What I've Been Watching - TV

Its been a while but I'm back. So let me catch you up on what I've. been up to on my unofficial sabbatical.

Once Upon a Time

From the first episode, this has quickly become one of my favorite shows! I've always been a fan of fairytales and I've been enjoying trying to figure out who the residents of Storybrook really are.

The show provides a wonderful mix of action, romance, intrigue and mystery. Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen and especially Robert Carlyle as Rumplestilskin are fun to watch and seem to relish in their bad guy roles. Representing good is Jennifer Morrison, the daughter of Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) and Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin). Her 'parents' don't know of their great romance they had in Happily Ever After. They only know of their inexplicably strong attraction to one another.

In the final episode before the holiday hiatus, they actually killed off a popular (and kind of hot) character. That takes guts and I like a show with guts.

The next new episode airs this Sunday January 8 at 8:00 PM (ABC).

American Horror Story

The first season of American Horror Story recently concluded on FX. The brainchild of Glee and Nip/Tuck went into an entirely new direction with AHS and it paid off.

Watching the Harmon family (Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Taissa Farmiga) as they navigate the tricky terrain of a house overrun by ghost (most of them malevolent). And, then there is the nutty neighbor Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange) who knows many of the house's horrors.

Watching the story evolve was a treat every week and the ending was surprising to me. Although in retrospect, I should have seen it coming. I guess what was most shocking was Ryan Murphy's revelations after  the finale. He revealed that Season Two would be completely new!

Murphy said, "Every season of the show will be a different haunting. That’s always been the plan. Every season of the show will have a beginning, middle and end, and all new characters and setting. There are all kinds of different American horror stories to tell. There are serial killing stories, prison stories, true crime stories…Each year of the show is designed to be a little miniseries unto itself. The only thing we’re not open to doing is a season on vampires.”

Murphy also said that it's possible that some of the actors will come back for Season Two in completely different roles. While I would love to see McDermott and Britton again, I know there has to be a role for the scene-stealing, Golden Globe nominated Jessica Lange!

I Got Nuthin' But Love for Ya

Rest In Peace to the former
Overweight Lover.

Okay, my posting has been a bit sparse as of late because I've been working long hours and I don't even make it on to the computer most days. I figure this will last about two more weeks before the brunt of it is over. So please bear with me.

So I dragged myself up the stairs to do a quick post and I find out that Heavy D is dead at 44 ... just a year older than me. Heav and I go way back ... not personally but his music colors many of my college and post-college memories. He's one of those artists who acts as a musical time machine, I hear We Got Our Own Thang and I'm immediately transported back in time!

What I think I respected most about Heavy D (Dwight Myers) is that he did more than just rap. He did the theme songs for In Living Color and MadTV. He even branched out into acting with recurring roles on Boston Public and the Tracy Morgan Show. He even guest starred on Law & Order: SVU, Bones and Living Single.

Of course, he also lost an impressive 135 pounds which is a huge accomplishment (I am finding it hard to lose even 10).

So it's with a heavy heart that I have to write about the passing of Heavy D. He will be missed!

Force Feeding? I’ll Pass

I watched it. I moved on. NBC
could play it eight nights in a
row and I still wouldn't watch.

NBC must really believe in Prime Suspect. The problem is that we, the viewing audience, don’t seem to. They cancel The Playboy Club after three episodes and then what do they do? In an attempt to make us believe in Prime Suspect, they put it on four times in one week. This week it’s on Monday through Thursday all week at 10:00.

It’s one thing to get behind a show but it’s another thing all together to try to make people see ‘the error of their ways.’ I watched Prime Suspect twice and for me, that was enough. I didn’t think Maria Bello was ‘a revelation’. She was good but not great. I found her a bit too gruff and I didn’t connect with her character. I also found it implausible that she’d face so much misogyny in 2011. I know the police department is an old boys' club but we are almost 25 years away from the Cagney & Lacey era.

So go ahead NBC. You could try to shovel Prime Suspect down my throat but it won’t work. I ain’t watchin’.

Not a Lot of News

If this photo doesn't
pique your interest
I don't know what will!

Last week was hard. Work was relentless and at home I was working on getting a new book up on Kindle (It's just $1.99! Click here). I didn't have a lot of time to write and as I try to catch up, I'm not finding a lot I want to really post about.

