Two Guys, a Girl and a Blog

I know this is  a TV blog and that is why I write this. My first memory of Michael Jackson is also my first memory of life is also my first memory of television.

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We’ve all heard the slogan “It’s not TV, It’s HBO”.  Any of those who’ve watched an HBO series completely understands that phrase. Television shows, movies,  and events that never would’ve found their way onto television found a home on Home Box Office. HBO has continued each year to be innovative while producing the best of television. HBO’s reputation for offering high quality original programming is deeply founded in its original programming, producing choices,  & development.  Never shying away from trying something new, taking on controversy, or producing the unproducable; HBO continues to impress even the toughest of critics  Here’s a brief history of the shows and events that have made the premium channel worth every penny and more.

1) The Sopranos

• The Sopranos has been acknowledged by critics as one of the greatest and most ground-breaking television series of all time.  Spanning 86 episodes the show follows the life of mob boss Tony Soprano and both his families.

2) Tales from the Crypt
3) Tell me you Love me
4) The Wire
5) Arli$$
6) Curb your Enthusiasm
7) Da Ali G Show
8 ) Entourage

• A-list movie star Vincent Chase’s rise through Hollywood is seen on Entourage. Although the premise threw me at first “Who cares about some douche in Hollywood?”, I later realized my mistake. My only beef with the show is that Medellin will never be made.

9) Extras
10) Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
11) Inside the NFL
12) Sex and the City
13) Def Comedy Jam
14) John Adams
15) The Comeback
16) Epitafios
17) Angels in America

• God has abandoned Heaven. It’s 1985: the Reagans are in the White House and Death swings the scythe of AIDS. This miniseries based on the play tells a tale     of aids, bigotry, racism, diseases, self-hatred, power, sexless marriages, shame, religious turmoil, drug abuse and more. If you’ve never seen this, then find you way to it and prepare to be moved.

18) Flight of the Conchords
18) The Larry Sanders Show
20) Lucky Louie

• The only time I disagreed with HBO. I thought this show was fantastic. A father who calls his kid an asshole while trying his best to keep the lights on and food  on the table. It was Roseanne on crack and gritty in all the right ways. Unfortunately it was canceled but at least it had a chance, something no other network would’ve gave this very funny TV show.

21) Mr. Show
22) Tracey Takes On
23) Hard Knocks
24) Real Sex
25) Autopsy
26) Thrilla in Manila boxing match
27) Fraggle Rock

• My gushing love for this show would allow me to write far too much so I’ll let wikipedia say it best….. The vision of Fraggle Rock articulated by Jim Henson was to depict a colourful and fun world. Also a world with a relatively complex system of symbiotic  relationships between different “races” of creatures, an allegory to the human world, where each group was somewhat unaware of how interconnected and important they were to one another. Creating this allegorical world allowed the program to entertain and amuse while seriously exploring complex issues of  prejudice, spirituality, personal identity, environment, and social conflict. Fraggle Rock generally refused to over-simplify any individual issue, instead simply illustrating the consequences and inherent difficulties of different actions and relationships.

28)  Band of Brothers
29) Big Love
30) Carnivale
31) Deadwood
32) From the Earth to the Moon
33) The Hitchiker
34) In Treament
35) Oz
36) Rome
37) Six Feet Under

• Alan Ball’s television masterpiece that many consider to be one of the best dramas ever made for television. The journey of Nate Fisher over 5 seasons invokes every human emotion. HBO gave ball the room to explore some of the most controversial issues including the famed Brenda/Billy semi-incestuous relationship.

38) When the Levees Broke
39) Sports of the 20th century
40) G String Divas
41) From the Earth to the Moon
42) Spawn

• Todd McFarlane’s Spawn is an animated television series which aired on HBO from 1997 through 1999 was nominated for and won an Emmy in 1999 for   Outstanding Animation Program.  The series centered around the story of an ex-serviceman who fought in the Vietnam war as a commando named Al  Simmons. He was betrayed and killed by a man whom he believed to be his close friend. Upon his death, Simmons vowed revenge on Chapel and hoped that he would one day return to his beloved wife Wanda.

