Category: TV

Steranko Returns – Kevin Leaves

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Steranko is back, baby!Just take a look at this limited edition cover for Mr. T.

Man, oh man, oh man!

Steranko shows just why he will always be considered one of the best to ever work in comics. 

On another note, it was Kevin Covais who got sent home last night on American Idol. Although he was the person that I felt most deserving to leave, I didn’t go with my feelings when I made my predictions and instead went with how I thought America would vote.

Still I did pick two of the bottom three. Bucky should start sweating now.

Zablo out!

American Idol – Predictions

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It’s American Idol and we’re down to the final 11. In a few hours it will be 10… so let’s see who might be going…

Katharine McPhee did well and looked great. She’s safe.

Ace Young was in the bottom three last week and just did “ok” last night. He could be in danger of leaving soon… but not tonight.

Chris Daughtry had the best performance of the night. I loved his take on “Walk the Line.” He’s safe.

Bucky Covington didn’t impress me. I predict the bottom three tonight.

Elliott Yamin can sing but didn’t live up to his potential last night. He’ll be back next week though.

Kellie Pickler is safe again… but the cuteness factor is fading fast.

Lisa Tucker was one that I initially thought would easily get to the final 4 or 5. She was in the bottom 3 last week [shows what I know]. She didn’t impress last night and could be in the bottom 3 again tonight.

Mandisa can sing and has a great personality…if she wasn’t the best performer last night, she sure wasn’t third… but I still don’t think that she’ll win.

Paris Bennett has so much talent. She is safe as can be tonight.

Taylor Hicks might have had the third best performance of the night… and the most fun! He’s safe.

Kevin Covais had one of his better performances… still I don’t think that he should still be around, but I’ll bet he’s safe for at least another week.

My bottom three for tonight: Lisa Tucker, Bucky Covington and Ace Young.

My prediction for the one leaving: Lisa Tucker [although I’d rather see Kevin or Bucky taking the trip].

Good TV is a Good Thing

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This is the best tv season in recent memory.

Tonight Prison Break returns. It has just the right mix of action, romance, drama, and right when it starts to go over the top, reigns it in. It’s a fun ride, if you’re willing to go with it.

And don’t forget that The Shield finale tomorrow night is one and a half hours long. My gut feeling is that a major character [maybe Lem] is going to buy it. I’m glad to report that The Shield will be back for a sixth and possible final season.

I’d like to write more, but there’s just too much good stuff on right now.

Kevin Dodges the Bullet

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Wow! Was I shocked?

When American Idol opened with the annoucement that either Kevin Covais or Ace Young was in the bottom three; I would have bet the house that it was Kevin packing up to go. And, man-o-man, would I have been wrong.

The second shocker was that Lisa Tucker was in the bottom three! I was thinking that she was a lock to get to the later rounds.

The fact that Melissa McGhee got the boot made sense [if it wasn’t going to be Kevin] since she forgot her lyrics on Tuesday.

So, Ace and Lisa were on the bubble. I wonder how that will affect their performances next Tuesday. I guess we’ll know in less than a week.

Say Goodbye to Kevin

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This is, without a doubt, the best season of American Idol yet. We’re down to the final 12 and there are at least 4 who have a real shot of winning.

Unfortunately Kevin Covais isn’t one of the four. He seems like a nice enough kid and all, but I’m actually surprised he’s made it this far.

Let’s look at the rest of the group:

Katharine McPhee had the best performance last night and she could go all the way.

Ace Young has the right look and can sing so he has a shot too.

Chris Daughtry can sing, is comfortable on stage and knows “who he is” — I just wonder if a rocker can actually be the next American Idol.

Bucky Covington seems like a nice down to Earth guy, but I don’t think he’ll be around much longer.

Elliott Yamin can sing. I mean the man CAN SING. The question is does he have the “it” factor to get enough votes to win?

Kellie Pickler is the country cutie. She’s got a great voice for country music. Cute as can be… but that may get old quick. “I feel like I got tarantulas on my eyes! They’re not real though!” Arrrgh!

Lisa Tucker is the youngest in the finals and without a doubt, one of the best. She… could… go… all… the … way!

Mandisa can sing and has a great personality… but I don’t think that she’ll win.

Melissa McGhee has her moments, but my guess is that she or Bucky will be the next to go.

Paris Bennett could take the crown. Her rendition, a few weeks ago, of “Midnight Train to Georgia” was the best performance that I’ve ever seen on American Idol. The only thing that could mess her up is that her “cuteness” may wear thin as the weeks drag on.

Taylor Hicks won’t win. He’ll go far but I just don’t see him taking the crown. I love the guy’s style and he’s a fun performer but I don’t see him beating out some of the others. I think I look forward to his performance more than any of the finalists, but he’s still a longshot to take the crown.

So, am I on the right track?

So What Are You Watching?

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In one of the best tv seasons in recent years, 24 continues to shine just a bit brighter than anything else.

