Syracuse, NY — I credit my baby brother for introducing me to the inappropriately funny TV show, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” This thirty minute sitcom follows a couple of Philly natives who run a dive bar named Paddy’s Pub. What started as a couple of episodes shot with an old video camera, “Always Sunny” is now a cult classic featuring the Penguin himself, Mr. Danny Devito.

Tonight was the premier of the show’s fifth season. If  that’s not good enough, “The Nightman Cometh” to a towneth near you.

In a September 15, 2009 New York Times article, Dave Itzkoff details a six city tour featuring the cast from the show.

Itzkoff writes,

They will act, sing and karate-kick their way through “The Nightman Cometh,” an original stage work taken from a recent episode of the show. Costumes and sets have been packed up, a tour bus has been prepared, and a few days ago some (but not all) of the cast members even got together to rehearse for, like, four hours.

For anyone out in California, I strongly suggest you try to catch one of the last two shows. If I was out there, I definitely would.The play, and the show, are pure genius.

- east coast paper boy

It’s not the formula used for the Sons of Anarchy script!

Speaking of television, the SOA Season 2 premiere — “Albification” — was last night and for those who missed it here is a quick recap:

1. SAMCRO has a new threat by the name of White Power.  Henry Rollins is a perfect fit/add to the cast.
2. A Mayan (rival MC) drug-dealing member is setup as the killer of Donna (Opie’s “squeeze” in season 1) and executed.
3. Opie’s retribution includes the club logo knife carving/body mutilation of said rival club member.
4. Because the execution goes sideways, Jax makes adjustments to pin it on a L.A. street gang — the One-Niner’s.
5. Gemma is carjacked then gang raped by masked men who tell her as long as SOA deals in guns she won’t be safe.

There you have it.  Guns, violence, sex, mutilation, and more gore for shock value.

Some rather disturbing moments on television to say the least.  Truly a gruesome and brutal reintroduction to Sons of Anarchy.  It makes a person wonder if the writers aren’t copycatting the crimes of antichrist-apparent Charles Manson.  Just how much more evil and gratuitous violence do we have to endure?!   What’s next Mr. Sutter?  Child pornography, body part disposal in acid, animal rituals, an ice pick stabbing in the eye, or how about another round of the old school blow torching of club tattoo’s?  How dark is dark or gory enough?  That distant growl you hear isn’t motorcycle exhaust — it’s the impending backlash of your audience saying you’ve gone too far.   The gang rape was out of bounds.  Recalibrate your violence meter.

I’ve previously posted about SAMCRO at:

Outlaw Gangs Are New Media Darlings
Men Of Mayhem
Bikes, Bullets And Brawls
Mailroom Of Life
Bottling Ideas

Photo courtesy of SOA web site.

All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog.

SOA FXD Dyna Superglide

I was flipping TV channels last night and landed on FX during a commercial.

Nothing so special about that… WAIT… they’re advertising a Sons of Anarchy custom Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Superglide motorcycle with a Custom Reaper paint job!

THAT… idea seems very familiar.  Sure enough, I blogged last year about how H-D marketing ought to consider developing a SAMCRO Limited Edition motorcycle and now they are doing it.

I don’t know if Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson (13900 Harlan Road, Lathrop, CA) saw the post and acted on my idea, but they indeed developed a promotional giveaway campaign with the SOA producers and created a unique branding tie in to the television show.  In my view, that’s creative marketing!  Or rather its good strategic co-branding/partnering with the right ingredients that make sense for the manufacturer and producer.   Kudo’s H-D!

Before you haters get tripped up on this idea and launch a barrage of poser comments…  Let’s maintain perspective here as the “Reaper” bike is like co-branding NASCAR merchandise.  It’s an “ingredient brand” motorcycle that will appeal to enthusiasts who like and/or identify with the show.  Think about the Indianapolis 500 and the Indy 500 themed or co-branded pace cars with GM.  Just because you wear a race t-shirt and drive a 1989 Pontiac Trans-Am Pace Car does not make you an Indy 500 race car driver!

I’m sure anyone who rides the “Reaper Bike” knows who they are and what they are about and wouldn’t pass themselves off as a club affiliated biker.

Photo courtesy of SOA web site.

