Fall Lineup

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.

The Best Part Of The Emmys

Steve Carell was the highlight of the Emmys as was seeing the cast of The Office before the show’s season premiere gets underway next week. The worst part, this year’s choice of host:

As a side note, we all get how big The Sopranos was as both a TV and cultural phenomenon, but does the show need to be nominated in the same category (Best Writing) for four different episodes? How well does that bode for the crew of Lost and Battlestar Gallactica - the only two other shows nominated.

Just Two Weeks

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.

The Office Webisode: The Accountants

Just wanted to treat all of us who miss the award-winning show with the first webisode of The Office. More of those webisodes can be found on the show’s official site.

Amaldo.Com Film Review: “Evan Almighty” Reads More Like Evan Alrighty

I really adore Steve Carell. As egomaniac boss of a small paper company Michael Scott in NBC’s “The Office” or the shy, affable 40-year-old virgin in Judd Apatow’s delightful comedy, Carell always manages to bring a bit of humanity, class, and humor to his roles. His understated pithy witticisms and his intuitive sense of timing make him inarguably one of the best comedic talents out there today. And I’m sorry to say, well above Will Ferrell in my opinion, although I’m also fond of Ferrell’s shtick.

However, when it comes to the Summer box office and discerning what will become the next Blockbuster hit, it’s usually over-the-top that wins out over adjectives like unassuming and understated. Read More…

Movies Of The Week, And A Sneak Peak

Even Almighty: Steve Carell is Even Baxter, a congressman who meets his maker, but not in order to die but to build an Ark so he can prepare for the flood. Morgan Freeman plays God in this movie, as he did in the wonderful Bruce Almighty.

A Mighty Heart: Based on a true story. Angelina Jolie plays the wife of Daniel Pearl, a reporter who was kidnapped and then murdered in Pakistan.

1408: A horror novelist (John Cusack) checks into a hunted hotel room, and that’s when the fun starts. Based on a Stephen King short story.

You Kill Me: A drunk Hit-man (Ben Kingsley) finds himself in AA. Things get more complicated when he meets a woman who is related to his next hit.

This week’s peak is Live Free Or Die Hard trailer, enjoy and have a great weekend.

Amaldo.Com Cast: Why Does It Always Rain On TV?

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.

Why “The Office” Is A Cut Above The Rest Of The Shlock

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.”

That line deserves at least 10,000 Schrutebucks.

Not Another Day At The Office

Tonight, at an earlier time then usual (8/7c), NBC will air the one hour season finale of my favorite TV show The Office.
On tonight’s episode, Michael, Jim and Karen compete against each other for a job opening in Corporate.So, to celebrate the event, here are a couple of quotes I found on a wonderful site that goes by the lovely name Quotes From The Office.

Michael Scott: Did you know that gay used to mean happy? When I was growing up it meant “lame”. And now it means a man who makes love to other men. We’re all homos. Homo sapiens.

“Heroes” Spawns Big Monster Of A Prequel

As I watched “Jay Leno” last night and he mentioned the Fall line-up, I started thinking that I covered ABC and the CW (briefly), but I totally neglected the Peacock!

Considering NBC gives me “The Office,” I think I owe it some sort of mention here. The major item of interest that NBC is adding to their Fall line-up (and most likely to satisfy “Heroes” fans craving for the show while it’s on hiatus), series creator Tim Kring is bringing us a “Heroes” prequel that will air in the same 9 PM time slot on Monday night called “Heroes: Origins.”

The “Origins” series will consist of six stand-alone episodes, with each one introducing a new character and telling his or her back story. They’ll take place within the “Heroes” universe but won’t be tied into the main arc of the series, although one or two regular characters may pop up.

It will also carry an interactive element: After all six “Origins” episodes air, viewers will be able to vote on which character joins the main show the following season.

The much-talked about, remake of the 70s series, “Bionic Woman” will also be on NBC’s line-up, as will Candace Bushnell’s (creator of “Sex & The City”) “Lipstick Jungle” which documents the lives of 40-somethings played by 30-somethings. Hmmm….

And because once in a while it’s nice to throw in something new, “Journeyman” features a time traveller/reporter (played by the actor in the picture seen here). But have no fear, “ER” is back for like a 15th season as is “Deal or No Deal.”

It’s nice to know some things stay the same. Or that our network execs are so adverse to change and/or taking a risk that they condemn us to John Stamos primping for a scalpel while some terrorist who’s threatened to blow the ER to smithereens holds a weapon of miniscule proportions to his face.

Comedians Aren’t Funny In Newsweek

I happened to read the same Newsweek article mentioned in the previous post. I don’t dig “The Simpsons” so much so I can’t share Ariel’s enthusiasm, but I can share some of my insights about this summer preview article Newsweek unveiled on its unsuspecting readers.

Ok, so I read it twice, maybe three times. I kept thinking maybe I was missing out on the point of the piece? It’s a summer preview of all the comedies coming out this Summer. A lot of these movies star my favorite funnymen: Seth Rogen, Steve Carell, Robin Williams, Paul Rudd (questionable w/out Ferrell and Carell alongside), Adam Sandler, etc. And yet…And yet…

Why did Newsweek pay these guys to do tongue-in-cheek type reviews of their own films “in character”? The premise was just a little too weird for my pea-sized brain to wrap itself around.

Case-in-point: Paul Rudd is starring in “The Ten“-an anthology-based flick loosely based on the actual Ten Commandments in which each characters’ story somehow relates to one of the commandments.

So here’s what Rudd (as “Jeff“)writes for Newsweek:

Though it’s debated, many people believe that there was a first set of commandments that Moses smashed in a fit of anger (because the Israelites chose to worship the golden calf. Great!). Through extensive research (i.e., Wikipedia), a few of the originals have been unearthed. Drumroll, please:

• Thou shalt not get a tattoo of an Asian proverb if you’re a lame white guy.
• Honor small, medium and large. Tall, grande and venti are for jackasses.
• Thou shalt never try and live with bears.
• Thou shalt not go back to Rockville (specifically for R.E.M.).
• Thou shalt never, never, never, ever buy a Hummer.

Huh? Maybe it’s just too obscure to have comedians pretending to be actors acting “in-part” pretending to be writers describing their pretend roles to readers.

Can the equation work when only one of its component is actually real?