Hey guys,

I'm sorry to those who were expecting weekly reviews of Lost this season, but things have just been busy (I can blame this on the recession, right?) So to make up for it I'll be doing a four part Lost marathon. Rather than post all 16 reviews I missed in one hunk, I'm going to split it up in four with the various arcs I recognized. That way you get a lot, but not too much. It'll be broken up like this:

Part 1: "Let's Get Started" – Covering "The Lie" to "This Place is Death"
Part 2: "We're Back" – Covering "316" to "LeFleur"
Part 3: "Fun Times With Dharma" – Covering "Namaste" to "Some Like It Hoth"
Part 4: "We Are the Variables" – Covering "The Variable" to "The Incident"

"The Incident" may be part 5. My finale reviews tend to be huge, so if it takes a long time I'll put up the other two episode reviews first. Maybe if things work out I can finish up my season one reviews before season six starts in January. Well it's best to do it one review at a time. Sorry for not putting up anything, even a notice that these would still be done. Hope this makes up for it.

Until Next Time, The Remote Is Yours,
Matt

Hello readers,

I'm sorry it's a bit late from my last update. Hope everyone had a good holiday and is being treated well by the new year. Anyway, the 24 reviews are in the works, but won't be all live by the time of the new episode because of illness and work. Until then, this entry contains my count down of my Top 35 Episodes of 2008. Why 35? I don't know. It is a little late, but that's the burden of being a non paid TV writer.

But first, I must acknowledge the passing of Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan's seminal work, The Prisoner, was hugely influential on genre television. The Prisoner, along with Star Trek & The Twilight Zone, paved the way for everything you see now, from Lost (the smoke monster clearly a descendant of the rover) to Battlestar Galactica (Tricia Helfer's character is named after McGoohan's Number Six) to The Simpsons (the rover popped up in two spoofs, one episode featuring McGoohan himself). I had only seen eight episodes or so a few years ago, but its influence is obvious. AMC, hyping the upcoming remake starring Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellan, has all 17 installments online.

http://www.amctv.com/originals/the-prisoner-1960s-series/

Matt's Top 35 of 2008!

Overall, this was a good, but not great year for TV. Sadly the writer's strike kept a lot of shows away for a good chunk of the spring, or off the schedule until the fall if they weren't canceled out right. Also, a lot of my favorite shows this year didn't quite hit the spot the way past seasons have, even if an installment or two made my list this year. One major piece that must be brought up is that I can only watch so much. So that's why Mad Men, a show I'm woefully behind on, isn't on the list, among other shows. If I manage to see them afterward they'll get an honorable mention on next year's list.

35. True Blood – "You'll Be the Death of Me" (W: Raelle Tucker, D: Alan Ball, Airdate: November 23, 2008) Part one of the "don't blow it" pair. I was ready to hang up this series, which basically came off as a romance novel with graphic violence, the finale reeled me in for more, between Jason's siding with anti-vampire activists, the horrifying contents of Bellefleur's car and the promise of more Michelle Forbes (can't get enough of her).

34. Fringe – "Safe" (W: David H. Goodman and Jason Cahill, D: Michael Zinberg, Airdate: December 2, 2008) Part two of the "Don't blow it" pair. Hyped as the second coming of The X-Files, Fringe turned out to be one of the big disappointments of the fall 2008 line up. It had all the ingredients, but it lacked the punch. The pattern so far felt pretty random, and the characters, except Walter Bishop, have yet to pop. However, if this episode is any indicator, with Olivia given something to do besides not smile and Mr. Jones shaping up to becoming a major villain, the series can grow.

33. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – "Allison from Palmdale" (W: Toni Graphia, D: Charles Beeson, Airdate: September 29, 2008) Although the series as a whole leaves something to be desired, this installment, telling the origin story behind Terminator Cameron (played terrifically by Summer Glau), showed what this show is capable of, hopefully we'll see more of that.

32. Prison Break "Safe & Sound" (W: Seth Hoffman, D: Karen Gaviola, Airdate: September 22, 2008) Prison Break has been on the wane since they broke out of Fox River, but this season has been a return to form and has quickly become my guilty pleasure of the year. The season, essentially a series of heists, was at its best in this installment.

31. South Park "About Last Night…" (W: Trey Parker, D: Trey Parker, Airdate: November 5, 2008) While South Park was another show that disappointed me this year, its ridiculous post-election episode, wherein it's revealed the entire campaign was part of an elaborate heist as Obama supporters celebrated and McCain supporters panicked, was just the cool off we needed after the dramatic election season.

30. Californication "In Utero" (W: Tom Kapinos, D: David Von Ancken, Airdate: November 30, 2008) While I felt the second season of Californication didn't push itself into what it could be (aside from when Callum Keith Rennie's Lew Ashby was on screen), this examination of Hank & Karen's relationship (the best thing about this series) was touching and utilized the great chemistry between David Duchovny & Natascha McElhone.

29. Jericho "Termination of Cause" (W: Rob Fresco, D: Guy Norman Bee, Airdate: March 11, 2008) It was a bittersweet second season of Jericho for me. Just as it was finding an interesting grove, it was re-canceled (although its legion of devout fans would care to disagree with me there). Especially here, as the stand between J&R and the town of Jericho came to a cross roads. If only there was more time for the aftermath.

28. Chuck "Chuck Vs. Tom Sawyer" (W: Phil Klemmer, D: Norman Buckley, Airdate: October 27, 2008) Kill screens (that actually kill), Rush and Tony Hale. What's not to like?

27. This American Life – "Escape" (D: Christopher Wilcha and Adam Beckman, Airdate: May 4, 2008) Whereas many reality shows feature self-absorbed sociopaths with serious issues encased in a Petri dish, I mean fish bowl, this under looked gem (based on the successful public radio program) strives for fascinating true stories like the one featured here, of Mike Phillips and his struggles with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

26. A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! (W: Stephen Colbert, Allison Silverman, David Javerbaum, Michael Brumm and Rob Dubbin, D: Jon Hoskinson, Airdate: November 23, 2008) A delightful send up of the corny Christmas specials of old, with terrific songs that'll surely be heard for years to come.

25. Breaking Bad "…and the Cat's in the River" (W: Vince Gilligan, D: Adam Bernstein, Airdate: February 10, 2008) Bryan Cranston's Emmy win was one of the best surprises of the awards, and episodes like this show why he got it. As Walter White, a chemistry teacher turned meth cook following the knowledge that he was dying of terminal cancer, Cranston shines, especially here as he confronts his new found occupation's dark side.

