What Miss Kira is Watching

Wow.

2011-01-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated since last June. I guess I just haven't been watching much. T.V. has sucked for me. Both Bones and House have been lame this season, I've given up on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and I could only stomach one episode of Law and Order: Los Angeles. Can't stand the leads on that one, and the stories are boring.

The best things I've seen in the past seven months are British- Sherlock was the best damn new show on television, and it was only on for three feature length episodes. I totally fell in love with Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson being moved to the 21st Century. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are both perfect as Sherlock and the doctor, respectively. The episodes are cobbled from several different Arthur Conan Doyle stories, and they manage to work (though the second episode, The Blind Banker, had a lot of missteps.). I can't wait for the next series, which should start filming soon.

The other wonderful British program was Eric and Ernie, a drama about the early career of the much loved British comedy duo, Morcambe and Wise. This one will never be seen in the U.S., because they never really made it over here. I've seen enough clips of the old show to appreciate it, so I really enjoyed this T.V. movie. Even if I didn't care for British humor, the 40's/50's style and music would have won me over. It was a lovely look back at old time entertainment and the early days of television. Three sets of actors played the duo- as kids, teens, and finally as young men. All were wonderful. My old favorite, Bryan Dick, played Ernie Wise, and he was fabulous. He got to show off his dancing skills (he originally trained as a dancer), and can really sing, too! Eric Morcambe was played by Daniel Rigby, just 20 years old and already an amazing performer. Victoria Wood played Eric's mother, who pushed the boys together as a double act.

Not looking forward to the new Torchwood season, which will on Starz later this year. I don't like the idea of it being set in the U.S., even if Jack and Gwen are still in it. I'll probably watch, but that doesn't mean I'll like it...:(

And another 80's favorite is gone...

2010-06-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Rue McClanahan of The Golden Girls has passed away at age 76. Betty White is now the last of the Girls...:(

Thanks for the laughs, Rue, and rest in peace.

80's sitcom stars, didn't I tell you to STOP DYING?

2010-05-29T13:14:00.001-07:00

Gary Coleman died yesterday at 42. The Diff'rent Strokes star had terrible health and personal problems his entire life. :( May he rest in peace.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20389492,00.html?xid=rss-fullcontent

After Strokes ended, his career dried up and he became the butt of many jokes. Hollywood really does treat former child actors like crap. And his parents were no better.

All three of the kids on that show had it rough. Dana Plato died in 1999 (drug overdose, likely intentional), and Todd Bridges had drug problems as well, though he seems to have finally gotten it together.

Last week's Lost...

2010-05-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

"Across the Sea"

This episode should have been done two years ago! Pretty good, though. It's just a little late to be doing a big backstory episode!

Sooooo, Jacob and MIB are twins, raised by a nut who killed their real mom after they were born. She tells them they're special and one of them will have to protect the light which is "the heart of the island". Good and evil...it's not so black and white after this episode!

Kid!MIB goes to live with the people his "mother" says are bad- they're learning about the island's odd properties, which makes MIB want to leave.

Nut!Mom "kills" MIB, she chooses Jacob as the protector of the island, she wipes out the Others, to MIB's horror. MIB (who is never given a name!) kills her, Jacob punishes him by throwing him into the light cave, which kills MIB but turns him into SMOKEY!!!

Jacob puts the bodies of his brother and fake mom in a cave...where centuries later, they are discovered by Jack, Kate, and Locke. "Our very own Adam and Eve".

WHOA that answered a lot of questions. Adam and Eve's identities are revealed, and we see how MIB and Jacob get to the island and how they become who they are. I actually felt bad for MIB part of the time. Odd that the mom is so intent on protecting "the light" that she slaughters a whole bunch of people. It's not just about good and evil, is it?

The music for this episode had a real Lord of the Rings sound to it.

Only one more episode, then the finale. As much as this show has driven me crazy over the past six years, I'm going to miss it!

House season finale...

2010-05-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

"Help Me"- House nearly loses it again. Surprise, surprise. First he learns that Cuddy is engaged, then the patient he tried to help during a big disaster dies despite everything he tried to do. He goes to his secret stash of Vicodin, only to have Cuddy show up to stop him...apparently, she's broken up with Lucas and loves House despite her better judgement. Oh, boy.

This was a good episode until the last few minutes. The House/Cuddy ship sailed two seasons ago, IMHO! The big disaster leads to two Patients of the Week- the crane operator who caused the accident, and a woman trapped under the rubble of the building he destroyed. The crane operator's case isn't interesting at all. More interesting is House's interaction with the trapped woman- his efforts to save her leg leads to a big blow-up with Cuddy, making him back down from his position. House eating humble pie was totally unexpected! And of course, the lady dies anyway, which almost drives him to drugs again. And naturally it's Cuddy who stops him...

So where is this going to lead? Is House finally going to lose all the demons that make him, well, House?

Where was Wilson this episode?

Oh, yay!

2010-05-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

I did not know this- Warner Bros. released Special Bulletin on DVD in January. I'll have to order it.

http://www.wbshop.com/Special-Bulletin-1983TV/1000147319,default,pd.html?cgid=

I don't think there are any special features or anything. But it's nice to have it on DVD and somewhat cheap!

Hey, HBO, why don't you guys release Countdown to Looking Glass on DVD now? :p

Dreading Lost tonight.

2010-05-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

After last week's bloodbath (Sun, Jin, Frank, AND Sayid killed??) I'm almost afraid to watch tonight!

Anyway, here is my rambling response to The Candidate, last week's episode:

HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP!

Damn it. I haven't cried at a Lost episode since Charlie died. :( Sayid, Frank, Sun AND Jin? God damn it!

Kate got shot! YES! But she survives. DAMN! (I really don't like Kate!)

"There is no Sayid". Jesus, Jack, nice way of putting it. At least no one got a chance to say "You've got some Sayid on you".

Watching Hurley cry...that really got me started. Then Kate and Jack joined in.

Nice going, Sawyer...okay, he didn't know what would happen...but still!

So now we know what MIB/Locke wants...all the Lostie "candidates" have to be dead before he can leave.

Sayid: BIG DAMN HERO. I guess there was still good in him after all.

Sideways!Locke caused the accident that paralyzed him and left his dad a vegetable...and feels so guilty about it he won't let Jack fix him.

Sun and Jin in the end replaced Des and Penny as my favorite Lost couple. Damn it. :( :( :( :(

Wow...

Expect much more incoherent babbling from me after tonight. :p

There is a God!

2010-04-22T20:42:00.001-07:00

Fox has nixed a reported plan to do an American version of Torchwood. What were they thinking, anyway? A: Torchwood makes no sense without Doctor Who. B: An American Doctor Who was tried and it failed. C: The U.S. of A. is not ready for Captain Jack Harkness!

Really, how could they have done it? It would have been boring. There would have been no inter-species sex! And Jack would have to be strictly heterosexual. It would never work. :p

Other stuff- last two episodes of Lost and Bones were awesome. I can't believe there are only four more Lost episodes left! Everything is coming together nicely...and I can't wait to see how it all will end. House was so-so this week.

I'm still going through Growing Pains episodes that had Boner in them. There were 25 in total...since I only have time to watch one or two a week, it's going to be a while before I finish them! I think I may write up a review of them later with a few screencaps- a little tribute to Andrew Koenig, though it's too little, too late. :( This week I watched the first episode- "Springsteen". This was so early that none of the characters had the personalities they would end up with- Boner was actually kind of a smart-assed jerk. Funny how Mike wound up the smart-ass and Boner the sweetie!

I want to watch some old Designing Women episodes, too. I miss that show. Why do TV Land, ABC Family, and Nick at Nite air endless episodes of Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Full House (GAG!), and Home Improvement...but great stuff like DW and Murphy Brown can't be found anywhere? :(

Kill 'em all!

2010-04-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Great Cracked.com article- the seven most soul-crushing endings for T.V. series. Gotta agree with Dinosaurs- THEY KILLED EVERYONE ON THE PLANET! Well, they were dinosaurs and doomed anyway...but kids watched this show! They must have been traumatized.

http://www.cracked.com/article_18490_the-7-most-soul-crushing-series-finales-in-tv-history.html

Number one is the end of St. Elsewhere- the hospital is in a snowglobe, and the whole show was an autistic kid's dream? That was the biggest WTF ending in the history of series finales. And they killed Mimsie the MTM cat in the closing credits, too. BTW, Mimsie was female, not male as stated in the article.

I'm getting worried about how Lost is going to end...:p

Dear stars of my favorite 80's sitcoms...

2010-04-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

PLEASE STOP DYING!

Dixie Carter of Designing Women has died at age 70. I didn't even know she was sick. :(

I always loved Julia Sugarbaker's rants. Here's one of her greats, from "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV86kehwkc0

Lost- Happily Ever After

2010-04-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Oooooooo that was a good episode. Any Desmond episode is going to be good! Widmore has brought him to the island to see if he can survive the EMP effects he had in the past. While being "zapped"- Desmond experiences the "sideways" universe. Here, Widmore is his boss and he's never met Penny. While trying to deliver Charlie to a party Widmore is throwing, he has flashes of life on the island. He and Charlie aren't the only ones who know something is off about their lives- Daniel Widmore (not Faraday- here he's not a bastard!) shows him physics equations that he'd written despite never having done physics in his life! And both Charlie and Daniel have visions/feelings of loving someone and being loved by that someone (Claire and Charlotte, respectively). Desmond meets Penny- and the shock sends him back to the island. He agrees to do what Widmore wants to save the world...but then is taken by Sayid. But he goes along willingly...as if he wants this world to end.

So it seems that Desmond is going to be the big player in the end of the series. I wonder what sacrifice he's going to be asked to make (assuming Widmore can get him away from Sayid and Locke/MIB)?

One thing- I can't stand Zoe. Lame character, and I've never liked Sheila Kelley. She ruined both L.A. Law and Sisters for me. Thank God she's only in this last bit of the series...

I did it again!

2010-04-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

*curses* I knew Law and Order: Criminal Intent was back with a two-parter, and I still forgot to watch. I hope it shows up on hulu fast.

And stupid me, I already know who dies, who gets fired, who quits, and who's left...damn spoilers. I have GOT to learn to stop reading them. I thought I'd learned my lesson after being spoiled for Torchwood: Children of Earth last summer. I guess not.

