Thanks to the WGA's interim deal with Lionsgate, writers from Mad Men and Weeds will be able to go back to work! Huzzah!
Over the Weekend:
Psych: This had to be one of my favorite Psych episodes yet. From the awesome Spanish-language theme song (another gold star for special opening credits, Psych!) to Shawn as an eyeliner-wearing telenovela star, the entire hour had me laughing out loud. It was also great to see Lassiter and O'Hara actively working with (or against, I suppose) Shawn and Gus, which they haven't been doing as much of this season. I wasn't so sure about the O'Hara/harassment complaint plot, though. Hopefully it's leading to something interesting, and wasn't just something random they threw in there. Because, um, weird.
Boston Legal: From Tuesday. You know, when I saw that the episode was titled "Roe v. Wade: The Musical," I wasn't sure what to expect, but...wow. A serious argument on forced abortions set to the occasional song from Xanadu was too surreal for words. And also kind of coincidental, since I watched Xanadu the movie on Saturday after having seen the musical last month. (And yikes. That movie really, REALLY sucks. Wow.) At any rate, compliments to David E. Kelley for taking the series to ever-crazier heights.
Tonight:
Ummmm...there's the State of the Union at 9, if you're in the mood to yell at your TV or drink heavily.
Monday, January 28, 2008
On the Glowy Box: If I hate Mondays and love lasagna, does that make me Garfield?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
On the Glowy Box: Four-day week!
Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. My internet at home isn't working for me, for some reason. Rrgh. But it was technically a holiday, so we'll use that as an excuse. Anyway, I managed to miss Terminator last night, but I DID finish the second season of Dexter! (More later.)
Over the Weekend:
Breaking Bad: LOVED it. This show absolutely has to be Emmy bait for Bryan Cranston. And the pacing was fantastic! I was worried that the "desperate parent turns to drug dealing to make ends meet" concept was a little too close to Weeds, but Breaking Bad managed to distinguish itself as the more dramatic of the two shows right off the bat--there was more action in the pilot episode than in the entire first season of Weeds. The only question mark for me was the actor playing Bryan Cranston's partner, but he's got a tough job standing out next to such a powerful performance. Anyway, two thumbs up to Breaking Bad. I'm very happy to add another show to my "Strike Survival Roster."
Masterpiece Theatre - Northanger Abbey: I hadn't read the book yet, but the fact that I was inspired to start it last night has to be a good sign, right? So while I can't speak to how faithful the adaptation was, I can say that I really enjoyed it. This Jane Austen-themed mini-season might be PBS's greatest idea in recent history. Seriously, I can't remember the last time a regular show on PBS has been appointment viewing for me, much as I frequently watch their special programming.
Psych: I'm just gonna throw this out there: Henry in a retirement home = Greatest thing ever, or GREATEST THING EVER? With a foolproof main plot like that one, who even cares if O'Hara and Lassiter's side plot was an odd afterthought? Here's hoping that someday in the near future, USA will choose to bombard us with endless Psych reruns, rather than one lame episode of Monk after another.
Boston Legal: From Tuesday. I can barely remember what this episode was about, and I watched it three days ago. Something with Jerry embarrassing himself in the courtroom with tics before doing a great job? Oh, wait, that's in almost every episode. Something about Denny wanting to assert his independence and prove he still "has it"? Hmm...again, I'm gonna say that's kind of a common theme. Boston Legal, you disappoint me.
Tonight:
Boston Legal: A woman steals a man's semen and impregnates herself artificially; a teacher loses her job for hugging a student. 10 PM, ABC.
Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency: Janice and the models bare all in an anti-fur protest; Janice gets more plastic surgery. 10:30 PM, Oxygen.
On the one hand, I am all for anti-fur protests. On the other hand, I am vehemently against Janice baring all. Hmm.
Top Five Special Opening Credit Sequences
I've seen a bunch of great posts in the past couple months listing favorite credit sequences and opening themes, which got me thinking about one of my favorite television gimmicks: Taking the normal opening credit sequence and winking at the fans by twisting it somehow, or using it in an interesting way. Here are five of my favorite examples.
1. Boston Legal - In this fantastic clip, Jerry describes a song he sings in his head to Shirley, and when she asks him to sing it for her, it segues into Jerry singing along with the opening theme (which I already love):
2. Veronica Mars - At the very end of this clip, Wallace expresses surprise that Veronica knew someone. Veronica says, "We used to be friends. A long time ago." Which in the episode, of course (though not in this clip, sorry), segues straight into the fantastic Dandy Warhols theme song, with the lyrics "A long time ago, we used to be friends." Ah, so deliciously meta:3. Holiday-themed credits! This example is from Psych's holiday special last month:4. The Simpsons - In the beginning of this episode, Skinner installs vending machines in Springfield Elementary, which Bart uses to gorge himself on junk food. "Three weeks later..." we get this parody of their usual opening credits sequence, but with an obese Bart:5. The X-Files - I don't have a clip of this, unfortunately. The show's usual opening credits sequence would end with the famous "The Truth is Out There" tagline splashed across the screen. Occasionally, though, the tagline would be replaced by something pertinent to the specific episode, such as "Trust No One," "Apology is Policy," or "All Lies Lead to the Truth." (You can see the full list here.) It was always pretty exciting for us X-Files dorks when it happened--just a little extra nugget of information for those who were paying attention.
