Get in Character

Sorry for the LOST overkill... but these are too good to ignore.

 

Thanks for the find Design Fetish

Do you watch Parenthood?

I think you should... but it's too late now (The season finale was this past week).

This show got a lot of press before it even first aired, as Maura Tierney (ER) dropped out for health reasons and was replaced by Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls). Not that I was super psyched about the show to begin with, but thats switcheroo actually made me not want to watch it. Gilmore Girls was great, Lauren Graham seems like a cool chick, I just don't believe she can play any other character than Loreli Gilmore (which, in my opinion, is still true. Yes, I like Parenthood, but I still think the character she plays is exactly like Loreli). Plus, isn't it basically just another version of Brothers and Sisters? (Yes.)

Anyway, I caught a few episodes this season (mainly just because I left it on NBC after Biggest Loser was over), and am actually starting to like the Braverman's. Even just watching an episode here and there, I'm getting caught up in all the family drama (Haddie's boyfriend sleeps with her cousin?! wtf! Sorry, I also don't know all their names yet....). I'm actually a little sad it's over. 

Put it on my list of shows to catch up on this summer....

It only ends once.

Love this comment on TV Fanatic regarding the LOST finale...

The show spoke to us. More than anything, Lost rose to prominence because fans loved to debate it and discuss it online, at work, in restaurants. In many ways, we're responsible for its success; not just because we watched, but because we became immersed in it. In this way, the finale didn't just speak to Jack, it spoke to all of us: we aren't dead, but we are part of a community that relied on each other and had an incredible, memorable experience with a group of strangers.

Oh, and if you're wondering when I'm writing my wrap up thoughts on the finale... I don't know yet. I don't even know if I am going to write anything. If I'm ready to write anything.

Just know that I loved the finale. I loved the show. I was not disappointed. I'm not going to pretend to know it all, but I'm not mixed up in theories. I'm not asking any more questions. What happened, happened.

Lost + Cats

Bull$#*!

TV Guide Headline: Parents Council Protests CBS' $#*! My Dad Says

Ummmm, okay? They announced that this show was in the works months ago. They announced that William Shatner would play the Dad, among other casting news, months ago. And they are just now protesting?

CBS already has it in their lineup. It already has the hype. It already has a trailer.

I'm not saying the title of the program doesn't maybe cross a line (especially airing in the 7:30 CST timeslot...). I'm just saying you should have said something before. 

Fall Previews from CBS!

Hawaii Five-O (Gin's baaaaackk. In English.)

Blue Bloods (Will Estes!)

$#! My Dad Says (laugh track is annoying, and the whole show looks kind of lame... but I'll watch it because it came from Twitter)

Mike and Molly

Thanks Google

A reprint of 'A Love Letter to Lost'

To commemorate my love for Lost, a repeat of my post from Girls Guide...

A Love Letter to LOST

I’ll admit, your resident TV & Movies Maven (that’s me, by the way) has been feeling a little uninspired lately. Usually, I have tons of entertainment related topics I want to write about, but coming up with an idea this week was nearly impossible. I even went to Twitter with suggestions, and even you, my loyal followers, could not pull through (thanks anyway).

How is it that something I love so dearly (yes, I’m still talking about TV & Movies, and I see nothing wrong with describing our relationship in terms of ‘love’) could leave me so uninspired?

Perhaps it’s because I have fallen way behind in many of my favorite shows (Fringe, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Greek, One Tree Hill, Grey’s Anatomy, America’s Best Dance Crew…). Perhaps it’s because most of the recent movies I have watched were nothing short of terrible (have you people ever seen Dreamcatcher?) But I have a feeling that my lack of inspiration in other TV & Movie-related business is because all of my focus, all of my energy, all of my brainpower, is being focused elsewhere.

Work, you ask? My new blog, perhaps?

No way. Lately, all I can think of, all I want to read about, all I care about, is my Tuesday evening date with Sawyer. And Richard and Ben and (Un)Locke and Kate and…. well, you know, the rest of the Losties.

