Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Sundays

Hands down the laziest night for my fingers and remote, whose only work will be tuning the TV to ABC and letting the shows do the rest.  A modern soap with a tough as nails heroine (Revenge) booked ended by fairytales (Once Upon A Time) and the devil's lair (666 Park Avenue)?  Kudos ABC, kudos.

OUAT and Revenge were two of my favorite shows last season, so I'm expecting Sundays to be epic based on that pairing alone.  The only wild card is 666, but being the uber-Lost fan that I am, how could I NOT follow John Locke wherever he goes (unless it's to push the button ...).  Huge fan of Vanessa Williams as well ... so basically the only wrench on this party is my complete lack of tolerance for any type of horror ...

Side note: the MTA in NYC made a shrewd move allowing full subway car marketing (both inside and outside of subway plastered with the theme of what's being advertised), at least for the Shuttle.  As a result, we get these:

 Classy!  Hope we get to keep these pretty seats ...

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Fridays

Fridays used to be the graveyard of television where low-viewership shows went to die.  Yet, it seems that, with the rise of DVR usage, the fact a show airs on Friday would make little to no difference to audiences nowadays.  So, does the Friday still stand?  Comparing this year's schedule to last's, it doesn't appear Friday shows suffered any more (and arguably less!) at the hands of the cancellation bear than shows on other nights, as most of the night's offerings are returning Friday shows.  In fact, shows like Grimm was considered a success (despite getting only so-so ratings) and Fringe and Nikita survived to see another season (despite terrible ratings) most likely BECAUSE of the lower expectations and ratings standards for airing on a Friday.  Ditto for Supernatural which was moved to anchor a different night (ostensibly a slot promotion) due to its steady ratings that matched other CW shows' on non-Friday nights.  Basically, where there is danger, there is also opportunity, and I certainly hope my favorites on this night will take advantage of the latter!

Starting off the night are some Friday newcomers, including my sentimental favorite Community (brilliantly quirky with the most well-matched hodge podge of characters).  Glad NBC is giving this show a chance, and although it might end up moving to replace another comedy on a different night for the network, I hope it gets the chance to prove it can be sustainable on Fridays first (and fingers crossed that it is).  The network should give it some extra credit for the early success of Go On, which basically copies the Community format ...  Despite its amazingly touching pilot, Touch lost me a few episodes in ... may try to pick this one up.

The only brand new entry is Made In Jersey on CBS, whose procedurals I generally avoid as a rule.  No suprise that it looks so bland (not bad, just blah) and cliche-laden.  The only thing of interest is the oddity of a British lead actress attempting a New Jersey accent.  It seems it'd be a good fit with CSI: NY and Blue Bloods though (3 hours of the Big Apple!).

My live viewing dilemma will be at 9pm between Grimm (which became exponentially more enjoyable toward the end of last season and early this season) and Nikita (the best show currently on the CW in my opinion, which ironically doesn't really belong on that teeny bopper network).  Nikita has the edge right now, though most likely I won't be home and will DVR both anyway : )

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Thursdays

While Thursdays on TV haven't been must-see TV since the heyday of Friends (also shout-out to Frasier) and the subsequent downfall of NBC, it does offer up some solid viewing options this season.  I don't really follow The Big Bang Theory, Two And A Half Men, Vampire Diaries or Grey's Anatomy (anymore, not since sometime in the third season anyway), but there's no denying those are some ratings powerhouse for their respective networks.  Glee has been a disappointment since halfway through its sophmore year, and I think this is the season I throw in the towel.  The X Factor suffered an embarrasing defeat at the hands of The Voice last week (Christina 1, Britney 0 -- love them both though), and Simon Cowell is probably off somewhere shellshocked with a foul taste in his mouth (ha!), perhaps counting all his $$ to recuperate.  Still, these shows continue to generate buzz for FOX and are not too shabby in the ratings (yet).  Never got into any of the NBC comedies other than Parks & Rec, which I'm still catching up on so won't be watching live, but they have generally (with the exception of Up All Night) delivered when it counted for the Peacock.

So basically the only returning show of interest to me on this night is Person of Interest, which was one of my favorite new shows of last season (along with Once Upon a Time and

Revenge ... coincidence that those were the 3 top new shows ratings-wise? ... prabably - my record's never that good!).  Glad I gave this a shot (thank you Ben Linus!) despite the procedurals vibe it gave off, and the show rewarded in a big way when half-way through the season it switched gears to become more serialized.  The second season will open with the hunt to retrieve Finch (Michael Emerson), who has been kicknapped by a psycho hacker/killer played by Amy Ackers (love her).  The premiere should reveal how  HAL the Machine figures into Finch's rescue and will guest star another Lost alum ghost-whisperer Miles (Ken Leung ) (yay!).

