100 Questions

100 Questions is a complete and total failure. I know NBC was left with a huge gap to fill when Friends went off the air six years ago. This show is quite possibly the network's most pathetic attempt at filling that gap. I mean really, the two male leads are such deliberate and obvious rip offs of Joey and Chandler that I just call them Joey and Chandler. The characters are completely unoriginal, the writing is jaw droppingly bad, and for God's sake will someone turn down the laugh track.

You know those movies and shows that are about making really bad TV shows? Well 100 Questions is the bad show they are making. I feel like talking about how unwatchable this show is is like beating a dead horse. NBC reduced the number of episodes from 13 to 6, various cast members are now on other shows, and NBC hasn't wasted one dime promoting it. So however official or unofficial the cancellation is....it's pretty much cancelled.

However, there is one good thing about this comedy. Smith Cho who plays Leslie is a stand out actress. Her comedic timing is enjoyable. These actors have to deliver some of the worst dialogue ever written. But when Cho recites her lines, I can see that it's just bad writing not bad writing and bad acting.

I don't know why NBC even bothered to air this...this insult. And on Thursdays too. I usually can depend on their Thursday night line up to be quality (even though they have nothing good on for the other six days of the week). I watched two episodes of this show, because I seriously thought maybe the pilot was especially bad but the rest of the episodes would be better. I was so wrong.

Everybody Loves Raymond

I don't know what it is about Everybody Loves Raymond, but I am hooked on the reruns. I remember catching an episode when it was still on the air. I was immediately turned off by the set decoration, dialogue, and laugh track. Also, I didn't like that all three of the children were blond yet both parents have brown hair. I deemed the show unwatchable and never looked back.

A few months ago I was home with nothing to do and nothing to watch. I figured ELR was the least bad thing on so I gave it a chance. I was totally entertained. While the set decoration still activates my gag reflex and the Robert character needs work, I really like the parents and Deborah and after a while I didn't even notice the laugh track. The series is syndicated on many different networks but Nick At Nite has full episodes available on line. If you're like me and missed Everybody Loves Raymond the first time, it's worth a revisit.

Lost Finale

After six seasons Lost has gone off the air. When I saw the pilot episode I was hooked. And there aren't words to describe how I felt during the first season finale when The Others rolled up to the make shift raft and said "Give us the boy." I could not wait to find out what the Hell was going on on that island!

However, after catching a few episodes during the second season I lost interest in the show and eventually stopped watching all together. The mysteries that were so captivating became annoying and frustrating. But really I stopped watching because I was afraid. I get really into the TV shows I watch. (So much so that I created a blog just to talk about them.) And I was afraid that I would feel cheated and mistreated if this series took a bad turn with unbelievable plot lines or sudden cancellation. I didn't believe Lost could live up to the hype.

Cut to season three. Tired of being left out of the water cooler conversations, I was back to being an avid viewer. I scheduled Lost on the DVR and watched every episode. When I had questions or just wanted to talk about how hot Sawyer was I would call my sister, Gloria, because this was her favorite show. Then It was announced that Lost was going off the air. The commercials for the final season promised the mystery of the island would be solved. I was beside myself with anticipation.

The Lost finale was so big ABC billed it as an event. Commercial space cost more than The Superbowl. Local businesses were throwing private viewing parties. I spent the Saturday before the finale sitting in the park with friends listing the questions we couldn't wait to know the answers to. It wasn't just me and a select group of people, the country was excited.

Sunday evening arrives and I snuggle in for the two and a half hour Lost finale. After 120 episode I was finally going to be found. Or so I thought. I'm just going to get to the point. The finale was a huge disappointment. Gigantic. The creators didn't address any of the big mysteries. Instead they left us with some criptic B.S. about purgatory and redemption. WTF!!! I wanted to know why, before the plane crash, couldn't any of the women carry a child to term. I wanted to know what would happen if the smoke monster got off the island. I wanted to know what was the deal with the time travel. I wanted to know why the others captured Walt. I wanted to know about the Dharma initiative. I will never get a satisfactory answer to any of these questions, and that is why that crap finale made me see red. And to add insult to injury the show's producers said they didn't address specific mysteries because that wasn't the big picture of the series. That made me want to hurt someone. It is obvious that the writers and producers wrote themselves into a corner. They didn't solve the mystery of the island because they couldn't.

