Bionic Woman

The following DVD’s are currently on sale at Books From A Rose:

Super Megafest 2009 – Framingham, MA

If you found yourself at the Sheraton Tara Hotel in Framingham, MA last weekend (November 21-22), chances are you were at Super Megafest. Super Megafest touts itself as New England’s largest Multimedia Fanfest. The convention indulges fans of all varieties and includes celebrity Q & A sessions, photo and autograph opportunities, and concerts.

The biggest draw of this year’s convention was, without a doubt, the celebrity guests. Among this year’s celebrities were:

Photo courtesy of JamesMarsters.com

James Marsters (Spike from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel, Brainiac of the television series Smallville, Captain John Hart of the television series Torchwood, John in the movie P.S. I Love You). Visit the official James Marsters website.

Photo courtesy of Myspace.com/RealBrentSpiner

Brent Spiner (Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation the television series and movies, Dr. Brackish Okun in the movie Independence Day, Dr. Nigel Fenway of the television series Threshold). Visit the official Brent Spiner website.

Photo courtesy of RayPark.com

Ray Park (Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Edgar of the television series Heroes, Toad in the X-men movie, Snake Eyes in the movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra). Visit the official Ray Park website.

Photos courtesy of LindsayWagner.com, Bionik.com & JaniceWhitby.com

Lindsay Wagner, Richard Anderson & Janice Whitby from the classic television series The Bionic Woman

Photos courtesy of Myspace.com/theofficialmickydolenzpage & PeterTork.com

Micky Dolenz & Peter Tork from The Monkees

Still not interested? Perhaps comics, collectibles or movies are more your thing. You can visit the dealers hall, boasting approximately 100 vendors, to pick up vintage comics, autographed photos, weaponry, custom fangs, collectibles for every fandom, and movies to round out your collection.

But wait, there’s more! Celebrity events like this year’s James Marsters & Peter Tork concerts, or the special dinner with Peter Tork made this year’s convention a fan highlight of 2009. Let’s not forget about the costumes, this is a fan convention after all. Super Megafest may be a small regional convention, but the fans are hardcore. Turn the corner and you will find yourself face to face with Batman from the television series, alongside Slave Lea and Saber Tooth.

Vader’s 501st New England Garrison was also in full force with a photo booth, accepting donations on behalf of Toys for Tots & The Jimmy Fund.

Vader's 501st New England Garrison

For this fan, Super Megafest 2009 was a great experience. I got a chance to make great new friends, meet some of my favorite celebrities, listen to good music and purchase some DVDs to add to my own collection. I am glad I stumbled upon this convention. Which brings up a point. I spoke to many attendees and did not find a single one that had been to the event before. We all happened upon Super Megafest by accident, or because we knew someone who was already aware of it. Though the event is in my backyard, this was the first I heard of the convention. Even friends who attend many fan events each year had no idea this convention existed. Why? A lack of marketing, guerilla or otherwise. In this sense, Super Megafest is their own worst enemy and that truly is a shame.

I applaud the effort to bring suburban fans together with the celebrities and artists they love. I sincerely hope more of these fan conventions pop up in smaller cities around the country. Admission tickets for the Super Megafest weekend range in price from $20 to $100. For more information on Super Megafest, visit the event website.

Did Steve Austin have more than just bionic limbs?

Bionic Limb Technology Is Here And Now We Have the "Bionic Bottom"

Do you remember Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man?   He was a test pilot that was maimed in a wreck and the government spent $6 million to give him nuclear powered limbs.  I think he also had a bionic eye.  Science fiction?  It was then, just like the communicators in Star Trek were in the late 60’s and now we have cell phones that look a whole lot like the gizmo that Captain Kirk used to say ”Scotty, beam me up.”  Since the time of the TV show starring Lee Majors, bionic limbs have become a reality.   Butt, you know that we’ve truly moved into the space age because in England, doctor’s gave a man a “bionic bottom.”   The poor guy had gotten in a car accident and suffered internal injuries.  Apparently, he suffered great muscle loss on his backside and that made it impossible to maintain control.  He had been fitted with a colostomy bag, which is a pain in the ass, to say the least.  Now, with his bionic backside, all he has to do is flip a switch, just like using a garage door opener.  Kinda funny but also amazing, if you think about it.

Original Teddy Bear With a Bow

On This Date in History: President Theodore Roosevelt was an avid outdoorsman. He lived and traveled in the west and also established the national park system when he designated five areas as national parks. He later signed the Antiquities Act of 1906 that allowed he and his successors to claim certain sites, landmarks, prehistoric structures and other items as federal monuments. While he was a great advocate of conservation, he also was an avid hunter. On this date in 1902, he was on a hunting expedition in the Mississippi Delta. Having lived in Greenville, MS for a time, I’m familiar with the area and have seen the historic marker that marks what happened. He was on a bear hunt I guess the locals wanted to make sure that the president bagged some game. Some poor bear got chased by a bunch of hounds. Roosevelt came to find the bear, knocked unconscious and tied to a tree. He was expected to shoot it. He refused.

Here is another version. He was in Mississippi to settle a border dispute and decided to do a little hunting. A bear had killed a hunting dog and it was chased down. The animal was wounded when Roosevelt came upon it and ordered it killed for mercy. Still another story says that a small bear cub was brought to Roosevelt and he refused to kill it. When I lived in Louisiana they claimed that the bear was in that state…that may harken back to the border dispute.

Michtom's Original Teddy Bear in Smithsonian

Whatever…the story made the rounds along with a drawing. I’ve never heard the one about him ordering the mercy killing…I’ve alway heard the one where he let the bear live and the drawing supports that version. Entrepreneurs decided to take advantage. Brooklyn store owners Rose and Morris Michtom asked Roosevelt for permission in using his name for their marketing of a stuffed cute bear. Roosevelt agreed and the Teddy Bear was born. Another version of the story is that Margarette Steiff in Germany made a cute bear that was an instant international hit.

Here’s the bottom line. The Teddy Bear was inspired by some story about the 26th President of the United States and a bear. Between 1903 and 1911, millions were sold and the classic tradition continues to this day.

