Back in the Day...

During the Christmas season, I tend to think about family, traditions, and history as I celebrate this wonderful holiday.  As I reflected, I realized that there are many TV shows that I watched when I was younger that sparked my interest for television.  The list goes on and on for the various shows on PBS, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel. I would just like a moment to travel down memory lane and bring up some of my favorites that bring me joy when I look back on them.

Let me start with one way back in my memory. One that is and was an ultimate classic and will always be remembered as one of the best. Yes I think I know what you mean. The letter of the day is S... it's Sesame Street! This show had great characters, good lessons, cute songs, and above all else it was one of the first shows (other than Teletubbies) that I watched. Was this the show that made me lot TV so much? My fondest memory of this show consists of my mother and I sitting and watching in our living room. My mom drinking coffee and reading the newspaper as I watched Elmo sing to his fish and the cookie monster rave about cookies. I must admit that I also watched Barney on these mornings, but now that I look back on it that show is way too creepy for me to talk about.

I can mention one classic without talking about an even bigger one that has served as the childhood favorite generation through generation.  You know and love this talking dog and his "meddling" group of kids, yes it's Scooby-Doo. This show is the definition of my childhood television watching. I. Was. Obsessed. I watched it practically everyday, attained numerous videos of episodes and movies, and even had a stuffed pillow that I slept with every night. I'm not sure what drew me to this show. Was it the mysteries? The characters? The talking dog himself? I don't think I even knew back when I was watching it. It was just something that was entertaining and I loved. There wasn't any question to it's quality or content, it was purely something I just loved.

Speaking of beloved pillows, my second (actually third if you count the reindeer I also slept with) nighttime stuffed friend Patrick, was also a part of a show that exists in the childhood show hall of fame.  I think Spongebob Squarepants was one of the first shows I watched that was more comedy based, and I might have even been a catalyst into my comedy interest. Whether it was the Spongebob and Patrick comedy duo, Squidward being annoyed, Sandy singing about Texas, or Mr. Krabs addiction to money, this show is a masterpiece. It has to go down as one of the best animated shows ever.  It was so creative, innovative, funny, cute, stupid, and just everything that I loved about childhood is incorporated in their short episodes. One in particular that I loved was called "Band Geeks." Every morning before school I would watch the show, but I would only get to see the first in the two episode half hour.  Unfortunately "Band Geeks" was in the second half so I would end up begging my mom the let me stay and watch it almost every time it was shown.  Most of the time, even though it would make her late for work, she would let me watch it. Now with the internet I can just look it up on Youtube. Does this make me sad? A little bit. It doesn't really make it special anymore.  But the internet will always have it's pros and cons. Here's a clip if you've never seen it:

There are so many more shows that I watched; Power Rangers, Big Comfy Couch, Out of the Box, All That, The Amanda Show, Rocket Power, Drake & Josh,  the list goes on. I miss the days of watching these kind of shows. So innocent and fun in their own way.

There are also ones that are just fun to look back on. I watched these shows but I didn't really like them that much, and after searching the web for ones I did watch a lot, these brought back a lot of memories as well. Shows like The Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, Jimmy Neutron, As Told by Ginger, The Wild Thornberrys, Rugrats, That's So Raven, and so many more! Sometimes you just have to look back and think how awesome it was to be a kid.

My Weekly Wonders: Glee

Did the title make you cringe? If so I'm not sure whether I should make an effort to make you read this or warn you to not.... either way I will talk about why I like (maybe love) the show Glee.  Have I lost my credibility yet?

If you've never seen Glee, here's what it's all about. (If you've never heard of it, come out of your cave and join modern society please!) The show is based on a show choir or "glee club" at a high school.  That's pretty much it. With a mix of high school drama and awesome musical numbers, this show has climbed it's way to the top and in it's current season it's falling right back down.  Why is this happening? Let's first begin with why it was popular in the first place.

First, the show is funny.  With the one-liner insults that Jane Lynch spews out her mouth added to a fully comedy capable of the cast, the show gets some good humor cred.

Second, they can sign and dance, and ALSO act! No joke, they really can.  I mean how many times have they been nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes?  And how awesome are they in those musical numbers? They are so talented! Here's a clip, it's not the coolest one, but it's hard to find one with good quality and I also really like Adele...

Lastly, the writing up until this season has been really good.  They've always been able to keep it fresh and exciting and not too over the top (for the most part).  The drama has just gone to far recently.  Honestly they are just running out of high school stereotypes. What? They use stereotypes? With the pregnant cheerleader, football player who gets made fun of when he joins glee club, a gay teenager that gets bullied, a teenage girl goes through a rebellious stage, the Asian kid who's really smart but wants to be a dancer but his father won't approve... it's getting old! Oh, but don't worry, they mix it up with stories of a lesbian teenager struggling to come out to her parents and a foreign exchange student who is struggling to fit in. No Glee, you need to lay off the drama! You are considered a comedy after all! I know this post is supposed (suppost... ha!) to be supporting the show and trying to get people to watch, but this season has been ridiculous. 

That is why it was only after one of it's most reason episodes that I decided to make this post.  After a long line of episodes that were pretty disappointing, hope came in "Hold on to Sixteen." In a little bit cheesy way, their glee club wins sectionals and everyone joins together happily once again (a group of members split off to form their own glee club earlier in the season).  I know this doesn't sound like much of a fix, what really got me was how much it resembled the old glee episodes.  The one's that people weren't to admit they watched.  I want that to come back so bad! It probably won't. I think Glee was just a passing fad.  But there's always hope...

Why Do We Love Reality Television?

Last week in my post Why TV? Why Now? I touched on my hatred love guilty-pleasure that reality television is, and briefly mentioned the sadness it sometimes brings me when I think of how popular it actually is. But before I go off on a tangent, judging anyone one who's found pleasure in this television franchise, I must admit that I too find myself watching it.  I know shocking right? A teenage girl interested in reality? Shut up. In fact I think my favorite indulgence would be Celebrity Apprentice.  I'm not proud of it, but it's something that has become sort of a tradition for my household. Sunday nights my family gathers in the living room, cuddled up on our comfy couch and recliners next to a burning fireplace. We don't really care who wins exactly, but instead we watch to laugh at the celebrities and witness the drama that ensues.  So it's here that I find myself wanting to judge, but I will first take a step back to try to figure out why we love this garbage masterpiece phenomenom that is reality television.

To figure this question out, I looked to my best friend Google.  I found lot's of really interesting information such as in the article Why America Loves Reality TV. It touches on the fact that a lot of people watch just to be able to talk about it with coworkers and friends. This makes sense to me, I think it is nice to have something in common to talk about with people, and when it's something that doesn't take too long to discuss, it's a great conversation starter.