Feel free to chime in if you have any favorite special or cleverly-used opening credit sequences! I'm sure there are a zillion examples out there--these are just the best ones that came to mind.
Friday, December 14, 2007
On the Glowy Box: So much Christmas shopping to do!
Props to 30 Rock, Pushing Daisies, and all my other faves for their Golden Globe nominations! Alec Baldwin had better win this year...that's all I'm sayin'.
Last Night:
30 Rock: Elaine Stritch! Andy Richter! Ludachristmas!!! Two valuable lessons in one: The meaning of Christmas, AND something about family! So many exclamation points for this show! (Though, to be fair, it couldn't top last week's hysterical installment. But 30 Rock sets the bar so high for its best episodes that I can't really fault them for being unable to reach it every week.) Merry Christmas/Jewish, everyone!
Boston Legal: From Tuesday. It was so self-referencing that I could hardly handle the meta-ness of it all. But, it's good to know that at least Boston Legal knows how ridiculous it is. Ridiculously awesome, that is.
Private Practice: From last week. You know, the one where Dell and Sam are fighting over Naomi. Sigh. Why am I still watching this show? Seriously, why can't my brain accept that great actors does not equal great show? Help me!
This Weekend:
Umm...there are some hilarious old-school Christmas specials on ABC Family during the day on Sunday, but otherwise I'm probably just going to be running off the DVR.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Boston Legal: What?! He has a wide stance!
Hey, remember that show? Takes place Boston? With lawyers? And the Shat? Well, it was finally back on tonight after an absence of several weeks. Minus side: Hello, we've been without Denny Crane for weeks! Plus side: They've got enough new episodes stored up now to last a month longer than most scripted shows. We'll be verrry thankful for Boston Legal when it's all Big Brother: Cobbled-Together Winter Edition and Lame Gameshow Idea #427. Trust me. Anyway, Boston Legal was back tonight, with a main plot ripped from the airport bathroom stalls.
Denny Crane vs. the Wide Stance: Denny, much to his dismay, gets busted in a courtroom bathroom for soliciting gay sex from an undercover officer. Apparently, trying to relieve oneself while constipated and soliciting gay bathroom sex share many of the same signals. Though I didn't notice any waving of fingers under the stall divider, Denny certainly did have a wide stance. At any rate, Denny insists upon fighting it out in court rather than quietly pleading guilty to a lesser charge, putting a lot of pressure on Alan to win the case. (And Paul Lewiston is back for the week! With a beard!) The assistant DA is played by Steven Culp, making me miss Rex on Desperate Housewives all the more. Despite a terrible turn on the stand in his own defense in which his "sleepovers" with Alan are brought up, Denny gets off with Alan's help (I can't even pretend there was no pun intended there). Which is just as well--the irony of his being brought down for gay solicitation after getting off scott free for actually soliciting a prostitute would be too much for even me to bear. And can I just point out that I really, really want the phrase "getting Larry Craig-ed" to make its way into our lexicon?
Free Speech vs. Old People: Robert Wuhl, a local shock jock and old friend of Shirley's, has been fired for saying on his radio show that old people should die. Thus leading to a big trial about free speech, political commentary, freedom of the press, etc. This case is largely notable for the fact that Bethany is back, baby, and feistier than ever. She and the judge, played by Loretta Devine (the Chief's wife on Grey's Anatomy), get into a bit of a fight when the judge makes fun of her size, and she gets thrown into jail for contempt for calling the judge fat. Whoops. Shirley visits her to clear the air between them, telling Bethany that things are tense between them because she's able to push Shirley's buttons. Bethany: "Is it because I was with Denny, and you still love him?" Shirley: "It could be many things, but...not that." HA! I love Bethany. Here's hoping she stays back.
Katie vs. "Lorraine": Wow, I did NOT see this plot coming. After her suspicions were ignited when Lorraine suggested that Denny "call 999" in case of emergency, Katie realizes that Lorraine looks familiar to her (and also like a criminal), and asks if she's spent time in England. Lorraine denies it, but Whitney and Katie discover that "Lorraine" didn't exist prior to law school. When confronted, Lorraine claims to be on the run from a murderous Pakistani husband whom she cheated on in London, where she's from. Say WHAT?! She begs them not to reveal her secret, as it could jeopardize her life, but Whitney's just pissed that Lorraine's putting them all at risk what with the fatwa and everything. Um, bananas. And we all know that Alan's only going to find her hotter when he discovers that she's got a British accent, plus whatever secret identity she's really hiding.
