Posted Oct 30th 2009 2:02PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, The Big Bang Theory
The candy manufacturers had better watch out, because as Halloween is approaching, TV shows have been coming up with their own candies, inspired by some of the more colorful, interesting characters. Take a look at this list, and see which are treats and which are tricks. And, listen, tell us what kind of candy your favorite TV characters might inspire!
8. How I Met Your Mother - Robin Scherbatsky's Canadian corn
Oh, Canada. Slutty pumpkins aside, Robin had to convince her American friends that Canada not only celebrates Halloween, but Canadian corn is the best Halloween candy ever. That's right, Canadian corn. It's like candy corn, only it's orange on the top and white on the bottom. It also tastes like pancakes because it isn't made with corn syrup; it's made with maple syrup.
Continue reading Eight TV character-inspired Halloween candies
Posted Oct 30th 2009 10:03AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, NCIS, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free
If I tell you right now, before November sweeps, that CBS will renew
NCIS: Los Angeles for a second season, you won't be surprised. The pre-season projections for this show were that it was a guaranteed success. It wasn't only that it was a spinoff from CBS's top-rated drama series,
NCIS. No, it was programming. CBS slotted
NCIS: LA in the hour right after
NCIS. It had a very strong spot, a monster lead in.
Continue reading Five reasons I'm not hooked on NCIS: LA
Posted Oct 21st 2009 6:02PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Sports, OpEd, Things I Hate About TV, Commercials, Celebrities, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free
No, this is not going to be another post about the
shoddy umpiring or
spittle analysis or any of the other on-field matters that have been going on in baseball since the playoffs began. No, we're on a TV blog, so I'm going to just talk about the things that have annoyed me about FOX's and TBS's coverage of the ALCS and the NLCS. In no particular order:
1. The Fidelity-sponsored Fox Trak. The pitching tracker, which shows if a pitch actually hit the strike zone or not, has been around for years. But, the flight of the ball has been to this point represented by a red streak and a dot. Now that Fidelity Investments is sponsoring the tracker, the red streak/dot combo has been replaced by a green streak/green arrow combo that mimics
Fidelity's "stay on the line" series of ads. What financial guidance has to do with balls and strikes, I'll never know.
Continue reading Six things that annoy me about the baseball playoffs
Posted Oct 12th 2009 2:05PM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: OpEd, NCIS, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free
I love military style series. I haven't missed one episode of
JAG or its spin-off
NCIS over the years -- I even watched reruns, including airings dubbed in French! -- and have watched all
NCIS: Los Angeles since it began.
What I like most about
NCIS: LA is that they do undercover missions, taking different personae and using gadgets, and that it stars one of my movie crushes when I was a teen, Chris O'Donnell, as well as the talented Linda Hunt.
Sadly, there are small things that I don't get about the series. These small issues are sort of bugging me and making me not enjoy the show as much as I would like as I keep asking myself these questions every episode.
Do you share the same issues? Do you have answers for me so I can enjoy the show as I want to? The list of things I don't get about
NCIS: LA coming up!
Continue reading Things I don't get about NCIS: Los Angeles
Posted Oct 5th 2009 2:10PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Video, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, TV Squad Ten
There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.
Friday marked the 50th Anniversary of
The Twilight Zone's debut on CBS. The
first episode was titled "Where Is Everybody?" and featured Earl Holliman as a military man trapped in a town where it seems everyone has vanished. You find out at the end that it was all an experiment to see how astronauts would handle being alone on long missions. Holliman was really safe.
Continue reading TV Squad Ten: best Twilight Zone episodes
Posted Sep 29th 2009 11:11AM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, TV Royalty, Programming, OpEd, Entourage, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, TV Squad Ten, True Blood
HBO has slowly become my favorite network over the past few years. I don't know if it's because the mainstream networks have turned to lots of reality programming or what, but HBO just seems to get better and better. Just about every show on the premium channel is feature film quality (if not better), and I've got some favorites listed below.
