The Chicago Cubs have just completed a four game sweep of divisional rival Milwaukee. What's even more impressive is they did it in the Brewers' home stadium, Miller Park. Just five days ago the Brewers had tied up the race in the National League Central, taking the Cubs out of sole possession of first place for the first time since early May. Now, in the blink of an eye, the Cubs hold a 5 game lead over the Brewers and a 4.5 game lead over the hated Cardinals. How did the Cubs do it? Let's take a look back at the pivotal series.
Game 1
Cubs 6, Brewers 4.
No one in the NL had beaten Brewers' mid-season pick-up CC Sabathia, but the Cubs got off to an early 2-0 lead. The Brewers came roaring back in the 6th with two home runs off of Cubs' starter Ted Lilly to take a 3-2 lead. Then in the 7th, the Cubs loaded the bases with one out. Derrek Lee hit a dribbler to the shortstop that looked like a sure double play, but second baseman Rickie Weeks threw the relay way wide of 1st base and two runs were able to score on the play. Derrek Lee was at the plate again in the 9th when his RBI double plated the go-ahead run, and the Cubs held on to win 6-4.
Game 2
Cubs 7, Brewers 1.
There was an all-star match-up on the mound as Zambrano faced off against Ben Sheets in game two. Carlos had an excellent night as he went 8 shutout innings with 9K and only 2 walks. The big blows came in the 6th, when the Cubs touched up Sheets for 5 runs. Ben was pulled from the game with only one out in that 6th inning, and the Cubs went on to win 7-1.
Game 3
Cubs 7, Brewers 2.
The Cubs continued their dismantling of Brewer starting pitching on Wednesday. Manny Parra came into the game with a 7-1 record in his last eight decisions, but the Cubs jumped on him quickly with two runs in the first. The big hit of the game was a two-run triple by Ryan Theriot in the 6th. That made the score 4-1, and just like Sheets the night before, Parra was pulled from the game after only 5 1/3 innings. Ryan Dempster would go 7 innings with 1ER and 9K in his 12th win for the northsiders this season as the Cubs held on to win 7-2.
Game 4
Cubs 11, Brewers 4.
The Cubs' bats put an exclamation point on the end of what was an amazing series on Thursday. With the Cubs clinging to a slim 1-0 lead in the 4th, Jim Edmonds came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out. Edmonds had already given the Cubs the lead with a towering shot to right, and he went the other way just over the left-center field wall for a grand slam to give the Cubs a commanding 5-0 lead. Cubs hitters would continue to hit, including home runs by Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano. Brewers players and managers were visibly frustrated with the situation, as both Eric Gagne and Prince Fielder would end up getting tossed from the game. The Brewers would tack on a few in the 9th, but the Cubs would hold on to win 11-4 and sweep all four games.
The Cubs will host the Pirates next, as they come home for their next 9 games. The Friendly Confines have been very friendly to the Cubs this year, where they have a 39-14 record. The Cubs look to continue the momentum they built in Milwaukee so they can pad their lead in the NL Central.
What's On?
Tonight at 8/7c on NBC, the final five comedians battle for the title of Last Comic Standing. Last week, America was given the chance to vote their favorite comics into tonight's final. Marcus, who won immunity, will face the other four finalists in one more stand-up competition. Then America will vote again for their favorite and crown the champion.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Mad Men
If you've been keeping up, you already know that AMC's Mad Men is nominated for 16 Emmys and returned for a second season last night. Mad Men is about a high powered advertising agency on Manhattan's Madison Avenue during the changing times of the early 60's. Season two begins set in Valentine's Day 1961. The filming of Mad Men is truly masterful and artistic. Everything from the cars to the clothes to the people really makes you believe you are back in time. Some actors are so transformed into their 1960's persona that you only later realize that they are someone you recognize from another TV show or movie. Mad Men may not contain quite the excitement of a murder mystery or crime drama, but the character development is done so well that we are interested in what will happen next. All of that makes Mad Men something worth checking out. Mad Men is all-new every Sunday at 10/9c on AMC.
What's On?
Tonight at 11/10c, either Matt or Jen will win $250,000 and their own show on HGTV's Design Star, hosted by Clive Pearse. In tonight's finale, Matt and Jen will help families in need by restoring, decorating, and designing interiors for homes wrecked by Hurricane Katrina.
P.S. Tony's all-new, and he's going to prove that Uruguay is more than just the butt of Homer Simpson's jokes tonight at 10/9c on the Travel Channel.
What's On?
Tonight at 11/10c, either Matt or Jen will win $250,000 and their own show on HGTV's Design Star, hosted by Clive Pearse. In tonight's finale, Matt and Jen will help families in need by restoring, decorating, and designing interiors for homes wrecked by Hurricane Katrina.
P.S. Tony's all-new, and he's going to prove that Uruguay is more than just the butt of Homer Simpson's jokes tonight at 10/9c on the Travel Channel.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Review: In Plain Sight
In Plain Sight is a new drama on the USA network about the Witness Protection Program. I have given this show a few weeks to try to prove itself, and have ultimately decided to not recommend this show. The USA network has brought us a lot of great original programming such as Monk, Psych, and Burn Notice, but In Plain Sight does not live up to these shows. Mary McCormick plays Agent Mary Shannon of the Witness Protection Program, and she does a good job, but the problem is that most of the episodes do not revolve around her, but instead on the person or people being brought into the program. Unlike other shows that involve a lot of guest stars like Law & Order or CSI:, the guest stars on In Plain Sight must carry a lot of the story load. In many instances, the acting from these guest stars just isn't that good, and to tell the truth the writing for them isn't that great to begin with. Because the stories are so often very emotional, it asks these actors to do some very emotional scenes. Like I eluded to before, bad writing and/or acting just makes these scenes come off as cliché or tacky in many cases. Overall, the stories of these people's lives basically being ruined is really depressing. Where's the entertainment in that? If In Plain Sight were to focus more on Mary and her personal life, then maybe this show would have somewhere to go, but as it is I am going to say to look elsewhere. What's that? In Plain Sight is the only new drama on Sunday at 10/9c? Well that will change this weekend when the critically acclaimed Mad Men returns to AMC.
What's On?
All-new episodes of Monk and Psych starting at 9/8c on the USA Network. In tonight's episode, "Mr. Monk and the Genius," Monk matches wits with a chess master who always seems to be a step ahead of him. On Psych, Gus organizes a high school reunion, but it turns into a mystery for Shawn when one of their former classmates goes missing.
What's On?
All-new episodes of Monk and Psych starting at 9/8c on the USA Network. In tonight's episode, "Mr. Monk and the Genius," Monk matches wits with a chess master who always seems to be a step ahead of him. On Psych, Gus organizes a high school reunion, but it turns into a mystery for Shawn when one of their former classmates goes missing.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
New shows to watch for
There are 13 new primetime shows this fall on the big networks. The truth is, only about one in six new shows ever make it to a second season. This isn't necessarily because the show is bad. If not promoted well, it can be very difficult to stir up an audience. Also, there is the phenomenon that I have referred to as "slot doom." This means the new show was put into a timeslot up against an established ratings winner, making it even harder to find viewers. Of the 13, here are the top five that may warrant your consideration.
5. Worst Week Mon 9:30/8:30c CBS
Journeyman actor Kyle Bornheimer gets his chance to star as Sam in the new sitcom Worst Week. It is an adaptation of the BBC show Worst Week of My Life. Sam has gotten his girlfriend pregnant, and they have decided to get married. Now Sam is going to meet his soon-to-be in-laws and tell them the awkward news. Kurtwood Smith (Red Foreman from That 70's Show) returns to TV as Sam's potential father-in-law. That alone should make this show at least somewhat amusing. Worst Week will not have to worry about slot doom, as it is sandwiched between hits Two and a Half Men and CSI:Miami.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2008/video.php?cid=746965641&pid=yUcALmkbniN4rDXhnwRQRLJrHJav__pn&play=true&cc=0
4. Gary Unmarried Wed 8:30/7:30c CBS
One way to get some attention for your new show is to get a well-known actor for your starring role. Jay Mohr returns to television as a recently divorced man, Gary, trying to re-adapt to single life while still being a good father. The preview scene on CBS.com is a very funny, and from what I can tell the actor that plays his son is pretty good. There may be other things in this time slot that I would recommend above this show, but I am at least going to give it a shot.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2008/video.php?cid=746965641&pid=9gib3X5klpO7TzKZXhJGdLzwkcF9nA5m&play=true&cc=0
3. Eleventh Hour Thu 10/9c CBS
Rufus Sewell stars as Dr. Jacob Hood, a brilliant biophysicist recruited by the FBI to investigate the rapidly growing number of crimes of a scientific nature. In the series premiere, Dr. Hood investigates a laboratory suspected of experimenting with human cloning.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2008/video.php?cid=740532228&pid=v2oJ4IoLNChXIu0gkHOQOD4mfy3_MJFb&play=true&cc=0
2. Fringe Tue 9/8c on FOX
J.J Abrams, executive producer of shows such as Alias and Lost brings us an all-new sci-fi thriller this fall on FOX. With direction by The West Wing's Alex Graves, Fringe clearly brings an impressive production team to the table. The pilot episode begins with a plane landing safely at Boston's Logan Airport, but when the skycaps come inside, the entirety of the passengers and flight crew is dead. What happened here? A team of FBI agents enlist the help of a genius named Dr. Walter Bishop. The only problem is Dr. Bishop has been in a mental institution for many years, and his beautiful mind is teetering on the edge of destruction. FOX will be the place for TV on Tuesday nights, as Fringe will be preceded by all-new episodes of House. Also, note that Fringe will premiere Sept. 9th at 8/7c before moving to its regular time the following week.
http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/new/fringe_video.htm
1. Life on Mars Thu 10/9c on ABC
Unfortunately for Eleventh Hour, this fall's most exciting new show is premiering in the same time slot. Life on Mars is based on the hit BBC show of the same name. NYPD Detective Sam Tyler is just doing his job like any other day, when he is hit by a car and put into a coma. When he wakes up, he is not in a hospital. He is in the year 1973, at his same job in the 125th precinct. Sam must now adapt to a world of crime fighting without all of the technologies of the present, all while trying to figure out what happened to him. Can he ever get back?
With these two intriguing new shows head butting with an aging but still popular ER, it should be an interesting ratings game Thursdays this fall at 10/9c.
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lifeonmars/index?pn=about
What's On?
Tonight at 8/7c the 39th annual World Series of Poker premieres on ESPN with the final table of the $10,000 buy-in pot-limit Texas Hold'em tournament. Tuesday will be Poker Night on ESPN every week from tonight until their almost-live coverage of the final table of the main event on November 11th, where the champion will win over $9 million.
5. Worst Week Mon 9:30/8:30c CBS
Journeyman actor Kyle Bornheimer gets his chance to star as Sam in the new sitcom Worst Week. It is an adaptation of the BBC show Worst Week of My Life. Sam has gotten his girlfriend pregnant, and they have decided to get married. Now Sam is going to meet his soon-to-be in-laws and tell them the awkward news. Kurtwood Smith (Red Foreman from That 70's Show) returns to TV as Sam's potential father-in-law. That alone should make this show at least somewhat amusing. Worst Week will not have to worry about slot doom, as it is sandwiched between hits Two and a Half Men and CSI:Miami.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2008/video.php?cid=746965641&pid=yUcALmkbniN4rDXhnwRQRLJrHJav__pn&play=true&cc=0
4. Gary Unmarried Wed 8:30/7:30c CBS
One way to get some attention for your new show is to get a well-known actor for your starring role. Jay Mohr returns to television as a recently divorced man, Gary, trying to re-adapt to single life while still being a good father. The preview scene on CBS.com is a very funny, and from what I can tell the actor that plays his son is pretty good. There may be other things in this time slot that I would recommend above this show, but I am at least going to give it a shot.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2008/video.php?cid=746965641&pid=9gib3X5klpO7TzKZXhJGdLzwkcF9nA5m&play=true&cc=0
3. Eleventh Hour Thu 10/9c CBS
Rufus Sewell stars as Dr. Jacob Hood, a brilliant biophysicist recruited by the FBI to investigate the rapidly growing number of crimes of a scientific nature. In the series premiere, Dr. Hood investigates a laboratory suspected of experimenting with human cloning.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2008/video.php?cid=740532228&pid=v2oJ4IoLNChXIu0gkHOQOD4mfy3_MJFb&play=true&cc=0
2. Fringe Tue 9/8c on FOX
J.J Abrams, executive producer of shows such as Alias and Lost brings us an all-new sci-fi thriller this fall on FOX. With direction by The West Wing's Alex Graves, Fringe clearly brings an impressive production team to the table. The pilot episode begins with a plane landing safely at Boston's Logan Airport, but when the skycaps come inside, the entirety of the passengers and flight crew is dead. What happened here? A team of FBI agents enlist the help of a genius named Dr. Walter Bishop. The only problem is Dr. Bishop has been in a mental institution for many years, and his beautiful mind is teetering on the edge of destruction. FOX will be the place for TV on Tuesday nights, as Fringe will be preceded by all-new episodes of House. Also, note that Fringe will premiere Sept. 9th at 8/7c before moving to its regular time the following week.
http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/new/fringe_video.htm
1. Life on Mars Thu 10/9c on ABC
Unfortunately for Eleventh Hour, this fall's most exciting new show is premiering in the same time slot. Life on Mars is based on the hit BBC show of the same name. NYPD Detective Sam Tyler is just doing his job like any other day, when he is hit by a car and put into a coma. When he wakes up, he is not in a hospital. He is in the year 1973, at his same job in the 125th precinct. Sam must now adapt to a world of crime fighting without all of the technologies of the present, all while trying to figure out what happened to him. Can he ever get back?
With these two intriguing new shows head butting with an aging but still popular ER, it should be an interesting ratings game Thursdays this fall at 10/9c.
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lifeonmars/index?pn=about
What's On?
Tonight at 8/7c the 39th annual World Series of Poker premieres on ESPN with the final table of the $10,000 buy-in pot-limit Texas Hold'em tournament. Tuesday will be Poker Night on ESPN every week from tonight until their almost-live coverage of the final table of the main event on November 11th, where the champion will win over $9 million.
Monday, July 21, 2008
No Reservations on Mondays
Last week on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Tony brought us to Columbia, a country that is experiencing a resurgence after decades of control by drug cartels and warlords. Many of the urban neighborhoods are coming alive with culture after finally being brought from under the control of crime and ignorance. Tony attended a party hosted by a local hip hop group made up of people that are from several different neighborhoods that had been at war with each other just a few years ago. However, not everything is being modernized. One of the most intriguing parts of the episode was when he visited a small fishing town which is right across the bay from the booming economic center of Cartagena. Here, just miles from the high-rise skyline, people were living a simple life where everything they ate was caught or grown themselves. Tony leaves us with a sentiment of optimism that Columbia can put its troubled past behind it and usher in a new era of good times.
What's On?
Of course, it's a new episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations at 10/9c on the Travel Channel. Tonight, a huge fan of the show invites Tony to come to his homeland of Saudi Arabia.
What's On?
Of course, it's a new episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations at 10/9c on the Travel Channel. Tonight, a huge fan of the show invites Tony to come to his homeland of Saudi Arabia.
Friday, July 18, 2008
A can't miss night of comedy
Tonight, basic cable's best comedies return as Monk and Psych make their season premieres on the USA network. Emmy-award winner Tony Shaloub returns as Adrian Monk, the obsessive-compulsive detective. In the 7th season premiere, Monk tries to overcome his fear of change as he moves into a new house. Brad Garrett guest stars as a handyman. The 3rd season premiere of Psych immediately follows. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, the premise is one of the best comedy set ups I've ever heard. James Roday stars as Shawn Spencer. Shawn has been very observant since he was a child, and he decides he is going to use his "hyper-observancy" to start a psychic detective agency. He and his best friend Gus (Dule Hill) solve crimes for the Santa Barbara police department, all while Shawn is pretending to be a psychic. Tonight, Cybill Shepherd guest stars as Shawn's estranged mother, and Gus thinks about quitting the agency. Want to get a taste of the show before tonight? A Psych marathon runs from 9am-5pm today.
Last night on Last Comic Standing, for the second straight week Iliza Shlezingher staved off elimination. She out-performed English comedian Paul Foot and Indian comic Papa CJ in front of a packed crowd in Los Angeles. Iliza is the only female competitor left in a largely man's world. However, she has proven that she has the material, and perhaps the remaining men will think twice before challenging her to the elimination stage.
What's On?
Of course, my picks for tonight are the season premieres of Monk at 9/8c and Psych at 10/9c on the USA network. The original programing on the USA network is taking it to the top of basic cable.
Last night on Last Comic Standing, for the second straight week Iliza Shlezingher staved off elimination. She out-performed English comedian Paul Foot and Indian comic Papa CJ in front of a packed crowd in Los Angeles. Iliza is the only female competitor left in a largely man's world. However, she has proven that she has the material, and perhaps the remaining men will think twice before challenging her to the elimination stage.
What's On?
Of course, my picks for tonight are the season premieres of Monk at 9/8c and Psych at 10/9c on the USA network. The original programing on the USA network is taking it to the top of basic cable.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Emmy Nominations
Emmy nominations came out this morning, and they usher in what is truly a changing landscape in primetime television. AMC's Mad Men, and FX's Damages became the first basic cable shows to ever be nominated for best drama series. Mad Men is the drama about life in the advertising business world of the 1950's. The show is beautifully shot, and really makes you feel like you are back in time. It has the look and feel of a premium channel show, and maybe that's because HBO actually was originally going to produce this show and then decided to pass on it. Mad Men led all dramas by being nominated in 16 different categories. NBC's 30 Rock led all comedies with 17 nominations. 30 Rock remains the best show on TV that nobody watches, and quite frankly the Emmys might be all that is keeping it on the air. Last season, when 30 Rock won the Emmy for best comedy series, it was the #102nd watched show on television according to Nielsen. The skyrocketing numbers of cable nominations shows that there is a lot of competition for primetime television today. The big four networks are not the only place to look for primetime television anymore. One last thing to mention would be that Neil Patrick Harris has been nominated for a second straight year for his supporting actor role on my favorite show, How I Met Your Mother. Harris is fantastic as the chauvinistic Barney, and the show would certainly not be the same without him. He has some stiff competition in the category, as he is up against Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) and two of the guys from HBO's Entourage.
What's On?
Tonight at 8/7c on NBC it's the final ten of the reality competition show Last Comic Standing. After a world-wide tryout, the final ten comedians now will live together and compete to be the last comic standing of 2008.
Below is a list of all of the big award nominees in comedy, drama, reality, and variety shows.
COMEDY
What's On?
Tonight at 8/7c on NBC it's the final ten of the reality competition show Last Comic Standing. After a world-wide tryout, the final ten comedians now will live together and compete to be the last comic standing of 2008.
Below is a list of all of the big award nominees in comedy, drama, reality, and variety shows.
COMEDY
COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men
ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Rainn Wilson, The Office
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Jean Smart, Samantha Who?
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty
GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Will Arnett, 30 Rock
Shelley Berman, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Steve Buscemi, 30 Rock
Tim Conway, 30 Rock
Rip Torn, 30 Rock
GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Polly Bergen, Desperate Housewives
Edie Falco, 30 Rock
Carrie Fisher, 30 Rock
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Sarah Silverman, Monk
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock
DRAMA
DRAMA SERIES
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men
ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
James Spader, Boston Legal
ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ted Danson, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Charles Durning, Rescue Me
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Oliver Platt, Nip/Tuck
Stanley Tucci, ER
Glynn Turman, In Treatment
Robin Williams, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ellen Burstyn, Big Love
Diahann Carroll, Grey's Anatomy
Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck
Anjelica Huston, Medium
Cynthia Nixon, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
REALITY
REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef
HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Howie Mandel, Deal or No Deal
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
REALITY SERIES
Antiques Roadshow
Dirty Jobs
Extreme Makeover
Intervention
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List
VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY
VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Show With David Letterman
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
Bill Maher: The Decider
George Carlin: It’s Bad For Ya!
James Taylor: One Man Band
Kathy Griffin: Straight To Hell
The Kennedy Center Honors
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
All Star Game, FOX fall preview
Last night's All-Star Game was one for the ages, as the AL won a marathon game 4-3 in 15 innings. It looked as though the NL might actually break out of their slump when they took a 2-0 lead when Chase Utley got an RBI single in the 6th, but the AL came right back with a 2-run homer by J.D. Drew. Each team scored a run in the eighth, and after the Cubs' Ryan Dempster shut down the AL in the ninth, the game went into extra innings. The AL had an excellent scoring chance in the bottom of the 10th when they had bases loaded and no one out, in large part because Dan Uggla committed two errors in the inning. This was just part of a nightmare day for Uggla, who went 0-4 with 3K and grounded into a double play. Aaron Cook of the Colorado Rockies then got out of the jam by getting three straight ground outs. However, it was all for naught when the AL eventually scored the winner in the 15th on a sacrifice fly.
This fall FOX puts out a line-up with a lot of familiar shows in new timeslots and several two-hour season premieres.
FOX Monday premieres Sept 1st with a two-hour Prison Break, then Sept 8th with this line-up
8/7c Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - New Time
9/8c Prison Break - New Time
A fifth season of Prison Break? Are they serious? Is anyone else sick of this show? Who will be watching this? I'm told Terminator is a pretty good show, but it's on opposite of The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and Dancing with the Stars.
FOX Tuesday premieres Sept. 9th with a two-hour Fringe, then Sept 16th with this line-up.
8/7c House - New Time
9/8c Fringe - New Show
House is one of my favorite shows, and I am excited for it to come back. FOX has been promoting the crap out of the new sci-fi show Fringe, which I plan on talking more about in a later post.
FOX Wednesday premieres Sept. 3rd with a two-hour Bones, then Sept. 10th with this line-up.
8/7c Bones - New Time
9/8c 'Til Death
9:30/8:30c Do Not Disturb - New Show
Bones is a decent show, but I would recommend Pushing Daisies in this timeslot. 'Til Death is the sitcom starring Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett, and returns for a second season. Do Not Disturb is a new sitcom about a chic Manhattan hotel staff.
FOX Thursday premieres Sept. 4th with a two-hour Moment of Truth, then Sept 11th with this line-up.
8/7c Moment of Truth - New Time
9/8c Kitchen Nightmares - New Time
I think FOX has thrown up the white flag in the Thursday ratings game. Look elsewhere for some great TV on Thursday nights.
FOX Friday premieres Sept 5th with a two-hour Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? then Sept 12th with this line-up.
8/7c Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? - New Time
9/8c Dont Forget the Lyrics! - New Time
FOX puts out a mildly amusing Friday line-up with these game shows hosted by Jeff Foxworthy and Joey Fatone.
FOX's "animation domination" Sunday comes back Sept 28th with a familiar line-up.
8:00/7:00c The Simpsons - 20th season
8:30/7:30c King of the Hill - 13th season
9:00/8:00c Family Guy - 7th season
9:30/8:30c American Dad - 4th season
FOX's bigger news may be for later in the season, as American Idol season 8 premieres Jan. 2009, along with three more new shows and the rumors of a Family Guy spin-off starring Cleveland.
What's On?
American History X, the 1998 movie starring Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard, a man driven to Neo-Nazism after his father is killed by an African-American, is on the FX network tonight at 8/7c.
This fall FOX puts out a line-up with a lot of familiar shows in new timeslots and several two-hour season premieres.
FOX Monday premieres Sept 1st with a two-hour Prison Break, then Sept 8th with this line-up
8/7c Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - New Time
9/8c Prison Break - New Time
A fifth season of Prison Break? Are they serious? Is anyone else sick of this show? Who will be watching this? I'm told Terminator is a pretty good show, but it's on opposite of The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and Dancing with the Stars.
FOX Tuesday premieres Sept. 9th with a two-hour Fringe, then Sept 16th with this line-up.
8/7c House - New Time
9/8c Fringe - New Show
House is one of my favorite shows, and I am excited for it to come back. FOX has been promoting the crap out of the new sci-fi show Fringe, which I plan on talking more about in a later post.
FOX Wednesday premieres Sept. 3rd with a two-hour Bones, then Sept. 10th with this line-up.
8/7c Bones - New Time
9/8c 'Til Death
9:30/8:30c Do Not Disturb - New Show
Bones is a decent show, but I would recommend Pushing Daisies in this timeslot. 'Til Death is the sitcom starring Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett, and returns for a second season. Do Not Disturb is a new sitcom about a chic Manhattan hotel staff.
FOX Thursday premieres Sept. 4th with a two-hour Moment of Truth, then Sept 11th with this line-up.
8/7c Moment of Truth - New Time
9/8c Kitchen Nightmares - New Time
I think FOX has thrown up the white flag in the Thursday ratings game. Look elsewhere for some great TV on Thursday nights.
FOX Friday premieres Sept 5th with a two-hour Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? then Sept 12th with this line-up.
8/7c Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? - New Time
9/8c Dont Forget the Lyrics! - New Time
FOX puts out a mildly amusing Friday line-up with these game shows hosted by Jeff Foxworthy and Joey Fatone.
FOX's "animation domination" Sunday comes back Sept 28th with a familiar line-up.
8:00/7:00c The Simpsons - 20th season
8:30/7:30c King of the Hill - 13th season
9:00/8:00c Family Guy - 7th season
9:30/8:30c American Dad - 4th season
FOX's bigger news may be for later in the season, as American Idol season 8 premieres Jan. 2009, along with three more new shows and the rumors of a Family Guy spin-off starring Cleveland.
What's On?
American History X, the 1998 movie starring Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard, a man driven to Neo-Nazism after his father is killed by an African-American, is on the FX network tonight at 8/7c.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Some Poker
Last week I expressed how I was hoping the return of Rockford Charitable Games events to the Chicagoland area would mean a good month of July for poker. Last night they were in Buffalo Grove, and I decided to drive out there for some live action. The night turned out to be an emotional ride that reassured me that in poker, sometimes you just have to hang in there and grind it out.
The night started off very badly for me. When first one player hit a three outer on the turn with his QJ against my AJ, and then another turned his KJ into trip jacks against my pocket 10's, I quickly found myself more than $200 in the hole. Many players would have just packed up and called it a day after that, but I knew that I was just getting unlucky, and I am very confident in my abilities. After being allowed to see the flop for cheap with my K5 from the big blind, the flop came out 234, giving me an open-ended straight draw. I checked, there was a $20 bet from middle position, and a call from late position. I was getting almost 3:1 on my call, and my straight draw was about a 2:1 chance to hit, so I called. The turn was a 7, and I checked again. The middle position player bet $30, and the late position player called after thinking about it for a while. If he had folded, I might have as well, but his call gave me almost the exact odds I needed, and I've always said that if you are going to draw for the turn you should stick around for the river. The river was a 6, completing my straight, and I decided to lead out with an all-in bet of $53. If I had checked, they both might have checked as well, since the 6 would make a straight for anyone with a 5. By going all-in, I am now trying to represent a bluff, hoping to get paid off. The middle position player folded, and after thinking for a while, the late position player paid off my bet with his pocket 9's. Both players seemed disgusted by my "suck-out," but I was getting the proper odds the whole way. After that pot, my stack was back up over $250. I was happy to have made a hand and get back into the game, but I could never have dreamed what would happen next. After taking out a small stack when I had AQ and made a pair of queens on the flop, my stack was now $284. I was in the small blind, and a player from middle position raised it to 6 times the big blind. Everyone folded to me, and I looked down to find pocket Kings. Since there was only one other player left to act, I decided to just call instead of a raise, camouflaging the strength of my hand. The action moved over to the big blind, who had the most chips at the table, and to my surprise he announces, "All in." The middle position player quickly folds. I give him a quick stare. Could this guy actually have pocket Aces? If he did, wouldn't he make a small raise, enticing us to call? One of my fellow dealers at CCG, Andrew, a very good player in his own right, once told me that you can never fold pocket Kings preflop, no matter what the risk. I am usually an advocate of not risking all your money in a cash game before the flop, but Andrew is right. You can not fold pocket Kings preflop. "I call." There is a rush of excitement at the table. My opponent shows up AK, about a 70/30 underdog to my KK. The dealer counts out my stack, and we begin to realize that this is a $580 pot. I put my hands on top of my head, as it sinks in that an ace popping off of the deck is the difference between me getting almost $600 or going home empty-handed. The flop is 268. Perfect, no straight draws or flush draws for my opponent. The turn is a 7. The river is an 8. My Kings and Eights have just won the largest cash game pot of my young poker career. I stuck around for a few more hands, and then decided to get up and cash out. What is there to learn for me? In poker, it's impossible to win every hand, but if you stick in there, the good players will win in the end. For that other guy? It is silly to risk your entire stack preflop in a cash game with AK, especially because when someone decides to call, they will almost always have AA (88% favorite), KK (70% favorite), or QQ (57% favorite).
There are a lot of poker blogs out there, and those guys will tell you what happened whether it was exciting or not. I do love poker, and could have easily made this a poker blog. However, I felt it would be better to talk about television most of the time, and infuse some poker and other stuff when I have something interesting to talk about.
What's On?
The 79th Annual MLB All-Star Game is tonight at 8/7c on FOX. Eight Cubs and two White Sox appear on the rosters in the game that will determine whether the NL or AL will have home-field advantage in the World Series. They say 8/7c, but with all of the pregame stuff and festivities, it never starts until at least 8:30/7:30c. All friends are welcome to come over to my house and watch.
The night started off very badly for me. When first one player hit a three outer on the turn with his QJ against my AJ, and then another turned his KJ into trip jacks against my pocket 10's, I quickly found myself more than $200 in the hole. Many players would have just packed up and called it a day after that, but I knew that I was just getting unlucky, and I am very confident in my abilities. After being allowed to see the flop for cheap with my K5 from the big blind, the flop came out 234, giving me an open-ended straight draw. I checked, there was a $20 bet from middle position, and a call from late position. I was getting almost 3:1 on my call, and my straight draw was about a 2:1 chance to hit, so I called. The turn was a 7, and I checked again. The middle position player bet $30, and the late position player called after thinking about it for a while. If he had folded, I might have as well, but his call gave me almost the exact odds I needed, and I've always said that if you are going to draw for the turn you should stick around for the river. The river was a 6, completing my straight, and I decided to lead out with an all-in bet of $53. If I had checked, they both might have checked as well, since the 6 would make a straight for anyone with a 5. By going all-in, I am now trying to represent a bluff, hoping to get paid off. The middle position player folded, and after thinking for a while, the late position player paid off my bet with his pocket 9's. Both players seemed disgusted by my "suck-out," but I was getting the proper odds the whole way. After that pot, my stack was back up over $250. I was happy to have made a hand and get back into the game, but I could never have dreamed what would happen next. After taking out a small stack when I had AQ and made a pair of queens on the flop, my stack was now $284. I was in the small blind, and a player from middle position raised it to 6 times the big blind. Everyone folded to me, and I looked down to find pocket Kings. Since there was only one other player left to act, I decided to just call instead of a raise, camouflaging the strength of my hand. The action moved over to the big blind, who had the most chips at the table, and to my surprise he announces, "All in." The middle position player quickly folds. I give him a quick stare. Could this guy actually have pocket Aces? If he did, wouldn't he make a small raise, enticing us to call? One of my fellow dealers at CCG, Andrew, a very good player in his own right, once told me that you can never fold pocket Kings preflop, no matter what the risk. I am usually an advocate of not risking all your money in a cash game before the flop, but Andrew is right. You can not fold pocket Kings preflop. "I call." There is a rush of excitement at the table. My opponent shows up AK, about a 70/30 underdog to my KK. The dealer counts out my stack, and we begin to realize that this is a $580 pot. I put my hands on top of my head, as it sinks in that an ace popping off of the deck is the difference between me getting almost $600 or going home empty-handed. The flop is 268. Perfect, no straight draws or flush draws for my opponent. The turn is a 7. The river is an 8. My Kings and Eights have just won the largest cash game pot of my young poker career. I stuck around for a few more hands, and then decided to get up and cash out. What is there to learn for me? In poker, it's impossible to win every hand, but if you stick in there, the good players will win in the end. For that other guy? It is silly to risk your entire stack preflop in a cash game with AK, especially because when someone decides to call, they will almost always have AA (88% favorite), KK (70% favorite), or QQ (57% favorite).
There are a lot of poker blogs out there, and those guys will tell you what happened whether it was exciting or not. I do love poker, and could have easily made this a poker blog. However, I felt it would be better to talk about television most of the time, and infuse some poker and other stuff when I have something interesting to talk about.
What's On?
The 79th Annual MLB All-Star Game is tonight at 8/7c on FOX. Eight Cubs and two White Sox appear on the rosters in the game that will determine whether the NL or AL will have home-field advantage in the World Series. They say 8/7c, but with all of the pregame stuff and festivities, it never starts until at least 8:30/7:30c. All friends are welcome to come over to my house and watch.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
NBC fall 2008 preview
Ever since the ends of beloved sitcoms like Seinfeld, Friends, and Frasier, NBC has fallen out of the ratings game and into a consistent 4th place among the major networks. So what does NBC offer this fall to try to break out of their slump? They have four new shows in their fall line-up and three shows coming back for a second season. The schedule is almost completely different from just two years ago. Will it be enough to bring them out of the basement? My guess is no, but only time will tell.
NBC Monday premieres Sept. 8th
8/7c Chuck
9/8c Heroes
10/9c My Own Worst Enemy - New Show
Chuck returns for a second season, Heroes goes for a third run, and My Own Worst Enemy is a new show starring Christian Slater as a schizophrenic former spy. Both Chuck and Heroes are decent shows, and the new show sounds interesting, but the truth is the CBS and ABC Monday line-ups are just much better than these shows.
NBC Tuesday premieres Sept. 9th
8/7c The Biggest Loser
9:30/8:30c Kath & Kim - New Show
10/9c Law & Order: SVU
The weight-loss show The Biggest Loser comes back for a sixth installment. Personally, I don't know who would watch this for an hour and a half, but I guess it remains mildly popular. Kath & Kim is a new comedy starring former SNL cast member Molly Shannon. The diamond in the rough of the NBC line-up is Law & Order: SVU, which will be returning for a 10th season this fall. L & O: SVU brings a bigger intensity than the other versions, mainly because of the emotionally-charged subject matter of the cases. SVU was the only NBC show that consistently won the ratings in its timeslot last season.
NBC Wednesday premieres Sept. 10th
8/7c Knight Rider - New Show
9/8c Deal or No Deal
10/9c Lipstick Jungle
After the success of the Knight Rider made-for-TV movie, NBC has decided to turn out a remake of the series. Deal or No Deal will be on two nights a week this fall. Lipstick Jungle is the show created by Sex and the City's Candace Bushnell. It returns for a second season. Just as before, this line-up seems decent, but there is just better stuff to watch on ABC and CBS.
NBC Thursday premieres Sept. 11th
8/7c My Name is Earl
8:30/7:30c 30 Rock
9/8c The Office
9:30/8:30c SNL specials
10/9c ER
You had better get your DVR out for Thursday nights this fall. I'm as big of a fan as anybody of the NBC comedy Thursday line-up, but with shows like Survivor, CSI:, and Grey's Anatomy airing opposite of them, it just makes it difficult for NBC to gain any traction in the ratings game.
NBC Friday premieres Sept.12th
8/7c Crusoe - New Show
9/8c Deal or No Deal
10/9c Life - New Time
The new show Crusoe is based on a story written by adventurer Robinson Crusoe. Life is the drama about a detective who was wrongly accused of murder and has been let out of prison after finally being cleared. It returns for a second season at a new time.
Saturday Night Live returns for a 34th season at 11:30/10:30c on Sept. 13th.
Sunday Night Football returns Sept. 7th on NBC this fall with a rematch of Superbowl XLI as the Chicago Bears take on the Indianapolis Colts.
Perhaps the bigger news for NBC is coming later this television season, as a spin-off of the award-winning comedy The Office is scheduled to premiere this winter. New episodes of the classic version of Law & Order also premiere later in the season. They are set to play Wednesdays at 10/9c. What does this mean for Lipstick Jungle? I don't know, and frankly don't really care. Will all of this take NBC out of the cellar? Like I said, my guess is no, but only time will tell.
What's On?
Anthony Bourdain takes his show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, to Columbia tonight at 10/9c on the Travel Channel. Tony turned out an amazing show last week when he went to the mysterious country of Laos. Tonight, he offers us a glimpse into a country many of us would deem to dangerous to visit.
Until next time, happy viewing!
NBC Monday premieres Sept. 8th
8/7c Chuck
9/8c Heroes
10/9c My Own Worst Enemy - New Show
Chuck returns for a second season, Heroes goes for a third run, and My Own Worst Enemy is a new show starring Christian Slater as a schizophrenic former spy. Both Chuck and Heroes are decent shows, and the new show sounds interesting, but the truth is the CBS and ABC Monday line-ups are just much better than these shows.
NBC Tuesday premieres Sept. 9th
8/7c The Biggest Loser
9:30/8:30c Kath & Kim - New Show
10/9c Law & Order: SVU
The weight-loss show The Biggest Loser comes back for a sixth installment. Personally, I don't know who would watch this for an hour and a half, but I guess it remains mildly popular. Kath & Kim is a new comedy starring former SNL cast member Molly Shannon. The diamond in the rough of the NBC line-up is Law & Order: SVU, which will be returning for a 10th season this fall. L & O: SVU brings a bigger intensity than the other versions, mainly because of the emotionally-charged subject matter of the cases. SVU was the only NBC show that consistently won the ratings in its timeslot last season.
NBC Wednesday premieres Sept. 10th
8/7c Knight Rider - New Show
9/8c Deal or No Deal
10/9c Lipstick Jungle
After the success of the Knight Rider made-for-TV movie, NBC has decided to turn out a remake of the series. Deal or No Deal will be on two nights a week this fall. Lipstick Jungle is the show created by Sex and the City's Candace Bushnell. It returns for a second season. Just as before, this line-up seems decent, but there is just better stuff to watch on ABC and CBS.
NBC Thursday premieres Sept. 11th
8/7c My Name is Earl
8:30/7:30c 30 Rock
9/8c The Office
9:30/8:30c SNL specials
10/9c ER
You had better get your DVR out for Thursday nights this fall. I'm as big of a fan as anybody of the NBC comedy Thursday line-up, but with shows like Survivor, CSI:, and Grey's Anatomy airing opposite of them, it just makes it difficult for NBC to gain any traction in the ratings game.
NBC Friday premieres Sept.12th
8/7c Crusoe - New Show
9/8c Deal or No Deal
10/9c Life - New Time
The new show Crusoe is based on a story written by adventurer Robinson Crusoe. Life is the drama about a detective who was wrongly accused of murder and has been let out of prison after finally being cleared. It returns for a second season at a new time.
Saturday Night Live returns for a 34th season at 11:30/10:30c on Sept. 13th.
Sunday Night Football returns Sept. 7th on NBC this fall with a rematch of Superbowl XLI as the Chicago Bears take on the Indianapolis Colts.
Perhaps the bigger news for NBC is coming later this television season, as a spin-off of the award-winning comedy The Office is scheduled to premiere this winter. New episodes of the classic version of Law & Order also premiere later in the season. They are set to play Wednesdays at 10/9c. What does this mean for Lipstick Jungle? I don't know, and frankly don't really care. Will all of this take NBC out of the cellar? Like I said, my guess is no, but only time will tell.
What's On?
Anthony Bourdain takes his show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, to Columbia tonight at 10/9c on the Travel Channel. Tony turned out an amazing show last week when he went to the mysterious country of Laos. Tonight, he offers us a glimpse into a country many of us would deem to dangerous to visit.
Until next time, happy viewing!
Sunday Stuff
Hi,
Since I don't make picks for Saturday, I'm going to take Sundays off from talking about TV, but I will still make a pick for tonight.
While being unemployed, I have found several things to take up my time, including this blog. Every Wednesday night I play ultimate frisbee at Lake Park west campus. The league is sponsored by a church, and anyone is welcome to join. I love playing cards, and have been playing poker both live and online and dealing cards for Chicago Charitable Games. CCG holds poker events throughout the suburbs on the weekends. I was able to win an Omaha Hi/Lo tournament a few nights ago, and with Rockford Charitable Games coming back to the suburbs this week, I am hoping July turns out to be a pretty good month for poker. I am also in the process of writing a screenplay. It is a poker themed movie, and I have a basic outline for the story and 18 pages written. I hit a point in the story where I can't figure out what I want the people to say, so I might just move past it for now and come back to it later.
It has been an amazing summer to be a Cubs fan. Coming into the day, the Cubs were 20 games over .500, and have the best record in the Major Leagues. Yesterday's game was quite the roller coaster, as the Cubs blew a 7-0 lead, but ended up winning 8-7 in 11 innings. A bad team might have just rolled over and died after that kind of let down, but the good teams rally together and win these kinds of games, and that is exactly what the Cubs did Saturday. The Cubs collapse overshadowed the debut of pitcher Rich Harden, who went 5 1/3 innings giving up 0 runs and striking out 10 Giants. Harden was recently acquired in a trade that sent Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson, and a minor leaguer to Oakland for Harden and relief pitcher Chad Gaudin. This trade was most likely made in response to Milwaukee trading for Indians' starting pitcher CC Sebathia, even though Cubs' GM Jim Hendry says otherwise. The Cubs will have at least a tie for the best record in baseball at the all-star break for the first time since the inception of the All-Star Game in 1933. The game will be as important as ever for Cub fans, as eight Cubs will represent the National League: Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Geovany Soto, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Marmol, and Kerry Wood. Also, the winning side will get home-field advantage in the World Series, which could definitely be crucial for the Cubs this season.
What's On?
My pick for tonight without a doubt is the all-new episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent on the USA network at 9/8c. Tonight, detectives Logan and Wheeler investigate the killing of a rock star. The team of Logan and Wheeler is not as good as Goren and Eames, but it still makes for some pretty good television.
Since I don't make picks for Saturday, I'm going to take Sundays off from talking about TV, but I will still make a pick for tonight.
While being unemployed, I have found several things to take up my time, including this blog. Every Wednesday night I play ultimate frisbee at Lake Park west campus. The league is sponsored by a church, and anyone is welcome to join. I love playing cards, and have been playing poker both live and online and dealing cards for Chicago Charitable Games. CCG holds poker events throughout the suburbs on the weekends. I was able to win an Omaha Hi/Lo tournament a few nights ago, and with Rockford Charitable Games coming back to the suburbs this week, I am hoping July turns out to be a pretty good month for poker. I am also in the process of writing a screenplay. It is a poker themed movie, and I have a basic outline for the story and 18 pages written. I hit a point in the story where I can't figure out what I want the people to say, so I might just move past it for now and come back to it later.
It has been an amazing summer to be a Cubs fan. Coming into the day, the Cubs were 20 games over .500, and have the best record in the Major Leagues. Yesterday's game was quite the roller coaster, as the Cubs blew a 7-0 lead, but ended up winning 8-7 in 11 innings. A bad team might have just rolled over and died after that kind of let down, but the good teams rally together and win these kinds of games, and that is exactly what the Cubs did Saturday. The Cubs collapse overshadowed the debut of pitcher Rich Harden, who went 5 1/3 innings giving up 0 runs and striking out 10 Giants. Harden was recently acquired in a trade that sent Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson, and a minor leaguer to Oakland for Harden and relief pitcher Chad Gaudin. This trade was most likely made in response to Milwaukee trading for Indians' starting pitcher CC Sebathia, even though Cubs' GM Jim Hendry says otherwise. The Cubs will have at least a tie for the best record in baseball at the all-star break for the first time since the inception of the All-Star Game in 1933. The game will be as important as ever for Cub fans, as eight Cubs will represent the National League: Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Geovany Soto, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Marmol, and Kerry Wood. Also, the winning side will get home-field advantage in the World Series, which could definitely be crucial for the Cubs this season.
What's On?
My pick for tonight without a doubt is the all-new episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent on the USA network at 9/8c. Tonight, detectives Logan and Wheeler investigate the killing of a rock star. The team of Logan and Wheeler is not as good as Goren and Eames, but it still makes for some pretty good television.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
ABC Fall 2008 Preview
This fall, ABC returns a very familiar line-up. I do not yet have premiere dates for the shows, but here are the set timeslots.
Monday
8/7c Dancing With the Stars
9:30/8:30c Samantha Who?
10/9:00c
Dancing with the Stars, television's 3rd most watched show of last season, is coming back for its 7th installment. Samantha Who? is back for a second season after performing well in its cushy timeslot. Boston Legal, the spin off of The Practice, is now in its 5th season behind the star power of William Shatner, Candice Bergen, and James Spader. It moves from Tuesday to Monday nights this fall.
Tuesday
8/7c Opportunity Knocks - New Show
9/8c Dancing with the Stars (Results Show)
10/9c Eli Stone - New Time
Opportunity Knocks is a new game show that will travel the country knocking on people's doors to invite them to play on the show. Their next contestants could be your family.
Wednesday
8/7c Pushing Daisies
9/8c Private Practice
10/9c Dirty, Sexy Money
For ABC this fall, I am most excited about the returns of Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money. Both come back for second seasons after good freshman runs. Pushing Daisies is a sensual dark comedy that will have to be further explained in a future posting. Dirty Sexy Money's plot revolves around a lawyer, Nick, who takes his father's former job as family attorney for the wealthiest family in
Thursday
8/7c Ugly Betty
9/8c Grey's Anatomy
10/9c Life on Mars - New Show
Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy come back for their 4th and 5th seasons, respectively. However, the most intriguing part of the ABC fall line-up may be the new show Life on Mars. The show is a remake of a BBC police/science-fiction drama. After being hit by a car in the present day, Captain Sam Tyler wakes up in the year 1973.
Friday
8/7c Wife Swap
9/8c Supernanny
10/9c 20/20
Sunday
8/7c Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9/8c Desperate Housewives
10/9c Brothers and Sisters
Ty Pennington's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition comes back for a 6th season of home remodeling. The Juggernaut Desperate Housewives returns for a 5th season. The juicy stories of the women of
Perhaps ABC's biggest news is that it has picked up the beloved comedy Scrubs after it was discontinued by NBC. Scrubs is set to premiere in January 2009, and many of the details are still unknown. One thing we do know is that Courtney Cox will be joining the cast as the new Head of Medicine at Sacred Heart. I'm sure I'll be talking a lot about Scrubs between now and its network-jumping comeback this winter.
Last night's pick My Boys, turned out a good but not great episode. Jim Gaffigan seems kind of handcuffed by the situation the script has put him in, and he is not allowed to be as funny as he can be. P.J. continues to be frustrating in her inability to tell her true feelings to Bobby. This is often a good way to create sexual tension, but the lack of feelings from Bobby's end just makes it kind of exhausting. That said, Brando's situation as being forced to work a job he is overqualified for with some crazy co-workers is inherently funny and Mike's jealousy of Kenny's new found luck with women has a great poetic justice to it. I expect My Boys may have some tricks up its sleeve in the coming weeks, as this episode did not further the overall story arch much. I guess we will have to just wait and see.
What's On?
Until next time, happy viewing!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Cancellations
"Hey Kevin, what happened to that show I used to watch?" Whether it be because of the writers' strike, poor ratings, or a phenomenon I like to call "slot doom," the 2007-2008 television season led to a record 34 show cancellations from the major networks, and that doesn't even include basic cable or the premium channels. Here is a list of the 34 shows canned by the five major networks.
ABC
Miss Guided
Women's Murder Club
Cavemen
Big Shots
Carpoolers
Just For Laughs
Notes From the Underbelly
Oprah's Big Give
Men in Trees
Cashmere Mafia
October Road
Fox
Back to You
Canterbury's Law
New Amsterdam
K-Ville
Nashville
The Next Great American Band
Unhitched
The Return of Jezebel James
NBC
Las Vegas
1 Vs 100
Amne$ia
Clash of the Choirs
My Dad is Better than Your Dad
Phenomenon
Quarterlife
The Singing Bee
Journeyman
Bionic Woman
CBS
Cane
Welcome to the Captain
Moonlight
Kid Nation
Secret Talents of the Stars
Viva Laughlin
Power of 10
Shark
The CW
Aliens in America
Beauty and the Geek
Crowned
CW Now
Girlfriends
Life Is Wild
Online Nation
Pussycat Dolls Present
There is a lot of bad television on this list above, and to tell the truth I never even saw an episode of most of these shows. The reality is (in fact by my count 16 of these shows were reality shows or game shows) that most of these shows deserved to be canceled. Viva Laughlin was one the most bizarre experiments in television history. The show was about a man who had decided to invest his fortune in opening up a casino in Laughlin, Nevada... and oh yeah, did I mention that it was a musical? Nielsen reports that Viva Laughlin lost over half of its opening viewing audience by the time it was halfway through the premiere episode. Eight shows were shot, but CBS pulled the plug before the second episode even aired. Some critics debated whether it was the worst television show ever made, but that might be a bit harsh. That said, there are a few of these shows that will be dearly missed. Here are my top 5.
The NBC drama Las Vegas has been canceled after a 5-year run. Las Vegas surrounded the crew of the Montecito Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The show, I believe, could be best characterized as a mystery drama. Most episodes surrounded Casino VP of Operations Danny McCoy and Head of Security Mike Cannon trying to solve a crime or foil a cheating plot within the casino. The show would often have unexpected plot twists and intense drama. There was a lot of cast turnover (only 4 members of the original cast appeared in the finale) and pehaps viewers were getting tired of having to learn and meet new people and having to deal with the often strange circumstances of the leaving of cast members. Las Vegas had a good run, very few shows make it to their 5th season. It can still be seen in reruns every weekday on TNT at Noon/11c.
The ABC sitcom Carpoolers was a very funny show about four Los Angeles men who carpool to their jobs in the same office building. Each of the carpoolers had their own silly, quirkiness that I loved. The truth is, Carpoolers, may have suffered from a death by association with the ill-conceived sitcom Cavemen, the show based off the GEICO commercials. Carpoolers aired directly after Cavemen, and if no one was watching Cavemen, then they're probably not hanging around for Carpoolers.
A show that truly suffered from the phenomenon I like to call "slot doom" was Journeyman, a drama on NBC. Journeyman was put into the Mon 10/9c spot up against CSI:Miami, which was last season's 8th most watched show with an average viewership of 14 million. As a result, Journeyman was never able to build a strong viewer base, and was canceled just when the storyline was beginning to get very interesting. In the final episode, we found out that Dan had become a time traveler after another traveler had died. Unfortunately, we are now left to guess and wonder the origins of the time traveling.
The CBS drama Moonlight quickly developed a cult following after its premiere last fall. The show surrounded Mick St. John, a vampire private investigator who struggled with his love for a mortal woman, Beth. While I must admit I never got that into Moonlight, I used to be a big Buffy fan, and can understand its cult appeal. The show's loyal viewers tried to mount an effort to save the show, but it has been officially canceled by CBS, and no other networks seem interested in picking it up.
The CBS courtroom drama Shark suffered greatly from a timeslot change. Shark surrounded Sebastian Stark, played by James Woods, who was a former hot-shot defense attorney who decided to change sides and head up the L.A. major crimes unit. Woods' character was very flawed and compelling, and would do just about whatever necessary to win. I used to watch every episode of Shark when it was on directly after CSI: on Thursdays, but when it was moved to Sunday nights, I kind of lost track of the show.
There are so many different reasons to cancel a show. I understand that television is a business, and if your business investment isn't working, it's time to bail and try something new. Things like Kid Nation were interesting experiments, but probably would not be as compelling a second time around. While some shows will be missed, the best stuff is coming back this fall.
Last night's pick, Nova: Science Now, gave us a look into the challenging tasks ahead for astronauts with the repair of the Hubble Telescope, gave an intriguing look into the earliest primate ancestors, told the compelling story of a Mexican immigrant who is now a top neurosurgeon, and reported on the terrifying new super bacteria soldiers are calling "Iraqibacter."
What's On?
My pick for tonight is My Boys at 9:30/8:30c on TBS. My Boys is a sitcom about Penelope "P.J." Franklin, a sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times, and her circle of mostly guy friends. While I may be a little biased towards this show because I live in Chicagoland and my uncle works for the show, I find the give and take between the actors to be very good. Comedian Jim Gaffigan is hilarious as P.J.'s brother Andy. To set up tonight's episode, last week P.J. found out that the guy she has a crush on, Bobby, has gotten engaged. At the end of the episode, Bobby asked if P.J. was OK with everything, and she chickened out and said yes.
ABC
Miss Guided
Women's Murder Club
Cavemen
Big Shots
Carpoolers
Just For Laughs
Notes From the Underbelly
Oprah's Big Give
Men in Trees
Cashmere Mafia
October Road
Fox
Back to You
Canterbury's Law
New Amsterdam
K-Ville
Nashville
The Next Great American Band
Unhitched
The Return of Jezebel James
NBC
Las Vegas
1 Vs 100
Amne$ia
Clash of the Choirs
My Dad is Better than Your Dad
Phenomenon
Quarterlife
The Singing Bee
Journeyman
Bionic Woman
CBS
Cane
Welcome to the Captain
Moonlight
Kid Nation
Secret Talents of the Stars
Viva Laughlin
Power of 10
Shark
The CW
Aliens in America
Beauty and the Geek
Crowned
CW Now
Girlfriends
Life Is Wild
Online Nation
Pussycat Dolls Present
There is a lot of bad television on this list above, and to tell the truth I never even saw an episode of most of these shows. The reality is (in fact by my count 16 of these shows were reality shows or game shows) that most of these shows deserved to be canceled. Viva Laughlin was one the most bizarre experiments in television history. The show was about a man who had decided to invest his fortune in opening up a casino in Laughlin, Nevada... and oh yeah, did I mention that it was a musical? Nielsen reports that Viva Laughlin lost over half of its opening viewing audience by the time it was halfway through the premiere episode. Eight shows were shot, but CBS pulled the plug before the second episode even aired. Some critics debated whether it was the worst television show ever made, but that might be a bit harsh. That said, there are a few of these shows that will be dearly missed. Here are my top 5.
The NBC drama Las Vegas has been canceled after a 5-year run. Las Vegas surrounded the crew of the Montecito Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The show, I believe, could be best characterized as a mystery drama. Most episodes surrounded Casino VP of Operations Danny McCoy and Head of Security Mike Cannon trying to solve a crime or foil a cheating plot within the casino. The show would often have unexpected plot twists and intense drama. There was a lot of cast turnover (only 4 members of the original cast appeared in the finale) and pehaps viewers were getting tired of having to learn and meet new people and having to deal with the often strange circumstances of the leaving of cast members. Las Vegas had a good run, very few shows make it to their 5th season. It can still be seen in reruns every weekday on TNT at Noon/11c.
