Is it worth finishing AMC’s The Prisoner tonight? No.
I had high hopes for AMC’s reboot of The Prisoner. In hindsight, I guess it’s a bit silly to call this a “reboot” and not something else, since it only took up six hours of my life and didn’t attempt to keep the story going beyond that. I’m going to try to save a bunch of you from wasting any more hours on this mini-series, because it’s just not worth it.
Too much of Gordon Ramsay is not a good thing
Currently, we have superstar chef Gordon Ramsay as host and berater of FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. We also have him as host of the British version of Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon Ramsay’s F Word on BBC America. So, do we need to see any more of the verbally abusive chef who we never see actually cook anything?
Apparently we do. FOX has decided to bring over the Masterchef concept from jolly ol’ England to air in America because, frankly, we don’t have enough cooking shows out there that start or end with Master. The show will be hosted by Ramsay, who will challenge everyday backyard BBQers, homemakers, and folks who can’t boil water to prepare delicious dishes on their way to becoming a MasterChef. As with Ramsay’s 500 other shows, he’ll gently put these innocent folks through their paces to create amazing, culinary creations. That, or he’ll make them crying heaps of Jello.
Here’s another clue that NBC doesn’t care anymore
So, we’re about a month into a new television season and, frankly, things are looking okay. Save for the cancellation of CW’s The Beautiful Life: TBL (which was produced by Ashton Kutcher, so you knew it was going to be canned), most of the new and returning shows are doing okay (except for Dollhouse, which is really an entity unto itself). We’ve even had some full season pickups come out. In fact, I’ve heard Glee has been renewed for the next five decades!
However, this only pertains to CBS, ABC, FOX, CW, the Spice Network, and most of the other global television networks. NBC, on the other hand, is going in reverse. Instead of giving full season orders to their new programs, they’re actually pulling a FOX and canceling shows before they premiere. Case in point: Southland. After drawing solid numbers in the former ER slot last season, and being renewed for this season, the network has decided to cancel the John Wells-produced program even before it aired its first cold open. Instead, they’ve decided to air episodes of Dateline in its place.
Idiots!
Screw saving Dollhouse! Save Joss Whedon!
Even months before FOX’s Dollhouse premiered, campaigns to save the show appeared on the Internet. Still haunted by the memories of the treatment their beloved Firefly received by the very same network, Whedon fans were desperate to see their master’s new work last. In some ways they were right to be scared. News of the pilot being reshot caused alarm bells to sound, especially when it seemed to be against Joss’s plans. Yet, the show did make it to not only air, but it carried out the complete season and got a surprising renewal.
During its first season, those “Save Dollhouse” campaigns were little heard from. Apparently, even the ratings not being so hot — and the show in danger of not getting a second season pickup — didn’t worry the fans. The renewal was granted, and there was much celebration. And Dollhouse was no longer in need of being saved.
House’s season six needs a do-over
Okay, so maybe this isn’t earth-stopping news. But it makes me feel better. Based on the comments I had on my post about the season premiere of House, though, I was starting to wonder if I’d seen the same show. So, imagine my JOY when I found out that USA Today critic Robert Bianco didn’t like it either.
I thought Bianco nailed it on the head by comparing Season six’s premiere to an ABC AfterSchool Special. Look at all of these likable crazy people! Let’s hug! Blech. I still maintain that House’s treatment warranted at least a three-episode arc, if not the entire season. Why not juxtapose his recovery with the struggling diagnostics department under Foreman’s leadership?
Is The Vampire Diaries a soap opera?
Standing in line at the supermarket a few days ago, the trash mags caught my eye. Don’t judge me — you know you read the headlines to pass the time. Scanning one of the soap opera weeklies, I noticed they had an article with the low-down on The Vampire Diaries.
Wha…? Why would they have a story about a show that isn’t a soap taking up precious cover space? Instantly, I became irrational. I’ve always been a fan of the vamp genre, so of course I would watch this show. You know you’re still looking for the next Buffy, just like the rest of us. I wouldn’t watch a soap opera.
My feelings of irrationality became erratic — those people are crazy; it is most definitely not a soap opera. Oh, I think I hate myself for watching a soap opera. Then — then! — realization hit me, and rational thoughts started to creep back in.
What do so many f–kin reality stars swear so f–kin much?
Hey, assh—s! I have a f–kin question to ask you. What’s the G– damn deal with all the motherf–kin swearing that goes takes place on those s–tty reality programs? I mean, they swear so f–kin much that it’s f–kin hard to f–kin hear them say a G– damn word! What the F–k?
And, that’s one of my pet peeves with reality programming. That, and the fact that reality programming is still around and keeps propagating like a horny rabbit on Viagra. Be that as it may, if reality programming is still around, I wonder if all the swearing is helping it out. Especially since you can’t understand a friggin’ word they say sometimes. Read the rest of this entry »
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