Be still, my beating heart...

Something tells me there may be a 4th season of Slings and Arrows! Or I'm just starting a big rumor. But why else would the Sundance Channel air a marathon of Seasons 1-3 on New Years day. Maybe there's more to come.

I was going to give you all a big list of my favorite TV shows of 2007 but upon this discovery of this marathon I'm declaring my one and only favorite TV show of 2007- Slings and Arrows. I discovered it in 2007 (I know way late) and then watched all the seasons by mid year. I would be so happy to see this show come back for another round. Please, please, pretty please!

Also, for those of you don't get the Sundance Channel you can rent the entire series run on DVD through Netflix. I promise you won't be disappointed with this well crafted comedic/drama satire.

Good news for the New Year!

Sick on the couch today I was happy to see this news alert. The ultimate funny man is coming back to late night TV with his writers in tow! What a man! I knew there was a reason I spent the night on the streets of San Francisco when you came for a visit my freshman year of college. I finally forgive you for giving my stand by ticket to Joe Montana!

Seriously though, thanks Mr. Letterman for being fair to the writers. You're the best and CBS will be the best in late night thanks to you.

all i want for christmas...

are my TV shows to come back! And the writer's strike to come to a beautiful end negotiation.

Ali G is dead

So very sad.
I was really hoping for a new and improved Ali G movie. But I here Bruno is coming to theaters soon.

I dig to get jiggy wiv that.

i was so very wrong

Oops I got it wrong! Nick pulled it out. I hear Patti's pissed!

My Clash with the Choirs

I'm going to take a wild guess here and predict that Patti LaBelle's choir is going to win tonight on Clash of the Choirs on NBC. If you have no idea what I'm talking about- no worries- no need to tune in. I did it for you on Monday night.

I've got to say these celebrities are very enthusiastic about their choirs, they almost had me fooled. All of their smiling and crying didn't rub off on me. I tried to watch the 2nd episode on Tuesday night and I couldn't stomach it. I felt like I was turning into my mom about music. She used to say in the car when I listened to the radio, "turn off all that yelling." My mom was never one for singing. But she did like the Beatles, I'll give her that. So I didn't actually want to say, "turn off all that yelling" but I actually did and turned off the tube and it made me sad.

The one highlight from Monday night was Patti LaBelle's choir - they were absolutely amazing with their voice work. Here's a clip. When they did the thing at the end where they threw back their "ohs" and "ahs" I was dancing in my living room. Okay, for a second.

My Comcast cable service actually crapped out for the 5 minutes where Michael Bolton's choir performed. So unfortunate as I was really looking forward to making fun of it. I didn't see my DH pal Nicole in the audience supporting her man. Come on Nicole, you don't like over hyped TV shows with choirs singing oldies but goodies with terrible dance moves. I don't blame you.

So remember I called it will be Patti's choir. It just can't be any other way.

Another Sci Fi show bites the dust

For you Sci Fi lovers that I’ve grown to love…big news yesterday out of the USA Network. They’ve decided not to bring back The Dead Zone after six seasons (a truly sad day for Anthony Michael Hall), and The 4400 after 4 seasons.

I got sucked into The 4400 vortex last season with my husband and like I’ve said before it was much better than Heroes. More depth in storytelling, better acting, story arcs paid off for the viewer, etc. Anyway, it just didn’t have the budget frills of its network competitor. I mean poor NTAC agent Diana Skouris and her blue turtlenecks and black blazers. The show really did need a makeover when it came to set design and costume.

I am glad that The Dead Zone is finally laid to rest. That show went on for way too long and never delivered the Apocalypse it promised in Season One.

What I’m Watching Part 2

Well the writer’s strike is still going strong and no quality television is on the horizon. I’ve made my to do list which is pretty pathetic. I really can’t find anything to watch. I WANT MY CHUCK, PD, DH, THE OFFICE, and 30 ROCK!

It’s a bit telling that the network’s websites point you to their new selling DVDs or full episodes online. I will not bend or compromise on this. I wonder what numbers they are pulling in with people watching online episodes, would be interested to know. They are also promoting 6-night events on their front pages. Wow, when was the last time anyone watched a 6-night event. I’ve never looked at the TV week lineup and literally found nothing that interests me. So my list this week goes down to a mere 5 shows! Eek!

1. Hard As Nails, HBO at 8pm- This looks intense and a must see as the Church in America relating to the Youth of America is always a hot debate in my house.

2. Clash of Choirs, NBC at 8pm- This is only so I can write a scathing review of this show. I don’t get it now and I don’t think the show will convince me that we somehow have to believe that Nick Lachey and Michael Bolton (yes you heard right) are really “celebrity choir directors.” Don’t you just love how TV comes up with these titles?!

3. NBC is airing Clash of the Choirs again Tuesday tonight and every night this week, so sad! I think I’ll watch the scandalous new Nip/Tuck episode on FX at 10pm.

4. The Tuesday night reality staple- The Desperate Housewives of Orange County, Brave at 10pm. The girls are going to SD!

5. Okay, I don’t have a #5. Isn't it sad that my list has petered out at Tuesday night? I might just turn off the tube and finish wrapping presents and make mulled cider again with a jigger of rum! Can you make a suggestion?

Things are heating up…

So I’m a bit behind on TV with all these merry holiday parties. I woke up tired this morning to a flashing headline in my email box (which I missed yesterday) about the writer’s strike. Holy crap the WGA has filed charges against the AMPTP. I guess the WGA feels that they were treated unfairly last week, so unfairly that they believe that the AMPTP violated federal law. Go writers!

Man, of course, this news only leads to a more depressing 2008 January TV season show lineup. But you know what, I can’t be selfish any longer. I’d rather have the TV and movie industry start taking the Internet more seriously and pony up the cash to the people hard at work.

On another non-scripted subject... I was able to catch THE PAPER the other night. This was a PBS Independent Lens production. I revved up the Tivo and pushed play thinking that I’d get bored quickly and take a nap on the couch. But I was riveted. Penn State’s Daily Collegian has one of the largest distributions for a college newspaper- 20,000 people. Wow. But as this doc starts they are losing their audience- down to 15,000. The college newspaper made up entirely of students has to get people reading their paper and fast.

The doc portrays the newsroom as thrilling, challenging, and even threatening as they strive to win back their readership. I was so impressed by the commitment level of the student reporters and editors. I mean, what was I doing in college? Only a couple student projects- I didn’t have to tackle issues of diversity, violence towards women and sports bullies when I did my little measly video projects. Kudos to these students and I’m sure they are moving on to better things at newsrooms across America. Oh, wait readership is down with national newspapers too. Well, I’m sure they will figure it out in the digital age.

Don't be as bitter as Pete Wentz

Today, the Golden Globe award nominations were announced. Glad to see my peps representing. I’ve downsized it below giving you the TV winners. j/k I really don’t know, but you compare this list to the winners on January 13th and you will drop your cocktail at your fancy Hollywood party.

