Will America buy “Smash”? – NBC – Pilot episode (review) January 18, 2012
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, musical theater, TV.Tags: Smash NBC, Smash pilot episode review
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Your going to love it or your going to hate it, but there isn’t anyone that will be able to say that SMASH isn’t slick, well-produced, and professional when it comes to musical numbers. It’s no GLEE (thankfully); but will America buy into a show about creating a Broadway show?
In the pilot episode, (to air February 6th), Debra Messing and Christian Borle play musical theater writers/composers/lyricists of a new Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Those of us of a certain age will remember there actually WAS a Broadway flop musical in the 80′s called Marilyn: A Musical Fable (which Frank Rich called “incoherent to the point of being loony”). That flop is referenced here in passing by Messing’s husband, played by Brian d’Arcy James. He’s the biggest Broadway star in the show – here delegated to a thankless non-singing character.
WIthout having written a script, and with only a song to demo, they somehow get picked up by producer Anjelica Huston, who may or may not have enough money to produce the show. But she’s in it to get back at her in-process divorce from her husband, another Broadway producer. Within the first 15 minutes of the pilot, they suddenly have three songs and a draft of the script (um, yeah)….and by the midway point, they are auditioning director/choreographer Jack Davenport (yes, that Jack Davenport, who has yet to find a suitable role in any U.S. television show — someone please find this man a decent part!) – who is set up to be the antagonist opposite Borle’s writer/composer.
Bring on the auditions — Likable American Idol loser Katharine McPhee and “Wicked” veteran Megan Hilty step up to fill the bill as two actresses competing for the part of Marilyn. Throw in a subplot right out of Dynasty involving director Davenport, and you have the basic makings of SMASH.
The show is designed to follow the workshop development of the show in NYC over the course of the season, and in its climax this spring move to Boston for an out-of-town tryout.
Yes, the show is entertaining. The musical numbers are well-staged, and the use of fantasy sequences to suggest what rehearsal songs might look like “on stage” work well. There is a lot of dancing here, and it is professional and slick, the exact opposite of the haphazard GLEE sequences.
It’s also all overwrought and somehow wrong. Auditioners are not even given three bars of piano-accompanied audition when a full orchestra already sweeps in, as if to say “this is a really big budget show, kinda like Glee, but for adults, so listen and enjoy, and buy our soundtrack.” I have never in my years of theater ever heard of a producer picking up a show based on one song, and no written script. While there is a casting couch at work on Broadway to be sure, it certainly doesn’t work the way its implied in this show either. Messing seems out of place, and Borle here is reduced to a sniping gay stereotype — so good in Legally Blonde and Angels in America on Broadway, here he’s wasted in a part that virtually falls apart before your eyes.
The show is filled with a virtual whose who of Broadway performers — so watch backgrounds carefully to spot your friends. Most are appearing as line-less studio assistants and errand-boys. A few get to dance and sing.
In short, it’s an entertaining pilot, that should keep theater folks arguing about realities vs exaggerations, while the rest of the country makes a decision as to whether a show about Broadway actors, producers, and creative teams will be interesting enough to viewers to keep this novelty going. I’m going to tune in again — albeit the next night since NBC has very unfortunately decided to put the show on opposite Castle and Hawaii-5-0. I suggest they move it pretty fast if they want to pick up a tv audience. I dunno about you, but most of my theater friends watch Castle at that time, and personally 5-0 has become a guilty pleasure. On Comcast, two shows at a time and that’s it — making no room even to DVR Smash…
A word of warning — if you download and view the pilot (free) on iTunes, please DO NOT watch the “coming season” trailer at the end of the pilot episode. If you watch it carefully, it gives away who will get the role, and how the show will develop. Don’t watch it – it’s already partially ruined it for me…if you want a nice insider snapshot of the show, read the Brian d’Arcy James interview on IMDB – he carefully describes what the development of a Broadway musical is really about, and very carefully avoids talking about the unrealistic elements depicted in Smash.
The show has already created a stir in the NYC Broadway community in forums such as All That Chat, where multithread topics discuss the lack of reality of the creation process depicted here, as well as the shear fact that only one of the auditioners for the Marilyn part is appropriate for the role and there is zero doubt who would get that part in reality. I repeat — DO NOT watch the coming season trailer which gives it away and will cause even more controversy when it is revealed a few episodes into the series.
Will America buy it? There are a lot of theater fans out there — if the show avoids the pitfalls of playing for personal drama instead of the inherent drama in the actual development of a show itself, it might stand a chance. But I bet with NBC’s track record this show will quickly veer off in the wrong direction.
Funniest TV Quotes 2011 December 27, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, TV.Tags: funniest tv quotes 2011
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It’s that time of year again! Granted I have not seen every single minute of every tv show this past year — but its been darn close…So here they are, this year’s Funniest TV quotes….
“I did not know you are not allowed to say “suck it” to security at the airport” – The Middle
Sue: “Dad, you don’t have to medicate with alcohol.” Mike: “Look around, I think I do.” – The Middle
“I told you all about these bells….” – The New Girl
“I have complete faith in you”….”Oh, that’s what everyone says, at first” — Last Man Standing
“Our house is where fun comes to die” — The Middle
Leonard: “Do you think we can outrun him?” Sheldon: “I don’t need to outrun him, I just need to outrun YOU” — Big bang Theory
“Who might be up for a wee bit of mischief?” ”Leprechauns?” — Rules of Engagement
“How long are you going to ignore me?” ”Until the shame cloud clears” — Modern Family
“Hey, what now? – Happy Endings
“Want to play Librarian?….I’ll read and six hours later you tell me the Library is closing” — The Middle
“in my country, its considered really bad luck if the house burns down” – Modern Family
“Ever since Dalia failed her career aptitude test we’ve been working really hard to make sure she has one.” ”A career?” ”No, an aptitude” — Suburgatory
“He’s a total Matthau” — The New Girl
“It’s just that when I hear him say things like “I want a Divorce” and “You Disgust me” I begin to think that something is wrong.” — Rules of Engagement
“Yours is a true Cinderella story. You stayed in the ball for eight weeks, now it’s midnight and it’s time for you to go home.” — DWTS
“Okay, that went a little too far” — Grimm
“At our age it’s not things that make us happy….its cigarettes and booze” — The Middle
“We’re a family and families talk about things” ”No, No they don’t. They ignore them until they go away”….The New Girl
“There are a lot of things I’m not into…I’m not into kale, but it keeps showing up on my dinner plate” — Last Man Standing
“Oh, Heavens to Gretzky!” – Canadian Barney, How I Met Your Mother
“What gave you the idea for my Day of Beauty?” ”All the Other Days” — Rules of Engagement
“There’s something about an underdog that really inspires the unexceptional” — The Office
“Sweetheart, I would love to be wrong…I just don’t live with the right people for that” — Modern Family
“Next thing you know, there’ll be stop signs at every corner…go ask Canada how that worked out?” — Modern Family
Howard: “Ma, do you mind if Bernadette sleeps over tonight?” Mother’s Voice: “Frankly after all your sleepovers with the little brown boy, a girl is a relief” — Big Bang Theory
“Fiber makes me….sad”…Fiber One commercial
“My circus-like childhood makes the most bizarre things seem normal” – Wizards of Waverly Place
“Lemon, you risked everything for the show that TV Guide once called “Still On”…30Rock
”I want them to share clothes, do each others hair and gossip about boys. Like i did with Mitchell.” ~Claire, Modern Family
“The idea of all of us vacationing together is so bad I’m making up a new word — ‘gagbysmal’ ” — Grayson, Cougar Town
“You are not giving him that…” ”Even if he drinks his other gift first?” — Modern Family
“What’s happening people? Our hubris will be our undoing” – Modern Family
“Why did you bring him, he’s harshing my buzz” – The Big Bang Theory
“Sir, if you say one more syllable, that’s a haiku” — 30Rock
“I could hardly drink my morning shower scotch” — 30Rock
“What is this multi-billion dollar system missing?” ”Multi-billion dollars” — Modern Family
“It’s OK Jack — you made a bad decision and bought something you didn’t understand…like when I bought tickets to “Black Swan” — 30 Rock
“Reese Witherspoon is just a like-able version of me” — Jenna, 30Rock
“I’ve pretty much reached my target weight….the problem is I haven’t yet reached my target height” — Manny, Modern Family
“You pierced Lily’s ears??” ”Did you see both sides? I didn’t just do the gay ear…” — Gloria, Modern Family
“Is it hot in here, big man?” — Better With You
“Number of days without work related injury: 0″ – Mike’s Office, The Middle
“How are we going to take care of that? Look around — this is where things come to break” — The Middle
