Big News of the Week: ’09 Elections: Well that was boring (on the bright side I can now become a gambling degenerate without leaving the state even though I voting against it). That is not that the news stations tried to make it into a bigger story. But it is hard to make to make any grand assumptions when the Republicans won only four percent of the governorships. Wake me up next year when a third of the Senators and the entire House is on the ballot.
Free Download of the Week: The Prisoner (iTunes): Do not forget I am giving away two copies of the original The Prisoner (one DVD, one Blu-Ray, click the banner at right to enter), and for those looking forward to the upcoming AMC version, iTunes has a nine minutes preview to download for free.
Video of the Week: Vaughn and Peirce are certainly no Dylan and the Rusty Zippers, but that hasn’t stopped them for making a music video for Gettin’ Rid of Britta.
Next Week Pick of the Week: Tool Academy, Sunday at 9:00 on VH1: With the group down to its final two tomorrow we find out who is the most reformed Tool. Either way, here is hoping for a reunion special because they tend to be the best episode of VH1 shows. As a prediction, I would put my money on the Tat-Tool.
Tool Academy: Charm has become this season’s Shawn who inexplicably manages to make it one more week even though he was one of the biggest tools from week one. You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.
Greek: Oh crap, they really are going to reignite the Cappie / Casey / Evan love triangle. Hopefully they graduate and all that happens off screen. And let’s face it, trading Olivia Munn for Casey = downgrade even if she is a slacker. At least Dale passing out Bible study fliers at the strip club was pretty funny You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
The Big Bang Theory: Wow, Sheldon lost at something again. First he incorrectly guessed the cricket and then he loses to the Star Trek dude and on purpose. I cannot wait to see what revenge Sheldon has up his sleeve because you know some is coming (assuming the guy is willing to guest star again, but really, what does he have going on). You can download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
Castle: I really didn’t understand that if the arrangement was for one book, why did Beckett let Castle stick around after the book was written and not wait until it was published conclude their arrangement. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes. Also be sure to check out my chat with Stana Katic.
Sons of Anarchy: It’s surprising that Tom Everett Scott doesn’t get more screen time as SAMCRO’s lawyer. And I know he is sans an eye, but were was Otto while everyone else was in the Big House? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.
Mercy: Is the doctor really going to let Ronnie off the hook for putting a cinder block through his car just because his mail order bride died? And do firemen really get called to such calls like breaking and entering? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Mercy on iTunes.
Modern Family: Nothing like a swim in the pool with your clothes on to wash away all your family drama. Alighty. As funny as Al Bundy asking his gay son’s boyfriend if he found him attractive, the episode seriously needed another song from Dylan. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
Survivor: Samoa: After the last two episodes, it got me thinking, at what point are the elements so bad do the suspend the game? Is there an amount of rainfall, a certain temperature where they step in? And I was surprised they didn’t go ahead with tribal as planned because when the other dude dropped out, they still had to vote someone out. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.
Tool Academy: There is something to be said that when it was announced that the winning team would get a conjugal visit, Shannon and her “Special” Tool were the only ones not celebrating. So not surprising that they got eliminated. But I was really shocked that she took him back. I wonder if there is something seriously wrong with Shannon that we didn’t see because she should be albe to do much better than him. And having him John and Dre P eliminated in succession may hurt the show from an entertainment standpoint. You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.
How I Met Your Mother: Holy crap, I was a sexless innkeeper. And no I am not retelling that story in poem form or not. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.
Trauma: The show really needs to spend more time developing their characters instead of going out on some of these smaller calls. They could have dropped either the skater or drunk couple and spend those five minutes getting to know the characters better. There are some interesting ones there; they just need to focus more screen time on them. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Trauma on iTunes.
Greek: It is good to see Dale born again at the episode because sleazy Dale was physically uncomfortable to watch. Also physically uncomfortable, the thought of a return of the Casey / Cappie / Evan love triangle. Hopefully this doesn’t happen. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
The Big Bang Theory: Great use of an Eye of the Tiger montage. You can stream current episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
Castle: I agree with Castle: best case ever. But I may go one further and say it was the best episode ever. And much like Castle, I was conned into thinking that the dude was actually CIA too. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes. Also be sure to check out my chat with Stana Katic.
Hip Hop Honors:: It is interesting to watch the reactions of the founders and CEO’s of Def Jam during certain performances, usually they would sing along and be excited, but were flatfooted during Ja Rule and Rick Ross. And coincidentally so was I. And just behind that front row in the balcony I swear was MC Serch of 3rd Bass who were conspicuously absent during the performances.
Mercy: Crazy homeless burrito stealing dude gets hit by a bike: classic. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Mercy on iTunes.
Gary Unmarried: The ending was a little cheap because once you get a nickname, you are not losing it until you graduate (and hope none of your classmates go to the same college) or you get an even more humiliating nickname. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download Gary Unmarried on iTunes.
Modern Family: Let’s hope Shelley Long isn’t really moving to Canada or at the very least makes the trek down to the states for holidays and family reunions because The Incident on the show was much more satisfying than the one on Lost. And more Dylan and the Rusty Zippers please because much like the families, I have been humming the song all week. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
Real World-Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins: Yeah, the producers didn’t realize why the champions are champions for a reason. The only Ruins the challengers have won so far was one that a champion threw. At this point are there going to be any challengers left for the final challenge? You can stream recent episodes over at mtv.com. You can also download Real World-Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins on iTunes.
Survivor: Samoa: With the tribe being unable to strategize, it makes me wonder why the show doesn’t have losing tribes go straight to tribal council more often. It has only happened once or trice that I can remember. It could make tribal council more interesting. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.
Community: I actually went to high school with someone who would believe anything I would tell her. I’d try to up the lie in hopes she would finally get I was joking but she would end up believing I was related to the fictitious Shooter McGavin while Darrin McGavin was my grandfather. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.
Tool Academy: I need someone to explain to me again how running across tapioca pudding leads to maturity? Shouldn’t playing with your food show a lack of maturity? And sadly Big Big got the ax, things will be less fun without him. You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.
Trauma: I though the show was going to turn the corner when Herc told the gang bangers “Don’t shoot the white guy” but unfortunately the character stuff just isn’t living up to the bang bang stuff. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Trauma on iTunes.
The Big Bang Theory: To answer Sheldon’s question he posed at the end of the episode: yes, every hot chick to walk this planet. Or at the very least every one I have ran into. You can stream current episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
Castle: It always has to be the naïve husband, doesn’t it. But what does it say about me that I was thinking that the babysitter would turn out to be the culprit. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes. Also be sure to check out my chat with Stana Katic.
Sons of Anarchy: One of the most intriguing relationships of the show is that between Hale and Unser, well Captain American Hale and anyone. But the scene where Unser told Hale why he made Hale his number two was a great one. But Hale has been uncharacteristically grey recently. First he doesn’t do anything about Darby’s meth lab and then he gives Jax the video of Opie at the scene of the crime. If Hale’s moral compass starts to drift east, is there any hope for Charming? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.
Mercy: Even though I saw it coming, I can’t believe they let a raccoon loose in the hospital. And then Dawn Summers killed it! Good times. Although Rescue Me did a much funnier Russian internet bride storyline. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Mercy on iTunes.
Gary Unmarried: It was a little disappointing that we did get to learn what Louis said to the bully. One could deduce that it was something global warming related as it caused the kid to stay in front of The Weather Channel. But it would have been nice to know the exact threat she gave him. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download Gary Unmarried on iTunes.
Modern Family: After keeping the families separate last episode, it is clear the show is at its best when they interest. The fake producers should force the families to have at least one family dinner a week just to have an excuse to do so. And I found it odd that the eldest daughter’s boyfriend has been in more episodes than the daughter herself. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
Real World-Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins: Someone who still watches MTV really needs to remind me when there is a new Challenge because I always seem to miss the start and have to play catch up. And oh so much happened in the first two episodes. Except any punches thrown. Instead we get a lot of head butting, literally. But my favorite moment so far was Darrell’s housewife comment. He may have said it just to get under the skin of Wes, but he basically insulted every female on the show because Kelly Anne may not even crack the top five sexual partners on the show. But what be the most shocking is Brad being on the challengers team. How many of these has he participated in and hasn’t won any yet. Even Katie and Tonya have managed to scrape out a win over the past decade. You can stream recent episodes over at mtv.com. You can also download Real World-Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins on iTunes.
