7 posts tagged “the cw”

I know, last night we got the first part of a three hour finale from Lost (um, boys, that's just another episode, they're all of the "to-be-continued" variety) which was good and amazes me that I am still interested after almost an entire, although abbreviated, season. Not giving a flip really changed the way I feel about the show, made it enjoyable again. That and the genius of the flash-forward. Oh, and The Office gave us a new employee, a farewell, an arrest, a proposal, a thwarted proposal, a baby announcement, and cubicle sex, but I won't go into the details for fear of spoiling folks who may not have watched it yet. But I must say: poor, poor Phyllis.

What made the night for me, though? The season finale of Supernatural. I usually record and watch later. I know I don't say it a lot, and I do miss this show more than I should (got two episodes I still need to watch), but it can rock so hard. Yes, it can miss the mark, like all shows, but overall, it rocks.. And although I do really appreciate and enjoy the pretty, I'm not a squealing fangirl. Last night I actually said "damn, I love this show" during the previouslies, which set the stage for awesome. I realized then that all of the Moonlight fans who were super-upset over losing their show (yes, they actually do exist, check out the comments on posts about cancellation like Nikki Finke's) should just visit the Winchester brothers, if they don't already. It's darker than Mick St. John's world, which is a huge screaming plus for me, but well written, snarky, broody, fantastic core cast, damn fun to watch, not to mention the bitchin' ride with boss tunes, and they could always use the ratings boost. So, here are those previouslies that give a nice recap to the season before the finale and should be incentive to watch repeats this summer.

For the love of Joe E. Tata, who pitched this idea? I first read about it this morning thanks to The Hollywood Reporter, e-mailed it immediately to a friend (the reply to my "NOOOOOO!" involved a wish for a "Who shot Brenda?" storyline), and bookmarked it to post later. In the meantime, it spread across the Interwebs faster than Bret Michaels' STD o' the week:

Veronica Mars Mastermind Rob Thomas to Oversee The CW's Proposed Beverly Hills 90210 Sequel? [AICN]

Casting The Upcoming '90210' Spinoff [Defamer]

Veronica Mars Creator to Spinoff '90210' for The CW [Zap2it]

90210 Hell, Yes: Series Spinoff Led By . . . Mars Boss Rob Thomas? [Watch with Kristin]

A real 'Beverly Hills, 90210' Spinoff (as opposed to 'Dancing with the Stars') [EW's Popwatch]

Really, Dawn Ostroff, is this how you plan  to make The CW a a contender with the big bad broadcast networks? Are we following in Ben Silverman's footsteps down memory lane? Of all the alphabet networks, NBC may not be the one to model for success right now.

90210: The New Class? The richie-rich-kid soap niche can be considered done and done by The CW's very own Gossip Girl at the moment, and on the heels of Josh Schwartz's The O.C. too. Is there a need for a new generation of West Beverly High teens, complete with random Ian Ziering guest spots? I cannot believe that question is even being asked. With Rob Thomas at the wheel, this has a shot at being strangely awesome, but it just sounds like a Hidden Palms disaster (not to compare Rob Thomas to Kevin Williamson, heh). Of course, either way folks will at least tune in to the pilot, so there you go. I bet Thomas has at least half a dozen original projects in the works that would be better choices to produce, the operative word being original. And this negativity comes from a gal who holds the zip code hijinks close to her heart because it sparked her TV-snark. By the third season, the weekly lunch table 90210-dish had turned into 90210-massacre. Twenty straight minutes of snark, sigh.

Aw, Rob, I understand that a gig is a gig, an opportunity begets more opportunities. But what happened to the development deal and Cupid redux at ABC? Oooh, "Who shot Brenda?" could work for Noir-90210, and there would be so many suspects, it would last forever just like the original! Anyway, shoot the pilot, if it's a real stinker that still gets picked up, claim a case of David Greenwalt's Moonlight-exhaustion. And if you need a gal who can give you the complete scoop on the original (without the Dylan McKay/Logan Echolls compare-and-contrast) while simultaneously making a killer pot of coffee, fixing the copier, answering the phone, proofing pages, and creating gift baskets, you know where to find me. Don't worry, I won't listen to "Losing My Religion" on repeat if you don't call.

