 Tonight’s episode (which was a little bit of a letdown after last week’s terrific return) had three major storylines: 1) Newly-single Michael looks for a date. (hilarious) Classic lines: Creed: “Then I’ll have two chairs. Only one to go.” Michael: “Would an average size rowboat hold her without capsizing?” Michael: “Hmmm. Wendy – a feisty redhead.” Jim: (on bended knee) “Hey, Pam. Will you…wait for me for one second while I tie my shoe?” That last one was a beauty. Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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“The Office” is back and right out of the gate it re-established itself as the best comedy on TV. All due respect to “30 Rock,” “South Park,” “Reno 911” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” nothing beats Michael Scott and his gang of misfits. Exhibit A: the dinner party. Only Michael would (and would have to) trick his employees into committing to a late night of (fake) work just to ensure that they didn’t make any plans and would be free to attend a dinner party at his place. Once the setup was in place – Michael, Jan, Pam, Jim, Angela and Andy, all at the Scott residence for a night of good food and good company - I knew we were in for a treat. The list of funny moments is simply too long to mention all of them. It’s like the writers came back from the strike with a million great ideas that they tried to stuff into the episode’s 22 minutes. The jokes were coming fast and furious, but I managed to scribble down a few of my favorites: Jim’s face as he first smelled Jan’s candle room, the video camera in the bedroom, Michael’s plasma TV, Hunter’s CD, Jim’s flooded apartment (along with Pam’s smile when she accepts his brilliance and ensuing shock when she realizes that he’s prepared to leave her there), and last but not least… “You have no idea the physical toll that three vasectomies has on a person!” Jan and Michael were great as the constantly bickering couple who seem to despise each other but are, in fact, so dependent on each other that they’ll probably never split. I nearly wet myself when Michael screamed, “That is a $200 plasma TV!” Great stuff. Welcome back, people. We missed ya. What were your favorite moments? Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
 Michael Franti once described television as “the drug of the nation, breeding ignorance and feeding radiation.” As such, we’re guessing he isn’t nearly as excited as we are that we’re finally beginning to see the fruits of Hollywood’s writers at last being able to put pen back to paper. CBS clearly got the jump on everyone else with the premiere of their new episodes, but as you can see, the other networks will soon be joining in the fun as well, offering up all the fresh new comedy and drama we’ve been craving for so very long. Okay, maybe it hasn’t been that long – as soon as the strike wrapped up, you probably noticed how some series magically “found” a few episodes they’d unabashedly been sitting on – but it’s damned sure been long enough. Check out our coverage here, then head back over to tell us what shows you’re most psyched to see return!
Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and Desperate Housewives and Lost and The Office and My Name Is Earl and External Entertainment and External TV and Heroes and TV Sci-Fi and Reaper Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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 |
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Given that the TV season generally runs from September to May, it always feels a little strange doing a year-end wrap-up of the best in television, since you end up bringing in bits and pieces from two separate seasons. Still, between the second half of the 2006 – 2007 season and the first half of the 2007 – 2008 season, we’ve certainly been given plenty of material to work with. Six of our most prolific TV writers have provided their opinions of both the best and the worst that the small screen has had to offer, and while they do occasionally concur on a show, it’s a safe bet that no two people on the Bullz-Eye staff have identical season pass lists on TiVo. Head over to the homepage by clicking here, but don’t forget to swing back by to offer your own opinions! Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and Reviews and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and Lost and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV and The Wire and Heroes and Jericho and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi and Reality TV and Reaper and Journeyman and Friday Night Lights Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Michael Scott is great under oath. Not great in the way that he answers questions correctly, but great as in hilarious. I loved all the little interjections he had: “That’s what she said.” I feel bad for Toby. He tried to open up at lunch but Michael responded by pushing his tray off the table. I still don’t know why Michael hates him so much, though it probably didn’t help that Toby asked for a copy of Michael’s journal. I hope that they do a flashback episode someday that explains the vast chasm between them. There is some good comic potential there. Back at the office it was all about ping-pong. Kelly was this episode’s Most Valuable Character with all of her smack (not trash) talk and her version that Avril Lavigne song: “Hey Hey I I don’t like your boyfriend / be-cause he he can’t play any ping-pong” Of course, when she and Pam took over the table, they couldn’t even rally for serve. All in all, it was a pretty good episode. The thought of Michael under oath still makes me laugh. Was that Dwight and Moes playing table tennis at the end? “All of my heroes are table tennis players.” Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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This week’s episode felt like filler, especially with the whole “green” theme that NBC-Universal has going this month. Michael’s trip out into the forest was pretty comical, but I thought Dwight was really in his element this week and he had several great lines throughout the episode: “They would call me the ‘Overkill Killer.’” “It would be better if you were unconscious.” (as he hits Michael in the head with his shoe) “Lunch.” (as he grabs a few eggs from a bird’s nest) “Nothing to worry about. Just watching Michael throught the scope. Safety is…(click)…on.” (as he points a rifle at Michael) Jim’s foray as the substitute regional manager revolved around his attempt to combine multiple birthdays into one big party. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to go over to well. It doesn’t matter what office you’re talking about, people like to have their own celebration on their birthday. I though Jim and Creed’s exchange about the peach cobbler was the highlight of this storyline. In general, Creed is underutilized on the show. The tag at the end featured a funny conversation between Jim and Michael about Jim’s attempt to combine birthdays, which devolved into a “that’s what she said” competition. It was actually kind of a nice moment between the two. Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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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 |
 Whether you’re a casual TV viewer or a full-fledged couch potato, you probably know about the WGA writer’s strike that’s currently gripping the entertainment industry. Even at the risk of having both my livelihood and my viewing habits upset, as a writer myself (albeit not of scripts, although I do have a few projects I’ve been working on), I’m unequivocally on the side of the Writer’s Guild members in this battle; I’d prefer that it come to a conclusion sooner than later, of course, but when it comes right down to it, I want it to last until the writers get a decent share of the profits from the material they’ve worked so hard on. Besides, like I don’t have enough TV-DVD sets to hold me over ’til it reaches an agreeable conclusion…? If you don’t really know what’s going on, there are plenty of places to get the scoop from a journalistic perspective, but I think you’ll get much more insight if you take info straight from the horse’s mouth, i.e. from some of the individuals who are actually doing the striking, and the best place to start is at at Mark Evanier’s blog. I don’t think I’ve seen a more succinct explanation anywhere as to why the striking writers are, well, in the right. Other perspectives: * Ken Levine Alas, however, “The Office” has gone dark. For the latest and greatest (or most depressing) updates on how things are going, check out DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, where Nikki Finke provides about the best coverage that the ‘net has to offer. For alternate blog coverage, there’s also “Scribe Vibe” (Variety) and The Huffington Post. Oh, and I wasn’t going to offer up this info first-hand, but since someone at Variety has broken the news, I’ll go ahead and link to it: I might not have much of a TCA Press Tour to attend in January. Damn. But if that’s the way it’s gotta be, then that’s the way it’s gotta be. Go, WGA! Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV and TCA Press Tour and TV Sci-Fi Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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“U-TI-CA! U-TI-CA! U-TI-CA!” Jim just knew things weren’t going to end well when he realized that Michael and Dwight had hoodwinked him and were taking him to see Karen in Utica. But once there was talk of blowing the branch up, he felt like he had to go to keep things under control. The road trip was classic – fake moustaches, throwing cell phones out the window, and Dwight peeing in a soda can (and subsequently cutting his penis on the lip). When they finally got to Utica, Michael asked Jim, “Do you want the afro wig?” It was smart to shoot he scene where Dwight and Michael are infiltrating the branch from Jim’s point of view. I loved Micheal’s line to the security guard – “We are warehouse workers. Do you need more proof?” – as well as Dwight’s obsession with attacking someone in the eyes because “the eyes are the groin of the head.” Jim’s interaction with Karen was hilarious, from her finding him hiding in the PT Cruiser “in a ladies warehouse uniform” to her speech to him once he said that things were going well with Pam: “Oh, things are going really well? Are they? They are? That’s great. That’s SO great. I want to hear more about how happy you are with Pam. Can you tell me more about that? Thank you so much for coming to Utica and breaking my copier and telling me how well things are going in your relationship. Really. Thank you.” Jim’s response? “All right. You…are…welcome.” The episode’s other storyline was the “Finer Things Club,” which was mainly meant to keep some of the other characters busy while Michael, Dwight and Jim went to Utica. While I did like the scene where Kevin comes in to buy some candy and Phyllis microwaves popcorn, I thought the best line was Oscar’s introduction: “Besides having sex with men, the Finer Things Club is the gayest thing about me.” Did I miss any great moments? Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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The series is back to its regular 30-minute format, which I think works a little better because it leaves the viewer wanting more, but as soon as Michael said that the branch was shooting a commercial, it was all about the payoff of seeing the final cut at the end. The group started with a little brainstorming, and when Pam, who is probably the most creative person in the office, suggested an idea, Michael quipped, “Even the receptionist is getting in on the creativity.” You just knew that her graphics were going to be the best part of the commercial. At some point, I’d love to see Pam’s artistic career take off, but not until the series winds down. Michael’s interaction with the ad guys was terrific, from his introduction of the workers in the office – “These are our accountants, and you can see that they are very different sizes” – to his thoughts on the Nashville branch’s ad – “That sucks.” I especially liked it when he told them to leave and the one ad guy said, “I’m not arguing with this guy.” The Dwight/Angela/Andy romantic triangle (if you can call it that) took an interesting turn when Andy told Dwight that Angela kept calling him “D” (for “AnDY,” he thought), which really put some wind into Dwight’s sails. Not that he needs it. He seems to have plenty of wind in his face flying around in his Second Life. That brought us to the payoff of that bit – Pam teasing Jim about his avatar. Pam wanted to learn more about Philly Jim, the well-built, guitar-playing sportswriter, and who can blame her? But Jim wanted to move on. (And who can blame him?) The scene with Darryl and the gang writing a jingle was pretty funny as well. His deadpan “what’s rap?” line was classic. Michael’s criticism was terrific: “I hate it. I don’t hate it, I just don’t like it. At all. And it’s terrible.” I actually thought the commercial turned out pretty well, though I didn’t catch the subtle humor of the “I’m your son” bit between Dwight and Phyllis – how does a woman not know that she has a child? – until I watched it a second time. The “Chariots of Fire” music was a nice touch, and I especially liked the shot of Kelly in India and the scene with Stanley picking up trash. (I believe he was wearing a shirt and tie underneath his state-issued jumpsuit.) What were your favorite moments? Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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I don’t know that I’d have the courage to stay at Schrute Farms, so I have to hand it to Pam and Jim for battling the elements and spending the night, even if they did it for nefarious purposes. With all the sobbing and in-your-face antics of Andy, I actually felt sorry for Dwight this week, but he always bounces back. Jim: “You okay?” I have to mention Dwight’s three themed rooms: America, Irrigation and Nighttime. WTF? “Put the manure down, Moes.” The nice thing about Pam and Jim is that they saw that Dwight was down and they weren’t willing to make his life any worse. It was great when Dwight reached out to touch Jim in the stairwell only Jim was long gone. Meanwhile, Michael has got himself in quite the financial pickle. I’m not sure why he doesn’t have the balls to stand up to Jan; I guess he’s still too enamored with her boob job to say anything. His “Die Hard” vs. “Die Hard 4” comparison was hilarious… “Dude, you should review movies.” The money troubles led to Creed’s suggestion that Michael declare bankruptcy, which he did a few moments later (to the people in the office) with very little thought. That brought Oscar in for a hilarious assessment of Michael’s finances. “This scary black bar represents expenses that no one should ever have for any reason.” I thought Michael’s race for the train was pretty funny, especially when he was trying to time his jump, and finally jumped on just as the train stopped. Jan found him and the two had a very sweet moment. Jan: “So where is this train taking us?” Ryan made another funny appearance this week, but it would be nice to see him get down a notch or two. The PowerPoint presentation was pretty funny, especially the back and forth about the correct usage of “whomever” and “whoever.” Michael had a great line when Oscar put in his two cents. He looked at the camera and said, “Not a native speaker.” What were your favorite moments? Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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I don’t know how the creators can turn a simple thing like a screen saver icon hitting the corner perfectly into a hilarious two-minute bit, but I confess I’ve stared at the same screen saver wondering if it could ever hit the corner. (And it was during a staff meeting at my old job, too.) Anyway, the first half of the hour-long episode focused mainly on Dwight’s mission to outsell the computer, and damn if he didn’t accomplish that feat, utilizing the rally call, “In your face, machines!” Jim and Pam’s prank of playing the role of a computer that just became self-aware was a thing of beauty. Reason #592 why I love Pam: her compassion. She could see that Dwight was struggling with his breakup, so she sent him the message, “You beat me. You are the superior being.” The expression on Dwight’s face as he read that was absolutely priceless. For his role in that contest, this week’s MVC (Most Valuable Character) is Dwight. Congratulations, Mr. Schrute. I was less enthused about the kidnapping storyline. I thought it was far too bizarre, even for Michael. When the kid refused to take his coupon, he had the perfect way out of buying the pizzas his employees didn’t want, but he didn’t take it. I was waiting for the cops to show up at the end, and I think the writers missed a good laugh there. There were a couple relationship developments in this episode. It looks like Kelly and Darryl area headed for something, which is promising because Darryl is hilarious and needs more screen time. And the Angela/Dwight split seems like it’s final, especially after Andy’s terrific rendition (with the help of a couple of buddies) of ABBA’s “Take a Chance On Me.” Angela kills me with those little smiles as she walks off. Finally, a few random, funny lines: - Oscar, realizing that he was in the conference room to help with Michael’s new shirt, saying “This is why I’m here?” and walking out. What was your favorite (or least favorite) moment? Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Well, the big cliffhanger at the end of last season was Pam and Jim finally going on their first date, and although they tried to hide it for a while, they are in fact a very happy couple. The scene where the mockumentors showed them the footage of their kiss was a pretty funny way for them to tell the world. (I do find it strange that Karen left without a whisper. It didn’t seem like a fitting way for such a good character to leave the show.) Anyway, as is oftentimes the case when unrequited television love is finally requited, the worry is that the show will lose it’s umph. There is certainly a noticeable lack of romantic tension, but I think viewers will be in a honeymoon haze for a while before it’s missed. The show has enough humor and such a great ensemble cast that the writers still have a lot to work with. In fact, a little of that romantic tension has been taken on by Dwight and Angela, who are going through some serious issues because he decided to euthanize her sickly cat, Sprinkles. This promises to be the “will they/won’t they” relationship, at least in the short term. This hour-long episode also dealt with Michael’s guilt over hitting Meredith with his car and the resulting Rabies Awareness Fun Run. Sorry, but I didn’t feel like writing down the entire name of the race. I did, however, jot down several of my favorite moments of the episode:
What did you think of the premiere? Now that Jim and Pam are a couple, is it going to hold up? One suggestion to the writers – we need to see more of Ryan. Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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In a recent issue of Stuff (yes, I read Stuff, but in my defense, my subscription was free), Jerry O’Connell describes his new sitcom, “Carpoolers.”
“‘The Office’ meets ‘Arrested Development’”? So you’re saying that your new sitcom is a combination of what are arguably the two greatest sitcoms of the decade? There’s a fine line between selling and overselling, Jerry, and you’re about a mile from it. Still, a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do, right? Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External TV Comments: 5 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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When David Chase took the stage to accept the Television Critics’ Association Heritage Award for the cumulative run of “The Sopranos,” he said that he’d considered making a comment about the meaning of the finale of the series, then decided against it, but he did offer a very telling anecdote about the first time he ever saw “Planet of the Apes.” “When the movie was over, I said to my wife, ‘Wow, so they had a Statue of Liberty, too!’ So, uh, that’s what you’re up against.” Other Chase one-liners from the evening: * “Here’s another clue for you all: the walrus was Paulie.” Chase, by the way, wasn’t the only winner tonight: Individual Achievement in Drama: Michael C. Hall (”Dexter”) To bookend this posting with “Sopranos”-related anecdotes, Alec Baldwin accepted his award for his performance on “30 Rock” by telling a story about how he actually changed management because his new managers told him that they could get him on “The Sopranos.” A year later, there’d still been no meeting with David Chase…but an encounter finally came about rather accidentally. Baldwin was in NYC, on his way to a meeting about some charity work he was going to do, and due to an error, he ended up at the Four Seasons Hotel rather than the Four Seasons Restaurant. He made a mad run from one place to the other, ending up at the restaurant drenched in sweat. Upon meeting his party, he apologized and made a dash to the men’s room, where he promptly removed his shirt and stood topless as he held the shirt in front of the hot-air dryer…and who should walk in? Suffice it to say that Baldwin never made it onto “The Sopranos.” (Chase’s version of the story: “All I thought was, ‘Omigod, that’s Alec Baldwin, the famous actor!’ I didn’t even notice he wasn’t wearing a shirt!”) Filed under: TV and Actors and News and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and The Office and The Sopranos and External Entertainment and External TV and Heroes and TCA Press Tour Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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One of the greatest mysteries amongst the critics here at the TCA Press Tour is why NBC’s completely kick-ass Thursday night comedy line-up - “My Name Is Earl,” “The Office,” “Scrubs,” and “30 Rock” - isn’t one of the highest-rated line-ups on any network. I mean, seriously, that’s about as solid a two-hour block as has come around in years; every single one of those four shows is must-see TV for me, so it’s nice to know that Bill Lawrence, producer of “Scrubs,” agrees with me. “Zach flew here from New York, and I came here all the way from my house, because I could not be more proud than to be up here with these four shows,” said Lawrence. “Everybody’s saying comedy sucks right now. These are three other comedies that I actually watch regularly. So screw the ratings, man, and I’ll have it out with you outside afterwards.” Here are a few more revelations from NBC’s Thursday night comedy line-up:
* What lessons did Tina Fey walk away with after surviving her freshman season at “30 Rock”? “I think we learned a lot about the tone of the show throughout the year and whether — you know, we want the characters to be believable enough that you still care about them but still be able to do crazy jokes with them. So I think we learned that as the year went. And think we, this year, are going to try to maybe — try to maybe do a little less, because the shows were so dense that sometimes we worried that it was almost going by too quickly for the audience. So we’re hoping to let things breathe a little bit.” * The ever-sarcastic Lawrence got a big laugh when he said of his show’s upcoming final season, “I think this is the year that ‘Scrubs’ really becomes a big hit. We had always kind of geared our plan towards peaking in the seventh year. And now’s when we really roll out the promotional stops. You’re not going to believe some of the things we’ll be doing!”
* Braff, however, was decidedly less sarcastic when speaking of his last year as J.D.: “I think there’s something really cool about knowing it’s your last season. I mean, so many times, you know, by the time you get to the seventh season or the last, what could be the last season, you don’t know, and there’s something really invigorating about going, ‘All right. We’ve got 18 more.’ I think it’s really going to excite the crew and the cast. We’ve had almost the exact same entire crew for the entire run of the show, and you know, it’s cheesy to say, but it is a total family because we have grown up with these people essentially. I think to go in for the final 18 with knowing it’s we’re going out with a bang, we’re going out with the way Bill wants to end the show, I think, I’m really, really excited to do it.” * Greg Garcia on the change in Earl on “My Name Is Earl”: “We were always worried about him changing too fast, the character, and so we tried to spoon it out a little at a time. But knowing where we were going to end last season with him going to prison, we weren’t afraid to go ahead and start giving him a lot of things that he wanted in life, and we did a little, you know, arc of three or four at the end where he actually started getting his life together. And the whole time, we knew we were going to take it all away from him and send him to prison, so that was kind of by design.” Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and Interviews and TV Comedies and The Office and My Name Is Earl and External Entertainment and External TV and TCA Press Tour and Fall TV Preview Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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**WARNING: SERIOUS SPOILERS AHEAD** Wow, I didn’t see that coming. I thought Karen might get the job to clear the way for a Jim/Pam relationship in Scranton, but I didn’t think Jim would jettison Karen before the news broke about who got the job. The scene where Pam was being interviewed and Jim stuck his head in and asked her to dinner was SO INCREDIBLY sweet, it put 99.999% of all supposedly sweet romantic comedy moments to shame. It literally warmed the cynical heart of this writer, who usually sees this stuff coming from a mile away. Pam’s speech at the end of the last episode really put things into motion. Karen was suddenly threatened (“Pam is kind of a bitch”) and told Jim that she wanted to move with him away from Scranton/Pam. It was also surprising how Karen reacted to Jan’s meltdown; Jim had some empathy for the newly voluptuous one, and I think Karen’s reaction might have been the straw that broke that relationship’s back. The writers were obviously trying to make Karen less sympathetic by having her throw Michael under the bus in the interview (“He’d be a disaster”) and leaving Jim at corporate to meet her friends for lunch. But she didn’t get the job, so presumably she’ll be back. If that’s the case, I doubt she’ll last long, especially if Jim and Pam are in a relationship. For a guy who called Dwight an idiot last week, Michael is really pretty moronic himself. First he shows up on the wrong day (“The other branch managers are idiots – Hey Pam, I forgot which day the interview was and I drove to New York accidentally, so I’ll be like three hours late.”) Then, he names his successor AND sells his condo (on eBay, proudly getting 80% of his purchase price) BEFORE actually getting