Sick of my theories yet? Well too bad, here’s another!

Last week, with hat in hand, I posted how my theory of Quinn being Lundy’s and Deb’s shooter was null and void. Given that we have new evidence that shows the shooter is very likely Vince’s height, there’s just no way it could be Quinn without giving us some half-brained reasoning for why he was standing in a ditch at the time. So now the question is: is the shooter someone we’ve already met, or someone entirely new? I’m going with the latter.

More than a few people have pinned the Lundy shooting on Christine, the reporter. She fits the height requirement, but I just don’t buy it. Why? Well, it makes no sense. There’s really no palatable motive there. One argument could be that she did it to generate a story for her endangered career, but I’m totally not buying that. Would you really be satisfied with that reasoning, should she be outed as the shooter? How lame!

Instead, I’m putting what money I have left (from what I lost on the Quinn bet) on the shooter being one of Arthur Mitchell’s family, most likely his wife. It’s possible that, at 5′6″, she’s a little taller than Vince, but not by much. The kids are definitely within that height range, though, and they have just as much motive for taking out Lundy. The motive here is that, unbeknownst to Dexter — and possibly even Arthur — Arthur’s family (or at least the shooter in the family) knows what he’s doing. They know about it and allow for it.

This all makes sense when you think about the theme for this season: family. It’s been all about family and how Dexter has needed his space and needed to provide for and support a loving, happy family. As part of what Dexter needs to keep “sane” and to keep his family together and happy, he has to feed his Dark Passenger. However, all along he’s had to do this by himself, with no one else there to support him, stand by him or understand him.

At the end of this season, Dexter will find out the truth of the Mitchell family. They are a family who supports a loving father, no matter what it is he has to “take care of” to keep him happy and “relaxed,” as his wife put it. Meanwhile, Dexter’s wife Rita will continue to not understand her secretive husband as she drifts further away from him and, most likely, resorts to cheating on him with their neighbor. It’ll be a situation that’s been impossible for Dex to imagine this season: a wife and family who understand him fully and supports what he needs, without making conditions and without getting in the way.

There aren’t many episodes left this season, so I wanted to get that theory out there before it possibly became more obvious. It’d make up for my Quinn flub earlier. Right?

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Curse you, CBS! Curse you for moving The Mentalist to a 10:00 time slot this season … don’t you people know I turn into a pumpkin much, much earlier than Cinderella’s coach? It pains me not to watch this show live this season, and in particular, this episode. Holy moly!

“His Right Red Hand” was loaded with goodies for us. I’m still cursing you, CBS, but hooray for November sweeps and pulling out all the stops.

I was loving The Mentalist this season. It was great in season one, but they have really stepped up their game. I love that Jane had a nemesis within the department and that Lisbon and Jane have become partners in Jane’s little schemes. The team really gelled when juxtaposed next to Bosco’s team.

Now we’ve got some changes coming up: no more rival team within the CBI and no more Minelli. What’s a new boss going to do for the team, and to Jane?

More importantly, there were some CBI badge shenanigans going on in this episode that I think were giant clues. With a little help from Brett, here’s what we came up with: Did Red John show his face at Minelli’s press conference? Let’s break it down:

• The red-haired reporter pictured above could easily be Red John. The scarf is covering his Adam’s apple, and hello? Red hair. Really, really sorry in advance to the actress playing this role if I’m wrong, but perhaps consider this a wake-up call and consult a stylist immediately.
• Keith contacted CBS for a cast list from this episode, and the actor is uncredited … suspicious? You be the judge.
• In HD, that white badge the redheaded reporter is wearing appears to be a CBI badge. If so, it is very Red John-like to flaunt something like that, especially if it belonged to Hicks, which is likely. And, it explains how he got in at the end to poison Rebecca, the assistant.
• When Cho was watching Virgil’s speech, I think it was a shout-out to us viewers to pay attention to that scene … because if you did, you just might see Red John.
• Jane flashing the CBI badge — with his finger over it — was another plant to get us to pay attention to the badges.

I’m anxious to see how all the changes in The Mentalist play out over the rest of the season. Do you think we’ll see much of Red John?

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There were still a few things that were meh, don’t get me wrong. I’m really not feeling Mollee and think she’s way over her head in this competition (and I’m really not feeling that weird braid thing she does to the side of her head. What is that?). I think Karen should have gone home over Channing, who’s been in the bottom far less,  and I still miss Mia Michaels. Tyce really tried to step up to the crazy-weird plate with the Blackbird routine, but you can’t manufacture mad genius. There was no commitment to the concept, just a few bird-like movements every so often as if he suddenly remembered, “Hey, I’m doing a conceptual routine that mimics the title of the song I chose!”

But enough about my few complaints — this week was much, much better. If Season 6 keeps this up, it could actually shape up to be, well, worthwhile.

I’ve tried to get into the whole Jakob-love thing, but I haven’t really felt until this week when he — forgive me — danced like he was straight, and by straight I mean that I could buy that he had interest in the girl he was dancing with. Jakob has the same problem a lot of male dancers have which Nigel usually tries to touch on tactfully and ends up totally screwing up explaining. It isn’t an issue to be gay and be a guy who dances. If it was, we’d have very few guy dancers. After all, many past favorites of So You Think You Can Dance were gay dudes. The problem is when they’re so very, very gay that they can’t shake that identity and you become uncomfortable for them when they dance with women. Jakob was very thoroughly in that category for me until this week when hip-hop finally shook him out of it. I give all the credit to Napoleon and Tabitha (finding a use for that big, ugly screen in the back! They deserve sainthood) for really giving him a good character and not letting him leap around. This is hip-hop. There’s no leaping in hip-hop.

Paso Doble is a hard style, but I really enjoyed Legacy and Kathryn’s number. A lot of people said they couldn’t believe Legacy in a strong male role, but I could, maybe because I was blinded by the fact that I never knew he was a secret body builder. Plus I always love this dance. The passion! The throwing! The drama! Anyone who dances this or Argentine Tango well sails (get it? Sails?) into my top three with no problem.

