57 Channels and Only This Is On - 1/8/12

Leverage: Take out the ego and hubris, it would be nice if a couple other the other members take the lead every once in a while. But how Nate undermined Hardison, I have a feeling we will not be seeing that anytime soon.
You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: Seriously, the Liars have A cornered and no one thinks to shine a flashlight in his or her face? Hrumph. And I saw Emily playing turncoat a mile away; that was one of the worst catfights I have ever seen.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

The Lying Game: Did the writers pull a fast one on them. I have no desire to look it up, but I could have sworn they had us believe earlier that the twins’ birth mother and Char’s aunt was the same person. Then Cordilia Chase shows up this week as Char’s aunt named Annie but not the same last name as the birth mother. Oh yeah, and she wants to be called Rebecca now. Huh?
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Lying Game on iTunes.

Work It: I was not expecting Tom Hanks quality or even Peter Scolari, but wow was the acting on the show extremely bad. But I am not ke$hamed to admit that I still laughed harder and more often than a bunch of highly touted pretentious comedies currently on air.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Work It on iTunes.

Parenthood: Awe road trip. I have long called Parenthood “Blue State Friday Night Lights” and all the lingering shots of the landscape was clearly right out of the FNL playbook.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Suburgatory: Chuck did it a couple weeks ago and it is nice to see shows are embracing the pixilated nudity for comedic effect. And thankfully there was pixilation in this sauna fight scene unlike Eastern Promises which I presume was they were making an homage to.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Suburgatory on iTunes.

Revenge: Even thought I hated Tyler, and probably not even in the way the show wanted me too, I really loved his concept of “Truth or Die”. It is a shame no one got to play before his brother interrupted things. I would have liked to see a couple people being forced to play before he was taken away.
You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Revenge on iTunes.

Chuck: I like how Casey called out Chuck for not getting of Sarah blatantly obvious pregnancy hints because for the first half of the episode I kelp yelling at the television that no one noticed that she had morning sickness and avoided alcohol.
You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

Previewing the Second Half of Season Four of Leverage

When we last left off the Leverage team, the dude from Deadwood made an offer to Nate that he could refuse: he would offer up corrupt people for the Leverage team to take down, but in doing so will profit from the outcome. An offer that Nate not so politely decline, not that it has stopped Tom Nuttall from continuing to try to get Nate to accept.

That leads us to tonight when Leverage returns to finish up its fourth season with eight straight weeks worth of episodes. Yes that includes new episodes on Christmas and New Years Day and no there is no Christmas themed episode (no word on if they will re-air last year’s The Ho Ho Ho Job within the next month). Instead tonight the gang will be heading back to college to look into shady sociological experiments that use homeless veterans as their lab rats.

Fans of The Office will want to tune in next week (12/4) as the Leverage team infiltrates an office where someone is suspected of embezzlement all the while a documentary crew is filming the office and eighty percent of the episode uses just the documentary footage confessional style interviews that look like they were filmed in the Dufler Mifflin breakroom. Playing the role Michael Scott is Josh Randall (Ed’s Dr. Burton). Unfortunately none of the Leverage team takes the characterization of anyone else on the show, but it does look like Nate raided the closet of Dwight Schrute.

The next week starts up a special two week event where the boys and girls work on separate cons on the same night of their day off with Jeri Ryan reprising her role as Tara who replaced Sophia in the team during the second season. Naturally the ladies week is first. When the team finally convenes, they will be battling Emma Caulfield (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) who runs a ring of trophy wives targeting old men. When the new year comes, expect some more familiar faces as the season closes out including Tom Skerritt as Nate’s father, Richard Chamberlain as Parker’s “father”, Kari Matchett as Nate’s ex-wife, and yes, even Wil Wheaton returns as Chaos.

Leverage airs Sundays at 9:00 on TNT. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 9/3/11

Quote of the Week: Does anybody know what tonight is… Lower your hand if you are going to say the season finale of Glee, I (expletive deleted) hate that show. (Captain Dashall, Death Valley)

Song of the Week: Someone Like You – Adele (Video Music Awards)

Big News of the Week: Video Music Awards Still Make Me Feel Old: I actually missed watching the show live because when I tuned in I thought the MTV feed somehow got mixed up with a local access channel airing the worst community theater version of Streetcar Named Desire ever. So I went ahead and watched Leverage instead. I realized my mistake when I watched a re-air of the show. Oops. Here are some thoughts:

- Best performances of the night in this order: Adele, Kanye West and Jay-Z, Young the Giant, Beyoncé.

