tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31908203634460873642024-03-05T13:24:38.195-08:00Addicted to the Idiot BoxRSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-84160441380595534892010-03-23T11:57:00.001-07:002010-03-23T12:03:03.399-07:00CT, A week in the life of a television writer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHhmxDGLHUyylzvh4pFCjD1pShgXPQhDnO_VAloD0_5atBWRJ0SnLLH2ozNkSNd5S3y8-4oZDedC9le4GfcUAWhZWqWDGYcMk22VFIcM_4rQr4Ko4mOU3HZe6rAAZR_9KcWFz76tdeto/s1600-h/IMG_1128.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHhmxDGLHUyylzvh4pFCjD1pShgXPQhDnO_VAloD0_5atBWRJ0SnLLH2ozNkSNd5S3y8-4oZDedC9le4GfcUAWhZWqWDGYcMk22VFIcM_4rQr4Ko4mOU3HZe6rAAZR_9KcWFz76tdeto/s320/IMG_1128.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451906652972514802" /></a><br />In last weeks online only issue of the Campus Times I took a slightly different turn from my usual reviews and instead wrote a "what I did on my spring break" style story. And what I did on my spring break was frakking awesome. <div><br /></div><div>Hint #1: My cousin that I stayed with works in television. </div><div>Hint #2: The above picture is from the set of "CSI."</div><div><br /></div><div>Read my article to hear more!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/a-week-in-the-life-of-a-television-writer-1.2193945">Click here</a> to read my column online.</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-82538927577080142662010-03-13T13:33:00.000-08:002010-03-13T13:38:09.494-08:00CT, "Parenthood": The Classic American Family...or not.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.etonline.com/media/photo/2009/05/90202/400_parenthood_cast_090504_nbc_mhaaseth.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="http://www.etonline.com/media/photo/2009/05/90202/400_parenthood_cast_090504_nbc_mhaaseth.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#551A8B;"><br /></span></div>In the most recent issue of the Campus Times I review NBC's newest drama "Parenthood." With an all-star cast and a large variety of stories to tell, the show has joined my Tivo rotation for the time being.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/families-come-together-in-parenthood-pilot-1.2178634">Click here</a> to read the column. </div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-90413229526841091492010-03-13T13:20:00.000-08:002010-03-13T13:33:22.255-08:00CT, Remind me, why am I still watching "Smallville"??<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.tvscreencaps.com/albums/uploads/smallville-season9/915/normal_02478.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://www.tvscreencaps.com/albums/uploads/smallville-season9/915/normal_02478.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />After the utterly upsetting and disappointing Valentine's Day episode of "Smallville" which both demeaned the characters and the plots of the show, I had had enough. Nine seasons in and the show has officially gone off the rocker...and it's coming back for a tenth. If anyone understands this, please feel free to fill me in, but only after you read my column.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/it-s-a-bird-it-s-a-plane-it-s-an-irritating-tv-show-1.2169164">Click here</a> to read the column.RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-12256386569204716052010-03-13T13:11:00.001-08:002010-03-13T13:20:12.653-08:00CT, Where can I get a holo-band?; "Caprica"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQHf2odZd2JesvLlvg-p0L5biJxlzOV41k8_0J7ysu9a7D5CDVOah3UeW1F6iXPnBuho2qdHBhtj4no5N0Dw9Nmllg46-qBLLsuoIdKZkxGAowT6en3OPIqOkNMhB2aN0-g4S7MSjx-h9/s400/caprica-review.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQHf2odZd2JesvLlvg-p0L5biJxlzOV41k8_0J7ysu9a7D5CDVOah3UeW1F6iXPnBuho2qdHBhtj4no5N0Dw9Nmllg46-qBLLsuoIdKZkxGAowT6en3OPIqOkNMhB2aN0-g4S7MSjx-h9/s400/caprica-review.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Since writing this review for my column in the February 18th issue of the CT, I have come to enjoy "Caprica" even more that I did upon initially watching. The different stories keep me intrigued every week, whether it's a simple teen drama or the more prominent questions of what advancing technology could do to our society. Read the article for more thoughts.<br /><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/ambition-of-caprica-fails-to-reel-in-large-audience-1.2158910"><br />Click here</a> to read the column.RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-44037087580914186592010-03-13T13:06:00.000-08:002010-03-13T13:10:29.826-08:00CT, "Life Unexpected" is an Unexpected Win<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganGYJNPSUgJo8hMvxAOYf1exR3kLj49QpOWfGPEy_2bV0PDFGK9zUa2Y8f1xICfWFub-wUqPfBIIcUZ8OGK0K3utrLze3W2ZW_De33RUS-xDs2ChIa5CAbCqVNbTkrn43rtPvO9iZK9za/s400/life-unexpected-review.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganGYJNPSUgJo8hMvxAOYf1exR3kLj49QpOWfGPEy_2bV0PDFGK9zUa2Y8f1xICfWFub-wUqPfBIIcUZ8OGK0K3utrLze3W2ZW_De33RUS-xDs2ChIa5CAbCqVNbTkrn43rtPvO9iZK9za/s400/life-unexpected-review.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In the Febuary 11th issue of the Campus Times I reviewed the CW's newest addition to the Monday line-up, "Life Unexpected." With it's "Gilmore Girls" like charm and a pretty fun cast I found myself drawn into the shows little universe.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/life-unexpected-adds-an-edge-to-the-cw-lineup-1.2148920">Click here</a> to read the column online.RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-88570188600651802552010-03-13T12:57:00.000-08:002010-03-13T13:05:35.205-08:00CT, The "Lost" Saga<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blogs.wcuquad.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/EVERY-PICTURE-TELLS-A-STORY-Call-it-The-Lost-Supper-and-Doc-Jensen-is-primed-to-decode-it-Lost-Daniel-Dae-Kim-...jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://blogs.wcuquad.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/EVERY-PICTURE-TELLS-A-STORY-Call-it-The-Lost-Supper-and-Doc-Jensen-is-primed-to-decode-it-Lost-Daniel-Dae-Kim-...jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So skipping ahead a few weeks in the Campus Times issues I'm jumping straight to my pride and joy, the "Lost" spread. When I get a chance I will post a link of the awesome two-page spread we created in the A&E section all focused around the season premiere of "Lost."<br /><br />Here are links to the three articles of the section:<br />1) My review of the season premiere can be found <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/lost-premiere-balances-mythology-and-characters-1.2139043">here.</a><br />2) A look at the many burning questions of "Lost" can be found <a href="http://www.nineronline.com/viewpoint/lost-enters-final-season-finally-answers-our-burning-questions-1.2157696">here.</a><br />3) And finally, we take a peek at the cult(ure) that has been created by the fans <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/the-cult-ure-of-lost-1.2139050">here.</a><br /><br />Enjoy and feel free to share theories!RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-9369571098024832822010-03-13T12:25:00.000-08:002010-03-13T12:55:03.034-08:00CT, Playing Catch Up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://zeniamai.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/stress0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://zeniamai.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/stress0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />As you may have noticed I have been completely MIA for the past couple of months. Got caught up in school, got bogged down with my new editorial position on the Campus Times, and completely neglected to update the blog when I had new articles...or even at all. My stress levels reached an absurd all-time-high.<br /><br />But I am back and here's how it's gonna go. I am posting each of the articles from this year so far. Unfortunately College Publisher was down and messed up our archives so for the first few articles I am just going to post them directly here and then back to normal.<br /><br />In our first issue of the semester we did a Best of the Decade special in honor of the start of 2010. After the jump are my thoughts on the best television of the decade.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost">One decade ago I was 10 years old. If you had asked me what my favorite television show was, I would have probably told you “Full House” or “Boy Meets World” or even “Seventh Heaven.” I was too young to understand the brilliance of shows like “The Wire” or “The Sopranos.”