TELEVISIONOCITY

TELEVISIONOCITY MOVED

2008-01-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

ya, we have been away for a while, but we are back and we have moved locations. so come on over to the new TELEVISIONOCITY site and have fun.

Sutherland DUI

2007-09-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

jack bauer makes illegal u-turns all the time with no repercussions, but keifer sutherland can't - especially when his blood alcohol level is above the legal limit as it was yesterday when he was pulled over by the cops.

it was like 1:35 in the morning and he was taken down to the hollywood police station and booked for a misdemeanor dui. he was released on $25 000 bail and his court date is oct. 16

Chuck And Journeyman

2007-09-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

premier week has officially begun on nbc and monday night (last night) we got two new show premiers: Chuck and Jouneyman.

Chuck: i was looking forward to this one and it was exactly what i expected. it was funny and quick and had some action all in a nice fun package. i really want to see where this one goes however. i'm hoping for an interesting through story for the series, as opposed to the more episodic type stuff where each episode is its own individual thing and the grand story arc isn't as important (ala CSI). from what i could tell from the pilot, i think that the through story could be there.

Journeyman: this one, however, looks to be episodic which is disappointing. i wasn't looking forward to this show at all. some guy takes trips back in time, and there is an ex-love-of-his-life, blah, blah blah!! it sounded corny and didn't interest me.

then i watched it and as it was coming to an end i had changed my mind. the relationship thing wasn't corny and he spent a bunch of his time dealing with this other guys life that he had changed on his first trip back.

then it ended and he had done what he had had to do in that guys life (make sure he didn't kill his family so that his son could become a boy genius doctor and safe a bunch of lives) and that was it for that story line. the way it ended they make it seem like each episode will involve him going back and effecting some change or fixing something so that things can work out well in the future. hmmmmmmm, can you say Quantum Leap?????

Quantum Leap was a great show, and yes it was very episodic in that pretty much each episode could be watched without having seen the one previous, but they were interesting and focused on the fixing of the past. at Journeyman it seems like they can't decide what they are doing. there is what seems to be a through story about the ex-lover (and the fact that she might not have actually been killed in a plane crash is an interesting development) and i expect they will get into how, and why, he is doing the time travel thing. however, because of all that, the actual fixing the past part felt very superficial and to easily accomplished. there was no drama or real conflict there.

now, they can also go the route of making the grand story arc the focus and the each-episode-travel-fixes secondary. they just have to pick one, because they don't look like they can have both. but, i like to give shows a chance, so it will remained tivo'd for at least a couple more episodes and we shall see how it develops.

Jimmy, Don't Go!!!

2007-09-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

that was the cry that rang out among the 39 other kids as 8-year-old jimmy decided to leave bonanza city after just 4 days on cbs's Kid Nation.

ya, i know this thing premiered last week and the second episode is tomorrow, but i just got to it yesterday and wanted to just say a few things about it.

i was actually really looking forward to this one. something about the survivor-meets-lord of the flies concept appealed to me. and what do i think after just one episode? i kind of enjoyed it. the kids are great (well, at least some of them are) and i found myself trying to see what i would have done if i had been on such a show back when i was between 8-14 years old.

the personalities and characters are interesting and whoever was doing the casting over at cbs should get a pat on the back. its also funny how even with all the divisions and personality clashing, at least so far they seem to be better at getting along and working things out then grown ups are on their reality shows.

i would have loved for it to be real hardcore, with no adult host and really just let them try to organize themselves and create systems and such, without the show providing the lead. but that might be a little too lord of the flies and not very doable with kids of that age. however, barring that, i am looking forward to see how the whole class system plays out and how that leads to conflict among groups.

on a side note: i can't remember all their names, but there was that one instant where that big kid actually physically shoved that michael kid (one of the town council). i am surprised that the big kid didn't get kicked off the show for that. i am pretty sure that there are strict rules about any kind of physical violence towards other players on all the other reality shows and i would have assumed the same here. - i'm not saying that i think he should have been (as long as he doesn't make a habit of it), but i was just curious about any rules regarding that kind of thing.

Survivor China Episode 1

2007-09-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

watchin' and commentin'

- caroline (the blond waitress from new york)
- the complete ignorance and disrespect she had for the buddhist welcome ceremony was sad
- if she can't control that attitude and those obviously miss-i'm-so-superiour-to-you faces she keeps making then she is going to get her cute little ass kicked off pretty quick.

i mean, haven't these people seen the show before? you don't alienate yourself from the group like that. and come on: we all know the odds are you are going to have to go to your camp wearing only the clothes on your back (that means wear a bra and don't wear 20 pound boots or high heels). and speaking of things you don't do...

-aaron
- mr. i'm-going-to-be-the-leader-but-subtly. that is a very fine line to walk my friend, and we will see how that goes for him

- james (the gravedigger)
- this guy seems great. honest and genuine and quiet and built like a frickin' brick house. he seems like he might be a little to trusting, but he also seems aware that the whole strategy/socializing part is what he needs to work on, and being aware of that is a big plus for him.

they are giving out flint already. crappy. i still think they should make them have to go without filnt for at least a week if not more. make then have to make their own fire. its possible to do so stop making it so easy for them.

see ya chicken

Back To You

2007-09-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

frasier, i mean kelsey grammer, is back on tv and after 20 years or so he is finally playing a different character (besides those great side show bob episodes on The Simpsons).

last night fox premiered Back To You, starring kelsey and Everybody Loves Raymond wife patricia heaton. i actually don't have that much to say about it besides, 'it was okay'. there were some funny laugh out loud moments, and the supporting cast seems funny - especially the great fred willard. it is a solid sitcom without standing out as anything great - unlike the three sitcoms the two stars have worked on before: Cheers, Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier. now those were three great comedies.

for now i'm gonna keep it on the good 'ol tivo, but i wasn't particularly drawn in by the storyline, and unless things change it looks like it might turn into a watch-it-if-i-catch-it-and-i'm-not-watching-anything-else-but-if-
not-then-no-big-deal. only time, and a couple more episodes, will tell.

grade: at this point B-

K-Ville And Prison Break

2007-09-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

the new tv season has begun and we will be looking at it all as it unfolds over the next few weeks. but for now we have gotten started with the season premier Prison Break and the seriese premier of K-Ville - both on fox on monday nights.

i have been a fan of Prison Break during its first two seasons and was looking forward to the new season, and the premier didn't disappoint.

michael scofield found himself in a panamanian prison at the end of last season and that is where he starts this one - along with some other recognizable characters. and as we find out by the end of the episode, he has been put there in order to help someone escape. SWEET!!!

Prison Break isn't known for its brilliant dialogue or depth of character. it is a cool, fun, exciting show that hooks you and doesn't let go and the season opener lived up to expectations. sure there are some generic characters in the prison and predictable story developments, but that is all moot. the show is fast and intense and i am looking forward to a good season.

as for K-Ville, i wasn't as impressed. the show has some action and such, but the detective/'mystery' part of the show was really not that interesting. what i liked was the characters and the dealing with a post-katrina new orleans and how the city is still so far from what it once was even these years later.

its easy for us to go about our lives and forget about it now that the telethons are over and it isn't in the news all the time, but the people that it effected are still dealing with the repercussions and will be for probably a lot longer.

pilots aren't always the best way to judge a show, so i will keep it on my tivo for now and see where it goes.

Prison Break
grade: B+

K-Ville
grade: B- (but could go up or down and will be adjusted after i check out a few more episodes)

Last Comic Standings Worst Season Ever

2007-09-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

i've posted about Last Comic Standing a fair bit over the last month or two, but i wanted to just say that this has been the worst season ever. now, let me also just say that it is still lone of my favorite reality shows since i love stand-up comedy. however, compared to previous seasons this one ranks the lowest.

first off they truncated the show and had fewer challenge rounds then usual. but, most important was the fact that the comedians weren't as good this season. especially the ones we ended up with in the last few.

i thought they left some really funny people out of the top 20 - i can't think of their names right now, but there were a few that should have been in the top 10 that didn't make it - but moving on from there, my faves in the top 10 were: doug benson (great timing and delivery), that short british guy and amy shumer (although by the end she seemed to be running a little short on material. but she has only been doing this for about 4 years) - ralph harris had one very funny night and then one not so funny night. gerry dee is good and has some quality material also, but then last night he got kicked off and now we are left with jon reep and lavell crawford.

these guys are ok, but not top-2 material. and it really showed last night when they were down to their last bits (since they have been using their best stuff in previous challenges and routines). reep had a few good lines with the snoring thing, but it wasn't great and lavell felt like he had just run out of steam. lavell has had some great lines and bits in the show, but sometimes his stuff feels like he is making it up on the spot and it isn't great. i have no problem with a big fat guy making big fat guy jokes, but at least bring something new to it or take a witty angle on it. and sometimes he does and i was cracking up, but lots of lavell's stuff is so well tread we have heard things like it before and we can finish the joke before he does.

maybe we have been spoiled in the past with some really good comics like: john heffron, anton boldon, gary gullman... now those guys are funny and do some smart, quality stand-up.

anyway, like i have said in previous posts, there have been some very funny episodes this season, but these last 4 with just the stand-up and eliminations have been pretty average.

Grand Slam Finale

2007-09-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

holy crap!!!! they just finished round 2 (the numbers and logic round) and wow this is a great match so far. only 3 seconds separate them and did you see how many questions they are answering even once their clocks get under 10 seconds left?

- jennings and ogis are both great, but i can't see jennings losing now that he made it through the math round and kept it so close. also, with that new current knowledge round he shoudl be able to gain some time since that is not really ogis' best subject (although he probably devised some sort of brain function to help him with that stuff)...

- and i was right on. round three went to jennings big time with him banking 48 seconds. that was huge

- and it's over folk - ken jennings is the Grand Slam champ and deservedly so.

- it would have been fun if it had been closer going into the final round, but three of the first four rounds were really close and it was a good match overall.

Haim Is A Pain

2007-08-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

i started watching a&e's The Two Coreys just for the heck of it. i am not a huge fans of the coreys, and actually was never even a big fan of The Lost Boys. but the premise sounded fun enough and so i checked it out. and here is what i have learned...

- corey feldman has a super hot wife. i mean, did you see that episode when she was posing for those photos for the magazine? ans she also seems smart and sweet and pretty understanding and patient (to put of with haim living there)... so, well done feldman.

- as for haim. this guy is an inconsiderate, immature baby. i know he has been through a lot of shit and i know that must have been hard, but this guy only cares about one person... himself. the way he talks to feldmans wife is crazy, and for feldman to have put up with it as long as he did was something else and shows how much he cares for haim and feels that their long friendship means a lot. i felt bad for feldman having to be in the middle of his wife and his best friend - anyone who has been in that position knows it sucks and that it is a really hard position to be in.

- obviously these impressions come from about 6 30-minute episodes edited down from hundreds of hours of footage. and of course a&e is going to try and take the 'best' stuff that works for the characters they are creating and the stories they are telling. but still.... haim just does not come off well at all.

maybe now that it has been announced that they are both going to be in Lost Boys 2 haim will start to feel a little better about himself and start to grow up and realize that he isn't the only one with problems in the world.

