There are officially less than 24 hours until the final season premiere of LOST. Because I will be locking myself in my apartment and blocking Internet access to all sites except Lostpedia for at least several days following the return, I figured it would be best to post now.
And since LOST always makes me feel like an idiot (how did I not realize that Locke's backgammon story was foreshadowing the final season?), I thought I'd take this opportunity to confirm my superior intelligence in respect to Alex Trebek.
I was planning on citing an example from last night's Jeopardy when Alex condescendingly spelled out a word to the contestants who were unable to answer a question correctly and lo and behold, he spelled it wrong (a-u-g-e-r instead of a-u-g-u-r). I was also planning on mentioning that I caught it and was vindicated minutes later when Alex was informed of his mistake and apologized for having misspoken (I actually don't remember if he said "misspoke" instead of "made a mistake" but I'm going to go ahead and trust my instincts on this one). But I don't really need to address any of that because his inferior intelligence is so blatantly clear even without such specific examples.
Though I may never be bright enough to go on Jeopardy, I can take solace in the fact that I'm at least smarter than the host. Which is more than I can say about Wheel of Fortune, because Pat Sajak cleaned up on Celebrity Jeopardy while, by the way, simultaneously stealing the show. Honestly, Pat Sajak is kind of a comedic genius.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Episode 408
Since the State of the Union address aired last night, I think it's obvious what I'll be posting about today.
American Idol.
Neil Patrick Harris's appearance as a guest judge was a stroke of pure genius and a nice change of pace from the surprisingly bitchy and condescending Avril Lavigne. In any case, if Harris's stint on Idol is any indication of what his alleged guest role on Glee will be like, the answer is -- wait for it -- awesome. Other than the twelve-too-many Doogie Howser jokes made (that's on Fox, not NPH), it was pure bliss -- particularly when he began hum-harmonizing to the theme song from Barney. And no, there's no double-HIMYM-meaning anywhere in that.
Last night we also saw Randy at his best. In addition to such profound musical guidance as "No, dude, I mean, really, right?" Randy completely overturned the rules of mathematics, telling several people that he was voting "a million percent yes" and even giving one lucky auditioner "a billion percent yes" (that's 1,000,000,000% for those of you who wanted to visualize). That really makes Kara's 110%s and Simon's definitelies and absolutelies seem quite tame.
For those of you who were watching DVRed Obama instead of American Idol (I know more people still vote for president than American Idol, but not by much) -- there was a worth-watching TV commentary in song on last night's episode. This guy should musical blog. With Neil Patrick Harris.
American Idol.
Neil Patrick Harris's appearance as a guest judge was a stroke of pure genius and a nice change of pace from the surprisingly bitchy and condescending Avril Lavigne. In any case, if Harris's stint on Idol is any indication of what his alleged guest role on Glee will be like, the answer is -- wait for it -- awesome. Other than the twelve-too-many Doogie Howser jokes made (that's on Fox, not NPH), it was pure bliss -- particularly when he began hum-harmonizing to the theme song from Barney. And no, there's no double-HIMYM-meaning anywhere in that.
Last night we also saw Randy at his best. In addition to such profound musical guidance as "No, dude, I mean, really, right?" Randy completely overturned the rules of mathematics, telling several people that he was voting "a million percent yes" and even giving one lucky auditioner "a billion percent yes" (that's 1,000,000,000% for those of you who wanted to visualize). That really makes Kara's 110%s and Simon's definitelies and absolutelies seem quite tame.
For those of you who were watching DVRed Obama instead of American Idol (I know more people still vote for president than American Idol, but not by much) -- there was a worth-watching TV commentary in song on last night's episode. This guy should musical blog. With Neil Patrick Harris.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Episode 407
As the return of LOST approaches, I'd like to write about something near and dear to all of our hearts: The Constant. Though I'm sure we've all analyzed (to death) who or what our constant is in our own lives -- not to mention its many implications on the program -- it's interesting to think about constants withinTV shows.
With Simon's recently-announced departure from American Idol, many viewers wonder whether the show will last. Can it succeed without Simon? My prediction -- based on the science of the constant -- is yes. Because of Ryan Seacrest's (awesome and) continuing presence on the show, fans will still be in their comfort zone watching and it won't feel like their whole world was turned upside down.
A similar example is found in shows like Survivor. How is it that fans have kept the show going for 20 seasons when (usually) none of the cast is recycled? Two words: Jeff Probst. Without Jeff Probst -- Survivor's constant -- the show wouldn't stand a chance.
For those of you who are about to object/stop reading because of my reliance on reality TV examples, The Constant Theory works for scripted shows as well. Something tells me, for example, that no one would be getting behind the Dillon Panthers for J.D. McCoy; but for Coach Taylor, our loyalty never dies. Friday Night Lights has had to filter out some of its central characters because of the whole graduating from high school thing, but with Coach, Tammy, and Buddy around, the show still feels like home.
So my advice to writers and producers would be this: make sure that, from Episode 1, you have a constant. Someone who won't quit, graduate, or decide he wants to make the move back to 11:35pm.
P.S. If you didn't click on the link above, now's the time. It is absolutely worth it, probably even more if you're not a LOST fan.
With Simon's recently-announced departure from American Idol, many viewers wonder whether the show will last. Can it succeed without Simon? My prediction -- based on the science of the constant -- is yes. Because of Ryan Seacrest's (awesome and) continuing presence on the show, fans will still be in their comfort zone watching and it won't feel like their whole world was turned upside down.
A similar example is found in shows like Survivor. How is it that fans have kept the show going for 20 seasons when (usually) none of the cast is recycled? Two words: Jeff Probst. Without Jeff Probst -- Survivor's constant -- the show wouldn't stand a chance.
For those of you who are about to object/stop reading because of my reliance on reality TV examples, The Constant Theory works for scripted shows as well. Something tells me, for example, that no one would be getting behind the Dillon Panthers for J.D. McCoy; but for Coach Taylor, our loyalty never dies. Friday Night Lights has had to filter out some of its central characters because of the whole graduating from high school thing, but with Coach, Tammy, and Buddy around, the show still feels like home.
So my advice to writers and producers would be this: make sure that, from Episode 1, you have a constant. Someone who won't quit, graduate, or decide he wants to make the move back to 11:35pm.
P.S. If you didn't click on the link above, now's the time. It is absolutely worth it, probably even more if you're not a LOST fan.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Episode 406
30 Rock finally lost its award-winning momentum this year at the Golden Globes (just ignore Alec Baldwin's absentee win) when it was beat out for best Comedy/Musical series by Glee. It was a nice change of pace, to say the least. I also applaud the Hollywood Foreign Press for the nomination of Modern Family, which has only been around for a few months, but has made a big and well-deserved splash. But here's my question: if the newborn Modern Family can earn a spot in the ceremony, where was Parks and Recreation?
Parks and Recreation has completely blown away the other Thursday night NBC shows this season. Last week's episode put the icing on the cake, when Will Arnett made a guest appearance as a potential love interest for Amy Poehler . But it wasn't just his spot-on and lingering facial expressions that made this episode such a stand-out.
While we've already determined that Parks and Recreation is no longer just The Office 2.0 (or 3.0, I guess), what was glaringly clear last Thursday was that Leslie Knope is no longer just a female version of Michael Scott. Yes, she still shares a lot of characteristics with the World's Best Boss, but there is something strikingly different about Leslie: she has a sense of self-awareness. She may say something crude and inappropriate to the camera, but instead of just smilingly blankly after the fact, she usually realizes her mistake. Similarly, and this is important, she has the ability to grasp when other people are crazy (i.e. Will Arnett's character) something that Michael Scott can never do (i.e. Todd Packer).
So, who has two thumbs and thinks Parks and Recreation should have won the Golden Globe?
THIS GUY.
Parks and Recreation has completely blown away the other Thursday night NBC shows this season. Last week's episode put the icing on the cake, when Will Arnett made a guest appearance as a potential love interest for Amy Poehler . But it wasn't just his spot-on and lingering facial expressions that made this episode such a stand-out.
While we've already determined that Parks and Recreation is no longer just The Office 2.0 (or 3.0, I guess), what was glaringly clear last Thursday was that Leslie Knope is no longer just a female version of Michael Scott. Yes, she still shares a lot of characteristics with the World's Best Boss, but there is something strikingly different about Leslie: she has a sense of self-awareness. She may say something crude and inappropriate to the camera, but instead of just smilingly blankly after the fact, she usually realizes her mistake. Similarly, and this is important, she has the ability to grasp when other people are crazy (i.e. Will Arnett's character) something that Michael Scott can never do (i.e. Todd Packer).
So, who has two thumbs and thinks Parks and Recreation should have won the Golden Globe?
THIS GUY.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Episode 405
When it comes down to it, Survivor is essentially the reality version of LOST -- or chronologically, I suppose, LOST is the non-reality version of Survivor. Take a look at this, and then at this: if no one had ever seen either show, they honestly might not be able to tell which promo picture was for which show.
The question I'd like to pose, though, is this: which brilliant creation -- LOST or Survivor -- is more influential for American culture? As a loyal viewer of both, it's hard for me judge objectively, so I'll just lay out the two sides to the argument and you can decide.