Ever since CI moved to USA, I've missed episodes.

Other stuff-

Yes, I have completely given up on L&O: Special Victims Unit. Bones is back with new episodes, but I missed tonight because of my church's Maundy Thursday service. Lost is getting very close to the end, and lots of things are finally starting to make sense- though some questions will probably never be answered. There's only six episodes left! And for some reason, I keep missing new House episodes. It's not that I don't care about it, I just plain forget to watch. I've been trying so hard to keep up with my reading that television takes a back seat. Which is actually a good thing...

I've spent the last month going through other Boner-centered Growing Pains episodes. I still can't believe Andrew Koenig is dead. :( He deserved so much better in life. Depression is just horrible. I hope in the end he is remembered more for Never Not Funny (the comedy podcast that his brother-in-law, Jimmy Pardo, hosts) than anything else. He was funny, thoughtful man. I've only recently started listening to NNF (screw Jay Leno, give The Tonight Show to Pardo!), but I know I'll miss Andrew's behind-the-camera antics- that wonderful laugh, his sometimes over-enthusiastic story telling ("Gobs and gobs", anyone?), his head-butting with Jimmy. And whenever he was on camera- seeing that sweet face and gorgeous mane of hair. Dammit. Now I'm sad again.

One last note- the rumor I saw about a possible second series for All the Small Things seems to have been just that, a rumor. Bummer. But at least Bryan Dick has been busy! He's been on Being Human this year (playing a ghost), and he's a bad guy in an episode of Ashes to Ashes this month. I've never watched Ashes, so that's a Bryan appearance I'll miss. I hate it when he plays bad guys...or when his characters die (at least in BH, he was already dead!).

Bryan in Being Human as Sykes the ghost...he looks like a little Jack Harkness!

I think that's it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up on Bones and CI- once Easter is over, I should have a little time to watch.

A brief wave of nostalgia...

2010-03-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

I just watched the Semper Fidelis episode of Growing Pains- Boner's last episode. I hadn't seen it in probably 20 years- I forgot that it made me cry. And now it made me cry for a whole different reason. :(

I think a big reason Growing Pains went downhill after season 4 wasn't Kirk Cameron being born again and causing trouble on the set- it happened because they wrote out Andrew Koenig. Never, ever underestimate the importance of a supporting or recurring player on a long running television show! Mike and Boner was a good early example of a "bromance"- and with that team split up, some of the humor was gone.

I waited a while to watch this episode again- two weeks ago I couldn't have done it.

When I was in high school, the only two shows I would drop everything for were Family Ties (I always loved Michael J. Fox!) and Growing Pains. They're both still funny 20 years later.

My friends in school had pictures of Kirk Cameron as Mike plastered all over their lockers and bedroom walls...they thought I was insane for preferring Boner! I thought he was a sweetheart and not as smart-assed as Mike. Naturally, once he was gone, I lost interest in the show- I mainly watched the last seasons because of Carol, and even she disappeared (largely because of Tracey Gold's health problems).

I skipped Lost last night.

2010-03-03T07:15:00.001-08:00

Oh, dear. It sounds like it was an important episode, too. Thank God for hulu!

And it's confirmed.

2010-02-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

I watched the press conference on CNN during Nancy Grace. It was agonizing to watch Walter and Judy Koenig describing how Andrew was found, and that he had committed suicide. :(

I wouldn't normally watch Nancy Grace, but no other networks had the news. I can't stand her. She just takes too much glee in other people's misery. She's already questioning if Andrew's friends could be criminally responsible for his suicide, assuming they "missed the signs". That's crap. There were a lot of signs, but no one person in his family or circle of friends could have put them all together. Depression is like that. He may have been acting oddly one day and then absolutely normal the next. With some people, there is just no way to predict this kind of outcome. Thanks, Nancy, for making his friends feel more guilty than they already probably do. Bitch.

And a sad ending...

2010-02-25T16:30:00.001-08:00

Andrew Koenig's body has apparently been found. Just breaking on cnn.com.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/25/growing.pains.actor.dead/index.html?hpt=T1

Dammit.

This does not sound good.

2010-02-21T12:22:00.001-08:00

Former Growing Pains co-star Andrew Koenig is missing:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-etchi-growing-pains-actor-andrew-koenig-missing,0,7291938.story

:( I always thought he was a hoot on GP (even though I loathed Kirk Cameron). I hope he turns up okay.

His dad Walter played Chekov on Star Trek. So I'm sure all Trekkers out there will be praying for Andrew's safe return.

Another reason to stop watching SVU.

2010-02-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

Christopher Meloni is planning to leave.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a201729/meloni-quitting-law--order-svu.html

Not surprising, considering the continuing slide in quality, plus the writers have probably explored all there is to Dective Stabler.

Mariska Hargitay is probably staying on the show, but Benson without Stabler is like Kirk without Spock!

Lost: LA X

2010-02-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! What a great start to the final season. When we last saw the Losties, Juliet had detonated the H-Bomb in 1977, in an effort to change the future. And the episode opens with a nervous Jack back on Oceanic Flight 815, along with various other Losties. The plane passes over the island with no trouble...and the island is actually underwater! So it seems that history has been changed...

But wait! After the first commercial break, we see Kate waking up on the island. She is joined by Sawyer, Hurley, Jin, Jack, Miles, and the badly hurt Sayid. They are at the Swan station...the way it was after Desmond destroyed it. And Juliet is buried in the rubble...

Next, it's back to the beach with Not!Locke, Ben, and Jacob's followers- who found out the truth about Locke too late to help Jacob.

The epsiode goes back and forth between the two island groups and the plane...which safely lands in Los Angeles.

Juliet dies. :( Sawyer begs Miles to "talk" to her...and Miles reveals that Juliet told him that "It worked." Dead!Jacob tells Hurley to take Sayid to the temple or he'll die. The Losties are captured by the Others, but a message Jacob left saves them. Sayid dies anyway.

Jacob's followers attack Not!Locke...who reveals himself to be the "Smoke" monster.

The Losties are grieving for Juliet and Sayid...but then Sayid suddenly sits up and talks!

So much stuff to digest! The big things- Juliet's "It worked" comment- apparently, they now have two timelines going. In one, everything happened the way it did before. In the second, the island is destroyed, and Oceanic Flight 815 never crashes. Alt-Locke is still paralyzed but seems content. Alt-Hurley is still a lottery winner...but he's happy and has had nothing but good luck! It's not happy for everyone- Alt-Jack's father is still dead and the corpse is lost again, Alt-Jin and Sun are unhappy, Alt-Charlie is suicidal (Jack saves him), Alt-Kate is still a fugitive. And Desmond is on the plane! Wonder what that's all about...

So Not!Locke is Jacob's Nemesis, a really evil creature/person/whatever. That much was obvious from the season finale, but the fact that he's the smoke moster threw me!

Sayid dies but suddenly comes back...could he be possessed by Jacob (in a good way)? Is this final season going to be a classic Good v. Evil story? And where are they going with the Alt-Oceanic Flight 815?

Poor Sawyer. The death of Juliet really broke him. :(

It was nice to see Charlie again...even though he seems more broken than he was in the pilot. Boone also appears on the plane, but without Shannon. We don't see Claire until Los Angeles...when she's trapped in a taxi with an armed and desperate Kate!

This was an awesome night of television, and I can't wait to see how all of this is resolved.

This is so true...

2010-01-18T19:26:00.001-08:00

Poor Conan.

crosses fingers

2010-01-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

Just an unconfirmed rumor at this point, but Radio Times (U.K.) mentioned (in an article about Glee) that All the Small Things will get a second series. Oh, I hope that it's true! And I hope the whole cast will be back...though I think Sarah Lancashire (Esther) is already busy with another series. And Bryan Dick is filming a movie, as well as doing stage work. So the show will have to wait...can't have ATST without Esther and Jake!

NBC drama.

2010-01-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

Jay Leno's show gets axed (no surprise, it was very weak), and NBC wants to put him at 11:30, moving Conan O'Brien and the Tonight Show to 12:05. And O'Brien is saying NO WAY. Meanwhile, David Letterman is laughing his ass off on the Late Show over at CBS.

I always liked Leno on The Tonight Show, but NBC's 10:00 p.m. "experiment" was a failure. It's time to let him go, and give O'Brien his chance. FOX could use a late night variety show. Leno could go there...or O'Brien if NBC decides to fire him.

Another one bites the dust.

2009-12-08T17:30:00.000-08:00

CBS has announced that As the World Turns will go off the air next September. Soon, only ABC will have any soap operas at all- NBC is already down to one. I guess this is pretty much the end for daytime drama, if even the old standbys can't stay on the air!

Ugh.

2009-12-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

Bones- The Gamer in the Grease. From tv.com: Booth and Brennan are called in to investigate the death of a competitive gamer. The gamer's success gave him many admirers -- but also a lot of enemies, which make for multiple suspects in the case. Meanwhile, Fisher bonds with Hodgins and Sweets. The "bonding" involves camping out for the new movie Avatar.

Really, FOX? An episode with a subplot about the movie Avatar? That was the LAMEST excuse for product placement I have ever seen. It's almost enough to turn me off of the show.

The "A" plot was just as lame, and so was the reason for the killing. And that beginning (the corpse in the grease falls apart) was just gross! Too gross, even for this show. It was funny, though. I loved Dr. Saroyan's comments on how easy it is to stay on a diet at her job...

Only other bonus- it was nice to see Hodgins and Sweets bonding a bit.

House- Wilson. From tv.com: Wilson insists on treating the case of a friend and former patient, Tucker, who is suffering from paralysis of his right arm. However, he soon discovers that he can't separate his feelings from his professional attitude. Meanwhile, Cuddy tries to buy a new house.

Oh, House. Once again, after a couple of lackluster episodes that almost made me stop watching, you come back with one that just punches me in the heart! The Patient of the Week (Joshua Malina, formerly of Sports Night and The West Wing) is yet another asshole I can't care about...except this time it affects Wilson. It's really hard to watch Wilson be unable to treat his patient objectively (especially when he decides to donate part of his liver to him!). The best part, as usual, is the House/Wilson stuff. When Wilson says he wants to go through with the liver donation, House tries to stop him by saying: "If you die, I'm alone." Sob!