They Changed Clothes

2007-08-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

you might remember a few weeks back when i mentioned that dennis miller and amanda byram hadn't changed their outfits during the episodes for all 2 weeks of the first round matches.

i also mentioned that i thought that they might change clothes for the second round matches which would have been filmed on a subsequent day. well i was right. they did. and based on the previews of the third round matches it looks like they changed them again for those.

Watch It Episode #52

2007-08-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

the 'WATCH IT' podcast is the most fun you can have listening to two people talk about television.

a fun and informative (sometimes more so than others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #52

NEWS:
High School Musical 2 sets records, Celebrity Apprentice, Amnesia, Return of American Gladiators, Kid Nation controversy, Anchorwoman gone, 24 casts the first husband, Fox previews K-Ville and Prison Break, and more...

SHOW TALK:
Americas Got Talent, The Two Coreys, The Colbert Report...

PLUS:
-Listener feedback
-Big Brother 2-minute recap

LIST:
- Top TV guest appearances

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Speed Laughing

2007-08-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

i just watched last weeks episode of Last Comic Standing and, ya i know it aired like 5 days ago and unless you go online you won't be able to see it, but, damn that was some funny shit.

the challenge this week was speed laughing. each comedian had 1-minute in a booth with a person and they had to make them laugh. then at the end the booth people would pick who they liked best.

so here's the kicker though. the comedians thought they were getting hot Deal Or No Deal chicks, but three of the girls were secretly switched out for a drag queen, a nun and twinkie the clown. - let the comedy ensue, and ensue it did. not only were some of their 'routines' funny, but their reactions and interview jokes about the situation were hysterical as well.

i'm pretty sure the ratings for the show have been going down since season one, but for anyone who likes comedy and stand-up comedy this is still a very funny hour of tv and its too bad they have had to rush it like they have (only 3 or 4 competition weeks and two people going home each episode rather then one)

also: congrats to amy shumer for winning the challenge. she is so good at thinking on her feet and being funny. her and matt are both the newest to stand-up compared to the many years the others have been doing it, but they are both funny and doing more then just holding their own. they are standing out.

also: whats up with that head-to-head competition result? i thought it had to be either doug benson or matt kirshen that was going to win. ralph harris is a funny guy, and he so deserved to win his last head-to-head, but his set this week wasn't as good as the other two. matt and doug both had superior sets this week (doug has a great stage presence and delivery) that was a very surprising audience result.

Watch It Episode #51

2007-08-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

NEWS:
Merv Griffin dies, Mantegna joins Criminal Minds, The Daily Show goes to Iraq, Flight Of The Conchords and Entourage renewed, John From Cincinnati canceled, The Bachelor calls off engagement, Nothing But The Truth, and more...

SHOW TALK:
America's Got Talent, LA Ink...

PLUS:
- Big Brother 2-minute update
- Listener Feedback
- List - top TV pets

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

$500 000 Worth Of The Truth

2007-08-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

ok, i know i should be appalled by this, but i find it very intriguing, albeit mostly in a guilty-pleasure type way.

fox has just gotten themselves the u.s. rights to the huge columbian tv hit, Nothing But The Truth. wait, you haven't heard how the game works yet. this is the best part.

- contestants are hooked up to a lie detector and asked 21 questions. if they answer all 21 questions truthfully (according to the lie detector) then they walk away with $500 000. it might sound easy, but the questions do get more and more personal and delicate as they go along. it might start off with a question like 'do you like your mother in law' and eventually get to 'have you ever cheated on your spouse?'

and of course the contestants family will be in the audience with cameras catching every reaction.

John From Cincinnati Cancelled

2007-08-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

crap!!! hbo has announced that they have cancelled the very good John From Cincinnati after one season. this sucks... not only was it a good show, but it had been getting better as the season has progressed.

this isn't the first time david milch (the brilliant creator of the show) has had a show cancelled by hbo. he was also the man behind Deadwood - at least that show made it through season three

i know they are getting desperate for another big, marquee-type show with the end of The Sopranos and before that Six Feet Under and Sex And the City before that. and with other networks like showtime and fx on their heels with some high-quality programming of their own. however, that doesn't make it all better.

anyway, i guess there isn't much more to say here beyond my disappointment with hbo

Nine And Prosperity Gone Again

2007-08-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

The Nine and Knights Of Prosperity were two of the best new shows to premier last season and they were also two of the quickest cancelled due to poor ratings (come on people, we need to support quality tv).

anyway, abc decided to bring them both back recently and burn off the remaining episodes they had left, but after a couple airings they have decided to even cut that short and both are now done for good (until dvd i assume).

this is disappointing of course, as it was great to see 'Knights' back if only for a short time, although it was frustrating to be laughing so much and knowing that it was already over and not coming back next season.

add to those two shows, Daybreak and The Black Donnelleys and you had a season of some really good shows that the networks got rid of way to fast. it makes me sad.

let's hope this upcoming season brings us some good shows that get a chance to grab an audience before the short-sighted and scared networks give it the axe.

Can't They Change Clothes?

2007-08-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

so i was watching Grand Slam this weekend, and i still love it. however, i noticed that dennis miller and amanda byram have worn the same clothes for all four episodes so far. miller even made a joke about it on one of the last episodes.

but i was just wondering why they don't have them change outfits. sure we know that they recorded all the shows in one day (or at least the opening round episodes that have aired the last two weekends), but couldn't they give them a few minutes to change clothes.

not that is really bugs me that much. actually it doesn't really bother me at all. but, it was just something that i noticed and decided to mention.

i'm thinking that since next weekend we start the second round matches that maybe they filmed those the next day and therefor miller and bynum will have something else to wear.

we shall see.

Four Hours Of Today

2007-08-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

do you watch the Today show every morning for three hours and when it ends feel like you need more? well, starting september 11th, more is what you are going to get. one hour more to be exact. on that date the weekdat edition of the most popular morning news show ever will expand to four hours, from its current three hour incarnation.

who is going to host that extra hour you ask? good question, and the answer is: ann curry, natalie morales and hoda kotb.

Watch It Episode #50

2007-08-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

the 'WATCH IT' podcast is the most fun you can have listening to two people talk about television.

a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #50

NEWS:
Kardashian gets reality show, The new Bachelor, Buy Sopranos bricks, Burn Notice and Saving Grace renewed, Writers strike and network pick-ups, L.A. Ink does great numbers, Noth joins Sex And The City movie, Daly renewed at Last Call, and more...

SHOW TALK:
Age Of Love, Grand Slam, America's Got Talent, Knights Of Prosperity, Anchorwomen...

PLUS:
- Big Brother 2-minute update
- Listener Feedback
- 2 Lists - going back to our roots we bring back 'the list' segment.
- top cakes
- top TV Dads

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

HBO Is On The Ball, Again.

2007-08-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

allen ball, the creator of the great Six Feet Under is returning to hbo with a new show called True Blood. according to Zap2It the series is ' based on charlaine harris' Southern Vampire novels, about a Louisiana waitress (anna paquin) who can read minds in a world where vampires and werewolves are no longer hiding out in legends, but are just as likely to be your neighbor.'

sounds kind of interesting to me, but given that it is allen ball i would be interested in it no matter what the premise. kind of like how i was all excited about John From Cincinnati because of david milch even though the outline of the show didn't sound that exciting (it's a really good show by the way).

Daly To Stay On Nightly For At Least 2 More Years

2007-08-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

nbc has announced that they have signed carson daly to a 2 year contract extension keeping him around through 2009.

personally i don't really watch his show Last Call much anymore. partly because since he lost weight he just looks kind of scary, like his head is too small for his body and he doesn't really fit in his suits. kind of like at the end of Beetlejuice when the guys head shrinks. but, that aside, i kind of stopped watching once he moved from new york to l.a. and the show started to look like every other late nigth talk show out there - with him sitting behind a desk and the chairs to the side for the guests, etc... when he was in new york the show had a much more laid back vibe. not to mention that the desk looks like a mini version of a real late night desk that the staff put together themselves.

anyway, congrats to him, and he is doing well in that 1:35am time slot - according to Zap2it.com "Last Call performs better in its target adults 18-34 demographic than abc's Jimmy Kimmel Live or cbs' Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

why 2009 you ask? well, for those unaware of the late night tv goings on, that is when jay leno is stepping down and the great conan o'brien will be getting the Tonight Show gig he so richly deserves (conan is definitely the best late night guy going these days. i just hope the switch to the earlier 11:35pm time slot doesn't force him to change his show and tone down that brilliant/dumb/weird/original comedy that him and his writers produce - which is kind of what happened to letterman - who was great at the later hour - when he moved from 12:35am to 11:35pm those many years ago).

back to daly: according to what i read he has made it known that he wants o'briens spot when he leaves, but i don't think that is such a good idea. he is good where he is now, but i just don't see him having what it takes to fill o'briens spot.

supposedly nbc has recently signed jimmy fallon to a holding deal leading people to think that he was nbc's pick to replace conan. as for that one, i'm not sure again. i like fallon and i thought he was fun on SNL, but it takes more then that to be a great late night talk show host - - then again i might be biased because i am such a huge conan o'brian fan that anyone will pretty much be a major step down.

Grand Slam

2007-08-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

i mentioned it briefly on the podcast this week (episode 49), but in case you didn't listen to the show, Grand Slam premiered this weekend on the game show network, with an episode on saturday and one on sunday. and it is great.

for those of you unfamiliar with the show. it is the trivia show of all trivia shows. importing the format over from the u.k. the show has brought together 16 of the biggest winners from various games shows (Jeopardy, Millionaire, Lingo, Win Ben Stien's Money, Tic-Tac-Dough, Weakest Link, etc...) to compete to see who is the greatest game show/trivia contestant around.

i thought the premise sounded great, but was really worried that it would end up being lame. thankfully that isn't the case. the format is great, with contestants going up against each other head-to-head in a tournament style elimination setting (i like the stage, the big screens, the standing in front of each other set-up...). but, rather then explaine how it looks and feels just check out this clip from the finals of the u.k. version from 2003 - also notice how incredible these guys are.

anyway, the first few rounds that aired this past weekend were lots of fun and yes ken jennings made it through without much of a problem.

amanda byram co-hosts the show with dennis miller. she is hot and holds her own with dennis and his millerisms. much of the time it feels like he is isn't saying much besides trying to find a way to make another arcane reference, but they are usually funny and the time spent with the hosts before getting back to the game is short and thankfully doesn't go on past its due point before we get right back to the action.

if you missed this wekends episodes, don't worry. there is still a lot of grand slammin' to go and new episodes air every saturday and sunday so just chekc it out this weekend coming up.

the pace is great, the format is good and any trivia and gameshow fan will definitely want to check out Grand Slam.

grade: A

Watch It Episode #49

2007-08-04T00:11:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #49

NEWS: Kevin Smith directing Origins, Star Jones admits to surgery, Goldberg and The View, Fox makes fall schedule changes, Charges dropped for Dog the Bounty Hunter, and more...

SHOW TALK: Age Of Love, John From Cincinnati, America's Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, American Inventor, Grand Slam, Meadowlands, Rescue Me...

