A Hip Hop....

Copycat

CBS is developing a new show based on the Twitter account @shhdontellsteve (I know, I've never heard of it either....). In Mashable's story, they say....

'If you have a crazy friend, roommate or family member, tweeting about what he or she says is a winner.'

Um, sounds exactly like Troy/Pierce on Community with @oldwhitemansays, no? 

Judge Me

Ryan Seacrest tweeted this pic of the Idol judges and producers... Spotted! Steve Tyler and Jennifer Lopez!

A Letter to Mark, Part 2

Dear Mark,

Okay, Quinn is alive. Thanks for that. Now bring Clay back too.

Why does he have to die? I know you think you introduced too many characters last year, but think of all we've already lost - Peyton, Lucas, Deb, Dan, Karen, her husband, Lily and whatever the spawn of Leyton's name is, Grubbs (I assume his tour in London will keep him away awhile. Bummer because I really really liked him), Owen (no way he is coming back from True Blood), Miss Lauren, that British chick, Alexander....

Do we really have to lose Clay?

Here are other ways you could lose characters:
Send Brooke's mom and/or Milli to jail. 
They screwed up. Send them to prison. Brooke's mom is annoying and her character is going no where. Just when you think she is reformed and nice, the next episode she is back to her evil ways. WTF. And Milli? She's boring now. And she isn't with Mouth anymore. So what's the point. Send them away.

Send Skills back to LA
I know this sucks because I LOVE Skills, but he is underused anyway. Has he even been on it this season?!

Send Mia on tour
Is she like a regular now? Annoying. Kate Vogele, go be a singer. Drop in Tree Hill once or twice a season for a concert, a la Tyler Hilton. The Mia/Chase/Alex love triangle is made up of secondary characters that don't matter. Stop wasting my time, Mark. Get rid of her.

So there you have it. Clay is important. Keep him around. PLEASE.

Look at them running. They are best buddies. Keep Clay around for Nathan's sake, would ya?

Newbies: Hawaii Five-0 and The Event

I'll be honest here... I haven't started watching a new show in a while. It seems like there was that one big year when I picked up Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Lost, Grey's Anatomy.... but since then it has just been a series here or there.

But now that my beloved Lost is over and others may be should be meeting the same fate soon (cough, cough, Brothers and Sisters), I decided it was high time I check out some new shows and find some new favorite.

Monday it was reboot Hawaii Five-0 and mystery/thriller/Lost-replacement The Event. 

Hawaii Five-0: (Is it an O like 'oh' or 0 like zero? Hmmm). I've never seen the original (I like to think I'm too young for that), but who doesn't know the theme song? Am I right? Anyway, the show was good. A lot of shooting, but whatever. I was actually not at all looking forward to another cop show (CSI, NCIS, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, Law and Order, Bones, snooooooze.), but this one I can handle. Beaches, Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, story lines that seem like they are bigger that just one episode (who else thinks they may not find that guys body? eh?). Plus Lost alum Daniel Day Kim is in it! I have to watch!

The Event: I've been seeing these ads for months and getting excited.... I loved Lost, love Fringe, even had a potential love interest in Flashforward, and I'm so ready to add another big mystery to my must-watch list. The Event did not disappoint. Even though I had read up on it before and knew Ritter's girlfriend was going to get kidnapped, there were still a lot of unexpected moments.... Not like Lost unexpected where your reaction is 'WTF is going on', but like twists and turns that make sense once they happen and you piece everything together. Ok wait, there was one WTF moment at the very end...


Sorry, that was elusive and confusing.... but I don't want to spoil anything for people who still want to watch! Just trust me, okay?


The Verdict(s): I started off not clicking the 'record series' option.... but I'm changing that. I'll watch at least a few more episodes until I decide if they are 'obsessed' worthy, but I have a feeling they will be. 

Why I loved RW: NOLA

A lot of people think that Real World has lost its thunder, and, while I'll admit, my viewing habits the last couple years have been lackluster (I usually watch the first couple episodes and then dwindle off), I don't think the series is dead yet.... it just needed some revamping.