- Oddest moment of the night goes to Britney Spears who in lieu of giving an acceptance speech for the Video Vanguard Award just introduced Beyoncé.

- I feel as if we failed as a society if Chris Brown is allowed to perform on a national stage. Dude should be trolling in relative obscurity by now; it is not like the guy has much talent to get away with all the crap he has pulled. And who does he think he’s fooling by wearing the drive thru microphone? A four year old could tell he was not really singing.

- The Amy Winehouse tribute was weird all around considering she never once appeared on the show (she was set to appear with the house band during the disastrous Las Vegas experiment but had her visa rejected) and rarely even appeared on the channel and just released one album anyone cared about. Then Bruno Mars chose to perform an obscure (at least here stateside) Mark Ronson cover of a Zutons song that Winehouse sang on instead of one of her own songs.

- Lastly, and this is for all award shows, not just the VMA’s, stop inviting artists to perform if every third word you are going to bleep out anyway. And if you are an artist who curses every third word, either chose a different song or change your lyrics, because it may seem like artistic integrity to perform your song as is, but it just comes off as a really crappy performance on television.


Leverage: Holy Dr. Abbot sighting! But I am disappointed in myself that I did not realize the chick was Sterling’s daughter, they really beat you over the head with those hints. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

The Lying Game: The dude from Heroes remains to be the most interesting character on the show (how he was not in the Pilot is befuddling), him showing up in Los Angeles was really creepy. And I am beginning to wonder if either of his kids are his, neither of them look much lke him (but that could just be casting directors not caring). You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Lying Game on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: I cannot believe I just made my first ever Better Than Ezra joke during my mid-season wrap up of the show (see Two Can Keep a Secret if One of The Is Dead). I rally dropped the pop culture ball on that one. I promise when the show comes back, I will make at least one Better Than Ezra joke for every episode he is in. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Rescue Me: I have longed believed that Tommy would not make it to the end of the show and that one other fireman would die this season. But it never crossed my mind that they would kill off the entire crew. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.


Free Download of the Week: Ghost on the Canvas - Glen Campbell (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5: This week you can get albums by Mumford and Sons, Coldplay, Eric Clapton, and Carrie Underwood for five dollars.



New Album Release of the Week: In The Grace Of Your Love - The Rapture

New DVD Release of the Week: Community: The Complete Second Season

Video of the Week: Mel Brookes and Dick Cavett have been chatting it up for four decades and now they are doing it one more time for an HBO special to air this Friday at 9:00. Here is a sneak peak:



Next Week Pick of the Week: Rescue Me, Wednesday at 10:00 on FX: It is an end of an era Wednesday as Rescue Me finishes it run just days before the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 8/27/11

Quote of the Week: I didn’t kill you, God killed you. I just made sure it took. (Nate, Leverage)

Song of the Week: Poison and Wine – The Civil Wars (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Jerry Leiber and Nick Ashford: We lost two songwriting greats on the same day this week. Nick Ashford wrote some of Motown’s greatest hits including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough which was made famous by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. But Nick may most be famous for the awesomely cheesy song Solid which he recorded with his wife as Ashford and Simpson. Jerry Leiber was also famous as part of a duo, he and Mike Stoller wrote some of the biggest songs of early rock and roll including Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog and Ben E. King’s Stand by Me, one of the few songs I can play on piano.


The Lying Game: My biggest problem with the Pilot is that there seemed to have all the elements of an underlying conspiracy theory, but there were no clues or hints that there was any. Like I doubt it is a coincidence that the Mercers would adopt just one of the twins but the writers did not throw anything in to back up my suspicions. We finally got some of that this week in spades when the dude from Heroes showed up and mentioned something ambiguously shady with papa Mercer then turned out to be the one that was behind Sutton’s missing laptop. I also like how “The Lying Game” plays into the story. I was so bored after the first episode I did not bother to come up with any theories, but this episode gave me hope that the show may be salvaged. I even came up with a wild conspiracy theory: we learned that that mama Mercer and Char’s mom went to high school together and I bet all the parents go all the way back to school together and they somehow tie into Sutton and Emma’s parents. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Lying Game on iTunes.

