Archive for the ‘Watching’ Category

Since Dollhouse was canceled, in accordance with television logic the shows have been getting better and better. Last week's episode, "Getting Closer," was edge-of-the-seat amazing from start to finish and had me droolingly eager to see tonight's episode, "The Hollow Men." Everything is coming to a head, the characters are finally taking on evil corporation Rossum directly, Echo has undergone some major changes, and it all ends tonight.

Short review: Meh.

Long review after the jump, where spoilers live.

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I tend to see viral videos either right after they get posted and the Internet has yet to notice, or months (or years) later. I'm sorry I missed this for so long. Any response from Pixar yet?

Posted at my 24/7 blog at GO386.com:

'So Fox decreed that they should be paid more for their programming based on the innovative business model "We Want More Money For The Same Product Because We're Pretty Sure We Can Make You Do It."And Time-Warner (and locally, their Bright House partner or affiliate or henchman or whatever the relationship is) is resisting, based on their own tried and true business model, "We Ain't Paying You Jack."

Meanwhile, millions of affected customers are fearfully watching the two monsters battle, crushing buildings in their wake, with only one terrified thought: "Am I going to miss the Sugar Bowl because of these idiots?"

In a nutshell, Fox wants money for its previously free programming. Time-Warner (and locally their partner Bright House) doesn't want to pay. Both mega-companies have been flooding the local airwaves, TV and newspapers with ads claiming the people are on their side and demand that the other party to back down.

Personally, I'm not too bothered by the Fox/Time Warner smackdown and wouldn't be affected if Fox disappeared from my TV. I'm not a football fan, most of their programming actively bothers me, and I can watch the last episodes of Dollhouse on Fox.com, Hulu.com, or get 'em from iTunes a day later. Worst case scenario, I have to wait til summer and buy the DVD set. That's about it for me and Fox-owned shows these days, although I have plenty of friends who would miss Glee and Fringe. (Note that FOX News would not be affected, dammit)

But hey, guys? The people are not on your side. Honest. We distrust both of you more or less equally. We know that you are not providing us with entertainment out of the goodness of your hearts, and that you need to stay profitable to do what you do. However you work that out is fine by us, but we know already that no matter what happens, our rates will go up. We are not your friends or your grassroots army. Please stop trying to rally us as a way to bully the other guy. Just work it out, let us know what the hike will be and let's move on with our lives.

Be sure to read the rest of my column, which suggests ways to make do without Fox. It's surprisingly easy, something both companies might want to think about.

It started when Canadian musician Dave Carroll was on a United Airlines flight, waiting at O'Hara in Chicago. People on the flight pointed out the baggage handlers on the ground tossing around guitar cases, which turned out to belong to Carroll and his band Sons of Maxwell. Carroll's pleas fell on deaf ears and he discovered upon arriving at his destination that his custom Taylor guitar, valued at $3,500, was severely damaged. There followed a year of Carroll's attempts at getting United Airlines to even acknowledge the incident, much less pay for the $1,200 of repairs that still didn't quite restore the guitar to its former sound.

Finally Carroll told the last representative, a Ms. Irlweg, that he would write and produce three music videos about his experience and release them into the wild.She may have been less than impressed. That was then.

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In just a few minutes here on the east coast, the long awaited season finale of Dexter's fourth season arrives. This show, already amazing, has been absolutely brilliant this year with Dexter's interest in 39-year serial killer Trinity, played to perfection by John Lithgow. So, in a show full of twists and turns, what can we expect? My guesses:

- Dexter will kill Trinity.

- Dexter will kill Trinity, but in such a way as to set things up for an uncomfortable 5th season such as, say, stabbing him to death on the table during the morning meeting at the precinct.

- Dexter will try to kill Trinity and then discover, to his shock, that Trinity is, in reality, former president Warren G. Harding.

- Dexter will try to kill Trinity and fail, only to have

I really don't see where anything more need be said.

Tonight the surviving members of Monty Python's Flyng Circus reunited on the stage at Ziegfeld Theatre in New York (with a cardboard cutout of the late Graham Chapman) to answer questions from the audience. Which they did, in one or two instances, but only when they couldn't ignore them outright, make up different questions entirely, or mock the questioners and each other. My only complaint is that it was too short, but it was great fun watching them crack each other up.

"Heat Wave," best-selling mystery author Richard Castle's eagerly awaited new book (the first about his new character, Nikki Heat) hit bookstores today!

If you have no idea who best-selling mystery author Richard Castle is, you haven't been watching ABC's "Castle" starring Nathan Fillion. And if you haven't, shame on you. Aside from the fact that Fillion is in it, "Castle" is a refreshing change from the endlessly intense police procedurals and CSI: Whatevers that load up the screen. "Castle" is attitude-TV, the latest progeny of the Rockford Files-Columbo-Murder She Wrote school of detective shows where the actual crime is secondary to watching the stars be wiseasses at each other as they solve it.

Castle is an internationally famous mystery writer who has killed off his main character and needs a new idea. Enter NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, working on a case in which the murder scenes resemble scenes from his books. Castle discovers his new muse — hard-as-nails, intelligent, beautiful Beckett — and uses his pull with the mayor to  hang around the department for "research." Just about everyone on the show shines, but if nothing else watch it for Fillion's charm and the novelty of finally seeing him on a show in its second season.

Through the first season we saw newly-inspired Castle write his new book, "Heat Wave." And then ABC and Hyperion Books actually published the thing, which presents a problem.

We've been told, over and over, that he's a world-class writer, right? So there's a certain level of expectation for the book. Can we, reading it, believe that a best-selling writer wrote it?

The answer is yes, but that writer is Dan Brown.

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If you saw the Emmys last night, along with Neil Patrick Harris' amazing performance as the host and the revamped show that finally seemed to start treating awards ceremonies the way they should all be treated — with respect, humor, and John Hodgman providing color commentary– you also saw the first time Dr. Horrible ever appeared on broadcast television. At least, outside of a news show reporting on the death of TV.

I almost missed the damn thing.

It was the accountancy part! If there was ever a safe time to hit the bathroom, it should have been the accountancy part! But no, NPH had to make it all "fun" and "entertaining," as he did throughout the rest of the show. There were some clunkers — the fan getting lousy seats got old even before she was on the screen, the presenter banter was only slightly better overall, and the reality show montage and the ultra-violent Family Guy clip just forcibly reminded me why I don't watch reality shows or Family Guy. (Isn't Dirty Jobs a reality show? Why isn't Mike Rowe winning Emmys?) But overall this was the most entertaining Emmys broadcast I've seen in years. Light-hearted, respectful, and it combined the genres to make the show move faster (something I, ahem, suggested last year).

The fans seemed to agree: despite predictable winners and competition from the Giants/Cowboys game, the 61st Emmys saw a million-person jump in ratings from last year.

I think it was Dr. Horrible's doing. Somehow his evil plan backfired and saved the industry. And in recognition of that, and of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog winning its own Emmy, I'm giving one away. Post a comment below and tomorrow night at 9 pm EST I'll pull a name at random and send that winner a Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog DVD, just for the hell of it.

One entry per person, must be 18 to win, must be a mailing address in the U.S. or Canada (unless you're willing to cover shipping charges). Begin!

Note: Winning entry has been drawn,. will announce after I get a response from the winner I just e-mailed.

I know this is old news already, but I just had to post the acceptance speech: