August 20, 2007 · 8:52 am

Kristen Bell and ‘Heroes’: A Double-Edged Sword

In case you missed the big news from very late last evening…well, okay, very late for me four hours ahead of pacific time…

From Variety:

NBC is adding former “Veronica Mars” star Kristen Bell to the cast of “Heroes.”

Peacock has snagged Bell for a key multiepisode arc of its sophomore sensation. Casting is a major coup for NBC since Bell — who plays the title character in Judd Apatow’s upcoming “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” — was reportedly being sought for several TV gigs, including a part on ABC’s “Lost.”

Now, I admit I’ve been too busy to be blogging about this entire saga, but Bell was apparently approached for a gig on Lost, a more substantial one than a “multiepisode arc,” but turned it down. According to TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello, this was because she didn’t want to move to Hawaii and was perhaps lining up a Broadway run in Legally Blonde.

This announcement is, however, a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I love seeing a talented actress whose series struggled in the ratings be recognized as just that: a true talent capable of continuing on in television. I have to admit, though, that I am concerned about a lot of things in this development.

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August 19, 2007 · 10:40 pm

Entourage – “Snow Job” Review

Entourage Review

“Snow Job”

August 19th, 2007

I can’t help but feel that tonight’s episode was a personal shoutout to attempt to stymie my cynicism regarding the series. First, the series offers an explanation for my criticism of Drama’s apparent lack of work on his TV series (“The joys of an ensemble cast, two day work week”), and then it name drops Nova Scotia (Where I’m from) as the location where Silo is set at the episode’s conclusion. And, although it could just be a coincidence, I also like a lot of what the episode did.

I’ve always been a fan of Dana Gordon, and seeing Ari be in a more agent-like role was a nice change of pace compared to a few off weeks for his character in terms of relevance. The entire drama regarding Billy writing a script about a group of non-unionized farmers who survive a nuclear apocalypse was very well handled, and it was nice to see it done in a single episode. It allows us to move onto Medellin and Cannes sooner, rather than later.

Plus, I think it was a great opportunity to further extend E’s disconnect from Vince on a lot of key issues: Eric didn’t like Medellin after all, and he probably won’t be too keen on Silo either. Clouds was a project that had some level of clout and prestige, and it’s being replaced by something…very different. And I don’t think that was part of Eric’s vision. It makes me wonder whether we’ll be seeing E and Vince part ways professionally at some point in the near future.

The episode could have been more subtle (Walsh went from about to kill himself to perfectly stable a bit too quickly for my liking), and I have to admit that E dealing with Anna Faris’ dick of a boyfriend was not funny or engaging for a single second. But, considering that was fairly marginalized within the episode, and Eric couldn’t just be stuck out in the Hills for no reason, I’m willing to put up with it when the overall aim of the episode was achieved.

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August 18, 2007 · 4:46 pm

High School Musical 2 Nitpicks – The Questions 17+ Million Should be Asking

Okay, so in case you haven’t heard, High School Musical 2 debuted on the Disney Channel last night to 17.4 Million viewers. That is, just so we’re clear, gigantic. In fact, it is the highest rated cable broadcast in American history. These astronomical numbers are, however, only one particular way of measuring the film’s success.

I’ll be honest: I can’t help but analyze this particular film from a critical level. While I know it is designed for pre-teens, and I get that it isn’t supposed to be “good” by my standards, I still want it to make sense. I have to wonder how many of those viewers will be sticking around for encore viewings: will it be deemed a disappointment by so many fans that its staying power won’t last?

But for now, I can’t help but think that the large number of parents forced to sit through High School Musical 2 had to have realized what I did: that this film, especially in its conclusion, just didn’t make any sense. At all. And, well, here’s some questions I had after watching it.

Why did Troy Become Self-Conscious?

In the first High School Musical, it’s Troy who helps Gabrielle through her big number with his humble charm and bravery. So, then, why is it here that he becomes all “Oh, I’m not a singer” and fumbles his way through everything? While I know he also had issues to get over, I’d think he would have solved that.

Why did Troy’s Voice Change?

I actually know the answer to this one: Zac Efron didn’t actually sing in the first film, but decided to actually do so for High School Musical 2. I figure that the hope is that pre-teen fans will just think his voice changed. A lot. I much prefer it, though, to be honest.

How Quickly can these kids learn Music?

Twice in this film the lead characters learned entire songs within seconds of seeing them. It was frustrating not because it was unbelievable, but because it was inconsistent: in some scenes they were reading from sheet music, and in others they didn’t need it at all. Even if they had read sheet music every little while it would have worked for me. But then in the finale, the song was learned in thirty seconds, at most. Just, no.

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August 18, 2007 · 12:04 pm

Jericho Fridays “The Day After” – Fan Central Feedback, Rerun Ratings

[After last night’s rerun, and after some great feedback on Jericho Fridays two blog posts, it’s time to look ahead to next week, and see how Jericho fared in the ratings last evening.]

Jericho Fridays’ Question of the Week

For next week’s edition of Jericho Fridays, I want to get the opinion of Jericho viewers on the role of Jericho’s Fan Central in future months. This site, set up by CBS, is designed to let fans know of blog articles, promotional opportunities and anything else that might interest fans of the series.

I personally think that this is a fantastic opportunity to interact with fans, but right now it seems that outside of a thread where comments can be made there isn’t much interaction between the two sides. Any good blog, this one included, is best able to serve an audience when it embraces it in a real fashion, conversing with them and finding a way to best utilize their promotional power.

So, fans of Jericho, what suggestions do you have for Jericho Fan Central? Send me an email at cultural.learnings @ gmail.com and I’ll be putting your suggestions into next week’s edition of Jericho Fridays! Try to get them in before Thursday so I’ll have time to put them together.

Jericho Rerun Report – “A.K.A.”

I was able to watch this episode late last night, and it was great to finally be able to see more of Hawkins’ back story. What I like is that they didn’t try to answer too many questions: he is still mysterious, still a threat, but at this point represents someone whose mystery doesn’t render them good or evil but rather an integral part of this universe. I still think that Heroes’ Company Man is the best back story episode of the season, but this was darn good as well.

Wikipedia – “A.K.A.” 

Viewers seemed to think so as well: Jericho came extremely close to matching the Household numbers from last week’s Preseason football game.

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August 17, 2007 · 8:28 pm

Losing my HSM Virginity: Reviewing and Liveblogging High School Musical 2

I have never watched High School Musical. I have thought about it, perhaps many a time, but never have I actually thought about it in a serious fashion. However, with the sequel airing tonight and being a bit of a cultural phenomenon, I figure I should jump in feet first, if you will.

And, well, jump in I did. I’ll be honest in saying that although I have all sorts of various problems with the film’s construction, High School Musical 2 features some strong choreography, some strong musical numbers and what I can only guess to be a decent continuation of the first film’s successes. And, as a result, it is not a failure of a film by any means. However, I think this is a key area where, rather than poor writing or directing being at fault, it may just be the fault of the original film’s success that we have a frustrating, frustrating piece of filmmaking.

Focusing so much of the film on Zac Efron makes perfect sense from a business perspective: he’s a huge draw in film, he’s a teen heartthrob, and he’s a pretty good dancer. The problem is that Troy is a character who needs to be the movie’s hero, but also display some level of emotional diversity…and Efron didn’t do it. Sure, the writing basically killed him, but Efron is not a star: he is a supporting player.

And there’s the thing: he really is not someone I would peg as a star. I fear for Footloose, the remake in which he is starring, simply because I don’t see how he can do anything beyond his admittedly great dance skills. I just don’t see it happening, because what we saw here was an overwrought and overbearing performance of a character who, in my book, couldn’t be more unlikeable.

The problem is that Troy and Gabriella, the ostensible star-crossed lovers, are one-dimensional and boring. Ryan and Sharpay, heck even the rest of the Wildcats, all seem to at least offer some level of either coherent thought or actual character development. The film’s musical numbers were its highlight, but when the film slowed down to look at Troy and Gabriella’s plot it slowed to a crawl. I liked all of these characters, and felt they were spending time with my least favourite, and with the least compelling in non-musical settings.

But that’s not what this is about, and I won’t deny that it succeeds at being a song-and-dance festival like no other Disney Channel television movie ever before. However, forgive me, but I am just curious as to whether its priorities were in the right place. I’d rather have a musical where Sharpay and Ryan have a meatier role, and it’s less the Zac Efron show. I wonder what a sequel to the film would be like if he hadn’t exploded onto the scene, and if the first film hadn’t been such a monsters success.

Perhaps a better film would have resulted. Regardless, that’s that. Here’s my LiveBlog commentary of the film, for those who want to basically read my every thought. That would render you somewhat insane. I’m okay with that.

9:00pm: It’s East High School, and I’d say it’s summer: mainly because it’s empty and really Kenny G like music is playing. This always, in my view, indicates summer. And there was also an illuminated moon. And…now we’re in a classroom and there’s a really annoying teacher who is…well, it’s kind of annoying.

9:01pm: What do you do when you’re annoyed by a teacher talking about summer? You start a song and dance number. And it appears that Troy and Gabriella (I think that’s their names, I won’t know any more of them) are looking forward to a summer of awkward team love. Meanwhile, their rivals (Sharpay and…Ryan? I don’t know yet) get a far more satisfying verse but unfortunately get shafted in the bridge.

9:04pm: Wow, okay – there’s some rather insane choreography going on here. It’s actually ludicrously complicated.

9:05pm: Troy just said “I gotta make bank.” Sharpay, meanwhile, makes a complete and total fool out of Gabriella.

9:06pm: Holy crap, he totally just branded her! I mean, seriously, could it have been something less obnoxious than a T? That’s unfortunate. Meanwhile, Sharpay hatches the obvious plan to bed Troy in order to establish herself as the Queen of East High while Ryan tries to put on a brave face. And then everyone fances out of the school as we get our first reprise of the opening number. I expect more to follow.

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August 17, 2007 · 11:00 am

Jericho Q & A: Oh Canada! – Why Canadians Can’t Watch Innertube

[As part of Jericho Fridays here at Cultural Learnings, we’re taking questions and comments from fans or anyone in general really. You can send your own questions or comments to cultural.learnings @ gmail.com, and they might be answered in this new feature, Jericho Q & A]

Jericho Q & A

August 17th, 2007

Jane, the hard-working and dedicated Jericho fan who runs a multitude of blogs on the subject, asked that I investigate or at least address a particular question about Jericho fans in the Great White North…which happens to be where I live!

From Jane:

One topic I find interesting is that CBS will gladly accept Canadians paying for advertiser’s products but won’t let them watch on Innertube.

And so, the question is born:

Why can’t Canadians watch on Innertube?

This answer is on one hand decidedly simple, and on the other entirely complicated.

The simple answer? Canadians can’t watch Innertube thanks to the CRTC, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Council.

Wikipedia – The CRTC

But, it’s more complicated than that. The CRTC is not inherently evil, even if they’ve made some unpopular decisions. The important thing to know is that the principle they uphold, the Canadian autonomy over broadcast rights specifically, is what is keeping Canadian viewers from watching on Innertube.

For all the details, and what Jericho fans might be able to do to get their show streaming in Canada, keep reading after the jump.

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August 17, 2007 · 7:45 am

The Post-Nuts Era: Jericho Fans Continue to Promote Their Show

[As part of Jericho Friday, Cultural Learnings has gotten some great feedback from fans who want to get the word out about their efforts in the era after the nuts barrage that saved their show. It’s a tougher road now, with many fans having stepped back from message boards and fan groups, but some fans are working hard and making their voices heard. These are their stories of the Post-Nuts Era.]

Jericho in the Post-Nuts Era

DVDs for Troops: Sending ‘Jericho’ to Real-Life War Zones

While there is certainly political and social turmoil in the world of Jericho, it is admittedly nothing compared to the real life war facing the countries of Iraq and Afghanistan. No matter one’s opinion of the politics of the wars being fought in either country, it is impossible not to empathize with the soldiers who are fighting there. And, some Jericho fans want to give them something to help them through.

