WHAT DO YOU DO? WHAT ... DO ... YOU ... DO: You're getting on a cross-country flight and must leave soon. You have enough time to stop at a Virgin Megastore to pick up one DVD to watch on your laptop on the plane, and you are partial to TV seasons. You have already watched the HBO pantheon, all of the Sorkin and Apatow shows, Arrested Development, Weeds, House, 24, and Buffy Season 1. What TV season DVD do you pick up?
Did I mention this is happening in real time? I am actually getting on a cross-country flight and must leave soon, etc. Help me, please.
Monday, December 8, 2008
THE FLASHY GIRL FROM FLUSHING: The (wannabe) Senator named Fran! Unreasonably catchy theme song is already available.
WHY YOU CRANK THAT? I'm as big a fan of rhythm games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band as the next guy, and I know we have more than a few Dance Dance Revolution fans amongst us, but was there actually demand for Soulja Boy: The Video Game? I guess it can't be worse than Britney's Dance Beat (and, yes, there is video).
Sunday, December 7, 2008
45-35:For the reasons set forth in the headline, I'm thinking the BCS got it at least a little bit wrong this year. (Though I must admit to being amused that Rice is in a bowl game while Texas A&M isn't.) Make your case below.
THANK GOD THAT GUY LIKES DOUGHNUTS: I suspect that this season of TAR came down to two teams surprised no one, though there were surprises and turns on the way (for instance, why did no one pick what seemed like the easier side of the Detour especially given that we had at least one Racer proclaim their fear of heights, and what was the pretty obviously deleted Roadblock or task at Voodoo Doughnut?)--the now-typical "memory task" was pretty excellent. Add to that what was either a very close finish or an extra-Amazing editing job by the Amazing Editors, and you had a quite satisfying finale.
DENNYCRANE: There are few shows that have changed as much over such a short run as Boston Legal, which ends its five season run tomorrow night with a two hour episode beginning at 9 EST. When James Spader's Alan Shore was introduced in the final season of The Practice, it was something of a jolt for the aging show. No longer did we have a crusading attorney convinced of the righteousness of his cause, but instead an almost completely amoral character, whose goals were simple--winning and money. And Shore was very good at both (as was Spader, who won an Emmy for the final season of The Practice). Add to it the opportunity to unironically appreciate the acting of William Shatner playing an unrepetant dolt, and you had something very interesting.
That general tone carried over into the start of Boston Legal, with Shore going to work at a Boston Biglaw firm, but by no later than Season 3 (with the introduction of Clarence/Clarice and Jerry Espenson), the show had changed into something completely different. Gleefully aware of its own absurdity, extremely metafictional (particularly in this final season), and allowing David E. Kelley to use Shore as a mouthpiece for his views (mostly political, but sometimes about the media), the show became a comedy (and a pretty good one). Sure, sometimes you still would have mystery and personal plotlines, but the show had turned into something different--witness Alan Shore before the Supreme Court (sadly, the only version I can find has a prologue with an even more expressly partisan political rant). The Kelleyverse has always been a strange place, and I'll miss this corner of it. Share favorite moments (pretty much anything with Alan and Denny on the balcony), favorite characters (Parker Posey's nervous attorney? Betty White's gleefully homicidal secretary?), or rant about how Spader has repeatedly prevented worthier folks from getting an Emmy below.
That general tone carried over into the start of Boston Legal, with Shore going to work at a Boston Biglaw firm, but by no later than Season 3 (with the introduction of Clarence/Clarice and Jerry Espenson), the show had changed into something completely different. Gleefully aware of its own absurdity, extremely metafictional (particularly in this final season), and allowing David E. Kelley to use Shore as a mouthpiece for his views (mostly political, but sometimes about the media), the show became a comedy (and a pretty good one). Sure, sometimes you still would have mystery and personal plotlines, but the show had turned into something different--witness Alan Shore before the Supreme Court (sadly, the only version I can find has a prologue with an even more expressly partisan political rant). The Kelleyverse has always been a strange place, and I'll miss this corner of it. Share favorite moments (pretty much anything with Alan and Denny on the balcony), favorite characters (Parker Posey's nervous attorney? Betty White's gleefully homicidal secretary?), or rant about how Spader has repeatedly prevented worthier folks from getting an Emmy below.
