My Box Is Warm

It Isn't What It Is!

2012-01-17T22:51:00.000-05:00

Parenthood: It Is What It Is!

File this under "TV" People Problems.

This happens to be the 1,000th time I have seen a show where certain privileged people have their smart child get into a great school and the parents have to break the "bad: news. "Honey we can't afford it."

Ridiculous is an understatement. First if the child is smart and there will be scholarships (69% of all scholarships go to whites like this character). Second financial aid and savings in America will cover everything for everyone who wants to go to college, regardless of race (in the USA 50% of all minority funds go to white women which is what this character happens to be). Third student loans may be a lot but attending a top university will pay for itself. Fourth you have a huge family and friends borrow and beg. Fifth get a job, work-study is real and from the government and which means it will be perfect for people with financial needs.

There are too many people going to college these days. Virtually anyone who wants to go and is smart enough can go, hell a lot of them are as dumb as rocks and still go. Miss Haddie Braverman has a 4.1 GPA and she can't afford a top school! Awful parenting is no excuse, just get into the school, graduate, and payoff the loans in two with your top salary.


Okay tell him to shove it and go to your college of choice.

The one saving grace is at the end the parents decided to do everything it takes to get their kid to a decent school.

Don't Get Robbed!

2012-01-05T16:56:00.002-05:00

New shows are arriving and one looks particularly bad.

¡ROB!

From what the commercials shows Rob Schneider marries a extremely hot girl of Mexican descent and as he meets the family the hilarity ensues.

Now I enjoy Rob and Cheech Marin is always great but nothing else is appealing. Look the best way to judge a book is by its cover, that is why books have two covers (dust jacket).

This seems like typical bad sitcom clash of cultures that should have been relevant in the 90s or even the 70s when Mexican life was unknown to most. Plus that chica is way too young.

What would have been great is the exact same show except with a Muslim or Arab or Persian family.

Sure I have been wrong with other California centric shows like The Shield which at first I vowed to never watch but then got hooked. But this is rare and also that was a drama. Sitcom should be elevated to a higher standard and just by the ads it seems like a one joke show.

Feel free to watch a few episodes and get back to me. I am open to change.

Stephen King's Bag of Bones

2011-12-12T23:46:00.002-05:00

Another Stephen King TV failure.

I missed most of it because I kept falling asleep but from what I can gather it was a ghost/curse story. It is a shame because the reason for the curse is such a powerful part but it is lost with the slow moving pace.

Pierce Brosnan does the best he can with this but without any scares there is little to work with. I guess the scenes of drowning children is meant to be shocking but if you ever been around annoying kids you have little sympathy.

This is a basically a copy of the much better Ghost Story (1981). The Bag of Bones book may have been better but I've yet to read it.

Also around Christmas come on this is a summertime mini-series.

Disorderly Emergency

2011-11-18T14:09:00.001-05:00

There was recently a first run national Emergency Alert on the television and it left a lot of room for improvement. This is a legally mandated warning system enacted by President Bush in 2006. Of course it was done in case of a national emergency.

While 99% of the test went on normally some stations did not press the play button on time, others did not turn it off on time, and others accidentally hit their iTunes playlist instead. The 30 second time limit also was not strictly adhered.

My problem was that this national test was not standard. Each station did it their way which was awkward and did not inspire confidence.

CBS did a great job lasting exactly 30 seconds and bold with a simple crawl.

NBC was bland there was nothing bold or hinting at an emergency.

Fox decide advertising was more important then the actual emergency and took up one-third of the screen with their logo. Also they went way over he 30 seconds limit.

CBS set the standard and I suggest all other stations put their egos aside and just copy the CBS template.

Happy Birthday CBS

2011-10-20T20:50:00.002-04:00

Est. October 20, 1951

Add to that they have 20 of the 30 shows on TV and CBS is riding high. I attribute the recent success to scripted shows versus every other networks reality crap.

Currently I watch:

How I Met Your Mother - Needs an ending soon.
2 Broke Girls - Funny, a bit unrealistic.
Two and a Half Men - Bring back Charlie Sheen.

