“F and C, Double Time!”

“Front and Center, double time!” as Michael Scott said in last night’s episode… but really, let’s get down to business, last night’s episode “Product Recall” as well as the episode from last Thursday are a definite departure from what the writers and directors have been doing so far this season. In the past two episodes we have had little to no Jim and Pam interaction, and certainly no sexual tension of late; however, the writers are getting back to their roots. In season two and much of season three the inter-office drama has revolved around Jim and Pam and Michael and Jan, but the writers are clearly making an effort to appease the original Office fans who fell hard for the show in its’ first season, where it was more about the minute to minute jokes than about the relationships.
From the opening scene where Jim dresses up as Dwight to the end were the reverse happens, us avid Office watchers were taken back to the beginning—and I loved every minute! While the writers have remained the same, they have been bringing in guest directors such as JJ Abrams, who have showcased the actors’ abilities and flair for the comedic much more than last season. One of the best themes that has run throughout the show from the beginning is the fact that Michael Scott believes that not only is Dunder-Mifflin the most important company on the earth, but that he is integral to its’ success. In “Product Recall” one of the workers at the paper mill decides to put an obscene ‘water mark’ involving two cartoon characters of the reams of paper which have gone out to business all over Pennsylvania, Michael decides to hold a press conference in the Scranton office in an attempt to apologize, where one client and a Scranton journalist are the only audience. The client refuses to accept the apology, just as Michael refuses to accept fault in the matter and in one of the funnier quotes of the evening tells her that he’s calling the “ungrateful Biiatch hotline!”.
Additionally, it is the small, subtle jokes that make The Office so successful, as I have said over and over again. It is also, the ridiculous actions that take place within the office that are just as hilarious, such as Michael making an “apology video” (of which he’s made many) and explaining that everyone is trying to make him the “ascape goat”. Lastly, we watch as Andy, fresh out of anger management, learns that he has been dating a girl in high school, which I pray that the writers will continue through the next episode. While this episode will most likely have nothing to do with the next, I am grateful that the writers are sticking with what made the show work in the first place. Such humor is what we want, so as Andy would say, “beer me” another great episode.

The Fate of Studio 60

     Will there be a “no show within a show?” That is the 2.5 million dollar question. Well, at least that is a ballpark figure of what each episode cost to produce.

     Actually, I don’t think NBC should be considering if S60 should come back. They should be more concerned about how they could make it a different and better show. But I highly doubt that would be the case.

     For one thing, NBC is giving 30 Rock (another “show within a show”) higher bids. And it’s not because they are soaring higher in the ratings than S60. It might be that 30 Rock is cheaper to produce and the show is owned by NBC (S60 is owned by Warner). Please view the link below for a more thorough comparison:

http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/04/05/heres-why-30-rock-was-renewed-and-studio-60-wont-be/

     The other night I was engaged in a S60 discussion with several friends. We were construing our own possibilities for S60’s fate. I suggested that Sorkin take it to HBO or Showtime. It might not be a bad idea to add a different element to the show: the not suitable for TV, but perfect for HBO.

     One of my girlfriends loved the idea of seeing Bradley Whitford naked. I don’t know about that, but sex and the F word definitely helped the success of shows like Sex in the City and Sopranos. It might be interesting to see television execs cussing out the lawyers, board members and other executives (we know it happens).

     Another consideration is to put the “show within a show” back into the show. The episodes, Nevada Day: Part 1 and 2, are a great illustration of this concept. John Goodman has a guest role in these episodes. He plays a right-wing Christian judge, who is mightily upset about the show’s sketch “Crazy Christian.”

     These episodes expose many interesting dynamics “within and behind” a show like S60, which resembles a show like SNL. We find out what happens when celebrities’ words are misconstrued like Harriet’s. She was cited in an interview that she is anti-homosexuality, yet she feels her statements were misrepresented. Harriet and Tom are out having dinner when a couple of gay boys approach Harriet and become confrontational. Tom defends Harriet and ends up in jail in Nevada.

     The judge in Nevada has a personnel vendetta with S60 and decides to show no mercy, since they have offended the entire Christian population. This was a great display of Hollywood’s “inner drama.” I loved the play out of this episode: an angry Christian judge, a devout Christian actress on a liberal comedy sketch show, an agnostic boss who is in love with the Christina actress, the high-powered executive that believes money can buy everything.

