Chuck And Journeyman

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.

Last Comic Standings Worst Season Ever

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.

Speed Laughing

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.

Four Hours Of Today

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.

Daly To Stay On Nightly For At Least 2 More Years

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.

Don't Forget The Great Contestant

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.

Don't Forget The Singing Bee

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.

New Law & Order ADA

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

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'?

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

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

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.

ABC Wins Nightly News Race

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).

Sexy Techno Boy

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

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

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).

Did You See My Lips Move?

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

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

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+

Does America Have Any Talent Left?

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.