But this doesn't explain the whole audience. Not everyone is talking about their obsession with the X Factor are they? And how did it become popular in that group of friends anyway? There must be another reason. Well, as I read on I found that the competition is what really drives us to watch.  Watching an ordinary American succeed and become some sort of "celebrity" is exciting! We like to root for them, and watch in anticipation for the results.  We like to think that one day we could be in that position and have some sort of "celebrity" status.  This rings true for me as well. When watching these shows I am always picturing myself competing, wondering how well I would do.  Whenever I catch the show Wipeout on TV I'm always telling people how much I want to go on that show. They then proceed to think I'm crazy because every contestant on that show literally looks like they are going to get a concussion from all the falling and running into things that they go through. But I keep telling myself that I could win it. That I'm better at jumping across huge bouncy balls than all those other people.  Whether that's true or not, I think a lot of us can say that it's easy to picture yourself in the same situation as the players of the show.

So is the mystery of reality show obsession solved? No. Why are shows like Celebrity Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars popular? Well, one could argue that we root for celebrities just like we do any other contestant. Okay, but why do we like non-competition reality shows such as Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant? With that I must come up with my own perspective because I can't find an article to explain it for me.  Honestly I think there is one reason why we like these shows, we like to see a glimpse into someone else's life.  Really though, why else would we watch some middle-aged ladies bicker at each other on those "Real Housewives" shows? One, we like to watch the drama. It's exciting to the majority of us. And two, because we get to see into a life that is both interesting and different from our own. Similar to my post last week about why we watch TV  in general, we like to picture ourselves in a different life. Whether it's in the glamorous Orange County or as a 16 year old dealing with a pregnancy, the aspect of reality is appealing.

The Final Countdown

The moment we've all been waiting for is here. Okay... the moment I have been waiting for. Jimmy Fallon is finally hosting Saturday Night Live! After working on the show for 6 years then moving on to his Late Night show, he's finally back! 

Tomorrow night, Fallon will take the prestigious monologue stage for the first time as a host.  Why am I so excited? There are many reasons. First of all, he deserves it. For working on a show that is still fairly new and coming out with material that is original and hilarious at the same time is a hard feat.  But of course with Fallon's natural comedic personality and the combined effort of him and his staff, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has been doing really well. So well, I have a feeling it will surpass ol' Leno some day. That's just my opinion...

Why else am I ecstatic for this SNL episode? As I mentioned, Fallon is a natural performer.  The fact that his show has been doing well and he hasn't hosted yet blows my mind.  But he's also one of the few "TV personalities" that is legitimate.  His kindness and social ability is not fake like other Late Night hosts. I mean, I know I've never met him, but I've seen countless interviews where guests have raved about how genuinely nice he is.  They are not lying. There is just something about him that is so likable, and when you mix that with hilarious comedy, you get a person very fit to host SNL and get spotlight for his show.

Fallon is also a good writer.  The last few episodes of SNL have been fairly good, but I'm hoping Jimmy can bump it up for an awesome Christmas show. Whether it's his goofy songs sang with a guitar, or his uncanny impersonations, he will definetly be able to spice up the show.  Here is a clip to get us all psyched up for the tomorrow night show, and also a clip of a song I know you are all singing in you heads right now...

Political Ad Season

Ah television. The repetitive, monotonous, aggravatingly annoying way for political campaigns to slap us in the face with vicious comments directed at other political campaigns.  Why? This whole "He did this, he said that" thing dates back to elections in the 1800's! That's right, it was called mudslinging and was used as a tactic to make the other candidate look bad.  In those times the parties were federalists and democratic-republicans, but the idea was the same.  It was a way to advance in the polls. After the Civil War, it continued with the phrase "waving the bloody shirt" which was a tactic used by republicans make the democrats look bad by bringing up how they caused the Civil War and how horrible that was.

And now today, the never ending commercials that parade our television screens. It just makes me want to scream! Why ruin something so wonderful with your vile comments about the other candidates? Oh that right. It's because you can't win any other way.  But it something ALL candidates do.  So it's not like I can just vote for the one that doesn't do it.  Well, I can't vote anyway, but you get the idea.

These ads are so cutthroat. Like in this one, the clip of Obama was taken completely out of a context. He was actually saying what shouldn't happen at the end when he says something about "if we keep talking about the economy we'll lose". But here it is...

With these horrible ads comes a price.  We get to make fun of them. Whether it's SNL, or just sitting around a fire watching the GOP debate with my family and laughing at their awkward responses, those commercials justifies it.  You're going to annoy me constantly with your dramatic music set to you fake smiling and shaking hands with strangers? Fine. But I WILL make fun of you.  Not in person obviously, I'll probably never meet you.

So, watch out GOP candidates.  No one likes your commercials. You will get made fun of.  That's life when you publicly run for an office, especially for president of the United States.

My Weekly Wonders: 30 Rock

This week's "Weekly Wonder" is brought to you by my desperate anticipation for 30 Rock to begin. Due to Tina Fey's pregnancy, one of my favorite shows has yet to premiere it's sixth season! If you've never seen 30 Rock, you've at least heard about all the hype the show gets.  No? Do you you not watch television? No? Then why are you reading this blog....

Anyway, 30 Rock, for those who are unfortunate enough to not have seen it, is a show about a comedy writer who works for an SNL-esque show called TGS.  Played by Tina Fey, Liz Lemon has a lot difficulties in her life. Shes middle aged, single, and has a very conflicted life of work and a non-existent social life.  But Lemon doesn't go on without any back-up. She has a "mentor" Jack Donaghy, played by Alec Baldwin, who is some head honcho guy at NBC and has taken a liking to Liz.  Lemon also has a best friend who is a self-centered actress for the show Liz writes for. Jenna, played by Jane Krakowski, is joined by another actor, Tracy Jordan who is played by Tracy  Morgan.  There are also other writers, mostly men, who are often seen on the show.  But my favorite character on 30 Rock would have to be Kenneth, played by Jack McBrayer.  His character is lovable and hilarious at the same time. He's a page at the 30 Rock building, and is super dedicated to his job. Throw in a Georgian accent with a twist of a soft slightly high-pitched voice, and out comes Kenneth Parcell, constantly surprising the other characters with his genuine kindness and dedication to his job.

30 Rock has won soooo many Emmy's. But why? Why is it so good? It's hard to explain.  First of all, Fey is the main creator and writer of the show.  If you've read Bossypants (which you should) or watched Mean Girls or have even seen her on SNL, she's really funny. Not only is she a really great actress, but her comedic writing is brilliant.  Not to mention, she also got the one and only Alec Baldwin to contribute is comedic genius.  In that of itself is a recipe for success.

I think why I love the show so much is just because I love the writing so much.  Fey's character is so relatable and hilarious at the same time.  I love her quirky attributes such as her strange eating habits.  She almost reminds me of an extreme version of myself.  Almost as if someone I dread to become if I don't get life straightened out. Not that Liz Lemon's life is totally horrible.  She had a really great job and really great friends.  She may have a few crisis here and there, but she manages... for the most part. She manages in a way that fits her lifestyle. For example, Liz singing at her ex's wedding to postpone Jack telling his girlfriend the news that he had been dating someone else while dating her:

In summary, 30 Rock is really great show that I am so excited to see start again. If you haven't seen it, life I always say on these posts, check it out! It could be your next favorite show.

Why TV? Why Now?

Why do I love television so much? This is a question I think everyone who watches TV as much as I do should contemplate. What is driving force behind this obsession? The honest answer is, I really don't know. I think their are a lot of factors that play into it. The three main ones that I'd like to discuss might be obvious to some, but it's interesting to reflect on why I waste so much time on this. These categories include entertainment, interest, and analysis. Sound nerdy yet? Oh you just wait...

