You know what I don't want Alan Tudyk (Wash) doing? Playing another fucking lawyer on TV.
Put him with Greg Grunberg together on J.J. Abram's previously developed, now dead bounty hunter show, playing rival bounty hunters. Make him a sheriff in the old west. Have him play a test pilot who flies the rejiggered UFOs at Area 51 in an ensemble show by Barry Sonnenfeld. Hell, cast him on a recurring guest spot on 30 Rock or How I Met Your Mother or some other smart comedy. But c'mon... a lawyer? You've already wasted James Woods as a lawyer, television people. You've already wasted Anthony Anderson as another boring cop.
Why is TV obsessed with lawyers and cops? For every good one, there's about a dozen bad ones.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Monday, October 08, 2007
Dear Heroes...
Please stop sucking. I would like to at least watch until Kristen Bell appears.
Sincerely,
Randy
Sincerely,
Randy
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Cooking: Chicken Soft Tacos Onions & Apples and Chicken w/Lime Sauce
Since my last cooking post, I've cooked three new recipes. Two were very good, one was a dismal failure. I'll talk about that one first. It was Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice, and it was pretty much my fault. The recipe said "Combine first 12 ingredients," which I read as "combine all ingredients" and so the rice, which wasn't supposed to go into the mix, was in the slow cooker all day. The result? Bland, flavorless awful mash that I couldn't even eat. Might try it again and cook the rice separate, like you're supposed to.
My favorite recipe of the bunch so far is Chicken with Lime Sauce.
Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
Preparation
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add chicken broth, sugar, 2 tablespoons juice, and mustard to pan; cook over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and butter, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan; simmer 2 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated.
I have only minor adjustments to make on this one. It would have been nice to have a little more sauce, as most of it evaporated or coated the chicken, so next time I think I'll reserve some of the sauce before returning the chicken to the pan, and then drizzle it on after I'm done. There was also a very, very slight lime flavor, so I'll probably add 2 tablespoons of lime juice instead of 1 with the butter, and keep adding a tablespoon here or there until the lime flavor gets a little bit stronger.
I also need to come up with a good side dish for this one. I'm really bad about cooking just an entree and not spending any time putting a side dish together.
Tonight I made Chicken Soft Tacos with Sauteed Onions & Apples:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 apples)
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Add chicken to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until golden. Remove the chicken from pan; keep warm.
Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple; cook 6 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.
Heat tortillas according to package directions. Arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla.
Since this came from Cooking Light, I thought it might be a little flavor light, and I bumped up the salt and nutmeg to 3/4 teaspoons instead of 1/2. I also don't really measure fresh ground pepper, I just grind it on until it looks like enough to me. The result was pretty good.
Half of the secret of this one is having fresh tortillas... fortunately, in Austin it's really easy to get fresh tortillas, and they're good enough to eat on their own, so that makes them really good for fajitas and soft tacos.
I also recommend having a large skillet... my medium sized nonstick was very full when the onions and apples were cooking, and I tossed a few of them over the side while I was stirring, no matter how carefully I tried to stir.
My favorite recipe of the bunch so far is Chicken with Lime Sauce.
Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
Preparation
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add chicken broth, sugar, 2 tablespoons juice, and mustard to pan; cook over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and butter, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan; simmer 2 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated.
I have only minor adjustments to make on this one. It would have been nice to have a little more sauce, as most of it evaporated or coated the chicken, so next time I think I'll reserve some of the sauce before returning the chicken to the pan, and then drizzle it on after I'm done. There was also a very, very slight lime flavor, so I'll probably add 2 tablespoons of lime juice instead of 1 with the butter, and keep adding a tablespoon here or there until the lime flavor gets a little bit stronger.
I also need to come up with a good side dish for this one. I'm really bad about cooking just an entree and not spending any time putting a side dish together.
Tonight I made Chicken Soft Tacos with Sauteed Onions & Apples:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 apples)
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Add chicken to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until golden. Remove the chicken from pan; keep warm.
Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple; cook 6 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.
Heat tortillas according to package directions. Arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla.
Since this came from Cooking Light, I thought it might be a little flavor light, and I bumped up the salt and nutmeg to 3/4 teaspoons instead of 1/2. I also don't really measure fresh ground pepper, I just grind it on until it looks like enough to me. The result was pretty good.
Half of the secret of this one is having fresh tortillas... fortunately, in Austin it's really easy to get fresh tortillas, and they're good enough to eat on their own, so that makes them really good for fajitas and soft tacos.
I also recommend having a large skillet... my medium sized nonstick was very full when the onions and apples were cooking, and I tossed a few of them over the side while I was stirring, no matter how carefully I tried to stir.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Weekly Comics to Come - October 10, 2007
TOP FIVE
Bprd Killing Ground #3 (The latest BPRD continues, and it's been great as usual)
Dynamo 5 Vol 1 Post Nuclear Family TP (Insanely cheap $10 trade of the best new superhero comic on the market)
Gyo Vol 1 (I've got the previous version, but I'm psyched to see Viz re-releasing horror manga master Junji Ito's work)
Nova #7 (Nice payoff to the Annihilation Conquest stuff)
Suicide Squad Raise The Flag #2 (Loved the first issue, looking forward to more)
THE REST
Absolute Sandman Vol 2 HC (I haven't broken down and bought these yet... but it's probably just a matter of time)
Atomic Robo #1 (New pulp-ish adventure book from Red 5 - great art, fun story)
Booster Gold #3 (Mild interest at best, but it's still keeping that mild interest)
Brawl #1 (New Dean Haspiel, plus another feature from Activate... great cartooning)
Fantastic Four #550 (McDuffie wraps a somewhat overlong story, and it remains fun FF stuff)
Garth Ennis Chronicles Of Wormwood TP (Heard good things, on an Ennis high because I re-read Hitman... but low expectations, because Ennis's 303 bored me to tears)
Green Arrow Black Canary #1 (Lowest of expectations, but I want to like it, because I like Chiang's work so much)
Marvel Adventures Hulk #4 (Paul Benjamin's all-ages Hulk continues to delight)
Marvel Adventures Iron Man Vol 1 Digest TP (Van Lente's all-ages Iron Man has been a lot of fun thus far)
New Warriors #5 (A weaker issue, but still good)
Noble Causes Vol 7 Powerless TP (I'm really behind on reading this, I need to catch up)
Runaways #28 (Way too many characters, but there's definitely stuff to like in Whedon's run)
Bprd Killing Ground #3 (The latest BPRD continues, and it's been great as usual)
Dynamo 5 Vol 1 Post Nuclear Family TP (Insanely cheap $10 trade of the best new superhero comic on the market)
Gyo Vol 1 (I've got the previous version, but I'm psyched to see Viz re-releasing horror manga master Junji Ito's work)
Nova #7 (Nice payoff to the Annihilation Conquest stuff)
Suicide Squad Raise The Flag #2 (Loved the first issue, looking forward to more)
THE REST
Absolute Sandman Vol 2 HC (I haven't broken down and bought these yet... but it's probably just a matter of time)
Atomic Robo #1 (New pulp-ish adventure book from Red 5 - great art, fun story)
Booster Gold #3 (Mild interest at best, but it's still keeping that mild interest)
Brawl #1 (New Dean Haspiel, plus another feature from Activate... great cartooning)
Fantastic Four #550 (McDuffie wraps a somewhat overlong story, and it remains fun FF stuff)
Garth Ennis Chronicles Of Wormwood TP (Heard good things, on an Ennis high because I re-read Hitman... but low expectations, because Ennis's 303 bored me to tears)
Green Arrow Black Canary #1 (Lowest of expectations, but I want to like it, because I like Chiang's work so much)
Marvel Adventures Hulk #4 (Paul Benjamin's all-ages Hulk continues to delight)
Marvel Adventures Iron Man Vol 1 Digest TP (Van Lente's all-ages Iron Man has been a lot of fun thus far)
New Warriors #5 (A weaker issue, but still good)
Noble Causes Vol 7 Powerless TP (I'm really behind on reading this, I need to catch up)
Runaways #28 (Way too many characters, but there's definitely stuff to like in Whedon's run)
Thursday, October 04, 2007
More Political Ranting
McCain thinks Bush is right on in veto-ing the expansion of the kids health insurance plan. But then, he also thinks he still has a shot in hell of being the Republican presidential candidate in 2008, so he's clearly delusional.
But then, at least he's not an open scumbag like Todd Akin of Missouri, who says "among other things that we're going to provide health care to the children of illegal immigrants" as if that's the worst thing in the world. Because we don't want to spend any money on giving health care to kids in America when we could be spending that money on Blackwater and Halliburton. And Bush says "I believe in private medicine, not the federal government running the health care system." Spoken like a rich kid who's never had to really concern himself with how *fucked up* private medicine is. And then there are some critics, who say their concern is that parents might be prompted to drop private coverage for their children to get cheaper coverage under the bill. Because we want to make sure and take care of the insurance companies, who do their best to not pay out on medical claims as a matter of company policy. Wouldn't want them to suffer instead of some kids or parents.
The White House doesn't think American law should apply to American "security contractors" working in warzones on the behalf of American people. Because it'd be inconvenient to have to apply all those laws and principles our country is supposed to stand for while we're trying to kick in heads overseas.
