TV - LOST joke on Kimmel

THIS is fantastic.  Take three minutes out of your day and enjoy. Read more!

TV - What is wrong with me?!

Dear "Glee" and "American Idol" - I wish I knew how to quit you!  Why can't I stop watching these terrible shows?!? Read more for my whiny ramblings and my sad prediction for tonight's Idol.

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TV and Book - "Justified"

Due to enthusiastic recommendations from the Dwyer's and Damon Lindelof, I decided to catch up with the new show on FX, Justified.  It is super good!  A little procedural, a lot Western, smirky and engaging.  AND it gives me a new TV boyfriend to help with me with my soon-to-be-enacted Sawyer withdrawal and my enduring Don Draper hiatus heartpangs. 

Because I'm a little OCD, I decided I had to read the short story by Elmore Leonard, "Fire in the Hole," from which the show is based before tuning in.    Funny thing - the pilot episode of "Justified" is just about 95% word-for-word the short story.  Seriously!   I've never seen a truer page-to-screen adaption.  So don't feel like you have to read the story to catch any further insight - although it's certainly well written.  It can be found in Leonard's collection of short stories called "When the Women Come Out to Dance."

And as for "Justified" it's on Tuesday nights at 10pm on FX.   As of this post, we're between episode 6 and 7 now of the first season.    5 episodes are kept on Hulu, but as of right now you can still watch the pilot on FX's website. 

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via @DamonLindelof who I assume is trying to keep the Lost finale in perspective:

The 7 Most Soul-Crushing Series Finales in TV History

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TV - The End of Lost: Realistic Expectations

There has been a vast outcry regarding my lack of Lost posts so I'm here to placate the masses  (hi Tony!).  Read on!

A lot of people in the blogosphere are super pissy right now about LOST (and a lot of people are with me – really content with how the finale season is playing out.  But, you know, the naysayers are always the loudest).   They want more answers faster and they want every answer to every mythological nugget that has been presented in the past 6 years, and they want the reveals to be utterly mind-blowing. 

I feel a little sorry for these viewers because they just are not going to be satisfied.  Like I said, I am very content with how this season is progressing.  I feel like we’re on a solid path and that I’m going to be at peace with how this show ends.  What keeps me focused and calm?: Realistic expectations.  Here’s what I think is important when considering the answers to Lost:

The answers are going to be kind of vague:

A lot of the naysayers are going to be left unsatisfied because they don’t appreciate the answers they’re given.  They want every element of every mystery explained, leaving no room for drawing our own viewer conclusions.

Take The Numbers: we’ve learned that each of the candidates for who will take over Jacob’s jobbie have been assigned a number.  The numbers correspond to the degrees on the lighthouse dial that show the candidates’ off-Island homelands (I think).   For me, this is good enough.   Why these particular numbers and how did Jacob come up with them?  Well, I’m curious as to how Jacob found the castaways and decided they warranted touching, but I don’t care why Hugo is #8 and not #23.  For some aspects, you’re going to have to use your imagination.  And thank goodness for that, because it’s those kinds of brain-teasers that keep the show alive after it’s concluded. 

I earnestly believe that people who want more explained for them regarding the mythology of the show are going to have the opportunity to learn more in another medium.  (See the game “The Lost Experience” illustrating how the numbers are linked to “The Valenzetti Equation” and The Dharama Initative.)  There is also “Lost University” (a blue-ray educational experience) and the creators have deemed both of these other forums canon.  And I totally think a post-Lost graphic novel explaining more aspects of the mythology (not the character stories) is a distinct possibility.  But as for hashing out relevant physics theorems, Greek mythology, and Egyptian hieroglyphics decoding- it just isn’t going to happen on network television.

The answers are going to be accessible:

This may seem like a weird statement, considering we’re talking about a show involving time-travel, parallel universes, and smoke monsters.  But what I mean is that whatever this show is about is going to be able to be explained over coffee.  You’re not going to need a calculator or a master’s degree or to have to read a thousand and ten lostpedia entries in order to grasp it all. 

