Come Monday...The Blacklist: Bob Iger

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of (or commentary about) websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

Just in case you do not already know, [Bob Iger] is the CEO of [The Walt DisneyCompany].  One of the parts to Disney is [ABC], and one of ABC’s new shows is [Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D].  Hence, the reason why Bob Iger has to be on the blacklist for high crimes and treason against all who hunger and thirst after good television shows to watch.

If you were suckered into watching the pilot episode last week, you know that there is not much more to be said, but for the benefit of those mercifully spared such a fate, ABC’s Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was as bad as the recent Iron Man movies have been good.  For the Iron Mans have been a delightful blend of awesome special effects, strong storylines and self-effacing humor.  Whereas, at least the pilot episode of the television show was all about defecation, and you can take that to mean whatever you dare to imagine (in a figurative sense).

Why blame Bob Iger?  After all, the television show is a nightmare formed in the mind of [Joss Wheden], which I find quite shocking.  For we liked his [Dollhouse], and loved his [Serenity].  Oh, and who doesn’t love his [Toy Story]?

Alas, I suppose he was due a flop, and Bob Iger is the man who ultimately made it happen (naturally-speaking, of course).  For no one can convince me that the CEO of the parent company has no say in what makes it on the air—regardless of how independently-run ABC may be.  Besides, I have a hard time trusting someone who has an office with a fairly thick layer of pixie dust covering the furniture.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, all of that is a matter of my opinion, and it may very well be wrong.  For Arlynda wants to keep watching the show, but with her being married to me, how could her judgment not be considered quite questionable (at best)?

On the other hand, we both absolutely loved NBC’s [The Blacklist], and neither one of us are ashamed to admit that it was just on account of it starring [James Spader] that had us intrigued to begin with.  For he most certainly delivered.

Is he not the most loveable evil genius since [Dr. Evil]?  For even when Spader is playing a straight up and down good guy, there is a rather ornery side to his nature that refuses to stay in the shadows for very long at a time.

Oh yeah, the things that he could do to Bob Iger…  I sure hope they write it into a script, but if they don’t, I have every confidence in Spader saving the day for us who hunger and thirst after good television shows to watch week after week.

It is arguable that The Blacklist is a rip-off of [The Silence of the Lambs] and related movies, but how is that a bad thing?  Be afraid, Bob Iger.  Be very afraid.

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[FishHawk Droppings]

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[The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter]

Come Monday...Boston's Finest

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

[Boston’s Finest] could be called TNT’s Finest—if not Television’s Finest.  For it is about a camera crew following certain members of the Boston Police Department as they go about their regular duties, along with some off-duty coverage filling in some blanks, with executive producer [Donnie Wahlberg] providing matter-of-fact narration.

Alas, does it not speak volumes about the general condition of recent television programming that a show about real-life is not considered to be a reality show?  Yeah, I really need to let it go, but “they” keep coming out with more [Honey Boo Boos] and [staged world record attempts].

No, there does not appear to be anything staged about Boston’s Finest.  For even during the off-duty scenes, the viewer is treated to a fly on the wall perspective, and Wahlberg’s narrative is kept to a bare minimum.  Oh, and it does not take anything away from the show that he is doing it in his native Boston accent.

Okay, it could be argued that it must not take much to keep me entertained—despite my disgust with Honey Boo Boos and staged world record attempts, but as Arlynda pointed out during our watching of the first episode, Boston’s Finest has the feel of a true documentary.  Similar shows have been [Hopkins], [Boston Med] and [NY Med], all of which we both enjoyed immensely.

Hmm, Hopkins, Boston Med and NY Med were all first aired on [ABC] while Boston’s Finest got stuck airing new episodes on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. Central on a basic cable channel.  Yeah, it is time for a new season of [Dancing With The Stars] to air, and with [Survivor], [The Amazing Race], [The Biggest Loser], [Celebrity Apprentice] and [American Idol] still going gangbusters, there are just not enough prime-time hours left in a day to accommodate a show like Boston’s Finest on the big networks.   Sigh.

Please Also Visit:

[FishHawk Droppings]

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[The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter]

Come Monday...Malibu Country

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

This will be a rather mixed review of the new ABC show, [Malibu Country], which is currently airing new episodes at 7:30 p.m. Central on Fridays.  For I about laughed my rear-end off (‘tis saying a lot in more ways than one) while watching the first episode, but the second one fell relatively flat to me.

No, I don’t think that they turned the laugh-track up louder in the second episode, which took much away from it to me.  In fact, I don’t think it would be possible to do so without drowning out much of the dialogue.