Big Brother 3-minute recap

Listener Feedback

We go over the big Emmy categories and look at the nominees and make some predictions

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

America's Actually Got Some Talent

2007-08-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

i was busy the last few days so i didn't get to America's Got Talent till tonight but here is what i think...

i have always said i hate when the show just becomes another singing and dancing talent show rather then other talents, but...

- butterscotch and cas haley are really great. cas is just such an effortless and talented singer (and unlike piers i really liked the blues number he did) and butterscotch is just incredible the way she sings and beatboxes at the same time. it is really something good.

- terry fator is, and i agree with piers on this one, the greatest ventriloquist i have ever seen, he is so good and creative and funny and he does it all without moving his lips half the time. really great showcase of what the art of ventriloquism is all about.

- the glamazons were really good. i like these women and i think they have better voices then they got credit for from the judges. and they just put on a good show.

those are the four best without question.

besides that i thought that big fiddle playing family was pretty average (their version of the devil came down to georgia had none of the power that the real song has)... the calypso tumblers were good... the country singing guy was fine but nothing special... julienne irwin was pretty good.... sideswipe is good and talented but they just have never wowed me.

at this point i think butterscotch or terry factor should win (cas is great but the other two are more 'talents' and different)

It's Simply Over

2007-07-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

finally the Simple Life has been canceled. i really don't have much to say about this one.

Sometimes It Actually Works

2007-07-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

remember trista and ryan? they fell in love when trista was The Bachelorette and it actually worked. not only did they get married a year later (on tv of course), but they just had a baby.

99% of the time these dating shows lead to a momentary couplehood that ends soon after the cameras are turned off, but sometimes it actually works.

congrats to trista, ryan and little maxwell.

Watch It Episode #48: FOX Fall Preview

2007-07-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

NEWS: Nicole Richie, 24 gets a female president, Simpsons guest voices, Moonlight makes lots of changes, Going from the big-budget pilot to the rest of the series, Damages premiers on FX to good numbers...

SHOW TALK: Age Of Love, Last Comic Standing, Don't Forget The Lyrics...

FOX Fall Preview

Big Brother 2-minute Recap

Listener Feedback

Check out the special sound/story production I wrote at the end of the filmed but not forgotten podcast episode #35

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Don't Forget The Great Contestant

2007-07-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

i caught fox's Don't Forget The Lyrics for the first time tonight and i have to say, not only do i like it better then nbc's Singing Bee, but that chick teresa was a great contestant. not only could she sing and was cute, but she was just funny. - sometimes these 'wacky' contestant are just annoying, but i really enjoyed her. the producers did a good job finding this one. and she was just good at knowing the lyrics.

as for the show itself. like i said - i enjoyed it more then Singing Bee. i like the format better (which i wouldn't have thought i would given that it is a total Who Wants To Be A millionaire/Deal Or No Deal rip off). - actually, i don't think it was the format, but rather i just think i had more fun playing along with 'Lyrics' then 'Singing Bee'. also, brady is a funnier host.

its not a show i'm gonna tivo or anything, but i'll catch it again.

Kilmer Num3ers, Rapaport Earl

2007-07-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

a little guest starring news for everyone to check out:

those of you who watched the end of My Name Is Earl last season (and you all shoudl be because it is a great show) know that Earl went to jail to protect his ex-wife. well he is going to meet michael rapaport in prison, who will have a recurring role as another of the inmates.

those who watched the end of Num3ers last season know that there was a whole thing with a mole in the agency yada, yada, yada. well, val kilmer has singed on to play a guy named mason lancer who is the mastermind behind all the events that led up to the discovery of the mole. also, like we talked about on the last podcast, that premier episode is being directed by tony scott (Top Gun, Crimson Tide, Man On Fire...).

Who Is This John From Cincinnati Guy Anyway?

2007-07-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

that is one of the questions that is probably on most peoples minds who have had the pleasure of checking out hbo's new show John From Cincinnati. the show has already aired about, i think, seven episodes so far and i have to say i am really enjoying it.

i had high hopes for this show when i heard that one of the creators was david milch. this guy is a brilliant writer. his last project was Deadwood and he also co-created (and wrote a lot of the episodes for the first few seasons) NYPD Blue, which is one of my all-time favorite shows.

so i went in with high expectations, but not knowing what to expect since all i knew about the show was that it was about a family of surfers and a visitor who comes into their lives. it didn't sound that intriguing, but after having watched about six episodes, i can tell you that it sure is.

the characters are full and interesting and the writing is very david milch in its pace and style. and then there is this john character who is an enigma. who or what is he i don't know, but the little bit of 'science fiction' that plays into the story is perfect and doesn't seem corny or out of place - which it so easily could have.

i was going to praise the show after the first episode, but i wanted to see whee it was going before discussing it. Well after six episodes i can safely say that hbo and david milch have once again brought us an original, intelligent and intriguing show filled with great performances and high-quality writing.

Grade: A-

Don't Forget The Singing Bee

2007-07-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

well folks, it looks like people really like watching other people try to remember the lyrics to songs. i say this because not only has nbc placed Singing Bee on its fall schedule, but fox has ordered 13 more episodes of their version of the same thing, Don't Forget The Lyrics.

when fox announced that they were going to do a 'karaoke' show similar to nbc's and air it before nbc had planned on airing theirs, nbc quickly premiered their Singing Bee a day before fox did theirs. it all reminded me of a few years back when we got Wife Swap and Trading Spouses at the same time - or if we look at movies: Armageddon/Deep Impact, Dante's Peak/Volcano, etc....

anyway, who knew that north americans love of karaoke was so strong as to be able to support to name-the-lyrics shows, but that is what has happened. who knows if fox's don't Forget The Lyrics will make it past the summer or if Singing Bee will be able to hold its own once the new fall season starts? only time will tell me friends.

Watch It Episode #47: ABC Fall Preview

2007-07-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #47

NEWS: Mad Men Script, Full House daughter gets married, Katee Sackhoff will be recurring on Bionic Woman, Lipstick Jungle fires gets rid of a few people, Drew Carey and The Price Is Right, and more...

SHOW TALK: Age Of Love, Without Prejudice, Set For Life, America's Got Talent, Next Best Thing, Victoria Beckham: Coming To America, and more...

ABC Fall Preview

Big Brother 2-minute Recap

Listener Feedback

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

New Law & Order ADA

2007-07-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

as season 18 of Law & Order starts this september jack maccoy (sam waterston) will no longer be the a.d.a. and will have finally moved up to the d.a. role left vacant by potential presidential nominee fred thompson.

but who is going to be the new a.d.a. you ask? well, that would be linus roache who you might have last seen in last seasons short-lived nbc drama Kidnapped.

Law & Order has always been good at bringing in new cast members and making it work, but this does seem to mean less jack mccoy. i say that because as all us Law & Order fans know, the d.a. is much less prevalent in the shows then the a.d.a. - at least that is how it has been in the past.

Mary Is Still Crying

2007-07-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

mary, one of the 20-somethings on Age Of Love, is a cute girl and she seems sweet, but she cries all the damn time. when she is sad she cries, when she is angry she cries, etc... i wonder what she thinks now, watching the show and seeing herself crying every 5-minutes.
- then for the few minutes when mark was telling her that she was being cut she was strong and dignified and mature - - until she walked back to the other women and then she started crying again

- okay, enough with maria saying she is going to leave and then staying. either go, or keep your mouth shut and don't tell everyone you are leaving. if you have to tell someone, tell the producers in your personal interview. that way the other girls won't know when you keep changing your mind.

Is 'Major' The New 'Hot'?

2007-07-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

sure victoria beckham is spoiled and a little narcissistic. she is also a b/c list celebrity who wouldn't be half as 'major' as she is, were she not married to david beckham, and she is trying to move up the list and start an acting career. however, she also seems to be a funny chick that knows how to play the game, loves her family and is a little to skinny.

or at least that is what i got from watching Victoria Beckham: Coming To America.

she is like paris hilton, except, where the whole dumb brat thing isn't an act with paris, much of it does seem like a little more of an act with posh. and posh actually did something to get famous and wasn't just born into money and created celebrity.

speaking of funny: that sex doll thing was great, and when she said the celebrity she hated was eddie murphy, that was funny (because of all the crap between eddie and sporty spice).

also - did you see those houses she looked at. thems were some nice residences. i liked that tv rising out of the floor

NBC Fall Schedule Shuffle

2007-07-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

two weeks ago on the podcast - episode #45 - we previewed nbc's fall lineup. well, it has just changed a little, with nbc announcing that Friday Night Lights will go to fridays at 9pm rather then 10pm and Las Vagas will move from 9pm to the 10pm slot.

also, the new show Chuck (which is the new nbc show i am most looking forward to) is moving from tuesday at 9pm to the monday at 8pm slot right before Heroes which is followed by another new show, Journeyman.

the move for Chucks now puts it up against: Prison Break on fox, How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory on cbs and Dancing With The Stars on abc.

- on tuesday at 9pm it was up against: The Unit on cbs, House on Fox and Dancing With The Stars results show on abc

hmmmmm? so what so we think of this move? obviously they are hoping that the lead-in to heroes will help them and attract a similar crowd. i don't know though. since the show looks to be a comedy/drama/spyish mix it is now going up against Prison Break which has the thrill/excitement genre down - and a great cliff hanger from last season. also, abc's Dancing With The Stars doesn't do it for me, but that show has been doing great ratings. and then you have the first half of cbs's comedy monday (at least its not going up against the high-rated Two And A A Half Men).

on tuesday night: sure House is big, but Chuck is a very different show from House so it would be counter-programming in a way. and also the results shows are always lower rated then the competition ones. however, they might also have felt that The Biggest Loser wasn't the right lead in for Chuck and that having it at 9pm wouldn't get enough people coming from other networks after their 8pm shows.

we shall see i guess, but like i said i think Chuck looks good. i am however a big Prison Break fan - thank god for tivo!!!!

I Hope The Bionic Woman Isn't A Lesbian

2007-07-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

it has been announced that mister isaiah 'anti-gay-slur' washington has signed on for a recurring role on nbc's big new fall show Bionic Woman. i guess all the recent interviews he has been doing to 'clear his name' so to speak have worked. hey, i saw the larry king interview and that was some good pr and image-reworking there. in fact i don't know how i feel about patrick dempsey now.

Watch It Episode #46: CBS Fall Preview

2007-07-15T01:33:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #46

NEWS: Girl gets Paris Hilton's old phone number, The United States Of Tara, Snoop Dogg reality show, Extras special one-hour conclusion, Springfield Vermont gets Simpsons premier, Patinkin and Criminal Minds, Meridith's half-sister comes to Grey's Anatomy, Perez Hilton TV show, and more...

SHOW TALK: Just For Laughs, Without Prejudice, America's Got Talent, Age Of Love...

CBS FALL PREVIEW

BIG BROTHER 2-Minute Recap

Listener Feedback

Chrystina's Word Of The Week: Mojito

Email: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Tru, Court, Whatever...

