Thought I’d go with a simple question today: What’s your favorite blog?
I’d say the one I follow most closely is www.newsfromme.com. The guy who writes it covers everything, from government to musicals to comic books to TV to CVS.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Neeew Fall Schedule:
It’s official – all the shows, new and old, have been slotted for the fall. Check it out.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Today's Question: Cancelled
So, the big five are putting out their list of what they're keeping and what they're killing this year.
I only lost one favorite show this year - "Dollhouse." "Never heard of it," you say? Yeah, that's why it was cancelled way back in the fall - with the final episodes running in January. It's all but forgotten now.
If you like smart sci-fi, I highly recommend picking up the first season on DVD.
How about you? What show are you sad to say bye-bye to this year?
I only lost one favorite show this year - "Dollhouse." "Never heard of it," you say? Yeah, that's why it was cancelled way back in the fall - with the final episodes running in January. It's all but forgotten now.
If you like smart sci-fi, I highly recommend picking up the first season on DVD.
How about you? What show are you sad to say bye-bye to this year?
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Today’s Question: Until the Bitter End
So, they finally cancelled “Heroes,” after one good season and three seasons that were, to critics and fans alike, something of a disappointment.
Strangely, I remember how I got into the show surprisingly well. I missed the premiere due to VCR problems, and was going to give the show a pass until the DVD came out.
Thursday of that week, I picked up an installed my very first DVR box. On Friday, they showed the first episode again on the Sci-Fi channel. I recorded that episode. Then I recorded the second episode.
I watched the first episode, and was thinking I might give up on the show, and then arrived at the last shot: The brother who doesn’t believe in super-powers flies.
I was in. Despite the late hour, I had to watch the second episode. Had to know what came next.
Of course, at the end of the second episode, they blew up New York.
I don’t know that the show ever got quite that awesome again, but there were a few great episodes in that first season: “Company Man” springs to mind, and the episode where they jumped five years in the future.
And even as the show lost viewers, and went downhill in quality, I stuck with it to the very last episode, and I even felt that old sense of “I wonder what comes next…” as the final episode unspooled.
(As an aside, if you were ever a fan of the show, I highly recommend the collected comics. There were some great stories in there.)
In many ways, I’m glad the show is over and I don’t have to tune in each week and feel underwhelmed yet again. But I still sort of want to know what would have happened next…
So how about you? What show did you stick with long after it stopped being all that enjoyable?
Strangely, I remember how I got into the show surprisingly well. I missed the premiere due to VCR problems, and was going to give the show a pass until the DVD came out.
Thursday of that week, I picked up an installed my very first DVR box. On Friday, they showed the first episode again on the Sci-Fi channel. I recorded that episode. Then I recorded the second episode.
I watched the first episode, and was thinking I might give up on the show, and then arrived at the last shot: The brother who doesn’t believe in super-powers flies.
I was in. Despite the late hour, I had to watch the second episode. Had to know what came next.
Of course, at the end of the second episode, they blew up New York.
I don’t know that the show ever got quite that awesome again, but there were a few great episodes in that first season: “Company Man” springs to mind, and the episode where they jumped five years in the future.
And even as the show lost viewers, and went downhill in quality, I stuck with it to the very last episode, and I even felt that old sense of “I wonder what comes next…” as the final episode unspooled.
(As an aside, if you were ever a fan of the show, I highly recommend the collected comics. There were some great stories in there.)
In many ways, I’m glad the show is over and I don’t have to tune in each week and feel underwhelmed yet again. But I still sort of want to know what would have happened next…
So how about you? What show did you stick with long after it stopped being all that enjoyable?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Today’s Question: Guilty Pleasures
Thinking about finales the other day reminded me of one of the most surprising. “Degrassi Junior High” ended with the school burning down.
Of course, the next year, everyone was back for “Degrassi High,” but I’m not sure people knew that at the time.
I started watching “Degrassi” a few years ago when the series was released on DVD, and review after review said, essentially, “This show is great, and still holds up.”
Does it? I think so, if you grew up in the 80s. My spouse and I flew through all five seasons of the show, and then decided, hey, why not see what’s up with the NEW show, “Degrassi: The Next Generation?”
The answer is, it starts out pretty well, dealing with the problems kids today face in pretty honest terms. Then, somewhere around year six, it got a liiittle more soap-opera-like, because frankly they were out of terrible things that could happen to teens.
But I (and my spouse) continue to watch it because we enjoy the characters.
So: What’s your guilty TV pleasure?
Of course, the next year, everyone was back for “Degrassi High,” but I’m not sure people knew that at the time.
I started watching “Degrassi” a few years ago when the series was released on DVD, and review after review said, essentially, “This show is great, and still holds up.”
Does it? I think so, if you grew up in the 80s. My spouse and I flew through all five seasons of the show, and then decided, hey, why not see what’s up with the NEW show, “Degrassi: The Next Generation?”
The answer is, it starts out pretty well, dealing with the problems kids today face in pretty honest terms. Then, somewhere around year six, it got a liiittle more soap-opera-like, because frankly they were out of terrible things that could happen to teens.
But I (and my spouse) continue to watch it because we enjoy the characters.
So: What’s your guilty TV pleasure?
Friday, May 14, 2010
Today’s Question: This Year’s Endings
It’s been a week of finale talks around here, so I thought I’d close out the theme today.
Saw the “Supernatural” finale last night. Liked it. Liked it a lot. But when it came to the end, I had to wonder if this was the finale they planned when they knew the show was ending, or if they changed it in any way to deal with the fact that there will be another season.
Either way, I enjoyed it greatly.
So today’s question: What’s your favorite season finale this year? (I realize some shows haven’t ended yet. Feel free to offer speculation.)
Saw the “Supernatural” finale last night. Liked it. Liked it a lot. But when it came to the end, I had to wonder if this was the finale they planned when they knew the show was ending, or if they changed it in any way to deal with the fact that there will be another season.
Either way, I enjoyed it greatly.
So today’s question: What’s your favorite season finale this year? (I realize some shows haven’t ended yet. Feel free to offer speculation.)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Today's Question: Bing
I can still remember the first time I heard someone use the word Google as a verb on a TV show. It was “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and Willow mentioned it – the idea of Googling someone.
Not long after, I started hearing people use the word Google as the default search engine word – as in, “Today, I auo-Googled my name, and learned that…”
But I’ve noticed, lately, that the word Google is being replaced by the word Bing. Oddly enough, it was also on a vampire-related show – “The Vampire Diaries.” One character said, to another, “Did you Bing him?”
I’ve used Bing a few times, but I have to confess that general laziness has kept me from using it all that often. I have a Google search bar on my web browser.
So I put it to you – what do you think of Bing? And I’m also curious – what do you think of their advertising? Has it convinced you to try it?
Not long after, I started hearing people use the word Google as the default search engine word – as in, “Today, I auo-Googled my name, and learned that…”
But I’ve noticed, lately, that the word Google is being replaced by the word Bing. Oddly enough, it was also on a vampire-related show – “The Vampire Diaries.” One character said, to another, “Did you Bing him?”
I’ve used Bing a few times, but I have to confess that general laziness has kept me from using it all that often. I have a Google search bar on my web browser.
So I put it to you – what do you think of Bing? And I’m also curious – what do you think of their advertising? Has it convinced you to try it?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
A Bunch of Men Caught in a Bad Romance
What can I say? It’s sweeping the Internet, and it’s a lot of fun to boot:
Today’s Question: Best TV Series Finale
The other day, we did a discussion of the best ending to a TV series season.
So today, in light of the last few episodes of a lot of well-loved shows (most notably, “Lost”) what is your favorite end-of-TV-series episode, ever?
Offhand, I can think of two: I think that “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” ended very, very strongly, though I wish the final episode could have been two hours long to hit a few more emotional moments.
But what an ending: The Big Bad is defeated, the town is in a hole, and there’s still work to do. Just a great ending.
(Honorable Mention: The end of “Newhart” was pure genius.)
So today, in light of the last few episodes of a lot of well-loved shows (most notably, “Lost”) what is your favorite end-of-TV-series episode, ever?
Offhand, I can think of two: I think that “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” ended very, very strongly, though I wish the final episode could have been two hours long to hit a few more emotional moments.
But what an ending: The Big Bad is defeated, the town is in a hole, and there’s still work to do. Just a great ending.
(Honorable Mention: The end of “Newhart” was pure genius.)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Setting Your Facebook Privacy with Al Franken
He’s a well-known funnyman, a winning politician, and now, he tells you how to protect your privacy on Facebook.
No, I am not jesting.
No, I am not jesting.
Today’s Question: Songs on TV
So, the other day, right in the middle of “The Vampire Diaries,” I heard this song:
I first heard it at the start of a video game. Love it. Love it!
And I got to thinking – I really love it when TV shows toss up an iTunes list of songs on their show. A show that really uses music well, like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Gilmore Girls,” makes you want to run out and find the songs on the show RIGHT NOW.
So here’s my question of the day – what’s the best song you ever discovered through a TV show?
In my case, I’m going to say, “We Used to Be Friends,” the theme song for “Veronica Mars.”
A close second, though, was this great, great, great song that was used on the TV show “Moonlight.”
I first heard it at the start of a video game. Love it. Love it!
And I got to thinking – I really love it when TV shows toss up an iTunes list of songs on their show. A show that really uses music well, like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Gilmore Girls,” makes you want to run out and find the songs on the show RIGHT NOW.
So here’s my question of the day – what’s the best song you ever discovered through a TV show?
In my case, I’m going to say, “We Used to Be Friends,” the theme song for “Veronica Mars.”
A close second, though, was this great, great, great song that was used on the TV show “Moonlight.”
Monday, May 10, 2010
Get Yourself $500
How?
Read the online version of delight! magazine.
Then, click the link below to take a short survey. You could win a $500 gift card.
$500 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Read the online version of delight! magazine.
Then, click the link below to take a short survey. You could win a $500 gift card.
$500 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Today’s Question: Season Finales
Since I started talking about what shows are coming to an end, and how we wish we could bring some of them back, here’s a related question:
What was your favorite season finale?
We’ll cover series finales tomorrow, so hold that thought, unless it really was your favorite. I’m talking about Ending One Season, Can’t Wait Three Months for the Next One finales, here.
After some thought, I’d have to say that “Supernatural” probably does this better than just about any other show:
First Season: Everyone is dead!
Second Season: They won! Except a bunch of demons are now free, and Dean only has a year to live!
Third Season: Dean dies, and goes to hell!
Fourth Season: The devil is let of his cage!
I’ll give it up and say that season three was the big “Must See What Comes Next!” for me.
(And why not? Special mention to Buffy season 3, which ended with action, love, and heartbreak.)
How about it?
What was your favorite season finale?
We’ll cover series finales tomorrow, so hold that thought, unless it really was your favorite. I’m talking about Ending One Season, Can’t Wait Three Months for the Next One finales, here.
After some thought, I’d have to say that “Supernatural” probably does this better than just about any other show:
First Season: Everyone is dead!
Second Season: They won! Except a bunch of demons are now free, and Dean only has a year to live!
Third Season: Dean dies, and goes to hell!
Fourth Season: The devil is let of his cage!
I’ll give it up and say that season three was the big “Must See What Comes Next!” for me.
(And why not? Special mention to Buffy season 3, which ended with action, love, and heartbreak.)
How about it?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Play Mario as Simon
A simple concept, but a fun one:
Play Super Mario Brothers as any one of six popular Nintendo characters.
If you ever wanted to try this one out as Megaman, well, here’s your chance.
Play Super Mario Brothers as any one of six popular Nintendo characters.
If you ever wanted to try this one out as Megaman, well, here’s your chance.
Today’s Question: The Return!
Yesterday, one of our readers joked (or perhaps he wasn’t joking – it’s tough to tell on the Internet) that HBO should bring “Deadwood” back just for him.
It got me thinking. How often do shows that were cancelled come back?
The two big ones I can think of were “Family Guy,” which was off the air for quite a while, only to return when the DVD sets sold through the roof, and “Futurama,” which went off the air, got a few direct-to-DVD movies made, and will be back on the air starting next month.