Survivor: Samoa: I was really hoping that the one tribe was going to go 0-for until the merge. And how you could blame Monica (who thankfully didn’t go home because she was my pick to win it all) because you still were leading coming off the rope portion of the competition. You lost because you couldn’t get the final blocks to stay. Hopefully Russell’s tribe gets back to its losing ways, wise up to his shenanigans and vote him off. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.
Community: From the pilot I thought making Annie the lead would be best for the show and after this episode I realized how they should go about it. For a spin-off, follow her in her pursuit of a psychology degree because those scenes were the funniest of the series so far. I could pass along some plot ideas from the experiments I participated during my college days. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.
Tool Academy: That was a morbid therapy session. I’m not sure I would want to teach a girlfriend how to appreciate me. And another week another peak into Leah’s world. Last week we learned she was a stripper and this week she has a kid whom I am presuming is not Dre P’s. I can’t image that the Rebecca-Manscaped Tool will last that long because he was ready to dump her after the challenge even though she was a perfect lady during the date. I can’t image it would last much longer after she sees that footage. Plus as we saw from the dress she wore at elimination, she is way out o his league. You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.
Greek: Holy Olivia Munn sighting! Let’s hope that she stick around a while. As an added bonus, having Cappie and Evan catering may be comedy gold. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
The Big Bang Theory: I was really hoping that the Leonard-Penny relationship would flame out because I had the under. Plus the sooner that happens, the sooner we can get the drunken Penny-Sheldon hook-up. You can download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
Castle: You pretty much knew there was going to be some sort of draw when they doubled up on the head shaving. Too bad, because the dresses side bet would have been funny. But watching Beckett get in on the action almost made up for it. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes. Also be sure to check out my chat with Stana Katic.
Sons of Anarchy: After some slow burning so far this season, we get to see a boiling point between Jax and Clay. But I get a feeling we will have to wait until the end of the season before something big goes down. You would think Piney would take things into his own hands if Jax doesn’t do something soon though. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.
Mercy:I think I may had laughed more during this episode than any of the sitcoms this week. And that wasn’t even because of the dude from Saturday Night Live because I rarely laugh at him when he is on SNL. Although I laughed pretty hard when no one tried to stop him when he cut off his ear only for a delayed tackle from the orderlies. This show may turn out to be watchable after all, but maybe not for the reasons the show wants you to watch. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Mercy on iTunes.
Modern Family: Really the only thing funnier than a racist (Al Bundy calling Superman and Manny’s father illegal aliens had me on the floor), is a racist that is actually married to a minority. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
Survivor: Samoa: Well that was a letdown. The promo made it seem like Jaison was going to plot against Russell but he just wanted to get Ben out. Hurph. And what is with all the comined immunity and reward challenges? They haven’t done a separate one yet expect for that mini one in the premiere with just the four participants. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.
Tool Academy: This episode made it clear that the show should never have a competition between just the guys. C’mon, wouldn’t the farming challenge have been more entertaining if the females were helping out? But therapy more than made up for it. They always make the females on the show seem like angels, but when two were outted as strippers you can see things a little more clear from the tools perspective. And I totally have to back Shannon on her observations of strippers. You can stream recent episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.
Greek: I am never a fan of dope humor and the wingman metaphors just fell flat, but this episode was saved by three things, Laura’s adventures in karaoke, Rebecca’s reaction to finding out her boyfriend was gay and professor Homer Simpson’s curmudgeoness. And with Frannie apparently no longer at Cypress Rhoades, Laura is been slowly becoming my favorite character on the show after landing last week’s quote of the week and this week’s musical interludes. Now if only she starts making geo-political references she will make my favorite character’s list. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.
Castle: You have to admire any woman who carries around a slutty outfit in her purse just in a case where a situation where one is needed. Too bad we didn’t get more with Castle commenting on Beckett’s outfit. And just when you thought the case was a simple someone gets thrown of a building kind, the ambulance gets attacked. Can’t say I saw that coming. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes. Also be sure to check out my chat with Stana Katic.
Sons of Anarchy: I am not sure what I laughed at more, Bobby Elvis singing Jewish tunes or the Mad Men porn. Well, Bobby singing had a much less disturbing ending to it. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.
Gary Unmarried: Interesting that Gary’s dream job is a sports radio host considering he has guest hosted the Jim Rome Show and even participated in a few Smack Off’s. The cast overhaul continues for anyone without the last name Brookes as both love interests are gone as well as Gary’s Hispanic buddy who is traded in for a black one. The class warfare with the station manager, albeit extremely clichéd, should induce some laughs. But Louise still remains the star of the show. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download Gary Unmarried on iTunes.
Survivor: Samoa: I literally cringed when Russell found the immunity idol. He isn’t the love to hate kind of person, he is a loathe that I even know who he is kind of person. On the bright spot, he is so conceited he may not see a blindside coming. And this season is dying for a blindside. Maybe I am just spoiled from all the blindsides last season. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.
Community: It is clear that Annie is going to be the reason to watch the show, she stole every scene she was in and actually really the only good scenes beside the montage at the end. Hopefully next semester we can get her a spinoff. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.
Quote of the Week: You can feed him in his wife beater onesy. (Tara – Sons of Anarchy)
Song of the Week: Welcome Daddy (Ashlee’s amended lyrics version) – The Sisters of ZBZ (Greek)
Big News of the Week: Politicians Behaving Badly: The week started off with the lames patrician bickering ever over Barack Obama’s speech to the nation’s children. Shouldn’t be something that all presidents to? But of course the religious nut jobs were all up in arms just like the liberal communists were back when the original Bush did. Sometime a speech to kids is just a speech to kids. But watching the speech, someone should have told Obama he was talking to a bunch of ten year olds because he sounded like he was giving one of his stump speeches. Granted he only has two gears of speaking, the stump speech and his bored out of his mind delivery.
That wasn’t the only speech Obama gave this week as he took yet another bite of primetime to pitch his health care plan. And like most addresses to Congress, the only reason to watch is to watch the unintentional comedy of the Congressmen like who gets caught sleeping because let’s face it, these addresses never actually say anything new. And the one on Wednesday didn’t disappoint. Usually the highlight is the parties trying to out cheer/boo each other at certain lines, but one Republican congressman went so far as to shout “You lie!” after Obama said his health care plan wouldn’t cover illegal immigrants. Classic. This overshadowed another Congressman who had in his lap a “What Bill?” sign. We are inching closer to the good old political days of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton which I am all for.
Coalition Links of the Week: It premieres and it sucked. We mean that in the best way possible when it comes to The Vampire Diaries. (TV Fanatic)
George's funeral, a married Alex and Izzie; BuzzSugar gets a peek at the upcoming sixth season of Grey's Anantomy. (BuzzSugar)
This week, Sandie interviewed Stana Katic who plays Detective Kate Beckett on Castle. (Daemon's TV)
Vance breaks down the new Fall 2009 TV shows and why he is or isn't going to watch. (Tapeworthy)
With your favorite season premieres just around the corner, we shared our Top 5 most anticipated new comedies and dramas. (The TV Addict)
Tool Academy: I am not sure who wins the Moron of the Week Award, the “Special” Tool for blurting out, “Okay, I (explicative deleted) her” in front of his girlfriend, all the other Tools and the entire VH1 viewing public, the Dancing Tool who tried to explain just how much he loves his girlfriend by saying that he is dating her and doesn’t even have a Asian fetish (and then continue to keep digging after that comment), or the Redneck Tool for bursting a condom on his head. And that still didn’t hurt as much as the beating he got from his girlfriend. Naturally the Rednecks would react as if they are on Springer. But after the “Special” Tool confesses comes the most bizarre segment ever where almost all the guys there started confession their infidelities one after other. You can stream current episodes over at vh1.com. You can also download Tool Academy on iTunes.
Greek: Here is where I usually start off the review with “Holy (insert a favorite character’s name here) sighting!” But who do I go with Dr. Harold Abbot or Dwayne Wayne? Although I am not ready for Dwayne Wayne to have a twenty year old daughter. I wonder if Whitley is the mother. You can stream current episodes on Hulu.
Leverage: Having Eliot just happening to be at the drop spot to keep Parker from being assassinated was a lame plot point, but I will forgive the show simply because the slo-mo lunge with the flowing hair was absurdly cheesy in a funny kind of way. You can stream current episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.
Free Download of the Week: Community (Amazon Video on Demand): Community may not be the best new show or even the funniest new comedy of the fall season (that goes to Modern Family), but you can check out the first episode of the show before it airs.
Deal of the Week: Fall TV Event: $20-$30 (Rescue Me, Chuck (Blu-Ray), Mad Men, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip)
Video of the Week: One of the great things about Hulu is they occasionally add criminally underwatched show (Arrested Development remains one of the most watched show on the site). Thanks to the recent partnership with ABC, here is another show many of you didn’t watch the first time around but should check it out now: The Knights of Prosperity which recently ranked in at #21 on The 100 Greatest Television Shows of the 00’s. All thirteen episodes are available to stream, here is the first one. If enough people check it on Hulu, maybe we will be lucky enough to get the show in DVD for. Now if only NBC would do the same for Ed (#4) and I will be a happy camper which actually came from the same producers of Knights of Prosperity.
Next Week Pick of the Week: Survivor: Samoa: The granddaddy of reality show is back for its nineteenth and it looks like this will be a bells and whistles free season, they are even dumping Exile Island this go around. As for a preseason pick, I would go with John. He is a rocket scientist for goodness sake (granted the last one didn’t last long).
Quote of the Week: Leah was pissed to the highest pissisity. (Dre P – Tool Academy)
Song of the Week: Tracks of My Tears – Smokey Robinson and The Roots (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)
Big News of the Week: Teen Wolf Remake in the Pipeline: I really cannot take credit for there being a Teen Wolf remake because let’s face it, everything will be remade in the new future. But I would like to think that me mentioning it a couple times last month put it on the fast track. But oddly it is not being remade into a movie (yet), but as an MTV show. Sadly that probably that means the budget won’t be enough for my casting suggestions of McLovin as the Wolf and Juno as Boof.
Coalition Links of the Week: This week, we checked back in with your favorite doctors at Seattle Grace and have a early review of the Grey's Anatomy season premiere to share with you. (The TV Addict)
Which reality will Fringe take place in when season two premieres? The TV Fanatic can't wait to find out. (TV Fanatic)
We got yet another amazing Weeds finale this week. Buzz wonders: of all the seasons, which finale has been your favorite? (BuzzSugar)
This week, Eric shared some pictures from the season 6 premiere of The Office. (Daemon's TV)
Nigel picked his Top 15. Vance picked his Top 25 dance routines EVER from So You Think You Can Dance. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace offered an advance review of the first three episodes of Season Seven of HBO's painfully hilarious Curb Your Enthusiasm. (Televisionary)
Greek: It was nice to see Cappie turn down Casey’s advances because the Casey-centric love polygons are extremely annoying at this point. Pick a dude and stick with it. Or just fly solo and stick with it. And there were few thing more telegraphed than Rebecca (who suddenly looks absurdly hot this season) mystery guy turning out to be Fisher. And her “that’s just who I am” excuse is so lame it single handedly ruined the character. You can stream current episodes on Hulu.
Leverage: One has to wonder if Iceman’s accent was supposed to be bad or if the actor’s British accent was so bad that they just wrote in into the script. Either way it was hilarious. But the Sophie sub plot was a little odd and out of place. You can stream current episodes over at TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.
Free Download of the Week: Fall TV Preview (iTunes): iTunes has preview clips of many of the returning shows from network and cable including previews of ten new shows.
Deal of the Week: TV for Under $20 (The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, Pushing Daisies, Chappelle Show)
Video of the Week: It is a shame that no one goes to see live action movies by Mike Judge. In fact Beavis and Butt-Head Do America made over five times more money at the box office than Office Space and Idiocracy combines. Maybe that is why be brought back the animated duo to hock his latest movie Extract.
“I would pay a chick to pay me to have sex.” Huh, huh, that’s cool.
Next Week Pick of the Week: Leverage, Wednesday at 9:00 on TNT: The summer finale features a guest appearance from Jeri Ryan. And if you are a fan of the show, which you should be, you will be happy to know that TNT has renewed the show for the third season. Expect the show return to finish off its second season sometime this winter and the third to air Summer 2010.
