Hello everyone! Michael and I have returned from the west coast adventure! My head is still spinning from the trip so I won’t even attempt to discuss it yet. Give me a few days. Then you’ll get some trip highlights. But really, what we need to discuss is tv. Wowie. I have a lot of it to catch up on. Thankfully Veronica Mars & The Amazing Race ended before I left, and I caught up on 24 last night. But my oh my, I still have:
Everwood
Alias
Lost
Survivor
The O.C.
Desperate Housewives
The Muppet Wizard of Oz
The Romber Wedding
I’m trying my best to avoid all information, but of course I know that Tom won Survivor. There’s no way I could avoid that publicity storm. Anyhoo, hopefully next week I’ll be able to give you a recap of the season finales and actually this season in general.
While I was away the tentative fall schedules were announced. Now this is what I like to call the tentative official schedule. Technically, it is official, but the networks like to change things around before September.
The fall schedule is a little crazy. I think 90% of my shows moved to a different timeslot. This year, Tuesday at 9 was my painfully overcrowded spot. This year, Tuesday at 9 is like a barren wasteland. Thursdays at 8 is my new crisis spot.
In your email you received an excel sheet. Shows in italics are new, shows in red have moved and in blue will start in January. Anything in bold is an established KT Program.
I have lots of comments, lets start by looking at each day. Oh, and don’t worry about Scrubs not being on the schedule, it is going to replace whichever NBC sitcom gets cancelled first.
Monday
Returning shows:
Over on fox Arrested Development will take the Monday at 8 slot for the first half of the year. 24 comes back in January. ABC picked up Jake in Progress (hooray) and after football season it will take the 9:30 slot.
New shows:
Emily's Reasons Why Not (ABC, 9)
Emily (Heather Grahm) has a great life, with good friends, perfect taste and a fabulous publishing job. She lives her life by a very specific code, but when she gets involved with a bad-boy author, that code falls by the wayside.
What About Brian (ABC, 10)
At 34, Brian (Barry Watson) is the last single guy in his group of friends. Sure, he's a serial monogamist, but that doesn't mean that he isn't attracted to the wedded bliss and relationship conflict he sees among his married buddies.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8:30)
When Ted's (Josh Radnor) best friend Marshall (Jason Segel) tells him that he's about to propose to his girlfriend Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Ted decides he has to find his own dream woman. He enlists the help of his friend Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), but the quest for true love may be complicated. The series is told in flashbacks narrated by Bob Saget.
Kitchen Confidential (Fox, 8:30)
Jack Bourdain (Bradley Cooper) is a rock star chef whose drinking, drug use and womanizing ruined a promising culinary career. He's given another chance to take over a top New York restaurant, but he's hired so quickly he can only bring on a staff of similarly dysfunctional renegades (including characters played by Owain Yeoman, John Cho, Nicholas Brendon and John F. Daley). Expect to learn lots of nasty secrets about what really goes on in the kitchens of your favorite restaurants.
Out of Practice (CBS, 9:30)
Christopher Gorham plays a young couples' counselor whose overachieving doctor parents (Stockard Channing and Henry Winkler) don't respect his career choices. However, the counselor may be perfectly trained to fix his wacky family.
Prison Break (Fox, 9)
Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is on death row for a crime he maintains he didn't commit. His brother Michael (Wentworth Miller) believes him and commits a crime to join his brother in prison. What hoosegow officials don't know is that Michael helped design the prison and he's planning an elaborate escape. It's so elaborate that it will take an entire season to play out.
Hey guess what? The lead boy in this show was on buffy! He was one of the hot swim team boys that turned into a fish!!
Fathom (NBC, 8)
A new form of sea life is popping up all over the world, from the South Antarctic Sea to San Diego to the Gulf of Mexico. The aquatic creatures look cute and innocent and kids love to play with them, but is something freakier afoot? An assortment of scientists and fishermen begin an investigation to find out if things are really better under the sea..
Stars:
Lake Bell ("Boston Legal"), Jay R. Ferguson ("Judging Amy"), Rade Serbedzija ("Snatch")
Just Legal (WB, 9)
Jay Baruchel ("Undeclared") plays a legal prodigy who can't land the job he wants because of his youth. Naturally, he goes to work for a legendary burn out (Don Johnson) barely making ends meet with a beachfront shingle. They become crusaders for the unjustly wronged, as the old man teaches his protege to become a lawyer and the whelp reminds his mentor of how to live again.
Conflicts: Of course! Of course Alyson Hannigan’s new show is up against Nicholas Brendon’s. Lucky for me they will only go head to head until January, then Kitchen Confidential will go on hiatus and House will move into this slot. Fox is crazy with all their moving around of shows.
Summing up: Well, I have to say I’m a little happy. The Monday at 8 spot was a little empty last year and now I have Arrested Development & Kitchen Confidential. Plus I can tape How I met your mother! Prison Break has been getting some buzz, so I’ll probably check that out until 24 starts. And of course I’ll be taping John Stamos in Jake in Progress! And oh yes, how can I forget What about Brian! Wow, all of the sudden I have lots of potential tv on Monday!
Tuesday
Last year I was up to my eyeballs in tv on Tuesday nights. Now it is just the Amazing Race all by its lonesome.
Returning Shows: House (starts off here and then moves to Mondays at 8 in Jan); The Amazing Race
New Shows:
Commander-in-Chief (ABC, 9)
A mother of three who also happens to be the vice president of the United States goes against the wishes of the dying president -- and her entire party -- to take over the highest political office and become the first female Commander-in-Chief, rather than resign.
Stars: Geena Davis, Donald Sutherland
Bones (Fox, 8)
Based on the experiences of forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs, "Bones" focuses on a forensic anthropologist and novelist (Emily Deschanel) who has an uncanny ability to read the clues found in bones. Naturally, she gets called in to help law enforcement officials, including Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), a former Army sniper who distrusts science. They butt heads regularly, but is there some sexual tension going on? You bet your bippy.
Close to Home (CBS, 10)
Annabeth Chase (Jennifer Finnigan) plays an aggressive prosecutor who also happens to be a be a new mother. CBS promises that the show "tears away the facade of suburbia to reveal that sometimes quiet and tranquil streets can hide the darkest of crimes." Check it out, Christian Kane, who was Lindsey on Angel will be on this show!