43) Taxicab Confessions
44) Dream On
45) The Storyteller
46) Not Necessarily the News
47) The Chris Rock Show
48) Real Time with Bill Maher
49) Generation Kill
50) Tenacious D

These are the top 10 shows that you’ve probably never seen.  You’ve ignored them and because of that they’ve either went to cancellation heaven or  will be unless you correct your sinful, wicked ways.

1. Firefly

It seems with all the aftermath love given to Firefly this shouldn’t top the list but I was surprised to find there are people who still haven’t seen this show.  I was told the tale of a newbie who fell in love with Joss Whedon’s recent genius,amazing, fantastic, I’ll cut you if you complain about the third act, musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along blog then was interested to find out what else the man behind Dr. Horrible had produced. He decided to check out Firefly and , of course, he loved it. As will you if you’re one of those people who’ve yet to see Firefly. I know a space western doesn’t sound great but it truly, truly is.  I challenge you to watch just one episode and not want to purchase the dvd.

The show explores the lives of people who fought on the losing side of a civil war and now make a living on the outskirts of the society that exists on the fringes of their star system.

2. Veronica Mars

A show that admittedly turned quite “not good” in the third season was still better than most shows on Television. A noir mystery show staring a girl people quickly dubbed a darker Nancy Drew didn’t interest many.  Critics found this show and applauded it rightfully so. It grew a great cult following including the likes of Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon, and Stephen King. It was interesting, fresh, smart and perfectly dialogued. Most importantly it had mysteries that were so intricately woven including payoffs so satisfying that even the most adept mystery writer would say “damn that blew me away”.  Veronica Mars remains a show that went away far too soon. It is available on DVD which is where you should find it and love it. Add it to your netflix queue or hit up your dvd store and add this very worthy addition to your shelves.

The show starred Kristen Bell as the title character: a student who progressed from high school to college private investigator under the wing of her detective father. Said to be “a little bit during the series while moonlighting as a Buffy and a little bit Bogart”, the show balanced murder mystery, high school and college drama, and social commentary with sarcasm and off-beat humor in a style often compared to neo-noir films.

3.  Andy Richter Projects (Andy Richter controls the unverse, Andy Barker P.I.,etc)

Andy Richter is funny. I don’t know how people keep missing this fact.  He was funny on Conan O’Brien and he’s still funny. From Andy Richter Controls the Universe to Quintuplets, each show had his same brand of hapless humor.  If you’ve never seen Andy Barker P.I then you’ve missed something great.  When I first saw the show, I just knew America was going to realize that Andy Richter was hilarious and this show would be around for a while. It wasn’t. It was promptly ignored and sent off to the cancelled far too soon heaven in the sky.  The next time Andy Richter has a project on air take the time to watch it.  In the interim watch what your ignoring missed  with Andy Barker, P.I.

Richter plays Andy Barker, a certified public accountant who reluctantly becomes a private investigator after he is mistaken for the former office tenant, a private eye, now retired. Andy develops a taste for solving cases, assisted by the former P.I, a film buff owner of the downstairs video store, a surveillance-expert restaurateur and, as time goes on, his wife.

4. Chuck

Many people have heard about Chuck but nowhere near enough are watching this struggling show. Of course a writers strike didn’t help but even before ratings weren’t great.  Chuck is action packed and funny. It’s Alias meets Clerks.  Also it stars the perfectly cast Adam Baldwin– I can’t say that enough. The show is coming back  this fall and when it does set your vcr’s, dvr’s, and mental alarm clocks to not pass it show up. In the interim watch what you missed at nbc.com.

The series is about an “average computer-whiz-next-door” who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working in the CIA; the message embeds the only remaining copy of the world’s greatest spy secrets into Chuck’s brain.

5.  Back to You

This show which starred Kelsy Grammar and Patricia Heaton was one of the best sitcoms on air in years.  People complain about the death of the situation comedy and the insane amount of Reality TV yet they ignored this gem.  With few missteps Back To You actually made you laugh which rarely happens with a non-animated Fox show. The back and forth between main characters Chuck and Kelly is amusing yet also a great cast of supporting characters brought their own humor. A show directed by the great James Burrows should not have failed.  Shame on you for ignoring it.