“It’s America Night, and It’s so good to see Cheryl showing off the Rocky Mountains there” — Len, DWTS
“Should vaginatorium be capitalized?” — 30Rock
“Years from now some of these children will still be talking about the way I Sondheim-ized them.” — Modern Family
“If you pester celebrities long enough eventually they have to notice you”…Mr. Sunshine
“You are a devourer of dreams…You are PacMan in cargo pants…” – Danny to Steve, Hawaii Five-0
“Here we go, your loud and proud, you have your dumplings boiling over” …DWTS Bruno to Wendy Williams
“Dancing is movement to music…well, you did move, and there was music”… DWTS Len to Mike Catherwood
“I need to look good for my party, and I refuse to wear anything in my size or appropriate for my age”…Angie, 30Rock
“We are beyond blotting and rubbing, we’ve moved on to sweating and crying.”…Modern Family
“You want to put me in a Rudy-mindset?” – Perfect Couples
“Oh Dude, Scooby got out.”…HIMYM
“It’s like the Apple Store…without the ethnic diversity” — Outsourced
“I’m fired? Great…this is the CandleShack at the mall all over again.” — Will Forte, HIMYM
“What’s wrong with Canada???…Your milk comes in bags…bags!…and your Pavilion at Epcot doesn’t have a ride!” — 30Rock
“I’ve had three chances. Floyd, then Carol, and I was once in an elevator with Tom Brokaw. And I blew all three… Opportunities!” — Liz, 30Rock
“I could never pretend to love my beautiful daughter, Emily Dickinson the cat.” – Liz Lemon, 30Rock
“My work has been stressful too…I have a big memo due by the end of the month” — The Middle
“He certainly wasn’t a Swiss prostitute that Martha Stewart recommended to me.” — Jack , 30Rock
“I just try to be really really honest with people when I think that they suck” — Glee
“What do your ears hear when we talk??” – Rules of Engagement
“Don’t harsh on Smith, he just bought you all drinks” – Cougar Town
“If I can dance on woodchips at camp, I can dance on Anything!”…The Middle
“It’s not you, its me…thinking you can do it…I’m a tough coach, there’ll be tears…from both of us”…The Middle
“Hey, look at you square dancing in the garage…where the neighbors can see”…The Middle
“What scares you about riding a bike?” ”Losing control and falling down” — Gloria, Modern Family
“Clare was furious….she said I had betrayed her on every level. So I called the florist and ordered a dozen mylar balloons. Good luck staying mad at that” – Phil, Modern Family
“Laser Tag knows no age restrictions…kind of like strippers in the midwest” – How I Met Your Mother
“I have a fire drill tomorrow…If I’m going to keep my hands to myself and line up in an orderly fashion I am going to have to get my sleep” – Brick, The Middle
“Why does fun always have a price?” The Middle
“I want to hear all about Mitchell in High School….did he have a beard?” ”You’re looking at her” — Modern Family
“Why do I have to watch a French movie?….I didn’t do anything wrong”…Phil, Modern Family
“Falling Skies” TNT – decent sci-fi with too much talk… July 2, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, TV.Tags: Falling Skies, Noah Wyle, sci-fi, TNT
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If you haven’t tuned into TNT’s “Falling Skies” series, you should give it a try. It’s a family-based drama built around Noah Wyle and his family post-alien invasion, and it’s sort of a mashup of War of the Worlds, Independence Day, and V all rolled into one. A ragtag group of renegades and “fighters” go out to face the aliens who have killed most people, and taken children prisoner to act as servants. It’s all a bit bizarre, really, but it holds together well so far.
I’ve seen three episodes now, and the casting here is terrific. Produced by Steven Spielberg, it has the typical family moments that combine both pathos and humor, and it’s all done straight forward preventing too much camp. There are authoritarian military; mysterious renegades; and a slowly unfolding storyline that is richer than it first appears. Each episode has grown increasingly better.
The CGI work is superb and it really makes you think about how far television effects have come. This is motion picture quality here. If anything, there is a bit too little of it! The creatures are well rendered, but they appear for mere seconds in each episode.
The downfall so far: too much talk. Sure, you need to fill out characters and plotlines in a tv series, but it makes you wonder if this would not have played out better with less talk and whittled down to a 6-hour miniseries rather than a full blown season of tv episodes. Minor characters wax philosophical for five minutes at a time, and it all gets redundant.
