Are we being too hard on FOX?
Last week I went on about how I think Dollhouse should be shown the door. Dollhouse fans have their petitions at the ready, and their Twitter avatars changed, in support of the show. Then you’ve got people like me who say the show deserves to be canceled, thinking, “what the hell is FOX thinking, keeping such a low-rated show on the air?” Yet, on the air Dollhouse remains. In fact, FOX has just stated that it will air the full 13 episodes it ordered for the season, despite how awful the ratings have been.
People not digging this season of Dollhouse probably think FOX is out of its mind for allowing it to stay on. Hell, I even think it’s weird. Though I continue to think Dollhouse deserves the ratings it’s getting, I commend FOX for keeping the show on for the fans.
In a way I feel bad for FOX. No, really, I know it sounds like complete lunacy, but I do!
TV on DVD for September 22nd
There are so many shows premiering this week that no work is getting done down at the DVD factory. At least, that’s my theory. How else do you explain the shortened list of releases this week? Despite that, there are still a few big ones to take notice of: 30 Rock, Castle, The Mentalist, Terminator, Ghost Whisperer, Ugly Betty, and SVU are representing the big networks. From cable, we have Brotherhood, SpongeBob, and 6Teen. And the week is rounded out by some classics, including Star Trek, Taxi, and Friday The 13th: The Series. The full list is after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Notable computers on TV, from Omnitrix to Earth
Computers are my life. Well, a big part of it anyway. And since you’re reading this, chances are they’re a big part of your life too. We use them for work, school, play and everything in between. Then again, you could be someone’s technically unaware grandma who found this printed out on some crumpled up paper used as packing material for your newest Hummell.
Not only are computers part of our lives, but they consume the lives of those we watch in movies and TV. Some of them are as large as cities, some of them talk and have personalities, and some of them even have pet names. Here’s a list of some of the more notable computers on TV (and before you whine, this is not counting robots):
ARDVARC (Get Smart)
The Automated Reciprocal Data Verifier And Reaction Computer is the central computer owned by Max’s employer, CONTROL. Its best friend is a cigarette machine — how quaint for a show of the ’60s. And let’s not forget the lack of political correctness of the time: on episode number 50 (”The Girls from KAOS”), ARDVARC scans its databases for a particular Asian KAOS enemy agent, but eventually concludes it can’t find the agent because “they all look alike.”
Sadly, on episode number 109 (”Leadside”), ARDVARC blows up. Rumor has it the cigarette machine, overcome with grief, traveled to Japan and now dispenses iPods and eyebrow trimmers in downtown Tokyo.
Read the rest of this entry »
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – Sarah chases down her three dots
(Season 2, Episode 13 – “Earthlings Welcome Here”) 
In general, I’m a pretty snarky bastard, so during the opening scenes of the episode, when we were introduced to the Eileen character, I thought she totally sounded like a dude. I chided myself for being mean, and was going to let it go. Then, of course, it turned out that the character really was a dude. I need to learn to trust my instincts more, I guess. I do have to commend any actress who is brave and secure enough to play a man or a transexual. You have to be pretty comfortable with yourself to do that.
On to the episode….
Tonight on the Tube – Chuck, T:TSCC, Heroes say goodbye for awhile
Spotlight Show of the Night
Heroes (NBC, 9:00 p.m./8:00 p.m. Central, Fall Finale) – Tonight, it all comes down to this in the final chapter (I believe) of “Villains.” Arthur Petrelli may be dead, but you know how well death sticks on this show. Nevertheless, this chapter of Heroes comes to a close tonight and we set the stage for the next. The show has really come together stronger these past few weeks. Tonight’s blurb says that the Petrelli brothers face off and Nathan makes a move with global implications.
Beginnings, Endings & Specials
Cat Dancers (HBO, 8:00 p.m./7:00 p.m. Central) – A 90-minute special looking at the sole survivor of an exotic-cat act recalls his days with the troupe, the challenges of training wild animals and the bond the three performers had, which was romantic all the way around, before a white bengal tiger tore it all apart.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – Sarah and Derek protect an important family
(Season 2, Episode 12 – “Alpine Fields”)
I want to take a minute to congratulate the writers of this show. They have managed to do something that very few shows can pull off. They have successfully created a program that has fairly self-contained episodes, but still manages to have an overarching story. This isn’t a procedural, but the episodes can generally be watched out of order without too much confusion. The structure reminds me a lot of what Joss Whedon did with Buffy.
This was a grab-you-right-from-the-start episode, wasn’t it? The suspense was well sustained through the episode and I liked the way it was structured. The episode kept jumping back and forth between three different time periods: the present, six months ago, and the future. There was a lot going on, but I don’t think it was confusing at all. The jumping around was a really effective storytelling method in my opinion. The best part of the episode, though? No Jon!
Tonight on the tube: The series finale of Boston Legal
So we’ve been doing these ‘Tonight on the Tube’ articles for awhile. Occasionally we even get a comment from you guys about a particular show you watch or are excited about. But all in all these go down pretty quietly. Are you liking them? Do you find them helpful? Too wordy? Not informative enough? This is your blog and we want this particular feature to benefit you as much as possible.
As such, we’re going to start experimenting with how we present this information to you. Do you want to see a full listing of what’s new on television tonight, or would you rather we use this space to spotlight a few key episodes or specials? Maybe you don’t want any of that and would prefer a basic list. Or maybe you just want me to ramble on about my belly button lint for five or six hundred words. And I can totally do that. Today it was the brightest blue you ever saw. Really, I should knit a sweater with it.
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