Seriously, why do producers still feel a need to include a laugh-track with comedies?  For I can understand that it was necessary back when Ma and Pa Kettle got their first television in order to make it easier for them to enjoy watching on account of it being pounded up the sides of their heads from the day of their birth that it was quite impolite to laugh at someone else’s plight—especially from afar, but a polite society is a concept long since abandoned.

Speaking of such, Malibu Country does have [Lily Tomlin] going for them by playing [Reba’s mom].  For all it takes is just one of “her looks” to crack me up, and the premise of the show gives her plenty of opportunities to deploy a number of them.

You see, Malibu Country is about the soon to be ex-wife of a major country-western singer trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life in a beach house in Malibu, California, which she didn’t even know her husband owned until she filed for a divorce on account of his less than discreet interactions with fans, production staff, back-up singers, media personnel and any sweet young thing who happened to catch his eye.  Aside from her mother, accompanying [Reba] are her [super shallow older son] and [super serious younger daughter].  Oh, and there is also a [nosy California girl], as well as the [flaming assistant] of a  record-producer, thrown in for good measure.  Now, if this doesn’t give Lilly’s celebrated brow plenty of opportunities to furrow, I don’t know what could.

No, it certainly doesn’t hurt with opportunities for comedic triumphs to flourish to have [Reba McEntire] playing the lead role.  For she can look dumb better than most, and I am fairly sure that it doesn’t require any coaching.

No, that is not to suggest that Reba really is dumb.  So, send all that hate-mail somewhere else.  (Okay, since I really don’t have much of a life, I wouldn’t mind getting a few hateful responses.)  (Sigh.)

All things told, I think Malibu would be well worth at least a few look-sees.  If anything, just to crack up over Lilly’s looks of utter exasperation, and [Sara Rue] is lookin’ smokin’ hot these days!

Please Also Visit:

[FishHawk Droppings]

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[The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter]

Come Monday...Duets on ABC

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

   
Link: [On ABC News]

First of all, please understand that both my wife and I absolutely love [Kelly Clarkson], which started during the first season of American Idol, which she [won].  Yeah, I know that sounds kinda creepy, but since we are old enough to easily be her parents, it has to be innocent—right?

Anyway, we also love [Jennifer Nettles], who does most of the singing for [Sugarland].  She also knows how to sing a great duet.

Alas, I do not believe that we will be hearing anything like that coming from [Duets].  Well, unless the show gets a whole better than it was in the first episode that aired last Thursday.

No, I cannot point to any one thing as being at the root of the problem, which sounds promising.  On the other hand, I can recall hearing several rather sour notes (both literally and figuratively) throughout the first episode, with not the least of these coming from [John Legend] and [Robin Thicke], which does not bode well for the show at all.

By the way, did you notice something different about that trailer for Duets?  If you didn’t, it had [Lionel Richie] being on show, and he was [replaced by John Legend] before the first episode aired.  Could it be that Richie didn’t want to be part of a train wreck so soon after climbing back to [the top of the charts]?

Of course, I could be wrong.  If you would like to find out, the next episode of Duets is scheduled to air next Thursday, May 31, at 7 p.m. CDT.  My wife and I will not be watching, but you are more than welcome to get back to me on how right I am about the show.

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[FishHawk Droppings]

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[The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter]

Come Monday...Once Upon A Time

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

[Once Upon A Time] is a new ABC series that is set to begin just before next Halloween.  Quite fitting, I suppose.  For the show is about fairy tales and fantasies, with good vs. evil splashed all over the script.

One of the main stars is [Lana Parrilla], who has smoldering hot down to a science.  I kinda, sorta, maybe, might of noticed this while giving her a quick passing glance when she was on the short-lived [Miami Medical].  If you have to be told, that’s her in character for Once Upon A Time over there.

Another familiar face on the show is [Robert Carlyle] from [Stargate Universe].  Since he has the look of deviant desperation down to a science, I didn’t think very many would want to see a picture of him.

Perhaps the biggest star of the show is [Jennifer Morrison], who should have been another VERY familiar face.  For she played one of the main characters on [House, M.D.] for SEVEN YEARS, but I didn’t realize that it was her until I went to gather some stuff for this preemptive strike.

Yes, there appears to be something very wrong about Once Upon A Time.  It is clearly on display in the following trailer.

Link: [On YouTube]

Did you catch it?  Did it chill you to the very core of your being?

Okay, it may very well be just me, but anything that the writers of [LOST] have anything to do with will send me diving for the remote to change the channel.  For my wife and I got sucked into the phenomenon that was Lost at first, dropped it from our list of must-sees after enduring a season or so of flashback after nonsensical flashback, and then returned to watch the series finale, which left us vowing to carefully scrutinize the production team on every new show in the hope of never going through something like that again.

Yes, it could be different this time.  Please let me know if it is.

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[FishHawk Droppings]

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[The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter]