Category Archives: NBC

April 20, 2007 · 2:01 pm

Thursday Night TV Club – April 19th, 2007

 

I really don’t have much to say about last night’s episodes, to be entirely honest with you. While I watched everything that was new, I honestly felt that every single show just treaded water outside of one. That one, surprisingly enough, was the one show which seems to be falling off the cultural radar.

While I gave 30 Rock credit last week for continuing storylines over multiple episodes, this week was…just the same as last week. It’s disappointing to see Floyd leave, really, but at least it keeps the show from becoming complacent. This episode was exactly the same as last week’s, in most ways, except this time we had a small dose of Jenna (And yet even the writers seemed begrudging about it, keeping her out of most key storylines and dissing her ability to carry the show in Tracy’s absence). I thought some of her lines were funny, but then they had her trying on underwear and falling down. The character is simply out of steam. Jack’s relationship with Phoebe is frustratingly dull, and the only character currently surviving is Tracy, mainly for the Black Crusaders portion of his storyline. And even then it was fairly low on the comedy scale outside of Gordon from Sesame Street being one of its inner circle. Liz’s trip to Cleveland was cute, but it was all wrapped up in the same cloth as last week’s episode.

Scrubs was on the same boat, as it was one of their annoying “Let’s have other people do the voiceovers” episodes. I think that it wasn’t a half bad episode of Scrubs based on this season’s standards, but I’ve been watching Season One on DVD recently and I can’t help but compare. I do not care about Elliot and Keith, stripper pole or no stripper pole. Ted is fairly boring, and him standing up to Kelso felt dated. Jordan has lost much of her character depth since the intense botox treatments, and I don’t think she really demands our attention. And, while I love The Todd and felt that his internal dialogue was by far the most interesting (and actually funny), it still wasn’t much of a real storyline. All three of the focused-upon characters are never going to actually become anything important, so why bother spending so much time on them when it will all be forgotten by next week?

Speaking of forgotten, I was woefully bored with this week’s episode of Ugly Betty. I enjoy the show, but this episode just did absolutely nothing for me. Wilhelmina seducing Bradford just isn’t entertaining to watch, and Daniel sleeping with a 16-year old is decidedly regressive (moreso than it really needs to be). The show was rolling at a really good clip dramatically for awhile, but this episode dropped the major component of this: Henry. Christopher Gorham’s likable accountant was the thing that kept Betty on track, and watching her fall off the rails wasn’t good television in the least. The show lacked the charm of the rest of the season, and its darker turns don’t seem like the right step forward for the show…and the less said about the terrible Ignacio storyline the better.

For details on Grey’s and the best episode of Survivor in a long time: Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, NBC, Scrubs, Survivor, Television, Ugly Betty

Tagged as

April 17, 2007 · 9:58 pm

Changing Perspectives: Television and the Virginia Tech Tragedy

It happens with any tragedy. As the news media begins to cover the story 24/7, as its true ramifications and impact begin to take hold on our minds, it fundamentally changes our perspective. Things which were once innocuous, things which were once seemingly harmless, take on new meanings. And really, I think it’s only human nature; as human beings, we are affected by tragedies which are so relatable, which could happen to anyone. What happened at Virginia Tech is something relatable for me: as an RA who sees people in residence who have issue with anger, issues with violence, I can’t help but become hypothetical. I can’t help but think about these realities in my own life, and thus it’s also impossible to ignore connections between the tragedy at Virginia Tech and the television we watch. As a reflection of our lives, and in many ways an extension of our societal values, television is going to provide unintended context to a tragic event.

The shootings have already resulted in a network reaction from FOX in regards to this week’s episode of ‘Bones,’ which had been about a college student who had been murdered and buried a set of bleachers. And, although I do not believe anything has been made official, there has been some reaction to this weekend’s Saturday Night Live Digital Short, “The Shooting.” I think that the short certainly takes a somewhat different turn when you consider it in the light of the shootings, and NBC agrees. Although they weren’t too quick to take down the short when it aired (NBC was apparently unable to legally clear the song for use on YouTube, but didn’t want to kill the hype), NBC is now making legal claims about anyone posting the video on YouTube themselves.

My opinion on these two reactions is that I think they are both for the best, and both justified, and yet I think it’s important to avoid the types of reactions seen on the Saturday Night Live message boards. This one, an example of the sentiment, in particular is a problem [Highlights are mine]:

“I created an account and I am commenting here on this site for one reason only — to STRONGLY agree [the first poster]. I’m a longterm SNL fan, and I can certainly take a joke, but SNL needs to realize that they are absolutely no different than the Quinten Tarrintino’s of the world, violent video game producers, and all the media outlets that indirectly promote this behavior by showing people shooting other people on TV or on computers. SNL — you all have a responsibility to society as well. Some jokes don’t need to be said, and skits don’t need to be shown. You didn’t cause this event, but it’s shows like yours that slowly make these “nut cases” lose their sensitivity and become enamored with this kind of behavior — and ultimately do it. SNL and NBC — you are partly responsible.“

I think we need to draw a major line in the sand in regards to responsibility for the event and responsibility to the public. What SNL did was create a comedy sketch that made light of violence…in order to satirize the dramatization of violence on other television shows. In the end, the sketch was written and presented as comedy. It cannot, in any way, be retroactively declared as a glorification of violence simply because of this terrible event. SNL and NBC are not responsible for anything other than poor timing, and that was out of their control.

Look at Bones, which is dealing with a problem of an episode that has been filmed and completed and yet can’t possibly air considering its subject matter. They are not at fault for producing an episode which featured a college student being killed considering that we’re talking about a forensics procedural drama. We live in a television environment where every CSI, every Law and Order, every Criminal Minds or NCIS, are all dealing with death on a regular basis. I would hate to have the job that those writers have, planning out how they’re going to create a murder for these people to solve every week. And yet, can we hold them responsible for doing their jobs? Can we hold the shows responsible when they have some of the highest ratings on TV? Can we hold us responsible, then, for consuming and demanding this type of programming?

This is the problem with attempting to find blame within the mass media, specifically within television or video games. Consumption of television, of video games, is far too subjective to even consider its effects without opening up a Pandora’s box that is simply impossible to close cleanly. It’s an easy out, a nice story for the media, and yet I don’t think it actually has enough true relevance to consider as an issue of responsibility. What SNL presented, what Bones was planning to present, was a reality of what we as viewers consume, wish to consume, and find funny or dramatic on a regular basis.

FOX and NBC made the right call removing these from air/YouTube, as it is a sign of their own remorse and sensitivity towards these events. However, I want to make it very clear that no one should be blaming any of the parties involved for anything. So, I can only hope that I don’t see a nationwide boycott of SNL, or Shia LaBeouf, or Andy Samberg, or David Boreanaz. This tragedy is not an issue of blame, no matter how much the media wants to find a catchy byline to scroll on the bottom of the screen to sum everything up. The actions of that student were actions that were personal, emotional, contextual, and can never be boiled down to any show, any societal construct. The micro, in this case, is where you begin, not with the macro mass media element of things.

4 Comments

Filed under Bones, FOX, NBC, Saturday Night Live

Tagged as

April 16, 2007 · 11:44 am

Cultural Feedback: SNL’s Sofa King, 24’s Final Act

In the midst of a current wave of fairly heavy hits regarding Saturday Night Live and its Digital Short, I’m going to press my luck and see if anyone actually has an opinion on some things. I’ve been receiving from feedback with certain opinions (See: Scrubs/30 Rock), but there certainly hasn’t been a whole lot of comments. Feedback is an important thing, so I’d like to see if you could help me out with two things.

Why is this Funny?

“Sofa King”

First, to those SNL fans out there…why is Sofa King funny? I’ve watched this skit a few more times after seeing it originally, and I’ve still yet to figure out what makes this particular skit worthy of so many google searches yesterday. Can anyone explain to me its charms?

