Yes, I know, it’s cutting it pretty darned close to wait until the last couple of days of January 2008 to run a Best of 2007 list, but that’s the problem with these TV DVD sets: there’s a whole lot of viewing involved to get through them, and you don’t want to give anyone the short end of the stick just because your schedule didn’t allow you to give their set a look. With the confidence that I’ve had a chance to check out the majority of the cool stuff that came out in ’07, however, I hereby present my personal picks for the Top 20 TV DVDs of last year. And when you’ve read through my list, check out Bullz-Eye’s Best of the Best staff picks for 2007! (Oh, and don’t forget to pop back by to tell us if we missed anything!)
Filed under: TV and TV DVDs and Reviews and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and Rome and South Park and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV and Heroes and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
 …Christmastime in South Park.
No surprise here: when the holidays begin to approach, there’s a sudden influx of Christmas-themed DVD releases which arrive for our perusal, so I figured that Premium Hollywood was as good a place to tackle them as any. Now, everyone knows that there’s a real unfortunate tendency for these things to get really, really schmaltzy…but in the case of “Christmastime in South Park,” which features all seven of the series’ Christmas episodes from 1997 through 2004, that’s decidedly not the case. I haven’t been a dedicated “South Park” viewer since…hmmm, I’d have to say my regular viewings stopped right around the time I first started dating the woman who would become my wife. Coincidence? Nah, not really. My wife would be the first to tell you that she has limited tolerance for the show; she’s laughed at it on occasion, but as intelligent as the show can be, she just can’t handle the gross-out comedy…and given that the first episode on this disc introduces Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo, it won’t surprise you that I watched this all by my lonesome. Each of these episodes have their fair share of laughs, but the legitimate classics definitely come toward the beginning, such as Mr. Hankey’s inaugural appearance, the hilarious visit by the guys to experience a Cartman family Christmas which results in a lovely number from Charlie Manson, and “Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics,” which takes a cue from the legendary “Star Wars Holiday Special” (complete with the ridiculously obscure “fighting the frizzies” reference) and presents a variety-show-styled visit with the various citizens of South Park. As the show continued, however, it’s clear that Matt Parker and Trey Stone wanted to keep doing holiday episodes but weren’t exactly sure what was left to parody, so in 2000, they went after…themselves! Yep, they make fun of the original “South Park” short that they’d made as as a digital Christmas card; unfortunately, however, Comedy Central completely misses the boat by not including that short as a special feature. “Red Sleigh Down” is a return to greatness, however. It’s a brilliant send-up of action flicks, with Santa trying to bring Christmas to Iraq, only to get shot down, captured, and tortured. His savior? Why, Jesus Christ, of course! The following year’s special, “It’s Christmas in Canada,” proved comparatively disappointing, unfortunately; as ever, the shots at Canada are spot-on and hilarious, but as a Christmas episode, it’s rather lacking. The last episode on the disc, “Woodland Critter Christmas,” is another one of those episodes that, as I was watching it, made me remember exactly why I haven’t watched “South Park” regularly in quite some time. Yes, it’s a genius parody of the cuter-than-cute Christmas specials that are chock full of anthropomorphic animals who celebrate the holidays just like people do, but when it turns out that the animals’ religious beliefs lean toward the dark side - there’s a delightful blood orgy sequence - and the plot involves baby cougars learning how to perform an abortion, all I could think was, “Oh, God, my wife wouldn’t have made it more than five minutes into this.” Not that I didn’t laugh, you understand. But, uh, yeah, I can kinda see why she has a problem with the show. In closing, here’s that aforementioned first “South Park” Christmas short, complete with Spanish subtitle for no apparent reason:
Filed under: TV and TV DVDs and Reviews and TV Comedies and South Park and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
NBC may not be King of the Nielsen Ratings just yet, but we know good television when we see it, and the Peacock has returned in full force with a dominating presence that includes the top three shows and five of the top six. HBO, on the other hand, is experiencing the opposite, with the departure of “The Sopranos,” “Deadwood” and “Rome.” Add to that the fact that our list features a whopping 10 new entries — five of which are freshmen — and you’ve got one heck of a Power Rankings shakeup. Much of this has to do with so many shows being on hiatus until next year, but whatever the cause, it’s nice to see some much-needed change to a usually familiar lineup. And, hey, don’t miss the list of our favorite shows which are currently on hiatus (and are therefore ineligible for the Top-20), our farewell to “The Sopranos,” and our stable of Honorable Mentions. Check out the list here, then come back and let us know how we did…or if we missed any of your favorites! Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and Reviews and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and Rome and Lost and South Park and Prison Break and The Office and 24 and The Shield and The Sopranos and Rescue Me and Deadwood and External Entertainment and External TV and The Wire and Heroes and Jericho and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi and Reaper and Journeyman and Friday Night Lights Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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That’s right. It seems the producers of “24″ were so enamored with a spoof of their FOX drama on a recent episode of “South Park” (titled “The Snuke”) that they sent Trey Parker and Matt Stone their very own suitcase nuke. It’s a fake, of course, but still pretty cool nonetheless. At least someone’s doing something right over there at “24.” Click here for pictures. Filed under: TV and South Park and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Since the dawn of creation — well, the creation of this feature, anyway — Jack Bauer sat atop Bullz-Eye.com’s TV Power Rankings, owning the #1 slot for better than a year and a half. Some would say it was only a matter of time, but now that it’s finally happened, the sudden fall from grace of Fox’s hit show “24″ is actually a lot more embarrassing than it is depressing. But the real-time thriller isn’t the only major shakeup in the winter 2007 edition of the rankings. HBO’s “The Wire” makes its grand (and, forgive us, long overdue) debut, while NBC experienced a big surge thanks to its fresh fall lineup. Of course, HBO still came out the big winner with five shows emerging in the Top 10 (four in the first six), proving once again that it pays to, well, pay for quality television. Here are a few entries from our list: 11. Scrubs (NBC): It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see that “Scrubs” has dropped so low in the rankings. Coming off one of the best years since its debut, expectations for the show were certainly higher than usual – especially when it was called up to the big leagues and given a spot in NBC’s highly coveted Must See TV lineup – but no one could have guessed that the sixth season would start out on such a sour note. Whether it was the accelerated progression of J.D. into adulthood (he’s got a baby on the way, with guest star Elizabeth Banks, no less) or Carla’s all-too-brief post-partum depression (a subplot added to accommodate Judy Reyes’ real-life hip injury), the first five episodes of the new season were particularly somber. Things were looking so bleak, in fact, that fans of the show were preparing to concede that the medical comedy was finally showing signs of wear, but with the much-publicized musical episode creatively rejuvenating everyone involved with the show, things are finally getting back on track. And as long as things remain this kooky and fresh (read: Kelso getting his own episode, or the Janitor using a stuffed rabbit as a salt and pepper shaker), we don’t see any reason why “Scrubs” won’t being making a triumphant return to the Top 5 in the very near future. ~Jason Zingale 17. Deadwood (HBO): Well, despite all the rumors, “Deadwood” isn’t quite dead…yet. Last year, HBO decided not to extend the options of the terrific ensemble cast, making a fourth full season unlikely, but the network and series creator David Milch agreed to produce two two-hour telefilms to wrap up the show’s loose ends. Season Three contained a myriad of intertwining storylines, but focused on the growing influence of businessman/asshole George Hearst, which put former adversaries Al Swearengen and Sheriff Seth Bullock in an unlikely alliance. “Deadwood” features stronger language than any other HBO show, and with “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” on the network’s roster, that’s saying a lot. The truth is that everything about the show – the language, the acting, the story, the sets and the costumes – is colorful, and whether or not HBO wants to admit it, they’re going to miss “Deadwood” once it’s gone for good. ~John Paulsen Check out the full list here. Filed under: TV and Rome and Lost and South Park and Prison Break and The Office and My Name Is Earl and 24 and The Shield and The Sopranos and Entourage and Deadwood and External Entertainment and External TV and The Wire and Heroes and Battlestar Galactica Comments: 9 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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For those that missed the Emmys, here is the first part of the opening number, where host Conan O’Brien gets detoured on his way to the show.
