I am become death of tv shows.

Entertainment, TV

I always thought that people who whined about their shows being canceled were annoying. My feeling was that if the show was really that good then it would still be on the air. But now it seems like a lot of the shows that I think are really good are getting canceled in the first season or soon after. It seems like if a show has any kind of style or a unique voice then the networks can’t get an audience to turn in.

It could be because the audience for those kind of shows have so many other things to do. I would guess that they’re more literate and active than the audiece of say “Dancing with the Stars” or “NCIS” or god forbid “JAG”. Also I’m going to bet that they know how to work a Tivo so they don’t have to stay glued to the TV every night. Yes that’s right, I’m saying it, we’re too smart for the good of our favorite TV shows.

But I think you have to look at it in a positive light. As long as the producers and writers know that the end is coming and have a chance to give the characters a proper send off then I think it’s alright. You can think of these shows as really long movies or a tv miniseries. Just don’t get too into them… I’m looking at you “[W:Browncoats]”

My Favorite Canceled Shows.

  • [W:Arrested Development] – the show did survive 3 years, but it was too funny. (movie version coming soon!)
  • [W:The Loop] – only the first season, when they got rid of the roomates the show suffered.
  • [W:Freaks and Geeks] – Now that Judd Apatow is famous I’ll bet that they would love to have this show back.
  • [W:Undeclared] – see above.
  • [W:Invader Zim] – I have no idea who green lighted this show for a Nickelodeon Audience, but it is a great show for college kids.
  • [W:Pushing Daisies] – Style to spare in this show and funny writing (but i’m almost glad it’s going to wrap up soon, it needs an ending)
  • [W:Eli Stone] – I’m putting this on here, but I really think it will work better for them if they have an ending in sight.
  • [W:Amazing Screw-On Head] – It never even had a chance!
  • [W:Firefly]- The best combination of sci-fi, comedy, and characters ever. At least we got a movie out of it.

honorable mention (probably canceled soon or on Hiatus)

Chappelle’s Show, Flight of the Conchords, Californication, Gary Unmarried

The X-Games bring the pain.

Entertainment, Random

Maybe it’s because I fit perfectly into the demographic that they’re searching for, but I find the X-games enthralling. I remember when I first heard of them, I was 14 and into rollerblading every day. I was amazed that ESPN would be covering and promoting sports that I was interested in. Looking back on old clips it’s easy to see how far they’ve come. They did a little piece on the word “extreme” before the start of competition this year. It was a little bit BS because I’ve never actually heard anyone use that word, it’s kind of like hearing your parents talk about “gangsta” rap… in 2004.

But the opening event “Skateboard Big Air” has got to be one of the definitions of extreme. It’s so crazy it makes professional skateboarders scared. When I was watching last year and saw Jake Brown fall 40 feet out of the sky and land on the flatbottom I was sure I just saw somebody die on TV. I called Charlie into the room and told him he HAD to watch this, because “I’m sure this guy is dead”. He wasn’t… he WALKED AWAY.

If you haven’t seen it check this out.

I knew this year they would put the hype machine on overdrive because Jake was coming back to the competition (Jerome Bettis is from Detroit). But seeing the look on his face when he was about to take his first run on the ramp was insane. I thought for sure he was going to say… “OK, I can’t do this, later!” But not only did he do it, he landed almost the same run… on his first try. So after I thought that would be the highlight a few runs later Danny Way absolutely got destroyed on the coping of the quarter pipe then did a front flip 20 feet down and landed on his back and then slid lifelessly into the middle of the ramp. Again I was sure that he broke both his shins and developed “floppy leg syndrome” (Willis Mcgahee, horrible Youtube clips, etc). But after a few minutes with medical… HE WALKED AWAY. Not only that… HE CAME BACK to take his next runs. AND LANDED the same trick he just got KILLED on.

Really I can’t be clear enough, this was the best thing I’ve watched on TV since the NCAA title game. So intense, So huge, So scary. The tricks just kept getting better and bigger and you weren’t sure at any moment if someone was going to die. This event is like the MMA of the X-games… really it’s more than that, it’s like the RUNNING MAN of the X-Games. Eventually someone is going to die or be paralyzed in this event. But HOLY DAMN if it’s not exciting.

Announcer – “Danny are you going to take another run?”

Danny Way – “I’m going to take all the runs

The Terminator has nothing on Danny Way. PROPS TO MR. WAY!

Later

The Loop… another in the line.

Entertainment, Random

After finding out Sunday night that “The Loop” season one was finally out on DVD I immediatley put in on the top of my Blockbuster Que. It arrived yesterday… oh the glory! For those of you that don’t know, The Loop, is legend around the Sausage. Even though it was on Fox last summer, no one seems to know about it. I mean my group of friends are the perfect target for the show and even most of us have never heard of it. But everyone I show it to loves it. Unfortunatley it’s either been cancelled or cut short or something. I think it was originally scheduled to air this January, but was pushed back until summer where it can drown in a sea of other half promoted shows.

But that’s not worrying me. I figured we would never have any more episodes anyway so this is a bonus. Just put this in the long line of great shows that I have liked that were cancelled too early… Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, The Zak Galifinakis Show. But I guess that’s better than going on too long and ruining it? right?

I’ll be looking forward to watching what I’m going to call “The Encore Season” June 10th at 9:30.

“When I was your age I was knee deep in Krauts trying to stab Johnny with a longknife”

Seriously… I could watch them make doughnuts for hours.

Entertainment, Random

Thank you, Anson Gregory… the man who invented the hole in the doughnut.

I was watching Modern Marvels tonight, one about snack food or something. (I don’t know what reall they all seem to blend together.) It’s kind of like guy porn… oh wait, that’s real porn. Well that phrase goes so well with everything else, I guess you’d call it porn for fat robots. But I just love the little doughnuts travelling on their little journey, on little conveyor belts, on to a little lazy river… of boiling hot grease. But then they hit a bump and flip. I love watching repetitive mechanized equipment, but the doughnut line is the best.

Like that monkey in the commercial…I’m Tried

Later