Now, that’s not to say that I’m not totally digging what’s going on with The Shield. I am. Forrest Whitaker is a great addition to the cast. I love how he’s tearing apart the strike team as he slowly falls apart himself. Vic Mackey is still the man. So much so that I find myself knowing that he should go down for his past deeds but hoping that he finds a way to save himself and his team.

Lost continues to entertain and intrigue. Michelle Rodriguez was a great addition to the cast, but from all I hear, her days are numbered. Mr. Echo is perhaps the best new character on ANY show this season. I was surprised at how much the last episode gave away… or seemed to.

The West Wing returns tonight with a new episode. There are only a handful left and then it’ll be gone. Still, it’s been a great run and I look forward to the rest of the journey.

American Idol surprises me that it can remain so popular despite being on three nights a week. Of course, my family watches every episode, so I shouldn’t be too surprised. Usually by the time we’re down to the final 12, I have a pretty good idea who will win. At this point I still think that any of maybe 4 different performers have a real chance.

And finally, 24. This is my favorite show this season. Jack Bauer continues to be the best “hero” on tv. The writing, direction and acting all continue to be top notch. What takes this season to the next level is that no one is safe. [Former] President Palmer gets assassinated in the first few minutes of the first episode. Tony Almeda’s wife dies in an explosion. Edgar Stiles buys the farm last week. [And I have to tell you that I was REALLY thinking that Curtis was going to be blown to bits last week. I would have hated that since I think that it would be cool to see a season focus on him!] I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next!

So what are you watching?

Grizzly Man: Questions…

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Last night I watched a riveting documentary called “Grizzly Man” which is running on the Discovery Channel. For thirteen years, Timothy Treadwell spent his summers living among Alaskan grizzly bears. Treadwell went in armed with just a camera and no backup. The footage that he captured is amazing. What’s even more amazing is that quite often Treadwell was within feet of the bears as the rested, fought, and ate. On more than one occassion Treadwell would reach out and touch them.

As I said, the footage was riveting. Knowing Treadwell‘s story takes it up another notch. You see, he and his girlfriend were killed [and eaten] by a grizzly. The documentary makes this clear from the very start. It also lets you know that the deaths were recorded but that you would not hear the sounds in the documentary. [You do see Werner Herzog, the man who created the documentary listening to them — and that is quite enough for your imagination will do the rest.]

Treadwell‘s story is compelling and Herzog doesn’t sugar coat the man. Treadwell had issues, and definitely was a bit off center, but he lived and died doing what he loved. And that is where the controversary begins…

Should he been allowed to follow his dream? Was he violating the law? Was he helping or hurting the animals that he so dearly loved?

I’d love to hear reactions from anyone who has seen the film. “Grizzly Man” rates a B+.

Don’t Go Swimming…

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Don’t go swimming if you don’t want to get wet.

It never fails to amaze me when people know that if they take a particular course of action that the end result is going to displease them, and yet they take that course of action. Shouldn’t that be the definition of insanity?

If people from the Jerry Springer show call and invite you on as a guest, the ONLY logical response should be “No.”

Everyone who has ever seen even one episode of Springer knows that guests aren’t going to be treated as guests and more than likely are going to be repeatedly insulted and even physically attacked. EVERYONE KNOWS THIS… and yet, Springer continues to find people who are willing to show up and learn [along with millions of strangers] some personal secret that is guaranteed to shock, hurt and embarrass them.

“Yeah Craig,” you say, “but the people who appear on Springer are uneducated folks who don’t know better.” Ok then, what about the folks who go on the Dr. Phil show, or any of the “reality” court shows. They know that they’re going to come off looking foolish, but still they line up to be guests.

I guess they want to get wet.

Conscience is a Killer

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The Shield returns for its fifth [5th!] season, this Tuesday at 10pm on FX. And I can’t wait. The tag line for The Shield this season is “Conscience is a killer.”

While The Shield isn’t for everyone, it’s definitely my cup of tea. It has characters that you care about [and not always in a good way], stories that have twists, and actors [and writers] that are at the top of their game.

Emmy award-winning actor, Forrest Whitaker joins the cast this season as a tough internal affiars agent out to bring down Mackey [Michael Chiklis].

You just know that the screen will sizzle when Chiklis and Whitaker collide. [Anyone remember the great acting in True Romance when Dennis Hopper verbally jousted with Christopher Walken? My guess is that Chiklis and Whitaker will take it to that level.]

Tune in on Tuesday at 10. You won’t be disappointed.

The Ultimate Fighter

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Are any of you ZONErs, watching The Ultimate Fighter?

I do and am hooked. Just to bring you up to speed in case you don’t watch. The Ultimate Fighter18 fighters who are split up into two teams. Each week the teams compete in a compitition to determine which team chooses the two who will fight. The loser leaves the house. [which is in its second season] brings together

It’s like The Contender on steroids.

