Where are my shows? At least I know where one is!

Season 2 of "Orange is the New Black" was released on Friday, June 6th. After 10 months of waiting, it was great to see Piper and the women of Litchfield Prison back. If you did as my family did, as it seems most fans did, you had yourself a marathon viewing over the weekend. One thing that I have to say that I LOVE about Netflix series' is that they release the whole season of episodes in one day. So you don't have to make a date with the TV every Friday night or whichever night a show is on to watch. In this day and age there is a lot to be said for both ways of doing things, but for Netflix I'd say this is optimum. It gives viewers time to watch at their convenience and they aren't constrained by ratings for ONE night a week. One drawback on network TV and even some cable channels, although it is a lot rarer, is that they have a habit of breaking up their seasons. In fact the breaking up is getting to be ridiculous at best and ruinous at worse. I don't know about you but I grow weary of wondering if my show is going to be on from week or if it is going to be a new one or another re-run. It used to be that TV shows would run a typical season of a certain amount of episodes, usually starting in August or September with a few weeks off for holiday programming, then they would run until the end of May or June. At that stage they'd have a summer hiatus. During the hiatus they would play re-runs or sometimes have new show they'd air to test out. The logic seemed to be that most viewers would be on vacation or doing a lot of outdoor activities, therefore they wouldn't be watching much TV. 

These days it seems as though we view TV entertainment in so many different ways, some of it is our choice or a sign of the times and some of it is network dictated. For instance technology has given us new ways in which to view our favorite programs, which I covered in my last post. These "On Demand" choices are great. What worries me is how new shows are unable to find an audience these days. And old shows? Good luck finding new episodes, it's pretty much hit and miss. For example, I have a few shows that I watch that seem to air 3 new episodes in a row and then re-runs for a month. I do not understand the logic in this at all. It makes it hard to even keep up with shows that I love. And with the new way of doing things I'm no longer sure if a show's episode is a season finale or not. It is frustrating as a viewer! Of course then you have the presto-chango, the show has been moved to another night and time. I hate that! I understand that sometimes that is done to test out new shows, but at other times it just seems arbitrary. For instance FOX's "Bones" for some unknown reason was switched from it's usual Monday night time slot, which it has had for years, to Friday night. This change only lasted a few weeks, perhaps a month, for no apparent reason. Why???? Humans are creatures of habit and TV viewing is no different. We don't like it when we have to search for a show that has spent YEARS on the same night! Stop it networks, just stop it!!!!

Now new shows are interesting. This last crop of shows that have been cancelled have been confusing, you have shows that are cancelled because of low ratings that are just awful shows and then you have shows that are cancelled that may have lower ratings but are critically acclaimed. THEN you have shows that are neither critically acclaimed nor highly rated, yet are NOT being cancelled. As I happen to be a fan of a few that aren't being cancelled but have low ratings, I'm happy about those but I am also confused because none of it seems to make sense. Now admittedly some of the ones with the low ratings that aren't been cancelled are CW shows. It seems to me that in some cases the CW seems to let shows find their audience. But then again, there have been a few that haven't. Not sure where the rhyme or reason is but at least they seem to try harder at the CW.

My 30 year old son and I took a chance and watched a show on HuluPlus, that had been cancelled a few years ago. The show was called, "Flash Forward" and it ran from 2009-2010 and racked up 11 various award nominations, including an Emmy and a People's Choice Award for Best New Drama. "The Vampire Diaries" won for the PCA, "V" is the only show, besides "Flash Foward", that is no longer on the air.  After watching all 22 episodes of "Flash Forward" we were stymied. It was really a great show, well acted with an intelligent premise. So with all of those things going for it, why was it cancelled? The show averaged 8.5 million viewers per episode. Not a bad amount considering all of the competition, but it was not good enough to save the show. Although I noticed that there are many shows on today that have averaged less viewers and are still on the air. Some are older shows, like "Bones" and then there are new shows like "Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", a freshman show, also on FOX that has been renewed. In fact they are planning a spin-off. Yet "Marvel AOS" averaged LESS viewers than "Flash Forward". But every network is guilty of it, although I'd be more inclined to invest in a CW show than an NBC, CBS, ABC, or FOX show. Even TV critics have a hard time understanding what moves executives to renews shows that average less viewers and cancel shows with better numbers. 

If any of you have an idea about it, I'd love to hear it. For now it makes it hard to invest in new shows, like I did with "Believe", only to have our hearts ripped out when they get cancelled. I know I'm not alone, I've heard it from friends and family. I just wish I could at least figure out their screwy formula.

RIP Believe...we hardly got a chance to know you.

I No Longer Have Cable...But There are Still Options Out There for Us!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted! Damn! It's not that I haven't wanted to, it's just that life got in the way. Anyway, lots of changes that may affect this blog but I will do my best to keep on keeping on. The biggest change and the only one that you really need to know about is that I no longer have cable. It makes it hard to write this type of blog but no longer impossible thanks to Hulu Plus, Netflix, and thanks to a family member, U-Verse online. Me without TV is like life without bacon, I know I will survive but it won't be near as much fun. So I've made adjustments because I CAN'T live without TV again in some form or another. I've lived without TV before and I DID NOT LIKE IT! Thanks to the internet and such, there is no longer a need to be completely without it. Adjustments just have to be made and sometimes these adjustments require more adjustments. 

Let's see with what is available to start with...

