DeckMonster.com - Television

Lori Loughlin's New Zip Code

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Sun, 04 May 2008 22:13:00 -0700

According to Entertainment Weekly, Lori Loughlin has joined the cast of the as-yet untitled Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off that is currently in development.

I know... I don't understand either why anyone would think to create a 90210 spin-off now, but that's beside the point.

The point is that I've been in love with Lori Loughlin since I was a teenager (anyone else remember Secret Admirer?), and I'm overjoyed at the possibility of seeing her on a weekly basis again.

Welcome back Lori!

Win a dinner with Kaylee!! (...and some dude)

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:19:33 -0700

Jewel Staite and a number of other actors are auctioning off dinner dates on eBay to fund cancer treatments for a fellow actor named Babz Chula (which explains the sign Jewel is holding in the photo above)...

The winning bidder will receive a free dinner with Paul McGillian and Jewel Staite at a pre-selected restaurant in Vancouver, BC at a mutually agreeable date to be determined by both parties in between May 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009.

As any red-blooded sci-fi geek is aware, Jewel played the role of the adorable Kaylee in the Firefly TV series and the follow-up movie Serenity. She is currently appearing in Stargate Atlantis on the Sci-Fi Channel.

The auction runs through April 12th and is currently at $1,500 (Canadian). Other dinner dates include David Duchovny and Chris Carter from the X-Files, as well as other actors that you might (or might not) recognize.

So, anyone have a couple grand and a ticket to Vancouver to spare?

Trading Spaces Turns Another Paige

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:35:37 -0700

Paige Davis returns to a new and improved Trading Spaces starting tonight at 9:00 PM central. Ratings for the show tanked after Paige was unceremoniously dismissed in 2005 when the producers wanted to "take the show in a different direction". But since then new management has taken over at TLC and one of their highest priorities was to return the show to its glory days.

Should be interesting to see how it works out. Good luck Paige!

Like, oh my gawd! Totally tubular!!

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:46:06 -0700

I'm having an 80s flashback! (No, it's not drug related. )

I've been watching MTV circa 1983 (in stereo!) for most of the night. Someone posted three hours worth of MTV on Google Video from the time when they used to actually play music videos and stuff...

The videos are pretty cool: Night Ranger, Huey Lewis, Prince, The Police, Quiet Riot, etc. (And a really strange Tubes video called "Monkey Time".)

But it's actually the commercials that are the most interesting slice of 80s life. When's the last time you saw a commercial for an Atari 2600?

If you remember the 80s fondly, check these video clips out. They're gnarly! (That's a good thing. )

(via Boing Boing)

Life After People

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 09:00:00 -0700

The History Channel is airing an interesting-sounding new documentary this week called Life After People...

What would happen to planet earth if the human race were to suddenly disappear forever? Would ecosystems thrive? What remnants of our industrialized world would survive? What would crumble fastest? ...

Using feature film quality visual effects and top experts in the fields of engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology and archeology, Life After People provides an amazing visual journey through the ultimately hypothetical.

It premieres this Monday, January 21st at 8:00 PM Central time.

(via Boing Boing)

MST3K: The Next Generation

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:35:20 -0700

The folks behind the classic Mystery Science Theater 3000 are back together working on a new project, called Cinematic Titanic...

Looks pretty damn funny. The DVD is for sale here.

BSG Season 4 Preview

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:26:45 -0700

Looking forward to the fourth (and final) season of Battlestar Galactica...

Is it April yet?!? Frak! (via ExtraLife)

Introducing Penelope Fortier...

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:27:46 -0700

I've noticed a striking brunette in a number of different commercials lately, but didn't actually make the connection until tonight that they were all the same brunette...

Her name is Penelope Fortier and in just about each new commercial I've seen her in, I've thought that she reminds me a little bit of Kate Beckinsale (although not so much in this photo).

She has recently appeared in commercials for Radio Shack, Verizon, and in Mastercard's "My Favorite Things" spot.

However, in addition to her acting/commercial appearances, Penelope is also a talented singer. Check out her MySpace page to hear a selection of her tunes or watch her music video.

Or you could clicky-click the 'Continue Reading' link to see these videos here and now.
Continue reading "Introducing Penelope Fortier..."

Saved by the Bionic Woman...

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:46:50 -0700

I watched the second episode of NBC's new Bionic Woman earlier tonight (on TiVo of course). I enjoyed this episode more than the premiere (previously blogged here), although that's not really the point of this entry.

... SPOILER ALERT! ...
This episode centered around Jaime's first official "away mission". She manages to save a teenager from a bunch of generic paramilitary terrorists, and then steps aside while her new mentor (formerly known as Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Burke) uncovers the location of the rest of the terrorists and their conveniently left-over cache of deadly nerve gas. There, Jaime discovers a map with a number of locations prominently targeted including Jackson, Mississippi and Portland, Oregon. Oh yeah, and another one slightly closer to home...

That's right, the Bionic woman saved me (and the rest of Springfield) from certain gaseous doom.

(I think I experienced a little of that the last time I had a La Bamba burrito. )

Five Premieres and a Finale

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:30:00 -0700

Got a few TV things that I'd like to discuss today... A while ago I blogged about Amazon Unbox on TiVo. Of course, I never actually used the service until just last week. I noticed that Unbox had a number of fall television premieres available for download. For free...