The whole House/Cuddy thing is getting on my nerves. House needs to drop it. I can't believe Wilson is starting to help him try to split up Cuddy and her new boyfriend! Please, writers, that crap is better suited for Grey's Anatomy or Mercy. *gags*

Good bit of dialog from the episode- fine example of House/Wilson banter:

House: He's a self-important jerk.
Dr. Wilson: He's my friend.
House: He's a self-important jerk.
Dr. Wilson: Seems to be what I'm attracted to.

A great T.V. writer gone...

2009-11-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

David Lloyd has passed away. If you don't know who he was, I have four words for you. Chuckles. Bites. The. Dust. The most hilarious Mary Tyler Moore Show episode.

The funeral scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwC361O13gk

He also wrote for Rhoda, Cheers, and Fraiser.

Okay, SVU is getting interesting again.

2009-11-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

Big blow up between Benson/Stabler and Cabot. I think Alex should have stayed in Witness Protection. :p The big happy SVU family is kaput. (well, not really. It's all hugs and kisses at the end. Sort of. :p)

That was actually a good episode. Stabler family drama that didn't make me want to puke for a change! Two good stories in one- Stabler's son goes missing while trying to find his friend, Alex nearly throws away a rape case to save her own ass.

World Series means...

2009-11-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

...no House this week. *le sigh*

V premieres tomorrow on ABC. I'm going to watch. SyFy (or whatever the hell they're calling themselves now) ran a marathon of the original miniseries yesterday. I missed it, but I do still have battered VHS copies to watch- if I ever have time.

Also, I'm rewatching the BBC series Blackpool. It's been a while. It's good stuff.

House- "Brave Heart"

2009-10-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

"A dying patient insists that he has the same disease affecting his heart that killed his father and grandfather at the age of 40. Meanwhile, House discovers that he has a hearing problem while trying to duck student rounds."

The second half of the synopsis is misleading. :p House thinks he's hallucinating again because he hears whispering. It turns out to be Wilson, who "talks" to Amber before he goes to sleep. That's the best part of this episode, which gives viewers great House/Wilson moments.

House-the-jerk reappears for a bit as he tries to avoid doing rounds to get his medical license back. He annoys Cuddy, and she worries about him.

Patient of the Week- he was a bit of a jerk, but the case was interesting and led to a big shocker moment- he is thought to be dead, but jumps up screaming as Foreman starts the autopsy. It was a scary, funny, and sad scene all at once!

Chase is really losing it after the dictator disaster, and Cameron begins to notice. I think this marriage is going down the tubes fast!

Very good episode. The House/Wilson stuff put it over the top. Poor, poor Wilson. He still misses Amber.

Arrrgghhhhhhhhhh!

2009-10-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

Why, oh, why, oh why did I watch SVU (episode Hammered) last night? I wanted to throw my T.V. out of my window! That was lame. At least that's the end of Christine Lahti's annoying ADA. I should have known she was a drunk!

House just sort of flew by me this week. And I missed the last 15 minutes of Bones tonight. Where has my brain gone?

I spent most of the afternoon watching the coverage of "Balloon Boy"- a kid from Fort Collins, Colorado (where I went to college) supposedly got caught in his dad's homemade helium weather balloon and flew around for a couple of hours. Turns out he was hiding in his home's attic all along. *rolls eyes* Another day spent by the news networks on a story that really was meaningless...when there was so much else going on today. Oh, well.

Misc. notes- House and Bones

2009-10-06T17:27:00.001-07:00

Last week's House- Epic Fail: House returns to Princeton Plainsboro, announcing he will make big changes in his life. Meanwhile, House's team can't diagnose a new patient who's obsessed with posting each and every one of his symptoms over the Internet.

Once again, this is an episode where the case isn't anywhere near as interesting as House interacting with Wilson and Cuddy, who are driven nuts by his "new ways".

This week's- The Tyrant: House's team struggles with an African politician (James Earl Jones) who falls ill and decide if they want to help him after he's charged for crimes against humanity in his country. (TV.com)

Great episode with the always great James Earl Jones as an evil dictator. House is still on the sidelines, observing but offering advice. Foreman and Chase butt heads on the dictator's treatment, and Cameron struggles with her conscience.

Oh, my God. I can't believe that ending. Chase actually tricked Foreman into the wrong treatment, resulting in the death of Evil Dictator! This is going to change a lot...I know Cameron is leaving, so does that mean Chase's actions drive her away?

*************

I just watched a repeat of a Bones episode where Bones and Booth are undercover at a circus. All I could think of during the circus scenes was the 30's movie Freaks- the wedding dinner scene: "We accept her! One of us! Gobble gobble! One of us!" Somehow, Bones fit right in...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c43Sa4dztk&feature=related

Last week's episode, The Plain in the Prodigy, was sad. An Amish teen's remains are found near a railroad track, and the team investigates how his persuit of playing music (forbidden by the Amish) may have led to his death. This one isn't murder for a change- it's an accident resulting from a robbery.

Still thinking "Ew! Ew! Ew!" about the second episode of the season- The Bond in the Boot. Great story about a murdered CIA analyst and a dead Russian (possibly a spy). And it had the most icky but hilarious beginnings the show's ever done- with Mr. Russia's corpse becoming an all-you-can-eat buffet for a colony of feral cats. "Why are those cats staring at us?!"

House: Broken

2009-09-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

From tv.com: House engages in a battle of wits and wills against the attending physician in charge of his detox program. When he starts to lose, House resorts to blackmail to gain the upper hand.

"House Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"! Terrific and very different start to the sixth season. It's all House in the mental hospital, butting heads with his doctor (Andre Braugher).

House really begins to understand that he needs help, that he needs to change. By the end, he's not only Vicodin-free, he's a bit more open and trusting. He also falls in love with a patient's relative (Franke Potente). Of course, that doesn't end well, but House leaves the hospital a different person.

I wonder how long this "new" House will last...It would really suck if he just suddenly went back to his obnoxious, Vicodin-popping self. This is a great opportunity for the show to grow- House exploring his new self. I don't believe for a minute that he'll be cheerful and friendly, but I'm sure he'll be a little more trusting of his fellow doctors- for a while, anyway.

I'm sure this version of Dr. House isn't gone forever:

Other television stuff- I've been watching Bones, which is very loosely based on the novels of Kathy Reichs. The show is a lot of fun, but often very, very gross!

I only half-watched the premiere of Law and Order: SVU. I guess I really don't care any more!

I've also been watching The Jay Leno Show- not every night, and only parts on the nights I do watch. It's really the same old stuff so far. A bit wobbly. But I'm glad to see Jay on the tube. I'm still not used to Conan O'Brien on the Tonight Show.

Fall T.V.!

2009-09-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

House is back on Monday with a two hour premiere. I can't wait to see what happens!

Law and Order: SVU is moving to Wednesday...the night I have choir practice. This will be a problem come January and the return of Lost!

I have mixed feelings about the re-imagination of V- the fantastic five part miniseries (and the lame weekly series that followed) that aired on NBC in 1983 and 1984. All five parts of the original were great fun and scary, and the story was so good. V was my first non-Star Trek/Star Wars fandom. I still have the novelization and spin-off novels somewhere. The new show looks slick and entertaining, with better visual and make-up effects, but many of the ideas that made the original unique just don't seem to be there. I'll probably watch just for the heck of it, to see if it's good in its own right.

I would really rather have a miniseries that picks up where The Final Battle left off, disregarding the messy and often silly series that followed. It would be great to have the original cast back, 25 years after the Visitors were supposedly defeated!

I have the original minis on VHS. I think I'm going to re-watch them soon!

Torchwood...

2009-09-16T20:15:00.001-07:00

Yes, I did watch Children of Earth. I just have never gotten around to reviewing it. I guess it's taken almost two months for it to sink in! This was my original reaction on my live journal (spoilers...though I'm sure all TW fans have seen it all by now):

It was a great story until the end. The 456 wanted the kids because they were recreational drugs? That's just sort of lame. I thought they would be like cannon fodder or something!

The kids stopping dead and chanting in unison was genuinely creepy. Well done.

THE HUB GOT BLOWN UP!!! Guess that was the end of Myfawny the pterodactyl. :( The bombing led to the most gruesome of all of Jack's deaths and resurrections. Ugh.

So Jack has a daughter and a grandson, Gwen is pregnant, and Ianto has a sister and niece and nephew. Kids were very important in this!

How cool was Ianto in this? I loved how he rescued Jack from his concrete tomb/cell! I am an unabashed Jack/Ianto fan, so of course I cried when Ianto died. He died for no reason! :( I'll miss him. I wish Jack had actually responded when Ianto said "I love you".

Jack sacrifices his own grandson to save the world. Oh, man. If he wasn't fucked up already, now he's beyond help. So off he goes into the universe by himself.

Now that we know there will be a fourth series...where do they go from here? No Hub, no Ianto, Jack gone again...all that's left is Gwen!

I liked Lois. She'd be a good addition to whatever form Torchwood takes in the future!

Funny exchange:

Jack: Ianto! We're having a baby.
Ianto: Congratulations. Is now a good time to tell you I lost the car?
Jack: You did what?!

Just my initial reaction. I honestly felt it was good television, not just good Torchwood. It was excellent storytelling (despite a few plot holes), very nicely done human drama, lots of exciting stuff.

I'll miss Gareth David-Lloyd. The show's producers really knew how to make the fans hurt. Poor Ianto. :(

I liked Ianto's sister, Rhiannon, and Jack's daughter, Alice. Sadly, we'll probably never see either again. Alice would love to kill her dad...but of course, he's still immortal.

One of my favorite parts was Ianto describing his relationship with Jack- "It's not men, it's just him. Only him."

Other goodies- Naked Jack! Of course, BBC America censored John Barrowman's butt...but all was restored on the DVD. *evil grin*

Just a few screen captures I did: Blown up Hub, dead Ianto, grieving Jack and Gwen, Jack leaves.

Ianto: In a thousand years time, you won't remember me.
Jack: Yes I will. I promise, I will.

There will be another season, but it will be a long time before it happens- Barrowman is busy on the West End (currently doing La Cage Aux Folles), and Eve Myles is having a baby (due very soon, IIRC). Life imitating art there!

More youtube goodies.

