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Kids Love Bullets
2008-02-09 13:29
by Mark T.R. Donohue
  • I am really, really ready for the real part of "American Idol" to start. I know a lot of people seem to like the first couple weeks' geek shows, but I'm not one of them. Maybe I am out of touch with the fanbase on this one, but I suspect part of the reason that the "Idol" ratings are finally beginning to erode is that the formula is due for a shakeup. If I were they I would have changed the way the first month of the season works completely. Instead of three or four brutal weeks of auditions, I would edit the Hollywood round (one of the most exciting, emotion-overloaded, high-stakes examples of what drew us all to reality TV in the first place) across the first several episodes with flashbacks to the various contenders' audition rounds. Of course, that's just what I would like to see -- I am most interested in the psychology of the people who have a chance to win when watching "Idol." Most of the viewers might like watching clueless middle Americans embarrass themselves hideously for the better part of the month, I don't know. Maybe they could do a separate special for them. I didn't like the way that last season there were some people who made into the final 12 into whose personalities we had no insight whatsoever.
  • The new episode of "Psych" from Friday night was noteworthy for two reasons: First, it was co-written by star James Roday, and second, it featured a performance by Melanie Lynskey of "Two and a Half Men" and "Drive" fame that was fascinating. At first, I thought Lynskey's British accent, which she didn't seem to use for the first couple of scenes, then lapsed in and out of for the rest of the episode, was just bad American acting. But wait! Lynskey isn't American! She's from New Zealand! In fact, she was in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures, a film I had seen without ever before making the connection. But clearly either British accents are really hard for New Zealanders to do (I don't think) or like Mel Gibson in turn Lynskey's accent has just completely disappeared. Well, I don't know, this was interesting to me.
  • After viewing and really enjoying the first two episodes of "Breaking Bad" I added "Malcolm in the Middle" to my TiVo list. I haven't really watched any "Malcolm" since the first two seasons were on and I'm kind of fascinated by its status alongside "King of the Hill" as a barely-profitable cult show that Fox just kept running... and running... and running, probably for lack of better alternatives. As for "King of the Hill," which as barely anybody seems to know is still in production (12th season), it's a fantastic show. Going back to "Malcolm" after all these years... I don't know. It feels a little weird. For all of its single-camera surrealism and over-the-top attitude... there's kind of a lot of jokes about poop and farts and eating bugs. Not my thing. One thing, though, and I have no idea what he's doing now... Erik Per Sullivan is the best preteen sitcom actor in history. His timing as Dewey is unreal. As for Frankie Muniz, I hope he has invested his "Malcolm" checks wisely. He's no Topher Grace, that's for sure. I did hear he was like a big L.A. Clippers superfan, though, so that's a point in his favor.
  • The only bad thing about the new episodes of "Psych" and "Monk" running on USA now is the constant blaring promotions for Courtney Cox's show, "Dirt." For me they're just irritating, but... both of USA's lighthearted detective franchises are rare cable shows that can be watched by the whole family, to drag out a tired old saw. I first fell in love with "Monk" watching episodes on vacation with my mom, a huge fan. USA is showing rather poor recognition of its brand with "Dirt," a show that (to be fair) I haven't watched. But whether it's a good show or not isn't the point. The point is, the network ought not be running vulgar ads with Cox cracking "jokes" about sex and drugs during its squeaky clean mystery block. I'm not trying to be the Thought Police here or anything... it's just not good business. I like smut as much as the next guy, but nothing takes me out of my fun times with Monk, Shaun, and Gus more than seeing Courtney's disturbingly taut face spewing lines about cocaine and vomit.
  • Speaking of "Psych" and "Monk," those two shows along with Showtime's great "Dexter" will be some of the only beneficiaries of the writers' strike, with the chance to win larger audiences with some network airings. I have no idea how the bowdlerized network versions of "Dexter" will play, but I suspect that the editors will be missing the point -- you can take out all of the severed body parts and the spraying blood, but the show is just so fundamentally adult that even with the swear words taken out I am not sure whether it even belongs on network television. Among other things, the commercial breaks will utterly disperse the show's admirable tension -- it's the first show in my memory where the audience isn't merely afraid for the life of the hero, but also fears that the hero will come and kill THEM.
Comments
2008-02-10 22:30:13
1.   Eric Stephen
I loved Dewey! He played the role of forgotten child perfectly.

I remember watching the first episode of Malcolm, and thought it was a little weird, but I stuck with it and I liked it through the very end.

Bryan Cranston was outstanding as well, and is the reason I have watched Breaking Bad (and I'm glad I did).

2008-02-10 22:31:38
2.   Eric Stephen
I loved Dewey! He played the role of forgotten child perfectly.

I remember watching the first episode of Malcolm, and thought it was a little weird, but I stuck with it and I liked it through the very end.

Bryan Cranston was outstanding as well, and is the reason I have watched Breaking Bad (and I'm glad I did).

2008-02-11 13:30:09
3.   Ali Nagib
At least Frankie is set up to play the lead if they ever do "The Buddy Holly Story."

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