Results tagged “tv” from jsstudios.com

This weekend I caught up on a whole bunch of shows of which one of those was The Ultimate Fighter. During each season a cast of MMA fighters competes for a six-figure contract with the UFC in this reality series.

I've been a huge fan ever since the inception of Ultimate Fighting and when Dana White took over I've liked it even more. Starting this series has probably been the best thing he could have done to bring the sport to the mainstream.

Of course the UFC has it's opponents, but the sport is growing in popularity and is bound to overtake the more mainstream boxing fans eventually - unless traditional boxing changes something. What that would be I have no idea.

However, there's a couple things that soured me a bit this season of The Ultimate Fighter:

First off, there's the Spike TV channel. The commercials are getting way out of hand. It almost seems as if there are 5 minutes of commercials for every 2 minutes of the show. This wouldn't be so bad if the commercials changed every now and then, but it's the same commercials! Keep in mind, people watch to see the show not lame-ass Burger King commercials and pimping for UFC DVDs. Do you think the series is getting a little bloated with commercials?

Second, I'm not sure if the method being used to determine who gets into the house is really going to find the best candidates. Last week's episode had two guys who won their fights kicked out. This really sucks. Because they got their noses cracked? This just isn't right. Allow me to explain:

Let's face it. The object of a fight is to inflict damage upon your opponent while avoiding damage your opponent intends to inflict upon you. MMA is particularly wrought with a variety of ways to inflict damage. It is inevitable that a fighter will get injured unless he grossly outclasses another fighter.

Additionally, I've seen a number of fights in which fighters were obviously injured with probable broken noses and huge cuts. There are instances in which the ringside doctors allowed the fight to go on. So, I find it a little hypocritical that the guys who earned their spot in the house were told to leave even though their noses were NOT broke, but cracked. Guys with cuts were allowed to stay in previous seasons. What's up?

Do you think those guys should have been sent home?

Lastly, perhaps there needs to be a psychological test. What's up with the bipolar hillbilly?

As I said, I'm a fan of ultimate fighting. Whether or not I'm a fan of The Ultimate Fighter is a little up in the air right now.

What about you? Are you a fan for life or is The Ultimate Fighter jumping the shark?

As with many of the dvd collections I watch after the kids go to bed and I happen to have a little free time to watch, I found the highly acclaimed HBO series, Six Feet Under, after it had already gone to dvd. Of course, the benefit to this is not having to wait until the next season begins. I can watch an episode a night, or week, or whatever. No cliffhangers keep me in suspense or hold me hostage wating for the next release in the steady stream of never-ending drama.

If you haven't already added Six Feet Under to your must-see-list I highly encourage you to stop waiting and do it immediately. You're missing out if you don't.

In a nutshell, the Fisher Family, who happen to run a funeral home in Southern California must finally face the reality they deal with on a daily basis. Only this time it hits close to home when Nathaniel Fisher ( Richard Jenkins ) is killed in a car accident on his way to pick up his eldest son, Nate ( Peter Krause ) who is on his way home for a visit. While at the airport, Nate happens to meet Brenda Chenowith ( Rachel Griffiths ) and they have a brief, but satisfying, sexual encounter. However, their relationship grows over time. While Nate may have found a way to escape home, the thought of being a funeral director and any other responsibilites to the family, he decides to stay and help run the family business. Nate eventually finds a steady relationship with Brenda and her psycho family including her brother Billy ( Jeremy Sisto ), a manic-depressive and his manipulative mother. That is until and old flame, Lisa ( Lili Taylor ), reveals she's pregnant. The two marry but her death will haunt him for years to come.

Nate's brother, David ( Michael C. Hall ), is the son who has taken the responsibility of running the funeral home with his father. He's also gay, but hasn't really come out of the closet yet. This causes quite a few realtionship problems with his lover, Keith ( Matthew St. Patrick ). Keith wants him to come out and believes that David must do it to show that he isn't ashamed of Keith. Drama ensues.

Additionally, there's Claire ( Lauren Ambrose ), Nate and David's agnst-ridden sister who seems to have her own set of problems with finding the right guy. Lover after lover come and go as do her interests and passions.

Last, but not least by any means, there is Ruth ( Frances Conroy ). She's the epitome of motherhood. The support system, the loyal wife, the mom who seems to be moddled after June Cleaver. But upon her husband's death she soon finds she needs more out of life. She too tries to find love in the arms a few men and ultimately marries George Sibley ( James Cromwell ). However, James has his own psychological problems. Finding that he is yet another person she must care for, her faith in the relationship flounders.

Of course, I haven't revealed everything here. There's quite a bit more to the storyline and an outstanding cast of characters of which I've only mentioned a few. However, you'll find each episode keeps you wondering what will happen next. What else could possibly test these people even more?

Now, if you've already watched the series I'm sure you have a favorite character. Personally, I tend to waver between Claire and Nate. I'm not sure which I enjoy more than the other.

Have a favorite episode or something you'd like to share?

I never really got into Jericho while it was actually on tv. As a matter of fact back when it started I predicted that it wouldn't last. However, after watching both seasons back to back I've come to the determination that it wasn't that bad of a show.

In a nut shell, Jake Green ( Skeet Ulrich ), is on his way home to see the family in Jericho, KS after being gone for several years. Little does the unsuspecting town know that within a few hours 25 American cities will be destroyed by a rogue band of terrorists using nuclear truck bombs. The closest one that affects Jericho is detonated in Denver, CO.

The town loses its head briefly, but the strong leadership of Jake's father, Johnston ( Gerald McRaney ), pulls them together. Meanwhile, life goes on as struggles with generating power, finding food, keeping their town secure from threats and medical emergencies continually test them.