24. The Daily Show/Colbert Report - "Election Night Special" (Airdate: November 4, 2008) Obviously the big story of the year was the election, and as expected The Daily Show and Colbert Report were at the top of their games all year long, much like TDS was solo back in '04. It's hard to pick just one episode out of the 160 or so each show did this year, so in recognition of a stellar year, I give it to their coverage of that historic night.

22.-23. Dexter – "Go Your Own Way" & "I Had a Dream" (GYOW: W: Timothy Schlattman, D: John Dahl, Airdate: November 30, 2008. IHAD: W: Lauren Gussis and Charles H. Eglee, D: Marcos Siega, Airdate: December 7, 2008) Unfortunately the best part of Dexter's third season was short lived because the build up this season was much slower than the past. Regardless, the cat & mouse games and the big showdown between Dex & Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits) made up a bit for the meandering storylines.

21. The Wire – "Clarifications" (S: David Simon and Dennis Lehane, W: Dennis Lehane, D: Anthony Hemingway, Airdate: February 24, 2008) In a season that was all about the big lie and how institutions shape opinions, this episode essentially debunks the Omar myth, while not making us feel like idiots for loving this brilliant character.

20. Breaking Bad "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" (W: George Mastras, D: Bronwen Hughes, Airdate: March 2, 2008) Seeing Bryan Cranston maneuver Walter White from average high school teacher to the guy who'd drop an, albeit harmless, explosive in a dealer's office was proof that this guy was great at serious drama as well as the comedic stuff he'd proven himself with on Malcolm in the Middle.

19. Friday Night Lights – "Leave No Man Behind" (W: Aaron Rashaan Thomas, D: Dean White, Airdate: February 1, 2008) After a shaky second season with a few ridiculous elements (meth dealers & murder cover ups), the second half went back to its roots as one of the most earnest, endearing shows you're probably not watching. (Note: I don't have DirectTV, so any third season episodes that make the cut will be on my 2009 list.)

18. 30 Days "Same Sex Parenting" (Airdate: June 24, 2008) Many people found this episode endlessly frustrating, including myself. In particular the Mormon mother living for 30 days with a gay couple raising four kids. It was infuriating how she refused to budge from her stance that gay couples shouldn't be allowed to adopt even seeing proof that gays can raise kids just as well as straight couples, or better in the case of one of the children, whose biological parents told her he was better off with the gay couple. In a year where gay rights were in the spotlight, particularly with the passing of Prop 8 and the resulting backlash, this episode encapsulates the stalemate and the major obstacle gays face getting their rights.

17. The Shield "Parricide" (W: Kurt Sutter and Gary Lennon, D: Guy Ferland, Airdate: October 21, 2008) After a cluttered first half, the season really gets cooking here as Shane's scheme for revenge fails, he goes on the run and Vic turns in his badge.

16. John Adams – "Join or Die" (W: Kirk Ellis, D: Tom Hopper, Airdate: March 16, 2008) This was the only installment of HBO's award sweeping epic about the second president I saw, but it was an impressive episode as Adams (played by the consistently great Paul Giamatti) dealt with trying to give a fair trial to the men responsible for the Boston Massacre, men whom his colleagues would mostly prefer throwing to the wolves.

15. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia "The Nightman Cometh" (W: Charlie Day & Glenn Howerton & Rob McElhenney, D: Matt Shakman, Airdate: November 20, 2008) It's Always Sunny's fourth season lacked a lot of the crazy fun of its previous three. It might've been because of the strike (that excuse is still valid) or their new projects (the guys have a new show in the works). However, the finale made up for that. Expanding the "Night Man" concept into a full length musical, filled with terrible theater and questionable "metaphors", was hilarious.

14. Pushing Daisies "Bzzzzzzzzz!" (W: Bryan Fuller, D: Adam Kane, Airdate: October 1, 2008) Basically this was the only episode I saw, and judging by the beautiful visual scheme and clever writing, I truly regret not seeing more and getting behind it while I could.

11.-13. Lost "There's No Place Like Home 1-3" (W: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse, D: Jack Bender, Aidates: May 15 & 29, 2008) While it may not have been the mind bender last season's finale was (my favorite episode from 2007), Lost's stellar fourth season wrapped up well, with some great pay offs and an interesting new dynamic for the new season.

10. The Office – "Dinner Party" (W: Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky, D: Paul Feig, Airdate: April 10, 2008) While The Office this past year hasn't been up to par with the greatness of its second and third seasons, this episode is one of the exceptions. It takes the uncomfortable moments that are a staple to the series to its extreme as Michael & Jan's truly dysfunctional relationship reaches its breaking point.

9. Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog (W: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Zack Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, D: Joss Whedon, Airdates: July 15, 17 & 19, 2008) While not a show per se, it's approximately 43 minute length is close to that of an hour-long drama without commercials. One of the few good things to spawn from the writer's strike, this server melting hit was a blast. Hopefully we don't have to endure another strike for a sequel to happen.

8. 30 Rock – "MILF Island" (W: Tiny Fey and Matt Hubbard, D: Kevin Rodney Sullivan, Airdate: April 10, 2008) Quickly becoming one of my favorite comedies (thanks Hulu!), this episode stood out as it hilariously parodied reality shows and how their conventions have permeated our lives.

7. The Wire – "-30-" (T: David Simon, S: David Simon & Edward Burns, D: Clark Johnson, Airdate: March 9, 2008) TV's most ambitious, sprawling epic of the grand failure of our public institutions didn't have the best final season, but then again, its final season could've been 10 episodes of a test pattern and it wouldn't have tarnished the brilliance of its previous four. It's final episode was a great cap off to a milestone of television, showing the "circle of life" continues in Baltimore and while that means new stick up kids and addicts, it also gives us a glimmer of hope (but not too much, it is The Wire after all) that people can escape the life or continue to fight the powers that be.

6. The Shield – "Possible Kill Screen" (W: Adam E. Fierro & Evan Bleiweiss, D: Billy Gierhart, Airdate: November 18, 2008) Vic Mackey's confession solidifies Michael Chiklis' Emmy standings. A jaw dropper, period, and a great set up for the devastating finale.

5. The Wire – "Late Editions" (T: George Pelecanos, W: David Simon & George Pelecanos, D: Joe Chappelle, Airdate: March 2, 2008) The arrests, the parting of Michael & Dukie, "You look good girl", Bub's confession. This series will be truly missed.

4. Lost – "The Shape of Things to Come" (W: Brian K. Vaughn and Drew Goddard, D: Jack Bender) The episode that should've won Michael Emerson an Emmy was more proof that Emerson is one of the best actors working in TV right now and Ben Linus one of its most compelling characters.