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

MAD MEN (AMC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

EDIE FALCO – THE SOPRANOS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

MICHAEL C. HALL – DEXTER

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

PUSHING DAISIES (ABC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL

TINA FEY – 30 ROCK

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

RICKY GERVAIS – EXTRAS

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD – AS YOU LIKE IT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

ADAM BEACH – BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED – KNEE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

ANNA PAQUIN – BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED - KNEE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

KEVIN DILLON – ENTOURAGE

mutant mice

A mouse that doesn't smell fear? A mutant mouse! But I still don't understand why the cat isn't afraid of the mouse? I guess I've been confused about this cat and mouse game my whole life. I thought that the cat wanted to eat the mouse, I didn't think it was just because the mouse was scared of it. My whole paradigm has shifted now.

Project Runway 4 - ep. 5 - Everyday Women

Tonight's challenge: to design a new look for an everyday woman who's just lost a lot of weight. These women would be the designers' client and model. They lost anywhere from 50 lbs. to 140 lbs. each. It's a clever challenge that incorporates aspects of what's worked in previous seasons: making new clothes out of old clothes, using "normal" women as models, designing for a client.

But this episode will be most remembered for a never-before-happened event. Jack voluntarily leaves Project Runway! This storyline has been teased to us for three episodes. Though spoilers are all over the Internet, tonight was the episode where he quits. Jack, who's HIV-positive, developed an infection that required him to seek medical treatment. Last week's losing designer Chris March gets a second chance. He's brought back to take Jack's vacated space and embarrasses himself by continuing to design costumes.

Chris March's design, a blue top over a black skirt with red trims, is hideous enough to elicit two of my favorite quotes this episode:























"It's a little Shirley MacLaine when she played a hooker with a heart of gold." - Michael Kors
"That was so Paris hooker 50's." - Michael Kors

The judges had to select between Kevin's and Christian's designs. I like both designers and Christian ends up winning. His design not only fit his client/model very well, it was also praised for being "commercial" in its look. Significantly, the guest judge was the head designer from Gap Inc., someone who knows the value of a commercial look for normal, everyday people.

Let me have my fun!

Sorry for the grouchy post yesterday but I did only watch the worst show on TV! Okay I'll try to get over it...

After falling a bit out of love early in the season with The Hills I was actually surprised to be quite taken with the finale on Monday night. I was rooting for LC to go to Paris and for Heidi to walk out on Spencer. And for Audrina to well, not sure, maybe have a self-respecting relationship? Anyway, it was good times. But then during the after show, LC announced the “announcement” that we had been waiting for all night. Um, it was a let down. She could finally announce that there were eight more surprise episodes of The Hills and they would include her jaunt to Pare-Ree. I was really hoping for “Brody and I are getting married,” or “I’m coming out with my own fashion line.” Some superfluous statement would be better than a blatant promotion of this fake show that I’ve come to love.

Another thing that is chapping my hide is this business where all the tabloids and fame monger bloggers keep running articles on the episodes not aired yet. Showing us LC’s new boy toy in Paris or giving us details into Heidi and Spencer’s alleged reunion. Will you stop it already! I know it’s fake, I know it’s contrived, let me enjoy it damn it! (sorry still grouchy!)

I'm Not Going Down This Road...

So beware my friends, there's a show called October Road on Monday nights at 10pm that is the worst TV show on- not just right now- but ever. This show wasn't on my to do list this week but I happened to catch it because I was avoiding everything else I should be doing. I actually saw an episode from the 1st season and it only stunk moderately but I'm here to report that the stench from this drippy hopeless TV drama has only increased in its 2nd season.
And I have to hold my fingers over my nose and close my mouth tight so not to let in these irritating characters with their unreal town and boring moral dilemmas.

The worse thing about this show is the dialogue- it is not real. And it's not even basic real TV dialogue. It's almost like they are making it bad on purpose (as an evil joke) or someone thinks they are creating this world of new dialogue. People will never talk in complete sentences back and forth completely making sense at all times. So please- stop creating characters in TV and film that do.

Anyway, I must tell you why this really is the worst TV show ever. I tuned in last week and heard the names of the twins boys fathered by Ray "Big Cat" Cataldo, a hopeless character on this show. Anyway his children are named...Jasper and Casper. Yes, you heard me right..someone on TV named their twin children Jasper and Casper. And that person is a cat with a friendly ghost and a gem for sons. I should have turned off the TV right then and there and cancelled my cable subscription. I mean, really-terrible-this thing called TV is sometimes and I'm even more embarrassed that I wasted an hour or more (well, really sped through both episodes with Tivo) of my life on this show.

I guess ABC had these episodes lying around and due to an empty pantry they thought they would unleash us into this town nicknamed the "Ridge" with hopeless plot lines that run in circles. Please do not watch this, I've done the work for you. Please make it my Christmas present. But please put a pretty bow on it and bring me a cocktail too.

What I'm Watching

So I hear there's still no resolution on the writer's strike. Thus, TV is really getting boring.

Here's 10 shows I'm watching this week...with or without the writers in tow.

1. Tin Man on Sci Fi, I'll watch the encore presentation (fancy word for re-runs), my husband was enthralled by this last week and I need to give it another go.

2. Sand and Sorrow - 10:30pm TONIGHT on HBO- Documentary about crisis in Darfur with the honorable George Clooney taking us there in narration.

3. The Hills- Season 3 finale- 10pm- TONIGHT. Okay so we all know what decision LC is going to make, but it's still fun to watch the drama unfold.

4. The Real Housewives of Orange County on Bravo this Tuesday at 10pm. This stinks like a dirty habit, not as good as last season but of course I need to watch a few more episodes to make an educated decision where or not to purge it.

5. Nip/Tuck on FX this Tuesday at 10pm. I'm one episode behind on this one, I think I must be getting bored with the boys in LA.

6. The Paper on Independent Lens on PBS this Tuesday at 11pm. Behind the Scenes at a University paper! The job I never had, sniff, sniff. I think this will probably make me dream of starting over and going to a very liberal East Coast college where I can drum up stories filled with high ideals and stay up late making posters for protests in the quad. And learn when to use run-on sentences.

7. Pushing Daisies on ABC this Wednesday at 10pm. Need I say more? I'm just glad there's another new episode.

8. The Real World: Sydney- Wednesday at 10pm on MTV. OMG! OMG! KellyAnne may be preggers! Not! Made you watch!

9. 30 ROCK on NBC, Thursday at 9:30pm. Glad this one is still in business for now.

10. The extra special Extras episode on HBO on Sunday, December 16th. this is the series finale, cry, cry, sniff, sniff, so upsetting. But all good things must come to an end. I love you Ricky Gervais. Your the 2nd funniest man in my life.

Divine Unions

I stumbled upon Season Two of Iconoclasts last year on the Sundance Channel and thank goodness.

I have to be honest I had never heard of an Iconoclast, it certainly had never entered my vocabulary. According to Wikipedia- an iconoclast is a

* A person who performs iconoclasm, destruction of a culture's religious symbols.
* An innovator.
* One who attacks cherished beliefs.

For the sake of this distinguished series we are choosing the idea of an innovator. Although some may argue the guests on the series have from time to time destructed a culture’s religious symbols or attacked cherished beliefs. Anyway, the series pairs up two innovators or visionaries in separate fields of industry or worlds and allows us a pretty deep look into their lives.

Last year I caught the Laird Hamilton and Eddie Vedder episode. As some friends know, I went through a big grunge phase (that unfortunately lasted way too long) so of course I was drawn to this episode. And I mean, Laird Hamilton, he is a dreamy surfer and I am a California girl. So I was hooked. I think I watched the episode 4 times. I loved how the show let me into these men’s lives, I was able to meet their families, meet their politics and their creative process. Sometimes with the pairings it can be somewhat of a collision but most of the time it’s a beautiful union.

Other episodes of highlight were Quentin Tarantino and Fiona Apple. They journeyed through Austin, TX together in the episode, one of my favorite American cities. And even though Tarantino is one of my favorite directors but not one of my favorite people I loved every minute. Another good one was Paul Simon and Lorne Michaels.

So I have embraced Season Three this fall. I recorded about 3 episodes and had a marathon the other night. If you haven’t tuned in to this fabulous series please do. You can watch some clips here.

The Mike Meyers and Deepak Chopra episode was enlightening. Or so they think they are enlightened- which Chopra says “is lightening up.” In that case I’m going to work on this. Anyway I don’t necessarily adopt all the spiritual laws that Chopra dictates in his books but I loved the way that Meyers and Chopra connected humor to the soul.

Then I watched the Ashley Judd and Madeleine Albright episode and I was deeply saddened. This episode was disjointed and I think Judd was overacting or something. I didn’t understand why these two women should or were connect/ed. I think they were trying to hard and I think Angelina Jolie must have been their first choice.

Thankfully, the Norman Lear (TV Producer) and Howard Shultz (Starbucks CEO) was amazing. Lear is inspiring, this man is in his eighties, fit and trim and still making television. And I even admired Shultz. Even though I only go to Starbucks when someone gives me a gift card.

I didn’t get to watch the Sean Penn and Jon Krakauer episode. I hope Seanny boy doesn’t smoke the entire episode or I’ll beat him with a stick! I’ll record that and let you know how Penn behaved. Probably not well but that’s why I like to watch him.

Picking up their laptops?

Will the TV and movie writers pick up their laptops again? Looks likely, think good thoughts. Today the news everywhere is reporting optimistic talks between the Writers Guild of America and The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Thank goodness. Yesterday marked a month of striking by the WGA. I was starting to worry about future episodes of LOST, PD and DH. Interesting that this news would occur a night after I broke my fast of not watching TV programming online. Yes, I did the unthinkable, my Tivo missed an episode of something and I had to indulge online. I feel even more guilty as it is a program that I've allegedly purged.

Well, keep your fingers crossed for the WGA.

Project Runway 4 - Episode 4 - making the out in again

FADS! We didn't like them the first time around, but they're bringing them back. Horrible fashion trends such as overalls, baggy sweaters, neon, and shoulder pads!

The designers group themselves into teams of three to create a collection of 3 looks that incorporates all 3 outdated trends, but is relevant and cohesive for today.

The teams:

Jillian, Kevin and Rami - overalls, poodle skirt, 70's flare
Ricky, Elisa and Victorya - neon, cutouts, underwear as outerwear
Jack, Kit, Christian - zoot suit, pleather, fringe
Chris, Sweet P and Steve - shoulder pads, dancewear, baggy sweater

Kevin, Jillian and Rami won. Jack, Kit and Christian were in. These six designers are distinguishing themselves as the upper crust. Jillian has won twice already.

During the show Victorya railroaded Ricky. I thought Ricky was dead meat -- he didn't do well last week. But in the end it was Chris who was out for being a poor leader and for designing a jacket with shoulder pads that still looked trapped in the 80's.

I'm developing a fondness for these designers:

Christian, for being young and cocky. These happen to be the two qualities that made a poor first impression on me, but four weeks into the show and Christian's youth and self-assuredness are endearing.




Sweet P, for being older and plaintive. She's also been able to hold her own with her designs. I cheered for her when Donna Karan praised the dress she designed, an update of the baggy sweater.




Elisa, for being kooky and yet having integrity. Like Sweet P, she also emerged as a blameless member of this challenge's worst half. I'm intrigued by how accomplished she is pre-Project Runway and I expect her to kick ass.



Though I still don't have a favorite that I want to see win.

This episode was all about the conflict between Victorya and Ricky. There was enough going on between the two of them to overshadow all else.

My favorite quote:
"You never know, the judges might die over it. Or they might die because of it." - Christian on Team Ricky's and Team Chris's collections

Unfortunately Michael Kors didn't come up with a memorable quote this episode. I'm disappointed.

parents, forgive me

So I'm posting this personal story today that has nothing to do with TV. Forgive me parents and readers.

So I had a terrible morning, Bobby's car got broken into in our back alley, broken glass and broken dreams. Okay not that dramatic but it is very irritating.

Anyway, so my parents are on a cruise in Mexico, I think they made it to Cabo today. They asked me to change their cat's litter every 3 days. As a cat owner I take this quite seriously so I drove out there this morning even after the break in. I was a bit spooked by the break in of the car at the house so I left right afterwards and decided to take a shower at my parent's house before I went to work.

After taking a shower I was looking for something in the bathroom drawers - a comb or something - and discovered some moist wipes. I thought- "this is perfect for a coffee splash in my car that happened this morning." So i grabbed it and put it in my purse promising to return it later.

I got ready and in the car. Immediately I wiped down the car- deciding to wipe down the entire dashboard and car interior surface. I noticed that it didn't work so well. I looked at the package and to my dismay the outside of the package read...."Medicated Wipes- for hemorrhoidal and vaginal care."

Now mind you this is not what I used it for but now my car smells like a clean butt and it's not making my day. AND I'M ALSO WONDERING WHY MY PARENTS HAVE THIS IN THE GUEST BATHROOM.

SOS on Wisteria Lane

Only on your favorite weekly soap opera could your problems be solved with a white picket fence and a tornado. I mean, I dream of the day where I can literally erase people who are threatening the sanity of my life with a natural disaster.

Desperate Housewives is at its finest when the ladies are literally desperate with their men, their families and friends. Lynette and Susan are a bit whinier these days which is really irritating me. But I love what they have done with storyline/romance of Gaby and Carlos.