Yes, I am a LOST fan. And not just a ’sort of’ LOST fan. I’m one of those crazy intense LOST fans that the Onion warned you about.

I watch the show. I read the blogs. I rewatch the episodes (multiple times). I pick apart the theories I find online. I have seen all the bonus features on the DVD. I even watched this 20 minute LOST-inspired fan video (and it’s only part one).

I’m not going to sit here and tell you to watch LOST. I’ll probably ridicule you for not watching, but I seriously do not want you to just start watching now. That would be ridiculous. Not only would you not understand what was going on, but, perhaps more importantly, you probably wouldn’t appreciate it.

You see, LOST is a lot more than a show about a group of people stranded on an island (it’s also about smoke monsters and temples and time travel and an indestructible dog named Vincent, but I digress…). LOST is about characters. The producers have prefaced this season saying that if the mysteries don’t matter to the characters, then they don’t matter. Period.

I have been trying to tell people this since the first season. You don’t have to watch the show for the mystery, you don’t have to try to solve every puzzle- just watch it for the characters. Every episode is filled with incredible performances that can make you laugh (Hurley), make you cry (RIP Juliet), and make you shutter with fear (Man In Black/Locke/Smoke Monster, you freak me out). The depth the writers have given these characters is unreal. It’s what kept me coming back in the third season, when many fairweather fans claim the show jumped the (Dharma-branded) shark.

What you really have to appreciate about LOST is what it has done for television. In a time when networks were feeding us one silly reality show after another, LOST came along with it’s mythology-based story. Hoards of viewers flocked to the Internet to share their theories on blogs and make fan videos on YouTube (LOST premiered in September 2004, Blogs really hit the mainstream that same year, YouTube launched in February 2005. Coincidence… or fate).

LOST made (and still makes) people think. Unlike reality shows, which assume that all of us are weight/beauty-obsessed hoarders looking for love, the creators of LOST gave us something smart. They challenged us. When everyone else was underestimating the American public, LOST took a chance.

Some are calling it the most important television show of the decade, and I have to agree. In my opinion, LOST forever changed American television.

Again, I’m not going to tell you to start watching LOST (because then you will probably call me and ask annoying questions), but I do have one favor to ask of you…

Leave the LOST fans alone.

We are passionate. We are crazy. We are obsessed. And we only get to be like this until May 23, 2010. So cut us some slack, okay?

And when you decide to jump on the bandwagon and want to borrow my DVDs, just let me know.

See ya Ang.... and other developments on the Lane

Did you watch the Desperate Housewives finale?

I just went to post about it and realized I didn't have much to say.... It seemed more like a normal episode than a finale. I feel like their sweeps episodes are more eventful than that (ummm plan crash?).

Loose ends:

• Sam takes the company and runs. Nice knowin' ya. 
• Angie pulls a switcheroo and kills Patrick. Her and Nick run away (to Atlanta?) and send Danny off to NYC. Does this mean we will still see him and Anna again?
• Mike and Susan leave the lane. 
• Lynette has her baby in the most awkward circumtances ever (sorry, this whole wrap up to the killer story line was weird), and Eddie turns himself in. 

New developments:

• Orson leaves Brie, prompting her to tell Gaby that Andrew killed Carlos' mother. 
• Mary Alice's husband comes to live in the lane. Scandel. 
• One of the kiddos doesn't belong to who they think it does. 

What I'm hoping for next season:

• I'm actually looking forward to the 'this ain't my kid' storyline. Who could it be? And maybe more importantly, are they going to tell us why the kid was given to the wrong parents? It doesn't seem like it could have been a mix up... was it on purpose? 
• I'm also hoping we actually get some reaction to the Eddie situation. Susan was so mad for so long about whoever attacked her daughter and I'd like to see how she deals with the fact that her BFF has befriended the 'monster.' 
• More interaction with the ladies... this season it seemed like they all lived their own lives. 
• I want an episode of the girls finding a replacement Susan. A woman on the street who acts like, and maybe looks just like her. I think it would be funny. 
• I want Brie to fall apart. Start drinking again. She potentially has lost everything in this finale- company, son, husband. There's no better (or worse) way to deal than with a glass of Chardonney, right?