     S60 had its great episodes and its bad ones, but doesn’t every show go through that? I still believe that S60 has possibilities for a comeback. They just need to figure out what to comeback as.

     My friend Jason suggested the best possible scenario for S60. He proposes that NBS network gets into serious financial trouble and is sold to Mr. Macau, the Japanese businessman. Mr. Macau fires everyone on the board and has Jack Rudolph run the network. Mr. Macau becomes enamored with Jordan and has Jack replaced by her. That could be interesting.

     My “anti-Sorkin” friend, Elizabeth recommends that Sorkin sell the show and relinquish all writing rights. Elizabeth thinks S60’s success can only come without Sorkin. I think  Sorkin just needs to learn to be a team player.

     I am hoping that S60 will find a new place. I loved the show and the writing. My favorite dialogue was when Jordan said, “My hormones are like a Los Alamos experiment.” And my favorite episode was the “Christmas Show.” Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI2LdpW7g5U

So what was you favorite S60 episode? And do you think they should come back? If so what would you do different?

All Things Unoriginal

After admitting my family background, I must admit, something else, I don’t watch a lot of TV because I am not a very big fan of serial style narratives. Watching Star Trek (not DS9) was the closest to serial, and even Voyager can be watched out of order, the only real thing that changes episode to episode is how many tens of light years they have advanced in there hopeful but equally bleak 70,000 light year journey. However I have started to enjoy the serial of “The Riches,” maybe I can follow because they have a minute and a half long recap that recaps the season so far, however, this isn’t too hard because they are only on episode seven. Nor do I watch a lot of reality TV either; I prefer the good old comedy sitcom, sit down, and watch 30 minutes of TV and your done.

So I have read a few reviews about “The Riches” and I keep hearing that this show is unoriginal. I have no frame of reference, but maybe it is…. SO WHAT?! There’s not a lot of original and new stuff on TV, and I don’t need a CTV degree to see that! Three “CSIs,” five “Law and Orders,” five “Star Treks” and countless other direct spin-offs; those aren’t original either, but for the most part seem to be doing quite well in the case of “CSI.” One thing learned in TV class is there is very little new stuff, almost everything is based off of something else that came before it, especially now that there are so many channels and only so many hours a day, do the math, I have 100+ channels, others have more, every day that passes is 100 days of TV lineup. Everyone is looking for that something new, but everyone also seems content with rehashing the old stuff… “American Idol” is followed by a whole lineage of copycat shows, showcasing a supposed talent to the endearing fans. They’re all the same! Cable is no different, there are countless dating “reality” shows, but they are all the same too, just with different “twists.” Reality shows became very popular here in the US in the new decade, but only if you never flipped on a foreign channel. But even those can find roots in 1950’s games shows.

“Married with Children” may have been new, but how original is it to get an idea by starting out saying, “We’re not the “Cosby Show,’” may make for something new, but still unoriginal. Taking a list and changing the positives to negatives still equals the same thing, just negative. It has originality; it does things previously unable to be done on TV, much like HBO leads the way with “The Sopranos” or “Sex and the City.”

For those up on history, the originality of TV becomes even less remarkable when radio is factored into TV’s history. The serial format itself is old, dating back to early radio. Reality shows could be found on “candid microphone” shows as well as trivia and game shows.

Originality aside, the premier of “The Riches” raked in 3.8 million viewers and another 1.35 million in an encore presentation. Of those first 3.8 million, 3 million viewers were previously tuned in to “The Day After Tomorrow.” I don’t know where to find more current ratings, so that will have to do.

The show is somewhat predictable, but general plot lines often are (back to the originality problem). The first few episodes were rough, but once they were finally beginning to even think about calming down, the “old family” finally catches up at the end of episode four, didn’t take long did it? The family had to catch up some time, they new it was going to happen with in the show. FX could have allowed more time to reunite the families, however the reemergence of the family in episode six provides “The Riches” with an easy end to the series if it would ever need to be ended in less then one show.
SPOILER… but not really… Wayne is announced as the front-runner for leader of the old family. The Malloys fail, they go home, they clear up a big mess started at the end of episode five, and our beloved family with Eddie Izzard as patriarch lives on happy as the leader of the gypsy travelers and the whole family is armed with new life experiences and school for the children.

None of the general plot line is new though, but then again, if you want to generalize everything, almost nothing is new at all, the world has been around for just to long, new things are generally improvements on the old with new twists. What is the Internet but an extension of the early radio days when anyone with some electrical know how could be on the airwaves communicating with other people? To me, and apparently everyone else, it’s the specifics that is what matters… Are they dancing, singing, skating, eating worms? They are all the same format, just different specifics, and as far as I am concerned, a gypsy family with no education jumping into the rich, highly educated life, with nothing more then a branch through another man’s heart is pretty original on the specifics.

So what if it is unoriginal? So is the majority of what else is on TV, get over it and go watch YouTube, but if you look real close, how much of that is distinctly original?

24 part 3

Karen Hayes is notified by Hock of the Justice Department that the information has been brought up about her husband, Bill Buchanan, releasing Fayed from custody for lack of evidence two years ago allowing Fayed to killed 13,000 American.  She has been accused of covering this information up.  Someone has to be responsible so she has to decide whether she takes the blame and President’s administration suffer, or Buchanan takes the blame and has to step down as head of CTU in a crucial time. I thought it was interesting that she had to decide between her job and protecting her husband; she chose to fire Buchanan. Tom Lennox said, “That’s politics.” I thought politics was passing legislation, international relations, etc not deciding who takes the blame, “protecting” the administration, and firing a capable leader for releasing Fayed while innocent.

 

Before Buchanan is escorted out of CTU, he appoints Nadia as his successor. Why her? Within four hours, she goes from being falsely accused and interrogated of leaking information to terrorist because of Muslim descent to becoming head of CTU. Maybe Buchanan did it so he would not eventually get sued for discrimination by Nadia further destroying his image.

Cottage cheese-face Vice President Daniels’ down low relationship with his secretary and follow perjurer is revealed. You ever heard of the phrase, “A couple that prays together, stays together”? In their case: a couple that lies together, stay together. That had to worst kissing scene in television history. Before the kiss, he claimed that he can’t stop thinking about her… He needs to think about calling Proactive Solutions to treat his face disease or think about the incriminating tapes of perjury potentially being released by Lennox instead of getting some ass.  Although Lennox claimed he wouldn’t use the tapes against him, the fate of the VP becoming a jail bird remains in
Lennox’s hands.  If he does anything that Lennox doesn’t like, VP Daniels will have to find a mate in a cell block instead of in the White House personnel.

 

Morris has requested to be transferred from coms because he lost the war of words with his ex-boo, Chloe. Instead of being separated, they really just need to get-it-on one last time.  If Vice President Daniels can get frisky in the Oval Office, why can’t Morris release some sexual frustration in CTU? But anyway, I’m glad the bickering between the two has ended because it just drags episodes along when all I really want to see is Jack, despite cracked ribs and gunshot wounds, win 5 on 1 gun battles and fist fights.

Karen Hayes is notified by Hock of the Justice Department that the information has been brought up about her husband, Bill Buchanan, releasing Fayed from custody for lack of evidence two years ago allowing Fayed to killed 13,000 American.  She has been accused of covering this information up.  Someone has to be responsible so she has to decide whether she takes the blame and President’s administration suffer, or Buchanan takes the blame and has to step down as head of CTU in a crucial time. I thought it was interesting that she had to decide between her job and protecting her husband; she chose to fire Buchanan. Tom Lennox said, “That’s politics.” I thought politics was passing legislation, international relations, etc not deciding who takes the blame, “protecting” the administration, and firing a capable leader for releasing Fayed while innocent.

 

Before Buchanan is escorted out of CTU, he appoints Nadia as his successor. Why her? Within four hours, she goes from being falsely accused and interrogated of leaking information to terrorist because of Muslim descent to becoming head of CTU. Maybe Buchanan did it so he would not eventually get sued for discrimination by Nadia further destroying his image.