The thought of a soap opera like DH may cause you to sigh and gag. But peps don't hate on it. I was raised to NOT watch this stuff but I can't stop. As a youngster when I would come home from a friend's house riddled with Days of Our Lives or Dallas episodes my mother would rant on about how those shows were ruining society and how I was not to watch that trash. For years, I wondered why I was so drawn to them.

The mystery was solved when I noticed that my dear grandmother spent her free time reading trashy romance novels she picked up at the local Goodwill. Her and her sister in Arkansas would actually trade their books, sending large boxes across the country- with books brimming over the top- Romeo's and Juliette's on the cover. See people I tell you- it's in my blood. My mother denied it but I cannot. Love live the soap opera format - it comes in all shapes and sizes. Day time trash, HBO, ABC, AMC, you name it, it’s everywhere and as long as I'm watching you can't get rid of it.

Justin Bobby

For those of you who don't watch The Hills on MTV here's a brilliant parody (from Funny or Die.com the people who brought you little Pearl) of the conversations that take place. I think this scene is exactly the conversation that Justin Bobby and Audrina had (or memorized) when they went out on a date. Of course I'm probably the only person who finds this funny. I promise if you've invested as much time as I have in the lives of LC, Heidi, Spencer, Whitney, Lo, Justin Bobby and Audrina you would be cracking up too.

I still think that James Franco can't really live up to the real Justin Bobby. And I actually don't think JB can really act and his conversations must be the only ones that producers can't control. And this is why this exchange is so funny. Okay, enough, and thanks everyone for watching my Corvette show!

Project Runway 4 - Episode 3 - Tiki Barber menswear challenge

The show start includes a shot of half-naked, tattooed male designers in the bathroom at the start of their day. The theme for this episode is set. MEN! The challenge is to design and create an outfit for NY Giants running back and Today Show correspondent Tiki Barber. And, in a first for Project Runway, MALE MODELS were used for the runway show. Beautiful, hot, sculpted male models...finally.

When Tiki Barber was introduced, Kevin Christiana was the only male designer in the group who recognized him. Kevin reminded us again this episode that he's also the only straight man among the designers.

Any pro football player would be a challenge to fit into a suit. Tiki Barber admitted his own peculiarities are his big neck, big butt, and skinny waist. But the fact that almost all of the designers had no experience with menswear was the true nature of this challenge.

Freelance designer Sweet P, who's been receiving plenty of screen time for the third episode in a row, has never done men's clothing and yet she tried to make a suit. Her shirt's collar couldn't stand up and she never got to make a jacket.


Former model Carmen Webber was worse off. She had no shirt for her model and draped a piece of cloth around his neck to cover his nakedness.


Lingerie designer Ricky Lizalde made a three-piece suit, but ran out of time to sew the jacket. It was held together with pins.



There was a funny bit where Elisa Jimenez played demure and averted her eyes when her model disrobed in the room to try on the outfit. Ha ha, Elisa!

All in all this episode wasn't as funny as last week's. The designers were freaked out and it was a little agonizing to watch. The male models, however, were a nice visual relief. (Don't look, Elisa!)

Jack Mackenroth wins and Tiki says he'll wear the design on the Today show. Hetero Kevin Christiana comes in second.

My favorite quotes:

• "After almost being eliminated, I'm not as confident as I was before..." - Christian Siriano
  
• "The menswear has brought forth the claws." - Kit Scarbo on the tensions in the workroom
  
• "What was it that they had on the Titanic before it sank? Oh, yeah, PANIC!" - Steve
• "If that wasn't a navy fleece, like, give me a Xanax and I'm asleep." - Michael Kors about Kit's jacket
• "I can't be on the air looking like an idiot." - Tiki Barber

I'm a little confused about one thing. Last week the preview for today's episode showed Tim Gunn saying that Jack had an announcement and the other designers were crying. I didn't imagine this. I thought tonight's out-of-the-blue talking head soundbite from Jack who revealed he's been HIV-positive for the last 17 years would have something to do with this. But there was none of it tonight.

Some websurfing provides some clues, or rather spoilers. You don't want me to skip too far ahead so I'll stop here.

Chuck Wins!

This is no surprise! I was watching Chuck on Monday night hoping that my favorite new TV show would not be lost on the execs. Glad Chuck won this round and got another season.

The last few episodes have been non stop hilarity and filled with energy. I loved when Chuck exclaimed "Wow, they really are great," while watching Bryce and Sarah fighting off the bad guys. Loved the Klingon speak too. But again this show rests on the talent of Zachary Levi. And an hour is tough to fill each week. So I hope they keep it up.

This week...Bryce the alleged rogue agent left for deep cover at the end of the show. Now we are left to wonder if Sarah will go to Omaha? Will she? Oh, you know she won't! She loves that Chuck boy.

A Cup Pie

I want a couple of things after finally watching last week’s episode of Pushing Daisies:

- a cup pie (a single serve pie with honey baked crust)
- more musical numbers perfectly placed in television shows
- to be a mermaid or to wear the mermaid costume that Olive wore (can I look that good too?)
- to make a pop up book
- all of Chuck’s wardrobe pieces in my closet
- and more Paul Reubens in future episodes!

p.s. Bakespace.com has designated a special site to recipes honoring the fictional Pie Hole. And look there’s a recipe for Cup Pies! I love it!

Keys Me

Okay, this is so hilarious. I can't even stand it! Pure genius.

Thanks to my wonderful co-worker Thanh I can provide you with this brilliant performance of Keys Me.

Project Runway 4 - Episode 2 - Sarah Jessica Parker

After a week of wondering which "fashion icon" would guest on today's episode, Tim Gunn introduces the remaining 14 designers to Sarah Jessica Parker. I myself was shocked when the actress made her appearance. Chris March wept in the presence of the "Sex and the City" star who was as famous for being the lead in the HBO series as she was for dressing in designer duds in each episode. At least the Project Runway fashion icon for this season is a real person and not a toy like the Barbie doll.

The challenge was to pair up with a partner and spend only $15 on materials for a two-piece outfit that could retail for $40 on the Bitten line. Details like this on Project Runway inform the audience about how much of the cost of clothing goes to the labor of the design, not the materials nor the production.

Having the two-person-team episode this early in the season reveals a lot about how the designers esteem one another. There's the top tier of designers, the ones who carry themselves above the indignities of being on a reality show by not exhibiting any extreme emotions or controversial quirks.

The top tier thus far: serene Victorya picks Kevin, Rami (who has immunity) selects Jillian. Recall that Victorya and Rami were in the top two last week.

The middle tier with the quieter contestants: blonde Kit takes the weeping Chris, Marion pairs up with Steven.

The wacky ones: emotional lingerie designer Ricky goes with tall-dark-and-handsome Jack. I'd put Jack on the middle tier, but Ricky Lizalde keeps crying! Not a meltdown under stress a la Andrae from PR3, mind you. Ricky cries during his interviews!