<br /><br />Now this does not excuse me from the fact that I have yet to catch up on those brilliant series, but it does give me an excuse to say that my top shows of the decade are quite different from others. So without further ado, here is the best television of the decade according to an idiot box addict:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Veronica Mars” (2004-07)</span>: If you recognize the name “Veronica Mars,” then you are one of the lucky few who watched one of the gems of TV this decade. I was hooked by the time the credits ran in the pilot episode. The search for Lily Kane’s murderer kept me on the edge of my seat through the final episode of season one. Rob Thomas’ characters ranged from the “obligatory psychotic jackass” who won the hearts of every true fan in Logan Echolls to the edgy, street-smart, self-important yet vulnerable outcast of Neptune High in Veronica Mars. “Veronica Mars” was not a perfect show. After an astounding first season, the networks (UPN and then the CW) forced the show to leave its serial story lines on the sidelines to accommodate more viewers. The mysteries of the next two seasons weren’t quite up to par with Thomas’ season one accomplishment. By that point, the audience was so in love with the characters that it didn’t matter much. The mysteries and scandals surrounding Neptune provided my first true TV obsession, and definitely not my last.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">“The Office (U.S.)” (2005-present)</span>: The names Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute have become synonymous with hilarity over the past five years. Jim Halpert and Pam Beasley have become the definition of soul mates. The cast and crew of the American version of “The Office” have reinvented the art of cringe-inducing comedy. Based on the Ricky Gervais masterpiece from the BBC in 2003, Steve Carell managed to take the already striking character, David Brent, and make it his own.<br /><br />Through its brilliant mockumentary style, “The Office” has explored one of the most boring settings and turned it into a creative goldmine. The writers not only achieved unparalleled success in the re-creation of a show, but they also jumped one of the biggest hurdles that lies in the path of nearly every romantic television plot on the air: unresolved sexual tension. Jim and Pam got together and guess what? The world didn’t implode. Now, in the show’s sixth season, the lines between comfortable and awkward are still being pushed in all the right ways.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Gilmore Girls” (2000-07)</span>: In a perfect world Amy Sherman-Pallandino would have written the final season of “Gilmore Girls.” We would have gotten that perfect ending to a well-rounded and creative series. But it’s not a perfect world, and Sherman-Palladino acted like a selfish mother who didn’t want to take her daughter out of the spotlight. Hence the unsatisfying seventh season of an otherwise fantastic show.<br /><br />Despite Sherman-Palladino’s injustice to the final season, she created one of the most well-known mother-daughter relationships on television. Throughout the first six seasons, Lorelei and Rory Gilmore won audiences with their fast paced banter and wit that included pop culture references up the wazoo. Grumpy diner owner Luke and overbearing upper-class grandparents Emily and Richard Gilmore gave the show the ability to hit home with a large audience. The complications that fraught the Gilmore’s lives, whether they were step-dads, boyfriends, domineering parents or popular kids at school, led to the soul of the show; a mother and daughter who could really be called best friends.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Buffy The Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)</span>: Joss Whedon is notorious for creating shows with names that don’t reflect the quality of the series itself. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is a classic example. Many people argue that the best of Whedon’s genius creation lies within the first three seasons and therefore in the ‘90s. However, viewers have agreed that several of the best hours of television can be found in episodes from this decade including two of the most celebrated, “Hush” and “Once More with Feeling.” While it’s hard to say that two episodes can give an entire show a place on my best of the decade list, I will go ahead and do it anyway because Buffy is awesome. If you deny it, it is probably because you haven’t seen it.<br /><br />Behind the façade of a fantasy world story is a very relatable metaphor for the atrocities and monsters that everyone knows exist in the scary teenage world. Buffy’s battles as a teenager at Sunnydale High School literally come to life when she confronts the evils of the Hellmouth beneath the high school library along with Willow, Xander, Giles and Angel. As tears streamed down my face during the series finale, I realized I had never felt as satisfied by a complete series as I felt at that moment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Lost” (2004-10)</span>: No show has attracted quite the fan base and extremist behavior that “Lost” has had throughout its five seasons on the air. From the start, J.J. Abrams had created a hit. What started as a popular show grew into a culture, and what began as a drama grew into one of the most thrilling mythology-filled serial shows that has existed on television. When “Lost” hit the wall in season three, show runners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse took an unprecedented step with ABC and created an end date to the series. They recognized that without a set timeline, the show would spiral out of control.<br /><br />With this achievement, the creators gave us “Through the Looking Glass,” the season three finale, and everything changed in an instant. All of a sudden stories moved at the speed of light. Characters once again had drive and motivation. Somewhere between the flashbacks, flash forwards, and time jumps, “Lost” had been found. As the final season of the epic journey looms closer, it is hard to ignore the influence of “Lost.” With the combined power of a cultish Internet following and the creative dominance of the writers, “Lost” will be remembered as a show that shaped the decade.</span>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-10537706661996460312010-01-02T17:50:00.000-08:002010-01-02T17:55:43.762-08:00A New Kind of New Years Resolution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00655/news-graphics-2007-_655419a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 362px;" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00655/news-graphics-2007-_655419a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This year I’m going to ace all my classes. I’ll lose twenty pounds. I plan on reading a book a month. I will not gossip as much. These are all admirable resolutions. They are the attempted and failed pledges of New Years past; the oaths I have heard my friends declare and the ones I have broken myself.<br /><br />Some years I just skip the resolution train altogether because I know a hopeless cause when I see one. But this year I’ve decided to try something different. A new kind of resolution. My television resolutions of 2010.<br /><br />Now I am plenty aware that the last thing I need in my life is much more television, but hey, we can’t help what we fall in love with right? So, to kick off the new decade, I have decided to set some goals for myself themed around that idiot box that we have come to know and love oh so very much. I figured that putting my resolutions in writing would make it more official and encourage me to follow through a bit more than usual. Follow the jump for the Idiot Box’s Resolutions of 2010.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost"> Last semester I really fell short of supplying this blog with much more than my Campus Times articles. I got caught up with classes and extracurricular activities and spent my free time napping or watching my favorite shows over and over again. This year I want to try to put more time into my writing. Considering that several of my favorite shows are returning to the airwaves this winter (particularly Chuck and Lost) I will have considerably more motivation and incentive to write weekly. Resolution #1: This year I will write more weekly television reviews for the blog.<br /><br />I have been trying to educate myself with the great television shows of recent years in order to catch up on what I missed out on as a youngster. Despite better intentions, I often get caught up in watching marathons of shows I’ve already seen or guilty pleasures. In 2010 I want to return to “classics” of the decade. “Battlestar Galactica.” “The Sopranos.” “The Wire.” Must watch television that will add to my enjoyment of this entertaining medium. So, Resolution #2: This year I will watch one or more classic-epic television series’.