These are the usual suspects, of course. A great place to start. Hulu Plus and Netflix are the least expensive at $7.99 per month. I have both, definitely cheaper than the almost $200 a month I was spending for internet AND "almost every channel" cable. Back when I had cable I was dividing among 4 people, so the cost wasn't that bad until things went South with a couple of my roommates...that's a whole other story! Anyway, those are your cheapest options. Unless you want to count YouTube which is, of course, free. It is a good option BUT it is hard to find full episodes of shows and if you do it is usually parsed out as Part 1, Part 2, Part 3....well you can see where I am going with this. The other issues is that unless it is put out by a network there is a chance that you may click on it and find that it has been removed. The other issue, one that isn't all that bad sometimes, is that you may get clips only. The only time I see an advantage to that, and I do, is when you prefer only to see a certain part of a show. For instance, I like the Wendy Williams Show. The best part of her show for me is the "Hot Topics" segment and the beginning of the show. Wendy has her own channel on YouTube and she uploads these segments and others within 24 hours of the show airing, usually less. So I just use my Blu-Ray Player and go on YouTube and voila, it's like I'm watching TV as usual! You can also watch monologues and special bits of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as well off of his YouTube channel.

Back to Netflix and Hulu Plus. Netflix? Well unless you follow their Original Series' like "Orange is the New Black" (coming back this week!), which I do, then this may, or may not, be the best option for you if you like your TV viewing to be fresh. They have older seasons of a lot of shows that you may watch, some are even last season. If you are the type, say to have just discovered a show that has been on for a few years, and want to see it from the beginning this is a great option. Plus they still have movies. Hulu Plus? Well they are my favorite. Most shows turn up on Hulu Plus the day after they air, like all of the shows on The CW, shows on ABC, NBC, and a few on CBS. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is always on the next day, same with The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. So to me this is a GREAT option. They also have tons of old shows, including "The Archie's" of all things! So if you like a healthy mix I can highly recommend Hulu Plus.

Now neither Hulu Plus, nor Netflix, nor YouTube, is going to give you everything you want to watch. There are legal wranglings and such that keep that from happening. One thing that I have to say SHOCKED me while looking for ways to watch TV online...some networks online REQUIRE you to have cable or satellite in order to view content. Now "Cable" networks like Lifetime and HBO, etc, I understand as they are pay services. But ABC?!!!!! Now THAT was a shocker to me as you can watch it free over the airwaves if you have a good antenna (mine is spotty at best). HOW they can justify this I don't know. It is something that truthfully pissed me off when I realized it. And the aforementioned Lifetime? Well if you DO have a cable service like U-Verse, well you STILL can't watch it because they don't have an agreement with them yet apparently, although if you have U-Verse you can watch Lifetime at home, just not online. There are other networks as well that have the same issue. *sigh* Another "pay" option out there is Amazon Prime, from Amazon of course. It costs $99 a year and lets you stream more than 40,000 movies and TV episodes. What that breaks down to as far as current TV episodes I don't know. I don't have $99 at the moment to plunk down to see how that works, if you are reading this and have it, please comment and let me and your fellow readers know. I do know that in desperation I PAID for current episodes of "Drop Dead Diva" because it is the last season and there was no other way for me to watch it. I opted for the SD $1.99 per episode vs. the $2.99 for HD episodes. Sad that it was the only way to watch the show, but I just had to do it! If you can get someone to give you their info, which is VERY sensitive info to have so I'd say family is your best bet and you MUST be trustworthy, then you can watch a good portion of TV via their cable company online. I am watching via a family members U-Verse. With U-Verse I am also able to watch HBO Go and Showtime Anytime as well as the other pay movie channels. I am eternally grateful as without this info I would have missed this season's "Game of Thrones" and that would have been tragic! As would missing the last season of my beloved "True Blood"!!!! A great option if you can get it. If not then you will have to pay for DVD's when they come out or episodes via iTunes or Amazon.

The final option if you want to watch TV on an actual TV is to invest in Google Chromecast, X-Box, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or a Blu-Ray player like my son bought for us. All of these options are at various price points, the least expensive being the Chromecast at $35. Each has its own pro and cons so you'll want to research them to see what is right for you and your budget.

So there you have it, it is harder for me to watch TV these days but not impossible and I WILL NOT give it up!!!!

See you soon....

They'll Let Anyone Have Their Own Reality Show These Days...

I'm baaaaack! Sorry I've been MIA for the past couple of years, I was under a lot of stress which culminated in a stroke which may effect my writing, not too much I hope. Either way I am back and ready to dish! So let's down to business shall we....

Let's talk about the new crop of reality TV shows that have descended in the past few years, as well as the most recent entries, in the reality TV race. Reality shows are my guilty pleasure and sometimes watching them is my most regrettable pastime. This subject deserves more than one blog, so we will start with the newest reality show that had my head shaking. The one that inspired the title of this blog, "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?".

