TV Shows »Jeremy Piven’s Jouney of a Lifetime (Worst TV Show)

jeremy piven an asshole in indiaOh how far stars fall when we find out they're huge assholes. Remember when Kevin Spacey, so not the smug uptight guy who would later star in K Pax in an attempt to grab another award, was just a scrappy actor out of nowhere who thanked his mom with earnest glee? Or Paul Giamatti when he was a likable schlep, not a pompous John Adams or everyman Cleveland Meeks (though to be honest, he still seems like an okay guy who's just picking roles in an attempt to make me hate him.)

The worst fallen idol has got to be Jeremy Piven. Once the refreshing, smirking grown kid in Grosse Point Blank and The Larry Sanders Show, he gained great reknown as Ari Gold on the (pretty unbearable) Entourage. Everyone thought he was doing such an amazing job playing a jerk until we all realized it was maybe a bit more real life and a little less acting when he and a rowdy, terrible group of 12 friends ate dinner out at Nobu and only tipped with a DVD of Entourage, getting himself banned from the restaurant.

He dates top models, or correction! He dates the runner ups to Americas next Top Model, he gets in slap fights with Stephen Dorff because he cut in the bathroom line (man, that is the Blood God your messing with!), so why wouldn't we want to be schooled by the self proclaimed “pretty girl” in Buddhist teachings and take A Journey of a Lifetime with him for several hours? Why to hear him complain about how other Hollywood types are shallow because they don't go to India, it could also according to this thread makes a great “drinking game with the amount of times he said “nameste” to passersby – two drinks if he hits on someone inappropriately.”

This guy really out did himself with such a self indulgent joke of a show. I mean, I also caught episodes of Outsiders Inn; the sad, sad reboot of At the Movies (now for idiots! Thanks Josh and Josh); and the decline of HBO – True Blood anyone or how about Tell Me You Love Me?! But Piven's shitty TV show takes the cake.

I have to admit, I did you all a disservice by not watching all of this program – but just take a look at this two minute intro and I think you'll forgive me. At this point, though, I wish I had stuck with it a little longer so I could detail the antics for you, and as of right now the program is not airing on its original network, Discovery HD, anytime soon. But seriously, if it does air again, I'm up for that drinking game – if we can in fact actually keep it on for more than half an hour.

No journey has been this dislikable since his co-star Adrian Grenier made a documentary himself (in which he still managed to be on camera the whole time) about the journey to find his father – I wonder how many twenty year old girls fell into his bed for that sob story.

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Posted on November 10, 2008

TV Shows »Mighty Boosh (Best TV Show)

the mighty boosh season 3TV Shows pick for 11/19/07
Here's what I said then:

Seasons one and two of the Mighty Boosh are such entirely different animals that I think they should be dealt with separately. After hearing about this show from friends for years, we finally managed to see one late at night on BBC America (apparently they feel that 1am on a Saturday is the prime time to showcase one of their most inventive and hilarious shows).

The first season introduces us to Howard Moon (played by Julian Barratt), a jazz aficionado and generally amiable loser who weaves together what are typically considered some of the worst personality quirks (envy, jealousy, laziness, self importance) into an inexplicably charming character.

Moon's best friend, (played with equal charm by former Brix Pick hunk, Noel Fielding) Vince Noir is a vain mod/glam rocker who floats happily through routine daily life and always enjoys the spoils of their adventures. He can also speak to animals (though he squanders his gift chatting to them mainly about Gary Numan, imagine that?) .

They work in a less than a stellar zoo (called the Zooniverse) that's run by a nearly retarded manager, Bob Fossil, who can't remember the “scientific” names of the animals and instead refers to them by semi descriptive phrases like “the gray legged face man” (an elephant) and “the long mover; windy man” (a snake).

Other characters on the scene are Naboo, a shaman who loves Fleetwood Mac; Mrs. Gideon an older foreign lady Howard Moon is in love with; and, this week's style icon, Matt Berry as Dixon Bainbridge, a “real live action man” and all around shady character who owns the zoo.

This is a show that's really hard to accurately describe. Many of my favorite parts consist of nothing more than the easy banter between Noir and Moon that proceeds their bizarre adventures in which they encounter a wide variety of interesting friends foes: mutant animals, Black Frost, and Charlie–a huge wad of bubble gum with a mustache. It's truly unique and it's one of the best comedies we've seen in some time.