<br /><br />I’m not sure whether many of you know or not (for those few readers I like to believe that I have), but I recently decided what I want to be when I grow up. Within the past year through school and most self-awareness I have resolved that my dream job would be to become a television screenwriter. This past summer I took a television-writing course online through Gotham Writer’s Workshop and I have not enjoyed writing more than that in a long time. I had never written a script before and I found the process of creating a story and brining the characters to life both challenging and unbelievably fun. Unfortunately upon returning to school, life distracted me and my television writing took a backseat. But this year, I want to give it an equal priority. Therefore I decree, Resolution #3 (yay rhymes): This year I will write and COMPLETE at least one television spec script.<br /><br />So bring it on 2010. I am ready for whatever you have to throw at me. I think this is gonna be a good one. I can feel it in my bones. One week til the season premiere of “Chuck,” less than a month til “Lost,” two weeks til “24,” and oh so much more. Get psyched. The start of the decade is already off with a bang.<br /><br />So now it’s your turn, what are your resolutions for 2010 (television or otherwise)? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*The image, by the way, is of the fireworks in London where I am currently vacationing for a class during winter break. The display is on the Thames River at the London Eye. </span>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-39128002093561392552009-12-30T17:46:00.000-08:002009-12-30T17:59:05.955-08:00The Decade According to an Idiot Box Addict<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHIcKFQdoN-qEynkuvHRp2K30wYD3vtCAgilnDNA4xpaCNgMuZD4E2l-aBhkw7xTZYBKxgskdvj9loT8qW9dbgA0JgwD6wJLkjpQIHbK2fULP4xBUi2gadH8NrlOUG8BsMqfHSJjS4TY/s1600-h/MV5BMTI2MTc1Mzc4M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDc3ODI3._V1._SX451_SY325_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHIcKFQdoN-qEynkuvHRp2K30wYD3vtCAgilnDNA4xpaCNgMuZD4E2l-aBhkw7xTZYBKxgskdvj9loT8qW9dbgA0JgwD6wJLkjpQIHbK2fULP4xBUi2gadH8NrlOUG8BsMqfHSJjS4TY/s400/MV5BMTI2MTc1Mzc4M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDc3ODI3._V1._SX451_SY325_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421213963480755490" border="0" /></a><br />One decade ago I was a mere ten year old who found joy in the simple heart and humor of after school television. “Full House” and “Boy Meets World” were staples in my pre-adolescent stage. Seventh heaven was still considered not only acceptable but a must watch for school discussion. Life was different, very different.<br /><br />Then, around 2004, life changed. Grudgingly and most reluctantly, I let my Dad talk me into watching a teen drama about a girl who solved mysteries. I did not realize then that I had just become a slave to the idiot box. More after the jump.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost">“Veronica Mars” had me instantly hooked. The search for Lily Kane’s murderer kept me on the edge of my seat through the final episode of the first season. Logan Echolls, the misunderstood and winner of most in need of therapy “obligatory psychotic jackass,” completely won my heart. Veronica herself, the edgy, street-smart, too good for everyone else yet still somewhat vulnerable, outcast of Neptune High School was instantly a winner in my book. Rob Thomas’ witty and masterful dialogue created a world written in such a delicious way that I wanted to devour it immediately (and have done numerous times on DVD since). “Veronica Mars” and the mysteries and scandals surrounding Neptune provided my first true television obsession, and definitely not my last.<br /><br />Over the past month or so the many lists of the best shows of the decade infiltrated my twitter feed and took over the blogosphere, providing many hours of much appreciated procrastination throughout finals. But when it came to writing my own lists, I didn’t really believe I was quite qualified. Over the past several years I have educated myself as best possible (with the help of my Dad’s unmatched DVD collection) on the television of the decade that I missed throughout the early teenage years. I have tried to catch up on the shows that I was too young to understand or care about when they originally aired.<br /><br />I caught up on the Joss Whedon’s masterpieces of “Buffy” and “Firefly.” I marathon watched the addictive work of J.J. Abrams in “Alias.” “Wonderfalls,” gave me a little bit of the Bryan Fuller world I was missing upon the cancellation of “Pushing Daisies.” After school television changed from the hours spent with Cory, Sean, and Mr. Feeny to twenty-four hours spent alongside Jack Bauer and Chloe. Damon Lindelhof and Carleton Cuse took obsession to a whole new level upon my discovery of the mythology-entangled stories of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. The numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42, would never be the same again. “Mad Men” taught me what true dramatic television had the potential to become with smart dialogue and characters we love despite their many faults. Action, comedy, and romance were all wrapped into one with Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak’s creation of “Chuck;” it was as if they knew my life had been incomplete without Chuck, Sarah, Casey, and the Buy More, even though I had been unaware.<br /><br />The list is clearly quite long, and I plan for it to continue its growth. I know I still have several Picasso sized wholes in that education, “Battlestar Gallactica,” “The West Wing,” and “The Wire” to name a few. Hell if I care. I’m ready to take on anything you send through my brand new blu-ray DVD player.<br /><br />The talent and brilliance that erupted in television throughout the years between 2000 and 2010, presented a new stage of this incredible medium. In a New York Magazine Article, Emily Nussbaum speaks about how this was a decade in which television transformed into an art form and I could not agree more. The shows that are broadcasted on that idiot box in living rooms across the country are no longer solely mindless entertainment. Don’t get me wrong; I am aware that there is an unsettling amount of reality television that gets worse by the day (“Conveyor Belt of Love?” “Jersey Shore?”). But if you look for the good stuff, it can be brilliant. I can’t help but believe that the thought provoking and entertaining masterpieces of this decade can and will be matched and exceeded over the next decade. With the dominance of Internet encroaching upon television networks, there is no doubt that the business of television will change.<br /><br />However, politics aside, I am looking forward to another decade of brilliant work on one of the most influential mediums of art. Here’s to a new decade and a new era of television. May the Tivo gods smile down on us and grant us many more years of side-aching-laughter comedy, finger-nail-biting action, swoon-inducing romance, and jaw-dropping drama. Happy New Year!</span>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-65136304463488607992009-12-15T14:07:00.001-08:002009-12-15T14:12:20.870-08:00CT, The Idiot Box Awards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://duckyxdale.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/greyscast_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://duckyxdale.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/greyscast_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />With finals taking over my life I seem to have fallen quite behind on updating the blog. However, here is my final column of the year, the one, the only, Idiot Box Awards. I award what I have deemed Fall's best shows. Assuming I finish all my work in a timely fashion I have quite the To Do List of writing for the blog including but not limited to: Nice/Naughty Lists for 2009, the Decade's Best, TV New Years Resolutions, and oh so much more. But, for now, enjoy the last Campus Times column of the year by clicking through the links.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/2.3391/community-glee-and-grey-s-fall-tv-at-its-finest-1.2111125">Click here</a> to read the column online.</div><div>Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.2111368!/12-3-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF version. (Scroll to page 15)</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-9782567433384653902009-11-19T11:33:00.000-08:002009-11-19T11:46:01.944-08:00CT, Mad Men: Wake Up Call for Don Draper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QZOXo_s0G4AiJsqOmWz7p0hRx9hLzQMeQdyAivS7341LXGCIf-KBP4F6ZLwv7qJ1kt8BO6rcXp8fk8vU3D70eU4R1BNvkkEXoEz6ovyi4nc22v6ZMVOEKvm4eWVtPuj9vhSCdgDRNlQ/s1600/mad+men+s3+finale2.