Big Bang Theory premieres Mon 9/24 7:30c on CBS

Big Bang Theory is a harmless half-hour sit-com about a smoking hot stereotypical dizzy blond who moves across the hall from a pair of MIT uber-geeks. Actually, the geek humor is pretty damn funny and the budding puppy love that one of the geeks has for his new neighbor is extremely cute. So, this series is probably doomed.

Chuck premieres Mon 9/24 7:00c on NBC

I think Chuck could be a hit. Coincidentally, it's also about a geek who's life changes after he meets a smoking hot blond. Chuck is a life-long underachiever who accidentally has all of the government's extra-super top secrets uploaded to his brain. So obviously, Chuck teams up with the blond spy to help save the world, one episode at a time. Good stuff.

Bionic Woman premieres Wed 9/26 8:00c on NBC

I've been looking forward to this one, because of its shared parentage with Battlestar Galactica. As with BSG, the original bionic lore has been updated and twisted a little bit. OK, a lot. The first episode was interesting, but awkward. It tried a little too hard to be as cool as Galactica. I'll keep my eye on this one. We'll see...

Journeyman premieres Mon 9/24 9:00c on NBC

I think this has potential, but probably won't last. Journeyman is about a man who takes, uh, journeys. Through time. So he can help people. I know, I know... You're thinking Quantum Leap. And you'd be right. But there are differences, and the tantalizing hint of an interesting mythology, which is where the potential come in.

Life premieres Wed 9/26 9:00c on NBC

Life is good. This show is about a detective just released from a maximum security prison after DNA evidence proved that he didn't commit the heinous crime. With millions from a huge settlement and high motivation to return to the job (and find out who framed him), the main character is quite the character. I hope this one makes it.

Burn Notice new episodes June 2008

Finally, if you enjoy kick-ass spy action with a healthy side of humor, you should be watching Burn Notice on USA. Unfortunately, if you haven't caught it yet, you're a little late... As I type this, the two-hour season finale is on. The Season 1 DVD will be a must-have for me. Have to wait until next summer for Season 2. D'oh!

An Archive of Siskel and Ebert (and the other guy)

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:01:54 -0700

Ever wonder what Siskel and Ebert (or Ebert and Roeper) thought about Independence Day (2 thumbs down), That Thing You Do (2 thumbs up), or Serenity (2 thumbs up)?

Gene and I knew those old shows would be worth saving, but for a long time nobody agreed with us. In the years before home video, it seemed like a waste of expensive video tape to preserve hundreds of episodes of "Opening Soon at a Theater Near You," "Sneak Previews" or "At the Movies."

Fortunately, someone finally agreed with Ebert and started saving the old shows. Now, the past twenty-ish years of movie reviews are indexed and available for our (re)viewing pleasure at the Balcony Archive.

I've Been Simpsonized!

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 01:28:18 -0700

Despite the fact that everyone should just know that Homer and Bart's hometown of Springfield, USA is nowhere near Vermont, I haven't forsaken The Simpsons completely.

So, here I am Simpsonized...

Not bad, although I must say that my cat Boo is better looking than Snowball (pictured).

You too can become a Simpsons character by visiting Simpsonize Me. Upload a headshot of yourself, and then tweak the available options in faces, hairstyles, body types, and accessories.

Don't know about you, but I'm digging the orange and purple cabinets. Maybe it's time for a kitchen makeover at Casa de DeckMonster.

For Jericho, There Is A Day After...

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 20:15:08 -0700

According to an online announcement posted earlier today, determined fans have succeeded in bringing back the post-apocalyptic television show Jericho, which was canceled by CBS last month.

An online protest involving 20 tons of peanuts delivered to CBS Entertainment in New York and California helped turn the tide...

Wow!

Over the past few weeks you have put forth an impressive and probably unprecedented display of passion in support of a prime time television series. You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard.

As a result, CBS has ordered seven episodes of "Jericho" for mid-season next year. In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more "Jericho," we will need more viewers.

You might ask why peanuts? In Jericho's ~~series~~ season finale, brooding hero Jake Green repeats the epithet made famous a half-century ago when General Anthony McAuliffe rejected a request ("Nuts!") to surrender to the Germans. How fitting is that?

So, if you're not watching, check it out. If you are, watch harder.

NEWSFLASH: Television executives found to have a higher occurrence of A.D.D. than typical 8-year olds...

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Wed, 16 May 2007 22:20:48 -0700

OK, I don't know for a fact that TV execs are more susceptible to attention deficit disorder, but it sure seems like it most of the time.

Your honor. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. I present you with the following incontrovertible evidence...

Smith - 4 episodes
Drive - 4 episodes
Day Break - 13 episodes
Six Degrees - 14 episodes
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - 17 episodes
Jericho - 22 episodes

Each one of these shows premiered (and died) this season. The way things are these days, I don't really want to invest in an interesting-looking show because it's probably just going to disappear in a few episodes. (Or even worse, after the season-ending cliffhanger.) Better to wait for the season one DVD, and then maybe start watching season two. On TiVo of course.

Classic shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, and M*A*S*H never would have made it in today's market.

Well done, TV executives! You're desperate ratings-or-die management policies are making me want to watch even less TV. You've been taking lessons from the music industry, haven't you?

Slow Sports Day

dave@deckmonster.com (Deck) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 14:30:04 -0700

I was just channel-flipping desperately looking for something interesting to watch and noticed that ESPN2 is currently featuring... women's college bowling. College bowling?!? Isn't there a nice game of Australian Rules Football that we could be watching instead?