I know I'm missing a few biggies, like
Rome,
Deadwood,
Flight of the Conchords, and
Extras, but it's only because I either haven't watched these shows or have only watched a few episodes -- not enough to make an informed opinion. I'm sure they'll make my
Jane After Dark column at some point in the future. So I hope you'll tell me your favorites in the comments below.
Continue reading TV Squad Ten: My favorite HBO shows
Posted Sep 27th 2009 3:01PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: TV on DVD, OpEd, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, Jane After Dark
This week in
Jane After Dark, I caught up with season one of
Castle. I'm a sucker for fun whodunits, especially when they feature great male and female characters who've perfected the art of the snappy banter. Specifically, here are five reasons why I'm loving
Castle:
1. Nathan Fillion is boyishly charming. I've been a big fan of this Joss Whedon favorite since seeing him in 2005's feature film
Serenity. I finally completed that awesome circle by watching
Firefly last winter. Fillion has the ability to be goofy one minute and deadly serious the next. In
Castle, he plays Richard Castle, a best-selling mystery author who's raising a 15-year-old daughter Alexis (Molly C. Quinn) -- and, in many ways, his free-spirited live-in mother Martha (Susan Sullivan), as well. Having killed off his latest fictional character, Richard found inspiration in NYPD detective Kate Beckett, after being called in to advise on a case. Now they're working as pseudo-partners.
Continue reading Jane After Dark: Five reasons I'm loving Castle
Posted Sep 22nd 2009 11:05AM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Reality Shows, Late Night, American Idol, Celebrities, Game Show, TV Squad Lists
American Idol's choice of Ellen DeGeneres as a judge replacement threw everyone for a loop, even schlubs like me who don't watch the show.
It's not that she's not talented, successful or funny. It's just an odd choice, putting a comedian on the show that takes its goal of crushing losers' dreams on live television so seriously. It would evoke the same reaction from me if they picked Andrew "Dice" Clay as the new judge, if the Diceman was talented, successful or funny.
And besides, why do they need humor and comedy on such an otherwise serious show? There are lots of humorless, vapid and downright boring shows that are crying out for comedic interjection.
Continue reading Seven shows that need funny commentators more than American Idol
Posted Aug 31st 2009 11:05AM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, TV Squad Ten, Dollhouse
Before pondering the meaning of identity on
Dollhouse, Joss Whedon gave us some great shows featuring iconic heroes and some really nasty but unforgettable villains.
Unlike
Dollhouse, most of Whedon's earlier shows featured a "big bad," a major villain who caused trouble throughout an entire season, or series, for the heroes and their friends. Luckily, Whedon's heroes always managed to outwit these evildoers, but they couldn't stop them from stealing scenes and making the Whedonverse a very, very dangerous place to live.
Let's take a look back at some of Whedon's best "big bads" that made life a living hell for Buffy, Angel and Captain Mal.
Continue reading TV Squad Ten: Joss Whedon's big bads
Posted Aug 26th 2009 10:00AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, CSI, House, Law and Order, Lost, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, Burn Notice, The Mentalist
The fine art of interrogation may seem lost thanks to suspects lawyering up and the Miranda warning. Whatever happened to the days when a snarling cop could throw a perp against a brick wall to get him to squeal? Or a sly questioner could finagle a confession by laying on a guilt trip? Still, there are some very clever, brilliant interrogators plying their trade on these days. In fact, when you look at these eight interrogators, you'll probably agree that they know just how to get to the truth. Here are the eight top interrogators on TV today:
8. Captain James Brass, CSIBrass is the most "old school" of all these interrogators. He's like Andy Sipowicz from
NYPD Blue, only without the violence. Brass talks to suspects with a modicum of respect, but a healthy cynicism. He's seen it all and knows the truth is in there somewhere. He asks questions and waits for them to trip themselves up. When they do, he has them write it down. Despite the laconic attitude, Brass has the brass to get the job done.