One of my favorite lost bloggers, Entertainment Weekly’s “Doc” Jensen, has totally melted his brain coming up with the most cockamamie theories and I hope he’s having fun because it’s just totally coo-coo-clock rambling.   He dedicated a 10-page column recently to a theory that the Smoke Monster / Man in Black is actually the embodiment of all the souls of the people who have died on the Island – with Juliet and Daniel Faraday’s minds primarily driving his ship.  What?!  I think it’s really obvious that the MIB is a person – a special person – but a person with human motivations.  Look at the history of Richard Alpert: his narrative is full of mythology and fantasy, but it still is a narrative based on emotions, not science fiction.  I know the answers to Lost aren’t going to be simple, or easy to explain to someone who never saw the show, but I honestly believe it’s going to be able to be boiled down to a one-pager.  Does that make sense?  Is it irony that I can’t clearly explain my theory that Lost will be able to be clearly explained?

The answers are going to be “schmoopy”:

In our house, schmoopy means gushy.  Sentimental and fluffy, in a sense.  Maybe a little corny.  Think about all of the talk in “Harry Potter” about how Voldemort could be beaten because he never knew truelove.  Or all of Battlestar Gallactica’s talk about God and the dangers of human decadence.   It’s good stuff, but it’s also a little cornball.   I’m expecting this when it comes to Lost’s conclusion.  At some point I think there’s going to be a speech regarding the importance of love and acceptance, or salvation, or trusting fate – something like that. And I’m glad I’m prepared, because those types of speeches can be a little off-putting when you’re not in the right headspace.

This is a story about characters.  It is not a story about an Island where lots of crazy scientific stuff is happening. I think with each introduction of another wacky element to the Island (electromagnetism, etc…) there were viewers who were more married to the mythology than to the characters, and they are going to have their hearts broken.  These are the people who thought the smoke monster was nanobots.  It’s not nanobots, nerds!  It’s an angry dude! 

Take a look at this paragraph from a previous post I wrote comparing Lost to Stephen King's "The Stand":

I would say the main thing I learned about Lost after reading this book is that Team Darlton share King's sentiment that mythology should only be the background for a story about character-development. "The Stand" ended with a solid understanding that the characters faced their faults and gained peace in their sense-of-self. They were presented with opportunities to receive redemption, and those that embraced them gained comfort. The conclusion did not address any of the questions that arose from the mythological experiences. Why were these people the survivors? Who exactly are Mother Abigail and Randall Flagg? We have a sense at the answers, but much much much is left to interpretation. I fear Lost will end in a similar fashion, but I also think the fan involvement with the show will shape it in such a way that more questions will be answered than would be if King was at the helm.

I like that past-Jenna.  She’s smart. 

So, bottom-line (too late I know) is that if you think Lost is going to end with a man in a white lab-coat conducting a two-hour long Power Point presentation explaining every last exhaustive detail – I truly hope you’re wrong.  It’s going to end, it’s going to be about humanity – not science – and we’re going to be left to our own imaginations when it comes to connecting some of the dots.  Thank goodness for that because I like using my brain, and it’s a way to keep the show alive after it’s all over. 

We can just hope that they conclude the basic, essential story-elements and we’re not left completely on our own to imagine an ending – like The Sopranos.   “Don’t stah- BLACK SCREEN.”  

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Golden Globe Nominations

I really like awards season! Obviously Metta and I have been very busy and too important to post regularly on our little bloggy here, but I did want to make a little comment about one of the nominations:

Matthew Morrison – Glee (FOX)

SERIOUSLY?!?!?11??!?! He is TEH WORST part of that show by a MILLION!!!

However, I was happy to see the multiple nods for Big Love. This past season was phenomenal and I'm glad the nominators didn't forget about this show during its hiatus.

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TV - The Office - Subtle Sexuality Webisode

If you guys haven't checked out the latest webisode series from The Office, it's a must! Especially the third chapter featuring the awesome music video for Kelly and Erin's band's single "Male Prima Donna." Read more!