The ABC sitcom Carpoolers was a very funny show about four Los Angeles men who carpool to their jobs in the same office building. Each of the carpoolers had their own silly, quirkiness that I loved. The truth is, Carpoolers, may have suffered from a death by association with the ill-conceived sitcom Cavemen, the show based off the GEICO commercials. Carpoolers aired directly after Cavemen, and if no one was watching Cavemen, then they're probably not hanging around for Carpoolers.
A show that truly suffered from the phenomenon I like to call "slot doom" was Journeyman, a drama on NBC. Journeyman was put into the Mon 10/9c spot up against CSI:Miami, which was last season's 8th most watched show with an average viewership of 14 million. As a result, Journeyman was never able to build a strong viewer base, and was canceled just when the storyline was beginning to get very interesting. In the final episode, we found out that Dan had become a time traveler after another traveler had died. Unfortunately, we are now left to guess and wonder the origins of the time traveling.
The CBS drama Moonlight quickly developed a cult following after its premiere last fall. The show surrounded Mick St. John, a vampire private investigator who struggled with his love for a mortal woman, Beth. While I must admit I never got that into Moonlight, I used to be a big Buffy fan, and can understand its cult appeal. The show's loyal viewers tried to mount an effort to save the show, but it has been officially canceled by CBS, and no other networks seem interested in picking it up.
The CBS courtroom drama Shark suffered greatly from a timeslot change. Shark surrounded Sebastian Stark, played by James Woods, who was a former hot-shot defense attorney who decided to change sides and head up the L.A. major crimes unit. Woods' character was very flawed and compelling, and would do just about whatever necessary to win. I used to watch every episode of Shark when it was on directly after CSI: on Thursdays, but when it was moved to Sunday nights, I kind of lost track of the show.
There are so many different reasons to cancel a show. I understand that television is a business, and if your business investment isn't working, it's time to bail and try something new. Things like Kid Nation were interesting experiments, but probably would not be as compelling a second time around. While some shows will be missed, the best stuff is coming back this fall.
Last night's pick, Nova: Science Now, gave us a look into the challenging tasks ahead for astronauts with the repair of the Hubble Telescope, gave an intriguing look into the earliest primate ancestors, told the compelling story of a Mexican immigrant who is now a top neurosurgeon, and reported on the terrifying new super bacteria soldiers are calling "Iraqibacter."
What's On?
My pick for tonight is My Boys at 9:30/8:30c on TBS. My Boys is a sitcom about Penelope "P.J." Franklin, a sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times, and her circle of mostly guy friends. While I may be a little biased towards this show because I live in Chicagoland and my uncle works for the show, I find the give and take between the actors to be very good. Comedian Jim Gaffigan is hilarious as P.J.'s brother Andy. To set up tonight's episode, last week P.J. found out that the guy she has a crush on, Bobby, has gotten engaged. At the end of the episode, Bobby asked if P.J. was OK with everything, and she chickened out and said yes.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
CBS Fall Schedule Preview
Hi,
I'm going to start every day's entry with a review of yesterday's pick to watch. Yesterday's recommendation, 30 Days, is the brain-child of Supersize Me's Morgan Spurlock. On Tuesday's episode, Morgan went to live on the Navajo Reservation for one month. It was a fascinating, and sometimes disturbing, look into the life of the modern American Indian on "the rez." American Indian communities find themselves destroyed by poverty, alcoholism, and crime. Many families find themselves in a similar situation to many Mexican families, where the head of the household leaves the reservation to find work so he can send money back to his family. It was heartbreaking to hear the grandmother of the family Morgan was staying with talk about how she felt disconnected from her grandchildren because they did not speak Navajo. The economic state of the rez and the outside influence of the western world are slowly killing their culture. It was certainly an eye-opener. Perhaps there is hope yet for the Navajo Nation. They are planning the opening of a casino in 2009, which will hopefully give an economic boost to the rez and provide lots of employment, and their new school system is designed to ingrain the Navajo culture into their youth, including the speaking of both Navajo and English in the classroom. Morgan Spurlock has given us another rare look into a life we would never experience on our own. Anyone who missed this should check their local listings for reruns. 30 Days is new every Tuesday at 10/9c this summer on the FX network.
All of the big networks have put out their tentative fall schedules, and I plan on reviewing all of them in the next couple weeks. Today, the 2008 CBS Fall Schedule.
The CBS Monday line-up is my favorite night of primetime television, so I will spend the most time talking about this night of the week.
8:00/7:00c The Big Bang Theory
8:30/7:30c How I Met Your Mother
9:00/8:00c Two and a Half Men
9:30/8:30c Worst Week - New show
10/9:00c CSI: Miami
The Monday line-up is coming back with all-new episodes starting Mon. Sept. 22nd.
The Big Bang Theory is coming back for a second season after an excellent freshman year run. This is the quirky comedy about two UCLA research nerds who live across the hall from a blond bombshell, played by Kaley Cuoco (the daughter from 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter).
How I Met Your Mother is my favorite show on TV right now. It is the chronicle of Ted Mosby's life in the present day told through the eyes of an older Ted looking back on his life. The star-studded supporting cast includes Niel Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Jason Segel.
Two and a Half Men returns for its 6th season. It is America's most watched sitcom.
Worst Week is a new show about a guy who has gotten engaged to his girlfriend after getting her pregnant, and now has to go to meet her family and tell them the news. Time will tell whether this will be successful, but it sure has a cushy timeslot.
CSI: Miami comes back for a 7th season. David Caruso's Horatio Caine makes this version just as good as the original.
CBS Tuesday Fall Line-up returns all-new Sept. 23
8:00/7:00c NCIS
9:00/8:00c The Mentalist - New Show
10/9:00c Without a Trace - New Time
NCIS returns for a 6th season. It is the Navy's spin on CSI.
The Mentalist is a new drama about a California detective whose family was killed by a serial murderer
Without a Trace the drama about the FBI's missing persons unit, returns for a 7th season at a new time.
CBS Wednesday Fall Line-up returns Sept. 24
8:00/7:00c The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30/7:30c Project Gary - New Show
9:00/8:00c Criminal Minds
10/9:00c CSI: NY
The New Adventures of Old Christine, Julia Louis-Dreyfus's show comes back for a fourth season.
Jay Mohr returns to television in the new comedy Project Gary. Mohr plays Gary, a recently divorced father trying to deal with his new life situation.
Criminal Minds and CSI: NY return for their 4th and 5th seasons, respectively.
CBS Thursday Fall Line-up returns with all-new episodes Oct. 9th
8:00/7:00c Survivor (premieres Sept. 17th)
9:00/8:00c CSI
10/9:00c Eleventh Hour - New Show
Survivor returns for an incredible 17th installment when they go to the mysterious country of Gabon.
CSI continues its run for a 9th season. This will be the first full season without Jorja Fox (Sarah).
Eleventh Hour is a new drama about an FBI agent who tries to solve high-tech cases before the time runs out.
CBS Friday Fall Line-up returns with all-new episodes Oct. 3rd
8:00/7:00c Ghost Whisperer
9:00/8:00c The Ex List
10/9:00c Numb3rs
Jennifer Love Hewitt returns as the Ghost Whisperer for a 4th season.
The Ex List is the new show about a woman who goes searching for all of her ex-boyfriends after a psychic tells her that someone she has already dated is her soulmate.
The mathematical crime drama Numb3rs returns for a 5th season.
CBS Sunday Line-up returns Sept. 28
After Football: 60 Minutes
8:00/7:00c The Amazing Race
9:00/8:00c Cold Case
10/9:00c The Unit
The Amazing Race is the Emmy-winning reality competition show, and comes back this fall for a 13th race around the world.
A 6th season of solving decades-old cases comes back this fall on Cold Case.
The Unit is the drama about an anti terrorist unit, and returns for its 4th season.
So there is your preview for this fall's CBS primetime schedule. It is worth mentioning that the critically acclaimed Moonlight was a late cancellation, and will not appear in the fall line-up. Fans of the show are mounting an effort to have the show renewed, but the outlook is bleak. Also, new episodes of the comedy Rules of Engagement are set to come back in January 2009.
Tonight's pick to watch:
Nova: Science Now 10:00/9:00c on PBS.
I know this may be some of the nerd in me coming out with this selection, but Nova: Science Now is really a different generation of science show. It's the perfect science show for today's low attention span America. Host and Astrophysicist Niel deGrasse Tyson brings you five ten-minute science stories every week. Tonight's show investigates early primates, looks into the most recent Hubble Telescope repairs, and more.
I'm going to start every day's entry with a review of yesterday's pick to watch. Yesterday's recommendation, 30 Days, is the brain-child of Supersize Me's Morgan Spurlock. On Tuesday's episode, Morgan went to live on the Navajo Reservation for one month. It was a fascinating, and sometimes disturbing, look into the life of the modern American Indian on "the rez." American Indian communities find themselves destroyed by poverty, alcoholism, and crime. Many families find themselves in a similar situation to many Mexican families, where the head of the household leaves the reservation to find work so he can send money back to his family. It was heartbreaking to hear the grandmother of the family Morgan was staying with talk about how she felt disconnected from her grandchildren because they did not speak Navajo. The economic state of the rez and the outside influence of the western world are slowly killing their culture. It was certainly an eye-opener. Perhaps there is hope yet for the Navajo Nation. They are planning the opening of a casino in 2009, which will hopefully give an economic boost to the rez and provide lots of employment, and their new school system is designed to ingrain the Navajo culture into their youth, including the speaking of both Navajo and English in the classroom. Morgan Spurlock has given us another rare look into a life we would never experience on our own. Anyone who missed this should check their local listings for reruns. 30 Days is new every Tuesday at 10/9c this summer on the FX network.