Two new shows, Last Resort and Elementary, look to be perfect bookends for POI.  The former is about a state of the art US submarine and its crew that take over a remote island (no it doesn't have a polar bear and is actually on the map) for refuge after refusing suspicious orders to nuke Pakistan and getting missiled by the US government (or a wicked subgroup within) as a result (Phew!).  The pilot, which has been available online, already sets up several factions of interests and hints at some grand conspiracy (what else?).  All in all, it was decent if not overly ambitious - as for the rest of the show - could be amazing if executed well (and a hot mess a la The Event if not).  As for Elementary ... well I like Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu and will probably be too lazy to change the channel after POI so ... hoping it'll be good.

Daily Musing: Go On Continues to Chug Along

Admittedly, I loved Friends and do want to see Matthew Perry finally succeed with a TV show.  However, I had been on the fence for his new show Go On until tonight's episode (ep. 3) [I'd checked out but ended up giving up on all his prior post-Friends endeavors].  Maybe the increased presence of John Cho helped sell it, but I now think I'm ready to commit!  The show revolves around Perry as a sportscaster who loses his wife and joins a support group (complete with the customary variety pack of eclectic and eccentric characters) to cope.  Sure it's somewhat of a twist on Community and still not nearly as brilliant, but to its credit, it has been getting better with each passing episode.  Now just must rethink how to allocate DVR usage for the 3-way race between this show, Happy Endings and New Girl.

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Wednesdays

Quite a few new shows on the Wednesday schedule.  Over on ABC, Modern Family and Suburgatory (in a new slot) are staples for me, and I'll be checking out Nashville with the hope that it will erase the memory of totally-fell-flat Country Strong and maybe actually prove to be what I had hoped for that movie (plus a catty Hayden Panettiere should be interesting).  Predicting these will rate solidly with the audience.  On the flip-side for the alphabet network, The Neighbors, about a family that moves into a subdivision filled with quirky aliens, has been getting the worst pre-season reviews of any new show.  "It's not Third Rock from the Sun!" the critics rant ... when a new show is this universally hated, I basically am going to have to watch just to see for myself ... with any luck it'll be so bad it's funny, or at least lend itself to be adapted into a drinking game ...

A couple of other not-so-well-received sitcoms are moving in (temporarily until the ratings settle anyway) on NBC - Animal Practice (vet running an animal clinic) and the title-wise even more self-explanatory Guys with Kids.  I thought the concepts for both were ridiculous and cliche.  However, having watched each pilot, I was actually pleasantly surprised.  No no, neither is a cutting-edge show that will take comedy to a higher level a la Arrested Development or other such pioneering (or just excruciatingly funny) shows, but neither was really offensively bad either.

Disclosure: I LOVE monkeys and babies, so the above paragraph may be a bit biased ... but seriously, the monkey in Animal Practice is my favorite new character this season, no contest.  It looks like the Hangover II monkey and reminds me of Ross' Marcel on Friends - most brilliant thing ever.  **Edit** It IS the Hangover II monkey - awww!  Her name is Crystal : )

Finally, the CW (not big on procedurals or reality TV, so this is all that's left).  The trailer for Arrow was sort of a mixed bag - the acting seemed inconsistent, and the Smallville Green Arrow story is still pretty fresh on this fan's mind, but it is dark and seems to follow a plot.  Will try to give it a chance.  Haven't watched the recent seasons of Supernatural, but it certainly has been a workhorse for the network.  Wishing it the best of luck on its new night (no competition with other genre shows - should draw in and retain the fanboys - not much more can be asked for).

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Tuesdays

While the buzz the past couple of days has been all about The Voice vs The X Factor (advantage: The Voice ... bit surprising imo but guess Britney isn't the draw she used to be ...), I'm more looking forward to the verdict on the battle of new age comedies on Tuesdays!

The 9pm comedy block sets up a 3-way battle between The New Girl (Fox), Happy Endings (ABC) and Go On (NBC) and another between The Mindy Project, Don't Trust the B in Apt 23 and The New Normal.  Lots of DVR and OnDemand logistics to figure out with this one since I watch or plan to watch all 6.

Within the first set, I'll have to go with Happy Endings for live viewing, which had really come a long way from it's first season.  The characters all have great chemistry with one another, and Jane and Brad are possibly my favorite comedic couple on TV these days.  New Girl is a bit overrated but still entertaining - love Schmidt!  Wasn't that impressed with the pilot for Go On, but the 2nd episode was much better - Matthew Perry and John Cho deserve a hit show at this point.  Ideally, I'd DVR Go On for later night viewing and catch New Girl on OnDemand, but Fox isn't so good at making new episodes available right away ... Dilemma. **Edit** Looks like ABC isn't premiering its comedies until October 23, when the Fox comedies will likely go on hiatus for baseball - goodie!

