As expected, Heroes‘ season premiere (HeroesVolume 3) picked up from where it stopped. But the show has been away for so long that I’m not sure it’s relevant anymore. Before the writers’strike, Heroes was one of the main reasons to watch prime time TV. When NBC stopped airing the show we had to find other things to watch instead, and we found. Medium, Dexter, Weeds, Mad Menand a few more showed that good TV can be done even without Hiro Nakamura. Heroes is still a decent and watchable show, and I was pleased that last night’s episode was more eventful then the last 10 episodes of the first season together, but I would lose the ridiculous countdown-to-the-event show. It’s not New Years.
It has been so long since Heroes was on, that I almost forgot what it was about. In TV like in nature there is no such thing as vacuum, and since the writer’s strike brought the production of our favorite shows to a complete stop, we simply got used to watch other things on TV. It’s a given, that there is nothing out there that can replace The Office, especially not TBS’ 10 Items Or Less. But the question we’ve been asking ourselves lately is: Is Allison Dubois is the new Hiro Nakamura? Is Medium the new Heroes? Or is it just a generic pain killer?
As if I wasn’t watching enough TV, along came Dexter. Watching Monday night television is a complicated mission to accomplish. We watch NBC Chuck, and then Heroes getting less and less interesting while still just as addictive as before, not to mention Monday Night Football (especially if the Patriots ((12-0!!!)) are playing.) So you have to understand, that if it wasn’t for the esthetically designed On Demand button on the remote control, watching shows like Weeds, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Dexter on Showtime, would not have been an option for us. But since it’s there, and since we had a couple boring Tuesdays we started following the tales of a Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst, who also happens to be a serial killer, and goes by the name Dexter. Though it may not be the best show on TV, it delivers a great story. And while some of the dialogs are poor and boring, the main character’s monologue supports the plot’s development, and helps in maintaining the suspense. So I’m hooked, again, what can I do? It’s cold outside…
Sometimes you just can’t avoid the dilemma. You’ve come to the point where the road splits and you have to choose, have to make a crucial decision. The path that you will take, will effect your and other people’s life. Well, I am at this point right now and I must decide, should I watch the Patriots game, or should I watch Heroes and Chuck. This is the question!!! Thank God for DVR.
This week on TV was all about the fall lineup with new shows and season premiers. If you have read this blog in the past, it is needless to mention how much I waited for the return of my favorite shows Heroes and The Office. While the first was somewhere between OK and good, The Office was hilarious, and proved once again that it is the best TV show in a very long time. I also tried to watch as many new shows as possible, and I realized that A. NBC tries harder. and B. Most of what I saw didn’t have an original and refreshing feel to it, and I doubt if they will be watched again on our TV. There are almost two exceptions here. Fox’s Back To You with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, and NBC’s Chuck with Zachary Levi. The Back To You pilot was not so good but I felt some sort of chemistry between the two veteran actors. From what I read, only six episodes were filmed, and I’m not sure if the show will last beyond it. Chuck was a success. It wasn’t great but it was well done. Everything was in place, the story is good, and the actors are likable.
No doubt Monday nights will be my favorite TV night of the week. Why? Just read below and piece together the clues.
8-9 PM EDT
Chuck: A nerdy secret agent (in the form of a computer geek salesman) going undercover in a screwball comedy that elicits memories of SledgeHammer? I’m in…
How I Met Your Mother: If you can get thru another season of buying Neil Patrick Harris as a misogynist heterosexual player, why not?
Dancing With The Stars: Marie Osmond, Wayne Newton, Mark Cuban, Mel B, and Kelly from 90210 all in one action-packed, self-effacing hour? Ok, make that two hours a week, but hey, it’s a guaranteed upgrade for most of these celebs.
9-10 PM EDT
Heroes: “It” girl Veronica Mars aka Kristen Bell joins the cast this season and for those of us who caught a glimpse of Bell (on Gossip Girl), earlier on this season, it might be a welcome cast. Someone’s gotta save the world, anyways, and it aint gonna be the cheerleader.
10-11 PM EDT
Weeds: It may have started a few weeks ago already, but Mary-Kate Olsen plays a bad girl/dope-addicted nympho in this episode and hey, why should you limit your Monday nights to one reality TV show?
Journeyman: Cause if I had TiVo, I’d be all over this Quantum Leapish show. As is I’ll be flipping coins with my husband for the coveted 10:30 slot, which may end up going to Californication.