The Balcony: Alan and Denny discuss what life would be like if people thought they were gay, while sucking on phalluses (of the cigar variety), and look forward to their afterlives as soulmates in Hell. An interesting pair, those two...
Monday, November 12, 2007
On the Glowy Box: Catching Up is Hard to Do
As you may have noticed, I worked late much of last week and didn't really get a chance to watch TV. Horrifyingly enough. Thus, this weekend has been largely devoted to getting caught up. It was intense. Here's a very quick rundown of what I thought of everything from last week...
Watched Over the Weekend:
Chuck: Though I was happy that they moved the plot along and broke out of the typical formula, I was a bit disappointed to lose Bryce as the mysterious dead potential villain. Now that we know he's definitely a nice guy, though, I'm even more interested to see why he stole the Intersect!
How I Met Your Mother: Well...I'm glad Lily and Marshall aren't getting divorced. I don't have that much more to say about this episode. "Dowisetrepla" had a pretty funny payoff, and there were a few great lines...but none that will go down in history, I'd say.
Samantha Who?: Aaaand, that's it. I've given it a chance, and I just don't happen to find it as funny as the rest of America does. Sorry!
Reaper: Okay, what happened with Sam's dad being mysterious and stealing a page out of the contract? We haven't even seen his parents since! That said, I did enjoy the episode. I think my brain has just settled into "enjoy the mindless fun" mode with this show, rather than trying to make it more than it is. Which is definitely what needed to happen for me to keep watching.
House: A House-ku:
Chase and Cameron
Need to be part of the show
Not squeezed into plots
Boston Legal: I'm not sure why William Shatner farting and then saying, "Denny Crane" is so hilarious, but it totally, totally is. Does anyone else feel like Alan's closing statements at trials are getting a little out of control? I realize that these long speeches have proven Emmy results, but I'm starting to find myself checking email during them. Just sayin'.
Life: Is anyone else out there watching this show? Because I'm totally addicted at this point.
Ugly Betty: Amanda is one of the most underrated characters on television. Period.
30 Rock: As much as I hated Ross on Friends, I loved Greenzo on 30 Rock. Just like the episode on integrated advertising, last week's 30 Rock managed to take an NBC directive and obey it by mocking it openly. Also, Al Gore is my hero. "A whale is in trouble!"
The Office: I'm just going to breathe a big sigh of relief here that The Office is back to its regular half-hour episodes. PHEW.
Scrubs: I empathize with the Janitor--I can't get my coworkers to recycle properly, either. Maybe I should make myself a sash with a bunch of environmental buttons. Also, the sight of Turk's head painted like a basketball was way, way funnier than it should have been. So funny!
Desperate Housewives: Quality stuff. Read my complete thoughts here.
Will Watch or DVR Tonight:
How I Met Your Mother: When Ted thinks he has met a wonderful woman, the gang points out a deal-breaking flaw. CBS, 8 PM.
Chuck: Chuck meets a pretty woman (Rachel Bilson) who is interested in the real him; he and Sarah double-date with Ellie and Captain Awesome; a poison specialist tries to obtain codes to nuclear facilities. NBC, 8 PM.
Heroes: The calendar turns back four months, and Nathan must pay a terrible price for his heroic deeds; D.L. sacrifices for Nikki and Micah; Maya manifests her dark powers for the first time. NBC, 9 PM.
The Bachelor: Bachelorettes return to confront one another and Brad one last time; reluctant Brad must answer questions from heartbroken Hillary; Sarah and Lindsay explain why they could not tell the difference between Brad and Chad; a preview of the final episode. ABC, 10 PM.
Here's hoping I can actually stay caught up this week!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
On the Glowy Box: Wednesdays are smurfing awesome
La la la-la-la-la la la-la la la! The Smurfs are coming to DVD, and I think it's about smurfing time!
Watched Last Night:
House: House-kus!
Mimicking disease
Seems more like he's a psychic
I'm not buying it
Chase and Cameron
Being squeezed into each plot
It's really awkward
Cuddy rocks hardcore
Her scenes with House are the best
Though Foreman's not bad
Boston Legal: Meredith's dead stepmom is on Boston Legal, and she's cuh-raizy! (But not legally.) She was the highlight of an otherwise kind of weak episode last night. In fact, the main case didn't even entirely make sense to me. Why did this guy have to register as a sex offender all of a sudden when his rape conviction was forever ago? Wouldn't he have already been registered? It didn't seem like the problem was town-specific, since he couldn't even find a job anywhere else. In fact, shouldn't it be a sealed juvenile record? Or was it unsealed when he took the stand in his own defense? Whatev--it was sad and all, but just seemed a bit of a stretch, and didn't really grab me.