The series is directed by James Burrows,and stars Emmy Award-winners Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier) and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) as squabbling anchors of a news program.

6. How I met your Mother

The hope is that with cameos from Britney spears and people now realizing that NPH (Thanks to Dr. Horrible) is awesome will encourage more to watch this show. Despite it being one of the best shows on air, How I Met your Mother has been close to cancellation too many times to count.  We find a sitcom that is actually funny, telling a serialized story,  and allowing  you to connect with its characters.  If you will watch this show you will realize why its legen-wait for it.

The series is based around the main character, Ted Mosby, telling his son and daughter about the events that led to his meeting their mother. How I Met Your Mother’s other main characters are Marshall Eriksen, Robin Scherbatsky, Barney Stinson, and Lily Aldrin. Also stars Bob Saget as the narrator.

7.  Eli Stone

Eli Stone is an attorney who has visions because of a brain aneurysm. Although we went down a similar path a few years ago with Ally McBeal’s Billy, this is entirely different. First off Eli Stone wont be dying his hair any time soon and the cast of characters here are not shall we saying….annoying. After having visions Eli is lead to cases that change lives as well as make the world a better place. Okay that  seems sappy but theres a few elements here that make the show well worth watching. As stated before I feel this show is Six Feet Under lite and I think you will too….. if you watch it. Eli Stone is well worth your time. It will return this fall to abc but in the mean time watch it for free at abc.com to see what you’ve missed

The show stars Jonny Lee Miller in the title role of attorney Eli Stone. In the first episode, Stone is discovered to have an inoperable brain aneurysm which is causing hallucinations. His acupuncturist, Dr. Chen, suggests that his hallucinations are actually divinely inspired visions of the future. These visions often predict future cases and events, including an impending earthquake.

8. Clerks:the Animated Series

Many said this show came a little too late to find an audience. Okay, I am part of those people and yes I will but I didn’t ignore the show. I promptly watched the two whole episodes that aired.  The series tamed down for television somehow didn’t find its audience in two weeks. Even if you don’t like Kevin Smiths humor then you have to respect that Clerks gave us one of the funniest moments ever.

“Who is driving?

Oh My God Bear is driving. How can that be?

Car full of midgets!”

Which is a moment that should be on the list of all time funniest moments on television.  Clerks came back with a sequel to the movie but the animated series will never come again. Check it out on DVD and you will regret not watching it.

The main characters, Dante Hicks, Randal Graves, Jay and Silent Bob, as well as the setting and basic premise, are taken directly from the movie and retold here in animated form.

9.  Dollhouse

What? a show that hasn’t been aired yet? Yes. I place this here in the hopes that you realize this show is good enough to NOT become a show you ignore. The premise sounds….not so good but early leaked footage and great trailer makes Dollhouse a show well worth your time and most importantly  It’s helmed by Joss Whedon. He has yet to let the public down and I have no doubt that he won’t let us down here. 

In Dollhouse, Dushku plays a young woman named Echo, a member of a group of people known as “Actives” or “Dolls.” The Dolls have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas, including memory, muscle memory, skills, and language, for different assignments. They’re then hired out for particular jobs, crimes, fantasies, and occasional good deeds. On missions, Actives are monitored internally (and remotely) by Handlers. In between tasks, they are mind-wiped into a child-like state and live in a futuristic dormitory/laboratory, a hidden facility nicknamed “The Dollhouse”. The story follows Echo, who begins, in her mind-wiped state, to become self-aware.

10.  Aliens in America

I get why you ignored it. First off this show aired on the CW which makes you think its ignore-worthy. Second the premise sounds like a one-note joke not even worthy of a sketch on Mad TV. Finally it mostly starred unknowns. However the show worked because it wasn’t just a fish out of water and a geek trying to find their way through high school.  It worked because it was heart-felt at times, thought provoking at others, and outright funny the rest of the time. The mother meticulously played by Amy Pieta could give Wisteria Lane’s Katherine Mayfair a run for her money. Scott Patterson’s portrayal of Justin’s father is what all TV dads should be and were before the  “lazy fat guy marries good” days. The show won’t make it to the next season because you ignored it and there’s no current way to view it. Le sigh.

The show is about a Wisconsin teenager and the foreign exchange student his mother arranges to host, believing the visitor will help her socially awkward son become more popular. The student turns out to be a Muslim teenager from Pakistan.

dary.

At the end of the day there is no way to watch all the good television but these are some egregious errors in judgment on the viewing public’s part. Did I miss something important? The Family Guy issue has been resolved. The Tick probably would have gotten old fairly quick. My So-Called Life is probably best as a one season epic.  If I’ve left something out then let me know in the comments.

Its with this dude. Yea Zack. He is going to play an angel. Perhaps a sexy angel who woos women. Perhaps helping them to feel sexier about themselves and then he goes on his way to another town and another woman. Kinda like a Highway to Heaven but with sex. Okay that sounds horrible (or does it?) but I just want Mark Paul Gossler to stop this crazy, dramatic role BS he’s gotten himself into. I refuse to take you serious Mark. I’m not alone here. I also know that given the  age of your fans that you should focus on a show that will make them tune in.  No, you don’t have to go on a celebrity danceoff but we want a fun Mark.  Also please don’t take this to mean we want a Saved By the Bell: The Thirtysomething years  (or do we?).   Please understand we want you to make us smile, laugh and write your name on our notebooks…or pda’s again. Just use that awesome hair, that killer smile, and those adorable eyes then put yourself in a vehicle that doesn’t make us think you’re still trying to convince us you’re a serious actor. We get it! “You’re not Zack anymore” *cough* you are *cough*.  Regardless you are still that guy we want to love and not the guy we want to make us cry. We’ve had enough of those douches in our TV lives. I’m looking at you Luke Perry.

I recently met Tim Minear. He was interesting, funny, and honest. This last trait that made me like him. No, we are not officially BFF’s but I’ve respected his work and will continue to do so. I only mean his good work.

Let me explain. An actor is not his movies. A writer is not his prose. An musician is not his songs. This means that although I believe creating  art is like giving birth; the creation process does not transfer your entire being into said art. You have created not morphed into your art.

 One of the things I talked about with Tim Minear is Drive. I have ,for some time, held the very reasonable (and right) opinion that Drive sucked huge donkey balls. Others, particularly those of the Browncoat and Whedonverse Fandom, have disagreed.  I saw tim the next day when the host mentioned that Drive was great and that everyone should go watch it immediately because “it was genius”.

 Although Tim smiled I noted that he did not show any agreement. The day prior he admitted that he loved the premise and and some casting but outside involvement caused the show to turn into shit. By the time the show aired we were left with a pile of poo that mercifully was canceled.

Even I, who hated Drive, could see that it was possible to have something decent come from this show. The idea was to get the show’s fans  interested in the winner, invested in the stories, & entertained by who would be ahead from one week to the next. We’d be enthralled behind the mystery of how this all began and we’d await the ending  when our heroes could finally win.

I can also see the premise had a very odd ‘Its a serious cannon ball run folks’ feel to it as well. In the end it failed a miserable failure of miserable show. So why is it that many fans typically say its great? Can they honestly say that Firefly, Angel, Wonderfalls, and other vehicles Tim Minear are on the same level as Drive? Fuck no. At some point being a fan became “being a part of a Fandom”.

 Fandom- a collective of people who all love a certain show, book, movie, etc so much that they believe with such fervor of its greatness.

Its easy ,though a bit OTT, to liken them to religious zealots. Hopefully we’ll never hear of a Twilight Suicide Bomber trying to bring the plight of hot teenage vampires to light.

The internet has brought fans together in a way that allows Jimmy in Nebraska to tell Xien Jong in China that he agrees that the definitive best season of Alias was three. And to allow Kimberly of Ohio to write fan fic that Brian of Minnesota will love to read  as it finally brings those two crazy Grey’s characters – McDreamy and McSteamy together as they “truly were meant to be” in a hot love tryst. But its also stopped people from thinking with their own minds. Take it solitary for a minute….

Fan–An individual who has a liking of work of art

Fandom–A group of “fans” who congregate around a work of art they all support.

If you are a fan then you have found something you like or love. Lets take me for instance. I am a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Being a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer does not automatically make me a fan of all that is slightly related to the show. I will readily admit that Sarah Michelle Gellar did the role of Buffy Summers great justice for seven seasons but this does mean that I feel she was worthy of an academy award for The Grudge. This does not mean that I have to listen to Ghost of the Robot (James Marster’s band) and I most certainly do not have to write to Entertainment Weekly and demand they put BTVS on their “Best Sci Fi of all time” list. Because its not fuckin Science Fiction!

Being a part of a fandom blinds people to the reality of something they had a connection with and makes us be a part of a collective. We are not the borg. It is very possible to like one aspect of something and not the other. You do not have to believe that everything slightly related to something you love is great. After all doesn’t your boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband have some idiot relatives you wish didn’t exist?

It works the same way with entertainment. I love Joss Whedon’s work but if he poops out something then it’s not golden in my book…though I am sure his does poop gold. We do not have to live in the bubble of Fandom and only love that which is involved in the Fandom. South Park fans can watch Family Guy despite the feud. Angel fans can stop proclaiming that Bones is genius when its just okay at times and mediocre at others. We can all step up and stop worrying that the ostracizing stare or , more likely, mean internet macro usage (Failboat now boarding) will cause us to die if we stand up and say “Yes I am a fan but I am not a blind follower.” After all doesn’t the world have enough of that on a variety of fronts?

Lets not fall in line and live in a world of party lines, dogmas, and oaths. Lets just love what we love and be damned if the next person doesn’t agree. That’s the way it should be and any person who creates anything for an audience will agree. They don’t want your false love rather your true adoration for what they’ve created. Anything else is just meaningless praise thrown at them and the entertainment industry just doesn’t roll that way…..oh wait.

Not quite television but related enough for me to mention it….

Starring Neil Patrick Harris of How I met your Mother and Doogie Houser fame, Dr. Horrible’s sing along is chiefly written by Joss Whedon . Whedon  & Co conceived the idea during the great writers strike of 2008. He recruited NPH who sang previously on Broadway before his return to television in the underrated How I Met Your Mother.  Joss Whedon also recruited past Whedonverse alum of Buffy and Firefly Flame–Nathan Fillion to star as the superhero. Today is the premiere of ACT 1.  One does not need to hope or worry about its awesomeness as it is sure to please if you are a fan of either of those previously mentioned. Check it out on your I-tunes as you won’t regret it. The season pass is $3.99 but a solitary episode is $1.99. I suggest getting the season pass for obvious reasons.

http://drhorrible.com/act_I.html

Each week we watch one show and offer up three opinions. Many times we agree and other times we fight to the death to decide whose opinion is right. Unfortunately you won’t get to see the thunderdome but whats left is One Show, Three Opinions. This week is  How I Met Your Mother. continue reading »

WTF Rob Thomas? WTF? I know I’ve sworn my allegiance and love to you for giving me two impressively good seasons of Veronica Mars but WTF?

I still receive google alerts for Veronica Mars. I don’t know why except for that small glimmer of hope that one day the email will say “Veronica Mars movie to start filming” or “Veronica Mars comic to start inking” or even better “Veronica Mars is coming back to the air where it damn well belongs and we’ll find out about the sheriff’s race”. Of course recently something odd happened. continue reading »

Each week we watch one show and offer up three opinions. Many times we agree and other times we fight to the death to decide whose opinion is right. Unfortunately you won’t get to see the thunderdome but whats left is One Show, Three Opinions. This week is Knight Rider

continue reading »

Each week we’ll watch one show and offer up three opinions. As always sometimes we’ll agree and sometimes we’ll violently disagree enough to put out a mob hit on each other. Fortunately we’ll come to our senses and cancel the hit. You won’t get to see any of that Sopranos action but whats left is One Show, Three Opinions. This week is the new show Eli Stone.

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