2007-07-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

have you been noticing the lack of courtroom/legal system programming and the expansion of reality content at courttv over the last while? well, you aren't the only one, because the people at the network have as well and they have decided to do something about it. they have decided to change their name. on january 1st of next year courttv will become trutv.

zap2it quotes marc julius, the network's general manager saying, "early in the rebranding process, we realized that the current network name doesn't reflect the direction of our programming or our growing target audience of real engagers. In trutv, we now have the ideal name that fits both the programming and the target audience. The network will be top of mind for real engagers seeking real-life action programming, real-life emotion and access to places they can't normally go." (zap2it jokes that they are really trying to make that 'real engagers' tag stick, but i don't see that happening - it is a pretty lame term).

anyway, that's the deal over at courttv. they will still begin their days with some trial coverage and then viewers will get to 'enjoy' star jones in her new talk show, but after that the afternoons and evening will be for the 'real engagers'.

B.I.N.G.O.

2007-07-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

i watched about 10 minutes total of abc's short-lived National Bingo Night during the six weeks it aired this summer, and based on the rating i saw, not many other people were watching any more, if that much. abc, however, just announced that they are bringing the show back for a five day in a row run this december.

why are they doing that you ask? well, the reason is the internet, and no it wasn't some big fan outcry like what saved Jericho. in this case it was the fact that during the shows run there were more then 3 million cards downloaded by play-at-home participants which helped make abc.com the #1 tv web site during that time.

and therein is what caught my eye about this story. the idea that finally the big networks are realising the potential of the internet as something to be embraced rather then feared. it took them awhile, but things look to be slowly happening. another big step forward was when they realized that giving viewers the chance to watch full shows online for free was a good thing for the shows and therefore the networks as well....

letting someone watch an episode of Lost that they missed during the week keeps them involved in the show and makes them more likely to catch it the next week, rather then creating a situation where they miss too much of the story and therefore start to get disinterested. Or helping someone discover a show that is already a few episodes into the season so that they can catch up and get into the weekly flow. the examples are numerous and the potential is there.

i understand that it basically all comes down to money, but to be so stuck in the old tv ways isn't going to help them in this new internet-tivo-world, and the return of National Bingo Night is another small example that at least some people kind of 'get it'.

Watch It Episode #45: NBC Fall Preview

2007-07-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #45

NEWS: Emmy list leaked, Big Brother 8 solid ratings, Weeds singers, Aaron Brown, The Nine and Knights Of Prosperity coming back kind of, The Apprentice coming back, and more...

SHOW TALK: Big Brother, John From Cincinnati...

Listener Feedback

NBC Fall lineup preview

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Divorces

2007-07-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

there were a couple couples calling it quits this week...

salman rushdie and his gorgoeus wife, host of Top Chef, padma lakshmi have filed for divorce and wayne brady's wife has done the same (although they have been split up for a year already).

i guess i could say something else here, but i don't know what. rushdie and lakshmi had been together for about 2-3 years and the brady's had lasted about 6. in 'celebrity'-years those aren't bad numbers... so i guess it's on to the next one.

Desperate Dana Delany

2007-07-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

before they offered it to marcia cross the role of bree van de camp on Desperate Housewives was offered to dana delaney. she turned it down (obviously), but three years after making that mistake (depending on how you look at it) she might be coming anyway.

dana is in talks to come to the show as a regular next season and she would be moving to wisteria lane with her 'husband' nathan fillion and 'daughter' lyndsy fonseca and moving into.

there is no mention of what her storyline might be or what creepiness/craziness would ensue.

ABC Wins Nightly News Race

2007-07-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

according to variety, "abc news' "World News" won its first quarter in more then a decade as charles gibson pulled ahead of nbc's brian williams in the evening news ratings."

this is pretty big news in the nightly news ratings game. ever since i can remember it has always been nbc then abc then cbs - or, tom brokaw then peter jennings then dan rather (am i dating myself?)... that's when i used to watch the nightly news. now i get my news online, through the 24-hour cable channels and other sources. i don't watch the 6 and 11 o'clock news regularly anymore. but, like the Today Show always being number one in the ratings i have just come to expect nbc's nightly news to be ahead of abc's (cbs is in third place on both fronts) so when i read about gibson taking abc into first place i found it kind of interesting.

it wasn't a huge shock though, as it has been a long ways coming over the last while. ever since gibson took over at the abc desk the ratings have been getting closer (couric had a great start but has settled into third place).

Watch It Episode #44

2007-06-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #44

NEWS: Joel Siegel dies, Studio 60 ends, The Paris interview, The spector interview, the Beatles interview, more show pick-ups, will Rosie host Price Is Right?, Big Brother 8, and more...

SHOW TALK: The Shield, Weeds, Rescue Me, Traveler...

Listener Feedback

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Season Finales: The Shield & Weeds

2007-06-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

ya, ya, i know i am a little behind, but since i don't get fx or showtime with my cable package (i don't know if any package in canada provides them) i have to catch up with some of my favorite shows on a bit of a delay. with that out of the way, i can tell you all that this week i finished season 3 of Weeds and season 6 of The Shield, and all i have to say is WOW!

especially for The Shield: last seasons finale was crazy and i didn't know how they were going to play this season out. then when macky found out who really killed lem and with only a few days left before he was going to be forced out, again i wasn't sure where they were going to take it. but they took it to some good and dark places. having shane playing both sides of the armenian mob and then having to protect macky's family was all intense, good stuff. not that you need a recap of the whole season. but lets just say it was another great one and keeps it easily in my top 5 favorite shows on tv. i was really disappointed that it was only a 10 episode season.

as for Weeds: season three was another good season and i liked how the whole married-to-the-fbi thing went sour. and of course justin kirk as the brother-in-law is always great (just now with two less toes). as for the season finale, the last 10 minutes were awesome! with the two gangs with the guns pointed at our 'heroes' and her on the phone with her son with the pot in his trunk and the perfect score/music playing, and then the police arriving at the car... that was some great stuff.

Weeds season three is just a couple months away, so don't forget to check that out and for the Shield you will have to wait till 2008.

Sexy Techno Boy

2007-06-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

America's Got Talent talk:

sexy techno boy: funny and awful? it always amazes me when some people have such delusions of grandeur. the best part was when he told springer that if he had lip-synched he would have made it through to the next round.

lazy legs and the crew: good stuff

piers morgan: how he was going to say no to that incredible contortionist guy is beyond me.
the comedians making fun of piers and the hoff: they showed clips of two comedians that didn't make it through, but they sure got off a couple good lines against piers and the hoff before they left

leonid the magnificant: back again. awesome. and hey, if they let boy shakira through then it is only fair that he makes it (the hoff is being such a big baby. maybe he's just angry at getting picked on all show).

great 'reality' tv: coming back from commercial with the springer voice-over, the somber music and the clips of the hoff walking off and his dressing room door. that's good stuff. then the hoff running back on when the audience chants his name, but not before he looks into the camera and tells us 'hassle the piers, but don't hassle the hoff' - it pretty corny that he is quoting t-shirts right?

Thoth: "it's a language i invented"

the kid with his grandfather: awesome! (hey, does anyone know the name of the song that they did?)

the talking rabbit: piers was right on this one. the rabbit was great, but it wasn't really that funny after the initial great shock. i am curious to see what else hes got though, so i would have put him through to the next round also.

Science Vs. Instinct

2007-06-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

following Age Of Love last night, nbc aired an episode of a spin-off of sorts called Science Of Love. the show took a bachelor (in this case, nfl football player adam johnson) and sent him on two dates. the first one was with a woman that he picked from 50 possible choices based on his general likes and his instinct. the second woman was picked for him by 'scientists and experts' in the field of love. also, the date with the woman he picked was set up by him, while the second date was arranged by the 'experts' in order to facilitate them falling for each other (the food, the activities, etc...).

it all sounds pretty silly, but i have to say that i found it all kind of interesting and more of an actual 'experiment' then Age Of Love with its old and young women.

personally, i would have liked more information about the science part of it and the tests that were done and such, but the show did a decent job of giving us info about why the girl was picked and why certain foods and activities were chosen as well.

in the end it all moves a bit fast, making him pick one woman after only one date with each (he chose to go with science) but it was kind of interesting. i do have a couple questions though...

1) while they say that science was trying to find the women he will want to be with for the rest of his life, the date was all manufactured to create bonding and sexual enticement in the moment. so what happens when they aren't sweating (to release pheromones) or eating aphrodisiacs, or bungee jumping (to create a shared fear/bond)?

2) also, at the end of the show host, mark consuelos, told the winning woman that she could either except adams request to spend more time together (on a nice vacation) or she could come back next week and go through the same process he went through and the scientists could find her perfect guy. now hold on there. does that make sense? how could she be his perfect match but he not be hers? so, now when all the generated love that science created for them on their date wears off will adam fall madly in love with her, but she won't feel the same about him?

Keep Looking At Her Eyes

2007-06-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

the best part of last nights episode of Age Of Love was when our bachelor was formally introduced to the 20-somethings. first there was amanda who walked out with her bigger then a handful breasts and we hear his voice over say something to the effect of, 'the first thing i noticed was her great smile'. then there was tessa. the blond bimbo with the bigger then bigger then a handful boobs and phillippoussis telling us how it took more effort to keep looking at her eyes then it did to play many of his tennis matches.

now, i mentioned in my last post about the show that they were making all the 20-something chicks appear to be ditsy bimbos with nothing more then their good looks. i also said if after a few more episodes i was wrong i would gladly take those comments back. well i am taking them back... a little.

while a couple of the young women did seem to actually have some substance beyond their beauty, some of these girls continue to live up to their 'less then mensa' expectations. which brings us once again to tessa who fancies herself a smart girl with "good morals and good thoughts" who needs an intellectual guy. of course i understand that this is all heavily edited, and that reality tv editing can probably make stephen hawking look dumb, but i have a feeling the producers picked a few girls knowing they would be delivering those types of gems.

While we have started to see a little cattiness from the older generation, at this point (only 2 episodes in) they are by far being portrayed in a much better light then their younger competition (that 'nothing to say' silence in the hot tub moment inter cut with the older women dancing in the apartment was some great reality tv).

Watch It Episode #43

2007-06-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #43

News: Paris post-jail interview goes to Larry King, The Closer sets ratings record, 2 name-that-song-lyric shows go head to head, Power of 10 game show, Hells Kitchen ratings win, Kid Nation, Shemar Moore pleads no contest, and more...

Show Talk: Age Of Love, Science Of Love, Last Comic Standing, The Showbiz Show, Top Chef, Ex-Wives Club...

Listener Emails and Comments

Email: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Did You See My Lips Move?

2007-06-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

i am watching America's Got Talent as we speak/write and did you see terry factor (i think that was his name) that ventriloquist? that guy rocked!! he had the dummy sing the great etta james song 'at last' and wow!!! i'm glad they put him through.

now on to some hoff thoughts. i know everyone has been making hoff drunk jokes since the video came out - we have done it on the 'watch it' podcast as well. however, does anyone else think that he might really have had a few to many before this taping of the show we are watching tonight? his slurring his speach a little praising the beatboxer chick (who was great by the way) and then all those teasers of him walking off the set later in the show. the hoff just seems a little "off". does anyone else see it, or is it just me?

ok, so we just found out why the hoff walked off stage - because the other 2 put 'boy shakira' through to the next round. is that really walk-off-stage worthy? no. of course 'boy shakira' isn't going to win it all, but putting him through was a great tv move, kind of like that guy (from russia i think) last year that cried and had a dream to be famous and did something with hula-hoops.

my favorite part is where the hoff says, "has the world gone mad?". i think the fact that he has had any kind of singing career given how untalented he is at it would have told him long ago that it sure had.