For 9:30, think I'll stick with ABC and catch my dose of James Van Der Beek playing JVDB on Apt 23 (hilarious!), though Mindy Project is shaping up to be the dark horse and just may change my plan (wasn't even going to watch the show but got a sneak preview of the pilot - deliciously un-PC - loved it!).  Speaking of political correctness, New Normal has certainly raised its share of controversy ... though so far it's highly stereotypical, and not in the call-it-as-it-is un-PC way - will catch it on OnDemand but not expecting much.  In fact, it seems that each of these three comedies thrive on its un-PC-ness and unorthodox characters, thereby likely appealing to the same audiences ... bloodbath!  Hoping for the best, but I've got a feeling nobody's going to be leaving this slot a winner.
Earlier in the night, Raising Hope (an occasional watch for me) starts off the night of comedies for Fox, followed by Ben and Kate (the pilot was surprisingly touching, so may be worth giving a chance).  I'd given up on Parenthood a while ago (though I suspect it is still quality), so the only other prospect for me on this night is Hart of Dixie (CW).  Not too happy with the way the first season ended (the heroine was really going down the pathetic path), so let's if it can be redeemed.  If not, more time to catch up on all those comedies on DVR!

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Mondays

Not a difficult night to juggle for me.  Haven't been keeping up with Dancing with the Stars (ABC), but the all-stars edition should be interesting - might take a peek.  Otherwise, my schedule will swing between the CBS comedies - How I Met Your Mother (let's see how this Barney/Robin thing is going to re-kickoff) and 2 Broke Girls (dvr maybe?) and NBC's Revolution (more on that below).  Although it's not been favorably-received, Partners just *may* draw me in with Michael Urie (love loved him on Ugly Betty) (the rest of the cast is not to shabby either, including a Superman).

As much as I fear the Revolution will just turn out to be another cancelled one- (maybe two with a strong save-the-show campaign) season show and so many of its genre before it, the fangirl in me just HAS to give it a chance.  It's got an intriguing premise - envisioning the future of a world without power/electricity and sets up the mysteries (why did the blackout happen? what did the dad know about it? were there others who knew? how did the characters change from their pre-blackout selves?).  Having attended a sneak peek of the show (only to realize later it was already on ondemand - but at least got to see all the cyclists (see below) and the actor who plays the dad), I can say the pilot at least was pretty solid and kept me interested - kudos to a couple of big twists at the end that I didn't guess until very close to the reveal.  Sure there were some plot holes and moments that require some suspension of disbelief, but nothing so glaring if you just watch and enjoy the ride.  The next episodes should be more telling though.  Afterall, the Event had a decent enough pilot too, but that turned into a series laden with unbelievable events and completely illogical actions by unbelievably stupid characters ...

One thing's for sure though - Revolution is nothing like Hunger Games - please can the comparisons stop!

Daily Musing: Once Upon A Time - Some Thoughts on "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" and "Skin Deep"

Love love love Once Upon A Time - it's my charming not-so-guilty pleasure.  Tonight was another great twist-filled episode.  I flip-flopped the entire time at whether Sidney was playing Emma - thought for sure he was when Regina seemed genuine about not cutting Emma's brakes (guess Emma's "superpower" hit a snag there) - but then second-guessed myself again when he offered to be Emma's ally ... ugh silly genie ... Also, as much as I hate Regina (albeit of the love-to variety), that was a wicked long-con she pulled on eye-liner!Sidney deserving of some applause.  As for the MaryMargaret/David affair ... well, it still doesn't seem right to me (even though I am fully on the Snow/Charming bandwagon).  On the plus side, the show seems to agree and doesn't seem to be rationalizing their actions either, choosing to have MM rationalize instead but in a very obviously weak and terrible fashion (she didn't even seem to buy the words coming out of her mouth).  This gives me hope this infraction was planned with a meaningful resolution in mind.

Now for the rant ... the promo to next week's episode, "Skin Deep."  The good: Emelie de Ravin looks amazing as Belle (and this is coming from someone who had some doubts).  I've been a fan of hers since Roswell (probably one of the few who really enjoyed Tess, before the imo jump-the-shark character assassination number they did on her), so I'm really looking forward to her take on my all-time favorite Disney princess ... buuuutttt ... which brings me to the OH NO(!) ... how can I fully enjoy Beauty if the Beast is [GAH!] Rumple?!?  I really thought (hoped) all those rumors were a big smoke screen for something more original (by OUAT standards, since Rumple is involved in every fairy tale), but it's now looking like Belle will get dunged : (

I'm sorry, I like Rumple/Mr. Gold I really truly do - I even liked that he was behind every story (we're already seeing how his trade in one story connects to another, such as King George giving him the intel on the fairy godmother which allows Rumple to appear to Cinderella, which has lots of potential), that is, up until now ... because BELLE DESERVES BETTER!  Yes I do play favorites (let some other [generally prissy annoying] princess go with "prince" Rumple if he must have some romance - why does he get to have the best girl!?).  Unfair!

