| Archive for langcafe2.myfreeforum.org Come in and have your daily cup of languages! |
| André in Zuid-Afrika |
American televisionHey, just because Britain has the best television in the world, doesn't mean we have to knock American television. Some pretty good programmes from there as well.
I recently bought the DVD of The Lucy Show with Lucille Ball and loved it!! Late fifties, early sixties, if I'm not mistaken 
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| Elaine |
I remember "The Lucy Show" being funny, but I can't remember a single episode. Of course, nothing beats the original "I Love Lucy" series, and "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" was pretty hysterical, especially the episode with that divine Tallulah Bankhead playing their next door neighbor. That one has got to be the campiest, gayest Lucy episode ever.
Tallulah Bankhead |
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
I'm planning to buy I love Lucy, but jeez, it's expensive! 
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| Lazar |
I think one of the funniest American shows ever is Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm". It's more naturalistic than a regular sitcom, with completely improvised dialogue, and real locations instead of sets. It's like "Seinfeld", only even better and uncensored. 
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
Yep, love that too! But Seinfeld was great, and of course Frasier (the two shows are currently back-to-back on a local satellite channel...wonderful!!) |
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| Elaine |
Have any of you fellow Americans seen "Ugly Betty" yet? It's gotten lots of raves, but I watched a couple of episodes and I just didn't get it. It's neither funny nor interesting, which sucks b/c I was hoping to love it. | ||||||||
| André in Zuid-Afrika |
Let's not forget Golden Girls.
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| Deborah |
Now that there have been several very American TV shows without laugh tracks, I can barely tolerate re-runs of even the good shows that had laugh tracks (e.g., Seinfeld). I was watching it the other night, trying to imagine it without a laugh track, and I decided that knowing that there's going to be one probably affects how the performers perform. I suspect that it encourages exaggerated performances.
So my favorite American TV shows were The Larry Sanders Show (which had a big influence on Ricky Gervais and his Extras series) and Arrested Development (which I think is one the funniest shows I've ever seen). I haven't rented the DVD's of Curb Your Enthusiasm yet, but I expect I'll enjoy them, since I liked the clip I saw somewhere -- I think it was shown in the meeting between Ricky Gervais and Larry David (another of Gervais's idols). Back in the '80s, I saw my first laugh track-less comedy TV show, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd. It was actually a comedy-drama, but it had plenty of LOL moments. I thought it was a great show, with excellent writing and actors, but it didn't make it on network TV -- it became one of those shows whose time slot keeps changing -- and was eventually rescued by Lifetime. |
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| Joanne |
Yes, I've seen Ugly Betty, but I suppose it didn't really have a chance in hell of hooking me. I liked the original Colombian version too much to tolerate the Desperate Housewives-esque treatment they're giving the American version. The only shows I like are House and Law & Order: SVU. God, I'm getting old.  I just don't get popular network TV these days. Lost, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, and American Idol put me to sleep in fifteen minutes or less. Grey's Anatomy grates on my nerves.
There's always HBO, of course. Extras is hilarious. Seeing Harry Pott---umm---Daniel Radcliffe trying to screw every woman who crossed his path made my head hurt, but on the positive side, it made me want to see Equus the next time I'm in London. (I should add Mr. Radcliffe's picture to the "How they've grown!" thread, because goddamn that kid has grown!  " alt="" border="0" /> ) Rome has hooked me as well, even though they take huge liberties with Ancient Roman history, and they're canceling the series after this season. Ergghh.... no more semi-nekkid, bedroom-eyed James Purefoy  . HBO bastards! 
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| greg in noord-frankrijk |
I remember that show... This character was sort of funny —> 
This one too —> 
She was the idiot, wasn't she ? —> 
 
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| Deborah |
I only saw French and Saunders a few times when it aired in the US, but I remember one very funny sketch where the two of them are packing for a vacation in some touristy Spanish beach area. After they practice how they're going to have to walk down the aisle of the plane carrying 5 suitcases each, they finally realize that that's too much to carry for only a one-week vacation, and they go through everything to figure what they can afford to leave behind. Naturally, they find that they still need everything, until they get to the last item: "Do we need the sunscreen?" "Naah!" | ||||||||
| Deborah |
Re: American television
I Love Lucy, which was in B&W, was from the 1950s and co-starred Desi Arnaz, Lucy's real-life husband, as her husband. The Lucy Show was from the 1960s, was in color and didn't co-star Desi Arnaz. |
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| Deborah |
I was mistaken -- The Lucy Show premiered in 1962 but didn't switch to color until the mid-'60s. | ||||||||
| Loic |
I think a great american classic has to be F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I did not follow the series religiously, but I did catch a few episodes and got a peek into the lives of Rachel, Joey (my favourite character), Ross, Monica, Phoebe as well as Chandler.