Giving Chicks In Their 20's A Bad Name

2007-06-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

Age Of Love premiered last night on nbc. they have been hyping this thing as a great social experiment - giving a single 30-year-old guy (tennis "star" mark philippoussis) his pick of hot women in their 40's and hot girls in their 20's.

in the end, and of course this is based solely on seeing the first episode, this is another same-old-same-old bachelor-type dating show. there are going to be competitions and eliminations and everything you would expect.

what annoyed me the most was the girls in their 20's. they are all hot and, based on how they edited them, come across real dumb and bitchy. sure there was a little catyness starting with the older women, but all we saw of the 20-somethings was ditsy and annoying. was it that the producers couldn't find any smart and interesting hot 20-somethings?

it just felt like it was playing into the stereotype of a sexy babe in her 20's and based on that i can't see mark picking any of them in the end - sure they would be fun for as little while, but if he really is looking for something long-term then i would think he would want someone that could stimulate the head on his neck and not just the one below his waist.

yes, i am going to watch at least a couple more episodes, but the dumb 20-somethings aside, this great social experiment isn't anything new and looks to be just another regular dating reality show..... if things change farther into the show i will of course be back to post further comments about it all.

grade: C+

Lots Of Standing Comics

2007-06-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

i might have mentioned this in past posts, and i know i have talked about it on the podcast, but i have had enough of the singing and dancing competition/reality shows. once American Idol hit big we got a whole slew of them over the last years and they don't really interest me much.

personally i like the ones that showcase something more interesting and different and my two favorites have got to be American Inventor and Last Comic Standing which premiered last week with a two-hour show.

i love stand-up comedy and to do it well takes true talent. you can be funny, but it doesn't mean you can be a good stand-up comedian, and some of the people we saw audition were neither, but overall there was some very funny stuff and this season looks to be good. i also love the fact that they are going all over the world and that Canada had its share of good ones.

i didn't write down all the names, but i did feel that overall the judges did a good job. there were maybe 3 or 4 throughout the night that didn't make it to the next round that i felt really should have, but for the most part they did get it right. also, i'm sure they had the producers telling them a few people they wanted to make it based on them being a good story and able to get an audience to sympathise and such - - remember back a few seasons when drew carrey got really pissed because someone he thought should have made it didn't because the producers wanted someone else?

the judges/talent scouts are good, especially kathleen madigan and alonzo bolden (ant can be funny but i never really found his stand-up that good), and bill bellamy is a good host, although i also liked anthony clarke and jay mohr. look, the format is standard, they aren't breaking any new ground, but i love stand-up comedy and i get lots of laughs watching the show so it works for me.

i was excited that Last Comic Standing was coming back and so far so funny.

grade: B+

Watch It Episode #42

2007-06-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #42

NEWS: New Emmy rules, Boston Legal and Law & Order casting news, Posh reality show, Without Breasts There Is No Paradise, Is Tony Soprano dead?, Degeneres and Barker get daytime Emmys, Oprah tops list, Burrows joins team of Back To You, The Hoff is straight, and more....

SHOW TALK: Last Comic Standing, The Loop...

Email: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

The Hoff Is Straight, In Case You Didn't Know.

2007-06-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

i mentioned it in my post about last week's episode of America's Got Talent, but it looks like the hoff is really on a mission to make sure everyone knows he is straight and likes women because, he has just done it again. in reference to the male belly dancer guy he made some comment about how he prefers women. ok hoff we know: you like women. i don't think anyone ever suspected otherwise, but if you did, now you know the truth.

by the way.... i'm into women.

The Loop

2007-06-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

i missed fox's show, The Loop when it premiered last year and i assumed i hadn't missed much since most sitcoms are not that funny. however, i was wrong. i just caught an episode tonight (fox is burning off a bunch of episodes over the next few weeks) and i have to say it was damn funny. quick, witty dialogue, fun characters and i have to say that i laughed out loud multiple times.

the only problem is that now that i found the show i am pissed that it has been canceled, but that has been a reoccurring theme this last tv season so i guess this is just par for the course. if you have a chance, check out The Loop while you still can.

Watch It Episode #41

2007-06-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #41

NEWS: Paris is out and now she's back in, Law & Order, Dexter and Tudors casting news, Barker says good-bye, Larry David and wife call it quits, The Captain coming to CBS mid-season, Jericho also, Dr. Burke not coming back to Grey's Anatomy, Kimmel game show Set For Life airing this summer, Tyler Perry sets records at TBS...

SHOW TALK: America's Got Talent, American Inventor...

EMAIL: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Everything Is Going To Be Alright

2007-06-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

ya i know i am a few days late on this, but i am just getting to last week's premier episode of American Inventor now, and they just put through the 'therapy buddy'. now, i'm all for going against the 'mean british judge' on any of these competition shows, but come on. that therapy buddy is one scary doll. that creepy voice is, i think, the worst of it, so if they change that, then maybe i could see it as something not so bad, but still......

i thought that kid with the bag-of-wipes-attach-to-diaper thing was better then the therapy buddy and that 'pot sniffer' toilet bowl freshener thing was really good. but it is just the beginning and i haven't seen anything really great yet. and i know that 'everything is going to be alright.'

Does America Have Any Talent Left?

2007-06-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

America's Got Talent premiered its second season last night and after watching the whole two hours i have a few things to say about what i saw during those 120 minutes...

- i thought it was pretty funny when the hoff made some comment about being with another man and then made sure to say right away afterwards that he was straight. he should have confirmed whether he was sober or not: also, if anyone caught his performance on the show last season - who is he to judge talent?

- i said this last season and i'll say it again: i hope the show doesn't just turn into another singing competition. we have enough of those. this is where all those other talents can "shine" and the judges should realize that rather then dismissing so many things that are just different (did anyone else think that colorful colon (as the hoff called it) was actually pretty cool?)

- 2 british judges on America's Got Talent

- people are putting themselves out there and when the judges start buzzing them before they even perform at all is rude and arrogant (elvis guy wasn't good, but he deserved his few seconds). the show says it is open to anyone, so that is what they are going to get. and again i mention the hoff's performance last year that for sure would have nto got him through to the next round had he been a contestant.

- the judges get all up on their high horse when a bad act comes out, but that's what makes the show fun and they know it. they are getting payed to sit there, hit a button and say 'yes' or 'no'. that is a damn good gig and they should relax a little (if they were as funny and witty as The Next Best Thing judges they could get away with being mean, but they aren't)

- that ventriloquist girl was good (piers has such a stick up his ass).

- he was so mean to that young singing girl. calling a little girl charmless is not constructive or funny. piers is the kind of judge that would probably put alec baldwin through to the next round for that angry message he left his daughter.

- that whole sharon storming off the set thing was great tv, but it just shows even more how these shows are becoming more about the judges then the performers.

hey, i kind of like the show, and jerry springer is a fine replacement for regis. i like that it showcases variety rather then just singing and dancing like we see all the time, and i just hope that it isn't a singing or dancing act that wins the $1 000 000 this time.

Watch It Episode #40

2007-06-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #40

NEWS: Goodbye Charles Nelson Reilly, Thompson leaves Law & Order, Who will replace Rosie, Galactica ending after next season, i-Caught brings online videos to primetime, A new hero, Kidney transplant show is a hoax, NBC gets rights to Live Earth concert, The Apprentice might not be done just yet...

SHOW TALK: On The Lot, The Next Best Thing, Jimmy Kimmel...

Plus: Listener comments and Chrystina actually watched some tv this week

Email: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Is It Actually The Next Best Thing

2007-05-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

so folks, it looks like summer reality/contest show time is upon us. On The Lot premiered last week and we have season 2 of America's Got Talent and American Inventor arriving shortly. and don't forget Last Comic Standing is coming back and the new show Age Of Love starting soon. then there is the show that premiered last night on abc, The Next Best Thing: Who Is The Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? yes, it is one of the longest frickin' titles ever, but it is also a good show... so far.

that's right, i quite enjoyed it last night. sure, the best part of all these contest shows is the thousands-of-people-audition part where you see the good and the really bad (those first few weeks of every American Idol season are the only ones i actually make an effort to watch).

however, with The Next Best Thing, i actually enjoyed seeing the good ones as much, if not more, then the bad ones. the best part of the bad ones were the funny quips made by the celebrity judges: lisa ann walter, jeffrey ross (who does funny stand-up) and elon gold (who is actually very funny also, especially if all you recognize him from is that awful pam anderson show Stacked).

last night were the l.a. auditions and there were some great ones, like that guy who did sam kinison, al pacino and one other one. he was great. the lucille ball chick was really good also and the robin willimas and george bush that they let through were alright but not great. personally i thought the martha stewart women was scary good, but they sent her home.

so, while this is based on just the first episode, and i may have to amend my grade as the show goes longer and i see how it develops past the auditions, i have to say that i enjoyed it. it was different, funny, i liked the judges and i am going to tune in next episode.

grade: B

No More Super-Sized Shows At NBC

2007-05-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

nbc has announced that they will no longer be doing any super-sized episodes of thier comedies. they still plan on having some hour long episodes of The Office, but no more 37, 40, 45, etc... minute ones.

this will be good news to all the fans of the shows that kept missing parts because the odd times would mess with their tivo's.

i think it probably also has something to do with the fact that the shows aren't huge rating hits like some of their old thursday night comedies. one of the goals of the super-size strategy is to keep people from switching over to another show so that by the time the episode ends it is already into the other networks shows so the viewer will just stay where they are.

this might have worked better when they were super-sizing shows with huge ratings like Friends, but unfortunately their current lineup of thursday night laughers aren't in that category (although they are still the two-funniest consecutive hours of tv ever).

R.I.P. Charles Nelson Reilly

2007-05-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

i will admit it here (and i have said it many times on the podcast) i am a big fan of the game show network. and one of my favorite shows on gsn are the reruns of Match Game. especially the ones when richard dawson was still there.

anyway, i bring this up because perpetual panelist on the show, charles nelson reilly pased away five days ago and watching him on Match Game reruns is how i know him best. however, for all of you who are unfamiliar with him, or like me know him just from Match Game, he was a lot more accomplished then you might think.

Zap2It has a good article about the man and his carreer that you can check out to find out more about his acting, directing and his life.

Watch It Episode #39

2007-05-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

listen to 'Watch It' podcast episode #39

NEWS: Idol finale, Pennington gets probation, Drive comes back for a couple hours, Rosie leaving early, House gets post-Super Bowl spot, Gay Robot, The Apprentice is over, Mary-Kate joins cast of Weeds, and more...

SHOW TALK: The Simpsons, Family Guy, On The Lot...

Listener email and comments

email: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

On The Lot Picks Host And Judges

2007-05-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

i would have thought that they would have done all this by the time the show aired, but according to this article at Zap2It, apparently On The Lot has just now announced who the judges and host will be. carrie fischer and garry marshal are staying for the season as judges, but the host of the first couple shows is gone and adrianna costa will now host the rest of the season.

because reality tv is cheap to produce, this is the start of the summer season and you have people like mark burnett and steven spielberg behind the show, i am pretty sure we will get a full season. however, the ratings have been pretty poor, which is too bad because it is actually a pretty good show from what i have seen so far. it has all the typical ingredients of the genre, but being a bit of a film maker myself i find it pretty interesting and exciting. basically, it is 'The Apprentice Goes To The Movies'.

