January 11, 2008 · 3:30 pm

Strike Finale Night: Grey’s Anatomy, 30 Rock, Ugly Betty

Last night saw three shows (Two I rarely blog about) finish their seasons prematurely due to the Writers’ Strike. It is unfortunate, of course, because this means two and a half less hours of television each week (Thursdays will never be the same). Alas, let’s take a quick look at how these shows managed with finales which were, well, not meant to be finales. (I’ll be back with Friday Night Lights tonight and Golden Globes nods tomorrow, assuming this cold doesn’t destroy me).

Grey’s Anatomy – “Lay Your Hands On Me”

This quasi-finale was a solid episode which at least felt like a conclusion to a story or two. Central to the episode is Bailey’s son being injured in an accident, extenuating the marital issues we saw before the break. Bailey blames herself, blames Hahn for keeping her out of surgery, and eventually accepts a healer who is able to pull Tuck back to life.

This was fine, but I actually felt like it felt too much like Emmy bait for Chandra Wilson, even when her character is as great as she is. We’ve had a lot of Bailey in recent weeks, ever since the Gizzie backlash became apparent. We had her fantastic episode with her childhood crush, we had her altercation with the Nazi in “Crash Into Me,” and now we have this tearful and emotional storyline here. I’d actually argue she was far more likable in the first episode, and thus it would be the better choice. Wilson was as great as ever here, but it felt a little bit too melodramatic.

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January 9, 2008 · 3:50 pm

The 2008 Golden Globe Awards – TV Preview

I have a lot of fond memories of the Golden Globe awards, although none of them are really fond for the reasons that Dick Clark and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association would like them to be. For example, Elizabeth Taylor’s drug-induced reading of “Gladiator” remains in my view the definitive way of vocalizing the title of the film – I seriously doubt that this was supposed to be the definitive moment of my Golden Globes experience, but there you have it.

The Golden Globes are perhaps the only major awards that people want to give away, as seen when Ving Rhames tried to hand his off to Jack Lemmon a number of years ago. They have some value as a precursor to the Academy Awards, and they certainly provide a nice party for the guests in attendance, but the awards themselves have obviously taken a backseat to the spectacle. As a result, the recent decision to cancel the award show itself due to the writers’ strike really kind of kills whatever fun existed in this process, and allows us to focus solely on the awards themselves.

To be honest, it’s fairly bizarre: it becomes about winners and losers, without the added bonus of seeing who is the most intoxicated. Something about that just feels wrong, but I’m willing to go with the flow – while I will refrain from extensive film-analysis at what is ostensibly a TV blog, I’ll probably end up covering the Oscars in greater detail. With the Globes, however, let’s focus on television.

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January 8, 2008 · 8:59 pm

Gossip Girl – Season Finale – “The Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate”

“The Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate”

January 8th, 2008

[As you may be realizing, this is the review of Gossip Girl’s mid-season finale that aired in January. The show’s first season finale, “Much ‘I Do’ About Nothing” aired on May 19th, and Cultural Learnings has all the details in its full detailed review!]

While I can think of greater losses thanks to the Writers’ strike, Gossip Girl is somewhat unfortunate considering that it is still struggling to find its creative stride. Gossip Girl mentions that all a story needs to blow up is for an unexpected twist, but I really don’t think that this is the solution to the series’ problems. The O.C. didn’t become exemplary teen programming when it gave people pregnancy scares, but when it made us care about these people more than we were really intended to. And while Gossip Girl has made strides in this direction, there are important steps it seems to be skipping in its desire to raise the “with child” question.

But in the end the skipping of these steps was perhaps in the best interest of certain of the series’ characters – Chuck, Serena and Blair finally regained some of their humanity that has occasionally been absent. Nate is a lost cause, and Dan is pretty well consistent, which leaves these three individuals as the characters that need to be resolved. They are all over the map when faced with this crisis, but it also differentiates between their true colours and their affected personalities. The episode also returns Jenny to our central narrative, and signals a sign that Gossip Girl might be creatively on the right track when it returns post-Strike.

