AMERICAN IDOL FINALE: The show should really be called AMERICAN ANACHRONISM with 70s and 80s artists Alice Cooper, Michael McDonald, Van Morrison, Hall & Oates, and the remaining Bee Gees performing. Contemporary music was left to Alanis Morrisette and Christina Aguilera to represent. It was a bloated show, crammed with the usual awkward product placements. And for a show that was supposed to be the big finale, it definitely came off as more of a tribute to departing judge Simon Cowell. I know the producers are talking about how they’re going to overhaul the show for next season and they better get on that pronto because IDOL has become unwatchable. Even worse was the quality of this season’s contestants: most of them couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket and were off key a lot of the time. I get that tween and teen girls sway the votes so Lee Dewyze’s win made sense but in terms of singing talent, Crystal Bowersox could actually sing. I’m hoping she’ll still get a record deal and not be enslaved by the IDOL megastructure. I’d love to see her do a show at Largo; just her and her guitar.
JUSTIFIED: The show keeps getting deeper into Raylen’s character and it’s an interesting portrait of a flawed lawman, but then, I’m always fascinated by TV dramas about men with anger and control issues. Timothy Olyphant continues to give a beautifully shaded performance, showing both a softer side and a stern side that makes you believe he could shoot first and ask questions later. I also loved Stephen Root’s recent guest role as a judge who handed down harsh sentences and found himself stalked by a parolee who wanted to kill him and Raylen had to protect him. The scenes between the judge and Raylen were subtly written and stylishly shed light on both their characters. It’s a pleasure to watch such good writing and acting. JUSTIFIED airs Tuesday nights at 10pm on FX.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: “Tightrope” by Janelle Monae featuring Big Boi – I dare you not to groove when you listen to this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc&feature=fvsr
Tonight’s rundown:
ABC: 8:00pm. FlashForward (series finale) 9:00pm. Hollywood Salutes Matt Damon: An American Cinematheque Tribute
10:00pm. Grey’s Anatomy (R)
Show of hands: who actually cares about the FLASH FORWARD finale???
CBS: 8:00pm. How I Met Your Mother (R) 8:30pm. Rules of Engagement (R) 9:00pm. CSI (R) 10:00pm. The Mentalist (R)
NBC: 8:00pm. Community (R) 8:30pm. 100 Questions (series premiere) 9:00pm. The Office (R) 9:30pm. 30 Rock (R)
10:00pm. The Office (R) 10:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation (R)
100 Questions: After a young single woman (Sophie Winkleman) joins an online dating site, she takes a 100-question compatibility test, which requires her to recount humorous times in her life. Also starring Michael Benjamin Washington, Smith Cho, Christopher Moynihan and Collette Wolfe.
NBC only ordered six episodes of 100 QUESTIONS and the pilot fell flat. I don’t recommend tuning in.
FOX: 8:00 p.m. So You Think You Can Dance (season premiere, two hours)
SYTYCD is the competition show a LOT of my friends can’t live without and I understand that more than IDOL devotion. A new cycle of the dance competition starts tonight.
THE CW: 8:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries (R) 9:00 p.m. Supernatural (R)
The VAMPIRE DIARIES repeat is the pilot of the show. It’s been good from the start so if you want to revel in it all over again, tune in tonight.
Bravo: 10pm: Real Housewives of NY
That’s a wrap for now.