I promise to take everything I said above back if the promo turns out to be misleading and the Beast is someone else (pleeeaase let it be!).  Just in case my good memories of the best Disney-without-Pixar movie might be tainted, I think I'll go check out classic Beauty and the Beast in theaters tomorrow : )

Side note: my money is on "the Stranger" being a Grimm brother.  I am also sold on Henry's father being Nick (oops wrong show) the Stranger's brother aka the other Grimm.

Daily Musing: Does Network Goodwill Exist?

For this viewer - Yes!

I realized today that I have a major weak spot for ABC.  The goodwill I hold towards the network may have started with TGIF and the Wonderful World of Disney, been perpetuated by my love for Alias, and then snowballed as it changed the television landscape as we know it with Lost (as much as television landscapes can be changed in any case), and brought the juicy soapy entertainment that is Desperate Housewives, the charming Ugly Betty, and Dancing with the Stars, one of the few reality shows that doesn't make me want to pack my bag and move to another country.  I even give the alphabet the title of being the network whose soap operas I most watched (RIP All My Children and One Life to Live and good luck escaping that cancellation bear General Hospital).  

Ah, so many positive associations, so much so that it has even managed to weather my hissy-fits relatively unscathed when it comes to its many infractions - cancelling some of my favorites such as Pushing Daisies and Better Off Ted, letting Grey's Anatomy deteriorate into whatever it is today, giving up on (and if conspiracy theories are to be believed, purposely sabotaging) soap operas ... I could go on.  

Bottomline:  ABC somehow always wins me back.  No easy feat, as I am STILL bitter against FOX for cancelling Dark Angel (and in retrospect Fireflies, which I ironically did not watch when it first aired because I was boycotting for Dark Angel's cancellation) and perpetually annoyed at and judgmental of CBS for playing it safe and focusing on old-people shows procedurals and the fate of Jericho (I do love How I Met Your Mother and am liking 2 Broke Girls, but then Two and a Half Men sort of kills all that positivity ...).  I'm pretty blaise about NBC - the Friends and Frasier goodwill is running low these days, and while it hasn't really cancelled anything to make me cry bloody murder, it hasn't really offered anything worthy of such a reaction either - mostly the network seems to just let its more promising shows crumble to the point that cancellation would be seen more as a gift than a curse (see the epic fail of Heroes after its epic-ly brilliant first (and arguably even second) season; now that I think about it, same goes for the Apprentice, though that's likely more inevitable) - at least it's got the Olympics.  As for the CW ... I'm not sure I can even muster any feeling for this network, especially as I slowly age out as its target audience - basically, I'm done once they cancel Nikita (okay shh so I may still catch Hart of Dixie as a guilty pleasure if it sticks around, but that is IT!  I'm so behind on Supernatural anyway so will just stick to the DVDs).

Back to ABC - it's hitting it out of the park with me this season, with a monopoly over my Wednesdays and Sundays - Revenge and Once Upon a Time are two of my favorite new shows this season (the other being Person of Interest, but boring CBS will probably cancel that just to spite me).  Today, for example, marked the return of the network's Weds comedy block + Revenge, and I was not disappointed.  Suburgatory is really growing on me; Modern Family is at its quirky hilarious best; Happy Endings switched up the usual comedic pairings of the group of friends and teased a new potential couple (and it worked for me!); and to cap off the night, Revenge was even more intense than I had expected (and for a completely different reason!).

So, hats of to you ABC - keep up the good work and try not to prove me wrong.

P.S. looking forward to GCB (loove Kristin Chenoweth) and Don't Trust to B---- in Apartment 23 (if only to see Dawson again).

Daily Musing: Dare I Hope? Josh Duhamel Returns to AMC!

Since seeing the news, and Google front-page no less, a few weeks ago that Josh Duhamel will reprise the role of the utterly charming Leo DuPres on All My Children briefly before it signs off ABC after 40+ years, I have been secretly (sadly, soap-watching is even less popular among my friends now than it was 10 years ago) nursing my rising hope that I might *just might* see a happy ending after all for my all time favorite soap couple, Greenlee and Leo (who else!?).

I'm sure this is not some kind of publicity stunt a la James Franco and his stint on General Hospital.  Transformers 3 did just fine in the dough-making department -- not as great as, or most likely because of, the craptastic TF2, which itself had benefited from the surprisingly decent TF1, but my bitterness in that department is a story for a different post.  Point is, JD probably just wanted to give something back to the show that helped him start his career - he did win a daytime emmy before moving on to babysit fight along-side Shia Labeouf ... major props.

However, while I'm ecstatic to see one of my favorites return to Pine Valley for one last go-around, there is a chance this cameo turns into every Greenleo fan's total nightmare ...