2009-09-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

As much as I appreciate PBS and Masterpiece, they always seem to cut stuff out of their British imports. I watched the Miss Marple episode "Ordeal By Innocence" when it aired two summers ago. It was not a great adaptation of the novel (one of Agatha Christie's best)- it wasn't even a Miss Marple story! But I watched it on youtube the other day, and found that a lot of stuff was cut out. It was much better with the missing pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTxVuMgMvWY&feature=PlayList&p=B2334EFE5731DBF9&index=0&playnext=1

It had a great cast- Jane Seymour, Denis Lawson, Juliet Stevenson, Richard Armitage, Burn Gorman and Bryan Dick (oh, of course. The reason I watched it.). It was worth watching for the cast! It was a "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" for British actors.

The plot- Seymour is the mother of several adopted children. She is murdered, son Gorman is tried, convicted and hanged. His alibi shows up two years later, proving his innocence- and the suspicion shifts to the other children, the father, his secretary-turned fiancée, and the housekeeper. Plot is the same as the book, despite the addition of Miss Marple and an extra son who wasn't in the novel. Also, the later victims change, but at least the killer was the same.

I liked the book a great deal- I can see why it was one of Christie's personal favorites. They could have made an adaptation without Miss Marple!

Just one cute screencap of Bryan Dick as Mickey...love the red hair!

I still miss this show...

2009-09-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

Even though I own the entire series on DVD, I've found myself watching clips from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine on youtube recently. It's been over for ten years now (that long? Jeez...), but I still remember pretty much every episode that ever aired.

Today I'm watching clips centered around Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) and Garak (Andrew J. Robinson). Some of the best writing the show had was written for those two! And Garak almost always had the best lines: "You should never tell the same lie twice".

Next time I go clip hunting, I'll explore Bashir and O'Brien- Trek's best friendship next to Kirk/Spock/McCoy; Quark and Odo; and Kira (my favorite character on the show). I'll probably start watching the DVDs again, starting with the premiere, "Emissary".

Goodbye, Reading Rainbow.

2009-08-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

This truly sucks. Reading Rainbow is going off the air after 26 years. :(

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112312561&sc=fb&cc=fp

My mom used to be a children's librarian, and she always loved this show. There aren't enough shows that encourage kids to enjoy reading.

Thanks, LeVar Burton, for bringing our kids this show! I was too old for it, of course, but I enjoyed watching tapes with my mom for her library work. My nephew always liked the show when he was little, too.

T.V. for kids is turning into crap. What's next, are they going to cancel Sesame Street? :(

Well, another part of my childhood is gone...

2009-07-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

My favorite show on Nickelodeon was You Can't Do That on Television. Les Lye, who played most of the adults on the show, has passed away at age 84. :( The old clips still make me laugh.

Lye played the Coach, Barth the burger chef, and Ross the show's director, among other roles. The kids came and went, but he was there to the end.

Part of one show... there are a lot of clips on you tube. I'm pretty sure I have some on VHS...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zApPYA9Fbro&feature=related

*pours green slime on post in tribute* RIP, Les, and thanks for being a part of my childhood memories!

A sad but not unexpected piece of news...

2009-07-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Legendary CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite has passed away at the age of 92. "And that's the way it is".

No doubt his most famous moments at CBS came with the announcement of President Kennedy's death:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K8Q3cqGs7I

...and his unrestrained glee about the moon landing, 40 years ago yesterday.

My God, they are dropping like flies.

2009-06-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

Billy Mays, the television commercial pitchman WHO LOVED TO YELL ABOUT THE PRODUCTS, has died at age 50. Goodness. Haven't heard about any cause of death yet. That is so sad. 50 is way too young. And now who will yell at us during commercials? I feel bad about making fun of his ads now. In inteviews he seemed like a decent guy.

cringes

2009-06-26T18:02:00.001-07:00

Yes, Michael Jackson is dead. Yes, it is very sad. But is it really necessary to report on every tiny detail and rehash stuff we already know? I'm sick of the wall to wall coverage, and I was actually a fan! (fan of old MJ, not Wacko Jacko of his later years!)

Of course, this is like Elvis dying...at least for my generation. There probably won't be another entertainer like him again.

A new Angel in Heaven...

2009-06-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett has died after a brave three year battle with cancer at age 62. I grew up during the 70's, so of course I remember the iconic hair and the poster every teen boy had on their walls. But I also remember that she did some fine dramatic work on television, such as in The Burning Bed. RIP.

Well, phooey.

2009-06-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ed McMahon died this morning. He was 86 and had cancer, but damn, it's still sad. I never really got to watch The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson years, but I always enjoyed Ed and Johnny's banter when I did watch. RIP, Ed. Say hi to Johnny for us.

Criminal Intent: Family Values

2009-06-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, that was creepy. Religious nut decides his family needs to be sent to heaven, so he starts killing them off. The end is a battle of wits between Goren and the dad on good and evil- Dad is really serving evil! *shudders* I know these kind of religious folks are in a big minority, but it's still scary drama!

I don't think it's Christian-bashing either. Just a nut job using his religion as an excuse to commit "family annihilation".

Other news- I suppose it's official- no second series for All the Small Things. *cries* Fans are sending petitions, but it won't do any good. :( BBC doesn't care about fans, apparently.

Ah, You Tube!

2009-06-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

My source for finding older BBC stuff. Found this odd little gem- Bunk Bed Boys. A pilot...which happens to star Bryan Dick! A very early appearance, along with Sally Hawkins. Cute and funny...about a very odd family.

Part one here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIQqHT-EPC0&feature=related

Seriously, NBC?

2009-06-14T19:13:00.001-07:00

10.5 Apocolypse sucked the first time you aired it. Why the repeat now?

No wonder they're in last place. :p

Law and Order miscellaneous...

2009-06-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

Special Victims Unit ended its tenth season last week with an entertaining episode. I still can't believe it's coming back, as is the orginial Law and Order for its twentieth season.

I'm enjoying Criminal Intent, though the stories often get repetitive. Nichols is a bit too much like Goren...with one exception: He has a sense of humor. I'm hoping that Jeff Goldblum sticks around!

There's really not much else on that I'm interested in right now. That will change later this month when Doctor Who and Torchwood return!

Well, the Leno era...

2009-05-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

...of The Tonight Show is over. I watched Jay Leno's final show on Friday. It was his usual mix of snappy monologue (his best thing) and so-so interviewing (never his strong point), with the bonuses of a James Taylor performance and the Best of Jaywalking. I enjoyed watching him pass the torch to Conan O'Brien, who begins hosting tomorrow night. The best part of the show was the very end, when Jay introduced the 68 kids born to staff members during his run. That was sweet...it's amazing how much time has passed and all the things that have changed in the world. My nephew was only three months old when Leno started hosting. I was a junior in college. Time flies!

It's not really goodbye, though- he will have his nightly prime time show in the fall, and he'll take along his Headline and Jaywalking segments.

I look forward to the Conan era of The Tonight Show! I so rarely got to stay up late to watch him. It will be nice to have him on at a reasonable hour (when I'm not watching David Letterman).

Latest All the Small Things rumor...

2009-05-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

No second series, despite pretty good ratings and loyal fans. Loyal fans who are going to be mighty pissed off! I haven't seen any official news from the BBC, but it's been going around. The cast is going to be disappointed, I'm sure, as most were already signed on for a second series. :(

Other stuff: The Doctor Who specials and Torchwood will start airing on BBC America in late June. At least I have something to look forward to this summer on the tube!

Television history.

2009-05-24T17:04:00.001-07:00

I love you tube. I keep finding great stuff. Someone has uncut coverage from NBC, CBS, and ABC of the Kennedy assassination. There's probably 30+ hours of footage! I've seen a lot of the CBS coverage- famous for Walter Cronkite choking back tears as he announces Kennedy's death- but it's very interesting to see the other networks.

It is absolutely fascinating to watch the newsmen scramble to get facts straight and the obvious trouble in getting linked up with Dallas affiliates. In this day of instant, 24-7 cable news coverage of any event, viewers forget how hard it was to get information across in "the old days".

When I say uncut, I'm not kidding. The CBS footage has parts of an episode of As the World Turns and commercials, and ABC has a rerun of Father Knows Best. It's hard to imagine being a housewife back then, watching her favorite soap opera only to have it be interrupted by this tragic news.

Here's a link to the NBC playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C6063006ECBAA337

I've found similar uncut news footage from September 11, 2001 and the Challenger disaster of 1986.

So, another season of my shows is over...

2009-05-20T19:04:00.001-07:00

More or less! There's still new episodes of Criminal Intent coming up on USA. And the Doctor Who specials and the shortened season of Torchwood coming to BBC America. Otherwise, my usual shows are done (not counting SVU, which I seriously have given up on).

Lost was amazing last week, and I can't wait for the final season starting in 2010. All the time travel stuff makes more sense...and the final reveal about John Locke was even more surprising than last season! Apparently, he's really dead after all. :( He's been duplicated by an imposter, who is out to get the mysterious Jacob, whom we finally meet. The Losties, most stuck in 1977, decide to set off the nuke (from the episode Jughead) to blow up the Swan station, and possibly resetting events so the plane crash will never happen in the first place! (everybody got all that?) Cliffhangers abound. What will fake-Locke do to the 2004 Losties? What will Jacob's death mean for the remaining "Others"? When Juliet set off the bomb (most likely vaporizing herself in the process :p ), did she change history? We have to wait until next January to find out!

24's finale surprisingly didn't suck. I even liked Kim here- she shows some guts and smarts and helps catch Tony and the big bad guys. There is a final confrontation between Jack and Tony...and they don't kill each other! Turns out Tony was screwing both good and evil sides- he only wanted to get to the big bad guys' leader to avenge the death of his wife Michelle (killed in Day Five). Selfish bastard! :p Well, Jack stopped that, and now the two are eternal enemies instead of the BFFs they were. :( The season ends with Jack in a coma, with Kim at his side...of course, she's going to donate her stem cells for his treatment. Jack has to be alive for Day Eight! Overall, Day Seven was very uneven...but was WAY better than Day Six.

A new Countdown feature I like...

2009-05-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

The WTF moment of the day. Keith Olbermann just rules. I never used to watch political talk shows, but for some reason I really enjoy his show, and I'm getting to like Rachel Maddow, too.