My random thoughts on TV that aren’t long enough to stand alone but combined make for one long-ass post:

• Did you watch the Emmys on Sunday? Yeah, nothing else was on but Tell Me You Love Me, so the Emmys it was. Did you also find them boring while still reminding the viewing public how out of touch voters are? Sure, sure, no surprise, especially after six years of Lauren Graham snubs, but you can't blame them for dissing her for last season. Maybe that will change with her new development deal at NBC. So, did you hear a chorus of "Are you f*cking kidding me?" in bad faux-Jersey accents sweep the country when Sally Field won? Followed by "You gotta be f*cking kidding me." when James Spader took the stage? Oh, right, ratings sucked, not enough viewers for it to be audible. Well, at least Spader seemed genuinely befuddled, more so than usual. Okay, so I've crushed on Spader since he was typecast as '80s elitist sleezoid, and he's a fine actor even though the other Jimmy really did deserve the statue, but who watches Boston Legal besides my stepmother and William Shatner? Sally Field reminded me why I don't watch Brothers & Sisters, not for what she said but the shrill rambling (Brain fever, Celeste?), I don't care if Everwood's Emily VanCamp is a cast member now. Give me a Chris Pratt guest stint, maybe I'll reconsider for a few. But what's up with Katherine Heigl actually winning? Did the other gals split the votes? I've always liked her, but, really? Nah-ah, the S-word is not allowed here. Eh, I'm so tired of the Shondafication of the small screen, I'm elated Grey's didn't take more statues. Huh? I agree, Seacrest is a manscaped asshat. But thankfully Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Steve Carrell were on the recycled stage to give us one worthy laugh.
  

• Oh, Tell Me You Love Me. Sorry, I just can't make that commitment. No, no, it's not me, it's you. Who wants to watch a show about annoying people going through couples therapy for intimacy issues? Agony. It's as if thirtysomething stopped taking its antidepressants and ditched the fun-fun-fun storylines that dealt with kid barf, money matters, soul-sucking bosses, death, and cancer. I tried watching the second episode but my muttering "ShutupShutupShutup" followed by "Uggggh" repeatedly drowned out dialogue. I had issues with the promos that showed creator Cynthia Mort saying something about not even thinking about the sex when she conceived the first script; it just didn't occur to her. I don't remember exactly what she said because my brain imploded on that statement. A show with sexual intimacy as the central theme yet nookie didn't cross the mind? So when it was pitched to HBO, they weren't interested in all the "ground-breaking" nekkid, it was greenlit just because of issues, issues, issues, yay! Riiight. Do airlines service your island of delusion yet? Because I'd love to visit.

• Mad Men was renewed. I thought it would be, but after last week's ending, I would  toss my telly if it wasn't. It rocked my socks. Betty mid-afternoon still in her pink nightie ensemb, perfect hair, cigarette a dangling, using live pigeons in her front yard as skeet just left me giddy and speechless but for a "Hell Yeah!" Housewife Barbie has a dark side, now please let Mouse Ears cross over too. It's a repeat of "5G" tonight, but that's okay. Now that I have renamed the day Mad Men Thursday, I'll be back.
  

• Top Chef, why are we just now becoming friends? We’ve met once or twice, passing primetime acquaintances, and I got your messages about meeting up again but never returned the calls. Now, I look forward to our weekly sit-downs to see what detail Colicchio will nitpick; how Padma can be both goofy and condescending in one breath; if Queer Eye's delightful Ted will judge or that Food & Wine whiner Gail instead; how the camera will catch Hung in some obnoxious act which he will completely deny during a confessional; what Big Gay Chef comment Dale will make this week; how overblown Casey's hair will be during her talkingheads; if Brian will incorporate seafood into a dessert; will Sara expertly roll her eyes while making couscous; and what inane Quick Fire challenge our little cheftestants will face. Sadly, Sara will not get the chance to roll her eyes in Aspen. But maybe she can get an investor now to exhibit her mad skills on a Jamaican cheese farm.

• The new Fall season starts next week. Okay, so Fox launched new shows this week, as has The CW. Again, never got around to commenting on their upfronts either, so meh. Don't really plan on watching Fox much besides 24 anyway. If it weren't for Keifer, sweeeeet Keifer, I would ditch it, although I heard today that Tony "Soul Patch" Alameda will very briefly return. Sneaky rat bastards. Oh, and I will probably catch The Sarah Connor Chronicles whenever it shows up. I did watch Back to You for some inexplicable reason. Kelsey Grammar was trying not to be Frasier Crane, Patricia Heaton the anti-Deborah. I'm a sitcom snob, so studio audiences and laugh tracks don't often reel me in, and I don't think it worked this time either. That said Fred Willard is comedy gold even with a mediocre script.