In my opinion, the Las Vegas season changed Real World as we know it. It became less about seven strangers picked to live in a house, work together and have their lives taped, and more about seven strangers who move to a city with a great nightlife so they can go out, get trashed and hook up.

And then Jersey Shore came along and made the Real World partying look like child's play. 

I don't work for MTV, I don't have insider information, but it is my humble opinion that last season's stint in DC was an effort to bring back some of the seriousness of the show. Someone over at MTV was like, "Hey, we can't compete with Jersey Shore by putting out another party show- so let's stick 'em in our nation's capitol and highlight them doing 'real', 'serious' work.... like at Congress or something."It was a good effort, but the cast just didn't work. It seemed like they were still just there to party (and drink and fight and hook up).

This season, MTV threw a bunch of kids (I say that because most of them are younger than me now... whoa) down in New Orleans.... a city known for, among other things, it's partying. Not to mention that fact that MTV already had a season (and a really, really good one at that!) in NOLA.

I thought they were crazy. I thought this season was going to fail. I was wrong. 


NOLA wasn't a great season because they did or didn't party. It wasn't a great season because they did or didn't have a real job. It was a great season because it wasn't about those things.... it was about the people.

Did it show them partying? Yes, of course.
Did it show them working? Sort of. Ashley and Preston supposedly worked for a radio station, even though it was only mentioned twice. A group of them built a house for Habitat for Humanity. The whole house spent time volunteering at a soup kitchen and made an attempt to see what it was like to be homeless in NOLA (shame on you, Ashley and Knight for cheating!). They got to work some Mardi Gras events, too.

But what this season showed, more than any recent season, was the roomies actually rooming together. We got way more of them in the house, hanging out, heck, even cleaning. This season we even saw them shooting the promo photos (!), which, to my knowledge, we had never seen before (I always wondered if they did it in the beginning of the season or then end! Now I know.) You saw what it was really like, what they were really dealing with, living together.... not just what is was like for them hanging out at clubs together.

So, hoorah for RW: NOLA. Well done, my MTV friends, well done. 

Better Than Expected: Dancing with the Stars

I watch a lot of TV, I know, but Dancing with the Stars may be on of my guiltiest pleasures. I don't know why, but this show just draws me back season after season (except last season, when I didn't watch at all, oops).

As if just watching the show isn't enough, I take notes. Not joking. I grab the nearest pen and scratch paper and write down the best performances, the worst performances, and anything and everything Tom says that makes me laugh.

Here are some thoughts from last night's premiere:

Spotted in the audience: Past DWTS contestant (and winner, right?) Evan Lyasek; Weddy Williams (?); The Situation's sister, cheering him on; Jamie Lee Curtis (?); Ray J, cheering on sis Brandy; and Elisha Dushku, cheering on boyfriend Rick Fox (yes, really. I looked it up.)

Everyone was actually a lot better than I expected (especially Audrina, Margarat Cho, and disney channel guy). I feel like this was the highest level performance I've seen in a premiere episode. No one  is hopeless (except maybe Bristol, Michael Bolton and Florence, who, IMHO, I think were the worst of the bunch).... There's a lot of potential there.

That being said, who do I think is going home? I think it will be Bristol. Yes, she has pretty brown hair and good legs, but she was bad. And she has just about zero personality.

Best live moment of the night:
Cariann says to Florence, "Some things get better with age..." and the camera cuts to Jamie Lee Curtis. 

LOL, indeed.

Premiere Week!

A letter to Mark

Dear Mark Schwahn and other OTH masterminds,

• Please do not kill off Clay and Quinn. That would totally suck. Reasons why:
• I like them.
• They are stronger regulars than Mia and Chase and Milli and Brooke's mom and Alexander and...
• Haley would go in to super depressed mode if her mom died AND her sister died. 
• Nathan wouldn't have a manager.
• The only 'hot' guys left would be Nathan and Julien.... and then you'll have to introduce a new love interest for Quinn if she lives and then you'll have more characters. Why not just stick with the ones we have?
• If they both die, no one will understand why the bitch killed them because they don't know she looks like his dead wife. (or do they? I can't remember?).
• His house on the beach deserves to be occupied.
• I can only listen to Brooke's voice and Haley's whiny optimism for so long. I need Quinn. 
• Quinn has pretty hair and cute clothes.
• Clay has pretty hair and cute clothes. 
• They actually provide some comic relief because they are funny together.
• I want to see a couple being boyfriend and girlfriend and not in a love triangle or married/engaged.
• Again, because I like them. 