Lost was awesome on Wednesday. I'm still trying to process what happened! I'll write a review later, but damn! It's going to be a long wait until January...

House and 24, May 11

2009-05-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

House- Both Sides Now

From tv.com: House takes on a case of a patient with two different personalities as a result of having the left and right part of the brain operating independently.

I'm a bit confused...but once again, a lot of this takes place in House's head. The whole part about the detox/sleeping with Cuddy apparently didn't happen at all! So I'm not entirely sure how much of the case of the week (which was interesting) actually happened! The ending is poignant. House realizes his drug use is causing psychosis (he's hallucinating Kutner as well as Amber now), and has Wilson drop him off at a mental hospital. And as that happens, Chase and Cameron tie the knot. Not bad for a season finale. I just hope House's issues aren't solved in the first episode of next season!

24- 5:00 a.m.- 6:00 a.m.

Jack catches up with Tony and beats the crap out of him in hopes of getting the terrorist target out of him. Tony pretty much tells Jack to kill him. Fortunately for Tony, the target is discovered and the biobomb taken out JUST IN TIME. :p Well, that should be the end of the day, right? Noooooooo. The big bad guys kidnap Kim! The ransom? Jack has to help Tony escape. I almost want to skip the two hour finale next week. Overall, the season was better than Day Six. But a bad finale will push it into major suckitude!

Criminal Intent...

2009-05-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

*laughs* I am just loving Jeff Goldblum on this...I honestly don't miss Chris Noth at all. Nichols and Wheeler are a good team. I'm watching it right now...the case is okay, but Goldblum is eating up the scenery.

Oh, Wheeler is pregnant. By that jackass who is now in a federal prison. That is going to be interesting...

All the Small Things, final episode.

2009-05-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

Spoilers ahead!

From tv.com: Kyle wants to move on with his relationship with Grace and the two of them disappear altogether, so rehearsals for the finals of the North West Choral competition are delayed. Michael and Esther remember what they miss about their life together thanks to this crisis. However, Layla will not allow Michael to go without fighting for him. On the day of the competition, feelings escalate and Esther faces a terrible choice.

Also, Layla reveals Jake's alcoholism to the rest of the church, and the nasty Tonkses try to have him removed. It's put up to a secret ballot among the church committee members, including Esther and Layla.

Oh, Jake was amazing. I just love him. He broke my heart when he described the death of his friend- that was the big secret of his past, that he was responsible (along with Layla). And wow, Layla actually did something selfless for a change! If there is a second series, Jake needs to find out she was the one who cast the deciding vote to keep him as curate. It would be nice to see them reconcile. I almost felt bad for Layla when Michael left her. Almost.

I loved the kiss between Jake and Esther, after he gives his real reason for wanting to stay (her). And the hilarious girly-man fight between Jake and Michael after. I laughed out loud. "Owwwwwww?"

It was cute how Michael changed his choir's performance piece to "Nobody Does it Better"- the same song Esther had them sing for their anniversary in episode one. Cute, but an obvious attempt to win her back. Which failed, though she appreciated the sentiment.

I liked Esther walking out on her choir when they started booing Michael's. I would have done the same! That wasn't what the choir was supposed to be about.

And how cute were Kyle and Grace? I think they're a little young to get married, but if anyone can make it work, they can.

All the sympathy I had for Ethel Tonks evaporated in this episode. She and Gilbert were awful! "Darth and Mrs. Vader", indeed. I have a hard time understanding why they are so anti-Jake. It has nothing to do with his past (Ethel did look somewhat moved when Jake told his story). They're just stubborn.

I bet Louise voted to keep Jake. :p She's stood up to Ethel before, and it was a secret ballot, so why not?

*sniffles* I wasn't 100% satisfied with the ending. There has to be a second series! I hope if there is a second series, Esther will eventually choose Jake. Michael finally grew up, but it's time for both to move on. Too much has happened for things to go back to the way they were.

Cute screen captures:

Brother and sister reconciling? Jake and Layla talk things over...

The reason he wants to stay...SNOG!

I really enjoyed this show. And not just because of Bryan Dick (though he was the reason I started watching). The music was fun. The story was a little bit far-fetched, but that's okay. It's not real life!

sniffle

2009-05-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

Just watched the last episode of All the Small Things. I'll review tomorrow.

24 and House, May 4.

2009-05-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

House- Under My Skin

from t.v.com...While House tries to cope with his insomnia, he takes on the case of a ballerina whose skin begins to fall off after treatment following the collapse of her lungs during a performance.

Ew, that was gross. Poor ballerina. The new doclings have to deal with the POTW while House once again tries to detox from his Vicodin. He is still hallucinating Amber, and it's making him unable to work. Cuddy helps him with his withdrawal, and the two end up sleeping together...now who in all honesty didn't see that one coming? :p But now Amber seems to be gone for good...as long as House stays off his drugs. Hmmm...that will make for a very interesting season finale next week!

24- 4:00 a.m-5:00 a.m.

Jonas Hodges meets his end (KA-BOOM!), despite First Daughter's change of heart about having him assasinated. Oops. Jack and company try to track down Tony before he carries out The Group's plans (no idea what the group is really called). This episode is really just setting up the final confrontation between Jack and Tony, and if the previews are any indication, Tony will be the loser. Duh.

Tonight is the final episode of All the Small Things. I don't want it to end. Still no word on a second series. I'm going to miss having a weekly Bryan Dick fix. :(

Cute preview of tonight's episode that makes me really impatient:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0TXCbKpvDg

Watching right now...

2009-05-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Old Curiosity Shop on PBS. It sucks. I admit I didn't like the novel much, but this production chops it into little tiny pieces. Even the great Derek Jacobi can't save this one. Toby Jones is scary as Quilp, but that's about the only thing that's good about it. I keep shouting at the screen: Die, Little Nell, die already! *lol*

Oh, Bryan Dick is in it, too. Wasted in a cameo as Little Nell's bad brother. And he meets a bad end (assuming they end it the way the book did, with Freddie drowning himself in Paris). But at least he's cute in it:

Oh, they butchered the book. Totally. They even changed the ending. The mysterious stranger was the grandfather's brother, not son. *rolls eyes*

Could there be a series two?

2009-05-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

Found this at wikipedia's entry for All the Small Things:

In an interview with Jamie Birtwhistle (Fred), it was revealed that a second series is planned for the show. However, it has not yet been commissioned by the BBC.

The original interview:

http://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/s/1106321_all_good_things_come_to_jamie

Looks like a real possibility...the ratings have been good. I just hope Bryan Dick signs on. He's one of the busiest actors in the U.K.- it's hard to make a commitment to one thing.

Of course, everything depends on how the final episode goes! I think the show was originally planned as a one-off, but public reaction may have changed that. I doubt it will end on a cliffhanger, but I'm sure there will be plenty of unresolved stuff to use for a second or even third series (crosses fingers).

Just one more cute Bryan/Jake capture from episode five:

The man looks good in a suit. I've even learned to like the scruffy bit of beard.

Other T.V. stuff- Lost was good this week. It was rather sad. Poor Daniel! I wonder how things are going to turn out now.

Not much else. I was very glad to have Jay Leno back on The Tonight Show this week!

All the Small Things, episode five.

2009-04-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

From tv.com: Edgar, Binsey's brother, dies and this comes as a shock to all his friends. However, there is an even bigger bombshell coming up. Esther and Jake find themselves thrown together again when Binsey asks for their help in achieving Edgar's rather unusual final request. Jake decides to be honest with Esther, both about his past and his feelings for her.

That was so sad. Finally, the Tonkses get to be more than bad guys. Poor Ethel. I loved her scene with Jake in the church. And poor Binsey. But that whole thing would have been more effective if we'd met the brother earlier...The funeral and Edgar's send-off were a hoot, though. A choral version of "Nothing Compares 2 U?" In church? Sweet. I loved the choir singing "Love Hurts" by the fire!

I knew Jake was an alcoholic! :( That was so brave of him, bringing Esther to his AA meeting. Bad Esther, for being so cold to him after he 'fesses up. He's been sober for six years, for crying out loud! Line that annoyed me- "There is no us." Stupid Esther. Like you haven't been flirting with Jake all along. Seducing him with "shit-hot" cranberry muffins! Tsk, tsk. I loved the kiss (and her smile after leaving him)...but was stunned that Esther treated him so badly.

So Layla is Jake's sister. Well, I knew that from the spoilers, but it still wasn't that big of a bombshell. The picture of the two of them that she hides from Michael was so cute! They must of have been close at one point.

Michael/Layla- ugh. Layla tries to work her charms on the boys, but is rather insensitive to Kyle. Michael starts to see what he's missing. If that means Esther takes him back next week I WILL BARF AND THROW THINGS!

Worried about next week- what is Layla going to do to Jake? What did he do in his past that could cause so much trouble? (Obviously something to do with Father Daniel). Some sister she is. No wonder Jake tries to stay away from her.

I honestly don't care which choir wins the competition. I'd love to see Michael get humiliated, but Esther's winning would be so clichéd. And there had better not be a "happy family reunion" (another cliché that is annoying). One episode to tie everything up? Not possible. And I want to see Esther and Jake together!

I'll miss this show. I hope it gets a second series, but it's a bit doubtful.

A couple of screencaps I did:

Thoughtful Jake- thinking about Esther's muffins, or Esther naked?

The kiss!

Jake and his guitar. Bit of a Brothers of the Head flashback for Bryan Dick! (Yes, he really plays. I still can't understand why he doesn't get to sing on this show- he's good!)

Excellent!

2009-04-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

After the final episode airs, All the Small Things will be on DVD!

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/9225838/All-The-Small-Things/Product.html

£12.99. With the current exchange rate, that's roughly $18.00 U.S. (not counting shipping).

Only for Region 2 players, but I have a multi-region player. :D :D :D And just about any player can be hacked to play any DVD.

No extras, though. A making-of special and cast commentaries would have been nice. :(

House and 24, April 27th.

2009-04-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

"House Divided" from tv.com: A deaf 14-year old wrestler suffers from hearing problems during a match, but his mother refuses to okay cochlear implants. Meanwhile, House's insomnia proves a curse... and a blessing.