I’ve been looking forward to the end of September ever since the beginning of May when I was left wondering just why Charlie may or may not have been killed off the island, how many new Fall shows the Heroes phenomena would spawn, and who would be the next cast of D-list celebs breaking onto the Dancing With The Stars scene.
As it turns out, September is here and the season doesn’t hold better TV than what’s airing today and tomorrow. Tonight marks the return of two of my favorite shows on TV-Simpsonsand Family Guy. For those of us who got some sort of interim Simpsons fix this Summer having watched the Simpsons movie, we were left with ravenous appetites which only called more attention to the lingering gap left behind last season after Homer saved Mr. Burns from a fatal mall accident involving a fountain. So now we’re on to this season, Mr. Burns debt of gratitude to Homer and Mr. S taking stock of his life with the help of life coach, Stephen Colbert. (yeah, we’re not kidding) And all this in the first episode of the season…
Tonight’s Family Guy has patriarch Peter Griffin enlisting the help of the Star Wars saga to entertain his family when their power goes out. Brian the dog as Chewbacca and Quagmire as C-3PO have my head spinning already. Not to mention the juxtaposition of life sabers and Darth Vader (Stewie). Well, who better to destroy the Griffin household than Stewie, after all…And while the Curb Your Enthusiasmpremiere aired a few weeks ago already, tonight is a new episode in the unfolding dramedy involving Larry, Cheryl, the Dansons, and the Blacks (the family they adopted from the Hurricane).
Conflicts/Footnotes to Sunday night premiere week: Cold Case is back as well tonight and personally, for me, this show is compelling enough (if I can drown out the slow-mo soundtrack of your life anecdotes coupled with the morally righteous preachy ending long enough). One thing this show is a testament to is the power of the band Coldplay. As long as this show is around, that band isn’t going anywhere.Tomorrow night is perhaps one of the most exciting TV premiere days of the week. With the return of Dancing with the Starsand the premiere of the much-anticipated show Chuck, be sure to check back here tomorrow for more of a preview of the two hottest shows of the season.
Till then, get your comedy on for Sunday night! It will help you get thru the work week, or at least put your attitude in the right place.
In about two weeks, my favorite shows, Heroes and The Office, both from NBC are coming back for a new season. The Office is probably the best TV made in America, and Heroes, when the producers and writers step out of the soapy cube, is not far behind. In general I feel that the folks at NBC really try harder. With new shows like Bionic Woman, Journeyman, Chuck and Life, and with the return of shows like My Name Is Earl, 30 Rock and even The Biggest Loser (the only worth watching realty show,) it seems like the network’s fall lineup is going to be very interesting.
After drawing a lot of attention, and making headlines with Jennifer Love Hewitt, and the announcement that Zachary Quinto will play Mr. Spock in Star Trek XI, the San Diego annual Comic-Con ended on Sunday, not before a crowd of 4000 exited Heroes fans came to the shows panel on Saturday. The fans went crazy When it was announced that Kevin Smith would direct the first episode of spinoff show Heroes: Origins. According to Reuters, the con will be remembered as the Con at which TV shows eclipsed feature films.
Television’s presence was the strongest it’s ever been at the Con, where the small screen’s influence has been slowly growing since ABC launched “Lost” in 2004, previewing the pilot in a half-full hall. But it was those early fans that helped the show become a buzzworthy hit, and when an unknown show called “Heroes” previewed in 2006 and went on to become one of the biggest new dramas of the season, the Con’s launching pad status was solidified.
For me, to hear the name Kevin Smith and Heroes together makes my day.
Zachary Quinto who plays Sylar, the ultimate bad guy in one of our favorite TV shoes Heroes, is going to be Mr. Spock in Star Trek XI. The new movie is now in production and will be released in late December 2008. In the Prequel tradition, Star Trek is about the early adventures of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock , and how they met at the Starfleet Academy (A love Story???.) So far, it is unknown who will play the roll of Captain Kirk, but the rumors talk about the British singer Robin Williams. Matt Damon was also mentioned for the part.
I’m all for people thinking they can do everything. Just not actually the doing of everything. Take “Heroes” Hayden Panettierre. The girl has a contract with Neutrogena that she practically ripped from Mischa Barton’s squeaky clean, non-pore existent face and hands (not to mention the gal’s popularity) and she’s the star of a hit show on NBC. Did I mention she’s also dating Steven from “Laguna Beach”? Ok, so he’s more of a consolation prize/Kristin Cavalieri’s sloppy seconds/Lauren Conrad’s even sloppier thirds, but everything being equal the girl has a lot going for her right now. So why ruin an absolutely good thing by attempting to sing on July 4 in our nation’s capital? Never mind the fact that the audience embraced her. She’s an “American Idol” third round elimination at best.
Television lovers, I have something good for you. Apparently, there was an online leak of the Emmy Award finalists in the comedy and drama series categories.
And the nominees are:
Comedy:
ABC: Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty
NBC: My Name Is Earl, The Office, Scrubs and 30 Rock.
CBS: Two and a Half Men.
HBO: Entourage and Extras
Showtime: Weeds.
Drama:
ABC: Lost, Boston Legal, and Grey’s Anatomy.
NBC: Heroes and Friday Night Lights
Fox: House and 24
HBO: Rome and The Sopranos
Showtime: Dexter.
Reuters also reports, that naturally The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences refused to comment on the accuracy of the information.
Anyone who read this blog before knows that The Office in comedy and Heroes in drama are my favorites, although my wife will probably choose Lost in drama.
Tired of seeing Julia Robert’s tweenie niece strewn across every vacant billboard in America as she makes her debut as a film star in the film “Nancy Drew”? Well aside from the gross-out factor involved in thinking actor Eric Roberts could actually spawn a human not to mention shiny and perky one at that, auntie Julia just gave birth to baby #3, a boy named Henry Daniel.
Looks like it doesn’t take too much sleuthing to figure out the Moders are extremely happy to have another youngin’ added to the clan. And so are we. Just no more twins named Phinnaeus. The world is full of moms competing for more apples. And Lord knows, we don’t need another Moses.
I guess I will be back for Heroes Vol. 2, though judging by the one minute preview, it reminds me of the legendary but too short lived 1966 Time Tunnel.
Season Finale season is almost over, so let’s see what happend on my favorite shows (Lost, Desperate Housewives, Brothers And Sister, Grey’s Anatomy etc. are notmy favorite shows.)
The Office ended with Jim finally asking Pam out while Ryan gets Jan’s job in corporate after she is kicked out and decides to his dismay, to move in with Michael.
My Name Is Earl ends with Earl finding himself in jail after taking the blame for Joy. I like the cast and the idea of this show, but I can’t see them making another good season.
The Simpsons 2 Great episodes last night, to reach 400. Can’t wait for the next 400 episodes.
Family Guy ended with a back-to-the-future episode. Peter travels back in time, and when he comes back, he finds that his actions changed everything and Lois is now married to Quagmire.
It’s almost over, we are almost there but the season will not end before we watch tonight season finale of Heroes and see if all the producers’ promises are kept and the story comes to a resolution. If not, I’ll try to keep my promise, and won’t watch the show when it returns…. Now that’s a threat!
On this week’s Amaldo.Com Cast, I discuss my DVD picks of the week, season finale talk, a certain chanteuse nuptials, and our upcoming Amaldo.Com interview with Ingrid Michaelson whose Keep Breathing appeared as the closing song on the season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” last week.
I’ve been bombarded with season/series finales this week. I daresay that the current New England weather staple of cold and heavy rain doesn’t help with the emotional trauma inflicted from knowing that another season of TV is over and I’ll have to wait till Sept/Oct before I can know the fate of my favorite characters.
I started counting down the months till the new season at 59 past the 8 PM “Office” hour, knowing full well that by the time the new season comes, I’ll be excited again, but pondering all the personal changes that could affect my life between now and then to make me less of an avid watcher.
We have mini-seasons now and hiatuses have become more commonplace leaving viewers with a feeling that they are getting less of a return on their investment. I’m not sure why I feel such an anti-climatic sense of closure: If I’m still reeling from the numb of Locke’s loss last week on “Lost” or simply do what I do when I can sense the end of the something that had a more profound effect on me than I’m willing to admit: Withdraw.
I’ve gone through the whole week watching “Heroes,” “Lost,” “The Office,” “Scrubs,” and “Grey’s Anatomy” without feeling too much remorse. The shows end with the typical formulaic cliff-hanger: Will Meredith and McDreamy bid their adieus? (most likely) Will George leave both Izzy and his wife out in the cold and develop yet another unrequited crush on a Grey sister now that Meredith’s presumably half-sister is an intern? Will JD and Eliot come clean with their love for each other or use the kiss as the convenient narrative scapegoat for last-minute, cold feet jitters?