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QZOXo_s0G4AiJsqOmWz7p0hRx9hLzQMeQdyAivS7341LXGCIf-KBP4F6ZLwv7qJ1kt8BO6rcXp8fk8vU3D70eU4R1BNvkkEXoEz6ovyi4nc22v6ZMVOEKvm4eWVtPuj9vhSCdgDRNlQ/s320/mad+men+s3+finale2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405903326020831858" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div>In this week's column I review the absolutely stunning season 3 finale of "Mad Men." It took all my effort to keep it under 1000 words for the paper, and I achieved that with 999 words. Score. I caught up a bit late on the "Mad Men" bandwagon but it has become a favorite with the unbelievably smart scripts and the beautiful sets and costumes. I wish I had Betty's wardrobe, seriously. For some serious spoilers on the final episode of the season, follow the links.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/2.3391/weiner-helps-madmen-season-end-strong-1.2089745">Click here</a> to read the column online.</div><div>Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.2091436!/11-19-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 12.</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-79430119618644784292009-11-13T16:05:00.000-08:002009-11-13T16:12:08.734-08:00CT, V: The Visitors Definitely Do Not Come in Peace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://markgbyrne.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/v-abc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://markgbyrne.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/v-abc.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#551A8B;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div>In this week's column, I review ABC's revival of the 1980's show "V" starring Elizabeth Mitchell (<i>Lost</i>, Juliet *tear*). My sci-fi quota by this point has been far surpassed and seems to keep growing. Thank you Dad. Follow the links to read my thoughts on "V."<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/sections/v-offers-a-chilling-revival-of-the-sci-fi-franchise-1.2062733">Click here</a> to read the article online.</div><div>Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.2063698!/11-12-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 9.</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-78928282985438743522009-11-05T22:21:00.001-08:002009-11-05T22:36:17.480-08:00CT, Catch "White Collar" If You Can<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://youritlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/white.collar2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 306px; height: 390px;" src="http://youritlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/white.collar2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />In this week's column I welcome USA's newest characters to the network and to my DVR rotation. Matthew Bomber and Tim DeKay star in "White Collar," a crime procedural with a "Catch Me If You Can"-esque twist. Follow the links to read my thoughts.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/sections/chemistry-defines-usa-s-white-collar-1.2051887">Click here</a> to read the article online.</div><div>Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.2052781!/11-5-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 9. </div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-60074080375769352572009-10-29T07:37:00.000-07:002009-10-29T07:47:14.798-07:00CT, Greek: More than just a Guilty Pleasure<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQZy0pUXaVbfH1j8qH3WrzJKURnPpz8X1Ichyclvr9UtTzMaRhon-Ck3ciUrFZMyxhnugRPLbQTqMXNm23_8ANHawT6c4p4EUvZpU6MzSmk12WV4nZjYw-pVChxGsCpp6heB8isYQTp4/s1600-h/greek+attib+photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQZy0pUXaVbfH1j8qH3WrzJKURnPpz8X1Ichyclvr9UtTzMaRhon-Ck3ciUrFZMyxhnugRPLbQTqMXNm23_8ANHawT6c4p4EUvZpU6MzSmk12WV4nZjYw-pVChxGsCpp6heB8isYQTp4/s320/greek+attib+photo.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398033555136282146" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div>In this week's column I review the best guilty pleasure show out there, ABC Family's "Greek." I got caught in the obsession several years ago and since then, in the shows 4th (or is it 3rd, they break up the seasons very oddly) season "Greek" has really hit a stride. It knows how to hit it's mark and when to do it. Follow the links for more "Greek" loves.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/sections/greek-is-more-than-just-a-guilty-pleasure-1.2041665">Click here</a> to read the column online.</div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.2043194!/10-29-09.pdf">Click here</a> to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 14.</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-86128342834643190702009-10-22T16:34:00.000-07:002009-10-22T16:48:22.316-07:00CT, Addicted to the Idiot Box Goes to Campus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8HyU32Av6jxymSgL_JWdfbm-g0AaJZ8MRdhXdDsMvw5mIIL0zOMrkheeEbG5YH9JkpsB6slhcTN4KukgvD05mSs6nSeyNYcnogYcEwHGl1fmg0weSpvMk0mfmj2frMxkeNByB0pycFw/s320/TV+addict.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8HyU32Av6jxymSgL_JWdfbm-g0AaJZ8MRdhXdDsMvw5mIIL0zOMrkheeEbG5YH9JkpsB6slhcTN4KukgvD05mSs6nSeyNYcnogYcEwHGl1fmg0weSpvMk0mfmj2frMxkeNByB0pycFw/s320/TV+addict.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />The little blog that could has now achieved the only real honor there is within our small Campus Times at the University of Rochester. My television reviews are now officially a part of a column renamed, <i>The Idiot Box Addict</i> (in honor of this blog). In this weeks very first column article, I reworked my first blog post to explain where my television addiction comes from (thanks Mom & Dad) and what to expect in the column from now on. So what are you waiting for? Go read it!<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/confessions-of-a-television-junkie-1.2032333">Click here</a> to read the article online.</div><div>Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.2033277!/10-22-09.pdf">click here </a>to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 16. (You get to see the cool logo for the column if you look at the PDF)</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-87443394828783339342009-10-14T14:29:00.000-07:002009-10-14T14:37:07.795-07:00HIMYM; Remind me, why haven't I written about this show yet?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-EwA2a0Vf_Y4E7IyU07M6IggwfXCdbrjE3G5NZ5obPhNjSYGQeCPZCAHsNmkqXf2vJBd_KkFUwsXdowLh5SajKEcsyp8Rnw5gBIfmHAnu2pqmTyfArX1Ls3ANKHHx8LCmGM-mukJTG4/s400/HIMYM-how-i-met-your-mother-7142371-1200-887.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-EwA2a0Vf_Y4E7IyU07M6IggwfXCdbrjE3G5NZ5obPhNjSYGQeCPZCAHsNmkqXf2vJBd_KkFUwsXdowLh5SajKEcsyp8Rnw5gBIfmHAnu2pqmTyfArX1Ls3ANKHHx8LCmGM-mukJTG4/s400/HIMYM-how-i-met-your-mother-7142371-1200-887.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Have you ever heard the story of how your parents met? I have, many times, probably more than others because they met here at Rochester. It’s a practiced two-minute presentation that my sister loves to tell.<br /><br />The son and daughter of Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” (hence forth known as HIMYM) are probably not as partial to their father’s rendition of the tale, or should I say saga, of how their parents met. They have now been listening to their father (narrated by the voice of Bob Saget) for five years. As Ted told them in the pilot episode “it’s a long story.” Follow the link for more suiting up, freeze-frame high fives, and waves of psychatude.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost">HIMYM is not your typical sitcom. Yes, there’s a group of friends. Sure, they live in New York City. And all right, they are trying to find love and success during their late 20’s.<br /><br />But I promise you, this isn’t “Friends”. They hang out a bar. Not a coffee shop.<br /><br />Ted, Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney returned back to McLaren’s bar for their fifth season with a strong audience and even stronger stories. The momentum this small show has gained over the past several years in a rough time slot is impressive to say the least.<br /><br />Despite the show’s title, the majority of the fans that tune in each week really aren’t watching the show for the big mother reveal. While that is the premise upon which the show operates, HIMYM is a sitcom about five best friends.<br /><br />It’s about Marshall (Jason Segal) and Lily’s (Alyson Hannigan) college romance that turned into one of the sweetest and most sincere marriages on television.<br /><br />It’s about Canadian Robin Sherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) dealing with her commitment issues while trying to become a successful newscaster despite her current 2am time slot.<br /><br />It’s about Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and his legend—wait for it, I hope you’re not lactose in-tolerant because the second half of this word is—dary catch phrases.<br /><br />And of course, it’s about architect turned teacher Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) trying to construct his life from the ground up.