House's insomnia causes him to hallucinate Amber, which makes for some interesting head conversations! Meanwhile, House barges in on Wilson's planning for Chase's bachelor party. Wooooooo! Very interesting case and ethical dilemma (deaf culture vs. implants). And House is obviously having a hard time dealing with the loss of Kutner.

24- 3:00 a.m.-4:00 a.m.

Argh! I hate Tony. I want Jack to kill him DEAD!! Great stuff tonight, because it marks the return of CTU!

Tomorrow is episode five of All the Small Things. I don't want this show to end. :(

Thank you for being a friend...

2009-04-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

:( Bea Arthur has died at the age of 86. I watched The Golden Girls religiously when I was in high school and college. Dorothy was my favorite of the girls, along with her mom Sophia (Estelle Getty, who passed away last year). At least they're together again! "Goodnight, Pussycat."

I was too young to watch Maude when it was originally on, but caught it in re-runs when I was older. Ms. Arthur really had a knack for playing strong, independent women. She will be missed.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/25/bea.arthur.obit/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Oh, dear!

2009-04-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

Jay Leno had to be hospitalized for apparent food poisoning yesterday!

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0758230/

Hope he makes a speedy recovery. It's so rare that he takes off for anything other than vacation time!

Small Things, episode 4.

2009-04-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

From t.v.com: Olive and Jimmy come closer thanks to the shared plot of surreptitiously entering Esther's choir into a competition. Esther's singing in the competition makes Jake hint he has feelings for her, but she believes Layla is trying to ruin her budding liaison. Georgia is unhappy when she overhears her father and his girlfriend talking about having a new baby.

I think this was the best one yet. I loved the song Esther's group did for the competition- What's My Age Again? by Blink-182 (Esther's son Kyle is a Blink fanatic, and picked the song). The Layla/Michael relationship takes a scary turn...Michael is beginning to see he's made a mistake, and daughter Georgia puts both of them down. Layla and Jake's relationship is still murky, but clearly there is something bad connecting both of them.

Olive and her biker friends save the day when Layla tries to keep the choir from making it to the heats. So cute! Phoebe gets the solo and steals the show a bit. The rehearsal was funny- "This bitch or that bitch?"

Best scene in my humble opinion- Esther and Michael's conversation of the glow he just now noticed...that she probably had all along but he was too dumb to notice.

So Layla had her own business and has money to burn, apparently. And Jake used to be a pro snowboarder! Very interesting...

Cute couples/possible couples abound in this episode- Olive/Jimmy, Kyle/Grace, and Jake/Esther. Esther starts to notice that Jake has feelings for her, and she seems stunned.

Great lines in this too:

Jake: "So what's your idea of heaven?" Esther: "I'll give it some thought and get back to you."

Jake to Layla: "I will always love you, but I will never forgive you." Ouch. I've seen the spoilers for the final two episodes, so I know what their true relationship is- but the way this scene was set up it could be either ex-lovers or estranged siblings.

Ah, my One True Pairing for this show...Esther and Jake. He sure likes her muffins. *snerk*

Linky to the choir singing What's My Age Again. It's hilarious. I just love Phoebe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qg1Rl9Z61c&feature=player_embedded

I took her out it was a Friday night
I wore cologne to get the feeling right
We started making out and she took off my pants
But then I turned on the TV

And that's about the time that she walked away from me
Nobody likes you when you're 23
And are still more amused by TV shows
What the hell is ADD?
My friends say I should act my age
What's my age again?

The series will be available on DVD in the UK only on May 6.

24- argh!

2009-04-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Bad Tony! Poor Jack. The look on his face when he realized Tony was with the bad guys all along...ouch. Can't wait to see their final confrontation.

Meanwhile, a cute picture from episode 3 of All the Small Things...ah, Jake. If all curates and vicars looked like him, Britain would have no trouble getting people to go to church!

Hopefully, I'll have episode four tomorrow.

(thanks to my pal q at live journal for the capture!)

Well, that was stupid of me.

2009-04-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

Law and Order: Criminal Intent premiered last night, and I knew it, made plans to watch it, and I MISSED IT ANYWAY! I can't figure out how my brain works sometimes. I hope I don't miss the repeat!

Killing time before 24 tonight (no House). Might re-watch some of my T.V. shows on my computer. My area is under a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning right now. I hope I don't lose power. I missed three episodes of Lost last year because of tornados!

I'm all caught up with Lost. It's weird, but still starting to make some sense.

Looking forward to the next All the Small Things...the description from tv.com: "Esther's singing in the competition makes Jake hint he has feelings for her, but she believes Layla is trying to ruin her budding liaison." Jake/Esther fans rejoice! Hooray for older gals/younger guys! Beware of Layla the bunny boiler!!!

pssst ATST episode 3

2009-04-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

All the Small Things on you tube. Hope it stays up for a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aup1g0Ar1nQ&feature=channel_page

Episode 3 description: "Sofija and Nemanja decide to get married and everyone is excited. However, things become bitter when they disagree with Gilbert and Ethel. Sofija is keen to do what they can to make up but Nemanja won't allow himself to be bullied. Esther and Jake work on the new church community space and Kyle gets to know Grace better. "

I loved this episode! People are finally standing up to the awful Gilbert and Ethel Tonks. Even the nasty Lulu backs away from them. Gilbert sure earns his nickname of "Jabba".

Shame on Georgia for ignoring Esther's calls. That's a terrible way to treat her mum!

The wedding was sweet. Sofija is a good character. I loved that she made her own dress! (damn that was quick!)

Michael is finally starting to see what he's lost in Esther. Now he's stuck with "bunny boiler" Layla! Loser. She wants his kids now, too? Yuck. Esther better fight for her kids hard- Layla has claws and dirty tricks (a puppy? Sheesh)...

Just two cute pictures- Jake knows how to party, and sweep the ladies off their feet. My favorite moment so far- Jake and Esther dance, and jealous Michael storms off. Win!

House and 24, April 13.

2009-04-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

House- "Saviors"

From tv.com: "Cameron and Chase are going on vacation when they meet an enviromentalist who collapses in the middle of a protest. They postpone their vacation and ask House to take on the case."

House has lost his "mojo". That was interesting. The episode spends time on Wilson essentially kicking House's ass to get him back on track (as House says, "You manipulative bitch!"). House/Wilson bantering can save just about any episode! Once again, the POTW didn't really hold my interest (he was an asshole), but it was nice to have Cameron and Chase back in the action (plus they get engaged!). Everyone is still dealing with Kutner's suicide. :(

24- 1:00 a.m.- 2:00 a.m.

All I have to say about this episode is: TONY, WHAT THE F***! Damn it, I guess he's going to be a bad guy after all. :( The evil Hodges/Starkwood bioweapon missle complex is taken out (BOOM!), but Tony steals some of the bioweapon, passes it on to a Starkwood escapee, and kills Agent Moss (whom I was starting to like)? What is going on there? Meanwhile, Jack continues to deteriorate from the weapon (MOOOOO!), and his daughter Kim pays him a visit. Ugh. There are only four more hours left this season- what more can they possibly do? One thing is for sure: Jack and Tony will have to have a final face-off, and obviously, only Jack is going to come out of it alive.

I rate this episode "Excellent", because it was exciting, and I was not expecting Evil!Tony at the end.

Episode 3 of All the Small Things airs today...I hope I don't have to wait too long to see it. I'm liking it more and more.

Now I just need time to watch all of these...

2009-04-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

The Reader is out on DVD tomorrow, and Frost/Nixon is out next Tuesday. Then I will have all of the 2008 films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar! I picked up Doubt and Slumdog Millionaire last week.

I don't think I'll get to the movie theater again until Star Trek opens in May! If I have time, I'll go see Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend.

Just a cute screen capture!

2009-04-12T20:25:00.001-07:00

From the second episode of All the Small Things...Jake, the cutest curate in the history of the Church of England!

I am really liking this show.

Episode 2...

2009-04-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

...of All the Small Things. This one had a lot more of Bryan Dick in it! Jake is an interesting character, and I can't wait to see what's coming. What in his past does Layla hold over him, and why can't she let go (even though she's sleeping with someone else)? He seems to be a kind, compassionate man who really wants to make a difference. And no matter what mistakes he made in his past (Layla?), he's determined to overcome them.

Loved that Esther finally stood up for herself, and started a new choir. Michael is a dick. I'd love to see her finally divorce him. Maybe then he'd grow up a bit.

Next week, Esther and Jake seem to flirt. Hmmmm....well, if her husband can mess around with a younger woman, why can't she have a younger man? A man of the cloth! Rrrrrrowwwwwrrr!

The show is a little uncomfortable for me at times. There are people like the awful, bigotted Mr. and Mrs. Tonks in my church (there's a Mrs. Tonks in my choir, unfortunately), and the whole thing of forcing people who can't sing out of the choir is something my own choir has had to deal with. Not that we'd ever do that, but we'd encourage the not-so-good singers to work on it and sing whatever is easiest for them.

Well, I'll miss Kutner...

2009-04-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

...but Kal Penn has a cool new job at the White House! Details at Entertainment Weekly:

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/house-exclusive.html

I still think that was a crappy end for Kutner. But it will make things interesting for the rest of House's season.

House: Simple Explanation; and other notes.

2009-04-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, man, I can't believe what happened tonight. KUTNER! He killed himself. :( That came from nowhere. And House can't figure it out. This is going to make for some good drama the rest of the season.

Didn't care much for the Patients of the Week, though one was played by Meatloaf!

I'll miss Kal Penn. He never does seem to stick around long on television!

On 24 tonight, Jack begins to suffer the effects of the "mad cow-type" bio weapon he was exposed to. "Drop the gun mooooo! I mean, now!"

Other T.V. notes- I have seen the first episode of All the Small Things. Not bad. Not great, but entertaining, and I'll stick with it for the six episodes. And of course, Bryan Dick is awesome. I can't wait to see what his character, the rogue curate Jake, is all about. But wow, he looks good:

More please!

Hmmm, the current season of House isn't even finished, but the DVD set is available for pre-order already! That cover art seems so wrong.

Oh, yeah. ER ended its fifteen-season run last week. Did I watch? Nope. It had its great moments, but the last few seasons were such a mixed bag that it was hard for me to care. I'll catch the finale in re-runs.

Holy crap!