3. Battlestar Galactica – "Revelations" (W: Bradley Thompson and David Wheedle, D: Michael Rhymer, Airdate: June 13, 2008) Way to leave us hanging: outing the four known Final Five Cylons to the fleet as the humans and the rebel Cylon models discover Earth, their long awaited destination. But no sooner can you scream "You maniacs! You blew it up!", Earth is revealed to be a nuclear wasteland with no trace of life anywhere to be seen.

2. The Shield – "Family Meeting" (W: Shawn Ryan, D: Clark Johnson, Airdate: November 25, 2008) Much of what I could say was covered in my recent Shield wrap up review, but I'm still digesting the stellar wrap up to this riveting drama. As if the penultimate episode wasn't amazing enough, the finale followed through with an ending most shows can only wish they had. 2009 just isn't going to be the same without new episodes of this and The Wire to look forward to.

1. Lost – "The Constant" (W: Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof, D: Jack Bender Airdate: February 28, 2008) Remember all those people who argued that Heroes was better than Lost? They're pretty quiet now. Lost won. If I wanted to flood my list with too many of the same show, Lost could easily pop up more than it did. An episode that moved the mythology while still enjoyable as a self-contained episode, it featured Desmond's consciousness jumping back and forth from 1996 to 2004, trying to make a connection with his long lost love Penelope. If it doesn't get dusty in the room when he makes that call (on Christmas Eve no less), nothing will. This episode even introduced a new term into the nerd vernacular, one smitten nerds will use for years to come.

Well that is it. Obviously your list is going to be different from mine, but that's where interesting discussion comes from. Feedback is appreciated.

That's it for now. I may post again later in the week and hopefully get the 24 reviews all up, but with it being four reviews (five by tonight) and the Lost premiere, it may take some time. Until next time, peace and humptiness forever.

Matt

Hey readers,

Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Festivus, Happy Belated Equinox and Happy Life Day! Whatever you celebrate or if you celebrate nothing, enjoy yourself.

And for those looking for new material, sorry it's been slow coming out. Hopefully that'll change. I'm currently working on a year end wrap up of my favorite episodes of 2008, which will hopefully be ready by New Year's. My top five is more or less set, but I'm scouring what I've seen this year (and even in an off year like this one there's a lot to choose from) to figure out the final list.

Hope everyone enjoys themselves and stays safe.

Peace & Humptiness Forever,

Matt

Hello readers,

Sorry I haven't been up to date with my Heroes reviews. A few weeks ago I was doing overnight shifts and that messed up my day plans. I'm still playing catch up, outlining my reviews for the last two episodes, and hopefully one will be up before "The Eclipse, Part 1" airs. Thanksgiving is also going to throw me off, but the Christmas hiatus should help even things out, and maybe get some long awaited reviews out.

Also I'm not sure when I'll get a review out for 24: Redemption, which just aired. Things are obviously a little crazy. But as a taste, I thought the TV movie was a let down. While it was great to see Jack back on TV, the lack of anything else tied to the show made it feel not like 24. Obviously there's a problem when many of the established characters were killed off, but they couldn't figure out anything for Chloe or Bill Buchanan to do? Anything?

The final project I hope to do is a retrospective on The Shield, the landmark FX drama that's airing its final episode this Tuesday. The collapse of everything the Strike Team built up in these final episodes has been stellar, and hopefully its final chapter will be a satisfying culmination of that.

In other news, Arrested Development is apparently going to happen on the big screen. As the one person not upset with Fox over canceling it, I wonder where the movie will go. The finale wrapped up most of the major stories. Also, I'm worried how the movie will do, as the show relied so heavily on in jokes that tailoring it to a mass market may diminish that element of its charm. However, this is a small percent. I'm 99% for this movie and will be there regardless to see the Bluths one more time on the big screen (and hopefully more should it do well).

Speaking of kicked around projects getting release, Chinese Democracy has arrived. Yes, the Guns N' Roses album 15 years in the making finally came out. While trying to claim my free Dr. Pepper and only getting trouble from their site, I did listen to some of it. As I've yet to listen beginning to end, I can't give a full verdict yet, but modern production has had an effect on the GNR sound no doubt.

Finally, I got a shout out on The Randy Rando Randonopolis Show's most recent episode "2.4: Deep Throats". Since they were nice enough to do that, I'll scratch their back and plug their podcast, a show dedicated to discussing random elements, mainly pop culture. You can get them by searching that name in iTunes or by heading to http://therandyrando.blogspot.com/

Well that is it for now. I hope to continue this, perhaps resuming the dispatches I used to do a few years ago, but stopped as scheduling became difficult. Until then, peace and humptiness forever.

Matt

I'm telling you I can't wait for fall TV. This summer's been a dead zone for TV for me between usual summer fare bumped by the strike, a disappointing Mole resurrection and 30 Days ending way too early in July. In fact, this year has been pretty dry with the strike whittling down my usual fare. But next month alone has a lot to offer. Here's the score:

August 29 – Sixth Season premiere of Real Time With Bill Maher (Fall Edition). OK this is cheating a little bit, but this is one of the few political discussion shows I can bear. While I don't agree with everything Maher says (and he can often come off as smug, especially discussing environmentalism and vegetarianism), the discussion is usually interesting, and Maher sometimes says things that need to be said. With this election season rivaling the last presidential election, it's good to have the show back as the season heats up.

September 1 – Fourth Season Premiere of Prison Break. Yes last season failed to live up to expectations. Yes the show has been inconsistent since they broke out of Fox River in season one. Yes Susan/Gretchen is no where near as compelling a villain as Kellerman. Yes behind the scenes drama hindered on screen events. I'm still going to be tuning in, if only to ease the withdrawals from almost 18 months without new 24. Plus, Michael Rappaport joining the cast should make it at least watchable (notwithstanding the awful War at Home).

Promos: With the big reveal viewers probably already know http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhbcmEyiQMY

September 2 – Seventh (and Final) Season Premiere of The Shield. I've missed this show a lot. I thought last season ended abruptly, as if this season was meant to be the second part. This show put FX on the map and showed that you didn't have to be on HBO to put out a quality product on cable. This premiere is the beginning of the end for FX's flagship programs, all of which are due to take their final bows in the next couple years (let's see how they handle it compared to HBO). I can't wait to see how the fall of Vic Mackey comes to fruition (my money is that Dutch takes him down). A few clips are available on Hulu, and it was hard to stop at just two.

Final Season Trailer: Not as good as the Johnny Cash one for season five, but it uses a Beck song. http://www.hulu.com/watch/23297/the-shield-the-shields-final-season#s-p1-st-i0

September 3 – Series Premiere of Sons of Anarchy. The ads during 30 Days didn't do much for me, but hearing the cast, including Ron Perlman, Drea de Mateo, Mitch Pileggi and Jay Karnes (two FX shows at the same time!), is making me look forward to checking it out.

Promo: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=40643112

September 7 – Fifth Season Premiere of Entourage. It'll be interesting to see this summer show try a fall slot (it was preempted because of, wait for it, the writer's strike). This show is probably a lot better enjoyed in the summer, when summer blockbusters are on the minds of people watching shows about people in show business. Whatever the case, hopefully Jeremy Piven will continue to be hilarious and I continue to wish the made up movies on the show were real (make Aquaman happen suits!)

September 7 – Series Premiere of Fringe. It's JJ Abrams, and I was a fan of Alias and I love Lost (although that's more Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse). From what little I've seen, it sounds cool. Not to mention Lance Reddick, who will always be Cedric Daniels before Matthew Abaddon to me, is in it. I don't remember much from the trailer, but that's fine by me. Abrams' shows tend to be best going in fresh.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAu4L5_Fl84

September 7 – Series Premiere of True Blood. From writer/director Alan Ball, creator of Six Feet Under and writer of American Beauty (one of my favorites despite the glut of movies/shows that tried and failed to be it), it's about vampires and I know little else other than that. The marketing is intriguing with vampire advocacy groups, synthetic blood bottled for mass consumption and a religious-based opposition group in the promotional material. It'd be nice to see HBO have a sci-fi show that was a success since Carnivale proved big, expensive and not buzz worthy enough (if you can slog through that slow as molasses first season, the second pays it off). I've heard good reviews so far, and it seems like it's going to avoid the Ball pratfall of taking itself too seriously. So long as they don't do an episode where a vampire gets kidnapped by the most incompetent kidnapper ever and they spend half the episode on it, I'll give it a shot.

Video: Nightline-esque spoof of the context of this world. http://www.hbo.com/trueblood/otherworlds/

September 13 – Thirty-Fourth (Thirty-Fourth!) season premiere of Saturday Night Live. Yes the show is mostly miss, but often if they get a decent host it'll make it watchable (and I want bragging rights for when the next "Lazy Sunday", "D*** in a Box" or "Iran (So Far Away)" happens).

September 18 – Fourth Season Premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Thank Hulu for getting me into this since I missed out when it first came on (I instead chose the unpleasant Starved). This show is definitely Seinfeld if they went as far as a cable network would allow. There is nothing redeeming about any of them, but they are hilarious.

"Goin' Back to Philly" music video: Basically this is the complete trailer that's been seen in 30 second shots all summer on FX. http://www.hulu.com/watch/27147/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia-goin-back-to-philly-music-video#s-p3-st-i1

September 21 – 60th Emmys. OK, I'll probably more likely read the results than watch, but it's important to keep track, no matter how conflicted I am over some of the choices (I'm rooting for Michael Emerson and glad they recognized Lost in its comeback season, but still upset that they never nominated Michael K. Williams for his brilliant portrayal of Omar on The Wire, which itself was barely noticed by the academy). It's a sad cycle.

September 22 – Second Season Premiere of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. This was one of only two new show I picked up last season. I'm a huge fan of the movies (even the last one, which was fun popcorn, and I'm looking forward to Salvation) and this series was entertaining. Too bad the strike (sorry if I go overboard with strike talk) cut the season in half. Hopefully the second season pulls a Buffy, where it finds its groove and lives up to its potential. Brian Austin Green, originally a puzzling casting choice with his best known work on 90210, turned out to work really well. Now that he's a regular this season, they'll be able to expand upon his role, as the first human perspective into the dark future since Kyle Reese, the brother of Green's character, from the first movie.

Promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i9865Mj_vM

September 22 – Third Season Premiere of Heroes. It seems like forever since the second season ended. Truncated because of the strike, it's had to stew for almost ten months in residual criticism as it went from freshman phenom to sophomore slump, and that awful Going Postal web series didn't do them any favors either. I'm sure some people who only read my reviews of the second season (when I picked it up) thought I started reviewing it to bash it because I'm too cool for the room, but that's not true. The show was enormously entertaining in its first year, and it has the potential to return to that with the "Villains" volume, not to mention some of the guest stars would make great additions to the cast.

Trailer: Is that Malcolm McDowell (Linderman) I hear (at :45)? http://www.hulu.com/watch/27059/heroes-choose-a-side#s-p1-st-i1

Bonus: Full Trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJxBw3uc5cU

September 25 – Fifth Season Premiere of The Office. Unfortunately the fourth season was largely weak, with those bloated hour long episodes at the beginning and (again) the strike. However, I still love the ensemble and even at its worst can make me smile or cringe in a good way. I can't wait to see what they do with Amy Ryan (aka Beadie Russell from The Wire.) What I really hope for in the coming season is fewer "sitcomy" moments where Michael and Dwight come off as cartoons (they walk a fine line) or end up in situations where the only logical resolution is Michael getting fired (or arrested like in the infamous pizza delivery guy subplot) and it doesn't happen. Again, I don't want to be too harsh on this show. Everyone involved is highly talented and funny, and I think they can return to great stuff like seasons two and three.

Teaser (Jim & Pam): http://www.hulu.com/watch/30824/the-office-pam-and-jim-denied

September 28 – Second Season Premiere of Californication. This show came out when chatter started over whether Showtime was inheriting the HBO torch of quality programming. It's easy to see why with HBO's vanguard shows ending and little else to fill the schedule or fire the public's imagination like Sopranos and Showtime coming out with critical and commercial hits. Showtime isn't there yet, but Weeds and Dexter are almost the Sex and the City and Sopranos (to make a comparison) of Showtime. Californication Also on a superficial level, Natasha McElhone is one of the most beautiful women on TV. It should make a good chaser to the dark stuff on Dexter.

September 28 – Third Season Premiere of Dexter. I picked up season one on DVD a year ago on a whim based on positive word of mouth and I'm glad I did. This show has quickly become one of my favorites. The second season, which I watched on OnDemand, was even better, delving into Dexter's character and some great cat and mouse moments. Since I get Showtime now, I can watch the episodes live rather than wait until DVD. I'm really looking forward to what Jimmy Smitts is going to bring to the show. It'll also be fun to have two great anti-hero shows (The Shield being the other one) on at the same time. Michael C. Hall has always been great since Six Feet Under, and it's great he found another venue for his talent so quickly.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsu2YYUozP4

Wow. I don't even know where to begin. First I've never written a teaser for a review before, but this episode clearly deserves one, and it'll probably be a while before my review for the final two parts goes live.