My Name Is Earl (NBC, 9)
A bully and low-rent crook (Jason Lee) wins the lottery and decides to right the wrongs from his past. He may not be the brightest bulb, but he's oddly effective,
Sex, Lies & Secrets (UPN, 9)
Instead it's an ensemble about a group of twentysomethings who become a tightly knit family in the hip Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Stars:
Denise Richards ("Wild Things"), Eric Balfour ("Six Feet Under”)
Supernatural (WB, 9)
Two brothers (Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki) travel the country in a '67 Ford Impala fighting supernatural forces and trying to find their missing father.
Conflicts: Yet to be determined, depends how much I like House, and if Earl is any good.
Summing up: It is too early to guess which of these new shows will catch on. I’m hoping to watch some reruns of House this summer so that is the direction I am leaning. I also really like Jason Lee, so I’ll probably be taping Earl.
Wednesday:
Returning Shows:
The Big news. The JJ night gets split up and the best show no one was watching last year goes up against the show Everyone was watching last year.
See what happens when you get what you want? Somehow, someway it comes back to bite you. All I wanted was a new timeslot for Veronica Mars. Well, UPN moved the show to Wednesdays at 9, which in UPNs eyes is a show of confidence because they are pairing it with their highest rated show, America’s Next Top Model. But then, stupid ABC has to go and move Alias to Thursday and back Lost up to the 9pm slot. Now Veronica Mars will face off against lost!
I’m really not too worried about myself. I’ll watch one and tape the other (I haven’t seen the lost finale yet, but by the end of the season VM was my favorite show). But I’m worried about the show finding an audience against Lost. UPN will be re-airing the entire season over the summer—I implore you to watch! But alas, ABC is also re-running lost. Hopefully the 8pm sitcoms that ABC has planned will bomb and they will move lost back to 8 and then VM will have a chance.
New Shows:
Freddie (ABC, 8:30)
Growing up surrounded by women is one thing, living with them as an adult is something else. A young chef/bachelor-around-town (Freddie Prinze Jr) finds that a house full of females might be more than he can handle when his sister, sister-in-law, niece and grandmother come to live with him after his brother's death.
Invasion (ABC, 10)
Following a violent tropical storm, a U.S. park ranger's missing ex-wife is found naked and with no memory of how she got that way. Couple that with his young daughter seeing some mysterious floating lights. The ranger starts to investigate and begins to uncover an alien conspiracy that has been spreading across the world for centuries.
Stars:
William Fichtner ("Black Hawk Down"), Eddie Cibrian ("Third Watch"),
Criminal Minds (CBS, 9)
An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the most twisted of criminals. Each member of the team, including agents played by Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson and Shemar Moore, has a particular area of expertise.
Head Cases (Fox, 9)
Jason Payne (Chris O'Donnell) is a promising young attorney who has a nervous breakdown. His outpatient buddy is Shultz (Adam Goldberg), a low-rent lawyer with anger management issues. They form a partnership to help fight for underdogs and keep each other sane.
The Loop (Fox, 9:30)
When Sam (Bret Harrison) get hired to be the youngest executive at a major airline, he becomes the first of his friends to get a real job. His work life -- featuring a demanding boss (Philip Baker Hall) and an amorous older co-worker (Mimi Rogers) -- is tough enough, but his home life is no cakewalk either.
The E-Ring (NBC, 9)
Jerry Bruckheimer (all those "CSI" things), who knows a few things about procedural dramas, takes viewers inside the Pentagon. From intelligence gathering to war room debate to special ops in the battlefield, the drama looks at the life-and-death decisions that can relate to a single soldier or to the fate of the entire world.
Stars:
Dennis Hopper, Benjamin Bratt
Related (WB,9)
The Sorelli sisters (Jennifer Esposito, Lizzy Caplan, Laura Breckenridge and an actress to be named later) fight, laugh, live and love in New York City.
Conflicts: Lost vs. Veronica Mars. Thank god for VCRs.
Summing Up: I want VM to do well. Tuesday at 8 looks to be a tv wasteland…although that Martha Stewart apprentice may be interesting.
Thursday
Tues at 9 settles down and Thurs at 8 gets too full! Obviously, Alias will be watched. Does that put Survivor or the O.C. in the hot seat? Plus what about chris?
Returning Shows: Alias, Survivor, The O.C, Joey, Will & Grace, Everwood & Smallville.
New Shows:
Everybody Hates Chris (UPN, 8)
It's a darkly nostalgic look at Rock's teenage experiences growing up in Brooklyn in the early '80s and being bused to a predominantly white middle school.
The Night Stalker (ABC, 9)
A crime reporter (Stuart Townsend) who also happens to be the FBI's No. 1 suspect in the bizarre death of his wife prowls the streets of Los Angeles trying to find answers. In addition to trying to connect the dots between murder victims found with a strange red, snake-shaped mark on their hands, he also finds himself delving into a strange supernatural world of crime.
Reunion (Fox, 9)
This innovative show -- part drama, part mystery -- follows six friends from their 1986 high school reunion through their 20th reunion, with each episode focusing on a seminal event from a year. When 2005 roles around, one of the friends is dead, but which one? And how did they die?
Stars:
Will Estes ("American Dreams"), Sean Faris ("life as we know it"), Dave Annable ("Little Black Book"), Alexa Davalos ("The Chronicles of Riddick"), Amanda Righetti ("The O.C.," "North Shore")
Love, Inc. (UPN, 9:30)
Denise Johnson (Shannen Doherty) is a wingwoman, a matchmaker and dating consultant who helps everybody around her find love. However, in a shocking bit of irony, she has problems with her own inability to find a soulmate.
Stars:
Shannen Doherty ("Charmed," "Beverly Hills, 90210"), Holly Robinson Peete ("For Your Love," "21 Jump Street")----NOTE—Last week Doherty was let go from this show, so I’m not too sure where it leaves it.
Conflicts: The aforementioned 8 hour.
Friday
I actually don’t watch tv on Friday. Can you believe it? But here are some new shows if you are interested.
