Saturday, August 30, 2008

Weekend Rant - Launching the Fall Season

The big long weekend is here and it heralds the beginning of the new Fall season. This is probably the time of the year that I appreciated Fox the most, as they (and the CW) are starting their seasons earlier in September and getting a step up on the other networks.

I hate waiting until October to see the new shows -- and after the strike last year (the great disaster of 2007) and all the abbreviated seasons with the shows, I am ready for a whole complete glorious season of my faves.


Bones is one of my Top Ten favorite shows and this Wednesday they are back with a 2 hour season opener. I love the chemistry between Booth and Brennan and all of the supporting cast are just incredible. The big season opener takes our team to London which sounds like fun, but I would just love to see them come to Montréal where the print version of Bones takes place. That will probably never happen as they seem to have really anchored her character in DC but it could make for an interesting variation at some point and an homage to the books. I will be like a kid in a candy store come Wednesday night.

There will be no Prison Break on the schedule this year. I took it off the Watch List last year after way too many gaping plot holes (bad writing will never win me over) and after missing one season I have no interest at all ... just the commercials alone for the new season have turned me off and that says a lot as I usually will watch anything with a couple of hot brothers like those 2 but there is no hope in hell this time around.

The new version of 90210 will be hitting the airwaves this week as well and I will be checking it out just to see how things look. I was never a big fan of the original, but do like some of the actors ( like Shannon Doherty -- who I loved in Charmed and like her bad ass sensibility) and am curious to see where they go with it. I was hoping for Tori Spelling to return ( I have loved Tori since she did the film Trick and have kept up with her show Tori and Dean: Home sweet Hollywood on Oxygen), but that doesn't seem like it will be happening. It's a real shame as 90210 is as Spelling as you can get. Maybe some one will see the light and give her a cameo as she deserves with some decent pay. It's a shame her mom is being such a twit about things .... she probably could have bank rolled the entire production and I hate all that stupid rich family drama. Tori seems to be a better mom but with all the stress and drama it will be interesting to see how her kids turn out in about 16 years. Hopefully Tori will be back for another season on Oxygen but I don't see the need to keep having babies.

Project Runway continued it's up and down season with an interesting product placement Challenge (can you say Saturn?) and I do like it when the designers get to play with unconventional materials... but Keith was such a downer the whole episode that I was glad when he was sent home. Sure he was great to look at, but his aesthetic was not that interesting and he was such a drama queen about being in the bottom 2 last week. I was shocked that Stella did not as well ( I thought this was the kind of challenge that she could excel in) and was relieved that she sews again for yet another week. This is probably a good example of designers not following their instincts or doing something to try to please the judges instead of doing what feels right. I was surprised that Laura was there to fill in for Nina (can anyone really replace Nina?) and it was great to see Rachel Zoe. Yes,I know it was more shameless Bravo promotion for The Rachel Zoe Project but I had already decided to check out the series after hearing the quote about her "flipping on her bitch switch" in the promos. Leanne impressed the hell out of me and she made a very interesting dress from car parts. Korto and Jerell also did some great work and thankfully there is some talent mixed in with the drama. I have never felt so bi polar about a season of Project Runway before and am convinced it is the mix of designers and underlying tension between the production staff and the big Bravo big wigs that has it feeling tainted in some way... there is something off this season and I still can't put my finger on it .. yet.

If I don't catch an episode of Outsiders Inn on CMT this weekend I think I will explode. I can not say that I am a glutton for punishment but just hearing the names Bobby Brown, Carnie Wilson and Maureen McCormick (Marcia, Marcia,Marcia) in the same breath sucks me in to the dark abyss we call Guilty Pleasures and I know this is one train wreck that I have to get a look at. Bobby has not been around much since his last reality show (and damn do I miss Whitney and her wacky antics -- Bobbaaaaaaaaaaaaay) and now that he is out of prison and flying solo I am sure there will be lots of fun and games. I find it kind of funny how some of the different Brady kids are still making their presence know on the tube (even after all these years) with Bobby, Cindy and Marcia all being on different reality shows in the past year. Is it true that even after all these years there is still no love for Jan Brady? I would love to see Eve Plumb back... screw typecasting or better yet revel in it ! Either that or I need another Brady Bunch movie fix -- there is something to be said about the classics.