But the big winner of his week was, of course the Ryan and Ellenore contemporary piece. Travis is turning himself into a force to be reckoned with, as a choreographer. The piece was touching, evocative, and perfectly paired with music. And Ellenore and Ryan danced it like a dream. Ryan could have given a little more passion, but his lifts were effortless and Ellenore is easily my favorite this season. Her ability to dance with both emotion and technical excellence is surpassed by none.

So keep it up, So You Think You Can Dance. If you keep it up, I may even forgive you, one day.

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Ladies and gentlemen, don your finest couch potato outfit and best Santino/Tim impression for Project Runway’s big season finale! Althea, Carol Hannah, and Irina have spent most of their last week either whining or throwing up, but it’s time to get down to business. Serious business. I’m curious to see how their collections play out, as all of them look like they have a lot of work to do. Will they take the critiques from the last episode to heart or will they shrug it off like so much last season’s knits? Also, it seems like Tim Gunn has a mini-meltdown at some point, so I think we all need to tune in and pretend to comfort him.

I’ll be hosting a live chat tonight as the episode airs so that we can bitch/marvel together. Join us at 10 PM EST to rant and rave and celebrate!

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Yes, Ken Ober was host of MTV’s Remote Control.

From 1987 to 1991 (with syndication beginning in 1989), Ken hosted Remote Control from his “basement,” offering contestants a buffet of pop culture questions — everything from classic and current television and music videos, to solving math problems while a guy, dressed as a bishop, ran around the studio. It wasn’t done in the wryly dry style of many of the game show hosts of the day. Instead, it was done with humor and plenty of good-natured fun. It was appointment television for the MTV crowd, which was comprised of a good many tweens and teens during that era.

The show itself was a combination of classic game show and sketch comedy. Lounging in seat-belted La-Z-Boys, three contestants would answer a series of questions posed by Ober. Sometimes the game play would be stopped, or enhanced, by a variety of characters that would grace Ken’s “basement” studio. For instance, a fairy pixie named Sheldon would read nursery rhymes of television shows for the contestants to guess. In another category (or, as they were called on the series, channels) contestants were asked to finish a line of a song that was ripped out of Colin Quinn’s throat. In yet another category, Ken’s nerdy cousin Flip would laugh the theme songs to various TV shows.

Much of what made Remote Control great was unique for game shows at that time. Aside from the La-Z-Boys, which were seat-belted for when a contestant fell down a chute or behind a wall when eliminated, there were the snack breaks between rounds that caused a deluge of chips or other salty snacks to pour down on their heads. Then there was the famous final round. For the first four seasons of Remote Control it was naming the artists of nine music videos — it was MTV, after all — while strapped to a Craftmatic Adjustable bed. In the fifth season, the contestant was strapped to a metal wheel and had to name music videos while the wheel spun around.

It was also the talent behind the show that made it work so well. In addition to Ober and sidekick Colin Quinn, there was Kari Wuhrer, hostess on the show for the second and third seasons; Adam Sandler, who played the characters Stud Boy and Colin’s cousin Stickpin Quinn; and Dennis Leary, who portrayed Andy Warhol and a drunken Keith Richards (is there any other form of Keith Richards?). There was also John Ten Eyck, who portrayed a number of recurring characters, and keyboardist extraordinaire Steve Treccase, who provided all the musical accompaniment.

Sadly, we will never see a show like Remote Control again. It was one of those rare shows that hit the right nerve at the right time. Now, with so much needless pop culture coming from your computer screen, a game show like Remote Control would be nothing but a blip on the landscape. Especially if it appeared on MTV. Rest in peace, Kenny.

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Now that I’m really getting into V, I thought I’d honor the Visitors’ leader, Anna (played with reptilian grace by Morena Baccarin), by putting together a list of TV’s memorable alien villainesses, whose insidious forces have infiltrated, assimilated, assaulted, insulted, and generally picked on the human race.

Number Six (Battlestar Galactica, reimagined series) — Technically, she’s not the sole leader of the Cylons, nor is she necessarily evil, but from the moment she arrived on that remote space station at the beginning of the miniseries, dressed in her trademark fire-engine red, she became the face of the Cylons. Less than an hour into the series, Six seduces Gaius Baltar, snaps a baby’s neck, and facilitates the destruction of the Twelve Colonies — more than earning her Evil merit badge.

Borg Queen (Star Trek: Voyager) — I remember the Borg Queen primarily from Star Trek: First Contact, but the Borg Queen also appears in a few episodes of Voyager, including the series finale. Like many alien collectives, the Borg seems to be based on an insect hive; thus, they have a Queen Bee, who euphemistically describes her role as “bringing order to chaos.” Just remember, resistance is futile. She will bring order to your chaos whether you like your chaos or not.

Wraith Queen (Stargate Atlantis) — Yes, there are several Wraith queens that John Sheppard’s team encounter over the five seasons of Atlantis, but they are all played by the same actress, Andee Frizzell, with vicious aplomb. The Wraith are another alien species that have a hive hierarchy, but they are quite unlike the Borg. A Wraith queen’s motto is “Why assimilate them when you can eat them?”

The Founder (Star Trek: Deep Space 9) — She’s also known as the Female Changeling, and she leads the forces of the Dominion against the Federation in an attempt to take over the entire Alpha Quadrant. She is ageless and incredibly patient. She can also shapeshift into almost any form, so it’s strange that she chooses to look like Play-doh, even when she is not with her fellow changeling Odo (whose face looks like Play-doh because he is not skilled at shapeshifting). Personally, I think her choice reflects her contempt for “the Solids,” which is what she calls non-liquid people.

Commandant Grayza (Farscape) — An ambitious Peacekeeper leader, Grayza has a nifty weapon, a gland that secretes an oil that bends men to her will. This weapon, along with some manipulation and plenty of shouting, has kept her in command despite the fact that anyone could probably take her in a fight. Grayza manages to oust Scorpius as John Crichton’s number one enemy after subjecting him to her own unique methods of, um, interrogation. You know that made him mad; after setting off a weapon that could destroy the universe, John shouts an unforgettable line for all to hear: “Can I get a huzzah from the grand Peacekeeper Bitch!”

Some other memorable bad girls include Farscape’s War Minister Ahkna (played by Ben Browder’s wife, Francesca Buller), Adria (another Morena Baccarin character) of Stargate SG-1, and any number of Romulan commanders from Star Trek, beginning with the one who tried to seduce Spock in “The Enterprise Incident.”