Entertainment. The obvious factor into why most people in the world watch television. Whether it's a trashy reality show, cough Jersey Shore cough, or an intense thriller like Dexter, television is so entertaining. But why? Why is it that we as humans can spend hours on end sitting with our jaws agape at the wonders that TV brings us? Well, let me first ask you why does comedy entertain us? It makes us laugh. Why does exciting thrillers entertain us? It excites our minds, makes the adrenaline pump. Why do dramas entertain us? We can emotionally connect with the characters.  There are so many factors into one show. With all of this in mind, plus add in a plot, actors, music, scenery, editing, and viola! You have a show that interests millions around the world.  How do reality shows factor in? That confuses me too. Is it the fact that we can root for some, and laugh at others? I think so. Want me to get deeper? Too bad.

Next we have interest. Similar to entertainment, but more centered on an interest in the programming, not just to sit and watch like a mindless drone.  This is just my perspective, but I think we get interested in shows because we can picture ourselves in that different life. It's as if we can get out of our own heads, our own lives, for a few hours and watch someone else's.  I mean, why else would we care so much? We wouldn't. When the main character is amidst some sort of conflict we care. Do we want them to get fired from their job, get divorced, or fight with their kids? No, because we see ourselves in that situation, and we don't want these things to happen to us.

Lastly is that factor of analysis. Obviously something that used less in some, and more on others.  But the general idea of this is much farther on the spectrum of dedicated television watching.  Our culture is not just about watching something, it's also about judging it. Why do you think there are so many different critics and ratings out there.  We feed off of others feedback, and reflect on our own.  Television is a great way to express this. It's something that a lot of people watch, and so it's easy to analyze and discuss.  Though this could fall under the category of interest, due to the fact that your interest drives you to the point of analyzing it, I think it can still be considered separate. There are times when someone tells you to watch favorite show of theirs. Do watch it because you're interested? Maybe. But you also want to judge for yourself.  Make your own decisions. And if you like it as well, then you start to watch based more in interest and entertainment.

In conclusion, television is one of the few things that all over the world people are interested in for very similar reasons. Due to genuine intrigue, plus the factors of amusement and the need for analysis in society, television can reach so many people and connect in ways that other forms of technology and entertainment cannot.

My Weekly Wonders: Psych

I contemplated which TV show I would use for this week's weekly wonder. Over break I watched a lot of shows that I would gladly talk about, but there is one in particular that I think is worth mentioning. I think I've biefly mentioned Psych on this blog. It's a show on USA that I love watching and actually has a pretty large fan base. It's probably the most famous show on the network, and is definitely the longest running.
 
So what is Psych all about? How is it doing so well? It's based around a fake psychic, Shawn Spencer, who uses his keen detective skills that his father drilled into him as a child, and works for the Santa Barbara police department.  From there, comedy takes over. His wild psychic visions and one-liners galore make the show goofy but witty at the same time. I think that's why I enjoy it so much.

He has a best friend, Gus, who accompanies him on all the cases, and for the most part keeps him in line. There's also the two main detectives that they work with, Lassiter or "Lassie" and Julia or "Jules."  Also, as the seasons have progressed Shawn's father has become more involved. As an ex-cop, Shawn's dad (who I never can remember that name of because we only here him called "dad" or Mr. Spencer) has a role of making sure Shawn doesn't get himself into trouble. He is also kind of like a coordinator (hired last season) for Shawn and Gus at the police station. He decides whether the duo can work on a case or not.

This is kind of important because only his dad and Gus know that Shawn isn't really psychic. Yes, that's right. Everyone else in the department and in the community for that matter thinks he really is psychic. It's actually pretty believable. Shawn will fake a "vision" and say something that everyone else totally did not see coming. It's pretty much how the show works. And a majority of the time it's right. So over the years the station has gradually believed him, even the chief.  There is one conflict with this ultimate secret that Shawn is keeping... Julia is dating him. How hard would it to keep this big secret from your own girlfriend, who works with you!? I think pretty hard. Especially when in the beginning of this season, Shawn was accused of not being psychic and had to go under the lie detector.  But, of course, after all the suspension he *spoiler* knew how to lie under one.  Another trick from the policeman father. 

In summary, Psych may not be some fancy NBC comedy with emmy nominations left and right, but it's still really funny and actually has a good mystery/story. It's kind of like a modern Monk, minus the obsessive compulsive disorder and plus the fake psychic-ness... you get the idea. Interested in watching it? It's on at 9pm on Wednesdays on the wonderful channel USA. Check it out sometime!

Digital Shorts and Beyond!

The Lonely Island, or "the dudes" as they call themselves, started off making small internet videos in college, before YouTube was ever a thing. They had been good friends since junior high and were always making each other laugh. It was a rough start for this comedy trio. They created a pilot for FOX called Awesometown that was rejected, and later pitched it to MTV who also rejected it. Speaking of trial and errors, after they got a job at SNL they also made a movie called Hot Rod that did not do very well. But I guess they had to start somewhere! Oh and I was going to post the Awesometown theme song, you know thinking it would be fine... Check it out on YouTube, it's not too appropriate for school.

It was after the three landed a writing job at the MTV awards that they finally caught a break. The host that year was Jimmy Fallon, who previously worked on Saturday Night Live. You probably see where I'm going here, Fallon thought the dudes had great talent and recommended them to Lorne Michael, the producer of SNL. With Fallon's reccomendation, a packet of sample writing sent in, and an audition from Andy, the Lonely Island began their mark on the famed comedy show. They began creating digital shorts, small videos that were previously taped and aired in the middle of the Saturday show. These became viral gold, mostly because of their short length and comedy ingenuity. Their first viral hit was "Lazy Sunday" and later came an even bigger hit that won them an Emmy. Because this is a school blog I'll just mention that it was something in a box.

As they began to make more and more of these shorts, more and more of them became music videos. It seemed as if they were more than just a comedy group, but what they call a "fake rap" group. After creating more songs that didn't air on SNL, compiling them with ones that did, they created their first comedy album called Incredibad. Last May they made another ablum called Turtleneck and Chain.

I'm not sure why I like them so much. The music is often obscene, but that's what makes them so likeable. They just do what is funny to them. They don't really care what other people think. If you've never seen a digital short or heard one of their songs, I would suggest checking out SNL someday. It's a really great show with really funny material. With the Lonely Island mixed in their, I think it will always have innovation and creativeness.

Lawsuit, Like a Boss

Back in the day, when YouTube was just arising, and internet was becoming a new place to express yourself, a group of three college kids emerged.  As they studied in college, they made small videos that they posted online. Little did they know this phenomenon of getting famous through the internet would surely enable them to thrive in the entertainment business.

Most people do not know too much about this group, but instead know the names of some of their famous videos including "I'm On a Boat" and others that aren't very suitable for a blog for school.  Are you starting to recall who I'm talking about? Yes, it's the Lonely Island. This group is made up of Andy Samberg, Akiva Shaeffer, and Jorma Taccone.  They all work at Saturday Night Live, mainly working on their famous "Digital Shorts." Andy is also an actor on the show, and is arguably the most famous of the three.