Ghost Whisperer (CBS, 8)
A young wife (Jennifer Love Hewitt) can talk to dead people. And -- wouldn't you know it? -- the dead people want her help. Sometimes she gets simple directives from her ghostly friends, but other times the messages are confusing.
Threshold (CBS, 9)
An extra terrestrial craft has landed in the Atlantic Ocean and a team of experts is assembled to deal with all possible contingencies. Will the aliens be cute and friendly or ugly and scary?
Stars:
Carla Gugino, Charles S. Dutton
The Gate (Fox, 9)
Detective Graham Hale (Johnny Messner) works in San Francisco's Deviant Crime Unit. He tracks down the more bizarre crimes the city has to offer, but he's fighting his own demons. He's partnered with a rookie detective (Marguerite Moreau) who has a hidden agenda.
Inconceivable (NBC, 10)
Everything's coming up sperm samples and frozen embryos at the Family Options Fertility Clinic, where the patients are having troubles conceiving and the doctors and nurse and administrators are having problems of their own.
Stars:
Jonathan Cake ("Fallen"), Ming-Na ("ER")
Three Wishes (NBC, 8)
Amy Grant leads a team of experts into small towns and makes a variety of wishes come true. The Grammy winner helps perform miracles like reuniting families and saving jobs.
Twins (WB, 8:30)
Mitchee (Sara Gilbert) and Farrah (Molly Stanton) are twins, but they couldn't be any more different. One's a successful business woman. The other's a successful lingerie model. And their cooky mom is Melanie Griffith.
Sunday
Returning Shows:
Desperate Housewives, The Family Guy, Charmed
New Shows:
The War at Home (Fox, 8:30)
When they were teens, Dave (Michael Rapaport) and Vicky (Anita Barone) had very few limits and got away with everything. Now that they're the parents of teens, though, the couple has to try to set boundaries and raise their own kids properly, send them off to college and win the war at home.
So yeah, lots of changes ahead. And like I said, things are bound to change before September. Ohhhh, and that show with Scott Foley and Amy Acker, The Unit, it will be a midseason replacement for CBS.
Later this week we’ll discuss finales and Star Wars (I liked it). And is it me or is this looking like it could turn out to be the best summer movie season ever????
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Friday, May 06, 2005
May Sweeps is upon us!
Bonjour mon amies! Happy Friday. Ohhhhhhhhh…5 days. 5 days until the West Coast Adventure commences!! EEEEEEEE! Craziness! I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that this time next week I’ll be in Seattle. Insanity! But don’t worry I am bringing a travel journal so I’m sure I will have a massive report when I get home….Alrighty, let’s start some spillage.
Early this week there were some rumors going around that juju & cam were going to tie the knot this weekend in England. Lord I hope not. Cameron is fine for fun, but juju should definitely not marry her…I don’t know, I have a feeling if he does, poor juju will end up a young divorcee!
There is much potter swirling around! The book comes out July 16 then the next movie hits on November 18. And this just in, Daniel Radcliffe has signed on for the 5th movie! I’m a little concerned about movie number 4. It is my favorite potter book and I’m just afraid that they are going to slash a lot of the story (well how could they not)….I don’t know, I’m trying to focus my positive energy towards the book, I fear the movie may let me down.
May, time of sweeps and season finales and the big decisions of what stays and what goes. I will be away for all of the network upfronts, but if you are really interested you can catch E! News Live every day started May 16 for upfront coverage…hopefully I’ll be able to catch a few updates while away. I need to know what will happen to Arrested Development (last news I heard was that it will probably stay but may be cut to an 8 episode order….EIGHT EPISODES! WHAT KIND OF FLIPPIN CRAP IS THAT! I just wish they could go to HBO. It would make me so much happier, and really would be the best deal for everyone. AD needs the freedom to do what they want without constant threat of cancellation. HBO needs a big hit…most of the shows now on HBO are more critically acclaimed than ratings magnets. I know that basic tv wise Arrested Development doesn’t have huge numbers but I really think a move to cable would help them out. I can wish can’t I?
I’m also interested in the fate of Eyes & Jake in Progress. I gotta hand it to ABC, they really turned themselves around this year. I can’t remember the last time (before this season) that I watched a show on ABC (that wasn’t alias). Now I watch 5 shows on ABC! Hopefully the alphabet network will keep all my favorites, although please for the love of God, can you move something into the 8pm Monday slot? Or the Tuesday at 8? Or Thursday at 9? Come on, help a sista out.
Before we move on the movie portion of our update, let’s do a quick review of KT’s Current tv shows, and what I hope to see in the coming weeks as they wrap up their seasons. Note: I won’t be mentioning spoilers, just what I think lies ahead.
24: The show has been solid this year. Sure there have been some less than stellar episodes, but they have all been enjoyable. And ya know what else? I was ready to toast this show after last year. I watched the premiere out of loyalty fully intending to cut it out of my schedule. But wowie, they sucked me right back in. Jack is not playing around this season either. And I really like how they held back the cast from last year and slowly re-introduced them into the story. That way we were super excited to see them again. Hey Soul Patch Tony! And Michelle! And Palmer! Hooray! The only criticism I have is that they are really testing the bounds of realism this year (it takes 5 min for chloe to get back to CTU) but hey, it is entertainment. Hello suspension of reality. I really have no idea how this season is going to end. Marwan is the smartest terrorist ever! How will Jack stop him? And can Jack please smack Audrey in the face? She is starting to suck at Terri Bauer proportions and we all know what happened to Terri now don’t we?
Everwood: I feel like I enjoyed every episode this year, but when I try to think back to what happened this season I draw a blank. Hmm. Enjoyable but forgettable. I do like the introduction of Hannah & Jake…and am anxious to see if either one of them makes it to next year (my guess is Hannah will stay while jake will head back to LA)…Things are starting to pick up with Ephram finally finding out about Madison and the ensuing Amy breakup. I know that Ephram is not in the finale because the writers wanted to focus on other issues…like….Bright & Hannah? Andy, Nina & Jake? Mrs. Abbot’s new health issues??? I’m betting that one is not going to end well…think about it, what we keep Amy away from Princeton??