Family Wars

2007-05-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

hey Star Wars fans and Family Guy fans. now, like what happened for peanut butter and chocolate lovers many years ago, your two favorite things are coming together this september. for their season five premier, Family Guy will do a whole Star Wars episode with all the characters portraying characters from the movie (stewie is darth vadar of course).

the thing i found most interesting about this was that the episode has got full approval from lucasfilm. this won't be the first time they have payed 'homage' to Star Wars, but this will be a full hour-long episode rather then little bits.

The Simpsons Is The king

2007-05-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

i know everyone is on the Family Guy bandwagon these days (and ya i think it is a funny show), but for me The Simpsons is still the king. it has been around all these years and is still making me laugh with great writing, silly jokes, sight gags and strong social satire.

it isn't the pop culture icon it was when it was at its peek audience wise, but i think people have just gotten so used to it being so good that they don't give it the credit it still justly deserves. case in point the season finally '24' episode last sunday. come on people, that shit was funny. i hear people talk about how the show isn't as good as it used to be, but that usually comes from people who aren't watching the show anymore, so how the hell would they know. did they see the homer gets a gun episode, or the 'Catch Me If You Can' parody? how about the 'kent brockman swears on tv episode' or the one where marge joins an online role playing game and homer becomes a soccer ref. and i can go on... the show is still top of the animated comedy heap. check that. it is right up there with the best sitcoms on tv, animated or not.

i know it just missed my list of top 15 shows on tv, but i have to say it JUST missed the making the list and that shouldn't be an indication that my feelings for the show are anything but good. and i can't wait for the movie.

grade: A

Randy's Jacket And Other Idol Thoughts

2007-05-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

okay, i wasn't planning on writing about American Idol tonight, but i just turned it on and caught blake's 'you give love a bad name' (i think simon and randy were right about him being a little flat with the singing, but that beat boxin' was hot).

anyway, that's not why i am posting here. did you see randy's jacket? that thing is not good.

before i go: jordin is finishing up her 'fighter' song, and i have to say in my best simon cowell impression 'that was just ok for me'.

they are both going to have to do better...

i'm back: okay so jordin's second performance was great. that's what I expect from a finalist.

i'm back again: how bad were the other thousands of entries that that piece of mediocre junk won the songwriting competition?

LIST: Best Television Shows (currently on the air)

2007-05-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

i always enjoy a good list, and with the tv season coming to an end i thought it would be an opportune time for a list of the best shows on television. i know a top 10 list is standard, but for this topic i went with a top 15.

with such a grand topic i did set a few rules for myself:

- the show has to currently be on the air, or have just finished it's season or be already renewed for another season (if The knights Of Prosperity really does come back then it has a great chance of making next seasons list).

- i had to have seen at least one full season of the show (this made the Tudors and The Riches ineligible, although they are already on my mind for next seasons list)

- i also had to have seen more then just the first season if the show is already in it's third or fourth season (that eliminated Nip/Tuck. i enjoyed season one but haven't got to the next ones yet. that also took Deadwood off the list)

- finally, i obviously had to have watched the show, and as i am only human with only so much time in the day, even with a dvr i can't watch everything. so here is a quick listing of shows that i just haven't watched yet, but from what i have heard they could have been contenders for the list: The Wire, Dirt, Entourage, Heroes, Big Love, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

i have written fuller reviews of some of these shows and i will link to those reviews for those series. now, let's let the listing begin...

1-Boston Legal
2-Rescue Me
3-Sopranos
4-The Shield
5-Scrubs
6-Battlestar Galactica
7-24
8-Lost
9-The Office
10-Friday Night Lights
11-My Name Is Earl
12-30 Rock
13-Rome
14-ER
15-Dexter

just missed the cut: The Simpsons, Weeds, Survivor,

Boston Legal Finale Delayed One Week

2007-05-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

don't panic if on tuesday may 22nd at 10pm you turn on abc all excited about the season finale of the great Boston Legal only to see some second-rate celebrities dancing around on your screen. it will be okay. i promise. what you will be watching is the finale of Dancing With The Stars, but on tuesday may 29th (one week later) at 10pm you will get the Boston Legal season finale you were looking forward to.

if you were wondering why this was happening it is because abc has decided to add an additional episode of The Bachelor 'after the final rose' at 8pm on the 22nd which pushes the 2-hour Dancing With The Stars finale to 9pm-11pm taking over Boston Legal's spot.

no worries though, we just have to wait a week. and although i don't know anything about the episode, the show is so good i know it's gonna be great.

Drive Is Coming Back (Not Really)

2007-05-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

sorry if i got all you Drive fans excited there for a second, but given the poor ratings the show had, there really aren't that many of you out there (i'll admit i was kind of one of the few. didn't think it was a great show, but was beginning to get interested in a guilty pleasure kind of way).

anyway, the point is that on july 4th fox will air the 2 hours of the show that they have left. i guess there were only 6 hours filmed and produced so far, and since we have already had the first 4 hours, we can now watch the last two. this is very nice of them and all, but the problem is that won't it just leave us hanging with more questions and such?

oh well. i guess that is all we are going to get so enjoy it.

Some Pick-Ups, Cancelled Shows And Other News

2007-05-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

just some quick notes on a few things i've heard over the last day or so in my random web surfings and news listening.

very good news:
- NBC has ordered 25 episodes of My Name Is Earl and The Office which is up from the normal 22. there will also be five hour-long The Office episodes next season
- Scrubs renewed

bad news:
- Scrubs renewed for believed to be only 18 episodes
- Studio 60 canceled: while i had problems with it and it definitely wasn't up to the high-quality of sorkin's last couple shows (The West Wing, Sports Night) it did have some very good writing, it was improving and i was interested in seeing where it could go

i don't care either way news:
- How I Met Your Mother renewed by cbs: it's pretty funny whenever i watch it, but that is rarely
- Jericho canceled by cbs: i was into it for the first few episodes but i lost interest and stopped watching about a third of the way through the season.

Terminator Coming to TV

2007-05-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

ever since seeing Terminator 3 have you been waiting for something to come along to fill in the story gaps between the second and third films? well, you are in luck folks, because it looks pretty good that next season the fox network will bring us The Sarah Conner Chronicles.
on my film podcast "filmed but not forgotten" last week i talked about the new T4 movie that is going to be made, so for any Terminator fans who thought that T3 was the end of the line, you have a lot more T to come.

check out the rest of the article for more fox at the upfronts news.

What The Hell Is Lisi Talking About?? And Earl Wins!!!

2007-05-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

-she gave up on the game and wimped out and now she is making no sense asking cassandra about her water shoes and all the other stuff - even jeff probst looked totally confused. it was great.

other stuff from the jury questioning:

- cassandra had the opportunity to do well since she did do the least lying and cheating, but she just couldn't answer questions. she was like a politician always coming back to her talking point "i was there for people who needed someone to talk to and listen" blah, blah, bllah!!!

- i love how everyone gets all high and mighty when they are on the jury.

- i know they have to do the final vote reveal live so that the winner doesn't leak out, but i really wish they did it on the island. it is so much more intense with all the emotions running high and such. back on the sound stage months later when everyone is clapping and the players are all cleaned up just loses much of the intensity.

congratulations earl!!!

Dreamz Kept The Necklace

2007-05-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

holy crap!! dreamz just kept the necklace. i mean literally just said "i'm gonna keep it" - as i write this they are voting. i have to admit, i thought he was gonna give it up. what a great Survivor moment though.

holy crap!! now he voted for yau-man after telling him earlier today that if he changed his mind and kept the necklace at least he wouldn't vote for yau. ok, i guess technically he never agreed to that, he just asked why yau thought he would change his mind, but come on.

the problem with what dreamz did is that he pretty much made it sure that he wouldn't get yau-man's vote in the finals. whereas if he had kept yau in (and he had won the tie-breaker) dreamz might have been able to get cassandra's vote. maybe. and also he wouldn't have looked as bad for keeping the necklace for any jury members that that means something to.

i understand that yau is strong though and all that, but i don't know if he would have had as many votes on the jury as they all thought he would have had.

ok, now a few other comments on the show so far:

- that whole going past all the voted-off player torches and remembering them is still the low point/cheesy point of every Survivor finale

- i'm not a fan of the three people in the finals thing they are doing now. call me a traditionalist, but it should come down to 2 people not 3. and on that topic, with 9 jury members what happens if there is a tie?

- what's up with rocky always doing that tough guy walk in up the stairs when they bring the jury in?

Watch It Episode #38

2007-05-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

Listen To 'Watch It' podcast episode #38

NEWS: Lost till 2010, Shows on and off 'the bubble', Real Wedding Crashers done, Pressly has baby boy, New NBC dating show, Veronica Mars, Notes From The Underbelly renewed, Knights Of Prosperity might come back, A bunch of new shows, MTV Rapping With The Stars, Ty Pennington problems with the law...

SHOW TALK: Miami Ink, My Name Is Earl, Hasselhoff/America's Got Talent...

Listener Email and Comments and Voice mail

Chrystina's word this week: revamped/revampness (although that isn't a word)

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

Shows Off The Bubble

2007-05-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

so yesterday i talked about a bunch of shows that were 'on the bubble' and then today nbc and cbs announced a couple renewals.

cbs gave the go ahead to Rules Of Engagement and The New Adventures Of Old Christine.
- i don't care. neither show is that good

nbc has renewed Friday Night Lights
- this is great news for a great show

'Boogie Nights' Earl

2007-05-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

it may just be my televison and movie geekness, but how cool was that little ode to Boogie Nights on last nights episode of My Name Is Earl?

when earl went to see how darnell and the kids were doing without joy he walked into a scene reminiscent of the scene in Boogie Nights when dirk and his two pals go to that drug dealers house to rob him - one of the kids is eating sugar off the table through a straw and the other one is tossing snappin' poppers around the living room. not only that, but to top it off perfectly the same song is playing in the background (i think it was Sister Christian by night ranger).

last week it was Rudy and this week Boogie Nights. great show!!

Shows On "The Bubble"

2007-05-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

i just read a little article in variety about the nbc and cbs shows that are on 'the bubble' as far as being renewed for next season goes. check it out.

here is where i stand on the shows mentioned:

Close To Home: watched it a few times, thought it was ok, but don't really care what happens to it.

Friday Night Lights: one of the best new shows of the past season this better get renewed. nbc has been cancelling shows left and right this year and to have something of this quality is worth holding on to.

Jericho: i followed this one for about the first 7 or 8 episodes, and while i was somewhat interested in the story it just didn't hold me, and eventually fell off my dvr record list.

Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent: i used to watch the former all the time and the repeats constantly when a&e had them playing multiple times per day. now i don't catch the episodes as much, but it is still a quality show. i never got into ci but have watched it on occasion and enjoyed it (d'onofrio is awesome). i have a strong attachment to the original series and i really hope they bring it back. as for ci, i could go either way.