The town has no knowledge of the fact that the terrorist plot to destroy the US was not an external threat from Iran and North Korea as the media ( once up and running again ) tells them, but it was homegrown. After the attacks the government is split into three splinters each fighting for control. The remnants of the past government is centered in Ohio. Texas and Cheyenne represent powers that would like to take control. However, only Robert Hawkins ( Lenny James ), a CIA agent who had infiltrated the terrorist group and has one of the nuclear devices meant to go off, knows the truth. The same terrorist group that planned the attack is centered in Cheyenne and trying to take control of the country. What's even worse is that once the dust settles, the military under orders from Cheyenne, is trying to put the country back together using private contractors ( a group of mercenaries known as Ravenwood ) under the guidance of J & R, a corporation. But the new government is nothing more than a corrupt department of J & R with evil intentions that soon become known to the citizens of Jericho.

It doesn't take much imagination to substitute a few names here and there and wonder if this could really happen here. Substituting KBR ( Halliburton ) for J & R and Blackwater for Ravenwood, a person could actually ask the question and come up with their own answer.

Tonight I'm watching the final episode which happens to be the alternate ending. The one that was broadcast on tv was just a little too feel good for my taste. Looking back, I do kind of wish that there was one more season because I'd like to have seen the series drawn out more with a story or two developed around a couple of the other characters.

What say you, Jericho fans?

Somewhere over the ocean, in mid-flight through a turbulent thunderstorm, a passenger in obvious distress takes out what appears to be some sort of device to give himself an injection. Could it be a drug to help him relax? Could it be for an allergy?

I guess not. After he takes it not only him, but all the people on the plane dissolve into a horrific pile of goo leaving only their skeletal remains behind.

After isolating the plane on the ground the lovely ( pic to the left ) Agent Olivia Dunham ( Anna Torv ) is the FBI agent tasked to solve the crime - well, she and her lover, John Scott. They track down the source of the plot to a storage facility where John is contaminated by an explosion and left in a comatose and gooey, translucent state.

Meanwhile, back at FBI HQ, the fearless Agent Dunham, through a grueling process of search queries uncovers the fact that an imprisoned scientist, Dr. William Bishop ( John Noble ) was doing research in exactly this area. Translucent skin, liquefied human bodies, the kind of stuff the CIA masturbates to, you know. Since the good doctor can only be accessed if an immediate family member accompanies a visitor, the agent enlists Peter Bishop ( Joshua Jackson ), the doctor's reluctant son.

After a quick flight to Iraq to pick him up it's back to the good ol' USA to set up the lab in Harvard, get a cow, drop some acid, isolate Agent Dunham in a sensory deprivation chamber in her underwear ( yeah baby ) so she can get into John's dreams and see the face of the bad guy and solve the mystery - thereby saving John Scott and the world in one fell swipe. Well, strike that - John has to die because he turns out to be a bad guy and it's one great big conspiracy to destroy the whole world. Therefore, the mad scientist, his son and Agent Dunham must team up to save the world from utter destruction under the guidance of Agent Dunham's foe Phillip Broyles ( Lance Reddick ).

Sound a little far fetched? Well aside from Agent Dunham in her underwear, that is. She really did - and it was cool, and she was hot.

Yes it did kind of require that the viewer go ahead and just believe. But here's the thing . . . as a person who loved the X-Files, I'm okay with letting these little leaps of faith get in the way of giant, gaping logic holes. I'll let them slide with a simple request:

More scenes with Anna Torv in her underwear and a little more focus on making the story just a tad bit more believable. We need a good replacement for the X-Files and this could be it.

The chemistry between the characters is pretty good and the premise of the series could keep me watching - as long as the writers can create more compelling storylines with a little more attention to detail.

Will this one last? Let me know how you feel about Fringe . . .

Who says it isn't every teenage boy's fantasy to have a robot? A girl robot.

Well perhaps if that robot's mission is to wipe you off the face of the Earth it might change your mind. The second season of The Sarah Connor Chronicles started this week with a bang.

Some glitch in the system caused Cameron ( Summer Glau ) to suddenly turn on John Connor ( Thomas Dekker ). As most Terminator fans would agree, once a Terminator has its sights set on you, your number is up. That's that. End game.

With Cameron in hot pursuit ( and in bad need of facial reconstruction to which she aptly responds with a staple gun ) of John and Sarah Connor ( Lena Headey ), the two find sanctuary in a small church. But Cameron eventually follows the blood trail left by an injured John. John and Sarah must escape to a waiting warehouse where they trap Cameron between two trucks. John is able to reluctantly pull the chip from Cameron's head even as she pleads with him to stop and professes her love for him.

Ahhhh. Isn't that sweet? She loves him. The terminating, death-stalking robot loves him. Get a grip, John.

Meanwhile, Agent James Ellison ( Richard T. Jones ) is spared from his untimely demise in the face of the mass extinction of his FBI response team at the hands of the bad terminator, Cromartie ( Garret Dillahunt ).

Lastly, now that Catherine Weaver ( Shirley Manson ), the new head of ZeiraCorp has The Turk what's going to happen? Most likely anything she wants. She just happens to be a T-1001.

This series is a favorite of mine and I'll continue to be a rabid fan as long as Fox continues to put it on the air.

Have any thoughts about where it's going to go in the next episode? Leave a comment and share . . .

Sunday the new series, Trueblood, started on HBO and I tuned in to watch it.

The basic premise of the show is that vampires have "come out of the coffin" since they can now get their minimum daily requirement of synthetic blood from any store that happens to carry it. They no longer need to go romping through the hillsides to find young, hot women to bite in the neck. As a result little towns everywhere are beginning to struggle with the thought that their populations will soon suffer an onslaught of legions of vampires who now want to mesh with mainstream society.

The star of the show ( and shown to the left ) is Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, the local tavern waitress. She's not your average girl. She happens to be able to hear everyone's ( except vampires' ) thoughts. This ability comes in handy when costar and vampire ( Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton ) is being setup by a couple of rednecks who want to drain his blood and sell it on the black market. She saves him from his unexpected fate and the two seem to be made for each other.

But Sookie's life is not without turmoil. Her friends ( Rutina Wesley as sassy, Tara Thornton and Sam Trammell as Sookie's employer, Sam Merlotte ) aren't sure how they feel about vampires - but they do know that they believe she ( and their backwoods, Louisiana town ) may be better off without them. Furthermore, Sookie's brother ( Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse ) is the primary suspect in a murder investigation.

As with any HBO series, there's no shortage of sex, skin, language and violence. Given the sultry and seductive nature of vampire legends, I expect that episodes to come will probably get better and better. And the first episode left no doubt. Within 30 minutes of the first episode the viewer gets a glimpse into the perverted sex life of at least two characters. Thankfully the kids weren't in the room.

Vampires have never really been my thing, but I believe the story could just as easily be setup with INSERT SCORNED CLASS OF PEOPLE HERE. For example, "We dont want those GAYS|NON-WHITES|OTHER RELIGIONS people in our little, podunk Louisiana community." But, as with many new vampire stories, there is apt to be new spins on the vampire traditions and legends that will assist in creating compelling stories.

The bottom line: HBO has already had no problem hooking me as a regular viewer with such hits as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Deadwood. I expect that Trueblood will be no exception to the rule.

How about you? Is Trueblood going to be a must-see?

My wife is on her usual, "Let's watch American Idol" kick again this year. I tried to watch. A few parts were kind of funny and all, but . . . it's just not reaching me this time around. Luckily the kids want to play Habbo. My daughter's laptop has completely and utterly died. It was a slow, miserable death that only Toshiba can deliver. This was a most excellent diversion, however.

My son's desktop has originally been configured with a 15 GB HD booting Ubuntu. I did this because when he had Windows he would download and install stuff without my knowledge. Given that Habbo requires shockwave, only Windows can be used to play the game. So I regularly have to give the kids access to my desktop machine so they can take turns playing. Well, since her machine died, I decided to put a 160 GB HD in my son's machine, install Windows, and give him a lecture about downloading and installing software without my knowledge. He agreed. I was able to escape American Idol while re-configuring my son's computer.

Whoo - hoo!

Now they can both play at the same time. I still have to give up my desktop machine while my daughter plays Habbo, but I always have my laptop.

Were you watching Phenomenon tonight? What drama. This show is kind of like the American Idol for magicians. A few of them are pretty good too. One of the judges is Criss Angel who also happens to have his own show, Mindfreak, on A & E. The other judge is Uri Geller.

On tonight's show some guy, Jim Callahan, who claims to be able to speak with the dead, as if there were a seance going on, performs his act. Supposedly he talks to the the spirit of some dead author who is able to allow the magician to write a description of an object that a volunteer puts into a box without the magician's knowledge.

After the act, Uri and Criss critique the performance. That's where the drama comes in . . . In no uncertain terms Criss calls the guy out. Criss pulls an envelope out of his pocket and says he will pay the guy one million dollars if he can tell Criss what is in the envelope. For all intents and purposes Criss calls the guy a fake, a loser, a hack. NBC even has to bleep Criss' comments out at a point. However, I could make out that Criss basically called the guy's act "bullshit." That's where the two of them almost came to blows. It was like some episode of Riki Lake or something.

Seriously, the host had to get into the mix and pull the guy back from trying to attack Criss. It was hard to tell if it was staged, but I did get the impression it wasn't. Regardless, it was entertaining.

What's a mom to do when her husband dies of an unexpected heart attack leaving her to care for their two son's? How can she possibly maintain their lifestyle of driving leased Land-Rovers and sipping cappuccinos in the upscale, Southern Californian neighborhood of Agrestic? The answer is simple . . . you start selling pot. That's the basic premise of Weeds, a series on Showtime. I don't subscribe to Showtime, but browsing through some TV series DVDs I came across season 1 and watched it. I'm hooked on it. It is irreverent, disrespectful and completely hilarious.

Mary-Louise Parker, as Nancy Botwin, is a woman who suddenly finds herself a single, widowed mother of two sons. Her husband, an engineer, had previously been the breadwinner and provided for an upscale lifestyle in the upper-middle class, Californian neighborhood of Agrestic. As if being a widowed mom isn't enough, her fourth-grade son, Shane ( Alexander Gould ), has his own problems growing up. He has a bit of an emotional side but tries to find outlets like writing gangsta' rap music, making mock terror videos and shooting mountain lions. Her teen age son, Silas ( Hunter Parrish ), is not only sexually active but also enjoys smoking pot and going to his fair share of parties where he meets his deaf girlfriend. But life for the Botwins wouldn't be quite right without a fine, upstanding father figure like Andy ( Justin Kirk ), Nancy's brother. He's drifted in from Alaska and decides to step up and invite himself to be Nancy's partner in the business. He teaches Shane how to better cheat on his homework, seduces Silas' girlfriend via IM, screws Shane's friend's mom, and watches porn while getting high with Nancy's CPA. When he gets busted trying to help Nancy sell her pot, he then decides to bang his NA sponsor. But it's ok in Agrestic to be a bit odd.

Her best friend, Celia Hodes ( Elizabeth Perkins ) isn't without her fair share of faults. She sends her daughter away to boarding school after finding out that she is sexually active ( and Silas' original girlfriend ). Later she finds out that she has cancer and has her breasts removed after having an affair with Nancy's supplier, Conrad ( Romany Malco ). But it isn't just her desire to be young and beautiful that drives her to Conrad. She also learns that her lawyer husband, Dean ( Andy Milder ), is doing the local tennis pro and lets her shove her tennis racket up his ass. But Nancy doesn't let that stop her from using his legal skills combined with the local CPA, Doug Wilson ( Kevin Nealon ), help her to set up a front for her budding ( pun intended ) "bakery shop". After all, not only are they experts in their field, they are wonderful customers of hers.