I’ve probably neglected to mention some great characters. Who are your favorites? Let me know in the comments.

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Brace yourselves, because I’m about to get extra-nostalgic. I remember stumbling out of the theater one afternoon in September of 2004, feeling more excited and wired than I thought humanly possible, not because I had just went to my first rated R movie, but because every part of Shaun of the Dead still rattled in my brain. In the ensuing days, I had to learn everything I could about the creative team behind the film, and one of the things that kept popping up in my endless research was a British comedy called Spaced. Mind you, this was in the age before YouTube, so it’s not like I could just hop online and check out a clip.

For the purposes of this post, I delved back into my high school blog and I see that I made a point of celebrating that Trio had decided to start airing Spaced in conjunction with Shaun’s release. I also see that past-me was so goddamn hooked on Spaced that, two episodes in, she (I?) had already got it in her head to buy the DVD box set. And a region-free player to play said DVD box set.

Needless to say, I really freaking love Spaced. And I want you to love it too.

Spaced was a sitcom that aired on Channel 4 for fourteen episodes over two seasons (1999, 2001). It was written by Jessica Stevenson (now Hynes) and Simon Pegg (now still Pegg), who also starred as Daisy, a struggling journalist, and Tim, a struggling graphic artist. They were strangers that sympathized with each other’s kind of, sort of homeless situation and, after finding a dream flat that advertised to “professional couples only” they decided to fake it and move in together. Hilarity and a bunch of weird stuff ensued.

Hynes went on to do more films and become the ideal dorky girl for geeks everywhere (she’s made out with Ten in Doctor Who, so major bonus points right there), and Pegg made the jump to the big screen, co-writing and starring in Shaun of the Dead and, later, Hot Fuzz. Both of these films co-starred Nick Frost, who also played Pegg’s best friend in Spaced. Pegg and Frost are now working on Greg Mottola’s Paul.

The sitcom was as directed by Edgar Wright, who only had a few other credits to his name at the time. Wright directed and co-write Shaun and Hot Fuzz and is currently in the editing stage of his next directorial venture, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (which, if Wright’s daily photo blog has been any indication, is going to be deliciously insane).

The show itself was notable for its commentary on the life of almost-30s and non-stop pop culture references (a helpful feature on the DVD was the Homage-O-Meter, which displayed captions identifying references as they happened). Despite the fact that some of the references were pretty dated by the time I watched the show (my frustrations toward Phantom Menace had faded for the most part) and I was way too young to relate to that “time to grow up” late-20s panic, there was something about the show that really resonated with me. Maybe it was the snappy dialogue or maybe it was character chemistry; whatever it was, it clicked. It was different from the American sitcoms that I was used to; it was daring, in that it felt like the creative minds weren’t putting on a show for the audience as much as they were making a piece of art that they knew they would be proud of.

And visually, the show was unlike anything I had ever experienced on television. It was obvious where a lot of Shaun’s quick pans and energetic cinematography got its legs. Wright shared a very surreal and highly cinematic view with Spaced, and it showed a lot of promise, like Wright had yet to land a budget that would be enough to catch up with what he had envisioned in his head.

I’m actually having a great amount of difficulty forming into words how much I love this show (it’s part of my top three, nudging the original UK version of The Office right in its rear). So, here are some bullets to simulate real-life conversational listings. Pretend I’m wildly gesticulating as I’m half-shouting these to you.

• Tim’s ravin’ friend Tyres. Sweet Christ, Tyres was amazing. I would abandon my overall misanthropy and anti-party attitude to go to a rave with Tyres for one night. After seeing the show, I also took to dancing in public whenever there was an incidental beat. I was deemed a weirdo.
• Fine art vs. Illustration. Maybe I’m a little biased because I happen to be a visual artist too, but I really appreciated the inclusion of different kinds of artists in this show. There was the painterly Brian, the comic book-crazy Tim, and the whatever-the-hell Vulva. My favorite part was how no one really seemed to “get” what they really did (”So… watercolors?”), which rings true in the lives of young artists everywhere. Struggling creatives! Always hilarious.
• An argument between Tim and Daisy cut around a Tekken 2 clip. Enough said.
• Mark Heap’s performance as Brian. Mr. Heap never fails to amaze and amuse me. It’s a delicate combination of well-tuned physical comedy and distinct voice work. Take a look at his work on Spaced and then consider his portray of Dr. Alan Statham on Green Wing. Truly incredible.
• Tim/Mike. As much as I loved Tim and Daisy as a pairing, I though Tim and Mike were kind of perfect together too. There was that strange, vaguely homoerotic tension between the two best friends that always made for hilarious and accidentally tender moments. Pegg and Frost have spectacular chemistry, and it’s really a gift to the world that they took that to the big screen.
• The soundtrack, heavy on the electronica and remixed versions of “Peter and the Wolf”. It all worked out to be a beautiful voice for the show. Hell, I still pump up the Fantastic Plastic Machine song on the rare occasion I get to do a celebratory walk down the street.
• Fake gun fights being part of an unspoken connection between men. I have seen this tested in real life. It’s completely true.
• Peter Serafinowicz as Tim’s nemesis. Serafinowicz is a funny man in his own right (also the voice of Darth Maul), and he made an amazing villain and classic super-douche.
• Lines like “Oh yah! I ha’n't fought o’ dat!” and anything Bill Bailey says. Forever quotable.

Years after Spaced wrapped up, and after Shaun and Hot Fuzz became  hits in the States and developed more than just a cult following, Spaced was finally released on Region 1 DVD.  The set was pretty much like the UK box set, which I bought oh-so long ago, but it included commentary from various famous American fans of the show, including Bill Hader and Patton Oswalt (who happens to have a wicked crush on Hynes).

Revisiting the series, I see that the first season/series had the strongest voice. It was fresh and exciting, and then it kind of tried too hard with the next season, like its self-awareness worked against itself. That is not to say it wasn’t excellent television, because it was, but I guess they set the bar really high with the first season. There was no Christmas special or anything of the sort to put a cap on the show’s ending. It was just a beautifully executed season finale that tied up all the loose ends that needed to be addressed and left other matters open for viewers to suss out for themselves. Well, there was a brief moment in that DVD extra documentary that shared what happens to Tim and Daisy, but I won’t ruin it….

