I call it breezy, you can call it bad

On this week's podcast Derek and I talk about a lot of things: whether Veronica Mars is getting stupid, what Hero could die, and of course I talk about breezy dramas like Riptide. But Derek had no idea what Riptide was, but I know you remember. Right? It was 1984!

Oh for the days when TV dramas had minute-long opening credits.

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It reminds me a lot of 1988

I don't watch a lot of filler TV anymore. You know, when you're bored and you just flip on the TV and watch anything? Thanks to the DVR I don't really do that much. Except on Saturday mornings. Sometimes it's just a free-for-all of bad television.

This morning I came across something unusual and oddly familiar. Guys on TV were playing video games - and they were competing against each other. So it was a little like 1988 when Cuddles and Bangles would play Super Mario on the Nintendo in the living room and I'd watch them. It was about that exciting too.

Watching this made me think that some things don't really change that much. Graphics get better, games are harder, but the spectator is still pretty freaking bored. Luckily, I could watch a guy build a stone wall over on HGTV so as I grow older I've transitioned to a new kind of boring. I'm saving golf for my 50s.

The nice thing about watching a guy build a wall is that there's no annoying Nintendo music to accompany it. That Super Mario song used to haunt my dreams.

Curse you, Rob Thomas!

So I talked myself out of the right answer.

What is the answer? What is the question?

Uhm, it's all about Veronica Mars of course.

And Deeps will be very pleased with himself because he pegged the importance of the prisoner experiment from the get-go.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for the YouTube. I can point you to the best part of the greatest Thanksgiving episode on television (and the Onion agrees with me).



So enjoy your meal, your family, and your friends. Try to think of something to be thankful for and chew each bite 20 times.

Listen to this

I recruited three friends this week to join me in a round-table discussion podcast about LOST. I think things went well, but we have a vocal and bitter contingent of people who are more than a little frustrated with the show.

That said, we're sticking with it and offering up our best ideas about what has happened and what is going to happen on the island of mysterious mysteries.

If you say so, I guess it’s a trend

I sometimes laugh a little when reading trend stories in the New York Times. It often appears the writer has a friend who does something a little unusual and then he/she works to find a trend. Two points on a data chart do not produce a trend. It’s just a line.

This morning CNN is writing about the “mini-trend” of celebrities getting divorced. Is this breaking news?

The next trend will be – skinny blonde ladies will appear in movies and on television. Hot, misunderstood men will try to woo them. Quick! Someone get Wolf Blitzer on the phone.

Something is probably going to happen

Even as I type, the fall finale for LOST is starting. I see a plane. What could possibly happen?

As you may know, I have a podcast like all the other cool* kids on the internets. On Sunday I'm recording a special round-table discussion about the six episode fall season and we'll speculate about what this all means. We're not famous or experts or anything - we're just people with too much free time, some pancakes and a microphone.

If you'd like to join in the fun, I've opened up a phone line for Big Red Blog Podcast listeners to leave their thoughts about the finale. The number is 206-312-9599 - don't be afraid to share your wacko theories. Why should Derek and I be the only ones?

That number again is 206-312-9599. Call anytime!

*cool is a very relative term

When November Attacks

November isn’t always about politics and mudslinging – it’s also about television and the first big ratings cycle of the new season. In this week's podcast, Derek returns to talk about what’s happening with LOST, why he’s worried about Wallace on Veronica Mars and I speculate about what types of dramatic surprises await us.

And I read a book!

If you’re interested in keeping up with Big Red Blog Podcast, please visit the podcast site.

Invasion

Yesterday Kristen, Ernesto and the kids came to visit us for the day.

My house isn’t totally kid unfriendly – but we realize our limitations. We don’t have any cool toys, our cat is mean, and then we ruin children for life by turning on the mind-sucking, all-powerful, zombie-making television.

As someone who loves TV and spends a good number of hours per week watching, reading about and discussing it I’m still amazed by its power over young kids. They are quite literally stopped in their tracks. They just stand and stare at the glowing box.

Deeps, ever the scientist, was so intrigued by this notion I think he wanted to spend more time experimenting with the kids reactions. He paused the TV on the credits and they’d still just stand there watching. Awesome.

Aside from husband’s nefarious experiments – the kids were really good and totally charming, even to cranky non-parents like me. And it was nice to try to catch up with K and E.

We walked around town, played in leaves in the backyard, dealt with several head traumas (darn all those sharp corners we have at kid level!), and ate pretty tasty barbecue. And just as everyone was starting to get a little tired it was time to go home. We loaded them up with some bookshelves, a DVD and their children* and sent them on their way.

I don’t know where they’re going to shove a third kid – after all Jackie, the shared “imaginary” friend of the kids doesn’t like anyone to sit on her. She appeared sometime after dinner and I won’t lie, it was a little creepy.

We were sitting around the dining table and the kids were running around when Da stopped and walked quickly to his mother and whispered something in her ear. Then Kristen announced Jackie was here and she wanted to play a game.

Are you kidding? I’ve seen this movie – and I know it ends badly for idiots like me.

The best cat sitter ever

dana_in_window
Originally uploaded by nopity.

I invited (lured with the promise of homemade pancakes which were actually inedible) Derek - the only person Dana likes - back to participate in this week’s spooky podcast.