They also make a lot of music/music videos on the show.  And put out two albums, "Incredibad" and "Turtleneck and Chain", that include many of these songs.  I love these albums, and I listen to them all the time.  Recently when I heard that they were being sued, it shocked me enough that I decided to blog about it.  Apparently some people that make beats for song said that the group used some in their songs such as "Like a Boss" and "Shy Ronnie" without giving credit.  But the story makes it sound as if it wasn't even their fault. The article I read on prefixmag.com explained that these beat makers made some sort of deal that they signed but never got any money from it.  I don't know what other people think of this, but to me that sounds pretty shady. I may be a bit biased because of love them so much, but it seems as if The Lonely Island just got caught up in a misunderstanding of some kind.  Okay, so they did have something to gain from this misunderstanding, but they just don't seem like the type to be ripping people off.

I found out about this news a couple weeks ago, and was going to blog about it then. But I then found out that  I didn't have to blog for the next two weeks. So here I am, bringing up old news. Instead of discussing more in depth about this somewhat of a scandal that really didn't turn up to be anything to serious, I will talk about The Lonely Island a bit more and why exactly I like them so much. I know this is a blog about television, and this trio is more involved with music and the internet, but because Saturday Night Live is such a big part of how they get their work out to their audience, I think it is fitting. More about the group is continued in the next post.

The Internet is Our Friend

A lot of people ask me how I'm able to watch so much TV.  I first explain that I have no time, but instead I make time.  That doesn't make much sense. But let me explain.  High school is pretty hectic with extra-curricular activities and homework. So the only time I have to watch television is over weekends or during breaks. But how does the work, especially because I don't have Tivo? Well, it's a little something I like to call the internet.  A teenagers best friend.  With the help of various websites, I'm able to catch up on all the latest television and start and new shows that I've been wanting to watch.

So what websites do I use? This post is going to be short, but here are some of my favorite websites that enable to catch up on everything I want to watch.

First off is the amazing Hulu.com.  It's free, it legal, and it's quite awesome.  They did change their policies a tad so that now some things you have to pay for, but most episodes that I want to watch have remained free.

Next is Netflix.com. It may be startling due to the whole business disaster they are going through. But the instant DVDs are awesome. So many shows, so little time!

Lastly, is cucirca.com. One, not many of heard of.  It's a great website. It may be a little sketchy but it gets the job done. I've spent many hours trying out new shows and watching all of their seasons on this website. It's simply amazing, and let's you watch shows that you have to pay for on Hulu.

In all, if you're as busy as me, don't watch television live! The internet is there for a reason. Use it! It's simply amazing.

My Weekly Wonders: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

I might have mentioned this once or twice on my blog, but I absolutely love Jimmy Fallon. But I'll go more into that later. First off, I love his late night talk show.  If you've never seen it, which would be a surprise, as I mentioned last week it's kind of hard not to see talk shows because they're on so often. But anyway, if you haven't seen it Fallon and his writers are hilarious.  They are so creative and original with their jokes and random skits that they integrate into this sort of traditional institution.  It's interesting because most hosts kind of do their own thing but stick to this tradition. But Jimmy is so unique! And funny! Ah don't even get me started...

Anyway, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is my weekly wonder this week because it does not get enough credit. Yes there are a lot of talk shows. And yes a lot of them are good too. But people don't see the comedy genius that is happening at 11:35 at night.  Bits such as Wheel of Carpet Samples, Slow Jam the News, The Real Housewives of Late Night, and the famous thank-you notes Jimmy writes every week. The show is so young, and yet it's never safe. It's always trying new ways to find a voice and increase viewers. So maybe it doesn't succeed sometimes, but come on! At least it's not Jay Leno! (Which by the way, that will probably be the last time you ever see my talk about Jay Leno. He's not worthy of this blog.)  

So the show is great. So why is Jimmy Fallon great? He's just one of those people that you have to love.  He's genuinely a good person. But how do I know this? I mean he is an actor, so therefore he must be faking... Well person who thinks every celebrity is shallow, think again! Time and time again I will see guests on the show come on talk about how nice Jimmy is. Not to suck up, but just because they are so impressed with how nice he is.  If you get this impression from people like Ellen Degeneres or President Obama, yocu're not alone. I get these weird vibes from people on television, and it's almost as if I know that they are good people.

I've been following Jimmy Fallon recently. No, I haven't been stalking him. And no not on twitter. I mean I watched a lot of what he did on Saturday Night Live (yes he was on there! doesn't that make you love him more?) and keep tabs on what he does other than Late Night.  A couple years he ago he hosted the Emmy's and that was amazing.  This year his is finally going to host SNL! I am super psyched to see this wonderful Christmas episode, and I literally cannot wait.  In fact, I'm so nerdy that I actually created a countdown to it.

So you're probably wondering, why the heck is she that obsessed with this one man? I'm not obsessed. I just really enjoy what he does and maybe once in awile I get a little too excited when I see him in something.  No matter what though, everyone should go watch Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC at 11:35 every weekday night!

The Collegehumor What?

There once a small television show on MTV called The CollegeHumor Show. You've probably never heard of it.  It expanded from a website called collegehumor.com which wrote comedic articles and posted funny videos.  As the website grew in success, they got an offer to put together a show.  Unfortunately, the show only lasted about a year. Does this mean that it sucked? That it wasn't funny? Absolutely not. Although I've never watched the show, I know for a fact (I've watched hundreds of their videos, yes hundreds) that they are very funny.

So before I tackle why it didn't succeed, let me first give you a little background.  Collegehumor, formally know as CHTV, began as a website mostly writing articles and creating a few books.  As they grew and hired more writers and editors, many of them began starring in their own web videos.  This began very popular webseries such as Jake & Amir and Hardly Working.  These episodes are mostly just shot in their office, where their coworkers continue to work as if no one was shooting an online video.  This is the exact feeling that Collegehumor portrays.  The business is very laid back, and they mostly just write and make videos to make each other laugh.  But the website also produces more professional videos which they call Collegehumor originals.  Many of these are writen by the writers and then real actors are hired (but most videos include many of the prominant writers and editors that star in the webseries as well). 

Here's the first Jake & Amir I ever watched. Let's just say it hasn't been my last... Also, this one's kind of old so the quality isn't as good. Enjoy!

See all the CollegeHumor Original Videos here.

How do I know so much about this random webiste that you've probably never heard of? I'm absolutely obsessed. All the information I stated earlier was just off the top of my head, I know that Jake & Amirs are posted every Tuesday and Thursday and I have seen every episode of that and also Hardly Working.  I can recite all the cast members first and last names, but I won't bore you with that... Oh you want me to? Streeter Seidell, Patrick Cassells, Amir Blumenfeld... just kidding. I don't have very many friends that have watched Collegehumor, but when I find someone who hd seen a video or two, I always get very excited to discuss it in detail.