TV - American Idol - Adam Lambert Cover Art

Here's Adam Lambert's cover art for his upcoming album:

Some people are saying that this super glam-y Glambert cover art will alienate his older home-Mom fans from Idol, but I don't really think so. For one, I think people knew that this boy was a David Bowie inspired superstar when they voted for him on Idol. For another - who really cares about album art? When you buy an album on iTunes it's not the same as buying the CD and constantly fiddling with the CD case. But this was definitely worth showing because it makes me so happy! Can you stop giggling? I can't. Read more!

TV - The Emmys

Remember last year's Emmys? Oh the horror. A gaggle of uncooperative and uncomfortable reality TV hosts took the stage and "improved" an intro that made everyone shudder.

Thank goodness the Television Overlords recognized the splendor that is Neil Patrick Harris, and thank goodness NPH had the good sense to demand being a producer for the show as well, so that there was some hope in it being run efficiently while also being entertaining. I think he was successful. Read on for more.


In general I thought the show was good, the winners were boring. None of my favorites won in the acting categories, nor did any of my second favorites with the exception of Kristen Chenoweth, who I still love and think is great and looked amazing, although I though Wiig or Poehler probably deserved the nod after an actually amazing year of SNL.

Grouping the awards in genre was a neat idea, by which I mean that it was tidy and easy to follow. However, that kind of lead to a real boring middle section of who-gives-a-care about Amazing Race, Little Dorrit, or Gray Gardens.

But the real story here is NPH. I loved how dapper he was, that he's a song-and-dance man, that he cared enough and showed that he cared by staying on stage. I cannot believe that he didn't win his Emmy! That was the biggest crock-of-hoohah especially considering who he lost to. Anyway, I loved the Dr. Horrible bit and the blunt discussion that broadcast television is fading into the background as the world expands into On-Demand and Internet viewing.

Wait, maybe that's the real story: the television world is certainly in a crazy shifting, expanding state. The way ratings are determined and valued is in flux as DVR viewings have to count almost as much as live-viewing, let alone factoring in Hulu or iTunes downloads. America isn't all sitting down on the couch at the same minute to have a shared experience anymore, and valuing commercials that air along with live programming is sooo 20th century. To quote presenter and nominee Julia Louis-Dreyfus, perhaps this is the "last official year of network broadcast television" ... but probably not. : )

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TV - Fall Schedule

This is more for my convenience, but please feel free to read-on for a handy schedule of when television shows start their new seasons. I edited the one created by Ausiellio from EW significantly, but you can view his complete schedule HERE.


Thursday, September 17:
Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Community, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
Fringe, 9 p.m. (Fox)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 10 p.m. (FX)
The Office, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Parks and Recreation, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, 8 p.m. (NBC)

Friday, September 18:
Crash, 10 p.m. (Starz)

Sunday, September 20:
Bored to Death, 9:30 p.m. (HBO)
Curb Your Enthusiasm, 9 p.m. (HBO)

Monday, September 21:
The Big Bang Theory, 9:30 p.m. (CBS)
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Heroes, 8 p.m. (NBC)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)

Thursday, September 24:
Flash Forward, 8 p.m. (ABC)
The Mentalist, 10 p.m. (CBS)

Friday, September 25:
Dollhouse, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Ghost Whisperer, 8 p.m. (CBS)

Saturday, September 26:
Saturday Night Live, 11:30 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday, September 27:
The Cleveland Show, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Dexter, 9 p.m. (Showtime)
Family Guy, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Simpsons, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Monday, October 5:
Sherri, 7 p.m. (Lifetime)

Friday, October 9:
Ugly Betty, 8 p.m. (ABC)

Thursday, October 15:
30 Rock, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)

Tuesday, November 3:
V, 8 p.m. (ABC)

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TV - Thursday

Are you serious Thursday night?! That's way too much quality television for one evening. Once things get cooking this fall there will be:

• FlashForward on ABC
• Bones on FOX
• The Vampire Diaries on CW
• The Office / Community / 30 Rock on NBC (and yea, probably Parks and Recreation, too)
• It's Always Sunny... on FX
• AND Project Runway on Lifetime.

