tv

new and noteworthy tv: 3/28-4/3

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And I think this might be the final week of the final four…

Monday

  • All Together Now (NBC, 8pm) – A celebration of service with presidents and whatnot.
  • The Secret Life of the American Teenager/Make It or Break It (ABCFam, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Not sure how secret it is and whether they’ve made it or broken it yet.
  • Nurse Jackie/United States of Tara (Show, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – As I’m Showtime free I’ll be tempted to check these both on dvr at some point.

Tuesday

  • Body of Proof (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Brilliant neurosurgeon forced to turn medical examiner, could be case of the week which always depends on personality and Dana Delany could theoretically make it worthwhile.
  • All on the Line (Sund, 10pm) Series Premiere – Can failing fashion lines be saved?
  • What the Sell (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another take on the pawn shop personalities and stuff.

Wednesday

  • The Ultimate Fighter/Coal (Spike, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – More fighting and then a look at coal miners.
  • South Beach Classics (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Car classics that is.
  • Tyler Perry’s House of Payne (TBS, 10pm) Season Premiere – Tyler continues his reign on entertainment.

Thursday

  • Mobbed (Fox, 9pm) – This take on a new series showcases flash mobs, groups of folks breaking out into song/dance.
  • Swamp People (Hist, 9pm) Season Premiere – No it’s not a monster movie, unless you count the gators that the folks live among.
  • True Crime with Aphrodite Jones (ID, 10pm) Season Premiere – The season starts with another look at JonBenet Ramsey.

Friday

  • Chaos (CBS, 8pm) Series Premiere – Rogue funny CIA? I’m tempted by this but it admittedly looks dumb.
  • Say Yes to the Dress: Randy Knows Best (TLC, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – I believe there’s a Yes to the Dress out there so I guess this is Randy’s slant.
  • Camelot (Starz, 10pm) Series Premiere – Same story different take, ok maybe not so different.
  • The Haunted (AnPl, 10pm) Season Premiere – Things with ghosts I suppose.

Saturday

  • Sony Ericsson Open (CBS, 9:30am) – The series starts its wraps up today with women’s finals with the men’s finals Sunday.
  • How Do I Look? (Style, 8pm) Season Premiere – I’m going to say starts looking bad and gets better…
  • Curb Appeal (HGTV, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – Spruce up a house.
  • My Ghost Story (Bio, 10pm) Season Premiere – More hauntings of the personal nature?

Sunday

  • Wild Kingdom (AnPl, 7pm) Season Premiere – Kicking off with a look at otters.
  • Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Reba MacEntire and Blake Shelton host.
  • The Kennedys (Reelz, 8pm) Mini series Premiere – Katie Holmes and Greg Kinnear finally found an air date.
  • The Borgias (Show, 9pm) Series Premiere – Jeremy Irons takes the title role in this kick off of soapy period drama.
  • The Killing (AMC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Adaptation of a Danish crime drama looking at a crime from multiple points of view.
  • Last Cake Standing (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Let the caking begin.
  • Strange Sex (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – A look at sexual things of the irregular.

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 3/21-3/27

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I really could start reading more with this lineup of new shows…

Monday

  • Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Kirstie Alley and Ralph Macchio are two of the people I’ve heard of.
  • American Pickers (Hist, 9pm) Season Premiere – Friends travel round looking for yard sales and whatnot.
  • Southern Fried Stings (Tru, 10pm) Season Premiere – Tracking down troublemakers.

Tuesday

  • Best in Film (ABC, 9pm) – The best film ever made?
  • Big Brian (Tru, 10pm) Series Premiere – An estate sale supervisor looks for good stuff.
  • The Fabulous Beekman Boys (PlGr, 10pm) Season Premiere – The gents return with their farm.
  • Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen (Syfy, 10pm) Series Premiere – One of the former Top Chef contestants does something in the kitchen.

Wednesday

  • Fact or Faked (Syfy, 10pm) Season Premiere – Haunted schmaunted.

Thursday

  • Hard Times of RJ Berger (MTV, 11pm) Season Premiere – Another season of… ok I don’t really know more than this show is about a well endowed but awkward teen.
  • John Oliver’s New York Stand-up (Com, 11:59pm) Season Premiere – I’d say that someone named John Oliver hosts Stand-up in New York.

Friday

  • Shark Tank (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Inventions with potential, and with mocking, return.

Saturday

  • NCAA Basketball (Various) – It looks like regional finals are on, but not entirely sure when final, finals are, good thing I didn’t join the pool.

