28 February 2007

La di da di da di da....

I don't know if this is a trend but ever since Guy Love, I've seen more and more singing on sitcoms today. Even if it's just in parts of some scenes. It sort of brings this unexpected surprise, quite a pleasant surprise really --- I now know that not only can these actors be genuises at comedy, they can actually carry a tune!


[Scenes from 30 Rock & Knights of Prosperity]

Speaking of singing ---

While last night's 2nd week with the boys on American Idol was a big improvement from their previous performances, I still think this is a girls competition to win. And last night, many of them dedicated their songs to Grandma --- Paula Abdul should most definitely feel right at home with that! :D

Phil Missing You - Plain. Cool rendition. But still plain.
Jared Let‘s Get It On - I wanted his performance to be hot, but I didn't get there LOL!
AJ - Charming kid. What's the title of his song?
Sanjaya Steppin’ Out - Ohh, Michael Jackson!
Chris S. Trouble Oh - - Now, his was a performance I enjoyed
Nick Fever - Forgettable. And...so gay!
Blake Virtual Insanity - - Good with song choices. Not so sure I like him now, there's a bit of cockiness in his demeanor when he performs...I dunno. I could see-saw on this one.
Brandon Time After Time - Eh.
Chris R. Geek in the Pink - This is probably his thing but I don't get what the rave is all about, really
Sundance Mustang Sally - Awesome comeback!

Looking forward to the ladies later.

Thanks, Niles

With no internet access since Feb 16th (hence no updated TV downloads) I turned to my DVDs and watched, among many choices (including PBB Season 1, hee!), six seasons of Frasier.

I forgot how funny this show was and how much effective David Hyde Pierce is. He was the actor who played Niles Crane (who is perhaps, my favorite character in the series).

I was able to enjoy the long 10 days, thanks to Niles. It sure made my otherwise boring predicament... well, a lot, lot less boring. :)

Here are some classic Niles Crane lines from the show:

Niles: You spoke to a patient of mine today - Caroline. As a result of your fast-food approach to psychiatry, she left me.
Frasier: Caroline was your patient?
Niles: Two years of my hard work wiped out by one of your two minute McSessions.
Frasier: Niles, I merely suggested that she consider a change.
Niles: Based on what diagnostic method? One potato, two potato?


Niles: We all have to remind Dr Crane that this is real psychology now, not the radio. No hanging up on the hard ones here!

I go live in 5...4...3...

I'm baaaaaaaaaack! Wheee, I have my internet again! Let me first catch up on several things ---- What?! An Addison spin-off? Jimmy Fallon will take Conan's place in 2009? FNL's ratings is doing pretty well, there could be a season 2? Studio 60 has one foot down the grave?! --- and then we'll be back to regular programming. :)

19 February 2007

disconnected

i wish i could say i'm on a cruise or something fancy like that.

let me just give it in one quick go [am accessing the net using my cellphone provider, not what am used to] --- bad people + stolen phone cables = weeks of no net access.

be back in a few weeks.

in the meantime, cable and dvds will fix my tv fix.ΓΌ

16 February 2007

House Saved the Cheerleader

...well, in a manner of speaking.

This week's Valentine episode on House, we witness a patient inflicted with a genetic disease that sounded like CIPA (Sipa? Seepa? ??? I'm no doctor!). What that means, in regular people's term, is that she can't feel pain. At all. And she was born that way. She doesn't know if she's running a fever unless she takes her temp. And she does so, everyday. She's immune to burns and cuts and every discomfort we normal people feel. And as House said they could, "Break her arm, she won't mind, " she really won't.

In a word, she's just like Claire, that indestructible cheerleader from Heroes. Although I'm pretty sure House was not able to cure her... indestructibility, because from what I know, her condition is permanent. Only, House was able to remove a tapeworm inside her tummy, all 25ft long of it, which was what was preventing her from becoming okay; that is, "okay" on her (superhero) terms.

Best line of the night? Had to be Wilsons'...who we rarely get to see now. His is a case of quality over quantity ---- he rarely has scenes with House but when he does, it's the few scenes with him that really matters. Anyhow, the best line for me was Wilson telling House: I’m tired of being your conscience. I don’t enjoy being your conscience.