 

Cottage cheese-face Vice President Daniels’ down low relationship with his secretary and follow perjurer is revealed. You ever heard of the phrase, “A couple that prays together, stays together”? In their case: a couple that lies together, stay together. That had to worst kissing scene in television history. Before the kiss, he claimed that he can’t stop thinking about her… He needs to think about calling Proactive Solutions to treat his face disease or think about the incriminating tapes of perjury potentially being released by
Lennox instead of getting some ass.  Although Lennox claimed he wouldn’t use the tapes against him, the fate of the VP becoming a jail bird remains in
Lennox’s hands.  If he does anything that
Lennox doesn’t like, VP Daniels will have to find a mate in a cell block instead of in the White House personnel.

 

Morris has requested to be transferred from coms because he lost the war of words with his ex-boo, Chloe. Instead of being separated, they really just need to get-it-on one last time.  If Vice President Daniels can get frisky in the Oval Office, why can’t Morris release some sexual frustration in CTU? But anyway, I’m glad the bickering between the two has ended because it just drags episodes along when all I really want to see is Jack, despite cracked ribs and gunshot wounds, win 5 on 1 gun battles and fist fights.

The Mysterious Giant might be coming to an end….

Why not vote anyone off this week? Why create the suspense of adding another week to see someone loose their dreams, or is fox just worried about their ratings? These are the questions that must be answered after the Sanjaya fascination has burnt out.

First, it most definitely cannot be the ratings because even without the voting aspect of the nights show they still managed to completely destroy the ratings of any other network.

Ratings Link
However, yes the ratings are great, but are they great in Fox’s standards? No.

Since season 2, each season has consecutively lost almost ten percent of ratings and since the beginning of the season the weekly shows have lost a significant percentage of viewers each show up until Sanjaya was eventually voted off.

Can these ratings really be blamed on Sanjaya? No, but a good point arises when the charity event episode was aired this week. Charity? This season has been more of a circus show than a talent show. Coca-Cola, Ford, and other companies sponsored this whole event and the stage was even adorned with the colors of the specific advertiser. What beautiful product placement!

In my opinion, this was a test to if not voting a person off could be more suspenseful for the next week. Instead of one individual getting voted off, its going to be TWO! American Idol sure is crazy! The Executive Producer, Nigel Lythogoe, blames the ratings on the fact that the daylight savings time change occurred three weeks earlier…….

Did you change your clock? Because I know when I change my clock I completely forget about anything on television……

If these are the excuses that even the executive producer is stating, I think we have a major problem. This season has really shown me, a true believer in the American Idol giant, that maybe American Idol is finally running out of steam. This series has finally meet it’s match and it might be the year 2007.

Even if the worst-case scenario comes true and American idol does vanish into TV history, it will always be remembered in its purest form the 1st season. Not only will it live on, but it lives on in the voices of stars such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Clay Aiken. Lives were changed, precious moments were shared with the public, and a giant lived on in the 2000’s. For you, American Idol, I wish the best may a superstar be born and may your production team find a better avenue to increase ratings other than charity events.

P.S. Sanjaya, Television Criticism class will miss yo and the humor your brought us all.

Heroes needs to stop taking time off!

