Blogcritics

TV Preview: George of the Jungle

Chris Beaumont — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:46:44 EST

Look out for that tree! George is back!
Cartoon Network is prepared to unveil the latest addition to their primetime line-up. That addition is none other than George of the Jungle. The series first premiered on Teletoon in Canada back in July of 2007 and has already aired 26 half-hour shows, each show being comprised of two eleven minute episodes. It should be noted that the episodes are...

TV Preview: I've Seen the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Pilot

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 22:15:49 EST

Terminator, TV-style.
The past weekend, Fox teamed up with Yahoo TV to give everyone an early look at the new science fiction series. I was curious and decided to take a peek. I'm glad I did, although I was disappointed that they were not offering it with a full screen option. I had to settle for watching it in a little window, and at a low bit rate. I guess they...

TV Premiere Week: 9/30-10/6 (Plus the Leftovers)

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:49:56 EDT

Week three is upon us. Not as many as last week, but enough to make the week crowded.
Last week saw the busy middle week of premieres for the new television season. This week slows down a bit, in terms of volume of premieres, but we will have to deal with new shows conflicting with the ones with which we are attempting to build relationships. However you want to slice it, young television seasons are always a busy time filled with...

TV Premiere Week: September 23-29

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:40:31 EDT

A busy week ahead for all you TV-heads!
Last week saw the beginnings of the new television season, kicked off by the Emmy broadcast. Now, be honest, was that awards show dull or was it just me? Sure, there were a couple of surprise winners, but I did not feel any energy. That "in the round" stage did not work out all that well. Anyway, last week had a few notable debuts,...

TV Premiere Week: September 16 - 22

Chris Beaumont — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:28:30 EDT

The first week of premieres is upon us.
September signifies many things, among them the end of summer, the arrival of gradually cooling temperatures, the start of a new school year, and the impending arrival of the new television season. As big a day as the first of September is for the television fan, there is one bigger -- the Sunday that plays host to the annual Emmy awards. It...

Emmy 2007: Down and Dirty Predictions

Chris Beaumont — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:21:39 EDT

The 2007 awards are nearly upon us.
These awards shows always creep up on me. I always seem to think I have a lot of time to look them over and put my predictions on the screen, but it never seems to work in my favor. I am left scrambling in the hours leading up to the broadcast to get something down before they announce the winners. This year was no different. I procrastinated until...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Looking at the 2007 Sunday Network Upfronts

Chris Beaumont — Sat, 26 May 2007 09:46:23 EDT

Last week, the networks all announced their initial schedules for next season. Beginning September 2007, this is what the Sunday grid is going to look like, at least tentatively. There is always the chance of reshuffling and other various changes to be made before the schedules actually go live. Now rather than take a look at each of the networks, I thought it would be better to take a look at the daily grids. Better to see how the networks stack up against one another. Today is Sunday, so let's see how it looks. Bold= New Show Italics= What I plan to watchSun7:007:308:008:309:009:3010:0010:30ABCAmerica's Funniest Home VideosExtreme Makeover: Home EditionDesperate HouesewivesBrothers and SistersCBS60 MinutesViva LaughlinCold CaseSharkNBCFootball Night in AmericaNBC Sunday Night FootballFOX The OT (NFL Postgame)The SimpsonsKing of the HillFamily GuyAmerican DadLocal ProgrammingCWCW NowOnline NationLife is WildAmerica's Next Top Model EncoreLocal ProgrammingNot much new on Sunday nights to report on.CBS has one new series, Viva Laughlin. It is a drama/thriller/musical that is being executive produced by Hugh Jackman, who will also be guesting in a recurring role. It is about a man who is struggling to open a casino in Laughlin, Nevada. Sounds like an intriguing premise, although I am not sure how it will be received.The CW is the only other network with new offerings. First, at 7:00 is CW Now, what looks like an Entertainment Tonight-style magazine show. It will be followed by Online Nation; its synopsis reads like a YouTube for the TV. Lastly, they have Life is Wild, a family drama about a blended family that moves to South Africa. Sundays are sure to be ruled by some combination of FOX comedies The Simpsons and Family Guy, and CBS's Desperate Housewives. CBS will also have the James Woods drama Shark returning for its sophomore season on a new night and time. I am also quite interested in the Jackman series.

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about entertainment when he isn't sitting in a movie theater. He is known around the office as the "Movie Guy" and is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Interests include science fiction, horror, and metal music. His writings can be found at Draven99's Musings, as well as Film School Rejects.

CBS Clip Show: The Big Bang Theory, Viva Laughlin, Cane, Moonlight

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 25 May 2007 07:40:17 EDT

Now that the network upfronts are out, and we have gotten the show descriptions, they are starting to get some clips of those shows out there, all trying to get you excited about their new offerings and drum up ad support. The first clips I have gotten to look at are for new CBS series The Big Bang Theory, Viva Laughlin, Cane, and Moonlight.Jump right to the clips? Big Bang Theory, Cane, Moonlight, Viva Laughlin 1 2 3First up is The Big Bang Theory, which someone described as a retread of Stacked, the defunct Pam Anderson sitcom that ran for a brief time on FOX. That description seems apt. It features a hot, but not terribly bright, blonde (at least at first glance) surrounded by a few guys with definite leanings towards the nerd side of life. This will be filling the hole left by the canceled Jason Ritter series, The Class, in between hits How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men. Frankly, I don't see this one going anywhere, and as goofy as The Class was, I think I am going to miss it. The new series features Johnny Galecki (Roseanne, Suicide Kings) as one of the nerds and Kaley Cuoco (Eight Simple Rules, Charmed) as the sexy neighbor. The clip has the guys talking in the living room, interrupted by a towel-clad Kaley with a shower problem. I don't know, the humor strikes me as forced and not terribly funny. Take a look at the clip and judge for yourself.Viva Lauglin is a musical/drama that will be on Thursday night and has the starpower of Hugh Jackman as executive producer. In addition to his screen credit, he will also have a recurring role. The series follows a businessman who has a strong desire to get a casino going in Laughlin, Nevada. I am intrigued by the musical aspects, but am unsure how well it will work for a television series. CBS has offered three clips of the show, two of them featuring musical numbers, and they have served to interest me even more; even without much of the surrounding context, they offer something different to the primtime landscape. The first clip is of Hugh Jackman, arriving via helicopter and singing the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" as he makes his entrance from the roof down into the casino. Second clip features Owen Lloyd, as Ripley Holden, singing Elvis Presley's "Viva, Las Vegas." The last clip is a non-singing meeting between the two where Lloyd is trying to get Jackman to buy in as an investor. The series, a remake of the UK series Blackpool, looks good. I am eager to see how it plays out.Jimmy Smits co-stars with Nestor Carbonell and Hector Elizondo, at least in this clip, of the new drama Cane. The show centers on a family who has made a fortune in the rum and sugar business. The family is at a crossroads and the son (Carbonell) and the brother-in-law (Smits) of the Duque family have differing views on the future of the business. This clip has the two butting heads with Elizondo in between as they talk about pursuing sugar, as opposed to rum, as the primary export. I cannot say that it excites me, but the three featured in the clip I like.The final show in this group of clips is the vampiric series Moonlight. Taking cues from Forever Knight and Angel, it features a vampire working as a detective. I like the idea, and still have attachments to Angel, so I am interested in how this one plays out, but this clip has left me less than excited. In the bit, we see Alex O'Loughlin, as Nick St. John, in his first moments as a member of the undead, being turned by his lover. This really left me flat, what with the voiceover and all -- it just seemed like I had seen it many times before. Still, I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. We shall see.We shall see, indeed.

Looking at the 2007 Friday Upfronts

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 25 May 2007 07:15:26 EDT

Last week, the networks all announced their initial schedules for next season. Beginning September 2007, this is what the Friday grid is going to look like, at least tentatively. There is always the chance of reshuffling and other various changes to be made before the schedules actually go live. Now rather than take a look at each of the networks, I thought it would be better to take a look at the daily grids. Better to see how the networks stack up against one another. Today is Friday, so let's see how it looks.Bold= New Show Italics= What I plan to watchFri8:008:309:009:3010:0010:30ABCMen in TreesWomen's Murder Club20/20CBSGhost WhispererMoonlightNumb3rsNBC1 vs 100 / The Singing BeeLas VegasFriday Night LightsFOX Search for the Next Great American BandNashvilleLocal ProgrammingCWWWE: SmackdownLocal ProgrammingABC's new Friday features Women's Murder Club. This show features a talented detective who is tired of waiting for months or years for criminals to be prosecuted, so she puts together an all female group who work these cases to get them completed faster, while also being a support group for each other. Angie Harmon leads the cast. This is on following Men in Trees, returning for a second season on a new night and time.CBS is opening and closing with the same pair of shows, Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs. The new bridge is Moonlight, whose description recalls memories of another show cut before its time, Angel. The preview I saw looks pretty slick; it is about a man who was turned into a vampire by his bride 60 years earlier and who now works as a private investigator, while being in love with a mortal. Looks good to me.NBC will open with a pair of shows that will be splitting time, though I am not sure what the split will be. The shows are the returning 1 vs 100 and the new competition show The Singing Bee. The latter show features contestants singing lyrics to popular songs when the band stops playing. That will be followed by the returning Las Vegas, a favorite guilty pleasure, and then Friday Night Lights in a new time slot. FOX will be filling their Friday with a pair of music-related reality shows, both of which are likely to undergo name changes prior to airing. The first is Search for the Next Great American Band -- from the producers of the ubiquitous American Idol comes a show that looks to be the same thing except for bands. It will be followed by Nashville, a docu-drama about those in and around the music scene in the city of Nashville. I guess I won't need anything from FOX Friday!The CW continues on with WWE: Smackdown on fridays. No changes there.I am looking forward to the return of Las Vegas, a show that is always up for some fun. Meanwhile, I cannot wait for Friday Night Lights. I am very glad that it is back, but I feel that it is going to die in this time slot. Moonlight looks promising, and I will catch episodes of Ghost Whisperer from time to time, that is generally a good series as well.

Looking at the 2007 Thursday Network Upfronts

Chris Beaumont — Thu, 24 May 2007 07:31:47 EDT

Last week, the networks all announced their initial schedules for next season. Beginning September 2007, this is what the Thursday grid is going to look like, at least tentatively. There is always the chance of reshuffling and other various changes to be made before the schedules actually go live. Now rather than take a look at each of the networks, I thought it would be better to take a look at the daily grids. Better to see how the networks stack up against one another. Today is Thursday, so let's see how it looks.Bold= New Show Italics= What I plan to watchThur8:008:309:009:3010:0010:30ABCUgly BettyGrey's AnatomyBig ShotsCBSSurvivorCSIWithout a TraceNBCMy Name is Earl30 RockThe OfficeScrubsERFOX Are You Smarter Than a Fifth GraderKitchen NightmaresLocal ProgrammingCWSmallvilleSupernaturalLocal ProgrammingThursday only offers up few new shows for our consumption, along with a few shuffle moves. For the most part it is a rather stable night.ABC offers up a new show to anchor the evening in Big Shots. The show looks like the dramatic version of their new Wednesday night sitcom, Carpoolers. Instead of four guys with problems in a car, it is four guys with corner offices who find refuge in their country club. The clips look a little dry, although it is nice to see Christopher Titus (Titus) back on TV, along with Michael Vartan (Alias).FOX is the only other network with a new Thursday show, Kitchen Nightmares. It features chef Gordon Ramsay, who was previously featured on Hell's Kitchen. Just what I wanted, more reality shows...Thursday is a pretty solid night for me, which usually finds CSI getting the short end of the viewing stick. NBC puts together a solid lineup of comedies, and it is nice to see Scrubs returning for a seventh season, and starting out on the schedule, rather than being used as a replacement like it has been for the past few years. Granted, it will only be an 18-episode season, but any new Scrubs is a good thing with me. On the other hand, NBC will be offering up 30 - yes 30 - new episodes of The Office, with five of them being hour-longs.