All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog

Ok, now let me tell you I love hulu, I was part of an award ceremony on hulu for a little bit (until I lost track of time and kept trying to vote 1 day after I was supposed to) and I’d refer all my friends to it. In fact I use a lot of their previews on the main TSLS website, but their loading times are really starting to get to me. For example, I tried to watch Burn Notice about 2 minutes ago there and it wouldn’t load. Facebook and USA Network are much faster. When it comes to watching Daisy of Love I just go to VH1.com and when it comes to It’s always sunny I just head right over to FX networks.
While I like seeing Denis Leary advertise Hulu I’ve found its easier just to go to the website of the network to watch the show.

FX Networks is a great example of what can happen when a small group of skilled people just gets on with doing something. They’ve just completed the eastern segment of their North Island ring according to this article at Computerworld: FX Networks completes $17m fibre rollout.

There has been a lot of talk over the years about the lack of competition in this space. These guys have been doing something about it. Nice work.

In an unusual — and very welcome — case of transparency, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar this week posted a frank blog entry apologizing for removing several seasons of episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This FX Networks’ comedy was pulled down at the network’s request, presumably because it hopes to build some momentum for it’s official Sunny site where many episodes can still be seen. Hulu viewers complained, Hulu asked FX for an extension, and FX granted it. (It may help that FX and Hulu are both connected to Fox, which owns the former and has a hand in the latter). The episodes are now back on Hulu through the 25th of January.  

Two quick things to learn from this experience:

1 – We’re still making this up as we go along. FX, Hulu, and the viewers are all still very new to this idea of watching TV online. FX changed its mind half way through the season, Hulu is required to comply, and viewers are left picking up the pieces. Kilar’s approach — the frank apology — is as disarming as it is astute. That kind of transparency is helpful when negotiating the tricky bumps in a relationship. It doesn’t ultimately solve the problem, however, that content has been disappearing from sites for the last several months as content owners continue to change their minds about their strategies. 

2 – Consumers feel like they hold the ultimate trump card: piracy. If you read the comments from Hulu viewers on the Hulu blog post, you’ll find that most of them — although pleased with Kilar’s openness — are more than willing to threaten piracy as a solution to the problem. This is the same kind of response I get from commenters on my blog when these issues come up. It’s hard to say whether they represent most of us — as I posted before, we know that only 10% of US adults have ever pirated video via bittorrent. But we also know that online piracy will only get easier (and better) until eventually the US will have to contend with it they way some other markets (like Korea, China, etc.) already have. 

The comment I added on the Hulu blog is fairly direct: isn’t threatening piracy akin to telling your spouse that if he/she doesn’t want to be intimate with you that you’ll just sleep with someone else? I have a feeling it doesn’t encourage the behavior you really want! I have been in meetings with studio copyright lawyers when they hear of threats like that and it just blinds them to their more strategic alternatives. This may be one of the reasons that Netflix is succeeding in getting more and more content approved for its streaming service. The subscription model satisfies the studios’ desire to get paid and the consumer’s desire for a convenient, uninterrupted experience.

Is there a future Hulu subscription model hovering on the horizon? What do you think?

"Delicious to taste but doesn't satisfy a true appetite"

Goodbye (and good riddance) to Buffy and Angel, we don’t need your shallow, try-hard, overacted reruns anymore. Vampires have got a whole new look with HBO’s True Blood and it’s dripping with an apt macabre and seriously steamy style. 

From the creators of Six Feet Under, this sexy new drama serves up a world where vampires are now citizens and living among us. This is thanks to a Japanese scientist creating synthetic blood called True Blood that is sold like a pack of beers in gas stations or a hot toddy in bars. Understandably, many are still apprehensive but there are the ignorant and nasty few who go that one step further.

Blood is red, Veins are blue...

Based in  a small town in New Orleans, our story centres around a telepathic waitress, Sookie (Anna Paquin) who falls in love with her neighbour, a lonely vampire, five or six times her age, Bill. There are frequent murders occurring and the prime suspect is her horny, dumb brother, Jason. So she sets out to clear his name with the help of her new man.

The funny thing is, that True Blood is the real world sugarcoated in fresh blood, so to speak. It seems to reflect society with the moral issues it flags up. Such as the severe prejudice many hold against the vampires and the few that accept and protect them. V (vampire blood), the new trendy drug can take you to new psychedelic heights or repair you. So some humans will drain a vampire, just to get their fix or make some money.

The creators have combined an intricate fantasy world combined with the real one for you to get lost in. Enhanced by an above average cast and occasional slashes of timely humour, this is worth watching. Although not appealing to everybody, there are also quite a few vehemently graphic sexual and violent scenes.   But don’t get too high expectations. It’s not always that thrilling and the cliffhangers are often an anticlimax.

True Blood has already finished in America and has just been commissioned for a second series. Alas, UK viewers will have to wait until summer 2009 and that is only if you have FX Networks. Otherwise, box set recommended.

For a company that has been around since the dawn of time Harley has been most successful in what’s called “licensed lifestyle” items.  You’ve seen all the pet products, footwear, jewelry, under garments, furniture, Burger King toys, and other companion products which promote or extend to items that people use as a badge of identifying themselves with the Harley brand.  Some might argue that Harley could win the “Motorcycle Whore Award” for the brand that has most “sold out” and sticks their logo on about anything.  Remember the Harley-Davidson cake-decorating kit made available in baking stores and on web sites?  It was licensed by Bakery Crafts.

I’ve written previously about Harley’s brand promise and their movie product placements.  They have had a number of successes, but that cake-decorating kit was bad, illogical and a case of product dissonance between the companies core identity and how to reach untapped markets.  It diluted the brand.

But we live in an age of relentless co-branding so, what should Harley do?  I suggest they leverage the success of the TV show Son’s of Anarchy and launch a co-branded SAMCRO Edition Motorcycle.  Make it a limited edition “Reaper Crew” model specializing in the club paint theme and graphics.  This embraces the free spirited and rebellious associations of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club while nurturing family relationships that maintain a loyal motorcycle community.  A core identity for Harley.  As a bonus they could throw in a DVD set of Season #1, a wallet cheat sheet of the biker language and club terminology, a unique skull-head key FOB and maybe even a t-shirt!   We’ll talk about SAMCRO cologne later!

There is precedence (Clapton/Fender, Jordan/Nike, BMW/007) for a product and “sell-lebrity” co-branding and the key to any brand extension is make sure it connects with what people love most about the brand. 

A SAMCRO Edition motorcycle might be just the ticket.  What do you think?  Would you consider buying a SAMCRO Edition motorcycle from Harley-Davidson?

Photos courtesy of FX Networks and Bakery Crafts web site.

All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog

If you are a vegan or vegetarian you know all to well the comments and jokes we get about our humane choice. Well here is a video from the show 30 Days where a avid deer hunter stays with a vegan family (one daughter that works for PETA)for 30 days. During that time he is put in protests, works on a rescue farm, rescues a calf from a factory farm on near death. This is a great video to send to those who make comments and those jokes that let’s face it are just plain over down and annoying. This is a good video that’s not gory to make them turn it off but actually helps with explaining and the understanding of why we do what we do and that it’s a part of who we are and not a “phase”. I’d love to atleast see George go vegetarian but that is a choice and atleast he is aware and like most of us it starts small and then next thing you know BOOM we’re vegetarian and then not much longer it sparks and we’re vegan.

LOOK HOW IMPORTANT IT IS: ITS IN ALL CAPS.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia starts TONIGHT, 10pm, on FX.

Watch it. Laugh it up. Love it. Obsess over it. Welcome to your new favorite comedy.

It’s the secret formula for television success…at least to the execs at FX and the new drama series which focuses on members of an outlaw motorcycle gang called the Sons of Anarchy.  I’ve blogged about this show previously HERE and HERE.

I took an hour away from blogging last night to watch the gritty, beer-chugging, hell-raising and occasionally gruesome premiere.  When was the last time you saw that in prime time? You haven’t!

Sagal is thoroughly convincing in the hellcat role.  She completely destroyed any image you may have had of her as the ditzy Peg Bundy. And Drea de Matteo of “Sopranos” fame makes an appearance that you can truly believe as Jackson’s wrung-out, drug-addicted ex-wife.  I thought Jax seemed to be telegraphing his sensitive, gentle side a little too early in the first 30 minutes of the pilot.

At any rate, the show is well-acted and is crafted in a way to showcase the fictitious inner workings of outlaw motorcycle gangs.  It’s dark, grim and at times very violent, but as a gunrunning gang banger club it will surely be a TV hit and I can visualize t-shirts sales skyrocketing.

Production poster courtesy FX Networks.

After an absurd amount of waiting and waiting, The Shield returns Tuesday, September 2nd, for what FX is calling its “Final Act”. What will become our favorite good cop/bad cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and his team???? Will he die??? Go to prison (God I hope not)??? Or finally give Shane (Walton Goggins) what he deserves????

Vic challenges Shane and deals with threats to his family. A federal agent arrives in Farmington to investigate a recent wave of violence. That is a description of Tuesday’s season premier direct from the FX site. The episode is titled Coefficient of Drag and was written by Kurt Sutter (who’s new show Sons of Anarchy premiers Wednesday September 3rd on FX, and looks AWESOME).

This is The Shields first new episode since July 2007. Production ended last November, but was put on hold because of the Writers Strike. Instead of hashing out where The Shield left us last summer I attached two new scenes from the premier.

 

Sons of Anarchy

I previously blogged about media darlings back in May and wanted to provide an update about FX Networks attempt to immortalize outlaw motorcycle “clubs.”  The “Sons of Anarchy” web site is now live and the FX Network TV show debut’s September 3rd. 

In big budget “Hollywood” fashion the FX Network marketing folks have gone all out on this site.  John Landgraf (President and GM FX, FX HD, Fox Movie Channel and FX Productions) pulled out all the stops to fund this series.  The site is jam packed with information on the show with background on cast & crew, a bike gallery, videos and trailer clips.  They’ve added elements of social media in that viewers can participate via mobile or in a community discussion.  The “board” already has a bunch of comments weighing in on the right to wear colors.  I especially liked how they took liberties with and provided a “Biker Terms” section…I guess to help those who are unfamiliar with the biker culture or vernacular and help out any hang-arounds?!

The show was originally called “Forever Sam Crow”,  however, the litigation folks at Hells Angels caught wind of the pilot from Kurt Sutter (writer & director) who was in a Variety interview and noticed there were references to a specific Northern CA. motorcycle “club”…shortly after the interview hit the newswire they received a cease and desist notice from the same “club”.  Something about copyright infringement so, the name of the TV show and club was changed.

Even the club slogan “Live Sons of Anarchy, Die Sons of Anarchy” rings 1%…

Production poster courtesy FX Networks.

Je serai absent au cours des prochains jours puisque je vais me taper la saison 6 de la série policière The Shield. Cette série étant, avec Lost, une de mes préférées. Que de bons moments en perspective avec Vic, Shane, Dutch et Kavanagh.

On se laisse sur des images :

The worst part about being a fan of mostly cable shows is they take so long in production and then you are at the mercy of those bastards at the network as to when they will actually air. Right now Showtime’s The Tudors is just about the only thing worth watching now that HBO’s John Adams ended its 8 week run. The good news is the bleakness is only temporary. Here is what’s in store for our favorite cable networks and shows .

HBO:
The Wire creator David Simon is taking on the project for Generation Kill, based on Evan Wright’s controversial novel about his travels with the first Recon Battalion who spearheaded the invasion of Iraq in 2003. “I have real reservations about what film has achieved in terms of making human beings cognoscente of what war fare is and what it means to kill,” David Simon said in an HBO interview. The 7 part miniseries premiers July 13th.

HBO won’t have an original series offering until September when True Blood premiers. True Blood is Alan Balls (Six Feet Under) new vampire series starring Anna Paquin. The show is an adaptation of writer Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire novels. HBO is hoping this is the show to bring them out of their slump.

Big Love, Entourage, Tell Me You Love Me, and Flight of the Concords have all been tapped for new seasons but HBO has given no time details so it may be late fall (if lucky) or even early 09 before we see them again. THANK YOU WRITERS STRIKE!!!

Showtime:
Showtime original lineup the past 2 years has been nothing short of stellar. They also lucked out having aired their second seasons of Dexter and Brotherhood just before the writers strike, and had their second season of The Tudors and fourth season of Weeds in the can.

The Tudors is currently half way through their outstanding second season and Showtime has already renewed for a third. ” ‘The Tudors’ is now a fixture for us at Showtime, and we’re on our way to completing the entire saga of all six wives of Henry VIII,” says Robert Greenblatt, head of Showtime Entertainment. ”We are enormously proud of this show, the extraordinary cast, and the production team that recreates the grandeur of the Renaissance year in and year out.” Show Executive Producer, Michael Hirst, has made no secrets this season will end with the beheading of Anne Boleyn, so season 3 will no doubt focus on his marriage to Jane Seymour.

Showtime is also premiering the fourth season of Weeds June 16th. Season three ended with Nancy Botwins (Mary-Louise Parker) home (and most of the community) burning to the ground in wildfires. “Nancy & Co. relocate to the fictional beach town of Ren Mar on the San Diego/Mexico border to set up shop with a new front biz that’s…pregnant with possibilities.” That is direct from the Showtime press release. Albert Brooks has signed on this season to play Nancy’s father-in-law.

Showtime is pairing Weeds with their new Secret Diary of a Call Girl, which has already aired on Britain TV. The show is the story of a woman, Hannah, played by Billie Piper, and is set in London. Hannah juggles life as legal secretary during the day and a call girl at night. I haven’t seen an episode, but my guess is it has a ton of sex.

Brotherhood has been tapped for an 8 episode third season. Brotherhood is my second favorite Showtime show to Dexter, and I will be glad to have it back. Low ratings have been a problem for the critically acclaimed drama but executives at Showtime consider it one of their favorites, and hope a new season will spark interest.

Dexter and Californication will be back for new seasons, but no dates have been given at press time.

FX:
Doesn’t it seem like a year has gone by since Vic Mackey learned it was Shane that killed Strike Team member Lem, and the evil developer, Cruz Penzuela, was turning Farmington into a Mexican Mafia haven??? Well it was a year ago. In what perhaps is the cruelest wait of all, FX has pushed its final season of its flagship series The Shield to September, even though all the episodes were done shooting before the writers strike.

FX is claiming that is does not want to contend with the Summer Olympics, but let’s be real here. How many late night watchers of The Shield are not going to tune in because of the Olympics??? It’s absurd.

Damages and Rescue Me are slated for a 2009 return. THANK YOU WRITERS STRIKE!!!!!

AMC:
AMC’s website has confirmed that Mad Men will be returning this July. Mad Men was by far the best new show of last year and a second season is more than overdue.

The Final season of FX’s flagship series The Shield wont be returning until September, according to sources at FX.  Hal Boedeker at the Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the final installment has been bumped from its slated Summer slot and won’t return until next fall as “[FX] will present “Dirt” and “The Riches” in the spring and “Rescue Me” and “Damages” won’t be back until next year … so FX wanted to save something for fall.”

FX was somewhat sneaky during the writers strike claiming they had all 13 episodes shot and in the can.  Show creator and Executive Producer, Shawn Ryan, quickly dispelled those rumors as false saying the last 6 or 7 episodes still needed to be edited, and he would not participate in the editing process until after the writers strike was over.FX has released an official teaser trailer for the final season, and cast is being very tightlipped about plotlines, but here is what we know.

  ·        Michael Chiklis confirmed in an article last month that Glenn Close, Forest Whitaker, nor Anthony Anderson will return for any cameos.

 ·        Andre “3000″ Benjamin will reprise his guest role he played in season 2 on the very last episode.  He is running for Mayor. 

·        Shawn Ryan did pen the final episode himself.   

Maybe not all the information in the world, but more than you had, and more to come.  One thing I assume for sure is that Vic (Michael Chiklis) will finally put Shane (Walton Goggins) out to pasture after killing Strike Team Member Lem (Kenny Johnson).

	The Shield – The Complete Fifth Season Price: $17.34 List Price: $59.98
	The Shield – The Complete First Season Price: $17.23 List Price: $59.98
	The Shield – The Complete Third Season Price: $23.00 List Price: $59.98
	The Shield – The Complete Fourth Season Price: $27.50 List Price: $59.98

No hay mejor manera de promocionar una serie que filtrar los primeros episodios a las redes P2P. En este caso ha sido la serie Dirt (protagonizada por Courtney Cox), de la que de momento me he encontrado con los dos primeros (aquí y aquí) en calidad DVDSCR.

Según tengo entendido esta segunda temporada constará de solo 7 episodios (por culpa de la huelga de guionistas).