Brothers And Sisters: Heartbreaking Finale

I've seen a lot of TV finales in my day, but none seemed to drag on quite like the Brothers and Sisters finale last night. Maybe it was because we knew there would be a car accident, so the whole time I was just sitting there, waiting for that. Everytime someone went to leave, or got in a car, or it was nighttime, I thought, 'This is it!' But I was always wrong. 

Until approx. 8:57 pm (CST) when finally (erg... that's bad to say isn't it?) we got to the accident scene. And I'll admit, it was heartbreaking. 

My thoughts on the finale:

• I'm sick of Rebecca and Justin. Have they ever been happy for more that two episodes at a time? Annoying. 
• I've always hated Holly, but I don't want her to die. I kind of like that she has had personal drama to add to the mix this year, as opposed to just being a bitch. 
• Parks and Rec, you are so evil for stealing away Robert.  Kitty + Robert 4 Ever. 
• Saul is HIV positive. Sad day. I especially felt for him bc I just happened to watch Milk this weekend too. It is heartbreaking what his generation, and those before him, went through. 
• I love Sarah. Sure she can be annoying, but she provided some comic relief in this episode- even though she was over dramatic. 
• Ojai Water Company? Walker Water? Narrow Lake Water? What will they name the new company?!

I'm pretty sure Brothers and Sisters is doing a year time jump between now and next season, and I'll admit, I'm really unhappy about it. I want them to deal with the tragedy, mourn the losses, front and center. I don't want to see a them a year later when (some) of the struggle has subsided. I don't want to see everyone adjusted. Take a cue from Dexter, and deal with it. 

Grey's Finale Thursday!

Finale week is here!

After last year's amazing finale, and an up and down season this year, Grey's Anatomy has a lot to live up to in its season finale this week... but judging from what I'm hearing, and the promos on ABC, it looks like they just might top that shocking 007 death from last year.

I would SPOILER alert you, but if you read the internet or watch TV, you already know this...

There's a shooter in the hospital! Is it a random person? An ex-Mercy Wester? That guy who was suing the hospital a couple weeks back? Dun dun dunnnnnn. I don't know. But people are going to die. I just know it... and that's what all the websites are saying and they don't lie, right?

Here's a promo...


Oh yeah, and a couple more things...
One couple will break up.
One couple will get together.
And Meredith is preggers.

Can't wait for Thursday!

RIP Lost

Who's gonna die?

Rumor Mill:
Someone is dying on the finale of Brothers and Sisters. Who could it be?

Nora: The show cannot go on with out her. Seriously.
Tommy: He was barely on the show this season, but seems to be making a comeback (what with all the drama surrounding Kevin killing a guy in high school and Ojai getting sold and Narrow Lake...). I used ot hate Tommy, but would like to see him come back to the show next season in a bigger role.
Sarah (and Luc): Let's just lump these two together for now. Luc has just been upgraded to series regular for next season, so unless he becomes a widow fast, or haunts Sarah as a ghost, these two ain't goin no where.
Kevin (and Scotty): If they kill one of these two before the baby comes, I will freak out. No lie. Plus, rumor is they are opening a restaurant with...
Saul: ... so that puts him out of the running too.
Kitty: Doesn't appear to be in trouble, thanks to previews. It looks like there is an accident, but she isn't involved.
Robert: Obvious choice? Yeah probably. It wouldn't be much of a surprise.
Justin: As much as I hate to say it, the baby of the family might be the best choice to write off. That or his wife...
Rebecca: ... The two have been fighting a lot, and I feel like their storylines are uber boring. Fight, make up, fight, make up. Snooze.

Who do you think it will be?

Ratings vs. Chatter

Which matters more- rankings or engagement?

Check out this article about Optimedia's new Content Power Ratings for television shows, or read this little diddy-

"Optimedia's "Content Power Ratings" combine viewing data from TV, online and mobile devices to measure audience engagement with specific TV shows. While Optimedia has compiled its rankings for two years previous to this one, this year's compilation is the first to include social-media data from Nielsen BuzzMetrics and Facebook fan pages to better track a particular show's "engagement.""