Last we saw of Leo, he was at least still alive, albeit on the verge of drowning and clinging to a skimpy branch in the midst of heavy currents (but hey at least in true soap fashion he had survived that fall from a waterfall that alone should've killed him).  Since then, after an unusually drawn-out mourning period (for soap operas of course), his soulmate and wife/"widow" Greenlee Smythe (played by Rebecca Budig) finally decided to move on to other men, most notably an on-and-off relationship with one Ryan Lavery who many AMC fans (or ex-fans) such as myself can only call toxic (in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit this relationship in particular, and the lack of interesting buildup/storylines in general, have kept me only marginally engaged with the show in recent years).  I do know, though, that very recently (oddly soon after the announcement that Leo would be back), Greenlee and Ryan ("Rylee") got married (again).

So, the game changing question would be: will Leo be back alive?  If my wish comes true and he is, then I have no doubt he WILL reunite with Greenlee, and they will ride off into the sunset.  This would imo be the smart move and end the show with a fan-pleaser, as Greenleo >>>>> Rylee. Despite a relatively short romance (JD was only on AMC from 1999-2002), Greenlee and Leo achieved "supercouple" status that is still inspiring loyal fan support to this day, yours truly included (they even have their own wikipedia entry as couple).  On the other end of the spectrum, despite being pushed as AMC's "true love" couple for almost the last decade, Rylee has inspired ... not much that I'm aware of other than vicious criticism from some of the most vocal fans of the show ... no couple wiki entry ...

Which brings us to the terrifying thought that, if he comes in the form of a dream or as a ghost, dream-Leo or ghost-Leo might appear just to give his blessings to the Rylee pairing.  I would be OUTRAGED if this happens - I would saying AMC would be dead to me if it won't already actually be dead (call me a skeptic on the whole webisodes business).  This potential development would be the ultimate slap-in-the-face to Greenlee/Leo fans, considering their relationship came about because Leo saved her from her crazy obsession with Ryan in the first place (or in other words she woke up to her crazy obsession because she realized her love for Leo) - they were a couple who were, in their words, flawed but fabulous.  Real!Leo would NOT approve of a Greenlee/Ryan union, of that I am sure, and AMC better not try to convince me of otherwise!  

Bottom-line: this appearance can end in two ways, with most fans satisfied, or forever tainting one of the most beautiful relationship there ever was on AMC ... your call, ABC/AMC writers - redeem yourselves!  

Edit: Alternate scenario I might be able to swallow is if Leo is a dream or ghost and is, as some suspect, back to help ease the tension between Greenlee and Leo's older bro David.  I would be still be highly disappointed, but at least I won't be heartbroken or completely murderous.  Actually, I hope that, no matter how he comes back, Leo will share a scene with David ... best brothers everrrr!

EDIT 2 (1/1/12):  Well should've known they would screw this up and leave the fans hanging.  Still, the "reunion" scene was enjoyable even if bittersweet.  The spark was still alive despite the decade-long hiatus for the couple.  I suspect this scene may have led to perhaps ultimately a happy ending for Greenlee/Leo had the Prospect Park deal not been on the horizon (there are rumors Josh Duhamel had filmed an additional scene that was not included, and the ending of AMC was retooled to be more open-ended due to the possibility to continue the series online).  Now that the PP deal fell through as well (totally called it!), we can only wonder what could've been ... farewell Greenleo, farewell All My Children!

Daily Musing: Spotted in Glee

It had the tunes, it had the colors, it had (arguably) the most dynamic city in the country as backdrop, but the Glee season finale was still just ... okay - a somewhat fitting end to a season that fell into mediocrity. Major screw ups (I'll let slide little things like how they managed to afford the Intercontinental in Times Sq ...): the Broadway-obsessed Rachel not knowing Cats closed years ago (or that it's been superseded by Phantom as the longest running show?)? the club not coming to NYC prepared and had to write songs and choreograph performances on the fly? w-t-f! If that's really the case, they deserved to lose. Basically, not many redeeming qualities about this one (not even a featured Mike Chang dance - what!?) other than Santana's tirade (epic win!) AAAaand ...

the hilarity of seeing Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe's gigantic super-smiley face in his "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" poster overpowering all the Times Square scenes (there were a lot).  Gotta say, it's pretty funny (though oddly uplifting) seeing it everyday on my way to work, but to see it in HD starring down at all the gleekids almost made the ep. worth the hype.  With the high billboard turnover rate in this area, props to the show for capturing this fantastic moment in time.

On the other hand, fingers crossed the show grows out of its sophomore slump (quality-wise, at least for the latter part of the season) before next season.

