Lost

The wait is finally over.  Lost returns tonight, after a five week strike hiatus, for six hours worth of episodes.  I thought this day would never come.  And yes, I know so many of you out there hate the show – but I don’t.  I love this show.  Sure, it can be slow, it can be deliberately vague, it doesn’t always answer questions.  Even I wanted to break up with the show during the first six episodes of Season 3.  But the show came back, starting with the spring opener, “Not In Portland”, and only got better from there, ending with “Through The Looking Glass”, a game-changer if there ever was one.  (I don’t count the Bai Ling episode.) 

And now, in Season 4, we’ve continued that trend, hitting a high note with “The Constant” - the best episode of the series to date.  In my opinion.  And now we head into the final stretch, an hour longer than we’d expected at the beginning of the strike.  Bravo, writers, for writing the finale not for time, but for story.  And bravo, ABC, for giving the show the extra hour it needed.  With only two seasons and five episodes left, I’ll take all the extra Lost I can get.

Sand Castles in the Sand

Well, friends. I have returned. If you’re at all interested, there are pictures to be found here. I’m glad I went. But I can’t lie, I’m glad to be back. And for good reason.

Yes, it’s time. Time for a new Robin Sparkles song. For those of you not in the know, Robin Sparkles is the stage name of one Robin Scherbatsky, played by Cobie Smulders on How I Met Your Mother. A teen pop star in Canada, her hit song “Let’s Go To The Mall” featured prominently in the “Slap Bet” episode of HIMYM. At last count, I’ve watched that episode at least 20 times.

But what we didn’t know then is that “Let’s Go To The Mall” had a B-side. I present to you, “Sand Castles in the Sand“. Yes, friends. Yes. Featured in the April 21 episode of the same name, we finally get the second Robin Sparkles single, written about her relationship with – wait for it – her back up dancer, played by Dawson himself, James Van Der Beek.  Clips of the video are starting to hit, too.  It’s glorious.

It’s almost too amazing for words. Let’s hope that the return of Robin Sparkles finally pushes this show off the bubble. A show this good doesn’t deserve to have to wait for its renewal. Come on, CBS. Let’s do this.

To Tide You Over While Step’s Out of Town

Cross posted to my blog. Since Step’s in Vienna thought I’d screw with her blog. Heh heh. Now if only I could figure out who hid all of her penguins.

So, I’ve been making this face at Adam Brody pictures ever since he started getting all scruffy. Actually, I probably always made that face, but that’s because I don’t really like him and I hate the O.C. But I kept thinking he looked like someone, and I had the feeling that it was someone I feel fondly toward.

With heavy heart, I realized who he was reminding me of… one of my true loves… Tony Almeida. Well, the actor’s name is Carlos Bernard, but I’m not in love with Carlos.

As we mourn a year without 24, few more pics for comparison…

Friday Night Lights

Today marks a momentous occasion in TV. So momentous, in fact, that I truly believed this day would never come. The day where Ben Silverman made a decision that would actually make television better. Because today, at NBC’s way-early upfronts, he annouced that Friday Night Lights has been renewed for a third season.

Friends. This show? Is amazing. There aren’t enough words of praise I can say about it, it’s the most true-to-life drama on network television today, and the fact that it’s ignored by award shows (minus the Peabodys) and viewers is an utter travesty. The cast, led by Kyle Chandler (who I’ve loved since like, 7th grade) and Connie Britton, is arguably one of the best casts to grace the small screen, and the on location shooting in Austin provides a depth of realism that’s hard to find anywhere else.

And I know, you’re thinking, “But I don’t like football.” Hey! I’m not a huge fan myself. The closest I got to being a fan was going to all of the games in high school, and that really was just something you did back then, especially if you were dating a player on the team. But it’s not about football. Really. Friday Night Lights is about football in the same way that Grey’s Anatomy is about medicine.

