It's Not a Movie, But at Least It's Not Crap

Finally. Something worth watching on AMC.

Thanks, Cassandra

Tim Goodman is predicting the imminent cancellation of "Arrested Development." I really, really hope he's wrong. I understand the ratings are way down, but COME ON!

I'm sure he's a smarter man than me [not that I'm a man. But he might even be a smarter woman than me], and probably right. Fox is notorious for cancelling their best shows. I truly hope that after the baseball break they bring it back, and move it back to Sundays.

Speaking of the baseball break, I have to say I am looking forward to a temporary reprieve from some TV shows. There's just way too much to keep up with.

COME ON!

It's Only a Shark

Man. "Lost" is really beginning to blow my mind!

However, I don't think last night's was the greatest of episodes. I thought the Michael flashback stuff was redundant, but I do understand that he would likely be thinking about the first time Walt was taken away from him after losing him again, so I guess it made dramatic sense.

Part of me has always dreaded the idea that there are MORE survivors on the other side of the island. I guess that's because I have grown to like all the original survivors so much that having a bunch of new people show up is kind of like becoming a sophomore in high school and having to deal with the arrival of all the bratty freshmen who are so lame and icky and not nearly as cool as your crowd.

Who do you think Desmond was asking about when he asked Locke, "Are you him?" His relief man? Or the guy that was going to show up to tell Desmond the island was safe and he could leave?

We're certainly getting a lot more answers than we did with the first season, and that's kind of disconcerting. Of course all the answers just bring up new questions so there's still the air of mystery that makes the show so good. But it feels kind of weird to get all this new information and new characters all at once...

Sometimes What We Need the Most...Is Just Around the Corner

Found via Freakgirl is this totally hilarious re-edited trailer for "The Shining." [link opens QuickTime movie]

Brilliant.

"She Needs Premium, Dude! PREMIUM!...DUUUUUDE!!"

My car is for sale. And that makes me very sad.

I know it's the right thing to do. Some might say buying it in the first place was the WRONG thing to do, but what can I say? It was the dotcom boom! I cashed in some stock! And I thought I'd have an endless stream of disposable stock money for years!

We all know how that turned out.

I hope someone close-by buys it, so I can go visit it every once in a while. Feed it some carrots. You know, so it won't forget me.

It Must Have Slipped My Mind

I have a brief post up on SFist about "Alias" and how I almost forgot it premieres tonight because of all the other shows crammed into Thursday's primetime line-up.

And now this post is almost as long as that post! Sweet!

Doesn't Bode Well

Last night, for the first time ever, I fell asleep while watching The Amazing Race. Now, it could have just been that I was really tired, which I was. But I didn't wake up and think, "Oh no! I missed a bunch! I better rewind!" Instead I just turned it off and went to bed.

Just me? Or is this whole "family race" thing plain old boring? I'm still going to give it a few more chances, (and I skipped "My Name is Earl" and "Commander in Chief" to watch it! Not that I was too disappointed in not being able to see those. Plus, they're being re-run on Bravo and ABC, respectively) but I dunno. I just don't feel the excitement I usually feel about a new season of TAR starting...

Isn't New Love Wonderful?

A photo, in honor of Chuck's newfound love for "Arrested Development" and my ongoing love affair with Gob and his chicken dance.

Well, Now She Has at Least One Thing in Common With Nicole Kidman

Did anyone watch Kathy Griffin's show on Bravo? Did anyone like the rapport she seemed to have with her completely normal-some-might-say-kinda-ugly husband? If so, you might be sad to hear she's filed for divorce.

I wonder if it's all just a ploy on her part to move up to the C List. Divorcing your plain husband and shacking up with a young hotty is a very Hollywood thing to do...I wonder who the hotty will be?

Doin' It Old School

This week's first--and only--SFist Watches TV post is now up.

Please to enjoy.

Teeny Tiny

If you missed the premiere of "Everybody Hates Chris" and have 20 odd minutes to kill, "Google Video" is providing a free streaming video of the episode. I just hope they can handle streaming video better than some other sites I've checked out...

Five Alive, Baby!

My fifth and final SFist post for the week is up now!

NOW!

Awesome-ness

Chuck has joined the ranks of us SFists/SFisters/SuperFisters and his first post is now up! And it's totally awesome!

Awwwwww!

You Are A: Duckling!