So why didn't the website successfully switch over to television? I have a few theories.  My first thought is the transition from small internet videos to a full length thirty minute show.  This isn't always a successful endeavor.  The writing, producing, acting, and editing are all completely different.  I believe although this was a completely different format  they still shot it in their offices.  One, this seems kind of crazy. I would not appreciate it if all day my coworkers were shooting episodes for their own TV show.  Also, this kind of set them up for failure. Maybe not that extreme, but it gave that feeling of internet videos instead of a classy television show. This may not have been a factor at all, but it probably gave the show a feeling of being not good or not, or not trying hard enough.  I know this sounds weird, but it just seems like it wasn't really put together very professionally. Let's not forget that all of the actors and writers were part of the staff and did not have much experience anyway.

This brings me to my other reason, which is the actors were not actors! The writers and editors I mentioned earlier who starred in Hardly Working wer the ones who wrote and starred in this show.  I know how much I love them, but other people don't understand this hidden talent that they pocess.  Plus, none of them had been formally trained in acting and honestly a lot of them are lot funnier in just comedy itself than in acting in comedy. Not to say that they are bad actors, just inexperienced.  In fact, one of my favorites, Amir Blumenfeld, is starring in the next Harold and Kumar movie that is coming out I believe sometime this month?

This post may not be much about television, but it expresses the idea that not everything is made for television.    This year, a new show came out called Charlie's Angels. It didn't even last a season. Although a pretty popular film, the transition to television was a bit rocky. Although I will mention it has been a few years since the movie came out (the first premiered in 2000).  College humor may not have had the greatest run on television, but their comedy website is booming! They have a very large fan base, which continues to grow as they expand in their experience and knowledge of the art comedy.

Here's a video of one of my favorite Hardly Workings. The content may be a bit explicit, viewer discretion is advised!

See all the CollegeHumor Original Videos here.

My Weekly Wonders: House

A couple weeks ago I talked briefly about the show House in my post called Too Much Drama, but now I would like to dedicate a whole blog post to this wonderful show. In it's eighth season and House is still one of the best shows on television. with it's innovative, creative, and exciting writing I will continue watching until it ends.

House is centered around a narcissistic, pill-popping, genius doctor named, you guessed it,  House.  He has horrible bed side manner and yet he is one the best doctors in the world.  From there the writers embellish.  The contrast of interesting medical mysteries with the major conflicts that House causes brings a whole new drama flavor that you don't see very often.

First off, Hugh Laurie, the actor that play House, is really amazing. Every year he blows me way with his almost effortless way of getting deep into the thinking of Gregory House.  With his fake American accent, his fake limp with a cane, and his fake self-serving tone, he is a true actor and rightfully deserves any praise given to him (including the many award nominations and a few wins).

The characters and their interactions with each other are so great.  The fact that a jerk like House can have both a best friend and a dean of medicine who cares deeply about him is so surprising when you watch the show. But as become more acquainted with the character you come to this realization that he's really not that bad of a guy.

Under that hard self-serving shell, you find a mushy center and the fact that he's not so self-centered after all. In fact most of his actions are for his patients.  He gets himself in a lot of trouble as he breaks protocols trying to what's best for his patients.  One episode in particular stands out to me where he has a patient that needs an organ transplant (I can't remember what). During the episode, before whatever organ fails, House puts her on the registry.  Soon after the organ dies and his associate doctors are wondering how we knew to put her on the list.  It turned out that he found pills in her bag suggesting that she tried to commit suicide and that is why her organ failed.  This is bad because when he trying to get her higher up on the donor list, the fact that she tried to commit suicide would cause her to get rejected.  House ignores this a lies to the donor board. Although he had nothing to gain, House risked his job, the one thing in life that he is accomplished at, for this one patient.

House obviously has a lot of complexity and depth, and that's what makes him so interesting.  Hi friendship with Wilson (an oncologist at the same hospital) is also quite fun to watch.  Their relationship is literally like a roller coaster, often having ups and downs throughout the seasons.  One low in particular that I think most people remember is when Wilson's girlfriend Amber died. It's probably the on episode of House that I've cried the most in just because it so heart wrenching.  Wilson was very happy with his long-term girlfriend Amber, who we get to know through the length of almost two whole seasons.  But one night House gets really drunk and calls Wilson to come pick him up. Unfortunately Wilson is at the hospital working late, so Amber comes to get him instead. To get back home Amber takes him on a bus, where all of a sudden they get into a huge car wreck where many of the passengers are injured.  House loses much of his memory and wakes up in a strip club, which is where the episode starts, and tries to piece back his memory.  It's a really great episode and it really shows how far House and Wilson's relationship can really go.

This season in particular is interesting because the finale of last year's season House drives his car into Cuddy's (dean of medicine) home.  Now Cuddy is gone for good (no she wasn't written out, apparently she wanted to move on) and Wilson is very angry. He expressed that him and House are no longer friends.  We all know this isn't going to last because House and Wilson were destined to be together. It's like Holmes and Watson! Yeah, it's not a coincidence. House and Wilson were modeled after the crime solving duo.  But how is it going to happen? I'm not sure, from the looks of now, it seems as is either House is going to have to do something big, or it's just going to take a really time for Wilson to get over it.

Lastly I just want to emphasize that this is not like other medical shows.  House is a unique character because he solves the most complex cases. Therefore the patients are always very interesting and the answers are never simple.  It's not Grey's Anatomy where they just have a complex surgery with some romantic drama. No, there is so much more.  These cases take some hardcore digging, whether it's breaking into the patient's home, punching the father in the face to get a certain reaction, or doing some crazy procedure that isn't allowed to test a theory.  All is fair game, and it's really what keeps the show so intriguing to the large fan base.

The Underdogs

There are some shows, whether they are on big networks with overflowing supply of money, or simply an effort by the channel to get some more viewers, that just don't get enough credit.  I acknowledge the fact that most shows that have originality and are genuinely well done are well recognized.  But there are so many that just don't make the cut.  Maybe a nomination once in awhile, but never a win.  These shows have the talent, but not the street cred.  They put in the work, but they aren't getting the grades they strive for.

Underdogs of the television world are often seen as "not good enough." If not winning an Emmy every year, they are just not as good.  But it's all a matter of opinion.  Many people fail to look at the idea that some shows just don't have the budget or the resources that others have.  Some have great writing but not the best actors. Others have great actors, but not the best writing.  When I look at these so called underachievers, I don't see failure or inadequacy. No, I see potential.  A word I probably mention far too much.  Television is bursting with potential. Writers are just trying to make a name for themselves.  They write with a vigor to make their protege shine.  And when it doesn't, it gives the whole show a feeling as if it's hopeless.  Maybe not to the viewers, maybe no to writers, but the aura it presents shines with hopelessness.

I think that's why shows don't always prosper, even when they are doing well.  As they continue with their seasons, the less they are recognized, the less it becomes meaningful.  It evolves from a project to a job. I just want to urge everyone, whether you are a fan of television or not, to give every show a chance.  I know it's difficult at times, but it's really what lets the business prosper, when the audience keeps and open mind and enjoys it for what it is.  It may not be good, it may not be bad, but you won't know until you try it.  Try the green eggs and ham, I know I will.