So, give it a chance. The deal for the third season involves NBC and DirecTV spreading the costs between the two companies, which then has the 13 episode season premiere in October on DirecTV, with the episodes to then air on NBC beginning in February. Still the same timeslot as last year, Fridays at 9 pm, but I guess we can’t ask for too much. Plus, Ben Silverman has Office spinoffs to focus on. (This is a terrible idea. Worse than McSpaced.) So, rejoice, fans. Friday Night Lights lives to air another season. I know I never thought it would happen. I’ll take what I can get.

Friday Night Lights airs Fridays at 9 pm EST on NBC. (And DirecTV.)

More news, more news

• Sara Rue cast as the female lead in Spaced. This remake is ruining my life. How can you remake Spaced? It’s an impossiblity. The worst part is, it was done without the blessing of the original creators. At least the US Office had Ricky Gervais’s involvement from the beginning – and notice that it’s one of very few UK remakes that have succeeded. McSpaced? I give it four, maybe five episodes. And they will be excruciating to watch. Except maybe the pilot, and only then because it’ll be Simon and Jess’s words.
• Sarah Wayne Callies returns to Prison Break, Samaire Armstrong departs Dirty Sexy Money. For the latter, it will inherently lead to more Seth Gabel and Glenn Fitzgerald scenes, and that can only help the show, I mean, really. For the former, I believe this says it all:

• ABC realizes it has too many shows set in hospitals (Hi, Scrubs!), adds three cop shows. Yawn.
• Hollywood is racist, no one is surprised. I have to admit, as someone who liked Bringing Down The House (the book, not the ill-conceived Steve Martin/Queen Latifah vehicle), 21 looks vaguely interesting (even if the reviews are mixed). But it’s hard to imagine what this movie would have been marketed as, if they’d insisted on casting true-to-life (like that would actually happen). Probably: Better Luck Tomorrow – with gambling! (Incidentally, another one of the few movies that has a main character named Stephanie.) Sad, but true.

This week has been long, but things have been good. More people like Escape to Chimp Eden, How I Met Your Mother is looking less and less bubble (10.6 million!), and we’ll know the state of Friday Night Lights sometime next week. (Come on, Ben Silverman, after the Family Feud thing I’m not sure how much lower you can go..) That’s all for now. I leave you, with the story of a man raped by a wombat. Or so he claimed.

Things I’ve watched that I’ve liked

This weekend (to be more accurate, Thursday through Monday), I watched many things, and I liked all of them.  So, we’ll start at the very beginning.  (A very good place to start.)

Thursday, 8 pm:  Short Circuit.  A great movie, made even more great by the fact that Ally Sheedy’s character is named Stephanie (something you rarely see in films).  Not to mention the unforgettable quote, “Oh, bull dyke!”

Thursday, 10 pm: Lost.  The return of Michael, something we’ve been waiting a year and a half to see – and it didn’t disappoint.  A good episode right before the five week hiatus, and another example of how Season 4 has been a return to form for the series.  Even if the cliffhanger made me scream out loud.  (It’s just not right!)

Thursday, 11 pm-ish: John Adams, again.  I have nothing to say other than, “South Carolina votes yes.”

Friday, 10 pm: Escape to Chimp Eden.  Jinga gets out of the compound, drama ensues – chimp style.  Are you watching this show yet?  You should be.  We also watched repeats of the show numerous times over the Thursday-Monday period, but it’s just too many times to count.

Saturday, 10 pm-ish: How I Met Your Mother, Season 2.  I think we initially had only planned on Slap Bet, but somehow, we managed to also watch Single Stamina, Lucky Penny, Columns, Showdown, and Atlantic City.  And it was all amazing.

Sunday, 2 am-ish: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  I’d always wanted to see it, and Lizzy gave me the opportunity to.  Two thumbs way up, from me – Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, together in a film.  Val Kilmer’s character’s name is Gay Perry.  Do I even need to say any more about this movie?  I don’t think I do.  You should want to watch it already.

Monday, 8:30 pm: How I Met Your Mother.  After watching Slap Bet for the second time in two days, it was time for Ten Sessions, or – The Britney Episode.  I have to admit, she was o – wait for it – kay.  At least she was coherent, even if the episode felt like it focused too much on her, and not enough on Sarah Chalke (who stepped into the role after Alicia Silverstone pulled out due to ’scheduling difficulties’.  Which we all know is just a fancy term for ‘not wanting to be upstaged by Britney’.  It’s too bad, they dropped numerous hints about Stella being the mother, and the two minute tracking shot was a nice return to the old Ted.  Maybe Sarah will return, if she can get time off of Scrubs, which might be hard considering the 18 episode season she starts shooting today for ABC.  Once again, please fire Ben Silverman.)

