Monday, September 17, 2007

2007 Fall TV Preview!

Finally! I somehow made it through the long summer nights filled with only the out-of-contention-by-May Cincinnati Reds and the occasional Colbert Report / Top Chef / The Hills to keep me entertained. The reward is a full slate of brand new episodes of all our favorite shows, as well as some shiny newcomers that just might make their way onto your already busy TV watching schedule. What's worth watching? Once again I've compiled my Night-by-Night breakdown of shows that you should be watching. However, as we've learned from previous years, just because shows are on this list now doesn't mean they'll still be worthy of viewing come the holiday break. Likewise, I'm sure there are some other shows out there that will somehow win me over before the spring. But for now, the following all earn the all-important "Brian Seal of Approval":

Monday

8:00 - Prison Break (FOX) - Returning Favorite - September 17th

Last year, "Prison Break" proved that it wasn't a one-act story, and could continue delivering exciting plotlines outside the walls of Fox River Penitentiary. In fact, by the end of the season, Prison Break had firmly wrenched away the "most exciting show on TV" title away from the fading "24". Although there were a few slower episodes, and some pretty absurd plot points (especially how all the characters kept running into each other - isn't America a little bigger than that?), the show proved that it was willing to take chances - killing off main characters, moving the action to Panama for the uber-exciting season ending story arc, and throwing Michael back in prison before the season came to a close.

Having watched the first episode, I can safely say that the show remains as intense as ever. Once again there are some of the aforementioned crazy coincidences (Michael, Billick, Mahone, and T-Bag all in the same prison? Really?), but they somehow make the storyline work. We also have the interesting twist of Michael being on the inside of Prison and Lincoln being on the outside of Prison trying to get him out. The Panamanian Prison offers the opportunity to introduce some new characters, and I anxiously await the inevitable "Michael and Mahone join forces to escape / take down the Corporation" storyline.

During the first season of Prison Break, I read somewhere that the show's creators only saw the show lasting "two or three seasons" due to the nature of the storyline. I hope they keep to their word, and don't drag the show on unnecessarily long for the sake of ratings - because as good as Prison Break is right now, if we have an entire season of Michael breaking out of prison (again), it's going to start feeling like a rerun. I'm hoping this is the last season for the show - and they spend the first half of the year with a tight storyline about Michael getting out of Panamanian prison, and then the second half of the year is devoted to resolving the mystery surrounding their father and the Corporation (a storyline which has faded recently, but really should be front and center).



8:00 - Chuck (NBC) - Promising - September 24th

From creator Josh Schwartz (of "The O.C." fame) comes a show that I can only describe as Seth Cohen meets Alias. It's slick, it's exciting, it's funny, and probably has the highest potential to succeed in the fall based on its timeslot right before Heroes. The same males aged 18-34 that turned Heroes into one of the top rated shows on TV (read: nerds) are going to love this show. The premise is pretty simple - Chuck, an average guy working at the "Nerd Herd" (Geek Squad) at "Buy More" (Best Buy) receives a strange Email from a former college roommate, and unknowingly winds up with all the government's secrets stored inside his memory as a series of images. It's not as weird as that sounds, I promise.

Suddenly Chuck becomes instantly valuable to both the CIA and NSA (represented by the quite attractive Yvonne Strzechowski and the "not actually a Baldwin brother" Adam Baldwin), who are both trying to gain information from Chuck to use to help combat the bad guys of the world. These characters are nicely balanced by Chuck's best friend Morgan, sister Ellie, and her husband Captain Awesome (you're skeptical, but this name actually makes sense, and provides a number of laughs in the first episode). It's similar to the personal / professional life conflicts that we saw on Alias, but from a "nerd" perspective.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

I was a huge fan of The O.C. in its early years, and a lot of it has to do with Josh Schwartz. I hope he learned from the mistakes of The O.C. (most notably, burning through too many storylines too fast) - which results in a great first season, but then mediocre follow-up seasons since you're out of material - because by the end of the first episode, you can easily see how "Chuck" could offer both solid stand-alone episodes, as well as larger story arcs that could give the show legs for years.



9:00 - Heroes (NBC) - Returning Favorite - September 24th

Oh "Heroes", you were a kickass season finale away from delivering one of the best first seasons of any television show in recent memory. Instead, we got a season finale that was probably less exciting than a regular episode, leaving some viewers with a bad taste in their mouth over the summer. But in its first season, creator/writer Tim Kring proved that he could deliver exciting individual episodes while still focusing on an overall story arc for the entire season. Sure, the dialogue could be downright laughable at times, and it can sometimes slip into unrealistic comic fanboy territory, but on the whole it was a mighty entertaining television program.

Looking ahead to the second season, there is no reason to be anything but excited for the future. Hopefully Kring has come up with a way to keep the characters together and interacting with a single cohesive storyline. As much fun as the first season was to see the characters' individual storylines, and how they each eventually came into contact with each other - now that they're all together, I can't imagine each of them going off in their own separate ways. While part of me is a little afraid of the whole "Hiro in the past" storyline taking center stage (in my opinion, Hiro is best when used sparingly), I’m excited that David Anders (aka, Sark from Alias fame) is joining the cast - although I have no idea how the very Anglo Anders is going to play a 1,000 year old Japanese Warrior. Initially, not killing Sylar in the finale seemed like a bit of a cop-out, but I must admit that I'm excited to have his character back, since he's one of the most intriguing on the show. With the addition of another "big bad" (referenced by the creepy girl in the season finale), we might have an even more action packed season than last year.



Tuesday

8:00 - Beauty and the Geek (CW) - Returning Favorite - September 18th

Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, both a little scared, neither one prepared, Beauty and the Geek. Ashton Kucher's "great social experiment" is back for a third season, and it will once again have a place on my DVR schedule. It's a simple concept, but I can't help but watch with fascination as superficial hotties learn that they're actually vapid and shallow while mega-nerds learn how to wear stylish clothes and social skills. What's not to like? You have pretty girls, challenges that make you feel better about yourself (since you're probably smarter / more handy / more social than the contestants on the show), and unlike most reality shows, the contestants generally become better people over the course of the show.

If that wasn't enough, this season features not one, but TWO geeks from Cincinnati!

(No, I'm not one of them - although if I was, my subtitle would be "Runs Internationally-Known Lost Blog")


Wednesday

8:00 - Pushing Daisies (ABC) - Promising - October 3rd

I love "Pushing Daisies". It's witty, visually stunning, and heartwarming. That's why it breaks my heart that I know it won't last on network TV.

Why not? Well, here's the premise: the main character, Ned, is a pie maker with the ability to bring dead people back to life by touching them - but there's a catch. When he touches them a second time, they're dead forever. If he doesn't touch them a second time within a minute of touching them the first time, they stay alive - but someone else in the close proximity dies. This leads to some interesting problems (Ned can't pet his dog), some light moral dilemmas (should Ned let one person live at the expense of another?), and a lucrative business at solving murders (by bringing the dead temporarily to ask who killed them).

See the problem? Pitch that premise to 90% of America, and they instantly tune out the show, which is a shame - because this is the best show of the fall.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

The first thing that will grab you is the visuals. The Future Wife described them as similar to the movie Big Fish, which is a great comparison. The sets are different and interesting - almost like a Tim Burton movie on happy pills. I have never seen so much color in a television show in my life. It's unlike anything you've ever seen on a live action TV show. The show is guided by a voiceover - but unlike Grey's Anatomy or Scrubs, it's not the voice of any character on the show (at least not yet), and it's almost as though the voice is reading a poem rather than describing the events unfolding… and that's really how the show feels - like some sort of Dr. Seuss or Roald Dahl book come to life.

However, it never approaches being overly sappy, partially thanks to Chi McBride who acts as a Private Investigator working with Ned on solving murders to collect rewards. His straightforward, rational ways offer a nice counterbalance to Ned's idealistic views of the world. He also delivers some hilarious rapid-fire dialogue that gives the show a bit of an edge. If you watch the first episode and aren't smiling when it's over, you don’t have a soul. This is delightful TV.

(Note: the first two minutes of the show are among the most shocking in the history of television, and almost made me turn off Pushing Daisies instantly. Stick through it! It all works out within the first five minutes of the show.)


9:00 - Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (FOX) - Promising - September 19th

This isn't really a new show, but rather the American version of the British show that I've been watching for two seasons now. In it, Gordon Ramsay (who you may know from "Hell's Kitchen" fame) visits troubled and failing restaurants and spends a week with them to try and turn things around. (SPOILER ALERT!!! The secret is always to simplify their menu and use simple, fresh ingredients!) However, don't go into it thinking that show is the "softer, gentler" side of Ramsay. Although he has the chefs and their restaurants in his best interests, you'll find that getting them to change their current ways often leads to some heated "discussions" in the kitchen, people quitting, or threatening Ramsay's life.

While I'll pretty much watch anything food related on TV (I have a problem, I know), there's something quite entertaining about seeing a behind the scenes view of a kitchen - especially one that is having issues, which seems to increase the craziness. Add in that you often find yourself rooting for these "underdog" restaurants that are often nearly going bankrupt, to change their ways and once again find success (what's more American that that?) and you have a recipe for success. The possibility of actually being able to visit these restaurants at some point in real life is an added bonus.

Come to Cincinnati, Gordon!


10:00 - Top Chef (BRAVO) - Returning Favorite - Now Playing

Okay, so apparently Wednesday is cooking show night for me. Good thing I have this Future Wife now to prove that I'm straight!

What can I say about Top Chef that I haven't already said? It gets the most talented chefs of any cooking show on TV, puts them in crazy and highly entertaining challenges, and spends more time on the food than on the drama between the contestants. We're currently down to the final 5 contestants of the third season, and if you haven't been watching so far, I'd recommend finding one of the marathons that Bravo seems to air at least once a weekend and catching up.

If you like food, you'll like Top Chef.


Thursday

8:00 - My Name is Earl (NBC) - Returning Favorite - September 27th

Have you noticed what has been strangely absent from the Fall TV Preview so far? That's right, not a single half-hour comedy so far! That's because greedy NBC has crammed all the worthwhile ones into one night - "Must See TV", indeed!

Up first is "My Name is Earl", which is coming off a sophomore season that bettered the first in almost every way. The show remained as fresh and funny as ever, sometimes making me laugh more than "The Office" - crazy, I know. Although some people think it's crazy that the season ended with Earl in jail, and are expecting a quick exit at the start of the third season, I think it's pure genius. Due to his sketchy past, not only does Earl probably have a large number of "friends" in jail, but trying to spread his do-gooder attitude there will be harder than ever. It raises the difficulty level up a notch for Earl and his list, and opens the door for some very unique storylines.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Earl spend at least the first third of the season in prison.


8:30 - 30 Rock (NBC) - Returning Favorite - October 4th

Coming fresh off an Emmy win, here's hoping that "30 Rock" can do what "Arrested Development" couldn't - turn an Emmy win into a ratings increase. It’s a smart show that feels like “The Office” from time to time – in that its humor is often uncomfortable, but unlike The Office, 30 Rock contains many more “characters” – people who are so ridiculously over the top that they almost become unrealistic (Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, and Kenneth Parcell). In some cases this distracts from the show, but thanks to Tina Fey playing the normal character we can all relate to, the show works.

With any luck, this show will continue to improve (keep in mind that it actually got much better as last season went on – if this pace improves, it will be fantastic by mid-season) and last for a third season. If I were ranking the Thursday night comedies on NBC, this would come in at #4 – but it’s still better than any comedy you’ll see on CBS or ABC this fall. Plus, it’s right between Earl and the Office, so you don’t have to change channels. Laziness wins out!