I am getting really tired of this new idea that NBC is trying with Heroes where they show eight episodes and then stop for a few months to show eight more episodes or so before stopping again. Then we have to continue to wait for the next set of episodes before it starts over again. Tonight, Heroes returned with an awesome episode but at the end of the show it talks about the final four episodes. Final four episodes for the end of season one! I am not happy to find out that there is going to be even less episodes played this time before the “official” end of season one which I was under the impression had already occured. Talking to others online, people all have different opinions on whether we are really in season two now already or still, as the commercial led me to believe, still at the end of season one. I have never seen a television show do this ever but instead am treated to multiple episodes of a series before having to take a long hiatus before seeing the next season. During that time of waiting, the television station is more than happy to play re-runs of the show during that shows time slot. Not with Heroes! Instead, NBC plays every other thing possible during that time period. Recently, for two weeks they played the new television comedy show “Thank God You’re Here” before moving it to wednesday nights to make room for Heroes to return. One week they even played something else during the Heroes time only once as if they were desperate finding something to play. Why not re-run the episodes so those who have not seen the show can catch up at the very least without having to go to the NBC website to view them on their computer screen. Oh, I forgot, that in the age of technology that a company like NBC would need more hits on their website! Give me a break! Part of the reason I love Heroes so much is it is truly an exciting show and every episode ending seems to leave me hanging, especially the last one before the hiatus, until the next one. That does not mean, however, that I want to be kept hanging on a cliff hanger ever eight episodes. At least when there is a full season, there is usually one big giant “oh my god! What’s going to happen?” moment that we have to wait until next season to see.  Heroes, however, does it all the time and with the constant having to wait that NBC keeps doing it is becoming frustrating when I, like so many others, need their Heroes fix! So listen up NBC…stop making us wait and do a full season like everyone else! Heroes may be a big budget television show but shoot more of the episodes together to air back to back and do all your filming for the next season during the hiatus like everyone else does it. It has been a tried and true method for decades now on television so why change the formula? Why mess with something that already works so well? I do not like the change and I do not like having to wait and if you are going to make me wait, at least give me re-runs of Heroes to satiate my appetite until the new episodes are ready to air!

What is Sylar’s goal?

It is now the third set of Heroes and the big villain of the series is the psychopath Sylar. Sylar was introduced in the first few episodes as being a super bad guy in that his powers far surpassed the remaining heroes. We didn’t really get to see Sylar until the end of the first part of the episodes as he attempted to kill Claire at her high school but we did get to see the result of his attacks in that the heroes would be found with their head cut open and their brains removed. We still don’t know if Sylar eats the brain or what he does with them but it can be proven that whatever he does, he gains the powers of whomever he kills. What I can’t figure out is what exactly his intent is. Every time there has been a villain in a story, it is obvious what he or she wants. Whether the bad guy wants a lot of money, wants to blow something up in an act of terror, wants to conquer the world, it is always obvious and stated relatively early on what they want. Sylar, on the other hand, does not ever clarify exactly what it is he wants. Granted, he wants more power than he currently has and a lot of it has to do with the fact that all his life he was considered ordinary and unimportant but what does he intend to do with all of his power once he gets it? Sylar has not attacked regular and ordinary people but instead always targets the heroes himself. If he is intending to conquer the world with his powers, he should let us know. Part of the reason why we all liked Claire’s father as a villain is because we were never sure what his intent was but they finally did tell us. Sylar, on the other hand, was obviously the bad guy from the beginning so I, for one, would like to see a clear cut reason for doing what he has been doing. I would also like to see his character developed more as he is very cut and dry in what I like to call the “typical villain.” I know he was a major “loser” before he gained his super powers but I would like to know more about his past than we were given. Did his father absolutely mistreat him? It was talked about briefly but not enough, in my opinion, to drive him to be the way he is. Also, where is his mother and what did she do to him? Does he have any siblings? Some of these questions may have been answered in the beginning but if they were, they did not stick in my mind like a lot of other things have so they need to be explored more. Also, how in the hell did Sylar figure out that by “eating brains” or whatever else he does that he would gain the powers of others. I know that he found out that the source of the power is in the brain but that still does not explain how he figured out how to steal others powers. Sylar, after all, was not a scientist but repaired watches. Repairing watches is a mechanical thing and so I don’t know how he figured out the things he did. All in all, I like the character of Sylar but I want to know his intent, how he gets the power through others brains, and how he even figured it all out in the first place!

Not Lost

recently, since every show i decide to watch ends up getting canceled, i decided to start watching LOST. it has been said that if you haven’t watched LOST from the beginning there is no point in trying to start watching it now. I have to disagree because I have never seen the first season, or the second, or the beginning of the third. I started watching this show about two episodes into the third season and for the most part understand what’s going on. Now there’s a good chance that’s because I have someone that watches it with me who has seen the whole series, but I don’t think that’s the only reason. Frequently, throughout the show they do a sort of recap when talking to other characters. For example, on the most recent episode, Claire gets really sick and Juliet has to save her. The whole time they are talking about a previous character that died, Ethan. They explain that before Claire had her baby, she was kidnapped by Ethan and tests were done on her but she doesn’t remember much of anything. Juliet reveals that what they were actually doing was helping her so that she could give birth (because no other woman on the island has been able to give birth). Even though i hadn’t seen any of the past stuff they were talking about and I didn’t know who Ethan was, I still picked up on what was going on through their dialog. So the point I’m trying to make is that serial dramas like Lost are not impossible to jump into mid-way through, you just have to pay attention. I think this aspect makes serial dramas more appealing because the viewer gets the intense, seriousness and complex story of the serial drama but also has the opportunity to leave and come back as long as they’re willing to pay close attention to the dialog to figure out what’s going on. It’s actually a lot like a soap opera in the sense that there is always a lot going on so it’s easy to get lost but easy to pick back up too. I’ve always thought that about serial dramas, they’re the day time of night time, so why do so many audiences feel like it’s impossible to join in on a long running serial drama? I’m really glad that I gave Lost a shot because it really is a great show, and I’m definitely not lost.

The housewives are ridiculously endearing

The ridiculous housewives have finally returned to Wisteria Lane in the insane, eye-catching grandeur that we previously so admired and despised.

It’s been a while since ABC treated us to the pleasure of a new episode of Desperate Housewives, and after watching Sunday night’s episode (a couple of days late I’ll admit but, hey, The Sopranos and Entourage came back, I had to make some important decisions here,) I missed the gals, and am glad to see that Marc Cherry and co. have recaptured the fading flame of a seven-year (or three year in this case, but you get the metaphor,) marriage.

What attracted the high ratings to DH in its first ever-popular season were its clever, intelligent writing and the incredible behavior that these seemingly average housewives were capable of. Edie (Nicolette Sheridan) squeezing out a wet sponge on her chest while washing her car is a classic example of an absolutely silly stunt that made these women so wonderfully watchable in its heyday, not to mention the fashion show of Agent Provocateur’s newest collection of lingerie on Eva Longoria. Good news for good TV fans and boys everywhere: Sunday’s episode had all of that (except Edie was taking all her clothes off this time).

Even though one of my favorite housewives didn’t make an appearance in this episode, (Marcia Cross just had twins. I guess it’s alright she didn’t have to deal with her fictional teenage daughter’s unplanned pregnancy,) the antics of the four other abnormally attractive suburban housewives (I say abnormally attractive because I have yet to see a residential block with so many women and men that are that easy to look at,) satisfied my craving for what drew me to this show during its first season.

I like this show, I do, but I don’t love it. I don’t think its great, but it is good. None of the issues it deals with are particularly groundbreaking, even though they are somewhat controversial. Where DH marvelously succeeds is its execution of ideas and plots. Intrigue is never in short supply, neither is entertainment. I am encouraged to care about these women. Even if I find Teri Hatcher anorexicly obnoxious, I care about her, too, and I want her to be happy.

But what makes this show so special are the unbelievable lengths these women go to, and the mistakes they make. Susan (Hatcher) is a klutz, known for tripping, stumbling, accidentally burning houses down, and getting locked out of her house completely naked. This week she accidentally sets her future proper British mother-in-law on fire and spills wine all over her shirt. She then catches her future proper father-in-law wearing her bra and nightgown.

Gabrielle (Longoria) steals clothes from the closet of her boyfriend’s ex-wife’s closet by slipping about ten dresses underneath her coat after her closet full of immaculate clothing is immaculately destroyed. Upon finding out, Mrs. Ex-wife makes Gaby strip in the bathroom and leaves her in a bathroom stall in her skivvies.

Edie’s three-week sex drought has brought her attention to Carlos (she brilliantly compares buying too much lingerie while horny to buying too many groceries while hungry,) and resorts to bribing her son and breaking part of his model airplane to get some alone time with Carlos, and then shoves her boobs in his face. And amazingly he doesn’t jump at her rack.

And here is why this show works—the outlandishness of the women leads them to find out a bit more about themselves, and allows us to respect and understand them on another level.

Susan shows how much she loves her fiancé, Gaby opens up to the man she was trying to resist, and Edie reveals herself (emotionally and physically) to Carlos. This episode presented a great deal of character development that had been lacking in recent episodes, mostly in season two where disconnection to the characters that were supposed to feel like good friends were unrecognizable.