Oh Ryan Lochte...you ARE nice to look at...but is that enough to carry a show? After Ryan won all of his medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, for swimming, it seemed as though the world was his oyster. Everyone wanted a piece of him and he seemed more than happy to give it. He started out as most medal winners do, with commercial endorsements He also made a couple of appearances here and there on a few TV shows, playing himself, of course. But those shows were scripted and, even playing himself,  his acting was stiff. But hey, he's not an actor right? No harm, no foul. We've seen it before with other public figures. It seems as though Ryan wanted to do something as himself, to show off his personality. Which would have been fine if he had a magnetic personality to showcase. With all due respect to Ryan Lochte, I watched him on numerous talk shows and I thought he seemed as dumb as a box of rocks. I know it sounds cruel, I don't mean to be, but truthfully that was the first thing to come to my mind and I know I am not the only one. I do not understand why he would put himself out there on a reality show. I don't want to bash him but... He has been getting ridiculed constantly for his performance in interviews and now he is just asking for more of the same. Who is his agent? Is his agent looking out for Ryan Lochte, the man? Or Ryan Lockte, the ATM machine. I am thinking the latter. *sigh*

Currently he is out promoting his new reality show, "What Would Ryan Lochte Do" on E!, and the interviewers are having a field day. It is not a secret that he is not the brightest bulb in the drawer, I actually feel kind of sorry for him. I don't think he's playing dumb like Jessica Simpson did on "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica", I think it is more like he's just not very deep. What did I get from the first episode of his show? That he seems like a young teenage boy instead of a man who is about to turn 29. I appreciate that he seems to love his family a lot, that they are very important to him. They all seem to have a lot of fun with each other and that is a nice thing to see. But is there anything else to like about this show? Well if you want to laugh at how "dumb" he seems, especially when he calls the old Mel Gibson movie about women, "What WOMAN Want", instead of "What WOMEN Want", or when he asks his interviewer the meaning of the word "douchebag" because he doesn't know the meaning and people keep calling him one, then this is the show for you.

Or  maybe you want to hear his "Lochteisms", calling everything he does a"Lochte_____", everything in this life seems to be a Lochte something or other. Or perhaps you are a fan of his copyrighted catchphrase (catchword?) "Jeah", which makes me cringe whenever I hear it. It reminds me of Lil Jon saying "yeah", as Ryan says it in the same way Lil Jon does, but with a "j" instead of a "y". If that sounds right up your alley, then yes, this show is for you!

Do we really care what Ryan Locke would do if he were just a regular guy? I mean, so far he doesn't seem to be doing anything of note on this show and the previews aren't showing me anything interesting to make me tune in. In order for a reality show to be interesting the "stars" have to do something exciting, or at least interesting, to make you continue to tune in. Either that, or be a compelling figure, and I'm sorry, but God bless him, Ryan Lochte is a great swimmer, but a boring reality star. I know that he wanted to be on "Dancing With The Stars", I think that would have been a better fit. But an actual reality show? No, I'm sorry, there aren't many of us who have the personality for headlining our own reality show. Nor do most of us lead a life that is exciting enough to necessitate having our own show. Ryan Lochte is a regular guy, who did an extraordinary thing. But being Ryan Lochte isn't enough to save this show. My prediction is that this show will NOT be renewed. 

I would be curious to know what his fans think of the show. Personally, I like him I think he's a nice guy, really sweet, and a cutie. But being a nice guy who's cute, even with world records and medals, is not enough to have your own reality show. Sorry Ryan...get back to doing what you do so well, breaking records and winning medals in the pool. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

Here is an extended super tease of "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?"

And the Emmy goes to......

Sorry that I have been neglectful of my blog....I've been ill, so, let's just dive in shall we....The Emmy Award nominations were announced and it is my pleasure to announce that one of our/my favorite shows, "True Blood" has received a much deserved nomination for Outstanding Drama Series! Yay!


Since I have been gone and the Emmy's are coming up on August 29th, I thought I might devote my next few blogs to the nominees for the major categories....I mean really, truthfully, as much as it is sad to say...no one really cares who wins certain awards except for those in that field and their friends and families. Sorry, but it's true. So with that being said I'd like to start with the OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES.


Nominees: True Blood HBO, Mad Men AMC, Breaking Bad AMC, Dexter SHOWTIME, The Good Wife CBS, and Lost ABC.


This is quite the fierce category actually. I mean you have 4 cable shows going up against 2 network shows, one a fairly new show that is starting to catch on and another show that retired this year. It seems that most award shows tend to go towards sentimental favorites or the tried and true. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has a lot to consider when they put out these nominations. For instance, here is their schedule for this year. Please note the eligibility period.
2010 PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS CALENDAR

June 1, 2009 ‐ May 31, 2010
Eligibility period Week of March 1
Online entry process begins. Rules and Procedures available at www.emmys.tv
April 16
Deadline to reinstate or apply for membership in the Television Academy and be eligibility to
vote in the primetime competition
April 30
Entry deadline for ALL entries that were originally presented 6:00 PM ‐ 2:00 AM,
June 1, 2009 ‐ May 31, 2010
June 4
Nominating ballots are posted on the Television Academy’s website
June 21, 5:00 PM
Deadline for returning the nominating ballots to Ernst & Young
July 8, 5:35 AM
Nominations are announced live from the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre
Week of July 19
At‐home judging DVDs for Creative Arts Awards categories are mailed
Week of July 26
At‐home judging DVDs for Telecast Awards categories are mailed
August 10, 5:00 PM
Deadline for returning at‐home judging ballots for Creative Arts Awards categories to Ernst &
Young
August 17, 5:00 PM
Deadline for returning at‐home judging ballots for Telecast Awards categories to Ernst & Young
August 21
Creative Arts Awards and Ball
August 29
NBC Telecast and Governors Ball

Imagine having to go back in your mind and think of some of the shows you've watched. Which ones have made an impression? I mean there are literally tons of shows on the air at any one time. That is just for the nominations.   I find it very interesting that most shows being nominated for outstanding series or actors, actresses, etc....are for shows that are on cable. But the networks are still hanging in there. I mean, c'mon Lost made it in, the last opportunity for it to do so. Lost barely made it and with acting nods to boot! So kudos to May sweeps! 