Against my better judgment, I saw Real Steel yesterday. I let a friend pick the movie and that's what she wanted to see. I was pleasantly surprised. It was good ... kind of like a combination of Rocky and live-action Rock'em Sock'em robots with a Transformers look.

I missed one of my new favorite shows this week, American Horror Story. I will blog on this in  greater detail later in the week. I'm really enjoying this show. It's creepy and twisty and it's got a great cast: Dylan McDermott (all kinds of yummy), Connie Britton (fresh off of Friday Night Lights and still amazing), and Jessica Lange (chewing up every scene she's in). It's not too late to get involved. You can get recaps of the show on the FX site). Wednesday, 10:00 PM, FX.

I'm hurrying off the computer now because I want to check out Once Upon a Time tonight (8:00 ABC). I'll let you know what I think.

My Take: The X Factor and Law & Order: SVU

The X Factor

It’s here. Billed as the most highly anticipated show of the season, The X-Factor premiered last night. The show, another brainchild of Simon Cowell, as been wildly successful in England and he left the wildly successful American Idol to bring it here.

Of course, it promises to be different from Idol: auditions in front of a live audience, no age limits and groups are encouraged to perform alongside solo artist. As the show progresses, the judges will be responsible for grooming the next ‘star,’ so while singing talent is a factor, it isn’t the only one: charmisma, stage presence, personality, all come into play with deciding who has The X-Factor.

As the show goes on it will differentiate itself from Idol but from what I saw of the first round of auditions, it was Idol in front of a live audience. There were the contestants with a tear-jerking backstory – like the 42-year old single mom. There were precocious child stars – including Rachel Crow, the first contestant, who could have walked off the stage and into her own Disney sitcom. There were awful auditions, including Geo Godly, who exposed himself and, in my opinion should have been cut off (no pun intended) a lot earlier than he was. Of course there were the angry, deluded non-singers who was incensed at the suggestion that they couldn’t sing (“Whaddaya mean I can’t sing???").

Although much has been made of the Paula/Simon chemistry, the most intriguing dynamic to me was the one between Simon and successful music producer L.A Reid. Unlike the laid back Randy Jackson, here is a guy who is just as egotistical and confident as Simon. Both men have strong opinions and don’t always agree. Watching this play out over the season should be interesting.

There are more auditions tonight but I will reserve final judgment until later when I see what really makes The X-Factor stand out.


Law & Order: SVU

And so we start Season 13, without Chirstopher Meloni’s Detective Elliot Stabler. While the case, in this case a ripped from the headlines version of Dominique Strauss Kahn and the hotel maid, is always the main case. A secondary plot line involved Elliot being investigated for the shooting of a teenage girl. Apparently, Internal Affairs went beyond that case and began investigating all of Elliot’s shootings. At the end of the show, we learned that he decided to turn in his badge.

However, executive producer and creator Dick Wolf knows better than anyone that the show must go on and so it did. Kellie Giddish, formerly of NBC’s The Chase made her debut as Detective Amanda Rollins, a transplant from down South (I can’t remember if it was Texas or Georgia) who is a fan of Olivia’s (she’s been following her work, we were told).

Also moving over from the original Law & Order is Linus Roache as Michael Cutter, who has been promoted to bureau chief, a position where he oversees the Special Victims Unit. For years, I thought he was the best thing about the original L&O, so I’m excited to see his character back in a slightly different role. I was sad to learn that he’s only doing four episodes. Stephanie March as ADA Alexandra Cabot is slated to appear in five episodes this season.

Christopher Meloni left some pretty big shoes to fill. This week we were introduced to Giddish’s Det. Rollins, with the next episode we’ll meet the second new detective, Nick Amaro, played by Danny Pino of Cold Case fame.

MY Take: Glee, The New Girl and Raising Hope

Glee

Looking forward to New Directions
new directions!

The third season of Glee has begun! In the first few minutes: Chord Overstreet's absence was addressed (his dad got a job in another city); we met Mercedes new man (he's bigger than I thought); we found out that Lauren had quit New Directions and Puck (fine with me she didn't add anything to the group and she couldn't sing) and that Quinn had entered a rebellious phase (complete with 'edgy' pink hair).

Sue is serious about running for Congress and has found a message that resonates with voters, "stop all funding for the arts in public schools." Of course, this has fired up Will, whose relationship with Emma is progressing (but not quite as far as Will would like). Kurt got Blaine to come on over to McKinley (and New Directions). Speaking of Kurt, he and Rachel have been bitten by the New York bug, after their trip to Nationals and they are bound and determined to make it big in New York. However, last night they got a rude awakening (courtesy of Lindsay from The Glee Project) and realized that being a big fish at McKinley doesn't translate to being a big fish anywhere else. While I like Kurt and Rachel as best buds, I kind of miss Kurt and Mercedes's friendship.

The songs ran the gambit from Broadway (You Can't Stop the Beat fron Hairspray, a mash-up of I Can Do Anything/Anything Goes and Ding Dong the Witch is Dead) to 80's pop (The Go-Gos We Got the Beat) and Tom Jones' It's Not Unusual.

This first episode made it clear that this is a pivotal year for New Directions (as many of them are seniors). It's also a pivotal year for Glee after so many fans and critics thought the show took a nose dive in Season 2, it's trying to find its way as well in Season 3.

The New Girl

If the black guy doesn't look familiar,
there's a good reason. Damon Wayans
Jr., did last night's pilot episode. This
guy, Lamorne Morris, starts in the next
episode. Want  more Damon Wayans Jr.
Check out Happy Endings on ABC.

Honestly, if you have seen the relentless onslaught of promos for this show all summer long, you've pretty much seen the first episode. Zooey Deschanel plays Jess, a kooky, quirky girl next door type who moves in with three guys after she breaks up with her boyfriend. I liked Zooey Deschanel and the quirkiness of Jess, but the verdict is out on the three roommates (Daman Wayans Jr only appeared in the pilot, in the next episode he'll be replaced). It needs to be more than Jess and three generic guys. The guys need to differentiate themselves. I'll be tuning in to see if that happens. As much as I enjoyed Deschanel's performance, she's going to need some help to carry this show.

Raising Hope
Yay!! What I thought was the funniest show of last season, is back. In this first episode, we learn that Jimmy Chance used to be a musical prodigy (maybe?). Martha Plimpton, Cloris Leachman and the gang are in top form. I'm looking forward to this season.

If you are new to Raising Hope, take less than 2 minutes to listen to this opening song from last night's episode to get caught up.

Mercedes Gets a Man

OMG! Two black people together!
Everyone knows black men don't date
black women! How racist!

Amber Riley's Mercedes is the only original cast member of Glee who has never really been developed. They bring her out when they need the big black girl to belt out a song. She's Kurt's accessory. There hasn't been any thought of introducing us to her parents and newer cast members have had more plot development than she has (Harry Shum Jr. as Mike Chan, Ashley Fink as Lauren and Darren Criss as Blaine immediately come to mind).

In the season finale, we thought Mercedes would finally get her man when she was seen slyly holding hands with Sam (Chord Overstreet). However, over the summer, Overstreet left the show, leaving our girl single again ... but apparently not for long.

Mercedes gets a guy in Season Three. Lamarcus Tinker (Friday Night Lights and Cougartown) will play the football player who wins her heart. Amber told TVLine that we'll see a softer side of Mercedes. She said, "She’s very lovey-dovey. It’s kind of like, ‘Oh my God? Is this Mercedes?!’ She dresses different. She’s girlier now."

Amazingly, many of the comments I've seen regarding Mercedes and her man are actually upset that, OMG, they actually paired her with a black man. How terribly 1980's! Everyone knows that all black people date non-blacks. I mean, really, two-black people together???? It's positively racist.

So since this is my blog, allow me to say, get over yourselves. Personally, I am tired of every black man on TV being paired with a white girl or some non-black girl. There are black men out here that date black women. The overwhelming number of blacks who are getting married are still intraracial couples. Believe it or not, some black men actually choose to date black women. It still happens ... even in 2011.

If you want to see interracial couples so much watch Parenthood, Private Practice, Happy Endings, 90210, ... and I could go on and on and on. So let Mercedes have her man and realize that black-on-black love is a common occurrence. Again, get over yourselves.

Ummm... Thanks but No Thanks

The other day, I was talking to my friend Tanya. She was all excited about the Basketball Wives reunion show. She asked me if I planned to watch and I told her no. Actually, I think I told her "Hell no!"

