tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44876803369315498902024-03-12T23:48:55.184-04:00Television is an art. So is obsession.I think the title says it all. I love tv and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I love tv so much that I'd like to marry it. Till that becomes legal, I'll settle for talking about the best and worst of it, and how tv has become, in my opinion, a legitimate artistic avenue.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-51366910217765625072014-04-01T12:06:00.003-04:002014-04-01T12:06:36.067-04:00Psych & How I Met Your Mother: Thoughts on having a love-hate relationship with a television show & coming to terms with their series finalesSo many thoughts, so many thoughts.... I don't even know how to best organize this. I guess maybe I'll take each show individually and bullet point my loves and hates. Because in a way, these shows, which both ended their long runs in the past week, parallel each other - they were both shows I fell for hard and fast and ended up being wishy-washy about (in the case of Psych) to not watching at all except for last night's series finale (in the case of HIMYM). In a way, I would compare them both to a type of ex-boyfriend. In the case of Psych, you fell in love with the boy, but he refused to grow up. While there were still things you loved, the continous immaturity and lack of growth became annoying after awhile. But, I never completely broke up with Psych. How I Met Your Mother on the other hand...I started watching on a whim, mainly, as a huge Buffy buff (ha ha), for Alyson Hannigan, and just fell for it completely - the great characters I could relate to, the realistic but refreshing storylines, the humor, the gravitas, the sincerity....I could go on and on. But HIMYM was like the boyfriend who somewhere along the way became this totally different person. You didn't want the same things out of life anymore, his priorities changed, he was a completely different animal that you didn't even recognize anymore, he was just going through the motions...and every now and then you'd check in hoping to see flashes of who he used to be, and sometimes you did, but it never lasted...and you'd spend your days sitting at home looking at old photo albums of the good old days, or the television equivalent - watching repeats of the early seasons. HIMYM, I broke up with. But I watched the finale. In both cases, there were things I loved and things I hated. There were flashes of old HIMYM in the finale, a lot of great callbacks, a lot of heart, but there was a lot that just let me down. The Psych finale I feel was a lot more successful, mostly because of its emphasis on Gus and Shawn, the heart of the show. So if you'll indulge me, I'd like to talk about my thoughts on both finales, as well as some finale thoughts on the series as a whole. Since the Psych finale aired first, I guess we'll jump in there (be forewarned, if you haven't seen either episode, there are SPOILERS ahead):<br />
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<ul>
<li>My two biggest problems with Psych as the years progressed were a) Shawn's refusal to grow up and b) Shawn and Juliet's romance usurping Shawn and Gus' bromance as the main character pairing on the show. I never had any problem with Maggie Lawson as an actress or Juliet as a character, but it was like the showrunners felt there HAD to be a love interest for Shawn and so they made Juliet it, even though it never made any sense. And when scenes between them or stories between them took away from Shawn and Gus' relationship, which was the heart and soul of the show, it was really annoying. I always enjoyed Juliet's scenes with Lassiter the most - they were perfect foils for each other. Ok, I got that off my chest - I feel better.</li>
<li>Ok, so those two things, plus the occasional too-stylized, too-homage-y episode were my main problems with the show over the years. But it was always still a fun show, and as someone who is still best friends with my childhood best friend, I always loved seeing Shawn and Gus' years-long friendship. They fought, they didn't always see eye-to-eye, they had differences in personality, but they were always there for each other, and as the years went on and James Roday and Dule Hill actually got to know each other, you could just see in their characters the ease and familiarity that comes with years of friendship. They were basically family. And the way Gus would just go along with and embrace the ridiculous scenarios and more importantly the ridiculous names Shawn gave him, was just awesome.</li>
<li>The last few episodes of Psych were actually the most heartwarming and emotional ones of the entire run...I actually cried. It made me fall in love with the show all over again. And it didn't hurt that Juliet spent most of the last episodes off camera, so that the show could refocus on Shawn and Gus.</li>
<li>As for the finale itself...overall, it worked for me. Shawn finally grew up, which was great, and even the final scene being about his proposal to Juliet worked for me because Gus was there with them. I have mixed feelings about Gus following Shawn to San Francisco - on the one hand, I wanted him to find his own way, follow his own dream, find a woman, have a family - but maybe Psych had become his dream.</li>
<li>I like the idea of Psych going on, just in another city, although I'm not sure Shawn's antics would fly in a big city like San Francisco, even with Chief Vick there. I'm also a little sad that Lassiter was left behind in Santa Barbara, although at the same time, he had finally come into his own - he was chief, he had a wife and kid, he was happy. I think he's going to be okay. I'm talking about him as if he's a real person. When he destroyed Shawn's DVD confessing to not really being psychic, I started crying. Again. </li>
<li>Loved that McNabb got to become a detective!</li>
<li>Kinda thought Mira Sorvino was a waste of a name actress in the role of Betsy, who herself felt like an almost unneccessary add-on, although in the finale it kinda became clear that she was so super awesome at her job that Psych would've become obsolete if it had stayed. </li>
<li>Even though it sucked that Shawn left without saying goodbye, and ended up making a DVD for everyone and their mother, I always appreciate when he shows and tells Gus just how much he really means to him...because Shawn doesn't always show or tell Gus that. </li>
<li>Did they talk about Val Kilmer a lot on the show? I can't recall, except in the last few eps. But still it was kinda cool seeing him cameo in the finale. </li>
<li>Loved seeing Henry doing some police work again - hope he was looking at the Psych offices to open his own private investigation firm.</li>
<li>Best guest star get, by far: Billy Zane. Now I KNOW Shawn has been a fan of his for years, so that was very very cool.</li>
<li>My favorite finales are the ones where life goes on....just without the cameras rolling. So that was a nice way to end the show.</li>
<li>I had my ups and downs with Psych...but more ups than downs. I thought the finale was pretty darn good.</li>
</ul>
<br />
::Sigh:: On to How I Met Your Mother:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The HIMYM finale being about Ted ending up with Robin was sweet, but diminished entirely the whole point of the show and the whole love story between Ted and the Mom. This 9-year journey was supposed to show that Ted and the Mom were an epic love story, and the coda revealed that, in fact, it was Ted and Robin who were the epic love story. That's all well and good. But I feel like that was written for the fans, not as an organic part of the story. There was not enough shown of Ted and the Mom to make me feel like their love was epic. And as cute as Ted and Robin were, they didn't work before, and they didn't work for a reason. Robin and Barney fit together organically (although never well the way the writers told it). Breaking them up was a cop out. Yes, maybe the Mom was a great love of Ted's, but her death and his ending up with Robin just makes her another stopgate on the way to the REAL epic love story. So why did we tune in for 9 years? (Or 7 in my case...) If Ted and Robin were the real epic love story, we all could have stopped watching after the very first episode.</li>