But it isn't all fun and games. She's learning a little at a time about the drug dealing business. She faces angry, territorial dealers, the trials and tribulations of raising her kids, and the grief of losing her husband who she loved very much. There are times when the world is spinning out of control and she fears she just might lose it. How's a woman supposed to bring home the bacon, maintain a successful, expanding marijuana-dealing business while still being a good mom?

I can't believe it. I really can't.

I wasted a half hour of my life watching Cavemen.

Fortunately it was only a half hour. If you haven't watched it yet, well don't bother. I think it's supposed to be a comedy about three cavemen ( from the GEICO commercials ) who move to San Diego in search of a more fulfilling life. Evidently they are tired of the stereotypes and discrimination they face in other places. Fortunately, Tuesday's not an entire wash. I also watched the premier of Carpoolers. That show has hope. It actually made me laugh out loud a few times. Four guys carpooling for their 45 minute drive to work each day, talking about stuff that guys talk about and doing the things guys do actually has some degree of comedic value.

Did you catch either of these two? Am I way off? Is Cavemen going to be the big hit of the season?

I'm slowly catching up on the stuff I wasn't able to watch during the week. The series premier for Moonlight just happened to be one of them.

Moonlight is a new series in which the main character, Mick St. John ( Alex O'Loughlin ), is not only a crime-solving detective, but a vampire as well. You can forget everything that you already know about vampires. He isn't scared of crucifixes or garlic. He doesn't sleep in a coffin. Instead he sleeps in a freezer. And it's not one like you might store your spare t-bones in.

He doesn't need to hunt young women in their sleep or prowl the night in search of fresh blood. He gets his from his own supplier. Although, other myths remain true. While he can roam about during the night, sunlight is something that sucks the power from him. He can heal himself as most vampires do recover from their injuries. He does have super-human strength and will most likely kick your ass if you piss him off enough. The only thing that will destroy him is separating his head from his body or fire.

Sophia Myles plays Beth Turner, the meddling reporter / web-caster. She has the right mix of good looks, curiosity and pushiness to get the scoop. Oh, and did I mention she's kinda hot too? It seems like her and Mick are gonna be paired up a bit as the two try to solve crimes. It's quite natural for them to end up together. He saved her a long time ago when she was a child from another vampire. The premiere leaves you wondering if Mick's "real" identity is going to be revealed to her or not as we see history repeating itself when he saves her from the killer they are after.

Last fall I suggested that mainstream audiences might not be ready for a show like Heroes. Boy was I wrong. I'm almost tempted to say the same thing about Moonlight. I like the show and I'd like to see more of it. It's something fresh, something new, and as Mick says, "Vampires are coming back into fashion." But, will mainstream viewers accept it and like it as much as me? I don't think having the premier on Friday night is going to really help it's success. Time will tell.

How about you? Do you think it will last?

What do you do when you are a cop accused of a crime you didn't commit and imprisoned unjustly? Charlie Crews ( Damian Lewis ) is that cop in the new series, Life.

He could have gone insane being locked up in solitary. He could have wallowed in a pool of self-pity. Instead, he decided to read about Zen. When he was finally exonerated for a crime he didn't commit, he walked away from prison and back into crime with a shiny, new detective's shield as well as a truckload of money as compensation.

You might think that Charlie, being the recipient of enough money to buy a super-expensive sportscar, mansion, and a big, red tractor, wouldn't have any desire to go back to the thankless job of law enforcement. You might even believe that he harbors resentment and hostility toward his brothers in blue. I'm quite comfortable in saying that it is probably there, just below the surface. But Charlie isn't going to let us know. He now lives in the moment.

There's also little doubt that he's looked upon by other cops as an outsider. To them, regardless of his innocence being proven beyond the reasonable doubt, he's still a convict. Dani Reese ( Sarah Shahi ), is the one unlucky enough to be his partner. She didn't want the job, but being at the bottom of the list has it's drawbacks. She's had her troubles with drug and alcohol abuse, but is "working the program." By the end of the first episode we see that although she may resent being Charlie's partner, an unlikely alliance has already been forged between them.

This is the one premier that I was really looking forward to. I won't say that I was disappointed. Charlie is a little quirkier than I expected he would be. But, I suppose years in prison will do that to a guy? If you believe you've seen Damian Lewis before, that's most likely because of his compelling role as Major Richard D. Winters in the production, Band of Brothers. This is one series I plan on recording so that I don't miss an episode. I fully expect that we'll see his character's intensity grow as the story progresses and he digs deeper into the search for those responsible for his unjust incarceration.

Did you watch it? Is this one on your, "must see" list?

I love this time of the year because it's great for giving me content for my site. I caught the premiers last night on NBC for Chuck, Heroes and Journeyman. I'm already a dedicated Heroes fan and I'm always looking for new shows to record since I'm home intermittently through the evenings. So, here's my thoughts about the premiers last night. I must admit, Chuck has a bit of an endearing quality about the show. The main character, Chuck, an underachieving Stanford grad, played by Zachary Levi, is sent an email that contains sensitive, government intelligence encoded in images. After reading the email the information is contained in his brain and only seems to seep out from time to time. Governmental agencies, such as the CIA and the NSA, are hot on the trail of the data and track it down to Chuck, the lowly fix-it geek at a local big-box, discount knock-off of Best Buy or Circuit City. For the time being, Chuck will be babysat by two agents: John Casey ( Adam Baldwin ) and Sarah Walker ( Yvonne Strahovski ). I only got to watch Chuck in bits and pieces. From what I did get to see, it seems like the type of show that I could easily enjoy. The "unlikely hero" storyline has so many possibilities that it should make for interesting plotlines. My only criticism, and I chose to do this sparingly since I haven't watched the entire episode yet, is that I hope Chuck will grow rather than being a stereotypical, shy and reserved, underachieving caricature. I imagine this will happen, but once it does will the show jump the shark? We'll see what happens. Luckily I recorded it so I can watch the whole episode, uninterrupted, later this week.