You see, as much as I love Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef and American Idol, I don't get into reality shows about fake celebrities and women who are on TV solely because they are huge-egoed, histrionic, bitchy drama queens.

So I don't watch: Basketball Wives, or any of The Real (NOT) Housewives shows. These women are in a word, ridiculous. Who ever heard of grown women fighting? You mean to tell me that you are in your 30's, married (or divorced or in the case of half the Basketball Wives a baby momma), have kids, and are living some allegedly lavish life, and you can't find a better way to solve a problem?

I'm sorry but I just can't watch those women. I couldn't stand to be in a room with any of them for 5 minutes. And no, I'm not hating. These women have nothing to hate. In fact, they are living proof that money (and fame) are not everything. I'd rather have sense and class any day. Most of the women I've seen on these shows have neither.

I think I watched two episodes of Real Housewives of Atlanta. When I'm on my deathbed, I'll want that hour back.

In fact, I take a pass on the celebrity reality shows too. I don't care that Ice Loves Coco. I say "Oh no!" to the T.O. Show. Gene Simmons can keep his Family Jewels. I could care less about Kesha Cole or DMX's Soul.

The idea that these people are supposed to be interesting because they are famous is laughable. I guess we're suppose to think ... "Oh look, they have trifling relatives just like me, I feel so much better!" Or, are we supposed to look at everything there money can buy and be impressed? Maybe we are supposed to look at their difficulties and think "Wow! They have problemss too. They really are human!" Sorry, that isn't working for me. If anything these shows prove that athletic, musical or acting talent is no substitute for substance.

I think I saw 10 minutes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I could actually feel the brain cells dying. In fact, they weren't just dying, they were committing suicide!

My Take: Chris Brown

Who, besides the Hulk
takes off their clothes
when in a rage?

So Chris Brown appeared on Good Morning America to promote his new album F.A.M.E. (which stands for Forgiving All My Enemies or Fans Are My Everything). And although the album is doing very well (spawning three number one hits), co-host Robin Roberts wanted to talk about The Incident. You know The Incident, where Brown attacked Rihanna and got hit with two felony assault charges. Well two years after charges, plea deals, probation, community service and restraining orders, Brown is back and although some have forgiven many more have neither forgiven nor forgotten.

In the interview, Brown did a good job of holding it together. She tried to steer him to The Incident. He tried to steer her back to The Album. It made for a nice little dance. It was what happened after that made headlines.

Backstage Brown lost it. He stormed back to his dressing room, shouting and throwing a chair that shattered a window. He eventually tore his shirt off and stormed out of the studio. He tweeted, "I'm so over people bringing this past shit up!!! Yet we praise Charlie Sheen and other celebs for there bullshit." Later, that post was deleted. He wasn’t done though, about an hour later, he followed that with this tweet, "All my fans!!! This album is for you and only you!!! I'm so tired of everyone else!! Honestly!! I love team breezy!!"

Number One – Dude needs help. Serious help. Violent outbursts are never called for or acceptable. Period. Anger management is definitely in order but I have to wonder if he doesn’t have some deeper issues going on. If the people around him don’t make sure he gets help then they shouldn’t be around him. It’s okay to have an entourage of Yes Men, as long as you have a few real friends who can always be straight with you. Those friends need to step to Chris Brown now and get him the help he needs.

Number Two –Chris Brown is straddling a precarious fence between two different worlds. On one hand, you have the black community, who are extremely forgiving (too forgiving if you ask me). We will forgive a multitude of sins: OJ (murder), MJ (inappropriate relations with young boys), Chris Brown (domestic violence), Marion Berry (smoking crack), Jesse Jackson (adultery), R Kelly (having sex with young girls – and peeing on at least one), Al Sharpton (the hair).

So of course, Chris Brown would be welcomed back with open arms to the black community. Fans love him on 106 and Park. Black radio and the hip-hop community will show him lots of love.

But GMA isn’t black America…

Earlier this year, Brown was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. I read a few message boards in relation to the show, and two years later many commenters didn’t want to see him. At all. Ever. Period. They were completely done with him. Two years didn’t make a difference. This is the GMA crowd.

Basically, Brown gave all of the people who have painted him as a violent Neanderthal have another reason to rally against him.

Maybe F.A.M.E. should stand for Finding Anger Management Exercises.

Just sayin’…