To discuss the thinning of the line, read below for the details.

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January 8, 2008 · 3:14 pm

ABC Resurrects ‘The Mole’ for Summer 2008

[EDIT: Welcome, more recent visitors. As you’ve noticed, ABC has started airing quick snippets to help preview the return of the Mole. If you seen anything involving a premiere date or any more information, feel free to comment below!]

They just don’t make reality series like The Mole anymore. Some of the more recent shows can be described as an amalgam of various parts: Survivor meets The Apprentice, or The Amazing Race meets Big Brother. It seems as if truly original ideas in the reality competition field are all but gone, which one might think is only further evidenced by ABC’s decision to bring back an old reality show to fill their summer schedule. It seems like it’s just another series coming back because of the Writers’ Strike, a lame attempt like American Gladiators to cash in on an existing property.

But there’s something different about The Mole, both in terms of the nature of its return and the quality of the programming. The show’s first two seasons were fantastic examples of how to do reality television: it was smart, humorous, and featured personalities that we rooted for. It had twists and turns that didn’t feel choreographed, and surprised the contestants as much as it surprised the audience or vice versa. Its return, according to the story being circulated today by Variety, was a labor of love from original producer Scott Stone, whose original shingle has dissolved and who had to fight to regain the lapsed rights to make it happen.

Can you imagine someone fighting for the lapsed rights to any other canceled reality series from this period? Sure, two celebrity editions which followed were not quite appointment television, but the original was beloved and has enjoyed a strong word of mouth credibility in recent years. A lot of this has to do with its host, Anderson Cooper – while he’s since moved onto bigger things at CNN, and thus won’t be returning to the series, his big break was acting as the lovably sarcastic and mysterious guide for this journey.

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January 8, 2008 · 9:00 am

10 Shows to (Hopefully) Watch in 2008 – #1 – Jericho

When it came to selecting which series would be number one on Cultural Learnings’ list of 10 Shows to (Hopefully) Watch in 2008, I had to make a decision that perhaps doesn’t reflect my own personal taste. In terms of shows I’m most looking forward to watching, I can’t possibly rank anything above Lost or Battlestar Galactica, two series I can’t get enough of. However, last summer it became very clear that in covering TV it is important to not just use your own opinions to guide you, but also to recognize shows and fans who go above and beyond, and whose impact on television as a whole is sure to be one of the biggest stories of the year. As a result, here is the number one selection.

A year ago, I had written off Jericho. After losing interest shortly before the series went on hiatus in the fall, I was barely paying attention when the series returned in February only to struggle against tough competition. As its fanbase eroded, and as CBS left it off of its fall schedule, I was amongst those who rationalized its demise – it was never a strong demo performer, CBS can fill the slot with CSI Reruns and get better ratings, and the show never really set the world on fire anyways. And now, half a year later, I believe that Jericho is the most intriguing series to be airing in 2008.

The Nuts for Jericho campaign which emerged last summer was at first charming, and then interesting, and then mindblowing. It transitioned from a small-scale fan initiative to something that has changed the way viewers interact with networks. On one hand, I think that some fan groups have the wrong idea – it isn’t that Jericho fans sent food that made them successful, so the recent Journeyman campaign featuring Rice-A-Roni isn’t quite as effective. It was that the nuts which made their way to CBS headquarters were both intrinsically linked to the series and part of an outpouring of support which was spontaneous and powerful.

While there will be further fan campaigns, there will never be one as surprising and effective as the one to save this CBS drama – fans who had been discounted by the network turned out in large numbers and mobilized in record time. Whether the fans were posting on the CBS Message Boards or starting their own blogs (Such as Jericho Monster, Jericho Junction or Jericho on CBS), ordinary people from across America and across the world were uniting behind a show that they loved. The result was perhaps the greatest comeback story in the last decade of television, and a story that captivated the attention of bloggers everywhere, particularly here at Cultural Learnings.

But if 2007 was the year in which Jericho rose from the ashes, it is in 2008 that it must prove itself. While the show earned a shortened second season of seven episodes thanks to the efforts of fans, the series must rely on those fans to turn out when the show returns to CBS at 10pm on February 12th. While a fantastic story unfolded last year, it is now time to see whether midnight will strike before this Cinderella story can continue. Will Jericho’s return be a final hurrah before the show leaves the airwaves for good, or will this comeback stretch on into 2009 and beyond? Well, it’s kind of hard to tell at this point.

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January 7, 2008 · 2:52 pm

10 Shows to (Hopefully) Watch in 2008 – #2 – Lost

After an unfortunate delay to a rather unexpected deluge of new programming and a return to university, it’s time to return to Cultural Learnings’ 10 Shows to (Hopefully) Watch in 2008. In terms of shows we’ve already spent time with, it was officially announced today that Dexter will air its first season in a heavily edited for on Sunday Nights at 10pm on CBS starting on February 17th. Should be interesting to see how the ratings for the series turn out, but not quite as interesting as today’s entry into the list.

It has been over seven months since the last episode of Lost aired, and it will be eight by the time the show’s fourth season premiere hits ABC. When the show returned from an extended hiatus in February 2007, having suffered from an intriguing if a bit lackadaisical opening salvo, it hit new ratings lows and seemed to be fading from its role as “the” show. Hating Lost became a fad of sorts, and it seemed like there was nothing that Lindelof and Cuse could do in order to revive the series in the eyes of some fans.

The backlash wasn’t surprising, nor was the decline in ratings and popularity which has hit Heroes this season. The reality is that these series become successful quickly, but over time viewers not attuned to genre television slowly bleed away for more casual fare. What Lost maintained, then, were those viewers willing to accept questions over answers, character over action, and a slow build as opposed to a barrage of development.

Those viewers patient enough to let Lost move at its own pace were rewarded with the best finale of the year, a blistering two-hour spectacle of action, emotion, and a stunning flash-forward revelation which was more than worth any rough spots earlier in the season. Leading up to this finale, a series of episodes of staggering quality showcased the show’s ability to develop the Others, specifically Ben and Juliet, into well-rounded and fully realized characters. This section of episodes was perhaps its best run since the first season, and represents one of the greatest creative turnarounds in quite some time.

As a result, it’s hard not to place Lost on the top of Cultural Learnings’ 10 Shows to (Hopefully) Watch in 2008. It’s ABC’s cornerstone, their only surefire midseason programming. Airing in the prime 9pm Thursdays timeslot currently dominated by Grey’s Anatomy, Lost is suddenly the biggest non-American Idol series on network television again.

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January 6, 2008 · 11:55 pm

Review – “American Gladiators”

There are some situations where you are embarrassed for people taking part in a particular television series. And, to a certain extent, this applies to American Gladiators, a series which very few people were really asking for. NBC’s decision to bring back the series was puzzling at first, but with the Writers’ Strike it actually ended up helping them tap into the childhood of viewers within the key 18-34 demographic.

[Edit: For the curious, the ratings for American Gladiators were solid, especially amongst key demos. PIFeedback has all the details, but the long and short of it is that it has the potential to be a huge hit if it keeps those demo numbers this evening.]

In the end, you have to be somewhat embarrassed for some of the individuals involved. Laila Ali was a high-profile boxer, but Dancing with the Stars has opened doors for her to…host this series? For some of the Gladiators, specifically stereotypical samoan Toa and howling and hairy Wolf, it must be hard to play roles more one-dimensional than anything seen in professional wrestling (And no, this isn’t embarrassing for Hulk Hogan, it is his calling). And, for some of the competitors, getting their asses kicked on national television can’t possibly be all that attractive for their future, especially when they’re competing for a middling $100,000 prize.

But I cannot possibly be cynical about something that knows it is this corny and is aware of just how simplistic this process is. If the show took itself seriously, I would criticize it. If it became so corny that the competitive element became worthless, I would criticize it. But through the series’ first two hours, I couldn’t help but geek out at the first round of Assault or enjoy watching people struggle their way through the Eliminator (And boy, did they struggle – one finished with blood all over their face, and others were essentially dead upon finishing).

But I don’t think I’m going to be tuning in every week, mainly because of how repetitive this series will become. Hype and Hulk Hogan doesn’t change the fact that this is the type of show we watch when there’s nothing else on – and while the strike may result in a large sampling, I don’t really think I’ll be changing my TV standards just because there’s less quality programming. American Gladiators is not bad, but it simply isn’t something I would normally spend an hour of my time watching. I will not remember these people’s names, and their dreams and goals will not be enough to keep the series in my mind after this evening.

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January 6, 2008 · 10:00 pm

The Amazing Race – Season 12, Episode 9

“I Just Hope He Doesn’t Croak on Us”

January 6th, 2007

You know those episodes of the Amazing Race that just are not suspenseful in the least? Well, I’m not going to pretend that this one was anywhere close to interesting in terms of its conclusion. Luckily for us, however, the three teams who were competitive were neck and neck, the tasks were interesting and difficult, and there was still some signs of where the race goes from here. And, well, the Amazing Editors still have “it” when it comes to misleading the viewer.

For all of the details, click below the jump.

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January 5, 2008 · 8:57 pm

CTV Picks up ‘Mad Men’ for Canadian Broadcast

I’ve been loathe to post news notes over the last six months or so because, ultimately, I just don’t have the time – stopping mid-day to post the latest television updates is satisfying but also time consuming. However, as a rather busy schedule has the final two portions of the 10 Shows to (Hopefully) Watch in 2008 being pushed into Sunday/Monday, I figure I should share some news for my Canadian brethren about one of the shows that already made the cut.

CTV announced on Thursday that they have acquired the broadcast rights to Mad Men’s first season as well as its unaired sophomore session. This is a great boon for the series North of the Border, as it is sure to be a strong performer should the strike continue. CTV is in a far superior position to Global post-strike, as the loss of 24 will severely damage the latter while the former has Lost and American Idol returning. This is just one more drop in their bucket, especially in terms of quality.

My only concern is that they’ll treat the series as they treated Veronica Mars – after airing part of the show’s second season (Or was it the first?), they basically gave up on the show even as it continued on the CW. CTV’s schedule is usually so full that there isn’t room for smaller series, but Mad Men’s strike timing and its potential summer return could spell success.

If you’ve yet to see the series, and want to learn more, you can check our Cultural Learnings’ coverage of the series. It’s really not as definitive as that statement made it sound, but there is a lengthy essay on its portrayal of women there that could provide some incentive for academics amongst us.

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January 4, 2008 · 8:59 pm

Friday Night Lights – “There Goes the Neighbourhood”

“There Goes the Neighbourhood”

January 4th, 2007

Every series tends to have a character or two that are incredibly versatile – they can be thrown into a scene with pretty much any character in an ensemble and get the best out of them. Part of what made Friday Night Lights’ first season so effective was that almost all of its characters fell within this category. This season, characters have been far too isolated for us to watch this magic take place…and then Tim Riggins moved into the Taylor homestead.

The funny thing about this episode is that its title is patently false: if anything, it finally regained the sense of neighbourhood and environment that makes this series what it is. The show even mentioned the whole concept of the elephant in the room, and with the murder storyline dead and gone perhaps that is the case – all of a sudden we’re returning to drama that seems real and not sensationalist. After spending far too long in the police station, Friday Night Lights heads back to the football field and the lives of its residents – the result is perhaps the season’s finest episode.

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