Also wacky is the asymmetrically-hairstyled Christian. He picks as his partner ex-model Carmen, who'll spill tears of her own on the runway. Multimedia artist Elisa is left with Sweet P and she declares that's who she wanted all along.

Elisa continues to shock the audience. In this week's episode we learn that she spits on the fabric as a way of marking it and because "I want to imbibe it with energy..." Now that we're all grossed out and biased against her, I took a peek at Elisa's bio on the official Project Runway website. Guess what?

Vogue discovered Elisa and acknowledged her as the forefront of the new avant-garde, as well as one of the top 10 American Designers in the independent realm. (all boldface mine)

The bio also says Elisa's celebrity work includes Sarah Jessica Parker and "Sex and the City." Ugh, I'm getting frustrated with how seasoned and well-established this season's designers are! I feel manipulated... but I keep watching anyway.

This week's winner is Victorya. The judges love the shirt dress and the unusual vest she executed with Kevin. Surprise second-placers are Elisa and Sweet P. Despite all indications to the contrary, the polymorphic dress and the cape are beautiful pieces that drape very well. But now I know to expect more from the avant-garde Elisa who's already one of the top designers in the country, apparently.

Marion and Steven's potato sack of a dress -- or was it a top and skirt? -- and Christian and Carmen' overly-retro dress and jacket invoke two great quotes from Michael Kors this week (see below).

The last two designers on the runway are Christian and Marion. And the Project Runway judges consistently boot off the designer with the poor construction -- Marion. They can tolerate a badly designed dress, but not a badly sewn one.

My favorite quotes:

• "Fashion shouldn't be a luxury and quality shouldn't be a privilege." - Sarah Jessica Parker
• "Basically I'm on planet Earth and Elisa is on some happy planet, I'm not sure of the name." - Sweet P
• "It looks a bit costume-y, like Pocahontas..." - Michael Kors about Marion & Steven's dress
• "Next thing you know, you have big button earrings and you're on 'The Facts of Life'!" - Michael Kors about the dress by Christian & Carmen

Chuck Versus Moi

I enjoyed Chuck last night. The last two episodes actually have been quite enthralling. I tried to watch this program a few times before and it seemed to lose air after 10 minutes. But the addition of Rachel Bilson (of "The OC" fame) and Chuck's further involvement in spy games and infatuation with co-spy Sarah proves to be giving the show more energy.

This whole show really rests on Chuck- Zachary Levi- he has to pull this geek sitcom/spy game/drama off. Lots of pressure considering the action sequences are all low budge, his co-stars are a bit lackluster and there's really no spyish international travel. Maybe they can take Chuck out of LA? But I guess you have the whole geek squad element at the Buy More store and that's what makes everything work. And if Chuck's brain offers more dangerous and humorous exploits with NSA agents Sarah Walker, Major John Casey and Bryce the show will get more entertaining. Maybe they could turn the tables on us? Maybe there's another rogue agent in the mix?

If this makes another season I think the show will really flourish. I find that you have to have some imagination with these network shows as they don't take a lot of risk in production design or in depth story in the first run. Everyone seems to be so scared of audience loyalty and ratings so they go soft on good humor or dramatic storyline.

Unfortunately I've missed some episodes, maybe I can catch on Comcast On Demand. Or would that be breaking the rules of my online media boycott?

Project Runway 4 premieres!

Hey, there! I'm a friend of Juls and though she and I may have different tastes in television, we both enjoy watching it. I'll be guest blogging about the latest season of Bravo's fashion reality show Project Runway.



This new season I'm a little irked that many of the contestants have established careers. Like Rami, who's already worked with Jessica Alba. I resented Jeffrey Sebelia, winner of Project Runway 3, for being in a different league than everyone else that season.

The first episode of any reality show is always the most crowded one, but...

Who I like so far: Kevin, for boasting about being straight... Sweet P, because I saw a photo of her years ago in a magazine from back when she designed flowery wallpaper...

Who I like to dislike: 21-year-old Christian, the egotistical guy with the asymmetrical haircut and whiny tone of voice... lingerie designer Ricky, who almost cried when talking about Project Runway and LIFE... Elisa, the wacky multimedia artist and "accidental fashion designer"...

My favorite quotes:

• "I think there's some hand-sewn crap up in here!" - Christian
• "M. O. B. Mother of the bride." - Michael Kors
• "Her model looked like she was pooing fabric." - Heidi

The challenge was to create a garment that says who you are as a designer using whatever you could grab from $50,000 worth of Mood fabrics arrayed in tents you had to race to. The winner was that highly experienced Rami (ugh, just what we need -- a frontrunner from the get-go).

And I was surprised that the judges got rid of Simone for her poorly constructed dress instead of fish-out-of-water Elisa who got her model tangled up in the overly conceptual blue dress. But that gives us next week's episode to see how she'll embarrass herself next.

the receding hills

I was so very disappointed in the last Hills episode. I mean the tease for the new episode was a real shocker. I mean, Lauren said to Heidi, "I want to forgive you and forget you." Wow. But for some reason seeing it in the flesh - on the air- didn't do it for me.

I think this feud between LC and Heidi has lasted long enough. They really need to make up for the sake of the show. I've lost interest. The drama has only exacerbated my never ending headache this week and left me tired and ready for bed.

Although I really enjoy all the behind the scenes segments of the fashion shows. And seeing Marc Jacobs on the previous episode was kind of cool. But didn't you think Lauren's reaction to meeting him was just a bit muted. I mean, it's her "favorite" designer and she barely managed a peep. Audrina is the same way at all her music shows and around the bands. Show some enthusiasm girls!

Okay, just a note to go on record to say that The Hills has lost its magic.

TV's Greatest Icons

TV Land and Entertainment Weekly magazine released a list today of "The 50 Greatest TV Icons.” I only take issue with #49. But I so agree that Lucille Ball got #2. If you don’t know she’s my idol.

I guess this is all part of a TV special airing this Friday night on TV Land. I may Tivo it although I’m not for these types of shows.

If you’re wondering about Lucille Ball – she was only the pioneer of the 3-camera setup in the American sitcom and was a fabulous writer and director. And she was the first woman to run her own studio. She was before her time. And I fell in love with her when I was 12 years old. I told my mom I wanted to meet her and then she died a few years later.

prevent-it.ca

I saw this Canadian PSA on Attack of the Show on G4. OMG! This is crazy! Watch with caution.

that's right ladies! march!

So it's just getting worse! The Office is closed, Keifer has to go to jail and LOST will be just that at the start of the new year. And I really feel that up here in SF there's nothing that I can do. It's simply hilarious that The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers claims they can't track "new media." I mean what does that mean? I can track every single hit and move on my measly blog through Google Analytics. I'm sure that when ABC.com streams a show they aren't just showing those ads for kicks.