Filed under: TV and Humor and Lost and South Park and The Office and 24 Comments: 3 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Savor the moment, HBO. You currently own more than a quarter of our TV Power Rankings list, but with the imminent departure of “The Sopranos,” “Deadwood” and “Rome,” along with the TBD status of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and the oddly lengthy shooting schedule for the half-season “Extras,” the end of your reign as BE must-see TV could very well be nigh. For the moment, though, we heart you and wish you would ask us to the prom. Unless Jack Bauer’s still single, in which case we’re spoken for. Here’s a sample entry from our list: 13. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO): It seems like a long time between seasons of this great comedy, and I often wonder during the show’s hiatus: What trouble is Larry David into right now? Last season, he had to decide whether or not to give one of his kidneys to Richard Lewis. Richard’s cousin, Louis Lewis, was (conveniently) in a coma and Larry kept visiting him in the hospital, secretly hoping that Louis would croak so that Richard could have Louis’ kidney instead. The other season-long storyline was Larry investigating the possibility that he was adopted, leading to several funny scenes with his supposed gentile birth parents. The show isn’t quite as fresh as it was in its first couple of seasons, but with episode titles like, “The Korean Bookie,” “The Christ Nail” and “Kamikaze Bingo,” how could you be? ~John Paulsen Check out the full list here. Filed under: TV and News and Reviews and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and Rome and Lost and South Park and Prison Break and The Office and My Name Is Earl and 24 and The Shield and The Sopranos and Rescue Me and Entourage and Deadwood and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 4 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Trey Parker and Matt Stone have done it again, somehow combining the lazy joke-writing of “Family Guy” with the recent events involving a Danish newspaper printing cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. When news arrives that an upcoming “Family Guy” episode will not be aired because it features an image of Muhammad, Kyle rides his Big Wheel to Los Angeles to persuade the network to change its mind. Cartman, on the other hand, claims the episode is offensive, and that the network would be wise to listen to their “conscience.” But Cartman, of course, has a hidden agenda; he simply hates “Family Guy,” and will do anything to get the show taken off the air. In the end, the “Family Guy” episode airs (the idea of their writing staff consisting of a bunch of manatees putting balls with words into a hoop sums up my feelings about the scattershot joke writing on “Family Guy” better than anything), after Kyle persuades the network executives not to give in to what is basically a terrorist threat. Kyle even tells Cartman that his plan to use fear to reach his goal is like terrorism. “Like terrorism? It is terrorism,” Cartman replies. Now here’s where it gets really weird. The “Family Guy” sequence that Parker and Stone created features a scene where Muhammad gives Peter Griffin a football…and the image of Muhammad was omitted by Comedy Central censors. (If you, like me, thought the censored bit was just a joke on Parker and Stone’s part, you were wrong.) This after Kyle tells the network executives, when it comes to satirizing religious beliefs, “Either it’s all okay, or none of it is. Do the right thing.” Talk about life imitating art imitating life. There are some incredibly complex ideas at work here. The episode actually pokes fun at “South Park,” owning up to its preachy nature of late (the bleeding Virgin Mary episode, the Scientology-slamming “Trapped in the Closet,” this), but it also makes a very valid point that there should be no taboos when it comes to satire. Parker and Stone, to their credit, are equal opportunity offenders; name a minority or interest group, and they have taken aim at it. They ran a cartoon post-9/11 that featured Cartman and Osama bin Laden in a Warner Bros.-inspired sequence where Cartman is Bugs to Osama’s Elmer, humiliating him nonstop. Comedy Central had no problem airing that episode. What makes this one so different? Hell, Parker and Stone weren’t even making fun of Muhammad here. They merely had him hand Peter a football. In the end, not only do Parker and Stone make fun of themselves and “Family Guy” – mostly “Family Guy” – but they inadvertently forced Comedy Central to make hypocrites of themselves by censoring the image that Parker and Stone had said should never be censored. The Christian groups, meanwhile, blame Parker and Stone for the whole Jesus-Bush-flag-poop sequence at the end, but they’re missing the point. Parker and Stone tried to treat everyone with equal scorn; Comedy Central, in the end, gave in to the perception that they were insensitive to the Muslim community, and in the process, the network showed how insensitive they were to everyone else. That is not Parker and Stone’s fault. But wait, it gets even weirder. In July 2001 (the date is obviously important to note), Comedy Central ran a “South Park” episode that depicted Muhammad…and nothing happened. No threats, no riots, nothing. How about that. |