• I probably won't watch the CW much either but I must admit, I did watch Gossip Girl. Teen dramas are an oxymoron and I am a skosh TV snob. But we've all got guilty pleasures, and these are my guiltiest of TV guilty pleasures. I rarely stick around for a whole season, but I am compelled to check them out once if only to mock. I said I wasn't going to watch GG, but I couldn't help myself. Josh Schwartz, people; no matter how far The O.C. sank, it still hooked my shallow soul in the beginning. As for GG, I have not read the books, nor do I plan to do so. So it's all new to me, and yes, reminds me of Cruel Intentions, but thankfully nobody monotones dialogue like Ryan Phillippe for the small screen. Honestly, it was one of the longest hours of TV I've seen in a while, meaning I checked the clock at the half-hour thinking things must be winding up. Wrong. I miss the comedy of The O.C. because poking fun at itself was incredibly charming. The acting isn't completely wretched. The story is completely predictable. The Humphrey kids are likable, which is good since they are the characters we are supposed to identify with the most as average folk. And Dan already slammed a Ryan-Atwood-new-kid-punch to date-rape-is-fun richie-rich asshole, Chuck. As for the music, not a fan. Although they did work an Air song into the popfest, I've had Peter Bjorn & John's "Young Folks" in my head all damn day now and I have no patience for the whistle in any tune. I forgot that Kristen Bell narrates the show and although her voice doesn't have Veronica's specific snarktastic edge, it was disconcerting having listened to so many VMVOs. But then I thought of it like a big F U to the C-double-U. Bank on my popularity for publicity yet cancel my show, fine, but I will still be narrating what you think will be your biggest hit yet while I kick your ass Monday nights on Heroes. Will I watch again? If I'm home, and not busy, and nothing else is on, maybe, um, okay, probably.
  

• I had planned on a bullet for the shows I'm stoked to see in the upcoming weeks but that's just way too much for a wee bullet to support. That last bullet is on roids so it can handle the wordy weight. So, that will be up later in a separate post. I know, it's like the worst cliffhanger ever, right?
  

Maybe it was the Shiner Bock. Maybe it's because I am resigned to the fact that Veronica Mars will never be the same funky noir detective show it was in season one. Maybe it was the combo of Paul Rudd and John Enbom's writing. But I enjoyed last night's episode, "Debasement Tapes."

First, the mystery was bland fluff. Rudd's Desmond Fellowes loses his background tapes for the show and the resolution is that his bag was accidentally switched at the airport. Maybe a realistic resolution, but reality is not why I watch television! When we had long mystery arcs, we still had something to be invested in during episodes with a light, fun mystery-of-the-week. If the light MOTW is all alone, the episode just falls flat. As a pancake. One of those thin Swedish pancakes. Or a crepe. But with none of the strawberries and yummy filling. (Yeah, I skipped breakfast.)

Paul Rudd rocked. I always adore him. He made me laugh more at VM than I did at last week's Office. I do lurve Enbom-dialogue. Desmond's interactions with V were priceless. "It's mercenary. I like it." I was glad his ability to never call anyone by the correct names was so un-Sawyer-like.  I even loved the music and wish I had gotten Cotton Mather's Kon Tiki when I had the chance.

We got to see almost everyone in the opening credits (besides Lamb, of course). Fabulous Wallace and Veronica moments, although I still want him to work with her on a case, dammit.

Mac and Veronica. Mac and Logan. Mac and Max. I heart Mac so much. And I figured the breakup with earthmuffin Bronson was only a matter of time, so I bought it. I loved that she took a stake in Logan's site instead of payment. Mama's got put gas in her VW Beetle. The plotline of her working with Logan may not have been mystery-related in any way, but I thought it was fun, and they give good friendly snark.

Who else? Vinnie! For sherriff? Okaaaaaay. That seems like a bad storyline, but I'll go along for the ride. Leo! No way in hell Keith would have hired him back. He was the special investigator who uncovered that Leo stole the Aaron Echolls tapes. Nope, not even for his thief-with-a-heart-of-gold reason to help pay for his disabled sister's tuition. Which was, oh nevermind, I don't want to discuss One Angry Veronica.

We had Logan and Veronica interaction that wasn't awkward. Nice reminder of their chemistry, kind of late season two-ish. That elevator may be my favorite set, too, lol. The scene was proof for me why they shouldn't have been paired up this season. We could've watched a relationship grow, instead of the doomed disaster that we were introduced to months after they started dating. Logan asking Mac about V was interesting. I didn't think he really thought that V cheated with Piz. Especially after the plot-contrivance named Madison. He knows V better. But for all of his bravado, he's so damn insecure, thanks to his past. So when he saw V kiss Piz, it triggered something. Maybe he started wondering if emotionally she started liking Piz back then. When they were fighting and she discovered another wicked deed he had done, disappointing her again. She always wanted him to change, so was Piz like the guy she wanted? Did she cry on the boyscout's shoulder about him? Maybe Piz can be the guy she wants, someone she can actually love and not a rebound after all. Insecurity's a bitch.

Nice moments with Piz and V, but no romantic sparkles. The handholding epiphany just smacked of bad teen movie. Come on, Rob Thomas! I know you wrote Drive Me Crazy, but must we visit that genre? I am sick of the good guy vs. bad boy song-and-dance. Yeah, Piz is the good guy. The one who works at nursing homes and manipulates rock stars into playing new material for their own good. He's the new Duncan minus the fugly argyle. Although Logan may have grown some, he is still the bad boy who cheats and gets in fights and creates GradeMyAss.com for a class project (which, btw, heh). Please pick a different tune.

So I grade this episode as a B. Skosh better than last week's, but still not the VM I know and love.

Yeah, I've been pretty dismayed by the course Veronica Mars has taken in season three. And last week's episode sure didn't help. But even if tonight's episode is a trainwreck (promos have Logan distraught over Veronica AGAIN, blech, but the promos are always ridculously inaccurate in their portrayl of this show), we have Paul Rudd to distract us! Rudd plays a washed-up rocker from the 90s performing a benefit concert for the Hearst radio station. And I bet hilarity actually does ensue! The mystery revolves around V helping Rudd find the missing background tracks for his show. Oh, and Logan asks Mac to help him set up a smarmy Web site for a class project. Could we see a little OPJ of the past? Sigh, if only.

"Debasement Tapes" airs tonight on the CW at 9/8 pm.

And in other VM news . . .Well, not news, but I just watched this on YouTube. It's what the credits could be if the CW chooses FBI Special Agent Mars for season four. So, we put Veronica in a smart designer pantsuit and cut her hair into a smart bob. Give her a good-looking male partner with a dry, sarcastic personality, full of wacky ideas about investigating supernatural occurances, while V plays devil's advocate with facts and logic? Yeah, yeah, snark and sexual tension follows until she inexplicably ends up pregnant with his baby.
Clickity click on the link for a hearty tv-geek chuckle. Dick could totally be in the FBI!

So, what did I think of the return of Veronica Mars?

It was meh. How's that for descriptive? For me, it wasn't one of the better episodes of this humdrum season. The mystery of the week felt very after-school-special when it was wrapped up. It was a little flat, and I didn't warm up to Amira. Also, I was confuzzled by her early mention of losing her Pirate Points at Neptune High. Pirate Points weren't taken away in season one's "Return of the Kane" with Duncan's election and Wanda's defeat; he actually opened them up to more kids. So, wha?

Keith's storyline was okay. I miss him being at Mars Investigations. Although it was nice for him to call V on her illegal deeds and for her to apologize. Nice genuine daddy-daughter moments. Keith using Wallace and Stosh (heh, like how he only refers to Weevil as Eli) in his undercover operation to bust the deputy was fun-ish. I also loved Chief Reilly (Jack McGee) from Rescue Me as the bartender, and the mention of "dearly departed" Lamb's annual raffle. Lamb used the raffle last season to blackmail Terrance Cook, correct? Now, that's some nice continuity you got there.

On to the soap. The forced interactions with Logan and Parker, the longest party scene ever (do parties at the Grand ever go well for V?), the freaking face cake (tm Scrubs), ugh. I laughed out loud at that cake. And then groaned when Parker handed V a slice (cutting her own birthday cake?), knowing she just happened to hand over the face o' Logan The Happy. See how happy he is V? It's right there on your cake. Bad writers, bad! What has happened to Logan? One of the most interesting characters on tv and he is reduced to this. Just because he might be "happy" doesn't mean he has to be boring. Dohring even seemed bored with his dialogue. Geez, and the promo-monkeys at lead us to believe he is all distraught again next week. When he suggested that V move on. Whatever. As long as he doesn't get his mope on.

As for Piz, I like Chris Lowell. I just dislike the way Piz is written to pine for this girl he barely knows, from day one. There is little chemistry between the characters. Mostly, I don't like having this relationship crammed down my throat, like Parker and Logan. In the last five episodes of the season. When Lowell's been cast on on another show (it's well known he is on the Grey's spinoff). More so, I don't like being reminded that Logan and Veronica didn't have to be thrown together last season, could've built a relationship as friends this season. Even more so (tee hee), I resent that this is what I have to discuss instead of mystery elements.

Dick's storyline was a pointless waste of screentime. That's all I'm saying about that.

Damn, I am such a Negative Nelly. Did I like anything else? Yes! I loved Wallace having more than two lines, as well as involved in a sub-plot even though not as V's sidekick. Will he ever get to kick it again? Mac is always the awesomest. Loved Max's "Did my friends hire you?" Heh. Pulp Fiction and El Duderino shout outs. "Keep up, Towlie." South Park references are great Veronica continuity. Principal Clemmons! I miss you, Van. Sacks rockin' his pornstache while respecting Keith. I know there is more. Maybe I'll add it later.

Overall, the episode gets a B-/C+. Next week: PAUL RUDD!!!!!!!

By the by, keep your fingers crossed for Rob Thomas and crew. Today was the pitch to CW execs for season four possibilities. Ratings weren't great last night, but they weren't much lower than usual, which is good since it's been on hiatus. Who knew the Search for the Next Talentless Skank could take eight weeks?

It is no secret. I love the Veronica Mars. I fell hard for it season one. Sharp, fresh writing combined with excellent actors, loads of snark, a noir premise, and intriguing mysteries just made me a giddy gal. I adored everything about it, from writing to lighting. Watching this show actually helped me curtail my tube time because I don't tolerate crappy programming any more.

Sure, season one had its weak episodes, but beginning to end, it is a perfectly plotted mystery, and a perfect season of television (I miss Lilly Kane). Season two had major problems in the first half (comababyhell), but on the whole, a great season of television (I don't miss Duncan Kane). Still better than most shows try to be at their best.

My hopes for season three were high, even though I was thoroughly confuzzled by the extent the writer's went to make Beaver "My name is Cassidy" Casablancas evil in the season two finale. And why Veronica and Logan were shoved back together in the last few minutes. But a new network, maybe a slightly larger budget, a larger audience, and a new setting that might offer a new array of storylines for mysteries. Showrunner Rob Thomas was given another chance with renewal, and he wouldn't let us down. Right?

Well, as seson three draws to a close, my expectations have indeed lowered. I have a theory on fandoms that I will elaborate on later, but falling into any fandom, to any degree, is sorta kinda like the stages of falling in love. It starts with infatuation. Really, it's not as stupid as it sounds. Anyway, right now, with VM, I'm in a co-dependent abusive phase. I am loyal by nature, to family, friends, jobs, my car. And I am loyal to this show. Even though I am hella pissed at how my favorite characters have been developed(or not), the writing has weakened, the mysteries have suffered, and especially how the writers' room seems to have no respect for the show's past. (You cannot retcon major plotpoints to suit your current needs. Fiddling with dates and events is wrong. It's disrespectful to the show and to the viewers.) I miss my show. I don't even recognize it any more. Yet, I keep watching, catching rare glimpses of the show I started watching, hoping it will change, making excuses for it. It's trying to be better. Really, it is. I swear. Oh, this bruise? I walked into a door. (note: really not trying to make light of actual abusive relationships, I promise). I will watch until the very end. Whenever that may be. Most likely with a beer in hand.

So do I want it to be renewed? Yes. Because I hate when shows don't get a proper send-off, especially shows with a cult status. Angel at least had a series finale, even if it was rushed to wrap up. The O.C. was given a gift with their opportunity to say goodbye this past season. Whether Veronica is in the FBI, at Hearst, or running Mars Investigations, I want her to have a chance to say goodbye. And if the show is revitalized, becomes something of equal caliber to season one VM in the process, even better.

Veronica Mars returns tonight with "Un-American Graffiti" at 9/8pm on The CW.