tv – Page 81 – procrastinationchronicles.com

next week 4/6

April 5, 2009 No Comments

New and notable in the week ahead… procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

NCAA Championships (CBS, 6pm) – The title game is coming to you from Detroit.
Surviving Suburbia (ABC, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Bob Saget is back in a sitcom and he’s bringing down the neighborhood.
The Hills (MTV, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – My having no interest in any of these people makes me feel old, but good about it.

Tuesday

It’s the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) – It wouldn’t be a holiday without a Schultz special.
Rescue Me (FX, 10pm) Season Premiere – The guys are back with guest star Michael J. Fox.
Women Behind Bars (WE, 10pm) Season Premiere – Profiles of ladies that, you guessed it, are behind bars.
The Stagers (HGTV, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – A trainee helps stage a loft.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey (Bravo, 11pm) – Preview special of the latest crew of ladies.

Wednesday

Time Warp/MythBusters (Disc, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – First experiments with blades and volts and then a demolition derby special.
Night (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – It’s animals, at night.
Real World/Road Rules Challenge (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Can you believe there have been 17 seasons of this? this one heads to New Zealand.
The Unusuals (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Amber Tamblyn transfers into homicide and meets the quirky detectives and cases.

Thursday

Parks & Recreation (NBC, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – We’ve been waiting to catch this new comedy from the creators of The Office with Amy Poehler dealing with bureaucracy, with special double eps of The Office before and after.
American Chopper (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – The season kicks off building a B-2 bomber bike.
Harper’s Island (CBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – This series set on an isolated island plans to kill off most of the cast before being pulled from the schedule.
Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire (Com, 10pm) Series Premiere – This is being dubbed a ‘sword-and-sorcerer farce.’
Southland (NBC, 10pm, repeats Sat) Series Premiere – That kid from the OC is now from the right side of the tracks as he kicks off his first night on the streets of LA as a cop, from the creator of ER.

Friday

Myles of Style (HGTV, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – A master bedroom gets a modern touch.
Patton 360 (Hist, 9pm) Series Premiere – The history of Patton’s battles.

Saturday

Groomer Has It (AnPl, 9pm) Season Premiere – I really thought I had no interest in a grooming competition show but reading about 12 folks grooming St Bernards makes me almost reconsider.
Most Outrageous (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – Animals can be funny, this ep it’s funny looking.

Sunday

Cycling (Vs, 2pm) – The guys take on the Paris Roubaix.
State of the Union (Show, 10pm) Season Premiere – Tracy Ullman takes another stab a mockery.

*Times noted are PST, please always confirm your local listings.

I am a tv fan, some say fanatic, but I’m not always an early adopter when it comes to new technology. It turns out yet again I am dragged into the new by the established and I am now watching a couple of web series. I’m not talking about the funny little videos that folks send around via YouTube or Funny or Die, or watching network tv that’s posted online, I’m talking about an actual television show that’s shot and designed for web distribution.

The television man that I would follow anywhere, Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse) developed a web series during the writer’s strike last year. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog didn’t disappoint. And then this year when I heard another tv fave Josh Schwartz (The O.C, Gossip Girl, Chuck) came out with Rockville CA I took a look. While Dr Horrible is more of a standalone multi chapter full story, Rockville is brief snippets telling shorter moments and sharing a band (it’s set in a music venue) while building characters and story from one ep to the next.

And to close out my experience with web series, or to kick it off, I took a little tour of the winners of this year’s Streamy Awards. I couldn’t watch the dramatic award winner Battlestar Gallactica: The Face of the Enemy since I have only caught season one of the tv series and I have no idea how this relates and what this covers. I did catch up on some of The Guild which was cute. After more sampling so far overall the the format is shorter and since I’m playing catch up I can sort of power through, but I realized that just because I could didn’t mean I wanted to. As with all tv it’s often a matter of preference, so for now I’ll tune back into Rockville and hope they change that Van de Kamps commercial.

next week 3/30

March 28, 2009 No Comments

New and notable in the week ahead… procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

Greek (ABCFam, 8pm) Season Premiere – They’re back from summer break in this fun college show.