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This will likely be the first and last time that I use a piece from anyone associated with Fox News as a credible source, but it matches my personal opinion, dammit, so I’m running with it: Chef is not acting of his own accord. According to Roger Friedman:
That would certainly explain an awful lot. It may also explain why Trey Parker and Matt Stone had their spokesperson spend more time attacking Scientology than attacking Chef. Their last press release was signed, “Trey Parker and Matt Stone, servants of the dark lord Xenu.” Even their comments against Hayes were phrased in a way to expose the intolerance of the church of Scientology rather than that of Hayes, so it would make sense that there is no bad blood between Parker/Stone and Hayes. If the “church” indeed took advantage of Hayes’ condition in order to cast a warning shot across the bow, then, well, they’re fucking idiots. Parker and Stone will hit them in ways that they won’t see coming until they’re lying on the ground, losing consciousness from loss of blood, while a mysterious figure looms over them with a silenced pistol to their temple, ready to give them the sweet, sweet merciful death they so desperately crave. |
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The email had the following subject: “ISAAC HAYES requests release from ‘SOUTH PARK’” Obviously, as a huge “South Park” fan, that caught my eye. Here’s what the press release said:
In all honesty, I’ve expected Hayes to walk away from the show for years; in fact, Trey Parker and Matt Stone said in an interview several years ago that they couldn’t believe Hayes signed on in the first place. The only thing missing from the press release is Hayes calling Parker and Stone “a couple of crazy crackers”. As for his reasoning, it makes sense considering “South Park” has banged on Catholics, Jews, Mormons and, most recently, Scientologists (in the legendary “Trapped in the Closet” episode). Then again, they’ve been doing that for years. Could the Scientology episode really have been the last straw? Maybe Hayes and Tom Cruise are buddies, I don’t know. The bigger question here is, what now for Chef? I can’t see Parker and Stone try to carry on the character with new voice talent. It just wouldn’t be the same. Granted, Chef’s profile on the show has diminished since the early days, when you could count on at least one vintage Chef song (”I’m gonna make love to you woman. I’m gonna lay you down by the fire.”) in nearly every episode, one of my personal favorites being “Chocolate Salty Balls.” But using someone else to voice Chef, even in a limited role, would be a disaster. So the question is, how do they kill Chef off? That’s the only option, isn’t it? Then again, maybe they can get Barry White as a replacement…. Filed under: TV and News and TV Comedies and South Park Comments: 9 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Trey Parker has never been afraid to skewer someone that offended his sensibilities. Janet Reno, Mel Gibson, Rob Reiner, OJ Simpson, Russell Crowe, Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Phil Collins have all felt the wrath of Trey. He even dedicated an entire episode to debunking the “psychic” abilities of John Edward, which effectively (and thankfully) killed Edward’s career. But last night’s episode, “Trapped in the Closet,” is by far the biggest swing Parker and Matt Stone have ever taken at a celebrity; they took on Tom Cruise, the Biggest Movie Star in the World. The setup to this is that the Church of Scientology thinks that Stan is the reincarnation of church founder L. Ron Hubbard. When Stan/L.Ron tells Tom that he thinks Tom’s just an okay actor, Tom is devastated, locks himself in Stan’s closet and won’t come out. For the sake of space, I will list my five favorite bits in the episode. - The conversation between Tom and ex-wife Nicole Kidman, who is summoned to lure Tom out of Stan’s closet. - The summary of the tenets of Scientology, equipped with a helpful animated reenactment. At the bottom, there is a super that states, “This is what Scientologists actually believe.” Hard, core. - R. Kelly. He sings throughout the entire episode, and after three or four lines, he sings, “So I pull out my gun!” Everyone runs for cover, including the police. Even better is where he ends up in the closet with Tom (and John Travolta). Anyone who makes videotapes of themselves peeing on 14 year-old girls has deeply conflicted sexuality issues. - Stan’s speech when he’s dismissing his friends. They all walk away slowly, thinking that they’ve lost Stan forever. Cartman waits behind to say, “Stan, I just want you to know that I still hate Kyle more than you.” - The final scene, where Stan dares to dismiss Scientology as a global scam. The church’s response: “We’re gonna sue you!” Stan stands up to them. “Go ahead! I’m not scared of you! Sue me!” The credits roll, with every name changed to “John Smith” and “Jane Smith.” The last act was a stroke of genius. If Tom Cruise or the Church of Scientology dares to actually sue Trey and Matt, they’re only validating everything the episode implies. It’s a preemptive strike that neuters their opponents before they can even respond. Bravo, Trey and Matt. You are my heroes. |
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Just read the capsule description of tonight’s South Park episode, and I’m seriously thinking about naming my first born son Trey. |