I've thought about the idea of abstaining from programming on new media sources. I don't own any DVDs of TV shows except for The Office (British version) which I think is in the hands of one of my husband's coworkers. I haven't downloaded a TV program off iTunes in about 4 months. And...there's not much I want to watch on the web streaming from the networks. Although I will admit it's my last ditch effort to catch up on TV shows I forgot to Tivo. So I guess officially TODAY I'll abstain from watching TV programming online, on DVDs and iTunes.

Some of you may feel the other way around. You're thinking - Why don't we watch the new media to prove to the industry that the medium is critical and easy to track? I've thought about this and you know I think they already know this. So I'm betting on supporting the writers. I'll stick to the tube for now.

2005 Review

I’ve just escaped a month of pouring over 2005 receipts…don’t ask or they will come after you as well. 2005 was a busy year…I produced one show about Venice in Vegas, another about a secret government fortress, a thrilling one about the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, and yet another volcano science show and at the tail end of that same year completed my first docudrama. It’s no wonder I ended up at the end of the year passed out at an undisclosed location in a quiet retreat with no speaking, TV or cell phones.

So I’m glad 2005 is behind me. Kind of…so I started thinking about TV in general in the wonderful year of 2005. What fantastic shows did the TV gods give to us that year?

In 2005, we got …

- The American version of The Office (but the British is still better I think- more subtle)

- Weeds premiered on Showtime (I watched it for the 1st time in 2006 thanks to the DVD set),

- The Colbert Report (really this gives Jon Stewart a run for his money),

- Grey’s Anatomy (I just gave this dirty habit up, Meredith’s sad pathetic life lasted a season for me)

Some DUDS that are now thank goodness behind us…

- Fat Actress (who really watched this?)

- Britney & Kevin: Chaotic (really, so sad)

- Taradise (I mean how can you compare her to Paradise??)

Some DUDS that aren’t behind us BUT should be…

- Dancing with the Stars (I have no interest in watching people dance)

- Battlestar Galactica (my husband will kill me for this)

- How I Met Your Mother (um, why?)

Okay, that’s enough…just a trip down memory lane. Did I miss one people?

Holy Crap!

"Tuesday afternoon, the AP reported that Fox's "Back to You" and "'Til Death," ABC's "Desperate Housewives," and CBS' "Rules of Engagement" will stop production and go on hiatus because of the Hollywood writers' strike. The annoucements came a day after the late night comedy shows -- including those of Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel -- went into reruns."

Not DH! I can live without the...wait...are those really shows on television? Back to you...'Til Death..sounds like old sitcoms from the 70's. Oh wait, they are!?

Anyway, this is a real drag! They are predicting a real marathon between the producers and writers. And I thought TV was boring right now, I'm getting ready to turn it off soon. Shoot, back to DVDs and reading books! Scratch that on the DVDs, not sure if the writers get their share on those. What shows can you NOT live without?

didn't i say i loved Tina Fey!

WRITER'S BLOCK

Oh man, this is bad!

"Producers said writers were not willing to compromise on their major demands. Writers said they withdrew a proposal to increase their share of revenue from the sale of DVDs that had been a stumbling block for producers. They also said the proposals by producers in the area of Internet reuse of TV episodes and films were unacceptable."

Well polished scripts, monologues,and dialogue- its the foundation for GOOD TV. Please PRODUCERS bend your ways, give in, I hear you only pay pennies per DVD! And this doesn't sound too good...

"The strike is the first walkout by writers since 1988. That work stoppage lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry more than $500 million."

tuck it in a bit

I thoroughly enjoyed the season premiere of Nip/Tuck on FX Tuesday evening. Wow, talk about a 180. Last season was so dark and sluty. So glad they've opened this one with some humor and human struggle.

As Christian and Sean grapple with their new market- LA- I will love watching them overcome the obvious obstacles- market saturation, fame, Hollywood, and Hollywood women. And it was great to see Sean be the hot one, instead of Christian always stealing the scene!

Fun stuff. Let's just pray for less gratuitous nudity- because you know I'm not a fan. And more actual depth in storyline and character development.

pushing again

Good news...Pushing Daisies got picked up for another season!

Bad news...someone in my household decided to record Phenomenon on NBC so I didn't get to watch PD on the weekend. It's okay, I forgive them, I mean, I can't have full ownership of the TV at all times. Or can I? And like the someone said I can always watch it online right? Hmmmm...

Anyway, glad The Office was back to 30 minutes. Those 1 hour episodes were taxing. The episode started with a Michael speech to the gang about "being creative" with the regional Dundler Mifflin commercial. Nice to see paper employees branching out into the creative realm. Actually it was hilarious. And it got me thinking how lots of people outside the TV industry who have nothing to with the creation of it-- can probably be much more creative than me. Right now I'm pretty stalemate. I'm at the end of the year, end of my projects and I feel wasted. I'm sure the gang from Dundler Mifflin could come in right and knock my socks off with their ideas and music notes.

In other news...Have you heard about this website? Frightening, lots of network and cable TV episodes. Catch it now while it exists. Oh, and that someone in my household told me about this website, so I forgive him.

Sacrifices

Professional and personal. If your life is entrenched in the workplace you may understand. On the finale of Mad Men everyone was making them but they were much more dramatic than mine. Pete gives in to fatherhood for a heavyweight account. Peggy gives up motherhood for her burgeoning career in advertising. Betty gives up on Don and intimacy with him to sustain her pride. And Don gives up intimacy with everyone to stay completely sane.

Oh man, at the end where Don gives his Kodak Carousel presentation, it was just too much. This poor man! And then when he imagines a hero’s welcome at home and doesn’t get it- did your heart break too? Or were you glad hoping that Don would just get it some time!?

This brilliantly written episode set the groundwork for an excellent 2nd season. I can’t wait until June 2008!

"Does Your Soul Have A Cold"

I know I still owe you all a review of the finale of Man Men. But I just got this in my email box from Wholphin…

“Back in 2000, western pharmaceutical companies began a massive marketing campaign to introduce a new product to the good people of Japan: depression. Before 2000, the good people of Japan apparently did not even have a word to describe sadness as a debilitating biological illness. So the companies had to coin a new word, "utsu," and create an appropriately catchy ad slogan to help explain the concept. They chose the phrase, "Does Your Soul Have A Cold?" antidepressant sales have since quintupled.

Mike Mills, director of Thumbsucker, has made an incredibly intimate film documenting the human effects of America's latest cultural export to Japan. "Does Your Soul Have A Cold" will air on IFC Monday October 22nd at 9 PM EDT.

Until then, you can watch the IFC trailer here and read our interview with Mike.”

Sounds fascinating…I’m watching! The subject of pharmaceuticals reeks hot debate. This exploration of how American “pills” affect another culture is riveting. The email said it was airing on the 29th but it is actually airing TONIGHT!

Give Me More

Sorry for my lazy posts lately, extenuating circumstances have left me dry and preoccupied.

Lately I've been falling asleep while watching Pushing Daisies and wondering why I'm not reading my new McSweeney's that just came in the mail or doing something more worthwhile. One show that I wish I could make more time for is Dirty Sexy Money. It's definitely not dirty or sexy enough but I really like my fill of Peter Krause. Peter- can we do the hair a little differently and get out of the suits once in awhile. Wow, now I sound dirty.

I saw the 3rd episode or 3rd day of the HBO miniseries Five Days. I was a little confused since I missed the first 2 days. I keep wondering if I should watch the first 2 days this week so when I watch the 4th on Sunday I'll get everything. But isn't that such a commitment!?

Looking forward to or really sad that it's the finale of Mad Men tonight. What a beautiful show in every way. Can't wait for its next season.

i hate this boy! but i keep watching

Spencer Pratt's Goals: Billionaire By 30, on TV Forever

TUESDAY OCTOBER 16, 2007 02:40 PM EDT
By Kristin Boehm, People Magazine

Spencer Pratt wants to be a billionaire by the time he turns 30, but is also quite content entertaining Hills viewers as reality TV's most hated villain.

"The bottom line is I'm making people react and ultimately not think about that we are in a war in Iraq and are trying to pick leaders," he tells the November issue of Radar magazine. "The Hills is good breath for people. I do not take it a little bit seriously. I'm an entertainer."

What he does take seriously is his future. "I'm trying to be a billionaire before 30. Once you find an open market, that's where you can make billions to trillions of dollars," he says.

The 24-year-old, most famous for being Hills costar Heidi Montag's hateable fiancé, also admits to political aspirations and tells the magazine that his antics are for show, but his love for Montag is the real deal.

"She is an angel, and I'm honored to be with her. People don't even know!" he says of the 21-year-old singer. "I'm the new villain, and that's hilarious! It's so cool to be alive ... I would be on reality TV until I am 100. It's the coolest thing in town."

Pratt added: "It's so much cooler to have people come up to me and be like, 'Spencer Pratt!' and know my name, than to be Orlando Bloom, who's famous for being some pirate."

i am a wonderful man

What ever happened to Michael Ian Black and why isn't he on TV anymore? I heard him on the radio this morning and I got all excited. He's doing a cross country tour of his stand up routine, I am A Wonderful Man, and is in the city tonight. Too bad I'm lazy and old and won't trek out there to see him :(

I miss Phil Stubs! He was such a great character. And Stella wasn't so bad either. And the classic The State.

Oh TV gods bring him back!

Gwen Stefani HP Commercial

It must be woman empowerment week in these parts.

Gwen, I agree. You can't turn creativity on and off. Please tell my bosses that! :)

tina rocks

i love tina fey. i think she's funny. glad the old men at NBC decided to keep her Emmy award winning show, 30 Rock, around for a 2nd season. i wouldn't have finally watched it. i tend not to watch good sitcoms their freshman year. i don't want to get attached to something really great and than have it be burned and stomped on by the network gods. i'm still mourning the loss of Arrested Development on Fox. why people didn't watch that show i don't know. what has gone wrong with sitcom taste in this country! anyway, love the Tina Fey. she writes, produces, directs and stars in 30 Rock. i hope more than a dozen people watch it this season, me included!

THE GREAT PURGE

I’m purging the old tired shows that are hard to resist…Grey's Anatomy and Brothers and Sisters. You may say that these shows aren’t old and tired but they sure act like it. Actually this great purge is only occurring since some old favorites like THE OFFICE and Curb Your Enthusiasm and new favorites like MAD MEN and Californication are taking over my TV. But really I didn’t record Grey’s Anatomy this week and I didn’t miss it. Bobby says this won’t last long. Oh, and Heroes is going too. We just finished watching The 4400 in my TV household. And this sci fi series has much more real depth, plot and mystery than that hot shot NBC show will ever deliver. We’ll see how long this purge lasts. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Here are some shows that I checked out this week:

Reaper on The CW- So I really wanted to fall into step on this one. But after about 3 minutes I wanted to turn the channel. It’s so Kevin Smith in the bad way. Smith has become the new John Hughes. Who knew? I mean Clerks is as much as a classic as Sixteen Candles and Breakfast Club. And what is Hughes doing now- writing screenplays for Disney and probably very happy. I vote that Smith do the same. I mean his last few ventures in film have not been uplifting. Okay, back to the show. It actually wasn’t dark enough. I mean the guy’s parents sold his soul to the devil. Didn’t seem to faze him so much. And the devil only wanted him to save the world of a pyro maniac. Somehow I think the real devil wouldn’t really be concerned about this guy going back to hell. Anyway, I may catch this again to give it another chance.

Big Shots - This is a cheap remake of Desperate Housewives with men as characters. I won’t support it. Even if the cutest boys like Dylan McDermott and Michael Vartan star in this show about these successful? men dealing with their wives. Don’t even bother watching it. I did and their cute faces didn’t last me the whole hour. I mean who is the target audience for this? Really it can’t be women. I am in no way that interested in what men do while I’m not watching.

WEEDS and CALIFORNICATION … You say but how so? FREE SHOWTIME this weekend. I caught several episodes of each captivating series on Comcast on Demand. And it was simply wonderful. But now it will be depressing, as I won’t pay the extra $6.95 for Showtime to watch this weekly. It will be so painful to wait for the seasons on DVD. I’m so glad that David Duchovony has morphed into Hank the egomaniac woman lover writer. And that little girl Becca she’s such a wonderful young actress.

THE OFFICE… over the top season premiere. It was a bit long but I was happy to see this sitcom come back a winner.

I'm hoping that Desperate Housewives kicks off tonight with a better season than the former. If I'm disappointed I can always watch Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

What will you purge this fall season?

my summer is ending

My work schedule always cuts into my lazy summer days. So it’s always a bummer when the new fall TV season premieres and reminds me summer is over. It’s always more of a bummer when most of the new shows aren’t worth watching. But here’s some that I’ll catch for sure:

Pushing Daisies
Wednesdays 8/7c on ABC
SERIES PREMIERE: October 3 at 8/7c
From ABC Website: “Pushing Daisies is a love story about a pie-baking young man with a very special gift… the ability to return dead people briefly back to life with just a simple touch -- enabling him to help a P.I. crack murder cases by asking victims to name their killers. Director Barry Sonnenfeld, writer-producer Bryan Fuller, and the producers of Big Fish blend romance, crime procedural and high-concept fantasy to create a fairytale in the spirit of Amelie, Stranger than Fiction, and Chocolat. Features a stellar cast.”