Tuesday

Osbournes: Reloaded (Fox, 9:20pm) – When you think Osbournes, you think variety show, note the annoying start time following an annoying end time for American Idol.
Cupid (ABC, 10pm, repeats Sat) Series Premiere – I will try not to hold my love of the previous version against them but Bobby Cannavale is no Jeremy Piven, though I might be a sucker for good matchmaking.
My Boys (TBS, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Another round of amusement, I understand the guys have a mustache growing contest.
Pretty Wicked (Oxy, 11pm) Series Premiere – In another take on the usual reality, some pretty on the outside girls compete to become pretty on the inside.

Wednesday

I Get That A Lot (CBS, 8pm) – An April Fools special where celebrities take everyday jobs to ‘trick’ folks.
Rate My Space (HGTV, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – Something about spaces, that are maybe rated…
The Ultimate Fighter (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – They’re scouting for the US vs UK teams.
Life on Mars (ABC, 10pm) Series Finale – Will Sam return to 2008 as this series goes off the air?
Reno 911 (Com, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Looks like some new officers join the force.

Thursday

ER (NBC, 8/9pm) Series Finale – First a look back at the 15 seasons and then a two hour wrap up.
Free Radio (VH1, 11pm) Season Premiere – Dimwitted intern is apparently still running the morning radio show.

Friday

Escape to Chimp Eden (AnPl, 9pm) Season Premiere – Getting chimps integrated can be tricky.
Mistresses (BBCA, 9pm) Season Premiere – Things are still complicated.
Bang for Your Buck (HGTV, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Renovations with a lot of bang for the buck.
Unsellables (HGTV, 11:30pm) Season Premiere – Things like bad color can make a house look bad.

Saturday

Sony Ericsson Open (CBS, 9:30 am, Sun, 10am) – The men’s and women’s tennis finals follows a week of earlier rounds on CSNBA.

Sunday

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom (AnPl, 7pm) Season Premiere – Doggies protecting tigers!
The 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Reba hosts and the country folks gather and sing.
Food Network Challenge (Food, 8pm) Season Premiere – This four part ‘Last Cake Standing’ challenge will award some cash and glory.
In Treatment (HBO, 9/9:30pm) Season Premiere – Therapist and patients are back in business.
The Tudors (Show, 9pm) Season Premiere – Henry VIII takes his third bride.
My First Place (HGTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – The latest couple is paying for a wedding and a house…
River Monsters (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – Where does one go after piranhas?
Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices (HBO, 11pm) Series Premiere – Young poets compete.

* All times are PST, always check your local listings.

next week 3/23

March 20, 2009 1 Comment

New and notable in the week ahead… procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

Roommates (ABCFam, 9pm) Series Premiere – A new roomie moves in to the NYC apartment to follow an old crush.
Sophie (ABCFam, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Is a ‘sucky year’ for this single mom talent manager funny, or not?
Table for 12 (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – For those who are a fan of John & Kate plus 8, these folks have upped the game to 2 plus 10.

Tuesday

Presidential Address (Mult Networks, 8pm) – Obama is back for more.
College Hill (BET, 7/7:30pm) Season Premiere – We’re back with these real life eight college kids in South Beach.
NCIS/The Mentalist (CBS, 9/10pm) – Special times for our crime fighters.

Wednesday

American Idol (Fox, 8pm) – Idol is shifting to a Wed/Thurs presentation to give Obama some space on Tues, this week Motown, go Adam!
Survivor (CBS, 8pm) – A special night and time to recap the first fifteen days.

Thursday

In the Motherhood (ABC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Megan Mullally, Jessica St Clair, and Cheryl Hines are mothers making funny in this update of a web series followed by the return of Samantha Who? in a new time slot.