And finally, Spaced was the reason why I sought out Jaffa Cakes, with which I have since developed a filthy junk food love affair.

Give the show a try. After two or three episodes, if it still feels like it’s not for you, then it’s probably a lost cause, but if any part of it resonates with you, I guarantee you’ll fall in love soon enough.

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I’ve been thinking back, yet again, to the days of old. So many shows that have joined the annals of television history, some good, most bad. Actually, an overwhelming number of shows that have seen life have been bad. Yet in the totality of things, every network can boast at least one lineup of historical successes per night.

Or so I’m out to prove. Or disprove. Well, really, all I’m out to do is schedule the ultimate in television experiences for a week. If I can ever make it that far. Many months ago, I talked about my ultimate in NBC Thursdays. Then, more recently, I moved on to Sundays on FOX. The goal is to find one perfect week of TV, but that’s many posts away. So for now, let’s deal with the challenge at hand: Tuesday nights on ABC. Ah, the memories.

8:00-8:30 In the early ‘80s, this slot was home to none other than the gang on Happy Days (doesn’t that seem so recent?). As time went by, it aired such successes as Who’s the Boss?, Full House, Roseanne, Home Improvement, and Spin City. Not to mention duds like Cavemen, According to Jim, and the ridiculous stuff that rotated on the channel last season. Personally, I’d much rather play it safe here, since competition from other channels is going to be fierce going forward. But for ABC enjoyment, I’ll take Who’s the Boss? in this half hour. It was fun, fresh, and even today it can still make me laugh.

8:30-9:00 Another crazy collection of classics, like Laverne and Shirley (I hear it’s one), Happy Days, Growing Pains, Roseanne, The Wonder Years, Head of the Class, and Home Improvement. Then there’s the embarrassing admission that I have memories of shows like Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper and Phenom. But it’s actually a recent show that calls to me, partly because its short life on the air means that this is really the only time slot I can schedule it for, a fact not true for the other series that populated this half hour. I know a lot of people panned it (clearly), but I think that Carpoolers was one of the most interesting conceits to see the airwaves in a while. Even if that’s a stretch, no one beats Marmaduke (T.J. Miller).

9:00-9:30 Wow this was a hot night. 9PM saw Three’s Company, Moonlighting (never saw it, but I’ve heard good things), Roseanne (not a fan, but I respect the following), Home Improvement, Spin City, and NYPD Blue. I feel bad ignoring Dharma & Greg because of Thomas Gibson, but, come on. More recently, this slot has seen history made on Commander in Chief, and lots of laughter over on Sons & Daughters. Nowadays some dancing thing is on. I’m actually not sure which way to go on this one.… You know what? I actually think I’m going to go with the underdog and pick Sons & Daughters. First of all, my wife will appreciate that choice (always important). Second, Fred Goss is hilarious, and this allows me to get back-to-back showings of him.

9:30-10:00 Strange how the night historically fell off at this time, after three straight well-stocked time slots, boasting such winners as 9 to 5, Oh, Madeline, Chicken Soup, Grace Under Fire, Hiller and Diller, The Geena Davis Show, Less Than Perfect, Rodney, Hope & Faith, Help Me Help You … you get the idea. But it’s also aired Coach, Spin City, and the greatly revered Sports Night. Now, I’ve admitted before that I’ve never seen the show, and I’m also quite tempted by the 1981 inhabitant of this hour, Too Close for Comfort. But with respect for Ivey, as well as for Aaron Sorkin, I’m going to give the slot to Sports Night. Just because I haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it isn’t the right choice for the perfect night.

10:00-11:00 There are some interesting choices in the 10PM hour. A lot of good dramas, or shows somewhere in that realm, have aired on ABC at ten. Shows like Hart to Hart, thirtysomething, NYPD Blue, Boston Legal, and  Eli Stone. Even The Forgotten is a strong series, although I don’t think it’s ready for the big time just yet. And lest we forget the bums: Jessie, Our Family Honor, Jack and Mike, Once and Again, Blind Justice, Women’s Murder Club, and Cupid. Once again, however, I’m going to have to go with a forced decision. Eli Stone doesn’t really offer many options, and it was too great to be left off of any list of ABC hits. Jonny Lee Miller it is!

Definitely a night that I’d enjoy. What does your perfect Tuesday night on ABC look like?

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Aside from star Rowan Atkinson, who went on to become the internationally popular (or hated, depending on who you talk to) Mr. Bean, the series featured Tony Robinson, who went on to numerous television and political projects in the UK; Miranda Richardson, who went on to star in a number of well-known television series and movies (including a role as Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire); Stephen Fry, who has popped up in pretty much everything, including a recurring role on Bones; and, of course, Hugh Laurie, who appears in some small American television series about an acerbic doctor.

The second point of interest culled from the box set is that the four Blackadder series, and their specials, are timeless. Though many of them aired over two decades ago, there’s no sense of aging to the humor or the characters. Well, if you count the fact that Blackadder took place during four important eras in British history, then you could argue that there’s some aging. However, that would be on purpose. Because these shows have aged so well they are still enjoyable.

Which is why the release of Blackadder Remastered comes as a welcome gift. Though many of the series, as well as Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, appear on your local PBS station, they come infrequently, as stations rotate their never-ending supply of British comedies. With the DVD box set, you can watch the series, in any order, while enjoying a number of special features.

There are six DVDs in the box set, all set in individual plastic sleeves to resemble the pages of a book. The first four discs contain the digitally remastered episodes of The Black Adder, Blackadder II, Blackadder The Third, and Blackadder Goes Forth. Each DVD also contains a section of important historical references so you can follow, for example, butler Blackadder’s confrontation with the Young William Pitt, or Captain Blackadder’s hatred of Field Marshall Haig.

There are also the obligatory audio commentaries for various episodes of each series. These are always good for a one-time listen just to get a behind-the-scenes feel for an episode and how the actors and creators think about it now. Plus, they’re always good for some laughs. For instance, in one of the Blackadder The Third episodes, Rowan Atkinson begins his commentary by saying “The great Dr. House awakes,” in reference to a scene with Hugh Laurie.

