TV Rantings

Weekend Rant - Full Speed into the new season

2011-09-18T08:04:00.000-04:00

Best.Show.Ever

The new shows are starting to appear on the viewing schedule, and before going on to what I am so hyped about for the new season, I wanted to finish off with one important thing:

Congratulations Jordan for winning So you think you can dance Canada! It was great to see one of my favourites from day 1 go all the way and take home the title.

Now back to the Weekend Rant.... this past week I took in the first episode of Radio-Canada's Il dansent, featuring SYTYCD Canada season 1 winner Nico Archambault. Although it is another dance show, there are no eliminations and it is more of a behind the scenes look at the training the dancers will do to make them more versatile and ready to take on all sorts of challenges. On this side of the border we also had the return of Rick Mercer and the scathing 22 Minutes, as well as Les Parent and Infoman. Survivor got off to great start with the return of Ozzie (one of my faves) and Coach (whatever) coming back for redemption. I love this series and all the drama that ensues as they all try to outwit each other.

This week I am hyped for the return of Dancing with the Stars, Glee and Supernatural, The Big Bang Theory, and Modern Family. I will be checking out Charlie's Angels, and hoping it is as fun as the last films that were produced by Drew Barrymore.
Happy Viewing!

SYTYCD Canada -- Finale time!

2011-09-11T07:59:00.000-04:00

Jordan should be this year's winner

So you think you can dance Canada has arrived at the finale, and after the surprise decision to have a Top 6 compete for the prize, the dancers have danced their hearts out and we have voted and tonight will be the big reveal.

For me the choice has always been clear since day 1. I was really hoping to see Joey and Jordan battle it out for first spot, but since he was dumped (still bummed over that, the voters really got it wrong) all of my voting has been for Jordan and I have my fingers crossed for tonight.

This season was fantastic as far as dancers and choreographers went, but I still haven't warmed up to Jean Marc's style of judging and just wish he would tone it down. I have had it with Miss Tré and don't see why she is such an expert when she is the only regular judge who has not choreographed a single thing this year. What is that all about? I like to see my judges put their money where their mouth is and strut their stuff.

I do have to say that having more Mary Murphy on the panel was great, and I love her chemistry with Luther. I was in pure heaven last week when Mia Michaels choreographed a number and Mary was gushing over how nice it was to see her. We were spoiled in Canada with having a fantastic number by such an amazing choreographer, but we were blessed with the talents of Stacey Tookey, Sean Cheesman, Sabrina Matthews and Gustavo Vargas amongst others. The talent was amazing, and I hope next season they start bringing back some All Stars so we can see more of the talent that has already graced the stage.

Catching up with SYTYCD

2011-08-22T12:50:00.000-04:00

Joey & Geisha - they should have been Top Ten

Things have been very busy and I didn't have time to write last week, but there are a few important things that I wanted to rant about before this week's episode.
I can not, for the life of me, understand how Joey was eliminated from SYTYCD Canada last week and missed out on being in the Top Ten. He was one of the best dancers and had such incredible energy and presence on stage and I am very disappointed that not enough people voted for him. It has to be the thing that I hate the most with reality competition shows is that the public decides and it is more of a popularity contest instead of being about talent. It also seems that the Sparkle Bra curse is continuing as Geisha got the boot and she was another incredible dancer that should have stayed. It was great to see Mary Murphy back and I imagine that she will be around until the end of the season now that the American version has wrapped up, the panel is always so much more interesting when she is there. I am still waiting for Tré to step up and do some choreography for the show and to show us why she is such an authority on dance.

America's Favourite Dancer

And speaking of the US series, it was great to see Melanie win the title and become America's favourite dancer. She is a phenomenal talent and was clearly one of the front runners since the auditions.I was hoping that Tadd would be the runner up but nothing could keep up with the final 2 girls who really kicked some serious butt this season. It was nice to see such incredible talent this season and the show seemed to get back some of it's groove that was missing last year when Mary wasn't there and they had done too many changes. Things seem more balanced, but I could do with less Pussycat Doll references and would like to see Debbie Allen back on the panel more often, she is really a dance icon. I won't complain about the guest judges though, I found them all to be charming, endearing and damn funny at times.

Weekend Rant - More on the Sparkle Bra Saga

2011-08-07T11:29:00.001-04:00

Canada's Top 14 Dancers

So you think you can Dance has been monopolizing the viewing schedule 4 nights per week with 2 series playing at the same time.
On the Canadian side of things, the Canadian production team was in super sneaky mode this week concerning the eliminations, so there was not a Sparkle Bra to be seen in the house, so there went my indicator for who was going to be sent home this week. I find it a little curious that a couple of the things that I mentioned here have been addressed on the show and am still waiting for some kind of performance from Tré.
I could not believe that most of the best performers were in jeopardy, and even more stunned to see Jordan and Joey (my 2 faves) in trouble. It is terrible to see great dancers under-appreciated and I hope that the voting public wakes up and votes for the best dancer and not just because he is kind of like Justin Bieber light.

American Top 4

Things are getting down to the wire with the American show, and besides the last episode being all about Melanie (well deserved, she is an astounding dancer and performer) it was full of great performances by some of the other dancers including my other favourite, Tadd. I love his energy on stage and have been really impressed by all the dances he has been doing out of his genre and he has been kicking butt. Sasha has been fierce and done some great stuff, as has Marko, but I am pretty sure that Melanie will win the season. At least our friends to the south continued the Sparkle Bra tradition and Caitlynn was sent home,along with the amazing Ricky but some one had to go. I am really looking forward to the finale this week and the chance to see some incredible dance numbers using all sorts of combinations of the final four.

SYTYCD - The Sparkle Bra Saga Continues

2011-08-02T13:05:00.005-04:00

Things have been very busy here at Couch Potato Central, but I had to make the time to continue my ranting about the 2 editions of SYTYCD and the ensuing Sparkle Bra saga.

Last week on SYTYCD Canada, Teya was put up for elimination and at that time was wearing a Sparkle Bra (it didn't seem to be visible on stage) and was the one sent home, and on the American version, Jordan was wearing major Sparkle Bra and was the one sent home. I am sticking to my theory and every elimination episode I wait in Sparkle Bra alert mode, and if it shows there is lots of finger pointing and screaming " Sparkle Bra" at the TV. I know, childish but it has been working.

On the Canadian side of things, the performances have been great, and I am not sure if the producers have heard some of the grumblings on line, but Tré was introduced as a choreographer and dancer this week, so maybe we will get to see her do her thing eventually. I missed having Mary on the panel this week, and was surprised to see Dan Karaty, who seemed to have vanished off the face of the Earth. It appears he has been doing something off in Europe.

My favourite numbers this week were the Contemporary dance by Jordan and Shane that was choreographed by season one winner Nico Archambault and his partner Wynn Holmes and the other was yet another Contemporary number choreographed by Sabrina Matthews (she is really turning into one of my favourites this year) and danced by Shelaina and Kevin. I loved most of the numbers but have the feeling that time is running out for Geisha and JP and Yuliya and Matt. They didn't seem to keep up with the rest of the pack.

I voted for Jordan and Shane and for Denitsa and Joey. Jordan and Joey are my favourite dancers, and even if Joey was not in one of my favourite performances of the evening, I still think that he is one of the best and hope to see him around until the end.

South of the border, the incestuous relationship between So you think you can dance? and Dancing with the Stars continues as dancers and choreographers hip hop between shows non stop. As much as I liked seeing Lady Gaga on the panel, I was disappointed that it was not mentioned at any time that one of her main dancers, Mark, is from the show and was hoping to see some recognition at one point or even to see him as one of the All Stars. It was a missed opportunity. I did go online to check out all the videos for National Dance Day and all the routines were interesting, and I loved seeing Mary Murphy strut her stuff. There can never be too much Mary Murphy on the show, she adds such insane energy.

Tadd and Melanie are my favourites and am hoping that one of them wins. I am looking forward to the competition this week!

SYTYCD Canada - Top 18

2011-07-26T05:45:00.004-04:00

Last night the Top 18 danced their hearts out of our votes, and it was fun to see things shaken up and all of the couples were shuffled around. It was fantastic to see season 1 winner Nico Archambault on the Judging panel, and the hardest working woman in Reality TV, Mary Murphy was in fine form last night, keeping the panel in stitches and gushing over the great dancers here in Canada. I love how she is tweeting her heart out about the Canadian dancers. If this keeps up she will have to be given official resident status. I am still trying to figure out why Tré is on the panel as they keep changing her title ( I thought she was the Queen of Urban moves or something like that) and am curious if she is going to do some choreography this year and show why she is such an expert. I just wish that Jean -Marc would tone it down a bit, he just rambles at times and I can't follow him even if I speak English and French.

There were some incredible performances last night, and while most of the performances were great, there were 4 that really stood out and 2 of them got me to vote. Congrats to Denitsa and Matt for yet another fabulous Contemporary number choreographed by Sabrina Matthews (who is turning into one of my favourite choreographers this season), I tip my hat to Yuliya and François for that killer Mambo choreographed by Gustavo Vargas and since Franswag is a local boy he got some votes, I shook my groove thing with Lindsay and Shane with that FUN disco number choreographed by Melissa Williams, and the icing on the cake was the show ender and best of the night Contemporary number with Melissa and Joey and choreographed by Mandy Moore. The piece had such flow and it literally floated over the dance floor. It was really astounding and I voted till my fingers bled on this one, it was that good.

As for who I think will be in the bottom tonight, chances are we will see Adam & Geisha, Kevin & Carlena and Teya & Boneless. I will be on high Sparkle Bra Alert to see if my theory pans out.

Summer Fare

2011-07-24T06:01:00.007-04:00

I can't really complain about the variety of TV shows available over the summer months, in fact, it is often one of my favourite times with some great dance shows, the return of some beloved series and some kick ass reality fun and games.

RuPaul's Drag U is one of the biggest highlights of the week and this season has been over the top fabulous. The last episode featuring a trio of down on their luck lesbians was more bitchy deliciousness that can only be found via Drag U, and the new additions of segments like "A word from RuPaul" have made the show even more fabulous, if that was even possible.

Eureka and Warehouse 13 have returned for new episodes and both are combining great sci fi stories with humour and sarcasm. The addition of Aaron Ashmore to Warehouse 13 was great casting and his ability to detect when someone is lying is a hilarious aid in his job. He nicely rounds out the team, and I really appreciate that his sexuality is such a secondary thing and was nicely dealt with in the past episode. Great writing in both series.

I have been enjoying seeing Roseanne back on TV after a long hiatus, and her new reality show Roseanne's Nuts, gives insight into her new lifestyle while treating us to more of her take no prisoners sense of humour. She looks great and so happy, yet retains her realistic view on things. Her presence has been sorely missed on the tube.

Torchwood: Miracle Day has gotten me to like Torchwood again after the last depressing series where they pretty much killed off all the supporting characters. I like the change around to the USA this time around and the storyline is fascinating watching the results of what would happen if no one died. Jack and Gwen are in fine form, and I am intrigued to see where all this will go.

SYTYCD Canada and SYTYCD - the return of the Rants

2011-07-20T05:43:00.005-04:00

After a longer than expected absence, I am back to rant about a few things on the tube.

I was pretty peeved last night when Lauren and Rodrigo were sent home, I just can not understand why one of the sexiest and most masculine guys was kept around and they kept the Justin Beiber clone (JP) who has way less swag, but that is the public's choice. I will say that I have noticed a pattern over the past couple of weeks, and if one of the girls dances wearing a Sparkle Bra in the Dance for your life portion of the show, she is gone. Seriously, I am not sure if it is the costume department having some fun or if it is just some coincidence but I will be putting my theory to test with the next episode.

Both series have been great so far this year, and one of the best things has been the return of Mary Murphy to both judging panels. Mary gives that extra oomph to the proceedings, and I am glad that she is around full time on both shows, even if the Judges beside her risk to lose hearing in one ear.

In SYTYCD Canada, the best number had to be the Contemporary number danced by Melissa and Shane and choreographed by Sabrina Matthews. It was an astounding piece of work and I hope to see more of them. Bravo! This week I am looking forward to seeing the Top Ten in the US show get paired up with All Stars to start the next round.

On Hiatus

2010-03-07T12:09:00.003-05:00

Please note:

Things are on hold indefinitely with TV Rantings for the next while due to work and personal commitments. It has been a fun ride and I may return some day, and I wish you all happy viewing !

The Couch Potato

Weekend Rant – Pre-Olympics Blitz

2010-02-07T16:55:00.001-05:00

Things have been very busy and I haven't had the time to do much updating, and with the Olympics just around the corner it may be a while before I have time to rant, I love this kind of competition and since it happens only every few years I will be taking in as much as possible.

Here's a quick run down of the past while:

The Good:
I was surprised, shocked, confused, dazed and so pleased with the beginning of the last season of Lost, and really like the new alternate timeline that it has created. The writers were very smart with maintaining all of the plot line with the gang on the the Island, yet showing the results of their time ripple. This whole time-space continuum thing is very confusing and makes your brain hurt, but only in a good way.

The return of Project Runway to New York has brought back the right balance and the gang in the natural habitat. I think this is the last season I want to see Heidi pregnant (the woman is incredible the way she just keeps popping them out) and I hope to see more of the Challenges that take the designers way out of their comfort zone. It's nice to see Michael and Nina there each week.

RuPaul's Drag Race hit the airwaves with all it's ferocious fabulousness and if the first episode is only the tip of the iceberg then I can hardly wait for the rest of the season. As you can see from the image, the first challenge was quite a breezy one with that wind machine and not all the girls were ready to be blown that hard, all in good taste.

Burn Notice is right back on track and the first episodes of this season have been spot on with Michael playing all dark, mysterious, sexy and damn funny. Seeing the Cagney & Lacey reunion was hysterical, but the chemistry between Fiona & Michael is too hot for TV. I love this show.

Caprica has held my attention so far and I really like the story that is developing. Here's hoping that the writing remains strong and the plot development consistent, it could turn into another sleeper hit.

I am hitting myself for not putting Tracey Ullman's State of the Union on my Top Ten list as the show is so damn funny and well done that it deserves more accolades than it is getting. Tracy pulls out the most astounding characters and I love her imitation of celebrities. There should be more with her.

The Bad:
I hope Heroes ties up a lot of loose ends cause this may be their last shot. The writing has been choppy and the plot lines are too stretched and I just want it to end. Such a shame.

The Maybe:
Smallville has been doing some good work, but the JSA themed special was only so-so. The storyline was a tad too overworked, and for big name heroes you would think that people would remember someone like Dr. Fate or Hawkman. My biggest beef was with the Hawkman costume and the crappy effects as the other characters seemed better done. It was still good and I had tons of fun and geeky moments but it was unsatisfying. They really have got to get him into that costume soon.

The Human Target started off okay but I am not sure that I am hooked enough to hang around. I will give it a couple more episodes before making a decision. The character is not enough like the comic book one, and it is not really grooving with me.

Shear Genius started off okay but is still on probation with all the changes that they have introduced this year with a new host, main Judge and mentor. The contestants seem talented and there is attitude for days so it bears further investigation.

Coming Up:
This week I am hyped for Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and can hardly wait to see some of my favourites take another shot at the prize. I am pretty sure the Villains will fight amongst themselves and watch for big players like Russell to be eliminated early on. I am pretty sure the biggest threats will self implode early on.

As mentioned earlier, the Olympics are starting! I will be glued to the tube in my spare time watching all the incredible athletes and cheering for the home teams.

Enjoy the games!

Weekend Rant – Starting the New Year

2010-01-16T15:43:00.001-05:00

The traffic on the Blog has been pretty high this past week after posting my Top Ten Lists of 2009, and I have to thank those vigilant readers who pointed out a spelling error (correction done –my bad) and who were questioning how and why a certain show (Dollhouse) was on my list yet listed as a disappointment – I have updated that listing with some of my reasoning.

I was honestly surprised by the number of comments that I received (and they are well appreciated thank you, but all comments are private only as I don’t want my Ranting Space turning into a bulletin board) and I was not the least surprised that some people disagreed with some of my choices, it’s pretty normal that what I like may not be your cup of tea. We are all different and I was glad to see that other Supernatural, Bones, Smallville, Better off Ted and Dollhouse Fans were happy to see their favourite show included on the list. All of this new social networking certainly gets word around fast and to repeat myself, I was shocked by the traffic that visited TV Rantings.

This week heralded the return of Chuck, and the first 3 hours this season have been so great that you can only use the word Awesome to describe it. I am really digging the new and improved Intersect V2 and how Chuck can now tap into different abilities and techniques along with all the information that the Intersect can provide. The comedy balance in this show, along with all it’s glorious geekiness makes it such a pleasure to watch and it was fun seeing pretty much all of the regular cast back. There were already a few twists and turns, including the execution of Emmett (RIP nemesis) and the fantastic episode with Captain Awesome getting in on the action and then being taken hostage at the end. I have to say that my heart jumped for a minute and I thought that they had killed Awesome off but then was quickly relieved when I saw the promo for the next episode. This show better get more of a pick up, it is way better than Heroes and I love how all the episodes are still following the original theme and this time around it was Chuck vs. The Pink Slip; The Three Words and The Angel de la Muerte. Great stuff all around and welcome back Chuck!

Here in the Great White North (aka Canada), we got treated to a new series by the hilarious Kids in the Hall, called Death comes to Town. All of the original cast is back and they are all doing multiple characters as Death visits the sleepy little town of Shuckton. Scott Thompson is hilarious as Heather Weather, the local weather personality trying to get ahead in her career before it’s too late, Dave Foley is playing Marilyn Bowman, wife of the sleazy Mayor and mother to a “special child” and is as hilarious as ever, while Mark McKinney is the most disturbing Grim Reaper that you have ever seen. Bruce McCulloch is playing the Mayor but is even funnier as Ricky, the morbidly obese ex town hero who is house bound and apparent target of the Grim Reaper, and Kevin MacDonald plays another bizarre yet memorable character with his fuzzy headed Marnie, who seems to be suffering from short term memory loss and is the local pizza delivery driver. All of the guys are doing an amazing job and I hope it is a sign that they may come back and do another series. Since this is Canada, there is some subject matter and words that would probably not make it by the censors (I think the Free Kittens with every Abortion sign at the town’s Abortion Clinic would be raked across the coals down south) but I can only imagine that it will be not long before it is picked up by one of the American stations.There will be even some guest appearances by some of their biggest characters, and I can only hope to see Head Crushing Man, The Chicken Lady or Buddie Cole. It’s great to see the Kids back after all this time and the first episode had really high ratings, let’s hope it continues.

Project Runway returned (already?) and is back in New York and feels more like old times than the last season in LA. It’s nice to see Heidi (pregnant again, the woman is a baby factory) and Tim back together with Nina and Michael and I hope they are all there for the whole season. The last run fell flat with the absence of the two Queen bitches, and if the first episode is any indicator of how good this season will be with the talent seen in the first round, then this will be a good season and I hope to see some kick ass designs. I have to admit that I was really impressed by the winning design (congratulations to Emilio) but some of the other designers fell flat. As far as favourites go, I have been smitten with Ben Chmura since he was a comic book artist, and that always gains points with me, and I just love Ping Wu, who is a way out of the box designer that is so different than the others that you can not help but be fascinated. Here’s hoping this is a better round.

I have caught the first few episodes of So you think you can Dance U.K.? hosted by Cat and Nigel heading the Judges. It’s is pretty much like the other versions, all thought the audition process was done quickly and there is an odd number of couples to start with. It is a bit odd that the results air the same day as the Vote, so it looks like voting is very limited and if I understand how the phones work over there very expensive if you are not with the right service. The dances have been good so far so I will be keeping that on my radar for the next while.

In this week of laughter, I enjoyed all of the show but have to say that I really enjoyed the latest episodes of Better off Ted, showing that a typo can lead to a very nasty workplace and that guilt is just another one of those annoying emotions that can be doused with other emotions like sugar or alcohol. The Veronica Palmer character is hilarious and Portia de Rossi steals the show with her deadpan delivery of script that is scathingly funny. I love those comedie noire characters.

This week I am looking forward to checking out Human Target as it was a comic book that I used to read and I loved the Christopher Chance character, and I would be silly to not see check out the new series Spartacus: Blood and Sand that will be airing on Friday and looks a lot like that slightly homoerotic but not at all gay film 300. I love me a Gladiator and am thrilled that Lucy Lawless is in the series. There is also the prequel to Battlestar Galactica, Caprica that looks worth checking out. I am not expecting it to be able to fill the void left by BSG, but if it is an interesting enough diversion it may sway me back towards my ScyFy Fridays. I haven’t been watching much from ScyFy since the Stargate series started to suck.

Top Ten of 2009 - Best in Show

2010-01-10T09:32:00.002-05:00

#1 - Lost – The mythology that this series has created, and it’s fascinating (and very complex) universe have kept me enthralled since the first episode, and as things are getting ready to wrap up this final season, I am literally on pins and needles wondering how all this is going to work out. With all of the different storylines going on and the insidious knots between all of them, this show makes your head spin but it is a great ride. This is the best written thing on TV, the most complex and enthralling story that I have seen since Twin Peaks, and it will be a sad day once it is finished. Thankfully, I have my Dharma Orientation Kit to help clear up some of the basic points but I am dying to know more about the mysterious statue on the Island and how it all ties into Richard and Jacob and Locke. Has time been changed by the group in the past or has it already happened for the present day events to be taking place? All these paradoxes will not be answered until February. One of the Best Shows ever!

#2 - Glee – It is probably no surprise that this show is way up at near the top of the list, it has an amazingly talented cast, great songs and writing and every episode has made me smile. I have been literally blown away by the quality of the performances and a special nod to Rachel (Lia Michele) and the over the top Sue (Jane Lynch) who surprise me each episode. I love that the leading guy is Canadian, and it is so cool to have a character like Kurt (played by the fabulous Chris Colfer) that is a positive gay role model for teens. This is way beyond the sanitary High School Musical, and is a more realistic representation of a modern High School and the real problems that real teens have to face. It has been a long time since there has been a musical series on the air, and the ratings seem to be holding well so I am crossing my fingers and hoping for a full season or three.

#3 - Supernatural - The Apocalypse storyline has been fantastic, and our brothers are learning that they need to rely on each other as it all goes to Hell. The duality of the Winchesters and their fight against the big bad Evil is all gripping stuff and has even been heart wrenching as those around them pay a heavy price for this ultimate good vs. evil battle, but there is still hope on the horizon. The great thing is that even with the end of the world, the guys have still managed to skate a fine line with some very funny stuff tempering all of the bad, and they are both so damn funny and sexy it is a worthwhile diversion each week. I have jumped out of my skin several times this past season as there has been some great horror writing, but I think the parody stuff that they do (The TV episode was hilarious with Dr.Sexy) and all of the geek stuff like the Fan Conventions and all the tongue in cheek self references like the book series is what makes the series so much fun. I hope this is not the final season and we can see more adventures with the Winchesters.

#4 - Doctor Who - This past season was extremely short due to the limited availability of David Tennant, but they did manage to wrap up a few storylines and end the series on an emotional note. This current series was my first experience with the Doctor, and I have loved all the different trips that we have been on over the past 5 years. I will miss that sassy humour ( I am still chuckling over the “ Worst rescue ever” line from the finale) and the quick wit that comes with a well written story, and this series has forever changed my view of sci fi. I must admit that I have been spoilt with this well crafted series, and I have some trepidation to check out the new adventures when they start, but have to say that I have been smitten by a masterful series and hope to see more of these Who Universe Characters. I don’t know if Russell T. Davies will be involved with any of the other characters, but I am hoping for better resolution with our friends from Torchwood. It feels strange to mourn for a character that is gone but not really dead, just completely changed in to some one new.

#5 - Bones- The story lines this year were back on track as Brennan and Booth continue their awkward mating dance. I know they like to keep the sexual tension going (it seems to be the thing in this genre of show), but it would be nice to see them actually hook up, and not just in dream land. The rotating interns have been a hilarious addition to the cast this year, and this show seems to get better with each season as the ensemble gels more and more. Not only does this show have some of the most creative episode names ( The Dwarf in the Dirt), but the interaction between all of the cast is so hilarious that the comedic side really helps temper all of the death that permeates this series. I still want to see Hodgins and Angela get back together, but all the various distractions with Angela along the road have been hilarious. Cam has rounded things out nicely as the mostly no nonsense kind of boss (with mixed results) and I will say it again, I am still convinced that Sweets is not all that he appears and may turn out to be the new Gormogon who has been curiously absent this past season… so far.. anyways… the series is highly underrated and David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel are not given enough credit, they are damn funny and sexy together.

#6 – The Big Bang Theory – This has to be the King of the Geek shows, and I love the intellectual/scientific and geek humour and the great way they are developing each of the characters as the show grows. I am really happy to see the balance between Penny and Leonard, and even happier that they have not ignored the comedic genius of Johnny Galeki (Leonard) who is a tad more subtle than Sheldon but can really deliver some killer lines. The balance of his relationship with Penny (who has really learned how to hold her ground and kick some geek butt) and Sheldon is priceless and over the top most of the time. The comedic timing is killer on this series, and I love how they have been rounding out the Raj and Howard characters and making a better synergy amongst our herd of geeks and the hot chick. The recent appearance of Christine Baranski as Leonard’s mother was hilarious and I am hoping to see more of her. I would kill to have half of the geek stuff that litters their apartment (not to mention have their cash for all that loot) and Sheldon has go to have one of the best tee shirt collections, ever.

#7 - Smallville – I am not the only one that noticed that this show is so much better sans Lana and all the emotional tripe that came with that character. Erica Durance’s portrayal of Lois is dead on and she has created the right balance with our hero in the making. I wish that they would go more towards his costume instead of the black crap, and they really need to let the guy fly (it’s ridiculous that he is not yet at this point) but they are writing some good stories, and I have been loving the guest appearances by other heroes (well, the Smallville versions) from the DC Universe. This year’s storyline is interesting, they do seem to be trying to find a balance with all the characters but I still find that they are a tad harsh on Chloe. I am digging the whole Watch Tower idea and having a central point to coordinate everything, but they seem to be having a problem fleshing her character out more into the Oracle inspired one that they are working with. I do like seeing Chloe getting a bit more cutthroat about things (her rehab of Ollie was priceless), but get tired of the keeping secrets crap with her and Clark. There is a ton of emotional baggage on this show that makes things a tad too teenage-drama, but things are maturing slowly but surely.None the less, this season is really surprising me and I can hardly wait to see the upcoming event with the Justice Society! Is it too much to ask for more Clark in tights?