Scrubs: I’m ashamed to admit this but I haven’t been keeping up with Scrubs lately. I’m hoping that Beaker has been tivoing them & that I’ll be able to catch up, but Tuesday at 9 is sooooo over-scheduled. Something had to give and Veronica Mars & The Amazing Race are just too good right now. I still think it is one of the funniest shows on tv. But I the fact that I, one of the show’s most staunchest supporters, have chosen to watch the competition really means that this show is in danger in this spot. Please oh please NBC, move Scrubs!
Veronica Mars: Wow. This show has really developed in the past few months. I liked it well enough in the beginning, but as things stand right now, VM is my favorite show on tv. It is the one I cannot miss and that I am dying to find out how it will end. Ya know how I know I like I show? I yell at the tv. This is one of the issues I have with watching Survivor with the Survivor Fanatics, there is a strict no talking rule. And I fully enforce a “no chatter” rule during my showtimes, but that excludes yelling AT the tv. And praise Jesus that the season finale is Tuesday, so I can watch it right before I start vacation! Yay! I love VM. I love all the characters, I love the plot twists, I love how this show in one season made me really care about a character that at the beginning of the season I was supposed to hate. I love this show the way I loved Alias 2 seasons ago. It is a bit too early to tell, but if the show keeps up this way, well….let’s not jinx it. But if the UPN reairs the show this summer I highly recommend checking it out. Very worth it. Rumor also has it that a dvd may come out before season 2. If this is the case you can netflix it! Or you can borrow mine!
The Amazing Race: I never watched this show before. So the strategy those clever CBS execs came up with worked on me. Add Boston Rob and voila! Viewers increase! I like the idea of the show but honestly, I’m not sure if I’ll tune in next year…especially if the show is vs Scrubs. But Boston Rob has definitely made the show quite enjoyable. Every other team hates him, but that just makes him stronger. The man is ridiculously lucky and sure he is a big jerk sometimes, but hey, he gets it done. We’ll see if the big man wins another million this Tuesday.
Lost: My favorite show right off the bat. I think it was the best series premiere I’ve ever seen. But the show has fallen a bit for me. I think part of that is the repeats are cutting up the momentum of the show. I think Lost would benefit from the January start date…look how well 24 has done. But I think Lost is too profitable for ABC and therefore they would never go for it. Plus Jack & Kate have started to annoy me lately and it is not a good sign when your heroes are annoying. The show still packs a punch though and I am definitely a loyal viewer. Hopefully the finale won’t be a let down…what will happen to the raft? Who will get on the raft? Are Walt & Claire’s baby destined to battle against each other? What is in the hatch?
Alias: Last year was a rough one for Alias. But I find myself looking back fondly. Could I really like last year better than this year? I miss Sark. I miss the tension and the heart pounding cliff hangers. I miss yelling at the tv. In an effort to increase viewership Alias became more of a stand-alone-episode- type of show. I don’t really like that formula for Alias. The thing with alias that I liked was that it was intricately woven, that a casual viewer wouldn’t get it; like buffy. Although I feel that the show lost something this year, I still think it is better than 90% of what is currently on tv. And, the past few episodes have been little proclamations that the Rambaldi story is still alive. I’ve seen a glimmer of the old Alias. Hopefully the show will end on a high note.
Eyes & Jake in Progress: I enjoyed both shows. I won’t cry if they don’t’ make it back next year, but I will be disappointed. Hello! John Stamos anyone?
Survivor: The show gets dangerously close to being predictable (which is the ultimate danger) but they’ve managed to spice it up a bit along the way. It was pretty amazing to see a tribe completely wipe itself out. The only issue I have with survivor is this whole idea of needing to bring someone you can beat to the final two. I really hate when someone absolutely worthless makes it all the way to the end.
The O.C.: There has been a lot of talk this year that the show hasn’t been as good as last year. But I have to say that I’m enjoying it. I really hated Oliver last year and he’s not around so that’s a plus! Also, I am loving Julie Cooper. She’s so much more fun this year. I don’t think the show has been very shocking or OH MY GOD! But it has been an enjoyable hour of tv. Although I did hear that the finale ends with an OH MY GOD cliffhanger. We’ll see.
Arrested Development: Funniest show on tv. Definitely deserves a pick up. The problem with this show is that it is not a generic form of humor. You have to be quick to catch a lot of the jokes (like Henry Winkler jumping over the shark). Also, most half hour comedy shows can be watched at any time even if you’ve never seen an episode before. Not true with Arrested Development. You have to know what is going on to enjoy it. I’m telling you, if you have Netflix or a blockbuster card check out season 1 this summer, you won’t regret it!!
Desperate Housewives: This show was a monster hit right out of the gate and although I still like it, I’m afraid it is getting old really fast. How many times can we laugh at Susan being a klutz? And I loathe her mother (which is kinda sad because I love her as Ms. Scarlett in Clue). And I’m soooo bored with Andrew. And Gabrielle. Well I’m starting to really dislike her. The only one I still like is Lynette. And of course Bree is always fun but ehhhh. I don’t know. I worry about this show. That it will either get tired or that it will be forced to go off the deep end a la Melrose Place. The reason I liked this show so much in the beginning was because it struck that delicate balance between realism & soap. I fear that it is dangerously close to going soapy overboard.
When I return from the Adventure I’ll hit you guys up with my finale recaps and my year end grades. We’ll also discuss the outlook for next fall based upon the network upfronts.
Before I go, let’s talk some cinema.
As far as I’m concerned the summer movie season started last weekend. I saw The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on Monday. Parts of it were enjoyable but it was really all over the place. More than once I found myself saying…wait, wha….who…wha??? I was entertained for an hour and 45 minutes but I didn’t take anything away with me. I wouldn’t recommend paying $8 or renting it on dvd. If you are bored one night and it is on HBO, go for it. The one thing the movie did do was make me more interested in the book, which I may get.
Three new trailers for you:
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/mrandmrssmith.html
Will Brad & Angelina fall victim to the Meg & Russell syndrome? Ya know, where a movie flops because of all the press on the couple. Well, I don’t think so. Most of those “buzz couple” movies are wretched. This trailer looks promising and it is directed by Doug Limon who is responsible for Swingers, Go & The Bourne Supremacy. Count me in.
Next up Dukes of Hazzard. I’m a bit worried about this one because most tv-movie translations aren’t that great. Although I did really enjoy the first Charlie’s Angels. Anyhoo, I feel a bit better after seeing this trailer.