I just can’t, for the life of me, figure out what is funny about this skit. If anyone can provide some context, that would be fantastic, because I’m just not getting it.

[Edit: Um, I’m officially an idiot and totally missed the entire punchline of the skit (For those silly like me, treat “Sofa King Great” as a Mad Lib), but I still think that it’s a one-note skit that has some really weird elements like twitchy songs and a lack of any material other than that…so I’m still lost on its real appeal. But I’m still an idiot. Oy Vey.]

What’s your Thoughts?

24’s Final Act

Second, the sixth season of 24 is heading into its final act tonight as Jack heads out in an attempt to save Audrey’s life. I doubt that anyone really thought she was dead, I’m sure, but I’m curious if anyone else maybe had any thoughts about the season thus far. We’re through 17 episodes, and I know that there’s some people who have stopped watching. Considering that last week featured perhaps the best sequence of the season, do you think things are back on track? Is the season’s new direction a good one, or was the old plot wrapped up too quickly?

I’m of two minds on this one. I think the first plot wrapped up without true resolution, and on the whole was a waste of time outside of its beginning and its end, and so I think a better resolution could have come with more time. That said, I think that a Jack-centric final narrative is in the show’s best interest…although Presidential affairs should be an interesting challenge.

So if you’ve got an opinion, do let it be known!

1 Comment

Filed under 24, NBC, Saturday Night Live, Television

Tagged as

April 15, 2007 · 1:07 am

Saturday Night Live (April 14th, 2007) – Shia LaBeouf & Avril Lavigne

Saturday Night Live

April 14th, 2007

Shia LaBeouf and Avril Lavigne

It’s a very youth-skewed Saturday Night Live with two early 20s younglings taking the stage. Does it result in a show which reflects the revived nature of the Digital Short generation, or does the show just drag them down with them? Let’s take a look.

The Monologue

It was clear that LaBeouf was fairly uncomfortable, as he immediately headed out into the backstage area and basically had the rest of the cast carry the monologue for him while he played a rather manic and simplistic straight man. It was cute, sure, but it was certainly not enough to make me have great hopes for LeBouf’s ability to carry the show.

The Host

Shia LaBeouf comes from a background of comedy, having spent years on Even Stevens on the Disney Channel, and yet it didn’t translate well into this scenario for the simple reason that the material just isn’t as polished. That sounds like an odd comment to make, but LaBeouf never really got to sink his teeth into a character, a common problem in the modern days of SNL. He’s just kind of there in pretty well every skit, and it resulted in a lack of an impact. I always feel like a host should be able to establish themselves, and yet LaBeouf was never given the chance even within the Digital Short. The only skit which Shia LeBouf really seemed to be in some way involved in was the one featuring ‘Shia’ LaBeouf with ‘Maya’ Rudolph, which was still him playing the straight man like in the monologue. He wasn’t a bad host, but rather an uneventful one.

The Skits

Yawn. I’m sorry, but the skits just don’t do it anymore, and I really don’t feel that Saturday Night Live is living up to its skits. The Prince Show is a great concept that seems to have been driven in the ground, and it has no depth beyond Armisen’s strong performance. The skit about kids buying beer had some really funny bits but ended so damn quickly I became annoyed at it, and the Sofa king sketch was just derivative. I like the Dakota Fanning Show as a concept, and it was nice to see Avril get involved in a sketch, and I like Keenan’s reactions…actually, I kind of liked that sketch. A lot. Really, the sketches weren’t too bad. The sketch between Shia and Maya (They rhyme!) was quirky, cute and charming…something that can’t be said for the rest of the show. And yet, in the end, it was still inconsequential, and none of the sketches will be remembered. Stuff like the Knives sketch was still all LaBeouf playing straight man, and I wish he would have had room to break out somewhere in there. The ‘Intimate Moment with John Mayer and Jessica Simpson’ was a smart little piece, didn’t run too long, and yet it was so short that it had little to no impact on the show as a whole.

The Digital Short

[Note: The Digital Short has been taken off YouTube, and is unlikely to return considering the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech.]