Meanwhile, Cuddy flirts with House once again... and ditto House, except in a different way. Cuddy is out on a date (of course, this episode being the Valentines episode) and House still comes to her for consult, even when she's on a date:

House: Most people light fires for themselves, but then they don’t deny it..... He’s here!
Dr. Cuddy: CPK isn’t high enough. Potassium is what you’d expect same as the bronco dilators.
House:
Oh my god. You’re not wearing a bra!
Dr. Cuddy: It’s not thyroid storm.
House:
You just met him!
Dr. Cuddy:
I like him. And I like sex. Do I need to stitch a letter onto my dress?
House: No. But it might be worth taking out an add on the local papers.
Dr. Cuddy:
Do you like me, House? There are only two reasons anyone would want to screw with me tonight. Either they’re an altruistic, decent person who’s worried about my well-being. Or… they want me for myself.
House: You left out the third option. Evil bastard who just wants to mess with other people’s happiness.

Good episode. :)


House
Season 3 Episode 14 - Insensitive
Original Airing: Feb 14, 2007
Network: Fox

P.S. ---

Friday Night Lights
Season 1 Episode 16 - Black Eyes & Broken Hearts
2/14/07

Friday Night Light's episode this week did not disappoint (once again! If I only can, I would give an award for this show.... NOW!). We witness two reconciliations --- that of Julie and Matt (cutest pair on TV today, I must say); and that of Coach Mac and Smash. There's a good game to cheer for, too.


Grey's Anatomy
Season 3 Episode 15 - Drowning on Dry Land
2/15/07

I have not seen it yet (I have work, darn!) but... in what could be an unthinkable event, Shonda Rhimes, Grey's creator, killed off her lead character!!! Of course, since this is a three-parter (sort of), the conclusion of this incident will be seen next week. It is quite predictable, Meredith will come back to life. But for the sake of a good story, this week's episode delivers just that --- a good story. Oh, and FNL's Coach Taylor is in this episode. :) I am off to watch this one in full tonight, it's definitely a must-see -immediately!

15 February 2007

What should I blog about?

I am having a really eventful week but I'm so exhausted, can't bring myself to write about it.

Anyway, just some TV stuff:

Rome Season 2 Episode 5 - Heroes of the Republic:
Too many boobies in this episode. Haha.

Octavian's rise to power is underway. The kid's a genius. The actual historical account may be read here. But my account may be read below :D

He first took interest with the Army, made sure they were loyal to him. And then when it was time to take his seat as Ceasar, he ordered his enemies be called traitors. Now, those who disagreed were afraid to go against his wishes, he's got the army behind him. Genius!

Heroes Season 1 Episode 15 - Run!:
This episode was formulaic. And they're back to taking their time, especially with Hiro's story. Right now, his mission is really the one that does not make any sense, he is always interrupted by some event. Guess Tim Kring didn't intend for him to be the heart of this show, and now that he's everyone's favorite, more stories around him have to be created. I want a bigger story, please!

Standoff Season 1 Episode 4 - Partners in Crime:
I have to say I am beginning to like this show, despite Rosemarie DeWitt's stiff jaw. This was a cute episode. It was less engaging than last week --- since last week, I picked up a pointer or two about hostage negotiations (When I grow up I wanna be a hostage negotiatior, hehe!). --- but now I'm beginning to see the chemistry between the two leads.

Speaking of Cable Shows, must tune to:
  • Psyche
  • Crime/Suspense
  • Feb 22 8PM
  • Project Runway 3
  • ETC
  • Feb 21 10 PM
American Idol
My top 7, hope they get through:

Sanjaya Malakar
Lakisha Jones
Phil Stacy
Chris Sligh (Hurley!)
Antonella Barba
A.J. Tabaldo
...and one girl whose name I did not get...she sang Until You Come Back To Me.

And maybe you can slide Melinda Doolittle there for 8.

I'm off to watch more TV now...

:)

14 February 2007

PBB Season 2

Hihihi...am back to jologs mode. Yeah!

PBB Season 2 is airing soon (Feb 25, yes?). Voyeurism, yey! Plus we get to hear Kuya again.

For the meantime, here are stuff I found on Youtube uploaded more than a year ago. I don't know what became of many of these Housemates from Season 1 after the show was done.

But inside Kuya's house I had so much love for them. These videos made me miss the good 'ol days...

Pinoy Big Brother
SEASON 1 Moments



12 February 2007

Criminal Minds on StarWorld

I made it a point to tune to this on Star World last night (9PM). Because I have this (rather unattainable) ambition of becoming a crime scene analyst or a profiler when I grow up :), I live through this by watching shows that deal about it.