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thedukesofhazzard.html
Finally, I will be promoting this movie all summer. So you should just watch the trailer already. And remember, if you want to borrow my dvds let me know. I’ll share the whedon love.
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=trailer&id=1808583132&intl=us
I’d like to take a minute to step back and reminisce. Remember when you were younger and you loved horrible movies? Movies that if you saw now your eyes would ache from all the wincing you’d be doing. Well there are 3 movies on their way to dvd that were favorites of mine as a child that I’m sure I’ll now view as horrendous. Actually, scratch that, 2 will be embarrassments, one I will always love know matter how ridiculous it is. Top that! Yes indeedy! Teen Witch will be available on dvd starting July 12. Yippeee! Also available that fine day are The Garbage Pail Kids Movie & Moving Violations. If you’ve never seen anyone of these don’t bother trying now, you just won’t appreciate them!
One last thing, I’d like to say thanks to everyone who donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Especially Jay, who got lots of people from his job to chip in a dollar. *Smooch*
If you would like to donate money to the cause, you can go to the link below.
https://www.doitsports.com/donations/view-pledges.tcl?txn=2533042&id=1942
For all the moms, have a good Mother’s Day!
Early this week there were some rumors going around that juju & cam were going to tie the knot this weekend in England. Lord I hope not. Cameron is fine for fun, but juju should definitely not marry her…I don’t know, I have a feeling if he does, poor juju will end up a young divorcee!
There is much potter swirling around! The book comes out July 16 then the next movie hits on November 18. And this just in, Daniel Radcliffe has signed on for the 5th movie! I’m a little concerned about movie number 4. It is my favorite potter book and I’m just afraid that they are going to slash a lot of the story (well how could they not)….I don’t know, I’m trying to focus my positive energy towards the book, I fear the movie may let me down.
May, time of sweeps and season finales and the big decisions of what stays and what goes. I will be away for all of the network upfronts, but if you are really interested you can catch E! News Live every day started May 16 for upfront coverage…hopefully I’ll be able to catch a few updates while away. I need to know what will happen to Arrested Development (last news I heard was that it will probably stay but may be cut to an 8 episode order….EIGHT EPISODES! WHAT KIND OF FLIPPIN CRAP IS THAT! I just wish they could go to HBO. It would make me so much happier, and really would be the best deal for everyone. AD needs the freedom to do what they want without constant threat of cancellation. HBO needs a big hit…most of the shows now on HBO are more critically acclaimed than ratings magnets. I know that basic tv wise Arrested Development doesn’t have huge numbers but I really think a move to cable would help them out. I can wish can’t I?
I’m also interested in the fate of Eyes & Jake in Progress. I gotta hand it to ABC, they really turned themselves around this year. I can’t remember the last time (before this season) that I watched a show on ABC (that wasn’t alias). Now I watch 5 shows on ABC! Hopefully the alphabet network will keep all my favorites, although please for the love of God, can you move something into the 8pm Monday slot? Or the Tuesday at 8? Or Thursday at 9? Come on, help a sista out.
Before we move on the movie portion of our update, let’s do a quick review of KT’s Current tv shows, and what I hope to see in the coming weeks as they wrap up their seasons. Note: I won’t be mentioning spoilers, just what I think lies ahead.
24: The show has been solid this year. Sure there have been some less than stellar episodes, but they have all been enjoyable. And ya know what else? I was ready to toast this show after last year. I watched the premiere out of loyalty fully intending to cut it out of my schedule. But wowie, they sucked me right back in. Jack is not playing around this season either. And I really like how they held back the cast from last year and slowly re-introduced them into the story. That way we were super excited to see them again. Hey Soul Patch Tony! And Michelle! And Palmer! Hooray! The only criticism I have is that they are really testing the bounds of realism this year (it takes 5 min for chloe to get back to CTU) but hey, it is entertainment. Hello suspension of reality. I really have no idea how this season is going to end. Marwan is the smartest terrorist ever! How will Jack stop him? And can Jack please smack Audrey in the face? She is starting to suck at Terri Bauer proportions and we all know what happened to Terri now don’t we?
Everwood: I feel like I enjoyed every episode this year, but when I try to think back to what happened this season I draw a blank. Hmm. Enjoyable but forgettable. I do like the introduction of Hannah & Jake…and am anxious to see if either one of them makes it to next year (my guess is Hannah will stay while jake will head back to LA)…Things are starting to pick up with Ephram finally finding out about Madison and the ensuing Amy breakup. I know that Ephram is not in the finale because the writers wanted to focus on other issues…like….Bright & Hannah? Andy, Nina & Jake? Mrs. Abbot’s new health issues??? I’m betting that one is not going to end well…think about it, what we keep Amy away from Princeton??
Scrubs: I’m ashamed to admit this but I haven’t been keeping up with Scrubs lately. I’m hoping that Beaker has been tivoing them & that I’ll be able to catch up, but Tuesday at 9 is sooooo over-scheduled. Something had to give and Veronica Mars & The Amazing Race are just too good right now. I still think it is one of the funniest shows on tv. But I the fact that I, one of the show’s most staunchest supporters, have chosen to watch the competition really means that this show is in danger in this spot. Please oh please NBC, move Scrubs!
Veronica Mars: Wow. This show has really developed in the past few months. I liked it well enough in the beginning, but as things stand right now, VM is my favorite show on tv. It is the one I cannot miss and that I am dying to find out how it will end. Ya know how I know I like I show? I yell at the tv. This is one of the issues I have with watching Survivor with the Survivor Fanatics, there is a strict no talking rule. And I fully enforce a “no chatter” rule during my showtimes, but that excludes yelling AT the tv. And praise Jesus that the season finale is Tuesday, so I can watch it right before I start vacation! Yay! I love VM. I love all the characters, I love the plot twists, I love how this show in one season made me really care about a character that at the beginning of the season I was supposed to hate. I love this show the way I loved Alias 2 seasons ago. It is a bit too early to tell, but if the show keeps up this way, well….let’s not jinx it. But if the UPN reairs the show this summer I highly recommend checking it out. Very worth it. Rumor also has it that a dvd may come out before season 2. If this is the case you can netflix it! Or you can borrow mine!