7 AM Monday (I bet this changes)

Weather Bottom Line:  First off, the bottom line is that we should be fine on Sunday and Monday with highs still pleasant each afternoon toward 70.  Then come the question marks.  I’ve seen the official forecast and it calls for the best rain chances on Tuesday.  But, that seems at odds with the model runs as both the GFS and NAM look pretty similar.  A couple of days ago I talked about a big fat low getting cut off in the Southern Plains.  Well, that is still indicated by both models and both have this guy lurk around Missouri for a couple of days as another shortwave behind it comes along and keeps it from moving too much.  It then lifts almost due north and then the next guy comes through the Ohio Valley by the end of the week. The second feature looks more formidable as far as we are concerned given its track.  The NAM throws out about 2/3 of an inch of rain and the GFS something more like 1/5 of an inch; both advertise the rain though from Tuesday evening through Wednesday, which is at odd with the official forecast.  I kinda like that scenario.  It seems to me that the cut off guy will be held up and a slow poke in response to the next one behind it.  Either way, Sunday and Monday look very nice.

I had a friend from high school who became a physics major in college because of Quantum Leap.  It’s not unheard of, these shows we were exposed to as children impact our future decisions.  for me, there were two shows that made me want to study physics in college.  Macgyver, obviously.

also The Bionic Woman.  I loved that show as a kid.  I wanted to be Jaime Summers when I grew up.  minus the teaching, that part of the show was always boring.  it was the missions for the OSI, using fancy bionic parts, showing up the chauvinist men who thought a lady couldn’t do anything.  way better than the six million dollar man.

recently I’ve started watching a few episodes again on Hulu.  they’re still totally entertaining, though sad now I know that the work of the CIA is not half so glamorous as they make it seem.  it’s such a good show!  she runs fast and overhears important information and succeeds in never hurting anyone if she can help it.  unfortunately I’m still waiting for the CIA to give ME bionic legs.  I haven’t turned into Jaime Summers or Macgyver yet.  there’s still time.

1.) Bionic Woman Classic (available on Hulu.com)

2.) Dynasty Season 1 (available on CBS.com)

3.) Twin Peaks (available on CBS.com)

4.) Fantasy Island (available on Hulu.com

5.) Dallas (available on DVD- check your local library- that’s where I got my copy)

Tuesday: Sci Fi Exploration

After years of attempting to debut a successful science fiction pilot, the Big 5 networks seem to have accepted defeat at the hands of cable television. Viewers proved they are not interested in the sci fi fare offered by broadcast networks – “Reaper,” “Journeyman,” “Bionic Woman,” “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” and “Day Break” are among the sci fi shows that failed to make more than two seasons in the past three years. Instead, sci fi diehards turn to SyFy and BBC America to get their fix.

What does this mean for Doc Sonya’s recommendations to you? Since we’re exploring strictly broadcast shows, this means there are only a handful of sci fi shows even on the air, and of those, only one gets my recommendation.

Time to break up with…

• “Heroes”
  “Heroes” is a classic example of a show that debuted a phenomenal first season, became too hyped, and suddenly failed to live up to its expectations. While it is somewhat expected for shows to experience a sophomore slump, “Heroes” never climbed out of the pitiful ditch it dug itself into. Now in season four, “Heroes” is exploring Claire’s sexuality (yawn), killing off/bringing back to life Nathan and Hiro (like they’re really going to kill off series regulars), and failing to capitalize on its breakout star, Zachary Quinto.

Bottom Line: Grab season one on DVD; skip the rest.

Flings: Don’t require a whole lot of commitment from you. If it’s on, watch it. If you get distracted by something shiny, you probably won’t miss too much.

• “Flash Forward”

Flash Forward is ABC’s follow-up to megahit “Lost.” While it lacks the flair, intrigue, and mythology of Lost, “Flash Forward” has a fascinating premise – the issue is whether the execution is good so far.
The concept is that for two minutes and 17 seconds, everyone in the entire world blacked out and caught a glimpse of their lives six months in the future. Some premonitions were good, others bad, some intriguing, and some nonexistent. This show reminds me of CBS fan-favorite “Jericho” (2006-2008), which chronicled an isolated town dealing with a nuclear terrorist attack in America.

Bottom line: “FlashForward” would make for a fun disaster/action movie, but as a TV serial, it needs to pick up the pace and make the characters into people we actually care about, or it’ll meet “Jericho”’s demise.

Casual dating: These shows are not the crème de la crème of the genre, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the potential. These are campy and/or guilty pleasures, just short of appointment TV but good enough that you’ll stick around to see the end of the episode. Feel free to indulge if you like what you see.

• “The Vampire Diaries”
  This show is the CW’s response to the vampire trend, and for once, it seems like the CW actually made a decent creative decision. Based on the ’90s novels of the same name,”The Vampire Diaries” follows Elena, a teenager whose parents recently died in a car crash, as she navigates high school – with a vampire (no one knows, of course). Oh, and the vamp’s devious older brother spooks the town too.I like Ian Somerhalder (Boone from “Lost”) as older brother Damon. The rest of the characters, however, are written poorly and stereotypically; I wouldn’t be surprised if the character’s name on the script reads Best Friend or Main Character or Good Vampire. We don’t get a sense of a three-dimensional person on the show. We just see how an undeveloped personality reacts to events.

   

  Bottom Line: I won’t deny it’s a good choice for those into the vampire thing. However, for a similar premise but better characters/plots/actors, check out the WB’s “Roswell” on DVD. You won’t regret it

• “Fringe”
  “Fringe” was a huge critical accolade when it debuted last fall, but the furor seems to have died down a bit since then. The show is about a team that investigates (you guessed it) the paranormal. “Fringe” does well with the mythology, meaning the overarching storyline is strong, sensational, and sometimes surprising. However, given that “Fringe” comes from “Alias” and “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams, I don’t think it is living up to its potential.Bottom Line: It’s a slightly more difficult show to get into than, say, “The Vampire Diaries.” It’s also got a more serious overtone. Not bad for a show in its sophomore season, but it certainly has yet to find what it is creatively capable of.

Long-term dating: Arguably the best show currently on television…

• “Supernatural”
  “Supernatural” debuted on The WB in 2005, the WB’s final year as a network. It stars my future husband Jensen Ackles Dean and Jared Padalecki as Sam, brothers who hunt things that go bump in the night. In a nutshell, Dean and Sam lost their mother to an evil demon when they were kids, causing their father to delve into the world of the paranormal and raise his sons as hunters.What started out as a procedural premise quickly turned into the most campy, addictive show on TV. While the standalone episodes are fun, witty and often scary, “Supernatural” creator Eric Kripke’s true mastery is the show’s mythology. There is more to Dean and Sam than the show ever let on during the first season, and now that “Supernatural” is in its fifth (and potentially final) season, viewers can see the threads that were sewn nearly four years ago. The show is unafraid to throw certain stereotypes on their heads. For instance, this season the mythology is stopping God’s angels (they’re the antagonists) from unleashing the Apocalypse – oh, and while Sam and Dean are at it, they need to locate God and stop Lucifer from rising.