What makes me so angry is I knew Lost was going to disappoint me in the end and I watched and got invested anyway. Well I won't make that mistake again. From now on if I watch a mystery themed show it will have to be advertised like Harper's Island. They told you from the pilot this series will only be one season, someone will die every epiosde, and the killer(s) will be revealed in the end. That's what I'm looking for, no lose ends.

Hot In Cleveland

I am so excited for this show to premiere on TVland. Hot in Cleveland is a scripted comedy about 3 women in their late 40s that can't find love in LA. So they decide to take a girls trip to the most romantic place on earth, Paris. Their flight has to make and emergency landing in Cleveland, and as the ladies are hanging out in the airport they realize that they are getting a lot of male attention. They are hot in Cleveland....get it? This premise is hilarious. I can't help but be reminded of a joke made on 30 Rock when the character Liz Lemon comes back to NYC after spending time in Cleveland and she says "In Ohio I'm a model" and carries the local newspaper circular as proof.

Hot In Cleveland premieres on June 16th on TVLand and stars Jane Leeves, Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, and Wendie Malick. I am so looking forward to this show. All these ladies have proven comedic talents and I am definitely riding the Betty White bandwagon. But I have one major concern. This show has a great cast and hilarious premise, so why is it on TVLand? Why not a network? This leads me to think it might suck, but I will definitely give the first few episodes a chance.

Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution

The first episode of this show was very promising. What's not to love about a hot guy with a sexy British accent that is passionate about improving the lives of children? I liked the pilot so much I watched it again later with my mom (BTW-she enjoyed it too). But the show has gotten progressively worse with every episode, and now I can't watch it.

I still want to like Food Revolution, but this show has a lot of problems that I can't ignore. I'm most aggravated by the obviously produced resentment Jaime encounters from the locals. Jaime must battle the school board, the lunch ladies, and most of all the local radio DJ in an attempt to get people to be aware of what they are eating. Oh please! I can't even name one local radio DJ, and I would never allow their beliefs to effect my judgement. This show is produced by Ryan Seacrest, a radio DJ, so maybe that's why he's trying to portray the local radio DJ as a relevant voice of the community. The problem is it's not.

Jaime often bumps head with the elementary school's lunch ladies. Even though the kids are tumbling into the cafeteria hungry for their breakfast pizza, we're supposed to believe that these West Virginians are so resistant to change that they would rather their kids die a slow death than heed the warnings of a foreigner. The nay sayers are ofter heard saying "we just don't trust his motives". What's could Jaimie's ulterior motives be? What sinister secret could he possible be plotting that requires healthy kids? I'm insulted that the producers think the viewers are simple enough to believe that manufactured plot.

Also Food Revolution has way to much filler material. The producers come up with the stupidest segments just to fill time. In one episode Jaime created a flash mob that danced and sang about food. What? That is not interesting. It's cony and flash mobs are so played out. Note to all reality shows: When you don't have enough relevant material to fill the time slot, try harder.

Food Revolution tries to push a David vs Goliath sub-plot that has gotten away from them. There are genuine obstacles to improving school lunches; budget, time, and the biggest hurdle of all, kids prefer crappy food. These are the issues the show should focus on. Not can Jaime get 1,000 people to attend free cooking classes when the voice on the radio says don't waste your time?

Two and a Half Men

I started watching Two and a Half Men when they started rerunning episodes in the middle of the day. Even though the show got a lot of buzz the premise didn't interest me in the least, but I'll watch anything when I'm bored. To my surprise Two and a Half Men was funny and the characters (supporting not main) were interesting. Berta, the mom, and the stalker former one night stand that lives next door are all hilarious. The little boy, Jake, was adorable when the show began but as he got older the character got weaker and weaker. I hate when the writers make a character unrealistically stupid. Why couldn't he have been of normal wit?

Anyway, Two and a Half Men jumped a major shark when they introduced Chelsea (played by Jennifer Taylor) as Charlie's fiancee. Ok so I don't want to be mean but Charlie is supposed to be a ladies man, the love them and leave them type. He is often seen with young beautiful women. Chelsea is neither of those things. And Jennifer should have taken a few more acting classes before she took a role on a prime time comedy. I mean really her acting is bad. She probably knows some body.

This last season has been full of bad decisions that should have been stopped by the show's producers way before they made air. This is why I wasn't upset when Charlie Sheen announced he was leaving the show. He said he wanted to do movies, but it's no secret that his personal life is a hot mess. CBS hasn't announced the end of the series but without the star cancellation is inevitable.

I'll continue to watch the reruns of the episodes I've missed and will just pretend this last season never happened.