The Amazing Race: I never watched this show before. So the strategy those clever CBS execs came up with worked on me. Add Boston Rob and voila! Viewers increase! I like the idea of the show but honestly, I’m not sure if I’ll tune in next year…especially if the show is vs Scrubs. But Boston Rob has definitely made the show quite enjoyable. Every other team hates him, but that just makes him stronger. The man is ridiculously lucky and sure he is a big jerk sometimes, but hey, he gets it done. We’ll see if the big man wins another million this Tuesday.
Lost: My favorite show right off the bat. I think it was the best series premiere I’ve ever seen. But the show has fallen a bit for me. I think part of that is the repeats are cutting up the momentum of the show. I think Lost would benefit from the January start date…look how well 24 has done. But I think Lost is too profitable for ABC and therefore they would never go for it. Plus Jack & Kate have started to annoy me lately and it is not a good sign when your heroes are annoying. The show still packs a punch though and I am definitely a loyal viewer. Hopefully the finale won’t be a let down…what will happen to the raft? Who will get on the raft? Are Walt & Claire’s baby destined to battle against each other? What is in the hatch?
Alias: Last year was a rough one for Alias. But I find myself looking back fondly. Could I really like last year better than this year? I miss Sark. I miss the tension and the heart pounding cliff hangers. I miss yelling at the tv. In an effort to increase viewership Alias became more of a stand-alone-episode- type of show. I don’t really like that formula for Alias. The thing with alias that I liked was that it was intricately woven, that a casual viewer wouldn’t get it; like buffy. Although I feel that the show lost something this year, I still think it is better than 90% of what is currently on tv. And, the past few episodes have been little proclamations that the Rambaldi story is still alive. I’ve seen a glimmer of the old Alias. Hopefully the show will end on a high note.
Eyes & Jake in Progress: I enjoyed both shows. I won’t cry if they don’t’ make it back next year, but I will be disappointed. Hello! John Stamos anyone?
Survivor: The show gets dangerously close to being predictable (which is the ultimate danger) but they’ve managed to spice it up a bit along the way. It was pretty amazing to see a tribe completely wipe itself out. The only issue I have with survivor is this whole idea of needing to bring someone you can beat to the final two. I really hate when someone absolutely worthless makes it all the way to the end.
The O.C.: There has been a lot of talk this year that the show hasn’t been as good as last year. But I have to say that I’m enjoying it. I really hated Oliver last year and he’s not around so that’s a plus! Also, I am loving Julie Cooper. She’s so much more fun this year. I don’t think the show has been very shocking or OH MY GOD! But it has been an enjoyable hour of tv. Although I did hear that the finale ends with an OH MY GOD cliffhanger. We’ll see.
Arrested Development: Funniest show on tv. Definitely deserves a pick up. The problem with this show is that it is not a generic form of humor. You have to be quick to catch a lot of the jokes (like Henry Winkler jumping over the shark). Also, most half hour comedy shows can be watched at any time even if you’ve never seen an episode before. Not true with Arrested Development. You have to know what is going on to enjoy it. I’m telling you, if you have Netflix or a blockbuster card check out season 1 this summer, you won’t regret it!!
Desperate Housewives: This show was a monster hit right out of the gate and although I still like it, I’m afraid it is getting old really fast. How many times can we laugh at Susan being a klutz? And I loathe her mother (which is kinda sad because I love her as Ms. Scarlett in Clue). And I’m soooo bored with Andrew. And Gabrielle. Well I’m starting to really dislike her. The only one I still like is Lynette. And of course Bree is always fun but ehhhh. I don’t know. I worry about this show. That it will either get tired or that it will be forced to go off the deep end a la Melrose Place. The reason I liked this show so much in the beginning was because it struck that delicate balance between realism & soap. I fear that it is dangerously close to going soapy overboard.
When I return from the Adventure I’ll hit you guys up with my finale recaps and my year end grades. We’ll also discuss the outlook for next fall based upon the network upfronts.
Before I go, let’s talk some cinema.
As far as I’m concerned the summer movie season started last weekend. I saw The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on Monday. Parts of it were enjoyable but it was really all over the place. More than once I found myself saying…wait, wha….who…wha??? I was entertained for an hour and 45 minutes but I didn’t take anything away with me. I wouldn’t recommend paying $8 or renting it on dvd. If you are bored one night and it is on HBO, go for it. The one thing the movie did do was make me more interested in the book, which I may get.
Three new trailers for you:
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/mrandmrssmith.html
Will Brad & Angelina fall victim to the Meg & Russell syndrome? Ya know, where a movie flops because of all the press on the couple. Well, I don’t think so. Most of those “buzz couple” movies are wretched. This trailer looks promising and it is directed by Doug Limon who is responsible for Swingers, Go & The Bourne Supremacy. Count me in.
Next up Dukes of Hazzard. I’m a bit worried about this one because most tv-movie translations aren’t that great. Although I did really enjoy the first Charlie’s Angels. Anyhoo, I feel a bit better after seeing this trailer.
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thedukesofhazzard.html
Finally, I will be promoting this movie all summer. So you should just watch the trailer already. And remember, if you want to borrow my dvds let me know. I’ll share the whedon love.
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=trailer&id=1808583132&intl=us
I’d like to take a minute to step back and reminisce. Remember when you were younger and you loved horrible movies? Movies that if you saw now your eyes would ache from all the wincing you’d be doing. Well there are 3 movies on their way to dvd that were favorites of mine as a child that I’m sure I’ll now view as horrendous. Actually, scratch that, 2 will be embarrassments, one I will always love know matter how ridiculous it is. Top that! Yes indeedy! Teen Witch will be available on dvd starting July 12. Yippeee! Also available that fine day are The Garbage Pail Kids Movie & Moving Violations. If you’ve never seen anyone of these don’t bother trying now, you just won’t appreciate them!
One last thing, I’d like to say thanks to everyone who donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Especially Jay, who got lots of people from his job to chip in a dollar. *Smooch*
If you would like to donate money to the cause, you can go to the link below.
https://www.doitsports.com/donations/view-pledges.tcl?txn=2533042&id=1942
For all the moms, have a good Mother’s Day!