Oh shit, we're gonna get Hillary, aren't we? Is it wrong of me to hope they catch her with a dead hooker and a suitcase full of cocaine in time for Obama to get the nomination instead?
But then, at least he's not an open scumbag like Todd Akin of Missouri, who says "among other things that we're going to provide health care to the children of illegal immigrants" as if that's the worst thing in the world. Because we don't want to spend any money on giving health care to kids in America when we could be spending that money on Blackwater and Halliburton. And Bush says "I believe in private medicine, not the federal government running the health care system." Spoken like a rich kid who's never had to really concern himself with how *fucked up* private medicine is. And then there are some critics, who say their concern is that parents might be prompted to drop private coverage for their children to get cheaper coverage under the bill. Because we want to make sure and take care of the insurance companies, who do their best to not pay out on medical claims as a matter of company policy. Wouldn't want them to suffer instead of some kids or parents.
The White House doesn't think American law should apply to American "security contractors" working in warzones on the behalf of American people. Because it'd be inconvenient to have to apply all those laws and principles our country is supposed to stand for while we're trying to kick in heads overseas.
Oh shit, we're gonna get Hillary, aren't we? Is it wrong of me to hope they catch her with a dead hooker and a suitcase full of cocaine in time for Obama to get the nomination instead?
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Look! Idiot Democrats!
My political views do tend to skew anti-Republican, but I don't exactly leap for joy at the prospect of a Democratic majority either. Their inability to do *anything* with the majority they regained in '06, combined with the generally spineless way they go about "opposing" the Bush Administration's policies, has me pretty well disgusted with the Democratic party as well.
Then I saw that top Democrats are proposing a war surtax, and that only reinforces that there really isn't a good party in America. They're both filled with opportunists and idiots. I particularly love this quote:
The surtax would be "a percentage of your tax bill," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey, D-Wisconsin. "And if you don't like the cost, then shut down the war."
Wait... shut down the war? How exactly would I, random taxpayer, do that? Isn't that what we elected you dim-bulbs to do? You want to tax me more because you guys aren't doing the job we elected you for, the job opinion polls tell you we want you to do? What the hell kind of sense does that make?
Now, this measure is unlikely to ever get anywhere. The Democratic party has been clear that they don't support the measure, it's just political grand-standing. But it's *stupid* political grand-standing.
Then I saw that top Democrats are proposing a war surtax, and that only reinforces that there really isn't a good party in America. They're both filled with opportunists and idiots. I particularly love this quote:
The surtax would be "a percentage of your tax bill," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey, D-Wisconsin. "And if you don't like the cost, then shut down the war."
Wait... shut down the war? How exactly would I, random taxpayer, do that? Isn't that what we elected you dim-bulbs to do? You want to tax me more because you guys aren't doing the job we elected you for, the job opinion polls tell you we want you to do? What the hell kind of sense does that make?
Now, this measure is unlikely to ever get anywhere. The Democratic party has been clear that they don't support the measure, it's just political grand-standing. But it's *stupid* political grand-standing.
Weekly Comics to Come - October 3, 2007
TOP FIVE
Buffy The Vampire Slayer #7 (Vaughan wrote the best issue of Buffy thus far last issue... can't wait to see where he goes next)
JLA Hitman #2 (Loved the first issue, hope Ennis and McCrea can give it a good part two)
Miki Falls Vol 3 (Terrific new story in a manga vein by Akiko creator Mark Crilley)
Question Zen And Violence Vol 1 TP (Been wanting to read these O'Neil/Cowan stories for a long, long time)
Transformers Devastation #1 (Surprised at how much I've been anticipating the next leg of IDW's Transformers reboot)
THE REST
Annihilation Book 1 TP (I got the hardcovers, but I'm glad to see this saga back in print, it's one of Marvel's best books of 2006)
Empowered Vol 2 TP (More of Adam Warren's pinup/parody book)
Essential Moon Knight Vol 2 TP (Still need to read my volume 1, actually... but I'm picking this up because it's almost entirely Moench/Sienkiewicz stuff)
Lobster Johnson The Iron Prometheus #2 (First issue was pulpy fun)
Metamorpho Year One #1 (Dan Jurgens writes and draws, and I've always had a bit of a fondness for Metamorpho... although a re-telling of his origin isn't exactly what I'm looking for)
Omega Unknown #1 (Terrific Dalrymple art... weird, weird story)
Vinyl Underground #1 (New Vertigo book... nice Sean Phillips covers, not sure about it beyond that)
Vogelein Old Ghosts GN (I've actually read this second graphic novel about Jane Irwin's clockwork faerie, and it's as effective and imaginative as the first one)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer #7 (Vaughan wrote the best issue of Buffy thus far last issue... can't wait to see where he goes next)
JLA Hitman #2 (Loved the first issue, hope Ennis and McCrea can give it a good part two)
Miki Falls Vol 3 (Terrific new story in a manga vein by Akiko creator Mark Crilley)
Question Zen And Violence Vol 1 TP (Been wanting to read these O'Neil/Cowan stories for a long, long time)
Transformers Devastation #1 (Surprised at how much I've been anticipating the next leg of IDW's Transformers reboot)
THE REST
Annihilation Book 1 TP (I got the hardcovers, but I'm glad to see this saga back in print, it's one of Marvel's best books of 2006)
Empowered Vol 2 TP (More of Adam Warren's pinup/parody book)
Essential Moon Knight Vol 2 TP (Still need to read my volume 1, actually... but I'm picking this up because it's almost entirely Moench/Sienkiewicz stuff)
Lobster Johnson The Iron Prometheus #2 (First issue was pulpy fun)
Metamorpho Year One #1 (Dan Jurgens writes and draws, and I've always had a bit of a fondness for Metamorpho... although a re-telling of his origin isn't exactly what I'm looking for)
Omega Unknown #1 (Terrific Dalrymple art... weird, weird story)
Vinyl Underground #1 (New Vertigo book... nice Sean Phillips covers, not sure about it beyond that)
Vogelein Old Ghosts GN (I've actually read this second graphic novel about Jane Irwin's clockwork faerie, and it's as effective and imaginative as the first one)
Cooking: Sausage & Mushroom Soup
In an attempt to broaden our dinner options a bit beyond my limited repertoire of grilled steaks, burgers & chicken, spaghetti and the occasional meatloaf, I've decided to start trying out some new recipes. Right now, I'm mostly getting them from myrecipes.com, which is a site from Cooking Light, Southern Cooking, etc. Tonight we tried the first one, and it was pretty good, so I figured I'd share it. It makes a ton... my guess is that you could feed about six people with it using it as a main dish, especially if you add some bread. Or you could serve small cups of it as part of an Italian meal with pasta or chicken parmigiana or something along those lines, and probably have enough for 8-12 people.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds mild Italian sausages (I used sweet instead)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
7 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 pound angel hair
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Preparation
1. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove. When cool enough to handle, cut the sausages into 1/8-inch slices.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pot over moderately low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the broth, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the salt to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in the sausages and bring back to a boil. Add the pasta, reduce the heat, and simmer until just done, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and the black pepper.
For my modifications, I left out the parsley, since I assumed it was more garnish than flavor, I only used a 1/2 lb. of mushrooms (which seemed like plenty to me... your mileage may vary) and I couldn't find low sodium chicken broth, so I used regular. In retrospect, if you wind up going this route, you can probably skip adding the additional salt, although it certainly didn't kill the taste. But I think it might have been on the border of doing so for Suzanne.
Also, if you want to make the soup easier to eat, crack the angel hair in half before dropping it in. We wound up using both spoons and forks to eat the meal.
Anyway, now that I know I like the taste, it's time to figure out what I can do to cut down on prep time. I'm also thinking I might try halving the recipe next time I make it, so that we don't have quite so much left over.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds mild Italian sausages (I used sweet instead)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
7 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 pound angel hair
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Preparation
1. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove. When cool enough to handle, cut the sausages into 1/8-inch slices.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pot over moderately low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the broth, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the salt to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in the sausages and bring back to a boil. Add the pasta, reduce the heat, and simmer until just done, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and the black pepper.
For my modifications, I left out the parsley, since I assumed it was more garnish than flavor, I only used a 1/2 lb. of mushrooms (which seemed like plenty to me... your mileage may vary) and I couldn't find low sodium chicken broth, so I used regular. In retrospect, if you wind up going this route, you can probably skip adding the additional salt, although it certainly didn't kill the taste. But I think it might have been on the border of doing so for Suzanne.
Also, if you want to make the soup easier to eat, crack the angel hair in half before dropping it in. We wound up using both spoons and forks to eat the meal.
Anyway, now that I know I like the taste, it's time to figure out what I can do to cut down on prep time. I'm also thinking I might try halving the recipe next time I make it, so that we don't have quite so much left over.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Blog Update for September
This is the latest monthly update to the left column of the blog, updating my favorite comics and TV for the previous month. The listings are alphabetical, not by rank of how much I liked them in comparison. My criteria for what makes the list is when I read them, not necessarily when they were published. This is basically also my own records of what I read/liked for the inevitable "End of Year" lists I feel like making.
Another great month for comics, as the top 20 sort of made itself and left over a dozen worthy contenders out. Those included the latest issues of Annihilation: Conquest Wraith and Quasar, the second Johnny Hiro, the latest Fables, X-Men First Class, Iron Fist (and its annual), The Order, Usagi Yojimbo, Highwaymen, Green Arrow Year One and World War Hulk (all favorite series by the way), not to mention promising newcomers like the second issue of Brit and the JLA Wedding Special and Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin #1. There were five strong debuts that made the top 20, though, although sadly all of them are relatively short limited series, so no breakout new ongoing hit. DC made the chart with four books... two Vertigo, and two set in the DC Universes I miss, one the late '80s (Suicide Squad) and another the late '90s (Hitman). Marvel ranked higher with six books, although it's notable that five of those are set in their current continuity (whereas I generally won't touch DC's current continuity with a 10-foot pole), although only one (Criminal) is a non-superhero book Dark Horse made a good showing with four of their own, including the best issues of Buffy and Fear Agent yet, a promising debut in Umbrella Academy and another solid issue of BPRD. Image also did well with three: True Story Swear to God, Walking Dead and Dynamo 5. IDW has 30 Days of Night: Red Snow, Boom! has Potter's Field. I don't know if the lack of any true indy/self-published books is a reflection of my taste or the brutal marginalization going on for those guys in the current market. I tend to think the latter, but then, I would, wouldn't I?
As with last month, my graphic novel reading was severely curtailed by reading actual books. I finished The Subtle Knife and started The Amber Spyglass, and still have Patriot Acts, Gates of Fire and a horror novella lent to me by my friend Nate Southard on the night table. I also diverted from my regular reading to re-read Hitman #1-60, and I can't say as I regret it. It's reminded me that the series is just as good in reality as it is in my memory. At any rate, as a result my Graphic Novels of the month are merely eight, and a couple of those (Essential Punisher, Thunderbolts) are on there because I've already read some or all of the contents, not because I've had a chance to do much more than skim the new collected versions.
Besides reading actual books and '90s comics, what have I been up to? Well, I'd been considering switching from HBO to Showtime, and when Tell Me You Love Me was dead boring, and the first episode of Dexter on DVD was jaw-dropping amazing, that pretty much did it. So I've been catching the first season of Dexter (finished the last episode on Wednesday night) in order to be ready for the season opener on the 30th. I finished up watching The 4400 (was the show always this bad? I'm interested in the plot, but the writing... wow... yikes) and Burn Notice (most fun new show in quite a while, can't wait to see it again next summer). I watched the first two episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm before dropping HBO, but I don't really think that means it can make the cut. I have put Weeds on regular rotation, though, and might do the same with both Californication and Brotherhood once I get caught up on the latter and watch the DVDs of the former. I also finally watched the DVDs of Friday Night Lights, which is every bit as good as the critics say it is. I watched one disc, put it back into the mail to Netflix and immediately bought the season on DVD so I wouldn't have to wait for the rest to arrive. Next up on DVD, season one of Brotherhood so I can see if Showtime actually has three shows on that I want to watch.
Then there were the starts of the new Fall season, which I've been blogging here. Nothing has blown me away yet, although Reaper is a hell of a lot of fun based on the pilot. Chuck is on thin ice, but I hear it gets better. Heroes is on thin ice, but it started weak last year too. How I Met Your Mother returns in fine form. I am kind of shocked that: A) NBC has such a hold on my TV viewing habits and B) Sitcoms make up almost 50% of my top 10 viewing. The Office and My Name is Earl both opened pretty strong (the former more than the latter, I could give up Earl if I needed the time but I love The Office), and I'm very much looking forward to the season openers of 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights later this week. I'm also enjoying the (finally!) returning It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, although F/X's annoying scheduling, so that it starts about 5 minutes after when it says it starts and ends about 5-7 minutes later, is really messing with my Tivo scheduling. I think conventional wisdom at the networks is that this will get people to watch the show live (with commercials) instead. In fact, it will get me to decide to wait for DVD or not hassle with the show at all.
Not as many new sites this month as last, but there are some good ones. Alan Sepinwall is currently duplicating his daily TV content on his personal blog, but just in case that doesn't continue, I've added his new TV blog from NJ.com, AllTV, to the feeds. I also added new feeds for Boing Boing Gadgets, blogs for Tom Beland and Scott Chantler and the webcomic XKCD.
Another great month for comics, as the top 20 sort of made itself and left over a dozen worthy contenders out. Those included the latest issues of Annihilation: Conquest Wraith and Quasar, the second Johnny Hiro, the latest Fables, X-Men First Class, Iron Fist (and its annual), The Order, Usagi Yojimbo, Highwaymen, Green Arrow Year One and World War Hulk (all favorite series by the way), not to mention promising newcomers like the second issue of Brit and the JLA Wedding Special and Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin #1. There were five strong debuts that made the top 20, though, although sadly all of them are relatively short limited series, so no breakout new ongoing hit. DC made the chart with four books... two Vertigo, and two set in the DC Universes I miss, one the late '80s (Suicide Squad) and another the late '90s (Hitman). Marvel ranked higher with six books, although it's notable that five of those are set in their current continuity (whereas I generally won't touch DC's current continuity with a 10-foot pole), although only one (Criminal) is a non-superhero book Dark Horse made a good showing with four of their own, including the best issues of Buffy and Fear Agent yet, a promising debut in Umbrella Academy and another solid issue of BPRD. Image also did well with three: True Story Swear to God, Walking Dead and Dynamo 5. IDW has 30 Days of Night: Red Snow, Boom! has Potter's Field. I don't know if the lack of any true indy/self-published books is a reflection of my taste or the brutal marginalization going on for those guys in the current market. I tend to think the latter, but then, I would, wouldn't I?
As with last month, my graphic novel reading was severely curtailed by reading actual books. I finished The Subtle Knife and started The Amber Spyglass, and still have Patriot Acts, Gates of Fire and a horror novella lent to me by my friend Nate Southard on the night table. I also diverted from my regular reading to re-read Hitman #1-60, and I can't say as I regret it. It's reminded me that the series is just as good in reality as it is in my memory. At any rate, as a result my Graphic Novels of the month are merely eight, and a couple of those (Essential Punisher, Thunderbolts) are on there because I've already read some or all of the contents, not because I've had a chance to do much more than skim the new collected versions.
Besides reading actual books and '90s comics, what have I been up to? Well, I'd been considering switching from HBO to Showtime, and when Tell Me You Love Me was dead boring, and the first episode of Dexter on DVD was jaw-dropping amazing, that pretty much did it. So I've been catching the first season of Dexter (finished the last episode on Wednesday night) in order to be ready for the season opener on the 30th. I finished up watching The 4400 (was the show always this bad? I'm interested in the plot, but the writing... wow... yikes) and Burn Notice (most fun new show in quite a while, can't wait to see it again next summer). I watched the first two episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm before dropping HBO, but I don't really think that means it can make the cut. I have put Weeds on regular rotation, though, and might do the same with both Californication and Brotherhood once I get caught up on the latter and watch the DVDs of the former. I also finally watched the DVDs of Friday Night Lights, which is every bit as good as the critics say it is. I watched one disc, put it back into the mail to Netflix and immediately bought the season on DVD so I wouldn't have to wait for the rest to arrive. Next up on DVD, season one of Brotherhood so I can see if Showtime actually has three shows on that I want to watch.
Then there were the starts of the new Fall season, which I've been blogging here. Nothing has blown me away yet, although Reaper is a hell of a lot of fun based on the pilot. Chuck is on thin ice, but I hear it gets better. Heroes is on thin ice, but it started weak last year too. How I Met Your Mother returns in fine form. I am kind of shocked that: A) NBC has such a hold on my TV viewing habits and B) Sitcoms make up almost 50% of my top 10 viewing. The Office and My Name is Earl both opened pretty strong (the former more than the latter, I could give up Earl if I needed the time but I love The Office), and I'm very much looking forward to the season openers of 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights later this week. I'm also enjoying the (finally!) returning It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, although F/X's annoying scheduling, so that it starts about 5 minutes after when it says it starts and ends about 5-7 minutes later, is really messing with my Tivo scheduling. I think conventional wisdom at the networks is that this will get people to watch the show live (with commercials) instead. In fact, it will get me to decide to wait for DVD or not hassle with the show at all.