Still, its entertaining, and better than most of the tv fare out there this summer. Let’s hope that this one lasts longer than Surface, Invasion and V (to which it has many similarities) and that TNT gives the show a chance unlike NBC and ABC respectively. But we all saw what happened with the superb Defying Gravity last season. Keep your fingers crossed.
Charming “My Future Boyfriend” – ABC Family (review) April 10, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, Movies, TV.Tags: My Future Boyfriend
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Ok, it’s not “art”, but it’s heartwarming and family friendly (though maybe not for the under 10′s because of the talk of “sex and lust” although it doesn’t show any of it). What it is, instead, is a charming, somewhat predictable, and well-acted movie presented by ABC Family.
Sara Rue and Barry Watson play the conflicted couple here — Barry a fish-out-of-water traveling from the future to find the writer of the book he has found in archeological dig that talks of lust, passion, and love a thousand years earlier. That’s the McGuffin for what ends up being a warm family movie about accepting differences, finding the things you like in others, and finding “the one” that speaks to your own passions.
There are fine supporting performances by Fred Williard and Valerie Harper, and the whole thing has the air of an old-fashioned made-for-tv caper like those many of us grew up with in the 70′s and 80′s. There’s a short sequence with a chase scene in a garage that steals gimmicks, lines, and even car ballet moves from movies you will recall from your youth. It’s not all bad.
But in the end, Barry and Sara’s natural chemistry together is what sparks this above most family made-for-tv fare.
One note: DVR this — the entire movie is about 60 minutes long, but it’s padded by ABC Family to 102 minutes with the added 52 minutes of commercials. DVR and fast forward and you will have yourself a fun hour of easy going sci-fi romantic comedy.
Wash it down with a viewing of “Tangled” on PPV, and you’ll have yourself a dandy date night.
Kyle Bornheimer — Someone please get this guy a good script! January 21, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, TV.Tags: Beneful Commercial, Kyle Bornheimer, Perfect Couples, Romantically Challenged, Worst Week
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The latest in a rash of really really really bad scripts has at least landed Kyle Bornheimer back on tv…even if Perfect Couples is probably the worst NBC sitcom ever, and I do mean ever…
But at least he’s working.
I don’t know if Kyle’s agent is just really bad, or if there is some sort of lapse decision making process at play here, but this guy should be a television superstar by now. Instead, he’s appeared in such mega-blockbuster’s as “Romantically Challenged” (6 episodes) and “Worst Week” (16 episodes, not all of them aired in Detroit). His best script to date has been a Beneful Commercial. Isn’t that sad?
Now comes the abysmal, and I do mean abysmal, Perfect Couples. If this lasts 6 episodes it will merely be to burn off the initial order of taped episodes. Don’t look for it to be back after the 6 weeks, and possibly disappear before that. I’m not going to even waste another full sentence to try to review the mess…
But enjoy Kyle while you can — he’s charismatic, has perfect comedic timing, and is charming to boot. He’s also the only spark of life in any of the recent sitcoms he has appeared in. Now somebody PLEASE get him a real script in a real show…and then watch his popularity skyrocket.
Primeval returns! Season 4 episode 4.1 – 4.3 (Updated) January 2, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in TV.Tags: Ciarán McMenamin, Primeval Season 4
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BBC America last night aired the return of “Primeval” for Season 4 — and based on this episode, it’s a far better show than Season 3, which saw Connor and Abbie stranded in the Cretaceous Period, and many of the main characters dead. Remaining are Ben Miller, Ben Mansfield, Andrew Lee Potts, and Hannah Spearritt. There’s a new team leader, a computer whiz, and a mysterious man.
In one of the most drastic cast-overhauls I have witnessed on a returning series, I am happy to report that all is well in Primeval-land so far. The new cast mixes in the humor of Series 1, with a new added grittiness reminiscent of Fox’s 24.
Without giving away any major spoilers — Connor and Abbie return and are a couple, there’s another great dinosaur chase sequence, and the drama has been re-established. The special effects are also a notch better than past episodes (especially compared to Season 3′s terrible green-screen work).
I was afraid that Primeval was a series that was better left for dead — but the return indicates there is some spark in this show yet. The only major surprise? That American tv has not yet already purchased and remade the show for American audiences. Witness Being Human on SyFi starting this week.
UPDATED: The new Series 4 of Primeval continues it’s superior entertainment – Ciarán McMenamin as team-leader Matt is as good as you could want, and the entire cast has really come into its own — but the thing that differentiates this season from those previous is the superb CGI work. It’s amazing. Watch the show and you will be hooked.
