"I want to rest in your bed tonight/I want to finally believe" - D:Fuse, Into Me [who's america?]
I don't actually have a tivo, I've got one of those scientific american boxes that everyone seems to hate but it lets me record two channels at once while watching my stored shows at the same time so I am not complaining. Anyway, over the weekend the box filled up with some good stuff.
Film School
IFC is getting really good with the original programming. Dinner for Five is hit or miss but the Ultimate Film Fanatic game was surprisingly watchable (even with the creepiest contestants this side of Beat the Geeks). Film School is their foray into reality television (or docu-drama if you want to go high-brow). With 4 really different students from 4 different levels of skill, interest and desire, the NYU based series has piqued my interest. It's not the best show. They have some problems with pacing and overall story structure but they have a guy making a film called The Adventures of SuperNigger and the supertease for the series has someone getting straight knocked the fuck out. You have to love that.
The Batman
Based under the same context as the Christian Bale version of the caped crusader, The Batman is the only saturday morning cartoon I'm watching this year...at least until Static Shock comes back (it is coming back, right?). Based in a contemporary Gotham City with a young Bruce Wayne only 3 years into his Batman career, the Gotham City PD are trying to either arrest him or prove he doesn't exist while Alfred attempts to keep the tortured Wayne from becoming The Bat full-time. It's been a long time since Alfred was a key figure in animated and live versions of Batman and it's been a long time since the Batman stories were told in new and compelling ways. I enjoyed it way more than I expected to and this version of the Joker was as batshit crazy as you could ever hope him to be. He doesn't even wear shoes. Crazy!
HBO
Six Feet Under and Entourage both ended in very satisfying ways. SFU gave every character a reality check that they could choose to take (like Nate, Rico, and maybe David) or not (like Claire and maybe Ruth) and had two of the most jarring scenes in a season chock-full of them in one episode. Entourage. There's nothing to say really. It's not inspired tv at all but it's so very much show business that I have to love it. It's now my mission to meet Samaire Armstrong out sometime. Right now she's my fake hollywood girlfriend.
Jack and Bobby
Quite good in that Aaron Sorkin way. Christine Lahti is mesmerizing and exceptionally good at delivering his dialogue and the concept is compelling. It feels big like The West Wing and Sports Night feel when I watch them. I found myself welling up inside rising with the emotional weight of each scene. They make every situation matter. I'm worried about it getting too gimmicky but I'm happy for at least one good new tv show this fall.
Starting Over
The new season of my own personal hell began today and the message boards are open. Kill me now. How do I go so quickly from thinking about all the other shows I am overseeing the content of to obsessing about this monster of a show. This season is great, though. We've got Iyanla Vanzant as a Life Coach and we've added a therapist and have ramped up the crazy and the waterworks. I've watched the first 3 weeks of our series and there is not a day where a woman isn't crying in our house. We are Soap Opera Gods.
What you should have on your tivo this week:
LAX. Always trust in Blair Underwood.
The Next Great Champ. I'm the only person that watched it last week but I dug it.
Family Bonds. HBO does reality tv. I'm super-curious about this as I know that HBO turns it's nose at the genre.
and, finally, by hook or by crook, you must watch The Wire. The 3rd season starts on Sunday. It is, no bullshit, the best show on television.
And everyone wants to either be Stringer Bell or Kima Greggs. Don't front, I know you wanna be Kima. Oh wait, you wanna be Bubbles so that you can call Dominic West "McNutty." It's alright, be who you want so long as you know that I'm Lester Freamon.
I'm smooth like that.
Oh, who the hell am I kidding. I'm so Bunk it's practically written on my forehead.
Oh, and the by the way, I think I joined the contributor staff of Pop Culture Junkies over the weekend but I was in a drunken haze for at least 2 of those 3 days so I can't be sure.
I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to post over there but hopefully it'll be better than this.