#8 – Better off Ted – The pacing of this show and the hysterical cast of characters at Veridian Dynamics have made this show a real chuckle fest each time is has played. I loved the first episodes and the introduction of Ted, Linda, Lem, Phil and Veronica and the strange corporate entity that they work for. Ted is the “straight man” of the group, playing the glue that tries to hold it all together, but it is Veronica (Portia De Rossi) who steals the show as the tough as nails/cold hearted bitch that runs everything. Everyone fears her, and she is priceless as she quips things like “God, you people are paranoid. No wonder the company has to secretly manipulate you.” The series has no qualms about being politically correct, and has confronted different issues about the workplace from office romances to genetically manipulating the employees. I really hope this series is around for a few more seasons, it’s has been a hilarious ride so far, and I love the fake commercials from Veridian that pepper the series. Making your world better. Whether you want us to or not.

#9 – Modern Family – It is a big change for the Top Ten list this year as there are several comedies that made the list, and this show has been hilarious since it’s premieire episode. I initially checked it out as I wanted to see how the gay couple was going to be portrayed, and was so pleasantly surprised with Cameron & Mitchell and the baby adoption storyline (which must be making some Fundamentalist heads spin) which has been very well protrayed. The characters are hilarious and Cam saying “ Yes, I've gained a few extra pounds while we were expecting the baby... but that's science. You can't fight it.” had me rolling on the floor and I was instantly addicted to this show. The combination of all of the extended family (including Shelly Long as the ex wife) has had me laughing my ass off, and hats off to the daughter Alex, who steals many an episode with her dead pan delivery of intellectual zingers that mystify her less brainy brother and sister.Good writing always makes for a funny show and the writers are fantastic, and the cast very, very funny.

#10 -DollHouse– I have to say that I worship at the altar of Joss Whedon, and even though the series is being cancelled, and the premise a little sensitive (and a tad unsettling at times), I have loved the development of characters and the weird and wonderful universe that Joss has created and will miss yet another show once it is finished burning off the last episodes. Eliza Dushku is stunning as Echo, and I have really enjoyed seeing Tahmoh Penikett since his appearances in Battlestar Galactica, but the real revelation has been Olivia Williams as Adelle DeWitt. She is an extreme force to watch out for and has really turned into a fascinating character. As expected, the series was not well received by the general public, and it’s a shame as it is well written and fascinating to watch. I love getting spoiled and seeing other actors from some of the other series that Joss has done who have appeared on the show, and hope to see Joss writing another TV series soon. There is a void on the air that can only be filled by him.

Almost made the List: Sarah Jane Adventures, Burn Notice, Chuck, Eureka

Brilliant yet cancelled: Pushing Daisies, Samantha Who?, MadTV, Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles, Battlestar Galactica (all things must end unfortunately)

Fallen from Grace: Torchwood, Heroes

Biggest Disappointment: DollHouse (yup it made the list but stumbled terribly and was too hit and miss... a shame..., Stargate Universe, V, Flash Forward

Best Promo Photo:

Top Ten of 2009 - Reality Shows

2010-01-04T08:01:00.002-05:00

#1 - So you think you can Dance Canada? came back with it’s second season, and it was miles above the American version. The audition process was great, the choreographers and dancers were breathless, and the quality of the show was fantastic. It must be the Canadian touch, but the show is much warmer and fuzzier than the US version, and at the same time we don’t seem to be afraid to push the envelope when it comes to getting the dancers down and dirty. Our ratings and standards are not quite the same as those down south and there was more than one guest who commented on being able to do stuff that would not pass the FCC in the States. Not only were our Judges impressed with the quality of dance, but we even had Mia Michael’s endorsement (and it appears, continuing support) and even a marriage proposal. For quality alone, this show is the benchmark for dance and I can hardly wait for the next season!

#2 – Survivor – is still the King of the Jungle and just had one of the best editions with super villain Russell and the rest of the gang in Samoa. The casting was great this time around and there was some really interesting game play from Russell, in fact he ran things from day 1 and managed to alienate and piss everyone off so that, even though he played one of the best games ever, he didn’t win due to the social component on the game. It’s all about how you play the game and who ends up on the Jury. I am really looking forward to the Heroes vs. Villains edition coming up next !

#3 - Dancing with the Stars – is still a force to be reckoned with and I absolutely love how it has brought dance back on the air waves. The professional dancers awe me with their technique and ability to teach, and the Stars are always a surprise. It is not always my favourite who wins (more often than naught it is another who gets that big old Mirror Ball trophy), but I love watching people try something new or showcase some hidden talent. The show has a pretty good balance, some great guest performances and one of the best hosts in reality television, Tom Bergeron, who has a quick wit, acid tongue and has gotten out some real zingers. It’s time to give this man and Emmy for his outstanding work.

#4 - The Amazing Race - is still as amazing as ever and the production team consistently chooses a good variety of teams covering a nice cross section of the population. They threw a couple of twists in this last edition, eliminating one team out of the gate and making it harder for teams to catch up if they survive a non Phil elimination round. The locales were stunning, the challenges interesting and there was so much drama this year. I think they went overboard with all of the Type A personalities, but there were many teams to route for, and it was interesting to see Teams eliminate themselves by error this time around. It is one of the reality staples here at Couch Potato Central and I look forward to each new edition.

#5 - Top Chef – The Masters edition got me hooked on competition cooking shows (again) and I was in awe watching such high calibre chefs doing the Quick Fire Challenges and putting together some very amazing food. Next was the Vegas competition, and I devoured the past season in Vegas with much gusto and hungrily looking forward to the next one. The mix of chefs was great, and per usual, Bravo made sure to have several gay contestants in their mix and added a ton of drama to the flavour. I think it goes with the territory that a lot of professional chefs are a tad intense. Bring it on, I am ready for more!

#6 - The Soup - is must see TV and my week is really not complete with out it. Joel McHale is hilarious, and delivers some of the most scathing commentaries on the subject matter of reality TV. Not only does it make my hit list every week, but it has more often than naught, shown me a show (usually one of those terrible Guilty Pleasures) that I have to check out. Did I already say how funny and sexy Joel is? If you like your humour dark and cutting, have an extreme dislike for Ryan Seacrest, and no fear to offend any one in the entertainment industry (and that includes Oprah, which is usually a death sentence for anyone), then I invite you to my weekly viewing party. It’s meaty.

#7 – America’s Best Dance Crew – I know that there is a ton of dance related reality shows on this list, but it is the stuff that I really enjoy and it has been such an enormous pleasure to have so much to watch on TV. There is a curious almost incestuous relationship between this show and So you think you can Dance? and Dancing with the Stars, as they all share common choreographers, dancers and even Judges at times, and you get to see some great performances. It’s all very great stuff, extremely original and unlike any of the other dance competitions on the air and well worth the watch. The Judging is hard to follow at times, but seeing the blood, sweat and tears that these crews put into their performances is astounding and some of the movements are out of this world.I am not sure how things will work out this year with Shane Sparks being in hot water at this time, but I am looking forward to the next season to see some slamming Crews bust a move or three.

#8 – Battle of the Blades had a great first season and was such a Canadian success story that it deserved a spot on the list. You can’t get much more Canadian than hockey, and pairing up hockey players with figure skaters made for some interesting (and dangerous) moments, and it was stunning to see these big hulking guys trying to be graceful on the ice in figure skates. I hope it will be back next season, and would love to see them expand the competition to include female hockey players teamed up with male figure skaters and make it more gender inclusive. It was very entertaining, a surprising success and a whole lot of fun. Gotta love that wholesome TV thing eh?

#9 - RuPaul’s Drag Race – How could you go wrong in getting the most fabulous Drag Queens and Female Impersonators on the same stage to compete for a crown? The humour was deadly, the competition fierce and all the drama! I could not ask for more out of a trashy reality show and was glued to the TV every episode. There is some huge talent out there, and it was great to see some of the greats get national exposure, and there is always the catch phrase “ Now you have to lip synch for your life” that I can not get out of my head. I can hardly wait for season 2 !

#10 – So you think you can Dance? pushed things a tad too far this year and after a great summer edition, tried too hard and came back right away with a Fall edition. The Judging panel changed, and it was Nigel, Mary and Adam who were there every week. There was the failed attempt (mercifully) of trying to get Paula Abdul on the panel and Mia Michaels left the American show. With all of that, an abbreviated season that finished off bizarrely, and a set change that does not justice to the series, it suddenly felt like it had no heart and out of place. What was once the bastion of dance on TV suddenly has become a bit of a circus and I hope it recovers. I only kept it on the list because of the quality of dance and some of the incredible dancers that participated this year and not for the rest of the production that has seemed to lost it’s focus. Here is hoping that the next season has some of the heart that the earlier seasons did.

Almost made the List: Dance your Ass off, The Sing Off

Brilliant yet cancelled: The Cho Show

Fallen from Grace: Kathy Griffin – My Life on the D List, Project Runway

Biggest Disappointment: The Fashion Show, Sheer Genius, I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here!

Holiday Rant - Wrapping up this Year

2009-12-27T11:45:00.009-05:00

The Top Ten of this year past TV season are on their way, and I just wanted to make a couple of points before working on the lists. Things finished off with more of a whimper than a bang this past couple of weeks, and with all the flurry of holiday activities, there hasn't been much time to voice my opinion over a few of the shows that finished up.

First of all, I am pretty disappointed with this last round of So you think you can Dance? and it has left a bad taste in my mouth. I have the new stage and background (just vile), the new combination of Judges (Adam is way to long winded for me) and I miss having other guest judges filling in or assisting, I have no idea why Nigel was trying so hard to get that ditz Paula Abdul on the panel, and I hated the change in format. Things went better before and I hope that the next round gets back so of the energy the show used to have. I still think that Jakob should have won, but it is more about America's Favorite Dancer and not the most talented one. Rumour has it that this group will not even get to do the Tour so was this season even worth it?

Survivor finished up a great season, and I was happy that Russell did not win. I prefer the players that are under the radar and not as agressive, but he played a mean game. Playing that hard will pretty much ensure you that you will not win (no friends on the Jury), and I was really cheering for Brett in the last few rounds to see if one of the under dogs could win. Russell thought he had the best game plan, and I am still convinced that it was my favourite, Erik, who turned the tide towards Natalie and helped convince the rest of the Jury to vote for her. I still can't get over Russell's face when he saw he didn't win but there is a good chance he might be in the Heroes Vs Villains edition that is coming up next. All in all it was one of the best seasons in recent history and a real nail bitter.

Weekend Rant - Wrapping things up for the Holidays

2009-12-05T15:07:00.014-05:00

Things are slowing down on the viewing schedule as some of the shows fall into repeats or are off the air for several weeks or even months a the Winter Olympics will have some impact on the scheduling of a few shows. Things are wrapping up with a few of the mainstays such as this edition of Survivor (which has been one of the best seasons in years) and the Amazing Race. I was hoping for the gay brothers to win but doubt it will happen now as they have been tools the past couple of episodes. It looks like it could be another Chip 'n Dip fiasco, but you never know. So you think you can Dance is humming along, albeit not with all my favourite dancers, but a very fine bunch of contenders none the less. I am really hoping that Jakob will win, but the really talented dancers are not always those who win, as it is more of a popularity contest and sometimes the better dancers get eliminated so some one who is cuter or younger can win. Jakob has incredible technique, great extension ( his feet kill me) but may be a tad too gay for the general public ... time will tell.

Top Chef is finally down to the brothers Michael and Bryan (like I said from Day 1) and under dog and probable winner Kevin. The competition has been great and I was disappointed that Jennifer didn't make it to the Finale ( especially after the Judges were raving about her Duck and how ducky it was), but all the finalists have been great and it is pretty much any one's game at this time. I hope Kevin wins, I would take his home cooking style over the other two guys' any day, and he seems to make some very simple yet complex flavours.

Things will be sporadic over the next couple of weeks and holiday time -- more rantings to follow and some end of the year wrap ups.

Weekend Rant - Holiday Time

2009-11-29T07:41:00.012-05:00

Having already past Canadian Thanksgiving (last month) we are now at Turkey Time in the USA and the holidays are just around the corner. Things are starting to wrap up for the Fall season, and some of the shows won't be back until February.

I am still not completely sold on the remake of V, but curious enough to want to see more and how things will develop. I still think they missed out on creating more buzz, and they should have shown more of the aliens and their dastardly plans for the Earth to keep everyone hooked, but there was some plot development and I like some of the actors so I am hoping to see more.
Dancing with the Stars surprised me with Donny Osmond winning the big prize (that Osmond Family is huge after all and the whole bunch of them must have voted) instead of Mya. It was a fun season full of surprises and lots of fun to watch, so I am looking forward to the next round.

Heroes is still crawling along (this storyline is taking wayyyyyyyyy too long to get anywhere) and with the ratings in the gutter it is pretty sure that this is the last season. Too bad for that... the show had potential but is just flushing it down the toilet. I am looking forward to when Chuck is back.

Survivor is still churning out one of the best editions yet, with one of the best villains, Russell, who seems to be able to find Immunity Idols like no one's business. I have never seen another player be so sneaky and literally run circles around the other competitors. If the rest of them don't wake up soon, and get him out, he risks to be the big winner. Dave seems to be pretty slow for a genius and the game is going to start getting really nasty over the next few weeks.

Glee is still one of the best things ever on TV and I love the combination of geek and music. More of the club has been showing their singing chops over the past few episodes, and I have been more than surprised by some of the mash ups that have been put together. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and pray for a pick up and another season.

So you think you can Dance? has finishing culling the herd and we are now in Top Ten territory. I am not happy with their final cuts (I would have rather seen Victor and Karen stay and see Nathan and Mollee hit the road), but they are all talented dancers. I have high hopes for Jakob, but this show is not noted for letting gay dancers win the title. Some of the numbers have been quite surprising and I am starting to warm up to some of the new choreographers.

Modern Family is still one of the funniest things on TV, and it's nice to have some hilarious, complex and well written gay characters. Cameron has been stealing the show, and I am completely in love with the snarky Alex. I am still surprised that we haven't touched on a gay issue in Big Bang Theory, but that will more than likely be around the corner, Sheldon seems pretty uptight about a lot of things and I wonder how Mr. Asexual would react to a guy coming on to him.

I am looking forward to the return of Scrubs and catching up on a few series that have been put aside for the holiday season, and will be working on my Top Ten choices for this year. I can't believe how quickly this year has zipped by!

Weekend Rant - November Sweeps

2009-11-22T07:43:00.012-05:00

This November flew by in a blur, and while some shows have been hitting it out of the park, there are others that are boring me silly, and after the holiday break I will think twice before continuing on. On the fence currently: Flash Forward, Stargate Universe and Heroes. The storylines are not grabbing me and the action is way to slow.

Smallville has been a huge success at home this season, and I am really digging the heroic storyline with Zod, all the action between Lois and Clark and the further developments with the WatchTower and Chloe. The writing has been great this year, the only thing missing is a familiar red and blue costume that I hope they get too eventually. I am really hyped for the upcoming Justice Society episode which looks great in the preview. This show is the biggest surprise so far this year.

Project Runway finished off this season (finally) and while it was nice to see all the gang back together, the season was boring and it better get back on track next time around, or Lifetime will not be happy with their purchase. I was happy Irina won, she may have been a bitch but she makes some fierce clothes.

So you think you can Dance ? has me confused with their new set (hate it) and some of the new choreographers. I hope that this season finds a better balance, I am not digging the new combination of Judges ( Adam is too long winded) and miss seeing some of the other greats on the panel like Debbie Allen or even Tabatha and Napolean. The show is off a bit this time around, and I am not sure if it is because it feels rushed coming so closely after the last round this summer.

V has still not caught my attention like the original
series, and at this rate I am not even sure that they will produce more episodes after the pilot. As usual, this remake is not as good as the original series and it is missing that delicious tension that existed in the first series as the Visitors created a totalatarian state and were more alien (voices) and had their penchant for eating rodents. Some things should not be changed. The good news is that Elizabeth Mitchell will more than likely be free to do some work for Lost.

Melrose Place heated up and seemed more interesting with the arrival of Heather Locklear, and it may garner more of my attention in the future.... but that will have to be seen, I am not into most of the characters on the series.

The Amazing Race is humming along towards the finish line, but I have to say that those 2 Harlem Globetrotters are pissing me off and have no sense of sportmanship. I hope the team of gay brothers wins and puts them in their place, I hate teams that play mean.

On the reverse side of that, this season of Survivor is one of the best ones ever, and that is mostly due to Russell and his uncanny ability to sniff out hidden Immunity Idols. I have not laughed as hard, or seen things change so radically (those 360 degree turns can make you dizzy) in the space of minutes on this show in ages. I would still like to see Shambo get the boot, she is a mean player (but tries to cover it up) and her come uppance will be quite the site to see. I am in glee watching all this happen and to see everyone scrambling.

Speaking of Glee, the series is incredible and every episode is well put together and brilliant. I love the Diva-off a couple of weeks ago, and this past week's Ballads episode was hilariously entertaining. I hope this show sticks around for quite awhile, it is one of the biggest highlights of the week for me.

I am still catching up with several things, but did grab the Doctor Who Special last week - The Waters of Mars, and it was another incredible adventure with the Doctor. I am starting to dread the Christmas Special and the End of Time as I dread seeing the end of this present incarnation of the Doctor, but I know that I will experience a great story and some outstanding writing. I have kept my last 2 episodes of the Sarah Jane Adventures for this week, to tide me over until Christmas.

Finally, I am a tad surprised that Joanna didn't make it to the finale for Dancing with the Stars, I saw her there more than Kelly, but I am pretty sure that Mya and Dmitry will win the Mirror Ball Trophy as they are the hottest thing there, Donny Osmond made Top 3 just like Marie, but he doesn't have that sexy vibe with his partner like Mya, who has literally been burning up the dance floor with all of her sexy moves.

Weekend Rant – Short & Sweet

2009-11-08T18:31:00.002-05:00

I am in another very busy period (work related stuff) and am just doing a quick Rant before skipping this upcoming week of posting on the blog. Work obligations have reduced my free time, but I appreciate having this outlet and the loyal readers that follow my rantings.

This week was a surprising one on the Dance side of things, and I am still reeling from the loss of Bianca on SYTYCD. I didn’t expect to see 2 of our tappers eliminated in the same episode, and, for the life of me can not understand why Nigel is so horny about getting Paula Abdul on the panel as a judge. I think they have enough wacky energy on the panel, and I am beginning to understand more why Mia Michaels has decided to distance her self from the show. I am still in awe of home girl Stacey Tookey and her amazing number… wow !

Over on Dancing with the Stars, I shed a tear for Mark & Lacey as they were eliminated (too bad), but wasn’t surprised that Mike & Anna were shown the door. I think Aaron was shocked to be in the low scorers, especially after his high scores the night before. I still want Mya to win, her and Dmitri are the hottest couple there.

Supernatural had me in hysterics this week with their TV Land inspired episode. The humour was quick and sharp and had that familiar feeling that a good episode pulls out of you. I just love the guys when they mug for the camera and roll their eyes as they have to do something really corny. The continual shifting from genre to genre was well done, my favourites being the Japanese Game Show, Doctor Sexy was hilarious, and I wish that we could have gotten treated to more commercials with the guys. Watching Sam have to be a genital herpes spokesman was very funny, and the icing on this very tasty cake was the Knight Rider inspired segment, which was far superior to that dribble that NBC tried to sell last season.

Speaking of remakes, I was bored senseless with the first episode of V … and hope to hell it improves from this point or I don’t see myself watching more than the mini series. They should have kept some of the original format, and broadcast at least 2 hours to hook the public. I barely had time to be introduced to the characters before the first hour was done, and it was missing the intrigue and fascination that existed in the original series. I hope it improves.

Stargate Universe is a heartbeat away from getting cut off the list, and I was ecstatic with the return of Legend of the Seeker, and the return to TV of Charisma Carpenter (aka Cordelia from Buffy & Angel). Damn I wish the days of Buffy and friends could be back but am really liking this series and it’s kinky characters. The Mord'Sith look like dominatrix with these dildo weapons, the stuff that they can get away with in the sci fi genre is ridiculous sometimes.

Will be back soon!

Weekend Rant – Reality Round Up

2009-11-01T15:22:00.001-05:00

There are quite a few reality genre shows on the Watch List, and this past week saw the Season Finale and crowning of Canada’s Favourite Dancer on So you think you can Dance Canada. Congratulations to Tara Jean for taking home the big prize. I was pulling for (and voted a ton for) her fellow competitor, Jayme Rae but glad that one of the girls won this time around. This season was another one filled with great dancers and some fantastic pieces of choreography, and I am ecstatic that it will be back again (soon) and they are already gearing up to start the audition process. We may have also have seen the last Mia Michael creation on a SYTYCD stage for the eminent future, as Mia has moved on to other things. I hope to see more of her work elsewhere.

Continuing is SYTYCD territory, the Top 20 performed on the American version sans my favourite, Billy Bell, who had to drop out due to illness. I am a tad more lukewarm about this crop of dancers and will have to see who catches my eye now that my favourite is gone. I hope he comes back next season. It is still early in the competition and I get more hyped once the herd has been culled down to Top 10 territory.

Battle of the Blades continues to perplex me with the strange voting system used by the Judges, the comments that don’t seem to always fit the performance and the continuing drama of eliminating one of the couples on elimination night after the big Skate Off. It’s all for charity so I try to keep an open mind, but things always feel slightly off balance. I still get a kick watching the Hockey Players figure skating and seeing how comfortable they can be and if they have any actual grace. I am pretty impressed with a lot of the lifts the guys are pulling off and all that strength is good for something.

Survivor is churning out a great season with our über winning Galu tribe dominating the Fao Fao tribe. Russell is turning into the biggest ego that Survivor has ever seen ( the guy is delusional in his perception of the game) and I can hardly wait until the merge and watch all his plans go down the drain. I love it when the merge happens and we get down to individual play and you can really see who the power players are. Let’s just hope the Immunity Idols are played this time around, I always laugh when I see them being hoarded and then their owner gets blindsided. It has happened to the best of players and it would be sweet irony to see that trick played on Russell. Just a thought… I would love to see Erik win it all (I love his tree house), and think he is playing a pretty decent game so far. Besides, he is not so hard on the eyes either.

The Amazing Race continues on it’s trip around the globe, and I love how we see the teams go into meltdown mode and it all hits the fan. Canaan & Mika paid the price for a fear of heights, and it was interesting to see one the other teams, the Globetrotters, break their friendly image and freak Mika out even more until she forfeited her place and quit the Challenge. I don’t think they played dirty (it was a bit mean) as they were waiting in line for her to finish. It was the first time I heard anything about a time limit for starting a Challenge, and they seem to be insisting on the rules this season. It’s always good fun but the Race is getting harder and there only a few teams left. I am hoping for the Gay Brothers, Sam & Dan, to win, but they haven’t been the smartest knives in the drawer so far so that may be just wishful thinking.

Top Chef continues to challenge our Chefs, and unfortunately, one of my favourites, Jennifer, is cracking under pressure and will be eliminated soon if this keeps up. I thought it was a given that one of the brothers would win (Michael or Bryan), but Kevin has been pulling off a lot of wins and feels like the front runner at this time. The Quick fire Challenges are always a ton of fun and I loved our TV dinner themed one this week, even if some of the Chefs completely missed the concept with their creation. There seems to be a lot of tension in the house, and I wondering if it something that they put in the water that keeps everyone on edge like that. I find the gang a tad too harsh on Robin, but I don’t have to spend all my time with her.

Weekend Rant – Catching a breath

2009-10-25T13:30:00.001-04:00

I didn’t think that I would ever say it, but I am actually looking forward to some repeats and the chance to catch up on a few shows that have been relegated to the sidelines due to lack of time. I may have to think of trimming the Watch List down to something more manageable as I simply finding it impossible to watch every single thing and have time for other activities and work. It may be a question of survival of the fittest, funniest and most fascinating that will keep me coming back. There are only so many hours in a week, even for a Couch Potato like me.

Highlights of this past week included the Final Four performing on So you think you can dance Canada? and all my votes have gone out for home girl Jayme Rae. Not only has she been on that Hot Tamale Train all season, but she has dominated the dance floor each and every time she has performed. I don’t think there is one thing that they threw at her that she couldn’t handle, and I voted my fingers off for the 2 hours following the show. The results are too be announced tonight, and I am pretty sure it will be one of the girls taking home the Title of Canada’s favourite Dancer. The guys were good but the girls were even better. The best thing is that they will be starting the auditions for season 3, and the Top Ten Tour will be hitting Montréal again so there will be the chance to see even more dance.

Dancing with the Stars is really heating up, and the good dancers are getting better while those who are more challenged are dropping off to the sidelines. I was a tad surprised to see Natalie Coughlin eliminated while Stoner boy (Louie) and Michael were safe (it is a popularity contest after all) since she was so much better on a technical level, but she had problems connecting with her partner (a shame) and the viewers. Mya and Dmitry are the hottest thing out there and may win the competition if they can out perform Donny Osmond who is turning out some of the best performances and may be the oldest winner if this keeps up. It’s great entertainment and a highlight of every week.

Glee is still my biggest highlight of the week and damn, the show keeps getting better and better. I love how we are seeing more and more of Will’s talent, the multiple love triangles, killer mash ups and even more Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), who steals every scene that she is in with take no prisoners mentality and do not F with me attitude. She is the perfect villain for our geeky gang, who are learning about life with a few hard knocks and reality checks. The music is phenomenal, I love how song and dance is back (and popular) again.

Smallville pulled out a well written episode with Roulette, and they finally got Green Arrow out of his self destructive pattern and back into skin tight leather where he belongs. The episode was well written, had nice balance and spotlighted more of the strengths of our characters than their weaknesses. I like how things are developing so far and this version of Lois is really kicking ass. It is nice to see Chloe developing more and more into an Oracle type character, and running things from the Watchtower, and hopefully it will be time (soon) for more Justice League characters and team ups to start happening. Still, I can’t really complain about this season and hope they have the chance to go for some fun and interesting episodes. I still would like to see some Red and Blue Blur action happening again and get out of the Black avenger stuff they are doing. Superman is iconic for his Blue tights and red cape.

The Sarah Jane Adventures are back on BBC with 2 episodes each week and I am loving the return to the Doctor Who Universe. The first four have aired (loved them) and the ever enigmatic Doctor will be around next episode. Now that K-9 has returned (yippee!), the cast has been rounded out and even though the series is written for children, it is still great to have new Who stuff, even after being terribly disappointed with the last Torchwood mini series.

If anything irked me this week, it was home grown Battle of the Blades and the departure of Barb & Ron who, in my opinion, were probably the best team in the competition and I can’t understand why the Judges booted them instead of Christine & Tie. In all honesty it should have been Ken & Jodeyne that left, but for some reason they got enough votes to keep them safe. With these shocking results this week, it looks like it will be Claude & Shae-Lynn that will win. I wish that the better skaters could have stuck around but if you don’t get the votes you are done for. Too bad, they looked great and skated very well together.

Weekend Rant – Fall & other Thoughts

2009-10-18T16:31:00.001-04:00

This Fall has been much busier than I imagined, and between an intensive new job and the quantity of shows that I am following I haven’t had much time to Rant. Not that this is a bad thing either, as a large majority of it would be pretty negative about the writing in some of the shows that launched this Fall. The winners are clearly outnumbered by the failures, but shining brilliantly above the rest of the drabble is Glee. I don’t think that there is anything else on the Watch List that makes everything else stop and is such a highlight of the week. Glee makes me so happy that I can almost forget about some of the crap that I have been watching. The new Stargate Universe series is really not impressing me and I miss having something cosmic on the schedule.Most of my time has been consumed with dance related shows like So you think you can Dance (both the American and Canuck versions) and I am really hoping to see Jayme Rae win the competition here. She has that something special that you can’t really name, and it would be fun to see one of the girls win the second year. Our American friends are getting to the point of picking their Top 20, so as things tie up here they will start picking up steam down south. I just heard that Mia Michaels is leaving the show and find that a shame, she always brought astounding and profound creations to the stage and was a great, positive influence for the dancers that she touched. I hope that she will be back (the show can use her talent) and I hope it had nothing to do with the fact that Adam Shankman was made a permanent judge. If anything, I hope to see her work elsewhere.

Things have been heating up on Dancing with the Stars and I have a couple of favourites already. I am loving Donny Osmond and Mya and hope to see both of them go far. Mya has the hottest chemistry with her partner Dmitry and you can only imagine how much fun their training must be together. They look great together and this may be the year that Dmitry steps up and takes up the alpha male spot. The guys are really stepping it up this year and you can’t say that they are not good looking. I am pretty impressed with the level and quality of dance, and thankfully, so far, they have been cutting the deadwood and letting those with potential go further. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next few weeks as the Stars seem to be injury prone at this stage of the competition.

The new comedies have been catching my attention and Cougar Town and Modern Family are always good for a chuckle and have been pretty witty so far. Smallville is not that bad and although it has been given a death slot I am hoping to get some decent story. Lois and Clark is way more interesting than Clark and Lana, they just need to stop dumping on Chloe every 2 minutes.

Most of my regulars are true and dependable, like Bones and Supernatural, but I am getting pretty bored with Heroes and starting to lose interest with Flash Forward. At least South Park has come back for another series of episodes and has been as scathing as ever. I still have a few series to catch up with over the next few weeks.

Weekend Rant – Weekly Highlights & Sci Fi Fridays

2009-10-04T16:38:00.001-04:00

This season is off and running, and with the quantity of programs I am currently following I have realized that there is barely enough time in the week to keep up with all of it, let alone rant about it all. It’s a very crazy and hectic and busy time of the year.

A few things stood out this week besides my regular addictions Dancing with the Stars (no surprise Kathy Ireland got the boot, and Tom Delay needs to be next) and the auditions of So you think you can Dance that were a huge treat from New Orleans. The Canuck version of SYTYCD has cut Austin (finally, I think Cody should be the next to go) and Amy (one blonde too many). I would really like to see Jayme win, but will say that the number done by Everett & Kim was the best thing done so far this season and may push both of them farther in the competition.

Glee continues to be my biggest highlight of the week and the guest appearance of Kristin Chenoweth this week was hysterically brilliant and makes me wish that she could be a permanent cast member. I love the integration of her character, the incredible vocals and

Other things that made the grade this week: The Amazing Race is always a winner, Desperate Housewives came back with all the claws out and some great story developments. The series always seems better when Marc Cherry is writing, even if the stories are not that plausible they make for great viewing. Big Bang Theory is still one of the funniest things on the tube but I am really loving Modern Family and all the hilarity. Cougar Town still has my attention but they better make sure it is not a one trick pony as it will lose my interest.

Survivor continues to shine with our villain Russell and his nasty games. His control seems to be slipping and I am glued trying to figure out if any of the other contestants are going to wake up and see how much of a manipulator he is. Rick Mercer came back this week with a decent season premiere, but the gang at 22 Minutes was so scathing that they made the week a whole lot funnier. It was nice to finally see some well thought out political satire concerning our current minority government and their terrible use of propaganda to try to convince the general public that they are doing a good job. It’s all smoke and mirrors and all they have done is spent more public money trying to convince the public that they deserve a majority government. It’s all very distasteful and about time that some one called them on their nasty games.

Friday has turned into one big Sci Fi/ Scy Fy night and while I love the idea of having a whack of genre shows one night, it has turned into a danger zone for shows that are on the bubble and in danger of being cancelled. Dollhouse may not be around much longer as the ratings are plummeting, and the stories seem quite disjointed this year. Smallville has had some interesting moments (I loved the inside Terminator joke concerning Brian Austin Green playing Metallo) so far this year and is starting to get into hotter Lois and Clark territory… I just hope they give it a chance considering the crappy time slot they dumped the series in.

Stargate Universe premiered and I am a tad unimpressed with the pilot. To me if feels like some of the best ideas of Voyager and Battlestar Galactica were mesh-mashed together without making it work. I almost wonder if we are to discover that there are any Cylons on board or some other nefarious plot, and sorry to say but none of the ideas really feel fresh. I will give it a few episodes to see how it develops and pray that it isn’t another fiasco like Stargate Atlantis that lost it’s focus after the first couple of seasons and crashed and burned. I wonder if the networks take DVR viewing and recording into the equation as they look at the ratings, I have the feeling a lot of people record the Friday shows and watch them over the weekend.

I am looking forward to checking out the CBC’s Battle of the Blades, that teams up figure skaters with hockey players. It might make for some interesting combinations and I hope none of the hockey players forget that they aren’t in a game and take a shot at another skater… but then again it could be hilarious viewing. It’s a very Canadian thing.

Weekend Rant – New Season Sensory Overload

2009-09-28T09:38:00.001-04:00

The New TV season (and some killer work commitments) have kept the Couch Potato very, very busy over the past couple of weeks, but the new season is now in full swing and it’s been a huge juggling act trying to watch all of it. I am still catching up on a few new things and trying to re connect with some series of last year, it seems like they all started the same day this season!

If you sneak a peek at the Watch List, you might notice that some days have up to 9 different shows listed, which means that I have to record a ton of shows and catch up on them at different times. There are a few shows that I have been watching “live” for that thrill of seeing it happen the same time as everyone else, but the majority of shows are watched off the grid, and I save time by jumping the commercials. Technology has it’s advantages.

I can’t really complain, there is a ton of Dance related stuff airing at the moment, and I am like a kid in candy story watching the incredible Crews on America’s Best Dance Crew. I am really pulling for We are Heroes to win the big prize and be the first female Crew to do it. They have impressed the heck out of me over the past few weeks and I am looking forward to seeing the big Finale this week and see if they beat Afroborike. It’s cool that the finalists are from different genres this year and it won’t be a BBoy group winning. The numbers have been incredible and the show is such fun to watch.

Dancing with the Stars came back with a vengeance and a huge list of “Stars” that were challenged with 2 dances ( one latin and the other ballroom). It was no surprise that the very bland Ashly Hamilton was bumped (they should have taken Dean McDermott instead of this idiot, he would have gone farther), but I was surprised that it was Macy Gray that got the boot instead of Kathy Ireland. Macy had a cool presence and innocence that was way more interesting than our bland supermodel. The competition looks great and I am pulling for Lacey & Mark and absolutely love Mya & Dmitry. Some of the Stars have incredible potential, such as Donny Osmond and Joanna. Others like Debi (who I love) are finding it a bit harder and may fall to the side before catching their feet. Things have just started, and even if our Judges seem a tad cranky, I am pumped for another season.

So you think you can Dance Canada has finished up with sorting our dancers out and we are now in Top Ten territory. The final cuts of Daniel and Corryne were the hardest of them all, and I would have preferred to have seen Cody get cut instead of Daniel, but I voted and that is all that I could do.The Judges realized how popular Cody is with all the tweeners. The quality of dance is still incredible, and the show is really coming into it’s own with introducing a few styles that not appeared on other SYTYCD stages as well as being a tad more adult than the American version. Our censors seem more open to content such as crotch grabs and that can make all the difference in the world for some the numbers (mild sarcasm) but setting the choreographers creativity free turns out some astounding numbers and it’s is incredible to see how most of the dancers are thriving and expanding their vocabulary. It’s turning into a much better season than the first, and I am even finding it a tad more balanced with our hyperactive head Judge Jean-Marc. I do hate that he keeps wanting to put the dancers on his V.I.D List (very important dancer) but it just comes out wrong and you think that they all have some sort of sexually transmitted disease. I know that Jean-Marc means well but his translations don’t always come out as he would like them to, and they really need to have some one tell him that his whole V.I.D idea is stoopid. It was great that Mya was by again to help out with the Judging, and I am hoping to see her choreograph something for the show.

Our American friends are continuing with auditions for this season of So you think you can Dance? and there has been some phenomenal talent so far, but I am looking forward to getting into the Top 20.

Not that all the TV has been dance, but there has also been my new favourite show Glee, that pulled out a great Beyonce inspired – Kurt Centric episode that dared to do the unthinkable and pull our fabulous boy out of the closet and onto the football field. Not only did we get a ton of Put a Ring on it, but some great pregnancy storylines, more of über-Sue and dissension in the ranks and Rachel leaving. With a guest appearance by Kristin Chenoweth (last seen as Olive from Pushing Daisies) just around the corner this show is only getting better. At least it has already been picked up for a whole season so we will get a chance to see how the story will develop. If you haven’t checked this show out I highly recommend it.

Survivor has chosen an huge bunch of Type A personalities for this round in Samoa, and I have been laughing my ass watching the antics of our biggest villain (so far) Russell has been torturing his tribe and making life difficult for as many of them as possible. I am not quite sure that I follow his strategy as his team has been losing like crazy, but it makes for good TV and I have been rolling my eyes as he plays his game. I was in hysterics when Yasmin visited their camp and got everyone riled up, this show is great for showing a cross section of society and things are pretty scary so far. No idea who will win, but it will probably be one of the dirtiest rounds we have seen so far.

The Amazing Race kicked things off with a doozy of a 2 hour opener and the first elimination at the starting gate. I liked the new twist, and was not surprised that it was our 2 very cocky teams that were hung up before our radical Yoga teachers got Philiminated. They certainly didn’t have that Zen vibe that you look for in Yoga teams, and our Poker Players might have their bluff already exposed after only one episode. The gay brothers are just too adorable for words and I hope they do well. The locales and challenges are as fascinating as ever and I love the world view feel of this show, it’s no surprise that it keeps winning the Emmy for best Reality show year after year.

Supernatural is still kicking butt but getting a tad repetitive with our boys falling in and out of sync with each other. It now appears that Dean is the vessel for Michael the Archangel, and poor Sam looks to be the target of Lucifer, which means another big good vs. evil show off between our brothers. I am not sure if they are trying to pull some Cain and Abel references in to the show but the story is great and not missing a beat.

Smallville came back with Clark being all dark and brooding and the rest of the gang reeling from Jimmy’s death. It will be interesting to see who they develop this season, but I am already loving Lois (as usual) and hope to see more of our heroes back and in action. I still don’t get why they insist on calling it Smallville when most of the action is in Metropolis, and am praying the ratings pick up or it may be a short final season.

I love the first episodes of Cougartown and Modern Family, and hope to see them around for a while as well, I love a well constructed comedy and both have some great elements and characters. I love seeing a modern gay couple with their adopted baby and all the strife with their surrounding family.

The new season is off and running and I am trying to keep up!

Weekend Rant – Limping out of the starting gate

2009-09-13T08:52:00.002-04:00

The new season has launched but it was an awkward stumble out of the gate with the return of Melrose Place and the complete dashing of my hopes to find a juicy soap to fill an emptiness that has been there since the heyday of soaps like Dynasty and the original Melrose Place. There really hasn’t been anything on that scale, nor anything with some decent star power, on the schedule for quite awhile now, and I was really, really hoping to FINALLY have something fun and over the top to watch. But alas, the first episode bit the big one and was more cheesy and angst ridden than anything else. Besides, what the hell are they doing bringing back a character that was deader than dead, only to kill her off again. Blah blah I know all the Lost flashback stuff already and didn’t really find any of the characters that appealing… so it looks like 90210 territory and banished to teen-angst land. Blah. The only way they could get me to watch this would be for Heather Locklear to join (won’t happen, I am pretty sure about that), or for Marcia Cross to come back as crazy,crazy Kimberly. I don’t see either of those things coming true, so it’s Off the Watch List.

The CW did get Supernatural right though and it was a brilliant season opener, following the cliff hanger from this Spring and jumping into the fire with both feet. I loved how the boys had their lighter times before the terrible break up at the end of the episode, and how complex the story is with Sam seemingly back to normal after being used by other forces to free Lucifer, and Dean learning that he was brought back to be the Sword of the Arch Angel Michael. It’s all very biblical and over the top Armageddon and Resurrection and very well written. Those Winchester boys seem to get hotter each season and the subtle humour and friendly jabs between the boys and that hilarious tension that their Number One Fan brought was too much. I like the guys when they are on missions and saving the innocent a bit more than when we are in end of the world mode. There is not much time for joking at this time but I am looking forward to some more tongue in cheek humour. It's all about balance.

So you think you can Dance Canada? is still pulling out all the stops and the dancers are so great that it is really hard to decide on who should leave. Cody and Melanie are definitely the cutest couple (and youngest it appears), but it is Jayme Rae & Daniel and that are the hottest. I am really impressed with their quality of dance (and smoking hot bods) and the way that they live each dance. After this week my opinion has changed concerning Natalie & Danny as well as Kim & Emanuel. They all danced incredibly well (Natalie was very surprising) and Blake McGrath put together a killer Jazz number that was hot sexy magic. It was a shame that Jenna Lynn and Nicolas were eliminated this week, but I am a tad disappointed with the viewers from Québec that didn’t vote adequately to make sure Nicolas was safe. I’ll miss the cute little B-Boy with the big smile. The Judges really have a tough job with eliminating 2 dancers each week as each of them brings so much to the show. France & Jean Marc choreographed and interesting Afro-Brazilian number that was almost as hot and fiery as France’s hair. Still, it is nice to see our Judges strut their stuff and show their dancing chops.

The American version kicked off this week, so while we are culling the herd down to 10, our friends down south at So you think you can Dance? are in the audition process and started off this week.Fox seems a tad more low key this time around and it was only one night for one hour, as they roll out their Fall schedule. It was a great start and it’s always a trip to have Mary Murphy on the panel, she really does bring a special energy.

Glee burst out of the starting gate with a fantastic first episode, more fun music and insight into the lives of our characters. So far so good, and I can hardly wait for more music numbers and special guest stars. I hope the ratings hang in there so we can see a full season, I have already started to worship Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester. That is one funny character, and I love her no nonsense lesbian sensibilities. The characters are all fascinating, and it is such a motley crew that you can’t but help falling in love with the quirkiness of it all and the great music. I love how things are ultra competitive between Glee Club and the Cheerios, and all the back stabbing and espionage with the hope that Cheer will triumph. The storyline is great, and it is such a pleasure to have a musical comedy as a regular series.If you haven’t seen any of it, surf over to FOX and check it out, it’s my Number 1 at this time.

This week I will be getting all pumped up about the return of Bones (one of my favourite shows), the return of Jean-René Dufort as Infoman ( a scathing look at politics and popular culture in Québec and Canada) and the premiere of this edition of Survivor, this time in Samoa. Survivor is still the original (and best) reality show that started the trend and I love this peek into society and how we interact with each other. The best editions are always on Islands, and I can hardly wait to see how this one develops.

Weekend Rant – Jumping into the New Season

2009-09-07T09:53:00.001-04:00

The New Fall season jumpstarted over the past week with the debut of Wipeout Québec, the airing of a lightly extended version of the Glee pilot episode that aired earlier this year, and The Best of So you think you can Dance featuring 15 of Nigel’s favourite performances.

The Québécois version of Wipeout is a tad different than the American version that I am accustomed to watch, but featuring local folks and tons of weird (and sometimes questionable) scene takes give it a flavour all it’s own. Like the original, it features everyday people trying to win the pitiful Jackpot of $5,000. Yup, it’s dirt cheap as far as prizes go, but they try to milk the show for all it’s worth and it’s spread out as 3 half hour shows airing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The format is interesting, but I prefer seeing the whole competition from beginning to end and some of the filler is terrible. The show is new and I am sure they will fine tune things as they sort things out over there on the new station V (formerly TQS now Canal V for Vidanges –inside joke). The thing I like about the Hosts is their very retro 1970’s influenced Polyester suits and HUGE headsets, but not as much into their shtick (one of them down right annoys me), but am willing to give it a chance. It’s local redneck television.

I am so pumped for Glee, I loved the pilot and am really looking forward to seeing hot things develop with the series.It’s been awhile since there was a musical TV series, and I am crossing my fingers on this one that it attracts that High School Musical crowd (not to mention all of us who love Musical Theatre), and gets good ratings to stick around and be a success. I read that one of my favourites from Pushing Daisies (one of those Brilliant yet cancelled shows), Kristen Chenoweth aka Olive, is booked for a multi-episode arc and I can hardly wait to hear her belt out a few tunes.

So you think you can Dance Canada? is continuing the ritual culling of the herd and this week we lost Anthony and Melanie B. Things will be rough each week as all of the dancers are pulling out some amazing performances and really pushing themselves.

Mary Murphy was back this week, and she brings such big energy to the show it’s hard not to love her. I am pretty sure that Luther will be deaf if this keeps up, but I love hearing Mary gush and ooh and ahhh over the quality of dance here in Canada and how damn good these kids are. I am not sure if the same rules apply here in Canada as in the USA, but my Cougar Alert Indicator was running off the scale with the way Mary was responding to our slightly more naughty dance numbers that make it past the censors here. We are quite a bit more liberal here in Canada and the choreographers seem to know that.

I still have a huge weakness for the Bollywood numbers, and the results show had a great group number choreographed by Longinus Fernandes, the choreographer know for that little Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. It was an incredible number and has peaked my interest in seeing more of the genre.

I did enjoy Nigel’s Top Fifteen So you think you can Dance? Performances, even if a couple of my favourites were not on his list, and it has wetted my appetite for even more dance even though I feel bad that Jeanine will not have the title as America’s Favourite Dancer for a very long time with the new competition starting next week.Still, I can’t complain having all this great dance on TV, it’s such a treat.

America’s Best Dance Crew is still a fierce competition, but unfortunately Vogue Revolution got eliminated this week (too much diva for the public me thinks) after a good but not great performance. We are Heroes is still rocking the house and the competition has been as hard hitting as last year. The challenges have been fun, and I love seeing all these whack group numbers that incorporate some of the sickest moves seen on TV. I am always humbled by seeing how some of these dancers move and the way that they float around the floor as if weightless.

Dance your ass off finished things up with Ruben taking home the big prize after losing the most weight and dancing his ass off. I was happy to see our big gay guy do so well, and I am honestly surprised how well the contestants danced considering their considerable size. My opinion of big people has drastically changed and albeit the shock of some of the competition (and the exploitation), I still find it was an over all inspiring experience and I have to really congratulate all of them that participated. Shayla looked damn hot in her last performances with that big curvy figure, and Pinky brought it hard as nails for someone who was in so much pain. Job well done!

Project Runway is all you can ask for in a reality show and I am so happy it is back and true to form. This week’s Team Challenge produced a first, both the winner and the loser came from the same team and the claws are out this time around. Our Surf Inspired Challenge had 2 elements, a more traditional ensemble and then it’s avant-garde counterpart. Some of the teams did some great work but others completely missed the ball and there were some scary outfits. Although not an Judge pleaser (although I am pretty sure it’s up to Heidi’s standards), I thought Qristal’s avant-garde look was fashion forward and pretty hot.Anyways it all hit the fan when Mitchell fessed up to doing nothing for the Challenge and getting dumped for lack of talent, even though he was on the winning team. It appears that the mantra of this season of Runway is that if your are crazy or lazy you will not be hanging around for long. I just think that it’s all such catty goodness and so happy that the show is back. Models of the Runway continues to be a disturbing peek into the lives of the models, some of who seem pretty whack to be on TV. I guess it takes crazy to wear some of that crazy fashion and the show is a nice companion piece to Runway, but not strong enough to hold it’s own.

Coming up this week, I am completely pumped for the premiere of Melrose Place and I am crossing my fingers it will be the juicy kind of soap that will fill that niche in my viewing schedule that has been empty for quite awhile now. The nice thing with some of the new shows starting early, is that you have a chance to check them out and see if you want to follow them. If not, it’s easy to drop and fill in that part of the viewing schedule with another choice. I know that it can be a programming nightmare at times with multiple shows playing at the same time. Even having the ability to record 2 shows at the same time is insufficient with the networks vying for all the same prime time.

Those bad boy Winchester brothers are back on Supernatural this week (bless you CW) and it will be time to catch up and see what the hell (literally) is going on and considering how things finished up at the end of last season with Lucifer being released from Hell and our brothers having a huge rift between them due to all that big old nasty web of deceit and betrayal. It’s the start of the new season and it’s great!

Summer Rant – Finishing up the season with Dance Fever

2009-08-30T13:10:00.001-04:00

I can hardly believe that Summer is almost over, and the beginning of September heralds cooler weather and the launch of the Fall season. The majority of shows are starting in mid to late September, but even this upcoming week gives a taste of what is to come and wraps up some of the summer fare. This is the last official Summer Rant for this year… time flies!

So you think you can Dance Canada? is following the same formula as last year, one 2 hour night of competition followed the night after with a 30 minute result show. I still find the Result show too rushed, and really, really ,really (get the point?) hate the whole “Fake out” routine that the writers insist be used to inform the dancers whether or not they will be continuing on the show. The show still has that warm and fuzzy polite Canadian feel to it, and the competition is even fiercer than last year.

I did agree with their choice of guy to boot, Taylor, as he had a terrible solo (his other dancing was fine), but was shocked that Tatiana was let go. I really thought she had the right vibe to go far and she is a phenomenal dancer. I don’t always understand the Judges.

Speaking of Judges…. I think it is great that they are sticking with an all Canadian Panel (and even in the selection process this year there was more Canadian content than last year) but Jean-Marc is just completely pissing me off. The guy is too loud and I cringe each time he draws attention to the Choreographers. A tad over the top, pas si fort SVP. I still don’t know Trey well enough to give an educated opinion on her dance qualifications, but she seems to be more ego than substance so far.

The performances have been incredible, and the majority of numbers are very intense and well done. My favourite was the Afro-Jazz routine created by Choreographer Sean Cheesman and performed by Jayme Rae and Daniel. They are a phenomenal couple and both being from Montréal makes them the home town kids and front runners for the title.The Contemporary routine with Cody and Melanie M was amazing, and I am really enjoying anything choreographed by Stacey Tooky. She is getting a incredible reputation on both sides of the border and it’s well earned. Both of these couples got all of my votes and I was hitting redial for both of them for quite a few votes each.

I really didn’t care for the Disco routine because it had no real Disco music. Without the right sound it just did not seem to be a real disco number and it was a real flop. Bad choice there by choreographer Melissa Williams as it was not good for Jenna Lynn and Nicolas. I was surprised as I usually like Melissa’s numbers. I saw that the vampire was back again, and Paul Becker looks even more vampire than last season. His number with Tatiana & Austin was very physical and intense and it is beyond me why Tatiana got eliminated. All in all it was a great first week of the competition and the performances will only get better.

This upcoming week the American version will be showcasing the Best of So you think you can Dance as a warm up to their new season starting in a couple of weeks. It will be a tad confusing to have both versions running at the same time (albeit at different rhythms) but it makes for a lot of great dance. Add America’s Best Dance Crew on to the list and top it off with Dancing with the Stars makes for a ton of dance on TV. It makes me a busy, but happy couch potato. So on the subject of America’s Best Dance Crew, I just loved the Martial Arts Challenge and how each crew had to include a style with in their number. I am really happy how Vogue Revolution is hanging in and actually getting some good feedback from the Judges who are now more interested in this innovative gay group who herald from New York's "Vogue" house/ballroom scene. This is the first dance competition show on TV that has really embraced gay groups and it is about time! The competition has been great so far, and crews like We are Heroes are keeping me glued to the set and some incredible numbers. I was sad to see Southern Movement have to leave, but one crew gets cut each week and unfortunately they got the short end of the stick.

I am slightly ashamed to admit that I have a new Guilty Pleasure and have been catching up on Dance your ass off, which has been surprising and shocking me with every episode. I am still a few episodes behind, but more than half way through and sucked into watching the next episode as I have to see what they will do next. There seems to be enough positive messages that try to compensate for the exploitation components of the competition, and I am always really surprised with the performances. I do question the taste level and the actual competences of the Judges (who the hell are those people?), but if this show can get people off their ass and get them moving then it is a good thing. I just can’t get over how surprising agile some of the competitors are, it’s really unexpected and has actually broken down some of my personal stereotypes of obese people. I am pretty sure almost all of the male dance partners/choreographers are gay (yes I know another stereotype but who usually dances with fat girls?) and I am surprised that not all of the competitors are losing several pounds per week with all their dancing and training. We haven’t seen much of the Cheat Cupboard and our contestants having a meltdown and eating a box of donuts.

In other reality fare, the return of Project Runway has been a huge success at home and it’s so nice to have the gang back. The show may be on another network and in a new city, but it has all the essential elements and the right feel. This is the original and the best show of it’s genre and I am so happy that it is back. The challenge this week, to create chic Maternity wear for Rebecca Romijn (married to Jerry O'Connell), pushed a few of our designers way out of their comfort zone. Some of our designers went a bit more literal, and our androgynous Malvin went off the deep end with his chicken and egg inspiration. The Judges are not dealing well with crazy this time around so that sealed his fate and he was aufed in no time. Congrats to Shirin for her stunning design, but I was a tad concerned when I saw that it was *gasp* all gay boys up for elimination and all straight girls with the best designs. Those gay boys better start bringing their A game or thinking of a new career as a stylist. Snap.

Models of the Runway is the perfect companion piece to Runway and I am digging the behind the scenes look at those skinny models and the bitchy competition between them to get paired up with the winning designer. I am not surprised that there may be a few obsessive compulsive personality types mixed into the gang, and that some of the girls may be a tad slower as they have always relied on their beauty to get ahead in life…. but Fatma is just too whack and a tad bit obsessed with designer Logan. This is borderline stalker territory and a bit too obsessive for my taste.

Top Chef Vegas is a great competition so far, but I was a tad surprised of all the drama surrounding one of our lesbian contestants, Ashley, who was not in favour of doing a challenge that involved marriage as she is denied that right in her country , the so called “Land of the free”. I have to agree with her and think that it is just stupid, gay marriage has been legal in parts of Canada for years and hasn’t led to the end of society. I think I was more shocked that the top was brought up on Top Chef, which usually has a kind of macho/cowboy sensibility most of the time. It’s still early in the competition but I am seeing a few of the chefs stand out including Jennifer, who seems to be hitting a lot of the right notes with the Judges, and it is very interesting that the brothers Bryan and Michael seem to be frontrunners, and I can’t help but cheer more for the bad boy of the two, Michael, and his gung ho attitude and forward thinking cuisine. Course there is something to say for bad boy tattooed chefs, they have a certain sexy swagger to them.

Summer Rant – Return to Greatness

2009-08-23T07:50:00.000-04:00

After a very busy couple of weeks and some much needed time in the sun (it’s been a rare thing in this neck of the woods) things have been burning up the TV (LCD) screen with the new season of America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) and the second season of So you think you can Dance Canada?(SYTYCDC). Acronyms aside, some of the best dance that has been seen on TV is happening right now and it makes for some great viewing.

ABDC has a great mix of Crews, and while I was a tad upset that Artistry in Motion was eliminated. The girls were hot and who cares if they don’t have the supermodel type shapes that only a small amount of the population actually has but try to make it some unrealistic ideal. Girls with curves that know how to work it and move are damn hot, and these divas did not deserve to go after their kick ass Beyonce Challenge routine. I am very impressed that our gay gay gay Vogue Revolution (complete with a transsexual that was hotter than almost all of the other girls) is being accepted by the public and let loose. It’s time for Hip Hop and other genres to be more open to gay culture and let it assimilate it’s self into some of these reality competitions. Why not have same sex couples dancing with all the traditional couples? It just adds more flavour and makes the shows more interesting.It’s not like dance and music are not associated with gay culture and there have been tons of artists that have benefited from a gay choreographer or writer or dancer. Lil’ Momma seems very open to the gay thing and it’s nice to see, should I be reading between the lines on this one?

So you think you can Dance Canada? has been great with the auditions all over Canada in the past couple of weeks. Tonight will be the selection of the Top 20, and the regular competition and voting starts this week until we into Top Ten territory. The auditions were incredible, and once again had that particular Canadian flavour that is not found in the American version. A lot less exploitation of the bad dancers and the idiots that come out to make fools out of themselves, and hugs from the Judges as they congratulate some of the dancers that are selected to go on to the Final Selection in Toronto. I was happy to see that once again we have Mary, Mia and Lil’ C mixing in with our Canadian Panel. As always, I am humbled to see such incredible talent and it will be very hard to get down to that magical 20 from the dancers that remain. I hope to see some local talent there as a few of them were incredible at the auditions, in fact Mia offered to marry one, that is how astounding he was. Things will be getting even hotter this season it looks, but it seems that a few of the mainstays from last year are no where to be seen and it will be interesting to see which choreographers will be working their magic with our gang this season.

Lifetime has made my life complete with the long awaited return of Project Runway after a lengthy court battle over distribution rights and it’s surprising defection from Bravo. There is no other show that has the right balance of creativity and competition, and welcoming back Heidi, Tim, Michael and Nina back home was fantastic after a long hiatus. Too long, and Runway was back with a vengeance this week in a whole night event. Things started off with the fabulous All Star Challenge, reuniting a few of my favourite past designers and a feeling of familiarity that has been missing for aeons. Not only was one of my favourites there, Daniel, but he actually won (great work) this time around and it was nice to see how he has matured and evolved as a designer. These kinds of events are always hit and miss and of course, Santino the blathering idiot was there to make more bad clothes and flaunt his ego, and poor Chris had me in hysterics with his narcolepsy and how he was so shocked to even be there. Chris is too modest for his own good and I loved his avant-garde collection. Poor Kato is relegated to perpetual runner up, but her stuff is amazing and very well done. I think that Uli was the biggest surprise and I really liked her stuff. I was really disappointed with Jeffrey and was wondering why he was there, there were other designers I would have loved to have seen but maybe some of them were not interested in participating. Congratulations to Daniel once again! As cute as ever :)

This new season started off just like old times and this year it’s another messy bunch of designers that are usually easily identifiable due to a much hyped tick, phobia or other thing that stands out for each and every one of them. After the inaugural episode I have identified so far: Space Cadet (who got Aufed at the end of this episode), X-Meth Man, Retro Girl, Yugoslavian woman, the Feather Queen, Qristal with a Q (WTF?) and older Rasta Guy. More will come to me as things progress, but I liked the mix of designers and the change to LA for this round. Everything felt familiar enough, and I like the small addition of the extra 30 minutes with the models and their quest to be paired with the winning designer and get the magazine cover and some cash. Models of the Runway means that our designers will be fighting back and forth over some of the models, and those who can’t walk the walk will be out of the game sooner than later as none of the designers will want them. I still find some of the girls terribly thin in a not good way but the show might give some insight into how hard the competition is for these girls and how much they have to do and put up with to be there. I still wonder how much they get paid to do this.

Joan Rivers is still killing me with her new series How’d you get so rich? and her point blank questions to the people with the money. Joan gives an honest reaction and I have to agree with her when I see some old rich guy with a young wife and know that it involves her getting jewellery to bump uglies with the old guy. It ain’t love that’s one thing. It’s still fun to see how some of these people did make it big time and it can be inspirational to see how far some people have gone with hard work and a good idea. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they have good taste, but the cash to do what they want.

Top Chef Masters finished off with a delicious looking biography of our Chefs and a tough decision by the Judges to decide that Rick Bayless was the winner due to his incredible Mole sauce. I thought our French Chef, Hubert was going to take home the big prize, but Rick beat him and Michael by only a point or 2. I still think that Michael got shafted by Judge James Oseland (again) after making some incredible food and I think it is more a personality clash than anything else. The show was great and it had made me want to check out this season of Top Chef in Vegas and although it is not Masters, I have enjoyed the Challenges and seeing how great and imaginative the Chefs are. Hopefully they will repeat this experience as it is always fascinating to see how incredible some of these culinary masters are.

On the SyFy side of things, Eureka is as charming as ever and it’s nice to see Carter getting some action finally. The guy is too sexy to be wasted as single. Warehouse 13 is starting to grow on me and if they can continue crafting some interesting stories it will keep my interest.

The new Fall schedule will be starting soon and I am looking forward to some returning shows and getting back in to regular full seasons. I love some of my Summer fare but find the seasons too short, you start getting in to a series and before you know it it’s time for it end and be gone for another year.

Summer Rant – Transition Time

2009-08-08T16:01:00.002-04:00

Things are still running along at a furious pace this summer, and this week heralded the endings of a few favourites, yet harkens the beginning and return of other favourites. It’s a win win situation.

So you think you can Dance? finished off this round with Jeanine winning the big title in a surprise that was both pleasing and upsetting. I was all about Brandon winning, but was happy that it was another dancer that I respected and felt did a dynamite job this season. Jeanine’s title will be short-lived, with the next round starting this Fall, but she truly deserved to win and is now the second girl to do it. I was a tad surprised that we didn’t get a performance out of Sabrina (our other female champion) during the best performances recaps, but maybe our girl is busy doing other projects. It’s a shame their tour doesn’t swing by Montréal, but I am pretty sure that we will see the dancers performing elsewhere or be returning guests on this show. It was a fabulous season and the show manages to get better and better.

I love the small dancing appearance by our Judges, but felt a tad cheated after last year’s knock out numbers with the gang. I do have to say that Cat really did a great job of hosting and keeping things going smoothly, and wardrobe issues aside she is really good. Wade’s number this time around was probably the one that I have liked the least by him, it might have been the subject matter as I love him more when he is wild and out there. Mia is always a gem and deserved all the kudos that are laid on her. I think the biggest surprises this season on the choreograph side of things, was Tyce coming into more of his own thing and being hilarious as a Judge, and how many of the Louis Van Amstel numbers were loved by the Judges. Let’s just hope that Paula Abdul is not picked up as a Judge, Idol must be happy they are done with her and all her wacky crap. I can hardly wait until next month and more dance!

Of course, next week heralds the beginning of So you think you can Dance Canada? and I will be a happy camper being able to vote and see all the local talent. It looks like Mary Murphy will be around a fair amount and it’s nice to see her flexing her vocal muscles above the 49th parallel. I am even willing to travel to Toronto to see the show live and have applied for tickets this round to see if I can see more of the live action, and would love to see the Judges and dancers do their thing live, I am sure there is tons of stuff that never makes it on air or past the censors.

Rounding out the dance stuff on TV, Randy Jackson presents America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) dished out their Top Ten Performances special before the new season launches this Sunday. While I loved seeing all the great crews again, I hated the lay out of the show and the continual reminders that the show is now at a NEW TIME and a NEW NIGHT that were relentless and down right aggressive after the umpteenth time. Randy, you have to chill dog, and I don’t think it was just a coincidence that the Number One on your countdown was featuring one of your late brother’s hits. Let’s just hope that there is no tacky exploitation of Michael’s demise on the show as that would be in very, very poor taste, and downright disgusting it being family and all. Even with the complaints, my appetite is ready for more Dance Crew and some more of the best group numbers that can be seen on TV.

This past week had even more Finales, including the well deserved win of Kristi Leskinen & Maksim Chmerkovskiy and their kick ass performance in the last part of the Superstars. Our winning team was always near the front of the pack and won half of the competitions, and had never been to the Elimination round before the last game.The competition was fun and a nice summer diversion, and it was a pleasant surprise to see how athletic and competitive Maks is. I hope it comes back again, and that they can add more challenges and have a more interesting and complex obstacle course. It’s not American Gladiators or Battle of the Network Stars but a step in the right direction.

I survived a Japanese Game Show finished up this season and I was happy to see our soccer mom and oldest competitor Cathy kick ass, take names and win it all. The challenges in the 2 hour finale were just insane, and the Super-Majide obstacle course at the end was all the best of the worse. I think anyone who underestimated our ladies was in for a rude surprise as they ended up pitting the guys against each other, eliminating the biggest physical threat (Brent) and then disposing of wimpy and whiny Justin. Well played and another fascinating look into Japanese popular culture and their undying need to humiliate and subjugate the competitors. I thought it was hilarious how they got the guys all done up like big fat Americans and made them play their humiliating Wet T-shirt game to spell out the winning phrase, but was riddled with dangerous floods of water, foam, seaweed and other things that fell in torrents from the ceiling. The games were not always the cleanest, but if you were willing to try and win it was worth it for all the cool prizes and even for some of the punishments. That last one with the Zen masters looked fascinating and I loved how Zen Megan was after her so-called punishment. It didn’t get her to the very end, but she had a great time doing it and seeing things that some of us will never be able to do.

The Next Food Network Star was crowned this week, and I was a tad surprised that it was our slightly harried and hyperactive housewife, Melissa d'Arabian who managed to get it all together and impress some big critics and the Judges to win the big prize. Jeffrey was good, but I felt cheated by his choice of ingredient, and that simple sandwich that he put together.Melissa was way more creative and gave some good advice for the potential audience. I think the marketing people will have some fun with Melissa, and while I wish it was Debbie that was there instead, there is something satisfying about seeing an untrained home cook beat out of some more experienced and creative chefs. This round was better than last season, and if I get the chance, I will check out Ten Dollar Dinners if it plays on Food Network Canada, unfortunately things are not always the same as the American network and I have a hell of a time finding some of the shows. I have not been able to find HGTV’s Design Star (it may play one day here in the Great White North) and have given up for now.

Kathy Griffin and her Life on the D List did redeem herself with her Norma Gay episode, and while her attempt is applauded, I am not that into this season and find the disdain of her apparent friends (acquaintances) more pitiful than funny. Things wrap up next week and I am more interested in seeing vicious Kathy hosting the Joan River’s Roast on Comedy Central this Sunday than anything else. It will be scathing evening and worth the potty language. Joan was hilarious this week in the premiere of How’d you get so Rich? and her matter of fact WTF? questions with her quest for average guys and gals who have struck it rich is hilarious. I love how she interacts with the camera and her apparent love of the F word as an expletive for almost anything is very endearing. The stories are astounding at times and Joan is so hilarious in her reactions to how some of these people got so rich. This show is a must see and I can hardly wait until the next episode.

Summer Rant – Hot Stuff

2009-08-02T19:32:00.001-04:00

In the heat of summer nights, things have been burning up the screen with the past couple of episodes of So you think you can Dance? and the Final Four. I am still surprised that Janette was let go the other week and then Melissa last week as I thought both of them were some of the strongest dancers, but it’s hard not to like all of the dancers as all of them have been incredible this season. I have to agree with the Judges that this is the BEST season ever, the most talented and some of the most incredible choreography.

It’s a shame that Kat’s stylist is so hit and miss this season as she seems to look fabulous one night and then like a mermaid threw up on her another night. Seriously, I can not get over how fugly some of those frocks are – that green animosity from Thursday night has scarred me for life.

Things were very busy last week and I didn’t have time to rant, but I have to say a couple of things about last week’s 100 episode celebration. First, Ellen was hilarious as a guest Judge and brought some very funny moments to the show. The whole Katie Holmes fiasco is another story. Her so called “Performance of a life time” was all lip sync and no substance, I think her real performance of a life time is her “marriage” with Tom Cruise or whatever those Scientologists call mating ceremonies. Enough said.. yeesh!

I am not at all surprised that Brandon was chosen for the Final Four – he looks like a winner to me and seems to have won over even his most fervent critics. The guy is stunning to watch (and of course it really doesn’t hurt that he is modest and loves to dance almost completely naked) and has one of the most perfect physiques that you have ever seen. Pure talent through and through and he reminds me of Will (guest dancing on the Results show and sporting some new facial hair) from last season.Although a tad self indulgent, the performances of all of the Emmy nominated pieces were as stunning as ever. I bow in gratitude at Mia and Wade for blowing my mind with their outstanding work, but I am pretty sure that our local girl Stacey Tookey will be getting some nods for her great numbers this season. I can hardly wait until SYTYCD Canada starts on August 11th, just after this round of the American competition.

So we have Brandon, Jeanine, Evan, and Kayla as our Final Four, and while I am a tad surprised to see Evan there, I know it’s because of his cute puppy eyes and his glowing personality.Ade was a tough competitor but didn’t bring more than Brandon, who I am pretty sure will be the last guy standing and the ultimate winner this season, but the one surprise may be Kayla, who has been shining since Day 1 and is a very talented dancer. As much as I love Jeanine and admire her talent, I am still surprised that she was there to to the Final Four and it will be a huge surprise if she wins. I always thought that either Melissa or Janette would have been there at the end instead of her.

I was peeved that The Superstars skipped last week and I have to wait for the Finale, I have been getting used to my jock fix each week with Maks and when this ends will have to wait until the next season of Dancing with the Stars. Some things you can never get enough of.

There are things that I have been trying to see if I like ‘em and unfortunately as interesting as the concept of Hung was, the actually performance has been kind of limp and it will be Off the Watch List. New shows and concepts are always hit and miss and it’s a question of whether or not the actor can suck you in. I was not getting the big performance that I wanted, and that may be because the show was too hetero-centric and didn’t speak to me.

Kathy Griffin’s guest are being more interesting than her and not in an endearing kind of way. Her bomb at the Apollo was just ridiculous as she should really know the audience and limits before shooting off her mouth. Getting banned from everywhere is no way to build a career and the more the gays get neglected the more bitchy we get. There is the D List and then the STUPID List. I wish that Margaret Cho’s show had been picked up again but alas, that seems to be another victim of alternative programming. This has not been the best year for for gay characters or icons on TV.

Triple Sensation was incredible (and short unless you saw some of the extra episodes on Bold) and I am was happy to see Leah win the big prize. It was fascinating to see the performers work with all the big names and get such intensive training. The concept and execution of the show was great, the contestants all incredibly talented and I hope to see more. I was surprised that it was mostly girls at the end, but encouraged to see the talent in these young performers. It’s a shame that there are not enough opportunities for Performing Arts in Canada and that there is always the allure of Broadway to call our performers away.

Top Chef Masters has been astounding and has given me the appetite to pay more attention to the regular series, and makes me eager to see the Next Iron Chef series that will be rolling out on Food Network. It’s a shame that the Canadian version doesn’t air series the same time as the US one (some things I will never understand). I was thrilled to see our modest Chef Anita Lo pull out the win in round one and I am still surprised about how so over the top gay Opera’s personal Chef Art Smith is. Not that it’s a bad thing, it is actually nice to see one of those big old girlfriends from down South who is so out there that no one cares and is found charming instead of flaming.

Summer Rant – Bad Choices

2009-07-19T16:55:00.002-04:00

Things are humming along with this summer’s TV specials and series and although Torchwood - Children of Earth will be broadcast this week in North America, I followed the series night by night as it was broadcast in the UK a couple of weeks ago and started off hopeful and intrigued and ended up disappointed and pissed off. I know that the Brits are not known for the Disney formula “Happily ever after”, but the death of Ianto and the departure of Jack for space left a bad taste in my mouth that was flavoured with homophobia and failure. If the BBC didn’t want Torchwood around they would have been better to not produce any more instead of this tripe that completely deconstructed everything and just seemed wrong. I don’t think we will be seeing much more of Torchwood and it’s a shame as it was well written and had some fascinating characters. Another brilliant show that died a terrible death before it’s time.

So you think you can Dance? has already gone to Top Ten and now to the Final 8. Wade Robson is a mad genius and I was in awe at his incredible number that he put together for our Ten. Although I was disappointed that Kupono was nuked this week (but have to agree that he failed miserably at the Paso Doble) and it seems that America is not ready for a kind of androgynous dancer. I don’t see why they can’t have an openly gay competitor (it’s dance, not that it’s new to have a gay man doing it) and maybe soon they will be ready for it. It’s was a shame that Randi was eliminated, but one of the girls had to go and she wasn’t bringing anything different than what the other girls can bring, and she did the same cardinal sin from last year that if you wear a wig and the voting public can’t recognize you, you will be eliminated. I will say that I was pretty shocked that Ade and Melissa were near the bottom of the pack, they both seem to be incredible dancers and look great on camera. I have the feeling that Evan will be packing his bags soon, and even though Jason picked it up this week and did a great number, I am not feeling the love and am getting tired of him mugging for the camera and playing cute. The combination of Mary Murphy and Debbie Allan on the Judging panel is something damn fierce, and Mary’s comment that she is not allowed to touch the contestants must stem from that famous Paula Abdul affair with American Idol. Still, the Cougar level was on High Alert with the boys doing their African number and combined with the Bollywood number with all the girls, brought even more World Dance to the stage. The show is really exposing the public to all genres of dance and that is a very good thing. If we could just do something about Cat’s hit and miss stylist this show would be pretty close to perfection.

The Next Food Network Star just made a major boo boo with the past couple of episodes. Our plucky nutritionist was bumped even thought Jamika failed completely at both of the challenges. I don’t agree that one was kept just because she has a certain resemblance to a certain wife of an President…. I really thought the Judges would have been above that but it appears not. Poor Michael might be great with a crowd but can’t connect to the camera and was destined to be bumped.I still think Debbie is going to win, and has the biggest potential out of the remaining competitors.

The Fashion Show is winding up and the finale was a decent show. I was happy to see Reco bumped after that debacle with the Wedding dress, and it was either him or James-Paul that was destined to be bumped at the end. James-Paul is just too way out there, and I didn’t even get his concept of Aboriginal people wearing western clothing as most tribal clothing is more intricate than his geometric shapes. I liked the multi-purpose idea of his collection, but any piece of clothing that comes with an instruction manual sounds like too much work for me. Daniella’s collection was interesting but too masculine for my taste.I really loved the entire collection put together by Anna and think that she should take home the big prize, she had the most wearable and interesting collection and I really did see her underlying theme flow through the collection.

I have loved the first new episodes of Eureka and it’s nice to see all the gang together and Carter continuing to be the glue that holds all the chaos together. This show and Burn Notice are 2 great examples of well developed concepts and well written shows that stick to the essential elements that make them a success. Of course it doesn’t hurt that both shows have sexy leading men that know how to take charge, have some kick ass women that back them up and some surprises every week. I was in hysterics when Michael’s mom decided to help out with the interrogation and has started to help out in a more tangible way.The chemisty between the characters is as great as ever.

The Superstars is turning into one of my biggest Guilty Pleasures and I keep tuning in to see more of Maksim Chmerkovskiy from Dancing with the Stars compete like a madman and look damn fine doing it. The rest of the teams seem to be on revolving doors with contestants coming and going, and I was applauding our bitchy supermodel Joanna as she had her meltdown when her partner Tyrell quit the competition to go to training camp. The games are fun and quite varied and it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out. It’s fun and light summer fare.

Wrapping things up, I survived a Japanese Game Show is as hilarious and even more fun than last year with all the wacky games and challenges. The whole concept is so foreign in many ways, and the look inside of the Japanese psyche is quite the show. The claws are coming out and the way the teams are dividing and fighting against each other is adding more steam to a high pressure situation and things are getting very hot. In this week’s Elimination round, love birds Jamie and Drew pitted against each other. When I saw the challenge involved deep-throating squid to dismember them, I was pretty sure that Jamie had it in the bag and true to form our girl performed like a champion and won.Unfortunately it meant the end of Drew who was the cutest competitor, but such is the competition. The walk of shame at the end of each episode is always so poignant and ironic as our contestant walk off into the sunset in their final Majide costume. Very funny stuff – in a mean kind of a way.

Summer Rant – High Performance

2009-07-05T19:10:00.001-04:00

Since things are in “Summer mode” here at Couch Potato Central, the scheduling has gone to ranting about the tube once per week (hey it’s Canada here and you try to enjoy those few weeks of hot weather per year) and has led to the birth of the Summer Rant. It’s a catchy name that pays homage to the heat and crazy summer programming and more sporadic postings.

When we get around to the Top Ten on So you think you can Dance? I will probably be inspired to throw my rant amongst all the others on who should stay and who should go but I will say that I am very impressed with the quality of dance this time around, and although it will be a short lived title, this round’s favourite dancer will have paid their dues to make it to the end. I was really happy to see that Brandon was finally getting some love from Mia Michaels on the judging panel. I was not shocked with this week’s dismissal of Vitolio and Karla as they were the weakest of the herd, and I was thrilled that Kupuno is starting to get more of the love that he deserves. It’s a tight race for the guys as they are all pretty strong but there is something about Ade that makes me think he is a strong contender for the crown. Jason and Phillip need to step up their game, they are next on the block and might be dancing for their lives more often than they like. I think they all learned the lesson this week that you if you need to bring it then you better really bring it, dancing for your life is not a snappy title it’s the reality of the situation.

On the girl’s side, Cat was better dressed than the monstrosity she was wearing last week, and I am in absolute awe of the incredible lines that Melissa is pulling out, her Ballet piece was phenomenal and was another ground breaking performance for this show. I love how it is bring all sorts of styles of dance back to TV, and the quality of the new professionals that are getting involved in the show. The girls are all performing their hearts out and aside from a lacklustre solo, I really think that Caitlan and Janette are really going for it and have shown a ton of potential so far.The whole Dizzy Feet Foundation is a great idea (and I love how it highlights that incestuous relationship with Dancing with the Stars and includes that wacky Paula Abdul) and that upcoming guest appearance of Katie Holmes better deliver more than a brainwashed baby momma. Time will tell. Damn I love this show.

I have been having a blast watching The Superstars and seeing one of my favourite Dancers from Dancing with the Stars, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, running around shirtless and doing damn well in a pretty tough athletic competition. There seem to be a ton of big egos with all those biceps and it’s fun to watch all the celebrities strut their stuff à la Battle of the Network Stars ( that series really, really needs to be redone properly) with a tad of American Gladiators thrown in and musical teams as participants keeping getting eliminated due to injury. They are all suffering these injustices at the scenic Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

WipeOut is even crueller than last year and we have been in hysterics watching (and rolling on the floor) with the scathing commentary by the 2 Johns. Hilarious. I love the new challenges and am kicking myself that I didn’t apply for the home grown version. Between this show and I survived a Japanese Game Show, there is a ton of ridiculous situations and hilarious costumes that always make me question the Japanese sense of humour and their need to humiliate the competitors in games that probably shouldn’t even be considered let alone attempted. Talk about extreme risks in some of these challenges, I am surprised that we haven’t seen someone take a nasty spill that they can’t get up from yet.