I also watched Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. It's hot to see Sarah Michelle Gellar kick some (vampire) ass. |
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
The episodes I have are in colour, so it must be from the later series. |
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
And who remembers this?
This was so popular in South Africa that on Tuesday evenings (when it was on) restaurants closed because everyone was at home watching Dallas.
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| Julian |
 That one's a classic! Especially the catfights between Lucy and Tallulah -- uh-oh, does that mean I've got some latent homosexual tendencies?
More scenes, courtesy of YouTube: |
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| Fredrik |
No, just the Norwegian one! 
(Rose Nylund, from St. Olaf, Minnesota). |
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| greg in noord-frankrijk |
Oh my gosh !!! Reminds me of this trashier one (in its own register) :  
  
Ah ouais ?!... 
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| Uriel |
I Love Lucy was in color? 
I don't think I've ever seen an episode that wasn't black-and-white. Seems ... horribly wrong.   
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| Deborah |
No, The Lucy Show was in color after the first few years. |
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| Uriel |
I believe you, I just swear I've never seen it. And I've watched a lot of Lucy episodes! | ||||||||
| Joanne |
I prefered Dynasty.The shoulder pads were bigger and the catfights were more fun!
I heard a rumor that Dallas was going to be made into a movie, with John Travolta as J.R. and Jennifer Lopez having a part in there, too. Bring it on, I say! I love watching train wrecks
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| Elaine |
imdb.com lists only 2 actors so far who've been cast: John Travolta as 'J.R.' and some blondie named Katie Cassidy as 'Lucy'. I think they should bring in that nut-job Sharon Stone to over-emote as 'Sue-Ellen'.
http://www.ultimatedallas.com/movie/ |
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| Deborah |
The only time I watched Dallas was when my roommate had to work and was going to miss the season premiere that followed the famous cliffhanger in which someone who was killed much earlier in the season suddenly show up, alive. I guess we must not have had a VCR, since my roomie asked me to watch the show so I could report on it to her. She was very disappointed when I told her the explantion -- it seems the entire previous season had been a dream! That's pretty lame screenwriting.
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| Deborah |
I only watched one episode of Dynasty, just long enough to note that John Forsythe had gone grey very prettily. I liked him when I was a kid, from seeing him in the '50s sitcom Bachelor Father and in the 1964 B-movie Kitten With A Whip, starring Ann Margret.
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| Joanne |
Yeah, John Forsythe has great hair, and he never lost a strand of it. Even today, his hairline is exactly where it was twenty-five years ago. Lucky man, huh?
I would've liked to have seen the outtakes and bloopers for that scene, actually.
I think she sounded embarassed during her exposition. As in, "I can't believe these stupid writers are making me say this crap. We're going to lose so many fans after this episode!" |
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| Deborah |
I suppose that episode could have been the inspiration for the scene in the movie Soap Dish in which the writers of a soap opera discuss how to reintroduce a character who was decapitated.
Speaking of Soap Dish, here's one of my favorite scenes. Kevin Kline played the actor Jeffrey Anderson. Here, he's decided he doesn't want to wear his glasses during a scene, and has a bit of trouble reading the teleprompter:
Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Dr. Randall, what a surprise! Are you having lunch here? Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] I will if it's that sample. Huh... I wish it was that simple. Edmund Edwards: [offstage] This guy never heard of contact lenses? Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] The test results have come back. Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] And? Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] And I'm afraid the results are very disturbing. It seems that Angelique has a rare case of brake fluid... [pause] Jeffrey Anderson: Bran... fluid. Bran flavor. Burton White: What the hell? David Barnes: [offstage] Brain fever! Edmund Edwards: [offstage, loudly] Say it! Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Brain fever! Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Yes. Brain fever. Or what we call in Austria... [they both goggle at the word] Jeffrey Anderson: Kopfgeschlagen. At the current rate of inflation, her brain will laterally explore the... Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Literally explode? Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Exactly, within the next three houses. Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Hours? Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Yes, will literally explode within next three hours. I would suggest leaving the restraint. Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Restaurant? Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Restaurant, yes. Celeste Talbert: [as Maggie] Her brain will actually explode? Jeffrey Anderson: [as Dr. Randall] Yes, yes, I've, um, seen it happen. It's a dreadful, dreadful thug. Thing. (Sorry for being off-topic, but the movie is a send-up of American TV, so it's partly on-topic.) |
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| Porthos |
I hope our international viewers realize that these are all very old shows, and in no way represent the current state of affairs in modern American television. | ||||||||
| Joanne |
The textbook-sized cell phones and the ten inch tall Aqua Net hair sculptures some of these characters had on their heads might have given them a clue.