9:00 - The Office (NBC) - Returning Favorite - September 27th

Put quite simply, “The Office” is head and shoulders above any other comedy on Network TV. It’s got the quirkiness of an “Arrested Development”, the romance of a “Friends”, and the water cooler buzz of a “Grey’s Anatomy” all rolled into one. Plus, it’s scarily crazy to the reality of working in an office, which adds an element of sadness to the show.

Last season saw the show seamlessly add new characters like Andy and Karen without taking time away from any of the fan favorites. These new players added some fresh new elements to the show that worked perfectly (Andy providing the “enemy” for Dwight, Karen adding the third point to the Jim and Pam love triangle) and provided a change of pace aside from all the traditional relationships on the show.

I enjoy that the writers don’t seem to be sitting comfortably with the current state of The Office, which might lead to eventually staleness. Instead, they’re doing things like promoting Ryan, firing Jan (and having her move in with Michael), and moving Karen out of the picture. This ever-changing face of the show helps keep the storylines rolling along realistically, without feeling forced. It shows the confidence that they have in what they’re doing, and aren’t afraid of taking risks.

Having said that, there is absolutely no way that the Jim and Pam relationship goes anywhere. I can’t point to any forthcoming obstacles that would keep them apart, but there simply must be one. Keeping them together would make the show a little too “relationshipy”, which isn’t what The Office is all about. Rather, it’s about pointing out how insane the corporate world really is, and providing an endless stream of quotes for each of us to use at our jobs on a daily basis.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


9:00 - Grey's Anatomy (ABC) - Returning Favorite - September 27th

Grey’s Anatomy, you’re on notice.

After a fantastic second season which catapulted the show into the most watched show on TV, Grey’s took a definite step backwards last season. The storylines were depressing, seemed to drag on, and almost seemed overshadowed by the off camera action of its cast members. In my mind, this was never more apparent than the season finale, where a full season’s worth of plotting around Cristina and Burke’s wedding was thrown away – possibly for the sake of kicking Isaiah Washington off the show for his “fights” with cast members. The audience invested a heck of a lot of time in that storyline for it to have zero payoff. But enough about last year, how does this season look?

Well, it somewhat concerns me that the most likeable female character on the show, Addison, is leaving for her a spin-off, leaving us with three semi-annoying female leads, and the always solid Dr. Bailey. It worries me that they are introducing Meredith’s sister as an intern / potential love interest for McDreamy – that’s borderline afternoon soap opera storyline, isn’t it? I also wonder how long the show can continue to have such a small core of characters make up and break up.

I hope I’m wrong. When Grey’s is at its best, it’s a quite compelling hour of TV that can make you laugh, cry, and feel good about life in general. I just saw very few of these flashes of brilliance last year. But due to its water cooler presence, it’ll probably stay on my radar through at least the fall (the scary alternative: do actual work from 8:00 – 8:30 on Friday morning. No thank you!).


9:30 - Scrubs (NBC) - Returning Favorite - September 27th

After a real resurgent fifth season, which I would rank as the best since season two, “Scrubs” took a bit of a step backwards last year as well. There were still a number of high quality episodes (the musical comes to mind), but there were also a lot that just seemed like they were walking through the motions. Each character would do their shtick, there would be a lesson learned from a patient, and cool indie music would play in the background. But most of the episodes didn’t stick with you the way that the "classic" episodes from the early seasons did.

This being the final season of the show, Scrubs is given a chance to redeem itself and go out on the top of its game. In reality, I’m just thankful they have the opportunity to do so. For a while, it looked like the show would be cancelled due to lower than desired ratings and the growing draw of major motion pictures for Zach Braff. Thankfully the gang is all back together and show creator Bill Lawrence seems like he’ll be much more involved.