My Expedition Africa experience is not turning out how I really wanted, and the series is starting to get on my nerves. I don’t understand most of the drama on the show (and it seems like a waste of time),and for a gang of so called experienced explorers, they are starting to look more and more like knobs each episodes. I would love to know what their Porters are saying about them behind their backs and how ridiculous that they look most of the time. It’s a shame, I thought it would be more of a chance to see the country and it’s people and it is more about the drama – sigh…. I expected more…

On that note… The Fashion Show is wrapping up (there are some miracles…) and it has been a major snore fest. I can’t wrap my head around their real fashion for unreal people concept and the end results. It was time for our magical little Honduran elf to say adios, and I have the feeling that our geeky Asian guy is not far behind. I thing the psychic was the best part of the episode and if they decide to do a second season, skip to her right away and decide the winner before putting me through another season of Not-Beyonce and Isaac. I am looking forward to new Project Runway and some real drama and fashion!

On the comedy side of the coin .. the last few episodes of Better of Ted have been hilarious and I love the satire of working for a big company (Veridian Dynamics) and the way the characters deal with the questionable ethics and the überboss Veronica has had me in hysterics every episode. Her deadpan presentation is hysterical and I love the way she dismisses people, it is one of the funniest scripted things that I have seen recently. It’s a shame that Samantha Who? is burning off the remaining episodes as it is very funny and the characters well developed.I still hold out hope that it will be rescued but this year has been rough on losing well written shows.

This week will be a ton of fun with Torchwood – Children of Earth playing over 5 nights on BBC One (and will be shared online if the gods of the internet are feeling generous) and I am looking forward to getting back in touch with Captain Jack and gang. It’s a great week for Sci-Fi with the beginning of Warehouse 13 and the return of EUReKA, one of my favourite shows. Vive l' été!

Weekend Rant – Dance Fever

2009-06-28T14:45:00.001-04:00

This summer has been absolutely fantastic so far with the competition on So you think you can Dance? This series seems to get better with each round, and the quality of dance (and dancers) just keeps getting better and better. I can only imagine the difficulties that our Judges are having deciding which guy and girl have to leave each week as we cull the herd down to the Top Ten as all of the dancers are very talented. At least the voting seems more proportionate to the talent and not based more on the cuteness factor of the contestants as so far there have been a couple of the really cute guys eliminated which was almost surprising considering the screaming going on in the audience at the broadcasts, and that was just Mary Murphy.

This week was extraordinary with an incredible number by Mia Michaels, that Randi & Evan did an amazing job with and Evan is really starting to grow on me. There is something damn sexy about those droopy eyes he has and he gets into character and inhabits each dance. Janette & Brandon did an amazing and very surprising Rock/Hip Hop number that showed how much talent Brandon has. The guy is not getting credit for his ability and I hope that Mia and ‘lil C have noticed his progression. I am still rooting for Kupono & Kayla and was happy with their new partnership. I was even happier when they didn’t have to Dance for their Lives and changed partners once again.

Once we got around to Elimination, I was happy that Jonathon was gone (too much gymnastics and mugging to the camera) and sorry that Asuka had to leave, but one of the girls had to go and she was the most limited. The next few weeks will be tough ones… there is some amazing talent.

I was more than pleasantly surprised with the first hour of Triple Sensation and seeing the first 6 Finalists for Toronto chosen for the Master Class part of the competition and the ultimate prize of the Middlefield Scholarship for the Performing Arts worth $150,000. I was astounding to see the performance ability in these young performers (they are between the ages of 16 and 26) and their stage presence. The judging panel is pretty high brow with Marvin Hamlisch as part of the crew (that’s a big name in musical theatre) and while it is much different than any of the American style competition shows, it was a fascinating watch and I plan on following it’s progress over the next few weeks.

Kathy Griffin has been becoming a tad more predictable with this season of My Life on the D List and her so called A List friends and their get together as part of Kathy’s grooming for the A List. It seems that all of these guests find Kathy abrasive and useless, so I am trying to figure out if Kathy wants to be the new Rodney Dangerfield and get no respect, or is she really trying to improve her image but resisting change. This season does have more of her mom (thankfully) and less of Team Griffin (which is not a bad idea) and tons of guest stars who add a different vibe. Paula Dee was funny (and it was a hoot to see Michael McDonald again) but the guests are overshadowing the star and that is not the smartest thing. It does seem that Kathy is learning more about schmoozing with the public and that is a good thing. It’s still not as fun as before… me thinks that Kathy is wearing out her welcome and I don’t expect to see an Emmy win this year.

The Fashion Show is boring me to pieces and I am only watching to see how it finishes off. I could not believe the whole Halston fiasco and Reco’s tears of shame, it was all stupid and pretty much like the other episode where the magical Honduran elf didn’t know what the whole Mean Girls thing. I still don’t think that Sumo Barbie will win either, and really hope that Daniella will win, she seems to have some of the best fashion sense so far and isn’t this whole show supposed to be about ready to wear? Some of the designs don’t look that user friendly to me… buh bye darling, I can hardly wait until Project Runway is back.

Top Chef Masters is a great competition, and the episodes are a great mix of nerves and ego as our Masters battle each other. I was laughing my ass off at our French Chef Ludo Lefebvre getting bleeped every 10 seconds for his time management issues. It would have been funnier for us if he as cursing in French and it getting past the American censors, but Ludo, like many French people, thinks that the F word can be used as an accent piece in conversation when it should only be used sparingly, like a rare spice. If the show was in French it would not have been edited for content, it’s just too funny.

Things finally ended with the I’m a Celebrity Get me out here ! experience and while I was surprised that Sanjaya was not in the Final 2, I was not surprised that Lou won as he played very well and seems to be a nice guy. I don’t think it will do much for his acting career but he seemed to be in it for his kids and the charity that he was playing for and not there to stroke his ego or be an idiot. The Reunion aspect of the show show was hilarious as you can feel the disdain between Janice and everyone else and there were tons of snippy comments being bantered back and forth.Heidi and Spencer are still the 2 biggest knobs that I have seen on the tube in aeons and hope that the San Andreas Fault opens up and swallows the Hills real soon. That would be poetic justice wouldn’t it?

Weekend Rant – Get ME out of here!

2009-06-20T16:54:00.002-04:00

I have been laughing my ass off watching the insane antics on I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here! and all of the stupid and ridiculous challenges that seem to put more flora and fauna in danger than the so called celebrities. The Snake strike challenge was too much and was it any surprise that the snakes were trying to escape? The whole mud pit challenge was just as whack with the crocodiles that seemed to be everywhere at the beginning and then conveniently gone after. After all of that I was almost crying when poor Janice got ousted at the end of last week. I was really hoping to see her hang around and get tortured a tad more before losing. If I am rooting for anyone, it will be our sexually ambiguous singer Sanjaya to win the cash for his charity, but does he seriously think that he is straight? – even Janice can read the writing on the wall with that one but he is so much in denial and it is all just as clueless as his singing. I still don’t understand why the other Baldwin is still there but it is such a car wreck of a show that I can’t help myself… I just love bad TV. I can hardly wait until it ends, it’s sucking up too much of my valuable time!

Speaking of which – I am starting to get peeved that I can’t find some of my favourite shows online and can no longer see this season of Tori & Dean- Home Sweet Hollywood – it really sucks as the files are usually available on line and I may have to wait for the show to come out on DVD to catch up – I never understand why some shows are harder to find to download when you think that the producers want people to see the show – too bad for them and it looks like I am losing something off the Watch List.

So you think you can Dance ? is really burning up the screen this round (and I can’t believe that they will start the next round right after this one – it doesn’t give much time for this winner to be America’s favourite dancer, but the competition is so stunning that I can hardly wait for more. My biggest concern was on the performance night and I saw that it looked like Cat’s old stylist had done another bad choice with that hideous red dress that she was wearing. Thankfully it was not around for the Results night, but if she starts wearing all those hideous gowns again she will need some serious fashion therapy. After last week’s poor showing, I was in literal awe over the beauty and flow (and not to mention the emotion) of the beautiful Waltz that was performed by Asuka and Vitolio. I am still surprised by the curious and strangely almost incestuous relationship between SYTYCD and Dancing with the Stars (and that terrible Superstars of Dance show) that are all produced by Nigel and Co. It’s just weird and wonderful to see dancers leave one show for another and to see choreographers like Louis Van Amstel come over to this show. I do have to agree that this show has probably done more for dance than others and it really is turning into an incredible showcase of world dance.

The Judges have some very tough decisions, and this week I disagree again with their choice of guy that was eliminated, I thought that Max did an incredible job with the Brian Friedman choreography (just amazing) but because he was a “different” character (meaning he seemed kind of gay) was the reason that he got bumped. Jason should have been hitting the road after that terrible Shane Spark’s number (I was not a big fan of Shane this week and thought he was the weakest choreographer) and Phillip was closer to elimination with his troubles with the Tango. A few of the guys really stepped it up and I was stunned by the speed of the disco number and Brandon – wow – I assumed the guy was a gym bunny and it seems all those muscles are hard earned dancing.I was happy that Kupuno was not eliminated this week (he had a close call though) as he has a certain style and flair all his own, and I love how he can adapt to different styles. He was a tad lazy in his solo and that was problematic. I was pretty sure that Ashley was toast after a lacklustre solo (it was not even close to dancing for her life) and was not surprised that she was booted. The competition is great this year and it has already been astounding to watch. I was raving over the Mia Michael’s number that opened the results show and can hardly wait to see her take on one of the couples, and it was so cute to see home land girl Stacey Tookey hitting the US show after being such a success on SYTYCD Canada.

I was thrilled with the return of I survived a Japanese Game Show this week after the latest instalment of Wipeout. I am still fascinated with the Japanese culture and their weird shows, and Majide is still as wild and fun as ever. It’s really hard to take some one seriously when they are dressed in some of the ridiculous costumes (the rabbits were hilarious) but I love all the creatively humiliating costumes and wacky wacky games. Those Japanese people are damn strange sometimes… they really like to humble the Americans and I know that they love seeing the big guy Bobaloo in tights and running around as much as it probably frightened me. I will be watching with much gusto how things work out and to see Mama-San and Judge Bob deal with these poor contestants. It is a bit more interesting that the winners get some really fun prizes and that the losers will have to do same damn disgusting ones, so it should hopefully eliminate some of the worst players to start with. Luckily it was the prima donna Kimberly that got eliminated this week and Sayonara, back to America for her. It will be fun to see how badly the other players want to win. Hard to say who can win, but Drew is the big kind of athletic guy that might be able to do it, but you never know… hai majide!

Burn Notice has been so much fun to watch this season, and it feels better than the awkward chemistry of last year. Michael seems to be getting more at ease with his friends helping out, there seems to be better sparks with Fiona (and those 2 are so great together) and it feels like the first season again. I love Michael’s deadpan explanations on how he can MacGyver things together and all the different insights into being a spy, and how he can observe and piece things together and make it work for him. The stories have been building up some great tension with the new thorn in Michael’s side, dear Detective Paxson, who seems to think that it is her mission to know all about our ex Spy.The show has this sexy feeling to it that goes perfectly with Miami and is just the perfect fare for the hot season.

I am still playing catch up with a few things and enjoying the relaxed summer schedule, and looking forward to seeing some of the last episodes of Samantha Who? (I think it was stupid to cancel the show, it was well written) and more of Better off Ted, one of the funniest things that I have seen in quite awhile. I have been finding the Expedition Africa show interesting as I am fascinated with the land and culture, but am starting to find the cast of characters a tad stunned. They all seem way out of their element for so called professionals that have done this a million times before, but they all seem so poorly prepared for things like wild animals and the search for water. I am not sure if it is the editing that drags down the episodes, but there is weird chemistry between the cast of characters and the flow is just strange. Good premise and poor execution, it kind of reminds me of Pirate Master from last season.This week will also premiere Triple Sensation on CBC and the premise looks interesting for a reality show as it is anchored in the performing arts and is the search for the next and best Broadway type performer who can sing, act and dance. The first episode will decide if I chose to follow this journey as well. Here’s hoping the show is interesting and it showcases some more of the fabulous talent here in Canada!

Weekend Rant – Celebrity Madness

2009-06-14T14:00:00.001-04:00

I don’t think that I have had as much fun as I have the past couple of weeks with the disaster know as I’m a Celebrity get me out of here and the 3 nights per week that it has been hitting the airwaves. Although I still have a problem with all of the Challenges involving live animals and insects, the show is so bad that it is good. Janice Dickinson is the best-worst player (I love how she steals from all the other contestants) and has her convenient illness that prevents her from doing the majority of the Challenges. The public seems to love her and want to see her do the wacky stuff, and I have to say that I was in hysterics with the Operation inspired Challenge that got our Celebrities shocked silly (although it appears that Daniel Baldwin has previous experience in this field as he knows beforehand that he can take a lot of juice – I wonder if it was shock therapy or did dude get tasered before?) and it was hilarious to watch Janice get zapped. It’s mean I know but it was damn funny and there were no animals harmed in the process.

I am pleasantly surprised with Sanjaya and his jungle fever, but feel bad for the guy for being treated like Janice’s slave (his words, not mine) and he is being eaten alive by the bugs. It’s hard to say who will last, but he seems better positioned to hang around than some of the others. I was happy that we were down a Baldwin after this week’s elimination, and was laughing my ass off as Janice kept screaming out to Perez Hilton and fighting back against Prop 8 as the Baldwin was eliminated. I know there was no love between the 2 of them and you can tell the a certain supermodel has those narcissistic traits that you come to expect with those model type people. What the producers of this show should do is get Tyra Banks to come out and join the party so we could watch her and Janice try to be the centre of the universe at the same time and watch the time space continuum fold in on it’s self and watch the Universe as we know it be destroyed.

I will say that I really hope that Spencer and Heidi are gone for good after their back and forth appearances on the show. Enough is enough and they should try to get some real stars for this show instead of someone with a tad of notoriety. Seriously. What a bunch of knobs.

So you think you can Dance? was on fire this week and I really love how the choreographers are pushing the dancers this year. If you don’t like Mary Murphy you will absolutely hate this show but she is the real barometer of how the show is doing and how cute the guys are. Mary talks about her Hot Tamale Train, but the louder she screams means the higher the alert level on the Mary Cougar Scale. I was in literal hysterics when the whole Botox comment went over the airwaves and Mary fessing up to being part of the club (like almost all the women on TV) and watching Adam covering his scream. It was priceless, and this show would not be near as fun sans Mary. I don’t always agree with the Judges but I have a ton of respect for this show.

I thought the choice of the 3 couples in trouble was pretty spot on,but disagree on their choice of who went home as I really felt that Jonathon should have hit the road instead of Tony, but that point is moot as neither of them will make it to Top 10, the competition is fierce this year and Evan is a lot better than I expected… and it’s nice to see fan favourites back like Wade Robson, who pulled out a memorable crash-test dummy number that was as weird and wonderful as a Wade creation is. The man is a twisted genius and I loved all of it from the robot dog to the great performances by Ashley and Kupono. Amazing stuff… I can hardly wait to see Mia put some of the dancers through their paces.

The Next Food Network Star started off this week and you can tell there are a few front runners so far, Eddie may be damn fine but he is way too corporate, I really like Michael but think he may be a tad too flamboyant for the network, and think that Jeffrey is really charming the Judges. Not too be too stereotypical, but our contestants that resemble Michelle Obama and Margaret Cho seem to have a foot in the door (especially Debbie who bombed in the first challenge and there was that whole angel food cake fiasco…) and I don’t think that our nutritionist will be around for long. I hope we have someone interesting win this year, I didn’t really see last year’s winner appear that often after winning and wonder if he really did connect with the viewing public.

Kathy Griffin was back with My Life on the D-List this week and the season opener had Kathy in Vegas with the über fantastic Bette Midler. Things are different this year and Jessica is gone (rumours abound) and Kathy is more in A-List training mode than D-List it appears. There isn’t any real or interesting chemistry between Kathy and Bette (and I wonder how much she got paid to do this) and it feels contrived. If anything else, I really go the impression that Bette is not a big fan of Kathy and I love how she said that Kathy makes her look tame in comparison. Bette used to have quite the reputation for being vulgar and out there. There may be more big stars visiting this season but I think the D-List phase is finishing up for Kathy and she is just going to be know as a trash talking celebrity more than anything else unless she finds a balance. It’s bad when the rising star looses contact with their fan base and roots and is no longer grounded. I think the Emmy wins have gone to her ego …

Weekend Rant – Summer Hits & Misses

2009-06-08T15:45:00.001-04:00

Things have finished up for this past season’s shows and all in all it was a pretty blasé end of television season. If not for well written shows like Lost, Battlestar Galactica and Pushing Daisies (all almost finished or cancelled), things would have been much worse and I have some trepidation for the upcoming fall schedule. I could rant left and right about the problems with this past lukewarm season, but there is so much on right now that is rant worthy that it would be much more interesting to get to that.

Make me a Supermodel has completely fracked my mind with the last couple of episodes and the departure of 2 of the better contestants and then the unbelievable win by the guy with the least experience. Branden is no supermodel and I can’t believe that Jonathon did not win. I am calling this blatant patriotism as it was the only American contestant that won as Jonathon is from England and Sandhurst from Trinidad & Tobago. Bad bad reality show – and bad ending.

I have been following (albeit with a slightly guilty conscience), the reality train wreck that is I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here ! and am in total shock over the delusions of Spencer and Heidi (irk) who seem to think that they are better than the other reality losers on the show (what a joke), and the editing is worse than the choice of “Celebrities”. I know that I am concerned when Janice Dickinson seems to be the voice of reason and was in hysterics with her whole bronchitis thing that was going on. Yes Janice, nice to see that all those years of finishing school have paid off – I don’t know what was more funny, Janice freaking out after someone bitched at her (how ironic) or her lack of etiquette. Supermodel? irk again! Anyways the 2 dimwits have quit and/or left several times and now want to come back again – just shoot the 2 idiots and put them out of all of our misery please. Spencer & Heidi must die – they must be taken out of the gene pool before it’s too late.

The other big problem with the show is the use of animals and insects in their Fear Factor influenced challenges. It seems pretty damn stupid to have live rats that can bite you in a challenge, the health risks are incredible and it seems very unethical to have frogs or tarantulas that can be crushed or killed by contestants in their efforts to complete their challenge. I hope these things are protested and changed, the so called challenges don’t need to push the envelope quite as far as that.

So you think you can Dance? has blown back on the schedule and finished up the audition process with the final culling in Vegas. I still prefer the kinder and gentler audition vibe that was on the Canadian version (back this fall), but per usual there are some astounding dancers in the Top 20. My upfront favourites are Kupono Aweau and Jason Glover for the guys and Asuka Kondoh and Karla Garcia for the girls. I am looking forward to seeing them work with the choreographers, and really hoping that some of my favourites (like Wade) will be back this year. As hard as Mia is on the dancers, I can hardly wait to see what she churns out this year, with her current hard edge her dancers may be in for more than they can handle. Intense can be interesting.

I have been laughing my ass off at Wipeout, and can’t believe how hard the challenges are becoming for these poor contestants. The much harder (and thankfully very padded) obstacle course now has so many bumps and surprises in it (Plank in the face is too hilarious) and any one who makes it to the end is a winner in my book, it looks fun and exhausting. I will be checking out the home-grown version this fall as the version Québécois will hit the airwaves.

I am still catching up on a few series and waiting for a few more to come back for this summer – postings will probably be weekly depending on the free time, it’s summer after all and it’s time to be outside!

Weekend Rant – Endings & Beginnings

2009-05-30T11:17:00.001-04:00

Things have been very busy this time of year and while the end of the regular television season is upon us I been catching up on a few things. I have been pretty disappointed this season with the meh endings to the majority of the shows. It used to be that end of seasons were for huge cliff-hangers or other hooks to get you on board for the next season, but it seems that a ton of shows have taken the easy route and done nothing more than a regular episode. That’s just plain lazy.

Although not mentioned earlier, the season finale to Lost was as mind blowing as expected and I will be on pins and needles until 2011 and the final season of this astounding show. The parallel stories of our time lost heroes trying to save the future and the enigmatic Locke look a like who is out to kill the very mysterious Jacob (who suddenly seems to have an influence in the lives of almost all of the survivors). There seems to be other eternal beings who are responsible for creating Richard and it’s hard to read who is on the side of angels… some of this story smells like Cain and Abel to me but the whole Egypt angle has me really intrigued. There is so much to this story that it blows my mind.

Survivor Tocantins finished up almost as expected, I did see JT winning but did not see that it would be between him and Stephen at the end. It was a great season full of some very memorable characters, but I was happy to see that the majority think that Coach is a complete knob and fraud and I am soooo happy his 15 minutes is up. The next season in Samoa looks great and I will be checking out Burnett’s next venture, Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone. I would love to see Mark return to his roots and bring back some Eco-Challenge, one of the best competitions ever.

So you think you can dance? has started the selection of the Top 20 and the auditions were as interesting as usual. I still prefer the Canadian format that highlights more of the talent as opposed to the losers, and found the brother and sister team very disturbing in an incest kind of a way (just creepy) and I can’t believe that they had that retarded “Sex” idiot back again (seriously?) in a dance off with another delusional idiot. I would much rather see the talented dancers and see the best. At least next week it will be Vegas portion of the auditions and the first culling has been done. I hope to see them pushed hard and it will be great to see some of the choreographers come back. Nigel seems particularly snippy this season and Mary definitely has the cougar claws out.

The Fashion Show is boring me senseless and has none of the appeal of Project Runway. The change in format, the hosting of Not–Beyonce and Isaac is terrible and the editing sucks. There was so much crap on that catwalk last night that I was wondering why it wasn’t a multiple elimination. I don’t agree that our Underwear designer got bumped, there was stuff that was so fugly that got through that I don’t understand how the voters could not have chosen one of them instead. The show is just filler until the real Fashion comes back.

I finally caught up with Dollhouse and loved the first season. I was shocked to learn that our Doctor is actually an ex-active Whiskey (one of my favourites from Josh’s universe Amy) who was the hottest ticket until Alpha went postal on her. The storyline was well developed and the characters fascinating, so I hope Josh has a good plan for next year and some more interesting developments with the concept.

Make me a Supermodel surprised the hell out of me over the past 2 weeks with the elimination of Salome last week and then the dismissal of Mountaha this week has made it an all male finale that has Jonathon poised to win the big title. I wish he was back to his more natural looking blonde, but he is still bringing it big time each time and the best of the boys. I still can’t believe that the 2 strongest girls are gone, the Judges seem to want a male winner this year but I don’t think Branden has the goods and Sandhurst is too limited. Jonathon has been consistent pretty much every week and has the look.

WipeOut returned this week and was even more hilarious than last season. I think the level of cruelty has been oomphed up a notch this round, but the competition is so funny to watch and the commentary so scathing that I am literally rolling on the floor laughing my ass off (ROTFLMAO for all you acronym people) watching these poor contestants get bashed and bruised senseless. I would love to get my shot at this show, but the new final zone looks even harder than before.

This week I am getting all hyped up by seeing the final episodes of Pushing Daisies (I am still so disappointed with ABC for not giving this one the chance it deserved) and the return of Burn Notice. Some of my favourite summer fare is around the corner and I can hardly wait until we get into some fun dance competition and see the return of Kathy Griffin and friends.

Weekend Rant – The beginning of the end

2009-05-16T15:23:00.002-04:00

I am still playing catch up with several shows (most notably 24 and CSI) and have been in full blown End of Season mode all this week as a whole whack load of my shows on the Watch List are already wrapping things up as this season winds down. It’s already a Win Some / Lose Some situation as it’s a shame to see some shows go (already?) but it will also herald the beginning of the Summer season and the return of favourites such as So you think you can Dance? and WipeOut. There are a few new things of the horizon as well and Glee looks like my kind of show. All that will be checked out in the upcoming weeks. It’s a busy time of the year.

Desperate Housewives is following up on some of the storylines (the Jackson/Susan wedding is too stoopid for words) and developing others in an attempt to create some tension and get things all built up for the end of this season, but has left me the impression that there is much frantic grasping at straws and trying too hard. I think they are going in the right direction of trying to streamline things, but need to get back to the the core characters and the challenges of being desperate and a housewife. I hope the next death is Orson… his character has had it’s time.

Dancing with the Stars pissed me off so much the other week with the untimely dismissal of Lil’ Kim that I was holding my breath to see who would make it to the finale and didn’t want to make any predictions in case I was sending out the wrong vibes. I still can’t believe that Ty got to hang around for another round and one of the best dancers ever was sent home. I will never understand bone head moves like that, and one of the reasons I avoid voting shows like American/Canadian Idol where it turns into a popularity contest instead of being judged on talent and ability. All that being said and done… I know that I have whined about Melissa and her lack of celebrity, but I am pulling for her and Tony to win because I like them, and think that they have great chemistry together. Besides, as sexy as Gilles is, I am not too fond of Cheryl and would rather see someone else win. I don’t think Mark and Shawn have as much of a chance due to entertainment factor. Shawn is cute, she just doesn’t connect as well with the viewers.

Make me a Supermodel has been true to form and the real candidates for the title are becoming the front runners. I think it is interesting that Salome resembles last year’s winner (Holly) and has been winning the majority of the challenges. Jonathon was doing incredible but seemed to loose some of his glow this week (that makeover was not a good idea) and I was very pleased that the really bitchy girls are gone. Like last season, the boys last longer than the girls but it will be hard to say if one of them will win the big prize… I’d still love to see Jonathon win, even if there aren’t that many male supermodels.

Survivor - Tocantins has finally granted my wish and that knob Coach is finally voted out. I am pulling for Taj to surprise all and win the big prize, she has played a great game. I am wondering if JT will be able to fight off all the other players for the final Immunity, I have the feeling that if he doesn’t win it he will be voted off before the final Tribal Council. It’s been another good season and I feel sorry for the Jury being saddled with Coach, but better them than me.