Dirty Sexy Money
Wednesdays 10/9c on ABC
SERIES PREMIERE: September 26 at 10/9c
From ABC Website: “Power, privilege and family money are a volatile cocktail thrust on an idealistic lawyer when he inherits the job of tending to the legal (and sometimes illegal) needs of the absurdly wealthy Darlings of New York City. Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin, Natalie Zea, Glenn Fitzgerald, Samaire Armstrong, Seth Gabel, Zoe McLellan, and Jill Clayburgh star.”

Others to catch: CHUCK on NBC, CASHMERE MAFIA on ABC.

Okay only two shows; I know I’m terrible. Here are a couple of new shows that I’ve been watching pre-season:

My co-workers turned me on to Mad Men on AMC. Lovely fine crafted program about the new age of advertising in the 1960s. There is a great character development with lots of tension build. I’m currently watching the 7th episode on Comcast On Demand and waiting for the other shoe to drop with Don’s past life or Pete’s marriage.

I’m really starting to get tired of Tell Me You Love Me on HBO. Unfortunately I’m a bit of a prude and I believe that sometimes revealing everything in love scenes isn’t the way to go. I mean there’s such thing as taste in portraying intimacy between characters. I can’t get past this I guess. I keep covering my eyes instead of hitting my Tivo button. I don’t think I’ll tune in next week. They aren’t making any of the story lines compelling enough to put up with the blatant nudity. Sell it people!

I watched the pilot of Bionic Woman over the weekend. They really screwed up the build up in this one. Before I knew it she was already bionic and it was only 10 minutes in. Also the whole idea of the classic Bionic Woman is that you know its kind of cheesy. They are taking themselves way too seriously in this remake.

What new shows are you looking forward to?

when I am 90...

Today I shared the awesome responsibility of distracting my 90 year old grandmother-in-law while over 50 family members, neighbors, and close friends were scrambling to pull off her surprise birthday bash across the street from her home. And for those of you who don’t know dear Grace- this is no small achievement. She’s been living on her block for the last oh, 50 years and she knows everything that goes on there. My husband and I were employed with escorting her and her lovely relatives (2 other people- a niece and her husband from Long Island, NY) OUT of the neighborhood for approx. 5 hours.

Of course hanging out with Grace is effortless and we spent the morning driving around beautiful old stoic (kind of like her) redwoods in Santa Cruz. And as we drove around curves and bends I got to thinking…about Grace and what I loved about her. There are countless things but the one that is my favorite is that she likes her television set. And she’s old school. She reads her TV guide and then turns the TV on to what she wants to watch. She’s not like me where I turn it on and have to look at all 500 channels before resting on something mundane or exciting. Anyway, Grace watches several critically acclaimed and interesting programs but her FAVORITE (and no she has never admitted this to me I can just tell) is reality programming. When I first met her 10 years ago I was astonished to learn that she was hooked to Survivor and Big Brother. Her newest fav is Dancing with the Stars. Although I do not share this love of programming I do admire Grace’s commitment and zeal for it.

So it got me thinking even more…what will I be watching in 60 years when I am 90? And how will I be watching it? For those who have studied TV history we really have NOT come very far. I mean the internet was more inventive in its first 5 years. We all know that HD is now among us. But when I was a freshman in college in 1995 they said it was due out in 1998. And I produce HD programs now and still don’t own a HD set. And I will go on a tangent right at this moment and tell you why:

1. LACK OF TIVO- If we buy a HD set we need to buy a HD Tivo unit. I am a Tivo addict and they ridiculously initially overpriced the new HD Tivo unit to $600. And as much as I love Tivo I will not pay! And even if they have lowered the price down now (after price gouging for OVER 9 months) to $300 I will never forgive Tivo for their lack of foresight and misjudging their clients. So I’m really stuck at #1 as I was raised in a boycott family and can’t get over Tivo screwing us.
2. PRICE- The last TV I bought was $500 – end of story. That is how much I want to pay for my new TV. Don’t ask me why I just won’t settle for any other price.
3. HD Programming- I’m not convinced that HD programming is a 24/7 reality yet- really its not- yes there are channels that have it. But I am still waiting to see the revolution so I can pay Comcast an extra $5 on top of the over-priced cable packaging I’m paying for.

OKAY, where was I? I went off on that tangent to prove that in 60 years maybe we won’t be that far away from what we have now. But here’s what I envision for the future. I really want projection 3D TV imaging. The kind - where it just appears in front of you in the air- as a projected screen- ON VOICE COMMAND. This could come in handy – let’s say when you’re in the tub enjoying a good soak and you want to watch the latest episode of Greys Anatomy or wait what will the latest medical soap be then….Anyway, you just say Grey’s Anatomy and it appears in front of you like a hologram. I really think this is going to happen. I would love it if in the morning I was getting ready I could see the news and weather report wherever I roamed. It could be right there in front of me. I really want this to happen. I did some research and they say its coming in the year 2020? Yeah right…

As for content in the future.. I’m not sure. What do you think? I’d like to say we could evolve and have really provocative thought provoking shows but it seems to fail me what they would exactly be in 60 years. And my biggest thought on this topic is what if in just a few years TV, as we know it falls apart. That is to say what if TV becomes more universal incorporated into all communication devices and we simply don’t sit down to watch that darn “tube.” Wait isn’t this already happening.

I know I’m rambling here but let's imagine if the founders of the TV set Philo T. Farnsworth, and Vladimir Zworykin could see now where their invention led. I don’t think they would be too happy. I don’t think they would’ve dreamed up what we have now in front of us.

THE PLOT TO KILL JESSE

Check out the HISTORY CHANNEL special: THE PLOT TO KILL JESSE JAMES tomorrow night and this week!

Thursday, September 20 11:00 PM

Friday, September 21 03:00 AM

Saturday, September 22 06:00 PM

This program is a beautifully directed chase thriller. I guarantee you've never seen a western docudrama like it. I was only a bit player on this docudrama team (not even sure why I got a credit!). Mike Loades directed, Josh Rosen wrote and produced, Evelyn Manangan and Eileen Rivera were the dream team that pulled it off. There's also this hot guy who plays Jesse-- I promise he will deliver more than that- oh what's his name- Brad Pitt in the movie version. Oh, and if you're wondering this TV show is much better than that movie. Hope you can catch it- and sorry for the short notice! :)

The Plot to Kill Jesse James

This one-hour special tells the story of Robert Ford, the man who joined James's gang only to become resentful of the legendary outlaw and hatch a plan to kill him. With expert interviews, archival materials, dramatic re-enactments, and eyewitness accounts, this
program brings to life the man, motives, and means focused on doing away with the "fastest gun in the West."

After James' assassination, Robert Ford and his brother Charlie were pardoned, by pre-arrangement with the governor, but they felt the
sting of public contempt. Charlie Ford committed suicide and Bob's fortunes sunk ever lower until he, too, was shot in an act of
vengeance.