But regardless of what happens in this last season, it’s safe to say that Scrubs will go down as one of my Top 10 favorite television shows of all time. I’ll be sad to see it go.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


Monday Through Thursday

11:30 – Colbert Report (COMEDY CENTRAL) – Returning Favorite – Now Playing

I would be amiss if I didn’t also mention “The Colbert Report”, which isn’t really a traditional “Fall TV Show” since it doesn’t really have a season – but does offer more comedic bang for your buck than any other show on TV. With hundreds of episodes produced each year, The Report is always there for you, waiting on your DVR to give you at least a few laugh out loud moments in the early hours of a weekend morning or the early evening hours during dinner.

Stephen Colbert deserves some kind of award – I’m just not sure what. His character on the show is a total act, yet he plays it straight through the news stories and interviews. Does that make him a traditional variety show “host”, an “actor”, or some crazy hybrid of the two? Whatever he is, in my mind this makes him more gifted than Jon Stewart and David Letterman combined. From having airplanes, mascots, and endangered species named after him, to getting into fights with rebel billionaires, Colbert mixes these elements of his “character” in with the usual satire of the news to produce a half hour of pure entertainment.

It’s a smart show that requires a firm grasp of current events to get the jokes – but it also requires dedicated viewing to understand some of the ongoing storylines that also fit into jokes. This has created an insanely dedicated fan base, which has used its power to change Wikipedia articles, win Hungarian bridge naming contests, and even prompted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to warn Democrats to stay away from Colbert.

I can’t think of any television personality who has ever commanded such power, and Colbert uses it to his utmost advantage. With the upcoming 2008 elections, I can’t even wait to see what’s coming up next. It’s Colbert’s world, we just live in it.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


So there you have it, roughly 10 hours of television that you ought to be watching each week. Yes, there are some other shows that could have made the cut (“Reaper”, “Friday Night Lights”) or some I’m probably not watching due to the lack of premium cable channels – but in my mind this represents the best and brightest that the world of TV has to offer. If nothing else, if you watch these shows, it will help you forget that Lost isn’t coming back for another five months.

(Speaking of which, I’m still undecided as to how I’ll handle the Blog for these upcoming five months, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them below!)

Happy watching!

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sometime in the next 5 months I would like to see a state of Lost address. Kinda like the state of the union but for the show.

Mongo Bombay said...

Good preview. I'm not anticipating any particular program to really catch my fancy, but "Chuck" looks like fun, as does "Reaper". Nothing looks comparable to LOST, though. "Heroes" seemed to have siphoned off a lot of LOST's heat this year, but I'm predicting a MAJOR sophomore slump for "Heroes".

As far as what you want to do with your blog over the next five months, well, your blog is one of the first places I check when I go online, and not having anything to read on "L...AGF" for this past month was almost like withdrawl...but I imagine I can wait until February for consistent posts and in-depth analysis!

Just make sure you post something at least once a month, all right?

Anonymous said...

I watched the series premiere of K'Ville last night. There is potential in that show, BUT I think that they really rushed the first episode. I don't think it will last. Did anyone else watch?

BTW....Two Losties were in the premiere of K'Ville....William Mapother (Ethan Rom) and Sam Anderson (Bernard).

Anonymous said...

I just have to say that Californication rules. It just makes me plain happy to watch. Just a bit annoying to have to watch it the day after in Sweden.

Anonymous said...

Just a thought on "The Office". I was thinking that maybe Ryan didn't get the job at corporate, but moved on to a different company. Maybe the person corporate was talking to on the phone was Karen, and Ryan was talking to someone else? Ryan was in Scranton during the interviews for the corporate job, so maybe Karen will be the new Jan?

Thoughts?

Anonymous said...

All that work and not a mention of Smallville!? Smallville, returning for its seventh season remains among the most creative, compelling and fun hours of television.

Anonymous said...

Actually GG, they have already gone on record as saying that Ryan got the job at corporate. They wouldn't just write Ryan out of the show, especially considering BJ Novak is one of the head writers. Also, there has been plenty of talk implying that Karen will not be around much longer. I don't really know what caused you to come up with that theory, but it just isn't correct.

