Category Archives: Television

Super Sonic

Posted on March 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

Turns out teeny tiny songstress Kristin Chenoweth and I have something in common.

It’s not our singing ability — which I’m sure was your first thought — and it’s certainly not our size.  (I have shoes bigger than her.)  And while it’s true we both love musical theatre, I’m talking more ‘guilty pleasures’ here.

Kristin and I are both fans of chain restaurants.

She waxed poetic for her love of ‘em on Conan last night — Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Applebees.  He called her a ‘cheap date.’  I call her a comrade in arms.

One of her favorites and mine?

Sonic Drive-In

Grilled cheese on Texas toast, tater tots, and a grape slush is my favorite meal at Sonic.  But we don’t have Sonics in Manhattan.  Apparently LA doesn’t have them, either.  So Kristin and I both suffer their national ads.  And dream.

See?  Celebrities are just like us.

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Posted in Advertising, Celebrities, Entertainment, Food, Foods, Humor, Life, Restaurants, Television, TV

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Scare me, please

Posted on March 26, 2012 | 1 Comment

When I was but a wee lass, I watched Dark Shadows every afternoon after school.

It scared the bejeezers out of me.

Barnabas Collins, the vampire who ‘lived’ at the Collinwood estate, made me jump out of my skin.  More than once, I had to walk outside into the bright sunshine because I was too spooked to watch what happened next.

So I was particularly excited to see what horrors Tim Burton’s remake would hold, especially with his favorite lead Johnny Depp occupying the role of Barnabas.

Then I saw the trailer this weekend on television and quickly discovered…

The new Dark Shadows is a comedy.

Depp is sporting white makeup a la Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the script appears to be one deadpan zinger after another.

True, it’s a dark comedy, and I can appreciate their sense of humor.  I’ll no doubt go see it out of curiosity at the very least.

But I’m sad to say that Depp’s version of Barnabas will never elicit a single gasp of fear or horror.

Except, perhaps, at the 70′s clothing.

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Posted in Advertising, Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Movies, Television, TV

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Smelly cab

Posted on March 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Elaine gets in the cab that reeks of killer B.O.?

The smell stuck to her clothes — was even in her mouth — long after she got out of the taxi.

I can do her one better.

After being out of town all week — four cities in four days, two missed flights, and more airplane boxed meals than I care to remember — I excitedly jumped in the cab to get home to my dog.  And what was there to greet me?

KILLER FARTS

I say farts (plural) because it wasn’t just one that faded away as I sat there.  No, the odor was constant and cloying and seemed to invade every pore of my skin.

Elaine, if you’re out there in your imaginary world, I’m pretty sure farts trump B.O. — I win!

Which means I lose.  Oh yes, I lose BIG TIME.

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Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Commentary, Entertainment, Friends, Humor, Life, Television, TV

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A blue note

Posted on March 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Have you heard?

‘Olympian Blue’ is the Pantone Color of the Week on Stylelist.com.

Designers tout the strength of its ‘jewel tones,’ and how this ‘pop of color’ enhances neutrals. As we say in the country…

Whatevs.

I say Olympian Blue is especially hot this week for one reason and one reason only…

‘Cause these bad boys are burning a trail up and down the floor!

Sweet Sixteen and beyond…

GO BIG BLUE!

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Posted in Basketball, Commentary, Design, Fashion, Humor, March Madness, Sports, Television, TV

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State’s rights

Posted on March 17, 2012 | 1 Comment

If someone asked me to put money on whether or not you’re watching basketball…

I’d take that bet.

March Madness converts even the most casual viewer…and turns real fans rabid.  And while some may attempt to crown the ‘greatest college basketball team’ based on all-time games won (Kentucky) or on games won over the past decade (Duke), I think a different stat is even more impressive:

Four teams in this year’s NCAA tourney — UK, Murray State, Western Kentucky and UL — come from the same state.

And they all ended the season in the Top 20.

 

 

 

 

Now that’s a sports dynasty.

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Posted in Basketball, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, March Madness, Sports, Television, TV

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Horse sense

Posted on March 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Luck’s luck ran out.

So HBO canceled the series.

I applaud the network for halting production and ultimately making the decision to end the series after a fourth horse died on the set.

Some reports say the animal rights issue gave HBO a good excuse to cancel the new drama, which had poor ratings right out of the starting gate.  Whatever the reason, I’m just glad the horses are out of harm’s way.

No TV show is worth the risk.

Now…if we can just convince the City of New York that carriage rides for tourists are no excuse for horses losing their lives.

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Posted in Animals, Commentary, Entertainment, Life, Television, TV

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Sick

Posted on March 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’ve been rather obsessed with Downton Abbey lately, and a good friend asked if it was time for an intervention.

It might be now.  But not just for me.

Adam WarRock, the Internet’s ‘foremost comic book rapper,’ has gone gaga for Downton Abbey, too.

A rapper….all wrapped up in the soap opera at Grantham Hall.  He even posted a confession on his website:

Downton Abbey is the kind of thing that you hear about, and you’re all like, “That sounds terrible.” And then even one of your best friends won’t shut up about it, and then you have to fly to Seattle, and you watch it on the plane, and get completely obsessed with it. And then you’re calling your friend and saying things like “I’m at the part where Matthew Crawley is investigating the entail for Lord Grantham, and the Dowager Countess finds out about it,” and you realize you’re whispering because honestly, what the HELL are you even saying?

I love this guy.

Now he’s gone one step farther and written a rap about Downton Abbey. You gotta give it a listen.

Can’t see any problem with that!

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Posted in Celebrities, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Music, Television, TV

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An eye for talent

Posted on March 2, 2012 | 4 Comments

I cast a major network sitcom.

No — not cast in.  I helped cast one of the guest stars in last night’s episode of Up All Night.

Let me explain.

Earlier this year, Christina Applegate took to Twitter and asked her followers to suggest comedic actors for a project.  Knowing most people would go with the obvious choices, I put forth a recent find:

Steven Pasquale

I happened upon the actor a month or two before in the USA mini-series Marry Me, co-starring Lucy Liu.  The movie wasn’t anything to write home about, but Pasquale was.

He took your typical made-for-TV romantic lead and turned it into something uniquely appealing.  His timing was unique.  I stuck with the mini-series — we’re talking four hours, people — because he made the expected and predictable extremely entertaining.

Christina later tweeted a thank you for our suggestions, saying she had received a couple of names that she didn’t recognize and planned to research.

And look who pops up on Up All Night??

It’s pretty gratifying, I admit.  (Would be even more so with a finder’s fee.)

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Posted in Celebrities, Comedy, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Television, TV

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Sweeeeeet

Posted on February 29, 2012 | 1 Comment

HAPPY LEAP DAY!

Thanks to last week’s episode of 30 Rock, February 29th has a whole new meaning to me.

It’s no longer just an extra day on the calendar every four years…or that day when, according to Irish folklore, women supposedly have ‘permission’ to ask men to marry them.

Lame.

No, Leap Day is right up there with Halloween, Easter and Valentine’s Day now, because it’s a holiday….

…all about CANDY!

Thank you, Leap Day Williams.

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Posted in Comedy, Commentary, Entertainment, Holiday, Humor, Television, TV

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No drama

Posted on February 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

Thank goodness for Facebook and Twitter.

I read them during the Oscars last night, which were boring and predictable.

No disrespect to Billy Crystal intended; it’s not his fault frontrunners won every single gosh-darn award.

I mean, would it have killed Academy voters to give, say,  Brad Pitt the Best Actor Oscar? Or maybe Jonah Hill Best Supporting Actor?  Just for the drama of it all?

(I’m a Moneyball fan. So sue me.)

But instead we sat through the same people winning the same awards and giving very much the same speeches they have given at all the other award shows that have beaten the Oscars to the punch.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

So if you didn’t suffer through the full broadcast like me, you may have missed perhaps the most heartfelt moment of the night — Meryl Streep’s acceptance speech for Best Actress in The Iron Lady.

Her win wasn’t unexpected, but her perspective and sincerity were refreshing…especially at almost three and a half hours in.

Enjoy.

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Posted in Academy Awards, Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Movies, Television

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