All throughout my life I’ve been a basement/garage tinkerer. You know, the sorta Jobs-Wozniak thing, stitching together old electronics, auto parts and pieces of wood to make “the next greatest invention.” I think there were a hell of a lot of kids like me in the ’80s who built (or at least tried to build) what I call “Frankenstein devices” — things build from discarded other things, just to see if you could do it.

For about the first two seasons of Sliders, I was completely hooked. That’s because this kid, Quinn, was the ultimate basement tinkerer and nerd, making this incredible machine right under the noses of everyone, including his parents. As hokey as many parts of the show were, I was actually rather impressed at some of the scientific details behind how the sliding machine worked. Dare I say that some of it made actual sense?

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The name Bob Kushell may not mean anything to you, but you probably know his work. Writer and producer of Samantha Who?, producer on Malcolm in the Middle, executive story editor on The Simpsons … just to name a few. Now, add to that the title of Internet Talk Show Host. Yes, even people behind the cameras like to get in front of them once in awhile!

Anytime with Bob Kushell, which airs on the ever-expanding Crackle.com is a funny five (sometimes six) minutes that takes a jab at the late-night talk show format. And, while some of it may be parody, it’s a full talk show, complete with monologue, sketches, and star interviews. We’re not talking about C-list stars like The Hills Spencer and Heidi, mind you. Thanks to his many years in Hollywood, Bob is able to pull in some decent A and B-list talent for his little talk fest.

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FOX

A mere day after FOX’s Do Not Disturb creators say they are sorry for offering a sucky product, the network announces that it’s axing the show and will put repeats of ‘Til Death in the now-vacant timeslot.

FOX could have saved a lot of money if they had taken the time to call me a few months ago after I watched the pilot episode (which aired as the second episode). Here are 10 words to sum up how I felt after watching the episode: 30 minutes of my life I will never get back. Read the rest of this entry »