Smallville disappointed with an impotent finale that just left a bad taste in my mouth. Jimmy dead? What? I sure as hell hope that Lois travelling through time will help remedy that situation… I was really disappointed with the small battle with Doomsday, the yucky Justice League that just posed and flexed and did nothing, and the whole Clark abandoning Chloe after her shitty storyline. I know the show is coming back next year, but they better make sure the Clark grows a pair and stops being such a knob. The guy is supposed to be an inspiration and a hero and not some schmuck. There was way too much build up for a story that never seemed to be all bark and no bite.

Supernatural had the potential for a hell of an ending and left me begging for more… as any good ending should and while it ended abruptly, I know that the show is already back for next season and can hardly wait to see how things turn out. The writing was phenomenal this season but I hope to get back more of the lighter side of the series and more of the dead pan humour. The guys are too multi faceted to waste on just angst, sacrifice and anger.

Dancing with the Stars – Week 9

2009-05-05T20:11:00.001-04:00

Last week was a bit of a surprise with Chuck leaving and Melissa miraculously surviving elimination after that terrible rehearsal tape that the Judges had to critique from. This week is was all about finding the Top 4 and each of our dancers has to do 2 dances (one ballroom and the other Latin) and has to do a solo as part of the performance.

We did get treated to a some nice group numbers by the pros and the quality of dance was incredible last night. I LOVE seeing Dmitri and Lacey in the numbers… those too can really dance and I am hoping to see them around next season. The camera really loves Lacey though and she knows how to work it. Snap.

Melissa & Tony - Viennese Waltz & Samba

Melissa redeemed herself after last week and actually was the leader at the end of the night. She was very graceful in the first dance, but I was not as fond of her Samba but have to give huge props to Tony, he did a great job and it looked like they were having a lot of fun. I am pretty sure that they will be back next week but not sure she will take the trophy home.

Ty & Chelsie – Argentinean Tango & Rumba

Ty has a certain quirky charm that has brought him far, but Chelsie was doing the really heavy lifting in both of the dances and he just feels awkward. The Rumba was cute, and it looked like he was planning on getting it on with Jewel after the show as he gave his best moves and a kiss to her.The guy is a charmer though and the Judges gave him decent scores, but he is more than likely the one to be eliminated tonight.

Shawn & Mark - Quick-Step & Paso Doble

The dynamic duo upped their game last night and did 2 great numbers that put them just under the leader on the scoreboard. The only criticism that I have with Shawn is her upper body shape (she is built like a linebacker) and it gives her strange shapes at times, but she is so precise it kills me and is really having fun with Mark. I hope to see these 2 next week, but you never know with the voters…

Gilles Marini & Cheryl – Foxtrot & Rumba

In some ways it appears that the love affair that the Judges have with Gilles has cooled slightly and they are being more critical on him, but all for the right reasons as he is tied for second place and is hanging right near the Top spot. I wasn’t that impressed with their Foxtrot, but was quite impressed with the Rumba. Gilles couldn’t out sexy Lil’ Kim this week but he came damn close. Is it just me or does it seem that more than one Star is afraid of Cheryl? There is just something about her that irks me.

Lil' Kim & Derek – Waltz & Salsa

I can’t believe the range that Lil’ Kim has and how she can adapt to each dance style – it is very astounding considering her hip hop back ground and that damn sexy vibe that she brings to everything. I loved her Waltz but that woman brought the house down with her Salsa. I don’t care if she got too into it – it was bootilicious fantastic and no one else can move like her. I’d really like to see her in the final 2 and win the competition.

I am looking forward to tonight's elimination and expect to be Cowboy free. But as I have said you never know... stranger things have happened...

Weekend Rant – The Week in Review

2009-05-04T10:22:00.002-04:00

Things have already started finishing up for this season and this past week brought the end of the season (and possibly the end of the road) for Chuck and Heroes. Heroes has completely bored me this season and it really felt like the writers were grasping at straws before ending this season with a whimper and nothing that particularly interesting. I can not understand how and why they have decided to make the characters all caricatures of themselves, and the only bright spot in the last episode was the reappearance of Tracy (at least her story had an interesting twist) but I hate what they are doing with Hiro and the rest of the gang. Why have the big fight scene with Peter and Sylar if nothing was shown? The whole death of Nathan and resurrection via Sylar was stupid. What a waste of characters.

Chuck fared much better and I love the multiple storylines with the gang at the Buy More, Ellie and Awesome’s wedding and the whole Chuck/Sarah dynamic. I was in hysterics at the end when Chuck got all Intersect 2.0 and suddenly had ninja skills. It was a great way to continue the series and I really really hope that the show will be back for another season. There is way too much of a wealth of characters to ignore or to waste. Good writing – it’s just too bad that some of the viewing public has jumped ship.

Bones had another astounding episode with The Beaver in the Otter (and no it is not some new fancy food preparation) that delved in frat life and it has to be the scenes with Booth and Brennan that kill me each time. Temperance is so clueless (yet curious) and her dismissal and apparent fascination with Sweet’s methods of deduction had me on a roll. I still say that our psychologist is up to no good and I bet you that our dweeb that was helping out the Beaver with hacking into the database is a potential new acolyte for the Gorgoman, the guy seemed too impressionable and there is something about Sweets that gets the hair standing up on the back of my neck when he is on screen sometimes, I may sound repetitive but I am still convinced that he is up to no good. In our rotating intern position, the Muslim guy was hilarious and I loved his reasoning to why he was willing to work with Hodgins on his banned experiment. The episode was more brilliance and the whole Beaver was banging a Cougar was hilarious…. the writers do an amazing job. It was great seeing Booth’s brother again and Booth hit the nail on the head when he got Brennan to “Dine & Dash” in an effort to get her to lose some of her good behaviour and harden her frontal lobe. Booth has some pretty funny theories sometimes and I love watching Brennan’s head explode at the threat of non science. This show is so under rated it’s ridiculous.

Lost is blowing my mind with all the twists and turns that we are learning concerning our scientists that Widmore hired to come to the Island, and more information about Daniel (and his very cool mother) and the big revelation that Mr.Widmore is also dear old dad to our nerdy scientist. I am still not sure what the whole scoop is with the Hostiles and why Eloise left as well (it seems that many of the residents on the Island decided to leave at one point) and it looks like we might be getting more of a reveal to some of the big secrets as this season starts wrapping up. There is still a lot of unanswered questions and I am wondering how Mom shooting Daniel is going to work out.. the death tally on these scientists is stunning and I wonder if Miles will survive also.

Survivor Tocantins is as amazing as any of the good seasons of Survivor, and I am really digging how the game is coming together for some of the players. It’s a shame that the know Coach won immunity this round, but I have the impression that lots of the gang are getting tired of his yapping and I can’t believe how utterly disposable his morality is. All bark and no bite it seems, the way that things are going I am starting to get the impression that one of the more subtle players (like Taj) will win it all. The alpha players seem to be all about getting rid of each other right now and not looking at the more subtle threats. I was sad to see Sierra go, but it depends on how you play the game but I loved how she was fighting to the very end.

Smallville is prepping for the end of the season (and breathing a sigh of relief knowing that they are coming back for another season) and I can’t believe that after all this time that Clark is such a knob that he doesn’t realize that Chloe is trying to protect him. I don’t completely understand the dynamics with Jimmy and Oliver (seemed like filler to me) and Clark needs a super kick in the butt to realize what Doomsday is. It’s all going to hit the fan with only 2 episodes left this season and I am looking forward to seeing how it all ends. I still say that Clark and Doomsday bite the big one at the end of the season and we will have to wait for next season for the big resurrection. Time for more heroes!

Supernatural was quite the episode and explained more about Angels than previously know ( I had no idea that they used vessels while on our plane of existence) and the back story to Castiel was interesting. I am not sure if they are building up to the same kind of finale that we have had for the past couple of years, but Sam is in some big kind of trouble with that demon blood monkey on his back and his detox could be interesting. I am looking forward to the last 2 episodes of the season but finding that suddenly the season seems short and the ending snuck up on us. The storyline has not developed as clearly as I first thought and I almost feel like we have missed a chapter. I am glad that we already know the Winchester boys will be back next season, but I think that might have cheated us out of a more dynamic last few episodes.

Dancing with the Stars – Week 8

2009-04-28T17:25:00.002-04:00

You can’t say that things were not with out drama last night as our stars were short one (again) due to injury, and that may have opened a door for Ty as he pulled off his best dance of the season last night.

Lil' Kim & Derek pulled out an amazing Paso Doble that had the crowd on their feet and us jumping for joy on the couch at home. Kim has turned in to the shining star of this competition and I can not get over her extension, movement and energy that she brings to the dance floor. She is my number one pick for winner this season, she really does have the whole package.

Gilles & Cheryl – did an okay and very hyperactive Lindy Hop, but I hated the costumes and didn’t think that it was a smooth as the Judges did. Cheryl is quite the task master and quite mean with her partner Gilles, and there are way better ways to get a partner to do well than other than having to be a major bitch. Yes we all know that you want to win Cheryl, but Gilles is the celebrity and you can at least play nice.

Chuck & Julianne did a nice Cha Cha and Chuck is continuing his satin pyjama fetish. Chuck is turning into quite the cheeky little monkey and Bruno is always making comments about his ass, and he is turning into a much better dancer than expected. I still think all the horizontal mamboing under the sheets is probably helping out too and it does give them an advantage not available to all of the other contestants. Despite all, they are improving and having fun and that is probably the best part of it.

Shawn & Mark did a great Samba that was technically extraordinary, but was missing the oomph part of the performance. Shawn still has a problem letting loose and letting her personality out and that may cost her a place in the Top 3. At least half of the points are relative to performance and she has to bump it up a notch or 2.

Melissa & Tony practiced the Jive and unfortunately her banged up ribs prevented her from performing, so we got a bad rehearsal piece that was more about blocking than performing. I feel bad for her, but it seems to be the underlying theme this year and not the first time we have seen an injured performer. Tony is such a sweetheart and I really hope that they have not been eliminated due to the lack of performance last night, I hate to say it but Melissa has been growing on me and I really like Tony.

Ty & Chelsie pulled out a Salsa that was the huge upset and surprise of the evening and probably saved Ty’s bacon. It was his best dance of the entire competition and will probably be the encore tonight at the Elimination. I think that having Dmitri around to show him how to move was some great impetus, but he really seems to like the Latin dances and has been upping his game each round.

Last night also debuted the Team competition numbers and I was blown away by the complicated and fun numbers.

Team Mambo performed to "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. This group is comprised of Chuck & Julianne, Shawn & Mark, and Melissa is subbed by Lacey Schwimmer (who came in at the literal last minute) & Tony but Melissa will get the same score as the rest of her group. Lacey was astounding for the last minute, and the number was great and for me, the better of the 2. The surprise finish with the guys was hilarious and I loved how the brought it to a whole other level.

Team Tango performed to "Womanizer" by Britney Spears and it’s Lil' Kim & Derek, Gilles & Cheryl, and Ty & Chelsie who make up this team. Tango is usually the force to be reckoned with, but Team Mambo had more intricate synchronised group parts (that were longer as well) and really shone. Tango was great but not as thrilling for me. The Judges felt the opposite.

Of course, it’s now up to the public votes, and this evening I feel that Shawn will leave instead of Ty, but Melissa may be in for some backlash for not performing last night.

South Park - Gay Fish (ft. Kanye West)

2009-04-25T12:25:00.000-04:00

More brilliance from the minds of South Park and one of the best parodies that I have seen in ages.

Dancing with the Stars – Week 7

2009-04-21T16:38:00.003-04:00

It’s hard to believe that we are already at the 7th week of competition, and while some of the couples are really picking up steam, some of the others are not hanging in there quite as well and I am pretty sure that our Football great Lawrence will be hitting the road after this week and our poor cowboy Ty will be next on the chopping block.

Strangely, Gilles has fallen off the top spot (but making up some ground once again) and Lil’ Kim is turning into the real surprise of the competition. That girl is hot hot hot and doing an astounding job. There was no specific theme to this week and there was a veritable smorgasbord of dance styles that were featured.Here is my overview of last night.

Melissa & Tony - Argentine Tango

While I do have to say the Melissa is slowly growing on me, I still have a problem with the whole celebrity thing and was laughing at the fact that they got Teri Hatcher (Susan) from Desperate Housewives to give her acting lessons… as much as I love Teri, there are much better actresses on the show and even better vamps (RIP Edie) that could have shown Melissa how to bring out her sexy side. Still, all in all, another good performance and she has amazing extension.

Lawrence & Edyta – Waltz

While I do applaud Lawrence’s attempt to put some clothes on Edyta, she was clearly uncomfortable with all that material and she gets much better scores when she flashes her hoo-ha at the Judges. Just for this bad idea alone Lawrence must go, but his dancing is not helping the situation at all either. The guy is just too out of his element and is the least agile football player to date that we have seen on the show.Next!

Lil' Kim & Derek – Rumba

My favourite couple of the competition is still running strong, and while Kim try to contain her energy and sexiness, she still knows how to get everyone going and has the best presence of all the dancers. I’d love to see her and Derek dance the same number again but with all the passion and oomph that they wanted to and I bet they would get all 10’s from the Judges. I still think that Len is way too cranky sometimes though.

Chuck & Julianne –Samba

They are improving (and I am sure that they practice at home all the time as well) and our real life couple have been picking up steam the past couple of weeks. Chuck was pretty sexy in those satin pyjamas and I think that Julianne was channelling her inner Christina Aguilera with that hair… it was a fun and sexy number and I couldn’t believe how much they moved around the floor. Things are definitely improving for them and they should be around for a few more weeks.

Ty & Chelsie – Waltz

Robot man danced another round and while the Judges may be enamoured with his hold on his partner but I am getting very bored and the guy is just way too stiff for me… and that means it’s a bad thing in this case. Back to the rodeo for you soon my friend but I will miss your energy and tight pants.

Shawn & Mark - Cha Cha

I am starting to get worried that Shawn is developing a crush on her cute partner and I need to remind her that Mark is dating that Cheetah Girl Sabrina, and Cheetahs eat little 17 year old gymnasts like candy. I love that Shawn is getting more comfortable dancing and she gets in some amazing moves, the scary part is her starting to get all sexy and although she is starting to awaken, she is barely legal (well here in Canada, as for the States I think that varies from State to State) and there is that fine line of appropriate and a bit too raunchy. I think I am starting to sound like Len…

Gilles Marini & Cheryl - Viennese Waltz

If there is one thing that I do know this season, it’s that Cheryl really really wants to win this season (and get back that Trophy) and she is working Gilles to death to do it, and it’s almost working. They are making a great comeback after getting bitch-slapped by the Judges a couple of weeks ago and are still contenders. I still see Top 2 with this couple and bet it will be a fight to the death ( or what they call a Dance-Off on this show) between them and Lil’ Kim & Derek.

Group Dance - Tribute to the 60's

We got to see the first group dance and it was a very fun filled 1960’s inspired number with a lot of action. The costumes were great and the energy was phenomenal. I am looking forward to tonight's elimination and expect to be a Football player lighter after tonight, or at the least Cowboy free. You never know... stranger things have happened...

Getting back on track

2009-04-20T14:05:00.005-04:00

My apologies to all but was caught up with travel and family and unfortunately I have not had the time to catch up on a whole bunch of my shows and the blog -- I will be getting back on track later this week and have a ton of ranting to do. More to follow !

Dancing with the Stars - Back and Forth

2009-04-07T17:35:00.015-04:00

I am speeding a quick comment in as I am in travel mode but wanted to make this post for the blog and putting in my 2 cents worth about last night's edition of Dancing with the Stars ... it was an interesting week with all of our couples doing either the Paso Doble or the Viennese Waltz. Per usual, there were the couples that shined in a big way and the others that didn’t learn much compared to the previous weeks. The judges still seem to have a bit of a stick up their butts with some of the dancers and you can see who is really pulling ahead of the pack at this time. I still cannot believe that Gilles and Cheryl did not get a perfect score (it was 29) as they did not miss a step. They do look very professional and i am sure that Cheryl is cursing that grouchy old man Len at this time.

Dear old Steve-O will not be hanging around for the competition if he does not get it together. I feel really bad for Lacey as this is her second season and she got a bit of a dud as far as partners go. It must be the luck of the draw and she will have a short season.

Chuck and Julianne are not doing that well and his lack of experience is catching up with him. I still think that the Judges expect more as his wife is the dancer,but it is not fair to judge him on a different level. Even with that said it still will not help out his long term experience on the show.

Lawrence is still not making an impact like previous football players and as hard as Edyta works the poor guy I don't think that he will be around for several more weeks unless he learns how to flow. Edyta is still doing all the heavy lifting (and looks as fabulous as ever) but it takes more than a pretty partner to win.

Shawn and Mark did an amazing job last night and really showed the Waltz off well... I think they still have a fighting chance and Shawn flowed across the dance floor. Great work.

Melissa (who is not a star) and Tony did a great Paso to Lady Gaga (great choice of music) and Tony worked Melissa very hard. She is doing a great job and will go far but I still don't think that just because she was on a reality show that she is a star..but that is in the eye of the beholder. She is still doing a great job and a pleasure to watch.. even if I can't help but make snarky comments.

David got a bit of smack down from the Judges and I feel bad for Kym but David has a problem connecting to the viewing public and I can honestly say that I don't like him. If I had my choice I would put him up for elimination but probably not this week. Soon if he doesn't find a way to connect with his partner and the public.

Gilles and Cheryl (as mentioned earlier) pulled out the best Paso (and best music using Bolero) and really pulled off an intense performance. Gilles is a clear front runner at this point and you just know that Cheryl is pushing him as far and hard as she can. Too bad I don't like Cheryl.

Ty is still pretty stiff (and not in the good way) and poor Chelsie will be getting her walking papers soon for this season. The guy just cannot relax and I found it humorous that this week he had the chance to do a "manly" dance and did a crappy job. He just needs to look at Gilles and see a strong male figure dancing with being to feminine. I hate those stereotypes, it's so ridiculous and especially on a dance show.

Lil' Kim was stunningly beautiful and my biggest surprise and treat of this season. Derek is doing a great job with her and I expect to see her and Gilles battliing it out for the trophy this season. Tonight I would love to see David leave but have the feeling that Ty and Steve-O will be doing the dreaded Dance off....

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

2009-04-04T15:06:00.022-04:00

The past week was not bad with some surprising episodes of Lost and Bones, while a few shows fumbled the ball (Smallville - again) and Project Runway Canada is really beginning to get on my nerves, but there were shows like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Dollhouse that have really surprised and shocked me.

The Amazing Race is still as amazing as ever, and it was a shame to see Mike & Mel hit the road but you know that once one team gets way behind the others there is never that much of a chance to catch up. It's all about how you play the game and our 2 stunt men got perilously close to hitting the road after sabotaging the other teams. This game is really about fair play and you have to out perform to win -- not try to trip up the other teams. The teams are really pushing themselves and Tammy & Victor seem to be the leaders at this time.

Dancing with the Stars dumped Holly and the Woz (finally) and I hope that Steve-O gets his act together soon or he will be leaving soon.Lil' Kim was amazing and looks great, and you can really tell that Cheryl wants to win this year so she pulled out all the stops (and probably a roll of duct tape) to get her cleavage into that outfit and tangoed Gilles into a frenzy. Ty is still impressing me and Shawn is adorable.

Both Chuck and Heroes missed the boat this week with episodes that felt too repetitive (again) but I am looking forward to seeing the story arc with Chuck's dad. Heroes has completely lost it's way and feels like the same story done over and over.... I am just waiting for the next version of Ally/Niki/Traci to show up and get killed. My interest and hopes of a 3rd season are fading quickly, and I can't believe how the writers have dropped the ball on this series. What was once very promising has turned into an test of endurance.

Project Runway Canada has me waiting for Sunny to win and nothing more. This season was too dull for my taste and this crop of designers is too straight and bitchy. I can hardly wait until the US version returns (the legal issues are getting settled finally) and I will have to check out the new Bravo replacement The Fashion Show when it hits the airwaves. I need a Heidi and Tim fix.

The only thing that has been fabulous enough on TV recently was RuPaul's Drag Race (one of my favorite Guilty Pleasures this year) and I was like a little boy Christmas morning when I heard they have already booked a second season. The only thing as fun as that is this season of Make me a Supermodel, which has all the gorgeous people and the craziness of the Janice Dickinson Modelling Agency with out the psychopathic Janice and some astounding photo shoots. I think Jonathon has a great chance of winning and is really impressing me. The cast is less gay this time around, but as enthralling as ever.

Lost has my head spinning with possible temporal paradoxes and I absolutely love that Hurley asked the questions that we all had to know... and I was literally peeing myself laughing as he and Miles had their "nerd off" to see who had the right theories. I love how they are tying up some of the mysteries (what Sawyer whispered to Kate) while starting more and Ben being taken by Richard to be healed. Seeing our modern day Ben wake up to John Locke was a hell of an ending and I am literally on pins and needles waiting to see what happens next. One hour per week is not enough of this show.

Bones pulled off a surprisingly serious episode that was very Cam-centric, and was almost too different as it was not as humorous as the usual episodes. I was pretty sure that Cam's new adopted daughter is none other than Monica from Heroes, so I am glad to see her getting more work but wondering how this all fits into the series. I think I am just in shock because the episode was so different than the usual episodes of Bones and it was interesting to see one of the other characters in the spotlight. It was nice to see Tamara have the chance to show her acting chops.

Survivor: Tocantins is great and I love how we are getting up to the merge and the Hidden Immunity Idols are starting to come into play. I think that if anyone finds an Idol now they better be sceptical, because it seems that everyone who has found one of the Idols tries the Fake Idol fake out now (and it's a good idea) and it might keep people on their toes. Rule of thumb, they have to be played occasionally as well as it's great to have one but useless if never used. I would really like to see that tool Coach hit the road though, and hope that happens soon.

Smallville has me wondering why Clark is such a tool most of the time and why Chloe is still the poster girl for bad choices this season. I thought that after the previous episode she was being more proactive about things, but this Davis/Doomsday thing is getting out of hand. Tessmacher surprised me with blowing up Davis, and I saw an interesting twist on her personality that makes her psycho and dangerous, but nothing like Lex. Her idea of testing Clark is a good one and am waiting for the big fight at the end of the season. More adventure and less angst please.

Supernatural churned out another great episode and I loved the slant on the print version of Supernatural with our boys being all romance novel inspired. Angels, demons and prophets -- it seems the end of days is coming up and I expect an Apocalypse of a finale this year. I am glad that the show is coming back and feel better going into finale season knowing that there will be a follow up, but still wondering how they are going to try to tie up this major storyline in the next few episodes.The series has been even more thrilling this year and the writing has improved over last year.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles shocked me this week with the very unexpected death of Derek in a move that I really did not see coming. No one is safe on this show (except John) and it is really starting to tear him apart watching everyone die for him. There is some very interesting developments with the storyline and I am loving the tension. I just hope that next week is only the season finale and not the series finale. I expect a pretty big body count after the next episode and when the dust clears I hope to see Cameron still around. This show is not getting the credit or attention that it deserves.

Dollhouse is continuing to be another brilliant brainchild of Joss Whedon, and although I am having a bit of a problem getting past the whole "pet" angle of the Dolls (and am still not sure of the whole human traffic element of the show), the writing has been great and Eliza is as phenomenal as ever. I love seeing the Dolls bond, and the underlying story of our very hunky FBI agent Paul Ballard (loved our Canadian guy in Galactica) and the apparent chemistry between Echo and Ballard. Hot stuff... and the insights into what makes Echo, Victor, Sierra and November tick makes the show even more fascinating. Josh is all about writing great characters, and his work is shining here. I just hope that the ratings are enough to get another season, things are starting to get very interesting and this better not be another Firefly.

Weekend Rant - Mini-rant

2009-03-29T16:15:00.011-04:00

Just a quick note as it has been an incredibly busy week and I have not had the time to catch up on all the Watch List nor have the time to rant about what happened this past week ... but here is a quick overview of what I managed to take in and what worked (and didn't) for me this week. This time around in will be in simple point form and the shows are rated from ☼ to ☼☼☼☼☼ . ☼☼☼☼☼ means it was absolutely fracking fantabulous and if something gets rated ☼ it means that I probably want that hour of my life back. Let the games begin!

Sunday I caught up with the Amazing Race (always high on my list ☼☼☼☼) and then that great episode of Desperate Housewives which was such a winner it got ☼☼☼☼☼. Edie still looks alive (or was twitching in her death throes at the end of the episode) so was this just some of the hype concerning the death of her character and her departure or was it only a publicity stunt or is there more to this story? I can hardly wait until the next episode to see how they tie things up.

Monday brought another great edition of Dancing with the Stars, but I am still bummed that Woz and some of the other pseudo celebrities are still there. I look forward to when the herd gets culled a bit more and we get into the Top 6 -- the competition is still great fun and always dependable. Tom Bergeron is hilarious -- and because of him I am giving the show ☼☼☼½. Chuck is disappointing me with too much repetition of the Chuck/Sarah relationship on again off again thing ( I hate angst) but redeemed itself with the live appearance of the tiny General and the nerd off between rival BuyMore stores. ☼☼☼ for this one, and the same thing for Heroes as they finally pulled out some action and oomphed up the story (finally) that redeemed some of this disaster of a season. Nice to see that my theories of Rebel turning out to be true, but hate that Daphne got bumped off. You win some and you lose some.

Tuesday brought the unexpected season finale of the
Rick Mercer Report ( ☼☼☼☼) and the Dancing with the Stars Results Show. I gasped when it was fellow E network Stars Holly and Denise were pitted against each other in the Dance Off and am bummed that Denise is gone, but only because she was partnered with Maks. Holly may be next if Woz keeps getting by. The guy must be buying votes or all the nerds have the voting on speed dial.

Wednesday brought Lost ( ☼☼☼☼☼) and an astounding episode that makes me question how much of this was destined to happen or are they changing history? This show is blowing my mind.