Sunday

  • Mildred Pierce (HBO, 9pm) Mini-series Premiere – Kate Winslet plays the lead in this depression era adaptation.
  • Amazing Wedding Cakes (WE, 10pm) Season Premiere – I don’t know that I’d really do a theme wedding cake…

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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tv

the new american idol

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It’s a new season and a lot has changed, but how much has really changed?

Idol began with a great formula of funny personalities, train wrecks of performance, and enough actual talent to make you care. Unfortunately after we lost Paula, we realized how lucky they were with the initial judges. Paula may have been ‘the nice one’ but she was enough of a wild card that she was entertaining about it. Simon could be a prick but he was an amusing one and he was often the most insightful in calling out what we were all thinking in an amusingly insulting way. And Randy, well nobody could call out a ‘that was a little pitchy dawg’ like Randy.

So ignoring the transition judges, how are the new kids? Well they all seem to have a decent dynamic, get along, engage with each other and all that. Randy has stepped up to Simon’s chair and with it apparently the responsibility to tell it like it is. Unfortunately he’s not quite as critical and not quite as caustic and when a bunch of people are just fine I prefer a someone a little more perceptive and a little more funny. JLo and Steven Tyler have split up the Paula persona with enough nice to go around and although Steven is taking on a bit of the wild card I’m not sure it’s enough. Time will tell of course, they’re really just starting the live critiques of people who require more than a yay or nay.

What else has changed?

  • The contestants are younger. Who cares. Though there might be one or two of the new kids who wouldn’t have been eligible I think for the most part they could come back next year and I wouldn’t miss them.
  • Condensed semis. Potentially a good idea. The winnowing down period that is almost like the finals, but not, dragged on for quite a while with week after week of bad performances, but now one off night might mean the wrong finalists (though the dragging on process didn’t guarantee the right ones either).
  • No more guest mentors. Thank gawd. Hanging with random artists and random critiques didn’t bring much, so hearing from A&M record’s Jimmy Lovine might give some real world feedback and his enlisted producers might help each of the arrangements work a little better, overall more entertaining, maybe not.
  • Less extreme theme weeks. The jury is out. The more extreme themes (show tunes, country, etc.) brought out the worst in some of the singers who would never in reality be the kind of ‘artist’ who would sing such a thing, but it was sometimes illuminating to see how folks could handle a variety of material and ‘make it their own’ and also good for some bad performances.

And so who’s the next American Idol? The dudes are rocking it and although every year gives the option of a dark horse, I’m hoping red beard Casey, who seems to be talented and entertaining, can keep it going, and keep out of the hospital (ulcer?). I’m also keeping an eye on metalesque James and won’t count out belt it out Jacob and country boy Scotty.

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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 3/14-3/20

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Aside from some new reality there’s also tons of NCAA basketball which I figured sports enthusiasts knew where all the games were.

Monday

  • Wedding Wars/Beverly Hills Fabulous (VH1, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Couple compete and then spend time with a salon.
  • Meat & Potatoes (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – A look at some all-American meat.

Tuesday

  • Roast of Donald Trump (Com, 10:30) – Let the hair jokes fly.
  • Four of a Kind (Life, 11pm) Series Premiere – Following 17 year old quadruplets.

Wednesday

  • Deathwish Movers (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Moving in Boston isn’t always easy.
  • Storage Wars (A&E, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Will winning be worth it?

Thursday

  • Blonde vs Bear (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – Bear protector tries to keep it less confrontational.
  • Manhunters (A&E, 10pm) Season Premiere – The fugitive task force kicks in.

Friday

  • Supernanny (ABC, 8pm) Series Finale – Before she hangs up her hat can she help one more family.

Saturday

  • The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway (HBO, 10pm) – I know you are but what am I?

Sunday

  • Big Love (HBO, 9pm) Series Finale – Season one is in my queue.

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 3/7-3/13

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The new TiVo is working out nicely, and with all the storage room I feel compelled to record more new stuff, bring me new stuff!

Monday

  • Too Fat for 15 (Style, 8pm) Season Premiere – Something about kids losing weight…
  • Greek (ABCFam, 9pm) Series Finale – I actually enjoyed this slightly more upscale campy college show, though ending a season before half of the cast graduated and stuck around might have made more sense.
  • All About Aubrey (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Yet another show following yet another person I don’t care about.
  • Stargate Universe (Syfy, 10pm) Season Premiere – The final season of this version of Stargate kicks off.

Tuesday

  • Southland (TNT, 10pm) Season Finale – I don’t normally list season finales but there’s nothing much else on tonight, except of course the return of Gwyneth on Glee, but really is that noteworthy?

Wednesday

  • Nothing Personal (ID, 10pm) Series Premiere – Because no category will remain uncovered in the look at crimes, crime for hire.
  • The Real World (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Vegas baby.

