Happy New Year everyone! I hope the start of the new decade has instilled you with brightness, hope and a big smile. I for one refuse to believe 2010 will be as craptastic as 2009; in fact, for me, the best thing about 2009 was TV. I welcome the brand spanking new and shiny year and all the great TV that comes with it. I watched some CHUCK screeners over the holiday break and I’m over the moon excited about the new season because they’ve done a brilliant job of resetting things while keeping the spirit and integrity of the show intact. More about CHUCK later this week, just before the two-part season premiere this Sunday.
Other stuff I watched during the break: classic movies: THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN and NIGHTS OF CABIRIA – seeing NINE made me want to watch Fellini films. I’ll be renting 8&1/2 and LA DOLCE VITA soon too. I also dipped into my TV on DVD collection and re-watched episodes of PROFIT, a terrific series from 1996 that had Adrian Pasdar in the lead. To say it was a dark show would be an understatement. The show really holds up and I think one of the nets should update the show with Pasdar in the lead again. If you’d like to read more about it, click to:
I also went to the movies and watched some screeners: A SERIOUS MAN (still trying to figure that movie out cause I’m not sure if the Coen Brothers were trying to say something in it), CRAZY HEART (a total Oscar bait performance by Jeff Bridges but I enjoyed Colin Farrell in the film quite a bit too), THE HURT LOCKER (I didn’t enjoy watching it but I totally understand why critics are raving about it), IT’S COMPLICATED (light and fluffy with Nancy Meyers’ usual design porn which makes the movie even prettier to watch) and I watched JULIE AND JULIA again simply for the joy of Meryl Streep’s performance.
BETTER OFF TED: It’s KILLING me that ABC is burning off episodes of this terrific workplace comedy. They aired two episodes Friday night and now they’re moving it to Tuesday, just to make sure NO ONE can find the show. Victor Fresco and his fine cast don’t deserve this kind of treatment. If only they’d air it in the Wednesday night lineup; I’d much rather see TED than THE MIDDLE. Jay Harrington, Portia de Rossi, Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin and Malcolm Barrett are all insanely funny in the show and I’m not happy with ABC for treating it so shabbily. It’s just wrong to squander a great comedy.
SCRUBS: Conversely, SCRUBS is still a very long half hours and many of the actors try too hard to be funny which makes it feel strained. I feel bad because I used to love the show and they’ve produced so many inventive and original episodes in the past.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: I stopped watching this show last year and I hear last night’s episode stretched the audience’s faith a tad too far. I know someone expired but I have no idea who and I haven’t made any effort to find out. I think this show needs a long rest or to wrap things up completely. While I like the actresses (except for Teri Hatcher), the show ran outta gas some time ago.
BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Now HERE’S a nighttime soap that’s worth watching. The cast continues to mesh incredibly well and there’s a solid combination of pathos, humor and heartbreak thrown into the mix. The show continues to tug at heartstrings at every opportunity and after watching last night’s episode, all I could think was that I loved the choice they made about Robert and his campaign, and if the writers really had cojones, they would’ve let Kitty die. Don’t get me wrong: I love Calista Flockhart in the show but the show would’ve reached a new level of realistic dramatic gravitas if she hadn’t won her fight against lymphoma. I have no advance knowledge of the storyline but it seems clear to me that Kitty will enter the political arena as a candidate now that she’s in remission. Anyone with me on that?
BAND OF BROTHERS REPLAY ON HBO: HBO is re-airing this beautiful miniseries Sundays at 8pm. If you’ve never seen it, check it out because all of the actors are strong and it’s a great production. It’s also great prep for HBO’s upcoming miniseries THE PACIFIC.
REAL WORLD: D.C.: Another boring group of 20somethings but there is one creepy geek who loves to lie because he thinks it’s funny. I’ve already forgotten his name. He’s dying to get laid, which of course means he won’t even touch a boob during his time in the D.C. house. THE REAL WORLD is the runner-up in the show that makes me yell at my TV the most. Do I even need to mention JERSEY SHORE?