Criminal Minds is about a team of FBI behavioral analysts. They are brought to crime scenes across America to shed light on a criminal's moves and motives, essential pieces of information that help solve cases or better yet, track down the offender. If CSI is about investigating crime scenes, Criminal Minds is about analyzing, well, criminals.

The series stars that guy from Dharma and Greg, Thomas Gibson and was created by Jeff Davis who, based on his IMDb profile, is a few years younger than I am (Wow! Aren't I impressed!).

There are literally thousands of crime-solving series on TV today. What makes this show different is in its treatment. Each episode of Criminal Minds is somewhat related to a literary quote that ties into the whole series.

The series began in 2005 and is currently on its 2nd season in the USA.

At the moment, Criminal Minds is doing very, very well in the ratings. Which is what also drove me to tune to this show.... I'm wondering why its doing so well.

The first episode did not disappoint.


Criminal Minds
Season 1 - ???
Original airing: September 2005
Network: CBS
On Philippine Cable TV: Star World, Sundays 9PM

11 February 2007

The Closet Science Geek May be Coming Out

Dr. Who [2005] I should've watched this one sooner. I mean, I keep seeing the seeds on D/L but didn't consider it then because I thought it wasn't my kind of show.

So now I take that back.

I really must be a closet Science geek.

I once thought I would not like XFiles. But I did; I did so much, I completed the whole nine seasons. I once thought I would not like Firefly, but I take small pride in the fact that I'm part of a cult that only few people understand (thanks to Pau for the recommendation). I resisted Battlestar Gallactica before, but you will find me now tuning to it on Crime/Suspense on Mondays. The one thing I haven't really gotten into is Star Trek; that show has a looooooong history, it would be exhausting just to think of where I should start with it.

Anyway, Dr. Who...

I'm still on Episode 4 of 13 and I'm already loving it. As I've said earlier, I regret I did not watch this show sooner. But I also regret watching this alone as my hubby (the real geek) is away again. I regret watching this alone because one episode had this:

The Unquiet Dead

Whoooey, she gave me the creeps.

I think I'll have nightmares tonight.

Yipes.


Doctor Who [2005]
Season 1 for 2005
Original Airing: March 2005 - June 2005
Network: BBC1

10 February 2007

Benry

Introducing, the Benry's....

BenRy on Lost.
He's the leader of The Others
Benjamin also goes by an alias, Henry.
Benjamin + Henry = BeNry



BeNry on Ugly Betty
Perhaps the newest love-pairing on TV.
Involving Betty and Henry.
Be
tty + Henry = BeNry.

Crime Gone Stupid

I don't know about everybody else, as this show seems to be receiving less and less viewership, but this one had me in stitches.

In this video, we see the gang make their first attempt at robbing Mick Jagger. Now, (for the unfamiliar) all of them are in on this deal, even the black security guard.



Knights of Prosperity
Season 1 Episode 6 - Operation: Caught On Tape
Original Airing: Feb 7, 2007
Network: ABC

Lost Women of Deadwood

There have, so far, been three Deadwood lady cast members who've appeared in Lost

Robin Weigert
On Deadwood: she plays Calamity Jane, a frontierswoman (see Wikipedia) in league with Wild Bill.
On Lost: she is in the episode Not in Portland, as Rachel, Juliet's sister whom Juliet has been experimenting fertility drugs on.





Paula Malcomson
On Deadwood: she plays Trixie, a prostitute at The Gem Saloon.
On Lost: she is in the episode Every Man for Himself and The Glass Ballerina , as Colleen, one of The Others. Her character was shot by Sun.





Kim Dickens
On Deadwood: she plays Joanie Stubbs, a hostess who takes care of the girls/prostitute at The Bella Union.
On Lost: she is in the episode Every Man for Himself and The Long Con , as Cassidy, the woman from Sawyer's flashback. She is the woman Sawyer has conned.



Deadwood is currently airing Season 3 (the last Season) Tuesday nights on HBO Asia.
Lost is running seasons on AXN Asia and Studio23 regularly.


Deadwood
Season 1-3
Original Airing: March 2004 – August 2006
Network: HBO

08 February 2007

The Return of Other Door

American Idol Season 6 --- The real star of this show isn't the singers nor the judges. You have to realize by now that with this talent contest, for anyone aspiring to be a star, one doesn’t even have to make an effort to sing very, very well.... much less, move. One just has to be this massive presence people cannot ignore. And that fact was never more poignant than last night, with the return of Other Door.

