Premiere Leeks: Day 3

I don't have an explanation for my title, I just like potato leek soup and thought it deserved a shout out. Now then, onto TV. Sadly Journeyman and Reaper are caught in Tivo limbo at the moment so I'm focusing on the freshest show I've seen.

Bionic Woman

If just reading the show's title makes you a little skeptic, then you and I are in the same demographic boat. I tend to view remakes of dated shows with a cautious eye. It always looks like a gamble. If the creators screw up, all they’ve done is piss off a fan base and add their names to the sorry list of writers/directors whose pride overshadowed their ability. However, every once in a while I’m surprised at how much a reinterpretation can improve and augment a show’s mythos. At their best, remakes distill the elements that translate to modern audiences into potent coolness. Such was the success of Bionic Woman. I can’t argue perfection, but it’s the freshman series to beat and one on the top tier of remakes of all time. The action is fast and impressive, the characters are well-defined and occasionally funny, and the story pulls you in and leaves you wanting more. If you were waiting for a show to take a chance on, this is your best bet so far. 10/11

Next up are leftovers (Journeyman and Reaper) and a few newbies (Kid Nation and Moonlight). Comments: Post 'em if you thought 'em.

premeire weak: day 1

Yes, I know I misspelled 'week'. It's meant to be a not-so-subtle commentary on this year's entertainment gladiators (ie. shows) who are battling each other for my attention. Each year the network marches out a new batch of trying-to-be-hip programs that I view as a second job for a few weeks each year. Basically, I put my butt on the couch so you can save yourself the effort (such as it is). Here's what I watched last night.

Survivor China: (original air date was Thursday Sept 20) The old warhorse of reality TV is back with a new location and not much else. The new location offers a nice new flavor, but like all reality shows it comes down to the people. This year's contestants include two pre-packaged television personalities: a professional wrestler and a professional poker player. I am a little annoyed that the fame-making power of Survivor is being milked by people who are already famous. But who cares, their misery will still be my entertainment. Points for a fun cast of misfits and a new location, but if you've seen the show, you know what you're getting. 7/11

Chuck: NBC's bid for total domination of Monday night began here with the story of a low-ambition mildly-charming computer nerd who gets government secrets stuck in his head. The show feels like the scatterbrained lovechild of the Office and 24, combining crazy action (gun play, explosions, and free-walking) with pop culture humor about mundane jobs. The show's premise stretches absurdity as much as The Biggest Loser stretches spandex and by the end viewers won't have a clear idea of what the show will look like from week to week. However if you're satisfied with more chuckles than laughs and an occasional movie-quality stunt, (plus hot girls in their underwear) then give it a whirl. For viewers who don't have an empty spot in their viewing schedule, wait and see if this pony has more than one trick. 7/11

Heroes (season 2): The story of extremely good looking ordinary people with super powers begins here, four months after last season's finale. Generally speaking, the episode was as good as most of last season and laid some foundation for where it will go next. But, if you didn't like last season or felt that each episode accomplished less than most single issue comics, then you're SOL. However, if you like the show, you won't get any reasons to stop liking it. 8/11

Okay, that was Monday. Tuesday will be Journeyman (a hold-over from Monday) and Reaper, the Kevin Smith directed comedy about a kid who becomes Satan's bounty hunter. Email me if you want me to watch something in particular as I'm willing to try anything once.

Laters.

A Little Bit o' This...

So I'm back, as one may say, from outer space. I had the orgasmic pleasure of being on vacation this past week, and I've got to say that it has left me a changed man Regarding Henry style. Nate-before-vacation was a narcissistic grouch whose very glance could kill hope in children, and he did nothing but complain about bad customers, political cock-ups, and the temperature of his scrambled eggs. Nate-after-vacation, however, is a shiningly happy man with his eye on a gleaming future, and a flower and hug for all people great and small. Such is the power of vacation. If you have the means, I highly recommend you pick one up.

This past week, I got a surge in traffic from over around the neighborhood of Patrick Rothfuss' blog (his link is on the right there). So, in keeping with the spirit, I'm going to link everyone to someone else who deserves attention. He goes by the name Yahtzee Croshaw, but does hilarious video game reviews for The Escapist under the moniker Zero Punctuation. Also, since I heard once that blogs with links get more views than blogs without, here's his personal website, and here's something else, and how about three in a row. I think that's enough links for everyone.

Peace in.

What's Emmy Got to Do (Got to Do) With It?

It was a great roaring surprise to me that the Emmy's were on last night, not because I've missed all the advertisements proclaiming its arrival, but because I've watched so much TV that my long-term memory is full of commercial jingles rather than useful information. However, if you're keen on the boob-tube, as I am, then here's a rundown if you missed anything. Loads of jokes about Bush and Senator Craig, and a big round of laughs for a stand-up routine featuring Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, and an "alternative power" leaf-blower fueled by Al Gore's tears. Big winners were James Spader, Katherine Heigl, America Ferrera, Sally Field, Jeremy Piven, Terry O'Quinn, Jaime Pressly, Robert Duvall, Judy Davis, Helen Mirren, Ricky Gervais, 30 Rock, The Sopranos, and Tony Bennett for every single thing he or his one-time TV special was nominated for. If you don't know what these people were nominated for, then you probably don't care that they won anything, so on to other business.