Although the season may have ended officially May 22nd, it didn't really end until the two part finale of the best season of "Lost" yet aired. "There's No Place Like Home Parts 2 & 3" had just about everything you could ask for. Some great action sequences (Sayid and Keamy's epic fight), long awaited answers (Locke is the man in the coffin after all), added bodies (RIP Keamy, Michael, Jin (?) and Locke (who may be pulling a Christian)), romance (Desmond & Penny at last!) and the mystery that "Lost" expertly pulls off. There were so many cheers, gasps and one major tearjerker. By the end I was exhausted in the best way possible. This is the early leader of my favorite episode for 2008 (Ball's in your court "Battlestar Galactica").

It'll probably be a while before the review goes online, since this episode demands several rewatchings and will likely be longer than any review previously, dethroning my review of last season's finale, the current title holder. But this has priority over my retro reviews I promise at least that.

For a TV season that was filled with several lows, mainly the writer's strike cutting down many shows' orders and benching several favorites ("24") or several favorites underperforming ("The Wire", "The Office" & "Heroes"), this season stood out even more. The shortened season, added to the knowledge of the show's end date, made the writing tighter with fewer "filler" moments. This episode is a perfect example of that: luckily there were commercials to catch my breath and scoot back from the edge of my seat.

If my initial judgment stands, this season will end with an average of 8.57, a tremendous achievement that few shows will likely touch. Put that in perspective, the other show I reviewed this season, "Heroes", ended its mediocre second season just above dead average at 7.09. Not to mention 3 episodes got the coveted "Perfect 10" score. This episode cemented this season as the best yet and one of the best seasons of television in recent memory.

Preliminary score: 10/10

Obviously with a show known to be a launching pad for a lot of talent, the old episodes are a time capsule of great talents just as they were starting. In this first season we have the main cast, most of whom had some success after they left the show. Comedic guest talent included Billy Crystal (who went by Bill Crystal in the episode) & Al Franken, who mainly wrote in the first five years, later appearing on camera after Lorne Michaels resumed producer duties in 1985. In addition, there is the in house band lead by Howard Shore, who would go on to work with Peter Jackson, Cronenberg and Scorsese among others. Paul Shaffer, a few years away from Letterman's debut, also worked on the show's first season.

One of the more absurd newcomers of the first season was Andy Kaufman, a few years before he starred in Taxi. Even casual viewers of his work (or if you just saw Man in the Moon) know his trademark absurdist humor. The concept of his sketches was simple: lip synching to old children songs. However, the presentation is hilarious, from having several volunteers from the audience lip synch to "Old McDonald" to him awkwardly awaiting the phrase "Here I come to save the day" in the clas sic "Mighty Mouse" bit. I'm not sure SNL today would be as daring to allow someone like this on now, but back when they had nothing to lose, you see a lot more experimentation.

Video: Andy Kaufman's "Mighty Mouse" routine http://youtube.com/watch?v=AHG9jp6s1OI

Much like today, short films are a big part of the show. The early episodes featured shorts directed by then unknown Albert Brooks, who left the series to pursue Hollywood filmmaking (Taxi Driver, which he co-starred in, premiered a month after his last short aired). The rest of the season Gary Weis took over, and the films turned to documentaries of unusual people. While I only found Brooks' films moderately amusing and Weis' dull, the concepts were unusual, which I can respect. Today the digital shorts are the big reason why people are saying SNL is funny again. If they replaced "Lazy Sunday", "D*** In a Box" and "Iran (So Far Away)" with these shorts, I doubt people would take notice or watch it millions of times on YouTube.

Early in the season they announced a "contest", where viewers could send in their own short films with the possibility of them being aired. Such a concept couldn't be done today with SNL's institutional status on TV, but since they were just getting media attention, that was OK. The biggest contribution of these shorts was one, made for around $20, featuring a clay man named Mr. Bill. I never knew he was brought on the show as a part of a "contest", but that is another joy of seeing these old episodes: you see the origins of the sketches that have become pop culture staples.

Video: Mr. Bill http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=32837

One recurring segment involved a more adult version of Jim Henson's Muppets. These stand out as possibly the worst recurring segment of the first season. Every time Don Pardo mentioned them I rolled my eyes a little bit. It just doesn't fit the rest of the show. Who exactly were these sketches made for? While drug humor was a big part of the early episodes, I'd expect someone to be ridiculously high to chuckle during one of these. The Land of Gorch set was destroyed mid-season, as if that wasn't a strong enough indicator of where they were going. Luckily, the following TV season they got their act together for The Muppet Show, one of my favorites growing up.

Topical humor is ubiquitous today, from The Daily Show & The Colbert Report to The Onion, that it's easy to forget that it wasn't always this way. The 60s started that as The Smothers Brothers referenced Vietnam and Laugh In featured then candidate Richard Nixon (SNL would have Gerald Ford deliver the "Live from New York" line, ironically on pretape, when Ron Nessen hosted). SNL, whose cast grew up during that turbulent time, features political humor a lot, especially in the long running "Weekend Update" sketch, and the first season is no exception. It's interesting to watch historically (especially when they talk about future presidents Carter, Reagan and Bush 41, then the head of the CIA), but as someone who wasn't around for week-by-week coverage of the news then, only the big names resonate, making some of the material dated, or at least hard to understand out of context.

One of Chase's first big recurring character was of then President Ford, using a lot of physical comedy to mock Ford's clumsiness. This impersonation is noteworthy for one big reason: it wasn't an impersonation at all. Chevy Chase didn't wear any special make up or speak as Ford did. They made no attempt to make the audience believe he was Ford. If anyone tried that today they'd be accused of being lazy. Aykroyd's impersonation of Nixon in the memorable "Last Days of Nixon" sketch as well as Jimmy Carter showed an increased effort in impersonation.

Video: Chevy's first Ford sketch http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=29150

In addition to politics, drug culture influenced SNL. Considering everyone back stage was smoking pot, it had to have been the subject for sketches. Two highlights involved Chevy Chase. The first had him trying to inject a joint into his arm like a syringe and the other was him as President Ford trying to roll a joint and failing miserably. The first one is more goofy humor, but both bear a subtext of the older generation's lack of understanding for how drugs worked.

As mentioned regarding Garrett Morris, race issues weren't covered as much as other topics. However, when Richard Pryor hosted things were different. Race plays a vital part in one of the first season's most memorable sketches. In it, an interviewer (Chase) plays word association with Pryor, eventually degenerating in Chase and Pryor exchanging increasingly offensive ethnic slurs at each other. Pryor's punch line is absolutely hilarious.