The basic premise: “Let’s Make fun of the use of overdramatic music in death scenes on TV shows.” The song in question was Imogen Heap’s ‘Hide and Seek,’ and it was quite effective as satire [Edit: Actually, it’s incredibly effective. Head to YouTube to watch the O.C. scene in question (Starts at 2:00) and it’s freakin’ hilarious]. The only problem is that it was really just the same joke being driven into the ground, which works fine as an overall statement but lacks the variety to make a digital short truly memorable. That being said, as someone who watches those shows I found it quite funny, and I think it has satirical value of a different sort than other digital shorts which is good for variety. [Edit: I now think it is bloody hilarious, it’s growing on me]

Weekend Update

Darrell Hammond does a great Imus, they did a decent job of dealing with the Anna Nicole baby situation (Rudolph and Samberg nailed that short interview piece), so on the whole it was a half decent edition of Weekend Update. I think it could have done better with the material, but there was nothing which intensely disagreed with me.

The Musical Guest: Avril Lavigne

Songs Performed: ‘Girlfriend’ [Music Video – YouTube] and ‘I Can Do Better’ [MP3 – YouSendIt] from The Best Damn Thing

I think that ‘Girlfriend’ is a cute little song that has potential from a summer single perspective, and I’m glad to see that there was not a full choreographed dance routine when performed live, but there was still far too much dancing for someone like Lavigne who should simply not be dancing. The problem is that her second song (‘I Can do Better’) also featured odd choreography and a lyric which was just terrible. It even had the same really annoying cheerleader bridge that just isn’t worth anyone’s time, and the melody of the song more or less disappeared when performed live. Avril’s voice is best on ballads and songs with melody, not these worthless attempts at emulating Gwen Stefani and a derivative version of herself. After reaching some level of maturity or at least mature-esque behaviour with the last album, this is kind of insulting. [Random Note? I totally just realized that the guy playing guitar for Avril Lavigne was the guitar player for the House Band on Rock Star: INXS. And that makes me mildly amused.]

The Verdict

Continue reading →

10 Comments

Filed under NBC, Saturday Night Live, Television

Tagged as ,

April 12, 2007 · 10:09 pm

Thursday Night TV Club – April 12th, 2007

[Another week, another set of repeats from Thrusday Night’s dramas. The result? Another Thursday Night TV Club focused on NBC’s Comedy Night Done Right.]

The Office

“Safety Training”

This week’s episode of The Office represents an important development for the series: it’s its first attempt to officially integrate a new character into its motley crew of characters. There was very little of Andy, except for Dwight shunning him, and it’s kind of tough for us to really accept him or notice him early in the episode. And, while I think that this would have been fine if the rest of the episode was very successful at providing comedy, it just really wasn’t that great a half hour of the show.

The episode instead dealt with…well, nothing really. After a series of episodes which offered either broad comedy or real plot development, it’s weird to see the show head back to its old roots in ridiculous office situations. This doesn’t mean the show isn’t funny, or that the episode was a waste of time, but rather that it seems inconsequential. It didn’t show a real character shift in anyone, didn’t address any true issues in office work, and just felt like the show was treading water. Considering that we just came off an extended episode which was complicated and interesting, this just felt like a step in the wrong direction.

The focus on safety and Michael’s search to prove himself is nothing we haven’t seen before, and it never really got to be resolved in a meaningful way. The betting sideplot which accompanied it was cute, sure, but it hasn’t been asked to carry an episode since the days of Office Olympics (And even there it had real ramifications for characters). Instead, all we got was some rather humorous but not laugh-out-loud funny moments. The bets included: guessing the number of jelly beans, seeing how long Ryan can talk to Kelly (With sidebets regarding how many times she says ‘Awesome’ or mentions romantic comedies), and whether or not Creed will realize when they switch out his apple with a potato. He doesn’t. That being said, they were still very small-scale, and didn’t really make an impact.