Either way, I hate where this storyline went because if they live, they will either be depressed or angry or, possibly worse, more in love and appreciative of life than ever better. Remember how annoying Peyton was in the end when she thought she was going to die? Ugh.

Just when you thought you've seen it all...

"Just when you thought you've seen it all on TV, E! has ordered a new reality show that combines weddings and plastic surgery.

Bridalplasty will feature 12 brides-to-be competing in wedding-themed challenges to win the surgical procedure of her choice, the network announced Thursday."

VMAs... or Kanye and Taylor show?

"No, no, no, don't applaud They're the reason MTV doesn't play your videos." 

-Chelsea Handler announcing the cast of Jersey Shore

This is embarrassing to admit, considering I was up for a job at MTV, but I never thought I really liked the MTV VMAs (and then I backtracked and realized I've watched it religiously at the Deeg the last four years). In fact, I didn't even see Kanye-gate live last year (I just heard abou it via Twitter and then changed the channel to MTV). I don't know why the VMAs never really appealed to me- maybe I get bored watching performances, maybe I don't keep up on new music enough to care.... maybe it's a good thing I didn't get that job at MTV.....

But this year, I watched. And so did more than 11 million other people. And I will admit, I was entertained. Yes, even during performances I didn't really care about (I'm looking at you, Eminem).

The Good:

• The stage. It was sick.
• Lady Gaga was... well, a lady. Last year, she was kind of crazy (remember that blood everywhere? Kermit on her shoulder on the red carpet?), but despite a dress made out of meat, she actually seemed down to earth while accepting her (numerous) awards. Plus, I'm super happy she swept the competition. Let's face it, her stuff was the best.
• Cher coming out just proved that some performers are legends for a reason. She was so at ease on stage
• Florence and the Machine's performance was my favorite of the night. Awesome vocals, awesome stage, awesome dancers.
• Linkin Park's stage - the Griffith Observatory - was a-maz-ing. 
• Kanye.... see below. 

The Bad:

• Not getting to see Gabi on the red carpet! I missed the pre-show :(
• The host..... not Chelsea Handler in particular, but really, do we even need a host? What is the point to have someone introduce the people who are introducing musical acts? Can't it just be a voice over? Does the host serve any purpose except to give an opening monologue and do dumb gags on stage?
• A note to Justin Bieber. You failed. This was your chance to prove to me you actually had talent, and you decided to lip sync. Not cool, man boy.
• Taylor Swift.... See below. 

My opinion on Kanye vs. Taylor Swift:

Kanye wins. Kanye always wins. Say what you will, but Kanye took the high road here. Last week, he apologized via Twitter and you know what Taylor said? That she thinks he was just doing it to sell records and that she wishes he would stop talking about it and stop 'using her name' to make money. And then how does she open her performance at the VMAs? By showing footage from that night!! WTF. She then proceeds to sing a sappy song about how Kanye needs to grow up....

Who you are is not what you did

32 is still growing up now ... you're still an innocent

Everyone of us has messed up, too

I hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new

If she would have sang the song alone, people would have just assumed it was an answer to Kanye, but by showing the footage before, she made it clear who/what she was singing about. Kanye, on the other hand, sang a song about the douchebags, the assholes, and the scumbags.... aka himself. Maybe if Taylor's song had been about her, about her struggle, about her pain, instead of about someone else, I would have felt better about it. 

Plus, Kanye looked gooooood. 

Squint

Fall TV is Coming Back.... Quick!

As premiere dates roll in, I've been feeling a little overwhelmed and decided it was high time I make my calendar. It's gonna be a busy fall (luckily, Greek and Pretty Little Liars don't come back til January):

Monday: 

Sept 20: Dancing With the Stars (it might switch to a regular night of Tuesdays though... I never know with this show)

Tuesday:

Sept 14: One Tree Hill

Sept 21: Glee

Wednesday:

Oct 6 (rumored): RW/RR Challenge: Cut Throat

Thursday:

Sept 23: Fringe

Sept 23: Grey's Anatomy

Sunday

Sept 26: Desperate Housewives

Sept 26: Brothers and Sisters

Sept 26: Dexter

Trouble nights will for sure be on Tuesdays and Sundays when there are so many good shows on and I can only DVR/watch two. And this list doesn't even include any new shows to check out.... wish me luck. 

Let the Healing Begin

Grey's is leveraging their Facebook page to let fans vote for this season's promotional poster... I picked this one. Head over and vote by liking a picture...

Let's Hear it for... Glee

See No Evil

MTV Shows

Emmy 2010 Recap. Success.

Okay, I know that the Emmy's was like forever ago (really, only a few days, cut me some slack people!) but I'm finally pulling together my thoughts/reactions from the show (that I actually had to DVR and watch on Monday since I was jammin out to She and Him at Loufest on Sunday instead...).

To help me recap.... check out my tweets:

Emmy opening number. Omg, I die: Anything that involves Jon Hamm backing it up is fine by me. This was just brilliant.
 

Dear Jim Parsons, I adore you. #bigbang #emmys: So happy he won. Isn't he just adorable?

Oh and NPH. you're freakin perfect. #emmys: That zing to Jimmy Fallon? "I'd like the thank the academy for allowing a gay man to host two years in a row." Followed by the snarkiest little smile. Like I said, freakin perfect. 

What a great year in drama... #emmys #ilovemontages: I love montages. That is the truth. However, I was about to tweet that this year's were a little lacking.... until I saw the drama one. What a fantastic year in drama! Not only did we see the end of heavy-hitters like Lost and 24, but we got stellar performances from Dexter, Mad Men and Grey's Anatomy (which, by the way, when they showed that clip of the shooting in the montage, I stopped breathing. Again). 

Is it bad I wanted every guy in the lead actor in a drama to win... except Hugh Laurie #emmys: (Sidennote: I'm sure he's a great guy, but I've never watched House, nor do I intend to. No matter how great it is, there are enough procedural hospital dramas on TV.) Bryan Cranston. Jon Hamm. Matthew Fox. Kyle Chandler. Michael C. Hall. I seriously would have taken any of these guys for the win. 

The island, it was mythical and in the end they died. I didn't understand it but I tried. #lost #emmys: (with a correction from my pal @AmbikaBehal)

Ricky Gervais kills it every time.#emmys: Beers for the audience? Thank you very much. Can he host the Globes again please?

TV is makin a comeback. Lead actor in miniseries/movie = movie stars. #emmys: For such a long time, TV has been considered the ugly stepchild to film. Movie stars > TV stars, right? Wrong. Take a look at these nominees: Ian McKellen, Jeff Bridges, Michael Sheen, Dennis Quaid, and (winner) Al Pacino. All bonafide movie stars who took time out to come do telelvision. Thanks to cable, it looks like the ugly stepchild is getting a makeover.

Other random musings:

• Jimmy Fallon, you did a decent job. You let the shows and the stars shine. Way to go, kiddo. 
• Do I think Lost got snubbed? Nah. I would have loved to see Terry O'Quinn pick up a prize for his John Locke/MIB portrayal though. I only wish his performance could be judged based on series instead of just season. Seeing the character transformations he went through..... man, that guy is just awesome. 
• This may be morbid, but I thought more important people died this year? That memorium was kinda dull. 
• The girl from The Good Wife? No way, Jose. She should not have won Best Supporting. Every time I watch that show, I think of what a bad actress and annoying character she is.... Lame. 

Overall, Emmy's 2010 = Success.