2009-04-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Guiding Light is going off the air in September, after 72 years! Wow. The oldest of all the soap operas (along with As the World Turns) was cancelled. I guess soaps are dying, if even the old reliables are going down. Days of Our Lives is leaving the air, too, I think.

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/04/guiding-light-d.html

My mom and sister liked GL and ATWT, I was more into DOOL in college. I never watch soaps anymore. But still, it's sad to see one of the giants leave the air- it's almost like Pan Am going bankrupt (or any other big company that seemed to be around forever).

Why I wish I lived in the UK...

2009-04-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't have to wait for British television shows to air on PBS. Bryan Dick just did an episode of Lewis- and it won't air in the U.S. until 2010. (Fortunately, I do have other sources. *evil grin*)

*sigh* He's gorgeous in this still from the episode "The Quality of Mercy". And he has this long hair in All the Small Things, too, I hear!

Other T.V. stuff- 24 and House were both great on Monday. The House episode "Locked In" was one of the best of the season. Mos Def was the Patient of the Week, and he was fabulous.

I really want to see this...

2009-03-31T14:04:00.001-07:00

All the Small Things. It sounds good, and Bryan Dick is in it...(enough reason right there for me!) A show about trouble in a church choir. Sounds like my life!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/02_february/27/smallthings.shtml

Some old school Muppets!

2009-03-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yuMzzREsUU

A new guilty pleasure!

2009-03-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

1000 Ways to Die, on Spike TV. It's a rather gruesome show about different and weird ways people have died. Each death is re-enacted by actors. Some deaths are real (names and places changed), like the lawyer who threw himself out of a glass window trying to prove it unbreakable, and the guy who let his pet Black Widow spider bite him, but others are likely based on urban legends. Some are absolutely disgusting- like the guy who hid a pepper spray up his rear, only to have it go off and burn his insides. Others are just plain dumb- snorting fire ants? Ew. Each death has a terrible pun given to it- like "Tanked Girl" for a woman who blows up in a decompression chamber. And each show ends with footage from a real accident where the victim survived.

http://us.dd.imdb.com/title/tt1105711/

House Humor!

2009-03-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

From http://roflrazzi.com/

It's never lupus!

Awwwww.

WTF???

If the whole team is looking down on you, you are very screwed.

Uh-oh...I don't like this!

2009-03-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b105396_major_house_death_coming.html

Major death on House coming? A suicide??? Obviously it won't be Dr. House himself, because without Hugh Laurie there is no show! Thirteen would be too obvious, because of her Huntingdon's Disease. Wilson is pretty depressed a lot of the time...and so is Taub. I think they've been setting something up for Taub! I'd really, really hate for it to be Cuddy. That would be shocking and inexplicable (unless something happens to baby Rachel, which of course would push her over the edge). Kutner seems to be too happy to be suicidal. But he could be hiding something...Cameron? Foreman? Nah. I don't see it.

As far as cast members leaving, I've only heard rumors about Jesse Spencer...but there would be no reason for Chase to off himself! That would come from nowhere and make no sense.

If Robert Sean Leonard goes...I don't know if I'll want to watch anymore! The House/Wilson friendship is the thing that got me hooked in the first place.

Anyway, despite a few lackluster episodes recently, I'm definitely going to be glued to my televison until the finale!

I'm with Jack Bauer...

2009-03-20T13:29:00.001-07:00

DAMMIT!!!!

Actually, it's been one of those weeks. I felt so rotten that I didn't even feel like watching any of my shows last week, even 24. Ouch. Now I'm a week, er, an hour, behind. And I'm three weeks behind on Lost, but I have those taped, so I'll just need to set aside a few hours to watch them.

I've been watching, but not writing...

2009-03-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated this in a while. I have been watching my shows- Lost has been mostly good, and, amazingly, so has 24. House has been a bit bleah. Some of the stories haven't interested me at all. And once again, I've pretty much given up on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Lately I've been indulging in some guilty pleasures- Seconds from Disaster and Air Emergency/Mayday! on the National Geographic Channel. For some reason, I like watching stories about disasters! Air Emergency is a good one- especially when the show covers crashes I remember well, such as the bombing of Pan Am 103, and Delta 191 (which happened on my 14th birthday!).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462133/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386950/

Seconds from Disaster is no longer being made, but a new season of Air Emergency has aired. NatGeo has an odd schedule, so I never know when episodes are going to air. Luckily, I've seen some elsewhere...some will be on DVD soon.

Another great gone...and other T.V. notes.

2009-01-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

KHAAAAAAAAAN! Ricardo Montalban, who will always be Star Trek villain Khan to me, died this week at age 88. :( He was also well known for Fantasy Island...though I never watched that one.

Other T.V. news...I was less than thrilled with House's Christmas episode "Joy to the World". It was very contrived and I just couldn't believe what went on in it. At least Cuddy finally gets her baby...

Law and Order: SVU has kept up with the decent episodes, but I still want to drop the new ADA into the Hudson River. :p The original Law and Order has been good, too. Criminal Intent should be back soon.

24 is back! The first four episodes of Day Seven were pretty good, and I think it will be a good season. Anything to make up for the horror that was most of Day Six!

And Lost is back next week, too! I'm going to be glued to my T.V. almost every night.

Still no idea when Torchwood will air its five episodes on BBC America...or when Doctor Who's Christmas special will air, either. Speaking of Who, the Elevnth Doctor has been announced- he's Matt Smith, an actor most people have never heard of. He seems to be a little bit young, but from what little I've seen of him on T.V., I think he'll do fine.

Well, crap. Another Star Trek actor is gone.

2008-12-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry died today at age 76. I knew she had been ill recently, but had no idea she was dying. She was probably best known as classic Star Trek's Nurse Chapel, or as The Next Generation/Deep Space Nine's Lwaxana Troi, but as the widow of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, she was a large part of keeping the franchise alive. She even helped bring some of her husband's other ideas to television. Ms. Barrett-Roddenberry was always a hit with fans. I'm still kicking myself for not going to a Trek convention she was a guest at several years ago.

http://trekmovie.com/2008/12/18/majel-barrett-roddenberry-passes-away/

I just put my Nurse Chapel and Mrs. Troi action figures (yes, I collect Trek toys) on my computer desk. *is sad* RIP, Majel. You will be missed by Trekkies everywhere. :(

House and SVU, December 2

2008-12-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

House: Let Them Eat Cake

From TV.com:

The team take on the case of a fitness guru on an all-natural diet who collapsed while filming a video. Meanwhile, Foreman conducts Huntington's Disease drug trials and Thirteen signs on as a subject, Cuddy is forced to move into House's office, and Kutner uses House's name to run an online medical-advice website.

This was a good episode. There were really four stories going on, but each one was solid.

The case-of-the-week was interesting, and I loved the solution. I knew the trainer would refuse the recommended treatment (reversal of gastric bypass, go on high carb diet). Being exposed as a fraud is better than death, but whatever! I wouldn't mind a cure that said I had to eat chocolate cake!

The Foreman/Thirteen story was sad. Thirteen is already showing signs of Huntingdon's, and she is faced with seeing other patients in worse shape than herself.

The Kutner/Taub and the website "patient" subplot was pure gold. House set them up with a fake death and scared the crap out of them when she came back to "life"! That was definitely one of the best scenes of the year!

Finally, the Cuddy/House love/hate continues. After her office was shot up in the last episode, she has to share with House. They annoy each other and flirt. She hides the balls he usually tosses around ("Has anyone seen my balls?" LOL!), he destroys the bathroom of her office. They almost kiss and he grabs her boob instead! ("Can you leave these?")

This was definitely one of the better episodes of the season.

Good quote: "I just had to tell him that I have his balls and he's not getting them back."- Cuddy. She's got them, all right. He just doesn't know it yet. :p

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit: PTSD

Another decent episode. What happened? :p

Description from NBC:

A rape case involving a young female Marine stirs up painful memories from Detective Olivia Benson's past.

Yeah, it's another ripped from the headlines story (pregnant Marine goes missing, turns up dead), but it's well done without any weird twists or bizarre suplots. The Marine who at first appears to be the rapist/killer turns out to be a big brother type who was genuinely concerned about the dead Marine. The actual rapist/killer is no surprise.

Olivia continues to deal with last season's assault. She nearly loses it when trying to arrest the suspect. I liked having her partnered with Fin for a change (no Stabler this episode). They work pretty well together, and I liked how he talked her down when she had her gun to the suspect's head. Cap. Cragen finally tells Olivia to take time off. It should have been done last season! :p

Oops! I'm behind in my reviews...

2008-12-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

The last two episodes of House were okay, nothing to write home about.

Last week's Law and Order: SVU, "Persona" was good- and was a real "special victims" episode. It was almost like an old episode! Benson tries to help a battered wife, but also discovers a fugitive who had killed her own husband. Brenda Blethyn played the fugitive.

This was NBC's description:

Benson goes into hiding to find justice for an abused housewife, which in turn uncovers an unsolved 34-year-old murder case.

Not quite that simple!

The death of the abused wife (Clea Duvall, fantastic!) at the hands of her husband was really upsetting, one of the more grim scenes the show has done in years.

The whole thing with Judge Donnelly trying to settle a score (getting the fugitive to justice) was absolutely lame- I have a hard time believing she would be so vindictive after 34 years. It was completely over the top, and the main flaw with the episode.

That horrible pharmacist at the beginning who refused to give Mia the morning after pill ("Keep it in your pants!") made me sick. What a bitch. That almost could have made an episode on its own- pharmacist refuses prescription on moral grounds, turns up dead, but with some bizarre twist.

Twenty-five years ago today...

2008-11-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

The Day After aired on ABC. I was twelve at the time, and alone in the house. Mom told me not to watch it, but I did anyway. I was scared half to death! It was all anyone could talk about at school for the next week or so.

Twenty-five years later, the Soviet Union is gone, and many of our missles have been dismantled. But there is still a big chance that nuclear weapons could still be used in warfare or terrorism. The movie may be hokey by today's standards, but the threat is very real.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0085404/

Christmas is coming soon...

2008-11-16T17:35:00.000-08:00

The commercials are starting to air. My favorite is the Hershey's Kisses "Handbell" ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9L-_EMuGRU&feature=related

It's been around since 1990! That's got to be a record run for a Christmas commercial.