Will Watch or DVR Tonight:
Pushing Daisies: Olive hires Ned and the team to investigate when jockeys turn up trampled to death, purportedly by the ghost of a long-dead rider (Hamish Linklater) and his spooky horse; the ghosts of Ned's past haunt him as Halloween nears. ABC, 8 PM.
America's Next Top Model: Is it clip show time already?. Never-before-seen footage includes Bianca's confrontations with Chantal and Ebony; Tyra talks to the women about body image; recapping the journey the remaining eight contestants have endured. The CW, 8 PM.
Private Practice: Charlotte asks Pete to treat her insomnia; Naomi has her first date since college; a patient wants Addison and Naomi to keep information about her fertility from her husband. ABC, 9 PM.
Dirty Sexy Money: A high-stakes poker game pits Simon Elder against Tripp; if Nick convinces Tripp to bet his most prized property, Elder will give Nick dirt on his father's death; Karen must finalize her divorce from irresistible Sebastian Fleet (Eddie Cibrian). ABC, 10 PM.
Life: Reese thinks she hears a fellow AA attendee confess to rape; Reese's persistence puts her face-to-face with a dangerous man; while on a stakeout, Crews learns that his former partner, Stark, lied to him about a bank robbery years earlier. NBC, 10 PM.
The Sarah Silverman Program: Sarah enters a serious romance with God. Comedy Central, 10:30 PM.
I've been looking forward to this episode of Pushing Daisies all week! Yay, Olive!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
ABC Gets an Early Start
Nothing wrong with a network picking up its shows early. ABC has already locked in 11 shows for next season, which means that we can cross Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, and Desperate Housewives off our list of shows to watch out for come upfronts - if they were ever on the list, that is. And it's good news for Men in Trees fans, who I assume must exist somewhere, even though I personally have never met one (hello, MiT fan, and how are you?), because their show is coming back too. Oh, and don't worry, Liz: so is Boston Legal.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Boston Legal: I Do Love Me Some Shat
Oh, how to describe last night's Boston Legal? We've got singing white supremacists (twin girls, no less), the Pro-Ana movement (and the amusingly punnish - yet scary in actuality - term "thinspiration"), Adele Webber trying to sue God (and failing at that, a cell phone company), and Clarice/Clarence (now working for Claire Simms). Awesomeness all around.I am, however, a little uncomfortable with Claire forcing Clarence to be someone he's obviously not. Why shouldn't he be able to be Clarice? And I missed the first episode, but didn't the firm originally meet Clarice when she was suing for sexual discrimination? Wouldn't offering her a job contingent upon her dressing as a man fall under the discrimination umbrella? It'll be interesting to see where they go with this, at any rate, especially since Clarence has passed the bar and appears to have actual legal skills (although come on, like suing the cell phone company is that hard to figure out).
As far as the singing white supremacist case went, I expected to see Shirley in a Playboy bunny suit at the end of the episode from the get-go, because that was a totally winnable bet for Alan. I mean, yeah, it's incredibly horrible to raise your kids in such a hate-filled way (and where do they get off claiming they're not racists?), but damn, once you get the government removing people's children for ideological purposes, things get really dicey. And besides, I don't even think the court is allowed to take away the children of cultists if they aren't being abused or neglected, so it didn't really seem like they would have much of a chance in this case, either. That said, what a couple of creepy little twin racists. Ugh! America is a BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW, bitches!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Boston Legal: Best Haunted House Ever!
Ah, Boston Legal. Pure twisted, quirky fun. Plus, stirring closing arguments for added measure! I only tuned in from time to time last season, but after watching more consistently this year, I'm totally hooked. Any show that would have a lead character's fiancé’s head end up in a haunted house is okay by me.
The incest thing last night was regrettable (although I love that actress! She was totally a stand-out guest star in the little people convention episode of CSI), especially given that yesterday was rather incest-heavy to begin with, but how much do I love Denny Crane? And Alan! What the hell is wrong with that guy, and why do I find it all so entertaining? More importantly, why on Earth wasn't I watching this show from the beginning?
I blame the fact that it was a Practice spin-off. They should have done a disclaimer in every ad for the show: "Yes, it's a Practice spin-off, but it doesn't take itself ridiculously seriously. Really! It's actually totally twisted! And William Shatner is GREAT in it!" Not too catchy, but persuasive, no?
Ah, well. I'm watching now. And if you want to add an hour-long show to your schedule that isn't a serial drama, makes you smile, and gets you wondering whether you may (like Denny) have Mad Cow Disease, you should watch it too! Added bonus: The theme song is great for dancing around in your living room. Not that I ever, ever would. (Again.)
