris free is not a good thing - right now, he's proving himself to be one of the funniest characters on TV... unless you count the "acting" on LG - that's pretty funny too I guess.

Uhhhhhh. . . who cares?

Who cares if it's not real? It's entertaining, which is more than I can say about the crap you subject yourself to. As a bonus, Laguna Beach is completely Neil Patrick Harris free.

Hands Off Ladies!

The other day T came up to me, looking kind of sad - "You were right!" he said. Now as you can guess, these words are rarely uttered from his mouth (to be fair, its not like they're pouring out of mine all the time, but that's because I am always right.) So of course, I had to know about what.... "Laguna Beach isn't real... they only tape on Thur - Sat and if something interesting happens during the other times, then they have to re-enact it..." (key word here being re-enACT....). So you're saying that (long pause) reality tv isn't REAL?????????? ALERT THE MEDIA.

Don't be jealous now girls, T is all mine. Gosh, he's such a manly man.

Ask and Thou Shalt Receive

There's been some drama up in the LB! (that's Laguna Beach for the uninitiated).

The last episode I watched may have been the high point of the season. Jason and LC have now been dating for about 2 or 3 episodes, and you just know know it's only a matter of time before Jason gets his hand caught in the cookie jar. . .

The kids organized a fashion show/fundraiser for some sort of Laguna Beach landslide. Fairly hilarious in and of itself because I'm not sure these kids have ever dealt with anything substantial (unless you count getting mommy into rehab). At any rate LC organized the event, and while she was working, Jessica (Jason's ex) started getting all flirty with Jason and they ended up making out. What followed was a hilarious sequence of events.

1. LC catches Jessica and Jason making out (after LC had already told her what a rude girl she was and Jessica played dumb)

2. Jason tries to be nice to LC, but she won't have anything to do with him

3. Dieter confronts Jason about kissing Jessica. Jason admits it, but says Jessica threw herself at him

4. Dieter calls Jessica (with Jason there) to ask about it. Jessica denies everything, and is called a lying bitch by everyone involved.

5. LC and Jason both leave with sad music playing.

Beat that Macenzie "Mac" Allen

Can We Have An Update Please?

T -

Can you please update our readers on the latest happenings on Laguna Beach? I think everyone is dying to know what's happening on your "quality TV".

- M (on behalf of your twelve year old girl audience)

Don't Watch Tonight

I've never seen Commander in Chief because frankly, it looks quite stupid. It has a crappy impossible premise (A woman will never be president, their periods make them crazy and emotional), a washed up actress lead, and it seems very boring to me. M's post made me want to go to sleep. I concocted reasons why I thought the show and its characters were stupid after reading her post.

Mackensie "Mac" Allen: Mac sounds like a guy's name from a 1940s movie. Also, why the hell would a Republican or Democrat have an independent as a VP? That's incredibly stupid. Almost as stupid as keeping your maiden name when you get married. Married women are property as far as I understand it. Plus Geena Davis is not attractive. This whole show would be better if they made the president hot. . . I think Giselle or Jessica Alba would have been a much better choice.

Rod Calloway: Wow he sounds like an incredibly pathetic insecure guy. He probably talks about his feelings alot. That sure makes for compelling television

Horrace, Rebecca & Amy Calloway: Besides for George Michael in Arrested Developement, kids should not be in TV shows. These subplots seem very Gilmore Girlish. How can kids be in the show anyway, everybody knows that a woman with a job can't have kids!

Nathan Templeton: Oh my gosh the bad guy is an evil white Republican male???? How clever of the writers.

Jim Gardner: Real men don't "struggle internally" unless you're talking about a bowel movement. This guy sounds like an even bigger vagina than the husband.

Kelly Ludlow: A woman as press secretary that went to Princeton? As far as I understand it, most women aren't able to read or write and Princeton doesn't even admit women. That's some faulty research by the writers right there.

So there you have the reasons why all these characters suck. This is why you shouldn't watch tonight. You should watch My Name is Earl followed by The Office. I think college football is on as well. God M's viewing habits make me want to hurt myself.

Tune In Tonight

Commander in Chief is on ABC tonight at 9pm. Watch it. They have managed to pretty much write out the annoying little girl (I guess much of the audience shared the same annoyance as me), and Speaker Donald Sutherland is getting to a nice simmering evil point. Even Natasha Henstridge is doing well as his evil (but of course beautiful) henchman. Also, I think Geena Davis is really cast perfectly for this role - just fem enough to show you that you don't have to "be a man" to run the country, but strong enough to show that just cause you're a woman, you won't be run over, either. If you haven't been watching here's what's happened so far so that you can enjoy tonight's episode:

Mackensie "Mac" Allen: Was VP for a Republican President (she herself is actually Independant)... when the President realized he was dying, he told her to step down and let the Speaker take the Presidency. When he did die, she decided to go against his wishes and take the presidential oath, leaving the Republican Party seethingly vengeful. (The democrats don't like her much either.) Basically, everyone is out to get her. Oh and by the way - she has kept her maiden name.

