Tuesday, June 06, 2006

TV Tuesday : TV Wasteland

Hasn't been a whole lot of time for TV watching recently, but that's okay, since there hasn't been a whole lot on TV worth watching, so it all evens out. Now, if I actually got HBO, FX, or Bravo, I might have a bit more to talk about, but sadly, none of those are included in DishNetwork "Top 60" package, so it looks like I'll be having to add quite a few shows to my "wait for DVD" list.

And speaking of “wait for DVD” shows . . .

Deadwood: I’m very bummed that HBO has decided not to greenlight an entire 4th season of this excellent series, but am happy to hear that they’re willing to allow two 2-hour specials to wrap things up; now, if they can just get the cast to sign on for them . . .

Last Comic Standing: I'm glad to see that after the dismal performance of the last edition NBC didn't write the show off entirely, apparently realizing that it was their messing with the format that killed the show's appeal, and not the show itself. As usual, there were several comics who were given passes to the next round that I thought were awful (the fannypack guy and pregnant gal come to mind), and some comics I really enjoyed who got left behind (why couldn't they give the 19 year old a shot?), but that's to be expected; after all, comedy is a highly subjective art form. I'm just hoping that we wind up with a cast that's entertaining both on-stage and off. Big surprise of the evening was seeing Theo from Road Rules not only doing stand-up, but getting a pass to the next round; not sure how much of that was the judges saying "he's funny" and how much was the producers going "ooo, built in audience, gotta have him!" Was also surprised to see Bil Dwyer, veteran commentator on Battlebots, Extreme Dodgeball and countless VH1 I Love the [insert decade here]'s specials in the race; I would really like to know exactly what the success threshold is for inclusion in the show.

The Apprentice: Not much to say, other than I’m glad Shawn won, just because Lee’s decision to trust Lenny implicitly was a bit foolish

Everwood: Some thoughts as I watch the final episodes of the show.

  • Really, out of the entire cast, Irv is the only one that I could handle being the one to kick the bucket, as he's the only character I've never really been able to connect to. That thought was reconfirmed during the funeral episode, as my emotions were only effected by the reactions of others to his passing, and not his passing itself.
  • While watching Ephraim and Jake have their mini-confrontation at the restaurant, I suddenly thought to myself "Have I ever seen these two characters interact before?" I mean, it's highly possible that they have, since Jake has been on for a while now, but for the life of me, I can't think of when it might have happened.
  • Quoth TVGal: "I didn't even know the show was missing anything until Sarah Drew's Hannah arrived. Now it is impossible to imagine the series without her." Couldn't have said it better myself.
  • I'm hard pressed to think of a show that has done such an effective job of having its characters grow and evolve over time; watching any scene between Andy and Ephraim, or Andy and Harold, or Ephraim and Bright just drives that point home and makes me wish they'd pull their heads out and start releasing the previous seasons on DVD.
  • Was it just me, or was the fact that there was no farewell message from The WB to the cast and crew of Everwood kind of a slap in the face? I mean, granted, it hasn't been on the air as long as some of the other shows that have gotten that send off, but in this day and age, 4 years is a healthy life-span for a family drama, especially one that was all but a lock for the CW until the 7th Heaven finale screwed everything up. Is it petty to hope that 7th Heaven does nowhere near as well next season? If so, then petty I be.
  • While I was glad that there were no eternally unresolved cliffhangers (such as the rumored "Ephraim gets a call from Madison" ending), the last 15 minutes were just a little too pat, y'know? Tons o' speechifying with everyone saying exactly the right thing, and everything working out exactly like it should. The only resolution that felt really forced was Edna deciding to move in with Harold and Rose; the Edna I know is way too bull-headed to be swayed that easily. It all smacked of "holy crap, we've only got 15 minutes to get this all straightened out!" But, it could have been worse: it could have been the Seinfeld series finale. *shudder*


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mom here. I agreed with your analysis. I just watched the show yesterday afternoon and although I was glad it all worked out, didn't it seem strange that Nina didn't go to the Bat Mizvah(sp?)before leaving Everwood forever? Wasn't she sort of a stand by mother for Delia most of the series? I thought the baby thing was way too convenient and Yes Grandma moving in just because they fixed up her room, I don't think so.

Anonymous said...

Didn't Ephraim and Jake help that guy who got in the car wreck? Or was that Andy and Jake?

Perhaps we need to start a letter writing campaign to get the other seasons of Everwood released to DVD.

I agree about the farewell. Felicity had one and they were only on for 4 years. And as much as I love 7th Heaven, I would much rather continue seeing Everwood.

I kinda like the wrap-it-all-up-nicely ending. If the show has to end, I like seeing all my favorites work it out. The only problem I had was the Edna moving in thing. That is not her character. I expected her to throw a fit and storm out.

I also agree with your mom. Nina would have been present at the Bat Mitzvah. The party was already planed and she would not have let Jake schedule the flight for the same day.

Have a Cluckity Cluck Cluck Day!