All of the big networks have put out their tentative fall schedules, and I plan on reviewing all of them in the next couple weeks. Today, the 2008 CBS Fall Schedule.
The CBS Monday line-up is my favorite night of primetime television, so I will spend the most time talking about this night of the week.
8:00/7:00c The Big Bang Theory
8:30/7:30c How I Met Your Mother
9:00/8:00c Two and a Half Men
9:30/8:30c Worst Week - New show
10/9:00c CSI: Miami
The Monday line-up is coming back with all-new episodes starting Mon. Sept. 22nd.
The Big Bang Theory is coming back for a second season after an excellent freshman year run. This is the quirky comedy about two UCLA research nerds who live across the hall from a blond bombshell, played by Kaley Cuoco (the daughter from 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter).
How I Met Your Mother is my favorite show on TV right now. It is the chronicle of Ted Mosby's life in the present day told through the eyes of an older Ted looking back on his life. The star-studded supporting cast includes Niel Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Jason Segel.
Two and a Half Men returns for its 6th season. It is America's most watched sitcom.
Worst Week is a new show about a guy who has gotten engaged to his girlfriend after getting her pregnant, and now has to go to meet her family and tell them the news. Time will tell whether this will be successful, but it sure has a cushy timeslot.
CSI: Miami comes back for a 7th season. David Caruso's Horatio Caine makes this version just as good as the original.
CBS Tuesday Fall Line-up returns all-new Sept. 23
8:00/7:00c NCIS
9:00/8:00c The Mentalist - New Show
10/9:00c Without a Trace - New Time
NCIS returns for a 6th season. It is the Navy's spin on CSI.
The Mentalist is a new drama about a California detective whose family was killed by a serial murderer
Without a Trace the drama about the FBI's missing persons unit, returns for a 7th season at a new time.
CBS Wednesday Fall Line-up returns Sept. 24
8:00/7:00c The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30/7:30c Project Gary - New Show
9:00/8:00c Criminal Minds
10/9:00c CSI: NY
The New Adventures of Old Christine, Julia Louis-Dreyfus's show comes back for a fourth season.
Jay Mohr returns to television in the new comedy Project Gary. Mohr plays Gary, a recently divorced father trying to deal with his new life situation.
Criminal Minds and CSI: NY return for their 4th and 5th seasons, respectively.
CBS Thursday Fall Line-up returns with all-new episodes Oct. 9th
8:00/7:00c Survivor (premieres Sept. 17th)
9:00/8:00c CSI
10/9:00c Eleventh Hour - New Show
Survivor returns for an incredible 17th installment when they go to the mysterious country of Gabon.
CSI continues its run for a 9th season. This will be the first full season without Jorja Fox (Sarah).
Eleventh Hour is a new drama about an FBI agent who tries to solve high-tech cases before the time runs out.
CBS Friday Fall Line-up returns with all-new episodes Oct. 3rd
8:00/7:00c Ghost Whisperer
9:00/8:00c The Ex List
10/9:00c Numb3rs
Jennifer Love Hewitt returns as the Ghost Whisperer for a 4th season.
The Ex List is the new show about a woman who goes searching for all of her ex-boyfriends after a psychic tells her that someone she has already dated is her soulmate.
The mathematical crime drama Numb3rs returns for a 5th season.
CBS Sunday Line-up returns Sept. 28
After Football: 60 Minutes
8:00/7:00c The Amazing Race
9:00/8:00c Cold Case
10/9:00c The Unit
The Amazing Race is the Emmy-winning reality competition show, and comes back this fall for a 13th race around the world.
A 6th season of solving decades-old cases comes back this fall on Cold Case.
The Unit is the drama about an anti terrorist unit, and returns for its 4th season.
So there is your preview for this fall's CBS primetime schedule. It is worth mentioning that the critically acclaimed Moonlight was a late cancellation, and will not appear in the fall line-up. Fans of the show are mounting an effort to have the show renewed, but the outlook is bleak. Also, new episodes of the comedy Rules of Engagement are set to come back in January 2009.
Tonight's pick to watch:
Nova: Science Now 10:00/9:00c on PBS.
I know this may be some of the nerd in me coming out with this selection, but Nova: Science Now is really a different generation of science show. It's the perfect science show for today's low attention span America. Host and Astrophysicist Niel deGrasse Tyson brings you five ten-minute science stories every week. Tonight's show investigates early primates, looks into the most recent Hubble Telescope repairs, and more.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
KO's TV critic blog first entry
Hi,
My name is Kevin, and I love television among other things such as poker, rock band, frisbee golf, and baseball. While I may delve into other things such as the stuff i just mentioned, I am going to make the focus of this blog television. With so many channels and a seeming dip in the overall quality of network television, it may seem like there just isn't anything on. However, I feel there is still a lot of good stuff out there if you just know where to look. I had originally come up with the idea to do this blog several months ago, but the writer's guild strike had just begun, and it didn't seem like the right time. Some of you might be thinking, "But, Kevin, it's summer time. Why write now?" Well, there are a few reasons.
1. There is still some great TV out there during the summer
2. Summer is a great time to catch up on TV shows you missed during their regular seasons
3. I will be able to get you ready for an all new fall line-up
While not as prevalent as during the fall, there still is some good new programming out there this summer. Last night Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations came back in a big way with a new episode covering the mysterious country of Laos. The communist Lao government has kept it almost untouched by western society, and there is still the evidence of the ravages of the Vietnam War. This episode was a very captivating eye-opener, and I would recommend anyone watch it. Anthony is all-new every Monday this summer at 10/9c on the Travel Channel.
The old NBC saying was, "If you haven't seen it, it's new to you!" This is very true, as summer gives you a chance to catch some shows you may have not seen during their regular runs. My favorite show is the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, which airs Mondays at 8:30/7:30c. If you have never watched this show I strongly urge you to check it out. It is the story of Ted Mosby in his late 20s/early 30s told through the eyes of an older Ted voiced by Bob Saget. Reruns will be airing all summer at the time I said earlier, seasons one and two are out on DVD, and it has been picked up for a full 26 episode season 4 starting this fall in the same time slot.
All of the big networks have put up their fall schedules, and in the coming weeks I will prepare you for a new TV season by pointing out what's the same, what's new, and what to look out for.
Every day I'm going to close out with giving you something to watch that night.
Tuesday is a pretty dry night for new television during the summer, but my pick for tonight should not disappoint.
30 Days, the project of Supersize Me's Morgan Spurlock, has an all-new episode tonight at 10/9c on the FX network. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the program, in each episode Morgan or one of his friends tries to get a new perspective by living out a different life for one month. Tonight, Morgan goes to live on a Navajo Reservation for 30 days to try to get a taste of what American Indian life is like.
Well, that wraps up my first post. Here's to hoping someone will read it.
My name is Kevin, and I love television among other things such as poker, rock band, frisbee golf, and baseball. While I may delve into other things such as the stuff i just mentioned, I am going to make the focus of this blog television. With so many channels and a seeming dip in the overall quality of network television, it may seem like there just isn't anything on. However, I feel there is still a lot of good stuff out there if you just know where to look. I had originally come up with the idea to do this blog several months ago, but the writer's guild strike had just begun, and it didn't seem like the right time. Some of you might be thinking, "But, Kevin, it's summer time. Why write now?" Well, there are a few reasons.
1. There is still some great TV out there during the summer
2. Summer is a great time to catch up on TV shows you missed during their regular seasons
3. I will be able to get you ready for an all new fall line-up
While not as prevalent as during the fall, there still is some good new programming out there this summer. Last night Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations came back in a big way with a new episode covering the mysterious country of Laos. The communist Lao government has kept it almost untouched by western society, and there is still the evidence of the ravages of the Vietnam War. This episode was a very captivating eye-opener, and I would recommend anyone watch it. Anthony is all-new every Monday this summer at 10/9c on the Travel Channel.
The old NBC saying was, "If you haven't seen it, it's new to you!" This is very true, as summer gives you a chance to catch some shows you may have not seen during their regular runs. My favorite show is the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, which airs Mondays at 8:30/7:30c. If you have never watched this show I strongly urge you to check it out. It is the story of Ted Mosby in his late 20s/early 30s told through the eyes of an older Ted voiced by Bob Saget. Reruns will be airing all summer at the time I said earlier, seasons one and two are out on DVD, and it has been picked up for a full 26 episode season 4 starting this fall in the same time slot.
All of the big networks have put up their fall schedules, and in the coming weeks I will prepare you for a new TV season by pointing out what's the same, what's new, and what to look out for.
Every day I'm going to close out with giving you something to watch that night.
Tuesday is a pretty dry night for new television during the summer, but my pick for tonight should not disappoint.
30 Days, the project of Supersize Me's Morgan Spurlock, has an all-new episode tonight at 10/9c on the FX network. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the program, in each episode Morgan or one of his friends tries to get a new perspective by living out a different life for one month. Tonight, Morgan goes to live on a Navajo Reservation for 30 days to try to get a taste of what American Indian life is like.
Well, that wraps up my first post. Here's to hoping someone will read it.
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