<br /><br />For the record, I could care les about the ever-elusive mother. I am much more content to watch stories that have little or nothing to do with how Ted meets the woman who will be his wife. Creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have proven again and again throughout the past four years that this show is told at it’s best when the writers don’t get bogged down in the “mythology” of the sitcom.<br /><br />The show really hit its stride when Ted was in a relationship with Robin, who we knew would not be the mother. Some of the most creative and original episodes aired during the period when there was no pressure for Ted because he had a girlfriend.<br /><br />On the opposite end, HIMYM displayed it’s worst when Ted introduced us to Stella, an actual potential candidate for the mother role, who failed to live up to any expectations the audience had. She was wrong for him, and apparently the writers realized this. Ted and Stella broke up on their wedding day in the fourth season.<br /><br />The mythical creature that the mother has become, has turned into what I can only equate to Disney’s Space Mountain roller coaster. You wait hours and hours on a line for a 2 minute ride that is not nearly as good as you expected. In the end what you remember the most is the wait, the build up, the anxiety and the excitement. And then you remember the inevitable let down.<br />So I’ve chosen to forget about the ride itself, and enjoy the wait.<br /><br />I would be perfectly happy, nay, ecstatic, if in the final episode of the series (hopefully a long, long time from now), the last shot we see is Ted smiling at some girl across the room with the voice over from Bob Saget saying “And that kids, is how I met your mother.”<br /><br />There would be no let down, no way for us to criticize the casting, or the chemistry. We would be left with the memory of a show we love, the way it really is.<br /><br />Not a show driven by Ted’s search for his wife, but a show driven by five great characters and the ridiculous stories they have to tell. The pineapple incident; the discovery that one of their best friend’s was a Canadian teenage pop star; the wedding of a college roommate; the search for each gang member’s doppelganger.<br /><br />HIMYM’s unique sitcom story-telling style gives it an edge when people just call it a “Friends” copycat. The show is marked by freeze frames, flash backs, flash forwards, time jumps, stories within stories within stories, and much more.<br /><br />When the writers embrace their anecdotal capabilities and put the overarching narrative aside, HIMYM is, to borrow a phrase, legendary.</span>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-85588369454464491452009-10-02T14:57:00.000-07:002009-10-02T15:03:59.917-07:00CT, Community: The Fine Art of Getting By in College<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sharetv.org/images/community-show.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 333px; height: 250px;" src="http://sharetv.org/images/community-show.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#551A8B;"><br /></span></div>In my first article of October, I reviewed the hilarious new comedy "Community." The Breakfast Club-esque premise makes for a great show with a gold mine of funny. Click on to enjoy!<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/community-has-potential-for-hilarity-1.1933952">Click here</a> to read the article online.</div><div>Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.1934679!/10-1-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF file. Scroll to page 12.</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-36311662562700140402009-09-26T09:22:00.000-07:002009-09-26T09:27:36.215-07:00CT, NPH Brings Classy back to the Emmys<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.daemonstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/98379_d0137b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 333px; height: 500px;" src="http://www.daemonstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/98379_d0137b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />In this past weeks Campus Times I reviewed the Emmy Awards hosted by the one, the only, Neil Patrick Harris. Enjoy and share your thoughts!<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/emmy-awards-ceremony-steps-up-its-game-this-year-1.1912083">Click here</a> to read the article online.</div><div>Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.1912564!/9-24-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 15. </div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-40854145703804187342009-09-17T16:34:00.000-07:002009-09-17T16:42:01.394-07:00CT, Television Sucks the Life Out of the Vampire Obsession<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://iconsoffright.com/news/VD-1_0027ra.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 376px; height: 500px;" src="http://iconsoffright.com/news/VD-1_0027ra.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />In this weeks Campus Times I talk about the overwhelming amount of Vampire love that has burst from the seams over the past year or so. "Twilight", "True Blood", and now "Vampire Diaries." I'm not sure how much more I can handle. <div><br /></div><div>Except of course for "Buffy". I can never get enough of "Buffy". And for that reason I should probably try "Angel" again. My only issue with "Angel" was that there was no Buffy, Willow, Xander, or Giles. Anyone got a good argument to watch? Please win me over. Meanwhile, enjoy my Twilight hate-fest (although I think I was pretty nice.)</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/new-vampire-fad-may-impress-preteens-but-tv-shows-suffer-1.1881968">Click here</a> to read the article online.</div><div>Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.1882516!/PDF-9-17-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 17.</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-42142042166218905342009-09-13T21:39:00.000-07:002009-09-15T16:24:59.082-07:00CT, Torchwood: The Little TV Series that Could<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.tvrage.com/screencaps/35/6993/691408.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://images.tvrage.com/screencaps/35/6993/691408.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />With the first Campus Times article of the year, I, the idiot box addict, have officially returned from the dead. This week marks the glorious beginning of the fall TV season and I couldn't be more excited. But more on that later.<br /><br />In my first CT article this semester I discuss the awesomeness that is "Torchwood: Children of Earth," the five episode British mini-series with more courage that almost any TV I have seen to date. Enjoy, discuss, and welcome back!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/a-e/torchwood-explores-humanity-s-dark-side-1.1872644">Click here</a> to read the article online.<br />Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.1872835!/9-10-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 23.<div><br /></div><div>*BTW, the Campus Times made a typo and said Ianto was a she rather than a he. Just thought I'd clarify.</div>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-33403227774562572092009-07-09T18:51:00.000-07:002009-07-09T18:55:28.586-07:00Wonderfalls, "I Wonder Why the Wonder Falls on Me."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://wrt-brooke.syr.edu/cgbvb/archives/wonderfalls.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 356px; height: 500px;" src="http://wrt-brooke.syr.edu/cgbvb/archives/wonderfalls.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I have always found comfort in my toys. Yes, I’m 19, and yes many of my childhood playthings have been casted to the shelves, sold in garage sales, or given to Good Will over the years, but there are those few that always have a place in my room. As a child stuffed animals can be your entire world. You spend your days being a princess locked away in a tower surrounded by fuzzy crocodiles or braving the rough waters with rubber ducks as your companions. The rubber and furry toys of our lives as children are both the enemies and the protectors. They protect us in a way that only a Teddy bear can do.<br /><br />Bryan Fuller’s unique, imaginative, and short lived series “Wonderfalls” takes a teddy bear’s protection and turns it into the manifestation of G-d’s instructions to protect others. Instead of a child seeking guidance in her day-to-day activities, a 24-year-old underachieving college graduate becomes the victim of endless instructions given through the toys in a retail store. Spoilers for "Wonderfalls" after the jump.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost"> What drew me to the story so quickly was that Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas) epitomized my so-called summer this year. She spends day after day in a job she clearly despises with a boss whom she dubs Mouthbreather. That should give you an idea about how much she respects him.