Then there's season two which, sadly, disposes of both the Zooniverse and Bob Fossil; a development that angered fans and made the show suffer. One can easily see why Barrat and Fielding wanted to change the format, try new things and expand their characters but, too often, it feels like they enjoy playing the roles more than we enjoy watching them.

This new format, which starts the adventure right away (gone are the funny conversations I loved), makes the show feel a bit more like a hit or miss sketch comedy half hour. Don't get me wrong, it's still way funnier than nearly everything on our domestic networks right now, and some additions, like the slow witted full moon and Bollo the gorilla playing a larger role as Naboo's familiar, are ingenious.

Still, the first season works better for me by leaps and bounds. Let's hope the highly anticipated third season is totally excellent! I can hardly wait to see.

Runner Ups:
Principal's Office
State of Play
Tom Goes to the Mayor
30 Rock
Bleak House

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Posted on November 3, 2008

TV Shows »High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman

high spirits shirley ghostmanIf you're a fan of the merciless, spoof comedy of Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat and Ali G) and you have yet to discover High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman, you are in for a treat. Like Baron Cohen, Shirley, an odd Liberace-like, insensitive man-woman, played by edgy (sometimes too edgy) comic Marc Wootton interacts with real people who are not in on the joke. Prepare to squirm in your seat in both laughter and total discomfort.

The show begins with a live performance with an unwitting audience where Shirley gets psychic vibes off people with his spirit dog, Sheeba, like “Right, is there someone here, OK? With something going on in their life?” and channels dead celebrities, most hilariously a racist Colonol Sanders (possibly the single most astonishing and funny bits of the whole series) and Lady Di and Dodi Fayed. These had us nearly crying.

Other top segments are Spirit Academy, a reality show (with real contestants, again unaware of the joke) battling in an insane asylum for the title of Britain's Top Psychic. At one point, to prove their abilities, Ghostman asks them to all run away from the person who they think is going to be kicked out. The reality spoof is stunning. It's shocking what people will do to be in TV, especially crazy people who believe they're psychic. But again, I think the same thing watching nearly any reality TV.

Another favorite sketch involves Alf, a former exterminator turned pervy ghost buster, “Busting makes me feel good”. With a homemade contraption strapped to his back, mostly made up of an old vacuum cleaner he gets rid of ghosts in nutter's home. One lady, who Alf finds very attractive, is a goofy weirdo with an apartment that' half painted and willingness to trap the spirit with her sexuality.

Available on DVD only in the UK, this aired briefly on BBC America, for which I suppose I should be grateful, but the channel has yet to show any of his other highly praised work or re air these. So grab an all region player and open your world to yet unavailable BBC comedy, starting with this to get you in the Halloween spirit.

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Posted on October 27, 2008

TV Shows »Extras

extras ricky gervaisI have to admit that after being such a fan of the British Office, and a complete lover of the Ricky Gervais Show (with Karl Pilkington), the first season of Extras was a bit of a disappointment to me. I don't want to spend this whole time unfairly comparing the two TV shows, but I'd say the big difference is that everyone could relate to The Office and while David Brent is a mostly unlikable cringe inducing man, the show was full of pathos and sympathy.

Extras is a harder nut to crack. Taking cues perhaps from Curb Your Enthusiasm (that probably took cues from the British office in the first place) this is one of those obnoxious men getting caught in spiraling misunderstandings things; And, like only the truly British can truly do, it is really, heart breakingly depressing as much or even more so than as it is funny.

Of course, season one though, before I go slagging it off (any one else start to think in British slang terms after watching lots of BBC?) did have the best guest appearance of all time when Patrick Stewart showed of his comedic chops playing himself as an excitable teenage like perv who's dream project is a movie about a guy who can tear of women's clothing with his mind. As he explains animatedly “They try to cover up, but it's too late, I've already seen everything”. The show gradually grew on me and I entered the second series with a much more open mind.

There are lots of laughs this time around, where we find Gervais as actor Andy Millman no longer an extra but a bona fide TV star on a dismally crappy sitcom. The scenes of the show, called “When the Whistle Blows” are pitch perfect examples of mediocre, broad, lowest common denominator humor. The guest appearances, which aren't always the best part are well done with Daniel Radcliff and his unwrapped condom and Sir Ian McKellan and his hilarious theories on acting standing out. De Niro also gets the best line in the whole thing when he off screen asks “The woman from the pen?” (Watch it, you'll understand).