Big Bang Theory - Funny but needs more science and less drama.
Rules of Engagement - Very funny, extremely underrated.

The Talk - Can only watch it once a week because Sharon and Sheryl are like nails on a chalkboard while chewing on aluminum foil.

Sunday Football - Any game is good but NY games are the best.

.

Terra No Way

2011-10-02T19:23:00.000-04:00

Terra Nova: Genesis Part 1 & 2

Huge mistake completely took me out of the show.

People are being sent to an alternate timeline's past ( I can accept this). The young nerd of the show explains that they can kill as many butterflies they want without fearing for the future because it is not their time stream.

THEN HOW DO THE FUTURE PEOPLE KNOW IT WORKED.

If time/universe travel is one-way then how does anyone know it is working.
For example if I sent my kid to France and he never came back or wrote a letter why would I send another kid? Even if I sent a police officer to France to investigate knowing I will never find out if the cop found my kid because it's not possible to contact me why would I send more.

The old world is 70% ocean 10% unlivable so there is no way to pinpoint if they landed safely. No evil company or optimistic government would keep sending groups to the unknown without proof of life.

Overall the effects look amateurish, the set looks like a toy set, the plot is Lost with a Stargate, and the acting is underwhelming.

All My Children: Series Finale

2011-09-23T14:06:00.000-04:00

They did it on purpose.

The ending of All My Children ended on a cliffhanger. Erica got dumped, JR is about to shoot someone, and David does not reveal which dead person he brought back to life.

Disappointing, yes but this was done in the hope that enough outrage and support from fans is generated to start on a new network or a web series. Unfortunately by air time all the deals fell through as few cast members agreed to continue.

Monday 2011 Premieres

2011-09-19T22:17:00.002-04:00

How I Met Your Mother: The Best Man, The Naked Truth
Basically if you saw the first three episodes in 2005 then you have not missed anything.

Two and a Half Men: Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt
Charlie was murdered by Rose and it's all a laugh. This was a sad episode. Not because of the death but because of the lack of good jokes and a rabid audience.

2 Broke Girls: Pilot
Williamsburg, Brooklyn my backside. This is another New York City show written by someone who has never even seen Brooklyn on a map.

GRAFFITI! Really!

This is not the the 1980s there has not been any graffiti on L or G lines for years. Plus they treat the neighbor like a war zone when in reality thanks to hipsters it is the wussiest 'hood in all of NYC.

Kat Dennings is great as a Brooklyn waitress who takes in an upper-class girl who lost everything. Garret Morris brings down the show as the one-liner guy. Everyone in the show is incredibly smart yet oddly poor.

Castle: Rise
Det. Beckett is not dead and 2 months/15 minutes later she is back.

True Blood: Season Finale

2011-09-12T00:45:00.000-04:00

True Blood: And When I Die

The season of the witch is over and apparently the ghosts were just waiting to fill the gaps. This was the bloodiest, most violent episode ever and that is saying a lot for a vampire show. No shocking revelations just a bunch of dead minor characters that been dragging the show down. Hopefully they stay gone but with ghosts floating around I doubt it.

I would add the best thing about this season was Jessica, check out the shows blog http://www.babyvamp-jessica.com/ for more about her.

10 Years Henceforth

2011-09-11T00:10:00.001-04:00

Still as painful to watch 10 years later. Never has a decade seem so short. Along with the tears the sense of anger is still there and one should not forget what 19 radical Muslim terrorists did for hateful reasons.

The horror and heroism will never be forgotten.

Rebuild and never forget.

Rescue Me: Series Finale

2011-09-08T01:31:00.001-04:00

After waiting almost 2 years for this great tribute to New York City and 9/11 heroes we instead get a typical sitcom ending.

Don't get me wrong it was still funny and well done but nothing that couldn't be shown a year ago. Tommy is living his life and still has his ghosts to keep him company. The last episode was more of a tribute to the show itself.

The theme that firefighters were as mortal as everyone was evident when Tommy is speaking to the new recruits and we see the old timers all battered and bruised standing in the back.

Image Credit: FX

Good job Mr. Leary. I expect the same quality from your next project...hopefully soon.

iO Digital Channel Guide

2011-09-01T16:22:00.001-04:00

iO Digital Channel Guide, Channel 100

A scrolling channel guide for those who subscribe to more than just the basic package. On occasion they show special programming, conflicted hockey games, or other sport events.*

TiVo has its own guide and it is faster and more interactive. These old type of guides were once very useful but in this internet age it seems a bit slow.

*Correction:
Anonymous said...
This channel guide on channel 100 does NOT show special programming, conflicted hockey games, or other sport events. This guide is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

However, The channel guide on channel 99 or 80 is the channel that on occasion shows special programming, conflicted hockey games, or other sport events. C-SPAN 2 on channel 79 or 66 shows special programming as well.

I would add that my version of Cablevision does not have channels 79 or 99.

SPEED

2011-08-31T01:35:00.000-04:00

SPEED, Channel 99

Dedicated to racing and everything including themed game shows and reality shows about cars and trucks. I should be more into this channel since I actually built and raced a car once but honestly I can never watch it.

There is definitely a car-racing culture that is very easy to join but unless you are passionate about cars it is also easy to leave behind.

Again I maybe watched 10 minutes of this channel all year so I probably will just speed on by. Oh love those puns.

HGTV

2011-08-30T00:15:00.003-04:00

HGTV, Channel 98

Yup starting this up again. Last left off on the Food Network about 2 years ago then my TVs broke and then most shows became awful but let me finish off the channel list.

On with HGTV a channel that shows houses and occasional garden shows. From the little I saw they focus on buying, selling, or redecorating homes. From what I heard it started as channel that built homes and gardens but then it changed from documentary-style to "reality"-style.

House Hunters International
"A woman decides to make a life in Paris"
A show where Americans go to foreign countries and find a place to live. In this episode some woman with no real career goes to Paris and gets a NYC size apartment for $1,400 a month. It had no real shower but a great view. The other two apartments were two expensive or too small. Apparently since she had savings style was more important than affordability.

Never really watched this channel and I doubt I will again.

BBC America

2011-08-27T18:22:00.002-04:00

Finally!

Probably the last cable system in all of America to get it but Cablevision finally brought BBC America, channel 101, to me. Perfect timing too since it is the episode premiere of Doctor Who. To prepare us they have been having a season six marathon of Doctor Who.

I have now fully caught up with all the episodes and although I do not care for the new doctor the stories are great.

I have alos watch some Kitchen Confidential and hope to see more great British shows soon.

Oh also there is a hurricane acoming.

Not Getting the Whole Picture

2011-08-09T17:14:00.001-04:00

Not having an HDTV you miss a few things. Things like sharp images, every wrinkle, and side jokes.

For the most parts networks have been good to consider us old fashion TVs user when filming but it looks like they are starting to update.

Check it out my favorite news channel is now fully HD and I cannot see the full time or temperature.

Is it 28 or 98?
Am I going have to look out the window? The horror.

Still I have no plans to upgrade so I suggest the networks adjust to me.

Heat Is On

2011-07-22T19:25:00.000-04:00

Rescue Me
Mutha
After a year on hold, although it seems longer, Rescue Me came back advancing the story-timeline a bit. Everything is still messed up in Gavin's life but at least there are no secrets.

Menses
The women in Gavin's life are draining the life out of him. While the firehouse rallies around Lou.

The show is still great despite the long wait. They plan to air the series finale on the week of September 11. Unless I am over thinking it I see lots of foreshadowing in these final episodes. I doubt the final episode will have everyone go off quietly.

Of course on TV the number one news story is the heat. 104 in New York City with a nighttime temperature of 90 degrees. I have heard a couple of people say that this is nothing since we have cooling technology and that our grandparents lived through worse without ACs.