Anonymous said...

Hooray! An update! Always good to have new content here. That said, I don't watch much television, so this doesn't mean that much to me. I read the Heroes comments, but that's it.

Anonymous said...

Nice info, great preview! You've piqued my interest in a couple of these shows, and I'll have to give them a try.

I've been doing my own Lost Rewinds (missing something without the analysis, though!) and am about 2/3 through season 2. Can't wait for season 3 to get to DVD.

Anonymous said...

Dude, Grey's Anatomy is a GIRL's show! My girlfriend makes me watch it and I want to drown myself in the incestuous nonsense that goes on! Chuck looks like it will be this year's Six Degrees, wont make it past November. The reason no one watches 30 Rock is because A), it sounds too much like 3rd Rock, and people think ity has John Lithkow, and B) no one cares about the entertainment industry except for people in the entertainment industry, (thus, the Emmy).

The shows you need to get into and forget about Grey's Lobodomy are: Jericho (returning January), the Shield (returning March), Smallville, I think I love you (it's not TV, its HBO)\

Brian said...

a friend - I didn't include any mid-season shows, which explains why the shows you mentioned aren't on there (or a little show I like to call "Lost"). It's the "Fall TV Preview", not the "Spring TV Preview".

As for 30 Rock, I disagree. The reason why Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip failed was because no one cares about drama in the entertainment industry - because we can't relate to it. As for comedy in the entertainment industry, that's a whole differnt story. As long as the stories make you laugh, you'll tune in.

Heather Arthur said...

You left out the one I am most excited about, Journeyman. I saw the pilot on the airplane and it was soooooooo good. I think it will be one of the best new shows this year. I have already created a series recording on my DVR. Watch it you won't be sorry. Monday nights after Heros.

Anonymous said...

Hey Brian,

Thanks for your review! Basically you could write about grass growing, and I'd find your take interesting. I'm travelling in India for the next 3 weeks (work) so I have my Slingbox, and TiVo all set to get me my fall schedule. I'm also looking forward to Journeyman... but that's probably because I loved Quantum Leap...

Anonymous said...

Brain, you mentioned that Scrubs was one of your all-time favorite TV shows, so what are the others? Could you maybe give us a top ten list? I will then proceed to buy all of the DVDs for those shows. I trust you that much. (Except for your opinion of Grey's Anatomy. The dialogue on that show makes me want to blow my brains out.) Also, what was your opinion on "Flight of the Conchords"? I couldn't get enough of it and was happy to hear that it is coming back for a second season.

Anonymous said...

That is what you should do with the next 5 months, give your opinion on shows that have recently concluded for the season or series, or are already in progress. That or just chillax for 5 months so you will be ready for hours upon hours of analysis of Lost.

Alec said...

I'm ashamed to admit I'm very psyched for the Bionic Woman. The preview looks awesome to me. Of course, I imagine it'll turn from dark, edgy sci-fi drama into just another crime drama, with special effects. But I hold out hope anyway...

Anonymous said...

I didn't like Chuck at all. Heroes was great.

Anonymous said...

Brian, love the in-depth reviews - very useful - so much so I blogged about you on locatetvblog!

If you'd like a private beta invite to see our site LocateTV before it goes into public beta next week we'd love to send you an invite - we think you'd find it so useful!

It's basically a new TV and film search site that lets you find where and when a film/show/actor is next showing on TV, online and on DVD, specific to your region, and it has great embeds so you can share the content with your readers.

If you're interested, drop me a line.

Cheers, Lottie

andi said...

There ain't no party like my grandma's tea party. Hey. Ho!

Friday Night Lights only gets a mention in your footnote? That's unbelieveable. Of all people, I thought you, Brian, would recognize genius on TV when you saw it.

It has the season long story arcs. It has mini arcs (see the racially charged episodes for a great two-episode story arc that makes a difference). It has great acting from the two leads, Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. And it has the soppy teenage drama that we all miss from the O.C. and such. It's one of the only shows that I have a real emotional connection with. And I'm not the only one:

http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/feature/2007/09/14/buffy/index_np.html

Salon.com awarded it their "Buffy" award, for the most underappreciated TV show last year.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070919

ESPN even called it the "greatest sports show ever"

I'm British. I don't have the foggiest idea about American Football, let alone the subtle nuances of high school football, but the writing on this show carries through the sports and connects on a human level (in the same way Battlestar Galactica transcends its SciFi roots, but we'll save that discussion for another day).

Even the popular press has something to say:

“This new drama about high school football could be great — and not just television great, but great in the way of a poem or painting…” — The New York Times

“Lights has a rare ability to portray life in small-town America without being condescending or sentimental. Those are rich fields to explore, and Lights shows promise of doing so with both warmth and intelligence.”– USA Today

“If viewers get over their preconceived notions about what they think this series is about and actually give it a shot, they’ll be as stunned as everyone else.”– The San Francisco Chronicle

Friday Night Lights has pretty low ratings, and that's a shame. I urge you all to buy the Season 1 DVD box set. If you don't like it, you can get a FULL refund from NBC. That's how great the show is. Details are here:

http://www.fnlguarantee.com/

And if you can't be bothered to walk to the store, you can go to www.nbc.com and watch the ENTIRE SEASON 1 streaming on demand.

Brian,

I was one of the guest posters on the blog last summer. I'd love to be able to craft a full post for your readership. There is a lot of momentum online to get this show the viewership it deserves. We need you (insert giant finger). Hopefully you'll let me

Thanks,
andi

Brian said...

andi - Go for it! I am rooting for "Friday Night Lights" to succeed as much as any other show on TV. Unfortunately, it always seems to air opposite some other show I'm watching, so I am not familiar enough with it to write a worthy recommendation about it.

Also, with the show being on Friday nights this fall - although it makes total sense - the odds aren't looking good for me to watch it much more this season.

If you write something up, just shoot it over to me at controltheblog@hotmail.com and I'll post it!

Unknown said...

Hey Brian, can you hook me up with Alec? I am in deep poo! I had to redo my entire computer and now my membership into the lost forum is null. I can not remember anything because I was logged on forever so i have no clue what to do. I can not get to him, can you?

thanks for connecting me!

Anonymous said...

Did you catch the "government secret" reference to Oceanic Flight 815 on Chuck tonight? I totally laughed out loud - loved it!

Some other sites are saying that it said it was "shot down" but I thought he said "shut down by..." and then it is gibberish cause he is saying all the government secrets so fast it is hard to catch up.

Matt said...

I have to comment about what you were saying about some of the "characters" in 30 Rock. As a cameraman in the TV\Film industry, and having been on sets of years, I can tell you that there definitely are Kenneths and Tracy Morgans out there, right now, in the world, being as dumb as ridiculous as they are in the show. Can't wait for the next season of L-A-G-F blogs!!

Jeremy said...

I'm confused by your statement about the first 2 minutes of Pushing Daisies. They are a little strange/quirky, but shocking? Among the most shocking in the history of television??? What exactly are you referring to here? I loved that pilot and hope the show can last.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone watch 30 Rock last night? Of course you did....but did you catch the Lost mention by Jerry Seinfeld?

Jack (Alec Baldwin): Ok, Jerry, what NBC shows would you be willing to be digitally inserted into??

Jerry: I like LOST. Is that you guys?

Sawyer's Optician said...

I watched Pushing Daisies on your recommendation. Definitely Tim Burton on happy pills. I’m with Jeremy about the first two minutes. You must have seen a different version than was broadcast this week.

I also on your recommendation rented the first season of Heroes, and am about halfway through. I appreciate and trust your reviews/opinions. There seems to be so much tv out there, that I usually just end up watching reruns of the same stuff that I know I like. Thanks

James said...