Daily Musing: No Event

No new "The Event" on this week?  I thought the point of a long hiatus was so there wouldn't be so many breaks.  Fairly sure this sinking ship will not be resurfacing past this season.  Pity it only just started getting more interesting (i.e. plot is actually advancing!) and, well, less atrocious.  The last couple of episodes have been especially intense, albeit still not free of moments that require extreme suspension of belief (biggest beef I have with the show, and I'm still not sure whether it's the director or the writers screwing up ... I'll just go with both).  I'm glad they're cutting Leila's airtime (and hence increasing my enjoyment of the show).  Sean and Vicky are much more entertaining together, though I'm secretly hoping Simon teams up with them (Simon/Vicky - think of all the pretty AND the badassness they could achieve together! plus Sean is such an amateur).

Last but certainly not least ... RIP Thomas.  I reeeally liked him (I awwed when he got baked ... though I don't understand why nobody got off the bus and at least tried to make a run for it ... or why the buses kept course for that matter).  In any case, loving the dark turn Sophia has taken ... avenge your son and do what's best for your people (and watch out for Blondie she looks like she could/will betray you!).  Hoping this season/series will end at least somewhat wrapped up ...

Daily Musing: Surprise Sighting on Merlin

Randomly flipping the channels and stopped and watched an episode of Merlin because I saw ...

Dudley from Harry Potter!!  Had to double check it was him, but definitely recognized right away.  Nice to see the young HP set branching out, and it was a decent enough job.  He finally gets to do some magic!  This slightly makes up for missing my favorite Dursleys scene in HP and the Deathly Hallows (i.e. the "I don't think you are a waste of space"). Maybe b/c Harry Melling looks like this now (though I hear the scene was actually filmed so hoping for DVD extra) ... in any case, now off to watch season 1 of the show on Netflix (so far so good!).

Daily Musing: Modern Family 3-23-11

Not an obvious standout, but I loved tonight's Modern Family (not that I don't usually).  A few highlights really made it special:

-  Alex freaking out about dead birds to kick off the ep - totally uttered the same dialog to my friends every time news of a dead bird/fish event surfaces (too frequently these days).

-  Luke's friend who likes to melt stuff - not as odd as it sounds; my little brother once loved doing that too, as did his friends (no actual fires resulted though).

-  I have a soft spot for "Up" and old people bonding with children stories, so cliche as it may be, I digged the grouchy old person who's a sweetheart deep down and his being friends Luke (who I think is totally adorable) - awww ... he's the Mrs. McClusky of Modern Family : )

-  Montgomery Clift – a bit sad and ironic to have this shout-out on the day of Liz Taylor's passing (RIP another last remnant of old Hollywood).

-  Nathan Lane - awesomeness.

-  Cam's nanny cam - lol.

-  Vivaldi’s Four Seasons - cherry on top.

Daily Musing: Notes from an Oscar Party

Oscars 2011 marks the end of another year of film-making, with a stammering king, the facebook and dream invasions seeing the most gold.  "The King's Speech" took home the major awards (Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay), and Colin Firth added to the loot by winning best actor, as expected.  "Inception" captured most of the technical fields, nabbing statues for Sound (Editing and Mixing), Cinematography and Visual Effects, losing out on Art Direction to Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland", which also won for Costume Design.  "The Social Network" cashed in on Editing, Adapted Screenplay and Original Score.  The remaining acting categories gave other movies a chance in the spotlight, as Natalie Portman collected her shoo-in best actress victory for "The Black Swan", Christian Bale won best supporting actor and Melissa Leo best supporting actress, both for "The Fighter."

I was able to enjoy this year's awards at a viewing party where everyone made and compared their winning picks.  The competition became pretty heated as the show progressed and bragging rights were at stake ... cheating was alleged, lovely banter exchanged ... and while I didn't win (came closest though!), I had a great time.  Some thoughts/observations below:

*  EVERYONE was cheering for Colin Firth to win - collective sigh of relief when he finally did (and gold stars all around for getting that pick right!).  The guy has no enemies (or maybe we are still all just P&P fan-girls at heart).  Well-deserved, and the speech was so British.

*  I always knew Natalie Portman would eventually win an Oscar, but all the red carpet talk about her being the only choice to win made me secretly hope for an upset there ... happy for her though.  Maybe she'll break the best actress curse by not being married (does fiancée/baby-daddy count?) yet at the time of her win?  

*  Is there anyone Melissa Leo didn't thank in her speech?

*  Christian Bale's beard and head color-mismatch was distracting ... but is this the second Batman to win an Oscar (after George Clooney)? 

*  Honestly, I loved "The King's Speech", but how could a story essentially based on documented history be an "original" screenplay?

*  "The Wolfman" (which I hear is a terrible movie) eked out a win for best Makeup.  Still, nobody had the urge to see that one as, in the words of Cate Blanchett, "that's gross".