Well those people are wrong. People should Google...Weegee, "Crowd at Coney Island, Temperature 89 degrees . . . They came early, and stayed late," July 22, 1940

They will find this picture...

http://www.icp.org/museum/exhibitions/weegee-1899-1968

There is also a great Smithsonian article that explains how New York City and most other places around America would slow down to the point it virtually shutdown. The early 1940s were so hot at high 80s and low 90s that people slept outside and did not show up for work for days.

People in the near past were not stronger and less whining. The just died quickly and nobody sued. So all this heat coverage is justified. 110 is not normal for any human and the fact we are not dying by the thousand shows how we have evolved and adapted over the last half century.

Summer Premieres! Time Warps Begin!

2011-07-06T19:44:00.003-04:00

Weeds: Season 7
Starts off 3 year after the events of the last episode. Nancy Botwin is free woman with no threats or danger to face so as usual she creates her own. Traveling around NYC with an arsenal was hilarious. Her family comes back from their so-so European lives to reconnect and she is less than joyous.

The Big C: Season 2
The truth is out and everyone is taking it well while Cathy is look to fight the Cancer with everything she can. Her best friend Rebecca is trying to steal the spotlight with her unborn baby.

True Blood: Season 4
One day in fairyland meant one year in real time. Everyone thinking Sookie was dead moved on. She may be back the are bigger problems as a witch coven becomes very powerful.

Futurama: Season 6
Getting worse each episode. The show was about normal life with the occasional odd futuristic thing now it is everything is odd and people take it as normal. This show has lost it's mojo.

Royal Pains: Season 3?
After spending 2+ years in the same summer they final sped through fall, winter, and spring to start off the next summer. Dr. Hank never left the Hamptons and is now reuniting with everyone else. Only Dr. Hank seems to have his life together the rest are letting insecurities ruin their relationships.

Burn Notice: Season 6
Michael Weston is back as a spy and will never know why he got burned. We finally see some great scenes with his mom that explores his childhood and reason to become a spy.

Men of a Certain Age: Season 2
Still depressing as ever but they have been teasing us with a few rays of hope. Everyone on this show is always on the brink of financial and personal ruin/success.

Hot in Cleveland: Season 2
Still not funny, Bertinelli is underused.

Image source: examiner.com

I can only say due to the non-regular schedules TV shows have these days that these time bending plot devices will continue. Granted older shows like The Waltons also suffered with timeline issues.

Falling Skies

2011-06-21T16:53:00.001-04:00

Falling Skies: Live and Learn, The Armory

It is the Walking Dead with aliens although typical Spielberg spin is in place where children are the main focus.

Basically we see the aftermath of a recent alien invasion where the world has fallen, especially big cities. Roaming bands of humans are reduced to about 300 each. Larger groups are being killed by the aliens and their kids are turned into slaves. Currently the people and audience are ignorant about the aliens motives but I see they are slowly starting to address the issue.

As with all these shows the surviving humans are as dangerous as the aliens. Having some kids as soldiers while others continue to play and go to school is unrealistic. Either have one or the other because in times of crisis organized school would not work, especially if kids are being abducted.

Noah Wyle as a professor turn soldier is fine but the rest of the characters are just not believable.

I do not expect this show to last unless something extraordinary happens.

Weiner Media Hype

2011-06-16T14:34:00.031-04:00

Watching Rep. Anthony Weiner resign from his job was difficult to watch. Not because of him but because of the hecklers who often pose as reporters. Often seen at news conferences since the early days of reporting these parasites have no view points accept to yell. They are anti everything are too much of a collective coward to stand for anything.

Weiner's scandal was a lot of nothing, posting pictures of himself while may be naughty is not criminal or evil in any way. His problem is that he knew the reporters and news stations are hype machines who prefer to scandalize everything. He chose the wrong path and lied, his best strategy should have been like former Governor Patterson and just admit to everything and say "it's my life".

Hopefully this ends the coverage as the reporters successfully knocked down another person for the sake of ratings. Remember it was the tabloid reporters that killed a princess and the still stalk others hoping to be the "LAST" interview.