Weeds: Apparently Silas is as dumb as he looks. I had Dawn Summers as a double agent right when she talked about how unhappy she was. What I did not see coming was her being the big bad or that she would clean him out that quickly.

Pretty Little Liars: I knew I should have put money on head shrinker dieing before she could tell anyone who “A” is. Why is it in every television show or movie whenever somebody calls someone to tell them a deep dark secret, they do not just tell them there so there is time for whoever is hiding the secret to do something to them? The head shrinker could have easily told Emily, “Hey, I know who “A” is, it is Bob the Bus Driver, tell your friends to meet me in my office to discuss. Oh and call the police just in case Bob the Bus Driver kills me before you get here.” You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Free Download of the Week: Pumped Up Kicks (Chrome Canyon Remix) - Foster the People (Rcrd Lbl): Ever wonder what the summer jam Pumped Up Kicks would sound like if it were reimaged as a early nineties slow jam? Wonder no long, just download this remix.

New Album Release of the Week: I'm With You - Red Hot Chili Peppers

New DVD Release of the Week: Parenthood: Season 2

Video of the Week: When you have George Harrison and Martin Scorcese in the same sentence, you know you are in for something. The former is the subject and the latter is the director of the documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World which will air in two parts October 5 and 6 on HBO. Check out the trailer below:



Next Week Pick of the Week: George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview, Sunday at 10:00 on the National Geographic Channel: With 9/11 tributes I full gear, National Geographic Channel has the biggest get, an exclusive interview with former president George W. Bush taking about the day for the first time since he left office. Look for my full preview tomorrow.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 8/20/11

Quote of the Week: I don’t usually get to do the shakedowns, it’s very exciting. (Dawn Summers, Weeds)

Song of the Week: Teenage Dream – Katy Perry (The Lying Game)

Big News of the Week: Miami the Most Corrupt of a Corrupt System: Maybe it is because I went to a college that won as many games as years I attended, but I never understood the fanaticism of college football. Then there is the whole no playoff thing. And it has shown to be the most corrupt system in all of America (which says a lot considering our political system). And the latest in the long line of corruption is a ponzie schemer rolling on the college who detailed years of kickbacks to players including a boat that got wrecked and even an abortion for a stripper. I would say the death penalty is warranted, but it is not like that is going to stop anyone.


Leverage: Best part of the episode: Eliot in his Indiana Jones outfit. Classic. We finally met the big bang and learned his motive. Interesting proposal, Nate gets the lowdown on the scummiest of the scum, but the other dude gets to profit Martha Stewart style. I’m guessing dude ends up in jail by the hand of Nate and his crew by the end of the season. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: Maybe I am just bored with “A” (I do not trust the promo monkeys when they elude that we may find out who (s)he is soon) but I do like this new evil step sister storyline. Evil is much more entertaining when there is a face attached to it. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Also check out my first impressions of The Lying Game and my last impressions of The Nine Lives of Chloe King.


Free Download of the Week: Magnifier.blogspot.com: Three months Google launched its new music site in beta. In it you can upload 20,000 songs to your account and use your Andriod devise to listen to your library on the go. But since I did not have an Andriod, I did not really care until Google launched Magnifier where you can add hundreds of free songs to your Google Music account. Of course there is a drawback that you cannot download these songs to your computer (or at least not yet, supposedly it is in the pipeline). The free music is an eclectic mix of everything from Alice Cooper to Wyclef Jean, Johnny Cash to John Legend, and even two songs from the dearly departed Jani Jane and his band Warrant. And be sure to bookmark the site because there will be a new free song every day. If you need an invite to Google Music, I have four invites to give, just shoot me an e-mail (sorry foreigners, Beta is currently only open to Americans) although I got an invite from Google less than twenty-four hours from requesting one.