And finally, Monday, 11 pm: John Adams, episode 3.  John Adams can’t deal with the French, and I wouldn’t be able to either.  The makeup!  Ridiculous.  Laura Linney pulls out another Emmy reel scene, and Paul Giamatti’s wig is once again, amusing.  Next week: Jefferson looks bewildered, and Abigail Adams finds it appealing.  Drama!

And that’s my TV and movie watching for the past 5 days.  I think all this has done was reinforce that I watch too much TV.  Maybe I’ll do something about it.  (I kid, I kid.)

South Carolina votes yes.

When you think Founding Fathers, John Adams doesn’t exactly come to mind.  He’s not even on any currency (the presidential series dollars don’t count).  But thanks to HBO’s new miniseries about our second president, people might start remembering him from now on.

Now, I won’t lie.  Every time I see Paul Giamatti in that wig, I laugh.  It could be a drinking game, it happens so often.  (Rule #2: Drink everytime you see someone who’s on currency.  Or has a monument.  So,  everyone who is not John Adams.)  But!  The miniseries itself is excellent.  Laura Linney should just go ahead and start writing her Emmy acceptance speech right now.  Not to mention the rest of the cast – Tom Wilkinson as Ben Franklin, David Morse as George Washington(could not be more perfectly cast), Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson, who is quite possibly my favorite character.  (Rule #3, drink each time Thomas Jefferson looks  bewildered.)  Plus, Danny Huston, Justin Theroux, and newcomer (seriously, this is his first credit on the IMDb) Clancy O’Connor as Edward Rutledge, who currently holds the top spot in my informal list of best line readings for “South Carolina votes yes.”  Don’t ask me why, I just love it.  Should I friend him on Facebook?  Decisions, decisions.

Regardless, the miniseries is amazing, especially in the way it presents history to those of us long removed from Honors U.S. History (I took AP Euro instead of AP U.S. – it was a very smart decision on my part).  And it certainly is doing well for HBO, averaging 2.7 million viewers – they need the numbers, especially after the failure of In Treatment.  And I know that we personally have rewatched the episodes at least twice – why did we watch them last night?  It doesn’t matter – it was still entertaining.  So, watch John Adams, learn about the founding of our country, and laugh at Paul Giamatti’s wig.  I know that’s what I’ll be doing.

John Adams airs Sundays at 9 pm EST on HBO.

TV returns, Stephanie rejoices

Today marks the return of post-strike television.  On November 5, 2007, I was bereft.  But now, oh now, TV returns, and I could not be gladder.  Ironic, then, that the show that returns tonight that I’m most excited for is one that I didn’t even begin to watch until after the strike began. 

I won’t lie, I’m not a CBS watcher.   I don’t find shows with letters in their titles (except SVU) all that interesting.  But How I Met Your Mother is the exception.  Maybe I was a comedy snob, maybe I thought laugh tracks were beneath me, but I hadn’t entertained the notion of watching the show (despite the praise I heard) until during the strike.  And then, only then, did I learn what I was missing out on.

HIMYM is a show that transcends the two hour comedy block that is CBS Monday nights and rises above the subpar shows that don’t even attempt to be original (I’m looking at you, Two And A Half Men), to become more than just “a funny show with Jason Segel and NPH”, and instead, “a legen – wait for it – dary comedy that could someday cure cancer.  Or AIDS.”  Sure, CBS doesn’t trust it to lead off the lineup anymore (although I’m choosing to believe that perhaps they’re trying to protect the show with the 8:30 move), and sure, it may be on the bubble, but aren’t the best shows the ones that Nielsen ignores but fans love?  (Although Nielsen won’t be ignoring them for long, viewing parties at our place!)  And yes, it may also be the fact that it’s kind of parallel to our lives (I’m a Ted in situation, but in personality, I’m much more of a Robin) that makes it so appealing, but really, it’s the writing, the acting, and the all around awesomeness that makes the show so amazing to watch.  Plus, next week is the Britney episode, and it’ll either be a trainwreck or a ratings grab – and let’s face it, it’ll probably be both.  Win-win!