OK, so opinions about the drama that deserves to win....That is really a tough one. All of these shows are excellent examples of what creative minds can come up with. Each show is unique and not necessarily formulaic. Some would say that I am "True Blood" all the way. But that is not necessarily true. I am really trying to be critical here and look at each of these shows on their own merit. Sure "True Blood" is special, it broke the "vampire show" curse. That has to mean something. Alan Ball has everything to do with that. What he did with Six Feet Under he has now managed to do with True Blood. He has created a compelling show with equally compelling characters. Because in the end most successful shows come from characters as much as any plot line. Characters that you love or love to hate. Characters with "rooting" value. But no other nods in any major category so.....it is not our year.


All of that being said I find cable shows to have the advantage because they can go places that other shows can't. Be it with sex, violence, language....you name it. So it kinda makes you wonder how fair of a competition one can have. So we are back to characters and what they do for a show as well as the writing and directing. Dexter is one that has been pretty consistent over the years with the exception of Season 2. This season's cliff hanger was insanely off the hook!!!!!! I mean who didn't scream at the TV?! Then you combine that with John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer, Arthur Mitchell.....I mean, wow! Michael C. Hall never fails to amaze me, more about him in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama category. 


To figure out what show could possibly win this category, you have to ask yourself...Did any actors from the show get acting nods? Writers? Directors?  It makes you wonder when a show, like True Blood, gets a nod for Outstanding Drama but yet no actor nods? So, sorry my Trubie friends we will not win this one. So that leaves Mad Men, The Good Wife, Dexter, Lost,  and Breaking Bad. So what should we use next, writing? Then that would only leave 3 shows: The Good Wife, Lost, and Mad Men. Now if we judge by directing then we have Mad Men, Dexter, Breaking Bad, and Lost. So Dexter and Breaking Bad are back in and The Good Wife is out.


So my prediction IF we do not use the acting category would have to be LOST as it is the last time it can be nominated or Mad Men, which has won before.


OK now if we go with the acting nods then the show with the most acting nods, this includes guest actor/actress, then we are REALLY close between Mad Men and The Good Wife with Lost nipping at their heels.


So there you have it....a VERY close race no matter how you look at it. I'm going to say that it is a 3-way (if we go by acting) between Lost, Mad Men, and The Good Wife. Hey, I didn't say who I thought would win....I'm not a psychic.....just a viewer who would vote for ALL of these shows to win, like the kids in soccer who ALL get trophies for participation.

But, if you were to ask me who I thought SHOULD win,  my personal choice would have to be Dexter. But that's just me....I like the show, so shoot me! LoL

 See ya later with more nonsensical ramblings about who is going to win the Emmy Award for.....Outstandingness in something! :)

Stunt Casting? For Real!

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OK I think that most of us are aware of the concept of Stunt Casting. Just in case you are unfamiliar with the concept, let me explain. In short, stunt casting is when you get a, usually, big star to guest on your show. Now many times Stunt Casting is done during sweeps with the idea being that more people will turn in to see said "star" on the show. Can't say that it doesn't work. But the flip side of stunt casting is when it is done to "save" the show. It also can mean that the show is thisclose to "jumping the shark". 

With that in mind it came as a shock to me that as show such as "GLEE" would be stunt casting, not just anyone, but an Academy Award Winning Actor, Javier Bardem. Now I would expect a singer on this show. One of my favorite stunt casting done on this show was Neil Patrick Harris, I mean he's an actor and a singer, in case you didn't see some of the awards shows this past season. Apparently Mr. Bardem watching the whole first season of Glee in one night and said, "Hey, I want to be on that show". So he contacted Ryan Murphy, the co-creator, and according to Entertainment Weekly, it's a done deal! Thankfully it seems that he is going to be helpful to Artie, the kid in the wheelchair, so we won't be seeing the scary bad haircut guy that won him the Oscar! Whew!

I cannot talk about stunt casting without mentioning the greatest stunt casting of all time. I'm talking about Elizabeth Taylor on General Hospital. She appeared as Helena Cassadine and came to put a curse on Luke and Laura at their wedding. It was a BIG DEAL back in those days to have a star of her caliber on a daytime soap. It even made the cover of major magazines.    

Of course since that time there has been a multitude of stunt casting, believe it or not many of them have been on Soap Opera's. Back in the day Carol Burnett played a decent roll on All My Children. And General Hospital as a major role for Ms. Taylor, but she also appeared on All My Children as a "scrubbing woman". One Life to Live used to be the king of stunt casting. Sammy Davis Jr. played a character that appeared many times over the years. One Life to live now boasts the majority of musical groups that appear on soaps. Now if you want to call One Tree Hill a nighttime soap then you can count Kevin Federline as a stunt casting, but then again he also appeared on CSI. This was of course back when he was relevant. His actor left alot to be desired, but of course all he was required to do was to be a "thug" and he seemed pretty good at acting life a self-centered thug, not sure if that was good acting or if he was being natural.


Normally the best stunt casting comes when the "star" has a character created FOR them, rather than them appearing as themselves. I'll give you an example of that later.