So seeing that dog get creamed by a truck, followed by the death of his mother and the death of the girl next door's father wasn't shocking? I saw the pilot a few months back, and it was the same as the version available on ABC's web site. Blood-thirsty as a I can be, I was really thrown off by how grim the opening was. But Brian's right - it's an incredible show.

Also - Reaper, which follows Beauty and the Geek, has had a great two weeks.

eagle44 said...

dexter. i know it's on cable but i'm sure you can get it on dvd soon. i was off work for a week and it was free on demand, and i could not stop watching it. because it is on pay cable, seems to not dumb itself down to the masses, which even lost and heroes seem to do sometimes. smartest show i've ever seen, beside lost, and because of a somewhat limited budget, it makes them be more creative, which is nice.

Brian said...

Time to play a little catch up on comments:

heather's brain - what are you looking for? Why not just head over to the Message Board (linked in any of my older posts) and shoot Alec a personal message? I'm confused.

jeremy / sawyer's optician - James picked up where I was going with my comment. Rule #1 of TV / movies is that you never ever kill a dog. You can kill and torture people all you want, but dogs are off limits. This is because dogs are superior to people in every way. So when I saw the beginning of "Pushing Daisies", my reaction was "there is no way I'm going to like this show - they just killed a dog!"

Luckily, we all know how it worked out, and the show won me over during the course of its first hour.

joe d. - I did catch that. This puts the number of Lost references on NBC shows to three over the past year. Chuck, The Office, and 30 Rock have all referenced the show. Fantastic.

Anonymous said...

I am not a sugary show fan- but for some strange reason- I love Chuck (plutonically). Its an amazing show. I look forward to it. Watch it. Then again about 3 days later. IT - IS - AWESOME.


[Worth noting that I think I am in love with the super-hot-spy-chick with the russian name I can't pronouce. Y---- something. Her is pigtails and a swedish skirt is unfair.]

[That is all. Please post soon - TV isn't right without your reactions. LOST or not.]

Sawyer5665 said...

Glad we can all be so mature, anon.

Anonymous said...

I'm having LOST withdrawls.

OK... Heroes and Bionic Woman are providing me some filler (Heroes is a great show).

Does anyone else have the Countdown to LOST gadget on their Windows Vista desktop? That just shows everyone at the coffee shop how LOST I really am.

Madeline's Mom said...

I just heard the good news that Pushing Daisies has been picked up for at least the first full season. Thanks for pointing me that direction. I love it.

Anonymous said...

Good job!

Anonymous said...

Nice Article.

Anonymous said...

Thanks to author.

Anonymous said...

Magnific!

Anonymous said...

Good job!

Anonymous said...

Thanks to author.

Anonymous said...

99 days til Lost

Anonymous said...

pNkS3N Please write anything else!

Anonymous said...

actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.

andi said...

Sorry Brian. I didn't write a full on FNL post. Luckily so, as this season has seen a fall from grace, like many other superstar sophomore series.

Unknown said...

HBO's The Complete girls Season 3 dvd box set is getting a little extra oomph for its  third season, in the form of Jon Hamm's   gal.HBO has officially announced a third-season pickup of Lena Dunham’s comedy Girls, which has received a 12-episode order, up from 10 for the first two seasons. HBO has been making preparations for girls Season 3 dvd box set for the last couple of months. The network closed a new overall deal with executive producer Jenni Konner to return as co-showrunner alongside creator/star/executive  producer Dunham. The duo, who executive produce Girls with Judd Apatow, have assembled a writing  team, with Paul Simms replacing Bruce Eric Kaplan as co-executive producer as Kaplan is busy working on his HBO pilot. (He remains involved with Girls). The writers have already been working on scripts for Season 3 in anticipation of a pickup. Dunham inadvertently confirmed the renewal on Alec Baldwin’s podcast earlier this week. girls Season 3 dvd box set is expected to film on the stage used by Baldwin’s departing 30 Rock at Silvercup Studios.