Of course, there have been a few shows that were “almost” cancelled, but came back for another season or two: “Cold Case,” “Jericho,” and “Friday Night Lights” all come to mind.
So here’s today’s question: If you could bring back any cancelled TV show, no matter how long ago it ended, what would you choose?
I can admit I’m torn by this one, just because there have been a lot of shows I’ve loved and lost too soon. But I think I’ll go with “Veronica Mars,” which ended without much in the way of resolution.
It got me thinking. How often do shows that were cancelled come back?
The two big ones I can think of were “Family Guy,” which was off the air for quite a while, only to return when the DVD sets sold through the roof, and “Futurama,” which went off the air, got a few direct-to-DVD movies made, and will be back on the air starting next month.
Of course, there have been a few shows that were “almost” cancelled, but came back for another season or two: “Cold Case,” “Jericho,” and “Friday Night Lights” all come to mind.
So here’s today’s question: If you could bring back any cancelled TV show, no matter how long ago it ended, what would you choose?
I can admit I’m torn by this one, just because there have been a lot of shows I’ve loved and lost too soon. But I think I’ll go with “Veronica Mars,” which ended without much in the way of resolution.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Question of the Day: The End of the TV Season
So, with May upon us, the end of the “regular” TV season is here. This means that most of the shows on the big four channels are going on hiatus – some never to return.
I’m lucky this year, inasmuch as my two favorite shows (Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries) have already been picked up for another season. This is the first time in years that I show I really, really dig isn’t in danger of coming to an abrupt end.
Today’s Question:
You’re allowed to save just one of your favorite shows. Which one would you pick, and why?
My answer:
This year? “The Vampire Diaries.” While “Supernatural” is my favorite show of the two, I know they originally planned this to be the final season. The next season could really be kinda so-so because of that. Whereas “Diaries” is just getting started.
I’m lucky this year, inasmuch as my two favorite shows (Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries) have already been picked up for another season. This is the first time in years that I show I really, really dig isn’t in danger of coming to an abrupt end.
Today’s Question:
You’re allowed to save just one of your favorite shows. Which one would you pick, and why?
My answer:
This year? “The Vampire Diaries.” While “Supernatural” is my favorite show of the two, I know they originally planned this to be the final season. The next season could really be kinda so-so because of that. Whereas “Diaries” is just getting started.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Wanna Catch Up with “Warehouse?”
“Warehouse 13” has been a surprise hit for the newly-minted SyFy channel, and fresh episodes are currently on the way.
But if you’re like me, and you need to see things from beginning to end, they’ve got it for a nice pre-order price on Amazon.
Want to check it out for free? The last five episodes of the season are currently on Hulu.
Who doesn’t love free?
But if you’re like me, and you need to see things from beginning to end, they’ve got it for a nice pre-order price on Amazon.
Want to check it out for free? The last five episodes of the season are currently on Hulu.
Who doesn’t love free?
Today's Question: True Blood
If you haven’t taken a look at the Editor’s Picks yet this month, take a glance at the write-up for True Blood, HBO’s biggest hit since the Sopranos.
True Blood is doing something kind of unusual for a TV show based on a book – it’s actually using the books as a rough framework for each season. At the moment, there are ten of them, and as far as I know, there’s no end in sight.
So here’s today’s question: If you’re a fan of the books, would you prefer to see the whole series adapted, one book at a time? Or would you rather the show went off in other directions?
True Blood is doing something kind of unusual for a TV show based on a book – it’s actually using the books as a rough framework for each season. At the moment, there are ten of them, and as far as I know, there’s no end in sight.
So here’s today’s question: If you’re a fan of the books, would you prefer to see the whole series adapted, one book at a time? Or would you rather the show went off in other directions?
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
For the Fans of Warehouse 13
If you haven’t checked it out already, take a look at our exclusive interview with Eddie McClintock.
Still craving more from the creators of “Warehouse?” Hop on over to Jane Espenson’s blog for an entertaining look at the world of TV series writing.