Thursday

  • Fierce Funny Women (Show, 8:30pm) – Let the ladies make you laugh with some women I’ve never heard of, yet I’m sure.

Friday

  • Fish Warrior (NGC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Not sure if the fish is the warrior or someone is a warrior for or against fish…

Saturday

  • Rascal Flatts (ABC, 9pm) – Natasha Bedingfield and Justin Beiber make guest appearances if they weren’t a big enough draw for you.

Sunday

  • Sister Wives (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – So did they ever pursue the criminal charges on these real life polygamists?

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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random

random bits of web goodness…

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More random everywhere I seem to turn, some web tidbits that got an extra glance:

sfgirlbybay is bringing us another curated collection and though I’m not a big rainbow fan I can’t resist many of these items, more at link

I may have noted these before but there is something so lovely about these (noted by Apartment Therapy), perhaps I do like rainbow type things.

I also may have noted these pencil tip art items pointed out by sfgirlbybay there’re more here (gallery at right).

Or you can use little things to build toothpick city, for more check out the video (via Craft)

Or use screws (via The Daily What)

These so remind me of a certain someone and a certain baby topiary (via Apartment Therapy)

Or if you have leftover doll middles perhaps you could do something like this (via etsy).

It’s almost like sitting outside, more items about the Stockholm Design Fair (via Design Sponge)

Though if you are outside Boing Boing points out this rad fountain.

I have got to make it to the trash to treasure garden railway in the Conservatory of Flowers (via Craft)

And if I run out of room for art I guess I can let Ji Lee create something on my ceiling.

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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 2/28-3/6

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The TiVo is hooked up! Though looks like nothing new to add here…

Monday

  • Anthony Bourdain (Trav, 9pm) Season Premiere – A visit to Haiti following the earthquake.
  • Bethenny Ever After (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – More of her.

Tuesday

  • Cuff Me If You Can (ID, 7pm) Series Premiere – A look at folks who avoided arrest.

Wednesday

  • I’m Alive (AnPl, 7pm) Season Premiere – I assume there’s a reason why folks might not have been alive.
  • Hoarding: Buried Alive (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – More piles, and piles, and piles of stuff.

Thursday

  • Ice Brigade (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Following a team of ice sculptors.

Friday

  • NAACP Image Awards (Fox, 8pm) – Wayne Brady and Holly Robinson Peete host.
  • Beast Hunter (NGC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Hunting for beasts.
  • American Loggers (Disc, 10pm) Season Premiere – Logging in America.

Saturday

  • Bellator Fighting Championships (MTV2, 9pm) Season Premiere – I could look up what Bellator is…

Sunday

  • Taking on Tyson (AnPl, 7pm) Series Premiere – Tyson returns to his home neighborhood with a focus on pigeon racing.
  • America’s Next Great Restaurant/The Apprentice (NBC, 8/9pm) Series/Season Premieres – May the food be better than the concepts, and may the crazy ‘celebrities’ entertain.
  • Secret Millionaire (ABC, 8pm) Series Premiere – A millionaire works alongside others and then I believe gives some money.
  • Ruby (Style, 8pm) Season Premiere – Ruby looks at her relationships.
  • Army Wives/Coming Home (Life, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Fictional army folks, then real life military come home.
  • Love & Hip Hop (VH1, 9pm) Series Premiere – More wives, these ones are in music.
  • Breakout Kings (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – A new series where US Marshalls hire convicts to help catch escapees.
  • The Real Housewives of Orange County (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – And more of them…

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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new and noteworthy tv: 2/21-2/27

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Here’s hoping to win my Oscar pool…

Monday

  • BET Honors (BET, 9pm) – Gabrielle Union hosts the tribute.
  • Outrageous Kids Parties (TLC, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – It’s bad enough to see adults living over the top.

Tuesday

  • American Treasures (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – An anthropologist and an archaeologist appraise treasures.
  • The Real Housewives of Miami (Brav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Could there be more drama in Miami?

Wednesday

  • ANTM/Shedding for the Wedding (CW, 8/9pm) Season/Series Premiere – I am torn about another season of the models to be, but not torn at all about watching couples compete.
  • Ghost Hunters (Syfy, 9pm) Season Premiere – Could the hunters possibly not be done hunting?

Thursday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm) – The judges unveil the top 20 semifinalists.

Friday

  • DC Cupcakes (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – More attempts at spectacular cupcakes.

Saturday

  • Secrets from a Stylist/The Antonio Treatment (HGTV, 9/9:30pm) Series/Season Premiere – More styley room makeovers.
  • Independent Spirit Awards (IFC, 7pm) – Joel McHale hosts.