A group of Jericho fans are working with Staten Island Project Homefront to ship Jericho DVDs to the troops overseas through fan donations, much in the vein of the nuts shipments sent to CBS earlier this year. In fact, many of those nuts actually made it over to the Middle East via CBS and Project Homefront, so this partnership is not new. However, it is a great way for fans of the series to continue to both spread the word about Jericho and spread some much-needed love to the troops.

For more information on the campaign, and how to donate, head to this thread on the Jericho Message Boards. While this could end up being a good PR opportunity, more importantly it’s a good cause. The A special thanks to Jackie (Ahma, on the Jericho boards) for bringing this to my attention! She says that Project Homefront reports that the troops loved the nuts, so they might just love DVDs even more.

Jericho on the Big Screen: Fans and CBS Unite

For two Jericho fans in Massachusetts, the post-Nuts era was about celebration: celebrating their show being saved, celebrating the show itself, and celebrating the men and women who came together during the campaign to get ‘er done, if you will, in the New England area. But while they might be working on a small scale compared to nationwide nuts campaigns, they’re dealing with a big screen. In fact, they’re taking Jericho to the Movies.

I’ll post a link to all of the information in a second, but this is really the perfect example of synergy between fans and CBS. The fans needed to get permission, and the high-resolution copies of the show, from CBS in order to make it work, and through a lot of hard work forum members Rhinogirl1 and ccpdppr pulled it together. This might not be a nationwide campaign, but it’s a powerful symbol of working with CBS to promote Jericho, and they should be commended for their creativity.

The result is the screening of two episodes of Jericho at a theatre in Milbury, Massachusetts at 2pm on Sunday, August 19th.

[For all of the information, see this thread on the Jericho Boards]

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August 16, 2007 · 9:00 am

Summer TV Wrapup: Most Intriguing New Show – “Mad Men”

AMC’s drama series Mad Men is something that I, as the title of this post suggest, find intriguing. I don’t know if I necessarily like it, but I certainly admire its qualities and feel that I am learning something by watching it.

The 1960s are an era I have no connection to, and can’t say I ever thought before watching it that it would be compelling. I don’t know anything about advertising in the decade, and I have only a slight knowledge of the political and social framework of the time. The people of Sterling Cooper might as well be living in a different world.

And yet, here I am enjoying it in spite of my apparent disconnect from its thematic values. The show’s sharp writing and slow but steady character development has been the proper introduction to its subject matter, and the result has been a show that, even if I’m not entertained by conventional means, certainly remains intriguing.

And, as a result, Mad Men is the Most Intriguing New Show of the Summer season.

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August 15, 2007 · 3:54 pm

Announcement: Cultural Learnings’ “Jericho Fridays”

Fridays are a day we all look forward to: it signals the end of the school/work week, the beginning of the weekend, and a break from the usual grind. However, in terms of television, Friday is usually a slow day…until now.

Starting this Friday, Cultural Learnings will be starting a weekly feature aptly called “Jericho Fridays.” As the series films its seven new episodes, and its fans continue to rally behind the cause, I figure that a normally slow day like Friday is the perfect day to showcase a series that deserves more attention.

Each Friday, I’ll be covering some Jericho news bytes along with that night’s rerun in the Jericho Rerun Report, and look back at some of the stories I wrote, and ones others wrote, about the campaign through a new lens.

However, more than anything else, I want to know what Jericho fans want to hear, and what is on their minds. The big problem right now is that CBS and the fans just aren’t communicating enough to provide a united front.

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August 14, 2007 · 10:23 pm

Cultural Interruption: Extended Vacation

As Canadian Idol was about a quarter of the way over earlier this evening, something rather awful happened: Milk waged war on my laptop, and milk won.

The result? Well, I’m somewhat computer-less except for the home PC, and thus updates will cease for a few days while we get everything sorted out. I’ll try to keep things going, but I offer no promises.

Hope everyone’s having a great week!

Myles

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