   

  Whatever the season’s mythology, “Supernatural”’s strength is undoubtedly the bond between Sam and Dean, which is unlike any portrayal I’ve ever seen on TV. One second, the brothers are pulling a prank on each another, and the next, they’re making deals with demons to save each other’s lives.

Bottom line: Still not convinced? TV Guide magazine critic Matt Roush recently wrote, “My decision to get busy and catch up on (the previous seasons of) Supernatural was the best call I made all year.”

-Sonya Chudgar

QUER SABER QUANTO CUSTA ESTA SÉRIE, CLIQUE AQUI

1ª Temporada (RMVB Legendado)
S01 E01 – Pilot	.:Filefactory:.
S01 E02 – Paradise Lost	.:Filefactory:.
S01 E03 – Sisterhood	.:Filefactory:.
S01 E04 – Face Off	.:Filefactory:.
S01 E05 – The Education of Jaime Sommers	.:Filefactory:.
S01 E06 – The List	.:Filefactory:.
S01 E07 – Trust Issues	.:Filefactory:.
S01 E08 – Do Not Disturb	.:Filefactory:.
(Series Finale)

]]> http://twobodysolution.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/tough-yet-feminine/ Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:34:39 +0000 Professor Moss http://twobodysolution.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/tough-yet-feminine/

The new movie Whip It, about female roller derby, is set to release, and I’ve noticed that the phrase “tough yet feminine” tends to turn up a lot. Not as often, thankfully, as “Juno joins the derby” but still often enough that it made me wonder about the phrase.

In case you haven’t heard about the movie, here’s the trailer, which does not feature the phrase, focusing instead on empowerment and finding a place in the world.

The movie itself actually looks sort of fun, and the trailer suggests that there’s no attempt to hide the fact that this sport involves women hitting each other pretty hard. But about half the coverage I’ve read (all the coverage that attempts to deal with both the movie and the social aspect of real female roller derby–movie critics could care less about the gender politics) feels the need to comment, usually several times, that the women who get their kicks skating very fast and slamming into each other are also “regular girls.” They wear lipstick, put their hair in ponytails and consider themselves girlie!

My favorite use of the phrase comes from MSNBC.com which, in one of its three uses of the phrase, notes “the new skaters bring a tough, yet feminine attitude of pride and independence.” I’m sure the male gender will be surprised to find out that pride and independence are a feminine attitude!

The goal in using this phrase is, of course, completely transparent; an attempt to reassure people that women who are aggressive, competitive, who like to hit other people, are still recognizably and happily feminine. If even these women like to wear mascara and heels, then maybe femininity is not an artificial construct, but a natural state, and we can all relax and accept it. This ad, for Secret deodorant, has much the same agenda.

Even skater chicks who can do rad tricks like to wear dresses and heels! Secret is tough yet feminine! But it was quickly revealed that the skater performed the trick in sneakers, not heels (those were photoshopped in later). Being tough yet feminine is harder than it looks.

The truth of the matter is this is one of those glass half empty or half full situations. We can either focus on the increasing acceptance of women’s sports and women as sporty, physical beings who use their bodies as something other than clothes hangers. Or we can point out that in order for a woman to be accepted in any of these traditionally masculine pastimes, she must fit a very traditional feminine look–long hair, perfect skin, thin yet curvy, stereotypically pretty. Deviations from this model are slight and unimportant–Secret would never have photographed a squarely shaped, slightly overweight woman with short hair.

I’m still undecided on the contents of my glass, but as a useful corrective, here’s a link to a vintage ad for The Bionic Woman and her Bionic Beauty Salon! Now that’s tough yet feminine!

From the Executive Producer of Friday Night Lights, Peter Berg brings the fast paced world of EMT’s to our living rooms.  Wait did I say fast paced?  Oops sorry what I meant to say was…well to be quite honest I have no idea what to say about Trauma other than I didn’t hate it.  But I didn’t like it either.  Each accident you could see coming from a mile away and when the trauma team arrived well let’s just say it was pretty lack luster.  There was no sense of urgency among the actors.  I felt that just about anybody could have been responding to the accident.  There was a detachment between the action and the actors.  It was as if someone was standing behind the camera and literally telling them what to do next.  Which is strange considering that this is not the first show of this type to air on NBC.  ER was practically revered for it’s accurate portrayal of medical terms and traumas.  Hell even Third Watch was spot on when it came to emergencies and the reactions of the actors.

  The premiere starts off with a group of EMT’s responding to an accident on the roof of a building (the first accident you see coming from the beginning).  The only bonus points I gave this scene is almost at the exact moment I was thinking it was ironic that they were shocking a guy with electricity to save his life after being shocked by electricity that was trying to end his life Kevin Rankin’s (Lost, Bionic Woman) character Tyler Briggs said almost the same thing.   That was pretty cool, but unless millions of people were thinking the same thing as I was than I am pretty sure I was the only one who thought that scene was cool.  Unfortunately we don’t learn much about Kevin’s character in this episode but I am a huge Kevin fan so I am hoping that changes.  His partner played Cameron Boone, played by Derek Luke (Madea Goes To Jail, Antwone Fisher) we learn later has family problems and seems to be a serial cheater for reasons we will soon learn about. 

  Anastasia Griffith plays the resident tortured soul (to be fair they all seem to play that role except Reuben, more on that later) Nancy Carnahan who likes to have sex with her partner in the back of her rig (thats what they call ambulances) and give dull performances.  Don’t worry about her sex partner because he doesn’t last longer than the first 10 minutes or so, but that seems to be the cause of most of her pain.  Though they do hint at some troubled family history that will probably come more into play later on.  She gets a new partner in the middle of the premier and as much as I would like to tell you about him I honestly can’t remember anything except he looked vaguely familiar. 

  Finally we get to the only two people in this entire episode that interested me in the slightest Aimee Garcia (George Lopez, CSI: Miami) and Cliff Curtis (soon to be seen in The Last Airbender).   Aimee plays Iraq Vet Marisa Benez who I guess flew helicopters when she in the Army an Cliff plays Reuben Palchuck a crazy Helicopter pilot who barely escaped a crah in midair and now believes he can’t die.  Sounds lame I know but he plays it with such intensity and fevor that you can’t help but to like him.  I am looking forward to seeing the two of them play off each other in future episodes if I continue to watch Trauma because the bottom line is that even though I am a fan of 3 of the actors on the show I am not sure if that is worth investing any time in it.

