This week our cups runneth over with good comedy and interesting drama - Derek, Deeps and I tackle Moonlight (okay, that's Derek), Doctor Who, Supernatural, LOST, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and 30 Rock.
Then I share a story about making poor food choices when meeting new people (I ordered garlic fries, but the fellas from Cinema Diabolica didn't hold it against me) and talk about how I accidentally watched Criminal Minds.
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This week Derek, Deeps and I are joined by our friends Chris and Jen to reconsider the previous three and a half seasons of LOST. They are recent converts to the show having crammed in the show on DVD in about a month.
Plus we still find time to talk about our old friends Torchwood, How I Met Your Mother, and Reaper. And Deeps offers up his loud assessment of the latest New Amsterdam. I'm married to him and I don't understand how he is still watching that show.
We're on a little hiatus next week but we return with fresh shows and material on April 13. In the meantime, you can check out two new polls I have up.
One is about whether or not Big Red Podcast needs a forum for fans to chat with us about the podcast and the stuff we cover.
This week Derek is out "on assignment" so Deeps and I valiantly brave the podcast alone. I should note that instead of eating our usual brunch before recording we ate Indian food. You can decide if that makes a difference.
Since it is early in the month, I beg for votes on Podcast Alley. FYI - our recording schedule will be slightly different next week. The show will probably go up on Monday night.
This week we muddle through a pretty rough podcast. Derek, Deeps and I discuss the Oscars on TV, LOST, Breaking Bad, Torchwood, and save our show campaigns. Then we ramble a bit more.
Since it is the beginning of the month, I beg for votes on Podcast Alley.
This week is a real humdinger. Derek, Deeps and I discuss the Pterodactyl theory on Torchwood, how happy hour can make LOST a little tougher to follow, how car porn isn't enough to carry a show with a wooden lead in Knight Rider, bad science on Sarah Connor Chronicles and finally how to do genre better with Supernatural.
Plus Derek stuns the group by reading a book(!) called Anasi Boys by Neil Gaiman and we review Be Kind, Rewind. Then we totally ignore the Oscars. Weird, huh?
Deeps and I have a lot of interests - art, film, cooking, hiking, photography, and books to name a few - but we really like television. We like it so much we do a weekly pop culture podcast primarily about TV. (Are you still not listening? Because that hurts my feelings - I mean feeling.)
Anyway, the Writer's Strike was a little tougher on us than the usual TV viewer. Not only do we watch TV but we talk about it and other people listen to us discuss it. We muddled through and now that the strike is over, we are just a few weeks away from lots of returning television. Of course, that long run to new television was never more apparent than Wednesday night.
We had sent back our Netflix and the new shipment hadn't arrived yet. We stared down a hideous hour of TV featuring stuff like "Reality Narcissist" and "Suitcase or No Suitcase". I opted to explore the wonders of cable TV "on demand" which means you can watch total crap whenever you want.
Oh and the crap I found. I watched an episode of Fantasy Island from approximately 1978 (if my reading of roman numerals is right).
It was full of stars: Abe Vigoda, Cesar Romero, John Saxon, Don Knotts, Lisa Hartman and Florence Henderson. Two of the three stories covered topics that I were very popular in the 70s - nuns in crisis and satanists.
It was awful. Deeps actually begged me to stop watching. When I tried to fire up another episode, he suggested we just go to bed early.
This week Deeps and I tackle the toughest question of our marriage - Are you writing Reba fan fiction? Luckily, Derek is around to help us figure out if our heretofore wedded bliss can survive it. Before we have to call Doctor Phil, we are address the latest developments in the WGA strike.
Then we discuss House, LOST, the Korean film The Host and my deep affection for LEGO Star Wars for the Wii. And I announce the next selection in the Big Red Film Festival: In A Lonely Place.
Yesterday I spent a bit of time trying to convince a friend that he should start watching LOST. He's kind of, vaguely intrigued but seemed intimidated by the three seasons of content he'd have to make it through before season 4 (however short) would start.
I suggested he check out the "Everything You Need to Know About Lost" summary of the previous three seasons - conveniently in 8 minutes and 15 seconds. Then I directed him to a Dharma initiative video - I picked Orientation 1.
I'm not really sure why I was so adamant about him watching - but in light of so little that is interesting being available on TV, it seems like a good way to go. Lunch time discussion is more interesting when everyone knows a bit about the subject matter.
Last week I was trying to explain what the Match Game is, and frankly... while Brett Somers was a charming woman and Charles Nelson Reilly was a bon vivant - it doesn't hold a candle to giant, invisible monster, slightly rumpled hotties and the ever looming dread of craphole island.
This week I break down some punctuation in the Sarah Connor Chronicles. We talk about the least secret agency in the world - Torchwood. We kick Derek out of the podcast - temporarily - to get very spoilery about the series finale of Life on Mars. And then we discuss our fifth entry in the Big Red Film Fest, the 1942 Val Lewton production of Cat People.
This week Deeps, Derek and I wonder what will happen to Doakes and Dexter - plus I overshare my reaction to Lundy's heiny; I force Derek to face the horror that is Heroes; we determine that Deeps is dead inside because he is still unmoved by this week's fantastic episode of Chuck; enjoy catsuits and girlventures on Pushing Daisies; and Derek tells us what it takes to get fired from Torchwood and hired by House.
Plus I announce the second selection for the Big Red Film Festival - Bullitt starring Steve McQueen for episode 61. The festival starts next week with episode 60's entry, The Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy.
Feel free to watch the movie and send us your thoughts by Sunday, Dec. 9 at 10 AM (Eastern Time) and we'll include them in our discussion on the podcast!
The strike has lasted a little over a week and there is no end in sight. Let's hope people get back to the negotiation table soon and get back to important stuff - like talking about my hair.
This week Derek, Deeps and I try to get inside Dexter's head, we question the wisdom of Green week on NBC, we talk Sweeps, and then we try make sense of the Writers' Strike.
Plus we go over listener mail from Jens and Jon, my brush with Tim Goodman, and my dreams of fame.
This week Derek, Deeps and I analyze Halloween, think about what the Writers' Strike might mean for our televisions, and start to digest November Sweeps including finer things on The Office, tiny secrets on Pushing Daisies, trust issues on Chuck and Reaper, and the problem with anger on Dexter.
Plus I offer that we made very interesting observations about Heroes way back in episode 33. Listen to the first 15 minutes of that episode and I'll tell you all of our fears were totally founded.
Then Derek and I fight! I know!
A programming note, episode 57 will be delayed by a day and will go up on the evening of Monday, November 19.
Derek returns to join me and Deeps to talk about Podcamp Boston 2, meeting cool people and riding their coattails - plus we remind Derek about stomach viruses.
Then we offer up some tiny information about how the Writers' Strike might affect the TV season; I review the latest entry in the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay; and we talk about some of our favorite (or not so favorite) shows like How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Chuck, Scrubs, Heroes and of course, Dexter. And I throw out a suggestion for a great Halloween rental - John Frankenheimer's classic film Seconds.
Derek is on assignment this week - or on the run. You decide.
Deeps and I talk about Dexter, Heroes, Mad Men, the new series Samantha Who?, what Pushing Daisies can learn from Ugly Betty, the final one hour episode of The Office, and our weekly showdown between Chuck and Reaper.
Plus we're getting ready for Podcamp Boston 2. Can you feel the excitement?
Look - we didn't mean to be angry. But some TV disappointed us a little bit this week. Some shows are on probation, some shows have been dumped altogether.
But it wasn't all doom and gloom. We still liked Ugly Betty, Supernatural, Pushing Daisies and Chuck. Plus we belatedly take a look at Women's Murder Club and reconsider Carpoolers.
Last week I made our very first poll for the podcast. (That's why I made it look weird!)
Anyway, take a look at the list of new series and be sure to vote. Your votes will help us determine what shows we should cover in the podcast. Otherwise, it's all Painkiller Jane all the time. 'Cause that's what Derek likes.
More polls will happen in the future. If I don't mess them up.
Last week we had a little cliffhanger on episode 50 of the Big Red Podcast. This week we resolve it and quickly move on to new stuff like Pushing Daisies and the sustainability of whimsy; most improved second episode; hair and underwear; and of course what shows are on probation.
Plus we talk about a bunch of other shows and try to keep closer to 30 minutes. We did it in 39 - which is good considering how much we talk about. Oh and I make an argument for wacky. And did I mention there's a poll? Go answer it!
Podcast Pal, fellow TV watcher and my husband - Deeps - would like to remind you that Friday Night Lights comes back tonight on NBC. He's a big fan. I'm giving it a shot. He was right about Ugly Betty.
To help mark the first year of the podcast and the milestone that is Episode 50 - Derek decided to... go visit friends in Jersey?
What the H, Derek?
Whatever. We made due. Deeps and I blazed through almost an entire fall TV season in one hour. New shows and returning favorites are included. Sorry it's so long (over an hour).
That's what she said!
Anyway, we covered shows that aired this week thematically. So, in rough order, we discussed the following shows:
For those who care, episode 49 of The Big Red Podcast is on deck for this weekend. Deeps, Derek and I have been racing to watch as much new stuff as possible so that we might focus on returning shows for episode 50. See how nicely that works out?
And I think we might have a review of an Errol Morris film. I can't say for certain because certain members of the household are asleep and can't tell me if they are ready to discuss the film.
Plus I found the pilot for Big Bang Theory on iTunes. And we watched Chuck, Life and Journeyman on NBC's On Demand sneak peek. I'm sure there is something else....
We're going long this week, dear listeners. That's what she said.
Deeps was brave enough to watch the voyeuristic drama. I am less brave. I can't face the possibility of a naked David Selby. As a kid I loved to hate him on Falcon Crest!
Okay - it was in the forties last night. Well, not that close to me. But it was on the map during the weather segment on the news.
Buses are everywhere. School is back in session. That means one thing - I've had to say good-bye to my summer crush.
Las year's summer crush was chocolate almond frogurt. Mmm....delicious.
This year I say farewell to Flight of the Conchords until next summer. I think they were my favorites. It took me a couple of episodes to warm to them, but now I'm wandering around humming The Robot song.
And maybe I watch some episodes on the iPod and chuckle quietly to myself. On the bus. It scares people.
You can hear more about other summer loves on The Big Red Podcast. And over the next few weeks we'll start to attack the new fall TV season. It's pretty daunting since we have, you know, jobs and stuff. But we're on it. If you've got any special requests - I'll take them.
Seriously. Are you still not listening the Podcast? It's not half-bad. We've gotten much better. We have notes, we do a little preparation and we do one bit of research each week. Take that NPR!
I know HBO series usually wrap before airing - so it is probably too late for Flight of the Conchords to tackle the 4Real/Superman issue. But I'd like to think if there is a season 2, they'll take a shot.
Also - I this week's episode, Girlfriends, became my new favorite.
Our friends dropped by last night to escape the heat and blow off a little steam. Wait - is that a pun? Whatever.
Since we got the Wii our drop by rate has increased. That's cool with me, we're pretty social creatures and the chance that someone might just drop by forces us keep the house tidy. Win win!
Anyway, since we were going to be playing video games (Mario Party 8) I asked Deeps to record some shows.
Me: Hey are you taping The Closer? Deeps: Yeah, and it looks like something else is taping. Me: I can't remember. Deeps: Oh - it's your Kyle XY. Me: I'm doing it for the podcast. Deeps: Sure you are. Me: Hey can you tape Age of Love? Deeps: For the podcast? Me: I'm taking one for the team! Deeps: Looks like there are two episodes tonight - the one from last week and the latest episode. Me: Just tape the newest. Deeps: I can do both. Me: I'm familiar with the premise and I feel pretty confident I can pick it up in the second episode. Deeps: You don't think you'll be confused by the mythology? Me: If I am, I'll consult the Wikipedia.
Looks like we were a little slow on the uptake. CBS yanked the show from the schedule today. Whoops!
Well - at least the other shows we talked about are still around: The 4400, The Closer and Kyle XY just to name a few.
For those who suggested we cover The 4400 this summer I would like to say that we'll do a much better job next week. The first episode was a lot of chess pieces being moved around - but this week the story got going.
And if there is anything else anyone would like us to cover over the summer, just leave us some feedback! We're also talking about doing some DVD coverage of shows that were canceled but that are worth checking out on video. Deeps and his big ideas.
I suspect we'll be doing a lot of talking about new summer shows on the next podcast - but I can't really wait.
First - I recorded a few episodes of Kyle XY on ABC Family. I don't know what makes that network "family." It looks like the cheaper, easier cousin of the CW. Well, I guess cousins are family. As for Kyle - wow. I'm saving that for the podcast.
And then The Closer returned. It was okay, and poor Beaver (okay Kyle Gallner) was all abused and tormented again. He's getting good at that. We think that Kyra Sedgwick's lipstick was ever so slightly dialed back from the clown setting of last season.
Finally, I've been saving up episodes of John from Cincinnati. Why have I waited so long? I've heard it is very, very bad. And you know, I can play some Wii tennis instead of watching bad TV. But I do it for the podcast, ya know?
In the last podcast I played devil's advocate and I suggested that David Chase hates television. At the time I thought it was the move of a tired and cranky person who wasn't anywhere close to being a fan of the show.*
I'd say that my argument is supported by Chase's comments about film and making films. He's using the vocabulary of cinema but television is a writers' medium. Cinema is the medium of the visual. Ask anyone who has ever tried to write for film - writers are at the bottom of the totem pole.
Don't believe me? Ever watch Project Greenlight?
(* I perpetuate the tired and cranky argument even now as I am both tired and cranky when writing this at the end of the day. Blogging while cranky is one thing, podcasting while cranky is quite another.)
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And I've also posted the special bonus episode in the feed - so if you are a subscriber you'll get a sort of stream of consciousness podcast with our friends at the House of Burdens.
Listen to this week's episode.