And as my son has observed on the very first day: Those who sang well chose the right door to push and didn't have any trouble opening it. But those who didn't, they got stuck with Other Door.

Is that suppose to be a form of symbolism? That because a person failed at the auditions, the door was meant to be the final blow, short of saying, "Sorry, Joe, your future at a singing career won't open doors for you..."

Someone in American Idol's production is a sadist.

Or a person with a really good sense of humor. :D

Last night's montage of Other Door and its victims was, by far, the most entertained I've been for this season.


Video uploaded by lovableseth

Daddy, come back home!!$%#

I went ahead and watched Prison break without my husband. He's away at work and the longer he's gone, the longer I feel agitated...the shows are piling up.

There are other programs I watch by my lonesome but hubby and I have a pact to watch these together:

Rome
24
Heroes
Prison Break
House
Friday Night Lights
Grey's Anatomy
Scrubs
Lost

And last night, I cheated and went ahead with Prison Break. But it's not the same watching it alone. :(

Daddy, come home already.

Lost is back.

I cannot wait.

Prison Break - Chicago

This week on Prison Break...
[Episode Guide from TV Rage]

Michael and Sara become more than "strangers on a train" en route to confronting the President
While I know millions of girls (and guys gay for Wentworth Miller, haha) screamed while they saw this on TV, something about this scene did not move nor convince me. There was no passion to that kiss. To me it felt like something actors had to do, obligated by contract, to please its audience. I was more thrilled by the fact that they were wearing matching cardigans. :D




Mahone recruits an new ally in his attempts to capture the fugitives
The new ally would be Bradley Bellick, FBI. :D

This is probably the best scene of the night for me. Bellick, now an FBI agent, takes a moment to rehearse what he has to say (which I'm sure some people have done in real life!):

Bellick: Bradley Bellick, FBI.... Brad Bellick, Federal Bureau of Investigations.... Brad Bellick, FBI... Special Agent Brad Bellick, FBI...Hi there, I'm Brad Bellick with the FBI.... I'm an agent with the FBI, Brad Bellick....Brad Bellick, I'm with the Bureau.

Hehehe.

Oh, the actor playing Bellick is a blogger. Check this out.

and a fourth escapee takes a fall

And all he wanted was to go to Holland.

Prison Break fans know for a fact that the fugitives will have to be killed off, one by one. This does not come as a surprise. But it took 14 episodes to close this story angle. Haywire was virtually non-existent before and then he's gone just like that.

Upcoming episodes should begin to grow momentum, the president is set to make an appearance. And she is what I'm waiting for.

Prison Break
Season 2 Episode 14 - Chicago
Original Airing: February 5, 2007
Network: Fox

07 February 2007

Heroes - Distractions

This week on Heroes...

* Claude helps Peter deal with his distractions.
* Claire meets her birth mother.
* Hiro faces his father and sister.
* Sylar encounters Mrs. Bennet while continuing his quest for Claire's power.
* Simone and Isaac speculate about their future.
* Niki's attempt to control Jessica takes some surprising turns.
--- Heroeswiki


It is interesting to note that Claire's Dad's driver's license does not have a first name. He is plainly registered as Bennet. Like those people only known by one name --- Cher. Prince. Barney. :)



So we now know Claire's family history. Both parents have superpowers. Dad is Nathan (who can fly) and mom is Meredith (who is a firestarter). I was expecting someone in Hiro's family would also exhibit superpowers, since it would appear, the powers are inherited and is DNA-based. But that scene with the Nakamura's was dragging. On hindsight, maybe daddy will exhibit his power later on. Because, as one of his body guards said, Hiro's dad is one:



Wonder what that could be?

Money?

Over-all, this week's episode was fairly decent. It slightly suffered from having too many characters to deal with in one hour, but still a good show nonetheless. So good, I postponed watching 24 for this, for the first time.


Heroes
Season 1 Episode 14 - Distractions
Original Airing: February 5, 2007
Network: NBC

Studio 60 - The Harriet Dinner 2

and on Studio 60...