To Save A Network in Five Easy Steps

It’s clear by the chaos that ensued Memorial Day weekend that NBC is in total disarray.  In the span of two months the network went from resigning former NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly for more four years to having his big new hit Heroes decline hugely, his new fall line up panned and hiring self made TV mogul and wunderkind producer Ben Silverman of The Office, Ugly Betty, and Who Wants to Be Millionaire fame.

Silverman is a unique cat, he’s giving up a much more lucrative and relatively blame free post as a independent producer for the high risk/high reward world of modern day network television where all four major networks presidents have changed in the past 4 years. He’s taking a major chance at height of his powers for a once in a lifetime shot to be, as his reported idol Brandon Tartikoff was, the man who saved NBC.

Therefore I address this article to Mr. Silverman in particular. He’s taking on a monumental task in remaking the network, which has struggled to understand its place and its-self since Jerry, Elaine, George and the now infamous Kramer, were all locked up at the end of Seinfeld’s run. So Mr. Silverman for your own sake and the sake of all of us who grew up watching Must See TV here’s how to save NBC in five not always easy steps.

1. STOP rehashing Cable TV.

Its cable TV for a reason, cable shows is for small intense audiences and passive channel flippers. The networks degrade themselves every summer by hauling out cable ready reality shows for the cheapest laughs and weak melodrama.

No more Real Wedding Crashers or Thank God You’re Here or another NBC creation the upcoming Age of Love– enough! They’re nice niche shows that would be perfect for a Bravo or a VH1 but not on the network of Seinfeld and Cosby.

That’s not to say that network television can’t be a place for niche and reality TV or the next incarnation of NBC. But when you do use this type of programming please think bigger. NBC’s Deal or No Deal and Fox’s American Idol clearly say there’s a large audience for the genre.

The beauty of Idol or Deal is that the idea is not only big and engrossing but also inclusive. They’re not made for the 18 – 49 demo or some small niche they’re what network television should be a large tent where all potential viewers are embraced.

The massive hits of recent years ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy, and Fox’s House have one thing in common they they’re not only scripted but appeal to a wide audience with their diverse characters both racially and age wise. NBC should follow that model. Worry about niches later… viewers now.

2. Niches don’t bring riches.

The highest rated niche dramas i.e. Lost don’t have long shelf lives after they’ve reached their apexes. So NBC and no other network should bet its future on the long-term success of Sci-Fi, even if they’re Heroes. I’d admit that Heroes: Origins a mini-series is a good idea but the Bionic Woman!

NBC should think broader and bigger and outside of its own walls. As tempting as it is to rehash your biggest ideas one must approach it like CBS did with the original CSI as a lead in to Without A Trace or ABC did with Desperate Housewives as a lead in to Grey’s Anatomy. Neither show was a clear carbon copy but they were clever takes that appeal to a similar audience. NBC’s new programs Bionic, Chuck where a man learns he’s a super-hero and the Quantum Leap/Sliders clone Journeyman are clear knockoffs of the originals. A note to all TV programmers YOUR VIEWERS AREN’T STUPID!

The network should continue to follow Reilly’s motto, which was coined by another former NBC president Fred Silverman, “First be the Best, than be First.” Reilly developed truly unique programs like Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock and The Office but sadly these programs because their small audiences aren’t network cornerstones. It’s clear the network needs more Heroes like successes but programs like 30 Rock are sorely needed and should be nurtured by network television. Its shows like these who serve as precursors for larger hits down the line.

3. Cut the Fat.

In recent weeks Donald Trump has whined that his show the Apprentice didn’t make the fall schedule and wasn’t even announced as a replacement and I say huzzah! Make Trump the first of a long list of exoduses.

ABC went through a similar period after the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire bubble burst in 2001, its schedule was depleted lacked an identity and hits. ABC went through a painful purge for several years but it was one that paved the way for Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Grey’s Anatomy. NBC must do the same.

As much as I adore Scrubs if the state of network comedy was 10% better it would have been canceled two years ago. ER was over the hill five years ago and has finally relented its time slot in recent years, put it out of its misery. Despite the advertising the fluffy music video like dramedy Las Vegas was never a hit and should be thrown in the trash.

NBC should also learn not to overuse its assets like Deal or Law and Order. Idol is special because it airs once a week; NBC not only airs Deal two or three times a week but twice a night on CNBC. Why watch the first run if you can easily see repeats of it without buying the on i-tunes or online which is still a herky-jerky stream for most of us.

Cutting the fat will also help the creative process opening new time slots for new shows. The only way to generate new hits is to approach as ABC has develop a dozen new shows and find slots for them all. Some will fail others will be the next Heroes. You don’t go about finding a new hit comedy by developing one comedy. Which leads me to my next point…

4. Make comedy a priority.

Reinstating Must See TV Thursday was a good start, but its just that a start. Programming 101 says if your opponents are winning going one way you go the other. Sitcoms are still strong in syndication and original ones are popping up all over cable. The audience is still there. NBC was in shambles in the early 80’s when the sitcom was last declared dead once before… and than there was Cosby.

Cosby was an alternate universe when compared to the shows like “All in the Family” who dominated before them. The success of Ben Silverman’s ABC dramady Ugly Betty and its precursors like ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Fox’s Ally McBeal say that maybe hour-long comedies are the direction to go in. Not the reality comedy hybrid direction. Every reality hybrid show such as the Punk’d rip off NBC’s The Real Wedding Crashers and CBS’s Fired have been abject failures both creatively and ratings wise.

The network is already in position to lead a comedy renaissance with The Office and My Name is Earl. Now the network as all the networks needs are broader bigger hits.

Silverman who scoured the world for Millionaire, The Office, Ugly Betty could be the perfect guy to do just that. Which brings me to my final tip…

5. Lose the Mandates.

His predecessor Kevin Reilly was handcuffed by NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker’s mandate that the network should stop programming dramas and comedies at the 8:00 hour. Zucker favored a more cost effective programming choice.

Besides ratings, cost is clearly driving forces behind a decade of unscripted programming, but it seems silly to depend shows so that go out of style quicker than I-pods especially at the expense comedies.

Comedies work best early in the evening… i.e. I Love Lucy, All in the Family to NBC’s own Cosby, Mad About You, Friends etc, all of which were 8PM shows at their height. Plus most “unscripted shows ” make poor lead-ins for dramas and comedies, just ask everyone not named House on Fox’s schedule. Sitcoms are a tried and true response.

It’s only common sense to think that surrendering a literally a third of your lineup to reality shows is insanity. Furthermore so is airing countless Law and Order reruns and Dateline repeats on Saturdays.