And the problem was that this episode really did have to do something more than this. It really needed to integrate Andy into the office atmosphere and make me see a purpose for him: and it didn’t. Andy was shunned by Dwight, which was humorous, but it was humorous for Dwight and not for Andy. If all he’s going to do is be a nothing character, then why bring him back full time? And while I think he can be established with time, and this episode didn’t sink their ability to bring him into the cast, I really think that a better effort needing to be put forward.

30 Rock

“Corporate Crush”

Where the Office finds itself in a bit of a rut, 30 Rock is the exact opposite; every single one of its storylines is a continuation of last week’s episode, and it all feels natural and interconnected. It’s shown itself capable of balancing storylines, and yet managing to provide a varied smattering of comedy each week. It’s situational, it’s absurdist, and yet it remains grounded in the principles of the show as it was organized: Liz is a lovelorn writer, Jack is the powerful yet insecure executive, and Tracy is the absurd actor. In this episode, each of them got to grow as characters and show new sides of themselves. This is precisely what The Office didn’t manage to do, and why 30 Rock was the better show on this evening.

Liz and Floyd’s relationship was nice and established until Jack came along, and Floyd and Jack started mandating. Jack, you see, is struggling with depression ever since his fireworks extravaganza last week went horribly awry and Don Geiss (President of GE or something) took away his prized Microwave Oven division. After Liz tells him to stop trying to steal the Floydster (Jack’s nickname for Floyd), he decides to find his own Floydster by dating his art dealer, and then proposing to her in order to fulfill the executive stereotype brought up at the beginning of the episode. Meanwhile, Tracy tries to get his Norbit-style Jefferson biopic made, and even when he fails he decides to finance it himself.

See how that all relates back to last week’s episode? To the basic nature of these characters? To everything the show stands for? For actually managing to contribute to the show in a meaningful fashion, and yet remaining funny, 30 Rock succeeds once again.

Scrubs

“My Words of Wisdom”

Continue reading →

6 Comments

Filed under 30 Rock, NBC, Scrubs, Television, The Office

Tagged as

April 11, 2007 · 3:23 pm

Why You Need to Watch ‘Friday Night Lights’

Tonight at 8pm EST, there’s a few television options for the average viewer. You’ve got the wonders of America’s Next Top Model, the dwindling Jericho, the forensics of Bones and the…well, the less we speak of ABC’s aging comedies the better. And yet, despite all of those options (I’d actually consider the first three to be decent ones), the best show airing at 8pm on Wednesdays is one that you’re not watching, and one that finishes its season early this evening.

That show is Friday Night Lights. And it is what you should be watching this evening. Now, I’ve got a multitude of reasons why I think you should watch this show, and in my attempt to convince you I am likely to use a large variety of football metaphors. In fact, I may or may not equate every single player to a specific position. And yet, I want all of you who might not understand these metaphors to know that the show is not about football. It is about real life, and how football is actually a manifestation of true emotion for these high school kids and for the people in the town of Dillon, Texas. I’ll let the recent Peabody Awards press release make my case for me:

“No dramatic series, broadcast or cable, is more grounded in contemporary American reality than this clear eyed serial about the hopes, dreams, livelihoods and egos intertwined with the fate of high-school football in a texas town.”

And that’s the reality of it; no show has been as successful at crafting a true ensemble character drama in a small town setting, and I was an early doubter of the show’s ability to succeed. While every storyline has not been perfect, and every character has their off moments, somehow it all comes together into something vividly real. While some people like to bash its jarring camera work, I think that it works to the show’s advantage. It makes it feel less like some slickly produced drama and more of a fly on the wall experience.

Which is why this show absolutely needs to be saved. It is the best new drama on television at this moment, and it is absolutely integral that everyone needs to tune in for the Season Finale tonight (And it WILL be the season finale). And, to help convince you of this, I want to present why this show’s characters are so damn intriguing. Individually, so many of them deserve the attention of both viewers and the television academy.

But, much like a football team, this really is a group effort on the part of the show’s characters. They make this thing work together, and as a result I think we need to treat them like the unit that they are. As a result, I present:

If the Cast of Friday Night Lights were a Football Team…

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Friday Night Lights, NBC, Television

April 10, 2007 · 11:49 am

Why Sidney Crosby Has Ruined CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada

I knew it would happen eventually. As a resident of Halifax, Nova Scotia, I felt it was my duty to be annoyed at the amount of media coverage received by Sidney Crosby. While I would never doubt his ability, I got sick and tired of hearing about it in the municipality of his childhood throughout his QMJHL days. It came to the point where Crosby was receiving more attention than Halifax’s actual Quebec Major Juniour Hockey League team, and this frustrated me to no end.

It is therefore mildly fitting that Crosby’s newfound superstardom, including a well-deserved Art Ross Trophy this season, has officially come back to bite Canada in the ass.

CBC Livid as NHL Bows to Americans

(The Globe and Mail – April 10th, 2007)

The CBC is furious over the National Hockey League’s decision to schedule Saturday’s Pittsburgh Penguins-Ottawa Senators match in the afternoon instead of prime time.

The Canadian network wanted the game in the evening timeslot to maximize viewership for the traditional Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night show.

But the league bowed to NBC, which limits telecasts to the afternoon and wants the game because of the marquee potential of Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby.

That’s right: because of the apparent stardom of Canadian superstar Sidney Crosby, Canada will not be able to watch its only Eastern Conference hopeful in prime time. It’s a rather bitter pill to swallow for the CBC, and I think for good reasons.

– There is no guarantee for prime time Saturday Night broadcasts featuring Canadian teams unless Dallas/Vancouver goes to 6 games.

– They’re being forced to show Tampa Bay vs. New Jersey in Primetime on Saturday, which is just an embarrassing Hockey Night in Canada lineup.

– The league is arguing that NBC deserves to have the game scheduled for them because it will give the game a chance to grow in the U.S. Guess what, NBC? It ain’t happening, Crosby or no Crosby.

Really, Crosby’s fame has begun to work against Canada; he’s officially the next great hope, the one who will be able to save the game in the eyes of broadcasters. I think this is a fairly huge mantle to be placed upon him, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a fair one either. Crosby cannot be expected to carry the entire game of hockey forward, it’s as simple as that.

But from a broadcasting perspective, the CBC should be pissed right now. Hockey Night in Canada is a tradition that has treated the NHL incredibly well over the years, and yet they’re willing to bow to U.S. pressure. They’re abandoning their core audience of Canadian fans for an American audience who really doesn’t care in the least. So often I think the CRTC are just worthless hacks who fail to see the reality of programming, but their principles are something I agree with in a scenario like this. If a game features Canadian teams, one of only three in the playoffs, then that game should be played in prime time on Hockey Night in Canada. I don’t think it’s that hard, really, and it’s a principle which the NHL should have been following from the beginning.

13 Comments

Filed under NBC

Tagged as , , , ,

April 9, 2007 · 4:01 pm

Dead on Arrival: Andy Barker’s Final Episodes Move to Saturday

Well, looks like NBC is already realizing that Andy Barker was simply too unsuccessful to keep around on Thursdays, as I had previously discussed here at Cultural Learnings.

NBC Bounces Barker to Saturday – Zap2it.com

NBC has bumped “Andy” from its Thursday schedule this week and moved the show’s final two episodes to the barren wasteland that is Saturday night network primetime. The remaining two episodes of the show will air back-to-back at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, April 14.

“Scrubs” will take over “Andy’s” 9:30 p.m. time period a week earlier than originally planned (Thursday April 12th)

This indeed signals the end of Andy Barker, but this does mean that all of the show’s six episodes will be seen on NBC, which is great for Canadian viewers who were unable to access to episodes on NBC.com. In fact, I have to wonder whether the episodes being available on NBC.com ahead of time were perhaps detrimental to its ratings success. The show was never going to gain enough hype to really catch on, so perhaps those extra thousands of viewers could have been useful? Either way, it was an interesting experiment.

So, now it’s only Scrubs which is currently on the bubble in terms of NBC comedies…perhaps we’ll be waiting until the NBC Upfronts before we get a good idea of where things are headed, and our answer might be found just days later over at ABC.

Leave a comment

Filed under Andy Barker P.I., NBC, Scrubs, Television

April 5, 2007 · 10:58 pm

Thursday Night TV Club – April 5th, 2007

Supersized Comedy Night

Done Right

NBC’s Funny Foresome

So, while the last edition of Thursday Night TV Club dealt with primarily ABC’s drama lineup, this week provided a unique two and a half hours of fresh comedy at NBC. Supersized episodes of The Office, 30 Rock and Scrubs coupled with a new Andy Barker resulted in a very satisfying night of comedy. How satisfying was it? Well, I actually have a specific positive thing to say about every episode. This is quite rare, especially with a show like Scrubs that I’ve criticized often in the past.

But, the reality is that each show stepped up to the plate in their own way, and each deserves a special Thursday Night TV Club Award of Recognition.

Award of Recognition for the

Most Well-Negotiated Return

The Office – “The Negotiation”

After a long break, The Office returned with an episode that did everything right in such a situation. Having gone on hiatus with the dramatic ‘Cocktails,’ the show needed to balance the drama of Roy’s anger with the comedic elements the show is known for. The show took that drama and managed it; there was no true confrontation between Jim and Pam, there was no on-screen discussion of the scenario, it just happened in the cold open and was dealt with off-screen. This was a strong decision, and shows the deft touch of the show’s producers.

What it allowed was for the comedy to move forward. Whether it was Dwight the hero and Jim’s attempts to be nice to him, Angela’s sexual excitement over Dwight’s actions or Toby’s continued torture at the hands of Kelly, the show was packed with the type of character interactions that are integral to the show’s dynamic. Michael’s salary negotiation helped to reveal more regarding his relationship with Jan, his hatred of Toby and the show managed to return after a dramatic event without missing a beat. It was a well-negotiated return indeed for the recent Peabody winners.

Award of Recognition for the

Best Justification of Renewal

30 Rock – “Fireworks”

Tina Fey’s sitcom was recently renewed for a 2nd season and tonight’s episode showed why. It was balancing all of the show’s elements with deft coordination throughout the episode. It dealt with Liz’s relationship problems, Tracy’s Paranoia, Jack’s insecurities, Special Guest Stars like Will Arnett, and the usual office madness which occurs. And yet, the show managed to do with ease. Liz’s relationship with Floyd went through a logical pattern, Will Arnett was as awesome as ever (“TV. On your PHONE!” I was just waiting for the ‘Come on!’). It was fantastic.

I’ve since realized why this might have been the case: Jane Krakowski’s Jenna was nowhere to be found. While her character isn’t a curse on the episodes she is in, the show just seems to work that much better without her. The character of Jenna just doesn’t seem necessary at this point, as this episode showed; did anyone really miss Jenna? Either way, the show continued its consistent streak, which was a powerful reminder as to why NBC made the decision to renew the show in the first place.

However, we can’t forget the show’s greatest moment: Tracy dreams that he is on Maury Povich to find his biological father, which is Alec Baldwin playing Thomas Jefferson, and hilarity ensues. I loves me some Maury.

Continue reading →

5 Comments

Filed under 30 Rock, NBC, Scrubs, Television, The Office

Tagged as

April 4, 2007 · 3:49 pm

Cultural News Bytes: 30 Rock Renewed, Peabody Awards

This will be quick, I swear (So don’t judge me):

– 30 Rock has been officially renewed for a 2nd Season. Yay! We do not yet know the fate of Scrubs, although chances are we’ll be seeing it on ABC before NBC next season considering this move.

– Friday Night Lights’ renewal is looking more and more likely, as it is one of three NBC series to be awarded with a Peabody for entertainment programming. The other two series (‘Scrubs’ and ‘The Office’) join ABC’s Ugly Betty amongst primetime candidates.

That’s it. Seriously.

1 Comment

Filed under 30 Rock, NBC, Scrubs, Television