The last two discs contain the special features. The fifth disc contains the Blackadder specials that have aired over the last 20 years. While most folks will be familiar with Christmas Carol, they may not be so familiar with the 1999 tele-movie Blackadder Back and Forth, which had a bit of a Doctor Who time travel feel. Nor will they recognize Blackadder The Cavalier Years, which seemed more like a potential series episode than a one-shot deal.

The last disc contains the documentary Blackadder Rides Again, which features interviews with all of the major players of the Blackadder universe.  During this 60-minute program, the various members of the Blackadder cast and crew recall the series. There’s even a moment where Rowan returns to the North Umberland castle where the exteriors for the first series were filmed.  In addition, there are extended interviews with Atkinson, Stephen Fry, Miranda Richardson, and that Hugh Laurie guy.

If you’re a fan of any of the Blackadder series, then the $42 price tag won’t be too much of a dent in your wallet. Not only will it allow you to view the shows whenever you want, but it will also be a history lesson for you and members of your family.

Disclosure: This review is based on a commercially available copy, provided complimentary to CliqueClack TV by BBC Video for the  purpose of review.

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Or, put another way, is there only so much funny out there in TV land that if another success story shows up, or something already on the air gets better, everything else is destined to get worse?

Maybe it’s that as individual viewers we’re only allotted so much laughing in a week. I don’t know which is the case … all I know is that, week in and week out, some of my favorite sitcoms are consistently falling flat.

Let’s look at my network comedy viewings for the week. On Sundays, I tee things off with The Simpsons and Family Guy, but they’re both more shows to watch while doing something else. I’ve been catching The Simpsons for years now, but I think it’s loyalty more than enjoyment that keeps me coming back. Plus it’s not offensive, so nothing’s really pushing me to cancel that season pass (although it was borderline distasteful how bad the movie was). And Family Guy? I like Stewie and the evil monkey.

Mondays we move on to How I Met Your Mother. Now, I’m a believer in Barney and Robin as a couple, but, eerily coincidentally, ever since they got together at the beginning of this season, I’ve barely found anything to laugh at on what was once one of my favorite shows. Maybe it’s the new jiggering of things that was required to have them dating, but episode after episode has just gotten worse for me, culminating in an abomination last week with Barney in a fat suit. Debbie and I are definitely watching different shows.

But jump ahead to Wednesday night. Where did The Middle come from? And Modern Family’s not too bad itself. Strong concepts, talented casts, and writers who know how to craft a joke, or a funny situation. I know that others have found the same to applaud on Cougar Town, but I think I actually liked Hank better (and I definitely preferred Joey), so that should give you a pretty good picture of where that one resides for me.

And then on Thursday, while The Office is struggling for me, 30 Rock is showing some strength, with the right mix of characters balancing out the weaker, now less prevalent ones. Which, to me, is like Thursday went and sat itself down on its head. What planet am I on?

(Oh, and nothing to do with nothing, but I’ve caught a few of this season’s episodes of Parks and Recreation and Community on Hulu, and I’m still waiting for something to make me crack a smile.)

But back to my point — it could also be that the balance isn’t being helped any by the fact that shows like Castle and NCIS, to name but two, are funny as well, thus further diluting the week’s quota of ha ha. Or maybe it’s just some unseen-by-us-viewers seesaw that’s being ridden by the stars of two shows, like Patricia Heaton on one end and Neil Patrick Harris on the other; we don’t know about it, but when Heaton’s the heavy, Harris is flailing in the air (come to think of it, he was mostly MIA during the Everybody Loves Raymond years … something to that theory, maybe?).

Or this could all be due to any number of other factors or theories. The moral of the story, however, is that they all lead back to the same conclusion: I’m just not laughing with my television like I once did. Anybody else out there feeling the same?

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“Dude. I’m Chuck Bass. Even Europeans must know what that means.”

Chuck was sadly underused in this episode, but really, that line made up for all of it. In fact, that one line was so perfect, that it’s not even worth sullying it by talking about the beyond-boring Jenny storyline in which it appeared. Jenny Humphrey is not, nor has she ever been, an interesting character. If they insist on putting her in every episode, they should at least put her in school so we can see Constance 2.0 in action. Otherwise, more Chuck time, please.

Here’s my new theory after watching this episode: Serena is a sociopath. Doesn’t it explain her behavior over the past three seasons? Her inability to maintain social relationships for more than a handful of episodes, her robot-like demeanor, her ability to shift from one “emotion” to the next without so much of a blink? I hope that my theory is correct, or Serena van der Woodsen may just bore me straight to death.

I really enjoy Blake Lively, but she does not have chemistry with anyone on this show, so the cinematographers have to work overtime to zoom in and highlight the supposed crackling chemistry between her and Trip. She tells Nate that she hasn’t felt like this about a real person ever, yet a few scenes and a couple of shots later, she’s completely forgotten about him and ready to move on with Nate. Of course, as soon as Trip literally comes back into the picture, Nate is all but forgotten. The woman has no emotional attachment to anything, so as a viewer, it’s really difficult for me to get invested in any of her storylines. Plus, her outfit was distractingly ugly, so that definitely didn’t help.

Now, on to The Most Boring Threesome Ever™: at the very least, we got to see some sort of action this time, imaginary though it may be. However, I really liked Olivia, and more importantly, I feel as though the relationship with her and Dan had potential. Dan Humphrey dating a huge movie star could lead to many more interesting storylines; so to have her exit be because of a threesome between her, Dan and Vanessa is just kind of sad.

They hinted around about a Dan/Vanessa pairing back in season one, and it was great that it didn’t happen. Nobody wants it to happen, and what’s more, it doesn’t even look as though it will happen, since Vanessa left him standing all alone, with a solitary tear rolling down his face, as he swayed silently to the siren strains of a Lady Gaga song.

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Like I said from the start, it’s just not fair at all to compare this series to the original Prisoner. It bares little resemblance, and really stands on its own, right up to the end. Well, I guess one way in which it doesn’t stand on its own is it’s another complete “Why The Face” through and through, including an ending that, for most, is completely unsatisfying.

After watching the third and fourth hours of The Prisoner last night I popped in the DVD with the final two hours, hoping things would start to make more sense and help strike this series as being one for the books. Well, it did that alright, only the books it made it into aren’t the good ones. I can’t begin to fathom why this series sounded like a good idea when the entire script was presented to … anyone. Did Caviezel and McKellan see anything beyond the first couple of episodes before committing to do the series?

