Danny Gallagher
- http://www.dannygallagher.net
Review: Sons of Anarchy - Fa Guan
(S02E09) - "I know the greater devil when I see it." - Deputy Chief Hale to Clay
The great thing about a show like Sons of Anarchy is you never exactly know when you're watching its true boiling point. You might think the situation you're watching is the apex of the conflict, particularly the beef between Clay and Jax, but it always finds an interesting and surprising way of making it worse and makes you forget that it still has more episodes to go.
That's the true sign of a good series. It sucks you in and erases any and all concept of time. Unlike other TV shows that you can just have in the background to break the silence of your lonely place, SOA demands your attention and gets it every time, at least for this season. You can't just leave it on and not not watch it (screw good grammar, if you can think of a better and more entertaining way to say it, be my guest). Anything that can stop and slow time, whether it's a TV show, a flying DeLorean or a hot tub deserves special merit in my book.
Continue reading Review: Sons of Anarchy - Fa Guan
Comedy Central wants a bite of The Onion
Part of me is surprised that this deal took this long to happen. But when you watch the recent crop of new shows on the Chortle Network (with the exception of Tosh.0), it really shouldn't surprise anyone. Comedy Central has ordered a half-hour scripted pilot based on the Onion's Sports Network. The OSN is part of the popular satirical magazine's online TV news network that launched a little under a year ago.
This isn't the first time the network has tried to do a satirical sports show. Comedy Central also shot a pilot for a Daily Show-esque sports show called Sports Central that died in the pilot stage. This incarnation sounds much more promising since it will spoof not only sports figures and stories, but also the tone and style of sports media. Sweet sassy molassey, this is gonna rock!
Scripps gobbles up the Travel Channel
While NBC juggles its possible new owner, another TV takeover went down this week in the epicenter of its shadow. Scripps Networks won the right to buy the "controlling stake" in The Travel Channel from Cox Communications and it only cost them $181 million to earn a 65 percent stake in the cable network. Only $181 million? Did Cox put The Travel Channel up for sale at a flea market?
Why did they jump at a deal for a network with such a small audience? Slate's Troy Patterson says that even though the audience is small, it's a "niche market" that "advertisers can't resist pandering to."
[via TVTattle]
PBS ombudsman criticizes Sesame Street for 'POX News' joke
Poor Oscar the Grouch. Not even PBS' ombudsman will cut him a break. No wonder he's so grouchy. Well that and he lives in a garbage can. That would make me more than a little perturbed.
A clip of a two-year episode of Sesame Street popped up on YouTube thanks to conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart's on his Big Hollywood blog in which Grundgetta, Oscar's girlfriend, makes a crack about "POX News" that sounds very close to "FOX News." PBS' ombudsman Michael Getler said while the name could be construed as a "clever and appropriate title" to the "Grouch News Network," the joke about the reference "should have been resisted.
I was shocked when I saw it. Oscar the Grouch has a frigging girlfriend?!?
[via Popeater]
A clip of a two-year episode of Sesame Street popped up on YouTube thanks to conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart's on his Big Hollywood blog in which Grundgetta, Oscar's girlfriend, makes a crack about "POX News" that sounds very close to "FOX News." PBS' ombudsman Michael Getler said while the name could be construed as a "clever and appropriate title" to the "Grouch News Network," the joke about the reference "should have been resisted.
I was shocked when I saw it. Oscar the Grouch has a frigging girlfriend?!?
[via Popeater]
Even a takeover can't save NBC
There are very few sure fire signs that a network is completely worthless and this is one of them. Comcast has been looking to buy the financially troubled NBC from General Electric, but Wall Street insiders say the deal won't be good for Comcast's stock.
Even confirmed reports of a takeover bid can't save the network in the eyes of the almighty stockholder. What would make NBC more profitable in Wall Street's eyes?
Price is Right model + remote control skateboard = hilarious
The Price is Right is full of bloopers, bleeps and blappers. But only one word can describe this: blooptastic.
One of the show's models (what are they called now? Drew's Dames? Carey's Chicks?) was modeling a prize, specifically a remote controlled skateboard, and...well, you can problem imagine what happens next. And if you can't, please get an imagination upgrade.
[via Buzzerblog]
One of the show's models (what are they called now? Drew's Dames? Carey's Chicks?) was modeling a prize, specifically a remote controlled skateboard, and...well, you can problem imagine what happens next. And if you can't, please get an imagination upgrade.
[via Buzzerblog]
Will Cookie Monster become the Veggie Monster?
The Internet's never ending "series of tubes" were circulating rumors that I thought had already been addressed years ago by TV Squad, The View and even the monster's own mouth. Rumors started circulating earlier this morning that Sesame Street's Cookie Monster would drop the "Cookie" on his business card and replace it with "Veggie." It became the top Google search this morning and fueled rumors that the character would make the official change on the show's 40th Anniversary on Nov. 10th.
A show rep said Cookie Monster will remain as such, even if he considers cookies a "sometimes food." That's good ol' Cookie Monster, teaching kids the value of nutrition while sacrificing the value of good grammar.
Is South Park too focused on reality TV?
Even though the show has been on forever, I still enjoy my weekly dose of the new South Parks. But lately, they seem to be running out of targets or have narrowed their focus too much on one particular evil: reality television.
The season opener featured a rather nasty swipe at Disney's Jonas Brothers. The recent "Dead Celebrities" chortle-fest took a much needed pot shot at Ghost Hunters, aka, "the gayest f#*$ing show on television." And last week launched an all out attack on Discovery's Whale Wars and Deadliest Catch, particularly against Whale Wars star Paul Watson.
The show has always been a bitch to write and making every episode a satirical masterpiece is impossible without suffering a full-on breakdown. But should the show lay off reality TV and take some bolder shots at reality, which as we all know are two completely different things?
Barbara Walters to interview Sarah Palin
If your TiVo or DVR can't get enough of the syrupy charm of the former Alaska governor, you might want to install a memory upgrade. Barbara Walters will do a sit down with Sarah Palin on the heels of her new memoir, Going Rogue, in a five-part series starting Nov. 17.
Five parts? Seriously? Wouldn't one suffice? She's only doing ONE interview with Oprah Winfrey and Oprah is the supreme overlord of the female television universe. Does "a five-part series with Sarah Palin" meet the textbook definition of overkill?
The 'V' stands for 'very high ratings'
The cast of ABC's new sci-fi drama V have nothing to worry about. That is if you don't count the fact that the show just replaced their showrunner, got caught launching a sneaky skywriting campaign and opened with a "split launch." Last night's episode got off to an "out of this world" start scoring a 5.0 rating and a 13 share of 13.9 million viewers. It gave ABC its highest rating among 18-34 year-olds in three years for its timeslot since 2004's Lost. I guess you could say they had a really successful "launch" and the show really "took off." (Insert rimshot here.)
Of course, this is just the opening episode and could be the result of successful marketing. Do you think V's winning streak will last?
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