Deal of the Week: Save up to 57% on Hit Movies & TV Deals (Batman Begins, Just Go with It, Planet Earth)

New Album Release of the Week: Muppets: The Green Album

New DVD Release of the Week: POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Video of the Week: American Horror Story has been dropping “clues” for the last couple weeks and now they have released the first promo featuring the actors from the show including Tami Taylor and, well, it is just as confusing as the “clues.” American Horror Story premieres October 5 on FX.



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Liquid Bomb Plot, Sunday at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel: I have a full review on this special tomorrow but I will leave you with what we call in the industry a tease: Ever wonder why you can only take three ounces of liquid on a plane? You actually have Tang to thank for it. Seriously.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 8/6/11

Quote of the Week: How accurate was The Wire? (Student – Weeds)

Song of the Week: Alien – Carey Brothers (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: The Debt Ceiling Raised: Since Republicans do not want to do anything to help the economy in hopes of taking back the White House next year and Democrats do not have the marbles to push legislation without compromise through like Bush did last decade, we were stuck hearing about the debt ceiling while our congressmen played political chicken with the word’s economy. Considering it would be a lose-lose-lose type situation if the debt ceiling limit was not raised, it was done at the last minute. All this led to an all time 14% approval rating of Congress which puts them somewhere between LeBron James and Casey Anderson.


Leverage: Oh you silly promo monkeys making us think that Eliot gets shot during the episode, but never actually gets caught in the cross hairs at all. But I did like the ingenious way of getting the daughter’s breath to open the panic room. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv.

Falling Skies: I swear those creatures controlling the Skidders are those long necked creatures from Star Wars on the planet where the clones are being made. We also get some interesting exposition that if you have a harness on for so long, you may turn into a skidder. But I still do not particularly care much about any of the characters. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv.

Switched at Birth: I wonder if Deafenstien is an actual movie because I think I may want to add it to my queue. You can stream the show on Hulu.

Pretty Little Liars: I have long questioned Big Head Barry’s assertion that he did not knowingly take steroids, but after seeing Emily was tricked by “A,” maybe Barry Bonds too was stalked by an omnipresent person that tricked him into using The Cream, The Clear and Beef Roids. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: I am beginning to think that empathy thing that Chloe does may be the most worthless superpower ever. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.

Rescue Me: It is a shame that Mike and White Shawn are not featured in more scenes because even seven years later they are still comedy gold. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.


Free Download of the Week: Dawes / Blitzen Trapper Tour Sampler (dawestheband.com): Dawes and Blitzen Trapper are hitting the road starting tomorrow in Petaluma, California and going through November. Head over to Dawes website to get the full list and while you are there you can download a sampler from both bands which includes Blitzen Trapper’s Furr which it worth the download by itself.

New Album Release of the Week: Watch the Throne - Jay-Z and Kanye West

New DVD Release of the Week: Paul

Next Week Pick of the Week: Falling Skies, Sunday at 9:00 on TNT: Stop me if you have heard this one before: a sci-fi show that sounds great on paper but ends up being mediocre in practice. And that was the same for Falling Skies. Things did start to build up in the last episode so hopefully the season can go out with a bang with their two hour finale. Also, star Noah Wiley will be live tweeting during the episode @fallingskiesTNT.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/24/11

Quote of the Week: And you’re still seeing the titbull? (Kelly, Rescue Me)

Song of the Week: I I've Got the World On a String – Frank Sinatra (Rescue Me)

Big News of the Week: MTV Video Music Awards Nominees Announced: It seems like a yearly rite of passage for most of the past decade when MTV unveils its nominations and I complain like an old dude yelling at kids to get off his lawn. But wait a second, this year Adele and Beastie Boys are up for Best Video. The Best Rock Video field is filled with acts that actually rock (Mumford and Sons! The Black Keys!) and no whiny emo rock crap in sight. The Song Otherwise Known as Forget You up for an award. And there is very little Lady GaGa or Britney Spears in sight. If MTV invites those acts former to perform and get a host that is actually funny, the VMA’s may be watchable this year. Seriously MTV, get Chris Rock on the phone.


Leverage: C’mon Leverage team, how did it take you almost an entire hour to figure out where the painting was? I realized where it was once Danny Glover started his story in the roller rink. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Falling Skies: So we have a Benedict Arnold in out mitts. I am a bit surprised that the aliens would be willing to grant amnesty to a human just for providing them more slaves, they seem to be able to take whatever they want when they want it. But I wonder whatever happened to the one dude’s girlfriend that was take a couple episodes back. After rescuing his brother he seems to forget all about her, not even doing anymore recon in the hospital for her and now is ready to up and move without rescuing her. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: So the evil dude hired an assassin to kill Chloe but he does not know what she looks like? Seriously? When the assassin found her, how about asking him to take a picture for future reference? You know, just in case you run into her while at an art gallery? Of course if I am not mistake, Buffy ran into Glory without knowing who the other was. Or was it Dawn? Either way, drink up if you are playing my Chloe King drinking game. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Nine Lives of Chloe King on iTunes.

Rescue Me: I wonder what is going to get someone killed first (you do not think the series would end without one more major death right, I have money on Tommy and Black Shawn) Lou’s physical health or the Chief’s mental health. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.


Free Download of the Week: Swell Window – Zee Avi (Rcrd Lbl)

Deal of the Week: Save up to 58% on Hit Movies & TV Deals (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Dark Knight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

New Album Release of the Week: LP1 - Joss Stone

New DVD Release of the Week: The Blues Brothers [Blu-ray]

Video of the Week: When MTV announced they were resurrecting Beavis and Butt-Head my first thought was “Awesome.” My second thought was, “but am I still going to find it funny now that I am fourteen years older?” After seeing the first four minutes of footage, the answer is a resounding yes even if it features one hundred percent Jersey Shore which the duo obliterates to the point I wonder how the MTV executives did not step in and edit it. That’s how she answers the phone. Ha ha, ha ha.

Get More: Beavis and Butt-Head, MTV Shows

Next Week Pick of the Week: The Challenge: Rivals, Wednesdays at 10:00 on MTV: Might as well go for the MTV trifecta even thou I probably have not mentioned MTV three times in the last year. I got back logged on the latest incarnation of The Challenge because I thought I would just watch it On Demand. But the premiere did not show up the day after. A week later and it was not there and I just forgot about it. Now I am almost completely caught up as they reach the midpoint of the season and Rivals is turning out to be one of the best with a dude getting kicked out the first night, Wes and Kenny having to work together and CT actually being entertaining and not just scary. But my favorite part of the season is when the new chick punched the mirror and starting to spout how she was from Houston and other nonsense. Someone really needs to sit that girl down and force her to watch the Chappelle’s Show segment, When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong. But if I have one complaint it is the same one that I have had with the past couple season, the unbreakable Kenny / Evan / Johnny alliance just makes things less fun.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/16/11

Quote of the Week: Texas forever. (Tim and Billy Riggins, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Heaven – Brandi Carlile (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: America Comes Up Short: Augments could have been made after the USA beat Brazil that it was the best game ever of any sport, right up there with the Miracle on Ice. Now that they came up short in the World Cup final, the Brazil match sits squarely in the second tier with all the other “Yeah, but” games. And the Japan win was eerily reminiscent of the US beating Brazil (sans any controversial referee moments) with a late goal in extra time and pulling out the win in penalty kick. They even got a red card, but only had to be down one player for seconds (and America was just about a foot away from possibly getting a penalty kick win in regulation). And if Alex Morgan is reading this, you are more than welcome to cry on my shoulder as long as you like.




Leverage: I would not have been opposed had they done an entire segment devoted to the team trying to get the douchebag to do something heroic. That was comedy gold. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Falling Skies: The creepiest moment of the short series has to be when the skitter led the children into the room and nested on them like a mama bird. It creeps me out just writing that. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Rescue Me: with just two months worst of episodes left, I am ready to say goodbye to this show. The part where Tommy took a drink so he could hear the dead people, just to spit it out was a little too much for me. Considering the show will end with the anniversary of 9/11, I am sure there will be a touching sendoff, but I fear the lead up will be too cumbersome. Granted the firehouse discussion of offensive stereotypes on reality television was entertaining. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: The finale is still a little fresh and am still formulating my thoughts (which will be too long for this space) so until I get the digital version of pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) check out Grantland’s Oral History of Friday Night Lights, which hopefully is a precursor of a 250-page book. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Pilot - Alphas, Season 1

Deal of the Week: Favorite HBO Shows for Up to 65% Off (Deadwood, Eastbound and Down, Six Feet Under)

New Album Release of the Week: Universal Pulse - 311

New DVD Release of the Week: Young Justice: Season One V.1

Video of the Week: Earlier this week I reviewed her band’s Cocoon album (see I Gave Up on Giving Up on Me) and for those that that want to relive her time on the Voice, here is the Best of Dia Frampton (though you should go to Hulu and search her name for her full performances, or just go to iTunes and buy her songs).



Next Week Pick of the Week: Rescue Me, Wednesday at 10:00 on FX: With everthing going on last week, I almost forgot that Rescue Me was returning for its final season. First episode back was a little rocky (if I am not mistaken, the last two seasons were originally supposed to be one, but the network broke them up so the show could end just prior to the tenth anniversary of 9/11), but hopefully it ramps up for its series finale just days before we memorialize that tragic day.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/9/11

Quote of the Week: Let me tell you something, you’re gonna be the quarterback of the Dillon Panthers next season. And you’re gonna shine. (Coach Taylor, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Devil Town – Tony Lucca (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: Casey Anthony Trial: So I have no clue who Casey Anthony was before this week, and honestly still not entirely sure why she is national news, but for some reason white woman have not been this mad at a verdict since O.J. Simpson was deemed not guilty. I do not know why someone that no one knew before this trail could get everyone up in a frenzy (seriously, America how about caring more about our fallen soldiers dying for our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan than some random chick in Florida) but now I am going to Vegas to see what the Over / Under on the number of seasons until Casey Anderson makes it onto Celebrity Rehab.


Leverage: It is a shame that the killer was clearly recognizable to me from the second flashback because other than that it was a fun silly little episode. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Falling Skies: After last week’s creepy ending I kept waiting for a twist ending and it was a little weird ending the episode on a normal dinner scene. I guess sci-fi shows has engrained in me that something shocking would close out every episode. Andb I do not care if they are just kids, if someone is shooting at me, I am firing right back. I’m also killing the sleeping skidders. If the skidders control the mechs and the skidders are dead, the mechs are useless. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: For those taking part in my Chloe King Drinking Game (take a shot whenever you thing of Buffy) probably got really tipsy this week when Chloe got super hearing just like Buffy in the episode when Jonathan was going to go on a killing spree. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Nine Lives of Chloe King on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: I feel a little cheated that they have spent the last couple episodes playing up is Ian really dead or not storyline just to find out that he was a live, but wait he “shot” himself (though probably did not). Plot twists upon plot twists are a little tedious. And I wonder when everyone is going to realize the reason “A” is always one step ahead is because “A” is tapping their phones. It is the only logical answer assuming the show does not go supernatural (or “A” turns out to Aria which is my second guess as who is “A” after Allison is still alive). You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: Grandma Saracen and Tyra Collette. Sigh. It is good to see them one last time (and it is a shame we will not be seeing Tyra in a Wonder Woman costume every week next fall, I would have tuned in no matter how bad it was). But it is weird that they are playing Tim and Tyra up as some grand love when they did they same thing with Lyla last season. I would gladly go to jail if I had those two fighting over me when I got out. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.




Free Download of the Week: Dangerbird Summer Sampler 2011 (Amazon MP3): This sampler includes songs by Fritz and the Tantrums, Minus the Bear, and Beady Eye (which is just Oasis without Noel Gallagher).

Deal of the Week: $5 Indie MP3 Albums: Amazon currently has almost 500 indie albums for only $5 including ones from The Civil Wars, Broken Bells, Lissie, and Band of Horses.



New Album Release of the Week: Red River Blue - Blake Shelton

New DVD Release of the Week: The Lincoln Lawyer

Video of the Week: For the latest installment of HBO’s documentary series, Love Crimes of Kabul goes inside the Bagh Woman’s Prison where half of the prisoners are there for “moral crimes” like running away from home, adultery, and premarital sex. Check out a trailer below and tune into Love Crimes of Kabul Monday at 9:00.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Friday Night Lights, Friday at 8:00 on NBC: Earlier this week, Friday Night Lights racked up its fourth straight Scooter Television Award for Best Scripted Show (it was keep from a clean sweep from the final season of Veronica Mars) which sadly be the last time it wins that award as the series run comes to an end next week. And while you are waiting for the last episode to air (or want to relive the series for you lucky DirecTV viewers), head over to NBC.com to flip through the Friday Night Lights Yearbook.

The Best Television Shows of 2010-11

I usually like to post my best shows of the year list after the May finales but at that point The Killing was still in the middle of its season so I decided to delay it because how the season ended would play a role in how it would land on the list. But after actually seeing the finale it was all for naught because the show dropped itself out of the top ten (and the top twenty at that). But even without The Killing, AMC actually managed its first two series on my end of year list. So here are the ten that did not have a finale so bad I wanted to throw the remote at my television:

1. Friday Night Lights, Season 5 (DirecTV / NBC)

2. Justified, Season 2 (FX)

3. Parenthood, Season 2 (NBC)

4. The Big Bang Theory, Season 4 (CBS)

5. Community, Season 2 (NBC)

6. Terriers, Season 1 (FX)

7. Modern Family, Season 2 (ABC)

8. The Walking Dead, Season 1 (AMC)

9. Rubicon, Season 1 (AMC)

10. Leverage, Season 3 (TNT)



Below is a running tally of shows that landed a Quote or Song of the Week over the past year.

Quotes of the Week
The Big Bang Theory – 6
Friday Night Lights – 5
The Killing – 4
Community –3
Justified – 3
Rubicon – 3
Castle – 2
Chuck – 2
Modern Family – 2
Pardon the interruption – 2
Pretty Little Liars – 2
Rescue Me – 2
Glory Daze – 1
Greek – 1
How I Met Your Mother – 1
No Ordinary Family - 1
Survivor – 1
Terriers – 1
The Voice – 1
The Sing Off – 1
The Walking Dead – 1
Two and a Half Men – 1

Songs of the Week
Chuck – 4
Friday Night Light – 4
Community – 3
Parenthood – 3
Pretty Little Liars – 3
How I Met Your Mother – 2
Glory Daze – 2
Lights Out – 2
Modern Family – 2
Outsourced – 2
Rubicon – 2
Sons of Anarchy – 2
Terriers – 2
The Big Bang Theory – 2
Castle- 1
Covert Affairs – 1
Franklin and Bash – 1
Greek – 1
Memphis Beat – 1
No Ordinary Family – 1
Rescue Me – 1
Shameless – 1
Survivor - 1
The Voice – 1

Previewing Leverage 4.x

The last image we got of Leverage was Nate sharing a bed with Sophie which adds to plenty of tension when the show returns tonight on TNT. Both Nate and Sophie are quick to jump into a new case to temper the awkwardness as the crew steals a mountain (again) when a mountain climber go missing with foul play being suggested. (Apparently the climber in question is not Eric Stoltz even though I was convinced it was for most of the episode). With many experienced climber dying on this part of the mountain, this is easily the most dangerous mission the Leverage team has taken to date

With Damien Moreau behind bars, tonight’s episode does introduce what looks to be another season long arc when someone turns the table on the Leverage team. Also expected this season the team will target a public relations expert (guest star Michael Gladis) who protects his clients by destroying the lives of anyone who gets in their way; a millionaire who pays to have himself moved up on a heart-transplant waiting list; a woman who profits from people’s grief through a funeral scam; a big corporation out to bury potato farmers; and a group trying to kill a World War II veteran (guest star Danny Glover) who allegedly has a very rare Van Gogh painting. In addition, the team will once again face their nemesis, insurance-investigator-turned-InterPOL-agent Jim Sterling (guest star Mark Sheppard). They will also discover that someone has been spying on their activities, although the nature of the culprit’s agenda is a mystery.

Leverage airs Sundays at 9:00 on TNT and will be followed by Falling Skies in its new timeslot. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Previewing Leverage: The Ho Ho Ho Job

Just in time to spread some holiday cheer, Leverage returns this Sunday to finish off its third season and naturally taking up a case from Santa Claus. Yes, red suit, long beard Santa Claus has been unceremoniously fired after being framed by his boss, guest star Dave Foley who does his best Grinch impression for the episode, at the mall he was working at. And he is not the only familiar face as a certain Sheldon Cooper will make a triumphant return to be the thorn in the side of the Leverage team.