Rod Calloway: Mac's husband, who used to be her chief of staff, until she arrived at the oval office. Mac said that she didn't want it to look like her husband was running the country, so she hired the ex-president's COS and he's been licking his wounds like a kicked puppy every since. For the past few episodes, we've seen him struggle to be the "First Gentleman", and now he's going to be the first "First Person" to ever have a real job outside the whitehouse, as the Commissioner of Baseball. Not very supportive of him! This is creating a lot of tension in their marriage, and I'm sure the media will be all over it.

Horrace, Rebecca & Amy Calloway: Mac's kids. Horrace & Rebecca are 16 year old twins; Horrace is the affable one, Rebecca is the moody one. Horrace supports his mother, Rebecca is Republican and told her mother to step aside for the Speaker to take charge. Right now, Horrace is inlove with the Press Secretary, and Rebecca is dating one of Horrace's friends - this does not make Horrace happy. Oh - and Rebecca just got her Secret Service detail, Joan, fired because she asked for some "private time" to make out with her boyfriend... and *now* feels guilty. Amy is an annoying little brat that I'm hoping they will write out of the script, or use her only as a prop or something.

Nathan Templeton: Evil Speaker of the House - always trying to bring Mac down. His COS is Jayne Murray - we don't know how evil she is yet, but so far, pretty much does whatever Templeton tells her to.

Jim Gardner: Mac's COS - struggles internally because he knows that the President asked Mac to step aside, but knows that she is an inherantly good person, so takes care of her. Templeton still tries to "use" him as one of his resources, but you can tell that he is straying from the party over to Mac's side.

Kelly Ludlow: Mac's old speech writer - now the White House press secretary (and courtesy of a great scene from 2 episodes ago, we know she's Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton). She's still finding her footing with this recent promotion, but she's somebody who is genuninely on Mac's team, and Mac knows its.

So that's the basic plot recap - no excuses - tune in.

Desperate for Good Plot

Alright... what is going on with Desperate Housewives? Last night's episode actually had me yawning, except for the last scene which made me want to jump inside the television and slap Teri Hatcher across the face. Since you can tell I'm growing pretty fond of making lists, here are my top three reasons for why this show is becoming terrible:

1. The Anti-Friends Cast: I know we've all heard much too much about how the cast of Friends were all "really friends"... they always had ensemble photo ops, they always stuck together during contract negotiations, they were in eachother's weddings... etc, etc. As nauseatingly saccharine as that all sounded - it worked, and they got 10 seasons out of it - not to mention a whole lot of fortune and fame. All we hear about the Desperate Housewives is how much they hate eachother, namely because they all think that Teri Hatcher was getting all the promo (which seemed to have been resolved by pretty much writing her out of the script!) This back-stage cattiness is definitely affecting the show - all the actresses are now totally hamming up their characters to be over-exaggerated versions of their first-season selves; they are trying to show the TVland audience why they are the reason for the show's success - and for *some* reason, it isn't working. (Who knew that bad acting leads to bad TV?) This can be easily demonstrated by Teri Hatcher's ridiculous crying scene at the end of last night's episode.

2. Independent Plot Lines: Maybe because of Reason #1, each character's plotlines seem to be unwoven from the rest. Last season, the Housewives were focused on solving the mystery of Mary Alice, but this season, we've only seen one girl's poker lunch, and some forced dialogue among the neighbors at Rex's funeral... we don't care about the separate lives of these people - can we please have the residents of Wisteria Lane start talking to each other again?

3. Red State Syndrome: Yes - this syndrome can be blamed for a lot of what is wrong with TV these days. (Plus, I am obviously pretty pleased with myself for working this phrase twice into a TV blog.) Anyway, for some reason, this show has "cleaned itself up" quite a bit. The reason we tuned in every week in the first place was because of the racy, gossip-warranted plot lines - sex, drugs, murder, blackmail, kidnapping - prime time drama at its best. But what has happened this season so far? About 50% of air time is dedicated to Bree NOT sleeping with the lunatic pharmacist. The rest of the time is spent showing Gabrielle NOT cheating on her husband, Lynette having a good work/life balance (with subtle hints that she should just stay at home like a "good" mother anyway), Edie (of all people!) going to church and Susan dying to get married. Even the new Applewhite family's secret turned out to be pretty good-intentioned.... is anyone else sick of these moral lessons? Housewives built up its rep by dishing dirt - if its not going to give us the juicy stuff any more, then its just going to become a waste of time.

Actually...

... I rather liked Sports Night.

M is a Liar

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't written in so long, but blogging is kind of lame. I didn't realize that your audience would chastise you simply because you decided to take a break (you all know who you are, I recommend you try getting lives of some sort)

At any rate, M has not even watched all of the DVDs of Arrested Development Seasons 1 and 2. I know because she yelled at me and told me that I was a jerk for not waiting to watch them with her. I felt bad for a minute, but then I remembered that I if you just furrow your brow and nod while she yells at you, eventually she will stop speaking and go into the other room. So that's a positive.

This show is incredible. In fact, when it gets canceled, it will be held up as a shining example as to why people are idiots. Normally, the "best show you're not watching" is bullshit. I don't watch it because it sucks. Sports Night is what comes to mind here. Do you remember that show? Me either.

I do think the show is funnier if you've watched all the epidoses though. There are alot of inside jokes and harkening back to past episodes. So buy the DVD:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002PYS7Y/102-3567289-6011352?v=glance&n=130&n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance

Buy it with Season 2 and you save 10 bucks.