Friday

NCAA Basketball (CBS, 4pm) – In case you’ve missed it the NCAA playoffs are cooking, tonight you can catch some regional playoffs.

Saturday

Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards (Nick, 8pm) – Dwayne (no longer the Rock) Johnson hosts, and last I heard at least Chris Brown won’t be there.
World Figure Skating Championships (NBC, 9pm) – In case you’re getting geared up for next year’s Olympics or just like the spinning.

Sunday

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (HBO, 8pm) Series Premiere – Jill Scotts plays the lead in this adaptation of the novel series set in Botswana, which I hear is delightful, the series that is.
Any Dream Will Do (BBCA, 8pm) Series Premiere – Who will win the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
G4 Underground (G4, 9pm) Series Premiere – Getting the real dirt on amateur porn and real life costumed superheroes.
Little Dorrit (PBS, 9pm) – Kicking off the latest Masterpiece Miniseries in this Dickens presentation.

* Times noted are PST, always check your local listings.

finally more gossip

March 16, 2009 No Comments

Well it seems like it has been forever since we’ve seen a new ep but tonight we are back in business. If you recall Serena and Dan broke up, yet again. Was it their different plans for college, she no longer Yale bound, or was it that Dan was doing his teacher? Really I’m not sure they ever give a real reason for the breaks and reunited loves but let’s just leave them apart for now.

And yes Dan was accused of having an affair with the new teacher, who was fired and then they actually started having an affair… woo hoo. And then since folks realized they didn’t have any proof of her inappropriate behavior she’s getting hired back. How inappropriate.

This whole situation was brought about by our delightful Blair who was out to get Teach for first giving her a bad grade and then reporting her for trying to get Teach back… Now this would be normal drama if B didn’t lose her slot at Yale over the whole deal, and of course the respect of dear old dad.

Now B has finally given up on Chuck, so we think, though Chuck may be straightening out after his dad’s death. He’s gone off on an international bender and returned to lose Dad’s company to his less than reputable uncle. But Uncle lost his legal guardianship when Chuck finally allied with the woman he blamed for his dad’s death new adopted mom Lily Vanderwoodsen.

Though we’ve learned that trying to take over the company isn’t Uncle’s only misdeed… we learned that he offered Blair a little comfort whilst Chuck was on the bender and she’s doing all she can to keep this quiet. We all know nothing stays quiet for long.

As for the rest of the crew, Vanessa and Nate have been cozy and dull, Little J and Eric are mostly out of the limelight, while their folks Lily and Rufus are all hooked up. And of course we shouldn’t forget that Lily and Rufus’ kid is still out there though they believe him to be dead per the new adoptive folks. What we’ll gossip about next is anyone’s guess.

next week 3/16

March 13, 2009 4 Comments

New and notable in the week ahead… procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

Kyle XY (ABC Fam, 9pm) Series Finale – Things wrap up as Kyle tries to thwart a bad plan.
Dhani Tackles the Globe (Trav, 9pm) Series Premiere – NFL linebacker heads to Bangkok to do some Muay Thai.
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi, 10pm) I’m only on about season two but this finale special salutes the series as it wraps.

Tuesday

Modern Toss (IFC, 11pm) Series Debut – A partially animated British comedy is apparently not for the easily offended.

Wednesday

Inside the FBI (Disc, 8pm) – Following the FBI…
Better Off Ted (ABC, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Sitcom set in an ethically challenged R&D co with Jay Harrington and Portia de Rossi, follows Scrubs in its new time slot.

Thursday

Taking the Stage (MTV, 10pm) Series Debut – Real life Fame, students at the School for Creative Performing Arts.

Friday

Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9pm) Series Finale – The series may be done, but you can always stay tuned for Caprica.
Head Case (Starz, 10pm) Season Premiere – This improvised original comedy showcases a therapist to the stars.
Party Down (Starz, 10:30pm) Series Debut – Comedy with actors catering or catering actors… by VMars creator Rob Thomas.