Video: Word Association Sketch (NSFW) http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=29157

An unusual recurring segment involved on set plugs for Polaroid cameras. This is something that was common on TV in the fifties, but I'm not sure how often they did this in the mid-70s. It comes in contrast to the iconoclastic attitude of the cast, but somehow they made it work, even when their input was minimal (like when John Belushi and Jane Curtain switched names).

Pop culture played a big part in the early episodes as it does now. Of those sketches, "Land shark" stands out. Spoofing the success of Jaws, which had just come out the previous summer, the sketches have a shark devouring women by knocking on their apartment door, pretending to be delivering a candygram. If it needs to be repeated, they were smoking a lot of pot around that time.

Admittedly, I skipped over about half of the musical guests performances, consisting of forgettable one hit wonders. However, there are some great musical performances. In addition to Paul Simon and Belushi's Joe Cocker impression, we also had the second episode, which was in a way a mini Simon & Garfunkel reunion, with them playing favorites "The Boxer" and "Scarborough Fair". Loudon Wainright III appeared early in the season, offering some oddly amusing songs satirizing the country's bicentennial. In a later episode, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff performed the clas sic "The Harder They Come", one of the songs credited for ushering in reggae music to the main stream.

Two of my favorites come from opposite sides of the spectrum. Desi Arnaz, who seems like the unlikeliest of hosts during this first season, performed (with son Desi Jr.) with the passion he had back when I Love Lucy was still on the air. He played two songs, "Cuban Pete" and his trademark "Babalu". The cast and crew did a conga line through the studio to close the episode. His enthusiasm made that episode really fun to watch, and I can imagine the party must've continued well after that curtain call.

My favorite musical guest came when President Ford's press secretary Ron Nessen hosted. The musical guest: Patti Smith. While she is deservedly a legend and trendsetter, this performance came shortly after her debut "Horses" was released. This was one of the first tastes mainstream America had of punk (a week after this episode, The Ramones debut album would be released). In the episode she performs her interpretation of "Gloria" and her cover of "My Generation". While not as revelatory as The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, it's another great historical moment in music.

Music also became the foundation for several sketches. One of Belushi's memorable first season sketches was a recurring bit involving Beethoven, in a fit of writer's block, churning out Motown and R&B singles. In addition, song lyrics would be dropped into the dialogue, or it would turn into a musical segment, such as the one where a PI (John Belushi) and his client (Madeline Kahn) begin incorporating "I Will Follow Him" into the conversation. Another sketch, involving Kahn, was a cover of "I Feel Pretty" (from West Side Story), sung by the Bride of Frankenstein (Kahn, in her Young Frankenstein wig). When Kahn passed away in 1999, SNL used this segment as an obituary for her.

The biggest music moment was the one that never happened. One week after Patti Smith, Lorne Michaels appeared on air asking The Beatles to reunite on the show. Due to budgetary constraints, as Michaels explains, NBC can only offer the Fab Four $3000, which I believe is still the standard fee for musical guests thirty-two years later. "If you want to give Ringo less, that's up to you." Lennon and McCartney were close enough to the studio on the night it aired to get there and perform before the show ended. Sadly, it's one of the great musical "What ifs". There's something about the impossible task of reuniting the biggest musical act of all time with the rag tag budget of a late night comedy show, with a child like belief that it's possible, that serves as a microcosm for the era.

While the first season of SNL wasn't the knock out I expected, it's still a worth it to see it as a piece of pop culture history. It's great to see a time when SNL wasn't the institution it is today, as it offers some perspective as to where the series would go in over three decades and 600 episodes. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the other episodes from this first era, as many clas sic moments are to come: The Coneheads & Blues Brothers hadn't been introduced; Jane Curtin wasn't an ignorant s*** yet; Elvis Costello hasn't appeared and ignored the producers' song choice; and Bill Murray and SNL Host MVP Steve Martin have come on board either. I've always heard about how the cast developed over the first four years, eventually I want to see where they go from this first season foundation.

When news broke that the first season of Saturday Night Live would be released on DVD, I was really excited. I've been a fan of SNL for a long time (even sitting through some of the bad eras), but wasn't even born when it premiered, much less seen those early episodes. I'd always heard good things about the early seasons of SNL ("when it was funny" to those who remember seeing them when they first aired). Unfortunately repeats on Comedy Central, where they ran until 2003, rarely showed anything before the mid-80s and I doubt E! has even shown anything before 2000 lately. DVD releases were limited to nothing but "Best of" compilations. At last SNL fans that've never seen the complete episodes could.

I got the set for Christmas 2006. Unfortunately the first two episodes didn't blow me away, and I left the set unwatched for almost a year. With the writers' strike in its third month, prime time offerings have become increasingly scarce, so like many viewers, I've turned back to DVDs. While it wasn't as funny as I was hoping, it still offers an interesting glimpse into a TV institution as it was just getting started.

I won't bore you with excessive background and history, instead I recommend you check out "Live From New York", a retrospective featuring every living participant on SNL (with the notable exception being Eddie Murphy) through the early 2000s. They do a better job than I could. However, I will bring up pieces that show just how much SNL has changed since 1975.

On the most superficial level, we can start by the title. Instead of Saturday Night Live or SNL, the show was called NBC's Saturday Night, so as not to interfere with a similarly named show Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell (which starred future SNL cast member Bill Murray). That SNL didn't last a season, but NBC's Saturday Night couldn't use the title until the second season.

Filming the show in New York City was also a risk at the time. While NYC has become tourist friendly, in the 70s the city was known for urban decay and corruption. Surprisingly the state of New York isn't mentioned often in the first season outside of current events on Weekend Update. Two days before the season wrapped, David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) murdered his first victim. A year later New York was plunged in a devastating blackout. The state of the city played center stage when Dick Cavett hosted. Using the Thorton Wilder play "Our Town" as a template, Cavett spoke about the degenerating conditions of the city. While not particularly funny, the satirical edge still carries potency.

While the quality of SNL can be hit or miss, their structure for episodes has remained untouched for decades. This is what makes the first two episodes interesting to watch. The episodes involved little of the "Not Ready for Prime Time" players, but rather emphasized the guest host. Sketches involving the cast seem like they were thrown in as an afterthought. You could call these episodes "The (Guest Host) Show" and it would've been the same. George Carlin did nothing but his stand up routines, not even appearing in one sketch. Paul Simon did slightly more, appearing with the bees at the end, but overall he just performed his music.