When a reality show has an absurdly entertaining first season like Tool Academy did, there are really only two routes it can take. One can hope that it ends up like Survivor, a decent concept that along with the right casting can still be watchable nineteen seasons later. Then there are the reality shows that end up like Beauty and the Geek, a great concept, but one the cat is out of the bag, not even great casting can salvage subsequent season from being as great.
After the first season ended I was pretty sure Tool Academy would take the Beauty and Geek route, but after the first episode it is clear that there are plenty of tools that are stupid enough to think they have been chosen to compete to be a party king to be entertaining for years to come. Personally I would have been tipped off by the Her energy drink sponsorship which I was shocked to turn out to be an actually drink.
They even found some new kinds of Tools including the Old Tool, Tat-Tool, Hillbilly Tool, and my personal favorite “Special” Tool (their quotation marks, not mine) who may also win this season’s hottest girlfriend contest in Shannon. Although there are Guy-liner Tool, Manscaping Tool, and Spray Tan Tool which basically all of them are all already. And, well, they are all tatted up too, but Tat-Tool still overdoes it more than the rest. But there is still a high probability that this cast gets the Tool Academy logo tattooed at some point this season like the previous cast.
With a show like Tool Academy, it is hard to predict a winner because their rules for elimination seems to change from episode to episode, but I will be rooting for Ohio’s own Dre P., the B-Ball Wannabe Tool to win, who may have had the best line of the night, “Leah was so pissed to the highest pissisity.” Although the Giant Tool blaming his behavior on a “Schick coma” maybe the greatest excuse ever in the history of excuses.
The first challenge may have been better than any of the inaugural season where they had to bail water from a sinking ship. But it was amazing that of the twelve Tools competing; only one of them had the brain power to think, hey maybe I should stick a finger and/or toe in this hole. Then we had an elimination show expositive, the host flipped his lid and just started yelling at the Tool to leave. Luckily this wasn’t the Guy-liner Tool because he almost came to tears and that would have not been pretty.
If there was one complaint of the first season of Tool Academy it would be there were just too many chicks who took their Tools back after being eliminated. And much like last season, the first to go was taken back by his girl despite his huge hissy fit he threw. And not to mention she was already slumming with the guy who was way out of her league. But considering the preview for next week that promises a shocking ending that may finally change this season. Of course in true VH1 fashion, they ended up giving away that shocking ending two seconds later. I really need to stop watching VH1 promos.
Muck like last season, all these guys are definitely Tools, but not all the girls are squeaky clean again like last season which begs the question, when will we get a female version of the show? The biggest obstacle most likely is a name because not of the female equivalent of Tool are really television appropriate. But how about B-Girl Academy? And if you don't know what “B” means, let us explain: “B” stands for Broncos, Benzes, BMWs, bass, bangles, and a pair of bars. We see you pulling up down the alley; you all act like we are stars. We're not trying to make a joke, we’re just trying to make it known that people in the world that we call B-Girls like bars on a Cadillac Brougham.
Coalition Links of the Week: With his new series, What Would Brian Boitano Make?, Brian Boitano proves that while the famed figure skater may not be a master chef, he is cute as a button. (TiFaux)
With September fast approaching, so to are 75 new and returning TV shows. And here to ensure you don't miss a moment of your favorite (or soon-to-be favorite) show is theTVaddict.com with our printable and downloadable season premiere calendar. (The TV Addict)
Hot blood suckers playing football? See, we told you The Vampire Diaries was nothing like Twilight! (TV Fanatic)
This week, Sandie interviewed 90210's newcomer Trevor Donovan. (Daemon's TV)
Afro Jazz. Capoeira. Disco that doesn't suck. This is the So You Think You Can Dance Canada Top 20, eh! and Vance rates the season 2 batch. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace offered an advance review of USA's fantastic and stylish upcoming drama series White Collar, starring Tim DeKay and Matthew Bomer. (Televisionary)
Raising the Bar: In two season, this may have been the first time any of the public defenders didn’t believe in their defendants when Lindsay Wagner passed the pregnant drug addict. Naturally Zach Morris got all high and mighty when they tried to keep her in jail when everyone else on the planet knew what was best for mother and child was some forced rehab. It seems like every other episode Zach gets a DA to do a favor yet he never compromises on anything, and if there was one case he could have, it would have been this one. You can stream current episodes over at TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.
