Tuesday, January 26, 2010
We're Just Sayin' discusses the Real World DC
On my side project over at We're Just Sayin radio, this week we had an in-depth discussion with local blogger Elizabethany about the Real World DC and she explains her interactions with the cast during their stay in the nation's capital. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
My Problem with Big Love
Here we are at the beginning of the fourth season of Big Love, just two episodes in, and I'm already growing tired of the shenanigans of the Hendrickson clan. I've been a big fan of the show since it debuted in 2006, but at this point I can't help but feel that no family can deal with all the various commitments and troubles that plague them. In other words, the show has reached a point where I can no longer believe what's going on.
The protagonist, Bill Hendrickson, is already the proprietor and CEO of a Costco type super-store and just opened a casino this year, yes a casino. He's also expressed a desire to run for state Senate. This is in addition to his responsibilities as the husband to three women and father to nine children. Wait, I almost forgot his weekly ordeals with the citizens of Juniper Creek, the Mormon compound he was raised in, that constantly threaten his secret life of polygamy. No man can handle all of these pressures without some sort of blow back, but each week Bill seems to take care of everything. I think the writers has been watching too much of Michael Keaton's hilarious comedy Multiplicity because no one man can handle all these burdens. Going hand in hand with this unbelievability, is the lack of a dominate antagonist. I'd like to see Alby, the son of recently deceased Juniper Creek leader Roman Grant, take more of a villainous role this season. When he wants to, he can be an extremely intimidating figure that borders on insane.
This show is supposed to enter the viewer into the lives of Mormons that practice the "principle" of polygamy. I think the writers have gotten off track. Hopefully they can fix it up before it's too late.
The protagonist, Bill Hendrickson, is already the proprietor and CEO of a Costco type super-store and just opened a casino this year, yes a casino. He's also expressed a desire to run for state Senate. This is in addition to his responsibilities as the husband to three women and father to nine children. Wait, I almost forgot his weekly ordeals with the citizens of Juniper Creek, the Mormon compound he was raised in, that constantly threaten his secret life of polygamy. No man can handle all of these pressures without some sort of blow back, but each week Bill seems to take care of everything. I think the writers has been watching too much of Michael Keaton's hilarious comedy Multiplicity because no one man can handle all these burdens. Going hand in hand with this unbelievability, is the lack of a dominate antagonist. I'd like to see Alby, the son of recently deceased Juniper Creek leader Roman Grant, take more of a villainous role this season. When he wants to, he can be an extremely intimidating figure that borders on insane.
This show is supposed to enter the viewer into the lives of Mormons that practice the "principle" of polygamy. I think the writers have gotten off track. Hopefully they can fix it up before it's too late.
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Demise of Late Night TV
It has recently been announced that NBC is in discussions with both Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno in efforts to right the sinking ship that is the network's late night programming. The New York Times has described the story in detail and says the deal to move Leno back to 11:35 PM with a half hour show and bump Conan's hour long shift until 12:05 AM is essentially in agreement.
This is a desperate move from the network as they have seen their golden child unable to maintain the ratings that Leno had on the Tonight Show. I can't say I'm too surprised though. Leno provided an easy to digest, cookie cutter form of comedy that the average Joe American ate up. Conan is not that guy. If anyone watched Late Night with Conan O'Brien you knew he had off the wall sketches and irreverent characters such as "The Masturbating Bear" or "Coked-up Werewolf." Could NBC really see the average middle-aged American identifying with Conan's sophomoric, but very intelligent humor? I'm not sure that was their thought process. They didn't want to lose Conan to a rival network and here we are, less than 7 months since Conan took over and NBC is calling it a disaster.
Is there anyway both Leno and Conan can win from this lineup change? I say no. The sad part is that Conan didn't get the time he deserved to build up a new audience at his dream job and has been a company man since day one. The network and Jay Leno disrespected Conan by introducing Leno's primetime show in September which basically doubled as a Tonight Show substitute. Either way, NBC has failed to understand that they had to pick between Conan or Leno. Squeezing both into a increasingly populated late night market only saturated the brand and made things worse. I see this new experiment lasting until the summer and at that point Leno returns to the Tonight Show and Conan flees to another network.
NBC is the ultimate loser here because they have alienated their late night host of the future. How much longer do they think Leno will perform? Johnny Carson was 67 when he finally retired, and Leno is already 59. Conan, at 46, could be the man for next twenty years, but sadly I don't think he'll get past two. I'm holding out hope that Conan prevails, but at this point you have to seriously worry.
This is a desperate move from the network as they have seen their golden child unable to maintain the ratings that Leno had on the Tonight Show. I can't say I'm too surprised though. Leno provided an easy to digest, cookie cutter form of comedy that the average Joe American ate up. Conan is not that guy. If anyone watched Late Night with Conan O'Brien you knew he had off the wall sketches and irreverent characters such as "The Masturbating Bear" or "Coked-up Werewolf." Could NBC really see the average middle-aged American identifying with Conan's sophomoric, but very intelligent humor? I'm not sure that was their thought process. They didn't want to lose Conan to a rival network and here we are, less than 7 months since Conan took over and NBC is calling it a disaster.
Is there anyway both Leno and Conan can win from this lineup change? I say no. The sad part is that Conan didn't get the time he deserved to build up a new audience at his dream job and has been a company man since day one. The network and Jay Leno disrespected Conan by introducing Leno's primetime show in September which basically doubled as a Tonight Show substitute. Either way, NBC has failed to understand that they had to pick between Conan or Leno. Squeezing both into a increasingly populated late night market only saturated the brand and made things worse. I see this new experiment lasting until the summer and at that point Leno returns to the Tonight Show and Conan flees to another network.
NBC is the ultimate loser here because they have alienated their late night host of the future. How much longer do they think Leno will perform? Johnny Carson was 67 when he finally retired, and Leno is already 59. Conan, at 46, could be the man for next twenty years, but sadly I don't think he'll get past two. I'm holding out hope that Conan prevails, but at this point you have to seriously worry.
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