Not as many new sites this month as last, but there are some good ones. Alan Sepinwall is currently duplicating his daily TV content on his personal blog, but just in case that doesn't continue, I've added his new TV blog from NJ.com, AllTV, to the feeds. I also added new feeds for Boing Boing Gadgets, blogs for Tom Beland and Scott Chantler and the webcomic XKCD.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Weekly Comics to Come - September 26, 2007
Running late this week, so these are based on actually reading the books, rather than advanced speculation
TOP FIVE
American Virgin #19 (Best issue of the series so far, and I love this series)
Annihilation Conquest Star Lord #3 (Best issue of *this* series so far, great action, art and some nice character reveals)
Criminal #9 (The Tracy Lawless series rockets along to its conclusion with the requisite amount of blood, secrets and danger)
Immortal Iron Fist Annual #1 (Beautiful art, fun pulp homage, every bit as good as the monthly Immortal Iron Fist, with the added bonus of Dan Brereton)
Killer Vol 1 HC (Beautifully drawn, creepy and involving story of a professional killer, in a stunningly designed hardcover... now if only we could get some more issues)
THE REST
Astounding Wolf-Man #3 (Good, but like Invincible, may read tons better in trade)
Avengers Initiative #6 (Bleh. Hate that last page reveal, which is akin to the Speedball=Penance transformation in terms of sucking the fun out of the Marvel universe, and wasn't crazy about Uy's art. I think I may be done with this book)
Brit #2 (Lots of fun, albeit not as fun as the first issue of the series. But definitely worth reading for Invincible fans)
Captain America Red White & Blue TP (Forgotten gem of Cap stories by lesser known creators and indy stars, plus some interesting behind the scenes material)
Green Arrow Year One #5 (Fantastic action comic... makes me miss the Losers a little bit less)
Immortal Iron Fist #9 (Martial arts tournament and secret knowledge, and this book continues to kick my ass each month)
Justice League Of America #13 (Pretty awful art, almost makes me long for the return of Ed Benes... story is OK, although disappointing after the great start of JLA Wedding Special... and I really didn't need the Sue Dibny reference)
Marvel Adventures Iron Man #5 (Sold out before I could read it... bummer)
Previews Vol XVII #10 (Down the Line in process)
Revere Revolution In Silver HC (Looks promising, haven't had a chance to read yet)
Spirit #10 (Can't quite make up my mind on whether it's a clever, witty send-up of pundits or an overly obvious bashing of easy targets)
The Order #3 (Weakest issue thus far, but still good, and features zombie hobos, which earns it bonus points)
Usagi Yojimbo #106 (This book has been really good lately, with demonic possessions, multiple bounty hunters and such)
X-men First Class Vol 2 #4 (Fun! Road trip with Beast and Iceman!)
TOP FIVE
American Virgin #19 (Best issue of the series so far, and I love this series)
Annihilation Conquest Star Lord #3 (Best issue of *this* series so far, great action, art and some nice character reveals)
Criminal #9 (The Tracy Lawless series rockets along to its conclusion with the requisite amount of blood, secrets and danger)
Immortal Iron Fist Annual #1 (Beautiful art, fun pulp homage, every bit as good as the monthly Immortal Iron Fist, with the added bonus of Dan Brereton)
Killer Vol 1 HC (Beautifully drawn, creepy and involving story of a professional killer, in a stunningly designed hardcover... now if only we could get some more issues)
THE REST
Astounding Wolf-Man #3 (Good, but like Invincible, may read tons better in trade)
Avengers Initiative #6 (Bleh. Hate that last page reveal, which is akin to the Speedball=Penance transformation in terms of sucking the fun out of the Marvel universe, and wasn't crazy about Uy's art. I think I may be done with this book)
Brit #2 (Lots of fun, albeit not as fun as the first issue of the series. But definitely worth reading for Invincible fans)
Captain America Red White & Blue TP (Forgotten gem of Cap stories by lesser known creators and indy stars, plus some interesting behind the scenes material)
Green Arrow Year One #5 (Fantastic action comic... makes me miss the Losers a little bit less)
Immortal Iron Fist #9 (Martial arts tournament and secret knowledge, and this book continues to kick my ass each month)
Justice League Of America #13 (Pretty awful art, almost makes me long for the return of Ed Benes... story is OK, although disappointing after the great start of JLA Wedding Special... and I really didn't need the Sue Dibny reference)
Marvel Adventures Iron Man #5 (Sold out before I could read it... bummer)
Previews Vol XVII #10 (Down the Line in process)
Revere Revolution In Silver HC (Looks promising, haven't had a chance to read yet)
Spirit #10 (Can't quite make up my mind on whether it's a clever, witty send-up of pundits or an overly obvious bashing of easy targets)
The Order #3 (Weakest issue thus far, but still good, and features zombie hobos, which earns it bonus points)
Usagi Yojimbo #106 (This book has been really good lately, with demonic possessions, multiple bounty hunters and such)
X-men First Class Vol 2 #4 (Fun! Road trip with Beast and Iceman!)
Fall Season: Reaper
Well, what everybody is saying is true. It's a lot like Chuck, but better than Chuck. It's funny and yet it's got some nice dramatic moments too. It's got likable characters (I'll take the actually funny sidekick in Reaper over the annoying sidekick on Chuck, and Missy Peregrym is terrific as the hot yet accessible love interest), a fun premise and a general tone that reminds me of everything I liked about something like Buffy without seeming like a ripoff of Buffy.
And it's got Ray Wise as the devil, which is pretty much a good enough reason to watch the show all on its own. Kevin Smith directs the hell out of the pilot, but I have to say that I'm hopeful that other directors can pull off similarly good work with the show as it goes along. The special effects weren't blow the doors off expensive looking, there weren't a ton of fancy camera tricks or editing tricks (although a good editor, and someone good at the music choices and cues, is gonna be crucial)... the heart of what makes this all work is the cast. Good cast, good writing, good premise? Few shows this season have more than one of those, so far.
Oh, and I laughed out loud several time. Not only is the show imaginative and well-acted, it's *funny*.
I haven't seen Pushing Daisies yet, but Reaper is looking like my favorite new show of the fall.
And it's got Ray Wise as the devil, which is pretty much a good enough reason to watch the show all on its own. Kevin Smith directs the hell out of the pilot, but I have to say that I'm hopeful that other directors can pull off similarly good work with the show as it goes along. The special effects weren't blow the doors off expensive looking, there weren't a ton of fancy camera tricks or editing tricks (although a good editor, and someone good at the music choices and cues, is gonna be crucial)... the heart of what makes this all work is the cast. Good cast, good writing, good premise? Few shows this season have more than one of those, so far.
Oh, and I laughed out loud several time. Not only is the show imaginative and well-acted, it's *funny*.
I haven't seen Pushing Daisies yet, but Reaper is looking like my favorite new show of the fall.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Fall Season: How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy & Heroes
How I Met Your Mother: -Dary! Great start to the episode, nice use of Mandy Moore (although I liked her better in both Scrubs and Entourage... weirdly, I'm a fan of TV cameo Mandy Moore). It wasn't a *great* episode, but it was a good one, and I got several laughs out of it. I was especially impressed by the "Slap Bet" epilogue, which was totally for the long-time fans of the show, but recalled one of my favorite moments of the entire show (the second slap in the middle of Barney's "play"), and I also enjoyed the facial hair gags and Ted's "And that's the last thing I remember" narration. Funny show, off to a good start for the season.
Family Guy: I haven't watched any of season five, but I might be on board for this new season. The Star Wars episode was a lot of fun, especially if you can catch the in-jokes for not only Family Guy but Star Wars. I died laughing when they revealed Obi Wan. The "Dirty Dancing" sequence was overlong, but sometimes Family Guy can do that milking a gag type thing well, so I can't blame them for trying it. It was a callback to the "Somewhere That's Green" extended sequence that was one of the funniest in the show's history, in my opinion. I have to admit, I didn't catch Meg's role, I need to watch it again. I was also amused to see that they actually got Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo for the voices in the brief Vacation bit.
Heroes: Disappointed. Some of the same cliched writing that plagued the original pilot, the new characters aren't terribly interesting and I don't find any of the new status quo that interesting either. Well, except Parkman, who gets to be more of a real character than he was for most of the first season. But I don't really want to see Hiro in feudal Japan (even though David Anders is great), I think re-doing the "Clare's got to pretend to be normal, and so does her dad" plot was a mistake (and seriously, why on Earth would he go to work at a Kinko's? He can't do a *little* bit better and at least find a decent middle management job?) and I don't yet care about the Honduran brother and sister. Nor do I have a ton of interest in Mohinder reprising his arc from the first season, although I will admit the last minute twist makes that more interesting. Mildly curious about seeing more of the older generation (Ma Petrelli, Hiro's dad, etc.) but I'd like it to move faster, and I wasn't pleased to see "another shadowy guy in a hoodie" as the mystery villain. Basically, it wasn't awful, but they did seem to be repeating themselves an awful lot.
Now, Heroes started off kinda mediocre last season and got better and better, and hopefully that's what will happen here. But after the way they dropped the ball on the season finale, they really needed a stronger opening to hook me back in.
In other news, I decided I don't really care about Journeyman, and didn't watch it. And I watched Chuck early, so I already talked about that one.
Family Guy: I haven't watched any of season five, but I might be on board for this new season. The Star Wars episode was a lot of fun, especially if you can catch the in-jokes for not only Family Guy but Star Wars. I died laughing when they revealed Obi Wan. The "Dirty Dancing" sequence was overlong, but sometimes Family Guy can do that milking a gag type thing well, so I can't blame them for trying it. It was a callback to the "Somewhere That's Green" extended sequence that was one of the funniest in the show's history, in my opinion. I have to admit, I didn't catch Meg's role, I need to watch it again. I was also amused to see that they actually got Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo for the voices in the brief Vacation bit.