Still craving more from the creators of “Warehouse?” Hop on over to Jane Espenson’s blog for an entertaining look at the world of TV series writing.
Free iTunes Gift Card
Love stuff? Love free?
Click the link below, take a lightning-fast survey, and you can get an iTunes gift card.
Did we mention it’s free?
iTunes Gift Card
Click the link below, take a lightning-fast survey, and you can get an iTunes gift card.
Did we mention it’s free?
iTunes Gift Card
Monday, May 3, 2010
Cold Case: Almost Paradise/Shattered
Before we begin, let’s give a big hand to Meredith Stiehm, who created “Cold Case” and then watched it run for seven years. It’s tough to get a show on the air, and it’s tougher to keep it there.
And yet, she made it to the big seven. How can you not be just a little impressed?
Me, I’m a lot impressed, because these last two episodes had to do double-duty. They had to get solid mysteries out the door, and then, as a bonus, they had to set up two different TV shows.
One where everyone comes back for season eight, and one where Lilly joins the FBI and fires up what I keep calling “Cold Case 2.0.”
It’s all there, really. But I’ll lay it out in a second.
“Almost Paradise”
The big news this episode is, of course, that Lilly’s sister is back, and Lilly kind of doesn’t want anything to do with her. Ultimately, everything that happened to her in this episode is setup for the second round, but they tried to set up a few family dynamics for folks just meeting the bad sister of the family.
As for the death of the prom queen? I couldn’t help but feel like someone was doing this one as a bit of a tribute to John Hughes, the man who gave us movies like “Pretty in Pink” and “Sixteen Candles.” It was, ultimately, an episode that reminded us that high school kind of sucked for everyone, from the nerd on up to the prom king.
While the episode had some nice dynamics from the characters, one of the clues pretty much gave away the murderer well before we got there. But it was a solid John Hughes movie, and it gave me a chance to watch Rob Benedict act a bit, and that’s always a good thing.
(For those not in the know, Rob plays the occasional role of “Chuck” on “Supernatural,” my current favorite show.)
In sub-plot-land, Scotty, worked out a way to hand some final justice to the man who attacked his mom. This played out quickly, but it had a nice “This Isn’t Over” cap-off that clearly said to the audience, “If the show comes back, you’ll hear more.”
And of course, all this was the big lead-in for:
“Shattered”
For this one, we got two mysteries for the price of one, as Lilly and Scotty tried to track down Lilly’s sister.
And the rest of the crew? They tried to solve a long-lasting case whose solution proved a little closer to home than they might have liked.
Once again, I was pleased by the choice of guest stars, as I got to see Keith Szarabajka whose work on “Angel” and “Profit” was always great. Though, really, pretty much everything he’s ever done has been terrific.
And how was his story? Well, it was filler, because the writers clearly wanted to give the audience a slam-bang ending to remember the story by. So we got Lilly and Scotty breaking into places, and handcuffing people to things, and in general being a little more action-hero-like than they generally get to be.
Which leads us to the surprise ending – and turn away if you don’t want to know:
Lilly’s sister has a kid.
Once the big reveal happened, I sat back on my couch, and I went, “Yeah, they’re still setting up ‘Cold Case 2.0’”
Which leads me to:
Final Thoughts:
It’s strange to get to what may very well be the end of the series, and watch while the writers of the show throw out a few leads. I may be reading too much into this, but as I watched three members of the Rush family and Scotty tool down the highway, I could see where the show was going.
Lilly, of course, joins the FBI. Her sister and her sister’s child stay with her. And Scotty, best friend of Lilly, gets romantically involved with the sister… an idea that was hinted at more than once in these last two episodes.
Could it work? I think it could.
As for the final episodes themselves, well, I think I tried to accomplish a little too much, what with all the side mysteries. And having done one two-parter just a couple of weeks ago also killed the impact a bit.
What’s worse, of course, is that they blew the last two episodes off tonight, which probably caught more than a few fans off guard. Having finally gotten used to the new time slot, to suddenly change things up and put two episodes on, one at the old time and one at the new?
It just felt unkind to me.
Assuming this really is it, and “Cold Case” doesn’t come back next season, they closed off the major stories pretty solidly, and I think long-time fans can rest easy, without a lot of big what-ifs.
So once again, here’s to you, Meredith Stiehm. You set a show on its feet, did something a little different, and you got the world some face time with a set of memorable characters. Good show. In every sense of the word.
And yet, she made it to the big seven. How can you not be just a little impressed?
Me, I’m a lot impressed, because these last two episodes had to do double-duty. They had to get solid mysteries out the door, and then, as a bonus, they had to set up two different TV shows.
One where everyone comes back for season eight, and one where Lilly joins the FBI and fires up what I keep calling “Cold Case 2.0.”
It’s all there, really. But I’ll lay it out in a second.
“Almost Paradise”
The big news this episode is, of course, that Lilly’s sister is back, and Lilly kind of doesn’t want anything to do with her. Ultimately, everything that happened to her in this episode is setup for the second round, but they tried to set up a few family dynamics for folks just meeting the bad sister of the family.
As for the death of the prom queen? I couldn’t help but feel like someone was doing this one as a bit of a tribute to John Hughes, the man who gave us movies like “Pretty in Pink” and “Sixteen Candles.” It was, ultimately, an episode that reminded us that high school kind of sucked for everyone, from the nerd on up to the prom king.
While the episode had some nice dynamics from the characters, one of the clues pretty much gave away the murderer well before we got there. But it was a solid John Hughes movie, and it gave me a chance to watch Rob Benedict act a bit, and that’s always a good thing.
(For those not in the know, Rob plays the occasional role of “Chuck” on “Supernatural,” my current favorite show.)
In sub-plot-land, Scotty, worked out a way to hand some final justice to the man who attacked his mom. This played out quickly, but it had a nice “This Isn’t Over” cap-off that clearly said to the audience, “If the show comes back, you’ll hear more.”
And of course, all this was the big lead-in for:
“Shattered”
For this one, we got two mysteries for the price of one, as Lilly and Scotty tried to track down Lilly’s sister.
And the rest of the crew? They tried to solve a long-lasting case whose solution proved a little closer to home than they might have liked.
Once again, I was pleased by the choice of guest stars, as I got to see Keith Szarabajka whose work on “Angel” and “Profit” was always great. Though, really, pretty much everything he’s ever done has been terrific.
And how was his story? Well, it was filler, because the writers clearly wanted to give the audience a slam-bang ending to remember the story by. So we got Lilly and Scotty breaking into places, and handcuffing people to things, and in general being a little more action-hero-like than they generally get to be.
Which leads us to the surprise ending – and turn away if you don’t want to know:
Lilly’s sister has a kid.
Once the big reveal happened, I sat back on my couch, and I went, “Yeah, they’re still setting up ‘Cold Case 2.0’”
Which leads me to:
Final Thoughts:
It’s strange to get to what may very well be the end of the series, and watch while the writers of the show throw out a few leads. I may be reading too much into this, but as I watched three members of the Rush family and Scotty tool down the highway, I could see where the show was going.
Lilly, of course, joins the FBI. Her sister and her sister’s child stay with her. And Scotty, best friend of Lilly, gets romantically involved with the sister… an idea that was hinted at more than once in these last two episodes.
Could it work? I think it could.
As for the final episodes themselves, well, I think I tried to accomplish a little too much, what with all the side mysteries. And having done one two-parter just a couple of weeks ago also killed the impact a bit.
What’s worse, of course, is that they blew the last two episodes off tonight, which probably caught more than a few fans off guard. Having finally gotten used to the new time slot, to suddenly change things up and put two episodes on, one at the old time and one at the new?
It just felt unkind to me.
Assuming this really is it, and “Cold Case” doesn’t come back next season, they closed off the major stories pretty solidly, and I think long-time fans can rest easy, without a lot of big what-ifs.
So once again, here’s to you, Meredith Stiehm. You set a show on its feet, did something a little different, and you got the world some face time with a set of memorable characters. Good show. In every sense of the word.
Taking a Picture for Mother’s Day
Every time I watch this, I think of my brother. I say that with love.
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