2010 Funniest TV quotes December 18, 2010
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, TV.Tags: 30 Rock, AFV, Better off Ted, Bones, Conan O'Brien, Cougar Town, Funniest tv quotes 2010, Glee, Hawaii Five-O, Last Comic Standing, Modern Family, Orbitz, Rules of Engagement, The Big Bang Theory, The Middle, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Office, The Wizards of Waverly Place, Two and a Half Men
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Here they are! 2010′s funniest tv quotes. Granted I haven’t seen every single show out there, but of those that I have, here are my favorite of the year.
“Together we’re like Ghandi….I’m Skinny, and your Tan” — Better Off Ted
“Leonard, wake up, you are missing many excellent super-hero quips” — The Big Bang Theory
“I’m not really necessary. The last time I said that, I was in a three-way with two of the Backstreet Boys” — Jenna, 30Rock
“The Parade was excellent…Angela Lansbury was the Grand Marshal. Good Times, she Wrote.” — Phil, Modern Family
“Oh, you’re exquisite….you must let me paint you” — How I Met Your Mother
“The microwave is for pizza rolls…the oven is for bulky storage!”…The Middle
“My power rangers got married in so may different combinations it was like Fleetwood Mac” — Glee
“This whole experience has been so surreal. I never thought I’d be jealous of the long illustrious run that NBC gave “Joey” — Conan O’Brien
“I’m having a really difficult time hearing anything you have to say today, because your hair looks like a briar patch. I keep expecting racist animated Disney characters to pop up and start singing songs about living on the bayou.” — Sue, Glee
“I trust award shows….they tell me how much to care about specific dead people” — 30Rock
“You had better get rid of all your booby traps by the time we get back from ham shopping”…Wizards of Waverly Place
“Give me chocolate or I will cut you” — Glee
“Honey, don’t take this the wrong way but I have practically no faith in you” – Clare to Phil, Modern Family
“It’s time to eat the sword” — Cougar Town
Danny: First you have to seek to understand before you can be enlightened. Steve: I will literally pay you cash to stop talking. — Hawaii Five-0
“She told me that kids that talk during Wheel of Fortune go blind.” — The Middle
“11 hours and 7 minutes into the Parent Teacher Conference I realized what I hate about these meetings….the other parents” — The Middle
“Did you notice how I used three different inks to express three different feelings?” — The Middle
“Hey Brad…look at you… tap dancing on my porch…where the neighbors can see…” — The Middle
“If they find us in these outfits its going to be very bad for the gays” — Mitchell, Modern Family
“Im not stepping on that one — I’m not playing Good Cop-Mom” – Phil, Modern Family
“Remember when I got my Chinese tattoo that was supposed to say “peace” but they wrote “White hooker” instead? — Jenna, 30Rock
“Your new vibe is a double edged sword, like the one Mickey Rourke tried to kill me with” — Jenna, 30Rock
“You know how I deal with stress? I embrace my Spanish roots — Siestas!” – Cougar Town
“Confession may be good for the soul, but it’s a hot lead enema for a marriage” – Two and a Half Men
“we’re both beautiful people, Lance, we’re bound to get jealous sometimes” – Bones
“I thought the bazinga was implied” – Big Bang Theory
“Why am I always being asked to play redicerous characters?” – Tracey, 30Rock
“I heard it from the lady who was playing Bingo down at Our lady of Reluctant Integration” – 30Rockk
“The skeleton appears to have suffered a great deal of damage in the washer ” — Bones
“They only created “The Girly Show” to counteract the flack they got when they aired “The Bitch Hunter” — 30Rock
“Im just a boy trying to bring style back to traveling” – Manny, Modern Family
Gloria: In my culture, mothers are very clingy to their sons. In fact, the leading cause of death among Colombian women is when their sons get married. But I’m not like that. — Modern Family
| Phil Dunphy: Luke’s not much of a clown fan.