I should note that Derek isn’t actually a fan of scary stuff, but he was game as we weakly discussed the wonders of TV Halloween episodes, what he might have been traumatized by as a kid, what freaks us out now, and of course this week’s best television. Plus we do a taste test of some candy I bought for the ‘weenies. We are harsh but fair with our verdict. And I graciously edited out two full minutes of thoughtful chewing.

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Podstravaganza of Episode 4

A fire was lit, a challenge was issued, and my first podcast guest appeared in a special 57 minute (I know!) episode of the Big Red Blog podcast.

This week’s guest, Derek, is an old friend from college who watches more TV than I do which is hard to believe. We talked about nearly every show on television from Seventh Heaven (I’m not kidding) to Battlestar Galactica and everything in between. I was worried it would be a 43 hour show.

In light of the length and the late hour of recording (last night) my apologies for any audio problems. I’ll review the podcast more closely today for a little quality assurance.

I have made a terrible mistake

After a lackluster day of sitting, quietly and sipping broth and tea at work I came home with my low-grade fever to figure out my next step. But then Deeps suggested that we order some Thai food because it would make me feel better to have some awesome Tom Kha Gai.

I also got some spicy chicken dish that I usually love – and I loved tonight. When the food showed up I thought, “Yummy! Food!” and I ate soup and some rice and some spicy chicken stuff… it seemed like such a good idea at the time.

But now I feel all hot and nauseous – could be the ick or the Gilmore Girls that I’m watching. Ooooh no! I’ll have to save that for my next podcast. I think I’m breaking up with the Gilmore Girls.

And my head is throbbing. But I will be okay for Jon Stewart. We love him and I spent four million dollars on those tickets. I don’t care if Deeps has to pour me into a Dixie cup.

Who wants sweet?

I enjoy reading about television and I think that most TV critics are underrated. There are no Eberts of Kaels in the realm of TV criticism and I think that's too bad.

Anyway two of my favorite sites offer insight and criticism about Television on a very regular basis -- Television Without Pity (criticism is less broad and found in the insights of writers who "recap" episodes of various shows) . The other site is Teevee which offers a host of critics writing about various issues in television -- advertising, TiVo, Olympics coverage, etc.

This week they wrote about a show that I've really come to enjoy a lot -- but it's still a flawed show. The folks at TeeVee think that Andy Richter Controls the Universe is clever and innovative but ultimately the show has a sweet, nougaty center.

I don't like the sweet center! This show isn't mean enough? How many sitcoms do we need where the poor schlub does the right thing and learns a lesson? If you're going to be an edgy show then please feel free to be edgy -- show me the guy who keeps sleeping with the horrible anti-Semitic hottie instead of dumping her from all the guilt. (The moral dilemma about sleeping with a super hottie who is also anti-Semitic came up in a recent episode.)

Someone recently told me he read an interview with Mr. Richter (we haven't found said interview online yet) where Richter said he doesn't write the show, but that he generally likes what is written. However, Mr. Richter said the show has a little too much heart.

I concur! I’m looking forward to future shows with a little less heart (you know big, red and heart-shaped like a valentine) and more like a black void in the chest where the heart (the valentine one you might have found in Operation) should be.

What's a girl to do?

I'm worried about celebrities.

See, I've figured out things in my own life and now I've found time to clean my apartment (sometimes), organize old photos (okay, I bought a nice box to shove them all in) and worry about the problems of famous people.

It's a special case -- I don't know if this guy knows he has a problem yet. I worry about Jon Stewart.

We all love him. Deeps and I have the unspoken agreement that The Daily Show is appointment television (M-Th) whenever possible or there's a new episode. I like Jon Stewart's snarky little glances, his oddly tall hair and his hilarious deliveries. He's the best thing to happen to Comedy Central and certainly the best host the Daily Show could ever hope to have. And finally he's come into his own and receiving the accolades and attention he deserves.

Plus, with the hubbub about Letterman bailing on CBS or ABC eyes are turning to Stewart as a possible replacement for Letterman if he jumps ship. This is why I worry. What success spoil our Jon? I think it might.

What if?
Let's play "for instance" -- if Letterman jumps ship for ABC and CBS pulls Stewart into its clutches with promises of fame, money and audience, I would be hard pressed to believe Stewart wouldn't go. But this has happened before! Remember MTV. The Jon Stewart show was hip and cool and totally hilarious. Then it got transported to "proper" Network TV and died a horrible death. All irony, edge and wit were displaced and the show suffered until finally put down a scant few weeks later.

What if the same thing happens? Comedy Central won't take you back, The Daily Show is already suffering under the un-funny weight of the likes of Matt Walsh and worse, Lauren Wederman. And there's some new chick with horrible lipstick. They're so bad I long for the days of Mo Rocca. The 2 Stephens/Stevens are making only weekly appearances if we're lucky, since they've both found more lucrative and rewarding work outside the gray halls of Comedy Central studios. What if it all goes horribly wrong!

I just want to be assured that no matter what happens, I won't lose my 4x a week dose of Jon Stewart -- whether I want him or not. I just like to know he's there. And I hope that the giant Viacom machine doesn't chew him up and spit him out. He's smoother and savvier and smarter now, right? I shouldn't worry....of course...I'll just overlook that Grammys fiasco.

Next week -- my fears about Roger Ebert.