<li>Ted and Robin, Robin and Ted...I may be in the minority here but I was over this on-again, off-again, will they or won't they relationship years ago. It was the same reason I was over Ross and Rachel after the umpteenth time they got together and broke up. </li>
<li>I hated that Robin and Barney got divorced. They were a perfect fit from the beginning, although apparently the writers didn't know how to write them together because they didn't want Barney to change. So they should have left them broken up. But since they decided to show them getting married, they should've kept them together. That really annoyed me.</li>
<li>I don't buy Barney having a love child with some nameless conquest and stepping up and being a father. I DO buy that if he could say I love you to any woman, it would be his daughter. I also buy him "fathering" those two young girls at the bar, even though it was SO not Barney - my fiance told me that as soon as he found out we were having a daughter, he started seeing every woman around as someone's daughter. He also teared up when Barney met his little girl...apparently he really related to that. So I guess that was well done, even though the scenario that brought Barney to that point was beyond bizarre.</li>
<li>I get that they were showing the gang still there for each other but drifting apart, but I needed some more Marshall and Ted. I always loved the portrayal of that friendship.</li>
<li>Alyson Hannigan did an awesome job bringing the emotion. I'm sure a lot of that crying was acting but after working with these people for 9 years, I'm sure some of that emotion around growing up and moving on and things changing was very, very real.</li>
<li>I loved how Ted and the Mom - err, Tracy - met. That feeling of destiny and fate and all of that jazz was what the whole journey had always felt like, what Ted had always been like, and in another story or with other actors/characters, it might have been too saccharin, but for Ted and the Mom, it felt perfect.</li>
<li>Ugh, I just want to bang my head against a wall...I am a spoiler whore so I didn't KNOW that's how the show was going to end but I had heard a rumor that the Mom was going to die and Ted was going to end up with Robin so I went in with reservations. I was so disappointed when I saw that's where they were heading. Maybe it's because my own mother got sick and died when I was somewhat young, so I hated that they incorporated that into the story, and I hated, even though she was supposed to have been dead for six years, that the kids were all, "Yeah, this story isn't about Mom, it's about Aunt Robin - go call her! Yay!" Not even a tear or moment of nostalgia for your dearly departed mother? Not even a "Gee, Dad, what a beautiful story - can't believe how you and Mom found each other"? </li>
<li>I guess I just really hate that the Mom WASN'T the love of Ted's life - Robin was. </li>
<li>Oh, HIMYM - you were such a roller coaster ride. When you were up, you were one of the best shows on television and one of my all time faves. When you were down, you were just pedestrian at best. I was really unsatisfied with the finale. Really. And the more I think about it, the more upset I get. I actually thought I was on the fence about it last night, but it turns out, I'm not. I'm going to find solace in rewatching the first five seasons on DVD, and just pretend like the series ended there.</li>
</ul>
Did you catch either of these finales? What did you think of how these shows fared over the years and how they ended?<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-9102995494172547002014-03-14T23:53:00.001-04:002014-03-14T23:53:19.682-04:00SPOILERS SPOILERS!! Review of the Veronica Mars movieAs an official Kickstarter backer of the Veronica Mars movie, which opened worldwide in theaters today, I got a free digital copy of the movie, also available today, to watch on my tv at home. I had actually bought two tickets to watch the movie in a theater in Manhattan tonight but as fate would have it, in the form of a nasty laceration to my face yesterday that landed me in the ER with 23 stitches that rendered me slightly reminiscent of Frankenstein's monster with a monster headache and no desire to step foot outside of my house, the movie-at-home prize was perfect.<br />
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I've only just finished the movie. If I think about it too much, I might actually form some coherent and articulate thoughts, but as it is, I thought I'd go ahead and just give my gut reaction and thoughts in bullet form - anyone who is a Veronica Mars fan has already read all the well-written, well-thought out reviews, so this might be something just a little different (and it says it in the title to this blog, but reader, beware, there are SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS in the thoughts below):<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>As a Kickstarter backer, I am by no means an impartial Veronica Mars movie viewer. I am a Marshmallow. I was a huge fan of the show when it was on the air, I was bitterly disappointed when it was cancelled, I watched reruns on DVD and on SoapNet and was sorely lacking in closure.</li>
<li>As a Veronica Mars fan, I can say, that if you were a fan of the show, you will like this movie. If you weren't a fan of the show? Maybe. And maybe you'd be intrigued enough to buy or rent the original run three seasons. The movie doesn't feel like a movie. It feels like an almost 2 episode arc of the tv show we loved. But since the fans of the show are the ones who funded it, we're the ones it was primarily made for - and in that sense, the movie is awesome.</li>
<li>Everyone (well not everyone, but a good amount of people!) who we loved and loved to hate from Neptune are back in this movie - the only DRAWBACK to that is it reminded me how much I loved/hated these characters and wished I had more time to spend with them. </li>
<li>On that same note, some characters were obviously cameos of some fan faves who didn't necessarily contribute anything to the storyline but needed to be there, just so we could say hi - I would say Deputy Leo, Vinny Van Lowe, and Cliff were the most obvious of those. But more importantly, because of everyone Rob Thomas needed to bring back, the characters we NEEDED to see more of, just because they are so close to the heart and soul of the show, namely Wallace, Mac, and Weevil, we just didn't get enough of. Note to Rob Thomas: I would totally watch a spin-off of Veronica Mars revolving around any or all of these characters. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.</li>
<li>Keith Mars is, by far, the best tv (and now movie) dad there is out there. If my own dad wasn't so awesome, I would wish that Keith Mars was my dad.</li>
<li>I was never a huge Piz fan. I get that some people were, which is why he needed to be in the movie, but even when it was Veronica and Duncan, it was still always Veronica and Logan. </li>
<li>I was never a huge Krysten Ritter fan when she was playing Gia Goodman, I only warmed up to her when she was in The B in Apartment 23, but considering she was the daughter of the season 2 villain, and they NEVER addressed the fallout of finding out her dad was a pedophile and then him being murdered, it was kinda nice to have her back to deal with that.</li>
