First she ruined Michael, then an entire show.
The character of "Holly" on 'The Office' returned to steal Steve Carrell's heart this season, and now she threatens to take an entire show with her.
Sound familiar anyone?...perhaps like Yoko Ono did with John Lennon of The Beatles?
True 'The Office' still has a great and talented cast, but Amy Ryan swooped in and chopped the head of a good show off and walked away with it.
I never liked their sickly-sweet pairing, but I was hoping for a different outcome.
Perhaps like Amy Ryan finding a different job or returning to her ex.
Will Ferrell is hysterical, but he doesn't seem "right" for 'The Office'.
It just seems like a desperate move to keep a big-money show going.
Hey, if they wanted to maintain a crazy office environment why not hire Charlie Sheen?
Charlie Sheen in Scranton...in one word....Winning!
TV and Video Guide
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
"All Things TV"---New late night king....Jimmy Kimmel!
He doesn't have the gravitas of NBC's Jay Leno or CBS' David Letterman, and isn't as well known as TBS' Conan O'Brien but to me the new king of late night is . . .ABC's Jimmy Kimmel!
OK, that is a lot of call letters, but to me Kimmel is simply the freshest thing going on late-night TV and has the best combination of solid interviewing skills and funny skits around.
Perhaps the most important gauge I have for enjoying Kimmel the most is that I often search for his segments on the internet. I also still go around the house yelling "Barbra Streisand!" "Tom Hanks!" or "We're going to Australia!" thanks to a recent clip his show put together on Oprah.
Luckily my wife knows why I am yelling, though the cat often runs away from me in fear. If only munchkin knew there was nothing to fear because "Oprah's here!"
And I OWN that, by the way...which could be a Dr. Phil'ism...but back to my point.
Being from NY, I never cared for Leno's act of trying to be a regular guy and having lived in Sacramento for many years Southern California was not my kind of place.
I LOVED Letterman growing up, but in recent years he has become bitter and kind of sleazy and I think it has crept onto the air to some extent.
I miss his cute and funny side and wish he would have avoided tearing down Sarah Palin and stayed away from politics...though that could just be me...lol.
I knew I would have trouble following Conan to TBS, and I have...so I have to say that Kimmel is now my fave late night host.
He has traps to fall into too, however, as Kimmel's ex is the far-lefty Sarah Silverman and one of his best friends is the "anything goes" atheist Howard Stern.
I hope Kimmel avoids going down either of these paths on the air, or I will find Conan again.
And I mean it...COCO!
OK, that is a lot of call letters, but to me Kimmel is simply the freshest thing going on late-night TV and has the best combination of solid interviewing skills and funny skits around.
Perhaps the most important gauge I have for enjoying Kimmel the most is that I often search for his segments on the internet. I also still go around the house yelling "Barbra Streisand!" "Tom Hanks!" or "We're going to Australia!" thanks to a recent clip his show put together on Oprah.
Luckily my wife knows why I am yelling, though the cat often runs away from me in fear. If only munchkin knew there was nothing to fear because "Oprah's here!"
And I OWN that, by the way...which could be a Dr. Phil'ism...but back to my point.
Being from NY, I never cared for Leno's act of trying to be a regular guy and having lived in Sacramento for many years Southern California was not my kind of place.
I LOVED Letterman growing up, but in recent years he has become bitter and kind of sleazy and I think it has crept onto the air to some extent.
I miss his cute and funny side and wish he would have avoided tearing down Sarah Palin and stayed away from politics...though that could just be me...lol.
I knew I would have trouble following Conan to TBS, and I have...so I have to say that Kimmel is now my fave late night host.
He has traps to fall into too, however, as Kimmel's ex is the far-lefty Sarah Silverman and one of his best friends is the "anything goes" atheist Howard Stern.
I hope Kimmel avoids going down either of these paths on the air, or I will find Conan again.
And I mean it...COCO!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
"All Things TV"---If you are going to criticize...
I recently decided I wanted to push myself in an effort to draw more readers to this blog and also see if I was still any good at being on camera.
I got in touch with Dick Woelfle and asked for some ideas. Woelfle runs the successful tvandvideoguide.com channel, which provides links to live news, sports and entertainment TV channels.
It's an amazing resource that costs just $25 per year. Just the NFL football package on DirecTV costs $300 or so bucks, for instance, and with this you get so much more...and for so much less dough!
Anyway, Dick was good enough to offer me a slot each month to talk about what is going on in the world of sports and pump up my blog spot. It was a very generous offer from a person I had never talked to before.
I am going to do my best not to let him down and do a decent "job".
Let me know what you think ... go to tvandvideoguide.com and try to catch my sports segment beginning Thursday night.
Feel free to laugh at me, with me or just give me a tough time for my New York accent.
If I mumble, stumble or fumble over my words....blast me!
Whatever you do, however, don't sign up for tvandvideoguide.com there...do it HERE instead to help support me...lol!
thanks for reading and tty Friday!
I got in touch with Dick Woelfle and asked for some ideas. Woelfle runs the successful tvandvideoguide.com channel, which provides links to live news, sports and entertainment TV channels.
It's an amazing resource that costs just $25 per year. Just the NFL football package on DirecTV costs $300 or so bucks, for instance, and with this you get so much more...and for so much less dough!
Anyway, Dick was good enough to offer me a slot each month to talk about what is going on in the world of sports and pump up my blog spot. It was a very generous offer from a person I had never talked to before.
I am going to do my best not to let him down and do a decent "job".
Let me know what you think ... go to tvandvideoguide.com and try to catch my sports segment beginning Thursday night.
Feel free to laugh at me, with me or just give me a tough time for my New York accent.
If I mumble, stumble or fumble over my words....blast me!
Whatever you do, however, don't sign up for tvandvideoguide.com there...do it HERE instead to help support me...lol!
thanks for reading and tty Friday!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
"All Things TV"---Glenn Beck...you will be missed!
You stood up for President Bush for being the good man he is and great leader he was.
You also took on the task of warning Americans about the threat of the deficit and the fear you have about America walking away from Jesus Christ and His values.
For those two reasons alone you will be missed Glenn Beck.
Beck issued a press release today indicating he would be leaving FOX News and his 5p nightly program.
I did not watch him all the time, nor even often of late, but I praise Beck for fighting the good fight for as long as he did.
We are in deep trouble as a country no matter how hard we try to avoid looking at the issues and the problems we face.
You didn't avoid controversy, and often tackled the most difficult topics around.
Thanks Glenn Beck...I'll miss you!
tty Thurs....
You also took on the task of warning Americans about the threat of the deficit and the fear you have about America walking away from Jesus Christ and His values.
For those two reasons alone you will be missed Glenn Beck.
Beck issued a press release today indicating he would be leaving FOX News and his 5p nightly program.
I did not watch him all the time, nor even often of late, but I praise Beck for fighting the good fight for as long as he did.
We are in deep trouble as a country no matter how hard we try to avoid looking at the issues and the problems we face.
You didn't avoid controversy, and often tackled the most difficult topics around.
Thanks Glenn Beck...I'll miss you!
tty Thurs....
Monday, April 4, 2011
"All Things TV"---Great night in sports
This HAS to be one of the best nights of the year to watch sports.
The NCAA title game, for starters, should be terrific with the legendary UConn coach Jim Calhoun matching wits with a guy half his age in Butler's Brad Stevens.
Can Kemba Walker lead UConn to another big win, or will Butler tear down the net in its second straight finals appearance?
The game will air on CBS around 9:30 p.m. ET
By then, I will be in either a good mood or foul one, pardon the basketball pun, depending on what "my" N.Y. Rangers do against the "Bahston" Bruins in a Monday night tilt on Versus.
The Rangers will either strengthen their bid for the playoffs or continue their maddening up and down play.
That game starts at 7 p.m. on Channel 9124 on U-Verse...just kidding, it's channel 1640.
No....not 1940 you Islanders fans!
Much easier to remember at 1640, right?
I am sure I am forgetting stuff, but my last game of interest takes place at 7p when the Yanks and Twins square off on ESPN.
The Yanks are off to a pretty good start at 2-1 and would love to put some early season distance between them and the Red "Sawx", who are off to a blistering (NOT!) start at 0-3.
Uneasy lies the head of the favorite, which Boston clearly is this season according to many pundits.
An easy way to enjoy all the games is with tvandvideoguide.com. Click the banner above and get great sports and entertainment programming year round for just $25.
An amazing deal from an amazing website...which I hope to appear on soon with my own sports segment!
That should help sales...or put an end to my career...lol!
Great night in sports...to heck with another Boston reference...that is the replay of the Kennedys series on Reelz!
Perhaps more on that Tuesday....thanks for reading!
The NCAA title game, for starters, should be terrific with the legendary UConn coach Jim Calhoun matching wits with a guy half his age in Butler's Brad Stevens.
Can Kemba Walker lead UConn to another big win, or will Butler tear down the net in its second straight finals appearance?
The game will air on CBS around 9:30 p.m. ET
By then, I will be in either a good mood or foul one, pardon the basketball pun, depending on what "my" N.Y. Rangers do against the "Bahston" Bruins in a Monday night tilt on Versus.
The Rangers will either strengthen their bid for the playoffs or continue their maddening up and down play.
That game starts at 7 p.m. on Channel 9124 on U-Verse...just kidding, it's channel 1640.
No....not 1940 you Islanders fans!
Much easier to remember at 1640, right?
I am sure I am forgetting stuff, but my last game of interest takes place at 7p when the Yanks and Twins square off on ESPN.
The Yanks are off to a pretty good start at 2-1 and would love to put some early season distance between them and the Red "Sawx", who are off to a blistering (NOT!) start at 0-3.
Uneasy lies the head of the favorite, which Boston clearly is this season according to many pundits.
An easy way to enjoy all the games is with tvandvideoguide.com. Click the banner above and get great sports and entertainment programming year round for just $25.
An amazing deal from an amazing website...which I hope to appear on soon with my own sports segment!
That should help sales...or put an end to my career...lol!
Great night in sports...to heck with another Boston reference...that is the replay of the Kennedys series on Reelz!
Perhaps more on that Tuesday....thanks for reading!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
"All Things TV"---He "A-Piers" To Be Trying Too Hard
Piers Morgan is good...maybe even VERY good on television.
But the newly-minted CNN talk show host is certainly not great and may not ever reach that level.
I write this because Piers tries to put off an aura of greatness that he simply can't deliver on, not yet, and perhaps not ever.
That isn't a knock, because the former "Celebrity Apprentice" winner and "America's Got Talent" judge is Simon Cowell-esque in the presence he brings to the programs he appears on.
Like him, or hate him, you can't ignore Cowell...or Morgan, who took over for Larry King, for that matter.
Well, actually, Morgan is fairly easy to ignore since he appears for just an hour per weeknight with some of the most important entertainment and news figures around.
Piers may find this hard to believe, but his impact on the TV world is pretty slim due to competition from FOX News and all the other programming on at night, however.
Morgan is a good interviewer, even if he occasionally verbally steps on his guest while he/she is speaking, but if a tree falls in the forest...as the old expression goes...with CNN's anemic ratings...
His initial challenge of taking on Howard Stern as "King of all Media" was ridiculous, for instance.
Whatever you think of Stern, he has built a huge audience over decades due to hard work and filling a "culture" void, as rude and crude as he can be.
There is simply no such gap existing for Morgan to fill, nor is he driving the right vehicle to have the impact Stern had or has.
What Piers should do is continue to build his show into a solid choice for viewers to tune in to with steady, capable and entertaining work.
There's nothing wrong with being good, or even very good.
Pretending to be great, however, can be tough to watch.
Tty again Monday!
But the newly-minted CNN talk show host is certainly not great and may not ever reach that level.
I write this because Piers tries to put off an aura of greatness that he simply can't deliver on, not yet, and perhaps not ever.
That isn't a knock, because the former "Celebrity Apprentice" winner and "America's Got Talent" judge is Simon Cowell-esque in the presence he brings to the programs he appears on.
Like him, or hate him, you can't ignore Cowell...or Morgan, who took over for Larry King, for that matter.
Well, actually, Morgan is fairly easy to ignore since he appears for just an hour per weeknight with some of the most important entertainment and news figures around.