Ironically it is the next episode that is entitled The Big Bang Job which starts off a two part finale, both airing December 19 starting at 9:00, where the group gets back to tracking down the infamous Damien Monreau, the ruthless international financier that guest Elisabetta Canalis has hired the team to take down. A job so big the group resorts to stealing the Department of Defense and a whole country just to get near the big bad.

Fans of Leverage should really enjoy these three final episodes with so many twists and turns in the finale, TNT sent a laundry list of topics that they forbid me from talking about. I can say they two scenes that I have been banned from talking about left a big grin on my face (and many more that are not on the list, but are way too good to spoil either, at least one for each character) and one that deserved applause when it concluded. And unlike many series that just do not how to close out a season/series, the ending to the third season is very satisfying.

Leverage returns this Sunday at 9:00 for its Christmas episode (The Ho Ho Ho Job)and the two hour finale also starts at 9:00 12/19. You can stream recent episodes on tnt.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXLVII

Quote of the Week: All we need is Boyz II Men and we’d have a prom. (Tanya, Rubicon)

Song of the Week: (They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters (as hummed by Hank, Terriers)

Big News of the Week: TNT Is Heading to Dallas: For those that had Dallas in your office pool of what eighties project Hollywood would exploit next, collect your prize (I unfortunately drew The Greatest American Hero). Although, I thought that there was a movie in the works with Eva Longoria. But anyway. Much like the unwatchable 90210 rehash, the show will focus on the next generation, with the offspring of brothers JR and Bobby Ewing taking center stage. No word yet on when the show will show up on TNT.

Leverage: You can never go wrong with the Dead Hooker Con (which is what the real name of the con was). Though I really could not follow the cat and mouse game between Nate and the Italian. She really wanted him to believe she intended to kill him in hopes that he would go after the target without her? I really do not get it. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Rubicon: In the first couple episodes, the comic relief seemed shoehorned in and almost like a completely different show, but the show is doing a much better job blending the humor in. I especially like Tanya chiding Grant for not getting the Boyz II Men (though it is about time for a comeback because R&B sucked last decade). reference when the group hasn’t been big since her prom and Cale’s general condescending nature during his test. You can download Rubicon on iTunes.

Also check out my first impressions of the season and series premieres of Sons of Anarchy and Terriers.

Free Download of the Week: Americana Music Awards Sampler (Amazon MP3): Features song by The Avett Brothers, John Hiatt and Steve Earle.

Deal of the Week: The Big Blu Ray Sale (The Dark Knight, Chuck Seasons 1 and 2, The Never Ending Story)

Video of the Week: A new Kristen Bell movie hits the big screen and when she is not campaigning for a revival of Veronica Mars, she apparently is getting in verbal catfights with the cast of You Again. Heartbreakers. Ha ha.

You Again Cast Fight

You Again Cast Fight from Betty White

Next Week Pick of the Week: Survivor, Wednesday at 8:00 on CBS: Survivor is switching it up again this time dividing up its tribes by age in Nicaragua. Granted if I were a bookkeeper, I would set the over/under for how long until the switch up the tribes at 3.5 episodes. Here’s hoping they named the tribes Sandinistas and Contras (and not because of the Clash or Vampire Weekend albums).

In other premiere news, two show are getting early previews after this week’s episodes of America’s Got Talent and I do not think it is a coincidence they both have ties to the 2002 cinema classic Swinf@n. Erika Christensen returns for the second season of Parenthood on Tuesday (which will be its regular night) and the object of her affection Jesse Bradford shows up on Wednesday (before settling into its regular Friday death slot) in the cast of Outlaw, a show about the most conservative member of the Supreme Court who resigns to fight for the little guy. Another Parenthood tie is that Ellen Woglom, who is the best part of Outlaw, could past as Monica Potter’s younger sister. Outlaw tries a little too hard to be House set in a courtroom, but the first episode does feature the RZA.

You will have to wait until next week until another Swimf@n alum gets his own show when The Event starring Jason Ritter premieres September 20. No word when NBC will be giving Shiri Appleby her own show.