What really felt odd about how this series went down was how each hour really did feel like an episode, and not like another hour of a long TV movie. In fact, at times I thought the show would have done better to have consisted of more hours, in order to establish the story a bit more and make more sense out of it, give us a reason to want to see it through other than thinking, “I’ve seen two hours so far, with four more to go. It would be a waste not to see it through now.” The Prisoner is making you a prisoner to watching the whole thing!

It’s quite possible that this series was simply completely beyond me, and called for a lot deeper contemplation and analysis than I’m able and willing to give. That’s a shame, because I really, really wanted AMC to hit this one out of the park. The fact that the buzz for the series strangely died down after its first announcement makes me wonder if the people at AMC thought, “Wow, this is just not going to be good. Quick, tone back the promotion so we can save some face before it’s too late!”

Let me know what you think if you decide to make the full commitment and sit through all six hours of this series. I’d love to hear from anyone who disagrees with me, along with what good you got out of it. Maybe it’ll trigger more contemplation out of me. Oh, who am I kidding?… This was painful and I’m glad it’s over.

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Sometimes Community gets so meta it makes my head spin. Ever since the pilot, Community has seemed very aware of the fact that it is a television comedy, complete with familiar sitcom characters. In this episode, Abed (who is the character who breaks down the fourth wall on a regular basis) basically says, “You guys, we are nothing more than tried and true archetypes molded and evolved on sitcoms over the past 50 years. Let me show u it.”

So in addition to seeing that Abed can predict everything his fellow characters say and do, we have Chevy Chase doing what Chevy Chase does best: pratfalls. Pratfalls made him famous, so the only thing surprising about having him fall over his drum kit in this episode is that it took them so long to do it.

Not only do the writers make a reference to Chevy Chase’s early career in this episode, but they routinely make a habit of needling Joel McHale about his other job. Between the fact that they’ve called him “Seacrest” more than once, and the line in this episode about him pleasuring himself to the E! channel, they know that you’re probably watching this show in the first place because you’re a fan of The Soup.

This was one of my favorite episodes of Community so far, but it’s not just due to all of the “wink, wink, nudge nudge” on display. The actual plot was really strong this week; after all, Jeff and Annie totally kiss! That’s kind of huge.

It seems as though every single episode has been about Jeff and Britta. I haven’t always been in love with this storyline, so the fact that we have a break from it this week is automatically a plus in my book. The whole Jeff/Annie thing in this episode is also great because it proves I’m not completely crazy.

Even though Jeff is all in love with Britta, and Annie is like a lost little puppy dog when it comes to Troy, I’ve long felt that there was a weird sexual tension between Annie and Jeff. I thought it might just be me, but this episode kind of proves that it isn’t all in my head, and furthermore, the way they dealt with it was perfect.

Jeff, for all of his failings, isn’t completely sleazy. Mostly sleazy– but not completely. So to his credit, he understands that at 27 years old, Britta is an appropriate mate for him. Little 18-year-old Annie, on the other hand, well that’s just pushing the boundaries of good taste.

Regardless, he’s a dude, and she’s a good-looking lady. So despite the fact that there’s a pretty significant age difference, he does find himself awkwardly attracted to her, so the awkwardness with which he deals with this is absolutely hilarious. I loved watching both of them fight to not let their biological urges overcome their common sense. Nothing is going to happen between the two of them, but it was addressed, and based on Troy’s reaction when Annie kissed Jeff onstage, it looks as though it’s going to lead to some new, fun storylines.

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Parks and Recreation has never been (and probably will never be) the best, or most talked about, show on NBC. That being said, I’ve watched every episode, and for the most part have enjoyed them. One thing is for certain: it’s a heck of a lot better than Kath and Kim was, regardless of what the ratings say. It is definitely finding its stride in its second season, showing a lot of improvement over its freshman outing.

One (well, two I guess) of the things that has really helped this season shine: Jerry and Donna.

It’s inevitable that Parks and Recreation will be compared to The Office. With the same format and the same mind behind it (Greg Daniels), these comparisons, whether fair or not, simply can’t be avoided. One of the things that has been so charming about The Office is the background characters that were so rich, quirky, and likable in their own ways that they became a huge part of the show. When The Office started it was about Michael, Jim and Pam, and Dwight. As time went on, though, it became apparent that there was comic gold in the rest of the “background” members of The Office, including Creed, Oscar, Angela, Kelly, and all the rest (because they are all great).

I feel like in its second season, Parks and Recreation is starting to explore some of their “background” characters. Looking through the listings on IMDb, Jerry and Donna were in many of the first season episodes, but for the life of me, I can’t really remember seeing either of them. Certainly, their roles have increased, and with great results.

I’ve really been enjoying Jerry. Really, he hasn’t said that much, but by being the punching bag for the whole parks and rec. division, he brings a lot to the game. It was more evident than ever in this past week’s episode when he created a beautiful and meaningful entry for the mural competition, but no one even gave it any attention because he accidentally referred to it as a “murinal.” It was easily the funniest moment of the episode. He does more with his looks of hurt and dismay than most characters can do with one-liners.

Likewise, I think Donna has added a nice dimension to the ensemble as well. She’s pretty cheery and has a certain amount of charm about her with her innocent naiveté. She shined in the mural episode as well, filling hers with images of famous people from Indiana pasted into “The Last Supper.” Only she unapologetically ran out of people to paste in.

Kudos to Jim O’Heir and Retta (yes, just Retta) for bringing their respective characters to life and injecting a much needed boost into Parks and Recreation.

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I’ll take “people we got an earful from this week” for two hundred!

I was going back and forth through the quotes submitted by our writers this week, and I couldn’t quite understand why the haul seemed so light. Then it dawned on me: ABC didn’t air its new Wednesday night comedy lineup this week. Can you believe how quickly those three shows (sorry Hank!) have entered our pop-culture? Yowza.