<br /><br />Despite the degree in philosophy from Brown and the supportive family Jaye has at her disposal, she lives in a trailer park and works as a sales clerk in a souvenir shop at Niagara Falls. A place where people are just visiting, never long enough for a sales clerk to get tangled in the lives of the people passing through. She achieved her goal of “over educated and unemployable,” just like she wrote in her high school yearbook.<br /><br />That is, until one day a little Wax Lion warns her not give an angry customer money back. Then a Barrel Bear convinces her to help a writer get her words out, and Wind-Up Penguin leads Jaye down a path to reuniting a young girl with her father. Pink Flamingos convince Jaye to confront her past at a high school reunion where she unsuspectingly shows a past nemesis that the love of her life is not in fact the love of her life. Dogs on signs, embroidered buffalos, singing trout on walls, lovesick stuffed donkeys, plastic birds, and totem poles all enlist Jaye to unwillingly and resentfully take part in tasks to help the lives of others.<br /><br />Are these voices a manifestation of Jaye’s internal thoughts? Do the toys represent the voice of G-d? Is she just plain crazy? I am inclined to believe that the toys are an inspiration from a higher being, whether it be destiny, G-d, or whatever you believe in. The fact that Jaye’s brother, a theologian, showed such interest in the speaking figures seemed to demonstrate that religion played a significant (while not overwhelming) role. However, I also believe that her decision to listen to these inanimate objects shows that despite her reluctance and displeasure at being chosen, she knows their instructions are for the better.<br /><br />What I really found refreshing about this show was that it was completely original. I have never seen anything else with a similar premise yet so many aspects of the plot were relatable. Bryan Fuller and Todd Holland gave a little magic to the life of an underachiever living at the heart of one of the seven wonders of the natural world. The setting was different yet recognizable. The dialogue was fresh, fast, and clever. The actors had chemistry and charisma.<br /><br />Jaye’s sarcasm and wit is portrayed brilliantly by Dhavernas alongside a talented cast. Lee Pace plays the over protective older brother whose theology major seems to make him the only one capable of buying Jaye’s experience as real as opposed to crazy. Mahandra McGinty (Tracie Thoms) provides the ever important best friend figure who supports Jaye without fault. Sharon Tyler (Katie Finneran), the lesbian-lawyer older sister, protects her family even in face of the law and wasn’t given enough time to develop what could have been an extremely interesting character. Jaye’s parents Darrin (William Sadler) and Karen (Diana Scarwid) embody parents who love yet misunderstand their children. Despite all of their differences, the Tyler family truly is a supportive unit. They may fight and misinterpret one another, but at the end of the day they are there for each other and that is what family is for.<br /><br />At the heart of this little tale lies the romance between Jaye and Eric Gotts (Tyron Leitso), the adorably handsome bartender whose wife cheated on him the first night of their honeymoon in Niagra Falls. He’s damaged goods and she takes orders from toys. Perfect match. Usually in television a budding romance is indicated by a swell in music, a slow motion entrance, a close up of the two in a single frame, or a lingering look in the character’s eyes. “Wonderfalls” however used the ideal imagery of fireworks lighting up in Eric’s eyes after Jaye told his cheating wife that Eric was predisposed “pleasuring her sexually.” Young love at it’s best.<br /><br />Wonderfalls was able to portray very complex ideas in a childish manner. Should we all surrender to destiny like the legendary maid of the mist? Or do we ignore the voices and signs and fight back? Can love conquer all? Or does logic and law take precedent? Should we be actively seeking out acts of kindness? Or does no good deed go unpunished? All this from a bunch of souvenir toys. I only wish that “Wonderfalls” had been given more than 14 episodes to more deeply explore these questions and the many more that may have arisen.<br /><br />As a young girl I would take out my teddy bears and begin my adventures for the day. I never knew where they would take me whether it be to a magical palace or a rainforest in the jungle. But I did know that the journey with my furry friends would bring surprise and adventure. The toys of the Wonderfalls gift shop brought just this to Jaye Tyler. While her 24-year-old mind may have logically forgotten what it was like to willingly and happily accept the instruction of seemingly lifeless objects, subconsciously she knew that the steps she was taking would be for the better. In the end Jaye was able to understand that the pain she suffered due to a talking wax lion, was a necessary journey to reach her happily ever after.</span>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-65013753892613771132009-06-22T21:27:00.000-07:002009-06-23T10:46:16.951-07:00Alias, The Marathon of TV Marathons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://store.infinitecoolness.com/coolposters/personalities/alias/aliastvposter001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="http://store.infinitecoolness.com/coolposters/personalities/alias/aliastvposter001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Shows with strong willed, smart, kick ass girls seem to get the thumbs up from me. Veronica Mars. Buffy Summers. Rory Gilmore. Temperance Brennan. Carrie Bradshaw. All different, but all intelligent women who make great, yet sometimes flawed, role models. After my two weeks of non-stop television marathoning, Sydney Bristow has been added to the list. Spoilers for all five seasons after the jump...<br /><br /><span class="fullpost">Now as you may realize, I spend quite a bit of time in front of the TV. I’ve been known to watch 3 seasons of Lost and The Office in the course of several months, 10 seasons of Friends in less than a year, 7 seasons of Buffy over half a year…well you get the picture. But the free time I was presented with upon returning home from school along with catching a cold from my sister offered me ample time to hunker down with Alias, a show I had always had my eye on but never had the time for. Two and a half weeks (yes, weeks) after watching the, dare I say, awesome, pilot episode I had completed viewing the (slightly less awesome) series finale of a 5 season show. Hold for applause. Or shocked silence.<br /><br />Not all 5 seasons were incredible. The villains could be convoluted and the reboots didn’t offer the same excitement as the initial premise. Nevertheless, something kept me going for two weeks. I’m gonna say the shows ability to end nearly every episode in a cliffhanger is what kept me hanging by a thread at the end of each hour. Add a great cast and charged plot lines and you’ve got 105 action packed episodes of goodness.<br /><br />Favorite story line? Not even a question about it, the initial story of the show. Season 1 through midway season 2. Sydney’s role as a double agent was without a doubt the most interesting and exciting plot throughout the series. And that ending. “Phase One” must be one of the greatest hours of action television out there. Ok, yes I haven’t seen enough action TV to be a great judge on that. But it goes right up there with the episode of 24 where nerve gas was released into CTU. Not sure which episode “Phase One” is? If you watched the Superbowl in 2002 and stayed tuned afterwards, you would’ve seen Jennifer Garner in some pretty racy lingerie. Remembering now? If you continued to watch you would’ve seen an episode of TV that covered more ground in the first 20 minutes than the show did throughout almost all of season 4. By the end of the episode I thought I had watched a feature length film complete with action, romance, drama, and even a little bit of comedy. I watched that episode twice.<br /><br />By season 5, I’m going to be honest I still don’t really know what Prophet 5 was all about. What I do know is that it was bad, had to do with Rambaldi, and was brought down in the end. Just for fun, let’s name all the bad groups I can remember from the series. Obviously SD-6. Then there’s the Alliance, the Covenant, the Trust, Prophet 5... I’m drawing a blank. Anyway, Rambaldi is the unlikely key that brings all these evil groups together. The elusive fifteenth century genius brings his own set of names: page 47, the Prophecy, the Passenger, the Circumference. The list goes on and on. In spite of the confusion caused by the numerous groups and the somewhat let down build up of the Rambaldi artifacts, I was constantly intrigued by this world that J.J. Abrams created.