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
So what's the latest on The Bold and the Beautiful?
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
I love Lucy was in b/w as far as I know, it dates from the fifties. The Lucy Show is the one Deborah and I are referring to.
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
I loved Dynasty because there was a gay guy in it! 
Er... I mean.... 
And I was still straight then...
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| Joanne |
The salacious game of Musical Chairs of Incest continues! Rick Forrester (Brooke and Eric's son) returned from Paris after Nick Marrone (Ridge's half-brother) took over Forrester Creations. Rick saw Phoebe (Ridge and Taylor's daughter), Phoebe saw Rick, and they said, "We grew up thinking we were niece and uncle, but who cares? We have the same last name! This is true love! I love you, we must be together forever! Hey, look it's raining outside, this is providence! Let's kiss!" This show is crazy, its writers are on crack, and I hope it never gets cancelled 
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| Loic |
Ermm...maybe the plot reflects the subconscious yearnings of the scriptwriter. We'd better warn his niece in advance. |
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| Uriel |
You know, I've never seen Soap Dish, but that scene had me giggling just reading it, Deborah!
Friends was one of those shows that I really, really, didn't want to like -- but did. I never followed it religiously, either, but whenever I came across it, I was consistently amused by it -- it was such an amiable piece of fluff. (And I'm picturing loic practicing his "How you doin'?" Don't forget the little head bob -- that's the key!)
M*A*S*H and Cheers had that same consistency to them -- no matter what the episode or how late you tuned in -- they never failed to grab you right away and amuse -- you didn't have to have any idea what was going on to enjoy the dialogue immediately. That's just good writing and good acting -- if those are in place, you don't need much else. And no matter how old they are, they're still good -- the classics never lose their luster. In more recent history, I love Will & Grace -- is anyone on the entire frickin' planet more hysterically over-the-top funny than Karen? I think not. Scrubs was another one that tickled me with its offbeat, wicked humor -- and I do mean wicked -- the level of gleeful maliciousness in some of those characters was just a guilty pleasure! I finally caught an episode of Arrested Development -- the show Deborah and Kirk used to rave over -- and it had that quirky, offbeat flavor that I really like as well. On that one, though, I think it pays to be up on the plot -- I didn't always know what was going on. |
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| Deborah |
Good! I was laughing out loud reading it, but then I remember Kevin Kline in the role. He's one of the best comic actors around. You must see the whole movie, Uriel. The scene where he plays Willie Loman in a Florida dinner theater is great. I agree with you about most of the other shows you mentioned -- good writing and good ensemble acting are pretty irresistible. I think Scrubs is very funny.
Yes, that show was pretty self-referential and moved along very quickly. Even if you had been watching all along and knew what was going on, it required concentration. I've tried to think of some other shows that had that style, and I can't come up with anything. |
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| Elaine |
I think I mentioned this before (or maybe I'm just stealing somebody else's thoughts)... how come out of the 12.9 million people living in metro LA, the Forresters can't seem to find sexual partners outside of their own family??
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| Elaine |
Those two classy ladies are currently on a national tour of the critically reviled play, "Legends!", and if the publicity photos are to be believed, they haven't aged one bit! 
... and it looks as if Miss Evans has a new face.
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
Quite frankly, Karen and Jack were the real stars of that show (which I loved, btw). Let's face it, Will and Grace are wimps... 
I actually know gay guys like Will, and they're such a pain in the....
Loved Cheers as well, but preferred the earlier episodes with Shelley Long, rather than when Kirstie Alley was in it (although I love Kirstie Alley otherwise). 
Ah, and M*A*S*H... so good!!
And Friends I liked too, and like Loic, Joey was my favourite character, although probably for different reasons than Loic!