So, thank you, Francesca, for introducing me to the show.  And thank you, WGA, for all that you do.  May you get all the residuals you deserve, and may SAG and AFTRA reach their deals quickly.  Because another strike might just kill me.

How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays at 8:30 pm EST on CBS.

News Stories For Today

• Jericho canceled… again.  Honestly, they got seven more episodes than they should have had, and managed to convince legions of fans that sending tons of [insert item of choice that is significant to the show in question] to a television network will guarantee a pickup for another season, that’s more than most cancellations can claim.  Expect to see shows where the main character has a fondness for caviar, cigars, and expensive limited-edition, signed baseball memorabilia in the 2008-2009 season.
• Christian Slater to star in NBC drama.  I.. don’t get it.  Jekyll and Hyde meets The Bourne Identity?  Also… Christian Slater?  Ben Silverman, there are so many things I could say to you right now.  But go ahead and give season pickups to shows without a pilot, go right ahead.  The fact that this show isn’t an adaptation of previously existing material (despite the aforementioned Jekyll and Hyde meets The Bourne Identity) is more than you can say for the rest of your development slate.  And good luck with Robinson Crusoe!
• Britney has apparently wrapped on HIMYM.  You know, I can’t say anything bad.  If it gets more people to watch the show (including at least 20,000 more in the Boston area, according to the Nielsen ratings) then kudos to Brit.  Although the cast should really stop using the word ‘great’ to describe her… sounds a little forced, guys.
• Lost was ridiculous last night.  I’M JUST SAYING. 

In other news, Does It Offend You, Yeah? performs at SXSW tonight.  After some drama with American Airlines losing their sampler, it’s nice to know that they’ll be able to perform after all.  And with Los Campesinos! performing today (apparently comparisons overheard include: “a happier Cursive!” and “a less precious Mates of State!” and “Arcade Fire, but not famous yet!”), it’s enough to make me wish I lived in Texas.  Or was at least visiting for the week.  I’m off to listen to Epic Last Song for the 61st time (2:38 in is especially awesome). 

Escape To Chimp Eden

For my inaugural post on this blog, which I really only created because I make up blog names while I’m bored at work, and because Ben made one and I needed to one-up Ben, I’ve decided to post about my new current favorite show, Escape To Chimp Eden.

 

I was introduced to this show by Rose, who stayed home one snowy night instead of trekking out to Allston as Ben and I did.  Through the snow.  On the B line.  Instead, she watched Escape To Chimp Eden, as I drank beers at The White Horse Tavern.  I can arguably say that she had a better night.  Because this show is amazing. 

For those who don’t know what it’s about, Escape To Chimp Eden is set at the Jane Goodall Institute Chimpanzee Eden, where chimps who have been rescued from awful situations are able to live a sanctuary close to their natural environment and heal from the experiences they had while they were in human captivity.  And the stories some of these chimps have are terrible.  Like Cozi, the chimp who was locked into a cage as a baby, left in a dark trailer, and wasn’t let out of the cage until nine years later, when the Chimp Eden people rescued him.

Heartbreaking, right?  But the best part of the show is that seeing these chimps, who are all sorts of damaged, get to heal, work through their issues from their years of abuse,  and realize what being a chimp is (some of them don’t even know how to climb trees, they’ve been locked up in cages for so long) alongside the human star of the show, Eugene Cussons.  (Who, I won’t lie, isn’t hard to look at.  But it’s only a bonus!  The show is worth watching just for the chimps.)   Watch this show, people.  I can guarantee your heart will be warmed.

Escape To Chimp Eden airs Fridays at 9 pm EST on Animal Planet.

 P.S.  Lost was all sorts of ridiculous last night, wasn’t it?  (I couldn’t let a post go by without mentioning it, sorry.)