Cameron Tucker: Really? Phil Dunphy: Yeah, he never liked ‘em. Cameron Tucker: Has he ever seen a good one? Phil Dunphy: Has anyone? — Modern Family |
“There ain’t no party like a Liz Lemon party, because a Liz Lemon party is mandatory” – 30 Rock
“Is this that tv show where the puppets live in the Barrio?” – Dwight watching Sesame Street on The Office
“Big or small, I don’t like rabbits — they always look like they are going to say something, but they never do” – The Big Bang Theory
“Do you think you could make me pretty again?” -Christine ”When were you pretty?” – The Meany Moms
“homogenic = the tendency to look gay in pictures” – Rules of Engagement
“A) I rarely kid, and B) when I do you will know it by my use of the term “Bazinga” — Big Bang Theory
“Grayson is Pursie-whipped…he’s a lady-butler” – Cougar Town
“whoa, whoa, whoa…if we’re going to talk, I have to go get a can of listening juice” – Rules of engagement
“We are going to help you”…”I doubt that – I haven’t figured out how to do it, and I’m smarter than all of you” — Sheldon, Big Bang Theory
“GE brought good things to life…and bad things to Chinese rivers” – 30Rock
“We were meant to settle for each other…I could open cans and kill bugs for you, and you could make me look less gay at work functions” – Michael Sheen, 30Rock
“When you do something crazy after you break up with someone, tell everyone, because eventually someone will out-crazy you and you’ll feel better about yourself” — Tommy Johnagin, LCS, 2010
Michael “I need your undivided attention” Dwight: “You couldn’t handle my undivided attention” – The Office
“Happy Valentine’s Day, No-one!” — 30Rock
“What we did last night was perfectly natural…like the wind, or not trusting Canadians”…CougarTown
“Oh God, we have unhappy Germans…nothing good has ever come of that”…Better Off Ted
“Either you don’t care at all, or you care 100-and-crazy percent” – Better Off Ted
“My new computer comes with Windows 7….which is more user-friendly than Windows Vista…I don’t like that.” — Sheldon, Big Bang Theory
“I don’t take the high road…the high road leads to Pansyville” – Better Off Ted
“Who are you calling a cootie-queen you lint-licker?” – Orbitz commercial
“When I pulled my hamstring I went to a misogynist” – Glee
“Dolphins are just gay sharks” ‘- Glee
“Don’t cry for me Tartine” — 30 Rock
“I think it’s an emotion — like “joy”, or “spicy food” — Better Off Ted
“When the sun goes down and the beer starts flowing, that’s when the really good ideas start happening”…Tom Bergeron, America’s Funniest Videos
“I would like to unsubscribe from whatever it is you’re doing right now” — Better Off Ted
“You need more chardoney….oh, and better chardoney” – Cougar Town
“It’s lonely always knowing what’s correct.” – Better Off Ted
Defying Gravity (DVD) television series January 24, 2010
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, TV.Tags: ABC, BBC, cancelled tv shows, Defying Gravity, Defying Gravity TV show, DVD, Eyal Poddel, good tv shows, Ron Livingston, sci fi tv, Space
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One of my favorite series from last year, DEFYING GRAVITY, finally came out on DVD this week — that means viewers can see the five episodes that ABC never aired. As a spaceship hurtles toward Venus and some type of mysterious project, they relive their relationships and friendships in flashback and onboard the spacecraft. Originally intended to run at least three seasons, the show was cancelled after one, primarily because of the way ABC screwed the producers out of funding.
Of the three shows I have loved most the last few years, all of them on ABC, and all of them cancelled, this was by far my favorite (the other two, Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone.)
ABC picked up this series literally three weeks before they aired the first episode, mis-sold it as a “Gray’s Anatomy in space” and never spent the money to develop an audience for the show as a mid-summer replacement. Developed as a multi-national series (including Fox, the BBC, and Space) this was not an ABC series, but one that they purchased and then botched selling. A websearch will lead you to the outline for the remaining episodes had the series continued beyond season 1. Sadly, the cast was dismissed, and the sets dismantled and destroyed in October.
This 4-DVD set contains all the episodes (including the 5 not aired on ABC), deleted scenes, and other extras. I watched all 5 unaired episodes in one sitting. This is the type of great television that was designed and written for Network, but shows why quality television is heading toward cable. The characters are interesting, the storylines gripping, and the episodes get better and better as they go along. The last 5 unaired episodes are by far the strongest episodes, and the show, sadly, leaves you dangling at the end. You can sort of infer how some of the pieces were going to play out, but this is just a darn shame that it was cancelled.
There is some fine acting here — from Ron Livingston’s mcdreamy sadsack astronaut to Eyal Poddel’s emotionally wounded psychologist. But every single supporting player here is good, and they are all likable.
The DVD quality is excellent (widescreen High Definition); the sets and costumes look great, the special effects are terrific. You will really enjoy this series, and like most viewers long for more. And unlike some other fare, this is bright sci-fi; colorful, with a heart. It focuses on the characters more than the science, but even that is fun.
Highly recommended.
Funniest TV quotes 2009 December 31, 2009
Posted by ronannarbor in TV.Tags: comedy, Funny quotes, sitcoms 2009, tv 2009
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Here’s my collection of the funniest tv quotes from this season…it’s a great habit – when you hear funny quotes on tv, write them down and go back at the end of the year and see what you have –
“Drama is like gay-men gatorade…It replenishes their electrolytes” – 30Rock
“If I could speak to rabbits, they would be amazed, and I would be their king”…Raj, The Big bang Theory
“The charm of your drug-addled candor knows no bounds” – The Big Bang Theory
“Let us toast your non-idiocy” – Ratatouille
“So ‘suck’ is okay to say now? Cause I have some thoughts on the lunch you packed me today” – Ted’s Daughter, Better off Ted
“It’s perfectly acceptable to cry when your sad…I cry cause others are stupid and that makes ME sad”…Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory 12/07
“As I saw Pam’s big hand coming at my face, my life flashed before me….and I had a hovercar, and a hoverhouse”….The Office
“I think it’s only fair to warn you that I am a Librarian”…The Librarian: Judas Chalice
“Cats refuse to wear sporting apparel…as my sister found out the hard way”…Big Bang Theory
“It gets like a million miles per gallon, and it comes with it’s own case” (Kath and Kim, in reference to Phil’s new Mini)
“Are you being sarcastic? Cause us Canadians have a hard time recognizing it since we don’t have a large Jewish population.” – 30Rock
Jerry Rice on Donny Osmond (DWTS)…”I wish I’ll have that much energy when I’m 82″…
“You’re irritating most of the time, but don’t take that personally”….Glee
“Ritchie joined the handbell choir at school”
“Why, was the Wedgie Club full?” — The New Adventures of Old Christine
“Toronto is just like New York…only without all the stuff” Steve Martin, 30 Rock
“No, No, I didn’t tell anybody – it just got out to the small circle of…everybody”….Worst Week
“I think you will find being my mothers caretaker can be a mixed bag. When she’s in a foul mood, she can be horribly unpleasant…at other times, she’s asleep.” 30 Rock
“Without the crew we’d just be two amazing people succeeding in a vacuum”…30 Rock
“How are you going to find time for all that?…You’re a working mom and a part time alcoholic”….New Adventures of Old Christine
“I’m going to go give him a piece of my mind”
“Oh, no, not the last one!!” — Old Christine
“I gave it some thought….and it needs another day of thought” Eli Stone
“No, that response is unacceptable to me” _ Big Bang Theory
“Notify the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary that the word “Plenty” has been redefined to mean “two” — The Big Bang Theory
Penny: “Can I ask you a Question?”
Sheldon: “I would prefer that you not, but I won’t go so far as to forbid it” – The Big Bang Theory
“I don’t want to be that person, but I hate the general spirit of music” – Angela, The Office
“I wrote a little song about our experience…do you want to hear it?”
“Maybe later…but probably not” — Eli Stone
“That could have gone one of two ways”…The Office
“Too many different words coming at me from too many different sentences” — The Office 10/15
H2IK Sequence — “How the Hell do I Know?” – Defying Gravity
“I’m washed up — I’m the chumbawamba of secret agents” – American Dad
“Are we breaking up?