Saturday

The Locator (WE, 9pm) Season Premiere – Real life looking for people all season long.
Nora Roberts (Life, 1pm) – Start the marathon of movies based on her books with Blue Smoke and work your way through Carolina Moon, Montana Sky, Angels Fall and the latest, Northern Lights at 9.

Sunday

BNP Paribas Open (CSNBA, 12pm) – The men’s and women’s tennis finals following earlier rounds throughout the week.

* Always check your local listings (times noted are PST).

idol… the final 13

March 10, 2009 4 Comments

Between what America wants and what the judges want we’ve rounded out our thirteen finalists! And we’ll get to watch them week after week, after week. For those who don’t recall now we start the theme weeks which are a challenge for some, we’ll continue to hear lots of comments on the importance of song choice. Tonight we’ll hear the work of Michael Jackson. The format mostly keeps to Tuesday performances and Wednesday results (with ridiculous group numbers and dragged out results).

Of the competitors I predict Broadway boy Adam to go far along with MJB singer Lil, though admittedly Danny’s a crowd favorite. But what’s good about this stage is still the surprises, one of our favorites will tend to get flat week after week and one of the less known kids will start to wow with strong week after week performances. We hope. What’s bad about this stage is the kids that just don’t have the chops and having to hear them for weeks too many, as the worst one usually isn’t even the one voted off. Let’s hope Megan Quirkery and Anoop Dawg find a way to work it.

And yes it’s all up to America now. We do hear from each of our now four judges as to what they think, we’re agreeing with Paula that four judges may be too many but Cara is doing a good job with sensical comments. Though I would miss Paula’s slurring non sequiturs and her interplay with Simon should she not return next season. But for now it’s up to us to dial those numbers. The latest is that apparently they didn’t really plan to have that 13th contestant (at least not soon enough) because the usual telephone number format digits are only secured 01-12 and the version with ’13’ dials phone sex, whoops. We’ll have special digits tonight, use them or you can’t complain about who gets kicked off. Oh sure you can, it’s the American way.

next week 3/9

March 6, 2009 2 Comments

New and notable in the week ahead… procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Jewel and Nancy O’Dell are out, and I hear at least one is being replaced by Holly, one of the Girls Next Door.
Battles BC (Hist, 9pm) Series Premiere – Were you wondering what really happened in ancient clashes, I mean what tactics did they really use?
Castle (ABC, 10pm – repeats Sunday) Series Premiere – It’s a straight-laced cop paired with not so by the book writer, with Nathan Fillion (Firefly/Dr Horrible) playing the writer I will of course tune in.

Tuesday

WCG Ultimate Gamer (SciFi, 10pm) Series Premiere – Twelve gamers move in together and compete at Rock Band 2, partay!

Wednesday

The Chopping Block (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – The guy who trained Gordon Ramsay has his own restaurant competition.
Ghost Hunters (SciFi, 9pm) Season Premiere – Clean your guns, or whatever the guys on Ghostbusters used, Ghost hunting season has started.
South Park (Com, 10pm) Season Premiere – Can these kids really be thirteen years older?

Thursday

Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches (Trav, 8pm) Series Debut – I can only assume we see sexy beaches with former Girl Next Door Bridget, the girls are happening this week.
Warriors (Hist, 10pm) Series Debut – Looks like we get to take a walk down memory lane and learn how to hold a sword among other things.

Friday

Batman (Cart, 8pm) Season Premiere – This is the animated one, no Christian Bale…

Saturday

Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America (HBO, 9pm) – A Final Night with George W. Bush Live From Broadway… need I say more?
The Graham Norton Show (BBCA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Sarah Ferguson greets Graham for the season opener.

Sunday

Kings (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – It’s the fake country of Gilboa (in an alternate fake world) and it’s got a king, and I’m going to say some drama.
Tough Love Boot Camp (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – A matchmaker gives eight single gals a wakeup call on what they’re doing wrong when trying to find love.