<li>I never thought I'd see the day that I'd say Martin Starr looked hot. Yeah, he played the baddie in the film, but not only did he look normal compared to his Freaks and Geeks days AND his other Rob Thomas related project Party Down, but he looked GOOD.</li>
<li>Speaking of Party Down, I think I now see Ryan Hansen more as Kyle from Party Down and not Dick Casablancas from VM.</li>
<li>Nice Celeste Kane cameo - but no Duncan at all? </li>
<li>Hellmouth reference??? Gotta give mad props to one of my favorite tv shows referencing my ALL TIME FAVORITE tv show!!! :) </li>
<li>Would totally watch the sequel in which the corruption of Sheriff Dan Lamb is investigated, particularly in regards to Weevil's case.</li>
<li>So glad Weevil got a happy ending - sorta. Dude was always getting the short end of the stick in things.</li>
<li>I think we all have to remember that Veronica Mars is, in essence, an anti-hero. She is flawed, flawed, flawed, and I think that's why so many people find her relatable. She is imperfect. We root for her, even when she stumbles, and boy, does she ever stumble. But don't we all?</li>
<li>We all got a credit - not individual, of course, but if you contributed to the Kickstarter campaign, Rob Thomas and friends thanked us - and I think that's huge, that through this whole journey, he/they have remembered that not only are we the ones they made this movie for, but we're the ones who made it possible. </li>
</ul>
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts as I watch the movie again or even just digest what I already watched, but this fan was more than satisfied...at the same time that I was left wanting more!!! Miniseries anyone, every few years? Just to catch up? The truth of the matter is, this kind of thing never happens - that the fans want it, that the creator wants it, that the original actors want it, that the fans FINANCE the whole shebang, that shit gets made - that in itself makes this whole Veronica Mars movie a giant coup, whether they make money, make new fans, or whatever. I felt like I was part of something, as I'm sure you did too -maybe I'll have more to write tomorrow. Right now my face REALLY hurts, partially from the giant gash across my temple but partially from all the crying I did as I watched this movie...I think maybe tomorrow I'll start my DVDs over from the beginning, again, just remembering that a long time ago, we used to be friends....<br />
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What did you think about the Veronica Mars movie???Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-40268379958466234072014-02-04T22:57:00.001-05:002014-02-04T22:57:29.993-05:00Brooklyn Nine Nine is Brooklyn Oh-So-Fine Tonight, I laughed out loud at a sitcom for the first time in...well, at least months, but possibly even longer than that. I love my comedies - love 'em love 'em love 'em - but if I'm watching reruns of some of my faves, a la Friends or How I Met Your Mother, I think it's funny or even hilarious, but I appreciate the humor silently. And a lot of the sitcoms I currently enjoy the most are shows with a lot of heart, so while I often find myself smiling at the humor, I also find myself wiping away tears, a la Parks and Recreation or Community. <br />
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But tonight I watched Brooklyn Nine Nine and laughed out loud. Several times. I cannot say enough good things about this show. It's the only freshman show - sitcom or drama - of the 2013 season that I watch, and usually, I am not a first season kind of gal. A show goes through growing pains, as actors and writers and directors all learn to work together, as these same people also try to figure out who these characters are and where the stories are going. Very rarely have I seen a show find it's footing during the first season - How I Met Your Mother comes to mind. But Brooklyn Nine Nine, while I'm sure not entirely sure of its characters or stories yet, is on solid ground so far this season. There's a reason this show won the Golden Globe for Best Television Comedy and Andy Samberg won one for Lead Actor in a Television Comedy. Samberg and Andre Braugher's dynamic on the show is on par with Parks and Recreation's Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson (two characters who have maybe my most favorite platonic friendship/respect for each other ever) and Terry Crews is pitch perfect as a sensitive and somewhat effeminate yet still effective and badass cop. I shouldn't have been surprised I enjoy this show so much - it was given to us by Michael Schur, the same guy who brought us Parks and Recreation. He seems to have taken what he learned from P & R's terrible first season to help guide the production of Brooklyn Nine Nine, but the similarities are great. All the things I love about Parks - a great ensemble cast, well-written three-dimensional characters who are funny but who we also care about, a funny workplace comedy - are the things I love about Brooklyn. I can't wait to see where they go from here - I love laughing out loud when I'm watching a comedy.<br />
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If you haven't caught this show yet, please do - it airs on Fox on Tuesdays. Be there!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-91093279777683240972014-01-23T21:16:00.000-05:002014-01-23T22:12:26.054-05:00Some thoughts on NBC's "Community"Well, we're a few episodes into the fifth season of Community now and as I finish watching tonight's, several thoughts come to mind: first, that it's like last year's Dan Harmon-less bizarro season never even happened; second, that after my second episode in a row of having my heartstrings expertly plucked and sobbing like a baby, this season seems to have more heart and gravitas amidst the chuckles and homages; and third, that never in all my tv watching days (and believe me, I have watched a ton of television, probably way more than any normal person should have) have I ever seen a show where nobody, and I mean NOBODY, but the show creator knew the characters and the world in which they live. Last season without show creator Harmon can't even be described as a trainwreck - it was like a completely different show. I know there are growing pains when new hands take over - after all, this world is the brainchild of another, but you can bring a new perspective or somehow make it your own or at least find a semblance of the original voice. But even with three seasons under their belts, neither the new showrunners or the writers or the actors had a CLUE as to what Greendale was or who Jeff, Annie, Britta, Troy, Abed, Pierce, and all the other players were. It was like none of them had never even met them. I don't know how that happens. Maybe Harmon never let them peek inside. But I think of how well Community does television, movie, and genre homages and last season attempted a Hunger Games homage that was beyond dreadful. It can't even be considered an homage in my opinion - it showed us nothing; we were told everything by characters. All the action took place off screen. I can't even remember the rest of the season. And then this season, Harmon returns and it was like he was never gone. And with the exception of a few lines of acknowledgement here and there, it's like the stories of last season never happened. Thank god. Community has always been a little - okay, extremely - silly, which is part of the appeal, but it's like Harmon is experiencing a lot of deep emotions returning to this world because this week and last week left me in tears, sobbing like a baby. SPOILER ALERT!!!!! I never liked Pierce - his character was my least favortie and his story lines grated but when he (and by he I mean his lawyer because Pierce is dead) said goodbye to the rest of the study group last week, it was the most I ever liked him. And it made me sorry Chevy Chase was such an ass and Pierce was gone, because the Pierce we got to experience last week was a character I could've liked. And then this week's goodbye to Troy - it's hard to break up a bromance, and Troy and Abed are up there with the all time tv and movie bromances, so I hope that Donald Glover's decision to pursue his music career doesn't end up hurting Abed as a character, because he and Glover's Troy were so entwined they were almost ONE character. It'll be interesting to see where the show goes from here. A show that I was finished with last year and couldn't have cared less if it was cancelled or renewed has worked it's way back into my heart...welcome back, Dan Harmon. But while you're here, could you maybe let your writing staff and actors in just a smidge on what makes these characters and this world tic, so last season never happens again? Or maybe keeping it all to yourself is your insurance policy that you will always have to be part of this show, in which case I say...well played.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-47280605036675931112013-12-17T22:57:00.001-05:002013-12-17T22:57:30.348-05:00From Zap2It.com: "Veronica Mars" & "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" live again on cable channel PivotUm...these are probably my two favorite television shows EVER!!! What is this Pivot channel & how do I find out if I have it????<br />
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Read the whole article <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/12/gracepoint-adds-gossip-girl-alum-buffy-lives-again-on-pivot.html" target="_blank">here.</a> The most important info is in the second paragraph. I don't even know what the rest of the article is about. I don't care. Nothing else matters after finding out that I can watch VM & BtVS again on television...if I can find out what channel they're on! <br />
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<img class="irc_mut" height="299" id="irc_mi" src="http://images.tvrage.com/news/veronica-mars-movie-adds-a-new-returning-cast-member.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /><img class="irc_mut" height="280" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.tn2magazine.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/buffy.jpg" style="margin-top: 35px;" width="400" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-26460449752311846492013-11-13T15:58:00.001-05:002013-11-13T16:00:47.223-05:00From Zap2It.com: Stream classic Nickelodeon shows from the '90s on Nick RebootOMG, I am sooo excited about this! I think I am probably most excited to see Roundhouse, only because it was brought up in conversation just today by my brother and I now have the theme song stuck in my head. I kinda want to belt it out loud but do not want my fiance looking at me like I'm a weirdo. But yes, if you had a favorite 90s Nickelodeon show, definitely check <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/11/stream-classic-nickelodeon-shows-from-the-1990s-on-nick-reboot.html" target="_blank">this</a> out. Or find Nick Reboot <a href="http://www.nickreboot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Ah, screw it! "Whenever my life gets me so down, I know I can go down, to where the music and the fun never end, as long as the music keeps playing, you know what I'm saying, you know that I can find a friend-en-end, down at the Roundhouse!"<br />
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<img class="irc_mut" height="365" id="irc_mi" src="http://cdn.iofferphoto.com/img/item/110/322/075/stBEnWNm4eEJDQO.jpg" style="margin-top: 27px;" width="500" /><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-46056015120039046282013-10-14T21:29:00.001-04:002013-10-14T21:29:14.118-04:00From Zap2It.com: Kindergartners sing 'Day Man' from 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Not for nothing, but 'Day Man' is one of my favorite songs. I used to watch that episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia over and over again just to hear Dennis and Charlie's masterpiece. The only thing that makes this song better is having kids sing it. If you've never seen that ep of the show or even the show, god forbid, and you think these kids are totally adorbs, I highly recommend you check it out. The song is featured in season 3, episode 9: Sweet Dee's Dating a Retarded Person. Meanwhile, I'm going to start teaching my daughter to sing this song right now, even though she can't even speak yet.<br />
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You can see the video and accompanying story on Zap2It.com <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/10/kindergartners-sing-day-man-from-its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia---watch.html" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-55735317931863923792013-09-24T13:05:00.004-04:002013-09-24T13:05:58.337-04:00How I Met Your Mother final season, reduxLast night was the premiere of the final season of How I Met Your Mother. Again. We thought we were here last year, people, then Jason Segel had to go and ruin it for everybody by agreeing to return for a ninth season. Not for nothing, I used to love this show, but let's hope this time it's for real. I cannot say enough how much this show wears on me. It has become so pedestrian. I started watching it last season just because I had invested so much time and wanted to see how it ended, but when I found out it WASN'T the end, I stopped watching. Now I'm here doing the same thing again. I'm feeling more than a sense of deja vu. And it's not easy. This used to be one of my favorite shows. This show used to be funny and heartwarming and touching, a show with real characters who were flawed but lovable and who obviously cared for each other, a show with heart and soul. But for the last 4 1/2 years, the writers and the actors have been phoning it in. These aren't the same characters I fell in love with. I used to feel like I was watching a story unfold; now I just feel like I'm watching a sitcom, and a not very good one at that. I used to laugh regularly. I still do. I catch repeats whenever I can because the first 4 1/2 seasons are still a part of my favorite show - it's just that that How I Met Your Mother is a different show. I didn't laugh at all last night. ::Sigh:: I will say this. Spoiler alert!! At the very end, when Future Ted is talking with Future Mother, I felt some emotion well up. Maybe it's because we finally get to see Ted and the Mother together. Maybe it's because there seemed to be genuine affection between them, and the sappy, romantic Ted being portrayed was the sappy, romantic Ted of old. Or maybe it's because if we're finally seeing Ted and the Mother together, it means this now trainwreck of a show is finally almost over...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-65175624913282162802013-09-11T21:17:00.000-04:002013-09-11T21:17:04.113-04:00"Who Do You Think You Are?" renewed for second season on TLCFrom The Hollywood Reporter by Michael O'Connell:<br />
<br />
"The second wind for <em>Who Do You Think You Are?</em>
will continue on TLC. The cable network announced Tuesday that it's
picked up the unscripted series for another 10-episode season.<br />
<div class="recommended_articles">
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</div>
News of the reality show's renewal comes just a few months after TLC
revived it after a three-season stint on NBC ended in cancelation. Who
Do You Think You Are?, based on a British format, is executive produced
by <strong>Lisa Kudrow</strong> and <strong>Dan Bucatinsky</strong> Is or Isn't Entertainment and Shed Media.<br />
Exploring celebrity ancestry for a total of 35 episodes by the
conclusion of its current run, the TLC season has featured episodes
focused on <strong>Christina Applegate, Kelly Clarkson, Cindy Crawford, Zooey Deschanel, Chelsea Handler, Chris O’Donnell, </strong>and<strong> Trisha Yearwood</strong>. It concludes Tuesday with an episode following <em>Big Bang Theory</em> star <strong>Jim Parsons</strong>.<br />
<br />
The next season sees the episode order upped from eight to 10. This season has averaged 1.8 million viewers in first runs."<br />
<br />
The article can be found <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/who-do-you-think-you-625490" target="_blank">here.</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-37642301528373289772013-08-05T13:33:00.001-04:002013-08-05T13:33:18.943-04:00From CNN.com: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer': Where are they now?<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/02/showbiz/tv/buffy-where-are-they-now/index.html?hpt=hp_c4" target="_blank">'Buffy': Where are they now?</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="Sarah Michelle Gellar raised our hopes that we might see her return to Sunnydale as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" when she told <a href='http://www.eonline.com/news/444217/time-for-a-buffy-movie-kickstarter-campaign-sarah-michelle-gellar-weighs-in' target='_blank'>E! News</a> that she'd be open to bringing "Buffy" back to the big screen. "(Creator) Joss (Whedon) and I always talk about a movie," Gellar said. "If there was ever the right story, we would do it." Color us thrilled! But if the stars somehow aligned to bring us another Chosen One movie with SMG, where's the rest of the cast in terms of availability? Let's find out: " border="0" height="360" id="articleGalleryPhoto001" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130802132854-buffywatn-01-horizontal-gallery.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto;" width="640" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-4366471862086808822013-07-25T17:06:00.000-04:002013-07-25T17:06:03.626-04:00Thoughts on HBO's show Family TreeI don't get HBO but my dad does, so whenever I've been going over
there I've been checking out the Christopher Guest series Family Tree on
HBO On Demand. If you haven't heard about it, it's a mockumentary
format wry comedy about a man, played by Chris O'Dowd, who inherits a
box of mementos from his late great-aunt and not knowing much about his
family to begin with, finds a picture of someone he assumes is his
great-grandfather. Investigating that mystery sets him off on finding
out more and more about each of the crazy and colorful characters he
learns about on his family tree.<br />
<br />
I'm a genealogy buff - how could I not love it? But to be more specific:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Even
if you're not a genealogy fan, if you are a Christopher Guest fan you
should check this series out - it is classic Guest. It's a mockumentary
in the vein of Guest films like Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman,
with the usual wacky cast of characters and many of Guest's usual
suspects, such as Bob Balaban and Fred Willard, popping up. It's funny
in a wry, dry, deadpan sort of way.</li>
<li>Chris O'Dowd is great.
You might know him as the police officer/love interest in the movie
Bridesmaids, but I knew about him years before that from his role as an
Irish IT nerd in the Britcom The IT Crowd. </li>
<li>If you ARE into genealogy or if this show sparks even the slightest interest in genealogy for you, the specific
genealogy bit that I love about this show is that yes, O'Dowd's
character uses the Internet and yes, he takes a DNA test, but his
genealogy journey is about photographs of unknown people and other
family heirlooms and mementos that raise questions about who he is and
where he came from. He goes to genealogy research centers but he also
goes to cemeteries, he connects with cousins, he visits old homes of his
relatives and talks to neighbors and old co-workers, anybody who might
know the stories, anybody who might be a living resource. And I guess
that's what I love the most about the genealogy aspect. He's not
collecting ancestors. We all do that to an extent. I know I do. He wants
to know the stories - he finds a picture of a great-grandfather he
never knew but also wants to know what he did for a living and what
others thought of him and funny stories about his days performing as the
rearend of a two-person horse. And just as we all do, he's trying to
connect himself to those stories - he's trying to find bits of himself
and his personality and his journey in the ancestors he's discovering
and learning about. And he finds cousins during his journey! I have
found cousins, amazing cousins who are both great people and great
resources - that's one of the best parts. Strangers won't care about
your personal family tree finds. Friends and even some family members
won't even care. But cousins, fellow researching cousins, will! There's
really no point in finding the stories unless you also find people to
share them with!</li>
</ul>
I haven't finished the season yet but I'm
enjoying it so far. Have you watched Family Tree? What are your thoughts
on the show? Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-6219167364598577042013-07-18T09:53:00.001-04:002013-07-18T09:53:41.634-04:00Emmy Awards 2013: Nominations Announced<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/07/emmy-awards-2013-nominations-announced/#.Uefw590GqAA.blogger">Emmy Awards 2013: Nominations Announced</a><br />
<br />
Take note, network television and advertisers - you have some competition! Netflix's series "House of Cards" received multiple nominations, including best drama, and Fox's best comedy series of yesteryear, "Arrested Development," resurrected by Netflix this year, scored a best lead actor in a comedy nod for the always classy and hilarious Jason Bateman. So networks, particularly the big 4, take note - time to step up your game and stop serving us uninspired, pedestrian crap.<br />
<br />
On a side note, I'm not thrilled with all the nominees, although as I've gotten older I've learned that most award shows are popularity contests and that innovative, fresh, worthwhile fare are often overlooked. Best in show isn't always. Who am I happy about? Bateman of course (Jason, call me! Ha ha...no, seriously!). Amy Poehler for lead comedic actress, Bill Hader for supporting comedic actor, all Mad Men nominations...I've only seen one episode of Veep but I enjoyed it, it's my brand of funny.<br />
<br />
Who were you happy to see included? Upset to see excluded? The Emmys will air Sept. 22.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-1514819089184948112013-06-06T16:45:00.002-04:002013-06-06T16:45:54.581-04:00Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing hits theaters this weekend June 7. Much Ado About Nothing is a movie, but it was directed by television's Joss Whedon and stars many a folks from various Whedonverse television shows, including Nathan Fillion, Amy Acker, and Alexis Denisof, so it's noteworthy for this blog - probably won't get to see this in the theater, but as I am a huge MAAN fan (loooved the Kenneth Branagh version and made my then 8 year old brother memorize the song from it - mean, or awesome? What other third grader can recite Shakespeare by heart?) AND an even bigger Whedon fan, I am very much looking forward to this movie. Love that many of Whedon's usual suspects are involved. Love that Nathan Fillion is one of them, and also that he will be playing Dogberry, a hilarious role - can not wait!<br />
<br />
<br />