The guys who compete in Ultimate Fighting are real life tough guys. They usually have a strong background in wrestling, boxing and the martial arts. Many are experts in more than one discipline. And…

They. Love. To. Fight.

I’m not talking about sparing. Or working out. Or where you knock a guy down and then back up until he’s on his feet. I’m talking about fighting… you know, FIGHTING!

This sport isn’t for everyone. It’s not even a sport that everyone can watch, let alone compete in.

Still, I have to admit, I tune in each week.

A New Menace in Mackey’s Life

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The Shield is so good that waiting for new episodes to start up is like waiting for Christmas to come when you’re a kid. Actually since The Shield doesn’t start up until January, it’s actually worse than waiting for Christmas!

The great news is that Forest Whitaker is joining the cast as “a new menace in Vic Mackey‘s life.” Whitaker will play an ambitious Internal Affairs agent “who is tasked with investigating rogue cop Mackey.”

Oh man, this should be good. Now if only January would get here.

Over There to be Seen Over There

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The other day I posted that Over There is my favorite show of the summer. So you can imagine how happy I was to hear that Over There  will soon be seen in about 100 territories around the world.

The fact that Over There has been picked up in so many territories increases the odds that the series will be back next season. And that just makes my day.

A New Season of "Must See" TV

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The new tv season is nearly upon us and so I thought it might be fun to take a look at the shows that have made my MUST SEE TV list:

Sunday has traditionally been one of the weakest nights of the week and the new season looks to be more of the same. The only show that I plan to watch is West Wing [NBC]. Although last season was one of the best for West Wing, the new night could spell trouble. Since the Bartlett‘s are on the way out, fans may decide that they should
be as well. I hope not.

Monday looks to have just the right mix of shows. At 8PM, I’ll check out Surface [NBC]. This show has a lot of potential – an “adventure-drama” about what happens when sea creatures [monsters?] are discovered all across the world’s oceans. At 9PM, I’ll switch over to FOX and check out Prison Break and at 10, it’ll be back to NBC for the highly under-rated Medium.
Tuesday belongs to 24 and The Shield, but since they won’t start up for a while I plan to give WB‘s Supernatural at 9PM a shot. Given the WB‘s track record with making my MUST SEE TV list, this could be bad, especially since my wife will want to watch The Amazing Race on CBS.

Wednesday is the greatly anticipated return of Lost at 9PM on ABC. I’ll also probably dvr E-Ring on NBC at the same time. At 10, I’ll keep it on ABC and check out Invasion. Seems that creepy is back in with Invasion, Supernatural and Surface all premiering this season. I wonder how many will last for two.

Thursday was for years THE night for tv. Not anymore. Survivor on CBS at 8PM will continue to be a family event. At 9PM, I’ll switch over to ABC and give the Night Stalker a shot. I remember watching Darrin McGavin in the original Night Stalker movie back in 1972. It was a fun movie… but I didn’t much care for the tv series that followed. Maybe this one will be better.

Friday is the second worst night of the week for tv [thank goodness for dvds]. I will give Threshold at 8PM on CBS a try since it has the same Invasion/Supernatural/Surface vibe.

Saturdays is the pits. I always hope that the SciFi Channel will have a halfway decent flick but that’s rarely the case… still I continue to tune in.

Before I bring this post to a close, I want to mention the shows that I’ve enjoyed this summer: Hell’s Kitchen hooked me and I wasn’t sure I’d care about it at all; So You Think You Can Dance is as much fun as American Idol; Hogan Knows Best shows a side of The Hulkster that makes you wish he was your neighbor; Celebrity Fitness Club had me watching celebrities that I didn’t even watch when they were famous [well, except for Gary Busey!]; Wanted has characters quirky enough to elevate it from the run of the mill cop show; The Ultimate Fighter is like The Contender on steroids; and my favorite summer show has turned out to be Over There.

Well, that’s what I’m looking forward to from the new season. Have I missed anything?

Bob Denver’s Legacy

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Bob Denver, the clueless hero of “Gilligan’s Island” has died at the age of 70.

Denver, as Gilligan,. set sail on what should have been a three-hour tour but instead ended up being a 40 year adventure entertaining several generations of fans.

I was five years old when “Gilligan’s Island” premiered and I can remember watching each week. They castaways were funny. Especially Gulligan.

The show ran for only three seasons. The funny thing is it never died. Bob Denver has 25 credits listed in the Internet Movie Database. Eight of them have direct ties to Gulligan’s Island. Talk about creating an enduring and endearing character.

I didn’t care much for Gilligan’s Island once I was older. I remember watching Rescue from Gilligan’s Island and thinking how stupid it was. It wasn’t stupid though, it was silly. The kind of silly that little kids eat up… like I did when I used to watch Gilligan and the castways in their initial run.

Bob Denver‘s three hour tour will never end. He’ll continue to entertain generation after generation. Smiles and the sounds of laughter is a great legacy.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and fans of Mr. Denver.