Archive for the ‘TV Throwdown’ Category

February2

TV Throwdown!

By: Ryan


The TV Throwdown has been on an extended hiatus, simply because television has been on an extended hiatus. There have been little pockets of life - 24, Hoarders, Gray's - but, in general, it's been pretty weak. But tonight, EVERYTHING... CHANGES.

buh-BAM! Can you deal with that?

Lost is back. Set your twitter apps to follow #LOST. It's going to rock your face off. I don't care if I have to wait and start it at midnight after everyone has gone to bed, this is going to be an event. I should go order some BBQ wings, Pringles, and a Snuggie... be right back. SWEET, I totally scored a free portable book light with my Snuggie order. Seriously, though, this show is poised to prove itself as either the greatest sci-fi/drama/mystery in the history of television or the biggest disappointment since Scott Hall's latest return to TNA. Occupying the #2 slot on my DVR is this little gem.

Sorry baby, the doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital are going to have to wait... Rupert and Russell are back. But at the end of the day, I'm pulling for Colby. It's his time.

So, tell me, am I alone in this or will the entire spring television season rest on the back of these two programs. Feel free to disagree with me, but know that I'll taunt you mercilessly if you do.

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October8

TV Throwdown: If They Made it a Movie

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown1 Returning in all it's glory... The TV Throwdown! on TOC!! So, with the wealth of 80s revisitations, revamps, and reboots I thought it would be fun to take a classic 80s sitcom and dream up what it would look like if they made it a movie today. Today's series of choice: Family Ties. If casting started today, here's what I'm thinking... THEN: Michael Gross as Steven Keaton  NOW: Alan Ruck - because we all love Cameron and he was great in Ghost Town. THEN: Meredith Baxter Burney as Elyse Keaton NOW: Rita Wilson - because I think that Mrs. Tom Hanks would play well against Ruck. THEN: Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton NOW: Olivia Wilde - House's "13" I think that she could play younger if she tried. THEN: Tina Yothers as Jennifer Keaton NOW: Miley Cyrus - Yeah, I went there. Don't hate. It's a good fit. And, the one you've been waiting for... THEN: Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton NOW: Shia LaBoeuf - ignoring the fact that his last name reminds me of the girl from Teen Wolf (Boof), the fact that he's my favorite actor (click the link) and the fact that he's been called "this generation's Michael J. Fox" (by some guy at Starbucks) I think that he would bring the name recognition that the film needs to at least break even. Honorable Mention to Justin Long and Adam Brody. Thoughts, Complaints, Hate Mail??

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September2

TV Throwdown Fall Preview Part 3

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown1 Welcome back to the fall preview, or as my friends south of the border are calling it: "El TV Throwdown presentado: El Grande Preview de Fall TV Americano, part dos." (That week of Spanish lessons in Guatemala has really paid off, can't you tell? This week we're looking at new shows premiering this fall. Again, I won't cover them all, so if your hyped up about some new show - leave it in the comments. Sorry for skimping on pics this week, there's just too much ground to cover. Jay Leno (NBC, Mon-Fri. 9pm Central) I covered this at length before, so I'm not going to waste my breath again... FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK??? REALLY?!?! Ok, I couldn't help myself. NCIS: LA (CBS, Tuesdays 8pm Central) I didn't even realize that the original NCIS was still in first run. Who knew it was popular enough to spur a spin-off featuring tw0-time-Robin Chris O'Donnell and L.L. Cool J. Mama said, knock this show out. Melrose Place (CW, Tuesdays 8pm Central) Scheduled to follow right behind 90210. TV Guide is calling this a remake of the soapy '90s melodrama featur[ing] many familiar archetypes." So, you've either got a remake of 90s show with Melrose, or real-life 90s icons with NCIS. Such decisions!! Trauma (NBC, Mondays 8pm Central) I saw this billed somewhere as "ER outside the ER". I guess we'll never run out of police procedurals and medical dramas. The Forgotten (NBC, Tuesdays 9pm Central) Ok, if 5 nights of Jay Leno didn't seal the deal, NBC wins the What the Crap Award for putting Christian Slater back in a starring role on a television series. Did they not learn anything last time? What's it about? Who cares? (I'm secretly a closet Christian Slater fan. Go rent The Wizard, Hard Rain and Broken Arrow for you long weekend.) Cougar Town (ABC, Wednesdays 8:30pm Central) Can Courtney Cox-Arquette break the Friends curse? Sources say, "doubtful." I'm still waiting for a Ross spin-off. Eastwick (ABC, Wednesdays 9:00pm Central) Not to be outdone by the CW rehashing series from the 90s, ABC offers this series based on a movie from 1987. This obviously an attempt to capitalize on the vampire craze, but with witches. Interesting. Glee (FOX, Wednesdays 8:00pm Central) Baptist church youth ministers be warned. You can expect a drastic drop in attendance as soon as this one starts. This is easily the most anticipated series of the season and from what I've seen it's worth every ounce of hype. Vampire Diaries (CW, Thursdays 7:00pm Central) Seriously, did I even need to tell you it was on CW. You knew. The only thing I can say about this that's interesting is that it features the grandson of film legend Steve McQueen. No, genius, I'm not talking about the main character from Cars.

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August25

TV Throwdown Fall Preview Part 2

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown1

Welcome back! This week it's a quick look at those longer running shows that are returning this fall. For the sophomore sensations, check out last week's update.

House House (FOX, Mondays 7pm Central) Ok, personally, I think that House jumped the shark last year. They tried to make him a sympathetic character and it was a horrendous failure. My wife and I were huge fans, but probably missed half the season and didn't really care. Grey's Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursdays 8pm Central) My opinion: Grey's went overboard last year also. Everything about it was just so "on again, off again). The writers failed to realize that sad situations don't make us connect with deplorable characters. We'll see what happens this time around, but I would dare to say that it's the beginning of the end. Picture 5 Survivor (CBS, Thursdays 7pm Central)Yes, I still watch this show. Is it still culturally relevant? Probably not. But it is still captivating. They pick great characters 80% of the time and while it may seem a bit more staged (like The Hills) it's still entertaining for (what is this?) the 18th season. Picture 7 Ugly Betty (ABC, Fridays 7pm Central) Ugly Betty? Why do we care? The move to Friday night - long heralded as the nail in the coffin! This show has seemed to have a solid following, so this one comes as a surprise, at least to me. I'll be interested to see what comes of it. Next week we'll take a look at the new shows premiering this fall. Be on the lookout.

Posted in: TV Throwdown6 comments

August18

TV Throwdown Fall Preview Part 1

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown1 If only the Title line were bigger, I would have aptly titled this "TV Throwdown presents: The Great American Fall TV Preview, part 1". Hey, the new TV season is upon us and those of you who have been blessed with DVR need to get your thumbs a'workin to get all your precious shows programmed. I'm gonna give you a heads up on some shows you might want to check out, but there are really far too many to mention. Today we'll look at shows that are returning for their second season. Part 2 will be long-running shows that are returning. After that, I'll take a crack at new shows. I certainly won't get to all of them, so if you have some thoughts, leave them in the comments. With that, I present, your sophomore sensations. CastleCastle (ABC, Mondays 9pm Central) Ok, I totally called this one wrong. From the previews last season, I predicted mid-season cancellation. Guess I was wrong. People must like Nathan Fillion because I don't know what they get out of show where a writer follows a cop around to get ideas for his next book. I just don't get it. LietoMeLie to Me (Fox, Mondays 8pm Central) - This show came out of nowhere to captivate my wife and I. Tim Roth is pure gold, but the rest of the cast carries their own. I appreciate the little digs they take at famous people and politicians. It's a different take on the police procedural-type program. Picture 5SNL: Thursday Update (NBC, Thursdays 7pm Central) - NBC brought this concept out last year and it was timely because of the election. With Amy Poehler being gone, I'm not sure that Seth Meyers can carry the whole half hour. At least, they won't be without content. FringeFringe (Fox, Thursday 8pm Central) - I wanted to watch this, but I just didn't have time. I heard good things about it, but I only made it through about 10 minutes of the first episode on Hulu. I'm still not 100% sold on J.J. Abrams. I think that the conclusion of LOST (not until next year) will determine the future of his career. SouthlandSouthland (NBC, Fridays 8pm Central) - I haven't seen this one either, but the previews looked solid. I'm quite interested, though, because this was so highly billed and how has been moved to the dreaded Friday night slot. To be honest, I didn't think that the guy from the O.C. could carry such a highly touted series.

Posted in: TV Throwdown4 comments

July28

TV Throwdown

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown
The Throwdown is back! Today's topic: Why Can You Duet is the true artist's reality music competition.

In case you're unfamiliar... Can You Duet is a reality music competition on CMT. The premise is unique in that it is 1) geared toward country music and 2) consists only of duos (though this year they allowed "singles" to come and be paired up with one another to create a "duo").

So, why is it so good?

Good Judges - In season one, the judges were Naomi Judd (1/2 of one of the greatest country duos ever), a songwriter, and Tim McGraw's vocal coach. This year we've got Naomi again, along with Big Kenny (of Big & Rich) and the head of Big Machine Records (home of Taylor Swift and Jack Ingram). These guys know what they are talking about musicially, performance-wise, and in regards to the country music industry. Further, they take the time to creatively invest in the contestants and really help them hone their skills.

True Artists - With little exception, the contestants are true artists. Many of them are working musicians who have yet to have their big break. They love music and are not just looking for their 15 minutes. This is apparent in the way that they interpret songs as well as the required "original songs" week where contestants must write and perform their own piece.

Immediate Results - This isn't one of those "call in and vote" shows. The professionals (see "Judges" above) make the determination of who leaves on the same episode that they perform. I like this because there is no cliff-hanger, there is no needless results show, and the outcome is determined by people who know what they are talking about.

Now, I don't listen to a lot of country music, but this show makes genre irrelevant. It's a quality competition where I get to listen to true artists deliver great performances without a lot of hoopla. Sure, I'll watch American Idol when it comes back, but all the while I'll be wishing it were more like Duet.

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April29

TV Throwdown!

By: Dan

I've decided to move TV Throwdown to Wednesdays because The Round Table reigns supreme on Thursdays. Here's another open letter...

Dear Al Gore:

Mr. Gore, I owe you a debt of gratitude for your groundbreaking work on creating the internet. Were it not for you, my computer would merely be an overpriced jukebox on which I listen to Hanson and play Scrabble. Thanks, however, to your interwebs, I can rest assured that I will never fall behind on my favorite programs.

Long before Alec Baldwin and Seth McFarlane outted themselves as aliens (and really, who didn't know) I was watching Hulu. I was able to see the entire series of Studio 60 without buying the DVD set. I was able to watch the first 4 seasons of Lost in a month and a half thanks to ABC.com. And (even with their inferior streaming video player) I was able to watch the entire series of Kid Nation on CBS - which was far better than anyone gave it credit for.

20 years ago, if you missed an episode of your favorite show - say, Family Ties - you were screwed. 10 years ago, you had to wait for 6 months and hope that they would put the season out on DVD. Now, if I miss the first 5 minutes of 24, I'm mad at Fox that I have to wait 12 hours for them to put it online.

So, again, thank you Mr. Gore for gracing the world with this incredible technology. I do have one tiny favor to ask, though: Could you maybe pull some strings to get Summerland uploaded somewhere for me?

Throwin' Down,

Ryan

[Discussion: Do you utilize streaming video for your favorite shows? Have you found that any network has superior streaming media? Do you wish that they would put Family Ties on DVD because your need to complete your Michael J. Fox DVD collection?]

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