Survivor:
Variety just named Survivor the most influential show of the decade. It's true: Survivor created the reality-show-with-a-prize genre, which now dominates television. Think about it, Tila Tequila is famous because of Survivor. If that doesn't do it for you, here's another gem: Tina's rat/snake diatribe from the final tribal council on Season 1 was ranked among the Washington Post archive's "Top 10 Best Speeches," just below -- wait for it -- MLK Jr.'s "I have a dream." So... we currently have Survivor on the same playing field as the civil rights movement and Tila Tequila. Top that, LOST.
LOST:
As we all know and are obsessing about, the final season of LOST premieres on February 2. President Obama usually gives a little-known speech called the State of the Union address in late January, but this year, he considered postponing until the beginning of February: February 2 to be exact. Well, the American public would have none of that. All it took was an uproar from a ridiculous amount of crazed LOST fans for the White House to back down. I think the White House Press Secretary summed it up pretty well: "I don't foresee a scenario in which the millions of people who hope to see a conclusion to 'Lost' are pre-empted by the president."
"True that," responded America.
The question I'd like to pose, though, is this: which brilliant creation -- LOST or Survivor -- is more influential for American culture? As a loyal viewer of both, it's hard for me judge objectively, so I'll just lay out the two sides to the argument and you can decide.
Survivor:
Variety just named Survivor the most influential show of the decade. It's true: Survivor created the reality-show-with-a-prize genre, which now dominates television. Think about it, Tila Tequila is famous because of Survivor. If that doesn't do it for you, here's another gem: Tina's rat/snake diatribe from the final tribal council on Season 1 was ranked among the Washington Post archive's "Top 10 Best Speeches," just below -- wait for it -- MLK Jr.'s "I have a dream." So... we currently have Survivor on the same playing field as the civil rights movement and Tila Tequila. Top that, LOST.
LOST:
As we all know and are obsessing about, the final season of LOST premieres on February 2. President Obama usually gives a little-known speech called the State of the Union address in late January, but this year, he considered postponing until the beginning of February: February 2 to be exact. Well, the American public would have none of that. All it took was an uproar from a ridiculous amount of crazed LOST fans for the White House to back down. I think the White House Press Secretary summed it up pretty well: "I don't foresee a scenario in which the millions of people who hope to see a conclusion to 'Lost' are pre-empted by the president."
"True that," responded America.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Episode 404
Uh oh.
This is not good news.
But remember, and I quote: "Television isn't lethal in and of itself." Words to live by.
This is not good news.
But remember, and I quote: "Television isn't lethal in and of itself." Words to live by.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Episode 403
One of the more unique things about television is that it brings stars to life. I'm thinking mostly about morning and variety shows that interview celebrities, and those moments when you realize that the stars you adore are pretty much just as dorky as you. I recently saw an interview with Adam Lambert on the Jay Leno show (not even going to get started on that whole ordeal here), just a few days after the AMA debacle, and I could not believe how completely and utterly normal and down-to-earth he was. For someone who could very easily be aloof and uninterested, he fairly eloquently discussed the AMA issue without cowering, and more impressively, without attacking the offended party. Put this kid in a suit and tie and he could have been interviewing for an entry-level accounting job.
Speaking of singing and celebrities, who knew Ben Folds was so smart? He was one of three judges on the Sing Off, and other than his awkward resemblance to Austin Powers, he was able to show us that he can do more than just be the most ridiculous piano player ever. He was also able to convince the rest of the world that singing isn't only cool when it involves "a karaoke machine and three beers." In fact, the Sing Off itself was successful in so many ways. Like So You Think You Can Dance, it was a showcase of actual talent (sorry American Idol) and also, it exhibited a kind of music that, while popular in some communities, certainly doesn't have much chance to shine. And for those of you who thought Glee couldn't be any more perfect, the Sing Off turned it into a reality show. Near perfection + Reality TV = Perfection.
Speaking of singing and celebrities, who knew Ben Folds was so smart? He was one of three judges on the Sing Off, and other than his awkward resemblance to Austin Powers, he was able to show us that he can do more than just be the most ridiculous piano player ever. He was also able to convince the rest of the world that singing isn't only cool when it involves "a karaoke machine and three beers." In fact, the Sing Off itself was successful in so many ways. Like So You Think You Can Dance, it was a showcase of actual talent (sorry American Idol) and also, it exhibited a kind of music that, while popular in some communities, certainly doesn't have much chance to shine. And for those of you who thought Glee couldn't be any more perfect, the Sing Off turned it into a reality show. Near perfection + Reality TV = Perfection.
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