<br /><br />Alias gave me a new kind of show unlike anything else I’m watching, unless you count 24 or Chuck. But 24 relies more on explosions and politics to keep the action and drama heated and Chuck is truly a comedy at heart. Alias is exactly what it sounds like, a spy thriller with an unmatched cast.<br /><br />Ron Rifkin will henceforth be known as once of the biggest baddies in TV as Arvin Sloane. What bugged me throughout season’s 3, 4, and 5 is that they really tried to make you believe that he had changed. And just when they had you believing that maybe he really was good, he went and killed someone he cared about. In the back of my mind, I always knew he was evil. But there were points in the show where it seemed as if even the writers didn’t know if he was good or bad (particularly seasons 3 and 4). By the end Sloane got what he deserved, eternity under rubble. It’s almost poetic.<br /><br />Michael Vartan provided the man candy, and not to mention tears during both of his apparent deaths as Michael Vaughn. As Sydney’s CIA handler, I could tell from episode 1 there would be sparks flying in a world where they couldn’t be together for the sake of the country. He was always the good guy. The one that Sydney could depend on no matter how tough her SD-6 situation was. Basically, he had us at hello.<br /><br />Kevin Weisman played the man who was consistently one of my favorites throughout all five seasons, Mr. Marshall Flinkman, the neurotic, socially awkward, technology genius. Essentially, he was Sydney’s very own Q. Why a favorite? First off, he always had the cool gadgets. Lip stick with cameras or security sensors, credit cards with micro-chips, compact cases that really decrypt vault passwords, you think of it, he probably made it.<br /><br />Victor Garber provided one of the most roller coaster father daughter relationships I’ve seen on television. (That doesn’t include Nadia and Sloane.) Garber’s deadpan delivery as Jack Bristow made his apparently evil dad character one of the show’s most intriguing subjects, particularly when mommy dearest, also known as traitor Irina Derevko (Lena Olin), showed up.<br /><br />Carl Lumbly as Marcus Dixon who was just always great. Funny, serious, tough, he played the perfect partner for Sydney. Greg Grunberg, as Agent Eric Weiss, (a J.J. Abrams favorite), always gave a good laugh. And we round up the crew with Julian Sark (David Anders)—the manipulative evil asshole, Francie Calfo (Merrin Dungey)—the best friend gone bad, Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper, in the Hangover, go see it now)—the lovesick journalist who got in way over his head, Nadia Santos (Mia Maestro)—the long lost sister, Lauren Reed (Melissa George)—most hated character on the show (Vaughn’s traitor wife), Director Kendall (Terry O’Quinn)—could only see him as Locke the whole time he was on screen, Agent Thomas Grace (Balthazar Getty)—the brooding quiet one, and Rachel Gibson (Rachel Nichols)-the newbie with a lot of unfulfilled potential.<br /><br />And finally, the actress who provides the reason to watch the show in the first place, Jennifer Garner. She really shows her true colors throughout the 5 seasons of this show. I’ve really only seen her in chick flicks, which don’t get me wrong she’s very good in (particularly 13 Going on 30). I had absolutely no idea that she could stunt like that, and yes, she does do almost all her own stunts. Sydney is a character who lost the love of her life to her perilous work and despite a broken heart chooses to fight back in the most dangerous way possible, as a double agent. Strong willed, genius smart, and drop dead gorgeous, Garner plays Bristow with grace and confidence. She stands up for what she believes in and doesn’t let anyone get in her way. That is what makes her the woman that gets girls like me to think “wow, wouldn’t it be sick if I could be like that.”</span>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-52811566859082020072009-06-04T14:19:00.000-07:002009-06-04T14:26:43.303-07:00Friends: 10 Seasons in 1 Year.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content8.flixster.com/question/37/82/70/3782702_std.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 248px;" src="http://content8.flixster.com/question/37/82/70/3782702_std.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So, I realize I've been completely neglecting my blog here for quite awhile. But, now summer is here and my boredom has taken flight so it's time to get back on track. I have a few summer projects underway including "Mad Men" season 1, "True Blood" season 1, "Sports Night" to follow along with Sepinwall who is reviewing them every Wednesday, and whatever else the TV Gods throw my way. I have also signed up for a TV writing class this summer to pursue my dream of writing for the idiot box. Updates on that to come.<br /><br />But to get back into the swing of things, I thought I'd share with you my thoughts after finishing a series that all of you have heard of and may be shocked to hear that I did not watch until this year. Follow the link for some coffee and F.R.I.E.N.D.S.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost">A television show’s life span is a precious thing. There’s the coveted 100th episode mark that every show desires to reach. The 100th is usually somewhere in the 5th season of a show. So, 5 seasons equals successful show. Seven seasons is the mark of the long lasting hit show, i.e. Gilmore Girls. Anything beyond that can lead into questionable territory, *cough* Smallville *cough* (Should have ended long ago, yet I still inconceivably tune in every week, huh.) However, once in a while a show comes along that manages to make it past seven seasons with high praise, and an effect on society unlike any other. No I’m not talking about The Simpsons. I’m talking about Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and Joey. The six friends that defined a decade.<br /><br />Now, let me be clear. I was not a “Friends” fanatic. I did not follow the show starting in 1994 and drag my heart along until 2004 rooting for Ross and Rachel. No, I kind of missed that. But, as an obsessive idiot box addict, when I arrived at college this past fall with a roommate who brought all 10 seasons with her, it was clear that Friends was about to come marching into my life.<br /><br />I read in a book once, that movies are like one night stands, while television shows are like long-term relationships. “Friends” was one heck of a relationship.<br />238 episodes later I sat by myself, tears streaming down my face, watching the purple door and gold picture frame fade out on my computer screen as the final episode came to a close. Just to emphasize, that was 10 seasons, or 119 hours of Monica’s OCD and Chandler’s not-so-funny-but-still-hilarious jokes, completed in a mere seven months, also known as freshman year. (I somehow still managed to maintain a life while keeping up with all my TV, don’t ask how.)<br /><br />What is it that makes us fall in love with these characters? It’s what every show strives for. A premise that’s relatable, that’s funny, and that speaks to everyone whether or not you’ve had the same experiences. Ross and Monica exemplify a brother-sister relationship that I have not seen paralleled on TV. Monica probably had the most quirks of the entire group from fighting for her parent’s attention to her OCD about organization, and her loud (somewhat obnoxious) “oh my god!”. Ross’s unwavering romantic personality was complimented by his bi-polar-ness when it came to his best friend and his sister getting together. His best friend and his sister?? His best friend and his sister! There’s Phoebe whose quirkiness is only matched by how much love she has for each and every one of her friends. Joey’s determination as an actor and naivety as a friend only adds to the group dynamic. Chandler, the college roommate and my personal favorite character, with his never-ending sarcastic remarks, knew how to make an uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable. And finally, there’s Rachel Greene; the girl who learned how to make it without the help of her parents, while still maintaining fabulous hair the whole time.<br /><br />Now I’m not saying there weren’t some rough patches. Ross did get on my nerves. But he always redeemed it with the whole “we were on a break” longstanding joke. Chandler’s job never made any sense. But if it had made sense he and Joey would have never gotten the apartment. And then the finale couldn’t have included that poignant line Monica made about how they had all lived in that apartment at one point or another.