Hated the series Joey though... |
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| Joanne |
Honestly, I think it has to do with the salaries. I've heard that B&B actors are among the highest paid soap actors in the biz, and The Powers That Be can't really afford to keep more than fifteen people on the payroll at a time. |
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| Uriel |
Our lead respiratory therapist, who is just a towering inferno of flame (and funny as hell!) was in my office today explaining that he was sad, but he had to give up his 21-year-old boytoy ... and his 24-year-old ... but he wanted us to keep a lookout for someone he could have a real relationship with (not just good hardbody sex) -- and he was describing his ideal mate -- between 30 and 50, as tall as he is or taller, and comfortable with being gay -- nobody conflicted or "straight-acting" or any of that bullshit -- you know, like Will!
Shelley Long was just wonderfully infuriating, wasn't she? It took me a long time to warm up to Kirsty Alley as a replacement, but eventually she grew into her own. Carla was one of my favorites -- remember when she was dating Eddie LeBecq (sp?), the Canadian hockey star? "I know he loves me, because last night, at the end of the game, when the crowd was giving him the standing O, he skated right past where I was sitting ... and spit!" Norm and Cliff always seemed like the most important supporting characters (and John Ratzenberger, who played know-it-all Cliff, gets points for being the only cast member to actually do a Boston accent -- "ya see, Nahm"); imagine my surprise when it was stick-up-his-ass Frasier who went off to become the hero of a popular spinoff (along with his hilariously terse, deadpan exwith, the aptly-named Lilith)! And poor Shelley Long faded away into obscurity... you just never can tell -- as with Joey. |
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
I love Frasier (it's on one of our satellite channels again at the moment). Pity Lillith wasn't in it more, but the dad and Daphne are my favourites.
Kirstie Alley was great in Veronica's Closet. 
Oh all right then, here's the entire cast.
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| Uriel |
Looks like somebody was popping out of the closet! | ||||||||
| Walker |
That show is pretty good, but sometimes it's a little too good, you know. It gets frustrating and almost embarrassing to watch Larry make mistakes over and over, and everybody keeps misunderstanding him.
I'm not American, but I've caught a glimpse or two of Ugly Betty and I didn't really get it either. They took a girl who's far from ugly and put glasses and braces on her...
I did too -- all seven seasons. I also watched all five seasons of Buffy's spin-off series Angel which was fairly good. One of the things I liked about it was the humor. Did you catch the 10th episode of the 4th season of Buffy called Hush? It's one of the best episodes. Here's a little behind-the-scenes clip. The only show I'm hooked on these days is Heroes. I also watch the occasional re-run episode of Seinfeld, Scrubs and The Simpsons. Dallas... I used to watch that when I was little. They aired it once a week at 8pm. In those early days I wasn't allowed to stay up and watch Falcon Crest which was right after Dallas, at 9pm. 
Bobby's hair-cut has got to be worth a million bucks!
I can't believe no one's mentioned MacGyver -- that guy could turn a fir cone and a piece of string into anything! 
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| Lazar |
Yeah, that's one of my favorite shows. I love the diverse ensemble cast and the crazy interweaving plotlines. Another show that I watch right now is the ridiculous legal comedy-drama Boston Legal. |
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| Icke |
I have to admit that I'm really fond of American television. Here in Germany, most people like to watch German thrillers (whodunit?) that I really, REALLY hate - unfortunately, there is definitely too much of that right now!
My absolute favorites are LOST and King of Queens. I think LOST is full of suspense and those constant flashbacks which are focused on a particular character and related to the actual story itself, make it even more mysterious. Just love it! King of Queens is in my view the funniest US-sitcom I've ever come to know. Each of the characters is absolutely sensational - esp. Arthur Spooner, a hilarious freak, lol 
As a child, I used to watch series like The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie. But ALF and The Bill Cosby Show are worth mentioning, too. Besides, I occasionally watched The X-Files in my teens. |
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| Elaine |
I haven't seen this one in years and it still made me crack up like the first time I sawr it. (What is it about Long Island yentas speaking Yinglish/Ameridish that makes it so darn funny?) :
SNL: Linda Richman (Mike Myers), host of "Coffee Talk", is joined by her friend, Liz Rosenberg (Madonna), mamaleh (Roseanne Barr), and a special surprise guest. I once had a boss whose relatives would visit from Long Island, and all the females sounded like that. A few minutes with them and I'd end up tawking like a Lawngeyeland housewife!
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| Uriel |
Gawd, I'm awl verklemmt -- tawk amongst yourselves!
I loved it when Mike Myers and Dana Carvey were watching that provocative Madonna video on Wayne's World (was it Justify My Love?) and went, "Schwing! Look at the unit on that guy!" And then later Madonna came on as a guest star and said the exact same thing -- hysterical! |
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| Joanne |
 The series finale of King of Queens was yesterday. And I'm currently watching the series finale of The Gilmore Girls. What am I going to watch on TV now? My favorite shows are ending!   
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| Loic |
I caught Spiderman last weekend and it was such a pleasant surprise to see Eric Foreman from That 70s Show locking horns with Toby Maguire's Spiderman.
Better than Friends, really. |
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| Joanne |
I loved it when Madonna's character said "Eccchh! I don't like that Madonna, she's a KURVEH! Ecchh! Who's needs her???" Hahaha! She sounds like a neighbor I had when I was a kid
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| Deborah |
I've started watching Scrubs now and then -- it's frequently laugh-out-loud funny. | ||||||||
| Walker |
It is! Dr. Cox among others is very funny. I used to watch That 70s Show. I think that Fez might be the funniest character. Forman's mother makes a great contribution to that atmosphere of the past when you just didn't speak of certain things and constantly keeping a happy face was highly important (at least for women). -Eric, your father isn't feeling well. -Red's drunk? -No, your father isn't feeling well. The King of Queens was pretty funny too, much thanks to Jerry Stiller. It's just hilarious when any character of his is upset and shouts. |
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| Joanne |
Did anyone else smack their TVs really hard at the end of The Sopranos series finale? I did, but luckily it wasn't my TV...
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| Walker |
Don't you be saying nothing more, you hear!! |
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| Joanne |
 yes, Master!
 I won't tell you how ***** **** *** ********, Phil *** **** **** *** **** **** SUV **** *** ********* inside! At the end, Tony *** ******** **** ****** * ***** ** Bloomfield, New Jersey, ****** ***** rings, ******* *** Meadow ** **** ****, while a ****** ** ****** ***** *** *****. **** Tony looks **** ** *** **** ** *** ****** ******** ***** *****, ***** Steve Perry ***** "***** ****!"
That was when I smacked the television.
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| Walker |
Haha!! Long live censorship! | ||||||||
| Elaine |
Never seen a single episode of it, but I hear fans are outraged that it ended that way. Oops... did I say too much, Walker dear?? 
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| Walker |
Yes, I read that in a paper.
Walker dear? |
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| Elaine |
And continuing the all-American tradition of train-wreck reality television...
This little brat named Audrey, is having a $67,000 quinceañera celebration. First of all, she told her mom that $67,000 is well worth the price of her happiness, which made me instantly hate her. Second, she acts like a total bitch-and-half, swearing at her friends and even the very woman who gave her life if she doesn't get her way. But, what really cements her reputation as totally reprehensible diva-in-traing is this little episode below. Her mom gifts her with a brand new Lexus. But do you think she's elated by her good fortune????? NOOOOOOO!!!!! |
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| Deborah |
Coming-of-age rituals are so bizarre.
I think it's time for this important message: http://youtube.com/watch?v=KFZz6ICzpjI |
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| Julian |
Ugh. Sometimes parents end up with the kids they deserve. If or when my little girl shows the first signs of teenage affluenza, I'm shipping her off to Africa to work in the Peace Corps or something like that. | ||||||||
| Walker |
You know, I'm not sure if I'd have enough physical strength to give that kid the beating she deserves.
That was really good. I wish every kid would see it.
True.
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| Deborah |
Some of us (even in the US!) didn't suffer from teenage affluenza. I've recently started to become very tired of a habit some of my far-from-affluent-in-childhood friends have: bragging about how poor they were. It's like the opposite of one-upmanship -- it's one-downmanship. I have one friend who I will never again ask, "Do you remember doing ________ when you were a kid," or "Did you ever ___________ as a kid," because her answer invariably is, "No, we were too poor to __________. We could only ___________." And I get the distinct feeling that in her mind, she's more worthy than I am, because she was too poor to do whatever measly thing it was that I was able to do -- something like occasionally going out to eat en famille at the cheapest basement restaurants.
Anyone else know people like this? |
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| Elaine |
I knew a girl from Kentucky who was like that. And the peculiar thing is as she got deeper into her tales of being so "dirt po' I thought dinin' at Howard Johnson's was a fancy night out on the town", the thicker her Southern accent got.
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| Deborah |
Oh, but my friend would win, because they never ate out. She did have some luxuries I didn't have though, so I guess it's all a matter of how your parent(s) decide to spend their money. | ||||||||
| Elaine |
Oh, but was your friend ever so poor that she'd drink sugarwater and pretend it was coke?
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| Deborah |
No, she just has horror stories about what she wasn't allowed to eat. | ||||||||
| Lazar |
Recently I've started watching the HBO musical comedy series "Flight of the Conchords". It stars a couple of New Zealanders who are trying to make it as a folk duo in New York. It's pretty funny, and it's the first opportunity that I've had to hear a New Zealand accent.
The Humans Are Dead Most Beautiful Girl in the Room |
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| Walker |
That was pretty funny, Lazar! | ||||||||
| Llatai |
Yes, one of my sisters in law once said "you have to use shampoo to wash your hair, clothes and dishes when you're poor". Poor dear. I guess I should have been grateful for moment of consciousness raising about the trauma of being inconvenienced by only having one kind of soap and the inherent nobility in suffering that version of poverty with fortitude, but alas I was a desensitized dolt. No strokes did I give, just a blank stare. I'm certain there's a 12 step group in my future, and in hell I'll have to wash with my hair, clothes and dishes with only one kind of brimstone. 
Just wait. Soon we'll see little missy rushed off to the therapist because her parental units didn't procure a new Porsche for their little prom queen to sit and wave in during the homecoming parade, and experts will warn wayward parents that withholding affordable rewards is abuse, and psychiatrists will alerts us of the trauma induced by unfulfilled expectations held by wealthy kids, who will become "at risk" of something or other because the trickle down economy didn't manifest at the homefront with requisite elan. CPS will be called for every whine. John Bradshaw will issue teddybears to all the "victims" as they proceed ever onwards to an adulthood of self indulgent navel gazing. Then our affluent heiress will set up idols of Paris Hilton next to her vanity mirror, fondle beads and chant om myaha renge kyo because she's down to her last $500,000 because the rest of her inheritance went to her therapist who realized quickly the profitability of reinforcing her exaggerated ills. But in all fairness, don't we all live in the hell of expectations to some degree. Haven't you become angry at another driver because you'd assumed it to be your right to proceed down a public highway at YOUR preferred rate of speed? I'm guilty. Actually its probably better that grandpa drive 10 miles an hour below the speed limit. The ratio of rate of speed to reaction time is probably optimal and he knows it. Anyway, in the US the proffered vaccination for affluenza is just as likely to be more consumerism as it is gratitude for a fortuitous birth. Buy stuff, stuff equals happiness, stuff proves you're successful, buying and selling stuff stimulates the economy. Wasn't it just a few years ago that Bush told us it was patriotic to go out and buy things? Just after 9/11 wasn't it? Flap your flag with facile fervor as you feed your freedom fries to your famished family at the food court. Maintain the profitability of the stock portfolios of the upper 1% of.......oops, I meant maintain the economic stability of the nation in a time of crisis, yeah, that's it. Don't know what came over me. Sheez, should have put this in the rant forum.
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| Walker |
Back to television.
Did anyone watch Dexter? I'm wathing it now. I was told about it and after I'd seen the first episode I knew I was hooked. It's about a man, Dexter, who's a forensics analyst working for the police by day, and a serial killer by night. He hunts down criminals who've escaped justice and he brings it to them his way. It's a lot about human behaviour and what's interesting is that it's described by him (voice-over), a man who has no feelings at all. He knows he's a monster but he also knows how to hide it and how to appear like a normal human being. It's actually quite humorous at times. |
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| Yelina |
It's broadcast in France as well, but on a private channel we have to subscribe for. As I don't pay for it, I can't watch the serie but I reckon it will be broadcast on another channel later (next year, maybe!). That's what happened with Desperate Housewives. I missed it at first, but now I'm catching it up, so why couldn't I do the same for Dexter?! 
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| Walker |
It's on a private channel here too, and I don't have it. I acquire the show by other means... Yes, just wait and see. Hopefully you'll be able to enjoy this remarkable show. |
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| Elaine |
I watched this new show on AMC last night called Mad Men. It's from the producers of The Sopranos and it takes place in the early 1960s, centering on a top Madison Avenue ad agency. Since I missed the first few episodes, I didn't really know who was who and what their relationships with each other were, but I caught on very quick and now I think I'm hooked.
First of all, the lead actor is incredibly sexy and I can't wait to see him out of his power suit! But mostly, I find that whole 60's office culture so alien that I look upon it with curiosity and fascination. Everybody's lighting up a cigarette, drinking, flirting, sexual bantering, and schtupping... all in the workplace! Their behavior would get them fired in today's work environment. Of course, this being the '60s, all the execs are men, the ladies are all gossiping secretaries, switchboard operators, and bored housewives, and the African-Americans work the elevators. The Latinos apparently haven't yet discovered Manhattan.
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| Uriel |
I finally buckled down and rented My Name Is Earl. It's pretty funny, in an ironic sort of way. I love Jason Lee -- have since his View Askew days in such gems as Chasing Amy and Dogma. It's hard to picture him as a professional skater, which apparently is what he was before he turned to acting.
In My Name Is Earl he plays the quintessential white trash lowlife who has an epiphany about karma after being hit by a car while holding a winning lottery ticket, so he decides to devote his life (and winnings) to righting every wrong he's ever done to anyone. Which usually opens up some godawful can of worms that leads to yet another wrong that he has to atone for. It's pretty clever, and he and his brother do an admirable job of making shiftless good-for-nothings actually appealing. Of course, they're nothing compared to the white-hot low-rent bitch-goddess that is Jaime Pressly, AKA the ex-Mrs. Earl -- she's absolutely hysterical! 
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| Deborah |
I believe he was a professional skateboarder. His appearance in Chasing Amy is what made that movie worth watching. |
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| Uriel |
With the ubiquity of skateboards, that's the sport whose participants now own the word skater -- the poor guys on blades are now relegated to the term "ice skater"!
But now that you mention it, Jason Lee would have been great as Will Ferrell's character in Blades of Glory..... 
Did you know, by the way, that in real life Will Ferrell is enormous -- 6'4"? And Jon Heder is no shrimp, either, at 6'1". And in real life he has dark hair. 
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| Deborah |
So you actually meant that you couldn't see him as a skateboarder? |
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| Uriel |
'Zackly. Hence the terms skater hair
skater punk, etc. (Sigh -- I had the biggest crush on this guy in 10th grade who had short black hair with blond bangs down to his chin ... oh, the way he used to toss his head so he could see ... I don't think he ever even knew my name.... Wasn't so much into the thrash metal, though.)
Although I forgot that Jason Lee did do some skating in Mumford. Actually, I forgot that he was even in that movie! 
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| Walker |
And did you know that he's married to a Swedish woman and that he loves rotten fish?
And he's a Mormon.
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
Ugly Betty started here recently, but can't say I'm likely to grow fond of it.
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| Elaine |
My parents and my sister watch that show all the time and they seem to find it funny. But the humor is lost on me. Maybe I'm adopted.
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| Uriel |
I know. That explains a lot, actually. My boss is a Mormon. A really bad one. Drinks beer like crazy, cracks jokes in meetings, sends me dirty e-mails, almost got arrested in Mexico, called our respiratory therapist "Catholic Boy" at utilization review, went to the big CFO/CEO meeting in highwater pants, with an oversized calculator in his pocket and tape on his glasses (he's our Chief Financial Officer) .... he's a hoot!
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| Sue |
I don't like Ugly Betty either - it's odd that you can tell that it's a beautiful girl made to look ugly. I love other US programmes though -Boston Legal, ER, Heroes the list goes on..
What do you lot make of Heroes? I don't miss a single episode thanks to Sky digital, illegally installed by our kind neighbour (it's not supposed to be used outside the UK)
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| Uriel |
I'd say it's pushing it to call America Ferrera "beautiful", but hey, that's just my opinion. And cable's just that much sweeter when it's stolen, huh?
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| Deborah |
I just watched Reno 911!, now in syndication. Since I don't get cable, that's why I see so many TV programs years after they began. Anyway, Reno 911! is great. For those of you who've never seen it, it's a mock reality cop show.
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/reno_911/index.jhtml |
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| Walker |
Seems like an asshole to me. |
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| Uriel |
Nah. He's just a joker. It's all in fun, not malicious.
Deborah, two of my friends have every Reno 911 season in existence on DVD, and they are all hysterical! I love the three female cops -- especially the black one and the slutty blond -- and the gay one in his hot pants just cracks me up! I've known a few cops, and sometimes I wonder just how much that show actually deviates from the truth....
Similarly, I'm working my way through all the Scrubs seasons, and one of the writers commented that the surgeons on the show -- the "jocks" of the hospital -- are exaggerated, but only slightly.... |
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| Deborah |
I love Scrubs. | ||||||||
| Uriel |
All the characters are wonderful, aren't they? Zach Braff and Donald Faison (JD and Turk) are utterly adorable and never hard to look at, while I don't know whose lines I enjoy more -- John C. McGinley's (Dr. Cox) rants or Ken Jenkins' (Chief of Medicine) evil zingers. I don't think I could handle either Judy Reyes' or Sarah Chalke's characters in real life (Carla and Elliot) because they are way too neurotic, but they certainly do seem to emulate the high-maintenance divas I'm used to seeing in real-life medicine!
Oh, and Dr. Cox's just-as-vicious ex-wife is always a hoot! I watched that show for a whole season wondering "Who is she? I know her from somewhere..." before realizing that Sarah Chalke played the second version of the blond daughter on Roseanne. One one of the DVD's she mentioned that her parents thought it would be fun to put her and her sisters in French classes all day (she's Canadian) and German after school twice a week, so when you see the episodes where she gets to spout off in one or the other, that's why .... finally getting to put it to work! |
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| Elaine |
I loved how they would joke about it on the show. Like the time when Becky #1 suddenly walked thru the door after several seasons of Becky #2 and Roseanne goes, "Where the hell have you been? It seems like you've been gone for 3 years!" Or when the Conners decide to go to Disneyworld and Roseanne says to Becky #2, "Aren't you glad that you're here this week?" Classic! Unfortunately, I've only seen a few episodes of Scrubs. I never remember when it's on. |
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| Deborah |
I think I see late-night reruns of Scrubs. | ||||||||
| Joanne |
Has anyone seen the The Tudors on Showtime? I finally saw the whole series on DVD, and I have to say, it was not good. I love John Rhys Meyers, but he was terribly miscast as Henry VIII. Yeah, yeah, I know... Henry VIII was handsome in his younger days, but Henry was always a big guy and he wouldn't have blended into the crowd the way John Rhys Meyers does. Sometimes, JRM even seemed to be overpowered by his costars.
Also, I'm awfully confused with the whole Princess Margaret/Princess Mary issue. Looks like they blended the two historical characters together into "Princess Margaret" so they could kill her off early. The thing is, they made her childless, effectively killing off post-Henry VIII Tudor politics. So I guess Showtime isn't planning to take the show beyond his reign. On the whole, I was expecting something better. The show has JRM, Sam Neill, and Jeremy Northam, you know? Maybe better luck next season (if the writers strike ends, that is.) |
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| Uriel |
My favorite was when John Goodman (the father) played grown-up DJ rocking back and forth on the psychiatrist's couch mumbling, "They say she's the same but she not the same, they say she's the same but she's not the same...." and you have no idea what he's raving about about until they show a clever montage of the two actresses playing Becky in various scenes with little-boy DJ. Never seen the Tudors. I'm also horrible at remembering show times and channels -- I only got into Scrubs and American Dad through watching the collected DVD's. I did used to watch Will and Grace pretty faithfully, but that was only because it was on back-to-back on at least three different channels right about the time that I got home from work, when I still worked for the vet. Now that the writer's strike has effectively stalled most of the TV shows out there (I hear; I have no cable so I can't verify!), I bet late-night reruns are all anyone sees of Scrubs! And this was supposed to be their final season, too -- I wonder if they will get a chance to finish it, or just fade out. I'm dying to know how the JD's girlfriend's pregnancy and the aftermath go -- I caught what was probably a spoiler on one of the season commentaries that cast doubt on his paternity. if so, that is one evil, evil woman .....
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| André in Zuid-Afrika |
Just bought the entire series of Will and Grace on DVD!
Guess what I'll be doing tonight... 
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| Walker |
Dear me... btw, didn't you say once that you can't stand gay men like Will? |
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| Uriel |
Probably more like gay men like Jack! He's far more obnoxious. | ||||||||