Read the New York Times review of the movie <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/movies/much-ado-about-nothing-directed-by-joss-whedon.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker star in Joss Whedon's adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, in theaters June 7." height="350" id="irc_mi" src="http://bloggingshakespeare.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Much-Ado-About-Nothing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 35px;" title="" width="695" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker star in Joss Whedon's adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, in theaters June 7.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-64773327171788817862013-06-06T13:12:00.001-04:002013-06-06T13:12:28.236-04:00Thoughts on Netflix's fourth season of Arrested DevelopmentBe forewarned: If you haven't watched the fourth season of Arrested Development, there are spoilers below.<br />
<br />
Finally finished the series! Thanks to my 2 month old for making it take almost two weeks to watch 15 episodes, otherwise I would definitely have binge watched.<br />
<br />
First, I'd just like to say how much I missed this show. The very first time I saw it, I hated it. After that, I was just totally in love. So even though the fourth season wasn't perfect, I was overall happy to have my show back!<br />
<br />
Also, as someone who studied media and communications in college, I just want to say how interesting I think it is that web-based subscription services such as Netflix and Amazon are getting into the television production game. I've said before that original programming on cable networks like TBS, USA, FX, and AMC is giving the major networks a run for their money - because they are smaller networks, they don't have to pull in the big numbers that the major networks do, so quality programs with smaller fanbases not only get a chance to air, they don't get yanked after only two episodes. But also, because these networks don't necessarily have to cater as much to big advertisers, they can do edgier shows and also more niche programming - they don't have to do broad comedies and dramas that appeal to everybody (and therefore usually end up appealing to nobody). So those networks have changed the game a bit, and now that Netflix and Amazon (and Hulu? Does anyone know about this?) are entering the game, it's being changed again - because they're subscription based, they don't have any advertisers to appease. I've always said that television is not about entertainment - it's a vehicle for advertising. It's not about the shows. The shows are there to draw in potential consumers. It would be nice for programming to be about (quality) entertainment for once.<br />
<br />
Okay, so kudos to Netflix for taking a chance on a somewhat popular and much beloved (with its small fanbase) but wildly unsuccessful Arrested Development. And kudos to the actors, many, especially Jason Bateman and Michael Cera, who have gone on to develop fairly successful movie careers, for returning to their roles in this cult hit. The fourth season only worked because of that and because of the return of showrunner Mitch Hurwitz.<br />
<br />
Now my thoughts:<br />
<ul>
<li>Mitch Hurwitz and his writers are just genius at the wordplay, the innuendo, the double entendres. Arrested Development always has been a cerebral comedy. I am STILL finding verbal and visual jokes when I rewatch old episodes that I missed on my first, second, seventh viewings. That was all there in the fourth season.</li>
<li>While still really funny, this fourth season was pretty dark. Things really just don't go the Bluths' way...but I guess that's really all their faults. Even Michael and George Michael, the "normal" Bluths, have their faults and get in their own way.</li>
<li>Realize that due to the actors' schedules, they had to focus on different characters in each episode, and didn't get to see everyone in every ep, but hated that a lot of time was devoted to newly introduced secondary characters like Debrie and Marky Bark and Rebel. I guess Marky and Rebel didn't bother me quite so much, but for some reason Debrie did. I don't know. It was just weird to see so much of these characters who weren't Bluths and had no history with the family. Oh, but I did like seeing John Slattery. I'm a huge Mad Men fan, so it was fun seeing him play a dingy hippie type. Plus, CUA alum shout out! :)</li>
<li>Also was both intrigued and annoyed by the disjointed-ness of the timeline. Liked how each subsequent episode showed the same events from a different character's perspective, but hated how it was hard to keep track of what things happened when...but maybe that was just me. I am extremely sleep deprived...</li>
<li>Liked the secondary characters they were able to include, if only briefly - Annyong, Lucille 2, Tony Wonder, Ann/Egg/Plant, Oscar, Kitty, Sally Sitwell...it was like visiting with old friends again!</li>
<li>Speaking of old friends...liked that Hurwitz knows these characters so well that they were still the same as when we last left them. Although, why was George Bluth so effeminate?</li>
<li>Portia de Rossi's face was very distracting.</li>
<li>I did not get the end. Ending with George Michael punching his dad in the face was very anticlimactic and kind of disappointing. I later read an article where Hurwitz explains that this was George Michael finally breaking away from the Bluths and breaking that cycle blah blah blah, and I guess that makes sense, and that actually would be a nice - and more importantly, hopeful - note to end the season/series on, but it wasn't an obvious note. At least not to me. But again, maybe that's just me. Sleep deprived and all...</li>
<li>Loved seeing Ron Howard on camera! And making fun of himself no less... </li>
<li>We're still left with questions...what's going to happen with the movie? What happened to Lucille 2? What about FaceBlock? And the wall? But maybe this isn't the end of the series...Hurwitz noted that he's open to resurrecting the series every few years if Netflix is interested, so maybe we'll get answers yet. Or maybe I'm the only one who still has questions.</li>
</ul>
So, overall, I heard the season was panned by critics. But what do critics know? This series was resurrected for the fans, not the people paid to analyze and pick apart...there were things I didn't like, things I didn't get, but overall, I enjoyed it, and with all the crap on television nowadays (and all the good programs in repeats!), it was nice to have new episodes of one of my old favorites back again!! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-9386575126624214332013-06-01T14:20:00.001-04:002013-06-01T14:20:17.532-04:00From Zap2It.com: 'Community' Season 5: Dan Harmon says he's returningBest. News. Ever. Actually makes this television fan happy they decided to renew Community for next season - also makes me cautiously hopeful that the show we all fell in love with might be the show that returns to the air!<br />
<br />
Welcome back, Dan Harmon - you were sorely missed! <br />
<br />
Read about it <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/06/community-season-5-dan-harmon-says-hes-returning.html" target="_blank">here.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-32956853222520091332013-05-09T18:36:00.000-04:002013-05-09T18:36:00.885-04:00'Parks and Recreation': NBC renews veteran comedy for Season 6If you know anything about me, you know I love love LOVE this show...more often than not this show is creatively better than most of whats on television right now. One of the finest sitcoms I've ever watched, and better than a lot of dramas out there, too - both funny and heartwarming, with well rounded characters living in a world that despite its quirkiness feels very real. I wish I could be friends with Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt. Ron Swanson is a wry, dry revelation. Ron and Leslie have one of the best "bromances" ever on television. And if I could, I would totally move to Pawnee. Good on NBC for renewing this show!! Now make sure you watch it!!! Read the story at Zap2It.com <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/05/parks-and-recreation-nbc-renews-veteran-comedy-for-season-6.html" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
<br />
<img alt="parks-and-recreation-season-finale-nbc.jpg" class="mt-image-center" height="282" src="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/parks-and-recreation-season-finale-nbc.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px; text-align: center;" width="500" /><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-6182528735622702182013-03-22T16:51:00.002-04:002013-03-22T16:51:18.835-04:00Community as we knew it...If you've been watching Community this season, chances are, you know what I'm talking about when I say that the show we all knew and loved is no more.<br />
<br />
Despite the ousting of creator Dan Harmon as show runner, I was excited about Community's return and optimistic that the actors and writers knew the quirky world of Greendale Community College and its cast of colorful characters well enough to bring back a show that had some semblance to the original.<br />
<br />
Alas, the episodes that have aired just prove why I tend toward pessimistic realism.<br />
<br />
Community was never your typical sitcom. That was part of its charm. Part of what it did so well was parody the pop culture around us, such as in a Quentin Tarantino inspired paintball episode. The writers this season attempted to parody the widely popular Hunger Game books and movie in an episode that pretty much sums up everything that is wrong with this season - instead of ACTUALLY parodying The Hunger Games, the show TOLD us it was going to do it, and then never actually got around to showing us anything having to do with The Hunger Games. One of the great rules of writing - and this applies to writing that people just read, so it most definitely applies to writing that will be turned into something people watch like, say, a television show - is SHOW DON'T TELL. Don't tell me why an event was exciting. Describe for me how there were fireworks and acrobats and a car chase. So in the case of Community, we have an episode which is trying to play on The Shawshank Redemption, with Annie, Troy, & Abed trying to escape from Shirley's terrible Thanksgiving celebration. We know it's terrible because the characters keep telling us it is. We don't actually get to see any of the terrible things that are happening. And then to top it off, we only know its a Shawshank tribute because Abed says it is, not because the characters actually DO anything to try to escape besides stand around in a garage and talk about escaping.<br />
<br />
It's not just bad Community writing. It's bad writing, period.<br />
<br />
The characters are all still there, but their voices are not the same. Its people trying to get inside the head of Dan Harmon, who is no longer there, and write what they think he would write...except its like these people have never even met Harmon. It's obvious that Harmon was the major voice and heart and soul of this show, and that Community as we knew it is over and gone for good. It would almost be better if these writers realized that and rebooted the show - keep the characters and general concept, but make them you're own. Shows reboot all the time for all sorts of reasons. If you can't imitate someone's voice, you make your own. Yes, it would be like watching a different show, but it would be so much better than what is happening now - these writers are so at a lost trying to recapture Harmon's voice that the show isn't even funny anymore. It's not heartfelt, it's not original, it's not even typical sitcom fare. Two and a Half Men is funnier than the Community airing now, and that's saying a lot. I keep watching out of habit and obviously ill-advised optimism that things might still turn around. But it's no longer must-see TV for me. Thank god for my Community DVDs...three seasons of brilliance is better than nothing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-1569796661522680472013-03-13T19:25:00.001-04:002013-03-13T19:25:41.921-04:00’Veronica Mars’ fans donate more than $1 million to fund big-screen movie<a href="http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/03/13/17300618-veronica-mars-fans-donate-more-than-1-million-to-fund-big-screen-movie#.UUEJx85SzTI.blogger">’Veronica Mars’ fans donate more than $1 million to fund big-screen movie</a><br />
<br />
Now, that's love! Shout out to devoted fans of quality television, as well as to the writers & actors who actually produce quality television storytelling... Here's hoping for the return of our favorite marshmallow & the rest of the Neptune gang! (Now, if we could only get a Party Down reunion, too!!)<br />
<br />
:) Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-73022945637035901962013-02-14T19:00:00.002-05:002013-02-14T19:00:35.226-05:00In honor of Valentine's Day: From 'New Girl' to 'I Love Lucy:' our favorite TV couplesIn honor of Valentine's Day, Henry Hanks put together a slideshow of 20 of the best television couples over the years on CNN.com. It's pretty good - many of my favorite tv couples are on the list. Did yours make the cut? Who would you add or take off?<br />
<br />
You can find the slideshow <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/14/showbiz/favorite-tv-couples/index.html?hpt=hp_c3" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="It became clear this romance was doomed as soon as it turned out that a night of passion with Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) would turn vampire-with-a-soul Angel (David Boreanaz) back into his evil self, Angelus. Buffy ended up with another vamp; Spike and Angel ended up with a spinoff." border="0" height="360" id="articleGalleryPhoto0020" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130213015353-couples-buffy-angel-vertical-gallery.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto;" width="270" /><img alt="Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz portrayed a show business couple on "I Love Lucy," while behind the scenes they invented the sitcom. The real-life couple controlled every aspect of their hit show, still one of the most beloved of all time. And it wouldn't have been a hit if these two didn't make people fall in love with Lucy (and Ricky) every week." border="0" height="360" id="articleGalleryPhoto0019" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130213020751-couples-lucy-ricky-horizontal-gallery.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<img alt="Ted's quest to find a woman and Robin and Barney's long and winding quest for each other carried through the hit comedy "How I Met Your Mother," but Alyson Hannigan's Lily and Jason Segel's Marshall have been the glue that held it all together (with the exception of their brief breakup early on)." border="0" height="360" id="articleGalleryPhoto0012" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130213213700-couples-himym-marshall-lily-horizontal-gallery.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto;" width="640" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-48483320475498393632013-02-12T13:45:00.003-05:002013-02-12T13:45:44.444-05:00From Zap2It.com: 'Psych' Slumber Party: Gear up for Season 7 with cast skits, prize giveaways and moreWhat better way to gear up to welcome back my long-lost, long awaited show than with a "slumber party" of fan-favorite episodes this Friday night? Cable puts out way better shows than the major networks for the most part nowadays but the bad thing about cable is it takes FOREVER for our favorite shows to return!! Ordinarily, this tv fangirl would be out partying on a Friday night. But now that I'm a pregnant tv fangirl, I may have to make plans to be in slumber partying on Friday night! Or maybe I'll just DVR the marathon (which starts at midnight) and spend a day in on Saturday! Either way - woo hoo! Ain't nothin' better - as Gus would say, "You know that's right!"<br />