<br /><br />Like any group of friends, not every story is going to be a great one. Every night out isn’t going to be epic just like every episode wasn’t perfect. But, every moment with your true friends are moments that you won’t forget. Which is exactly what “Friends” was about. How the insignificant can be significant. How, once you’re an adult, the people you spend every day with, they are the ones who become family and are there for you through thick and thin.</span>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-48765027835964840322009-04-23T12:44:00.000-07:002009-04-23T12:49:53.510-07:00CT, In Plain Sight: In "Sight" of Greatness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20080529/425.plain.sight.052908.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 315px;" src="http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20080529/425.plain.sight.052908.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>In the final issue of the Campus Times for this year I wrote about the return of USA's show "In Plain Sight." I also had the privilege of getting to interview of the writers/supervising producers of the show, Lynne Litt. Follow the links to read more.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.campustimes.org/arts-entertainment/in-sight-of-greatness-1.1729844">Click here</a> to read the online version.<br />Or <a href="http://www.campustimes.org/polopoly_fs/1.1730326!/4-23-09.pdf">click here</a> to read the PDF version. Scroll to page 16.RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3190820363446087364.post-16885219687862827042009-04-20T10:21:00.000-07:002009-04-20T17:25:55.970-07:00Firefly, Joss Whedon You're Kind of a Genius<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blogs.timesunion.com/television/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/firefly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="http://blogs.timesunion.com/television/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/firefly.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Beware of spoilers for “Firefly” and “Serenity.”<br /><br />I’ve made my love for all things Whedonesque clear by now. I fell in love with Angel from the moment he stepped out of the dark in his mysterious leather jacket. I think that Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog is a stroke of pure genius. And I have stuck with Dollhouse from the beginning because of my pure faith in Joss to write a damn good hour of television. So obviously when I heard I had missed the critically acclaimed series “Firefly” I knew I had to fix that. “What’s it about?” I asked naively. “It’s a science-fiction-western,” my Dad told me in a matter a fact kind of way.<br /><br />Excuse me, a what? Continued after the jump.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost">Yes, I admit it. I was thrown. A science-fiction-western sounded far from my interest. How on earth could space ships mix with horses and tumbleweed? Well, I sincerely apologize for questioning you Joss. Once again, you hit the bulls eye.<br /><br />After only fifteen episodes I found myself caring for each and every crew member of Serenity just as much as I cared about the scoobies in Sunnyville after seven seasons.<br /><br />I found myself enamored by Captain Malcom Reynolds’ (Nathan Fillion) sarcastic yet heroic demeanor as leader of the ship he put his whole heart and soul into. This was beautifully shown in “Out of Gas,” where an explosion leaves Serenity crippled and Mal reflects on finding his crew and the piece of metal he calls home. Sure, he’s a thief and a criminal who steals, trespasses, and houses fugitives. But hell, he is a thief and criminal with heart and one that you can’t help rooting for in the end.<br /><br />Zoe (Gina Torres) is Whedon’s trademark badass girl. She can put up a fight, she knows how to handle her a gun, and she does it with style. Sometimes it may seem like Zoe follows Mal blindly, but in “War Stories” we really learn that this is just her pure respect and trust in the man who helped her survive through the war. Zoe is a role model for women; she is beautiful, knows how to stand up for herself, and doesn’t take shit from anyone. Not even her husband.<br /><br />(SERIOUSLY-SERENITY SPOILERS AHEAD)<br /><br /><br />Now, I have to say that when Wash (Alan Tudyk) was killed in “Serenity,” after his brilliant effort to land Serenity safely, tears poured down my cheeks. Tudyk’s portrayal of this light-hearted and passionate pilot and husband served as great comic relief throughout the show. The marriage that Tudyk and Torres portrayed was a real, healthy relationship that is too often ruined in television interpretations. Their chemistry was a perfect balance of couples banter, ardent love, and respected co-workers.<br /><br />If you know me at all, or read this blog at all, then you are aware of my obsession with “Chuck.” That obsession extend to all of it’s characters and the actors that portray those characters. So you can imagine my excitement when I realized Adam Baldwin (Casey on “Chuck”) was featured in a Whedon show. As one of my favorite characters on “Firefly,” Baldwin plays Jayne, the muscle of the ship. He is a true pirate; in the job for the treasure and reward. Jayne is the one who looks for a fight. The one who blatantly states what other won’t. He is simultaneously the core of the comedy and the action throughout the adventures of this crew. Despite his selfish motivations, he still has a good heart, which is apparent in “Serenity.”<br /><br />Then there’s Kaylee (Jewel Staite). Like the engine of a ship is its heart that keeps it running, Kaylee is the heart of the crew. She is the one who cares about what happens to each person and won’t her crewmates forget it. Her innocent, childlike personality is balanced by her complete brilliance when it comes to all things mechanical.<br /><br />I am still mad that after 15 episodes, and one beautiful feature film, Inara (Morena Baccarin) and Mal did not get together. Their bickering relationship was one of the details of this show that made it so overwhelmingly loveable. You wanted to see them fight. You wanted to see Mal’s reaction to her next client. And subsequently you wanted to see her reaction to his reaction. Inara in herself is a beautiful, strong woman who cares for the crew of the ship that takes her to her business probably too much.<br /><br />If Mal is the soul of the ship, Kaylee the heart, and Jayne the muscle, then Sheppard (Ron Glass) is the head. He keeps things in perspective. He reminds everyone what their purpose is and how to act like rational beings in irrational situations. He is also a character that has a past, but a past that audience is not privileged enough to know about. Sure, if there had been a few more seasons, maybe we would have gotten to learn more about this so called “Reverend’s” past. But we were not given that luxury. We will never know why the Alliance so willingly cleared him and listened to him. He clearly had a story to tell and I for one am truly disappointed that we will never get to hear it.<br /><br />Then we come to the Doctor (Sean Maher) and his sister, River. They hold the true mystery of this show. Their story is interesting and compelling that I really don’t understand how anyone could not be invested in it. Summer Glau exemplifies acting at its best as she portrays a tortured, innocent young girl who has been through too much for someone of her age. Her brother, Simon, is the epitome of the protective older sibling. Every action he takes is in an effort to help his sister. Their brother-sister relationship is one of the best I’ve seen done on television.<br /><br />Firefly is clearly an example of a show that is far too smart for it’s own good. In this day and age, it depressingly seems that any show with imagination and creativity might as well be thrown out the window from the start. It catches brief flight, and for a moment you think you’re about to witness something amazing, like Superman flying. And then the network works it’s inevitable gravity causing the beautiful work to fall, crashing to the ground.<br /><br />Whedon tried to do something original. He attempted to create a show that blended cultures and genres. A show with characters that can speak fluent Chinese as if it were an integral part of their lives. A world in which “companionship” (prostitution) is a respected profession. Not to mention the brilliant way that this short lived series was filmed. The camera work was done in a way that made the audience feel as if we were flying alongside the crew. The abrupt movements, zooming of the lenses, and fluidity of tracking shots was a completely different style than anything I’ve ever seen on television. Firefly combined two of the most innovative genres into one beautiful short lived series. Joss Whedon, you truly know how to create a masterpiece, bravo.</span>RSRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05953792488992249222noreply@blogger.com0