Heroes came out the gate this year and ended the premier as it usually does - with plenty of new questions and cliffhangers compelling us to watch next week. There's a few new characters as the primary ones are getting on with their lives. Claire's family tries to pick up the pieces and start their lives in a new place. Of course, Claire being a teenager, has a hard time doing this without calling attention to herself. Meanwhile, her dad plots to bring down the company with Mohinder's help while he lays down the law at his new job. Hiro has a new quest in ancient japan. The whole deal going on with Nathan and Peter has me stumped as to what's going on. Two new characters, a brother and sister from Mexico, are on their way to New York to get help. Evidently the sister, Maya, has some incredible power that is exceptionally deadly. I think this season of Heroes is going to be a good one.

Originally, I was a little skeptical of Journeyman. I'm still kind of sitting on the fence as to whether it will stick around or not. I like the whole idea behind the story. Kevin McKidd stars as Dan Vasser, a San Francisco reporter who begins to mysteriously travel through time. Yes. It just happens. It's as if some kind of portal opens up and only swallows him, transporting him to various points in time. It seems he has to set things right before he can break free from the force that keeps transporting him. Of course this plays havoc with his real life because in this story, when he goes back to 1987, for example, he's gone for nearly two days in his real life. This leaves a lot of explaining to do since he previously had problems with substance abuse. But that's what makes this character so cool. He's flawed. He's not some super-cool, techno-geek that builds a time machine and travels by choice. It's another flawed, yet endearing, unlikely hero here to save the day.

Any thoughts from you? Have a favorite?

I didn't get to watch the whole thing this season, but I did catch a few episodes. Most importantly I was able to catch the finale tonight of Last Comic Standing. A fantastically hilarious guy by the name of Jon Reep won. You might recognize him from a few things on TV. You might remember him from the Dodge commercials. His line was, "That thing got a hemi?"

I've been recording and watching the series, Murder, lately on SpikeTV. When I first saw it coming, I imagined it might have a chance of being a relatively interesting show. It's set up like most "reality" shows. Two teams of three people compete to solve actual crimes previously solved by real detectives. The crime scenes are portrayed just as they were when police arrived on the scene - with bodies, evidence and all the accompanying gore.

The teams, consisting of people from all walks of life, are expected to collect the evidence, develop theories, and solve the crime by presenting their theories to a real Texas detective. As with so many of the reality shows, there is plenty of drama to go around when personalities clash. No two people ever have the same perceptions and when theories collide, so do people.

Just like several million other people, I enjoy watching CSI and other crime dramas. These shows demonstrate that crimes can be solved so easily when in actuality it isn't quite as easy as it looks. It is kind of fun to watch some of these contestants fumble around and get their ass chewed a little bit when Tommy LeNoir, the Texas detective, points out their mistakes.

Aside from a few things like the limited amount of time they are given to collect evidence from the crime scene, the limited information they have to start out with and the melodramatics when they disagree, it's not a bad show. To be honest, it is kind of interesting to see if you can solve the crime before they do. The only problem is that I have all kinds of questions I think they should be asking - and they don't. For example, in the last episode one of the suspects, a convicted felon who was seen in the vicinity of the crime scene, had an alibi. But both teams never asked if his alibi checked out. What's more, the detective never said if it did or not. It's hard to rule suspects out when you don't have all the information. I'll keep watching though.

Have you watched it? What do you think?

Since I'm a big fan of several TV shows ( I know it rots the brain, but at this point what have I to lose? ) I look forward to the new fall season. I have a lot of fun watching the shows' pilots and writing reviews. Last year I even tried to pick the one's I thought would stick around. I didn't do too bad. I'm going to try and do the same thing this year. With the new season coming up here's what the big three networks have in store for us - as far as new shows are concerned. I don't watch a lot on Fox so I'll probably catch up on that one later. Of course, I'm not going to make any predictions until I get a chance to watch the first episode, but some do have promise as far as I'm concerned.

CBS

• Big Bang Theory - 9/24 - Looks like this one will feature two geeks and their endless pursuit of women. I can relate to that.
• Cane - 9/25 - Features Jimmy Smits as the heir to a sugarcane empire. I don't know. Maybe. Jimmy Smits is cool and all, but this one doesn't leap out and grab me.
• Kid Nation - 9/19 - Yet another "reality" series where kids run the world. Isn't that the way it is anyway?
• Moonlight - 9/28 - So a guy who is a vampire and about a century old solves crimes on a weekly basis. Hmmm . . . that's something new, I might check that one out.
• Viva Laughlin - 10/21 - Some guy opens a casino in Laughlin Nevada in pursuit of the American Dream. I don't know - not extraordinarily compelling.

NBC

• Chuck - 9/24 - An average, everyday computer geek is a government agent by night. This just might have a chance if it doesn't rely on too many stereotypes.
• Life - 9/26 - This one, I'm looking forward to. Damian Lewis plays a cop that was sent to prison for life, learns Zen, and is then released due to his innocence and becomes a cop again with a different view on life. This guy was great in the miniseries, Band of Brothers. I have high expectations.
• Journeyman - 9/24 - So a guy travels through time and changes people's lives while the whole time attempting to explain to his wife ( and others I assume ) why he didn't come home last night. Been there, done that - just kidding. This one has little appeal to me.
• Bionic Woman - 9/26 - While I'm sure the cool new special effects will really do well resurrecting a show I used to watch as a kid, I have to ask, "Can't we make new stuff instead of trying to breathe new life into what was a lame series in the past?"

ABC

• Samantha Who - 10/15 - A woman gets hit by a car, ends up in a coma and wakes up 8 days later with no memory of her past and has to start over again. I like the idea. I'll probably tune in.
• Cavemen - 10/2 - Please tell me this isn't true. A television series based on a TV commercial? What's next? A series in which the main character provides comic relief by uttering, "AFLAC!!" every 5 minutes?
• Carpoolers - 10/2 - Four guys carpool together everyday and talk about their lives, dreams, families, etc . . . I can't help but wonder if this show's foundation is much like Seinfeld - a show about nothing. Could end up being pretty funny if it's done well.
• Pushing Daisies - 10/3 - A guy who not only makes great pie can bring dead people to life for a short period of time and helps a private investigator solve crimes. Oooooooooooo K.
• Private Practice - 9/26 - Grey's Anatomy. Different people. I didn't watch Grey's Anatomy. No more to say.
• Dirty Sexy Money - 9/26 - Yet another lawyer show about a lawyer who caters to wealthy people. We have enough lawyers in real life.
• Big Shots - 9/27 - A bunch of CEOs hang out at the country club and whine about their tough lives and count their gold. Art imitating life? No thanks, I can read the news and see this kind of crap.
• Women's Murder Club - 10/12 - A woman assembles a team of expert women to climb to the top of the crime solving club. Whatever. Not my cup of tea.
• Cashmere Mafia - 11/07 - Executive women struggle through their day to day lives trying to tough it out in the corporate world. Can't relate unless I see boobs. But this isn't cable so change the channel.
• Eli Stone - Mid Season - A cut-throat lawyer decides to seek his spirituality by answering to a higher calling. The only way this could be believable is if he abandons all his worldly possessions. I can't see a lawyer doing that so I'm skeptical.
• Miss Guided - Mid Season - Her high school past comes back to haunt her when she becomes the guidance counselor. Simple. Could be something there.

Quite a few of them look like they could be of decent substance - hopefully. Since I have all kinds of stuff going on Monday through Thursday I'll do my best to watch and write my reviews. Do you have any thoughts on the upcoming season? Put them in the comments. I'd love to read them. Read my tv reviews.

You were expecting . . . a dog maybe? This one doesn't piss on the carpet.
 

I watch these shows from time to time: Man vs Wild and Survivorman. They say they can teach you how to survive singlehandedly in environments like cold arctic regions, desert ranges and alligator infested swamps. In every episode either of the two, Bear Grylls ( Man vs Wild ) or Les Stroud ( Survivorman ), are dropped in a remote location and given a time frame in which they must either find civilization or survive until found. They are not usually given any of the conveniences that your modern camper would have. They both are normally equipped with a knife, a container for water and Bear usually brings some flint. Les has often been stranded with equipment. For example, he was "stranded" in a desert when his motocross bike "broke down". Therefore, he was able to use parts from it in order to survive. However, neither of the two men have ever acknowledged that they received outside assistance from any of the crew that film the series.

But . . . in this BBC news article an entirely different story comes to light. In one instance when Bear was supposedly filming on a deserted island:

However, he was actually in Hawaii and spent some of his time there in a motel, Mr Weinert alleged.

Who would have thought that these "reality" shows aren't really all that real? Perhaps Bear isn't quite as much man as say, for example, I am . . . because as I've pointed out before, on my off days I wrestle bears.

Last night TNT aired the pilot for a new series. Seems they are hoping for another success they've had with The Closer. I watched the original episodes of The Closer, but never really developed a fondness for them. However, I think Saving Grace is one I might be able to sit down regularly and watch.

Holly Hunter plays a cop ( Grace ) who is lost in a world of alcohol, cynicism and a life without much morality. For what it's really worth, she's lost faith and any real hope of finding it. Then one night, in a drunken stupor, she attempts to make her way home in her Porsche and runs down a guy walking in the road. As she attempts to resuscitate the guy who lay bleeding and unconscious in the road she cries, "Help me God!"

Now I'm neither an exceptionally religious guy nor do I like to read or watch religiously themed stuff, but I could make an exception in this case. An angel appears to Grace and asks her if she is willing to accept God's help. It takes a bit of convincing to prove he is who he says given his appearance. He's not your typical angel. Besides his rather unkempt appearance, crooked teeth . . . oh, and the fact that he likes to chew tobacco and spit into empty beer bottles . . . he has more in common with redneck Nascar fans than any religious icons. Saving Grace gets a thumbs up from me. I'll keep in my list for a while.

Did you watch it? What did you think?

Well I'm back but totally unprepared. We arrived home around 8pm Monday night. Our motel didn't have provided Internet access except for dial-up. Since I don't have any AOL accounts or anything like that ( friends don't let friends do AOL ) I missed a few days. Sorry for that. I'll be back on track by tomorrow after I've sorted through all the bills sitting on my desk at home.

Since we had to leave unexpectedly, a few of them are getting quite ripe. One thing I managed to do after putting the kids to bed is watch the anxiously anticipated finale of The Sopranos. What a let down. Seriously, I am as disappointed as I could possibly be. After being a loyal fan for so many years to be fed a crappy finale like that? I wanted drama. I wanted excitement. Granted, I was surprised . . . surprised in the same way that a sixteen year old kid is surprised when he is given an empty key chain for his birthday without the accompanying keys and car.

The season finale was entirely absent of any real creativity. If the finale was surprising at all, that's where it is . . . the fact that the episode was nothing more than fluff. I must admit, however, that Arnie predicted it right:

Likely Scenario: We have a very poorly written final, leaving many unanswered questions and lots of hope for either the return of the series or a big time movie deal.

Hats off you you, Arnie, because I actually thought there would be something of substance. As far as your justification goes - that The Sopranos has become too much of a franchise to give it up - I must admit that you are probably spot on here. What's more is that it really irritates me that David Chase would do that. I could dwell on what's to come for The Sopranos, but I won't bother with it.

In celebration of the grand finale of The Sopranos this Sunday, I've compiled a short list of Things I Found about predictions for the series outcome.

What's going to happen in the final episode of The Sopranos? Here's a few.

If you're the incredibly inpatient sort who can't possibly wait for Sunday, Shawn Wasson has got a spoiler for you that he says is, in fact, how the season will end. Robert Gillis has his own prediction. To be honest, I think he may be right, but then again most of my predictions have been wrong. So what do I know?

Another prediction of Paulie whacking Tony to be boss. I've seen a number of these predictions. Although I don't think it's that far off the mark. Yet another Paulie prediction - with a little more justification for the theory.

Professor Paul Levinson thinks Tony will survive. He's in the minority at this point. So many people are predicting that Tony isn't going to make it. ( Except me. I think he'll live, but he'll be broke and alone )

John Price has an interesting scenario that brings Tony out on top ( for a short time ) over New York and New Jersey. It's worth a look, but I wonder if one hour is enough for all that takes place.

Here's another common prediction - that Tony will flip as an informant to the FBI. I think Pat Larkin's prediction is a little off primarily for the reason that I really don't see Tony flipping like that. Granted anything can happen, but I just have this feeling that the end will be more sensational.

In probably the most eventful episode of The Sopranos ( this season ) I think the end has pretty much been revealed - or at least we have an idea of what's going to happen in the last episode. If you're like me and usually record episodes for your viewing enjoyment later, there are spoilers in this post.

With this episode, I can't say that I've ever been farther from what the end will have in store for us. You may as well forget anything I have ever predicted for this season. At least that's where I stand.

Obviously Phil has a hard-on for Tony's head on a platter - as well as the rest of Tony's crew. In his own words, "Cut the head off the snake." Lucky for Tony he catches word of this from his FBI friend. So naturally he decides to strike with some imported help from Italy. Unfortunately, they screw it all up and off the wrong guy.

Last week we saw Dr. Melfi speaking with Dr. Kupferberg. He told her that there was no benefit to psychotherapy with a sociopath ( namely Tony ). The topic is breached once again at a dinner party with her, Dr. Kupferberg, and a number of other respected psychiatrists. He even goes so far as to out Tony as her patient. Bad form, Dr. Kupferberg . . . bad form. Dr. Melfi reads the study and draws the conclusion that she can no longer see Tony in therapy. Of course, Tony's pissed.

With the word out about the unsuccessful attempt to strike on Phil, Tony decides to spread the word and advise his crew to go underground. They scatter. Poor Bobby. He left his cell phone in the car so he has no way to know that there's a target on him. At least he got whacked dreaming of better days in the era of old railroad times. As he's getting ready to buy a replica of The Blue Comet at a hobby shop, two of Phil's guys empty their handguns into his chest.

As Silvio and Patsy are trying to leave The Bing, two more of Phil's guys block their exit. A gunfight ensues and Silvio is left in the car, either dead or unconscious. Patsy however, gets away on foot. Tony goes home to tell Carmela and AJ ( yes he's home from the hospital, but still pretty depressed and worried about all the injustices in the world ) that they, and the rest of the family, need to go elsewhere. Although they don't have to worry about getting whacked, ( because family is never touched ) they should anyway just to be safe. We are left with the scene of Tony in a safe house, on a bed with a bare mattress, his automatic weapon that Bobby gave him resting against his chest. Aside a few of the guys from his crew like Paulie downstairs, he's alone. From what they were able to gather from the hospital, they don't expect Silvio to regain consciousness.

My prediction

Strike anything I have ever predicted in the past. AJ will never come into the family business . . . he's much too depressed. He'll probably end up in Africa as a member of the Peace Corps trying to promote peace or end world sadness or something.

Meadow will not rise to the head of the family. Who knows what's going to happen with her? I don't believe the end will even tell us anymore to figure that one out. Carmela's worst fears will be realized. She'll probably be broke and destitute for the rest of life.

I'm not sure about the rest of the crew, but Tony will probably manage to stay alive but broke and looking over his shoulder, alone and powerless, for the rest of his life. If you consider this outcome, I think it's the most possible.

Tony's always prided himself on his power. He's always in control. Wouldn't it be fitting that he ends the series at the opposite end of the spectrum?

What do you think? Am I way off base? What do you expect in the final episode?

If there was ever any doubt that Tony Soprano is a murderous, selfish pig . . . last night's episode clearly removed that from my mind.


He's an easy guy to like from time to time - just as any good, well-intentioned sociopath trains himself to be. A charmer on the surface . . . but watch your back. Tony always has had this thing about weakness.

Chris did the worst possible thing he could have done when he mentioned the drugs last night. Who knows, had he not brought them up Tony might have helped him. In the end, however, we can see that this is eating him up from the inside-out. He has guilt dripping from every possible part of his body.

But don't let it fool you. Tony's life of debauchery and self-indulgence hasn't missed a beat. You would think that the guys dumping their asbestos into the wetlands would leave a trail of some kind?

Tony's getting a bit careless. Don't you think?

I've been waiting for The Sopranos to start getting a little better. Obviously they are trying to build a lot of tension for a really climactic ending.

