The second season of Community premieres September 23 at 8PM
NBC should hope one of their new shows hits with the audience and the critics because they need a hit badly. The crop of returning shows consists of older shows that suffered from mediocre bad seasons. Plus, the age factor exists. How much life do some of these shows have left? Dick Wolf and Lorne Michaels are responsible for half of the primetime schedule. NBC has a show with a cult following in Chuck so the show’s audience is what it is. Most of the returning shows are what they are now. They are set in their ways. Community has the best chance of finding a bigger audience this year and becoming a bonafide hit. Dan Harmon and the writers aren’t afraid to take risks as proved by last year’s terrific paintball episode. But NBC probably will finish fourth overall once again.
For the next couple of days, The Foot’s previewing each scripted series on all five networks. On Wednesday, I previewed every returning scripted ABC series. On Tuesday, it will be FOX’s turn. Today is NBC.
The Show: 30 Rock
What Season?: The Fifth
Returns To Air: September 23, 2010 at 9:30PM
What To Expect: The press release merely states that the show is renewed for a fifth season. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) is with Avery, the business news anchor who is carrying his child so expect a birth storyline. Matt Damon will be around for a brief time as Liz Lemon’s (Tina Fey) love interest. He plays an almost-astronaut. And Kenneth is being transfered to Los Angeles.
The biggest news surrounding 30 Rock is the live episode that will happen on October 14. The cast and crew will be live for the 9:30PM East Coast airing and they will be live for the West Coast airing.
The show didn’t receive the best reviews for last season but they have their audience, the emmys love the show and the show will easily get a sixth season.
The Show: Chuck
What Season?: The Fourth
Returns To Air: September 20, 2010 at 8PM
What To Expect: No press releases for NBC Preview, folks. I’m sure the masses fell in love with the press release. Don’t worry. The press releases will return on FOX day. If not then, The CW day.
The big news surrounding the show’s fourth season are the guest stars they’re bringing in. Linda Hamilton joins the cast as Chuck’s mother while Dolph Lundgren and the Old Spice Guy will make appearances on the show.
Last season’s finale set the pieces for a sort of reboot as the old base of spy operations was blown up. TWoP said the show took “a quantum leap in a new direction with a cool new base of operations.”
The Show: Community
What Season?: The Second
Returns To Air: September 23, 2010 at 8PM
What To Expect: Community was one of the best comedies on the air last season. It is original and full of tongue-in-cheek jokes while self-aware about sitcom cliches and tropes.
Last season ended with a great twist/cliffhanger. Torn between Britta and Slatter, Jeff finds an expected-but-still-OH-WOW love interest in Annie after she ended things with Vaughn. The first season ended on the image of Jeff and Annie locked in a passionate kiss as Britta and Slatter waited inside for his decision. Professor Chang is no longer the Professor because he never WAS a professor. Chang will become one of the group seemingly. And Troy decided to move in with Pierce after Abed refused to be roommates with him because he didn’t want to destory the friendship. Pierce might be a tough roommate for Troy to handle.
Also, Betty White guest stars in the season premiere as an Anthropology teacher. John Oliver will have a larger role this season as well. Drew Carey and Rob Corrdry will stop by Greendale as well.
The Show: Law & Order: Special Victims United
What Season?: The Twelfth
Returns To Air: September 22, 2010 at 9PM
What To Expect: (From NBC Press Release) “We’re looking forward to launching our 12th season with a special two hours of ‘SVU’ that will take Benson and Stabler through the twists and turns everyone loves,” said Neal Baer, executive producer. “We’re blasting off with a stellar guest cast including Joan Cusack, Peter Strauss and ‘Lost’s’ Henry Ian Cusick.”
What To Expect Part Two: Last season, the medical examiner was shot and the Assistant DA left the show. Jennifer Love Hewitt will guest star in the premiere as a rape victim who fears leaving the house. Overall, expect more crimes to be solved. It usually happens in the world of Law & Order.
The Show: The Office
What Season?: The Seventh
Returns To Air: September 23, 2010 at 9PM
What To Expect: Hm. Is someone leaving this show? Oh yes, someone is. The star of the show. I think it’s a mistake for the show to continue without Steve Carrell. The quality of the show is already dropping. But NBC won’t because they make many terrible decisions, thus, the struggle for ratings.
Last season, Michael told Kathy Bates that he wants Holly back. Well, Kathy Bates will guest star in an episode or two this season. No idea about Amy Ryan. And the biggest storyline will be Michael Scott’s departure and the search to replace him.
The Show: Parenthood
What Season?: The Second
Returns To Air: September 14, 2010 at 10PM
What To Expect: More family drama with all of the characters. My research didn’t find much about the happenings of last season or what to expect for the upcoming season.
The Show: Saturday Night Live
What Season?: The Thirty Sixth
Returns To Air: September 25, 2010 at 11:35PM
What To Expect: No more Will Forte because he left the show; however, SNL hired three new cast members. Among them is a guy who can finally replace Fred Armisen as Obama on the show. Seth Meyers is still head writer and weekend update anchor.
The host for the premiere hasn’t been released but Bryan Cranston will host the October 2 show. Jane Lynch will host the October 9 show.
OTHER RETURNING SHOWS
Sunday Night Football returns September 9 with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Minnesota Vikings.
On this day that celebrates 90210, I will not write about the show because I never watched it; however, let me know when America is celebrating Dawson’s Creek and I’ll write 30,000 words about it. After all, I once spent 1,000 words comparing the show’s sixth season to the 2008 Denver Broncos.
But today is reserved for my weekly thoughts on the latest Man Vs. Wild.