Sunday

  • The Academy Awards (ABC, 4/5:30pm) – Find out who will be the best dressed, and who will win best pic.

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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best, movies

procrastinator picks – must see movies of 2010

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I was just having a conversation with a friend about what makes a ‘best picture’ (Oscar-wise) and I had always sort of thought of best pictures as trying to be something a little bit grander, excelling in multiple areas. But after more thought on this and my best pic lists it mostly comes down to what I enjoy. Here are some of the movies that I thought were doing something right (standard caveats apply, and if you’re interested in my pool of pics take a look at those I’ve seen, bolded on critic’s pics):

  • Black Swan – I dig a little weird in my films and Aronofsky didn’t disappoint, with Portman and Kunis giving lovely portrayals of the fine line between ballet and insanity.
  • Easy A – This flick, and Emma Stone in the lead, hit all the right notes in this perfectly modern take on Scarlett Letter themes with a perfect nod to teen flicks I’ve adored (harder to do than one might think).
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World/Kick-Ass – I like a comic booky story (or graphic novel story) and thought that while Scott Pilgrim did a wonderful job of using a number of methods to create a unique world representative of the journey of battles, Kick-Ass did a surprisingly good job of putting the comic book in the real world (or at least movie real), it’s not so simple to be a superhero.
  • The King’s Speech/The Social Network – I’m going to mention these two movies together because they were both somewhat unremarkable, simple stories where not a ton happens, but they both managed to weave a tale together with characters that kept me engaged throughout.
  • The Town – Ben Affleck is doing a nice job carving out the directing and writing of work that creates worlds where you see inside the characters, in this the struggle of the primary character with his past, present, and future with love, family, and crime is nicely done.
  • It’s Kind of a Funny Story – I at some point noted that this was kind of a sweet story, where we follow a teen who checks himself into a psych ward, with some of the somewhat predictable occurrences, the sincerity that they wove into each character drew me in.
  • Inception – This is one of those movies that I give a little extra credit to because it tried to do something different, and I think it was mostly successful, though I mean really a dream inside a dream…
  • 127 Hours – This movie goes against my rules of enjoyment because not only was this movie awful, it was worse than I expected, the reason it’s on this list is because despite my girlish squirming, eye covering, and nausea I was engaged throughout.

Honorable mentions: The Fighter (loved Bale, movie not the best of its ilk), True Grit (well done but meh), Winter’s Bone (yes it was good and I can’t quite tell you why I’m not more enamored), The Kids Are Alright (many very good things in this but a plot line that for a bit irritated me just enough to leave off).

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new and noteworthy tv: 2/14-2/20

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Progress continues to be made to get my dvr content down… but still not quite TiVo ready.

Monday

  • Searching For… (OWN, 6pm) Series Premiere – Birth mother, blah, blah, blah…
  • Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (USA, 8pm, also showing Tuesday) – Who doesn’t dig a good dog show?
  • Mad Love (CBS, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Sarah Chalke and Jason Biggs lead another round of couples comedy, I keep watching until one of them sticks.

Tuesday

  • Jump City (G4, 8pm) Series Premiere – Parkour anyone?
  • Breaking Down the Bars/Our America with Lisa Ling (OWN, 6/7pm) Series Premieres – Following women behind bars and following Lisa Ling checking things out starting with faith healers.
  • Crimes Against Nature (NatGeo, 10pm) Series Premiere – Starting with illegal ivory.
  • Hardcore Pawn (Tru, 10pm) Season Premiere – More pawning.

Wednesday

  • Survivor/Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (CBS, 8/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – More surviving and another spin-off, this one has Forest Whitaker leading the hunt for creepy killers (I can barely take the original but will at least check out the first).
  • Approval Matrix (Brav, 11pm) Series Premiere – Chatting about pop culture and happenings hosted by Faith Salie.

Thursday

  • Sins and Secrets (ID, 7pm) Series Premiere – A look at how crime impacts a community.
  • Man vs. Wild/Out of the Wild (Disc, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Hasn’t Bear survived everything already, then more folks trekking from someplace to someplace.

Friday

  • The Injustice Files (ID, 6pm) Series Premiere – These cold cases go all the way back to the Civil War.

Saturday

  • Being Human (BBCA, 9pm) Season Premiere – I don’t get BBC otherwise I’d be tempted to watch a bit of the original to see how it compares to the US version, I guess I could dvd the first one.

Sunday

  • The Amazing Race (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Another round of repeat participants, will they blow it again?
  • Secret Service Files (NGC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Like Cops but more secret, until now…
  • SNL Just Commercials/Backstage (NBC, 8/9pm) – Ads and then some behind the scenes.

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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