It’s clear that the demo-crazed networks don’t want the audience available on Friday and Saturday nights but NBC doesn’t have that luxury anymore. They’re buried in fourth place and must make those nights watchable again.

It was only ten years ago that Jack Bauer’s godfather, Chuck Norris starred CBS’ Walker Texas Ranger. Walker was a top 20 show and in this day of depressed Neilsons it would be a top ten program. While sheer brutality for brutality’s sake seems not to work on network TV i.e. NBC’s The Black Donnelleys and CBS’s Smith, but rogues like Bauer, House, CSI’s Gil Grissom, CSI: Miami’s Horatio Caine are among TV’s biggest stars. NBC could capitalize on the Friday and Saturday collapses on the other networks.

So Mr. Silverman you must demand that these mandates be dropped in favor of a more aggressive schedule, particularly on Thursdays which account for approximately a third of the networks’ ad revenue. It was aggression and creativity by NBC that made Thursdays TV’s most important night and the same that catapulted CBS past NBC and ABC past CBS more recently.  It will take the same to take back the night and all of prime time. If these tactics or similar aren’t taken by NBC, the network could be looking at a repeat life of Reilly before we know it.

Postscript: Ben Silverman failed miserably. NBC is in worse shape then it has ever been. Silverman left the network in disgrace this summer. The success or failure of the defining move of his tenure bringing Jay Leno to prime time will likely shape how he’s remembered.

Brilliant me went to bed last night at around 9:30 because of the pounding headache that wouldn’t quit and couldn’t be cured by my Excedrin Migraine because of the caffeine content and my scheduled stress test for the next morning.  Like a good girl, I had successfully avoided caffeine since Monday and have been on a water kick which truly helps my WW goals too.  Other instruction from the scheduler was to eat nothing after midnight the evening before and come to the test on an empty stomach.  Simple enough.  Problem is, that on any normal night I wouldn’t even bat an eye or think about eating after midnight and I may go without breakfast until later in the morning or what-have-you.  Well, last night, all I dreamt about was eating.  Eating and then freaking out because “Well, I can’t take the test now, cause I ate!”.  Funny stuff.  Also, I really wanted breakfast this morning…I supposed there is something about the old adage “you don’t want until you can’t have”.

So, I get my jazz pants (left the jazz hands at home), sneakers and headed out the door at 6:30 AM.  Testing started at 7 AM.  I arrived there and sadly was probably the youngest person getting one of the exciting nuclear stress tests this morning.   Naturally, a lot of the older people kept asking me if I’ve had a heart attack.  “No, no…I told them, I just have a pretty strong family history of heart disease and have had some symptoms we’re wanting to check out.”  I felt like I was giving interviews.  Three of us got ushered into the first room where we were all told to put on the “these open in the front” gowns, but we still got to wear our pants and shoes (whew).  Still, there I was, with a hospital robe on, not looking stylish.  We were all seated and given the run-down on the tests we were about to receive.  All three of us.  At the same time.  I felt like I was in one of those football movies where the coach gives you the rundown before the next half.  We each got our IVs put in (mine in my hand because I’m a VERY deep person – at least vein-wise). Then we were escorted into a waiting room that unfortunately was playing Faux News.  We had to sit for 30 minutes and drink 2 glasses of water.  Hey, that’s two glasses outta my six I have to drink for WW, so SCORE!  Then they take you for your first “scan” where you have to lay still for 20 minutes, and again when you HAVE to be still it seems harder.

After the drinking, dawdling and then scanning, they escort you into the room with the treadmill.  You get asked by the nurse why you’re here. I dunno, I have a family history and some disconcerting symptoms, etc….  Then the put a utility belt of connectors on you and hastily prep your chestal region for the electrical connections.  By the time I was wired up, I looked like the bionic woman, without the cool sound effects.  They then put a blood pressure cuff on and have me sit for a little while to get base readings.  My base reading was normal.  Then onto the treadmill.  That’s when the interesting thing happened.  It appeared that when my body started to exercise or go under the “stress” of exercise, my blood pressure skyrockets!  Add the second injection of radioactive materials.  We note that my blood pressure goes WAY above normal with the stress added  Interesting.  When I got off the treadmill I went back to normal.  So, that might be something interesting for my doctor to look at (I’ve already googled the issue and think I may have a few self-diagnoses picked out but I’m not saying anything until I hear from the person with the degree).

After that, we get to finally have some cookies, juice and story time (I’m sorry that was just the Faux News channel in the background).  The second scan then happens and you do your best to stay still for another 20 minutes.  After that, you put your clothes back on and it becomes a waiting game.  That, seems to be the hardest part for me – I want to know so I can go from here.  Alas, I am just stuck waiting to hear from my physician.  In general, though the situation did cement some things for me.

1) If I do have to do some work getting my heart back in shape, then I’m glad I’m doing this 365 challenge.  Losing the weight will be a huge help to lowering my blood pressure if that’s needed.

2) If my heart does need some tuning up, it might be good to forgo some of the more invasive options for my husband and I getting pregnant until after the weight is dropped.  This means it’s a good kick in the pants for me to get on with doing this weight loss thing.  I mean, if I’m going to postpone and lose another year of fertility, I better make this count.

3) I feel much better going to get these things checked out, because my mother did not.  Already, I’m ahead of the game.  I wish she had taken better care of herself.  I so need her here…still.

After the interesting morning, I lunched with a very good friend and went back to work.  Proudly, I stuck with my eating plan all day and calculated the pizza I ate at lunch as best I could since it’s a family owned pizzeria and I have no idea what it would look like.  Also, I got my multi-grain in for today! WHOOPIE!  In addition, I did more of my Rosetta Stone lessons.  I’m on my way!

OH, did I mention that I got the call yesterday and I’m taking the cooking class on the 31st!  Woohoo…goal down.  Okay, so after my long boring story, here’s the goods…thanks for reading and thanks for givin’ a crap.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Morning
1  package(s) Zoo Animal Crackers	2
2  cup(s) water	0
1/2 cup(s) fresh orange juice	1
Subtotal	3
Midday
1  cup(s) canned tomato sauce with tomato tidbits	1
1  cup(s) mushroom(s)	0
1  cup(s) red onion(s)	0
4  serving(s) Pizza Crust Mix	13.5
4  serving(s) Fresh mozzarella ball (packed in water)	6.5
2  cup(s) water	0
Subtotal	21
Evening
1  cup(s) water	0
1  serving(s) Panera Asian Sesame Chicken Salad	9
Mulitgrain Baguette – Quick-added food	3
Subtotal	12
Anytime
No entries for this meal time.
Subtotal	0
Food POINTS values total used	36
Food POINTS values remaining	0
Activity
No entries for activity.
Activity POINTS values earned	0
Check off these important items daily:
Liquids Milk & Milk Products Fruit & Vegetables Multivitamin/Mineral Healthy Oil Activity Lean Protein Whole Grains

Nella versione estiva di questo spazio esaminiamo gli ascolti, basati sui dati forniti quotidianamente da Auditel, dei programmi di prima serata di ieri, e a seguire forniamo una guida sintetica dei principali programmi in onda sui canali Rai e Mediaset questa sera, mercoledì 26 agosto 2009. Per maggiori informazioni sulla programmazione televisiva visitate le sezioni Telefilm News, Cartoon News, Sat News e Dig News, per esprimere la vostra opinione utilizzate la sezione settimanale TelePagelle.