The best part though, aside from a bit of physical comedy involving an exploding bottle of sparkling water that completely caught me off guard and had me laughing until I couldn't breathe (and in fact, just thinking about it now gives me giggles in my tummy) is the almost freakishly tall Stephen Merchant as the ugly raincoat and maroon turtleneck wearing useless manager. The sweet and dim friend, Maggie Jacobs, played by Ashley Jensen is also extremely likable,?a much needed contrast to Millman's sometimes indefensible personality.

So, it's not The Office, but it's a tragicomedy worth watching, particularly in the sea of HBO's poor programming choices (have you actually seen True Blood??!!, My stars, it sucks).

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Posted on October 20, 2008

TV Shows »Jericho

jericho of scotland yardIf you heeded my strong recommendation of the sea faring adventure series, Horatio Hornblower, good guy Robert Lindsay will be familiar to you. Here he plays a man completely devoted to his life as a detective. Great news for victims of crime in London, 1958, not so good news for criminals or for his personal life.

Jericho was meant to be a new big BBC hit for fans of Foyle's War and Inspector Morse, but despite good actors, nice art direction, and decent murder plots that aren't easy to figure out on your own, it failed to garner a second season after loosing lots of it's viewership to other more modern mystery shows and unlike America's (totally unrelated) Jericho, cult fans were not around to save it from it's demise.

It was aired a couple years ago on PBS and is available on DVD, so netflix it if you're a fan of British mysteries. It's not life changing, but good for afternoon easy viewing and Lindsay really is a treat to watch.

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Posted on October 13, 2008

TV Shows »Vice Presidential Debate

vp debate funny sarah palinIn what was likely the most lively of the debates, if the first presidential snooze fest was any indication, Palin was folksy and winky and Biden, in my opinion, mostly ruled. Expectations were so low for the hockey mom that honestly the only way she could have failed as by farting and fainting at the podium. It's clear whom I favor in the race, but based on the debates' viewership, they and this election are important to everyone and that is assuring. I prefer an impassioned, but well informed person I disagree with to an apathetic moron any day.

But back to my bias, I can not stand Palin and as much as I would have loved to see her completely fail, which she didn't, I got enough satisfying cringes out of her lame phrases, the clear fact that she sometimes had no idea what the questions meant and her hairdo. It was classic Hairstyles Magazine, business in the front, prom in the back.

I hope the upcoming presidential debates prove to be more heated and illuminating. The next is Tuesday, Oct. 7th and the last will be on the 15th.

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Posted on October 6, 2008

TV Shows »Even Stevens

even stevens disney channelIn last week's review of Gym Teacher: The Movie I mentioned the exceptional Disney kids show Even Stevens, a gem of a show I dearly miss and one of the best kid shows ever made. We used to watch episodes during our lunch breaks in Austin at the urging of a friend. The weird claymation intro is burned into my brain and the little ditty that opened the show will always remind me of afternoons spent revisiting a gentler, more innocent time of being in junior high.

The entire cast was thoroughly charming (you might recognize mom, Donna Pescow from Out of This World) but of course it was the now mega star Shia LaBeouf's turn as a some what nerdy, creative and mischievous pre teen that won our hearts. Though it's only fair to appreciate minor characters like Beans and Tom Gribalski.

The series is sadly not available on dvd but I am happy to say that this month it begins airing on WGN America, so if anyone out there can satellite TV, enjoy.

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Posted on September 29, 2008

TV Shows »Gym Teacher The Movie

gym teacher the moviePaul Dinello directs Gym Teacher: The Movie while old pal from Strangers with Candy, Amy Sedaris guest stars as a horny oddball principal. Also joining them in the fun that is evident they were all having while shooting this is David Alan Grier, aka “Dag” who is as funny (Boomerang) or awful (In Living Color, Thank God You're Here) as his material. Chris Kattan opens the made for Nickelodeon movie as an obnoxious sports blooper show host and is funny for the first time in his life while Bruce Jenner is also there to remind us how odd he looks now.

The star of the show however, is Chris Meloni a man who has made a career as the serious Law and Order: SVU detective Elliot Stabler and as a bisexual serial killer on Oz before that. From his sideline career choices like Wet Hot American Summer, Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, Scrubs and this, one would guess that like fellow award winning actor, John C Reilly, there's a passion for the goofy and to make people laugh. He fascinates me for this reason, like a cool guy that hangs out with the weird theater kids to their shock and delight and that's why it's so hard to write that he is unfortunately the weakest link in this movie.

The role of the gym teacher seems like it was custom fit for Stephen Colbert's tricky lovable jerk style. Maybe we was just too busy to give his old friends the time of day?or maybe I am just imagining it, but Meloni, feels less like a lovable jerk and more like a genuinely strange person. It's also a bit long. I'm not really sure if it was necessary to make it a full two hours and if it were, maybe Denillo should have featured himself (barely even in this as a shop teacher) and Sedaris in it more.

Still, I can sometimes love myself a goofy tween sports comedy and especially towards the beginning, there are some genuine laughs here. Plus it's been awhile since I watch something on Nick or Disney (but I still remember you fondly, Even Stevens) ad it's great, after some heavy reading, long nights at work, or any of the other things going on this week in my life, to watch some thing dumb but entertaining that's sponsored by something called “Puppy in my Pocket“.

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Posted on September 22, 2008

TV Shows »Five Days

five days hboBy the side of the road a mother and her two kids stop to get flowers from a truck. In a blink of the eye, the mother disappears and the children wander off on their own. This is the chilling premise of Five Days, an HBO/BBC collaboration mini series. The following days follow not only the investigation into what happened but the personal lives of each and every person affected by the tragedy.

While Jim and I could have forgone the weepy Enya type music by Magnus Fiennes and Heidrun Bjornsdottir which is almost always played during scenes of someone sobbing (such obvious heart string pulling scenes just aren't necessary with writing and acting this good) there's little else to complain about in this somber story.

At five hours, it's a commitment to watch, but if you are interested in elevating from the cursory and repetitive crime procedurals of Law and Order, Criminal Intent, etc, etc but still find the genre interesting, it's worth your time.

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Posted on September 15, 2008

TV Shows »The Principal’s Office

principal's office truTVOh truTV, with your wordy new non-catchy catch phrase (Not reality. Actuality) and your leggy Dayle Hinman, I just about thought you had given me all the true crime goodies you had (which believe me, is plenty and I me adore you). I though I has you all figured out (new shows like Speeders and Most Shocking for the younger demos, Suburban Secrets and the Investigators for women like myself), you go and pull off a magnificent stunt like The Principal's Office.

A reality–I'm sorry: actuality show about kids going to the principal's office and getting in trouble is unmitigated genius. In the first episode we met the smirking, nerdily charming Tony, a kid who can't help himself from getting into goofy trouble. After being called into?Principal Sheninger's office (the hottest of the disciplinarians–who I know for a fact my friend Dana would have been in love with if he'd been principal of Cheyenne Mountain High), Tony is reminded of previous offenses, like the time he pole danced on the flag pole and when he fell onto second base and started humping it. His offense this time? Shaking his butt and pinching his nipples in class while calling his teacher “beautiful”. God, I love this show!

There's also the principal in rural Arkansas who paddles teenage girls (it's optional, not mandatory–but still?!); the awesome lady in Danbury who Jim and I think is actually the most effective administrator, and a super nice guy in Ohio. Oh, and there are amazing bitchy Jersey girls in every episode!

It makes me think about the strange era we live in. I mean, can you imagine if the bad kids in your school wound up on national television when sent to the pricipal's office?

Mike Holstien could have been a household name, perhaps even spinning off his own show. He was the kid who landed me in hot water back in 6th grade and accompanied me on my one and only principal's office visit for authoring a terribly dirty MASH game with Holly Brindisi (awesomely bad girl friend with extraordinary big bangs) and myself. I recall one category was “what injuries were sustained during intercourse” (though it was probably worded less eloquently). One of the options was “bust a nut”, a phrase I didn't even understand but I think I was familiar with from perhaps an Eazy-E song? Either way, I'll never forget it and I got in serious trouble with my mom that day?whew, memories. Just imagine if it were all caught on camera?!

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Posted on September 8, 2008