Mad Men Season 2 Premiere

Mad Men picked up 2 years after where the first season ended, which could have been very frustrating/confusing. The episode was, on the contrary, a thoughtful look into the characters' lives and the ways in which they (and the world) have changed. Peggy has become a copy writer. She's clearly proud of her accomplishments and her ability to break free from the secretary cycle, yet her male coworkers continue to treat her with the same disrespect. That much of the world has remained unchanged- women are still less intelligent and less important than the biggest moron among men. Speaking of Pete Campbell, he seems to be trying to actually take care of his wife now. I mean, he hasn't stopped being a petulant child, but he appears to have settled into a comfortable life as a husband. Don is beginning to realize that he is getting older. Not only does he feel it in his body, but he feels it at Sterling Cooper, too. He gets pressured into looking for younger writers to bring a fresh voice to the ad campaigns.

Meanwhile, Betty has taken up horseback riding lessons... She's found a few more people to talk to so she doesn't have to share her feelings with a little boy. Her relationship with Don has become more like what she thought she wanted, but problems have arisen that make her think about what she really wants.

Not a very lively premiere, but that was just fine with me. I enjoyed the pensive feel to the episode, even if I didn't find out what the deal is with Peggy's baby or witness any office drama.

**Well, this will be my last entry for a while. In 12 hours, I will be on a flight to Scotland to begin 3 months of study in Europe. I'm not sure how I'll adjust to the lack of television in my life, but I look forward to an amazing experience full of beautiful things to see outside the small screen (I've heard that it exists, this world away from t.v. Hmmm.... Curious). When I get back, you can be sure that I will work through everything I missed and let you know my insightful thoughts. Until then, happy viewing!

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was certainly the most entertaining internet super-villain musical I've ever seen. And that's saying something!

This endeavor was undertaken by Joss with a couple things in mind. He came up with it during the writers' strike to show people and the networks how much you could do through the internetz medium. He also wanted to have control over the entire process so that he could make it as silly and fun as possible. Dr. Horrible was written by Joss, his brothers (Jed and Zack), and Jed's fiancee (Maurissa Tancheroen). The majority of the crew was made up of people Joss has worked with over the years. 2 of the 3 lead actors were Whedon alums- Firefly's Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Nathan Fillion, and Buffy's Potential Slayer "Vi," Felicia Day. The only newbie was Neil Patrick Harris, who ended up being the heart of the show (in my opinion). My favorite story that Joss has told in all the interviews for Dr. Horrible was about his phone call to Neil asking him to play Dr. Horrible. Apparently he was really nervous about it, but Neil said yes before he had even finished the question. Joss then proceeded to get defensive about it, saying, "No, no, it's really going to be good..." And Neil was like, "I already said yes!"

The show was released in 3 acts, each one about 13 minutes long. They came out on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of last week and were available for viewing on the internet until Sunday. Joss said he planned it that way so that it would be like a special event that people would have to watch during the allotted window. Well, surprisingly to him but not to me, so many people showed up to the event on Tuesday that www.drhorrible.com crashed. After a few hours and a message of gratitude, the site was up and running again on a server that could handle the stampede of Whedon fans. I read that there were about 1,000 hits per second. The top 3 television episodes on iTunes for the past 3 days have been Acts I, II, and III. Needless to say, people love it. There has already been a flood of questions to Joss about whether he would do a sequel or a movie.

About the actual show itself: I (obviously) loved it. My favorite songs were "My Freeze Ray" and "My Eyes." Neil's voice is absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed seeing Nathan play the cheesy "hero," Captain Hammer, and his singing pleasantly surprised me. Felicia's Penny was absolutely heart-breaking. The cameos from Buffy/Angel writers were AWESOME. I get so excited when those brilliant people get screen time. David Fury and Marti Noxon got to show off their voices again after the Buffy musical episode, "Once More with Feeling," as newscasters. Doug Petrie made an appearance at the end of Act III, as did Drew Goddard as "Fake Thomas Jefferson" in the Evil League of Evil. That's just the greatest thing ever.

Dr. Horrible was something quite unique. Not just because it was the first of its kind, but because I don't think the result could ever be replicated. I'm sure that others will try and find that they can't create the same excitement or viewership. Joss Whedon has a devoted fanbase unlike any other I've ever seen, and I think the reason is because he wants the cult following. He embraces the obsessiveness that his work inspires in people because that's how he is about things that he loves, too.

And possibly my favorite news ever: For the DVD extras, Joss is writing a freakin' musical commentary. I can't say enough how he is basically the coolest guy on the planet.


