I always thought The X-Files was overrated, and I’ve never liked its stars, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. To this day, any possible appreciation I might conceivably have for their current work is marred by the memory of seemingly constant bickering about how miserable they were to be locked into the show that made them famous. Not that either one of them has landed a lot of work after the series ended — gee, do you think there’s any correlation there?

 Now Gillian Anderson (here’s a photo of the only time she’s ever looked even remotely attractive) is back publicly badmouthing the very show that made anyone care what she might ever have to say. Even as Duchovny seems to be endorsing the idea of another X-Files movie, his dour co-star is haughtily bitching about how much she hated the whole experience. 

(more…)

So The Sopranos returns for its final run of episodes this weekend, and, well, I’m just not feeling it. The reviews seem positive for this Sunday’s episode, but last summer’s shows were so flat I can’t muster up any excitement. Between the waiting years between seasons and the steadily diminishing returns, I’m over it. The season opener of The Shield the other night was more gripping than The Sopranos has been since that “Pine Barrens” episode. Okay, maybe not that far back, but certainly since Joey Pants or Adrianna shuffled off the coil.  I hope the reviewers are right, and it goes out with a bang (no pun intended), but really, right now it feels like too little, too late. Are you with me?

I’m always leery when Saturday Night Live rolls out the welcome mat for real-life folks to host the show — meaning people who aren’t actors, comedians, musicians or employed in some other entertainment-related field, and thus make a certain amount of sense to guest-host a sketch-comedy show.

True, A number of athletes and politicians have survived the experience pretty much intact (The Rock nailed his first appearance before he became a movie star, and Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Al Gore all did well). But I still have nightmares about 2002’s disastrous show with skier and Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley. So I wasn’t anxious to see Peyton Manning, who cemented his status as a national darling with his Super Bowl win in February, embarrass himself on March 24. Sure, he’s been engaging and funny in his numerous commercials, but live television is a whole ‘nother ball game. Turns out I needn’t have worried — for the second time in two months, homeboy came through in the clutch. 

(more…)

Raines
NBC
Rating: 3.7 

At first glance, you want to slap the cuffs on NBC’s new crime drama Raines and book its creators for excessive recycling. It’s impossible to watch the commercials, or five minutes of the show itself, without your knee beginning to twitch, impatient to kick Raines to the curb. On the surface, it’s a shameless mix of two of the more popular formulas in heavy rotation: The “I see dead people” mystery (Medium, Ghost Whisperer) and the “Difficult-to-Get-Along-With, Idiosyncratic Leading Man” drama (Monk, House, Shark, etc).

But that knee-jerk summation captures only the form of the show, not its substance. Because Raines uses those elements to create something, if not entirely new, then at least intriguing enough to more than make up for the nagging sense of déjà vu.   (more…)

Damn, Sheryl Crow doesn’t care for American Idol. “Let’s face it, it undermines art in every way and promotes commercialism,” she’s quoted as telling Ladies Home Journal. Well, I only followed Idol regularly during its second season, and that was because of the girl I was dating at the time, so I’m not defending the show here. But c’mon, Sheryl, are you trying to write my material for me? (more…)

I don’t have much to say about last night’s Grammy Awards broadcast, namely because I didn’t see it. I’ve got a good excuse — my wife and I took my in-laws out to dinner to celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary. Otherwise, I probably would have turned it on, watched the Police perform “Roxanne,” bitched about them going with such a boring and obvious choice, and flipped over to Spike TV’s Tom Berenger “Sniper” marathon before I could catch a mistaken glimpse of the Real Hard Chili Poopers winning an award for furthering the cause of mediocrity. (more…)

From CNN:

Cartoon Network boss quits over bomb scare

Jim Samples is taking the fall for the marketing debacle at Turner Broadcasting

Yes, that’s the actual headline and subhed.

That sound you hear is the sacrificial lamb being led to the altar:

“I deeply regret the negative publicity and expense caused to our company as a result of this campaign. As general manager of Cartoon Network, I feel compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch.”

No word at press time whether members of the Hunger Force would be willing to let go of a couple of stock options to make up for the $2 million debacle. Reached on vacation in the Bahamas, Master Shake would say only “Talk to my manager, bee-yotch.” Meatwad and Frylock could not be reached for comment.

The ongoing flap over Cartoon Network’s “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” marketing mishap last week has reached the ugly and inevitable point where neither side looks good no matter what they do.

Take yesterday’s news that Turner Broadcasting and Interference, Inc. (the guerilla marketing company that planted the electronic devices that caused such an uproar) are paying the city of Boston $2 million for its trouble. It’s a smart move: It’s the classy thing to do. Express regret, apologize for any unintended consequences, offer to help, reimburse for expenses, etc. But Boston — or at least Mayor Thomas Menino — continues to come across as such a petulant brat that Turner looks spineless for caving into a child’s temper tantrum. (more…)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the arrest of two young men earlier this week for terrorizing the city of Boston with electronic signs resembling Lite-Brites, the Department of Homeland Security today acknowledged that authorities have reported a rash of similar potential terrorist threats across the country. (more…)