I have to mention 2 guest starring gigs, both Law and Order:SVU, that were amazing and made you forget that it was the "star" on the show. It was just great acting. The first was the "Fonz" Henry Winkler and the second was Robin Williams, whose character was totally playing psychological games with Christopher Meloni's character of Elliott. Robin William is really great at playing creepy. I remembered how good after watching that episode.


The best stunt casting recently was probably not intended to be a stunt casting. That was the pivotal role John Lithgow played in this past season's Dexter, on Showtime. His portrayal of the Trinity Killer was top notch as always. Left us with a hell of a cliffhanger as well. Great "casting" there.

 I have to say that 2 of my favorite stunt castings appeared on the same show, "Friends". They were masters of the Stunt Cast and none of these were jump the shark moments. I mean come on, we had Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin! In a longer term arc we had Giovanni Ribisi and Tom Selleck! And two of the funniest stunt castings were Brooke Shields and Julia Roberts. Wait, I can't forget Jean-Claude Van Damme....oh yeah and wait what about the great casting of Reese Witherspoon as Rachel's sister. Looks like I could go on and on. 


As you can see the best stunt casting is the using of great actors playing good characters. Even if they're singers. One of THE BEST portrayals of recent times is one I NEVER expected to fly and it flew so well, they had the character back. Oh yes, I am talking about the surprise success of Britney Spears on "How I Met Your Mother"! Her character was crazy, not so hard to play I guess. In fact I would have thought it was fun to play, it certainly was fun to watch.

Now I have to get to the stunt casting of people pretending to be themselves. It's usually politicians, athletes, or singers that come in under this category. One of the best
examples of ridiculousness that results in some of this stunt casting is when you have someone like Snoop Dogg who is NOT an actor. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Snoop, I truly do. I think he is funny just being himself. But he, like many of his predecessors, is a fan of soaps which is why he has made repeat performance on "One Life To Live" where he plays himself and is a friend of a main character. I have a hard time with that one, it just looks silly. But, what can you do? When Snoop asks to be on your show, you say "when".


Now lately Snoop has become a fan of True Blood one of my most favorites shows. Now it would not do for him to be on this shows. Many have asked, including Lindsay Lohan, I know...ewwww.......Thankfully Alan Ball is a smart man and casts mostly unknown or little knowns for roles on the show. But Snoop has found a way to get in there! I present to you. "Sookie" Snoops ode to the show and his favorite human on it! See ya all later, I am thinking of stunt casting myself in my own life......save some Tru Blood for me!

Well, it's officially July..you know what that means...Big Brother 12

Mark you calendars Big Brother fans, July 8th is the premier of the 12th season of Big Brother. As has been the practice for the past few years the cast is full of attractive and mostly young players. Still not sure how I feel about that being on the higher end of the age scale. The way things have been going I could never be on the show. Though I did notice a 32 year old who "seems" to have hair plugs. The things you do to remain youthful I guess. And I have to admit that I feel like a very dirty old lady after spying hunky looking 24 year old college student Hayden from Tempe, AZ.  

Of course after the show starts he might turn out to be a douche. It's been known to happen....and besides he's young enough to be my son....but I can still look. However, if he turns out to be a jerk I will quickly turn on him. 

We also have the oldest contestant this season, a 40 year old (gasp!) sheriff from Texarkana. She is a cancer survivor who was fighting cancer along with her mom, while watching Big Brother, she promised mom that she would apply for the show when she got better. Daughter got better, mom did not. So there is a very sentimental contestant with rooting power.

Now I have to admit that I didn't watch all of the episodes of Big Brother last season. Too much going on in my life to devote the massive amount of time to this show. Seriously, this is the only show on TV that requires a lot of work to stay in the loop. I mean it's on 3 nights a week, but so was American Idol you might say. But there is also Showtime's BB After Dark which shows what goes on after the end of the episode you just watched. And then you have the Live Feeds that you have to subscribe to...or do what I used to do and go to the official Big Brother Message board and read the forums about the Live Feeds, they seem to be pretty accurate and give you a good idea of what is going on. Dedicated fans, those watchers. 

I also have to say that the last Big Brother turned me off with the return of Muscle Head Jessie. I truly could not watch this dumber than rocks guy hanging with other muscle heads that were barely as smart as the rocks. Seriously, it brought my IQ down a few points just watching them so I gave up and moved on.

This year will be a challenge for me since I no longer have TV, however I have been able to watch pretty much everything on Hulu and on tvshack.net so I think I'll be fine, IF the cast doesn't bore me too much. That is always a danger. I think about all of the seasons I've watched and only a few casts jump out at me, the one with the evil Dr. Will, Hardy, and the chick who became Will's girlfriend (can't remember her name). Chicken George, just because of the name...reminded me of "Roots", his silly tee shirts, and he was the oldest contestant. And of course my favorite Evil Dick. The tattooed winner who was reunited with his estranged daughter on the show, talk about drama. So we will see how this season goes. See if it can keep my interest.

As with every season of Big Brother there is a twist. Be it a mole or an ex-lover or a twin. This season it is called the Saboteur, a player who is playing NOT to win. Not only that but this player is playing to sabotage all of the other players. The player is there to wreck havoc on the group so let the drama ensue. Of course we all know that drama is Big Brother's bread and butter so this should be an interesting season. I will be making every effort to keep up, unless they bring muscle head Jessie back again, in which case you will find me in a corner with a bottle of Tequila trying to make it all go away!


If you want to meet the cast, click on this video.

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery?