This week, Bear Grylls was in the Republic of Georgia near the border of Russia. Bear covered an insane amount of ground. He went from the peaks of the Caucasus mountains to the wetlands. As he begins the descent on the mountain, he talks about the volatile place that Georgia’s become. Of course, my mind recalls the short Russian-Georgian war that took place last August. Bear is actually describing the mountains and the terrain as volatile. His helicopter DOES land so he doesn’t skydive. Instead, once the plane lands, he drives a snow mobile across the mountains because he wants to beat the threatening weather in a race. Unfortunately, the snow mobile breaks down.
Unlike previous weeks, Bear does not surround himself with the possibility of death. He doesn’t play wiffle ball with an Georgian bears nor battle a vulture for an egg. There’s some excitement with wolves though.
Here are the highlights:
-Before he begins his descent down the mountain, he gives the audience a weather report. The information he imparts reminded me of the meteorology class I took. Severe weather is only four hours away, Bear tells us, so he’s going to work quickly. He usually works quickly. In fact, this episode he did an extraordinary amount of work to survive. Perhaps a heavy workload is what it takes to survive in Eastern Europe.
-The first 15-20 minutes focuses on the descent down the mountain. Bear is an expert. When he reaches steep declines, he pulls out his rope and digs into the snow so he can climb down. I forget what name is given to the system Bear uses. He did the same thing with Will Ferrell in the Sweden episode. He instructs the audience to kick into the snow while climbing down because of the friction the act creates. He never wants anyone to rush themselves down a mountain. Take your time is the biggest lesson Bear gives because mountains can be unpredictable.
-He reaches the ground easily and begins the search for food or liquid. He explains that one can become dehydrated in the cold even though a person won’t feel like he or she is dehydrated. He gathers snow and melts it with a fire. Bear won’t eat snow because snow lowers the body’s core temperature.
-In the forest, Bear’s priority is food. While climbing down the mountain, he thought he struck gold with an egg but the egg was extremely rotted. The vulture actually left the egg there to rot so Bear knew eating it was out of the question. Bear notes that he is not the only predator in the forest. Among the other predators are wolves and bears.
-Nothing happens in the forest. Bear makes camp. The Georgian evening looks awesome though. I wouldn’t mind living in Eastern Europe for a period of time. As he builds the fire, he talks about the mythology of wolves and the thought that a pack of wolves will attack human beings when, in fact, one is lucky should he or she ever see a wolf in the wilderness. During the night, he hears wolves howling. Bear howls himself to determine the distance of the wolves. He has a restless night because of those noises he heard in the night. The description for the episode included the words “camps with wolves.” Technically, he does but he isn’t sitting with them around the fire reading the works of Vazha-Pshavela.
-His whole journey is about reaching the coast of The Black Sea because it has one of the most popular shipping lanes. He enters the wetlands and briefly eats three eggs and the chick fetus’ that are in the egg. Bear says a scavenger can’t be a chooser. The sight of Bear eating a fetus with one of the half-formed eyes hanging from his mouth isn’t a pleasant visual.
-Bear doesn’t have an easy time in the wetlands. He moves at a snail pace because of the environment, loses a shoe, submerges himself to get the shoe back and then decide to build a raft. He builds the raft easily and reaches the coast. He needs to get the raft to the sea so he builds an elaborate anchor system so he can pull the raft because the raft is too heavy for him to carry. After some time, he gets the raft to the shore where he eventually finds a giant tanker. Rescue found.
-Oh yeah, he also does this:
Overall, a good episode of Man Vs. Wild. It’s not the craziest episode of the series. Bear spends a lot of time building things that will help him. He doesn’t put himself into any extremely dangerous situations like he has in the past. The episode has plenty of good information and advice for the viewer regarding surviving in a place like Northern Georgia.
I promised an NBC preview today but the preview will wait until tomorrow. No one wants to read a 4,000 word entry anyway.
Sadly, it is not tool time, but it is, in fact, Dinosaur Wednesday! Show me some love Norman!
Ba dum chi!
Let us begin, as per the agreement we made when I took this job, with the Outstanding Dinosaur Award!
The Outstanding Dinosaur Award is given to dinosaurs who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of dinosaur kind.
Borises and Natashas, this week’s Outstanding Dinosaur is…
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Apatosaurus! This is the second sauropod to win the Outstanding Dinosaur Award if you recall way back on July 7th when the Brachiosaurus took home the crown. What a coup for our long-necked brethren! Shine on my brothers!
Let’s check out some fast facts courtesy of our friends over at EnchantedLearning.com!
An Apatosaurus skeleton was once misidentified as a separate animal and named Brontosaurus. These two animals have since been discovered to be one in the same and the name Brontosaurus has been discontinued.
Herbivore
70-90 feet long
15 feet tall at the hips
33-38 tons
50 foot long, whip-like tail balanced out its roughly 40 foot long neck
Was able to lift its head roughly 17 feet off of the ground
Nostrils were located on the top of its head for unknown reasons
Lived during the late Jurassic Period, about 157-146 million years ago
Lived in Western North America
Fascinating stuff! Now let’s get back to the 2010 Prehistoric Celebrity King of the Steel Cage Tournament!
Here is a look at where we stand so far.
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As you can see, last week, early favorite Rex from “Toy Story” defeated Rudy the villain from “Ice Age 3.” On the other side of the bracket, our Mystery Contestant bested a Raptor from “Jurassic Park III.”
Keep in mind that the winner of this prestigious tournament will receive ONE MILLION dollars worth of multicolored hooded sweatshirts courtesy of Janice Redington in addition to the even more valuable bragging rights they will hold over their fellow Prehistoric Celebrities.
As always, the winner of each match will be determined by our patented PCA Dinosaur Algorithm. Some say that it was the algorithm which rejected Ilya Kovalchuk’s contract extension with the New Jersey Devils and that it once actually played an entire game of “Mouse Trap,” instead of just arbitrarily setting up the trap.
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This week’s first match features the beloved Little Foot (PCGM Record 0-0-0, Odds: 75-1) from “The Land Before Time” films taking on one of the ferocious and cunning Velociraptors (PCGM Record: 0-1-0, Odds: 20-1) from the first “Jurassic Park” film.
The algorithm’s ignition system has been replaced with a twist off cap… the cap has been twisted off!
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The Raptor has advanced! What a contest! Now let’s hurry along to our second match of the evening.
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Dino, the Flintstone family’s pet dinosaur (PCGM Record: 1-0-0, Odds: 40-1) will be facing the Spinosaurus from “Jurassic Park III” (PCGM Record: 0-0-0, Odss: 17-1). The twist off cap has been replaced with a door knob and I’m turning it now!
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The Spinosaurus comes out on top! What a dark day as not one but TWO villains advance into the second round of our tournament. Here’s an updated look at our bracket.
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Now it’s time once again for the ‘Jurassic Park’ Clip of the Week!
That’s all for today! Thanks for reading and vaya con dios!
So as we speak I’m listening to the brand new Goo Goo Dolls CD “Something For The Rest of Us” and I must say that I’m enjoying it. I think it marks a step up from their previous effort, “Let Love In,” but it still lacks the alternative rock edge that the band perfected and took out a copyright on. I’m no music critic, in fact I couldn’t tell an oboe from a Sousaphone, so I won’t waste much more of your time talking about the album, but there is something about it that caught my eye.
Track 11 on the CD is called “Hey Ya.” Now, if you’re anything like me (God help you) that title will call to mind a certain Outkast song that we all knew and loved back in the day. What happened to Outkast, by the way? Naturally before the CD came out, I assumed this was an exciting and against-type cover. Apparently, it’s not. The Goo Goo Dolls decided to write a different and decidedly brand new song called “Hey Ya.”
Is it me or is that kind of weird? I think that sometimes a song (or a movie or painting or what have you) becomes so omnipresent that it eventually just sort of owns a title. Just like we’ll never hear another song called “Stairway to Heaven” or see another movie called “The Terminator” again. These titles are taken.
Not that I’m comparing “Hey Ya” to either one of those things, but you catch my meaning I hope. We’re not talking about some really common or ordinary phrase here either. What the heck is “ya” anyway? I’ve never heard that anywhere other than Outkast.
Oh well. The Goo Goo Dolls take on the topic is pretty good, but I think that the ghost of that missed opportunity will haunt me at night for the foreseeable future.
I’ll hold off passing any further judgment on the album until I listen to it again, but here are three First Listen Highlights: “Home,” “Notbroken” and “Nothing Is Real.”
Let’s end this with a brand new Beard of the Day!
Sure it's not REALLY a beard, but this facial hair configuration starred a great movie and its owner is a noted hothead and great actor. Borises and Natashas, the "Christian Bale!"
Ah, the Fall. Officially, the Fall doesn’t start for a few weeks but Labor Day effectively ends the summer in most people’s minds. After Labor Day comes the promise of NFL football, exciting division races and NHL training camp. Also, the Fall television season begins. TV blogs and television critics will longer struggle to fill space on a daily basis. Instead, there will be actual new episodes of returning to shows to write about.
Returning shows are always interesting to follow because of the questions associated with returning shows. For example, can a show that experienced a successful first season maintain the quality for a second season? The sophomore slump is very real in television; however, there are as many shows who had a rocky first season that returned with a second season that won over many new fans like The Office, Parks And Recs, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, etc. There are shows who experienced a drop-off in season two only to return with creative resurgence in the third season. Essentially, to quote Forrest Gump, returning shows are like a box of chocolates because you never what you’re going to get.
For the next week or so, The Foot will preview each returning show on all the major networks. The Foot will even sneak in a preview for shows like Dexter. Unlike the preview of new shows, I’m not evaluating which shows will get reviews in this blog because I covered that in a post on Friday. In case you forgot, I’ll most likely provide thoughts or a full review for shows that I actually like. The Preview of Returning Fall Shows is more in the spirit of EW’s yearly preview or the many previews that will run on television websites but, of course, I’ll add
Today, we begin with the now LOST-less ABC. I won’t include any reality shows because I dislike reality television. Let it begin:
The Show: Brothers And Sisters
What Season?: The Fifth
Returns To Air: September 26, 2010 at 10PM
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) “Brothers & Sisters” heads into its fifth season as executive producers Ken Olin, Greg Berlanti and David Marshall Grant continue to follow the California-based Walker family through the complicated maze of American life today. The compelling one-hour drama series is about a collection of five enmeshed and somewhat damaged adult siblings and their strong but passionately devoted mother, Nora Walker (Oscar and Emmy Award winner, Sally Field). The Walkers’ lives have not been without challenge; romance, parenting, illness, politics, divorce, infidelity, addiction, arrest, war and even death have pushed each of them to the limit, but they continue to work toward living their lives as individuals, while loving each other unconditionally and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy after the loss and lies of their larger-than-life family patriarch, William Walker.
What To Expect Part Two: Usually, the press releases released at the upfronts include more than the premise, especially for a show in its fifth season. The ABC Press Release says nothing about what to expect; therefore, I had to research. I remember the promos for last season’s finale as I watched LOST on a weekly basis. I remember distraught men and women on the scene of a car wreck. Televisionwithoutpity.com summed up the fourth season finale like this:
“The silliest forty minutes of manufactured drama followed by the saddest five minutes of television ever.”
What I do know is Rob Lowe has joined the cast of Parks and Recs because his character on Brothers & Sisters died. The show will resume its narrative a year after the tragic car crash. Fans will find out whether Robert and Holly survived the car crash, and Saul will deal with the news that he is HIV-positive while Kitty will deal with life after her husband. Sounds fun.
The show only earned an 18 episode pickup so this could be their last season. Emily Vancamp is leaving the show after a 2-3 episode arc to resolve her character’s story. I would’ve liked to share some quotes from the showrunner but cannot find any interviews about season five. You see, I’m trying to deliver quality and I can’t. Grant me press access, ABC.
The Show: Castle
What Season?: The Third
Returns To Air: September 20, 2010 at 10PM.
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) During this past season, Castle and Beckett’s relationship has grown stronger as they’ve dodged bullets, captured killers, and solved countless murder cases in their unorthodox partnership. But by the Season Two finale, Beckett’s new relationship with a robbery detective has pushed Castle away, forcing them both to confront their feelings for one another. When Castle leaves to finish writing his second Nikki Heat novel, Naked Heat, Beckett has to watch him walk away, unable to express her true feelings and unsure whether he will return to the precinct.
What To Expect Part Two: I have more to add about the finale and what to expect thanks to something called research. Among the Castle fans, the Castle/Beckett development is a huge cliffhanger because Castle actually gave up on ever entering a relationship with her at the same time Beckett realized she had feelings for Castle. In the third season, Nathan Fillion teased that the hook-up between his character and Beckett will happen sooner rather than later. I assume Castle returns to work alongside Beckett investigating crimes and whatnot.
Castle received a 22 episode pickup for season three so fans should feel safe about the future of the show. I included the clip of Nathan Fillion (as Castle) dressing up as Malcom Reynolds because it’s just so cool.
The Show: Cougar Town
What Season?: The Second
Returns To Air: September 22, 2010 at 9PM.
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) Courtney Cox stars as Jules Cobb in her Golden Globe(R)-nominated role as a recently divorced mom in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life’s next chapter. Along for the journey are her teenage son, her ex-husband and friends, who together make up her dysfunctional yet supportive and caring extended family… even if they have a funny way of showing it sometimes.
What To Expect Part Two: Once again, the ABC Press Release tells nothing about the second season; therefore, I again research what to expect. ABC, grant me press access. Last season’s finale was described as one of the most satisying by the good people over at televisionwithoutpity.com and the show is beloved despite logic being thrown out the window for comedy. I gathered Cox’s character, Jules, is dating two men at the same time and, after a display of silly hats, all was forgiven.
The season two premiere will feature Jennifer Aniston as a guest star. Beyond that, I am clueless about Cougar Town despite my best efforts to gather information.
The Show: Desperate Housewives
What Season?: The Seventh
Returns To Air: September 26, 2010 at 9PM
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) The primetime soap with a truly contemporary take on the “happily ever after,” “Desperate Housewives” returns for its seventh season. After losing her business, Bree (Marcia Cross) begins the process of rebuilding her life by telling Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) a secret that could end their friendship; Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Tom (Doug Savant) face a rough road ahead as they welcome a fifth child to their ever growing brood; and Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike’s (James Denton) financial woes have forced them to rent out their house and leave Wisteria Lane. But when Paul Young (Mark Moses) mysteriously returns to the neighborhood as the new tenant, suspicions will rise.
What To Expect Part Two: Wow. The Press Release just about covered it. I have something else to add, thanks to the good people over at TWoP: there will be drama regarding a character switched at birth. Of course there will be. And how about an actual promo being released? ABC, you’re too kind.
There is speculation that this will be the show’s final season.
The Show: Grey’s Anatomy
What Season?: The Seventh
Returns To Air: September 23, 2010 at 9PM
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) The doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital deal with life-or-death consequences on a daily basis — it’s in one another that they find comfort, friendship and, at times, more than friendship. Together they’re discovering that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey.
What To Expect Part Two: Back to research mode now. I remember the long promos for the finale last year which involved a gunman in the finale. The finale took the internet by storm, even Alan Sepinwall felt compelled to review it and The Sports Guy Bill Simmons made fun of it through tweets. My newsfeed on facebook blew up with statuses relating to Grey’s Anatomy. I guess people still love this show.
The show’s seventh season will open with a wedding between two mysterious characters while the season will provide closure to the relationship between Izzie and Alex which will seemingly cause drama with the current girl Alex is dating. That’s all my research found.
The Show: The Middle
What Season?: The Second
Returns To Air: September 22, 2010 at 8PM
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. Frankie Heck is a superhero. Well, no, not an actual superhero – not unless you count getting her kids out the door for school every morning as a superfeat. Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, this harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact. Frankie and husband Mike raise their kids with love and solid Midwestern practicality. Axl is the oldest, a teenage jock who eats the family out of house and home and walks around in his underwear. Then there’s Sue, their extraordinarily ordinary pre-teen daughter who fails at everything she tries with great gusto. Brick, the youngest son, is an odd kid whose best friend is his backpack. Together
What To Expect Part Two: The May 2010 Press Release reads like they’re selling a brand new show to the advertisers. I thought The Middle did well last season. The season one finale ended with one of the kids possibly being held back for a year because an old librarian (Betty White) is angry about overdue books while Axl (Charlie McDermott) might be smarter than everyone thinks and the daughter was held out of yearbook. Will these storylines extend into next season? I would think so.
The Show: Modern Family
What Season?: The Second
Returns To Air: September 22, 2010 at 9PM
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) Today’s American families come in all shapes and sizes. The cookie cutter mold of man + wife + 2.5 kids is a thing of the past, as this comedy takes a modern and often hilarious look at the complications that come with being a family today.
What To Expect Part Two: I figure the sitcoms receive this kind of press release because the show won’t stray from the original premise and conceit very often. It’s nice way of saying the show will be formulaic but as long as the formula is good then that is okay. I’m in research mode again.
According to Zap2it, An early episode of the season will focus on the family’s experience of an earthquake and the aftermath of that experience. Fans will meet Cameron’s (Eric Stonestreet) mother. Series creator Steve Levitan plans on putting different characters together because he and the writers are constantly trying to find new realms of humor within the family.
The show has a ton of momentum after winning the Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
The Show: Private Practice
What Season?: The Fourth
Returns To Air: September 23, 2010 at 10PM
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) In the years since Addison’s arrival, the practice has undergone enormous changes, with financial turmoil and personal tragedies taking their toll; Naomi is now at the helm of the competition, Pacific Wellcare, and the doctors split down the middle between the two practices. Their bonds were further tested as friends ran into the unexpected arms — and beds — of others for support and comfort. Through it all, these tight knit doctors have worked together to find solutions to their patients’ needs, encountering medical cases that challenge their abilities and their ethical and moral ideals. Now they must deal with the biggest tragedy the practice has ever faced — the death of one of their own, Dell. These doctors may be pros in the hospital; it’s their private lives that need a little practice.
What To Expect Part Two: I actually mistaked this show for Grey’s Anatomy while researching the seventh season of Grey’s. TWoP expressed displeasure with Paul and Violet becoming a couple again but feel excited about the new relationship between Addison and Sam. I assume both couples will have contrived and cliche storylines in the upcoming season. A seemingly beloved character was killed off so one should expect drama from that fallout.
Why does ABC have so many soap-opera dramas in primetime?
The Show: V
What Season?: The Second
Returns To Air: November 2010 (Time & Date TBD)
What To Expect: (From ABC Press Release) Appearances were deceiving in “V,” the thrilling new drama series about the world’s first alien encounter. Simultaneously appearing over every major city in the world, the Visitors (or V’s) arrived offering wonders of technology and promoting peace. While the world quickly embraced the V’s as saviors, an FBI Counter Terrorist Agent — and others making up the resistance group called The Fifth Column — discovered that the Visitors are not who they said they are. Will humanity stop being fooled and realize the Visitors’ true intentions before it’s too late and they take over Earth?
What To Expect Part Two: Well, there was the birth of a half-breed in the finale, a defection, the Fifth Columnization of Lisa (huh?), a death and the first family dinner between Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell) and Anna (Morena Baccarin). I think some crazy bleep is going to happen in season two. Since the season premiere is a ways off, there isn’t much news about the second season of V.
OTHER RETURNING PROGRAMS ON ABC:
Dancing With The Stars premieres September 20 at 8PM
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition premieres September 26 at 8PM
Saturday Night College Football returns this Saturday
Tomorrow will be the full preview for the returning shows on NBC.
Beyond Survival with Les Stroud opens with the camera in night vision mode. Les walks through the jungle, talking quietly because the Vedda people instructed him to keep silent. The Elephants are near. The elephants are the biggest concern and danger for the Veddas in central Sri Lanka; however, Les tells the audience that they must be aware of leopards, jaguars and sloth bears in the jungle. The entire trek ends without incident. Yes, the exciting illusion of danger returns to a Les Stroud show.
Beyond Survival is a show about surviving in the jungle in more ways than one. The show focuses on the preservation of the dying cultures of the tribes Les Stroud visits. What happens when modern civilization encroaches on a culture like the Veddas in Sri Lanka? The Vedda people and culture walked the earth 10,000 years before civilization began in Ancient Egypt. The effect of modern civilization is harsh for the Veddas because they’ve lost land through the years. Modern Sri Lanka advertises Aboriginal adventures even though the Veddas want to continue living as they always have. History has told this story for centuries. The natives are usually pushed out of their lands by a conqueror (Amazingly, the bulk of my studies as an English major included post-colonial studies or multi-culturalism and diversity as a whole…I digress). As they lose their lands, hunting and gathering becomes tougher as the wild game diminishes with each loss of land. The Veddas are one of the oldest hunter-gatherer groups in the world. Not only are the Vedda trying to maintain their way of life despite outside forces but they must rely on the youth of their people and their youth is not following in their elders’ footsteps.
Les Stroud also visits the Sinhalese fishermen on the coast on Sri Lanka. The fishermen are modern. The survival of their way life was damaged and put in danger after the Tsunami in 2004. Many of the elder fishermen died and the young Sinhalese aren’t anxious to follow in the footsteps of those who came before. The fishermen used to catch over 300,000 tons of fish a year and the numbers have decreased dramatically.
Besides the focus on the question: can these cultures continue to live the way they’ve always lived? A decent portion of the episode is devoted to the idea of demons and devils.
The Veddas were once considered to be half-human half-demon and they worship a select group of demons that can help them succeed while the Sinhalese believe there are no good demons. They want to rid themselves of demons because they believe the demons cause disease and bad luck among others. The way to please or ward off demons is through dancing–”devil dancing.”
The Sinhalese are a very patriarchal society. They believe the demons are attracted to various vices. Chief among the vices are women. I think the Sinhalese associate women with lust, and lust is the chief vice. Les Stroud wasn’t clear. The Sinhalese dress up in women clothing to entice the demons so they can be destroyed i.e. exorcised. While fishing, the Sinhalese prefer company because an isolated fisherman is an easy target for demon possession. Their devil dancing is intense and long–twelve hours exactly. The Sinhalese wished to exorcise the demons from Stroud which is why the dance takes twelve hours. It’s a dizzying display of noise, color, fire.
The Veddas dance as a form of worship to the demons they deem good. There are no costumes or excessive displays.
As for the actual hunting methods the Veddas use, allow me to write about some highlights:
-The middle portion of the episode is devoted to an elaborate concoction to create poison so fishing is easier. At first, they warned Les not to get the poisonous liquid in his eye and then they asked him to get in the water that now had the poison in it. Les said his body went numb eventually.
-A few times on Survivorman, Les Stroud got high from a natural opiate. In this episode, he ate a betel nut with some tobacco leaves. Whenever Les Stroud trips out with a camera watching, it’s funny because he seems like he has no clue what just hit him.
-The Vedda slingshots delighted Les. While high from the betel nut, he acted like he’d hit one of the Vedda tribesman with the rock before laughing.
-The Vedda tribesmen own dogs that they use to help on the hunt. In fact, when they arrived home, the dogs greeted the tribesmen excitedly.
-The tribesmen and Les procured honey from a bees nest without the bees going insane. The Veddas take great care when invading the bees’ hive. After they gathered the honey, the tribesmen made sure the bees would re-build by re-building the part of the tree they removed for hive access.
Beyond Survival with Les Stroud is worth your time. DVR it or watch it live should you be home on a Friday night at 10pm. Where else can someone get a glimpse of another culture like this? Les Stroud continues to be a great host; however, no matter how many times he talks about the dangerous animals, you’ll never actually see one.
Tomorrow will launch the beginning of the look at returning television shows on network television. If you any network you’d like me to begin with, tell me in the comments. If not, expect an ABC preview tomorrow.
It was a busy week for the crew at the Scene of Mystery headquarters as we were forced to shift through a veritable avalanche of guesses. The actual number isn’t important, but I can say with robust certainty that it was squeezed somewhere in the 0-1000 range.
Well, wait no further my friends! Here is the answer to last Friday’s overwhelmingly, profoundly successful Scene of Mystery!
My God Christopher wins! Christopher wins! The first ever correct answer to the Scene of Mystery is “Terminator 2: Judgment Day!” This is an absolutely shocking development! Chris wins ONE tanker boat full of Janice’s stuffed animals! Sensational! Congratulations on your correct answer Chris!
Now, because Janice guessed incorrectly once again this week (that’s right, not guessing counts as a wrong answer) harsh punishment will be leveled in her general direction. For her failure, Janice will be forced to spend three business days listening to snooty French horror director Alexandre Aja gloating over me giving his latest film, “Piranha 3-D,” a B rating. Ear plugs will NOT be provided.
Continuing in the proud tradition of Big Reveal Monday, Post Collegiate Apocalypse is proud to reveal to you 101 Reasons to Hire Colin McGlinchey! Brace yourselves companies in need of an Entertainment/Hockey writer. This one is for you…
Reason #46
Colin McGlinchey has forgotten more about “Terminator 2” then the entire population of Luxembourg combined ever knew.
Reason #12
Colin McGlinchey can read a 300 page book in less than ONE month.
I can already hear the phone ringing off the hook with million dollar a year job offers. I’m holding out for TWO million a year PLUS an entire battalion of pet cats. Your move companies.
And now for the conclusion of “Beatles Week” on Beard of the Day!
I'd like to be under the sea. In an octopus' garden in the shade. He'd let us in, knows where we've been. In his octopus' garden in the shade... umm... where was I? Oh yes! Ladies and gentlemen, the "Ringo Starr!"
The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmys took place last night in Hollywood. Rich people were paid to wear expensive clothing. Rich people were paid handsomely for work they already are paid handsomely for. Also, expensive gift bags were given to the rich people who attended. I digress.
In other years, the Emmys showcased an alarming lack of originality. Before last night, The Amazing Race won every year since it debuted. Top Chef took home the Best Reality Program award last night, ending The Amazing Race’s streak. New shows were rewarded as well as deserving actors and actresses who were deemed an after-thought by critics who had grown weary of the predictability of the Emmys; however, as the night wore on, the Emmys began irritating me. Perhaps the hour plus time spent celebrating mini-series and movies was the reason. Can there really be a category for Best Miniseries when exactly two miniseries are nominated? Obviously, the category existed. I would have bumped Tom Hanks and his mini-series to the Creative Arts show that occurred a week ago.
Here are my (mostly) complete thoughts about last night’s Emmy Awards:
-Jimmy Fallon hosted the show last night. While I had no problems with how he performed as the host, I wondered how much power Lorne Michaels has in television. For example, if I was a writer’s PA or writer’s assistant on SNL and I happened to trip over his shoe accidentally, would I ever work in the business again? Take a gander at Horatio Sanz’s career compared to Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. Lorne Michaels doesn’t like Horatio Sanz. Sanz was abruptly fired from SNL. Since SNL, he’s worked small roles in Will Ferrell movies and landed a role on a Comedy Central series that critics hate; meanwhile, Fallon replaces Conan O’Brien as the host of the Late Show after struggling as a movie actor. I read Lorne made it a mission to find success for Jimmy Fallon. A year and a half after taking over Conan’s chair, Fallon is hosting the Emmy Awards on NBC.