Piers may find this hard to believe, but his impact on the TV world is pretty slim due to competition from FOX News and all the other programming on at night, however.
Morgan is a good interviewer, even if he occasionally verbally steps on his guest while he/she is speaking, but if a tree falls in the forest...as the old expression goes...with CNN's anemic ratings...
His initial challenge of taking on Howard Stern as "King of all Media" was ridiculous, for instance.
Whatever you think of Stern, he has built a huge audience over decades due to hard work and filling a "culture" void, as rude and crude as he can be.
There is simply no such gap existing for Morgan to fill, nor is he driving the right vehicle to have the impact Stern had or has.
What Piers should do is continue to build his show into a solid choice for viewers to tune in to with steady, capable and entertaining work.
There's nothing wrong with being good, or even very good.
Pretending to be great, however, can be tough to watch.
Tty again Monday!
Friday, April 1, 2011
"All Things TV" Bits and Pieces
It's time for a blog with some random thoughts....hope it doesn't turn into one of Larry King's old columns with such doozies like "I love the taste of white chocolate"...or something like that.
For starters, nice to see Dennis Rodman honored by the Pistons tonight by hanging his jersey in the rafters. One of the great all-time rebounders in the game, Rodman was a remarkable player who didn't need to engage in the on and off court nonsense he did. Being great at his craft should have been enough...
Rodman was part of the early heyday of reality TV, which is really no better now than it ever was. In fact, it is even more pervasive and in some cases, sicker than ever. Girls getting pregnant as a means to possibly make it on an MTV program about the subject is truly disgusting. If they are making some money off the show, it doesn't appear to worth the mess their lives have become.
Maybe I'm getting tired tonight but that Brawny ad for picking up messes strikes me as funny as the cartoon logger sings "call on me brother...when you need something strong"...like I said....may be getting tired here.
My friend, Deb in California is NEVER tired however and I always appreciate her wise comments and wise cracks for that matter. She agreed with my changing channels blog in which I lamented about how NBC is Channel 4 in New York, but 3 in Sacramento, for example.
"What is equally frustrating is the advent of cable and satellite television. If you switch providers, the channel numbers sometimes change. So, you don't even have to move anymore to experience having to learn a new set of channel numbers...just switch your television provider. What frustrates me more than that though, is the time thing. My favorite shows are on at a certain time. If I go to the Bay area, they are an hour earlier. This has nothing to do with the time zones as we are the same here as the Bay Area. Again, it's a cable/satellite provider issue. Wouldn't it be nice if they just kept things the same? I think they like to confuse us on purpose. LOL!"
Good stuff Deb...keep those thoughts coming and we'll blog again Saturday!
For starters, nice to see Dennis Rodman honored by the Pistons tonight by hanging his jersey in the rafters. One of the great all-time rebounders in the game, Rodman was a remarkable player who didn't need to engage in the on and off court nonsense he did. Being great at his craft should have been enough...
Rodman was part of the early heyday of reality TV, which is really no better now than it ever was. In fact, it is even more pervasive and in some cases, sicker than ever. Girls getting pregnant as a means to possibly make it on an MTV program about the subject is truly disgusting. If they are making some money off the show, it doesn't appear to worth the mess their lives have become.
Maybe I'm getting tired tonight but that Brawny ad for picking up messes strikes me as funny as the cartoon logger sings "call on me brother...when you need something strong"...like I said....may be getting tired here.
My friend, Deb in California is NEVER tired however and I always appreciate her wise comments and wise cracks for that matter. She agreed with my changing channels blog in which I lamented about how NBC is Channel 4 in New York, but 3 in Sacramento, for example.
"What is equally frustrating is the advent of cable and satellite television. If you switch providers, the channel numbers sometimes change. So, you don't even have to move anymore to experience having to learn a new set of channel numbers...just switch your television provider. What frustrates me more than that though, is the time thing. My favorite shows are on at a certain time. If I go to the Bay area, they are an hour earlier. This has nothing to do with the time zones as we are the same here as the Bay Area. Again, it's a cable/satellite provider issue. Wouldn't it be nice if they just kept things the same? I think they like to confuse us on purpose. LOL!"
Good stuff Deb...keep those thoughts coming and we'll blog again Saturday!
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