The truth is “The Office” season finale left us all with some questions too-the big one being whether Pam and Jim were really going to get together, but the show is a cut above the rest in scripting, acting, and comedic delivery and because of this, the finale stuck out from the rest of the pack. It was not only delightfully poignant, but the final scene didn’t do what every other show on Network TV does-it ended with some sense of closure and promise for what the next season holds.
Whereas “Grey’s Anatomy” leaves us in some chronic emotional crisis over characters who are so self-indulgent I can’t stomach them, let alone care for them anymore, and “Scrubs” builds up to the Eliot/JD kiss for the past three mos, “The Office” took us on a more original detour, leading us just where we might have supposed we’d be (with Pam and Jim together), but taking a much more lively and animated path to get there.
I guess what all this boils down to is the ability for “The Office” to remain true, steadfast, and faithful to its core and what drew fans to it in the first place. It hasn’t suffered a second season writing slump cum “Desperate Housewives” and most other hit first season shows. It’s managed to leverage its success and sustain the course of time, critics, and fame. Moreover, it’s retained that ability to not take itself so seriously, which in life and on TV, is so critical to our well-being.
Besides, that line that Steve Carell’s Michael Scott says to Jenna Fisher’s Pam after taking back his ex Jan (who recently underwent breast enhancement surgery), “Your argument was strong, Pam, but hers was bigger.”
As if I wasn’t watching enough TV, along came Dexter. Watching Monday night television is a complicated mission to accomplish. We watch NBC Chuck, and then Heroes getting less and less interesting while still just as addictive as before, not to mention Monday Night Football (especially if the Patriots ((12-0!!!)) are playing.) So you have to understand, that if it wasn’t for the esthetically designed On Demand button on the remote control, watching shows like Weeds, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Dexter on Showtime, would not have been an option for us. But since it’s there, and since we had a couple boring Tuesdays we started following the tales of a Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst, who also happens to be a serial killer, and goes by the name Dexter. Though it may not be the best show on TV, it delivers a great story. And while some of the dialogs are poor and boring, the main character’s monologue supports the plot’s development, and helps in maintaining the suspense. So I’m hooked, again, what can I do? It’s cold outside…
Sometimes you just can’t avoid the dilemma. You’ve come to the point where the road splits and you have to choose, have to make a crucial decision. The path that you will take, will effect your and other people’s life. Well, I am at this point right now and I must decide, should I watch the Patriots game, or should I watch Heroes and Chuck. This is the question!!! Thank God for DVR.
This week on TV was all about the fall lineup with new shows and season premiers.
If you have read this blog in the past, it is needless to mention how much I waited for the return of my favorite shows Heroes and The Office. While the first was somewhere between OK and good, The Office was hilarious, and proved once again that it is the best TV show in a very long time. I also tried to watch as many new shows as possible, and I realized that A. NBC tries harder. and B. Most of what I saw didn’t have an original and refreshing feel to it, and I doubt if they will be watched again on our TV. There are almost two exceptions here. Fox’s Back To You with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, and NBC’s Chuck with Zachary Levi. The Back To You pilot was not so good but I felt some sort of chemistry between the two veteran actors. From what I read, only six episodes were filmed, and I’m not sure if the show will last beyond it. Chuck was a success. It wasn’t great but it was well done. Everything was in place, the story is good, and the actors are likable.
I’ve been looking forward to the end of September ever since the beginning of May when I was left wondering just why 
I’m all for people thinking they can do everything. Just not actually the doing of everything. Take “Heroes” Hayden Panettierre. The girl has a contract with Neutrogena that she practically ripped from Mischa Barton’s squeaky clean, non-pore existent face and hands (not to mention the gal’s popularity) and she’s the star of a hit show on NBC. Did I mention she’s also dating Steven from “Laguna Beach”? Ok, so he’s more of a consolation prize/Kristin Cavalieri’s sloppy seconds/Lauren Conrad’s even sloppier thirds, but everything being equal the girl has a lot going for her right now. So why ruin an absolutely good thing by attempting to sing on July 4 in our nation’s capital? Never mind the fact that the audience embraced her. She’s an “American Idol” third round elimination at best.
On this week’s 
I’ve been bombarded with season/series finales this week. I daresay that the current New England weather staple of cold and heavy rain doesn’t help with the emotional trauma inflicted from knowing that another season of TV is over and I’ll have to wait till Sept/Oct before I can know the fate of my favorite characters. 