Can you believe that it has been 6 years since new Friends episodes have graced our TV screens? Unarguably one of the funniest cast ensembles of all times. The show eventually became the first show to unite a cast in contract negotiations, headed by Lisa Kudrow, to make sure that all of the cast members got what they were worth, TOGETHER. I don't think we will ever see a cast with more chemistry than this one.

Since that time there have been many shows attempting to recreate the winning formula of 20-30 something single friends making their way in the world. Characters starting careers, helping each other out and looking for love, or at least a good time, until love came along. No shows since have created the buzz or duplicated the formula. Whenever you have a successful show like this you will notice that in the fall, usually, there will be a glut of shows so similar that it is obvious what is happening. Instead of doing this right away and half-assing it, I propose that the networks and show developers wait for awhile before going for it. Give it some time and make sure you have the best writer and the best ensemble cast, one with great writing and killer chemistry. Too often that is what turns people off, bad writing and no chemistry between the actors.

One of the perfect examples of waiting is Roseanne. Roseanne was one of those shows that was the "talk of the television industry" until they "jumped the shark" and ended up being canceled. Years later "Everybody Loves Raymond" came along and attempted to fill the void, instead they took some of the best parts of Roseanne and added their own twist. Now we have a show called "The Middle" which is spot on in the "Roseanne" department. I mean the stuff with the kids is soooo much like Roseanne and they are middle class and live in Ohio. So there you go. I enjoy the show myself but I don't know if it will ever be a hit like Roseanne.

Now back to "Friends". Now that we're past the 5 years off the air mark I am actually seeing a few shows that are using the formula, with a twist. One that you will probably think is a strange twist, which is what makes it successful, I think, is "The Big Bang Theory". The friends are mainly guys, smart scientists who are nerdy, so it's like a bunch of "Ross's" running around! Plus their neighbor across the way Penny, is the "Rachel" of the show mixed with a little "Phoebe".  Eventually Penny does get involved with her "Ross", a character by the name of Leonard. They seem to be having a very Ross and Rachel romance complete with their current break-up. It really is a great show, mainly because of it's quirks....the cast. Check it out if you haven't. Bzinga! 

Now I cannot talk about Friends without mentioning the show I TRULY thought was going to be THE Friends, "Must See TV", and a chance for Alyssa Milano to show off her comedy chops. My family enjoyed it a lot. It had a very likable cast. Sadly they shot 6 episodes and only 4 aired. Why? I don't know, maybe no one knew about it....I only knew about it because I think Alyssa Milano was plugging it on "The View". The show was called "Romantically Challenged" and it had it's own twist with Alyssa's character Rebecca having been divorced with an older child. And they did hang out at a pseudo "Central Perk". *sigh*   

Here is a promo for it. You can still catch the episodes online. *sigh*  

And last, but not least, we have a show that is currently on the air called 100 Questions. On the left is the original cast, on the right is the replacement, Collette Wolfe, for the blond in the picture on the left. Much better choice, very good comedic timing. Remember what I said about twists. Formula + Twist = Better chance for success. Well there is still hope for this show I believe. This one stars a British actress who is trying to find her "soulmate" and so she joins a dating service called Soulmates. Anyway, each episode starts with her being asked one question out of the 100, the twist. Each week when she answers the question it is with a story that involves her friends in a flashback.  This is a likable attractive cast with chemistry, much like Friends.

I leave you with the Promo for 100 Questions, with Spanish subtitles (copyright forbids the English version), and if you look fast you will see my new crush from True Blood, Joe Maganiello (Alcide), proposing to the lead character....she said no.....she's safe, I will not be forced to kill her. LoL If you've seen any of these shows, please let me know what you think! Ciao!

I Think I Must Be Jaded and Meet My New Crush!

Why do I feel like I should re-name this blog, Me and True Blood?! Seems as though it is all the rage to be a Trubie. It just seems to be the most interesting show on TV right now, what with Alan Ball trying to push the envelope and all. True Blood season 3 was already promised to be jam packed full of sex, sex, and more sex. More than ever before, although I don't know if it could top last season with the Minaed who made everyone have sex with each other. lol

Well the thing is, last nights infamous Episode 3 promised to be "The" episode to shock and freak people out. The actors had talked about how hard it was to do. I was prepared for something violent, which it was....involving Bill and his maker Lorena (as I predicted in this blog) and it was. If you haven't watched it and don't want to read a spoiler then perhaps you should stop reading, because I am about to reveal the shocking "twist". Arr Arrr Arrrrr.

It was Bill having angry sex with Lorena. Now, the thing is that there is a lot of controversy about what happened. First of all, some are calling it rape although Lorena pleaded with him to "make love" to her. As one astute viewer put "it was a grudge **** plain and simple". The controversy stems mostly from consent and being compelled. That is what most of the message board arguments are focusing on. Some say that because she asked him to do this, that he HAD TO because she is his maker and he was "compelled" because of it. Others feel as though Lorena "released" him so he shouldn't be "compelled" by her. Now if I remember correctly via the books, compelling had a lot to do with it but also his attachment to Lorena. So who knows. Now the TWIST of the evening, which I felt was the "grudge ****" part of it, was the fact that he twisted Lorena's head around while he was doing the deed. It was kind of funny to most viewers and pretty shocking to others. Me? I think I was more on the "funny" side of it, because of the look of her twisted head. But I "got it" he was angry and he didn't want to see her face and if she compelled him then there was more reason for him to deny her the right to see him. His anger at himself it seemed also made me think he was compelled. Makes sense to me. I feel jaded, I expected something more heinous. I mean, I guess it is....ok yeah it is pretty heinous, but it was hardly "groundbreaking" in my opinion. I think I've seen too much in movies and on TV to truly be shocked anymore. Not to mention the fact that these are VIOLENT creatures. Shouldn't we expect that?