Fake News at its Finest

If you've ever seen The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, or even Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, you have experienced the enjoyment of transforming current news into comedy. A concept that has been around for quite some time. But why do we enjoy laughing about happenings going on around our society? It's a question most people probably don't think about. 

I think major reason these kinds of jokes amuse is mostly due to the fact they are relatable.  We can understand our own culture, and these jokes are literally ripped from the headlines. 

Many people argue that the youth today are getting their news solely from these comedy-based news shows. I'm not denying that.  I find myself, especially during the summer when I have more time to watch these shows, hearing about most things from this.  It's not necessarily a bad thing though. Yes, I might pick of opinions or criticism that might of not been picked up from more factual and neutral news.  But the fact that I'm learning at all about current events that I wouldn't normally learn, must be at least kind of good? No? Well then at least I can make my own opinions because I'm fairly educated and I know a thing or two about politics. No I can't do that either? Well, at least they aren't pushing some information but not all to support their own opinions...

The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, though may not be the best source for news, are just focusing on comedy.  They don't have a agenda that supports a certain party or certain ideas, they just want to make us laugh!  So what if Stephen Colbert acts like an extreme conservative and slightly makes fun of them, so what if The Daily Show gets accused of being "too liberal" by FOX news, it's all for comedy! They aren't a real news station!

If this little debate sounds familiar to you, you probably watch The Daily Show, and you proabably saw the episode where Jon Stewart and O'Reilly get into a somewhat heated argument about this exact same argument. O'Reilly accuses Stewart of being too liberal on his show, Stewart counters with the fact that O'Reilly is conservative and they are supposed to be reporting actual news, not comedy.  If you haven't seen this, it gets a little awkward, but it's definetly enjoyable.  Here's the first clip (you can find the other two on Hulu.com).

But it's not just fake news shows that get all the fun current event jokes, most (if not all) late night talk shows do the same thing.  Shows with hosts like David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Craig Ferguson.  You proabably have heard of and even watched one of these at least once in your life.  Maybe noy as obsessively as me, (yes I am in love with Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) but they are on every night you I'm sure most people have turned on their TVs at least once past 10 o'clock.  These shows, instead of reporting like they are actually a news station, talk about the current events in a stand-up comedy fashion. This a tradition passed down from each late night talk show, and it seems to have always been popular. Plus, it's not really inserting any opinions, it's strictly just making jokes about anything news, whether it's political or not.

From it's success we can see that fake news is popular.  Current events are important to us, and when they are a part of comedy, it only makes them better.  This may be a way of being misleading and inserting your own opinions, but I don't think anyone has really taken advantage of that.  So everyone needs to just take a deep breath, calm down, and enjoy comedy at it's best.

My Weekly Wonders

Because premiere weeks are almost over, I figured I would need something else that I could do weekly.  In that spirit I came up with the idea that each week I would talk about one of the many favorite shows that I have.  It seems kind or narcissistic that I would think anyone would be interested in my favorite TV shows, but it's okay because this is a blog, and blogs are just a little bit self-centered anyway.

In these posts I will discuss what the show is about, why it's amazing, and why you should watch it.  This week I was going to talk about House, which is probably one of  my most favorite shows, but ended up not having enough time.  So next week I will be discussing House.  But other shows I will discuss include but are not limited to Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, The Office, Modern Family, Saturday Night Live, Psych, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Middle,  Glee, and any other show I can think of.  I probably won't get through all of these, and I may swap them out for a different show that I didn't think of, but you get the gist.

So stay tuned for my weekly post on the wonderful shows of television!

Is Internet the New TV?

As our society advances further and further into what we call the technology age, the internet is becoming more and more a part of our lives.  Whether we realize it or not, the internet is slowly taking over everything.  Websites such as Hulu and Netflix are becoming very popular, and some are questioning whether it's sites like these that will eventually take over what we now know as television.

When I first thought of the idea of getting rid of my television set and switching over to the computer, I was very skeptical.  The internet could never replace the wonderful feeling of sitting down on a lazy afternoon and skipping through the channels trying to find something good to watch. Or having the TV on weekday nights and catching random bits of the local news.  What will happen to the random shows that you catch on the vast array of channels that nobody watches? I'm not sure, and if everything is on the computer, it will never be the same.

But it's not a bad idea.  A couple years ago my parents wanted to get rid of our home phone.  Surprisingly enough, the only person that didn't want to get rid of it was me.  Our home phone had always been the one phone we always used, and it felt like without it nothing would be the same, or that we wouldn't be able to function the same. I was definitely wrong because we were able to transfer our home phone to my dad's cell phone and honestly I haven't even noticed the difference.  It hadn't really occurred to me, but every call I ever make is done through my own cell phone and I didn't even need the home phone.

This may not be the best analogy, but I hope you see my point.  Although it seems as if switching to an all internet based television would be very different, most people, including myself, already watch most of their TV online.  Yes, the random channels that I watch occasionally will be missed.  But is it really worth paying the hefty cable bills?  Should we really be paying this much when nine times of ten you could've watched the same thing you just did for free on the computer?

I read an interesting article online (Should you cut the cable TV cord?) that discusses this very subject.  Many people responding to this subject talked about the various websites that they use instead of cable.  In fact many of them canceled their cable all together.  If I was in a situation where I couldn't afford cable, of course I would get rid of it.  The fact that there are so many places to watch television for cheaper is a great reason to ditch it. But also the fact that most cable companies are totally ripping us off? Well, I feel like they'll get a little taste of their own medicine when Netflix buys them out. But as for a family who is financially stable. I'm not going to be one of those uptight moms who never lets their kids go on the internet, but I don't want them to be spending all their time on the computer! I mean, I know television isn't the greatest way for families to bond, but it's better than the whole family sitting around a computer screen.

But what about those television computers? (computer televisions?) That solves all your problems right? No! I don't know about you, but I always loved the nights where my family would sit in the living room and surf the channels until we found a random movie or Law and Order episode. It's those moments that really make television special.

So is television as we know it changing? Of course, but probably never in the way we will expect. It way be completely internet in the years to come, but who knows, maybe cable companies will give their services through the internet. I'm not worried. Whatever happens, as long as I can watch my favorite shows, I think I will be happy.

Premiere Week #5

The end is very near to my premiere week blog posts.  This may or may not be my last one.  This week, some shows such as The Walking Dead, Man Up!, Boss, and Once Upon a Time are beginning their seasons.  Because Once Upon a Time was premiering tonight, I might blog about it next week, but it's definetly one I would like to discuss at some point.

Going back a month or so, a show called Whitney aired it's pilot.  I was just recently talking with a friend who is just as addicted to TV as I am.  He was telling me how awful Whitney was.  So I decided that before I judge it myself I should watch the show and see if he was right.

Whitney is a fictionalized version of the real stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings.  In the show she lives with her boyfriend she has been seeing for three years and the show is based around their relationship and the friend group they associate with.

Whitney in real life is actually pretty funny. I've seen some of her stand-up routines on late night shows. But her show just isn't as good. There are many instances where I can definetly see her comedy routines, almost too much. It's as if she's trying to insert her stand-up into real life scenarios. It's pretty clear that when she is rambling it actually doesn't make sense, and it becomes fairly obvious that she is just trying to insert more and more jokes into her show.