It isn't until the third episode, hosted by Rob Reiner, where the series formula begins to take shape. Since he was best known for playing Meathead on "All in the Family" when this aired, he didn't have much in the way of special segments for him besides the monologue, so he had to perform in sketches.

The cast was also starting to step up. Musical guest Joe Cocker didn't show for some reason (or maybe they never booked him in the first place), so John Belushi, who impersonated Cocker in his act, filled in his place. The resulting performance of Cocker's version of The Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends" is an almost perfect impersonation, down to Cocker's singing and bizarre mannerisms.

Video: John Belushi's performance "With A Little Help From My Friends" http://www.heavy.com/video/4821

No discussion of the first season would be complete without discussing its breakout star, Chevy Chase. Without knowing any background information or context, it wouldn't be an off to assume that this show was meant as a star vehicle for him. He appeared in most sketches, or played the lead more often. He delivered the opening line "Live from New York" in all but two of these episodes. The cold opens, instead of being sketches, were mainly an excuse for Chevy to get in one of his trademark falls before saying the introduction. To tailor the cold opens exclusively to one performer would never happen today.

The character Chevy is a self-absorbed jerk whose trademark line during Weekend Update was "I'm Chevy Chase and you're not". Unfortunately it seems like his personality wasn't far from his character. His bad behavior through the years, including the infamous and insensitive comments he made to Terry Sweeney that got him banned from hosting for over a decade, has had a huge impact on how these episodes are seen now. Back in the 70s, it could be assumed that he was playing a character. Now it seems as if that was really just playing himself.

Like Chase, it's hard to see these performers without thinking about where they went afterward. As hard as it is to believe, there was a time when Dan Aykroyd was one of the coolest guys around. While his hipster cred expired some time ago, on the show, he's really good. His forte on the show was playing the spokesperson for questionable products, notably the Super Bass-O-Matic 76, which was really just a blender used to puree fish into a liquid.
Video: Super Bass O Matic 76 http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=2348

Larraine Newman was possibly the most featured of the female cast in this season, as she had a knack for voices. She often played the serious correspondent in Weekend Update and sold it with that serious tone. On the opposite side, she spoke like a valley girl years before everyone else was. In a bizarre piece, Newman, as Shirley Temple, brought piece to a warring African nation with the help of a tap dance routine. While she never became a big star, likely due to behind the scenes troubles she faced early on SNL, she eventually became a prolific voice actress.

Judging by the Live From New York book, Jane Curtin was the most grounded of the original cast, preferring to go home to her husband rather than the after party when the show wrapped. This is where her typical character, a modest woman caught in ridiculous circumstances, is drawn from. Perhaps this is why she doesn't stand out as much as she will later on during the Weekend Update debates with Dan Aykroyd in season two. Whether this is a result of Chase's exit I have yet to see.

The first "the black guy on SNL" was Garrett Morris. His sense of humor tended to sway more towards Redd Fox than Richard Pryor, at least in the way he carried himself. This leads to the discussion of race on SNL. Rarely is there more than one black cast member, and they can get lost in the shuffle. Race tends not to be covered as often as sex or drugs on SNL, leaving other sketch comedy shows like In Living Color or Chappelle's Show to pick up the slack. That seems to have died down, especially in future cycles when Eddie Murphy carried the show on his back and today with Maya Rudolph one of the most featured players several seasons in. Ultimately Morris didn't have many instances to shine.

His stand out bit, a piece that would be considered too un-PC today, was the "President of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing" (a common practice in sketches was to use the performer's real name). Appearing at the end of Weekend Update, he provided a "public service" by shouting the top stories over Chevy Chase. This wasn't mean spirited, but it did get old after a few episodes ("News for the…" variations were featured later).

Seeing things differently in historical perspective applies primarily to the two who have passed away, John Belushi and Gilda Radner. I'm more familiar with the career of serious Belushi-phile Chris Farley, who was one of the break out stars of SNL in the early 90s. Both he and Belushi had similar career trajectories: success as physical comedians on SNL, a few movies and premature death. It's really sad that both these performers died just at the beginning of what could've been fruitful careers, a cautionary tale of the horrors of drug addiction.

Belushi doesn't get as much screen time as Chase or even Aykroyd in this season, but the hints of his comedy persona are there. His dedication to the physical performance as Joe Cocker, The Godfather in therapy or his samurai character, who did pedestrian occupations like sandwich maker, tailor or general practitioner as a samurai would, is very funny. From what I've heard, Chase's exit gives Belushi the space he needed to grow as a performer, but I'll save that for the day I do a season two review, whenever that'll be.

Video: Godfather therapy http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=29150

Video: Samurai Delicatessen http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=2361

Gilda comes off as the sweetest person you could hope to meet. One would expect whenever disagreements erupted backstage, Gilda played peace maker. It seems like just about everyone was having a blast on this show, but she was probably the happiest on stage. It's hard to write this without sounding like a eulogizer (Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer in 1989), and it, like Belushi's overdose, has affected my perception of these episodes now as opposed to seeing them when they aired more than the other cast members' post-SNL career.

She also had two of the first season's most memorable characters; Baba Wawa and Emily Litella. Wawa is an impersonation of Barbara Walters, spoofing her manner of speech. Emily Litella featured on Weekend Update, delivering passionate rebuttals to arguments she misheard ("Eagle rights amendment", "Deaf penalty" etc.). Like "News for the Hard of Hearing", it doesn't seem likely they would have these characters on today considering the hypersensitivity of the politically correct. Despite that, these characters never mean spiritedly mock people for having speech impediments or difficulty hearing.

Video: Emily Littela Editorial http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=2354

Without a doubt you've heard about the WGA strike (now ending week two). Things have been tough for TV lately, as our late night favorites went into immediate hiatus and most scripted shows found themselves with only a handful of unaired shows. For a full explanation, check out this video made by the WGA, which explains why they're striking and what they want from it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk

None of the WGA demands sound unreasonable:

A measly eight cents per DVD sold, whether it is a percentage of the total price or a flat rate I don't know. It is double their current rate, but still 60% of their old rate they agreed to cut to keep the video market alive in its early days with the promise of having it restored when it became viable. Since DVD is a multi-billion dollar business, including a huge market for complete seasons of hit shows, this self-imposed cut is no longer necessary. The fact that they aren't going for the full 20 cents shows a degree of compromise.

Royalties for each download/stream a show gets. Whether a viewer pays to download a series off iTunes or Unbox or watches it for free on a network site with commercials put in, the network is making money off this venture, especially since it cuts the costs of manufacturing and shipping, all they need is to maintain server space. The fact that none of it goes towards those who made it is just awful. Saying these are "promotional use only", justifying the lack of payment, doesn't make any sense and makes the studios look greedy, finding whatever loophole they can to keep as much as possible. Considering the growing importance of internet use in television, giving the writers a cut seems like the right move to keep their livelihoods intact.

This one has garnered some controversy. In some instances, executives touted the new technology as new sources of revenue. NBC, in the stupidest non-strike related action of the season, pulled out of iTunes because in part they wanted a bigger share of the profits they were getting, even going so far as to ask for a cut in iPod sales. However, when it comes to paying the writers, the networks act as if they're old people and don't know anything about some dang ol' picture radio internets tubes. This is likely saber rattling from the writers, much like the networks threatening to sue showrunners who are picketing. It's unlikely that this would spiral out of control into the executives being investigated for misleading investors.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RjGbHHtbZP0

While it's easy to support the writer's now, it's going to be a lot harder should this strike go on for more than a few weeks. If this is the case, then most series will prematurely end their seasons. "The Office" just aired its last produced episode, with teases that the episode they were about to shoot being the funniest of the season. This could be a disaster for serialized series like "24", which has been postponed indefinitely until it can air all its episodes without a break, and "Lost", which finds its recent 3 seasons of 16 episodes each plan in serious danger of collapsing altogether. "Heroes" is trying to accommodate the strike by recrafting their strike finale as a season finale should the second half of the season never come to fruition in time for the end of the 07-08 season.

Regardless, most shows only have a dozen episodes in the can, leaving most series over before they go on Christmas hiatus. The midseason replacements aren't going to save the season either, with "24's" hiatus and other shows having produced less than what those on the air have. So the big holes in the spring schedule will be filled with reality shows. Of course for every "Amazing Race", we're going to have 10 "Bachelors". "American Idol" will likely keep Fox afloat, and they are the most shameless of the networks, ahead of NBC, regarding reality show programming ("COPS" was the produce of the last strike).

It also spells doom for the pilot season in the spring. With no scripts being written, there will be no pilots to make. This, coupled with the inevitable cancellations and series endings from the spring, means even more holes in the schedule. Not only could this strike ruin this season, but possibly ruin next season before even a second of footage is shot. It may give on the bubble new shows a reprieve should the networks need slots.

If any good is to come out of the strike's effects, one would hope it would be the end of the standard September-May model, which is painfully outdated. The pressure of serialized shows to fit their episodes into the schedule as if it was a normal season is unreasonable. This isn't an ordinary season. Besides, fans of "24" and "Lost" would stick with the show if it were to go into June or later.

As this goes online, news has broke about a sit down between the writers and producers on Monday November 26th. This is encouraging news, as many have cited the last strike, which lasted five months, as a possible example of how this strike will play out. Relations between the writers and producers have been at best tense. The writers want us to believe that the producers are being greedy and the producers want us to think that all writers are super rich and only want another golden bathtub filled with Cristal and they don't care about the crew that's out of work (the execs tend to ignore that many of those people support the strike). With something like that, it makes sense that neither would be willing to give in to the others' demands without a fight.

While the media has painted the writers as pampered rich people who are just striking to be jerks, that isn't the case. For every writer who will never have to worry about work, there are dozens that are just trying to get their screenplay picked up or a job writing on television. It can be easy for us to say that since their job is fun they should just shut up and take whatever the studios give them. I'd agree that screenwriting is far more fun than a typical blue collar job, but it's still a job. It's their livelihood. If it takes them years before getting another piece of their work published, why not give them a fair shake of residuals so they can live comfortably in between jobs? Every time a "Harry Potter" novel is sold, JK Rowling gets a cut. Bob Dylan gets paid anytime a song he wrote is played on the radio or used elsewhere. Why can't the writers get a fair piece for the work they helped create when it's used in any format?

Hey everyone!

It's been a while since the last status update, so hopefully no one missed these too much. Well another season's in the books and it was another good one. While some shows under performed, like 24 sadly, many shows picked up their game like "Lost" or made great first impressions like "Heroes" and "Friday Night Lights".

One such show would be "Jericho". One of the biggest news stories this week was CBS's decision to renew Jericho after initially canceling it, following intense campaigning by fans. As for fan campaigns, I'm not a particularly big fan of them. People can certainly spend as much time as they want getting X show back on the air, but the sad reality is that when a show gets canceled, it generally stays that way. "Jericho", similar to "Farscape" and "Firefly", are exceptions rather than the rule. I wouldn't expect last minute reprieves of other shows like "Veronica Mars".

Well, mini-rant aside, here's my spring 2007 status:

What I watched:

24 – Sadly its worst season, but I will always be loyal to the show, even if Jack was fighting monkeys with a toothbrush (maybe that would be the key to rejuvenating the show!) I have faith that they realized they screwed up.

Heroes – Anticlimactic finale aside (the glowing fists in "Five Years Gone" was more exciting than what we got), Heroes was still one of the most consistently entertaining shows on TV this season, especially in the episodes leading up to the finale.

The Shield – While some of the storyline was hard to follow in parts and the finale more stopped than ended, this penultimate season set the stage for some major fireworks in the last season. Walton Goggins has been nothing short of Emmy-worthy.

The Sopranos – I'm going to miss this one. Some really great drama as everything in Tony's world is falling apart.

Friday Night Lights – I caught up with this one on NBC's website, although I'm still two episodes behind. I slowly was won over to this show. Extremely real and not patronizing to small town people like some shows.

The Office - I did prefer the second season, but the third season wrapped up really well, with some great laughs, a little hope for Jim and Pam and "You and I are done". Can't wait until next year.

Lost – Wow. Many complained about the show's mini-season, but, Jack's tattoo episode aside, the spring season was chock full of great episodes, with several knocking it out of the park. The game changing twist at the end of the season is just begging to be dissected, and I promise the reviews for season three will be up during the summer.

Other shows: South Park, Stewart/Colbert, Real Time With Bill Maher, Studio 60 burnoff, My Name Is Earl, Prison Break.

On DVD: I watched S1 & S2 of Veronica Mars, which was a great treat, plus Kristen Bell is very cute. I watched S5 of The Shield before the new season premiered, which was the series' best.

Music: Been listening to Amy Winehouse, Fratellis, The Decemberists and Wolfmother heavily the last few months. All of these are really good, but I think Wolfmother is the best of this bunch.

Well this is a long status update for me. Thanks to everyone who has read my reviews, and I promise more during the summer. I can't give a schedule yet, but until I can, the remote is yours.

Matty