Monday, May 02, 2005
New Lists & Mario Batali!
Happy Monday everyone! How is everything today? Well first off, I think I need to post a retraction. Last night while watching Sixteen Candles I began to think about how I love John Hughes movies. Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Some Kind of Wonderful, Ferris Bu….WAIT! For the Love of God! I left Ferris off the top 50 movies! Bad, Bad KT! I also left off Val Kilmer’s best movie ever…Real Genius! So yeah, I guess one day soon I’ll have to do a new & improved KT Top 50 movie list because really, how can you forget about Ferris?
That brings me to another list. Just the other day Cindy asked me if I was planning on working on a new 50 Most Beautiful People list (People magazine’s list came out last week). Originally I told Cindy no, because I do the list every other year. But then I realized that 1) I still haven’t made the collage for 2004 and that 2) Michael and I will be trapped together for 19 days and it might be fun to have something to discuss. So yes, I’m going to do a new list for 2005. Since I’m leaving in 10 days (yippee) we’ll have to move through the preliminary rounds rather quickly. So send me your top 3 females & top 3 males. Get this into me by Wednesday. Because on Wednesday I’m going to send out the excel sheet where you have to pick your faves. Now the only requirement for inclusion in this list is that whoever you nominate must have been active in the past year.
Wowie. 10 days until the adventure begins. I’ve begun the preparing & packing process and part of that includes making some fun mix cds. I know I’ve owed a few of you specific mixes for quite a while (Jess & Cin) so you are first on the list. But I just wanted to share the mixes I am making so if anyone wants a copy I can burn you one! Here is what I am currently working on:
Britney The Essential Collection
Nsync Revisited
Madonna The Grooves
Get off you’re ass (selections to move your booty to)
What it feels like to be me (a collection of female artists)
The soundtrack of my life (the songs that have had an impact on me)
If you would like a track listing for any of these cds just give me a shout.
So, I like the Food Network. I like Rachel Ray, I like Alton Brown and I like Iron Chef America. Well, Rachel & Alton don’t have restaurants so when I was deciding on a place to take Jay for his birthday it came down to Mario Batali vs. Bobby Flay. Originally I was leaning towards Flay until I consulted the kind folks at chowhound.com and found that Flay’s restaurants get less than stellar reviews. Batali’s restaurant, Babbo, received glowing reviews. Decision made…Babbo it is. Babbo is a happening place. I’m sure the restaurant’s reputation is partly responsible, but again, this man is on the foodnetwork a lot, plus you gotta like a guy who likes to cook in a chef coat and shorts. You have to call exactly one month in advance of the date you want. The reservation line opens at 10 am. I got through at 11 and was presented with the choice of a 5:30 or a 10 pm reservation. Yikes! Alright, we’ll go 5:30.
Jay & I arrived at 5 so that we could have a drink and look around before sitting to eat…apparently a lot of other people had this idea as well. We secured a spot at the bar and I asked for a wine list. Ehhhh…Italian wine. I have no idea what to try! So I ask the very friendly and knowledgeable bartender what he suggests. Couldn’t tell you what we had but it was lovely. I requested a table upstairs because I had heard that downstairs could get loud and crowded. Indeed upstairs was a lot less hectic and as it became darker outside it became more and more romantic. Now, let’s talk about the food.
My time at Soho taught me a great deal about food. So it takes a lot for me to be intimidated by a menu. First of all, a lot Babbo's menu is in Italian. Secondly, the menu descriptions aren’t too er, descriptive. But this isn’t a big deal at Babbo because our server walked us through each course, offered recommendations, described each item and even defined a few terms for us.
Jay is a pretty mainstream eater, but I have to give him credit for surprising me every now and then. When we sat down we were offered a plate of chicpeas in oil & vinegar atop 2 garlic toasts. Jay would not touch it. Even after I tried one, even after I removed every chic pea from the garlic toast he wouldn’t touch it. But then, 10 minutes later, he wants to try oxtail. Too funny.
So after hearing our servers recommendations we decide on our 3 courses. I start off with goat cheese truffles (for a moment I considered getting the octopus because I liked it when I had it in Philly, but hmmm cheese, I haven’t had goat cheese in months!) and Jay tried some meat ( I think it was Italian ham & salami) from Batali’s father’s Seattle lunch restaurant Salumi (wow, let’s take a moment to be impressed with my wonderful research skills. I know Salumi! It is on the itinerary for the West Coast Adventure! Highly recommended! I didn’t even know it was Batali’s father’s place).
My goat cheese was tasty. 3 little balls of cheese, one covered in poppy seeds, one in paprika and one in a mix of herbs. I wasn’t a big fan of the paprika, but the other two definitely hit my goat cheese craving. Jay’s meat was really delicious as well. The salami was a bit spicy but the ham was, hmmm delicious!
Second course was a pasta course that we shared. After hearing all the pasta descriptions and finding out that oxtail is in fact what it sounds like, jay decides to be adventurous and orders us the gnocchi with braised oxtail. If you don’t know, gnocchi is pasta dumplings filled with potato. This particular course had a very “home made” feel, kinda like beef stew. I’m not a huge beef stew fan (as ella can attest) but the meat was tender and the gnocchi was tasty. Not my favorite course, but that has more to do with personal taste than a fault of the food. Jay enjoyed it very much.
Third course was difficult to decide. We both like duck and thus, usually one of us orders it. But jay had never tried rabbit and I was eyeing the squab and the guinea hen. Unfortunately, our server didn’t mention the rabbit when talking about his favorite dishes and so Jay was afraid to order the rabbit. He decided to play it safe with the duck (although he was a bit nervous at the thought of a white bean sauce) and I went with the hen.
The duck was absolutely wonderful. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. It came with huge cippolini onions and what do you know, the white bean sauce wasn’t scary at all! My hen was delectable. Again, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The hen came with mushrooms & ramps. HMMM tasty!
We finished off our meal with Pistachio and Chocolate Semifreddo. The pistachio was the consistency of ice cream, with a thin chocolate shell on top. Absolutely wonderful.