Rescue Me: Bummer, I had Damian in the who was going to bite it this season office poll. Oh well. And could Ellie’s death been any more telegraphed? She just had to pick up the dog after downing a whole glass of alcohol? You would think, despite being a family of drunks, none of the Gavin clan would be stupid enough to get behind the wheel considering what happened to Conner. You can stream current episodes over at Hulu.
Leverage: It was bound to happen that the gang would run into their doppelgangers and it certainly lived up to the hype besides the silly car alarm fight the computer geeks had. Too bad they won’t turn up to battle each other later, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some of them individually again. Hopefully the main guy gets a new crew together to get Nate back for double crossing him. You can stream current episodes over at TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.
Free Download of the Week: Acoustic EP – Kate Walsh (Amazon MP3)
Video of the Week: I am not sure how VH1 could possibly top the inaugural season of Tool Academy, but they are trying starting tomorrow. As looking at the supertrailer, there may be more violence this time around, and a Tool so toolish, he says he would even hook up with a girl’s brother if he had a nice, um, well, just check out the video:
Next Week Pick of the Week: Rescue Me, Tuesday at 10:00 on FX: It was revealed this week that the show has an end date of 2011, a decade after 9/11 with nineteen episodes spanning over the next two years. Oddly enough co-creator Peter Tolan says Maura Tierney may also return. But the current season comes to a close Tuesday and something big likely coming down as both Janet and Sheila were conspicuously absent last episode.
Last year’s television season felt weird because the writer’s strike took a big chunk out of that season and the ripples were still felt this year as there were no new great shows and the shows that had been gone since December 2007 returned to a resounding thud in terms of ratings. And this year is when Saturday is becoming the new Friday with networks running off episodes there after canceling them. But anyways. Here are the best television shows of the past twelve months.
A nice even split among the networks this year with cable getting a larger share of the pie this year. Below is a breakdown as well as a running tally of the shows that led in numbers of Quotes and Songs of the Week from my weekly 57 Channels and Best of the Week rundowns:
Quotes of the Week
Chuck (6) The Big Bang Theory (5) Lost (5) The Middleman (5) Pushing Daisies (3) How I Met Your Mother (3) Eli Stone (3) Pardon the Interruption (3) Friday Night Lights (2) Greek (2) I Love Money (2) Gary Unmarried (2) My Name Is Earl (1) Leverage (1) Survivor (1) Ten Items or Less (1) Cupid (1)
Songs of the Week Chuck (12) My Name Is Earl (6) How I Met Your Mother (3) The Big Bang Theory (2) Eli Stone (2) Tool Academy (2) Lost (1) Pushing Daisies (1) Cupid (1) Saturday Night Live (1) Trust Me (1) 30 Rock (1)
Welcome to the 5th Annual Scooter Television Awards honoring show that aired new episodes between June 2008 and May 2009. Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2007 STA's:
Most Annoying Reality “Star”: Coach (Survivor: Tocantins)
Best Quote: Well, then allow me to put this to you delicately. You see, men are dogs. They come, you know, sniffing around, barking up your tree. But if they don’t see a kitty cat up in that tree, pretty soon they stop barking. Dwight’s not missing. He's barking up somebody else’s tree. (Emerson Cod, Pushing Daisies)
Show That Should Be Brought Back: Pushing Daisies
Biggest Question for 2009-2010: Will Lost have a satisfying ending?
Free Download of the Week: The Prisoner (iTunes): Do not forget I am giving away two copies of the original The Prisoner (one DVD, one Blu-Ray, click the banner at right to enter), and for those looking forward to the upcoming AMC version, iTunes has a nine minutes preview to download for free.
(Sledge Hammer!, Head Case, Flavor of Love)
(Amazon Video on Demand): Community may not be the best new show or even the funniest new comedy of the fall season (that goes to Modern Family), but you can check out the first episode of the show before it airs.
made over five times more money at the box office than 
and 
combines. Maybe that is why be brought back the animated duo to hock his latest movie Extract.
, a great concept, but one the cat is out of the bag, not even great casting can salvage subsequent season from being as great.
– Kate Walsh (Amazon MP3)
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