Gossip Girl

I have been an avid Gossip Girl viewer since the very beginning. I tune in weekly for my dose of drama and intrigue. And every now and then I come away with style tips. Once Jenny carried a black purse that had a giant safety pin as the handle. After the show I immediately emailed a picture of that bag to everyone asking for info on where I could find a knock off. And bonus, I get to discuss the episodes with my friends.

But sadly this post isn't a love letter. While I still enjoy Gossip Girl, I'm putting it on notice. The first season was wonderful. It stirred up feelings I hadn't felt since the original Beverly Hills 90210. I was into the characters, the story lines, the clothes, and even the actors (though the acting wasn't always so great). As the series continued it seemed to lose its way. I have some questions that deserve answers and criticisms that need to be addressed.

Will someone please tell me why Jenny Humphrey is so angry? The character had a few major life changes, but they were all positive. She became the queen of the school. She moved from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. Ok so money doesn't buy happiness, but the writers forgot to explain why one night Jenny went to bed as an eager, social climber, with a heart of gold and woke up a moody, self righteous, drug dealer that NEVER smiles. Taylor Momsen also appears to have gone through this change in real life. I suggest that one of her people sit her down with like Corey Feldman so he can tell her where she is headed if she doesn't get together. Let her know her teen life crisis isn't edgy or provocative but transparent and unoriginal.
Also, who is responsible for hair and make-up? Why do they let Jenny wear all that black eye liner? Taylor Momsen looks like she's doing her make-up herself. And her weave is so terrible I thought Beyonce's mom did it.
I read that Jenny Humphrey will not be on the show next season. I hope they aren't going to give this character a spin off. Neither Jenny or Taylor deserve it.

I tried to ignore the way Blake Lively (Serena Van Der Woodsen) talks. She doesn't open her mouth so her words are mumbled and emotionless. I tried! I can not suffer in silence anymore. It bothers me. I think maybe Blake has issues with her teeth, but whatever the reason is it bothers me...a lot.

I really liked Dan Humphrey in the first season. Although he was a social out cast and was picked on by Chuck Bass, he brushed his shoulder off. Dan had spunk and wit. Once his character became accepted by the group the writes didn't know what to do with him. Now he's just boring dead weight.

Lieghton Meester plays Blair Waldorf perfectly. My only note is that wardrobe is going too far with her clothes. Pull back. Blair doesn't need the crazy hats and over the top dresses. The actress and the character are quality. There is no need for the distractions. Oh BTW- the way Blair treats Deroda is not cool or acceptable. I know Doroda is Blair's lady in waiting. She's there to serve. But Blair goes too far, throwing stuff at Dorada, yelling at her, threatening her. Watching someone in a servant position being demeaned is not at all entertaining.

Gossip Girl is still a good show. But I want it to be a great show again. It's not too late. I am confident the writers and producers will fix these problems. After all not all is lost. I love Vanessa Abrams' style. She's my corresponding Gossip Girl fashion personality.

Brandy & Ray J: Family Business

Here's why I will never EVER watch this show.
I can't stand Brandy or Ray J. Neither one of them is talented or sexy. Ray J literally makes my skin crawl. He is disgusting and slimy. Brandy is ghetto. She is trying to walk the line between commercial and hood. She looks like the kind of person that would smoke menthol cigarettes and have a bad weave. Oh wait she does have a bad wig/weave/hair piece/extra large forehead.

Look I know I sound like a straight up hater. That's because I am. I seriously can not stand to see or hear either of them. And now their parents want some camera time too. Sorry not interested. There are already too many reality shows following attention starved people that would do anything for a TMZ mention. I am sick of it. How about these media whores do something worth my time? Ray J in the studio looking and sounding like every tired guy on the corner isn't it. Watching Brandy try and circumvent the bitterness she feels because she's not a famous as Britney or even Jessica Simpson for that matter is lame and transparent. And their sad sad sad parents trying to prove to the Kardashians they can have a successful show too is... well... sad and extremely misguided.

To make TV better lets cancel this show and while we're at it For The Love Of Ray J too and forget they ever existed. Yuck!!!

Mercy

Is this show still on? I have tried to watch multiple episodes on Hulu, but Mercy is awful.

As best I can tell Mercy is about a nurse that returned from Iraq and blah blah blah, flash backs, blah blah, issues with relationships, blah blah blah. It's like a Grey's Anatomy meets MASH (a show I've never seen) meets a Lifetime movie of the week. Normally I would give notes on what the writes should do to save this show, but since I can't even make it through an entire episode, I have no idea. I can't tell if the acting is bad because the writing is so lame, and the writing is so lame because the entire premise is weak. When something is this unwatchable the producers should pull the plug and call it.

I really enjoy medical dramas. I love(d) ER (minus the last 3 seasons), Grey's Anatomy, and Nurse Jackie. But this series is an epic fail.

Cancel it. Cancel it now.

Sons of Tuscon

What can I say about this show? I mean it's a throw away series. The concept is so ridiculously stupid that there is no way it should have made air in the first place.

Sons of Tuscon is about 3 brothers that hire a random loser they find to pretend to be their dad while their real father is in prison for insider trading or tax fraud or whatever. Just the idea of this comedy is insulting to the viewer. However, I can say one good thing about it. The youngest kid, Robby Gunderson (played by Benjamin Stockham) is hilarious. He has a dead pan, straight face delivery to all his insulting and age inappropriate lines.

I won't waist my time writing a long review. This show isn't worth it.

Ally McBeal

Ally McBeal is one of my favorite television shows of all time. It ran for 5 seasons airing from 1997 to 2002. I remember sitting on the floor of my dorm room freshman year and watching the pilot episode. I instantly fell in love with characters. This show is written and cast perfectly (disregard final season).

I miss the "Fishisms". And how amazing was Lucy Lu? John Cage was my favorite with his remote toilet flusher because he liked a fresh bowl.

Why aren't they airing reruns or putting episodes on Hulu.com? I demand they put Ally McBeal on Hulu!!!

Being Erica

Why am I the only person I know that's watching Being Erica? Ok, so it is a Canadian show that airs on SOAPnet, but still... it's a good show.

Being Erica is about Erica Strange, a Canadian woman in her early 30s. She's a failure in both career and love. Although Erica is well educated, she repeatedly either quits or get fired from various dead end jobs. The same goes for her love life. She either dumps or gets dumped by her boyfriends. After being fired from a customer service position, she opens a door and is transported to Dr, Tom's office for "therapy". During Erica's therapy sessions she goes back in time to fix a regret.

Being Erica is currently airing its second season. I have never seen a commercial for it (but then again I don't watch SOAPnet), and no one is really talking about it. I discovered this gem one night when I was bored. I did an intense search on Hulu.com to find something I could watch. After peeling through 60 plus pages of shows I found Being Erica. The complete first season was available and I was instantly hooked. I stayed up all night to watch.

Being Erica is not for everyone. It's a total a chick show. Men aren't going to be interested in Erica's career and love troubles. The show isn't about Erica going back in time and reliving situations so her present day life is better. It's about her learning and then using that knowledge to make her present day life better...chick stuff. I also like that when Erica goes back in time the show stays true to the music and fashion of that year. I know this isn't new. They do the same thing in Cold Case, but I like that kind of attention to detail.

Anyway I like this show. And I like Erica's wavy red hair, her dresses, and her friends/family. So if you need something to watch on Wednesday night (or whenever you feel like...thanks Hulu.com) tune into Being Erica. I recommend it.

The Wendy Williams Show

I was totally surprised when it was announced that Wendy Williams would be getting her own television talk show based on her radio show. I knew if it was as weak and frantic as her radio broadcast it was going to be short lived. She would become just another slightly famous person that mistakenly though they were interesting enough for TV.

Wendy Williams is an amazon. She's tall and thick (not fat but curvy). She wears large over the top wigs and tight dresses. Everything about her is big; her hair, her jewelry, her personality. If not handled properly all that is a disaster on camera. So she was going to need a skilled and competent production team. The talk show had a short test run to see if their was an audience for this kind of show. There must have been because it's broadcast all over the country and then reairs on BET at night.

Ok let me get to it. The Wendy Williams Show is actually good. Wendy is entertaining and I like listening to her deliver celebrity gossip. Her celebrity interviews, however, are hit or miss. I mean she's not Oprah so her guests aren't A-list celebs. She tends to have D-listers and reality TV personalities, but hey that's not necessarily a bad thing. She also has an "Ask Wendy" segment where the audience gets to ask her for personal advice. My only criticism of this part is the questions always seem fake or the person is trying way too hard to appear interesting and...well they're not. Producers get the participants in line. They are extras and should act accordingly.

Just like on her radio show, Wendy likes to eat and drink while broadcasting. She frequently has to pause and gather herself because she has food in her mouth. This would normally drive me up a wall, but somehow, and I'm not sure why, it comes across just like when I'm talking/having coffee with my friends.

Now my biggest problem with The Wendy Williams Show is the commercial breaks. During the "Ask Wendy" segments she often doesn't have time to talk with the participant, because she has to toss to commercial. I tend to flip through the channels while I'm watching this show. Every time I do a channel loop and get back to Wendy's show she's tossing to commercial again. They need to space the commercial breaks out better so they don't interrupt the show's flow.

So to my surprise The Wendy Williams Show is a success. It fills the niche left open by the end of The Ricki Lake Show. Just work on the commercial thing.

The Price of Beauty with Jessica Simpson

I should come out of the gate saying I am completely indifferent to Jessica Simpson. I know a lot of people find her annoying and a lot of people think she's spunky. I am not a fan of any one playing dumb to get laughs or attention, but Jessica is not one of the celebrities on my do not hire list.

The Price of Beauty is a new reality show on VH1 staring Jessica Simpson and her two friends, Ken Paves and CaCee Cobb. Jessica went to every talk show and magazine to promote the series. The first episode sent the three friends to Thailand to explore the cultures views on beauty and what length people will go to to achieve the ideal look. Jessica, CaCee, and Ken had massages, went to a temple and visited the Karen Hill Tribe to witness a young girl getting her first neck ring. The rings that will permanently elongate the girls neck. The number of rings signifies wealth and beauty.

The Price of Beauty is shot beautifully, and the subject matter is fascinating. So why are the ratings for this show so low? Because Jessica and Ken aren't at all interesting. Like when they were privy to meditate with a monk Jessica laughs throughout the session. Not cool or cute. Just when I thought Jessica was giving up her dizzy persona, I find that is not the case.

CaCee gets the least about of screen time, but is the only interesting cast member. She tends to look like she's paying attention to the local contributors as they speak, while Jessica looks bored and Ken just looks uncomfortable.

I LOVE the idea of this series but find it boring to watch. Price of Beauty should be about the various concepts of beauty the world over. But instead it's lets watch Jessica Simpson try to experience the beauty regimes of the locals with Ken and CaCee as back up singers. The viewer is supposed to find Jessica Simpson charming, funny, and relatable. And that is where they fail. I don't know if she can carry an entire show by herself, but I think the producers should consider fazing Jessica and Ken out and bringing CaCee forward.

Ultimately this show isn't horrible it's just not good. And that's disappointing because it has so much potential... and well... I would love to be a part of what The Price of Beauty could be.

NBC's Parks and Recreation

When i was a little kid I could tell you what TV shows were on at any given time of the day. I was a human TV Guide. But now that I have a DVR I have no idea at what time even my most favorite shows are on. However thanks to NBC, Thursday night is never a problem.

I have been a regular viewer of this "must see TV" for decades. I'm talking about shows such as The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, ER, A Different World, Family Ties, Will & Grace, Cheers, The Office, 30 Rock, etc. Whether it's comedy to drama NBC brings its A-game on Thursday (except when the Olympics are on).

April 9, 2009 Parks & Recreation aired as a new addition to NBC's Thursday night line up. Parks & Recreation is a mockumentary style comedy about the Parks and Recreation department of a small town's local government. The series stars Amy Poehler. I adore Amy Poehler. She is one of my favorite SNL actors. She is hilarious and smart and quick and charming and...She is a star. When I heard about this show I was thrilled.

Cut to me watching the pilot episode. Frown face. It was so bad. In a sentence, The show just wasn't funny. I was so disappointed. After one viewing I deleted P&R from my DVR and just knew it would soon be cancelled. Well I was wrong. To my surprise P&R was not cancelled but picked up for another season.

A few months ago I couldn't sleep. I signed on to Hulu (my favorite site) and P&R was one of the most watched series. I decided to give it another chance. I am so happy did. The show is, in a word, funny. The Park Safety episode is so good I had to write a blog praising it. This episode in particular was above and beyond. The writing was witty and the comedic timing was precise.

So if you have the time go to Hulu.com and catch a few episodes of my new favorite show.

TV is amazing. Now lets make it better.

I love watching television. It is my favorite things to do. I consider my TV and remote to be part of the family. I spend countless hours tuning in to everything from half hour sitcoms to made for TV movies to prime time dramas. A few nights ago I caught myself glued to the Home Shopping Network as Iman hawked her new line of leggings. It is this (borderline unhealthy) compulsion with the small screen that is why I have zero tolerance for crappy acting and mediocre writing. This blog is dedicated to discussing popular shows, actors, and networks; applauding TV at its best and pointing out ways a program can improve.