Is it just that my life has so little entertainment value in it that it takes little else to amuse me than opening up my Fall TV Preview of Entertainment Weekly to hear the HAWAII FIVE O theme song? Yeah, these things make me happy. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, CBS took the center spot of the mag with a multil page spread promoting their shows; FIVE O is in the middle. When the page is flipped open, the theme song blares. Not to be played when in a crowded elevator (although you might find it funny). When I've really needed entertaining, I create a hip hop version of the theme song by opening and shutting the ad at various intervals. I'm glad that space age technology (the chip embedded in the ad) is being used for such a good cause. Kennedy would be proud. And by the way, you'll never be able to have that much fun when paper mags go away. (I'm keeping it on my shelf for later sessions of fun).
Now I know how my California friends felt when I wrote how shocking/fabulous/amazing Sunday's MAD MEN was halfway through (you know what I am talking about if you watched the ep) and had to sit there and wait. This evening I heard a few things about tonight's GLEE on Facebook and I was like la la la don't tell me.
Anyway, because I'm usually working on Wednesday nights, I have to admit I havent seen last years ABC comedies. Yes I know there's such a thing as the DVR (although mine is now a metal box that does nothing- even hold an electric current apparently), but that would require valuable space that I was using for MAD MEN and LOST (and <blush> ONE LIFE TO LIVE).
I can't say I've seen a minute of COUGAR TOWN but it just doesn't appeal to me - even though it stars my favorite FRIEND, Courtney Cox and even though they featured Lisa Kudrow (my other favorite FRIEND) and, in the season premiere (September 22nd) Jennifer Aniston (another of my favorite FRIENDS. Do you see a trend here?). Maybe it's got such a weird premise (that the producers say the show has already outgrown) or maybe it's just that it just doesn't look good. I promise to give it a try though. If only for my FRIENDS.
I've also never seen MODERN FAMILY. I'm glad it won a lot of Emmys. It will be That Show (and there always is one) that wins all the awards but I just can't get the appeal of. At least from the promos - and shouldn't the promos get me to watch, rather than repel me? I've yet to see anything that makes me want to spend one minute with these people, much less thirty. I do appreciate that the show has managed to include gay characters but (at least from the promos - specifically where one guy from the couple was 'butt bouncing' -or something like that- against Ed O'Neill who looked embarassed to be doing the joke and this is a man who starred on MARRIED WITH CHILDREN) it seems as though they're just Jack McFarlane characters-- and I had seven years too much of that thankyouverymuch.(Sept 22)
Was there really a need for LAW AND ORDER: LOS ANGELES especially when the mother ship was one season shy of breaking the record for longest running hour long drama? Why not just move Jack McCoy to LA and spend the season introducing the new cast? Makes. No. Sense. On the other hand, I like Skeet Ulrich who was wonderfully cast as a raggedy misfit in the ratings disaster JERICHO a few seasons ago.He always looked like he could use a good meal, a muffin, a peanut, anything. Everyone else looked healthy even though their food supply was fucked... but Skeet looked (more appropriately) totally wasted. Jason Ritter is taking up the mantle of the 20something underfed misfit this season over on THE EVENT. Presumably Ulrich will be eating better playing a lawyer with Terrance Stamp and Alfred Molina. I cant quite help but think that this is going to last about a half a season like that forgettable L&O show that starred Bebe Nuewith. But at least LAW AND ORDER: SVU is still on and Christopher Meloni and Mariska Haritay (unintentionally hilarious on a recent KATHY LIFE ON THE D LIST).
I'll admit that I've never seen even ten minutes of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS but we've decided when the full series is out, we'll stormtrooper through like we've done with LOST, BSG, WEEDS, SEX AND THE CITY, and a couple of others. (The final season premieres on DirecTV on October 27th).
The new show on the block is UNDERCOVERS, a riff on the old HART TO HART from JJ Abrams about a married globe trotting couple of spies. I would have preferred the old HART TO HART mantle be taken up by Benjamin Linus and John Locke, but you can't have everything. It's sad that it's 2010 and the biggest promotional idea behind this show is that it's headlined by two African American characters. At least they won't be 'butt bouncing' each other so I should be grateful for that. (Sept 22).
Then there's the rest: THE WHOLE TRUTH with Rob Morrow and Maura Tierney duking it out in their legal briefs - why isn't there a romantic legal show called LEGAL BRIEFS? (Sept 22); HELLCATS, a show that's about cheerleading and sounds to me suspiciously to me like something I really want to avoid (Sept 8); THE MIDDLE, another of the ABC Wednesday comedies starring Patricia Heaton which seems to me about as interesting as the name would suggest it is (Sept 22), LIE TO ME (Nov. 10); AMERICAS TOP MODEL (Sept 8), BETTER WITH YOU, a comedy from the producer of GREY'S ANATOMY which should be enough for you to stay away (Sept 22, CRIMINAL MINDS (Sept 22), HELL'S KITCHEN a reality show for anger junkies (Sept 22); SURVIVOR, yes it's still on (Sept 15); and finally THE DEFENDERS - I'm one of those people who can't tell the difference between Brendan Frasier, Jerry O'Connell and Jason Bateman....they're like the triangle of Mary Louise Parker/Jennifer Jason Leigh/Mary Stuart Masterson from the 90s whom I never could (and still can't) tell apart (although watching WEEDS has helped me figure out Mary Louise)... anyway, Jerry O"Connell co-stars with Jim Belushi in this remake set in Vegas.. I'm not sure what else you need to know to keep you from spending your valuable time on it (although it'll probably be a big hit) (Sept. 22, CBS).
More tomorrow on Thursday's newest shows on the tube!