My new favorite is for The Gap: "We Three Kingz"

http://www.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=43164

As a handbell ringer, I find both ads hilarious.

Other T.V.- I did watch House last week- "The Itch". I wasn't paying enough attention to it for some reason, but it did have some cute Cuddy/Wilson/House bits. When it repeats, I'll give it my full attention!

A funny blast from the past!

2008-11-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

Found this Steve Martin clip- "King Tut". I remember it from Saturday Night Live, but this clip is from one of his concerts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP7AJiQM2RI

"Buried with his donkey, he's my favorite honkey!"

Finished Sold...

2008-10-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

It wasn't bad. Some of the storylines were a little hard to believe- like Danny selling his childhood home (what a coincidence!), or the big boss turning out to be his real father (ick). But it was cute, sometimes sad, and in some places hilarious. I never knew real estate agents could be so evil!

Bryan Dick was cute as Danny. It was really good to see him play a nice guy, even though Danny seems to be just as capable as backstabbing as the rest of them. Too bad there won't be another series, because that would be interesting to see play out. He is the only character who has a real back story. It's easy to see why he tries to be so honest with his buyers- he doesn't want to see anyone end up like his family- stepdad killing himself because of bankruptcy and his mother putting him in care.

The other characters aren't as well developed. Kris Marshall's Matt is just a slimy asshole who wants to get the best deals for himself, and doesn't care who gets screwed over in the process (including Danny's mother!). He's the one who gets screwed over in the end. Christina Cole's Mel is, on the surface at least, a bitch from hell with similar ambitions to Matt's, though she seemed to have a softer side (especially towards Danny).

The less said about the big boss, Mr. Columbrine, the better. He is truly nasty!

Six episodes is just not enough to tell a story. It would have been nice to have a couple more just to tie things up. The potential Danny/Mel romance would have been cute. It did seem odd to end the show with Danny calmly telling Columbrine he's his son...with no fireworks except for Matt's "You lucky, lucky bastard!" comment. One or two more episodes would have been enough to give the story a more satisfying ending.

Overall it wasn't a great show. It was an intersting idea that didn't altogether succeed or fail. It had a good, solid cast, but the writing needed to be a little bit sharper. I'm still glad I got to see it.

Episode synopsis and recaps:

http://www.tv.com/sold/show/28970/episode.html

House: Joy

2008-10-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

From tv.com:

An ailing man suffers from blackouts and sleepwalks, leading the team to wonder if his sleepwalking is a symptom, or how the man is becoming exposed to something else. When the man's daughter grows ill as well, the team must provide a diagnosis before both die. Meanwhile, Cuddy adopts a newborn but when the birth mother displays a rash, she has to make a decision between putting the mother or daughter at risk.

Aw, that was sad. I knew the birth mother would decide to keep her baby. Poor Cuddy. I loved the ending- an argument with House ends up in a rather passionate kiss. House/Cuddy 'shippers rejoice! I will not be surprised if there ends up being a House Junior (or Juniorette) next season- now that Cuddy has seemingly given up the idea of motherhood, she'll end up getting pregnant. It happens!

The case was very interesting. I've never heard of Familial Mediterranean Fever- it sounds bizarre. It was also strange how father and daughter seemed to recover so quickly.

An old review...

2008-10-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

I found my brief review of Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky. It was in a locked live journal entry, so I'll just re-post it here:

February 12, 2006

Boy, did I love Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky. It was sooooo good.

All three parts of the story were wonderful. The acting was so good. It just seems to me that young British actors are better than young American actors. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Bryan Dick. He really deserves a huge career. The fact that he's pretty damn good-looking should help a bit!

The story was so sad. Depressing, really. All that unrequited love, disappointments in life...and yet there's still some hope for the characters (well, except maybe for Jenny, the prostitute Bob loves). I just loved the atmosphere. Beautifully done all around.

An addition to my review- Sally Hawkins (as Ella) is pretty damned awesome, too. I'm still kicking myself for missing Persuasion on PBS last year.

Someone put the film up at youtube in several parts- it hasn't been taken down yet. :p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljcEOeN9DZg

It's very good, but the book is even better. I think it's available in the U.S. again (it's been out of print for decades)- the author is Patrick Hamilton.

imdb.com entry:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0446057/

House: Lucky Thirteen

2008-10-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

From TV.com:

"Thirteen brings her one-night stand to the hospital after the woman has a seizure. However, the woman admits she slept with Thirteen just so she could get to House and have him diagnose her condition. Meanwhile, House continues to pay Lucas to spy on Wilson."

Yeah, that's about it. Girl on girl action for the guys. The case didn't hold my attention very well, but it's good character stuff for Thirteen (yeah, I know, her name is Dr. Hadley!). She's not dealing with her Huntingdon's diagnosis very well.

Good stuff for House/Wilson and the spy. House and Wilson have resumed their banter rather quickly.

The last bit of the episode was a surprise- Cuddy is adopting a baby! I know she's wanted one because it was set up in previous seasons, but it seems sudden. The preview for next week looks good, and I hope it's not going to be a tragic ending for Cuddy's dream of being a mom.

A little bird told me...

2008-10-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

...where I could find Sold online. So I now I have it for a while...

I've only watched two of the six episodes so far. It's not bad. I never thought a show about real estate agents would be interesting, but it's fun. Kris Marshall, as the estate agency's manager, is perfectly slimy and evil. Bryan Dick is his usual adorable self as Danny, the only agent who seems to have a heart or any morals. Finally, he gets to play a good guy...

I'll watch the rest of the episodes later.

A scary British short film...

2008-10-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Shockers: Parents' Night. It aired on Channel 4 in 2001. A friend of mine at live journal sent me a link (gone now), so I watched it. It's a very sad, well acted short about a bullied teen who documents his torture at the hands of his classmates, and his suicide, on his video camera. His mother sees the tape, and takes the gun to the school's parents' night.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0300476/

It's horribly depressing. The end is a bit over the top (I assume it's supposed to be like a horror film!), but the viewer is drawn into the mother's grief and rage.

Shockers was a series of small films, but I've never heard of any of the others.

I was interested in the film because of one of the young stars, Bryan Dick. This is an early appearance of his, and he is chilling as the lead bully. I'd love to see more of his early stuff.

House and SVU, Oct. 14

2008-10-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

House: Birthmarks- (from tv.com) "While en route to his father's funeral, House must help the team with a differential diagnosis on a young Chinese girl who has collapsed under mysterious circumstances."

House and Wilson+road trip= classic episode. This made up for last week! The case-of-the-week was interesting, but took a back seat to the return of the House/Wilson friendship. I loved learning about how they met...and that the renewal of their friendship almost mirrored the beginning! Note to self- don't piss off Wilson in a room with large liquor bottles and antique mirrors or windows. :p Finally, Wilson returns to the hospital in his old position.

Best part of the episode: Cuddy pulling a House-like tactic by drugging him to get him in the car to go to the funeral!

Quite sad, of course, too. We already knew House had a poor relationship with his dad. Finding out that his dad wasn't his real dad was no surprise, though. "Mom hated him too!"

The case was a bit icky. How could that woman go through life not knowing she had several nails stuck in her head? Yikes...

SVU- Swing

From Yahoo!T.V.: "When Stabler gets a call to help catch a trespasser, he s shocked when the clues lead him to a suspect in his own family: his daughter Kathleen (Allison Siko). Things get so bad that he seeks help from his estranged mother (Ellen Burstyn)."

This one gets a big old roll eyes from me.

So Kathleen Stabler, brat extraordinaire, has bi-polar disorder. Give me a break. Couldn't the writers be more original, and say she's just an ordinary junkie, thief, liar, and slut? Oh, no, then they would miss an opportunity to delve into Stabler's childhood and his mommy issues. Never mind that the kid has always been trouble, and almost always gets away with things.

I hated this episode. Not even the great Ellen Burstyn (as Grandma Stabler) could save it.

Get rid of that awful ADA. She is a nasty character and the actress SUCKS.

I'm about ready to abandon the show forever. Next week looks even worse...

AND WHERE WAS MUNCH????

Long live Torchwood!

2008-10-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

I just picked up the Series Two DVD. It's so nice to have the complete episodes as opposed to the cut versions seen on BBC America. The set has deleted scenes, outtakes (which are a hoot, especially the ones from Adam and Reset), one special feature about the lives and deaths of Captain Jack...but there is a disturbing lack of commentaries. The commentaries on Series One were very interesting. I'm disappointed that there aren't any for Series Two- I would have loved to hear what the cast and crew thought of some of the episodes- especially Exit Wounds. Oh, well.

House and SVU have new episodes tonight. I hope they don't disappoint!

House: Adverse Events

2008-10-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

Finally watched it. Shouldn't have bothered. First miss of the season, in my opinion. The case was a bit boring, and I really don't care about the lives of the doclings much. Taub is having trouble in his marriage? Who cares- I want the House/Wilson banter back. I miss Wilson. The bright spot of the episode- the P.I. interacting with Cuddy. Now they would make an interesting pair...

D'oh- missed my shows again.

2008-10-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I remembered to tape House, but haven't had time to watch it yet. I completely forgot to watch SVU, but that's no big deal because it repeats on Saturday night.

There was nothing for me to watch Monday night, so I popped in a BBC drama DVD- Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky. It's from 2005, and aired on BBC America back in 2006. The DVD was only available in Region 2, but I have a multi-region player. I'm glad I have the DVD, because a lot of it was cut out...I reviewed it on my live journal when it first aired. I'll post the review later if I can find it! It might have been one of the things I deleted by mistake last year. Oops.

I also have the recent adaptation of Northhanger Abbey to watch. I'll have to watch it soon, because it's from the library and there's a waiting list. I'm still waiting for Persuasion.

Another find thanks to Google Video...

2008-09-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

Special Bulletin. I hadn't seen it since its first aired 25 years ago! It's a little dated, but still scary. With terrorism a problem now more than ever, the story is still relevant. The possibility of nuclear terrorism is just as real. And terrorism in a port town like Charleston, South Carolina, is something to worry about.

Like Countdown to Looking Glass, the fake news casts are effective. The acting is a little weak in spots, but in a way it adds to the "reality" of the plot. It's scary to watch the events unfold: The beginning of the threat, the reality of it, the evacuation of Charleston, and the bomb itself.