30 Rock

“Alright hosers: I want all 12 of us fighting for every meter on all three downs. And we’re gonna make this a Boxing Day the Prime Minister will never forget.” – Danny, in his Canadian football movie

“I feel about as useless as a mom’s college degree.” – Kenneth, on his problem with Danny

“Do I look okay?” – Liz
“That’s exactly how you look.” – Cerie

“The future is like a Japanese game show; you have no idea what’s going on.” – Tracy

“Cause after all, what’s a problem but an opportunity disguised as a stripper having a seizure on your boat?” – Tracy, during his and Jenna’s closing ad for “Problem Solvers”

The Big Bang Theory

“‘Sorry’ doesn’t make up for the fact that I had to make chicken and rice with this vegan guy! Do you know what vegan chicken and rice is? Rice!” – Raj

How I Met Your Mother

“It was called the Death Star, baby — they knew what they were getting into.” – Marshall to Lily when she realizes that Storm Troopers are people, not robots

Bones

“I just need you to help me fire my gun.” – Booth
“That sounds desperately phallic.” – Gordon Gordon Wyatt

“I’m fairly certain that Iron Leprechaun is not his actual name, but his wrestling moniker.” – Bones

Criminal Minds

“Password was Cullen.” – Garcia
“Of course.” – JJ
“Colon?” – Reid
“Cullen. The vampire family from Twilight?” – JJ
“What’s Twilight?” – Reid
“Do you ever read anything other than technical books?” – JJ
“Not much in English.” – Reid

Curb Your Enthusiasm

“I’m Larry David. I happen to enjoy wearing women’s panties.”

House

“You don’t ask what I want, you ignore my wishes, and you drug me….” – Wilson
“I’m waiting for you to name something new to our relationship.” – House

The Office

“Monkey see, monkey do … monkey pee all over you.” – Michael

Saturday Night Live

“This year’s Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree is a 76-foot-tall Norway Spruce from Easton, Connecticut. So come on down to Rockefeller Center and watch a tree slowly die.” – Weekend Update

South Park

“Then how come Gordon Stoltski got to go on for like five minutes that one day?” – Cartman
“Well, because he was being murdered.” – Mr. Mackey

Supernatural

“Ya, how original. Supernatural bringing in more creepy children. Sigh!” – German Supernatural LARP’er

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Matt Bomer (Neal Caffrey) is so good looking, there should be a law against walking around with a face like that. I’m sure USA counted on that fact to lure in viewers like me. Then they lined up the show with a terrific ensemble of characters that kept me coming back for more. (I’m not going to watch a show week-after-week if the lead is an idiot and the ensemble is vapid, no matter how good he looks).

“I thought you’d be taller.”

“Me too.”

There were three really smart things about this week’s episode “Flip of the Coin,” and one really irritating thing. Let’s go ahead and get the irritation out of the way so we can enjoy the rest of it, shall we? When the show just started, FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) had a lovely black female assistant, who was resistant to Neal’s charms because she is a lesbian. However, she has disappeared and been replaced with a not-as-lovely, in-your-face assistant who is clearly there to flirt with Neal. It’s too obvious, and Natalie Morales (Agent Lauren Cruz) can’t act. But it’s an irritation I can live with.

The first smart thing: The continued development of Burke’s relationship with his wife Elizabeth, played by Tiffany Amber Thiessen. Thiessen is pregnant in real life, and I so want them to give this couple a child. It’s such a relief to see Thiessen play a mature, warm woman rather than a bratty little twit! Their relationship has been a pleasant surprise.

The second smart thing: The continued development of both Neal’s relationship with Burke, and his relationship with his partner in crime Mozzie, played by the wonderful Willie Garson. Clearly, Neal’s ability to help the FBI hinges on not only the fact that Neal is walking a fine line between being willing to break the law to help them, but also his uneasy, gritty reluctance to screw them (and himself) over by betraying them.

Finally, it was a surprising and pleasant twist to have Burke invite Mozzie in to Neal’s place for drinks (”Gin’s good”) and some cop/conman bonding time over Neal’s wife Kate leaving him with only a mysterious wine bottle for comfort. Sure, it’s not believable or conceivable that Mozzie could get away with stopping a running criminal by literally mowing him down with a limousine and then leaving the scene, but it sure as hell was funny.

White Collar doesn’t pretend to be completely serious– but it’s smart and funny. I’ll take it.

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I continue to be amazed by the way that not only Joe, but also Scanlon and Devalos, just dismiss Allison’s dreams on a regular basis. Have they not been paying attention for the last six years? You can, on occasion, look at that as being a little silly. But I’m going to give Joe a pass on it for one simple reason. I take it as confirmation that he is the eternal optimist. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows, “Oh crap.” But for whatever reason, he just chooses to dismiss it. Especially where family is concerned. There’s something very likable about that quality, as silly as it is.

Bringing in the element of Joe and Allison being worried about Ariel just added to what was already an intriguing case. I was sure I had it figured out early on. And really, I did, but only a part of it. I guessed that Angelo was KC’s father, but was totally caught off guard by KC’s revelation that he was somehow Angelo. Of course, that didn’t turn out to be exactly the case, but it still made for a heck of a reveal.

The wrap up to the case really sold it as Allison dropped the hammer on Nancy (Amy Pietz). And it left a pretty big question out there where KC’s future is concerned. Ariel knows that he lied to her, which may be all there is to say about it. But Allison certainly turned a corner where he’s concerned, opening the door for his return. It would be a logical step in Ariel’s story.

Speaking of the girl’s stories … it’s now been confirmed that Bridgette got the most annoying version of the power. She does end up doing the right thing in the end, but causes herself all manner of trouble in the process. Her situation with Mr. Darby (John Ellison Conlee) was very reminiscent of her run in with Mr. Enright (James Urbaniak) in “Soul Survivor.” From their initial anger, to their eventual gratitude.

All things considered, the combination of a didn’t-see-that-coming reveal in the main case, Joe’s unwavering trust that Ariel will do the right thing (dreams or no dreams), and another happy ending for Bridgette’s mischievous power of good made for another very good episode.

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That’s more like it. “Time” certainly had its share of points you can quibble about, but it still managed to be my favorite episode of the young Stargate Universe season. Kicking things off with the crew exiting the stargate onto a jungle planet was a great start. We need a little more adventure here. Add in some nasty aliens, some nice character moments, and a save-the-day twist that was rather interesting and you have the makings of a pretty good episode.