That's 6 hours of TV I would gladly watch all on one night. Yikes. None of these could've been moved to the barren waste-lands of Tuesday or Wednesday?! Read more!

TV - Glee Revisited

When I saw the pilot of Glee (as blogged about HERE) I was entertained, but skeptical. I can say after seeing the second episode that I am completely on board now. This show has spunk and awkwardness that is rare for television. Almost every one of Jane Lych's lines are forever-quoteable ("That was the most offensive thing I've seen in 20 years of teaching — and that includes an elementary school production of Hair"). And the song choices this episode were also superb (LOVED "Take a Bow"). I really hope the show can keep its ratings up while also keeping the kookiness and the more PG-13 themes and jokes.




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Book and TV - The Stand and Lost

Damon and Carlton (Executive Producers and Head Writers for the show) have long cited Stephen King's "The Stand" as their main inspiration source-material for shaping the story-line of Lost. Therefore, I couldn't resist picking up this huge novel in an attempt to gain insight into one of my favorite shows. It also doesn't hurt that this epic-tale has been judged by many respectable sources to be King's magnum opus. So read on for my review of the book, my insights into how it might relate to Lost, and also some excerpts of interviews where Team Darlton discuss "The Stand."



"The Stand" is about a world where a super-flu epidemic strikes, killing almost all of humanity. Those that are inexplicably immune begin to have the same dreams pulling them together. King introduces the reader to a tremendous amount of characters (like Lost) who are all seeking some sort of redemption. Almost every character seems well-rounded and creates interest, also like Lost (although in The Stand, absolutely every character talks like Sawyer so they may grate on you a bit at times). And, many of the characters are similar (e.g. pregnant chick, rocker, stoic leader, even an impressive dog).

The circumstances faced by the characters in this novel and Lost are also comparable. The characters in King's work who have survived experience a mythological "pull" sensation that draws them together to start and shape a society. They all understand that they need some semblance of order and togetherness if they are going to survive, especially considering there is a village of evil Others not too far off in the West. And, not to spoil too much, the beginning of the end is marked by a big-bomb detonation.

So what insights can be gathered comparing these two works? I would say the main thing I learned about Lost after reading this book is that Team Darlton share King's sentiment that mythology should only be the background for a story about character-development. "The Stand" ended with a solid understanding that the characters faced their faults and gained peace in their sense-of-self. They were presented with opportunities to receive redemption, and those that embraced them gained comfort. The conclusion did not address any of the questions that arose from the mythological experiences. Why were these people the survivors? Who exactly are Mother Abigail and Randall Flagg? We have a sense at the answers, but much much much is left to interpretation. I fear Lost will end in a similar fashion, but I also think the fan involvement with the show will shape it in such a way that more questions will be answered than would be if King was at the helm.

As for which work I enjoy more, I am confidently in the camp of Lost, even though the show has yet to conclude and it could still spoil my affections. King's mythology is wrapped up in the same good versus evil debate, but there is never any question as to who is good and who is bad. WIth characters like Jacob, the Man in Black, Christian Shephard's ghost, and Ben (just to name a few!) Lost has not been so quick as to identify who we should be rooting for. There are many more shades of gray and a lot more ambivalence. Also, Lost has so many more elements to its mythology: Dharma, Hanso, Widmore, Time-Travel, and on and on. It's a much more complex-world and I like the complexity.

Anyway below are some excerpts which will allow Carlton and Damon to express their own opinions on how "The Stand" has influenced them:

Here is a snippet of the interview between the writing team and King that was conducted by Entertainment Weekly. The entire interview can be read HERE:

Carlton Cuse: For us, The Stand has been a model. Lost is about a bunch of people stranded on an island. It's compelling, but kind of tiny. But what sustains you are the characters. In The Stand, I was completely gripped by everyone you introduced in that story — how they come together, what their individual stories are, how they face the premise. That was such a good model for Lost.

Lindelof: The first meeting I had with J.J. about Lost, we talked about The Stand, and it kept suggesting ideas throughout the process. The character of Charlie was always going to be a druggie rocker, but when Dominic Monaghan came in to audition we started saying, ''What if he was a one-hit wonder?'' I said, ''Like the guy in The Stand! The guy with just this one song.''

King: Yeah. ''Baby, Can You Dig Your Man?''

Lindelof: His entire character sort of is constructed around that. The thing about The Stand is that there are all the archetypes, and we embraced the same thing. The strong, silent, heroic type. The nerdy guy. The techie. The pregnant girl. All those characters exist in The Stand, too.

---
And here's another little comment Carlton gave Variety:

For both Damon and me Stephen King’s “The Stand” was the most influential model for “Lost.” Because “Lost” is not the tenth carbon copy of a medical, legal or cop show there wasn’t a clear roadmap for how to make it work for 100 episodes by looking at other TV shows. So instead we turned to “The Stand,” a 1,000-page novel with a high-concept idea at the core: most of the world’s inhabitants have been killed by a super flu. What we loved about the book was that what sustains the 1,000 pages is not the mythology of the super flu but the stories of the characters. The mystery of what was happening on this island had to be secondary to the mystery of “who are these people?”
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TV - Project Runway S6E1

Season Six of the world's most awesomest reality-competition show, Project Runway, started last week on it's new network Lifetime. Full of big personalities and classic gimmicky names (Hello, Qristyl!) there was also plenty of talent to go around. Read on for my spoiler-heavy discussion of the first episode of the new season.




Upon meeting all of the contestants, there are some that seem more likeable than others from the get-go. There's Ra'Mon who I've got to love because apparently he was well on his way to being a neurosurgeon, and I like big brains. I also like Epperson, who is the oldest guy and looks like you might see him drumming happily on the sidewalk in Ann Arbor. I also liked Logan who said he was the type of guy who could look under the hood and repair his limo, should it break-down on his way to Fashion Week.

I certainly did not care for Johnny, who was all to eager to let everyone know he was a recovering addict and then called out to his competitors to talk him through his panic attack, when I'm sure they were all undergoing tremendous amounts of anxiety.
I also did not have a lot of patience for Nicolas, who claims to make dresses out of feathers and champagne. That just doesn't sound practical!

As far as the runway goes, my favorite was not signaled out for recognition. I absolutely loved Irina's beautiful antique lace gown. It was gorgeous and definitely Academy Awards red-carpet worthy. And although it might not have been bad enough to warrant getting kicked-out, the over-looked bobby tassel dress by Carol was pretty hideous.

Out of the judges favorites, my antagonism towards Johnny extended to my distaste for his dress. The judges seemed to applaud the structure, rather than the arresting color. Certainly the bright, lipstick red with black sequin detail seemed off-putting to me, however I wasn't able to appreciate the shape of the gown even when imagining it in a solid black fabric. The front was such a broad sack, only the skinniest of anorexic starlets would be able to avoid looking like a whale in this outfit. And the back was a bit too-much reveal.

I felt bad for Mitchell. He made a mistake in not allowing himself some wiggle room with the fitting, and I hope he learns from it. The Victorian color wasn't my favorite, but the look was a lot more interesting in it's original form, with the blue watercolor fabric trickling down the legs. If things hadn't gotten so screwed up during the fitting, Mitchell had a real possibility for a successful look with the dramatic collar and a shorter skirt, to make the outfit more contemporary.

As for Ari, she was definitely a case of an artist who works through fashion rather than a fashion designer. She was a bit too out-there, although I didn't think her outfit was the worst thing to come across the PR stage in its history.


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TV - Project Runway All-Star Challenge

Project Runway is backkkk! And in a true treat, a delicious appetizer was presented before the new season started. In Project Runway All Stars we were able to see how designers Korto, Uli, Sweet P, Daniel V, Jeffrey, Santino, Chris, and Mychael have evolved since their time in the competition. They created a small collection of three looks with a bonus fourth look thrown in at the last minute made from un-traditional materials. Read on for my thoughts on the results.




The judges sort of had a weird inconsistency. On one hand, they seemed anxious to see how the designers have grown since they last judged their looks. On the other hand, when the designers evolved significantly, the judges were uncomfortable not-recognizing the contestants style from years past.

The main victim of this thinking was Uli. Uli presented an awesome collection, but her lack of prints and flowy beach-dresses threw the judges for a loop. They were blinded by her change in aesthetic that they couldn't see the looks she presented for what they were: truly awesome designs! Her restaurant look was superb. That she wasn't included in the top four was a real shame.

On the other hand, Chris presented a look that was very different from his costumey presentation in seasons past. He made three sober looks out of the same flannel plaid, the first two were barely distinguishable to me. I thought he was given a bit too much praise. One thing I did love, though, was how Heidi talked Mama to him when he was getting a bit too overwhelmed with his admirable humility. Oh, Heidi... I've missed you!

(Naturally I missed Tim the most. When he said to Mychael "It displeases me!" and when he slammed himself into that heavy workroom door I was in absolute Gunn Euphoria.)

So anyway, back to the runway: the winner was Daniel V. Was this deserved? I'm sort of ambivalent. His red carpet dress was my favorite and I agree that it was perfect. However, I thought his restaurant challenge fourth look was the worst. That he's also sort of in the pocket of Project Runway (he's had all of the judges write for his new book and he's a PR sponsored blogger) was a bit uncomfortable as well. But what made me the most uncomfortable was Korto's totally pissy response to getting second place. She received a lot of praise and was shown a tremendous amount of respect. That she sees coming in second out of this terrific group as a diss is weird and insulting.

Overall I was so happy to be back in the world of Project Runway, regardless of the network switch. I thought all of the designers had at least one look that I thought was successful. Certainly it was great to see so many talented looks in an 7 person show. Normally when there are still 7 designers kicking around in a season, there are still plenty of duds. Here it truly was a matter of who was the best of the best.



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TV - Mad Men

People of Earth: there are only *6* more days to suffer through until the return of Mad Men. In case you haven't seen the show yet - don't worry - this is plenty of time to watch all of Season One and Season Two. The DVD box sets are on super sale at Best Buy and are pretty darn cheap on iTunes (like $17 bucks for all of Season One... not bad for 13 hours of goodness!)

A lot of people in my life don't like the show. My husband and father for starters, and maybe Metta said once she couldn't get into it. These people hold a large amount of real-estate in my heart but they are so so so so wrong. Mad Men is good. It is not chipper, but it is radiantly beautiful. Talk about a show shot like a movie.





One of my favorite things about the show is the roles it has provided three very lucky actresses. It's the 1960s in both the corporate and suburban world, it's not such a great time to be a woman. It's all about being seen not heard, and these gals are struggling to feel valued. January Jones, Christina Hendricks, and Emmy nominated Elisabeth Moss are all super stars.

And then of course we have the real reason to watch: JON HAMM!! Did you know they used footage of him from his high school swim team to draw Prince Eric? : D

Familiar with the show? Click HERE to see two awesome videos from Hamm's peformance on SNL (Two A-Holes Go To An Ad Agency in the 1960s and Don Draper's Guide to Life)

Here are some cocktail recipes so you can get in the mood proper:

Gimlet:
2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Lime Juice

Combine in a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Serve with a lime squeeze.


Old Fashioned:
2 oz blended whiskey
1 sugar cube
1 dash bitters
1 slice lemon
1 cherry
1 slice orange

Combine the sugar cube, bitters, and 1 tsp. water in an old-fashioned glass. Muddle well, add blended whiskey, and stir. Add a twist of lemon peel and ice cubes. Add slices of orange and lemon and top with the cherry. Serve with a swizzle stick.

Pimm's Cup:
2 oz Pimm's No. 1
3 oz lemonade
lemon twist for garnish
cucumber slice or peel for garnish

Pour the Pimm's into a collins glass with ice cubes.
Add the lemonade and (if desired) a splash of club soda or lemon-lime soda.
Garnish with the lemon twist and cucumber.

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TV - My Top Ten Favorite Shows

Just because this is half my blog and I can do what I want to, here are my top 10 favorite shows on television right now (meaning they haven't been canceled and will be coming back if they are not on right now):

In no particular order:

1. Project Runway
2. Mad Men
3. Big Love
4. The Office
5. 30 Rock
6. Lost
7. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
8. How I Met Your Mother
9. True Blood
10. Hung

That is all. Read more!

TV and Film - Re-cut Trailers

Here's a funny fanvid of "The Office" turned into a horror movie. And here's another one.

These are cool, but they reminded me of one of my favorite things ever: this re-invented trailer to "The Shining." Read more!

TV - 2009 Emmy Nominations

Recently the nominees for the 2009 Emmy's were released. There were few changes from the nominations of last year, especially in the Drama category. However, Neil Patrick Harris hosting is a major reason to tune-in. The comparison of his sure-to-be awesome take as master of ceremonies to the reality TV hosts debacle of last year will be startling! Furthermore, Jeremy Piven was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series this year, making it seem like NPH will finally get the much deserved award. Read more for further discussion on the few surprise nominees and the snubs.





The category of Best Comedy Series is the most improved. "How I Met Your Mother" finally makes the cut, and "Two and a Half Men" is finally taken off the list. "Flight of the Conchords" is given a nod, which is sort of a better-late-than-never nom considering Season Two was not nearly as brilliant as Season One. "Family Guy" shocked many for its nomination. It's the first animated series to ever be given the nod! The big WTF, though, goes to the nomination of "Entourage," a show that when it's at it's best is only a B minus production and last year was sub-par even by those standards. In the place of "Entourage" should be "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Just in case you forgot, Season Four of the always hilarious "...Sunny..." featured not just the cannibalism episode but also "Who Pooped the Bed?": one of the funniest half-hours to ever grace basic cable.

As for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, I was really happy and surprised to see Jemaine Clement get a nomination for his lovely, quirky performance in "... Conchords." I was also happy to see Jim Parsons get due praise for his performance on "The Big Bang Theory," as he is good enough on that show to make my husband and I tune-in every week despite the corny jokes and lame laugh-track. That's really saying something. The WTF here goes to Tony Shalhoub: really? People are still watching "Monk"?

For the Supporting Actor and Actress nominations I was happy to see Jack McBrayer, Tracy Morgan, Kristen Wiig, Kristen Chenoweth, and Jane Krakowski. I was stupefied by Kevin Dillon making it on the list again.

Moving on to the Drama categories, there isn't much to say as there are barely any changes to the nominations list from last year. The best of the few changes was that "Big Love" was added to the nomination list for Best Drama Series. However, one of the major snubs was that none of the amazing female actresses from Big Love (specifically Chloë Sevigny and Amanda Seyfried) were chosen.

And really? House? Last Season was just about as Jump-the-Sharky as seasons can get. There were hallucinations, inexplicable suicides, and then more hallucinations. In its place on the Best Drama list should have been... DUH... BATTLESTAR GA-FREAKIN-LACTICA! That this show wasn't nominated, and hasn't been nominated, and that none of the actors weren't and haven't been nominated is a CRIME punishable by groin kickings.

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TV - Sesame Street

Sesame Street is awesome. I watch it with Lloyd every now-and-then when one of us is particularly exhausted or crabby. They have amazing celebrity guest stars and hilarious jokes that can actually make me LOL. Today one of the characters called for a taxi and the taxi driver wore sunglasses and a mohawk, looking exactly like a Muppet Robert De Niro. Hilarious. That is all.

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