OK on to my new crush. Now I have seen this actor before, but in a totally different way. I saw him recently on 100 Questions in a suit (which is how I've normally seen him in the past), but he came to my attention when he was on "One Tree Hill" where he played Owen Morello, the bartender who was Brooke Davis' boyfriend or wanna be boyfriend....I can't really remember. That's when I warmed up to him and thought, "wow this guy is kinda hot". Flash forward to last night where he debuted on True Blood as Alcide Hevereaux and I am in LOVE....ok maybe lust. Now I don't know if it's the long hair, as a child of the 70's I am a sucker for guys with long hair, or the beard. I normally am not a fan of guys with beards, although I'll admit my ex-fiance and some other men I know actually look better WITH a beard. But as a rule....no beard.....but damn if Joe Manganiello doesn't look super fine and super sexy, beard and all!!!! And after reading a quick biography of him, well that settles it, the man is 6 foot 5 of hunk! Eric aka Alexander Sarsgaard is gonna have a little run for his money and I LOVE me some Eric! But the way I look at it....there's enough hunks on that show for EVERYONE! Yum!

It's funny how I didn't even realize these are the same two guys. I truly didn't recognize him in 100 questions as being the same guy, I mean I knew I'd seen him before but I never would have guessed he was the same guy! The many faces of Joe Manganiello aka Alcide on TB.
 
Welcome to True Blood Joe, hope you don't mind a few stalkers, cuz I have the feeling that once this storyline gets going more woman are gonnna fall all over you!

As for you readers, pick your favorite character, I'd love to see who you are finding fascinating on the new season. So many new faces to go with the regulars! Who do YOU like this season so far?

 

                              

Vampires, Werewolves, and Demons...oh my!

So, has the Twilight movie franchise brought about a resurgence in the Vampire/Supernatural glut of TV shows about the subject? I originally started thinking about this when I watched the new arrival, ABC's "The Gates". This show so far has vampires and a group of teenage werewolves. Sound familiar? "The Gates" just started so I have to reserve my judgment on this show. Other than the fact that the vampires appear to be adults and the werewolves are teenage boys, who knows what more is in store for viewers. However, given the premise, this place called The Gates seems to be a self-contained town, as well as a gated community, reminiscent of Syfy channels Eureka, only with gates. What I mean to say is that this seems to be more of a mysterious place kind of show, with a new police chief and his family, who seem to be normal. Kind of like Eureka. Where weird things happen and the powers that be would rather the chief kind of look the other way. So as I said it remains to be seen if this show will last a season. I'll give it a try, I always do. 

 The cast seems to have the right variety of attractive mature adults and teenagers, something for everyone. I'll keep you posted on this one.

When I contemplated this whole Vampire craze, I thought...wow, everyone now loves what I've always loved. The classic tortured soul of the vampire. I mean, I grew up with Dark Shadows the granddaddy of them all. Dark Shadows ran from 1966-1971 and had some successful films afterward. The attempt to revive the franchise back in 1991 failed I am sorry to say. I feel as though my daughter and I were the only ones who watched it. How sad.

Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid in the original show was the original TV tortured vampire character. He was what he was, but he tried to protect his family. That seems to be the sign of humanity with vampires, the
ennui of being alive so long and the longing to be a part of humanity somehow.

When thinking about some of the shows in this genre that have been on in the past, I noticed something striking. None of these shows has lasted more than 6 years. Most last either 1 year or 5-6, with very few 2 year exceptions. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer made it to 6 years where she now rules. Currently there are quite a few Vampire/Supernatural shows on. Some have really struck a chord with viewers and seem as though they may go the distance. Now how far that distance is remains to be seen. For instance we have the CW's "The Vampire Diaries", one of my absolute favorites. It combines hot vampires, of course, with gothic dimensions of an historic eastern town rife with witch and vampire lore, founding families, and a city council that is more of a "find and destroy the vampires" club. Of course we have the tortured vampire, Stefan who is in love with Elena (a human, whose mother was turned into a vampire before Elena even knew who she was) and then we have his very hot brother Damon who enjoys the hell out of being a vampire! But lo and behold if Elena, a dead ringer for his true love Katherine, isn't touching this bad boy vampire's heart. So you've got the supernatural elements plus a classic love triangle. Can't go wrong with this combo, we are going into a second season of this show so there is hope that this show will last. 

 Another show from the CW that has had a lot of success is "Supernatural", two brothers fighting demons. Now I have not watched this show myself, although my son does. I just got too confused, the actor who plays Sam is the same actor who played "Dean" in "The Gilmore Girls" and the other actor plays a character names "Dean". TOO confusing for me! It's just not right, you'd think someone would have figured this out and threw the name Dean out and replaced it with something else, maybe Joe, that's a good name....brothers Sam and Joe. Works for me. Anyway, the show has been on for a few years now and seems to be hanging in there. The CW seems to have pretty good luck with these kinds of shows. ABC does not, they cancelled "Moonlight" one of my most favorite Vampire shows ever! So perhaps the actors on "the Gates" should think before making any large purchases.

