2007-08 TV Wrap Up

It’s Wednesday, the middle of the week, “hump day,” the gaping hole between CAT and T3. Also, this week is free of televised entertainment, with most shows having finished their season by now and the rest on hiatus for some reason. Sure, we’ve got Indy to look forward to, but for now, let’s take a look back at this last chaotic season of T.V.

Because of the WGA strike, almost every show had a painfully short season, making every episode that much more important. Some floundered under the pressure, others rose to the occasion. Let’s take a look.

Note that all star ratings rank this season versus all previous seasons.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Sunny had another very strong season in 2007. Sure, not every episode was a complete knockout, but we got a number of classics this time around. From their adventures with garbage, to Dee dating a possibly retarded rapper, to the dance competition, this will definitely be a hard season to follow. But I think these guys can rise to the challenge.

The Office

Overall, this season of The Office was weaker than the previous three. While we got off to a great start with the extra-long “Fun Run” and “Dunder Mifflin Infinity” episodes, the majority of the post-strike episodes failed to hit the mark. I’m a big fan of a lot of what they where doing pre-strike, some of my favorite scenes from the show occurred then. But when they came back, the show felt really embarrassing, and some of the characters, especially Andy, began to feel played out. The finale was pretty strong, let’s hope that with with some more time to work the show picks up again for season five.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Not too much to say about CYE, really. Adding in the adopted family made for some really hilarious situations, and the show definitely remained at least as strong as it has been in the past. The season finale was my favorite thus far.

Scrubs

The sixth season of Scrubs was pretty weak compared to the first few, so I was glad they decided to end it this year. Then the strike messed that up. What we got was very little growing up on JD’s part, despite everyone telling him he had to. In fact, there was really only one character development during the whole season. And the episode that aired as the finale clearly was aired out of order. Let’s hope this classic can go out the right way this fall on ABC.

30 Rock

For the first few episodes of 30 Rock, I was scared that they had lost the charm from the first season. Then David Schwimmer showed up as Greenzo, and I realized the show was as funny as it had ever been. With a great season finale, this year 30 Rock cemented itself as must-see TV.

South Park

South Park seasons go throughout the year, so just to make sure you’re on the same page as me, the 2007 season started with “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson” and ended on “The List.” Ultimately, this was a pretty good year for the show. While the show usually is pretty hit-or-miss, I think they hit most of the time. Plus, Imagination Land was a pretty sweet arc, even if it did make up like 25% of the season.

Heroes

The second season of Heroes definitely lost a lot of steam. We spent way to much time on stories we didn’t like with characters we didn’t care about. They’re gonna need to do something pretty huge to keep me watching this fall.

The rest: I only watched My Name is Earl every once in a while this year. The episodes I saw seemed fine, but I’m just not really interested in the show anymore. Sorry. Similarly, I only saw a couple episodes of The Simpsons. I am one of those people that thinks it’s time for the show to end, perhaps giving the writers a chance to start up a movie franchise. What I saw of Family Guy seemed as good as ever. Due to leaving the country, I missed a good chunk of Rescue Me. What I saw seemed as edgy as ever, it was probably pretty good. Of course, Battlestar Galactica has this week off. We’re already seven episodes into this half of the 20-episode final season, and it’s been darker than ever. Here’s hoping we get something resembling a happy ending when it finishes… next year.

C.A.T: Willy and the Poor Boys

CAT: Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)
With a sound from straight out of the Bayou, it’s California’s very own Creedence Clearwater Revival. Now 1969 was a pretty hot year for Creedence. Five top ten singles, three successful albums and not to mention a string of sucessful tours. This Southern Rock quartet was on a roll and out of all this I’d probably say my favorite Creedence album from that year (Probably my favorite Creedence album of all time) is Willy and the Poor Boys

A countrified mix of Fogerty penned rock classics and some popular blues standards (Such as Cotton Fields and The Midnight Special, both by Lead Belly) Creedence gives us what’s probably their closest effort to making a country album and it’s loads of old fashioned Blues/Rock fun. Coming in at a sharp 34 minutes, Willy and the Poor Boys is an album you can really bring in the summer with (especially round Independence Day) I mean how can you not bob your head to the jaunty tune that is Down on the Corner, or smile at the silliness that is It Came Out of the Sky. Though Creedence has always been good at dishing out upbeat sing-a-long rock songs you can’t forget the more serious, politically charged side of Creedence. I’m talking about songs like the heavy 6 minute number Effigy and of course one of the most famous anti-war songs to ever come out, the classic American rocker Fortunate Son