MARTEDI’ 25 AGOSTO 2009

BILANCIO DELLA SERATA Vittoria al film catastrofico di Canale 5 “Deep Impact” con Téa Leoni e Robert Duvall, che ha superato il film di spionaggio di RaiUno “007 – Il mondo non basta” con Pierce Brosnan e Sophie Marceau. Tra gli altri programmi della serata di ieri, nell’ordine: il film commedia in prima visione su Italia 1 “Tutte le ex del mio ragazzo” con Brittany Murphy, la quinta puntata in replica della fiction di Rete 4 “L’onore e il rispetto” con Manuela Arcuri e Gabriel Garko, il film commedia di RaiTre “Pappa e ciccia” con Paolo Villaggio e Lino Banfi, la replica della quarta ed ultima puntata della seconda stagione della serie poliziesca italiana di RaiDue “L’ispettore Coliandro” con Giampaolo Morelli (in attesa dei nuovi episodi in partenza martedì prossimo), ed i tre episodi della terza stagione del telefilm “The District” in onda su La 7 (con una media di 811.000 spettatori ed il 5,35% di share).

	Pubblico	Share %
	3.325.000	18,83
	1.691.000	9,58
	1.384.000	7,84
	158.000	0,89
	6.558.000	37,13
	3.720.000	21,06
	1.797.000	10,17
	1.766.000	10,00
	86.000	0,49
	7.369.000	41,72
	646.000	3,66
Altri canali terrestri	1.411.000	7,99
Canali satellitari	1.677.000	9,50
TOTALE	17.661.000	100,00

A seguire alcune segnalazioni sugli ascolti disponibili della prima serata di ieri, e per concludere una guida alla TV di questa sera sui principali canali in chiaro.

IERI SERA IN TV…

• Alle 20.40 il clip-show “Supervarietà” (4.267.000 spettatori – 23,54%). Alle 21.23 il film di spionaggio “007 – Il mondo non basta” (2.549.000 spettatori – 16,25%).
• Alle 21.04 l’episodio 4 “Mai rubare a casa dei ladri” in replica della seconda stagione della fiction italiana “L’ispettore Coliandro” (1.534.000 spettatori – 8,95%).  Alle 23.47 gli episodi 11-12 della terza stagione inedita del telefilm Supernatural: il primo episodio “Un martedì infernale” ha avuto 477.000 spettatori (6,79%), il secondo episodio “Le leggi della guerra” (ore 00.24) ha avuto 442.000 spettatori (9,81%).
• Alle 20.40 l’episodio 32 della soap opera “Un posto al sole d’estate” (1.062.000 spettatori). Alle 21.09 il film comico “Pappa e ciccia” (1.539.000 spettatori – 8,94%).
• Alle 20.46 il varietà “Paperissima Sprint” (4.540.000 spettatori – 24,90%). Alle 21.28 il film catastrofico “Deep Impact” (2.948.000 spettatori – 18,05%).
• Alle 20.30 il gioco “Mercante in fiera” (1.503.000 spettatori – 8,40%). Alle 21.14 il film commedia romantica “Tutte le ex del mio ragazzo” (1.999.000 spettatori – 12,03%). Alle 23.18 gli episodi 7-8 con cui è terminato il telefilm Bionic Woman: il primo episodio “Questione di fiducia” ha avuto 752.000 spettatori (7,65%), il secondo episodio “Non disturbare” (ore 00.03) ha avuto 613.000 spettatori (11,01%). Alle 00.53 l’episodio 11 “A Sud della frontiera” (Seconda parte) della seconda stagione inedita della sit-com My Name Is Earl, con 316.000 spettatori (8,78%).
• Alle 19.52 la soap “Tempesta d’amore” (1.429.000 spettatori).   Alle 20.28 l’episodio 8 “Fusti e pupe” della terza stagione del telefilm Renegade (1.673.000 spettatori). Alle 21.15 la quinta puntata della miniserie “L’onore e il rispetto” (1.838.000 spettatori – 11%).

MERCOLEDI’ 26 AGOSTO 2009

Sono elencati principalmente i programmi di prima serata sui canali in chiaro. Gli orari e i programmi indicati possono variare senza preavviso.

• Alle 20.35 l’incontro di calcio Fiorentina – Sporting Lisbona valido per il ritorno del 4° turno preliminare di Champions League.
• Alle 21.05 la serie Ghost Whisperer – Presenze con Jennifer Love Hewitt – episodio 3×15. Alle 21.50 la serie familiare Brothers & Sisters – Segreti di famiglia con Sally Field e Calista Flockhart – episodi conclusivi di stagione 2×15-16.
• Alle 21.10 il programma “Amore criminale” con Camila Raznovich – puntata conclusiva 5.
• Alle 21.10 il film d’azione “I guerrieri della notte” (1979), con Michael Beck e James Remar.
• Alle 21.20 il film drammatico “Gli ostacoli del cuore” (2009), con Pierce Brosnan e Susan Sarandon.
• Alle 21.10 il programma “Mistero” con Enrico Ruggeri – puntata conclusiva 9. Alle 23.20 il film horror “Urban Legend – Bloody Mary” (2005), con Kate Mara e Robert Vito.
• Alle 21.10 la serie poliziesca francese Julie Lescaut con Veronique Genest – episodio “Giustizia è fatta”. Alle 23.15 la serie militare The Unit con Scott Foley – episodi 2×21-22.
• Alle 21.00 il film commedia “Occhio, malocchio, prezzemolo e finocchio” (1983), con Lino Banfi e Johnny Dorelli.
• Alle 21.10 la replica della quinta puntata del programma “La gaia scienza” con Mario Tozzi e il Trio Medusa.
• Alle 21.00 il programma musicale “MTV The Most: Madonna”.
• Alle 21.00 la serie animata “Code Monkeys“. Alle 21.30 la serie animata “Sons of Butcher“.