<br />Read the whole story <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/02/psych-slumber-party-gear-up-for-season-7-with-cast-skits-prize-giveaways-and-more.html" target="_blank">here.</a> Besides the fan fave episodes that will air, there will be sneak peeks, prizes, and skits with the cast - bring it on!<br />
<br />
Join the slumber party this Friday, Feb. 15 at midnight on USA.<br />
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<img alt="Psych" height="200" id="zc-photogal-preview-main-image" itemprop="image" src="http://images.zap2it.com/images/tv-EP00837834/psych-14.jpg" title="Psych" width="267" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-13455355287033105572013-02-01T20:06:00.001-05:002013-02-01T20:06:38.277-05:00Ready for some football? Start with 5 great onscreen momentsIn honor of the Super Bowl this weekend: <br />
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<a href="http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/01/16792126-ready-for-some-football-start-with-5-great-onscreen-moments#.UQxlRKi4a8I.blogger">Ready for some football? Start with 5 great onscreen moments</a><br />
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Author Courtney Hazlett picked some great moments from both television and the movies - my dad and sister always loved Al Pacino's inspirational speech from Any Given Sunday, and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Coach Taylor's "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose," from Friday Night Lights - in fact, I'm tearing up just thinking about it. I guess the only thing I'm surprised by is the lack of Rudy on this list. Isn't that the iconic inspirational football movie? Even the music has become the go-to music for any kind of inspirational sports montage/moment in television, previews, commercials, etc. Otherwise, good job - and good suggestions for anyone who wants to watch something to get in the mood for this weekend's game...just might have to dig out my FNL DVDs!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-76809628812799840232013-01-31T15:58:00.001-05:002013-01-31T15:58:09.450-05:00’30 Rock’s’ 30 best guest stars<a href="http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/01/31/16756726-30-rocks-30-best-guest-stars#.UQraDmsxkJg.blogger">’30 Rock’s’ 30 best guest stars</a><br />
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My favorites out of this list have to be Dean Winters, Will Arnett of course, because he's one of the funniest guys out there, but also two guys you'd never peg as having great comedic chops but totally rocked it (no pun intended) on 30 Rock - Jon Hamm and Matt Damon. I didn't always love this show or think it was the funniest show on television, but it had terrific guest stars and really utilized them well! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-50693322216569023802013-01-31T14:35:00.005-05:002013-01-31T14:35:57.428-05:00From Zap2It.com: 'Psych' Season 7 premiere: Satchel Gizmo, Soupcan Flynn and 5 more things to look forward toOh, I had forgotten where the story left off!!! That's how long it has been! I cannot wait...show, don't ever abandon me again! I'll even put up with the Shawn-Juliet romance - bleh - as long as I can have my Shawn-Gus bromance back!!!<br />
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<a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/01/psych-season-7-premiere-satchel-gizmo-soupcan-flynn-and-5-more-things-to-look-forward-to.html" target="_blank">Read the whole story here.</a><br />
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Psych returns Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. EST on USA. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-78092860057062366052013-01-23T12:18:00.003-05:002013-01-23T12:18:41.167-05:00Mad Men sixth season premieres April 7 with 2-hour episodeMatthew Weiner, show creator, is notoriously tight-lipped about Mad Men and is scarily good at controlling spoiler leakage, so that's pretty much all we know about the season premiere - but knowing a return date is better than not knowing anything at all! And Weiner must be a mindreader, because I had just been wondering about this last night, whether or not we would have to wait as long as we did for the fifth season to premiere (there was almost a year and a half gap between the fourth season finale in October 2010 and the fifth season premiere in March 2012) - April will be 10 months since the fifth season finale...woo hoo to a less than one year wait, but no wonder I'm going through Mad Men withdrawal. I mean, surisly! (Though I'll admit, it's probably the show's not conforming to the 22 episode, every fall through spring standard US network scheduling that allows it to maintain its creative storytelling superiority...something I'll have to keep reminding myself for the next few months).<br />
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Of course, with Baby Girl due to arrive April 3, she is now under strict orders to arrive before, or after, but not ON April 7! A happy mama is a Mad Men-premiere watching mama! :)<br />
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For more (but not much more - damn you, Weiner! - on the story), visit The Clicker <a href="http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/01/23/16661139-mad-men-return-date-set-for-april-with-two-hour-premiere?lite" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in Mad Men." height="253" id="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120326-mad-men-ep1.jpg" src="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120326-mad-men-ep1.380;380;7;70;0.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Mad Men returns to AMC April 7" width="380" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Ron Jaffe/AMC</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487680336931549890.post-75934885450121592562013-01-16T15:58:00.000-05:002013-01-16T15:58:41.034-05:00From Zap2It.com: 'New Girl': Schmidt and Robby, a match made in CeCe-loving, d-bag heavenNew Girl has become hit or miss for me this season, and Schmidt became such a popular character in the first season that this season it's sometimes felt like the writers have been cramming him down our throats, turning his adorable douchery into just, well, douchery.<br />
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But this? Yes. The rest of last night's episode was blah for me, but the Schmidt and Robby bromance? That I can totally get behind. That one storyline reminded me why I fell in love with Schmidt in the first place (besides my ever-loyal love for Max Greenfield as Leo on Veronica Mars). More of this please!<br />
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For the whole story, visit Zap2It.com <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/01/new-girl-schmidt-and-robby-a-match-made-in-cece-loving-d-bag-heaven.html" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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Speaking of television, did you catch the Golden Globes? Are you like me, an active hater of the self-aggrandizing of these awards, or are you a fan? What did you think of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey as hosts? My girl crush love for those two knows no bounds - I could watch them read the telephone book, I think, if telephone books still existed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16234091189020223166noreply@blogger.com0