Basically, they are putting emphasis not on the number of viewers, but on the viewers themsleves- on the chatter, the loyalty, dare I say, the fervor of the fans.

Take for example, my favorite show in the universe- LOST. Is it number one in the rankings? No. It is number 34 actually. But it made it to number 2 on the Power Ratings list because of people like me and Matt that love it so much.

Or, think about another favorite of mine- One Tree Hill. Season after season, it is on the chopping block to get cancelled, and season after season, its crazed fans swoop in to save it. The make petitions, they send letters, they tweet about it, whatever it takes. It was/is in the same position this season, and rumor has it the CW is ordering another 12 episode season. Success. (Oddly enough, OTH is not even on this Rankings list, which I think is weird).

Check out the more from the Rankings list....

So, what do you think? Should programming be based on straight, traditional numbers ratings? Or should it be based more on a scale with these 'power ratings'? 

For a long time, people have said that numbers matter because more people watching = more people seeing ads = more companies buying ads = more money for the networks. I'm not so sure that equation matches up anymore.

It has started to matter more who is watching, not just how many there are. The 18-49 demo has become a gold mine for advertisers. If you are failing in that demographic, you are failing. Period.

Or (again) think of Lost. The ads for the finale are runnning for something like $900,000. Not bad for the #34 show on television, right?

The internet changed everything. Duh. People are more engaged in their television shows than ever. And I think that has to count for something....

Out with the traditional Nielsen Rankings, in with the Power Rankings!

Oh and PS: I hate American Idol. Do you have to be #1 in everything? Geez.

September can't come soon enough.

I love summer, and am in no hurry to speed through it... but there are two things that September is bringing that get me excited for fall. 

1. Mizzou tailgate season

2. Dexter returns

This just in: 

Dexter will NOT jump ahead into the future with in its next season. 

Many people thought that after the shocking finale (RIP Rita), they would fast forward a little, but it has been confirmed that they won't go the route... instead, Dex will be a suspect and him and the kids will move into his old bachelor pad with Deb. 

Let the drama begin. 

Flashforward is failing

FlashForward dipped below five million viewers for the first time last night, making the odds for this drama's renewal lower than Congress' approval rating...


From TV Fanatic


Ok, I will admit. I do really like the show FlashForward. The whole concept has intrigued me from the beginning, even if it hasn't been executed very well (the show has been criticized for moving too slow, lacking intriguing characters, bad acting, etc). It might not be the next LOST, as it was hyped to be, but I still find it to be a pretty solid, entertaining show that keeps me on my toes every week. 


Some plot lines I'm loving right now...

• The idea that Olivia and Lloyd were always meant to be together. It's like, no matter what you choose, certain things are supposed to happen. Now, then, later, it doesn't matter. 
• The constant fear of Demitri dying. If the statement above is true... he's going to die no matter what (then again, aren't we all?). 
• Janice is the mole? WTF. Not cool Janice. 
• Janice is pregnant with Demitri's child? WTF x 2. Gabrielle Union is not going to like that one bit. 
• Anything and everything Olivia and that teddy bear agent are discovering about the experiements before the black out (why she is included in theis FBI investigation is really lost on me though...)
• I want more of that mobster group behind that black out that is obviously manipulating Janice, Charlie aka Simon, and apparently a lady at a pet shop

So the show is probably getting cancelled. But I'm not that sad. And I'm not going to fight for it to stay alive. 


You know why?


Because I want more than answers, I want resolution. I want to know what caused the black out, who caused the black out, and I want them caught and punished. I want something to happen to either prove that our destinies are not planned out ahead of us, but tha we do have control over our future; or something to prove the opposite. 


And I know that the series ending will allow them to do that. 

LOST EW Covers!!

O. M. G.

I must have all of these covers. Or at least Locke, Ben, Sawyer, and Jack.

Thanks for the heads up ODI

Commercials I love right now.