Seth Meyers has been the head writer of Saturday Night Live for a few years now as well as the Weekend Update host. Let us remember that Seth Meyers never made the audience laugh in sketches. If there were laughs, credit goes to Will Ferrell or any other cast member who appeared in the sketch with him. Not only is Meyers the king of the SNL writing staff, he hosted the ESPYs in July. Damon Lindelof, co-creator of LOST, tweeted “Briefly met @sethmeyers21 backstage and got starstruck.” In the infamous words of Meyers, REALLY?!? Seth Meyers has overseen some of the worst SNL years in the show’s history. The ideas are unoriginal and the execution of the ideas is brutal. Like Fallon, the majority of laughs during Weekend Update occur when Seth Meyers can’t help but laugh at the jokes he just delivered.
I don’t get it.
-I almost turned heel on Mad Men last night because of my overwhelming LOST fanaticism but the frustration disappeared rather quickly and I watched the latest episode of Mad Men mere minutes after they won the award for Outstanding Drama Series. They won for the third year in a row. Matthew Weiner didn’t thank his writing staff. Instead, he thanked his wife for reading the scripts. I have no problem with Mad Men winning this award because LOST didn’t have a shot in Emmy Land. It’s a genre show and hadn’t been nominated since the show won in 2005 for the first season.
-I don’t think Matthew Weiner and Erin Levy should’ve won for “Shut The Door. Have A Seat.” Again, I’m biased but I think Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse deserved the win for “The End.” But Mad Men is the Emmy’s favorite child. The one award I wanted LOST to win was the writing award. I will now sigh heavily.
-Jack Bender did not win the directing award for LOST. Steve Schills won for an episode of Dexter he directed. I did want Bender to win the award not only for the greatness that is “The End” but for the entire six years he spent as the creator of the visual look and style of the show.
-I enjoyed the opening segment of The Emmys. I was surprised and overjoyed when Nina Dobrev jumped into frame. She is the star of The Vampire Diaries and an absolutely stunning looking girl. Holy moly.
Will she replace Emilie de Ravin as my fanboy crush? After watching her last night on The Emmys and seeing the TVD trailers for the second season with Dobrev in the Katherine look…I will answer with an emphatic yes.
-Aaron Paul won the supporting actor award for drama series. Paul once acted in a 2000 movie called Whatever It Takes and it’s one of my all-time favorite comedic performances. The majority of people in America won’t agree with me. I’ve read no supporting actor was more deserving than Aaron Paul. Very well.
-Archie Panjabi won the award for supporting actress in drama series. I hear she was outstanding. Good for her.
-Kyra Sedgwick won for Best Actress in a drama series. Many thought Julianna Marquiles was a lock. I wanted Connie Britton to win for her portrayal of Mrs. Taylor on Friday Night Lights.
-Bryan Cranston won the award for best actor in a drama series. This was a stacked category. Every actor deserved to win. I thought Matthew Fox had an outstanding season portraying Jack. Jon Hamm’s performance in “The Gypsy and The Lady,” especially the kitchen scene with Betty, is out of this world. Kyle Chandler’s been great for four years as Coach Taylor on Friday Night Lights as well.
-The only comedy series nominated that I watched was Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show earned zero awards. No surprise. J.B. Smoove wasn’t even nominated and I have no doubt that he’s funnier than every actor nominated for supporting actor in a comedy series.
-The show itself was poorly paced. Again, no one needs an hour plus devoted to mini-series’ and movies. The musical transitions performed by Jimmy Fallon were decent but the twitter stuff was a bad idea.
Overall, I regret watching the entire three hour program. I should’ve stopped when Nina Dobrev left the stage but I had hope LOST would win, at least, one award.
I thought I’d write about the Emmys and Beyond Survival in one post but my write-up on Beyond Survival will be online tomorrow.
THE QUOTE OF THE (YESTER) DAY!
Gio Gonzalez, A’s pitcher, on his relationship with the baseball
“I had a pep talk with the baseball today … It’s the first time. I guess he’s rubbing off too much on me,” Gonzalez said. “After Hamilton’s homer, I got the ball and started yelling at it. ‘C’mon, do your job.’ Then the baseball told me to calm down. I’m losing my mind.”
Well here we are. It is quite late and my lap top is in the process of slowly dragging itself towards that big computer lab in the sky. I think that the best way to describe its current status can be found in the “Boy Meets World” horror movie spoof episode. In that episode, Eric and Jack both confirmed that, according to slasher movie rules, they will both die because of their promiscuity. Shawn sheepishly added that he will get as sick as you can get without actually dying.
Ladies and gentlemen, my computer is Shawn Hunter, but with worse hair. Just saving this document is like climbing Mount Everest with Mount Kilimanjaro strapped to your back.
So, it is for these reasons and with a heavy heart that I must cancel most of the usual Peliculas con Viernes fair for the week. Possibly longer as I continue to adjust to the rigors having something to do between the hours of eight (when did we put an 8 o’clock in the morning?) and five each day.
I think instead of my usual super long and rambly and Power Point heavy entries, I’m going to focus on keeping these shorter and more focused. Tonight, we’ll do another round of Desert Island Essentials!
As we discussed last week, for this feature I will need to kidnap you and shipwreck you on a desert island. It’s not something that I want to do, but it is something that I must do. Of course, I’m not the kind of guy who kidnaps out of hate. I prefer my kidnapping to come from a place of love and respect. That is why I’ll giving you a solar-powered, coconut TV/DVD combo. Also, I will allow you to bring THREE DVDs with you on your journey. Three DVDs that you can watch over and over again. This week’s three DVDs all must star noted dreamboat Leonardo DiCaprio!