* Always check your local listings (times noted are PST).

america’s next top/make me a super…

March 5, 2009 1 Comment

So tonight saw the return of the fierce with Tyra and her gang at American’s Next Top Model, so me and my gang got together for a little dvr viewing. They spent the first hour narrowing it down to the final thirteen (who were of course already posted on the website) and giving a little personality, those girls can be bitches right off the bat. And then the competition began… Tyra did her bit by introducing a few odd looking girls, typical for modeling, and letting through the preacher, the epileptic, and the girl with severe scars from burns over much of her body.

So far we’re all liking blonde Celia the elder at 25, she’s smart, she’s into fashion, and she rolled her eyes at the right girl at the right time. We also like Aminat the lovely black gal with the fro, Fo the cute ‘blaxican’ with the freckles, and I have to say I kind of like the weird doe eyed girl. One thing I think I can go out on a limb and say is those forehead headbands should be eliminated for more than just the mark they leave on your head, can you say ugly. Thanks Mischa Barton for working that look to death.

The photo shoot of them playing childhood games was cute with some stiffness by a number of folks at this point. The runway walking also needs a ton of work by all, but overconfidence is always amusing superimposed over a near stumble and stop halfway down the runway before turning back by Sandra. I was surprised when Isabella even made it into the finals though when we realized she was the epileptic it made a little more sense. I have to say that when it came down to the final two I still thought that bitchy bad walk/bad photo Sandra might get the boot before her. But potential as a model and potential for drama won out.

Then when we flipped over to Make Me a Supermodel I wasn’t quite sure whether I was relieved or disappointed that it was a more straightforward modeling competition. They started narrowed down and got right to the first shoot, pairs in lingerie hanging in a clear box. The kids got back their photos and one winner, Salome, got to go on a go see. She didn’t earn the support of her peers by stating that she wanted to pick someone to go with her that she could beat. But of course no one got the booking.

And the first runway was more realistically just in front of the judges. Overall the field of men seemed stronger at first so it was surprising to see a chick win both the photo and the immunity with a handful of dudes in the bottom rungs. While I can barely remember who got immunity (Jordan), the sending home of thuggish dude over stiff androgynous guy was a no brainer. Everyone likes hot trained dancer Sandhurst to go far. Tyson and the new chick mentor Nicole (replacing Nikki) and the panel of judges don’t bring the same flair that Tyra and even Mr/Mrs Jay do, and again I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

late night

March 3, 2009 No Comments

I have to admit that I’m really not qualified to critique the first episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon since I have watched but really don’t watch any of the late shows regularly (Letterman, Leno, O’Brien, Kimmel, Ferguson, Daly…) I tuned in to the first show nonetheless. Now I think this is the sort of format where it will take some time to really see what the vibe and humor will be but I would be remiss not to judge, right?

The opener with Conan was cute, giving a nod to the start of a new late night show and the long road ahead and the fact that, for Conan, Leno’s not really going anywhere. The format of the rest of the show was pretty solid late night. The opening monologue introduced Fallon as well as his announcer and band The Root, which was pretty rockin’ and added a nice touch to slow jammin’ the news. Fallon has a boy next door quality about him, kind of sweet, kind of awkward, and kind of funny.

Having de Niro on as the first guest wasn’t the easiest rhythm to get going and acknowledging that he was a tough and letting him do a couple bits probably wasn’t worth the way it fed Fallon’s awkward trying hard to entertain shtick. Fortunately Timberlake’s casual style and song imitations lightened things up and and Van Morrison gave a needed breather to Fallon having to support the show.

Fallon still feels at his best when he’s doing bits, otherwise his communication is all a little too eager, but hopefully he’ll learn to use his eager to please mode in a less pleading and more comfortable way. And hopefully we’ll see Fallon develop his interviewing sea legs as the days, and weeks, go by. Although nothing about the first show would make me want to tune in again, there’s nothing that made me want to turn it off, which for a first show is probably a pretty huge triumph. The green room sponsor Bud Light with Lime was probably pleased enough.

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