Audio for "My Eyes." (The only reason I feel okay in putting this up is because I already bought all 3 acts on iTunes and will buy the DVD when it comes out...Don't get mad at me, Joss!)

The Closer Season 4 Premiere

My beloved summer show has finally come back to me. And what a glorious reunion it was.

The greatest part about The Closer is that it always leaves me craving more. That's why it's so difficult to only have 13 episodes in a season- it's only around for 3 months before it's gone again. Luckily, for the past 2 years they have been doing 2-hour specials in December. Because they have so long to work on them, these episodes tend to be the best.

Anyways, Monday night's episode was great. Brenda had to find out whether a forest fire that killed 3 people was an act of arson. This provided an opportunity for the wonderfully creepy Billy Kroelig to return. Played by Jason O'Mara, Kroelig likes to soak young women in alcohol and set them on fire- and he's never been caught. He is the only murderer who has ever been able to get to Brenda. Whenever he's around, you can just see the tension in her body and the fear in her eyes. Perhaps it's because he's the only criminal who she hasn't been able to catch, the only one who might be smarter than our brilliant Chief Johnson. In the premiere, he didn't even start the fire (that was done by a firefighter played by Charmed's Leo Krause), but that was irrelevant. Maybe for the first time ever, I didn't care who had committed the murder. Kroelig absolutely gave me chills when he took Brenda to the place where the fire started and said that he could still smell the burning flesh.

As for the rest of the season, I hope to see some good storylines for the supporting characters, especially Chief Pope (J.K. Simmons), Sergeant Gabriel (Corey Reynolds), and Lieutenant Provenza (G.W. Bailey). Also, I can't wait to see Frances Sternhagen and Barry Corbin again. As Brenda's parents, Willie Ray and Clay Johnson, they are absolutely perfect. I think they're coming back for 4 episodes. Maybe Brenda and Fritz will finally move into their new house and/or get married...?

Saying Bye to the Emmys

Feel free to disregard my previous post about how I still care about the Emmys. I no longer do, and here are the reasons why:

1) Mary McDonnell was not nominated for Battlestar. Those Academy voters are lame Sci-Fi haters. Well, guess what, Academy?! I hate you!

2) Two and a Half Men got 7 nominations.

3) Marcia Cross got snubbed. Again.

4) The lack of Friday Night Lights anywhere on this list makes me sick. Kyle Chandler was overlooked, and yet 3-time winner James Spader was nominated. Okay, first of all, I still don't think Boston Legal should be in the Drama category. And secondly, we get the message. Why don't you marry James Spader if you love him so much?!

I wish the best of luck to Michael Emerson, Kyra Sedgwick, Rainn Wilson, and everyone from John Adams. If winning this award is important to you guys, I hope you get it. As for me, I am shunning the Emmys forever. (Shunning...It's an Amish technique. It's like slapping someone with silence.)

For anyone who cares to see the list of nominees, here it is:

COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Rainn Wilson, The Office

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Jean Smart, Samantha Who?
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Will Arnett, 30 Rock
Shelley Berman, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Steve Buscemi, 30 Rock
Tim Conway, 30 Rock
Rip Torn, 30 Rock

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Polly Bergen, Desperate Housewives
Edie Falco, 30 Rock
Carrie Fisher, 30 Rock
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Sarah Silverman, Monk
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock

DRAMA SERIES
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
James Spader, Boston Legal

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ted Danson, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Charles Durning, Rescue Me
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Oliver Platt, Nip/Tuck
Stanley Tucci, ER
Glynn Turman, In Treatment
Robin Williams, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ellen Burstyn, Big Love
Diahann Carroll, Grey's Anatomy
Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck
Anjelica Huston, Medium
Cynthia Nixon, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

MINISERIES
The Andromeda Strain
Cranford
John Adams
Tin Man

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE
Bernard and Doris
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
A Raisin In The Sun
Recount

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Ralph Fiennes, Bernard And Doris
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Paul Giamatti, John Adams
Kevin Spacey, Recount
Tom Wilkinson, Recount

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Judi Dench, Cranford
Catherine Keener, An American Crime
Laura Linney, John Adams
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun
Susan Sarandon, Bernard And Doris

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Bob Balaban, Recount
Stephen Dillane, John Adams
Denis Leary, Recount
David Morse, John Adams
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Eileen Atkins, Cranford
Laura Dern, Recount
Ashley Jensen, Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
Audra McDonald, A Raisin in the Sun
Alfre Woodard, Pictures Of Hollis Woods

My Inner Struggle: E! Online's Kristin vs. EW's Michael Ausiello

This post will seem insignificant to people who don't understand why it matters which television journalist I read. Well, let me tell you- it's a big deal! I have my sites that I go to daily to see what is up in the tv world. First and foremost, I check out EW.com. Entertainment Weekly is pretty much the embodiment of everything that I love. Sure, I have a subscription to the magazine. Couldn't I just wait until my mail comes on Friday and read all the articles and news there? WRONG. The website includes 1) awesome little video interviews/previews/etc., 2) recaps of my shows (yes, I already watched them myself, but that's not the point! I like to see what other people think! That's the whole point of this blog entry!), and 3) useless entertainment tidbits that don't make it into the magazine but that I enjoy nonetheless.

Next, I head on over to Whedonesque.com where I can find out any information regarding anyone in the whole Whedon-verse. Seriously, it's insane how on top of things people are over there. Whenever Joss, or somebody involved with Buffy/Angel/Firefly/Astonishing X-Men, has the slightest activity in their life, it gets linked. Or if somebody mentions any of the above in an article, linked. As I have learned these past few months, becoming a fan of Whedon's works is a lifelong experience.

Finally, I peruse Watch with Kristin at E! Online. She has been my primary source of tv scoop for the past 3 years or so. Her relationships with actors and show runners are incredible, so she gets to go on all these super sweet set visits. She puts out a "Spoiler Chat" where she answers fan questions about casting and upcoming storylines, which I have been reading weekly for a long time.

Well, here comes my dilemma: Michael Ausiello, who used to write the tv scoop over at TV Guide.com, has moved to EW. I never used to read him because he is Kristin's "frenemy," as she calls him. They are each other's competition, and I like to be loyal to my peeps. A couple years ago, I did read his column one time just to see what he was like, but I found his attitude to be obnoxious. Now, however, he has become a big part of what I read everyday at EW. He and Kristin report the same things, and I now find his attitude hilarious and his writing superior. This, by itself, wouldn't be enough to make me switch, but in the past 6 months or so, I have found myself increasingly frustrated with Kristin's attention to ridiculous shows. I know that she genuinely loves LOST, The Office, and many of the other shows that I love. But, she also pays a ridiculous amount of attention to shows like One Tree Hill. I get that her readers want coverage. Give them scoop, but don't showcase a lame teenage soap opera with no redeeming qualities! Ausiello, on the other hand, will criticize/ignore awful television, no matter what his readers think. In this case, I feel like I ought to be open-minded and willing to accept that my needs might have changed, rather than trying to be stubbornly loyal to a column that I don't enjoy very much anymore. That is not to say that I won't ever see what's new on "Watch with Kristin" or whether she has any awesome new interviews. But I think my official source for tv news is going to be http://ausiellofiles.ew.com

I have included below (as the first videos ever to be embedded in my blog!) the first installment of "Ausiello TV," as well as one of my favorite "Watch with Kristin" shows.





Just for the record: I'm writing a seemingly pointless blog post like this one because I head to Europe in 18 days. I've only got a couple more entries left to do before I go, and I know how much I (and you!) will miss this blog while I'm gone. So I want to get in as much as I can before J.R.'s Television Thoughts for Your Everyday Life takes a 3-month hiatus. Anyways, that's the reason...

The Bachelorette + So You Think You Can Dance

Oh, reality television- you are the one thing that can humble me from my occasional tv snobbery. Example: ME "I can't believe you watch that show. Why don't you get some standards?" MY SISTER "Hey, how was The Bachelorette last night?" ME "Point taken." But, for reals, without this stuff that has zero importance in my life and offers no valuable insights into anything except how INSANE people can be, I would be completely adrift with nothing to watch on a weekly basis. Waiting for stuff to return is hard. Especially when your summer shows don't start up until summer's almost over! (You know who you are, The Closer and Mad Men with your ridiculous premiere dates of July 14th and 27th.) What am I supposed to do for the entire month of June? Have a life that doesn't revolve around television?! That's a ludicrous suggestion...

I watched The Bachelorette these past 2 months because I was in the habit after the glory days that were The Bachelor: London Calling. I didn't know who DeAnna was because I hadn't watched Brad's season, but I did enjoy the Trista and Ryan season of The Bachelorette so I thought I'd give this one a try. I kinda wish I hadn't, though, because it resulted in disappointment and heartache for me on more than one occasion! For starters, I was very attached to Brian, the high school football coach from Texas. He was manly, which was a big plus, and he also seemed to be very kind and mature. I saw a lot of potential with him (for myself, but for DeAnna, too, if she had just given him a chance!). Then there was Graham... What is there to say? He was gorgeous. She had more chemistry with him than...something with a lot of chemistry. She let him go after the hometown dates with the last 4 guys. He gave her a letter when they said goodbye. I don't know what it said. I don't want to know what it said. Somehow, that would make everything that they went through mean less. Once it was down to Jason and Jesse, I hoped she would pick Jason, the single dad from Seattle. Instead, she accepted the proposal from the snowboarder who says "rad" way too often. The makings of a long-lasting, adult relationship, I'm sure... Honestly, I don't know how I survived DeAnna's constant crying and emotional outbreaks and repeated speeches about knowing what they went through and wanting them to open up and blah blah blah. I think it just got to the point where I had to watch it because I needed to know what happened to these people. In hindsight, neither DeAnna nor any of the guys filled the void in my life left by the charming Brit, Matt Grant. I think I can safely say that I have been cured of my fascination with this type of show and will never watch it again.

I can't say the same for So You Think You Can Dance because that show is great. I watched a little bit of Season 2 and thought Benji was the most amazing dancer I had ever seen. Season 4 has been equally as amazing and exciting. It's dancing in the purest form: all the contestants are so talented, and they just get better every week. The judges are interesting- granted, Mary Murphy is a hysterical crazy lady, but at least she knows what she's talking about. Nigel Lythgoe is the token British guy. He's harsh, but that just makes his praise worth more. And he does a great Michael Caine impression! The guest judges are choreographers, which makes them awesome. My favorite couple in the beginning was Kherington and Twitch because I loved their energy. They're not the best dancers in the group, but I have fun watching their routines. I still like them, but their spot as my number 1 couple has been taken by Katee and Joshua. Like, whoa. They are simply phenomenal. Their Hip Hop routine was deep and beautiful, their Broadway routine rocked my face off, their Samba was, like, the hottest thing I've ever seen, and their Mia Michaels-choreographed Contemporary routine was way cool. I mean, I didn't really understand it, but there were some freaking sweet moves in there!

SYTYCD is the one reality show that I am not ashamed to watch and will continue to enjoy for years to come.




Joshua & Katee- Samba


Joshua & Katee- Broadway


Joshua & Katee- Bollywood


Joshua- Solo

John Adams

Fittingly, I spent the past week watching the 7-episode HBO miniseries, John Adams. Paul Giamatti starred as the Founding Father who worked tirelessly to secure liberty for this nation and then spent the greater part of his life ensuring that liberty would be maintained for future generations. Among the last words of the finale are these: "Oh, Posterity, you will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it." There were moments like this throughout the series that made me reflect on how much I freakin' love America
(See: Picture ----->).

The episodes each chronicled important chapters in Adams' life: his defense of the British soldiers after the Boston massacre, his role as a Massachusetts delegate in the first Continental Congress, his time as Minister to France and England, his term as the 2nd President of the United States, and, finally, his quiet later years on his farm, Peacefield. Giamatti was stellar as the brilliant yet flawed Adams, but I was most taken in by the character of Abigail Adams and Laura Linney's portrayal of her. I had no idea of the role that she played in her husband's life- with her strength and intelligence, she advised and supported him in everything that he did, and it is certainly because of her that he was such a spectacular individual.

In addition to inspiring patriotism in every fiber of my being, I marveled at the beauty of this series. Their attention to detail in recreating 18th century America and Europe was incredible. From the costumes to the sets, everything was perfect (And I have that on good authority: David McCullough, the historian who wrote the book on which the series was based, said that in the "Making of" featurette). My absolute favorite part, though, was that they didn't try to romanticize anything. At the end of the first episode, a man gets tarred and feathered in the streets of Boston. The people, too, were shown as they realistically were. Benjamin Franklin was a crackpot as well as a genius. Thomas Jefferson made many mistakes in his life full of distinction and legacies. The Founding Fathers were great men, but they were men. Their judgment was not infallible, and still they managed to establish a nation of freedom and justice that his lasted for more than two centuries under the Constitution that they wrote. We've had problems and been forced to adapt, but the fundamental ideas, for which they sacrificed so much, remain constant.

This series was television at its finest- television that transcends art and make-believe and becomes a window. In this case, it was a window into the most crucial period in our nation's history. Happy Independence Day, people.