Make me a Supermodel is thrilling me with this year's crop of talent, and I love the photo shoots. It was too much fun to see the winners get to come to Montréal for Fashion Week. This season is just as fun as the first one, but with our little gay boy eliminated, there will not be the same kind of bro-mance as last year. Colin is too cute as our virginal boy - but will be gone soon, but probably after Gabriel who can only pout and look emo, Jonathan is turning the heat up and may be the first guy to win the competition. South Park has been even more scathing this season and their Margaritaville episode was a tour de force. Absolutely outstanding work and brilliant parody. ☼☼☼☼☼

Thursday was Smallville and the much lauded appearance of Zatanna that was okay (her costume was great but the character was not used very much) but I liked the development with Chloe. Watchtower online! ☼☼☼½. Supernatural was astounding this week and it was another great episode that had better continuity to the big storyline and the guys have such great chemistry together. ☼☼☼☼

I am still catching up on Friday -- more to follow later this week!

Smallville - It's all a blur to me

2009-03-20T13:42:00.010-04:00

This week was supposed to be one of those episodes that helps advance the storyline arc on Smallville, but I think the writers are not exactly sure what the hell they are doing and some of the characters are really coming across different than how they usually are. I know the Davis is supposed to be the "big bad" of this season (since we are currently Lexless it was an interesting choice), but the whole angst story with him not knowing what is going on (really?) or being conscious of who he really is (again, really?) and the whole love triangle crap with Chloe and Jimmy is just turning into a bad soap opera.

I really hate how they are turning Chloe into this simpering Lana like sap (and we all know how I love to hate the Lana character) that is completely clueless about Jimmy and the whole stupid Doomsday/Davis thing. This year they have managed to Brainiac her, wipe her memory, give it back to her, and now they have no idea what to do with her since she seems like a redundant character with Lois and the Daily Planet in the picture. They just need to put her back at work in Watchtower mode at the Isis Foundation, coordinating heroes and becoming more Oracle like -- it would work well with the series and she could be useful instead of being the victim of the week. There are rumors that a character will be killed off this season but I am pretty sure that they will do a Death of The Red Blue Blur finale with Doomsday and then show his resurrection for the new season premiere, but they may decide to get rid of Chloe since she is not even part of the regular continuity in comic book land. They haven't even looked at her supposed healing powers or if they even still exist after all the rebooting that they have done with her over the past few months. They really seem to have a problem with writing the character at this time and it's frustrating as she has been the real gem of the series since it's debut.

I am still not liking the Tess-macher character and don't find her interesting or original at all, especially with her now trying to navigate that gray zone that Lex was a master at doing, nor did I buy any of the bull that she was shovelling in the last episode. I almost laughed when she made the allusions to child abuse in her past via her father in that special bonding moment with Clark. I thought it was too obvious and convenient that the plane crashed and burned and that Clark saved her... Clark needs to wake up and smell the coffee, but our boy scout is sticking to his full inspirational form. I am happy that he wants to play hero more, and loved the "costume" change in the phone booth at the Daily Planet. It still feels like baby steps and they need to get the guy in costume and out there as Superman soon.

Any episode that has no Lois is not a great one and they need to get Erica in more episodes, so hopefully the rest of the episodes coming up will be better -- I'd like to see more Justice League action soon... I know that Zatanna is around the corner and that will be sight to see.

Lost - Let's do the Time Warp Again

2009-03-19T13:04:00.000-04:00

I am starting to find the time paradox part of the story a tad confusing now in Lost and wondering what (if any) are the consequences of the majority of the Oceanic Six (Hurley,Jack,Kate, Sayid) being back with the Dharma Initiative (and obviously before the purge with the appearance of our young Ben -- and that was brilliant casting with the big eyes and intense stare) while somehow Ben, Lapidus and Sun got stranded in modern day (and all from the same plane -- and not counting Locke and the other survivors of this particular flight) yet there is also the difference that they landed on the test island while only specific players faded out of existence as if they were chosen by the time warp... it's all very intriguing and I can hardly wait to see who things turn out. Sawyer (aka La Fleur) is turning into a better leader than Jack on the Island and gets our gang accepted as part of the new arrivals coming in by submarine. Unfortunately Sayid gets discovered sneaking around the jungle and is captured and identified as a hostile (Dharma speak for others) and is thrown into prison. The drop dead ending with the young Ben approaching Sayid in the cell is the probable beginning of Ben's betrayal and killing of the Initiative, yet with Sayid thrown into the mix it opens up the probable can of worms ... and had me thinking "If you could go into the past and kill Hitler as a child would it prevent all the death and destruction that he caused later in life?" and I have the feeling that Sayid is having some similar thoughts to that at this time. Will he look at this as an opportunity to change the future or is that even possible? Miles doesn't seem to think so and has alluded to the fact that Daniel has left because of that reason (the whole Charlotte thing) but I have the feeling that things can be altered and that is part of the reason with their jaunt to the past.

It was a fantastic episode, and I am on pins and needles waiting to see more and per usual, it all happened too quickly and we didn't even get to see what was happening with Locke and his resurrection, not to mention the current predicament with Ben and the ever mysterious Christian and his cryptic mention to Sun and Lapidus have a huge journey before them.

Can this show get any better?

Dancing with the Stars - Week 2

2009-03-17T19:00:00.012-04:00

The second week performances were a huge improvement over last week, but it looks like the injuries are still hitting our "Stars" and they are dropping like flies. This week we continued with our couples doing either this week's Latin dance, the Salsa or the Quickstep as the Ballroom part of the program. All the teams are guaranteed to perform each style before the first elimination so we pick up from last week's debut.

Unfortunately this week we didn't get to see Steve-O perform after a pretty bad back accident (that hit on his back looked very painful) and the fact that they got judged on their dress rehearsal performance instead of doing the routine.Poor Lacey had to handle the judges on her own and it was a shame not to see Steve-O there. Hopefully things are not too bad and the guy will be back next week.. they got a very crappy score and may have to dance for their lives (well not exactly but Tom Bergeron has been talking about the Dance Off for the bottom 2 couples) and I don't even know if our dear Steve-O will even be able to dance if he has too. That just sucks.

Holly Madison & Dmitry did a half decent performance with their semi Quickstep, but it was just not that interesting overall and Holly is just pretty with a huge rack. Sure there were a few jokes about her chest keeping them apart but they didn't impress me that much.

David Allen Grier & Kym did okay with their Salsa but David is still rubbing me wrong and he has a weird chemistry with the judges and the crowd. I think his saving grace will be the fact that he is not as bad as some of the other couples.

Denise Richards & Maksim improved over last week and Denise actually looked better this week doing the Quickstep ... I am still not sure if she will be around for the long term but better than before. Has anyone else noticed Karina keeping a close eye on Maks and Denise backstage? I think Denise's reputation has preceded her once again.

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan ooomphed up the routine some what and they are trying harder but Belinda is just not comfortable with what she is doing and you can feel that over the airwaves, it hardly resembled a Salsa and that speaks volumes already. Unless there is some miracle I am not seeing a long term performance here either.

Ty Murray & Chelsie did a much better job and our cowboy pranced around that dance floor in an energetic Quickstep. He still looks very stiff and needs to loosen up but another celebrity that had some pretty major improvement over the previous week. I think some of it must be nerves for that first performance and the guy is way out of his element.

Shawn Johnson & Mark were fantastic and they did a great Salsa, and it is easy to forget that Shawn is only 17. Her technique is great and she is extremely precise with what she is doing, it's just that big fight with all her years of training as a gymnast. Mark was hilarious (and cute as hell) showing her how to move and got get into the Salsa.

Steve Wozniak & Karina did a Quickstep that made me think that Steve was going into cardiac arrest at about the 1 minute mark. I did notice Kathy Griffin in the audience encouraging Steve, but the guy is a hopeless cause and makes we wonder if this is the very Special edition of Dancing with the Stars once I heard about his foot problem ( I loved how they showed him getting an MRI for his foot problem -- money does have it's uses) but I am pretty sure that Steve will be in the Dance Off and can only hope for a quick and painless elimination. I am starting to feel sorry for Karina as she gets saddled with lame partners. I wonder if she pissed off one of the producers or if it's some kind of lottery system that determines the matches.

Chuck Wicks & Julianne disappointed with a pretty tame Salsa in which Julianne did all the heavy lifting. I hate it when the guys get all crazy and worried about looking fem when they dance, when they only need to see a hot Latin guy dancing to understand how it can be male and sexy and still have rhythm. I was happy the judges gave them a scolding but they are probably not in danger.

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta did an amazing Quickstep and Lawrence completely redeemed himself for last week's poor debut. The guy worked his butt off and deserved all the accolade's after his performance this week, he really stood out for me and I hope to see him around for quite awhile now.
Lil' Kim & Derek really brought it with their Quickstep and Kim is impressing the hell out of me. She has a beautiful presence on the dance floor and I am really liking their work together. They got a great score and I hope that this season's string of injuries and bad luck don't affect all the teams.

Melissa Rycroft & Tony were very impressive in their Salsa and although I have admiration for their great work ( and I really like Tony and am happy to see that he is now using Mak's stylist) I still have problems seeing our rejected Bachelor contender as a "Star" ... I try to accept that she was brought in as a last minute replacement but she is a tad too good for last minute and smells like a ringer. They got a very good score.. there is some talent there but it may take some time to get used to.

Gilles Marini & Cheryl closed off the show with a very impressive and the biggest scoring dance of the night with their Quickstep. Cheryl is definitely playing to win this season and hopefully her partner will be able to keep up with her. They got all 9s for their performance which is phenomenal this early in the competition.

I just hope it won't be a Dance Off between our 2 Steves this evening -- if anything it should be Holly and Steve Wozniak facing off with Steve leaving .. it's too early for Steve-O to leave and I hope that he isn't too injured to continue.

Battlestar Galactica - Daybreak Part 1

2009-03-14T10:45:00.013-04:00

Battlestar Galactica started the beginning of the end with part one of Daybreak, and if last night's episode was any indication, it will be a huge frakking ending to the best frakking TV show out there. WOW! I am so hooked and was on the edge of my seat as things wrapped up in the first part of the finale. The series is going out with a bang (as promised) and it looks like our Battlestar will be doing one final mission and a one way trip to rescue Hera and fulfill a few prophecies.

The flashbacks back to Caprica before the fall were all fascinating, and it's an interesting way to go back to the very beginning and see some of the other impetus that brought our characters to where we are at in the story, that penultimate chapter before the end of this story. I know that there are other stories to tell and more of this fascinating universe that they have created and I am looking forward to more tales, but this story happening right now is so enthralling. We learn how Adama was reluctant to take on the Galactica, how Roslin was stricken with great personal tragedy and lost her father and sisters in a terrible accident and the transition scene from her dealing with her grief in the fountain transposing to her chemotherapy treatment was very well done. Seeing Kara and Zack (and her first meeting of his brother Lee) was poignant, and as it is history that we have not seen much of (but heard about earlier in the series) it gave even more insight into what makes Kara tick, and her ties with the Adama family. Seeing the first meeting between Gaius and Six was a shocker, Gaius was a complete prick with his infirm father, and after literally dismissing her, she turns around and in an very emotional turn of events get his father placed into a great nursing home to take care of him and worms her way into his heart. Six always surprises me with her level of emotion and empathy, pretty frakking awesome for a machine. Anders was the surprise of the flashbacks, showing his love of the mathematics of his sport and his quest for perfection which sounded pretty Cylon from way back when. The deeper you scratch the surface of all these characters the more and more you discover about each of them and how complex and fascinating each and everyone of them is.

With all of that going on, and the continuing dismantling of Galactica, Adama decides that they have a final mission, and they are going to rescue Hera from the Cylons. They draw a line down the center of the hangar and after a huge rousing speech, sides are chosen and they prepare for their final showdown with the Cylons. The biggest shock was seeing Roslin arrive, frail and dying but willing to fight with her last breath and I am in awe of the transformation of the character.

This is it.. the final act ... and I can hardly wait until next Friday to see how it all plays out. This was probably one of the best hours of television that I have ever seen and can now only wait for it to be surpassed with the finale. There are so many questions to be answered and I can hardly believe that it will all be over in just a week...

Dancing with the Stars - Season 8 Premiere

2009-03-10T20:42:00.008-04:00

Things got off to a great start with the first episode of this season and it looks like there are a couple of front runners that will be worth watching. As usual it was quite the eclectic mix of C and D grade celebrities, but I did take offence to the comment that if it was really bad it was a Chloris Leachman. Chloris was not the worst dancer ever on the series ( I believe that title is with Master P) and certainly not merited. Chloris was really entertaining and deserved to hang around as long as she did.

Lil' Kim has been paired up with Derek Hough and she looks great -- much better than the last time she was on the tube (in that terrible Girlicious show) and she is able to show more of her musicality. She may be a bigger threat than some of the other competitors think and is one to watch. Her comment about being the black Barbie with Derek being her Ken doll was pretty funny.

Belinda Carlisle is being partnered by Jonathan Roberts will be Go Going soon if she doesn't get her groove on soon, her first performance was disappointing and her apparent lack of musicality is stunning. I loved her group way back in the 80s ... but think her time on this show will not be much of a comeback.

Cheryl is back with a vengeance and desire to win and has been teamed up with relatively unknown actor Gilles Marini (unless you count his naked passage in the Sex and the City movie), but she is pulling out all the stops and if Gilles can keep up with her (and win over the viewing public) then they will probably go far. Cheryl's biggest challenge will be working with a relatively unknown star (this season seems to be full of D List celebrities -- who's next? Kathy Griffin?)

Lawrence Taylor is the latest football player to hit the dance floor and is teamed up with the sexy and petite Edyta Sliwinska. Lawrence turned out to be a big disappointment and might be one of the teams in jeopardy. He is probably lucky that Woz was so terrible that it is pretty much a given that it he will be the first dismissed.

Steve-O is with Lacey Schwimmer and is already the crowd favourite, and he was much better than I expected. Lacey is a bit of a rebel so it's great that she has a partner that is willing and able to try other stuff, and I hope to see them around for quite awhile.

Chuck Wicks is teamed up with girlfriend Julianne Hough and she is certainly not dating him for his dancing ability. They look good together but it was not a terribly great dance number and our first husband and wife team will have to get it together better if they plan on sticking around. I guess that Julianne's Country career didn't take off that well as she was supposed to have left as of last season. Her return maybe shorter than expected.

Holly Madison was brought in to replace the broken Jewel and is with new dancer (and So you think you can Dance alumni) Dmitry Chaplin and they did a great job considering their lack of time to prepare for the competition. It's appears that this season's "Stars" are a tad more fragile than in previous years and the replacements come from even further down the totem pole. Holly doesn't have much of a Star pedigree, unless you count the abysmal Girls next Door and her life as a Playboy Bunny. This is ABC television right? Family values? Just joking...

Shawn Johnson is the lucky girl teamed up with Mark Ballas and they put out the best number of the evening that was refined and elegant. Shawn has all of her gymnastics background to help her out for the physical part of the competition, and has nice lines and a very strong body. She should be around for the long haul and looks to be a major front runner at this point.

Ty Murray is with new dancer (and another SYTYCD alumni) Chelsie Hightower ( I love how one show is producing dancers for another and they are not even on the same network) and Jewel's husband is pretty stiff... in fact he didn't show much potential but once again is probably saved because Woz was just that bad. Our rodeo boy might find this competition harder than the toughest bull he has ridden and probably won't be along for the ride for that long.

Steve Wozniak has decided to try this out (god knows why) and is with Karina Smirnoff. The performance was a complete disaster and quite pitiful... the guy is only there because he is filthy rich and if there is any intelligent design he should be gone next week. Very bad stuff .. someone needs to lose the reality show addiction and get a new hobby. Just because you are filthy rich should not mean that you are a "Star" and I think it is more of an insult to nerds and geeks than any kind of flattery.

David Alan Grier and Kym Johnson started off well and David is a tad weird but a much better dancer than I anticipated. He needs to get his personalities in order but once that is done he should do quite well. I am not sure if he will win of the public's vote with that weird attitude. He certainly left me with a bad impression and personally hope that he will be gone soon.

Denise Richards is hitting the floor with my favourite Maksim Chmerkovskiy and as much as I would love to see Maks win the title, but his partner looked like a frightened flamingo and didn`t do much for me or meet any expectations at all. Denise may like the bad boys but she has no idea what to do with him now that she has him. I think that ABC has dipped too far into the reality pool for this round and expect some magnificent crashes and burns.

Melissa Rycroft (one of those bimbos who nobody really cares about from the last Bachelor) is with Tony Dovolani so after a big 48 hours of training (and they were probably practicing until the very last second) expectations were not high. She was actually a very nice surprise and will be around for a few weeks. Of course the question is if our cheerleader is actually a Star but it looks like in the eyes of ABC (and that damn Bachelor franchise) it appears that she is. Like I said, too many lower list "Stars" in this round -- but at the rate they are dropping we may not have any choice.

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

2009-03-07T14:47:00.025-05:00

This week went by in record speed (I think losing that hour had a bit to do with it but just as much was the release of Watchmen in Imax which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you want to see an amazing and complex film -- I highly recommend checking it out, the film blew my mind.

It was a great week for the tube ( or the LCD to be a tad more modern) and I was impressed with the quality of some of the shows and the great writing. Monday nights are still ruled by The Big Bang Theory and the hysterical nerds. My other nerd fare for the evening, Chuck and Heroes are not hitting as many balls out of the park this season (although I do have to say that Chuck has been improving the past couple of episodes), but Heroes is really leaving me lukewarm and wondering why they have gone in this direction more than anything else. Medium is still the best bet for the evening and with such a daunting schedule, I am still running way behind on 24. I'll catch up eventually.

RuPaul's Drag Race is the fiercest show on the airwaves at this time and I can't get over the way over the top outfits, the fabulous make up or the brutal honesty of our girls. Bebe Zahara Benet is the hottest thing and my choice for Queen of this Ball, but dear little Ongina was so real and honest that I was heartbroken when she was let go. I can only dream for a better world. You may be gone from the competition Ongina but you will survive and only one thing to say - you better work it!

Tuesday is still a mostly Canuck TV night, and the regular mainstays like the Rick Mercer Report and This Hour has 22 Minutes are as scathing and hilarious as usual, but Project Runway Canada is boring me with the same formula over and over in their second season. Unless some huge disaster happens, Sunny is going to win the competition as he is miles above everyone else, is not saddled with the ego problems that seem to be a requisite for the majority of the competitors and is the highlight of each runway. Sure, Jessica may have gotten the top nod this week (I didn't really care for her design and can not understand her whole urban vibe that she is trying to pull off, the girl is from Toronto and not some hood in southern LA) and Jeff got the boot for being a bad designer and by his bad executed reversible (wtf?) disaster. When you have to start glueing pieces together or drawing on stitching then you might think you are in the wrong competition. It's a shame though, I did like him at the beginning but quickly realized that he (and several of the other designers), are way out of their element and the competition has this weird symmetry to it.

Lost has my head spinning in different time paradoxical ways with the gang being back in the 1970's and part of the Dharma Initiative. I can see more why Daniel's mom was so reticent about the Oceanic Six being on that last plane as it seems to have drawn all of the players back together on the Island, albeit at a different time and in different circumstances and it opens up a whole new can of worms with Ben being there. There is of course all the issues of Locke dealing with Ben (who killed him), the new identities of the Jin, Sawyer and Juliet and the rest of the motley crew that have now become part of the Dharma group, the ever mysterious and ageless Richard and the sudden arrival of the Oceanic Six. Things are complicated, interesting and making my brain hurt. I literally had kittens when our gang was time shifting and we saw the giant statue for a few seconds before they shifted again and it was gone once again. I wonder if there is some ancient people behind all the unique properties of the Island (Atlantis maybe?) but still have the feeling that it was aliens and possibly a crashed ship that has been on the Island for a very long period of time. This season has been astounding and I can't believe how great the writing has been.

Make me a Supermodel came back with it's second season, and it is as addictive as ever with mix of competitors, great challenges and sexy boys and girls. I am really liking Sandurst and it's nice to see one of the boys out and married (Shawn), and it think of Clark Kent kind of guy, Colin is completely adorable. The very very very androgonous Chris is a bit too much, and our good Mennonite girl Salome is reminding me alot of last year's winner, Holly. I don't think it will be the same kind of girl winning this year but am looking forward to the competition. Let the games begin!

Survivor Tocantins is barreling along and I really like the mix of characters this year. Taj is really growing on me and I love the sneaky alliance that she has going with Brendan, Sierra and Stephen. Coach and his minion Tyson are starting to get on my nerves and I hope that their team wakes up and gets rid of Coach soon, he talks big but sure as hell has not been walking the walk that goes with all his talk. Tyson is just turning into a jerk that likes to see people suffer, that is a bit too sociopath for me and we'll have to see what happens when and if things are shaken up. Our hidden Immunity Idols should be coming into play soon (it looks like they are hidden the same spot as the first Immunity Idols) and they are sure to shake up the game soon. I love it when we get to merge time and it's everyone for themselves, let's just see if they can get rid of some of the deadwood before that time. The location is stunning and I can't believe how amazing this show looks in all of its HD glory. Nice work Survivor.

Burn Notice finished up the season and redeemed it's self over the past few weeks with episodes that ended up the current storyline and brought the series back to the fun and dangerous feeling that it had is season one. It's great having Fiona and Michael back together (and they make such a hot couple) and I love how well Sam and Michael's mom are playing off of each other. Here's hoping they bring the show back for another season as it is still Top Twenty at the least and no one else has such a great voice over explaining the tricks of the spy trade. Michael Westen is the sexiest spy on TV at the moment (not to mentioned best dressed) and it would be a shame to miss out seeing more of his adventures.

Battlestar Galactica is amazingly good and I can't believe that in a couple of weeks it will all be over. I know that the finale will be atleast 3 hours long but have the nagging feeling that it will leave more questions than answers and possible/probable sequel or follow up to the series. It's heartbreaking to see Adama losing all of his important women at the same time, Galactica and Roslin. There is so much going on but you can feel the impending sense of finality with all things, the end of Galactica, the end of the quest for a new home, the end of their current way of life. I think we are in for a huge final blow out, with the winners picking up the pieces and creating a new race of Cylon/humans. All I know is that I can only hope for something to follow this (in the spirit of Galactica 1980), showing the new home.. and I have the feeling that the other Cylon homeworld " The Colony" is a key to all of this. It will be a trip to see this all play out over the next couple of weeks. All good things must come to an end eventually.

America's Best Dance Crew - May the best Crew win

2009-03-02T14:14:00.004-05:00

I have mentioned a few times over the past few months my love of America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC) and other dance themed shows, and we are lucky enough in this day and age to have a plethora of shows to indulge this craving. ABDC has been having a phenomenal season and the past couple of weeks bringing us to the big Finale this week ( I can hardly wait) and it looks like for the first time we will have an all girl group taking home the top prize and the title of America's Best Dance Crew. I have been amazed each and every time by Beat Freaks, and I really hope that they take it all the way. Things are pretty tight with their biggest competition, Quest Crew has been biting at their heels all season, and have some of my favourite dancers from So you think you can Dance? Hok and Dominic. The guys are amazing but the girls from Beat Freaks are hitting just as hard and have surpassed any and all expectations each week. The best thing, the girls are doing it with out getting all hoochied up and are getting tons of votes based on their talent and guts.

You would have my vote if I could vote in Canada -- but am throwing it out there for the rest of you that can -- vote Beat Freaks and let the best Crew win.

Weekend Rant - Making up for Lost Time

2009-02-28T15:22:00.035-05:00

Things have been running fast and furious for several weeks now, and as I continue playing catch up with a few shows (24 is one of those), I have been making sure that I keep up with my Best in Show favourites such as Lost and Battlestar Galactica. This has to be one of my favourite times of the year as both of those series are rolling out phenomenal seasons and the writing has been incredible. It is nice to see some complicated and enthralling story lines and both series have been keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Dollhouse has really sucked me in with after only 3 episodes and I salut Josh Whedon for creating another fascinating universe. Eliza Dushku is really having a chance to show her acting chops with her portrayal of each of the different persona's and as her fugue Echo in her Tabla Rasla state. The premise is intriguing, I am loving the stories so far and the back story with Alpha and the massacre at the Dollhouse. Casting Amy Acker as the resident doctor for the Dolls is more Whedon brilliance and is totally geek pleasing stuff seeing one of my favourites from Angel (Fred/Illyria) as the scarred Dr. Claire Saunders, and I have been thrilled to see Tahmoh Penikett (Helo from BSG) cast as the FBI agent trying to uncover the Dollhouse. This strange melding of both the Buffy and Galactica universes has me hooked and I can hardly wait to see more.

Lost and The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham has my head spinning watching John Locke getting manipulated by all the different players surrounding his quest to return to the Island, and it's hard to tell who is actually telling the truth.Is it Richard (and Christian?) that are working together on behalf of the Island, or is Widmore and his quest to get the Island back or does it have something to do with Ben? The big reveal that John was going to commit suicide after visiting and being rejected by the majority of the Oceanic 6 in an effort to get them back to the Island, only to be stopped at the last minute by Ben. Of course John made the error of revealing a bit too much information and then was killed by Ben who staged John's suicide. Now that we have John waking up on the Island with a new group of people and an injured Ben makes me wonder what John did in a past life that he needs to make up for it now, or what is so damn special about him that has been alluded to by all the players. One thing is certain, they all seem to need him. The only thing that I can say is that the return to the Island was astounding with all those convenient coincidences.... but I can hardly wait to see Sun and Jin meet again once we figure out When everyone is. Damn this show is astounding.

Battlestar Galactica has me completely sucked in to the last few episodes and I am on pins and needles waiting to see how they will end things with our survivors. Will they finally find home? Is Hera truly the salvation they are looking for? Is Starbuck a clone or hybrid? Something else? Will Galactica hold together long enough to find a new home? Will the President live long enough to see her people safe? So many questions and so little time left...

Heroes is still boring me senseless with the current story line and if the ratings keep dropping like this we may not see any more after this season. Unfortunately this series has fallen victim to the biggest problem that hits sci fi shows ... it seems that it is a problem to try maintaining good writing or well developed story lines that keep the viewers coming back, and I have been bored silly since this story arc started. Wake me up when this snooze is over as they keep just rehashing the same things over and over. At least Chuck is still hanging in there quality wise, but it really has to be Medium which is the most gripping show of the evening. This show is an example of good writing that has made for some great stories so far this season. I love Alison being a bit more out of control and this past body snatcher/possession storyline is making me think that hubbie Joe is going to have a major meltdown soon if Alison keeps putting the kids in danger.