Heroes: Disappointed. Some of the same cliched writing that plagued the original pilot, the new characters aren't terribly interesting and I don't find any of the new status quo that interesting either. Well, except Parkman, who gets to be more of a real character than he was for most of the first season. But I don't really want to see Hiro in feudal Japan (even though David Anders is great), I think re-doing the "Clare's got to pretend to be normal, and so does her dad" plot was a mistake (and seriously, why on Earth would he go to work at a Kinko's? He can't do a *little* bit better and at least find a decent middle management job?) and I don't yet care about the Honduran brother and sister. Nor do I have a ton of interest in Mohinder reprising his arc from the first season, although I will admit the last minute twist makes that more interesting. Mildly curious about seeing more of the older generation (Ma Petrelli, Hiro's dad, etc.) but I'd like it to move faster, and I wasn't pleased to see "another shadowy guy in a hoodie" as the mystery villain. Basically, it wasn't awful, but they did seem to be repeating themselves an awful lot.
Now, Heroes started off kinda mediocre last season and got better and better, and hopefully that's what will happen here. But after the way they dropped the ball on the season finale, they really needed a stronger opening to hook me back in.
In other news, I decided I don't really care about Journeyman, and didn't watch it. And I watched Chuck early, so I already talked about that one.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
President Bush Hates Children
Bush plans to veto a bipartisan (and how rarely does *that* word get attached to successful legislation today?) bill that would extend a healthcare program for children.
His basic reasoning seems to boil down to being afraid of socialized medicine, and wanting to make sure that if someone can afford to pay money to health insurance companies, they pay that money. Thanks, GW! Glad somebody is looking out for those poor health insurance companies, protecting them from all those wicked parents who might otherwise use the money to buy their kids food or toys or something!
Seriously, I think we all know that Cheney survives on a diet of live babies and Alberto Gonzales bathes in the blood of children before his congressional hearings, but is this the most evil-sounding administration we've ever had? It's like they should all have sinister mustaches that they can twirl at their media conferences, or maybe Bush could create a Cabinet level Minister of Tying Helpless Young Women to Railroad Tracks.
Yeah, I'm exaggerating a bit. I have to laugh so I don't cry at what our nation's government has been reduced to.
On the bright side, at least there's one less bridge to Nowhere, Alaska being built with taxpayer money. On the down side, Ted Stevens (who may in fact be Dana Carvey doing his "Cranky Old Man" sketch from SNL as performance art) still represents Alaska, so they seem no less stupid a state than they did when they were building a $400 million bridge for 50 people to use.
His basic reasoning seems to boil down to being afraid of socialized medicine, and wanting to make sure that if someone can afford to pay money to health insurance companies, they pay that money. Thanks, GW! Glad somebody is looking out for those poor health insurance companies, protecting them from all those wicked parents who might otherwise use the money to buy their kids food or toys or something!
Seriously, I think we all know that Cheney survives on a diet of live babies and Alberto Gonzales bathes in the blood of children before his congressional hearings, but is this the most evil-sounding administration we've ever had? It's like they should all have sinister mustaches that they can twirl at their media conferences, or maybe Bush could create a Cabinet level Minister of Tying Helpless Young Women to Railroad Tracks.
Yeah, I'm exaggerating a bit. I have to laugh so I don't cry at what our nation's government has been reduced to.
On the bright side, at least there's one less bridge to Nowhere, Alaska being built with taxpayer money. On the down side, Ted Stevens (who may in fact be Dana Carvey doing his "Cranky Old Man" sketch from SNL as performance art) still represents Alaska, so they seem no less stupid a state than they did when they were building a $400 million bridge for 50 people to use.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Fall Season: K-Ville & Chuck
Wow, is the Fall season looking bleak. There's literally nothing new I'm really looking forward to. I have Bionic Woman and Journeyman sitting on the Tivo thanks to Amazon Unbox, and nothing else to prevent me watching them, and I just can't work up the enthusiasm to watch. Even Pushing Daisies, which I expect to like, has two strikes against it: 1) I can easily see it being well-executed but not really what I'm looking for and 2) More importantly, even if it's good, it's probably going to have low ratings and get killed, as it sounds too weird to sell to the public.
I've seen two pilots thus far. I watched Chuck (thanks to Amazon Unbox) and thought it was OK. Mildly diverting. Had a couple mild chuckle-worthy moments. But the plots aren't smart enough, the action isn't compelling enough, the humor isn't sharp enough... it's solid, just this side of mediocre. And opposite How I Met Your Mother, so I doubt I'll be watching unless I start hearing a lot of rave reviews.
Tonight I watched K-Ville. I really wanted to like this one. It's got a good cast, reasonably solid direction, a *great* setting and production look... but it's some of the most cliched cop show writing I've seen. Worse, it's like they're trying to get every bit of New Orleans flavor in there in the most forced, cringe-worthy of ways. Inside of the first five minutes, I had heard just about every cop and New Orleans cliche there is. And there are two utterly pointless, utterly dull car chases. And With better writing, this show could be to New Orleans what The Shield is to L.A. But based on that pilot, I'm not holding my breath. It's not a bad show... it's just a disappointingly OK show, and up against Heroes, that isn't going to cut it. Alan Sepinwall has his review here, and he pretty much nails it.
I've seen two pilots thus far. I watched Chuck (thanks to Amazon Unbox) and thought it was OK. Mildly diverting. Had a couple mild chuckle-worthy moments. But the plots aren't smart enough, the action isn't compelling enough, the humor isn't sharp enough... it's solid, just this side of mediocre. And opposite How I Met Your Mother, so I doubt I'll be watching unless I start hearing a lot of rave reviews.
Tonight I watched K-Ville. I really wanted to like this one. It's got a good cast, reasonably solid direction, a *great* setting and production look... but it's some of the most cliched cop show writing I've seen. Worse, it's like they're trying to get every bit of New Orleans flavor in there in the most forced, cringe-worthy of ways. Inside of the first five minutes, I had heard just about every cop and New Orleans cliche there is. And there are two utterly pointless, utterly dull car chases. And With better writing, this show could be to New Orleans what The Shield is to L.A. But based on that pilot, I'm not holding my breath. It's not a bad show... it's just a disappointingly OK show, and up against Heroes, that isn't going to cut it. Alan Sepinwall has his review here, and he pretty much nails it.
Damn It!
I can't afford an XBox 360 *and* a Wii! Why must the videogame gods be so cruel as to have two awesome games, each unique* to one system?
I mean, on the one hand, we have Rock Band... which I must own. Therefore I need a 360.
On the other, Lucasfilm has *finally* announced the no-brainer lightsaber duel game for the Wii, which also has that cool control system that I'm in love with and happens to be $100 cheaper than an XBox 360. Therefore I must have a Wii.
Of course, this ignores the larger issue that I can't really afford to buy either one. But damn it, I had finally resolved to get an XBox 360 and let the Wii go, and now I'm back to being undecided again!
*Yes, I know Rock Band is on PS3 as well. But the PS3 looks pretty weak, is super-expensive and doesn't have the impressive roster of other games that the 360 does. So it doesn't count. I was never even tempted by the PS3.
I mean, on the one hand, we have Rock Band... which I must own. Therefore I need a 360.
On the other, Lucasfilm has *finally* announced the no-brainer lightsaber duel game for the Wii, which also has that cool control system that I'm in love with and happens to be $100 cheaper than an XBox 360. Therefore I must have a Wii.
Of course, this ignores the larger issue that I can't really afford to buy either one. But damn it, I had finally resolved to get an XBox 360 and let the Wii go, and now I'm back to being undecided again!
*Yes, I know Rock Band is on PS3 as well. But the PS3 looks pretty weak, is super-expensive and doesn't have the impressive roster of other games that the 360 does. So it doesn't count. I was never even tempted by the PS3.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Weekly Comics to Come - September 19, 2007
TOP FIVE
Captain America #30 (A kickass action story, plenty of twists and turns, *and* plausible redemption for Iron Man? Brubaker is the *man*)
Dynamo 5 #7 (The latest issue of the best new superhero book since Invincible)
JLA Hitman #1 (Hitman is my favorite Ennis work... can Ennis and McCrea capture the magic? And more importantly, will sales be good enough to finally get this series traded up?)
Johnny Hiro #2 (First issue was off the wall fun with great art, I can't wait to read the next one)
Umbrella Academy Apocalypse Suite #1 (Teasers of this, in the Free Comic Book Day issue and DHP MySpace, have been pretty damn good)
THE REST
30 Days Of Night Beyond Barrow #1 (Sienkiewicz doing the 30 Days riff? OK, I'll check that out)
30 Days Of Night Red Snow #2 (But I'm more excited about Ben Templesmith writing and drawing this WWII era of vampires, Russians and Nazis)
Annihilation Conquest Quasar #3 (How many comics feature a cosmic warrior riding her lesbian dragon lover into battle? Not enough, I say)
Captain America By Ed Brubaker Omnibus Vol 1 HC (I don't think I'm going to be able to resist this expensive hardcover. The Brubaker/Epting/Perkins Cap stuff has been great, and that's despite me not *wanting* to like a lot of the plot twists)
Cyblade Pilot Season #1 (Joshua Hale Fialkov writes, so I'll give this one a look)
Dr Thirteen Architecture And Morality TP (Obscure DC mystical characters in a buzzed-about story with Cliff Chiang art... I'll give it a look)
Flash #232 (Really enjoyed the first issue, looking forward to seeing where Waid goes with it)
Gods Of Asgard GN (Terrific indie graphic novel about the Asgardian gods)
Green Arrow Black Canary Wedding Special #1 (After all the build-up and two specials already, this better be pretty good... I'm expecting a bait-and-switch death that's gonna piss me off, honestly)
Highwaymen #4 (The best action comic not enough people are reading)
Marvel Adventures Avengers #16 (Hawkeye! Jeff Parker! Awesome!)