Waltons Jumped the Shark

2011-06-06T16:46:00.002-04:00

The Waltons was plagued with a host of continuity issues. Season one was near perfect but then after that it went off. Certain thing like having Earl Hamner Jr. say that they would never see a traveler again and then a season later the traveler is back but as a different actor. Their timeline was also something of a space-time continuum mess.

And for different actors they win a prize. About 15 characters were played by different actors and I'm only on season seven.

Jumping the Shark

Now the quality of the episodes were going down hill with the stroke of Ellen Corby that lasted 2 seasons or 3+ years in Waltons time. Then the exit of Richard Thomas the main actor. Finally the unexpected death of Will Geer who's characters Grandpa Walton was said to live to a great old age.

The Changeling:
Elizabeth is turning thirteen and gets haunted by a poltergeist. They try to explain it that when young kids go through a "change" ghosts get attached to their energy until their inner conflict is resolved.

The episode had flying furniture and everyone taking this serious. It was hard to watch especially knowing the actors were probably disgusted at the whole thing. Granted Earl Hamner J. did a few Twilight Zone episodes but if they wanted explore the supernatural they could have done it better.

The Warrior: Had an Indian burial ground under the Walton's barn. The entire episode was sketchy and the Pa Walton's reaction was uncharacteristic to say the least. Still it was nothing compared to The Changeling.

First @ 4:00PM

2011-05-26T17:14:00.003-04:00

This is the local ABC news that has replaced Oprah. In NYC Oprah was on at 4:00PM for years. Instead of replacing it with some talk or reality show they added another hour of news.

First @ 4:00PM is nothing special and just gives straight news without the awful gimmicks that other channels have embraced. It is great to have another news source that has not gone wild.

Top Story
The image above is of NYC's top story which is that two officers were acquitted of sexual assault and burglary after they brought a drunk woman home and one of them assaulted her. Granted he said he just cuddled with her while she lay in her own vomit but that's not creepy. Of course these bad cops are good enough to leave no evidence but then again it is never that simple.

Oprah Finally Over

2011-05-25T17:14:00.000-04:00

Oprah caused more harm than good in her reign as queen of daytime. With her blame yourself for everything bad that happens and blame God for everything good. This is same garbage that most religious people say when they blame the devil for everything bad and themselves for all that went good.

The bad interviews, the pseudoscience, and the tons of books that promote magic over common sense (The Secret, etc.) are finally going to stop.

The future will hit Oprah hard since everything else Oprah touches turns to rust. The show was had a life of it's own and like a car wreck would always get onlookers.

All of this does not take away from the fact that she did help many directly and indirectly. Also she made something out of her life but not because it was destined but it is that she is a hard worker who sacrificed.

Smallville: Series Finale

2011-05-17T16:54:00.004-04:00

Smallville: Finale Part 1 & Finale Part 2

Darkseid's defeat is just a distraction although he is supposed to be a god-like villain. Lex Luthor is brought back in a cool way then quickly loses his memory. Poor Tess, my favorite character, gets killed. We finally see Clark become Superman.

What I found odd is that Chloe is reading the Smallville comic 7 years in the future to her arrow friendly son. Does that mean the world knows? It pushed the show out of reality more than any other storyline.

It was kind of disappointing because they used too many iconic images even the show tried so hard to stand out from other Superman adaptations.

Source: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/smallville/episodes/1022

The show was about Lex as much as Clark and more of that relationship would have elevated the finale. At least this show which was thought to last 5 season made to 10 and it is over. Once less thing to record.

Stargate Universe: Series Finale

2011-05-10T00:47:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaStargate Universe: Gauntlet

Shows either end or the writers want an opportunity to make a movie a DVD in the future so the give a cop-out of an ending. (Sopranos)

Stargate Universe had no real ending. Instead everyone gets frozen on their way to an unknown galaxy while one character gets left on in the cold, not literally. The one guy is smart enough to survive but has 2 weeks until the air runs out. From what I understand the power went out after 2 weeks and we see him staring out the window with a smirk.

Did he fail? Did he succeed and is taking a victory lap? Did he find another option?
Did I waste my time watching this show?