The cutest of the cute, these baby ducks are often spotted in the spring following closely behind their mother. As a duckling you will grow up quickly, becoming one of the adult ducks seen commonly in ponds and streams. Playful and timid, charming and vulnerable, ducklings are nature's very definition of innocence.

You were almost a: Lamb or a Bear Cub
You are least like a: Parakeet or a SquirrelWhat Cute Animal Are You?

I would have liked to have been a monkey, but whatcha gonna do? [via mattymatt]

Four. For YOU!

My FOURTH SFist Watches post of the week is now up, ready, and willing!

Make Your Own Kind of Music

So...."Lost"...

So, so lost.

So. Why was that Desmond guy, who I am assuming Jack couldn't have met more than 10 years ago, and probably a lot sooner than that, in a bunker with all that 70s and 8os equipment?

And where was he getting his supply of dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent?

And why, with all those records available to him, would he choose to play a Mama Cass song??

And how come no one was that perturbed by the fact that they had just opened a big old hatch marked "quarantine"???

And why...and why...

And why don't I care about any of that? My precious "Lost" is back!!!

BACK!

Three Is a Magic Number

My THIRD SFist Watches TV This Week post is now up.

I am just counting the minutes until "Lost" tonight. But I had a shocker this morning when I checked my TiVo and it had been planning on taping the two-hour "America's Next Top Model" premiere INSTEAD of "Lost"--DESPITE "Lost" having a higher priority in my season passes than "ANTM."

TiVo! How could you??

But First

I hate Maggie. I hate her for her smugness. I hate her for coming up with the team name "The Friendship" in the first place (at least, I think that was her fault.) I hate her for her association with Cappy. I hate her stupid pants. But mostly I hate her for actually making me feel sorry for Ivette during the Big Brother 6 finale.

I'm tempted to say Ivette totally blew it by not taking Janelle to the end instead of Maggie, but I think Janelle would have taken it all no matter who she was up against. However, Ivette DID blow it by becoming friends with all those idiots in the first place.

Ivette, aren't you glad you've got all those new buddies instead of half a million dollars? Must feel great.

Electric Boogaloo!

Part two of my FIVE part series of posts is now up on SFist!

*Phew*

Oh.....Oprah

I may be a fool, but I tend to trust Oprah. She's richer than God, but I do think she does give a lot where it's needed. So I like her idea for Katrina relief. She's donating 10 million dollars to help rebuild houses, and she's asking the rest of us to help make those houses homes. So on the site you can buy items--just like you would from a gift or wedding registry--that will then be given to the recipients of the new houses. And just like a registry, you can spend as much or as little as you can afford. (Some people can even pay for a whole damn house!)

It's kind of a nice option for donating. Instead of sending cash to an organizaton, you're buying someone a brand new toaster. And who doesn't love toast?

Snuffalufagus

I month or so ago, I told an embarrassing story, as part of a "meme," about a little morning ritual I have with my cat.

Here's some incredibly dark and grainy video illustrating one part of that ritual...

(Apologies if it takes a crazy long time to load. That's YouTube's fault. Not YourTube's fault, or MyTube's fault.)

Part One? Part One!

This week's going to be a big one for SFist posts, so head on over there now for part one of five!

Oh, Brother.

It's Friday. I'm busy. I don't have the time to come up with anything witty or informative, so I will just bid you a good weekend, and let you ponder this bit of ridiculousness.

Ha Ha! Fooled You!

Yeah. For whatever reason, The Meters' Letterman appearance has been moved to Friday.

I guess they figured that much funk just wasn't suitable on a school night.

Wake the Neighbors and Phone the Kids!

VCR, TiVo, alarm clock alert! The original Meters are going to be on Letterman tonight (along with the Neville Brothers). I mention this because they are, first, awesome, and because the drummer, the legendary Zigaboo Modeliste, is a family friend, and how often can someone say a friend of theirs is going to be on the Letterman show?
OK. I'm talking about people who DON'T live in Los Angeles.

Anyway, the two bands are in New York to partake in a big New Orleans benefit concert at Radio City. If you're in New York, go get those tickets now!

Dammit, Rain! It's a Doctor, Not a TV Show!...Er...Huh?

I watched the premiere of "Bones" on Fox last night, and was unimpressed. David Boreanaz was fun in "Angel" and "Buffy" but that's apparently entirely because of the writers of those shows, and the writing on "Bones" just isn't on the same level. And because of that it can't rise above the fact the it's just another forensic science crime show, complete with musical montages in which we watch the Scientist Working. (As much as I like "CSI," I ALWAYS fast-forward through those scenes. Not that I mind. Just makes the show go faster!)