= film, serie o fiction in prima visione.

= film o film TV.

= telefilm (serie/sit-com) straniero o cartone animato.

= fiction di produzione italiana o straniera.

= soap opera o telenovela italiana o straniera.

= variazione rispetto al programma previsto.

include i canali RaiSat, Rai 4, Rai Sport Più, Rai News 24, Rai Edu1, Rai Storia e Rai Gulp.

So why read another blog listing women of Sci Fi? We the females of fandom can pretty much name the top 10 Women of Science Fiction without really thinking. There are a ton of lists that are generated around on the interwebs, always putting Ripley from Aliens at the top, Buffy Summers within the top 5 and 3 Battlestar Galactica characters (usually Starbuck, Laura Roslin and Number 6) are thrown in at random. We knows these lists because we’ve seen these shows before and learned to love the characters.

But at the same time, this can leave a fangirl pretty bored. While these women are the best of the best, there are tons of other shows that are not as well known which offer equally as enthralling female characters. So for those rainy days where you’re looking for a new series to delve into, I hope you’ll look to some of these lesser known but still amazing shows.

As a result, I present…

The Top 5 Kick Ass Women of Sci-Fi You’ve Never Heard Of (but you should totally check out)!

5. Jaime Sommers (The Bionic Woman)

NOW WAIT! Before everyone gets all flustered and upset and twists their hello kitty panties in a rather uncomfortable bunch, I am referring to the 1970’s Bionic Woman, not the remake. The original Bionic Woman was a spinoff of the very popular show, The Six Million Dollar Man. Jaime Sommers was a tennis pro at the top of her game when a tragic skydiving accident with beau Steve Austin left her all but dead, until Steve begged the government to accept her into the OSI and make her a bionic super agent. The show itself is cute and fun, like a combination of Charlie’s Angels and Six Million. Often an episode consists of Jaime being kidnapped and using her bionic abilities to escape. Slightly predictable, but still badass. Its got that 70’s kick ass “girl power” kind of theme to it. Sommers is a self dependent, confident woman, working as a school teacher as well as, you know, a robot super agent. The villains are slightly campy (there is an episode where the antagonist owns a hair salon and extracts information from OSI Agents using a truth serum shampoo), but overall it is just a fun show to watch. I recommend this show if you’re feeling a little girly.

4. Doctor Girlfriend (The Venture Brothers)

Doctor Girlfriend is slowly rising in popularity (predominantly due to the over saturation of cosplayers) but still a lot of fangirls are unaware of her awesomeness. Sexy and smart, Doctor Girlfriend actually takes a very intellectual journey throughout the three seasons of The Venture Brothers, becoming more than just a Number 2 to the men in the arch-villainy world. She is strong, confident and very recognizable by her Jackie O style and a smoker’s voice that will scare the piss out of small children and puppies. Her storyline is not unlike many modern women’s stories. Trying to get on her own two feet in the field of costumed aggression, she is constantly intellectually put down in favor of her sexuality, something she works very hard to overcome and eventually she succeeds. This show is remarkably fun and entertaining, based stylistically around the old Jonny Quest cartoon show (horray for super science!). I do recommend trying to watch the episodes in order. They seem stand alone-y, but they’re not, so you’ll get a better experience by starting at S1E1 and just plowing through.

3. Moya (Farscape)

Now, I mention Farscape because while it has a high concentration of 1990’s viewers, (also known as a cult), many of the more recent fangirls have merely heard of it in passing. Also, I did not pick the traditional choice for badass women when it comes to this show, but bear with me, I promise I have my evil plotworthy reasoning. When often we think of the female heroine in Science Fiction, we often look to towards human or human like creatures. If there were a “most underrated sci fi females” list, Moya would be at the top. Moya is a living spaceship from a race called Leviathans. Playing the ultimate mother figure, both figuratively and physically, she takes care of the crew living within her, as well as being an active member of of the crew herself. If Moya wants to do something, she does it, and the crew is along for the ride. She is just as emotionally in tune as the rest of the characters on the show, and shows incredible strength and bravery on endless occasions. If you want to see a really cool 90’s generation space opera as well as some pretty cool Jim Henson Co. puppets, I recommend checking out Moya in Farscape.

2. The Companions (Doctor Who)

Technically you could call me a cheater for this because the companions consist of three separate women from the modern Doctor Who series. However they all intermingle so well I am lumping them in as one for the sake of comparison. Let me explain. With their powers combined, the new companions, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones and Donna Noble make up the heart, mind and soul of David Tennant’s 10th Doctor in his regeneration of the oldest science fiction show on the air, the BBC’s Doctor Who. These three women travel through time and space with the Doctor at various times, proving time and time again to be saviors of the human race. While the Doctor is the lord of all space and time, these women provide anchorage and a sense of humanity to the Doctor that is often quite touching and beautiful. Rose Tyler was the young woman who went from working in a shop to becoming Defender of the Earth and the love of the Doctor’s life. After losing her, Martha Jones becomes the brains behind his sorrow, helping to put him back on a logical path of life. After her it was Donna Noble, the spunky redhead who helped the Doctor to laugh again. Having all three of them in his life has been a large part of what has made David Tennant’s 10th Doctor so successful. They aren’t the gun-toting, kung-fu kicking bassasses you would normally expect from a sci-fi show, but they still are able to kick some serious intergalactic British ass.  This is a charming show and remarkably brilliant. I highly recommend getting your hands on it. It is about to gain a new Doctor and new companion starting this Christmas, but that gives you plenty of time to catch up and be ready for the premiere!

And last, but certainly not least…

1. Gwen Cooper (Torchwood)

A Spinoff from Doctor Who, Torchwood represents the last line of defense the earth has in case of disaster (mostly in case the Doctor can’t be there). Separate from the government, the Torchwood facility is a gun toting alien hunting crew, and since they’re human (for the most part), they are as fallible as you or I. The beauty of the character of Gwen Cooper is that when you start watching the show, you do not like her. “But wait… how does this make her the number one badass I’ve never heard of?”, you may ask. The reason you do not like Gwen Cooper at first is because she is one of the most real characters you will see on modern television. Very much like Battlestar’s Kara “Starbuck” Thrace, Gwen is a scared and flawed individual. Unlike Starbuck, who makes up for her flaws by being one of the best assets the fleet has in times of war, Gwen is thrown into an organization that is quite frankly, over her head and she needs to learn FAST. She makes mistakes, she cheats on her boyfriend (a lot), and almost gets the team killed a few times. Ultimately, Gwen Cooper is a real person. She is not the fantasy bad ass we’re all so used to. She doesn’t have special powers of any kind; no military training or alien/robot parts to enhance her badassery. It is the same as if you or I were asked to pick up a gun and be the last line of defence between the planet and oblivion. But what she does have, which puts heris her humanity. And as a result it means so much more when she becomes a fighter and a badass. We see her real struggle and journey in Torchwood as she fights tooth and nail not just against the alien threat, but against losing herself as well. She tries to maintain a normal life in the real modern world of 2009, while keeping these secrets from friends and family and putting her life on the line in defence of the Earth on a daily basis. When the season 3 miniseries event, Children of Earth, premiered not too long ago, Gwen Cooper had become the bad ass, take charge individual who you want to yell awesome things at your TV for. When she feels pain and horror, you feel it with her. When she feels joy, so do you. Torchwood starts out a little sci-fi-soap-opera-esque (BBC essentially wanted to make it Doctor Who: After Dark, if you get my drift), but it cool and interesting. The Children of Earth miniseries event was possibly one of the most terrifying, heart-wrenching things I have ever seen on television. I recommend watching at least the first series of the newest Doctor Who season (to help for tie in purposes), but watch it. The build is well worth it, and it will knock your socks off.

“The Raven” meets Se7en.
That’s how director James McTeigue is describing his next film The Raven, a fictional tale that places author Edgar Allan Poe at the head of a serial killer investigation. The V for Vendetta and Ninja Assassin Helmer tells /Film that the title of the project is, in fact, called The Raven and is an “account of the final five “mysterious” days of Edgar Allan Poe’s life. Apparently the famous writer joins the hunt for a serial killer whose murders are inspired by his stories.”

The script is by Hannah Shakespeare (Bionic Woman, Ghost Whisperer) and Ben Livingston.

Source(s) SlashFilm.com, Shocktilyoudrop.com

Ieri sera è terminata in chiaro la prima stagione di Chuck! Un telefilm assolutamente stupendo che merita la sua riconferma per una terza serie!!

Il finale di stagione ti lascia un po’sconcertato perchè non è esattamente come lo immagineresti. Generalmente quando una stagione si conclude, ti lascia sempre con un colpo di scena o qualcosa d’insospeso che ti fa pensare ai mille proseguimenti che la trama potrebbe avere…questo è stato a lieto fine ed autoconclusivo, come se gli sceneggiatori non fossero stati sicuri di una stagione successiva.
Almeno non ci dovremo tormentare per sapere come proseguirà visto che i tempi di messa in onda sono piuttosto lunghi in chiaro. La prima stagione è passata su Steel a giugno del 2008 ed è arrivata in chiaro a giugno 2009, esattamente un anno dopo…la seconda stagione andrà sempre prima in onda su Steel a partire da ottobre di quest’anno, quindi per chi non ha il digitale se è fortunato la vedrà a ottobre del prossimo…sperare che accorcino i tempi è una cosa inutile, perchè è chiaro che se un telefilm passa prima sul digitale automaticamente viene sottovalutato sulla tv in chiaro per i bassi ascolti che presumibilmente avrà. Chuck, anche se trasmesso ad orari assurdi, ha riscosso un buon successo rispetto a quello che pensava la mediaset quindi almeno c’è da sperare che la prossima trasmissione sarà fatta ad un orario un po’più umano!

Tanto per criticare ancora un po’ i palinsesti della mediaset, al posto di Chuck da martedì 4 agosto sempre alle 23.10 andrà in onda Bionic Woman, un remake del telefilm La donna bionica degli anni settanta. In tutto ha solo otto episodi e un’unica stagione lasciata anche in sospeso perchè è stata cancellata per i bassi ascolti. La mediaset quest’inverno aveva già trasmesso i primi 3 o 4 episodi e dopo aver cambito giorno di messa in onda e pure l’orario è stata eliminata lasciandola ancora di più in sospeso….ok che non era un grande telefilm e che la storia alla fine era un po piatta però non si può trattarlo come una pezza da piedi tappa buchi e poi cancellarlo se ha poco seguito….e chi lo stava seguendo e ha dovuto controllare settimanalmente gli orari e i giorni è rimasto fregato, come sempre del resto…
Adesso credo che lo riprenderanno dall’inizio visto i pochi episodi trasmessi, ma con la mediaset non si può mai essere sicuri…..
Arrivati a questo punto credo di più nell’oroscopo, che reputo una cavolata, che al palinsesto della mediaset!

Comunque a presto Chuck!!! Si spera il prima possibile!

OK, normally, I am not the kind of person to gloat when bad things happen to jerky people (even if they totally deserve it!) but when I heard that NBC Universal’s much-maligned entertainment co-chairman, Ben Silverman was fired today, I gotta admit, I kinda cheered!

That’s right, amigos, the man who brought you such immortal classics as “My Own Worst Enemy”, “Kings”, “Crusoe”, “Kath & Kim”, the crazy-expensive (not to mention totally unnecessary!) remakes of “Bionic Woman” and “Knight Rider”, and Survival Sunday cheesefests like “Meteor” and “The Storm”, has finally been shown the door. Hooray!

In his defense, Silverman was a well-regarded producer of such hit shows as “Ugly Betty”, “The Office”, and “30 Days” before taking the reigns at NBC, so, when the network brass hired him to lead NBC out of the crapper in 2007, he seemed like an inspired pick.

But it was soon clear to everyone involved that Silverman was not the “rock star executive” he promised to be. Not only were many of his big ideas just plain lame — hello, “Rosie Live!” anyone? — but by making crass product placement a way of life at the network, greenlighting expensive duds left and right, and calling writers “the nerdiest, ugliest, meanest kids in the high school” during the dark days of the WGA strike, Silverman really was his “Own Worst Enemy”.

My old NBC strike squad actually made up Silverman-specific chants during the strike…of course, I’ve forgotten most of them, but, trust me, they made our Carson Daly chants look friendly!

In fact, at one point, there was talk of staging a Ben Silverman prom in honor of his statement about us “ugly writers” trying to “cancel the prom” when we threatened to bring down NBC’s telecast of that year’s Golden Globes. And though we never held the actual prom, we did get the Globes downgraded to a “news event”, and, as you can see, we crafted some pretty cool paraphernalia in preparation for it…so, suck it Silverman!

But prom or no prom, the good news today is that the cheesy-ass king of all things crappy at NBC is finally gone. Yay! Now, if we could just do something about those annoying “Jay Leno at 10PM” commercials…yikes…