Continue reading Eight of TV's toughest interrogators
Posted Aug 23rd 2009 11:17AM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: TV on DVD, OpEd, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, Gossip Girl, Jane After Dark
I'm almost to the end of
Gossip Girl season two, and frankly, I couldn't be happier! It's been quite taxing watching rich snobs backstab their best friends night after night. I'll need a short break before season three premieres on The CW on Sept. 14.
But, as with everything, I try to glean some small bits of wisdom here and there, things to help me in my quest for peace, serenity, and large amounts of cash. Here are a few things I've learned from
Gossip Girl:
1. Never tell the truth. Apparently, this is the first thing they learn in finishing schools. Never tell the truth, whether you're lying to your best friend about getting into Yale, lying to your girlfriend about where you've been for the past three days, or lying to your kids about their sibling you gave away at birth. Keep a spreadsheet handy to keep track of all the various lies you've told and plan to tell.
Continue reading Jane After Dark: Eight things I learned while watching Gossip Girl
Posted Jul 29th 2009 10:02AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, OpEd, Watercooler Talk, TV Squad Lists
Jacob at FoodNetworkAddict.com has come up with five good reasons why he thinks
Melissa Darabian will win The Next Food Network Star when the competition wraps next Sunday. His points are well thought out, especially the one that suggests that Melissa's journey on the show has been dramatically edited to make her seem like an underdog who has now emerged as a dynamic player. However, I'm banking on Jeffrey Saad to win. Here's my five reasons:
1. The likability factorSince the opening episode, there hasn't been a more attractive and likable competitor on
The Next Food Network Star. Jeffrey makes viewers feel comfortable, like a Tom Selleck or James Garner, and when you're talking about TV personalities, that's the most important asset. Jeffrey would be welcomed on TVs in living rooms -- and kitchens -- around the country.
Continue reading Five reasons why Jeffrey will win The Next Food Network Star
Posted Jul 4th 2009 3:10PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, Star Trek: Original Series, Burn Notice
There are a lot of really horrible things that have put America on the map: Jerry Springer, our ability to infuse anything edible with cheese, the fact that we're probably working on infusing something inedible with cheese.
Guns, however, shouldn't be one of them. The Second Amendment stands as one of many great testaments to the idea of freedom that our forefathers envisioned for their people. They felt a government should trust their people with great responsibility if they truly believed in the concept of freedom and democracy.
Sure, if they came to the present and saw that we primarily use that responsibility for hunting moose from helicopters and negotiating with the Domino's guy they might take it right back, but the idea is what's important.
So to celebrate one of America's latest of many birthday to come because fireworks are technically illegal in my neck of the woods, here are your TV's seven greatest guns.
Continue reading Seven greatest hand cannons in TV history
Posted Jun 25th 2009 11:03AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, TV Squad Lists, Breaking Bad, Reality-Free
Now that
the second season of Breaking Bad is in the books, it's time to evaluate high school science teacher
Walter White's performance. He's been giving out the grades to students for years, but who's been monitoring this high school teacher?
It's time for this
Breaking Bad character to be graded. Here's a report card for Mr. White, and whether he's using the name Heisenberg or White, we're turning the tables on "teach" and giving him some grades across the board.
Continue reading Breaking Bad: Walter White's Report Card
Posted Jun 21st 2009 10:22AM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free
Fathers' Day should be a time of deep reflection and appreciation for the man who brought you into this world, whether you asked him to or not.
Oh sure, the old man may seem like
the worst father of all time sometimes. He yells and screams. He gets on you for growing your hair too long because he knows he couldn't grow hair if he had a Chia Scalp. He constantly walks around the house in his underwear and then scolds you for not eating the sausage Mom made for breakfast.
But a few minor flaws doesn't mean that he's a bad guy. So go out and get him that witty card with the pipe smoking Dad on the cover, pick out a paisley tie that you'll never see him wear and give him a big hug to remind him
he's the best. Because he's your old man and he's not one of the seven bastard sons of hell below.
Continue reading Seven TV dads we're glad aren't ours
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