Scrubs: one of the best sitcoms of the last 20 years, this is such a smart and funny show and i really hope it comes back. i like the fact that abc is thinking of picking it up if nbc gets stupid and drops it.

The New Adventures Of Old Christine: your standard, average sit-com. wanda sykes is funny and the best part of the few episodes i have watched.

Wedding Crashers Cancelled

2007-05-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

i have done a lot of complaining this season about networks cancelling quality shows before they have a chance to find the audience they deserve (Day Break, The Knights Of Prosperity, The Nine, The Black Donnelley's, Smith...), however, that is not the case with The Real Wedding Crashers.

yes, that's right folks, The Real Wedding Crashers is done. that's ok though, because it wasn't that good a show anyway (check out my full review of the show if you are so inclined).

i would love to tell you that nbc had decided to bring back The Black Donnelley's in the time slot (monday night at 10pm) but instead they are going to show episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent which will then repeat in the shows regular tuesday night slot.

Kat Heads Back To L.A.

2007-05-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

on last nights season finale of Miami Ink, kat was let go by ami and headed back to los angeles. they are both pretty stubborn and everything just finale came to a head and that was that.

now, i know there is a lot of footage that we don't get to see, but for me it just seemed a bit harsh. i was surprised that they didn't sit down and try to talk it out like friends/co-workers, especially since she is so talented and i think the others liked her. i was also surprised that garver didn't do something. he is like the 'father figure' of the bunch and the one that they all look up to, and i think if he had sat them both down and mediated an actual adult discussion earlier, things could have gone a different way. maybe.

anyway, kat is gone and it is true that she seemed to miss l.a. and talk about missing it a lot, so this might be the best in the end. and for all you other kat fans out there you can look forward to L.A. Ink on tlc in the near future.

Extreme Makeover: Jailhouse Edition?

2007-05-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

ty pennington isn't going to jail, but he did spend a couple hours at the los angeles county jail before posting $5000 bail after being arrested for suspicion of drunk driving.

he of course apologized (like celebrities are so good at doing these days when they screw up) and told Extra, "Under no circumstances should anyone consume alcohol while driving. I could have jeopardized the lives of others and I am grateful there was no accident or harm done to anyone. This was my wake-up call. I also want to apologize to my fans, ABC Television and my design team for my lapse in judgment and the embarrassment I have caused."

he has a court date set for june 4th.

FX Is All Set

2007-05-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

fx began its life years ago as a run-of-the-mill cable channel showing 20th century fox movies and reruns of fox television shows (i'm talking about after the whole fx live and interactive thing before that). however, today it has created quite a line-up of original programming that is second to none (not even hbo).

i bring this up in the context of the network just having announced a second season pickup of both Dirt (haven't watched it yet) and The Riches (great show). not only that, but they have also set their schedule for the rest of 07-08 as far as their other shows go as well. - check out a few more details here.

Lost Sets An End Date

2007-05-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

i really appreciate it when a show can end the way it is supposed to, the way the creators intended for it to end. Lost is going to get one such ending.

it has been announced that the producers of the show and abc have signed a deal that will keep the show on the air for three more 16-episode seasons. everyone seems happy with the deal and it means they can conclude the series the way they always intended which i am very happy to see, since it doesn't always end up that way (shows get canceled, initial creators leave a show, etc). the producers have said that from the beginning they saw the show as about a 90-100 hour series, and with the upcoming 48 hours they will end up with a total of 119.

yes, 16 episodes is a short season compared to the 20-24 that usually make up a network show, however, they will be presented in full blocks without repeats and/or season breaks. So, in 2010 all will finally be revealed.

Watch It Episode #37

2007-05-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

The 'WATCH IT' podcast is a fun and informative (sometimes more so then others) audio podcast discussing television shows, news, opinions and whatever else comes up in the course of our humorous, combative and fun to listen to conversations...

subscribe to the podcast

Listen To Watch It podcast episode #37

NEWS: Tom Poston Died, Paris Hilton going to jail, DeGeneres injured, Modine Joining Weeds, Gilmore Girls canceled, British 'Peep Show' coming to America, Rescue Me returns in June, GSN salutes Bob Barker, Seymore Butts hates sleeves...

SHOW TALK: My Name Is Earl, The Real Wedding Crashers, Thank God You're Here...

"Interesting" Listener Email And Comments

Email: watchitpodcast at gmail.com

Chrystina's Word This Week: Peanut Butter

CHECK OUT THE LAST 5 EPISODES ON THE SIDEBAR OR HEAD ON OVER TO WATCHIT.LIBSYN.COM TO ENJOY EVERY EPISODE PAST AND PRESENT(or just subscribe and get them all right when they come out - it is all free of course)

What Does Seymore Butts Have Against Sleeves?

2007-05-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

check out the deals on Family Business on DVD

adam glasser aka. seymore butts is one of the biggest and best producers, directors and distributors of adult entertainment around. while he has been in the business for about 13 years, his pop culture recognition has gone up quite a bit over the last few years with his reality show on showtime called Family Business, which follows him as he searches for love, raises his son and works with his family (his 60-year-old cousin and his mother both work with him).

it's a fun, often funny 'behind-the-scenes' show, and it does give you an interesting look into the adult industry that isn't the stereotype. it shows you that there are many normal, smart, non-drug addicted people in the business who love their families and are good people. sometimes it tends to feel really set-up, and by that i mean that some scenes almost feel performed just for the camera (not as bad as on The Hills though, so don't worry), but that doesn't take away from the show too much.

grade: B

anyway, so i was watching an episode of the show today and i noticed something that has been bugging me ever since i started watching the show... adam glasser hates sleeves! i know that is a bold statement, but if you have ever watched the show you must of noticed that the guy is always wearing tops with cut off sleeves. on the episode i was watching today, the crew heads to the caribbean to do promotion and shoot a movie. in the opening scene, adam is packing, and as the camera comes into the room he is folding a sleeveless shirt and putting it into a suitcase filled with other sleeveless/cut off sleeve shirts.

i don't know if adam was hurt by a sleeve when he was a kid, but for whatever reason they are just not a part of his clothing repertoire.

ER Is Strong And Healthy As Ever

2007-05-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

ER on DVD

this week ER began its may sweeps with a wedding episode. the wedding episode is a sweep month classic, but not one that always gets me that excited. the ER one this week, however, was great. the surprise wedding factor, the touching vows, the a-bit-over-the-top rabbi, nilla and the 'shocking' end all made it one really good episode.

but, that is something i have come to expect from ER over the course of its 13 seasons (yup, they are in season 13 right now). i will admit that there were a few years there, around seasons 6 thru 8 that i didn't really watch the show much if at all, but i started getting back into it about 5 years ago and have been a loyal viewer ever since.

like Law & Order, ER has gone through many cast changes over the course of its run and like Law & Order it has remained a strong show. you would have thought that loosing george clooney and dr. green and all those original cast members would have meant the end of the show, but instead it has kept going and, for the most part, not missed a beat. goran visnjic as dr. kovac is really good and a strong presence on the screen. his character alone has gone through so much over the years and has remained interesting and real. the same goes for so many of the other performers and characters. then this season with the addition of john stamos things have just kept going.

with a show like ER that has been around for so long it gets easy to rely on an audiences long connection with the characters and assume that that will sustain the show. thankfully the writers haven't gotten lazy and have continued to develop interesting stories and situations, from the powerful and, for many, eye-opening episodes about the situation in darfur, africa to the goings on at the er.

the preview for next week's episode told us that stanley tucci would be joining the show as the new er chief (he probably still has all his doctor stuff for his quickly canceled show 3 LBS that aired 2 or 3 times earlier this season). looks like its gonna be good.

grade: A-

Desperate Houswives Review

2007-05-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Desperate Housewives - The Complete First Season
Desperate Housewives - The Complete Second Season

i have made references to Desperate Housewives in past posts but i thought it was time to write up an 'official' review and grade this puppy.

for me Desperate Housewives has gone through three stages which coincide with their three seasons how shocking)...

season one: the show becomes a breakout phenomenon. the show takes a darkly comic tone on the goings on at wisteria lane beginning on the day one of its residents (mary alice young) kills herself. what made the first season so much fun for me was the mystery of why she killed herself. each week, while we are also following the four main 'housewives' in their stories the show is also giving us clues as to what happened that led up to the tragedy. the problem was that at the end of the season we knew it all. the whole mystery that had brought us in and kept us watching was over. (A-)

season two: having finished with the mystery the show felt like it didn't really know what to do with itself and season two fell pretty flat. there were multiple new mysteries and story lines, but really nothing was as interesting as what we had been introduced to in season one. it was turning into a regular prime-time soap and losing the originality and flavour that had made it stand out in the first place. (C+)

season three: although i keep hearing rumours that they are going to give mary alice more screen time and do something with her character (yes, i know she is dead), that still hasn't happened and she is still relegated to her voice over observations about life and the people on wisteria lane (which are great by the way. maybe the best voice-overs on tv along with j.d. on Scrubs, but way ahead of meredith grey on Grey's Anatomy). anyway, so with mary alice in the background the show seems to have settled into its prime-time soap opera vibe with all the sex, death, mysteries and crazy plot lines that we have come to expect from these types of shows.

i wish they had kept up the underlying mystery from season one longer - for example: in Lost they have maintained an over reaching mystery about the island and why they are there since the pilot episode. sure they reveal new mysteries and solve others, but there is always that sense that the show is heading somewhere that we don't know yet. - it might not be totally fair to compare the two shows like that, but that is the sense i had for Desperate Housewives during season one, and i liked it.

I do like the show. it is a fun hour every sunday night, and although i personally would have liked to see them follow through more on what the show felt like in season one, the writing is good and they do seem a lot more comfortable with what they are becoming now then they were last season.

grade: B

The Two Funniest Hours On Television Ever

2007-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

it is a bold statement, but i stated in a few podcasts and in a post a few days ago that nbc's current thursday night two-hour comedy block is the funniest 2 hour block of tv ever. there have been other very funny shows on television past and present but never on one night one after the other like My Name Is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock and Scrubs.

all four shows are original single camera shows (not filmed in front of an audience) that are consistently smart, sometimes touching and always funny. there are always multiple laugh-out-loud moments in each show every week. the humor on all four shows goes all over the place and varies from high-brow wit to fart jokes and even slapstick.

the acting is also great and it doesn't stop at just the stars of the shows. sure jason lee, steve carell, tina fey, zach braff and the other lead actors are great, but so is the actress that plays the latina maid on My name Is Earl, the todd on Scrubs and so many others.

nbc has had some great comedies on thursday nights before (Cheers, Seinfeld, Frasier, the Cosby Show, Friends, Will & Grace, etc), but they have always had to throw mediocre filler shows in between the good ones (Four Kings, Veronicas Closet, Coupling, Suddenly Susan, Jesse, etc). now there is no filler, just two-hours of high-quality comedy television.

i talked, a few days ago, about how scrubs might not get renewed for next season. i really hope it does, because it just wouldn't be right to break up such a beautiful thing just yet, especially since nbc announced plans to bring 30 Rock back strong next season.

Grades:
- My Name Is Earl: A
- The Office: A+
- 30 Rock: A
- Scrubs: A+

My Name Is Rudy

2007-05-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

what a great My Name Is Earl we got tonight. i didn't have the laugh n' sniff card so i couldn't do that part of it, but the show was still great. in this episode earl gets a job as a loader at an appliance store but wants to become a salesman. the show does a whole 'Rudy'(like the movie) thing as earl tries to do what no docker has ever done before. not only that, but they had Rudy actors charles s. dutton and rudy himself sean astin there as well. very funny stuff, and the scene at the end when all the dockers come in to the bosses office one at a time just like the players did in the movie was great.

Who Needs A Tan?

2007-05-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

the e! entertainment chanel has announced a new nonscripted show called Sunset Tan that will premier at 10:30 on may 28th after the premier of the latest Simple Life season.

the show takes place in a tanning salon and will follow the staff and clients. it sounds like Miami Ink but in a tanning salon and without talented artists.

two things caught my eye when i read the article about the show in variety today.

1) first was the fact that they called it a nonscripted comic sudser. no i don't mean their corny use of the word 'sudser' rather then soap. i am reffering to the fact that they are calling it a comedy. i love how these shows are all 'reality/nonscripted' and yet it can be a comedy or drama or something else i guess. this goes to show how important editing and 'writing' is on these reality shows with their ability to turn the show into whatever they want it to be really.

2) the second thing that caught my attention was the fact that The Simple Life is coming back for another season. are people really still watching that show?

Goodbye Girls

2007-05-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Get The Gilmore Girls on DVD

yup, the Gilmore Girls has been officially cancelled by the cw. i have never followed the show, but whenever i did catch an episode here and there i thought it was actually pretty good. nevertheless this current seaon will be its last.

the only thing that struck me when i heard about this was that given that the season is already pretty much done will they be able to end the show properly, which is something i feel very strongly about. i am thinking though, that since the possible renewal of the show has been on the fence for a while now that they had probably set it up so that they could end the show properly at the end of this current season.

a statment was released saying that they "promise to give this series the send off it deserves".

These Aren't Fake Wedding Crashers

2007-05-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

i was going to post my review of The Real Wedding Crashers after watching the first episode, but after watching the episode i really wanted to watch the second one before putting my thoughts down on 'electronic' paper to see if my issues with the show still held true after another episode. now that episode two has aired (a couple nights ago) i am ready to go....

The Real Wedding Crashers is a hidden camera comedy show in which a group of five improv comics crash a wedding and hilarity ensues. see, now that actually sounds like a funny concept, but that isn't exactly how the show plays out.

what really happens for most of the show is that we see flash back punk'd type tricks that the crew played on certain members of the wedding party, like the best man, grooms friend, father of the bride, brides maid, etc... what the show does is put us at the wedding, show us these characters and then show us video of the trick they pulled on them.

now i will say that some of these tricks are pretty funny stuff, like when they tented the wedding hall and pretended that it was being fumigated for termites and spiders the day before the wedding. the 'crashers' are good at what they do and i like how they give a little wink to the camera at the end of each 'scene'.

while most of the show is made up of showing us how they 'crashed' each of the individual victims, there is some crashing that goes on at the wedding itself. like the wiater who takes the plates away before the people are even closed to being finished, or the 'date' that shows up in a wedding dress (that was very funny).

my issue with the show is that there isn't enough of the actual wedding crashing, and instead it is more like individual crashing with a little wedding crashing thrown in. at the end of the show the crashers go up on stage and announce that 'this wedding has been crashed' and everyone is seen laughing and being shocked (and happy that what had happend had been on purpose with the blessing of the bride and groom who are always in on it), but except for the 3 or 4 main people that they pulled pranks on it just doesn't seem like everyone else gets that 'crashed' and it all feels like a bit of a let down from the promised 'real wedding crashers'.

also,the show is too long at an hour and would be much tighter at a half-hour long, and they should decide what kind of show they want to be. not that nbc asked me, but this is what i think they should do (and actually what i thought the show was really going to be)...

they have to tighten it up: i say go all out and make it a half hour of just at-the-wedding crashing stuff. the performers are great, and when they do get the entire wedding involved in thier crashing it can be funny. As it is now, however, it is too long and just doesn't have enough to make the payoff worthwhile.

grade: C+

Thank God Angela Kinsey Is Here

2007-05-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

you might know angela kinsey from her role as angela the uptight accountant on The Office (and you should because that is a great show), but i just watched her on Thank God You're Here and she was damn funny. i have already reviewed the show and found it hit and miss with the funny, but angela kinsey was a definite hit. great timing and wit and silliness and just some good laugh-out-loud funny stuff.

fred willard is also very funny, but that is more expected since we know him as an improv guy with all those movies he has done with christopher guest (Waiting For Guffman, Best In Show, etc...)

Is Scrubs Done?

2007-05-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

i just came across this article at the variety web site about Scrubs. supposedly the shows fate is up in the air and it may not be renewed for next season. this would be a huge disappointment given that it is a brilliant show and part of nbc's thursday night 2-hour comedy block (with My Name Is Earl, 30 Rock and The Office) which just might be the best 2-hour block of comedy ever on tv. let's keep our fingers crossed that nbc let's Scrubs scrub in next season (that was bad, i know). if they don't abc has expressed some interest. in the end i guess i don't care what network it ends up on, just as long as it is still on television and able to do its thing.

Immunity Idols, Blackmail And Product Placement, Oh My!

2007-04-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

this week's episode of survivor was really good and i just have a few things to say.

alex voting for mookie: i wonder if he knew the other six were going to split up the vote? because otherwise that vote wouldn't have meant anything if the other six were all voting for mookie or for him. maybe he was hoping to show them that he is 'on their side' - which is doubtful cause they would never buy it, i don't think. it was a desperate move but at this point i think that if alex were to make it to the final 2 that he would still have mookie's vote (in his bye-bye speech to the camera mookie made no mention of alex's vote being the one that sent him home. maybe he hadn't put 2 and 2 together yet?).

the idol in the pants: while the players were getting all shocked about mookie and alex having gone through yau-man's pants to find the idol, i was wondering if they could have taken it? is there a rule in place that says that it belongs to whoever digs it up and that if someone else finds it in their bag or in a hiding place they can't take it? cause i was thinking why don't alex and mookie just take it.... - i wonder if the fact that there is a new idol in play (because alex played on a couple weeks ago) if the fake one yau-man made and buried will now come into play? and i also wonder if the producers hid the real one close to where yau-man buried the fake one so that it will have a better chance of coming into play?

mookie and alex couldn't get anyone: i was a little surprised that mookie and alex couldn't get a couple of people from the other six to vote with them. especially after the announcement that yau-man had the idol. usually around this time in the game a move like that would work, because a couple of the six would realize that they are at the bottom of the six list and will be the first to go after alex and mookie are gone. either the six weren't thinking that way or they are all confident they aren't the bottom ones of the six group.

earl is leading well: it looks like earl is the leader of the six-pack (hey, i like that), but he is doing a good job of it for the most part. being the alliance leader can be dangerous but he seems to be playing it cool and not being to domineering (like with the whole 3/3 vote split that he wasn't fond of but went with anyways because it made the other members of the alliance happy).

great editing: Survivor might be a 'reality' show but that doesn't mean that editing doesn't matter. in fact editing, it could be argued, is even more important in reality television and Survivor does it so well throughout the show. especially during tribal council when they cut back and forth between the people talking and the reactions by the other players. some of that stuff is priceless. and who knows really if the reaction we are seeing is actually a reaction to what was just said or something else entirely?

Survivor: Fiji Is Fijitastic

2007-04-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

wow, this is turning into one of the best seasons of Survivor in a while. the episode two weeks ago with all double-crossing and vote-switching and dreamz screwing over the other three horseman was great tv. and then this week with alex and mookie finding the immunity idol in yau-man's pants and trying to blackmail him and then with alex voting for mookie in the end. that's great stuff. this is what makes survivor the best reality show out there: strategy, human-nature and a great game.

grade: while it has been hanging around a B for the last few seasons, i got to give fiji an A-

Drive Gets Canceled

2007-04-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

well i didn't know it at the time, but i was dead on when i called the show Drive a guilty pleasure, but commented that "if the poor ratings for last nights premier are any indication, it might be a short lived guilty pleasure", because Drive has been canned. after airing only three times fox has said 'enough' and ended it.

look, i'm not going to claim that Drive was a great show, i mean i gave it a B-, but this constant canceling of shows after only a couple airings is really starting to piss me off. i will be ok without knowing how drive ends, but there have been some really good shows that have suffered the same fate this season and those i am not ok with: Daybreak, The Knights Of Prosperity, The Nine and The Black Donnelly's to name a few.

why can't a show, especially a quality one (and the networks know which ones are quality and which ones aren't) get a chance to build an audience. Seinfeld, Cheers and Friends weren't huge hits when they premiered, but look what they turned into (huge hits and huge moneymakers for the networks).

yes, i understand that in a 1000 channel world the audience has so many options that the networks feel they need to grab an audience fast if they want the advertisers to stick around and they also want certain demographics and such and all television shows are really (at least on free tv), are things to kill time between commercials. i get all that, but that doesn't make it right, and a lot of the time that is a network just being really nearsighted.

look at Criminal Minds as a very modern example. that show took a little while to get going, but it did, and this year is actually beat Lost in the ratings a few times when they were on at the same time. also, the ratings for The Office have improved over its first season, so it can happen and it isn't a crazy notion either.

that's why i appreciate what nbc is doing with 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights, assuming they renew the latter like it looks as if they are leaning towards doing. these are two high-quality shows that deserve a chance at building an audience.

sure sometimes it just doesn't happen, look at Arrested Development. they got a couple extra seasons more then their ratings would have suggested, but it just never caught on (too bad cause it was a great show), but at least it had a shot. canceling a show after 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 episodes just isn't fair to the show or the audience that is getting into it or that might have gotten into it had they given them a chance.

back to Drive: fox hasn't said what they will do with the remaining episodes they have in the can, but putting them online seems to be the thing to do these days so i wouldn;t be surprised if that is what they do.

Rosie Leaving The View

2007-04-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

well, it's official: rosie o'donnell will be leaving the View in june after only one year on the show. you can read all about it here, but i do have a few thoughts on the matter. i should preface these comments by saying that because of my schedule i haven't watched the show much at all since her first week as the new host (and was only watching it sporadically before that).

1) it seemed to me that joy felt a little threatened by having another comedian on the show and in the head-host position none the less. in the episodes i did watch she seemed to always be trying to get the last word/joke in to top rosie

2) donald trump is a big baby: neither one of them is innocent in the whole thing, but trump just came off looking like a real vindictive jerk.

3) walters seemed like she just didn't know how to handle her or the controversies that she arose.

4) overall, i like rosie as a host. i thought that she reinvigorated a show that had been getting kind of stale. not that i agreed with everything she said, but the show is all about opinions/'views' so what do you expect? i will now be very curious to see who they bring in to replace her. any ideas??

- again, i haven't watched the show much, so a lot of this is based on bits and clips i saw as well as what i read in the press. feel free to let me know what you think, and if you feel like i have misjudged/misinterpreted the ladies and the show.