Marvel Comics Presents #1 (Still unsure about this one, but the Immonen's story looks very interesting from previews)
Terror Inc #2 (Dug the first issue, looking forward to the second)
Thunderbolts By Ellis Vol 1 Faith In Monsters HC (I'm waiting on the trade edition, but I really want to get this collected, it's one of my favorite Marvel series of the moment)
World War Hulk #4 (Looking forward to seeing more, hoping Sentry's presence won't ruin the whole thing)
Zero Killer #2 (First issue was merely OK... but I'm going to give it a second issue to hook me)
Captain America #30 (A kickass action story, plenty of twists and turns, *and* plausible redemption for Iron Man? Brubaker is the *man*)
Dynamo 5 #7 (The latest issue of the best new superhero book since Invincible)
JLA Hitman #1 (Hitman is my favorite Ennis work... can Ennis and McCrea capture the magic? And more importantly, will sales be good enough to finally get this series traded up?)
Johnny Hiro #2 (First issue was off the wall fun with great art, I can't wait to read the next one)
Umbrella Academy Apocalypse Suite #1 (Teasers of this, in the Free Comic Book Day issue and DHP MySpace, have been pretty damn good)
THE REST
30 Days Of Night Beyond Barrow #1 (Sienkiewicz doing the 30 Days riff? OK, I'll check that out)
30 Days Of Night Red Snow #2 (But I'm more excited about Ben Templesmith writing and drawing this WWII era of vampires, Russians and Nazis)
Annihilation Conquest Quasar #3 (How many comics feature a cosmic warrior riding her lesbian dragon lover into battle? Not enough, I say)
Captain America By Ed Brubaker Omnibus Vol 1 HC (I don't think I'm going to be able to resist this expensive hardcover. The Brubaker/Epting/Perkins Cap stuff has been great, and that's despite me not *wanting* to like a lot of the plot twists)
Cyblade Pilot Season #1 (Joshua Hale Fialkov writes, so I'll give this one a look)
Dr Thirteen Architecture And Morality TP (Obscure DC mystical characters in a buzzed-about story with Cliff Chiang art... I'll give it a look)
Flash #232 (Really enjoyed the first issue, looking forward to seeing where Waid goes with it)
Gods Of Asgard GN (Terrific indie graphic novel about the Asgardian gods)
Green Arrow Black Canary Wedding Special #1 (After all the build-up and two specials already, this better be pretty good... I'm expecting a bait-and-switch death that's gonna piss me off, honestly)
Highwaymen #4 (The best action comic not enough people are reading)
Marvel Adventures Avengers #16 (Hawkeye! Jeff Parker! Awesome!)
Marvel Comics Presents #1 (Still unsure about this one, but the Immonen's story looks very interesting from previews)
Terror Inc #2 (Dug the first issue, looking forward to the second)
Thunderbolts By Ellis Vol 1 Faith In Monsters HC (I'm waiting on the trade edition, but I really want to get this collected, it's one of my favorite Marvel series of the moment)
World War Hulk #4 (Looking forward to seeing more, hoping Sentry's presence won't ruin the whole thing)
Zero Killer #2 (First issue was merely OK... but I'm going to give it a second issue to hook me)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Weekly Comics to Come - September 12, 2007
TOP FIVE
Fear Agent Last Goodbye #3 (This flashback miniseries is brutal, but it's also a remarkably fun war/sci-fi book)
JLA Wedding Special #1 (Fantastic start to McDuffie's run on the book)
Potters Field #1 (A very promising and dark crime book from Mark Waid and Paul Azaceta)
Suicide Squad #1 (The magic is back, as Ostrander returns, joined by the Manhunter artist Javier Pina, to tell a lost tale of the Squad)
Walking Dead #42 (Terrific issue, with a hell of an ending)
THE REST
The Arrival GN (Looks gorgeous, seems weirdly out of place with the rest of Graphix's imprint)
Booster Gold #2 (Just like the first issue... wordy slog of a first half, light fun in the second half)
BPRD Killing Ground #2 (Fantastic character developments, beautiful art)
Daredevil #100 (Interesting use of multiple artists, decent issue but the book is slipping a bit for me)
Essential Punisher Vol 2 TP (I fondly remember about half the stories in this book... kind of looking forward to reading the rest of them)
DMZ #23 (Standalone issue about a graffiti artist in NYC, pre- and post-war)
Drafted #1 (Disappointing first issue, but it's still a promising series)
Fables #65 (The Flycatcher story rolls on, with some great revelations and terrific moments throughout)
Hellboy Vol 7 The Troll Witch & Others TP (I'm still a trade or two behind on Hellboy... need to catch up)
Jack Of Fables #14 (I think I may have moved to reading in trade on this one)
Legend Of Grimjack Vol 8 TP (We're about to enter some of the weaker eras for Grimjack, but it's still good at the very least)
Marvel Adventures Hulk #3 (Want to read this one when I get a chance, #2 was a blast)
Nova #6 (A bit bummed by the ending, hoping it's a fakeout, but otherwise another solid issue of one of Marvel's best books)
Showcase Presents Batman And The Outsiders Vol 1 TP (Never read this book back in the day, but I'm interested in reading it now)
Star Trek Manga Vol 2 (Lots of creators I like on this one)
Star Wars Legacy #16 (Tons going on, not always in tune with it, but it has strong writing and art)
Star Wars Rebellion #10 (Either the end or nearing the end of the current crime/espionage story, which has been really good)
Thirteen Steps #1 (Weird, dark, quirky fun book about a werewolf in a monster self-help group)
Fear Agent Last Goodbye #3 (This flashback miniseries is brutal, but it's also a remarkably fun war/sci-fi book)
JLA Wedding Special #1 (Fantastic start to McDuffie's run on the book)
Potters Field #1 (A very promising and dark crime book from Mark Waid and Paul Azaceta)
Suicide Squad #1 (The magic is back, as Ostrander returns, joined by the Manhunter artist Javier Pina, to tell a lost tale of the Squad)
Walking Dead #42 (Terrific issue, with a hell of an ending)
THE REST
The Arrival GN (Looks gorgeous, seems weirdly out of place with the rest of Graphix's imprint)
Booster Gold #2 (Just like the first issue... wordy slog of a first half, light fun in the second half)
BPRD Killing Ground #2 (Fantastic character developments, beautiful art)
Daredevil #100 (Interesting use of multiple artists, decent issue but the book is slipping a bit for me)
Essential Punisher Vol 2 TP (I fondly remember about half the stories in this book... kind of looking forward to reading the rest of them)
DMZ #23 (Standalone issue about a graffiti artist in NYC, pre- and post-war)
Drafted #1 (Disappointing first issue, but it's still a promising series)
Fables #65 (The Flycatcher story rolls on, with some great revelations and terrific moments throughout)
Hellboy Vol 7 The Troll Witch & Others TP (I'm still a trade or two behind on Hellboy... need to catch up)
Jack Of Fables #14 (I think I may have moved to reading in trade on this one)
Legend Of Grimjack Vol 8 TP (We're about to enter some of the weaker eras for Grimjack, but it's still good at the very least)
Marvel Adventures Hulk #3 (Want to read this one when I get a chance, #2 was a blast)
Nova #6 (A bit bummed by the ending, hoping it's a fakeout, but otherwise another solid issue of one of Marvel's best books)
Showcase Presents Batman And The Outsiders Vol 1 TP (Never read this book back in the day, but I'm interested in reading it now)
Star Trek Manga Vol 2 (Lots of creators I like on this one)
Star Wars Legacy #16 (Tons going on, not always in tune with it, but it has strong writing and art)
Star Wars Rebellion #10 (Either the end or nearing the end of the current crime/espionage story, which has been really good)
Thirteen Steps #1 (Weird, dark, quirky fun book about a werewolf in a monster self-help group)
Monday, September 10, 2007
TV Thoughts - Midseason Post-Mortem & Fall Season Predictions
I did mention how much I hated the very idea of Kid Nation, right? I mean, I thought it wouldn't be possible for me to hate reality television more, so kudos to CBS for that one, at least, I guess.
So... midseason. Not as great as I'd hoped, but not bad. The Sopranos ending felt a little too precious and "look how clever I am" to me, and while I give David Chase full credit for guts, I also have little patience for these "it's more real" type endings, in whatever medium. Yeah, it's more real... guess what? You ain't writing reality. Fictional endings have resolutions, there's supposed to be payoff to all the build-up. Damages and Rescue Me both lost my interest well before the midway point. The 4400 is testing my patience with its comedic plotlines that we're clearly meant to take seriously (The Marked? A de-aging drink? Really?) and Big Love, though I watched it all the way through, has more or less lost me. I find almost every character (except Margene) to be completely compromised, and Bill, the lead, is a complete shitheel, which I don't think is what the producers want us to think.
