Weekend Rant - Full Speed into the new season

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!