Chris is a little over the top. But, you have to hand it to him. To be that drunk and still be able to place a shot right into a guy's forehead. I would have expected him to miss by a mile. The question is, when is he going to try that on someone else like Paulie or perhaps even Tony? I think they are trying to get us to expect that Chris may go to the feds to get even with Tony.

Adriana keeps coming up. While I was watching I couldn't help but expect that Chris was going to spill the beans about her several times. But he didn't. But will he?

I never expected AJ to split with his girlfriend. It's really got him all screwed up. After last night, we see that he does kind of enjoy the suffering of others a little more than I expected. I had predicted that AJ might go into the family business. After seeing his reaction when he and his buddies decided to punish a guy who owed a little money - I may have been wrong about him not having the constitution to for this line of work. And if you remember from last season, AJ does like the mobster life. He likes the respect it commands, the money, the drugs, and the women. You do have to kind of wonder a bit, however. With all the emotional turmoil that Tony has been going through with Chris and his desire to go into the movie business, his fistfight with Bobby, and the lack of anyone to really be his protege . . . Tony may welcome AJ because I really think he's looking for something like this in someone he thinks he can trust.

Tony's conversation with the feds was a little strange. I wonder where that's going to take us? Any thoughts? Predictions? I'm not sure what to think at this point. But I expect the retaliations and violence is going to start picking up considerably. Who's going to be left standing is anyone's guess as far as I'm concerned.

My faith in the American, television audience has been restored.

The boy capable of brining tears to young, adolescent girls is being sent home . . . thank goodness. Yes. I'm talking about Sanjay.

I couldn't believe Blake was in the bottom three. My wife thinks Melinda's going to win. I think it will be Jordan. Who's your pick?

This Sunday, April 8th, the last season is set to begin of one of my favorite television shows of all time . . . The Sopranos.

Last season ended with viewers wondering, "What's gonna happen next?" Uncle Junior shot Tony in what appeared as an Alzheimer's induced confusion. Carmella's continuing questions about Adriana's disappearance were subdued after she found out that she would be able to continue working on her spec house. AJ has a new love as does Chris. But Chris' new love is an old fling of Tony's and she brings some old problems of Chris' back to reality. Phil is in the hospital after a heart attack and Tony visits him to impart a little wisdom from his near death experience as well as make an attempt to bring peace between the two. Agent Harris tells Tony that there is trouble brewing . . . someone may be in danger. But, we never find out who is in danger. Paulie may have cancer. There's certainly enough drama, lies, and secrets to make for a memorable final season. But how will it all end?

• If anyone's going to be whacked, it will probably be Chris. With his heroin problem starting up again and with him fooling around with an old flame of Tony's, I think he's really pushing the limits of Tony's patience. Furthermore, if Carmella pushes about the Adriana problem Chris may be seen as even more of a liability.
• What is AJ's future? I think there's a chance that AJ might try to get a spot for himself in the family business. Even though Tony doesn't want him to do it, and AJ doesn't really have the right constitution for it, we may see that Tony allows it. I still think it's a long shot however.
• Will the FBI move in again? If Tony has real problems I believe this is where they will come from. I think problems from Phil and Johnny have been avoided, but that doesn't mean they won't flip on Tony.
• Does Paulie have cancer? Yes. And I think we'll see a change in Paulie as a result.
• What of Meadow? I think a very dramatic ending to The Sopranos would be that Meadow returns home to run the family. I know this is pretty doubtful, but think about it . . . Meadow is smart . . . very smart. She's hot. Combine the two and I think there would be one hell of a powerful woman. Most likely, this won't happen. Maybe she'll marry her dentist-to-be boyfriend and move off to the burbs?
• Will Carmella finish her spec house? That all depends. If Tony is brought up on charges and put in prison, I doubt it. Also, if the whole Adriana mess comes out into the open . . . who knows? Maybe Carmella will get whacked if she keeps pressing.

Are you a Sopranos fan? What are your predictions?

I've created two posts, two days in a row, about American Idol. As much as I hate to do it, I'm going to post again - about American Idol. But this post isn't going to be a prediction of the outcome, who did what and how well ( or poorly ) they did it, or who should be sent home.

I think it's time I moved beyond that and open a discussion of what is driving this season's decline from what started as a great idea to the beacon of mediocrity it is quickly becoming. I suppose that's an unfair statement. It isn't that the producers made a conscious decision to drive the show into the ground. And perhaps, as demonstrated by the popularity of the show, it isn't really being driven into the ground. But it would appear that there is a concerted effort to invalidate the integrity ( well, I'm using the term integrity very loosely here ) of the show.

American Idol has willingly fallen victim to the stupidity of the mob. Let's face it . . . there are people making gazillions of dollars off of the show. As consumers, is it too much to expect that there is at least some semblance of an attempt to remove any air of impropriety? Or are they merely basking in the riches that the publicity is giving them? Allow me to explain . . .

Has America lost it's mind? Chris and Stephanie in the bottom two? Clearly, Phil and Sanjaya should have been there instead.

I'm beginning to believe there is something to a website I came across - Vote for the Worst. Could it possibly be that Sanjaya will hold on to the very end?

Please, please say it isn't true. Don't let this travesty continue. Although I will add that Stephanie hasn't been the best, she didn't deserve to go home this early on.

She should have been in the top 10.

Gotta say. Most of the American Idol contestants were really giving it their all. For me, there were quite a few that really shined tonight. A few of them did stand out, but I did have a few favorites and picks for the bottom three tomorrow night. Lastly, I have a suggestion that may or may not be all that popular - but then again that's never stopped me from speaking my mind ( or what's left of it ) before.

• Haley Scarnato - I think she's done the best I've seen from her this season. What's more . . . she looked really hot.
• Jordin Sparks - What can I say? This girl can sing. In my opinion, she'll go home with the American Idol title.
• Blake Lewis - Definitely a top three contender. This guy pushes the