*  Seriously, I didn't expect Harry Potter to win anything, but it's still annoying to see "The Wolfman" win a little golden man while HP has nothing : (  As consolation, in what I thought was the most pleasantly shocking moment of the ceremony, I am treated to the hilarious auto-tune segment of Ron's "little ball of light" speech, followed by auto-tuning of "Toy Story 3" and "The Social Network", and concluding with RPattz/Edward singing "he doesn't own a shirt" to a shirtless Taylor Lautner/Jacob (I take back what I said about not finding anything relating to Twilight entertaining).

*  "Toy Story 3" won best anime feature.  Despite some thinking the film promotes hoarders of tomorrow, it marked the end of an era for those of us who grew up on this series - and/or for whom "Toy Story" was our first exposure to CGI animation.  With such sentimental support behind TS3, the visually brilliant, wonderfully cute and touching "How to Train Your Dragon" didn't stand a chance ... any other year perhaps (except last year ("Up"!)).  Sidenote: I just wish I saw "How to Train Your Dragon" in theaters in 3D - the trailers did the movie no justice whatsoever.

*  Most of my friends thought James Franco was high and behaving extremely oddly.  I must have been too biased by my love for the guy (even if his stint on "General Hospital" did not really do the show any favors ... soaps are such a dying breed, but that's a rant for a different time).  

*  Anne Hathaway's dresses were made of pure win or fail.  Too bad she ended the night with the most hideous one ... great singer though!

All in all, not the most memorable of academy awards, but a somewhat flat decent attempt at wrapping up an interesting year of movies - I got my one wish (Colin Firth winning), so I'm feeling generous : )

Daily Musing: Shout Out to Figure Skaters

The US Figure Skating Championships took place in Greensboro, NC over the weekend and aired (albeit with some lag time) courtesy of Universal Sports. I had previously been an every-four-years type of figure skating fan (i.e. I develop a crazy obsession for the duration of the Olympics and that's about it).  However, in doing my pre-Olympics diligence (I am very serious about the Olys and like to be an informed viewer  ) this time around, which I oddly started about a year earlier than usual, I actually bothered to figure out the intricacies of the regular competitive seasons for the sport and actually kept up with the grand prix competitions leading up to Vancouver.  That had been such a pleasure that I continued to follow along the various competitions this year (Russian nationals included!).  I even went through the trouble of learning the differences between all the jumps and such . Perhaps I can call myself a more legitimate fan now ... ?  [I will admit I tend to pay more attention to pairs, ice dance and ladies more than mens though, maybe b/c I'm annoyed with the lack of quad attempts and don't care much for any of the competitors (totally missing the age of Plushenko vs. Yagudin).]

Anyway, without further ado, congratulations to all the medalists!

Men:  Ryan Bradley (quads attempts! not so clean but at least he tried, and is usually good - thrilled he won), youngsters and surprise medalists Richard Dornbush and Ross Miner (what upsets!?);

Ladies:  Alissa Czisny, Rachael Flatt, and Mirai Nagasu (aww, so much potential - imo great shot at 2014 ... but I'm worried about this Sasha-Cohen-like tendency for bombing LPs);

Pairs:  Yankowskas/Coughlin (gorgeous and really drew me in with their programs - I haven't truly liked an US pairs team since ... ever [if I'm honest]), Evora/Ladwig (these two are fighters I will give them that - props!), and Denney/Barrett (cool lifts); [*side note* I'm pleasantly surprised I enjoyed the pairs competition as much as I did.  It's no Russian nationals, but the top teams for the most part really brought it!]

Ice Dance:  Davis/White (shocker!not flove them! My one wish for the world championships this year would be for them to win it), Shibutanis (bright future for this bro/sis team it looks like), and Chock/Zuerlein.

Excited for Worlds in March!

Daily Musing: New Shows for Winter

The Cape

Detective (David Lyons) is framed for being a prominent local villain called Chess by an apparently evil corporation taking over control of the city's security (police force, etc) ... looks to have died in an explosion while being apprehended ... but was in fact taken in by a group of circus freaks (literally) who supplement their income by committing armed robbery ... is trained by said circus freaks and comes into possession of a specially made cape ... and uses such new abilities and the near-magical super-stretchy-but-sturdy cape to create his superhero identity ... to spy (out of love of course) on his son and wife (Jennifer Ferrin - ex-Jennifer, As the World Turns [RIP]) and exact his revenge.

So far, the action has been interesting, and I am a fan of Summer Glau (Firefly/Serenity ftw!), aka Orville, the anti-evil-corporation-blogger/computer wiz turned accomplice to our hero.  The villain in the story (James Frain), the head of evil-corporation and also the real Chess, is a deliciously brilliant and ruthless psycho with a potential soft-spot for a missing daughter who may turn out to be not quite on his side.  Still, the show, which tries to insert some comic book styles, is not grabbing me as I hoped it would.  I don't feel attached to any of the characters yet, and the general plots have been somewhat bland.

Verdict:  jury's still out - will give it a few more episodes.

Off the Map

I'm conflicted.  On one hand, I reeally miss Lost, and seeing the gorgeous Hawaii tropical setting on this show (especially now that I have HD) provides a strange sort of satisfaction.  Otoh, this show is all over the place.  I like all the newbies at the clinic, especially Meryl Streep's daughter (but that may be because she was entertaining on The Good Wife and that I just found out she was MS' daughter ... Meryl Streep!) and the girl played by the actress who got unceremoniously replaced on Twilight not that that should be a big loss (maybe because her character is the only one that seems to actually speak Spanish).  I don't feel the love for any of the attending doctors though.  I did appreciate learning that coconut water can serve as a substitute for blood plasma (apparently not a myth - might come in useful someday), but some of the other situations are just way over-the-top.

Verdict: thisclose to giving up.

Fairly Legal

The main actress (Sarah Shahi) is gorgeous and has got loads of spunk.  And there's an ex-Battlestar Galactica actor (Michael Trucco) in the mix to boot - never a bad thing.  The relationships between the main character (Kate), her stepmother/sort-of-boss, her brother, and her ex-husband is dysfunctional yet oddly rootable.  Props to whoever thought of the Wizard of Oz ringtones complete with Oz caller ID pics (cute!).  The show does tend to preach "justice" a little too much though, and Kate is almost too smug and snarky for her own good.  The storylines so far have also struggled with trying to be heartstring-tugging/gritty-real vs. happy/sappy and never really fully succeeded on either end.

Verdict: won't go out of my way to watch but on my list of "keep on in the background" titles.

Daily Musing: New Year's Resolution

Every new year, I make ambitious resolutions that almost never come to fruition.  This year, I have a couple that are hopefully more compatible with my lazy couch potato nature - to update this blog on a fairly regular basis and to start reading again.  The second is a departure from the spirit of this blog but one that touches on an issue that has been bothering me (and as it turns out, many of my friends) for some time, so thought I'd share.

I used to be an avid reader in my adolescent days, but at some point, television and, even more so, the internet, managed to claim a greater and greater share of my free time.  Good thing my parents stood their ground and kept me reigned in with dial-up until I went off to college.  Now, when I'm not watching TV, or rather even as I'm watching TV, I am immersed in the world wide web and all that it has to offer.  The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is to check my email, the weather, etc.  Basically, when I am indoors, I am rarely not looking at some sort of a screen.  As a result, I find it hard to set aside such addictions and start reading a book.  Or, if I do manage to do so, I am often so distracted by the need to check email or facebook, or to google something the reading made me think of, to the point I fear I have now developed ADD.  I am not alone in this though, I suspect - see below for the new trend in family pastime ... the days of the family sitting around reading books and even watching television together just may be numbered ...

Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times

But is NPR (and many others) right in questioning whether the Internet is making us stupid? Certainly navigating Wikipedia's bottomless information abyss can only serve to make us more knowledgeable world citizens?  Ironically, the same case had once been brought against televisions, which offers its own share of informational, educational programming, though now the blame has shifted to the newer and more encompassing technology (it's amazing how many people don't even have TVs anymore, relying their computers instead).  Not saying that reading online or watching documentaries can take place of intricately crafted language that will test the limits of your imagination, but seeing that many of us are now trying to rediscover the fun of reading, I am hopeful that, just as television did not destroy literacy after so many decades, the Internet will also be something we can better-adapt to and use in moderation alongside the more traditional activities ...

Daily Musing: Gossip Girl

Haven't really watched this show in ages, but checked out the last couple of episodes before it went on hiatus - totally feeling the Dan/Blair dynamic.  I used to be a big Chuck/Blair fan, but clearly they did not keep my attention.  If the writers are looking to shake things up, I might just have to start catching this again ...

On a separate but somewhat related note, Taylor Momsen may be a bit crazy and immature, but girl's got a kickass voice and some awesome songs.

Daily Musing: Skating with the Stars

As much as I am a fan of figure skating and was glad Rebecca Budig (love her as Greenlee on All My Children) rightfully won the Golden Skates, I'm not sure whether Skating with the Stars was such a good idea.  I do appreciate the experiment though (love Johnny Weir, Tanith Belbin and of course, Dick Button).  The difference between this and Dancing with the Stars?  It takes a lot more to make skating look good and exciting! (imho of course)  It's like playing the piano versus the violin.  Even though they are both instruments that require years to master, it's much easier to learn a presentable song on the piano (dancing) with no prior knowledge (at least each key corresponds with an exact note) than the same on the violin (skating) (it takes basics and practice just to play Mary Had a Little Lamb without screeching).  So as interesting as this show has been, I'd still rather enjoy my ice-capades performed by professionals.