“We can still stay friends….we’ll just see each other less, like never”…commercial
“I thought you might need a drink”
“You have no idea”…Modern Family
“I’m down with the texting….LOL Laughing out Loud…ROTFL Rolling on the Floor Laughing…WTF Why the Face”…Modern Family
“It appears people are afraid of me, which I think is pretty much their problem, but apparently not” – Better Off Ted
“Protesting is a last resort, unless your the French” King of the Hill
“Oh, I’m sorry, that’s not going to interest me at all”…Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory
“Bosses make everything better” — Better off Ted
“I know how you feel. Remember when I wanted to pull my hair out, but I couldn’t because it’s too thick” – jack, 30 Rock
“I spent a month putting the contact list on Michael’s blackberry….which he now uses as a night light” — The Office
“1991 called, it wants that insult back” – Kath & Kim
“That’s an understandable but not excusable mistake” – Big Bang Theory
“I think it sort of zero percent helped my situation, but maybe 17 percent helped me as a guy” – Kath & Kim
“It’s like talking to a chimp” — Big Bang Theory
“your caught between a rock and a crazy place” — Big Bang Theory
“My door is always open to you…please close it on your way out” – Veronica, Better Off Ted
“If you are trying to hurt my feelings you are succeeding. Fortunately, my feelings regenerate at twice the speed of the normal man’s.” – The Office
“When will I ever learn…everytime I let a guy take a photo of me in the bathroom it goes bad” – American Dad
“You are a thief of joy” – Michael to Dwight, The Office
“I’m not going to give up that easily. I’m going to make this much more difficult than it needs to be” – Michael, The Office
“It’s better to have loved and lost, than to be you” Pushing Daisies
“Michael gave me his list of the top 10 Bruce Springsteen songs. Three of them were Huey Lewis and the News” –The Office
“You seem decidedly depressed” Raul Esparza
“I haven’t decided that” Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
“Ken has some flaws…he has 74 flaws as of yesterday”…Glee
“Good God, What Indigo Girls song is that from?” 30Rock
“I’m not good with emotion”
“What Emotion?”
“All of them” — Pushing Daisies
2009 TV Scorecard – Best: “V”; “Glee” and “Modern Family” December 3, 2009
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, TV.Tags: 30Rock, ABC, BBT, Best shows 2009, CBS, Community, FlashForward, Fox, Glee, Heroes, HIMYM, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, NBC, The Big Bang Theory, The Office, Ty Burrell, V
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Fall series premiers are getting ever less exciting, and with shows almost completely dependent on ratings and tv commercial dollars, its no wonder that little comes our way anymore on network tv. But there is the occasional breakthrough. Those of us who have had our hearts ripped out with cancellations of such well-done shows as “Eli Stone”; “Wonderfalls”; “Pushing Daisies” and the like, will understandably know why it is hard to commit to watching new series anymore.
The best of the fall bunch, “GLEE”, is a winner. An appealing cast, great scripts, and a strong teen following make this the standout of the fall season. And it’s a musical theatre lover’s dream show. I do hope they finally tie up the ridiculous pregnancy plot, and move on to bigger and better things…but the season has been filled with wonderful things: “Imagine” in sign language; a number in wheelchairs; great guest appearances (bring back John Lloyd Young!)…and a return visit later this season by Kristin Chenowith! Love the show. Keep it coming.
“V” was surprisingly better than expected — mostly because of the top-notch cast. In ABC programming bizareness, the show aired only 4 original episodes this fall, making us wait until spring for more. Bring it on, I’m hooked.
“Modern Family” is the sitcom standout of the season. An appealing and natural looking/acting casts bring some of the season’s most humerous moment to hilarious, embarrassing life. At the middle of it all is Ty Burrell as the yuppie dad-come-nerd, who basically plays his role as if he were a talking dog. Its one of the best, and funniest, sitcom acting turns in ages.
Surprising failures? “FlashForward”. It had the best premier episode of the season. By episode three it had faded into the distance with little interest in the characters. I do wonder why this cast is primarily British, acting with American accents. Joseph Fiennes has a throw-away roll, and not much is made of the other actors in the show. I’m losing interest fast.
In holdover’s – “Castle” is holding it’s own. I’ve really come to love this show, and look forward to my 10:00 Monday night hour of witticism and Nathan Fillion.
“Heroes” jumped the shark months ago, and basically lost my interest in October. I turn it on to catch some of the special effects — but they come few and far between in a show that just needs to be cancelled at this point. Similarly, “The Office” is no longer funny, and “30Rock” better find a way to get itself out of its NBC-studios insider jokes and back to the broad comedy that others could relate to pretty darn fast. “Community” is occasionally funny, and moreso if you work or attend that setting, but it is rather one-note.
Among the holdovers that still hold my interest are “How I Met Your Mother”, which is getting better, now that they are less concerned about Josh Radnor’s (lack of) love life, and focusing more on it’s more interesting characters — and “The Big Bang Theory” which episode per episode has the most laugh-out-loud moments on television, and a quote-worthy statement every single week. Take Raj’s observation that “If I could speak to rabbits, they would be amazed, and I would be their king” and Sheldon’s comment that “Cats refuse to wear sporting apparel…as my sister found out the hard way”. This is genius stuff.
Otherwise, I’ve found myself watching a lot of Netflix DVD’s instead.
And that’s the view from Ann Arbor today.