the new job. Jan’s boob job and subsequent meltdown were hilarious (that whole scene in the lobby with the box of her belongings was priceless); hopefully she’ll still be on the show as Michael’s girlfriend. Same goes for Ryan, who (I guess) is now Michael’s boss. But back to the boob job - Meredith’s take was classic: “It’s a waste. In my experience, guys are more attracted to the back of you than the front.” We also got a glimpse of what life would be like if Dwight was the branch manager, and it sure wasn’t pretty. His search for a #2 led to this line: “I will need a new #2. My ideal candidate? Jack Bauer. But he’s unavailable, fictional and overqualified.” His presentation about paper was oddly compelling – I wanted to see more. (Actually, I’m just trying to earn some Schrute Bucks.) Looking forward to next season, will be interesting to see how they handle the Jim/Pam relationship. Generally, when longstanding unrequited love finally becomes…um…requited, it’s a sign that the show may have jumped the shark. “The Office” doesn’t depend on the Jim/Pam dynamic for its laughs, but it certainly has been the major season-long storyline in each of the first three seasons. Regardless, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External TV Comments: 3 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Well, kids, NBC has officially released word of its 2007 - 2008 fall season, and here’s what we have to look forward to… Monday The night begins the same way it has for the last several months, with “Deal or No Deal”…but, finally, someone at the network realized that it might be wise to follow “Heroes” with a drama that at least vaguely resembles the program that precedes it. Thus, we have “JOURNEYMAN.” “JOURNEYMAN“– From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Kevin Falls (”The West Wing”) and Emmy Award-winning director-producer Alex Graves (”The West Wing”), “Journeyman” is a romantic mystery-drama about Dan Vasser (Kevin McKidd, “Rome”), a San Francisco newspaper reporter and family man who inexplicably begins to travel through time and change people’s lives. Along the way, he also must deal with the difficulties and strife at work and home brought on by his sudden disappearances. However, his freewheeling travels through the decades reunite him with his long-lost fiancée Livia (Moon Bloodgood, “Day Break”) — which complicates his present-day life with wife Katie (Gretchen Egolf, “Martial Law”) and their son. Reed Diamond (”Homicide: Life on the Street”) and Charles Henry Wyson (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) also star. “Journeyman” is a production of 20th Century Fox Television. Falls is executive producer and writer; Graves is executive producer and director of the pilot. By the way, also very much of note is the fact that NBC is spawning a “Heroes” spin-off, entitled “ORIGINS.” The description is thus: “an innovative new spin-off that each week will introduce a new character — one of whom will be chosen by viewers through the ‘Heroes’ website on NBC.com to become a cast regular the following season.” No details yet on when it’ll air, though. TUESDAY Yawn. Another season of “The Biggest Loser” at 8. Hooray! Another season of “Law & Order: SVU” at 10! Sandwiched between the two, we get “CHUCK.” “CHUCK” - From executive producer, Josh Schwartz (”The O.C.”) and executive producer-director McG (”Charlie’s Angels,” “We Are Marshall”) comes a one-hour, comedic spy thriller about Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi, “Less Than Perfect”) - a computer geek who is catapulted into a new career as the government’s most vital secret agent. When Chuck opens an e-mail subliminally encoded with government secrets, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data into his brain. Now, the fate of the world lies in the unlikely hands of a guy who works at Buy More. Instead of fighting computer viruses, he must fight assassins and international terrorists. With the government’s most precious secrets in Chuck’s head, Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin, “My Bodyguard”) of the NSA assumes the responsibility of protecting him. His partner is the CIA’s top agent (and Chuck’s first date in years) Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strzechowski, “Gone”). They’ll keep him safe by trading in his pocket protector for a bulletproof vest. Also starring are Joshua Gomez (”Without a Trace”) as Chuck’s best buddy Morgan and Sarah Lancaster (”What About Brian?”) as Chuck’s ever-supportive sister Ellie. Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak wrote “Chuck,” which is produced by College Hill Pictures and Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television. Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and The Office and My Name Is Earl and External Entertainment and External TV and Heroes and Battlestar Galactica Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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With just two episodes remaining this season, I was fully expecting the plot to thicken in the Pam-Jim-Karen romantic triangle, but most of the episode was typical, hilarious “The Office.” Here are some highlights of the group's visit to the beach (and Michael's Survivor-esque quest for his replacement): Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and The Office and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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