Leonardo DiCaprio Edition
Remember, these aren’t necessarily the best three movies Leo has made, but the ones which also can stand up the best to repeated viewing. Feel free to rip me for this list or share your own in the comment section. “The Beach” will not appear on this list for two reasons. 1.) It wasn’t all that great. Seeing it once was enough AND 2.) If you’re living on a desert island why the heck would you want to watch a movie about a bunch of people living on a desert island?!?! Here we go!
Inception
No duh. The unquestioned best movie of 2010 is also the best movie of DiCaprio’s career. The mind-bending neo-noir thriller is equal parts mystery and action flicks. Honestly, watching “Inception” while stuck on a desert island is probably the best way to watch it. Who knows? Maybe by the time I get around to rescuing you (could be a while); you will have finally gotten down to the core of this Russian nesting doll and uncovered all of its secrets.
Not bloody likely.
Catch Me If You Can
This clever and charming cat and mouse game stars DiCaprio as an incredibly successful young con man and Tom Hanks as the FBI agent charged with bringing him to justice. Christopher Walken gives a quiet and heart-breaking performance as DiCaprio’s father, also a con man, but one who never quite had a knack for it.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, “Catch Me If You Can” is a dra-medy based on an incredible true story. It’s a great movie about big dreams and it comes with a hopeful message that could certainly come in handy while you’re passing the time soaking up the sun in your tropical prison.
Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare has never been this interesting. I mean, taking old English and putting it in the modern day with guns, cars and John Leguizamo? Brilliant! Baz Luhrmann’s take on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers is absolutely the very definition of cool. You literary types can keep your period piece costumes and traditional interpretations. I’ll take DiCaprio’s maddeningly gorgeous blonde locks any day.
Alright well let’s head on to the Scene of Mystery! Remember, a correct answer will net you a baseball stadium full of Janice Redington’s stuffed animals, while an incorrect answer will likely go on to haunt your very dreams.
What can it be?
And now on to the Beard of the Day!
Beatles Week continues with the quiet one. Ladies and gentlemen, the "George Harrison."
That’s all for now! Have a great weekend and vaya con dios!
The first issue of The Quad is released on Monday. I would have a preview but I graduated 8 months ago and, thus, do not have a preview for what’s coming in Monday’s issue. I look forward to discovering the identity of the person succeeding me as the beat writer for the men’s soccer team. I look forward to the entertainment section remaining the best section in the paper. Last year, for the first issue of the fall semester and my second issue as overlord of the entertainment section, I did a round-up of summer news and a last-minute piece on Noel Gallagher suddenly quitting Oasis. I digress. Everyone can read the latest Quad issue at wcuquad.com.
Last week, I indulged in a week-long search for new television shows to review for the Fall. After the extensive search, I settled on only four shows. The problem is each show is new and the premiere dates won’t allow me to write about television at the pace that I want. For example, The Walking Dead won’t air until October 31. For nearly two months I will only write about three shows? No way.
For the sake of credibility, I won’t write about shows that I’m unfamiliar with. In other words, the plan is to write about shows I actually watch. It’s a novel concept. Of course, the TV schedule isn’t favorable in the early weeks. Only The CW returns before the rest of the network landscape on September 20. Most of the shows I’d write about (Community, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Vampire Diaries) air on Thursdays which would create an insane amount of posts in a short span. Plus, my 5th season of NFL predictions is moving into The Foot. Returning shows might find their space within the actual picks. Basically, the TV reviews will become frequent once the full fall schedule is in full swing and I just need to show patience before I can write at the pace I want. Moving on…
A new show is entering the review rotation. Which show? Well, read on:
The Show: Beyond Survival with Les Stround
The Channel: Discovery
Premiere Date: Tonight at 10PM
Premise: (From Discovery Channel Press Release) As “Survivorman,” Les Stroud spent years surviving some of the most remote locations on earth — alone — while filming himself. In BEYONDSURVIVAL WITH LES STROUD, premiering Friday, August 27 at 10PM ET/PT, Stroud learns the tribes’ techniques, takes part in their rituals and ceremonies and discovers the secrets of how their culture has survived for thousands of years… before they vanish forever. Les has relied on his years of training, raw instincts and sheer will to endure his seven-day challenges. Now, he takes his knowledge deeper; seek out the true masters ofsurvival — the last indigenous tribes in the most remote corners of the planet.
Thoughts: I was a huge fan of Survivorman during its run. I understood why Les walked away from the show because he never looked happy by the end of an episode. He spent days with either little food or little water or both. His show wasn’t as intense as Man Vs. Wild. Stroud always offered the more practical way to survive. If I was lost in the wild, I think I could survive with what Les Stroud taught. I would probably die if I followed Bear Grylls because he always adopts the most extreme method of survival but it’s awesome to watch in the comfort of one’s home.
The premise of the show reminds of the movie about the linguists. Linguists would travel to remote corners of earth to capture the dialect of the remaining indigenous cultures. The idea of traveling to the last indigenous tribes on earth to learn about not only their survival skills but their culture is fascinating. I’m eager to learn about these different tribes and their cultures. The description of the tribe Les visits in the first episode is so cool. I expect a healthier, less worn down Les Stroud by episode’s end.
I’ll have much more to write about when I see the episode tonight. The review/recap/thoughts/whatever-you-want-to-call-it will be posted Monday.
Inception
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