The way the team first appeared on the planet, I thought we were finally getting some genuine exploration. There was no impending doom forcing them into anything, so it was finally time for adventure. In retrospect, that wasn’t exactly the case, but I don’t think the characters really knew that. Although, with all the time shenanigans, it does completely depend on which timeline you are talking about. Initially at least, they were there because the Destiny had long since discovered the tainted water supply and knew that the venom was the solution.

I also really enjoyed the way that all of the various timelines played out. The attacks were were exciting. And when the characters weren’t having their chests burrowed into, we got some much needed character moments. For me, that’s still the biggest mark against the show. There are so many characters, and we really haven’t gotten to know much about a lot of them. This was a step in the right direction. We learned more about TJ, saw Rush and Young find some (very small) common ground, and had it reaffirmed just what kind of a guy Greer is.

My only real complaint there is that I would have preferred not so much time be spent on Eli. Not that I didn’t enjoy the Eli-specific scenes. I just feel like we’ve learned much more about Eli than anyone else, and it’s time to spread that around a bit. Ideally, I would have liked to see Camile involved, but I’m guessing budget kept Ming Na out of this one. Fortunately, it looks like we’ll be covering that ground next week anyway.

I did kind of give up on the death part of the story pretty early. It was just too obvious that there was no way they could possibly kill all of those characters. It still kept me involved though, because I had to know how they were going to get out of it. Alternate time lines and sunflares are certainly not new in the Stargate world, and the final solution did call to mind the iratus bug. I’m sure that there are those that didn’t dig revisiting those paths. It worked for me.

On the other side of that coin, I’m sure my big complaint worked just fine for a lot of people. I absolutely hated the busted kino video. I get why it was like that. The kino went back in time and had been sitting around, so the data was corrupted, or some such. Fine, but there was just too much with the pixelation and the jerking. It drove me nuts. I couldn’t help thinking, “Any life form that has engineered a ship that can fly through a star has long since conquered the camcorder.”

Other gripes were small. The team that originally landed on the planet did seem a bit too freewheeling and unconcerned. It is, after all, an unknown landscape that could hold all manner of dangers. That was topped by Eli just biting into whatever kind of alien fruit they found. Really though, whatever. I find that I’m more than willing to let a lot of those things slide with Universe. Maybe because I’m a long time Stargate fan, or maybe because it’s Friday night, the work week is done, and I get to go see Jane Austen’s Emma tomorrow. Whatever it is, for now, I remain content just going along for the Universe ride.

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AMC’s remake/retelling/reboot (let’s call it a reboot) of The Prisoner series kicks off this coming Sunday night at 8 PM Eastern on AMC. Some of you who’ve followed this site may remember I did a Virgin Diary review of the original series a few months ago. Honestly, I didn’t get as wrapped up in the series as some people have (not NEARLY as much, that’s for sure), but I did find an appreciation for it in how it influenced other mainstream shows and pop culture, even today. I’m definitely curious how a reboot of the series will turn out and whether the ending will be as much of a WTF moment as the original was.

To mark this occasion, we’re giving away a few Prisoner goodies!

In this giveaway we’re including one limited edition lenticular poster (motion activated — images change when you walk by them) and a 36″ diameter “personal Rover” (pictured at the top of this post). To enter, simply tell us if you’re planning on watching AMC’s The Prisoner Sunday night (or what you thought of it) by next Friday, November 20 at 5 PM EST. We’ll pick one recipient completely at random and alert them after the giveaway ends (make sure your spam filters aren’t blocking mail from @cliqueclack.com!). Only one entry per person, and you must have a valid U.S.-based mailing address. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents of 18 years of age or older only. Not following these guidelines voids your entry.

Good luck, and be seeing you….

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Today’s Guest Clack is from Izzy Plumbly, a writer from Manchester, England who has a full-blown addiction to TV and has never quite gotten over the mess that was Buffy season six. Or the last episode of Angel. But The Wire and Sons of Anarchy soon made up for those, as did Mad Men, Bones … the list goes on….

First things first, let’s get this straight. I loved Defying Gravity. Thirteen beautifully crafted episodes that paid off bit by bit, readying me for the big reveal — that I’m pretty sure would have been metered out morsel by tasty morsel over the series — Ron Livingston doing his “man with a difficult past” routine, Christina Cox’s awesome tough-girl act … I could go on.

However, thanks to the popularity of shows effectively the mental equivalent of Paris Hilton reading the phone book, Defying Gravity never stood a chance. Why would viewers invest their time in another multi-layered and twisty-turny plot when they can get everything they want from this week’s Melrose Place or NCIS:LA (which, yes, I have actually watched, tempted by LL Cool J’s once-upon-a-time-coolness, only to find I’d been horribly duped and he’s just terrible. And alongside Chris O’Donnell. There’s a reason why that guy never made it past being a bland sidekick).

Think about it. You turn on Melrose, you get some nice colours, some pretty girls, moderately hot men, quick storylines with just the right amount of naughtiness, a face from the old version of the show (hello Sydney, Jane, Michael and Jo, next Amanda, rescuing Heather Locklear from spending the rest of her career in moderate oblivion) … it’s so easy. And for a few moments, it makes you feel great.

Defying Gravity was something different. There wasn’t much exposition, a shiny blob in one bit of the spaceship turning everyone a bit mad, Livingston’s aforementioned puppy dog and furrowed brow not-at-all-suggesting-that-something- happened-in-his-murky-past and mysterious flashbacks. Unless you commit to watching this, there’s no point at all. And most people can’t be bothered. Between each episode you’re left wondering what Paula is hiding because no one is that bothered about a dog, why Nadia’s hallucination looked like her in a dude’s outfit and what the hell fractal tomatoes are. It really turned my cogs. And that’s not meant in a dodgy way (get your mind out of the gutter. I know what you were thinking).

But the payoff, gentle viewers, would have been fantastic. If James Pariott’s vision would have been allowed to continue, we would have been in for a treat; I was particularly looking forward to when the Antares reached Saturn, when Rollie inevitably told Jen about the crash and when everyone realized Goss was a total wally and revoked his clearance. And when Peter Howitt did some more Dick van Dyke impressions. Wait, that’s not what he was doing?

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