I wish the scheduling would get back to normal and shows like Bones and Big Bang Theory get back to airing new episodes,the occasional new episode is not enough and don't get me started about wanting to see the final episodes of Pushing Daisies. Some shows get no respect and I am furious with ABC for holding on to the last episodes and not even giving the crew a chance to tie things up with the storyline. MADtv finally had a new episode this week, and it was great to see the gang doing their very funny schtick after several months of repeats and compilation episodes. I hope they will air all the final season and let the cast say their farewells. It would be great to see some of the old gang to tie things up but I am not really holding out too much hope for any hooplah. For all we know, all the stuff has already been taped and we are just waiting for it to air.

Project Runway Canada is starting to become too predictable with pretty much the same formula being used over and over. Iman looks fierce, Challenge, at least one designer freaks out and is on the verge of a complete meltdown. There is tons of bitching and usually the biggest whiner goes home, and Sunny wins. Repeat. I bet ya Sunny wins the competition...

My biggest guilty pleasure at the moment has to be RuPaul's Drag Race, which is turning into one of the best shows ever. Not only are our contestants fierce from A to Z, but they are all such lovely and different creatures that you can't help but want all of them to win, except for the one that they are shamelessly promoting as the biggest bitch because the show has to have one. This show hits so many of the right notes with its over the top spoofing of other reality shows and having the balls to show the guys as much as the boys they are as their Drag counterparts. It's a shame that a couple of the more marginal girls have had to go, but I am routing for Angina. Drag is about being a parody or being a character and not necessarily about being a female impersonator. You go girl!

Weekend Rant - Getting back on track

2009-02-15T13:39:00.006-05:00

Things are almost back to normal .. almost ... and the best thing is that part of being busy was due to the So you think you can Dance Canada Top Ten Tour that was in Montréal this past Saturday. I had purchased tickets months ago and was not disappointed with the big show.

It was amazing to see all that talent live and in real time, and the quantity of routines was staggering. I would have to say that I saw almost all of my favorite numbers, and was in awe and half deaf due to all the screaming fans that were there. Nico was clearly the fan favorite, as his every appearance brought the crowd to their feet in ovation and the requisite screaming. He was closely followed in crowd appreciation by the other 2 from Québec, Danny and Vincent. Arassay and Lisa seemed to be very popular in Montréal and got the biggest ovations from the crowd, but that is not to say that the rest of the Top Ten were not appreciated, but it wasn't on the same level. It almost goes with out saying that the hometown boys are going to get the biggest cheers, and our fair city did not miss a beat. It was a great evening with a very eclectic crowd of people of all ages and a ton of fun. My ears may never be the same but sometimes you have to take one for the team. Season 2 was recently announced and I can hardly wait to see the next round.

Things should be more back to normal after this week and I have to rant about Survivor and Dollhouse. More to follow...

Weekend Rant - The start of something new

2009-02-07T16:08:00.015-05:00

Things will be returning to normal after next week and I will have time to do more than one posting per week. There have been several times during the week that I have cheered for joy or been completely flabbergasted by something that happened on my viewing schedule. This past week was actually a pretty good one and I can't say that quality was lacking in the shows that I checked out.

Heroes returned with a sputter and has me completely bored with their return after the winter break. If this is the beginning of new storyline I am going to hate to see how it develops, they better get their writers in order soon as the show is really loosing it's luster. Maybe they will make up for it next week and get the ball rolling, but it appears stalled at the moment... I am not digging the start of this round and how we seem to be starting over again.

Chuck disappointed me with the 3-D episode, I watched it and just felt completely meh after ... it's a shame because I am a huge fan of the show, and I thought that if any show could pull of something fun it would be these guys since they are so geeky.... but they missed the ball on that one and took the attention away from an otherwise good story. It's kind of funny that our hobbit and dead ex-druggie rocker from Lost, Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) was a guest star playing another rocker... me thinks someone may get typecast if he is not careful.

The good news for NBC was that I was thrilled that Medium came back to the airwaves this week, and it was so nice that things felt back to normal (as far as anything can feel normal in this series) after that awkward turn of events last season. A large part of the success of this show is because of the characters and their interaction with each other that makes this show sing. I just love the kids and they are always finding interesting ways of working "the ability" into their everyday lives. It was a great balance of vision and interpretation and the story line and all the twists and turns made for a great season opener. Welcome back Allison, Joe and family and the gang at the DA's office. It's nice to see you all together again.

Project Runway Canada has more than enough drama queens this time around, and there is tons of delicious tension and bitching between the contestants. The Challenge this week was to create a look for "their special celebrity muse - Canadian sweetheart and Hollywood A-list celebrity Elisha Cuthbert." I think the A Listing is a tad exaggerated, if anything she is a B List celebrity and hasn't really been in the spotlight recently. The show seems to want to pull out the big guns to get the viewers in and I hope they haven't shot their wad too early... anyways, this group of competitors is pretty whiney and yet another of them is on the verge of a complete meltdown with all the pressure and all. Just shoot me -- I am always agah when I see contestants that are surprised that the competition is difficult and that others don't play nice. Welcome to reality TV, just wipe that nose okay? It's kind of gross when you have been crying like a baby.

Anyways, it all reads like your typical good season of Runway, only there aren't enough over the top gay guys nor a decent representation from Montréal (I am ashamed of you Project Runway Canada - is this your new conservative agenda?) and the end results so far have pointed out the big talent of Adejoké, Sunny and Baylor. Brandon is the one getting on my nerves (there is always at least one) and my underdog favorite was Christie until she freaked this week. I'd would have liked to shown my favorite ensemble made for our Canuck B Lister, but alas the GlobalTV website is crap and I can't get episode photos. Margarita got the boot after her stretch fabric nightmare, but Brandon was put on notice for his trashy dress. Iman is a stunning as usual and a real tyrant on the runway, we need more of her. I loved her Ziggy Stardust t shirt at the beginning, fashionable, classy and fierce.

Smallville shined a light at the end of the tunnel with Lana getting all juiced up on Kryptonite in her new super powered invisible armor that gives her powers and the incredible ability to be able to have hot sex with Clark and break the frame of a solid oak bed with their shenanigans. It appears that she is armored inside and out.... anyways, in her "final appearance" she saves the Daily Planet but can never be by our hero ever again. It appears that Lex orchestrated all this and is supposedly dead (again ) and once more I meh and know that Lex will be back and can only pray that Lana is off being Kryptonite Girl elsewhere and helping out those in need. I can hardly wait until Lois is back and Clark grows a pair. Seriously, enough with the stupid angst, it is not necessary, it's time to get our boy suited up and doing the good deeds and becoming the hero and legend that he is supposed to be.

Battlestar Galactica literally knocked me on my ass with the past episode. I can not believe how much happened in that one episode and the pacing was great. All of the multiple elements working together, the mutiny and resistance, the tenacity of Adama as he took back his ship, Zarek and Gaita and their struggle for power and the incredible strength of Roslin as she rallied the troops. Laura Roslin was astounding when she put it all on the line with Zarek and told him that she would hunt him to the end of the universe for justice, I literally had chills as she was giving him her ultimatum. It was all just an astounding episode and you could feel for the first time in these final ten episodes, a glimmer of hope. After all the disappointment and heartbreak there were feelings of pride and duty and a change in direction. It was the start of something new, and I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

Weekend Rant - Endings & Beginnings

2009-01-31T08:19:00.026-05:00

Things finally wrapped up this week for Superstars of Dance, and while there were a few amazing dancer performances, I hated the format, the judging and have no interest in seeing another season. I hope it was the last time for that experiment, I don't think that they really thought it through fully enough before airing the series as it was just bad. Of course, TV karma has compensated for that piece of crap with the return of Randy Jackson presents: America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC), and some really tight and astounding dance routines. The judging is as urban as it gets (and I think the judges push that as far as they can), but there are some outstanding dance teams and I am always in awe seeing them perform.I have been loving the underdog Dynamic Edition team and their fusion of Clogging and Hip Hop. Talk about whack... and more.

The great white North is a step ahead of American friends with the return of Project Runway Canada this week and the second season started off pretty rough for our contestants. With in the first 4 minutes of the show we had our first contestant leave due to an anxiety attack, and not 10 minutes later (and several hours in to the filming), we had a second contestant leave due to other medical issues. I am not sure how the selection process worked for these contestants, but I have the feeling that Iman terrifies them in ways that Heidi Klum can never do and that had quite a bit to do with their stress level and the subsequent meltdowns.

The first challenge was interesting but I didn't like the military vibe. I am happy to see their official mentor Brian Bailey has lost the 70's porn star mustache and is now wearing a more contemporary look, and it looks like a few of the designers have some real talent. I think Jeff has a real chance to go somewhere in the competition, and I am calling Jason out as the biggest poser in the competition. If you saw his "now you see her, now you don't" outfit from the first challenge you would see why. As Iman says, " In fashion, sometimes you just don't measure up", and there are a more than a couple of them that have completely missed that boat. As usual it is absolute Must See TV and I can hardly wait for the next catty episode. It's just a shame that the original series is still stuck in legal limbo, but the Canuck version has almost everything that I want.... it's just missing Tim Gunn.

Scrubs had me in hysterics this week with their Sesame Street episode, and I loved the slightly more adult appearances of the Muppets. The show is hitting it's beat and I still think that NBC made a big mistake with letting it go, the writing is hilarious.

Smallville is still leaving that bad taste in my mouth with each episode that Lana appears in. I am tired of the teen angst portions of our production and I just wish the writers could get over it and get back to the adventure vibe that was happening at the beginning of the season. It appears that my hopes for Insect Queen are being dashed (red kryptonite anyone?), and I really hope they get back to the Lois and Clark thing quickly (no sign of Lois again this week...) and finish up with ninja barbie. Sorry, but not believing the whole Lana /boot camp/torture thing and really want this guest arc to finish up, now.

Supernatural is pulling out great episodes (I jumped several times this week in our ghostly possession episode) but want to see more of the story surrounding Lilith and the Seals. The writers need to combine those elements more or we will all be in Hell before May sweeps even happens. It's called story progression and I need a bit more.

Lost is the bomb (literally and figuratively with our Hydrogen bomb named Jughead) and is blowing my mind with our time travelling Island and the way they are filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle by revealing connections to the ever mysterious Island and even more mystery surrounding Richard. It looks like there might be some more heartbreak around the corner with Penny giving birth to Desmond's baby and naming him Charlie, and the realisation that some how they need to help set things right, but the biggest shock of them all had to be the reveal that Widmore is an Other and from the Island originally... and it wasn't that shocking that he is the one funding Farraday, but learning about the problems surrounding our scientist was fascinating (and probably terribly dangerous pour Charlotte who seems to be linked to all of this) and all this time paradox and radiation can not be a good thing. This show is such a mind cluster frack that I can not stop obsessing over some of the details, and I am all convinced that it has something to do with a crashed Alien ship and that Richard is the sole survivor. Time will tell.. our Oceanic Six were not around much this week (an hour is just not enough) and slowly but surely the pieces of the puzzle are coming together.

Battlestar Galactica is as enthralling as ever with the current mutiny and unrest with in the fleet and their uneasy alliance with the Cylons.The civil unrest following the huge let down of finding a scorched Earth was not that surprising, but the mutiny on the Galactica will have some serious ramifications for some of the characters and Adama's threats are not to be taken lightly... telling Gaeta that he will die with nothing will be a sight not to be missed. The pacing in the episode was phenomenal, and I loved seeing Starbuck & Apollo work together again and helping to hold off the mutiny. Starbuck looks like she has gotten back some of her kick ass attitude back after being pulled through the wringer. Apollo is just realizing what he is getting into with the current rebellion and it is so ironic that his nemesis is played by none other than the original Apollo (Richard Hatch). The re-appearance of Roslin as the President (finally ending her seclusion for the moment) on the Galactica and addressing the fleet was an astounding moment that may well turn the tide towards a better solution and the cliffhanger ending of Adama and Tighe trying to hold off the mutineers against all odds was classic. Don't count out the old dogs yet, they have a ton of tricks up their sleeves and may the gods help those who stand in their way. As things tie up (damn these episodes start and finish quickly) I really hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel after all this, I can't believe that there are no other survivors of the human race and the 13th Colony.

Weekend Rant - Another Blitz !

2009-01-24T14:19:00.022-05:00

Life has it's busy moments, and I am still sprinting non stop for the next few weeks... so this week is another Week in Review and my biggest hits and misses of the week.

I absolutely loved the special edition of Desperate Housewives and their tales of the handyman. Not only was it great to see the ladies in flashback mode (loved the first meeting of Gaby and the girls), and it was nice to see characters like Rex back for an appearance, and I think it is always a great treat to see Mary Alice. The episode was very well written and I laughed and cried with our housewives and the common thread that brought them all together.

Momma's Boys came to a merciful end with our boys and mothers unhappy. Like I said before, I am not predicting any happy endings and I am glad that this experiment is over ... none of the guys really followed their heart and that should be the essential element. In reality, should we even expect anything deep from these self professed momma's boys.. they are used to being told what to do and to have everything done for them.

24 is keeping a decent pace, but is already starting to stretch into more of that
"Did they really do that ? " territory with the apparent shooting and burial of our more than slightly miffed and confused FBI agent Renee. The storyline is still intriguing enough that I am coming back for more and I can hardly wait to see more with Bill and Chloe. Another geek off between Janis and Chloe would be more than appreciated (their mutual admiration for each other was cute as well) and I have the feeling that Janis is the mole and will be kind of like the anti-Chloe to to screw things up for Jack. At least the essential and important elements of this series are in sync , and Jack and Tony are being rough and tough double agents working for some rogue agency because of some government conspiracy. I wonder if the story lines will change now that there is a different vibe at the White House and the new administration seems more public and honest.

Smallville delved into angst territory again this week with Lana still on board and Lois curiously absent once again. I am looking forward to getting back in to hero mode and Lana leaving again, Clark just turns into a babbling idiot and some one needs to give him a super kick in the ass. They have been going back and forth on the hero thing and we better get into some tights soon, or attempts at disguising our reluctant hero so he really can be a force for good and start realizing his potential. I will say that I did like the Lana stuff when she showed Tessmacher how she was the eyes and ears of Lex with out knowing it, and it will be interesting to see what side she will play on now, but I am more interested in seeing things develop with Lois and Clark and for the series to be more action and adventure oriented.

Bones came back this week with 2 episodes and both of them were brilliant for different reasons. I loved seeing Booth and Bones undercover and off to join the circus as Canadians, Buck and Wanda Moosejaw who have this nifty act called Boris & Natasha & their Russian knives of death. Both of them were hilarious and Bones had me on the floor with her deadpan questions and comments. Her blind faith in Booth and his knife throwing abilities was surprisingly logical, and the affection between the two of them is obvious to everyone except them it seems. They had too much fun together at the Circus and it was great to have the show back on the air. I loved the 2nd episode as well, and you could see that David was having too much fun with the hockey theme. I still have alarm bells that go off with Sweets, and am still convinced that he will be a bad guy some time in the future.

The return of Lost was the biggest highlight of the week, and I loved the 2 hour opener that started to answer some questions and reveal some of the secrets of the Island. I love the whole unstuck in time thing that is happening and how it appears that things can be influenced over the time stream if you know the right door to go knocking on... they had already shown in a past episode that there was a distinct link between Desmond and Daniel (The Constant), and now it looks like Daniel can communicate with the Desmond on the Island (in the past), who will remember the meeting as a dream or memory and maybe able to change the sequence of events. The time travel/paradox issue looks like it will be a major part of the storyline and I am interested to see how all it will play out and how it ties into the apparent death of Locke and the need to get everyone back to the Island. I bet that once they are all back, Locke will come back to life (he is very special after all) and things will be changed in the Time/Space Continuum. This show is amazing and I have the distinct feeling that long term viewers will be treated to lots of great stuff this season. It was great to find out more about what happened with the gang on the Island after the big white out and it was a definite treat to have an episode of Sawyer shirtless. I wonder if Jack's hairy chest will come back during one of the flashbacks and I bet we will have at least one time travel episode where our survivors meet up with themselves. That will be a trip.

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

2009-01-17T13:54:00.035-05:00

Things have started off pretty decently this New Year, and I was very impressed with the returning shows this week. Things are very busy right now so my rantings may be less frequent for the next month but I will do atleast one posting per week.

24 has turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and reminding me more of the early seasons of the series. I still have problems with the the time lag and not really getting much background about when and why CTU was shut down and what happened with some of the key players, but it feels better than the last season and I am always a fan of Jack.

The Big Bang Theory is really getting it's groove, and the guys are getting the geek sensibility down to an art form, but I am concerned that Sheldon is going to overshadow Leonard and I hope that his character will not just be the straight man to all the funny guys around him. The characters are hilarious, and Wolowitz was hysterical this week when his feelings got hurt by Penny. I was practically drooling over his figurine collection (it figures that a brilliant nerdy scientist that still lives at home would have thousands of dollars worth of figurines)and I can't get over the details in this show, there must be some serious geeks in that set decorating department.

I am not ashamed that I have been loving Momma's Boys and it is currently one of my Guilty Pleasures. My favorite boy has to be our man-whore/fireman/actor Michael who seems to really like those blond chicks with a huge rack, he also seems to like to take them for a test ride before buying, yet seems put off by girls that are too slutty. Go figure, the guy is getting to be hot after one of the girls (Erica) that was the Penthouse Pet of 2008. His mom thinks this is the perfect girl for him (no one knows her deep dark secret) and it is like a great soap opera. One of the other guys, JoJo, has a very bigoted mother, who freaks at the idea of her son being with anything other than a white girl, and thinks that none of the girls are good enough for her boy. Our last contestant, Robert, is a nice Jewish boy and Mom wants to keep it that way.She doesn't want her dear boy to be with anything but a nice Jewish girl and she has one all picked out for him, the problem is that he really likes one of the girls,and she isn't Jewish or Caucasian and Mom is having conniptions. It's all drama and over the top and terrible and I can't stop watching. I love seeing the moms freak out and how the boys are rebelling like crazy and I have to admit that a couple of the boys are pretty fine watching.It'll all be over this week but I don't predict a happy ending to any of these relationships.

Superstars of Dance can not end quickly enough for me, if there wasn't atleast a couple of really interesting dance numbers per episode it wouldn't get any of my attention at all but skipping over most of it and just taking in the real dance numbers makes it tolerable, but just barely.

I played catch up with Lost and got back in tune with the last 3 episodes of last season, and can hardly wait until Wednesday... seriously I am literally on pins and needles waiting for my next Lost fix.

Smallville came back in full force this week and I just loved the Legion of Super-heroes episode titled Legion. The episode was great due to guest writer Geoff Johns, one of my favorite comic book writers (he does has been doing some great stuff with Green Lantern and Teen Titans and ton of other stuff) and he tied things together nicely in the Smallville Universe. The characters were good adaptations of the original Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy and fit the style of Smallville, and the story was excellent and even reflected the storyline that Geoff had done in Action Comics with Superman and the Legion.Great story and I liked how they tied up some of the stuff with Brainiac (for the moment)and how they hinted at bigger things for Lana. That I am not sure about as the character hasn't really been in the forefront for awhile and to me she will always be Clark's girlfriend when he was a teenager before Lois. In the older version Lana was a hero also, putting on an alien ring that transformed her into different insects and she became the honorary Legionnaire, Insect Queen.I do find it kind of convenient that Lois hasn't been around in the episodes that Lana is in, I am wondering if there is trouble between the 2 girls? In any case I hope they drop the "No tights, No flights" rule pretty quick ( I loved the comment about that in the episode)and get Clark in some tights.. some things are not meant to be hidden.

Supernatural pulled out one of those episodes Family Remains that was terrifying and even scarier because it wasn't ghosts or demons but humans, and unfortunately inspired by the terrible events that transpired in Austria with the father locking the daughter away and doing terrible things to her for years. Dean said it best when he said all this was worse than any of the demons and monsters that they usually deal with. It was a very creepy episode, I jumped quite a few times and thought the storyline was really well done. It was nice to see Helen Slater again on the tube, it seems that she is finding a place in the Sci-Fi/Horror genre. I am looking forward to seeing how the storyline develops with Lilith and how things will play out over the next while, this was a great episode to get back in the beat of things.

Battlestar Galactica came back this week and I loved the first of the final 10 episodes. The crew was so devasted about not finding the Earth that they were looking for but finding the nuclear wasteland that was some planet that had been inhabited by Cylons. I am still not convinced that this was the true 13th Tribe, but it certainly took the story in a different direction. I was shocked with how everyone was crushed, and the worse blow of all was when Dee blew her brains out. It was another example of how profound they will go with this series and how they will change things up so things are not what is expected at all.They keep spinning around who is the Final model, and were dropping hints back and forth about Starbuck (and her discovering her body and ship on the planet -- I still haven't wrapped my head around that one) and it looks like Tigh's dead wife Ellen is supposed to be the final model. The flashbacks with our Final Five have been fascinating, and I can hardly wait to see what happens next. I bet there is a reunion around the corner with Tigh and his wife, and I can hardly wait to see some of our characters run into their duplicates. Damn this show is good!

Weekend Rant - Starting off the New Year

2009-01-10T16:00:00.037-05:00

The arrival of the New Year heralded the beginning of new and exciting things, but unfortunately it also signaled the end of a few of my favorite series.

Just leaving the airwaves on New Year's Eve and after an incredible 16 years on the air and a total of 35 years of history, The Royal Canadian Air Farce (a fun play on words of our air force) finished things up and it was a bittersweet finale. I will miss their parodies and political mischief and hope that some of the comedians will be seen in other shows or maybe another weekly variety show. It's always hard when you lose an institution like Air Farce and I will miss seeing Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, Luba Goy, Jessica Holmes, Craig Lauzon, Alan Park and Penelope Corrin each week. There has rarely been a week that has gone by that they have not had a scathing commentary on the current political scene or some brilliant insight to Canadian Issues. They are as important to culture as Second City Television (SCTV). May the Farce always be with us!

It was also announced that MADtv is ending it's run after an impressive 14 seasons, surviving in a time slot that has seen many a pretender come and go and it has been the only viable competition to the long running SNL. I have been a huge fan of the show since day one, and have marveled at the brilliant parodies that they have pulled off over the years. No other show has been as biting and sarcastic as this crew, and they have had some very funny people that have stayed on for multiple seasons. The list of favorites is practically endless, but Mary Scheer, Orlando Jones, Bryan Callen, Michael McDonald, Aries Spears, Debra Wilson, Mo Collins ,Bobby Lee, Nicole Sullivan, Alex Borstein,Will Sasso, Stephnie Weir, Frank Caliendo, Phil LaMarr, Ike Barinholtz, Nicole Parker, Paul Vogt, Crista Flanagan, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Arden Myrin and Josh Meyers all made me laugh my ass off at some time and I will really miss having this show around. I always found it to be consistently funny and edgier than the last decade of SNL. They have also done some of the best music video spoofs out there, and I hope the rumors are true that they are trying to shop the show around to some other networks. If anything, I would just like to thank all the cast and crew for many years of funny stuff and hope to see them around in some form or another.

Wrapping things up, Stargate Atlantis ended with a whimper (not even close to a bang) and I am just happy that it is finally over. It's unfortunate that the series lost direction (and I have never liked it as much since the Doctor Elizabeth Weir character was written out of the series), and they really lost their direction with casting and interaction between the characters. I just hope the next series that the spin off of SG1 will fare better. I will miss Joe Flanigan but imagine that he will pop up elsewhere (or so I hope).

Sanctuary finished up it's first season and I still keep waiting to get really interested. I haven't found the characters that interesting or enthralling and I am completely on the fence about future episodes. The concept is great, it is once more a question of writing, and getting some interesting and gripping story lines down.

I heard over the holidays that NBC has decided to pull the plug on American Gladiators and I am heartbroken. I was really enjoying the series and the herd of new Gladiators (there go favorites like Hellga, Crush and Toa) and still hold out hope that it might be picked up as a summer series .... one can dream. I can't believe that they keep Knight Rider and not this.

Starting back up this month are Battlestar Galactica and Lost, two of my favorite series and I am waiting with much ... (say it!) ... anticipation to the series premiere this Friday of Galactica. I absolutely love the series and can hardly wait to see where it takes us in the final 10 episodes. The big reveal of the final Cylon model should be something, I bet the writers have been making us think that it is Starbuck but it will turn out to be Roslin. Lost has left a ton of questions in the air since last spring (it's a long time in between seasons of Lost), and I can hardly wait to see how things develop and I am thrilled that Bones is back this week, but hate the fact that it seems that almost everything is on Thursday night. Thank god for technology that enables you to record 2 things at the same time, but it means that I have to play catch up on the weekend to see some of my favorite shows.

Thursday is going to busy with Smallville and Supernatural coming back this week (I can hardly wait, both series have been great so far this year) and then the big return of America's Best Dance Crew, which is better than the almost tolerable ( I question the judging and what they qualify as dance) Superstars of Dance, which is filling a hole in the schedule and has enough good content to counteract the bland hosting and bizarre format. I have no idea who that South African Judge is, but I just want to reach out to my HD TV and smack him. Damn that man is irritating.

I will check out the season opener of 24, but if it is as dismal as the TV movie last month (24 - Redemption) that didn't really bridge the time span and missed season due to the strike last year. The end of the previous season (from a couple of years ago) had Jack taken hostage by the Chinese and the storyline was not really resolved. It was a crappy season anyways and is the reason I am looking at the big debut this week with a bit of trepidation. If the storyline is not gripping or interesting enough (or just plain stupid), I will not be continuing. The only thing that I have seen that was good and 24 related over the past while was a part of the Les Parent this past week on Radio-Canada. The whole real time feeling and incredible multi tasking done by mom, all while ranting about the impossible amount of things done by Jack Bauer in one hour was hilarious and great use of a camera. The writers have really been impressing me on this series and they deserves a shout out for that sketch.