The 2008 summer Olympics are finally here! Are you stoked? I’m stoked! Get stoked motherfuckers!

This year you can watch just about anything online, so my work-day productivity will likely be something approaching zero. It looks like Charter added at

least 1 if not 3 new channels for Olympic feeds as well so the DVR will get a workout.

Things to watch?

Try beach volleyball (women), swimming, and Track & Field for starters.

Ignore sissypansy basketball, try and watch some baseball as it’s out after this run.

Check here for a quick schedule.

Tags: beijing, olympics, swimming, television, track & field, volleyball

Don S. Davis (IMDB) passed away on Sunday from a “massive” heart-attack. Don was best known for his role as Major General George Hammond on Stargate SG-1, but his career is nothing if not prolific. Lots of info is coming in from various fansites right now and I am shocked that I never saw his art before now. Oh, and he had a PhD in theater. What can ya say? Some people just put in 110% all damn day.

Don was a gifted artist and will be missed.

GateWorld Link (if it’s alive post-digg)

Tags: don s. davis, scifi channel, stargate sg-1, television

Old, from digg, etc. Fuck you.

Future wife Rachel Bilson saying “shitface” is priceless.

[youtube yJsM1Tl7_jE]

Tags: digg, pop culture, rachel bilson, television, youtube

Followed this from digg, I’m still laughing.

[youtube BKZC0SuvS6s nolink]

Tags: star trek, television, youtube

Pushing Daisies, however, most definitely is.

This is the best new show I’ve seen in a crop of pretty damn good shows.

I love the cast.
I love the cinematography.
I love the premise.

Watch this show.

edit: because some of you won’t get it…

Tags: pushing daisies, television

As is fast becoming infamous, I watch a lot of TV. So it’s no surprise when I break down the new hotness every fall.

All good.

• Chuck (NBC, Monday)
• Journeyman (NBC, Monday)
• Reaper (CW, Tuesday)
• Dirty Sexy Money (ABC, Wednesday)
• Lucy The Daughter of the Devil (Toon, Sunday)
• Bionic Woman (NBC, Wednesday)

All bad.

• Big Bang Theory (CBS, Monday)

On the bubble.

• Big Shots (ABC, Thursday)
• Moonlight (CBS, Friday)

Did you actually want commentary? Yeash. Pushy bastards…

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Tags: abc, big bang theory, big shots, bionic woman, cartoon network, cbs, chuck, cw, dirty sexy money, journeyman, lucy the daughter of the devil, moonlight, nbc, reaper, television

Generally speaking the domestic seasons for the television have all finished their runs, much to the chagrin of my DVR. But hark, what light through yonder big-screen breaks? It is the east…ish. BBC America to my rescue.

First off let me say that I LOVE watching parliamentary proceedings on the CSPAN. If our officials had half the emotional involvement in their daily proceedings it’d be an incalculable improvement for everyone involved. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still politicians and I’m sure they get 3 things wrong for every one thing they get right, but by god they’re animated! I watched a good run where the two warring factions were rallying alternatively behind Blair and the opposition leader and it was crazy! The crowd literally roared at more than one point and was constantly cheering, jeering and heckling. “Awesome” doesn’t seem to be adequate…

The Thick of It is like the UK version of Spin City or somesuch. No… that can’t be right, because this is actually funny. Hilariously funny, actually. I’m still trying to pick up the whole scope of the story, but it seems to follow the adventures of Hugh Abbot, the beleaguered low-ranking Minister for something something. I’m not sure he even knows, really. My vote is for funny. Watch!

Hex is like Buffy meets Dark Shadows meets … crikey, I have no idea. I’ve seen 3 episodes now and I still don’t have the first clue as to what the fuck is happening. After checking the website things are slightly clearer. Slightly. … No. No they’re not. Not at all. I don’t care, it’s interesting enough to watch until SG-1 starts again. Which, I might add, is in 3 weeks.

Spaced starts this week. I think you’ll recognize the male lead. The previews look funny. I expect funny. It better be funny.

The IT Crowd is funny, in a mammy blackface aunt Jemimah stereotypical way. It doesn’t bother me much, it’s not as if geekdom is really THAT far off from what people think, but their HAHAHA TECH SUPPORT IS ANTISOCIAL CLOWN SHOES HAHA crap is a few shades shy of good. If you’ll permit me to be an elitist prick for a moment I will say that in my experience the people who actually believe that’s what “all” IT people are like are the ones that are patently computarded and can’t stand the fact that other people aren’t. I’ve never understood that type of moron, honestly. I’m not an accountant, I don’t take personal offense to someone who knows how to use an actuarial table. I might take offense TO an acturial table, but that’s a completely different psychosis.

All that aside I do laugh occasionally, which is unfortunate as I’ve only been able to catch the torrents from the BBC mothership. They are apparently selective as to what hits the Yankee station. God knows why Are You Being Served is taking up precious airtime… Upside is that at least 2 newer episodes are available online now so I can catch those. Score for countries where the digital inquisition hasn’t taken complete hold.

Tags: are you being served, bbc america, hex, spaced, television, the IT crowd

So time has like, passed and whatnot…

My Name is Earl is off the DVR schedule. Sorry.
Bones is on the bubble. Zooey Deschanel is so cute, but her sister really bothers me for some reason.
How I Met Your Mother is as well. It’s funny, but it’s not Arrested Development or Scrubs.
The West Wing … I want to say “wow”, but at some point the bar has to be raised for a show. The season premiere, compared to other “shows”? Awesome. Compared to what I expect from WW? Average.
Supernatural continues to impress, it’s a nice little genre show - WATCH ME!
E-Ring is the new JAG, I wager I’ll follow the same pattern as with its predecessor. Watch until it jumps the shark and then bid it adeu. Kelly Rutherford though. God she’s still ridiculously hot. Nabbing that IMDB link reminded me of 2003’s Threat Matrix, in which she also starred. sadf^2.

Upcoming — Smallville starts tonight, Alias soon. huzzah, etc.

Oh, and SERENITY.

Tags: bones, e-ring, emily deschanel, how i met your mother, kelly rutherford, my name is earl, supernatural, television, the west wing, threat matrix, zooey deschanel

I’ve survived the opening slavos of fall premieres and damnation if there isn’t a crop of actual good shows! I can hardly believe it myself.

How I Met Your Mother (new)
pros: mostly funny, “fresh” talent, Doogie!
cons: mostly funny, “fresh” talent, Doogie.
verdict? It’s still on the DVR record schedule, time will tell.

Bones (new)
pros: David Boreanaz
cons: Fox, yet another forensic procedural, Fox.
verdict? Angel is playing a role he’s perfect for, he’s just got it down cold. I already can’t stand Emily Deschanel though. I guess you’re only allowed to hit the genetic lottery once per family? Again, it’ll keep being DVR’d until it bothers me enough to delete it.

Supernatural (new)
pros: genre show, good premise
cons: bad dialog
verdict? I can’t stress how bad the dialog in the premiere was. It was just plain ugly. I have no +/- feelings with the cast, both faces are familiar from solid runs on Smallville and Gilmore Girls so the acting part seems fine. I actually bumped the priority of this up on the DVR as I enjoyed the premiere quite a bit. But that dialog… oy. I’ll watch the second episode tomorrow sometime, hopefully it will improve.

Threshold (new)
pros: genre show in HD, Carla Gugino, Brent Spiner
cons: Weak scripting, bad pacing.
verdict: It’s in HD. I can’t tell you how much nicer the world is in HD. The premise of the show is solid, the acting is good and the production values are there, unfortunately even in the 2-hour premiere they spent so much time in bland exposition that it might as well came with an accompanying book report. Even WITH that they dropped the ball in some pretty sizable areas. It adds up to a lot of wasted screen time and a very akward flow. This will stay on the DVR until it forces me to remove it. HD mang. HD!

Prison Break (new)
pros: Dominic Purcell, great premise
cons: It’s dumb.
verdict: The one and only new show that I deleted from the DVR queue so far. I removed it after watching the 2nd episode but taped the 3rd just in case. Nope, still dumb. It’s a shame too, Dominc Purcell has some great acting chops. Maybe if Fox wouldn’t have fucked over John Doe… *sigh*

Gilmore Girls (returning)
pros: You’re kidding, right?
cons: None. Move along, jackass.
verdict? Is my girly side showing? I could give a damn. It’s hard enough finding shows that don’t treat the viewer like a slack-jawed simpleton, I’m not about to not watch this one because it revolves around the ladies. This is the show Sex and the City wished it could have someday been, but never came remotely close. Ever. Last season was phenomenal, truly exceptional television. This season is continuing on with those arcs and seems to have lost none of the luster. It’s smart, it’s witty and you should be watching it.

Arrested Development (returning)
pros: … fuck it, we’re going straight to verdict. The premiere was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. The comedy is fresh and smart and the acting is top-notch. Even the pre-premiere bumps were inspired comedy. WATCH THIS SHOW.

Family Guy (returning)
I honestly didn’t enjoy last season much. I may have even missed a few episodes. Not so with this season. It’s back to what it was in the beginning and possibly even moreso.

American Dad (returning)
I saw maybe 4 episodes of this last season. Never struck me as all that great. After taking the first two hits from this season I can admit that I may have been … in error.

Battlestar Galactica (returning)
Season 2 doesn’t seem as “good” as season 1. Don’t know what it is. It’s still an exceptionally well-written, acted, produced and scored show. It’s just not ZOMG ZOMG BSG IS ON ZOMG! right now. Faith manages and all that.

Stargate SG-1 (returning)
Ben & Claudia, together again: Love it. I never gave the two of them enough credit in Farscape. I can see that now. The plot-lines this year have been clean and the writing has been good. I enjoy seeing an aging franchise use it’s history as a vehicle to tell stories and explore issues that a fledgling show would get beaten up over. Maybe I read too much into the current arcs because I’m a fan. It’s entirely possible I see subtle subtext and depth where none intentionally exists. Oh, and the rest of the cast is, you know, awesome too…even without Jack (two “l”s)

I’m heading back to the nest for a DU dinner shortly so I’ll cut this off here. West Wing, CSI and a host of other premieres should hit between now and my next ramble. Enjoy!

Tags: american dad, arrested development, battlestar galactica, bones, family guy, gilmore girls, how i met your mother, prison break, smallville, stargate sg-1, supernatural, television, threshold

It was too hot to do anything this weekend, so I cranked up the AC and watched the telly. Then I cranked up the AC in the car, sat in the glorious AC of the theater and watched a movie there. Back to the homestead, AC and more movies.

Chuck and the Chocolate Factory was a fine summer movie. I doubt it’ll find a place on my DVD wall of hugeness. It is far, FAR less creepy than the hype would have you believe and quite frankly I don’t find that to be a good thing. The production was high-quality througout and Roald Dahl gave this movie his complete support. I’ve never read the book, so take that for what it’s worth… Shocker, Johnny Depp does a good job playing an eccentric, larger-than-life lunatic.

On to the actual marathon…

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Tags: charlie and the chocolate factory, doogie howser, garden state, harold and kumar, johnny depp, movies, natalie portman, roald dahl, television, zack braff