AT THE END OF TODAY’S SURF: A handy list of this week’s TV premieres and returns is included at the end of today’s email for your easy reference. I do the digging so you don’t have to.
A FINE ROMANCE? NOT QUITE: While we’re talking about premieres, tonight’s big premiere is the return of THE BACHELOR and Jake the Pilot is this cycle’s guy with a bullseye on his back. I’m sure we’ll get to see his mad skillz as a makeout master with the desperate women who choose to participate in this nauseating show. There’s already been scandal too: one of the show’s producers had an affair with one of the female contestants. Classy! Then again, something tells me there are no morals clauses in any of ABC’s reality show contracts. The real reason I hate THE BACHELOR: the show perpetuates every bad cliche and fairy tale and I don’t think it’s healthy for young women to watch it because they buy it hook, line and sinker. Young girls who watch the show learn to value luxury dates and hot-tubbing as a path to romance. They don’t see anything about talking to someone to learn about them and that a date doesn’t have to break the bank to have a great time. THE BACHELOR continues to be the show that makes me yell at my TV the most. Then again, I haven’t seen CONVEYOR BELT OF LOVE yet; yeah, that’s the new show premiering tonight after THE BACHELOR.
When it comes to TV shows about love, give me VH1′s TOUGH LOVE for its honesty and laser-like focus on how to have a real relationship that has the potential to last.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: I heard a Grant-Lee Phillips song “Winterlight” that I love but I can’t find it online anywhere to link to so today’s choice is Phillips’ “Little Moon”:
http://www.myspace.com/grantleephillips
Tonight’s rundown:
ABC: The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love (2 hour season premiere), Conveyor Belt of Love
CBS: How I Met Your Mother (R), Accidentally on Purpose (R), Two and a Half Men (R), The Big Bang Theory (R), CSI: Miami (R)
NBC: Heroes (2 hours), The Jay Leno Show
FOX: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Texas Christian vs. Boise State)
THE CW: One Tree Hill (R), Gossip Girl (R)
ABC FAMILY: Secret Life of the American Teenager, Make It or Break It
A&E: 10pm: Hoarders
Bravo: 10pm: Chef Academy
Discovery: 9pm: Mythbusters, 10pm: Motor City Motors
TLC: 8pm: Little People, Big World (2 eps), 9pm: Cake Boss
USA: WWE Monday Night Raw
This week’s TV premieres and returns:
Monday, Jan. 4
‘Antiques Roadshow’ (PBS) 14th season premiere
‘The Bachelor’ (ABC) 14th season premiere
‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’ (ABC Family) 2nd season winter premiere
‘Tostitos Fiesta Bowl’ (Fox) special presentation
‘Make It or Break It’ (ABC Family) 1st season winter premiere
‘Conveyor Belt of Love’ (ABC) special presentation
‘I Want to Work for Diddy’ (VH1) 2nd season finale
Tuesday, Jan. 5
‘The Biggest Loser’ (NBC) 9th season premiere
‘FedEx Orange Bowl’ (Fox) special presentation
“The Restaurant” fka ‘Last Restaurant Standing’ (BBC America) 3rd season premiere
Raymond Blanc returns!!!
‘Wild Recon’ (Animal Planet) series premiere
‘Life After People’ (History) 2nd season premiere
‘Maneaters’ (Animal Planet) series premiere
Wednesday, Jan. 6
‘I Get That a Lot’ (CBS) special presentation
’36th Annual People’s Choice Awards’ (CBS) special presentation
‘Ghost Hunters International’ (Syfy) 2nd season winter premiere
‘Nip/Tuck’ (FX) 7th season premiere
Thursday, Jan. 7
‘Citi BCS National Championship’ (ABC) special presentation
‘Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew’ (VH1) 3rd season premiere
Friday, Jan. 8
‘What Not to Wear’ (TLC) 8th season premiere
‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate’ (Food) 2nd season premiere
‘Manhattan Marriage Project With Gino Filippone’ (TLC) series premiere
‘John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show’ (Comedy Central) series premiere
That’s a wrap for today.