While the rest of the cast and crew are attending a dinner to honor Harriet, Danny and Jordan are locked on the roof of the theater together. At the dinner, what's left of Harriet's relationship with Matt begins to fall apart.
--- TVRage

Valentines was rather early on Studio 60. TV Executives, 30somethings and 40somethings, are passing love notes (Danny and Jordan) or bickering (Matt and Harriet). Both scenes were very well written. That's where the good lies --- it's in the writing.

I wish more people would appreciate it. :-/

Show status? Lukewarm reception still. It will be on hiatus in March. Its return is undetermined, which should spell trouble.

Ratings rank? Somewhere between Top 50-70...Mattie, Joey Tribbiani did better *sigh*.

People have been comparing this show to Sorkin's earlier work, Sports Night...and it could be following exactly that. Sports Night, despite its well-written episodes, ended in Season 2 and left many issues hanging, including the break up of Dana and Casey, which is what Matt and Harriet is to Studio 60.

Haaay, the bleak prospects of this show is bringing me down. I think I'll watch Sports Night again sometime this week, to cheer me up.


Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Season 1 Episode 14 - The Harriet Dinner Part 2
Original Airing: February 5, 2007
Network: NBC

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

I think I'll overdose....

Summer premieres haven't even started yet, and lookie! The upcoming fall season's line-up is already heating up with more drama series. But before you go on reading, you might wanna look up on an earlier news [about 2007 Fall Season shows in development].


ABC
"A year ago, we had a lot of strong serialized shows (Lost, The Nine, Six Degrees). This year, there's a lot of strong character procedurals and soaps. They rose to the top because they were great stories."

  • Life on Mars
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: David E. Kelley, Stephen Garrett, Jane Featherstone
Detective whose girlfriend has just been kidnapped finds himself transported back to the 1970s. Based on the BBC series

Here is a little info on what the BBC series was like.

I haven't been into a David E. Kelley series since the cancellation of Ally McBeal and Chicago Hope...hmmmm.

  • Women's Murder Club
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: Liz Craft, Sarah Fain, Brett Ratner, James Patterson, Joe Simpson, Shawn Ryan
Four girlfriends solve tough murder cases. Based on James Patterson's series of mystery books

Based on a book by James Patterson? Wheeee! Love his mysteries! Many of his work has been made into a movie, and some of the more popular ones include:

Kiss the Girls Along Came a Spider

Brett Ratner is one of the people behind Prison Break. So with this combination, expect this series to be edge-of-your seat and pulsating.


CBS
"We feel with these unique shows we will appeal to our core viewers as well as bring in new eyeballs". With the safety net of having the strongest overall drama lineup on television, CBS decided to go for an even riskier high-wire act this time around, going for "inventive," "unconventional," "out-of-the-box" projects.

  • Twilight (presentation)
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV
Production Team: Trevor Munson, Ron Koslow, Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio
Private investigator/vampire struggles with the repercussions of immortality, vampire adversaries and his love for a mortal

Vampires? I'm so there!

  • Babylon Fields
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: Michael Atkinson, Gerald Cuesta, Michael Cuesta
Sardonic, apocalyptic comedic drama in which the dead are resurrected and try to resume their former lives. As a result, lives are regained, families restored and old wounds are reopened

  • Demons
Production Co.: CBS Paramount Network TV
Production Team: Barbara Hall, Joe Roth, Nina Lederman
Ex-Jesuit priest/psychlogist performs exorcisms, fighting the demons in his life and the lives of others


I'm not too keen on these being inventive and unconventional.... unless it's an HBO production.


NBC
"One thing we set out to do is to have a little bit more of a female focus than (NBC has had) in the past and to go for lighter crime procedurals."
Really? I had not notice females were the least of their focus. If I were the rabid Kapamilya vs Kapuso kind of viewer, I'd be that sort, rooting for NBC.

  • The Bionic Woman
Production Co.: NBC Universal TV Studio
Production Team: David Eick, Laeta Kalogridis, Bruno Heller, Michael Dinner
Re-imagination of the 1970s series with focus on women's place in the world today

Cashing in on the popularity of Heroes, eh?

  • Chuck
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV
Production Team: Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak, McG, Peter Johnson
Unlikely hero undertakes missions every week while still working at the "Geek Squad"; a comedic Jason Bourne

Bourne Identity on TV? I'm sold.


FOX
"With most networks opting for lighter, more escapist fare this development season, Fox isn't shying away from darker, more challenging concepts... bold, sometimes challenging, quality, take-notice offerings."