Actually, HBO is dangerously close to getting canceled off my cable bill. Entourage is still (just barely) watchable, but nowhere near as engaging as it was, and I'm guessing it's going to get worse instead of better. Even if John From Cincinnati had come back for a second season, it wasn't must-see enough that I couldn't wait on DVD. Tell Me You Love Me, despite all the critical praise, bored the living hell out of me. The only thing HBO has left is Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I'm not sure that's enough for the monthly bill... I'll probably ride out the Curb season, and then if there's nothing promising on the horizon, HBO is gone.
Showtime might make a re-appearance, though. Weeds has been great thus far this season and I've heard good things about Dexter. The first episode of Californication didn't do much for me, but if Dexter wins me over, and if Showtime starts developing shows the way HBO did a few years ago, they might steal the pay TV spotlight for me. Best midseason show, though? Burn Notice, on USA, just the right side of cheesy with a terrific lead actor, just enough Bruce Campbell for flavor and plenty of clever spycraft courtesy of consulting producer Michael Wilson. Can't wait for it to come back from tennis-induced hiatus.
As for the fall season? Well, it looks kinda dire for new shows, but there are a lot of shows hitting their stride in second and third seasons, so it's not as bad as I thought. I first did this rundown based on information from the upfronts in late May, but I've seen and heard more on the shows by now, and some timeslots have changed, so here we go again.
SUNDAY
Honestly? There's nothing I watch on this night. Good thing, as it'd be up against HBO's last remaining toehold in my interest, Curb Your Enthusiasm. But I might start watching Family Guy again, if it doesn't conflict with Curb.
MONDAY
8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - I've gone from "I could take or leave this show" to loving it, mostly from re-watching summer reruns and realizing how great the cast is and how good the comedic timing is. Entertainment Weekly had a great write-up in their Fall Preview by Whitney Pastorek that further cemented my interest. (September 24)
8:00 p.m.: Chuck (NBC) - I still like the basic concept of this one, still enjoyed the teaser, and the buzz is pretty solid. Unfortunately, it's been moved up against How I Met Your Mother. Fortunately, I have two Tivos, one in the office, one in the living room. Unfortunately, stuff that gets recorded only on the office Tivo sometimes doesn't get watched. And I like to have HIMYM on both Tivos, so I can re-watch in the office while on the computer. So Chuck *might* get a spot on the office Tivo, but if it doesn't grab me immediately, it'll lose out to HIMYM reruns. (September 24)
9:00 p.m. K-Ville (FOX) - Anthony Anderson in a cop drama set in New Orleans, and I really want to like that. But I'm sort of inclined to distrust FOX on new shows, since they're likely to cancel anything that's actually good, and why get invested. Also, and more of a deal-breaker, it's on opposite Heroes. Still, this one will get the same chance Chuck did on the office Tivo, and if it's great, it'll survive. It also gets the benefit of one week without Heroes competition, which means it gets a one-week tryout on the living room Tivo. (September 17)
9:00 p.m.: Heroes (NBC) - Every little bit of info about season two, from casting to plot hints, has me excited to see it again, despite the lame season finale. (September 24)
10:00 p.m.: Journeyman (NBC) - In my initial writeup, I said that I was getting a lame vibe, and I failed to figure out where lead actor Kevin McKidd came from. Now I know that McKidd played the tortured soldier Lucius Verenus in Rome, and I've seen some of the slick promo spots NBC has put together for this time-traveling drama, and I'm definitely intrigued. It also has no timeslot competition. So it gets a shot. (September 24)
TUESDAY
9:00 p.m.: Reaper (CW) - I really wanted to abandon the CW after they abandoned Veronica Mars. But damn it, the geek buzz on this thing is huge. The pilot is directed by Kevin Smith, the production values make it look like a quirky Barry Sonnenfeld/Bryan Fuller show (although that show is actually Pushing Daisies, more on that later) and now that the timeslot competition of Chuck has been moved away, I'm definitely going to be watching. (September 25)
10:00 Cane (CBS) - I'm rooting for this to die so that Nestor Carbonell can get back to what will almost certainly be a more interesting role on Lost.
WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m.: Pushing Daisies (ABC) - Weird, intriguing premise, pushed over the top because the guy behind it is Bryan Fuller, of Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls. Pushed even further because of Barry Sonnenfeld's involvement. I love the tone these guys bring to their work, and I like the weird premise (guy whose touch can bring someone back to life, but then he can't touch them ever again without undoing the gift, and one of the first people he brings back is his girlfriend) and the comic book promo I picked up in San Diego. It's between this and Reaper as my most anticipated new show. (October 3)
8:00 p.m.: Back to You (FOX) - It sounds like an NBC show, with Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton as co-anchors of a local news show, and it features Fred Willard, which is always a good sign. This is supposed to be a good, classic comedy, and it could win a place in my heart like How I Met Your Mother did. Since it starts a week early, on September 19, it has two weeks to earn a spot on my office Tivo before Pushing Daisies starts.
9:00 p.m.: Bionic Woman (NBC) - Buzz on this one has been disappointing, and I wasn't all that interested in the first place. It doesn't have any timeslot competition, though, so it'll get at least a couple episodes. But there's plenty to watch, and not enough time in the day, so if it isn't really good, it's gone. (September 26)
9:00 p.m.: Gossip Girl (CW) - A show about rich bitch girls and their trashy lives? Even having it narrated by Kristen Bell can't make me watch this, although if she was narrating it in character as Veronica Mars, calling these girls out for their inane lifestyles... well, that might do it. Happily, I can get my Bell fix on Heroes this season.
THURSDAY
Must-See TV is back on NBC on Thursdays, much to my surprise. I don't think there's anything (even Lost and Heroes) that could tear me away from 30 Rock, The Office and Scrubs. Fortunately, there's nothing else worth watching on Thursday nights. Except Ugly Betty, which is reportedly good but doesn't really strike me as that interesting. I'm going to watch season one on DVD, though, and if I'm wrong, I'll watch season two on DVD as well... because there's no way I'm not watching 30 Rock. Oh, and America? If you choose "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" over Earl and 30 Rock, I'm breaking up with you.
8-8:30 p.m.: My Name Is Earl (NBC) (September 27)
8:30-9 p.m.: 30 Rock (NBC) (October 4)
9-9:30 p.m.: The Office (NBC) (September 27)
9:30-10 p.m.: Scrubs (NBC) (October 25)
FRIDAY
9:00 Friday Night Lights (NBC) - Goddamn, is this show good. I passed it up last season, just like everybody else, because I didn't have much interest in high school football. But after unanimous critical praise, putting it in the same box as "great TV nobody is watching" like Arrested Development, I gave the DVDs a shot by renting the first one from Netflix. After watching the first disc, I went out and bought the DVD set the next day, because I didn't want to wait for them to arrive in the mail. This is a fantastic show, well-written, well-acted and well-directed. This is a drama about football for people who don't care about (or even better, actually dislike) football. I'm a geek, and the jock is my natural enemy, and I'm still completely wrapped up in this drama of high school jocks, coaches and their families. Even more than Heroes, this is the drama I'm most looking forward to seeing back on the air. (October 5)
My predictions for the season, based largely on what I'm excited about?
BEST NEW HOUR-LONG: Pushing Daisies on ABC
BEST NEW SITCOM: Back To You on FOX (Admittedly, there's almost no competition for this slot)
BEST RETURNING HOUR-LONG: Friday Night Lights on NBC
BEST RETURNING SITCOM: 30 Rock (Although it's really a three-way tie with The Office and How I Met Your Mother)
So... midseason. Not as great as I'd hoped, but not bad. The Sopranos ending felt a little too precious and "look how clever I am" to me, and while I give David Chase full credit for guts, I also have little patience for these "it's more real" type endings, in whatever medium. Yeah, it's more real... guess what? You ain't writing reality. Fictional endings have resolutions, there's supposed to be payoff to all the build-up. Damages and Rescue Me both lost my interest well before the midway point. The 4400 is testing my patience with its comedic plotlines that we're clearly meant to take seriously (The Marked? A de-aging drink? Really?) and Big Love, though I watched it all the way through, has more or less lost me. I find almost every character (except Margene) to be completely compromised, and Bill, the lead, is a complete shitheel, which I don't think is what the producers want us to think.
Actually, HBO is dangerously close to getting canceled off my cable bill. Entourage is still (just barely) watchable, but nowhere near as engaging as it was, and I'm guessing it's going to get worse instead of better. Even if John From Cincinnati had come back for a second season, it wasn't must-see enough that I couldn't wait on DVD. Tell Me You Love Me, despite all the critical praise, bored the living hell out of me. The only thing HBO has left is Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I'm not sure that's enough for the monthly bill... I'll probably ride out the Curb season, and then if there's nothing promising on the horizon, HBO is gone.
Showtime might make a re-appearance, though. Weeds has been great thus far this season and I've heard good things about Dexter. The first episode of Californication didn't do much for me, but if Dexter wins me over, and if Showtime starts developing shows the way HBO did a few years ago, they might steal the pay TV spotlight for me. Best midseason show, though? Burn Notice, on USA, just the right side of cheesy with a terrific lead actor, just enough Bruce Campbell for flavor and plenty of clever spycraft courtesy of consulting producer Michael Wilson. Can't wait for it to come back from tennis-induced hiatus.
As for the fall season? Well, it looks kinda dire for new shows, but there are a lot of shows hitting their stride in second and third seasons, so it's not as bad as I thought. I first did this rundown based on information from the upfronts in late May, but I've seen and heard more on the shows by now, and some timeslots have changed, so here we go again.
SUNDAY
Honestly? There's nothing I watch on this night. Good thing, as it'd be up against HBO's last remaining toehold in my interest, Curb Your Enthusiasm. But I might start watching Family Guy again, if it doesn't conflict with Curb.
MONDAY
8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - I've gone from "I could take or leave this show" to loving it, mostly from re-watching summer reruns and realizing how great the cast is and how good the comedic timing is. Entertainment Weekly had a great write-up in their Fall Preview by Whitney Pastorek that further cemented my interest. (September 24)
8:00 p.m.: Chuck (NBC) - I still like the basic concept of this one, still enjoyed the teaser, and the buzz is pretty solid. Unfortunately, it's been moved up against How I Met Your Mother. Fortunately, I have two Tivos, one in the office, one in the living room. Unfortunately, stuff that gets recorded only on the office Tivo sometimes doesn't get watched. And I like to have HIMYM on both Tivos, so I can re-watch in the office while on the computer. So Chuck *might* get a spot on the office Tivo, but if it doesn't grab me immediately, it'll lose out to HIMYM reruns. (September 24)
9:00 p.m. K-Ville (FOX) - Anthony Anderson in a cop drama set in New Orleans, and I really want to like that. But I'm sort of inclined to distrust FOX on new shows, since they're likely to cancel anything that's actually good, and why get invested. Also, and more of a deal-breaker, it's on opposite Heroes. Still, this one will get the same chance Chuck did on the office Tivo, and if it's great, it'll survive. It also gets the benefit of one week without Heroes competition, which means it gets a one-week tryout on the living room Tivo. (September 17)
9:00 p.m.: Heroes (NBC) - Every little bit of info about season two, from casting to plot hints, has me excited to see it again, despite the lame season finale. (September 24)
10:00 p.m.: Journeyman (NBC) - In my initial writeup, I said that I was getting a lame vibe, and I failed to figure out where lead actor Kevin McKidd came from. Now I know that McKidd played the tortured soldier Lucius Verenus in Rome, and I've seen some of the slick promo spots NBC has put together for this time-traveling drama, and I'm definitely intrigued. It also has no timeslot competition. So it gets a shot. (September 24)
TUESDAY
9:00 p.m.: Reaper (CW) - I really wanted to abandon the CW after they abandoned Veronica Mars. But damn it, the geek buzz on this thing is huge. The pilot is directed by Kevin Smith, the production values make it look like a quirky Barry Sonnenfeld/Bryan Fuller show (although that show is actually Pushing Daisies, more on that later) and now that the timeslot competition of Chuck has been moved away, I'm definitely going to be watching. (September 25)
10:00 Cane (CBS) - I'm rooting for this to die so that Nestor Carbonell can get back to what will almost certainly be a more interesting role on Lost.
WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m.: Pushing Daisies (ABC) - Weird, intriguing premise, pushed over the top because the guy behind it is Bryan Fuller, of Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls. Pushed even further because of Barry Sonnenfeld's involvement. I love the tone these guys bring to their work, and I like the weird premise (guy whose touch can bring someone back to life, but then he can't touch them ever again without undoing the gift, and one of the first people he brings back is his girlfriend) and the comic book promo I picked up in San Diego. It's between this and Reaper as my most anticipated new show. (October 3)
8:00 p.m.: Back to You (FOX) - It sounds like an NBC show, with Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton as co-anchors of a local news show, and it features Fred Willard, which is always a good sign. This is supposed to be a good, classic comedy, and it could win a place in my heart like How I Met Your Mother did. Since it starts a week early, on September 19, it has two weeks to earn a spot on my office Tivo before Pushing Daisies starts.
9:00 p.m.: Bionic Woman (NBC) - Buzz on this one has been disappointing, and I wasn't all that interested in the first place. It doesn't have any timeslot competition, though, so it'll get at least a couple episodes. But there's plenty to watch, and not enough time in the day, so if it isn't really good, it's gone. (September 26)
9:00 p.m.: Gossip Girl (CW) - A show about rich bitch girls and their trashy lives? Even having it narrated by Kristen Bell can't make me watch this, although if she was narrating it in character as Veronica Mars, calling these girls out for their inane lifestyles... well, that might do it. Happily, I can get my Bell fix on Heroes this season.
THURSDAY
Must-See TV is back on NBC on Thursdays, much to my surprise. I don't think there's anything (even Lost and Heroes) that could tear me away from 30 Rock, The Office and Scrubs. Fortunately, there's nothing else worth watching on Thursday nights. Except Ugly Betty, which is reportedly good but doesn't really strike me as that interesting. I'm going to watch season one on DVD, though, and if I'm wrong, I'll watch season two on DVD as well... because there's no way I'm not watching 30 Rock. Oh, and America? If you choose "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" over Earl and 30 Rock, I'm breaking up with you.
8-8:30 p.m.: My Name Is Earl (NBC) (September 27)
8:30-9 p.m.: 30 Rock (NBC) (October 4)
9-9:30 p.m.: The Office (NBC) (September 27)
9:30-10 p.m.: Scrubs (NBC) (October 25)
FRIDAY
9:00 Friday Night Lights (NBC) - Goddamn, is this show good. I passed it up last season, just like everybody else, because I didn't have much interest in high school football. But after unanimous critical praise, putting it in the same box as "great TV nobody is watching" like Arrested Development, I gave the DVDs a shot by renting the first one from Netflix. After watching the first disc, I went out and bought the DVD set the next day, because I didn't want to wait for them to arrive in the mail. This is a fantastic show, well-written, well-acted and well-directed. This is a drama about football for people who don't care about (or even better, actually dislike) football. I'm a geek, and the jock is my natural enemy, and I'm still completely wrapped up in this drama of high school jocks, coaches and their families. Even more than Heroes, this is the drama I'm most looking forward to seeing back on the air. (October 5)
My predictions for the season, based largely on what I'm excited about?
BEST NEW HOUR-LONG: Pushing Daisies on ABC
BEST NEW SITCOM: Back To You on FOX (Admittedly, there's almost no competition for this slot)
BEST RETURNING HOUR-LONG: Friday Night Lights on NBC
BEST RETURNING SITCOM: 30 Rock (Although it's really a three-way tie with The Office and How I Met Your Mother)
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Kid Nation
I'm reluctant to even mention CBS's vile new reality show Kid Nation for fear of accidentally making someone aware of it who was blissfully unaware, but look over here:
This is a column by Maureen Ryan, a TV critic at The Chicago Tribune, talking about the reprehensible show. She's eloquent, focused and dead on target. Never once does she call Kid Nation a pus-soaked wart on the ass of modern society. Or point out that making this show is a good sign of just how soulless the producers and executives of Kid Nation are. Or suggest that every single parent who was stupid and cruel enough to sign their kid up for this televised Darwinian experiment should be lined up against a wall and shot and their kids given over to someone who might have an interest in raising them instead of using them to git on the teevee.
In response to this strong-worded but restrained piece, there's a discussion that ensues wherein people present all kinds of strawmen argument about Boy Scout camp and kids being coddled and how "we haven't seen the show yet." It's not uncommon when reading the Internet to want to reach in and throttle some clueless commenter, but I have rarely seen it so frequent as in that thread, where every intelligent or even just sane voice is shouted down by two or three yahoos with a half-assed stupid opinion about not coddling kids by making sure that they don't drink bleach or light themselves on fire.
The parents who put their kids up for this show failed on the most basic level they could, and should really go out and kill themselves now. Really, it's for the good of our collective intelligence.
This is a column by Maureen Ryan, a TV critic at The Chicago Tribune, talking about the reprehensible show. She's eloquent, focused and dead on target. Never once does she call Kid Nation a pus-soaked wart on the ass of modern society. Or point out that making this show is a good sign of just how soulless the producers and executives of Kid Nation are. Or suggest that every single parent who was stupid and cruel enough to sign their kid up for this televised Darwinian experiment should be lined up against a wall and shot and their kids given over to someone who might have an interest in raising them instead of using them to git on the teevee.
In response to this strong-worded but restrained piece, there's a discussion that ensues wherein people present all kinds of strawmen argument about Boy Scout camp and kids being coddled and how "we haven't seen the show yet." It's not uncommon when reading the Internet to want to reach in and throttle some clueless commenter, but I have rarely seen it so frequent as in that thread, where every intelligent or even just sane voice is shouted down by two or three yahoos with a half-assed stupid opinion about not coddling kids by making sure that they don't drink bleach or light themselves on fire.
The parents who put their kids up for this show failed on the most basic level they could, and should really go out and kill themselves now. Really, it's for the good of our collective intelligence.
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