I'm actually thankful that the show sucks, because I've already got "Gilmore Girls" on at that time, and I don't want to be bothered with the whole "watch one thing while recording another" thing.

So, one new series down...how many more to go?

Tethered With Tears in Their Eyes

Just a reminder that tonight is the season finale of "Rescue Me." It was a nice reprieve from the glut of summer reality, but I have to say I'm kind of glad it's taking a break.

Last week's episode was wrenching. And even as it copped to the biggest cliches in the book (reverting to slow-mo and a playing a folksy, mournful song on the soundtrack as a tragedy played out) I have to admit, it worked. I cried my eyes out (and I immediately went and downloaded the song from iTunes.)

I think dropping tragedy-after-tragedy on the show's characters is the writers' attempt to justify loading the show with assholes. I suppose continuing to watch a show wherein all of the characters continue to be sexist, homophobic, racist jerks, and pay no price for their behavior, might get a little hard to take after a while. But it would probably be truer to life than "Rescue Me" is.

But then again, we're talking about a show where the main guy sees and talks to dead people, so I guess reality isn't what they're going for. Instead, it's all about those operatic highs and lows. Fighting those huge flames, and then going back to the banality of daily life.

I still think it's one of the best dramas on TV. And I'd miss it a lot more if "Nip/Tuck" wasn't coming back next week. Woo!

St. Martha

This week's SFist post is up, and because it's such a monster, I think that may be all you'll get from me today...So savor it!

Soooooooo-troohhhh

I put up a short post on SFist about the return of NBC to the Bay Area. You know, for those people who don't have a life centered around cable and their TiVos.

"Come in," She Said...

Networks are promising they won't edit out anything but foul language on tonight's mega-telethon, so as long as Kanye West keeps it clean, he might get another chance to tell off the President. (Yes, he's a scheduled performer.)

Of course, what's the fun of saying something shocking if everyone expects you to?

It's That Time Again

Janelle is, miraculously, STILL in the "Big Brother" house, and is now guaranteed a place in the final three, having won HOH tonight. She's a power house! She's blonde, smart, and beautiful. I can't believe I don't hate her!

But I don't. Unfortunately, there's really not a snowball's chance in hell that she'll actually win the game, so we've got to give her one more prize before the finale, and send another "America Hates You!" message to "The Friendship."

Now, the prize is not really something I'd wish on my worst enemy (a chance to hang out on the set of "Two and a Half Men." Stop, I must be dreaming!) but it's really more about the message than the prize. So, click here and then vote for Janelle. Because America Hates Friendship!

In related news, I can't believe how sane and right-on Ivette's mother and girlfriend were. If Ivette winning means they'd get some of the money, well, that would make the horror of an Ivette-win a little more bearable...

"Spokesmonkey"? Oh No You Didn't!

Knowing I am a big fan of Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey, a friend forwarded a link to Whiplash's latest endorsement deal.

I don't think Taco John's has made it as far as California, but I can tell you, if it had, I'd be all over those little monkey tacos. I don't care HOW bad their food is (and my friend says monkeys probably wouldn't even touch it) but if a monkey's selling it, I'm buying.

Cringe-Inducing, But Worth It

Kanye West's speech is the talk of the town, but if you live on the West coast, you missed the most important part. Click the image to watch the clip.

In Related News: Many Sitcoms Not Actually Funny!

Steven Soderbergh slams reality TV.

Let's Not Forget the Celebrities!

I kind of think it's a good thing that it wasn't until I heard that Fats Domino was missing that I even thought about how celebrities might have been affected by all of this.

But I am glad to hear that Fats Domino has been found, and Irma Thomas is safe in Baton Rouge. Can someone get them to one of these telethon shows, please? Because a New Orleans relief concert full of bad music would just be...wrong.

Shut Up! OUR Fundraiser Is Better Than YOURS!

I have a love-hate relationship with TV telethons. I of course appreciate the effort, and they can raise a lot of money.

But on the other hand, they can be so dreadfully DULL!

The race to air Hurricane Katrina fundraising events is on, and wouldn't you know it, there's already inter-network bickering.

More Than Words

Here's a direct link (I hope it works!) to the Red Cross's Hurricane 2005 donation page...