  • Sarah Connor Chronicles
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV/C-2 Pictures
Production Team: Josh Friedman, David Nutter, James Middleton, Mario Kassar, Andrew Vajna, Joel Michaels
Based on the characters from the "Terminator" franchise, it follows Connor (Lena Headey) and her son John (Thomas Dekker) in present-day Los Angeles as they fight attackers from the future in a battle for survival of the human race

It's Terminator. On TV.

  • Them
Production Co.: CBS Par TV/Circle of Confusion Prods.
Production Team: Jonathan Mostow, David Eick, John McNamara, David Engel, David Alpert, Lawrence Mattis
Centers on an extraterrestrial sleeper cell that has infiltrated the human race. The cell's mission is compromised when its members begin to express human emotions. Based on the graphic novel

Mildly interesting.


CW
"We had to eliminate certain projects that were not right for us but would have been great for other broadcast networks that go after 18-49. All of these projects have something conceptual that we can really promote: They will be noisy"

  • Gossip Girl
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV/Alloy
Production Team: Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Bob Levy, Leslie Morgenstein
Based on the best-selling book series about the lives of rich youngsters and their parents in New York City

Hmmmm...haven't read the book. I don't think I'm this series' target market. Seems a lot like 90210 in New York.

  • Untitled Tom Wheeler (presentation)
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV/Class IV
Production Team: Tom Wheeler, Steve Pearlman, Andrew Plotkin
Comedic drama about two cheeky graduate students who use their skills to help solve crimes

The words: comedic, drama, solve, crimes appeal to me. :)

-----------

Source: Hollywood Reporter
For the in-depth article, read this.

06 February 2007

New Mission: Watch one season of Dr. Who

Wikipedia Dr. Who facts:

* The character of the Doctor was initially shrouded in mystery. All that was known about him in the programme's early days was that he was an eccentric alien traveler of great intelligence who battled injustice while exploring time and space in an unreliable old time machine called the TARDIS.

* Like all Time Lords, the Doctor has the ability to "regenerate" his body when near death, allowing for the convenient recasting of the lead actor. A Time Lord can regenerate twelve times, with a total of thirteen Doctors.

There have been 10 Doctors and a total of 26 Seasons, so far.

But I'm getting just one season of this show, to focus on the Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, who will soon be more recognizable worldwide as Heroes' Invisible Man.

I'm getting into this show blindly. I've never seen any of the older episodes, the first episode started in 1963. I've also not seen the movie version. Nor any other spin-offs related to the show. So, I'm plunging into this one not knowing what to expect, except that there's seems to be a hype around Christopher Eccleston and I'm curious as to why.

Blow me away then.

Rant

TV Addict's rant coming up...

Last night at around 9PM, I was switching channels between
  • Crime/Suspense [which had Battlestar Galactica on]
  • Star World [which had King of Queens and Frasier on], and
  • JackTV [which had a show, whose title I don't know, on]
Ordinarily, a person would have gone crazy watching TV this way...but as TV is my addiction, you could probably say I was so high, as a junkie would be high on drugs, last night.

Anyhow, what I was watching on JackTV looked interesting. It's about four guys talking about women and sex (now, this is what Guy Talk is all about, this is essentially THE male version of Sex and the City).

I checked on the schedule online to find more info about the show and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a show called Jack's Booth, as seen on schedule of Monday 9 PM.

People behind this station have got to get it all together. They've been running cable TV channels for what, 4-5 years now? And to me, it still feels they're new at this and everything is on test broadcast.

The schedule is all wrong and it's not just on print, but even with what's being shown on TV. On ETC last year (since they already shifted schedules this year and I'm still getting used to it) they kept running promos of Conan O' Brien, whose schedule was supposedly Tuesdays thru Saturdays at 12MN. How many times did I try to tune to a Friday night and got no Conan?

Speaking of which, I tuned to ETC yesterday afternoon, between 2-3PM to check what's on and Conan was on TV, when I just watched him at around noontime that same day. Checked on ETC's fresh TV show line-up and guess what? It doesn't surprise me that the schedule doesn't jive.

And there's one more thing, again on ETC: Please stop running that 2 minute profile of Paris Hilton (Starstruck is what it's called, I think). I know that Starstruck isn't your production, the same thing runs on Star World and some other cable channel. But it's never always about Paris Hilton on these other channels. :P I can stand to watch it once in a while, but on ETC, it runs for like 5x a day...and it's always her!

If you run a Paris Hilton feature 5x a day (and there's a reason why it's a short feature, Solar Entertainment get a clue!!!), subconsciously, your sending signals to teens and twenty-somethings (the channel's target audience) that she is an ideal role model, the way the feature highlights her "accomplishments" like she has successfully transcended all that bad press about her and that she's a survivor, when the truth is she's ... HOLLOW! ---> Paris Hilton: I'm writing a book, it has plenty of pictures! [insert image of me rolling my eyes].

And I have not even started talking about the way they script and dub their promos. I know of some people (I'm guessing, a lot more addicted to TV than I am...) who actually came up with a list of things they find odd with the way these channels do teasers. Hilarious.

Haay, Solar Entertainment.... >:(

Ranting on an early Tuesday morning --- about TV.

Yes, I seriously need to get a social life...actually, I needed it 10 years ago.

LOL!

05 February 2007

The Virgo Mom - Uptight and Proud

My son tells me last night, out of the blue, after seeing something on TV about a little girl who was doing well in school --- "Mom, I forgot to tell you...I'm in the Top 10 [in the Grade 4 level]"

And this was something he learned a few weeks back.

Me: No note? No certificate, nothing from the teacher? [The school only holds the Recognition Program at the end of the school year]
Son: No....just my name on the bulletin board. Ah...yes, I forgot, there is a note. [goes to his room to get something, comes back to our room to hand it...crumpled piece of crap...like garbage]
Me: What's this?
Son: My certificate
Me: Crumpled?!
Son: I'm sorry...[does that sorry face of his, one that melts my heart instantly].....but you love me anyway.... because I did well. [gave me a kiss and a hug]

I frankly did not know whether to be amused or to be angry.

Amused because -- to his credit, he really did well. And I think he did well without my help but with my constant nagging. :D

My son isn't a consistent Top 10 placer. He slips out and slides into the list... back and forth, back and forth. But I do know that he did very well on his own, for this quarter, as I tried to encourage him to be self-reliant. And that means doing his homework all his own, without any help from me. I was just there to nag... and help him establish a study routine, of course.

I am greatly amused because... for all the nagging that I did (and I tell you, I drove myself deaf too!) something good came out of it. There are days when it seems frustrating to me, as if my son never listens or nothing gets registered in that brain of his. So I keep saying the same thing, over and over, like a broken record. I nag. But, my god, now I know there's a result! And I hope he'll appreciate this when he grows up.

What doesn't work, for now though, is my nagging for him to be neat and orderly. My 9-year old is someone I could not call masinop.

masinop = neat
neat adj.
1 clean and in order: maayos, malinis at maayos
2 able to and willing to keep things in or- der: mapag-ayos, masinop, maimis
3 well-formed: maayos, nasa ayos, hustung-husto ang ayos

And he knows that. That's something that gets to me very badly (Me --- a typical Virgo who likes things neat and orderly). And that's also something we fight about all the time.

And that's why I didn't know if I should be amused or angry knowing that an important piece of paper he handed me is now a piece of garbage. :D

And so...once again, I have something to add to his scrapbook --- a compilation of all his achievements in school since he started going to one in the year 2000; be it a perfect score, a simple recognition from a subject teacher, a certificate from winning a contest or the bigger stuff - awards and scholastic recognitions.

Which, to be honest, is also actually a collection of either teared, stained, crumpled or folded certificates.

My Mommy personality is going, "Yey!"

My Virgo personality is going mad.

The craziest part is the boy knows how to work me with his charms.

Fun Facts: FNL's Tim & Tyra's parents

So, let me warn you first --- I'm drowning in my own TV World here, what you're about to read next is just this little thing I do, just for the fun of it.

Moving along...

Was watching an episode of Without A Trace last night and saw these two in the episode entitled Midnight Sun.



Dana Wheeler-Nicholson


Brett Cullen


In that 2002 episode of Without A Trace, they played a married couple. This was a good episode, by the way.

Fast forward to four years after...

Dana now plays Angela, Tyra's mom on Friday Night Lights.
Brett now plays Tim's estranged father on Friday Night Lights, whose first appearance was in the most recent episode (Episode 13, Season 1).
Tyra and Tim, on FNL, used to be a couple.

See the connection?

And Dana, the actress... no wonder I was familiar with her face, she is Sex and the City's Laney, that wild chick who settled down once she got married and pregnant.

