Category: External TV (Page 171 of 419)

The Biggest Loser: Maturity rules

Last night was the painfully long 3-hour finale of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser: Couples,” and all I can say about that is that I’m incredibly thankful for TiVo. This show was when they bring everyone back from the whole season one by one to weigh them in, which takes about 15 minutes total, leaving 165 minutes of fluff and commercials. As they recapped the whole season, Mrs. Mike and I fast forwarded since we’ve not only seen every episode, but they tend to recap the entire season almost weekly.

Then they brought out Ron and Mike to see who America voted into the final 3…..both looked awesome but Mikey clearly lost more than Ron, at least to the naked eye. We’re all sick of their gameplay, but you have to hand it to them on doing a great job. And, drum roll please….America voted Mikey in! Many of us were pulling for Ron because we didn’t want to give him what he wanted, but I think in the end everyone saw a Mike-Helen-Tara final as more compelling.

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The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series / The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation

As my colleague Will Harris pointed out, these two discs are nothing more than a shameless attempt to “wring a few more bucks off the old series in the wake of the new movie.” Well, of course they are, and Paramount has never been above repackaging this series ad infinitum. But it’s worth mentioning that, for some people, a little “Trek” can go a long way, and if you fall into such a category, then you’re the consumer Paramount is reaching for. With only 4 episodes per disc, these are an affordably-priced and time efficient alternative to the rather expensive and lengthy season box sets.

Further, perhaps you’re new to the “Trek” fold thanks to J.J. Abrams’ movie? If so, two of the episodes featured here were supposed inspirations for the new flick: “Balance of Terror” from the Original Series disc, which introduced the Romulans, and “Yesterday’s Enterprise” from the Next Generation disc, which features an alternate timeline scenario. Both are fine examples of great “Trek.” Of course they’d better be, given the “Best of” label.

Rounding things out on the TOS disc are “The City on the Edge of Forever,” a time travel story long considered a sparkling jewel in the “Trek” crown; the humorous classic “The Trouble with Tribbles”; and “Amok Time,” which sees Kirk and Spock beating the crap out of one another. Also on the TNG disc are “The Best of Both Worlds (Part 1 & 2),” which features a dazzlingly intense encounter with the creepy Borg, and “The Measure of a Man,” a Data-centric story that wouldn’t have been my first choice to represent the TNG series in this context.

Click to buy “The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series”

Click to buy “The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation”

American Idol: Judges try hard to crown Adam

We are rolling down the hill toward the “American Idol” finale, and the judges last night were over-impressed with one Adam Lambert on a night when I thought he was good, but not nearly as good as the judges’ collective frothing at the mouth indicated. Here is how it went down…

First of all, I’m quite sure that in previous seasons at this stage, they showed the three finalists going to their hometown with a whole montage on that before performing, but this time they shortened the show to an hour and though I haven’t looked at the listings, I’m expecting a longer results show tonight. But anyway, each contestant would sing something a judge or judges picked for them, and another song of their choice.

Danny Gokey went first and the song was Paula Abdul’s selection of Terence Trent D’Arby’s “Dance Little Sister.” Not a bad choice at all, with the tone and funky chorus that is right in Gokey’s wheelhouse. The problem is that the song never really goes anywhere, but Danny did a fine job with it. Randy said it was “dope,” Kara said the song was in Danny’s money spot but that she didn’t like the dancing, Paula said she was proud of Danny, and that she as a choreographer DID like his dancing (say what?), and Simon agreed with Kara but said it was a good vocal.

Kris Allen was next, and since there are now four judges, Kara and Randy tag-teamed on this one, picking One Republic’s “Apologize.” Kris played it painfully safe, sitting at the piano and doing a good job with it, but wowing positively no one. I was bummed that they kind of gave him a lame choice. Randy said the song fits who Kris can be, Kara liked the choice but wished Kris would have changed up the arrangement and said it wasn’t a home run, Paula said she understood the song choice and that she was proud, and Simon thought it was too copycat and he gave Kara a really hard time about Kara giving Kris a hard time about the arrangement of a song she chose for him. Ha!

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October Road: The Complete Second Season

After having been left in something of a quandary after watching the abbreviated first season of “October Road,” it seemed only fair to give the show another chance with its second – and now final – season. The good news is that if you enjoyed the first batch, then you’ll likely find just as much to appreciate here. The bad news is that it’s still the same syrupy bittersweet material that has the power to deliver an instant jolt of maudlin nostalgia to the nervous system. If you hated the show before, nothing here will change your mind. “October Road” is obsessed with – even dependent upon – the past. It’s like the “Family Guy” bit that starts with “Remember the time when…” only instead of a punchline to follow it up, there are just straightforward memories and flashbacks. It seems like Knights Ridge is where the characters from “Dawson’s Creek” might end up in their late twenties, replete with all the same overwritten, trite dialogue that reached its apex ten years ago.

To be fair, over the course of these 13 episodes, the show manages to breathe a bit more than in its 6-episode freshman season. It morphs from being “the show around which a bunch of satellites orbit Bryan Greenberg” into far more of an ensemble drama, with many storylines overlapping so that each character gets his or her day in the crisp New England sun. It’s a soap opera for that guy or girl you know who still swears the best time of their life was high school. Ah, but there I go, once again picking on the poor, defenseless (and now canceled) “October Road.” It’s not a fair fight, so I might as well just admit it: it’s ridiculously addictive entertainment, and one evening I effortlessly sped through five episodes in a row. And, yet, I’m glad it’s canceled, because I don’t need to be addicted to shows I don’t even like.

The DVD contains an extra ten-minute coda that was filmed after the cancellation that aims to tie up loose ends, which it does surprisingly well in a very short amount of time. It looks a bit cheap compared to the series, but since it was a simple little labor of love for the cast and crew, it can’t be faulted, especially in this day and age of canceled series that get no resolution.

Click to buy “October Road: The Complete Second Season”

First impressions of “Caprica”

The two-hour pilot of “Caprica” debuted on DVD and digital download late last month and I finally found the time to watch it. Regular readers might be wondering why a huge “Battlestar Galactica” fan like myself would wait so long. Well, I’m not really sure. Maybe the “BG” finale was still a little to raw in my mind. Maybe there was too much other good television grabbing my attention. Or maybe I just couldn’t find the right time to watch it.

While I’m certainly excited about Ronald D. Moore’s next project, I can’t help but be a little leery of a prequel. “Caprica” has the same challenge that the “Star Wars” prequels had: Everyone knows how it turns out. The question is whether or not the history is compelling enough to outweigh the certainty of the story’s outcome. In the world of “Star Wars,” fans were clamoring for a better understanding of how Anakin Skywalker actually became Darth Vader. The transition was mentioned several times over the course of Episodes Four, Five and Six, and it became almost inevitable that there would eventually be a series of prequels to explain just how Anakin turned to the dark side.

Were there any “Battlestar Galactica” fans clamoring for a prequel? I’m sure there were a few, but I hadn’t even considered the prospect until I heard that “Caprica” was already in development. How interested are we in seeing how Cylons were developed? Personally, I’d rather get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes scheming that led up to the Cylon invasion.

That said, there’s no doubt that “Caprica” is two strong hours of television.

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