Also, the vibe I got from the "taped in front of a live audience" thing is awkward.  Yes, the traditional sitcom has an audience, live or not.  But this is not traditional! Why does there have to be an audience?  I feel like there is a lot of potential but it's almost being wasted, as if Whitney is trying to play safe.  I honestly think her show could do well if she took a route more like Tina Fey in 30 Rock. With multiple camera shots it enables you way more flexibility and from my perspective makes it feel less awkward and forced.

So is Whitney awful? Maybe. Is the writing terrible? Probably not, I did laugh a few times and I'm not one to laugh at much.  Will it fail? Not if it doesn't change! As I said earlier it definetly has potential.  Right now the characters are not really in their groove yet, the plot is a little shaky and the writing is not at it's best, but that can change.  Like I've said multiple times on this blog, first impressions in television are not set in stone.

Premiere Week #4

This week Psych premiered it's season on USA and Last Man Standing premiered it's pilot on ABC.  Both of these shows I watched. Psych, because it's probably my most favorite show on USA currently, and Last Man Standing because I was very curious to see how it would do.

If you haven't heard of Last Man Standing, it's a traditional sitcom starring the very funny Tim Allen.  I was so surprised when I heard that Tim Allen was going back to sitcoms. I remember watching Home Improvement when I was pretty young, so my first reaction was "isn't he kind of old?" The answer is yes, he is kind of old. But it's okay because the three daughters he has on the show are fairly old as well, which makes it a bit more believable.

I was really scared to watch this show.  I had a really bad feeling that it's was going to be terrible.  That it would be awkward, or forced, or something that would ruin my ideas of Tim Allen. So what did I find when watching the pilot? I'm not really sure.  It wasn't very funny, the dialogue too good, and of course like any sitcom the acting is not superior.

Because I was kind of confused as to what I thought about the show, I looked up some reviews.  I was astonished by the result.  Almost every critic hated it, saying it just plainly was not funny.  But the audience disagreed.  According to this Washington Post article the show got a whopping 13.2 million viewers for the pilot and an even more surprising was that they had even more for the second episode.

Last Man Standing may not be your cup of tea (or bottle of beer if we're going along with the manly analogy), but it certainly is gaining some attention.  I don't think I will continue watching, but if anyone else is interested it's on every Tuesday night at 8pm on ABC.

Too Much Drama

When someone asks me what my favorite TV shows are, there are some that I am definetly excited to tell them about. (30 Rock, The Office, The Daily Show, etc.) But there are some shows that don't really have the reputation for being very... good. I hesistate to even list these shows in fear that somehow my non-existent reputation will plummet.  One show in particular that I would like to talk about is Grey's Anatomy. Let me just start off with saying this show is not that bad.  Many of the actor's have been nominated and won Emmy's, Golden Globes, Screen Actor's Guild Awards, and more.  Okay, so maybe the writing seems a little too soap opera-y, but it definetly has it's ups and downs.

For anyone who loves drama, cheesy or not, should watch at least one episode of Grey's Anatomy.  Each season  has crisis, after crisis, after crisis.  There is no relent! This fictional hospital has had patients with bombs inside of them, a mass murder shooting, and several of the surgeons suddenly die or vanish (many of them shot, George gets hit with a bus, Izzie gets cancer and almost dies but then dissapears, and Burke and Hahn also just dissapear from the show).

So why do people like this show? Why I do like this show? After not watching this show all summer I began to ask myself that question.  That is until I watched the season premiere, and everything came back. It's drama.  It may be corny, but I honestly I start crying in almost every single episode.  And the thrill! I mean come on! The things these fake surgeons have to do is pretty intense, it does make for a very exciting and somewhat addicting show.

The writers definetly know how to appeal to their audience. They know they aren't writing to people who are analyzing it or validating it. No, their audience are people like me who solely watch it for the adventure it takes  them on. Whether it's the fast changing romances, the quick-paced emergencies, or just the whole story line going on a roller coaster, it's pretty exciting.

But at some point we must ask is there too much drama? Does this show really need to have some freak accident killing thousands every episode, or can it survive with just day to day hospital problems.  I think it's a little bit of both.  Look at the show House for example.  They rarely ever have huge disasters that Grey's Anatomy periodically has, and yet they are just as or even more successful.  But there are other conflicts that don't have to do with the hospital but instead are surrounded by House's narcissistic, pill-popping life.  So it's more like half and half.

Apparently for dramas to succeed these days there has to be some thrill. It may be a little unbelievable, but it's what gets the viewers.  If all dramas were about normal things that happen on a day to day basis, I'm pretty sure they would be a lot less successful and popular as they are today.

Breaking Bad?

If you know anything about modern television, you know Breaking Bad is good.  People are constantly talking about it! It's won numerous awards, and apparently has a good reputation for having really awesome season finales.  Despite all the hype, I have yet to get into the show.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to start watching it.  I mean, I am blogging about television, I should be able to talk about the current famous TV shows.  It's simply a question to myself of "do I really want to get addicted to another show?" I mean do you realize how much television I already watch?  Too much.  Honestly, for the amount of homework/volunteering/extra-curricular activities I do.... okay maybe not so much the last one but definetly the first two!  So maybe I center my life a little too much around Hulu.com, but it's okay because I have a blog about it, therefore it justifies my addiction.

So if you have never heard about Breaking Bad, which is pretty sad if you haven't and you should probably start slacking off a bit more and get involved with pop culture. Anyway, Breaking Bad, though I have only seen the pilot and small snippets of other episodes, is about a high school chemistry teacher who basically quits his job to start a meth lab.  This is after his diagnosis of cancer which apparently caused him to make this huge lifestyle change.  I can't really say much more than that, not because I don't want to spoil something from the plot, but because I literally don't know anymore about the show.

Reason number one of why I'm hesitant to watch the show:
Basically what I've already said. I have too much on my plate. Once I start a show, I have this sickening obligation to finish, and finish it fast. I have to keep watching. I have to see how it ends.  I just keep watching, and watching, and...

Reason number two:
I watched the pilot with my parents. Can I get an "awwwkward..."?  First of all there is a lot of swearing, which honestly doesn't even bother me, that's not even the bad part. No, the real culprit for the uncomfortableness was the sex.  I think I can just leave it at that because that is the most awkward thing to watch with your parents.  Just picture a Sunday night with my mom and dad. We're all snuggled up in the living room and we decide "hey, let's watch this show that is on Netflix instantly!"  As we watch suddenly the "scene" comes on and I immediately try to pretend I'm doing something else. Anything else.  I began spontaneously typing on my computer.  I try to make them think I don't notice what's going on, or that maybe I don't understand? No, they know I understand and that I'm fully aware of what is going on.  There is a long silence that seems to last forever.  When the scene was over we all sighed a breath of relief.  Metaphorically speaking. I think that would just make it a lot more awkward if we all just went "ahhh" after it ended. So let's just say this almost completely ruined the show for me.  It's kind of like it you ate a large number meatballs and then puked them back up.  Are you still going to be a fan of meatballs? Probably not.

Reason number three:
I haven't really figured out exactly why people like this show.  There are the obvious elements. The great acting. The great writing. Etc. etc.  But as I watched, nothing about it really grabbed me.  I didn't not have the sudden urge to watch the whole season after viewing the pilot. But it did make it curious. It might be set for a different kind of audience, I mean maybe I'm not mature enough to understand? What ever the reason is, because I'm so new to the show, and so many people are obsessed with it, I'm pretty sure I can already say that it's going to be good if I do start watching.

It may be a little strange, or quite frankly a little sad that I can write a blog solely on my contemplations of whether I should begin watching a show. That's high school in a nut shell. Trying decide if I can get my homework done if I join one more AP class, or if I will stress myself out too much if I start another extra-curricular activity.  The sad thing is there is a very likely possibility that I will start watching Breaking Bad.  Whether it's next summer, or maybe even during one of our breaks, there's definetly a chance that I will add it to my list of TV addictions.

TV in Iowa

Because I'm over my word count already this week, I thought I would show show you guys a clip.  The show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came to West Union, Iowa! It's a really great cause, and it's so awesome that they were able to help a family in need right here in Iowa.

Here's a clip from KCRG who covers the story:

Premiere Week #3

I'm sorry to break the news, but sadly premiere weeks are almost over.  Most shows have already started off their exciting seasons.  This week only had a few premieres of note, Dexter and House.  And the shows that began their first seasons include American Horror Story, The League, and Homeland.  I'm actually really interested in seeing pilot of The League, but I think I will post a review of that in a week or two because it hasn't been put on Hulu yet.

Before I talk about the pilot I watched this week, I just wanted to mention how "out" of the TV world I felt this week(Can you imagine?).  I walked downstairs to where my dad was watching a show, and I looked up and saw it was my all time favorites, House.  I stopped for a moment to see what episode he was watching, hoping maybe I could ruin the ending for him or something.  To my astonishment I realized I hadn't seen that episode, and it was in fact the first episode of the season.  To my discontent I realized I had already missed half of it, and even if I had remembered, I had too much homework to watch anyway.  So I have still yet to see the exciting premiere, where House is supposedly in jail, but I'm sure I will be visiting Hulu very soon to check it out.

So I know I already talked about a pilot this week, but just so I could make another post about premieres, I watched another one. This week I watched Up All Night which actually came out with it's pilot almost a month ago. If you're wondering, yes I'm pretty behind on watching television.  But it's okay, because that's what internet is for!  Anyway, Up All Night stars the great comedians Will Arnett, Christina Applegate, and Maya Rudolph.  Arnett is probably most famous from playing Gob on Arrested Development, and if you were wondering, he's also married to Amy Poehler who I love (if you haven't guessed from my previous posts about Parks and Rec.) Maya Rudolph is best known for acting on Saturday Night Live.  She also starred in the very funny movie Bridesmaids which came out this summer.  I'm a really big fan of both of these actors, so as you can see, I was really hoping this show would do well. But as most shows coming out these days do, it disappointed me.  Rudolph, who had definite potential to be the star of the show, seems to have more of a role that feels like an after thought.  As if the writers sat down with the idea of "let's make a show about all the stereotypical events that happen when you have a baby, and let comedy go from there" and then later realized that "oh, maybe we should show the mom going to work?" That's when they decide to add Rudolph in as the crazy boss that just adds to the chaos of the family's life.

But after saying that I feel somewhat guilty. I mean this show could be great! The pilot didn't really do much for me.  But there's definetly room for growth.  It has a lot of room to change a and adjust to become something many people watch.  When watching it, it did make me laugh.  The writers are good, they have Lorne Michaels producing it, what more could they ask for?  In all, I really hope this show does well but I have a feeling it won't be received very well, at least in the first season, like Parks and Rec. did.  But look where that is now. I guess we'll just have to see.

Out with the New, in with the Old?

This week I watched a pilot of a new show called Revenge.  If you haven't heard of this show, it's based around a girl whose father was wrongfully sent to jail and now is getting revenge on the people who sent him there.  The show begins with what I thought was a clever saying; "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."  Basically throughout the show the main character is trying to kill off people who were associated with her father's false accusations. To me this sounds more like a movie plot, mostly because there isn't much wiggle room for a story line to go.  So, going into this show I did not expect much.  I didn't think it was going to be very good, and honestly was already planning on writing on this blog about how bad it was.  But it surprised me.  It's actually better than it sounds.  I'm not sure if it's a show that I will continue watching, but it definetly had an interisting set-up. 

One thing that really dissapointed me was how much they have away in the plot.  In the beginning I found myself aking questions and wondering when in the the season it will be explained.  This is a common tactic to get more viewers, kind of like in a book when authors end a chapter or a book in a series at a climatic section.  Honestly it was nice to see what was going on, but I think it would have helped them in the long run if they had waited to reveal some of those juicy secrets they were trying to hide in the beginning.

Going into watching this pilot, I knew there was going to be something about this girl killing other people.  So right away I thought about Dexter.  This makes me kind of sad.  Why do shows have to mooch off the success of other shows?  Revenge isn't necessarily copying Dexter, but it probably had the show's popularity in mind when creating it's own.  If you've never watched Dexter, it's about a serial killer who kills other criminals (mostly serial killers themselves.) Dexter works for the Miami Police Department in blood spatter analysis. This is a big help in getting away with his crimes.  But how is Emily in Revenge going to get by getting caught? I'm not sure because I'm still unclear as to what she actually does for living.  The show, though I may be forgetting something, made it seem like she lives off her inheretence in the Hamptons.  Also, throughout his life, Dexter was trained how not get caught by his dad who was also in the Miami police.  And yet, with all of this, Dexter almost gets caught in every season! So how is Emily going to commit her crimes and get away with it? I'm not entirely sure, but hopefully the writers will set up something to make it become a bit more believable.

I know I just made these shows sound fairly similar.  But wait! There are some differences.  Although they both seem like martyrs for a good cause, they sort of are, but in their own unique ways.  Dexter isn't killing people to get revenge.  He has what he calls his "dark passenger."  When Dexter was very young he experienced a very traumatic event (I won't spoil it if you haven't seen the show) that altered his mindset.  His urge to kill is involuntary, and he had no conscience to go along with it.  He also has a hard time with any emotions whatsoever. In fact, he often has to fake being happy for his sister Deb or co-workers. To justify his need to kill, his father created a "code" that he has to follow. This includes killing people that are 100% guilty of a horrible crime, so most of his victims either haven't been caught yet or somehow maneuvered their way out of going to jail.

Because I haven't seen much of Revenge, and I've seen many episodes of Dexter I can't fully compare the two shows.  What I have found is that Emily has specific people that she wants to kill. Dexter just kills anyone within his "code" to fulfill "dark passenger."  That is why revenge is focused around her obviously getting revenge.  Do you see now why this show might not have too many seasons? There really isn't too much to elaborate.  Dexter is constantly finding new victims whereas Emily will only have a set amount of people that caused her father harm.

I hope I'm wrong, and the show surprises me more.  It definetly has an interesting concept, and potential to do well.  If you're interested in watching, it's on ABC every Wednesday night at 9. Here's a clip of the promo: