The New Fall Season !!

Forwarded to us by Culture Czar, B. Ethington:

From an interview with comedian Demetri Martin:

"I don't watch television, unless I'm maybe on the
road and need to fall asleep or something. I try not
to read newspapers, which is kind of irresponsible, I
guess. But I've found that for my head, I'm a lot
happier and more productive if I don't fill it with
that kind of stuff. It seems to me that most of our
culture is based on missing out on something, like the
fear of missing out on something is a great commodity

that's plied to get people to watch things, do things,

Dimitri on 'The Daily Show'

an buy things. Once you actually start missing out
and realize that you're fine, and even better off,

Dimitri, also on 'The Daily Show'

it's so liberating. Like the Super Bowl. I don't care
about the Super Bowl. I want to miss the Super Bowl.
It's like "Season Finale", and I'm like "Well, fuck
the season. Just leave me alone. I want to read a book
or draw."

This has stuck in my head.... but of course, if I take
it seriously, I may have to get another job!

bb

PS ... of course, Demetri Martin would want us to buy HIS
new cd!

Well Bob,

At least Demitri's got perspective. I mean, why watch TV? The Daily Show isn't a REAL TV show, right Mister Well Read? I mean, Geez, does he also smoke a pipe like the guy in Porky's? That'll make him look older.

OK then:

Dolli and I have our favorite programs. While in the past, we've been really religious about watching and/or recording, getting pretty disturbed when that gets screwed up, we managed to hit most of the first (and some second) episodes for this Fall season while in Europe, which may have set a strange new standard for us. Our planned schedule for the new Fall season and how it's come together so far:

Sunday
7-7:30 CW Everybody Hates Chris A GREAT show, a fabulous traditional family sitcom. Why it was moved to this complete shithole of a slot, I know not, but we've seen none of them, and it doesn't bother us a bit and I wouldn't be shocked if we fell off this one altogether.
9-10P ABC Desperate Housewives Really fun. A terrific guilty pleasure. We've also seen none of these and it's not killing us, but I suspect an effort will be made to catch up. This will be one of those DVD collections many people end up with.
10-11 ABC Brothers and Sisters A new show with a cast I find interesting, but again, haven't seen it, and only if we get into some Desperate Housewives groove might we give it a chance.

Anything HBO throws at us. So far, this season it's just The Wire. And I don't mean that it's 'just' The Wire. This is the best show on TV, period. We watch this religiously, BUT aren't hemmed in on Sunday night, because we have free HBO on demand, so we have the luxury of watching it when we can watch it. Coolio. Look into the blue blue future!!!

Monday
10-11 NBC Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip OK!! Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme!!! Real stuff, real writing, real dialogue. Maybe a real show. We've seen two, I think, and like it... I think. And 'Josh' is in it! Whether it will addict us like 'Sports Night' did me, and 'The West Wing' (after ignoring a couple seasons) did both of us, remains to be seen, but we're up for it.

Tuesday
8-9 Fox Standoff Looked like something worth checking out. Won't happen.
9-9:30 ABC The Knights of Prosperity. See Standoff
10-11 ABC Boston Legal We have loved this show as if it were our own child. The self conscious references to 'this episode' 'this season' even talking about the night they're on creeps me out. Been done so much... after once, ever, anywhere, done way too much. Gimme my walls, I say. Still, these are the roles of a lifetime for both James Spader and William Shatner. We missed last week, and THAT bothers us. Thank you, David E. How's Michelle looking this week?

Wednesday
8-9 CW America's Next Top Model What can I say? Not that you care, but I'm tiring a little of Tyra's screaming and assumed wisdom of the ages. That aside, screw it, we love this show, missed it last week and are very, very not happy about that, hoping to catch up on a replay this week. So there!
9-10 Fox Justice Yet another one that looked like it deserved a try, but isn't likely to get one.

But wait... 30 Rock, with my favorite comic Stanley Kowalski of all time, Mister Former Kim Bassinger is coming soon. We'll likely be there... or will we, Tina Fey?

Thursday MUST SEE NIGHT!! STILL!!
8-8:30 NBC My Name is Earl A consistently great show. Jamie Presley is just the best cartoon character, as are, now that I think about it, pretty much all our regulars... except the Hispanic maid. She's just both hot and adorable at the same time. We missed much of a season of it making a non Tivo (there, we're facing our demons) decision, but are on the case, absolutely this season.
8:30-9 NBC The Office We had too many 'uncomfortable' shows going on the first season this aired: Larry David, Lisa Kudrow, and probably more, along with some sort of competition on another network, which also had an effect on 'Earl,'... Chris Rock? No matter. We've grown to love this thing and it's cast without it being ruined by having seen the brilliant and wonderful (will HBO bring back 'Extras'?) Ricky Gervais with his original version... one thing that also gives us a DVD wonderland to look forward to, as long as we can put subtitles on it "What did he sayyyyyyy!!!"

Alt:
8-9 ABC Ugly Betty Great reviews continue. This looks kinda like a success, but... unless I decide I want to add yet another one to our roster by taping it, I think it's probably not happening... at least this year.

9-10 ABC Grey's Anatomy OK then. ANTM might be more addictive (our only Reality Bite) as a sick guilty pleasure, and The Wire may be simply the best thing on the tube, but THIS my friends, is our favorite, period, so don't even bother us about it. It rocks. We laugh, we cry, we... a lot like ER used to be, and sometimes (though very seldom) still is.
10-11 CBS Shark. I mean, who DOESN'T love Jimmy Woods?
I mean c'mon.... but we haven't watched it and probably won't.
Dark Horse: Had no intention of watching ER for another tired season. That Mambo Mouth experiment was pretty stunning last season, no? So now, Mr. Full House, Mr. Former Rebecca Blue X-Babe is the latest... and I kinda like it. So, sorry Mr. Terrorist Identifier, we're back with the gang. But if we miss one, it'll be OK.

Friday
9-10 ABC Men in Trees This still may get us. Hasn't shown up yet. But really, Friday's Friday, and there are so many dates to be had!!

There was a time when I was pretty much, with the exception of maybe a total of 2 hours, booked for the entirety of Prime Time. So now, out of the serious 15 hours between Sunday (a newcomer to the Prime Time Big Time, but a valid one) through Thursday (Friday is date night and always a load of crap), I had planned on 11 of them and 90 minutes to 2 hours of taping. What have we got? 7, and much of that isn't gonna kill me if I miss it. Maybe I'm getting old. Or maybe I've developed a taste for staring blankly while watching really attractive people say things in French. Can't tell. Too much TV blunts the mind.

So how does this relate to that first note? Well the note is silly. Books are for kooks. I'm loving 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay' btw. Movies? Gimme a break... but go see 'This Film is Not Yet Rated,' not because it's a great film, but for me and the rest of my Huey brothers, K?

And the Yanks lost 3-1. I take some blame. I only watched or listened to maybe 14 innings. Then again, a pitching staff made up of one killer, one OK guy who pretty much never shows up for the playoffs, one fella older than me, who had a bad back 10 years ago, and a guy who's only real claim to fame was the fact that he beat the Yanks a few times. Great! Seeya Joe. It's been fab, truly.