Kennedy Center Honors: Morgan Freeman
WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED WITH IT, TELL ME, STOP BUYING TICKETS. I'LL GO BACK AND I'LL DO SOMETHING ELSE: You might think it difficult to say anything new about this year's set of Kennedy Center Honorees. So give some props to the Washington Post Style section for its set of profiles today in advance of tonight's ceremonies (to be broadcast on CBS later this year):
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend: "'We'd never been heard,' [Townshend] says, the 'we' referring to the British working class of his upbringing. 'So we created our own language, which was rock-and-roll. And this honor is the establishment saying, We hear you. And that's a strange thing, because if they can hear us, maybe we don't need to do this anymore. It's like somebody saying to Tupac Shakur, Ah, I understand what you're saying. Well, you're not supposed to understand what he's saying. You're supposed to be [expletive] scared.'"
Morgan Freeman: "'As an actor,' Freeman says, 'you like to be well rounded. But the industry puts you in a niche. I don't think Sidney [Poitier] ever successfully played a bad part. Fonda did once in 'Once Upon a Time in the West,' but it was the only time he played a really bad guy. Gary Cooper never did. Clark Gable never did. So you're in good company when you get packaged as Mr. Good Guy. Of course, you have to be careful in thinking that's who you are in life. It's called the Othello effect. Taking the character offstage.'"
Barbra Streisand: "When Hamlisch assembles the musicians for a Streisand tour, for example, he tells them that if they're not willing to bend the rules and work serious overtime, forget it: 'If we're going to do this by the letter of the law, then don't do this,' he instructs them. 'I'm not going to stop if she is on a creative roll.'
'Her talent is her voice and her unbelievable taste level,' he adds. 'Let's assume you were working for NASA and they're going to be putting a man on the moon. Everyone has to do a perfect job. What she is, is the vessel that can get you to the moon.'"
Twyla Tharp: "'Well, it's an old story,' Tharp says. 'It's called independence. It begins with Mozart. Haydn wasn't liberated. Haydn accepted that he ate in the kitchen with the servants and he wore the livery. Mozart wanted to eat at the table. It's about having control over the work that you do and controlling what you will do, and that is part and parcel of having the wherewithal to do it.'"
George Jones: "'You think about the things you done, the way you treated people,' he says. 'I'm troubled with those thoughts quite often. You just wished you hadn't hurt people like you'll do when you're messed up. It was pretty bad. I'll tell you what bothers me more than anything: All the dates I missed, when I got the title No-Show Jones. In my mind, I can envision these people, the old grandma and her daughter, they saved their money for probably a couple of months, gave up things, walked down the country roads or whatever to go to the show, and I'm not there. I can just see these people in my mind. I let 'em down. So many of them. That bothers me worst of all.'"
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend: "'We'd never been heard,' [Townshend] says, the 'we' referring to the British working class of his upbringing. 'So we created our own language, which was rock-and-roll. And this honor is the establishment saying, We hear you. And that's a strange thing, because if they can hear us, maybe we don't need to do this anymore. It's like somebody saying to Tupac Shakur, Ah, I understand what you're saying. Well, you're not supposed to understand what he's saying. You're supposed to be [expletive] scared.'"
Morgan Freeman: "'As an actor,' Freeman says, 'you like to be well rounded. But the industry puts you in a niche. I don't think Sidney [Poitier] ever successfully played a bad part. Fonda did once in 'Once Upon a Time in the West,' but it was the only time he played a really bad guy. Gary Cooper never did. Clark Gable never did. So you're in good company when you get packaged as Mr. Good Guy. Of course, you have to be careful in thinking that's who you are in life. It's called the Othello effect. Taking the character offstage.'"
Barbra Streisand: "When Hamlisch assembles the musicians for a Streisand tour, for example, he tells them that if they're not willing to bend the rules and work serious overtime, forget it: 'If we're going to do this by the letter of the law, then don't do this,' he instructs them. 'I'm not going to stop if she is on a creative roll.'
'Her talent is her voice and her unbelievable taste level,' he adds. 'Let's assume you were working for NASA and they're going to be putting a man on the moon. Everyone has to do a perfect job. What she is, is the vessel that can get you to the moon.'"
Twyla Tharp: "'Well, it's an old story,' Tharp says. 'It's called independence. It begins with Mozart. Haydn wasn't liberated. Haydn accepted that he ate in the kitchen with the servants and he wore the livery. Mozart wanted to eat at the table. It's about having control over the work that you do and controlling what you will do, and that is part and parcel of having the wherewithal to do it.'"
George Jones: "'You think about the things you done, the way you treated people,' he says. 'I'm troubled with those thoughts quite often. You just wished you hadn't hurt people like you'll do when you're messed up. It was pretty bad. I'll tell you what bothers me more than anything: All the dates I missed, when I got the title No-Show Jones. In my mind, I can envision these people, the old grandma and her daughter, they saved their money for probably a couple of months, gave up things, walked down the country roads or whatever to go to the show, and I'm not there. I can just see these people in my mind. I let 'em down. So many of them. That bothers me worst of all.'"
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