Tomorrow I must begin my yearly vacation or else my government-mandated allotment of vacation hours will disappear. It is a bittersweet duty however. On the one hand, I am being forced to stay home and do whatever I please while still receiving normal pay, but on the other hand...

No, you know what? There is no other hand. This is downright brilliant and a sure-fire recipe for good times. "But, Nate, you sly paragon of virtue," you say. "What about the comic strip(s)?" Well, my dear acolytes, the true glory of this vacation is that it primarily benefits you. I might not be pulling canines and herding babies at my day job, but that doesn't mean I won't be working. Imagine what I'll be able to do when I don't have to spend 8 hours every day being patronized by folk who think a printing press works on the same basic principle as a microwave oven.

Freedom is the greatest creative aphrodisiac, and I intend to guzzle it straight from the teat. Too much imagery? Okay then. There will be a new Kingdom Heights tonight, one on Wednesday, and a new Coming Distractions on Friday. Edit: Two new Reviews.

Avant Nate.

Another straw on an already broken back

I hate FOX. I try not to hate all their shows but I certainly hate how they do business. Let me clarify with an example. Last night I watched an episode of the freshmen series Damages on FX. Normally FX is treated differently from FOX, mainly because its title is missing a vowel, but also because it offers a different quality of programing. Instead of FOX's in-your-face self promotion and seemingly endless talent show model, FX offers quality scripted drama. In fact, FX rivals HBO with its strong bullpen of shows (including: Rescue me, Nip/Tuck, The Shield and new shows like the Riches and the aforementioned Damages).

So as much credit as I want to give FX for not being like FOX, last night I was reminded that they are both part of the same soulless media group owned by Rupert Murdoch. And my reminder seems harmless enough (a promo during the show), but it turned out to be so much worse. Twenty minutes into the episode, the bottom right corner of the screen lit up with an ad for a new episode of Damages next week. Most experienced TV watchers are familiar with this type of promotion, but last night the ad was augmented by sound effects. An angry hissing noise and a metaliac woosh drowned out the sound of the show. So, the show I was watching distracted me so it could remind me to keep watching the same show later. I hate you FOX.

I know networks are nervous about their commercial advertising dollars when more and more consumers are adopting DVR's and Tivo's. I know that in-show advertisements work (because I was incapable of ignoring it). But the trend towards inserting more 'subtle' ads into shows has to be tempered with some awareness of the audience's needs. And in this case, I need to be able to hear the show I'm watching. When the sound accidentally cuts out for a program (usually accompanied by the banner: "we're experiencing audio difficulties) I am willing to forgive the network. However, I resent an intentional distraction that functions in the same way. Dammit FOX, it's bad enough that I watch any of your shows, I don't need any more reasons to hate you. Can't you see my back is already broken?

Not So Much a Blog as a Bramble

Hoorah for a new review for Superbad! Check it out, then read the rest of this.

It shouldn't come as a shock to any of the literally dozen of readers who frequent this blog that things have become a little lax in the art department here at KSP. Updates to Kingdom Heights are occurring about as often as I phone my brother (embarrassingly infrequent), and as for Coming Distractions, well I'll just use this altered version of the most recent strip to point out a few problems.

I'll be the first one to admit that I'm my own worst critic, but in cases such as this, I feel the purely empirical evidence supports such a harsh review. I was in a terrible hurry to finish the strip (it being past deadline and all, and sure the deadline is self-invented, but if we don't hold ourselves to some kind of standard then we're really no better than Microsoft), so I skimped on the workmanship and cut corners until it more closely resembled a John Carpenter movie than a comic strip of my own creation.

Many times, I've made promises of "more frequent updates" or "regularly scheduled comics" with whipped cream and a pretty-please-don't-stop-visiting-our-site cherry on top, but what it really boils down to is that I possess the deadly combination of being both busy and a slacker. I work all day, and when I come home all I want to do is drool and play video games. Also, while I have a great desire to succeed, I have very little desire to put forth the effort to do so. This can charitably be described as ironic considering I have stars in my eyes and at least as much talent and creativity as the staff of Dark Horse Comics (or twice as much as Top Cow). However, there may be a cure for this apathy.

There's a problem that I once heard called Paralysis of Analysis, where one becomes so caught up in the consideration of his or her actions (and the consequences thereof) that no action is ever actually taken. This is what happens when a good boy who doesn't wish to disappoint his parents starts a website which is viewed by almost every member of his family and he spends most of his "work" time curled into a ball wondering what jokes are acceptable to crack without resulting in a lengthy discussion on the topic of morality and the socio-economic repercussions of using the word "shit" purely for comic value in a cartoon. How much pressure can you put on a person's need for parental approval before he finally snaps and cries "Bugger all!" and flees into the hills?

Naturally, this is all purely rhetorical and puting it down here is something of a cathartic enema, but for some reason I feel the need to fling it all out at you like a monkey in a zoo. It's not really any of your business. However, if I cared about privacy, I wouldn't have a website. I would like to say that this little 200 gigabytes of internet bandwidth is officially where I cut away, and it may be a little tumultuous at first (perhaps a tightly-contained explosion of everything that's been bottled-up) as I settle on exactly how looney I'm going to get, but rest assured that it'll be no more destructive than the changing of a season. And maybe this time, I'm going to stick to my metaphorical guns because King Sheep Productions is about what we like.

And bugger all.