POISON SCOOTER

Television Overload

Whoa. What a very long week of TV. I still haven't gotten around to watching everything I wanted, Grey's Anatomy and Six Degrees are on the DVR ready for digestion today, but I did manage to give a looksee at a couple new programs, and a few old steady's back for another run. Here's my thoughts...


The Class on Monday night probably compliments the rest of the CBS Monday night line up (Two and A Half Men, Old Christine) but for me it was just a sorta Friends retread that wasn't very funny. The guy still living with his Mom seems too creepy to have gotten the interest of his 1st grade girlfriend back in one night, and what's with all the instant hookups? I thought this was a show about reuniting old classmates, and instead it looks like it will feature 4 couples who hang out together. Newsflash: Friends kept us waiting for hookups, it was why the show hooked us in. Don't show everything you got in episode one. Does anyone else see the late John Ritter in his kid's eyes. Creepy...

I watched Smith but not to see Simon Baker and Ray Liotta ham it up, I was trying to gather clues for Gold Rush, the online Mark Burnett game. And so in all fairness I half watched it while I surfed the internet. Seemed like a very predictable show to me in the vein of The Thomas Crown Affair. I think the talent on the show is better than the material, so proceed with caution.

My DVR denied me and refused to tape 3 shows at once on Wednesday night. Therefore, I missed Jericho with Skeet Ulrich. In most of the suicide pools I've seen online about the new TV season, both Jericho and Happy Hour on Fox are predicted to get the axe first. Happy Hour is because it's nothing special in the sitcom department (I would argue that FOX still has the Michael Rappaport show on for another year...) and Jericho because it just won't find an audience in it's timeslot up against Dancing with the Stars and Biggest Loser.

Speaking of which, Joey Lawrence looked like a disturbing Leprechaun this week on Dancing with the Stars and most likely established himself as the man to beat in this laugh fest. Thank God Springer is on this, always making a funny. Otherwise all I would laugh at each week is the disastrous musical offerings that "the band" brings forth to accompany our dancing D-Listers. Seriously, Jump/Jump by Kriss/Kross is not quick step music. And Julio Englesias is still alive? I was unaware.

Celebrity Duets rolled on for another week and is making it's final run to the finale next week. GO HAL SPARKS! After performing with Dennis DeYoung and Dee Snider this week, Hal is my new idol. In I guess a surprising move, Hal beat out Jai Rodriguez from Queer Eye to take a shot at the whole enchilada along side Lucy Lawless (MILF) and Carlton. I wanted Hal to advance so much that I would have been pissed had he not made it, but Jai is kind of a better singer than both Lucy and Hal. I guess people just don't know him since Queer Eye was on Bravo and people stopped watching it like 2 years ago. Oh, and finally Cheech got the boot as well in this week's double elimination. Placing 5th with no singing skills to speak of is impressive Mr. Marin. Godspeed.

Ha. Did anyone see that crazy metal Hispanic dude on Survivor this week? Yeah, so the in week two of the new racial experiment edition of Survivor, the Hispanic team decided to throw the only competition in the episode to get rid of Metal Billy. Having a team not put out 100% in any competition, but on an episode with only one it makes for really boring TV. That is until said team gets to Tribal Council and Metal Billy drops a bombshell that he is in love with a team member from the White squad. Coo-Coo. The Hispanics and Whites have only met while at competitions and during these meetings, they are battling each other. Billy mistook something she said to his entire team to mean that she was in love with him and he was genuinely serious, making it all the more concerning. Jeff Probst was speechless. And angry that a team tossed a challenge. (Sidenote: I love when Probst yells at the Survivors.) The only saving grace about Billy the Loco getting ousted was that he in his exit interview thought it was cool to be voted off by a guy named Ozzy, the unofficial leader of the Hispanic team. Crazy.

The one-two punch of The Office and My Name Is Earl returned this week. Yeah! Earl was his usual white trash self, no surprises. The cast is intact, the stories are the same, never mess with perfection. Over on The Office however, a ton of shit has gone down this summer while we were "away" from the Dunder Miflin crowd. Jim took his promotion and is in Stanford at the Home Office, Pam called off her engagement, Oscar was outed as a gay man and both Micheal and his henchman Dwight believe that Gaydar is something that can be purchased at The Sharper Image. God how I missed these kids for the last 3 months.

In closing, let me say that my favorite show of the week was Studio 60. I'm sure you have heard about the raves it's getting. All I can tell you is that the hype is all true. Great writing, impeccable cast, and a pretty quick pace for an hour long show. Matt Perry hasn't been this good since season 2 of Friends and I love seeing the interplay between him and Bradley Whitford. Ok, I'm not gonna gush too much. Just check it out.

posted by Scooter @ 7:42 AM