Though basically I consider Willy and the Poor Boys to be just good ol’ fun! It’s music you sing-a-long to, or drive down the highway to (like in Twilight Zone: The Movie) or dance to, or whatever. It holds up pretty well after all these years as Creedence’s sound is still quite contemporary (perhaps due to their genre of rock) and it never fails putting me in a good mood. Plus you got to respect the fact that they actually play the instruments they’re playing on the cover on one song, now that’s dedication.

Favorite Tracks: The Midnight Special, Down on the Corner, Cotton Fields

Word on the Web

Well the Cat Fancy/Spartans softball post is a hard one to follow, but I thought I’d use the sunday post as chance to discuss a few Pop Culture tid bits, that I read about on the interweb.

The Web
So I’d heard earlier this week about the newly discovered “Bill O’Reilly Meltdown” from back when he was on Inside Edition. It sounded intruiging so this weekend, Colin, Nancy, Kelly and I had to see it, and all I can say is “Damn, that guy’s got problems” He really does push it to the limit saying things like “Fuck it” and “The fucking thing sucks” to his teleprompter and staff. It just stuns me that this man still has an audience at all, but it’s certainly become quite popular on the web. The original is amusing, but I actually prefer the Techno Dance Remix.

Music
Were getting closer and closer to some of this summer’s releases. Weezer has recently moved their album release date from June 24th to June 3rd and recently a few tracks have leaked on the internet. I didn’t want to spoil the experience to much, but i just had to hear a couple of the new songs, and what do I think? “Ehhh, I guess their okay” so unfortunately it’s not the kind of comeback I would of liked to see from Alternative rockers Weezer. The songs still continue to lack that kind of punch and spark of ingenuity that Weezer’s music had in the 90s. Perhaps they’ll win the kind of critical acclaim back someday but I don’t see it with this album. Though maybe I’ll grow to like it more when it comes out. I do like the single Pork and Beans and it is produced pretty cleanly and tight (It’s produced by Rick Rubin) Perhaps I could end up liking it, but I can’t see myself ever loving it or anything.

Another little music note is that Coldplay music video for Violet Hill is now floating around the web… or at least it was, I think it’ll be premierd “Officially” on May 19th if your curious. I also checked out their new song available on iTunes Viva La Vida which I really enjoyed, so I’m pretty pumped for that album. (Set for release on June 12)

Television
Well from the looks of this promotional artwork it looks like The Cleveland Show will be happening and premiering on Fox In March 2009. I don’t understand why Cleveland has a new family or what will happen to him on Family Guy but as a F.G. fan, I’ll naturally keep following all the info that pops up about this it’s just such a bizarre idea. Could it be good? Only time will tell.

Movies
Not much to report here, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull I believe has premiered in a few places already. I thought I heard that it premiered at Cannes, but I’m too lazy to verify that. There have only been a couple reviews so I’m not sure what it will be like. Some critics on Rotten Tomatoes seem to think it will dissapoint fans (as some guy also told me that Lucas said that, and I’m like “Ja right, why would he say that?”) but some other critics seem to find it just as exciting or entertaining as the original trilogy, so I’m still of the opinion that it’ll be good. Either way I’m ecstatic for it’s release this week.

Well that’s all, I’d “Play this out” but I don’t know what that means…. Get it?

Softball Season Preview

The Bulls of the 90’s. The Steelers of the 70’s. The Yankees of the 20th Century. All dynasties have to start somewhere. Here, one more is born. I give you the unofficially named Fancy Spartans.

Starting Pitcher: Ben Tole
Weighing in at a hefty 350 pounds, Big Ben has an variety of tools in his pitching arsenal including the MeatBall, Curve, Cutter, and the infamous Knuckle Curve.

Catcher: Oliver McIntosh
The only international import, this Englishman has the intelligence to call the game and the physical prowess that this position demands.

Corner Infielder/Outfield: Will McKenney
Batting .413 for Tacoma Community College, Big Bill brings a big bat for the team as well as a versatile glove.

Corner Infielder/DH: Sean Lemme
Battling Big Sexy in the height department, Lemme’s sweet swing is sure to benefit from the transition from Wiffle Ball to Softball.

Corner Infielder/DH: James Whelan
This lazy SOB quit baseball last year because he didn’t want to play the field. He’ll be sure to get his AB’s and plenty of appearances in the field for the team.

Middle Infielder: Jon Cleveland
Moving from the lead-off spot to the number two hole really helped the Clever become an intracal part of the Stick Bugs Inaugural season.

Middle Infielder: Brian Rowley
Best known for dunking off Oliver’s back, he showed his abilities on and off the Wiffle Ball field.

Manager/Utility: Matt Carstens
After a grueling season of managing the Stick Bugs his knees could be a concern this season. But what Jose Vidro can do, he can do better.

Left Fielder: John Otteni
John Otteni showed some Kenji-like dead pull power on the Wiffle Ball field, and was always reliable in the field.

Center Fielder: Colin Wessman
A natural born athlete, Colin has the range and the fundamentals to be a leader in the outfield.

Right Field: Hussein Zayan
Hussein has absolute power with his sweet stroke, and a canon in right field will help him lead the league in assists.

Rover: Will Dornes
Rover is one of the most important positions, and we’re privileged to have his speed gobbling up potential base hits in the shallow outfield.

Just remember to buy your season tickets soon.

The Chronic (What)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The second entry in the Narnia series of films debuted today, and with nothing else to see, I gave it a shot.

This is a much darker film than the first. Much of the wonderment is gone, and in its place is a violent feudal fantasy world. Peter, Lucy, Edmund and Susan have been gone from Narnia for over a thousand years, since then evil men have pushed the creatures of Narnia into hiding.

The heir to the human throne, Prince Caspian, is almost murdered by his villainous uncle on the evening his cousin is born. He is forced into hiding in the magical woods outside the castle, and as a last result summons the kings and queens of Narnia.

So, yeah, it’s a lot darker. The kids’ acting is still pretty stiff. The guy playing the evil king is alright, Warwick Davis gives as good a performance as he ever does, and Tilda Swinton is good for the 30 seconds she’s in this. The action sequences are fairly exciting. You can really tell that movies like The Lord of the Rings and 300 really influenced the work here.

Simply put, the movie is entertaining. The movie’s probably too long and the musical choice at the end was a huge misstep, but what we get here is not bad. You don’t need to see Prince Caspian, but if you do go, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

T3: We’re an American Band

Well, I’m bad at thinking of really specific T3’s that won’t piss anyone off, so that’s not what you’re getting. I think me and John have had the discussion that there just aren’t that as many prolific rock bands to come out of the U.S.A. as England, so here is a list of what I think are the best American rock bands that have ever existed.

10. Aerosmith
Aerosmith have never strayed too far from their signature sound, raunchy blues-infused rock with a hint of blues. However, they do it better than anyone one else, as proved by lasting appeal over the decades. Their earlier stuff on classic albums like “Rocks” and “Toys and The Attic” is certainly what they’ve built their reputation on, but it’s also admirable to see a group that were able to reach the height of their success almost 20 years after they were formed.

9. The Allman Brothers Band
With Greg Allman’s bluesman howl and Dickey Betts’ and Duane Allman’s dueling guitars, the original Allman’s lineup was a true force to be reckoned with. They are usually labeled as “Southern Rock”, but there’s no easy way of categorizing the way the Allman’s so effortlessly combined blues, country, rock, and jazz. Though they were never the same after Duane’s death, they stilled turned out great songs such as “Ramblin’ Man” and “Jessica”.

8. The Grateful Dead
Much like the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead were known for their unique blending of American music and for their impressive live shows. Though Jerry Garcia is the member most identified with the band, they wouldn’t be the same without each member. Each person brings their own style and influences to the melting pot of sound that were The Grateful Dead’s live shows. The Dead were also a band that showed a suprising amount a versatility on the fantastic country-influenced albums “American Beauty” and “Workingman’s Dead”.

7. The Ramones
By combining pop melodies with loud, fast, and distorted guitars, The Ramones created one of the most distinguishable sounds in rock and roll. I can’t imagine what it would be like to hear the first Ramones album in 1976 when the “dinosaur bands” were at the height of their fame; this was a band that showed that you didn’t have to be a wizard on guitar to be in a band. The Ramones have probably influenced punk rock more than any other American band, and kids will still be getting turned on to their music 30 years from now.

6. Sly and The Family Stone
Hearing early Sly and The Family Stone songs like “Hot Fun in The Summer Time”, and “Everyday People” is basically music that you can’t help but have a smile on your face when listening to. There’s a vibrant energy that this band was able to convey, and with a radio friendly pop sheen to boot. Sly and the Family Stone weren’t only known for their terrific songs, but also their integrated band, which further expressed Sly’s undeniable message of unity.

5. The Velvet Underground
Though they don’t really have the same name recognition as the other bands on this list, they’re just as important. You can’t even begin to talk about the Velvets without mentioning their incredible influence. With their first album, they basically planted the seed to what would become punk and alternative rock not to mention dozens of other subgenres and being a big influence to 3 of the bands on this list. But that’s not to mention their discography, with each one of their 4 classic albums, Lou Reed and co. were able to go in a completely different direction.

4. The Doors
It’s really hard for me to believe The Doors were one of the most popular bands of their era, and I mean that in a good way. With Morrison’s dark lyrics and memerizing delivery, combined with Ray Manzerick’s brilliant keyboard work and Robbie Kreiger’s unique style of guitar playing The Doors were one of a kind. They were also one of the darkest bands to come out of the late-sixties psychedelic movement.

3. The Byrds
Though you wouldn’t think of it at first, the Byrds were probably one of the most important bands to come out of ‘60s. Roger McGuinn created an entirely new sound by adding guitars to the booming folk scene of the early ‘60s. You could also argue that “Eight Miles High” was America’s first introduction to the psychedelic music that would control the airwaves from then on. And if that wasn’t enough, they were the band that was the first of many bands to adopt a more down-home, countryish sound following the “Summer of Love” with the landmark album, “Sweetheart of The Rodeo”.

2. Nirvana
What can I say about Nirvana that hasn’t already been said? Kurt Cobain was the “voice of a generation” and a hell of a songwriter, but Dave Grohl and Krist Noveselic really helped bring the songs to life, and great rock songs certainly aren’t much if they don’t have a good band behind them. They’re simply the most important and influential band of our time, and they were the one band to make music that would have been thought of as “underground” to the pop charts.

1. The Beach Boys
The last three entries on the list were neck and neck for me, but this an obvious choice for me. The Beatles and The Stones are probably the only other bands that can match the amount of wildly popular singles the Beach Boys turned out from the early to mid-sixties. Also they had some of the best harmonies probably in any rock band ever. Of course, you can’t mention the Beach Boys without mentioning Brian Wilson, who basically rewrote the rules for what a rock and roll album can sound like with “Pet Sounds”. You can still hear the songs of The Beach Boys any time you turn on the radio or in any store, and I’m sure people will be soaking up those good vibrations for years to come.

Honorable Mentions: “The Eagles”, “Creedence Clearwater Revival”, “Parliament/Funkadelic”, “Lynyrd Synyrd”, “Van Halen”

Late Night Update

I don’t know if you guys have been keeping up with the latest developments regarding late-night talk shows, so I’ll give you the latest news. As we all know, Conan O’Brien is taking over The Tonight Show next year. Jay Leno is out, NBC wants to find him work, but they don’t know where. Now for what you may not know:

Max Weinberg definitely will be making the move to LA with Conan. It’s unconfirmed whether or not the whole band will be going with him. More frighteningly, Jimmy Fallon will become the new host of Late Night when Conan leaves.

When I first heard that Fallon was taking over, I was appalled. Jimmy Fallon, he pretty much sucked on SNL and then made several shitty movies. But now that I think about it, Jimmy Fallon might be one of those comedians who doesn’t belong in scripted entertainment. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to flourish as a talk show host. At least I could see him being on-par with Jimmy Kimmel or Craig Ferguson. But he’ll probably suck for a while.

So the question is: What late night talk show are you going to be watching next year? I’ve got a lot of respect for Letterman and I’m sure his fans aren’t going anywhere. I’m sure Late Night fans will mostly be moving to The Tonight Show. And I’ll at least check out Fallon on Late Night. As for Kimmel, Daly, Ferguson and the rest, who really gives a crap?