04 February 2007

Superbowl Sunday

Superbowl fan?

Here's the sched on Cable TV (ESPN):

04-Feb-07 08:00
Football NFL PROGRAMMING ROAD TO THE SUPERBOWL
Replay: 05-Feb-07 03:00

05-Feb-07 00:00
Football NFL COUNTDOWN SUNDAY NFL COUNTDOWN MIAMI, FL USA (L)

05-Feb-07 07:00
Football NFL SUPERBOWL SUPER BOWL XLI MIAMI, FL USA
Indianapolis Colts Vs Chicago Bears (L)

It's darn too early!! LOL!
Replay: 05-Feb-07 17:00
That's more I like it!

03 February 2007

Ally & Friends

Because I've been trying to place where I've seen Hayden Panettiere, who plays the 16-year old cheerleader with indestructible powers on Heroes, I did a search on IMDb and found out she was that kid on Ally McBeal, playing Ally's daughter.

Then I realized, four actors from A McB are in the TV shows that I am currently watching. After 5 years since Ally's cancellation, they're back on my TV. Although they're not in one show altogether, but they're back. :)


Calista Flockhart
(Ally McBeal)

Calista now appears as Kitty, one of the siblings in ABC's Brothers & Sisters. You can check my entries on Brothers & Sisters here, here and here.

Current TV Show rating: one of the best this season, from the writing, to the acting, to the execution. Calista could have another shot at a flourishing TV career. But the downside is, the show is not a ratings puller yet. There is no news for a Season 2 pick-up.

Jane Krakowski
(Elaine Vassal on A McB)

Jane is currently a cast member of 30Rock. She plays Jenna Maroney, the lead female star of the TV Show within a TV show. Entry for 30Rock is here.

Current TV Show rating: The show seems to be improving. And it's been hailed as similar to Arrested Development (I still don't see the similarities). Co-star Alec Baldwin won the Golden Globe for this show. It is probably gonna get renewed for Season 2. Good for Jane.

Peter MacNicol
(John Cage on A McB aka The Biscuit)

He's Thomas Lennox on 24...and he's rather wily here. Not at all likeable as his Ally character. Of the four, his is a character who is a complete opposite of what he played in A McB. Peter MacNicol, after all is such a versatile actor.

Current TV Show rating: It's 24! Even if the plot has a lot of loopholes, you cannot fault this show for improving TV shows as it is now. Because of 24, other productions are challenged to come up with a similar clever concept. Even if it goes on for 10 seasons or more, MacNicol's character may eventually die or is written off as this is what 24 thrives on --- the element of surprise.

Greg Germann
(Richard Fish on A McB)

Greg is still with a group of crazy people, much like his Ally castmates. This time, he is Sherman Yablonsky, a celebrity guru of some sort in In Case of Emergency.

Current TV show rating: The show is a crapfest to be honest. Yet I keep watching it, LOL! And I don't know why. It could be canceled mid-season. Bad move for Greg.

02 February 2007

Guy Shower

This week's episode of The Office was about Phyllis' bridal shower. Funniest moment took place 3 minutes into the show:

Michael: What's up, spinsters?
Angela: Nothing. You know, this is a luncheon shower. Girls only.
Michael: No problem. The guys are having a little shindig of their own. In the warehouse. From 2:30 to 3:15. It's sort of a Guy's Night Out. G-N-O if you will. A G-No. Actually, it's more of a Guy's Afternoon In. G-A-I. Gai...... Not...no...it's not gay, it's a..... it's a bridal shower for guys. A guy shower! An hour-long shower with guys. Uh, sheeeshhh... [leaves girls' party room]

Hehehe.

This party must be playing Guy Love the whole hour.


The Office
Season 3 Episode 15 - Ben Franklin
Original Airing: Feb 1, 2007
Network: NBC

Snippets...

I'm so exhausted.

Glad that the internet's back to normal.

House's most recent episode was phenomenal. You had to sit through an hour where it's all talk, but it sure is worth it.

How long till the group rounds of American Idol? I'm over the audition round already.

Brooke Langton is joining the cast of Friday Night Lights, supposedly. She and Riggins will be hooking up. (But she's older! Waay older!).

I'm loving Comedy Central Presents' nightly (as in late night, ay...early morning na pala) feature of Stand-Up comics.

Saw Stranger than Fiction. Reminded me of Being John Malkovich for some reason.

I'm tired.

G'night.