To sum up, probably the second best meal I’ve ever had (I don’t think Upperline in New Orleans will ever lose the #1 spot). The staff was extremely pleasant and always willing to make suggestions. We were never rushed and our plates were always removed promptly. All of the food was presented beautifully and tasted wonderful, plus bonus points for getting us to try something new! The look and feel of the restaurant was cozy & elegant, but never snobby.
Check out babbo: http://babbonyc.com/home.html
That brings me to another list. Just the other day Cindy asked me if I was planning on working on a new 50 Most Beautiful People list (People magazine’s list came out last week). Originally I told Cindy no, because I do the list every other year. But then I realized that 1) I still haven’t made the collage for 2004 and that 2) Michael and I will be trapped together for 19 days and it might be fun to have something to discuss. So yes, I’m going to do a new list for 2005. Since I’m leaving in 10 days (yippee) we’ll have to move through the preliminary rounds rather quickly. So send me your top 3 females & top 3 males. Get this into me by Wednesday. Because on Wednesday I’m going to send out the excel sheet where you have to pick your faves. Now the only requirement for inclusion in this list is that whoever you nominate must have been active in the past year.
Wowie. 10 days until the adventure begins. I’ve begun the preparing & packing process and part of that includes making some fun mix cds. I know I’ve owed a few of you specific mixes for quite a while (Jess & Cin) so you are first on the list. But I just wanted to share the mixes I am making so if anyone wants a copy I can burn you one! Here is what I am currently working on:
Britney The Essential Collection
Nsync Revisited
Madonna The Grooves
Get off you’re ass (selections to move your booty to)
What it feels like to be me (a collection of female artists)
The soundtrack of my life (the songs that have had an impact on me)
If you would like a track listing for any of these cds just give me a shout.
So, I like the Food Network. I like Rachel Ray, I like Alton Brown and I like Iron Chef America. Well, Rachel & Alton don’t have restaurants so when I was deciding on a place to take Jay for his birthday it came down to Mario Batali vs. Bobby Flay. Originally I was leaning towards Flay until I consulted the kind folks at chowhound.com and found that Flay’s restaurants get less than stellar reviews. Batali’s restaurant, Babbo, received glowing reviews. Decision made…Babbo it is. Babbo is a happening place. I’m sure the restaurant’s reputation is partly responsible, but again, this man is on the foodnetwork a lot, plus you gotta like a guy who likes to cook in a chef coat and shorts. You have to call exactly one month in advance of the date you want. The reservation line opens at 10 am. I got through at 11 and was presented with the choice of a 5:30 or a 10 pm reservation. Yikes! Alright, we’ll go 5:30.
Jay & I arrived at 5 so that we could have a drink and look around before sitting to eat…apparently a lot of other people had this idea as well. We secured a spot at the bar and I asked for a wine list. Ehhhh…Italian wine. I have no idea what to try! So I ask the very friendly and knowledgeable bartender what he suggests. Couldn’t tell you what we had but it was lovely. I requested a table upstairs because I had heard that downstairs could get loud and crowded. Indeed upstairs was a lot less hectic and as it became darker outside it became more and more romantic. Now, let’s talk about the food.
My time at Soho taught me a great deal about food. So it takes a lot for me to be intimidated by a menu. First of all, a lot Babbo's menu is in Italian. Secondly, the menu descriptions aren’t too er, descriptive. But this isn’t a big deal at Babbo because our server walked us through each course, offered recommendations, described each item and even defined a few terms for us.
Jay is a pretty mainstream eater, but I have to give him credit for surprising me every now and then. When we sat down we were offered a plate of chicpeas in oil & vinegar atop 2 garlic toasts. Jay would not touch it. Even after I tried one, even after I removed every chic pea from the garlic toast he wouldn’t touch it. But then, 10 minutes later, he wants to try oxtail. Too funny.
So after hearing our servers recommendations we decide on our 3 courses. I start off with goat cheese truffles (for a moment I considered getting the octopus because I liked it when I had it in Philly, but hmmm cheese, I haven’t had goat cheese in months!) and Jay tried some meat ( I think it was Italian ham & salami) from Batali’s father’s Seattle lunch restaurant Salumi (wow, let’s take a moment to be impressed with my wonderful research skills. I know Salumi! It is on the itinerary for the West Coast Adventure! Highly recommended! I didn’t even know it was Batali’s father’s place).
My goat cheese was tasty. 3 little balls of cheese, one covered in poppy seeds, one in paprika and one in a mix of herbs. I wasn’t a big fan of the paprika, but the other two definitely hit my goat cheese craving. Jay’s meat was really delicious as well. The salami was a bit spicy but the ham was, hmmm delicious!
Second course was a pasta course that we shared. After hearing all the pasta descriptions and finding out that oxtail is in fact what it sounds like, jay decides to be adventurous and orders us the gnocchi with braised oxtail. If you don’t know, gnocchi is pasta dumplings filled with potato. This particular course had a very “home made” feel, kinda like beef stew. I’m not a huge beef stew fan (as ella can attest) but the meat was tender and the gnocchi was tasty. Not my favorite course, but that has more to do with personal taste than a fault of the food. Jay enjoyed it very much.
Third course was difficult to decide. We both like duck and thus, usually one of us orders it. But jay had never tried rabbit and I was eyeing the squab and the guinea hen. Unfortunately, our server didn’t mention the rabbit when talking about his favorite dishes and so Jay was afraid to order the rabbit. He decided to play it safe with the duck (although he was a bit nervous at the thought of a white bean sauce) and I went with the hen.
The duck was absolutely wonderful. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. It came with huge cippolini onions and what do you know, the white bean sauce wasn’t scary at all! My hen was delectable. Again, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The hen came with mushrooms & ramps. HMMM tasty!
We finished off our meal with Pistachio and Chocolate Semifreddo. The pistachio was the consistency of ice cream, with a thin chocolate shell on top. Absolutely wonderful.
To sum up, probably the second best meal I’ve ever had (I don’t think Upperline in New Orleans will ever lose the #1 spot). The staff was extremely pleasant and always willing to make suggestions. We were never rushed and our plates were always removed promptly. All of the food was presented beautifully and tasted wonderful, plus bonus points for getting us to try something new! The look and feel of the restaurant was cozy & elegant, but never snobby.
Check out babbo: http://babbonyc.com/home.html
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