I cannot write anything about this genre without including one of my top 5 vampire/werewolf/ghost shows, "Being Human". It is a BBC show that you can watch on BBC America. I believe the 2nd season is getting ready to start airing in America. This show is about 3 roommates living in a flat in London, the gorgeous and brooding Vampire (what did I tell you, always brooding these vampires!) Mitchell, George the reluctant Werewolf, and poor ghost Annie....Annie being the only one that no one can see besides Mitchell and George and the only one who really can't leave the house. Although she was able to leave to sort out some things with another ghost. There is some great acting and angst about losing their human side, not to mention the comedy that the Brits are known for. I love this show and can't wait to watch the second season. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend getting the DVD of the first season or finding a way to watch it online, I believe it is on tvshack.net. It's really a phenomenon in Britain and although they are talking about an American version, I hope they don't. I love this show the way that it is.

O

Of course there's no way that I could write about Vampires on TV and not mention the TOP DOG in this genre, HBO's True Blood. Being a show on HBO means they can get away with a lot more than "regular" TV can....they can and they do in a major way. A show that is loaded up on sex, violence, necrophilia, and bestiality....of course I'm kinda joking about the last 2 unless you want to count sleeping with a vampire necrophilia and sleeping with a shapeshifter bestiality. And of course you could also call blood drinking a form of cannibalism, which we won't go into. Ew! This show is based on a series of tamer books by Charlaine Harris. I am sure that Ms. Harris doesn't mind the treatment of her characters as I know her books are selling better than ever, thanks to the show. They deserve to, the books are really good in my opinion. Of course that's off the subject, I wrote a lot about this show 2 blogs ago so you might want to check it out. 

Before I end this blog I must give a shout out to a couple of dead shows that I knew and loved....I still miss you both! I hardly knew you....Blood Ties you actually broke the mold when you aired for 2 seasons!!!! Congrats! Wish I could have found out what happened.....I mean I read the books so I know Vicki you become a vampire and Henry has to stay away from you....but damn! And Moonlight, sooooo many unanswered questions! I have your one season on DVD and it pains me to see the last show and know that I will NEVER have the answers to so many questions. Arrggh! Damn the networks!!!! Buh bye my beautiful vamps. Mick (aka actor Alex O'Loughlin), I will watch you on Hawaii 5-0! Count on it. Now, I need to get a drink.....Type O positive sounds lovely!

Sexual Orientation equality in TV and Movies. Possible? I think Yes.

 Not too long ago there was an article in Newsweek, by a gay writer no less, stating that gays cannot play straight roles. What???? What I found funny was that not only have they been doing it, but they've been doing it well. One of the actors he mentioned, Jonathan Goff, is on one of my favorite shows, Glee. I guess I have no gaydar because I had no idea the actor was gay. It seems to me that when you make a big deal is when it may become an issue for some viewers. Personally, there are many actors that I KNOW are gay who play straight VERY well, for instance Neil Patrick Harris' character on "How I Met Your Mother". He plays womanizer Barney and I find his portrayal pretty funny, I believe the character.

TR Knight played George, a straight character, on "Greys Anatomy" that seemed to resonate with viewers. On the female side Portia DeRossi played straight characters on "Aly McBeal" as well as "Better Off Ted". In fact both characters were pretty busy in the straight bedroom. Hell, I didn't even know the actress was gay until she hooked up Ellen Degeneres. 

Would YOU have guessed these actors were gay? BEFORE, you heard they were? 20/20 hindsight makes a lot of people say, "Oh yeah, I knew they were gay." Well I don't always believe that. In fact we can go all the way back to the 60's and 70's when gays were not accepted at all. Two of the biggest stars of the day, Richard Chamberlain and Rock Hudson, were portraying leading men in movies and on TV. Richard Chamberlain played the charming but dedicated doctor, Dr. Kildare. Rock Hudson portrayed the equally charming husband and private detective on McMillan and Wife.

 Rock Hudson was deathly afraid of his secret life coming out, so much so that when he became the first celebrity afflicted with AIDS, he still refused to "come out". Thankfully times have changed to a certain degree. It is sad that so many famous actors are STILL in the closet and terribly afraid that their careers will be ruined if they "come out". There are many more actors and actresses out these days. It seems that it is much easier for the females to come out. Most of the time they plead bi-sexuality. Much easier for men to fantasy about that I think. All out lesbian women have a harder time I think unless they are beautiful to men, like Portia DeRossi. Right now there is a lesbian on the soap opera "Young and the Restless", she is "playing it straight". In fact she is part of a triangle. That would be Clementine Ford, daughter of Cybil Shepherd. Although, from what I understand, there isn't a lot of chemistry between her and her co-stars. Many would use that as a reason why gays shouldn't play straight. But, chemistry fails between straight couples as well. Otherwise we'd all have chemistry with each other!

Movie actor Rupert Everett claims that he doesn't get anymore good roles since he "came out". I don't think he can blame his being gay is the reason. Perhaps television is more accepting, maybe he needs to change genres, I don't know. All I know is that TV seems to be the place to be whether you are gay playing straight or straight playing gay. I mean it worked for Sean Hayes, being gay and playing gay, as well as for his Will and Grace co-stars Eric McCormack being straight and playing gay and Megan Mullaley being gay and playing straight. I know, confusing, isn't it?!

Movies have Brokeback Mountain and many other films that have straight men playing gay and gay men playing straight....but I don't know if I've seen any gay men playing gay, that I know of....now that would be a novel idea.

Well time for me to go kiddies....wonder if I'll have chemistry with someone at the grocery store. ;-)