Guest Blogger Mac Tackles Teen Wolf

I've been waiting for an extraordinary paranormal show since Buffy ended. I got my hopes up for The Gates, for the American version of Being Human, and every time my expectations were dashed. Well, sign me up for one more potential heartbreak, because Teen Wolf looks like it's got the potential to be pretty awesome.

So far, they've shown the one-hour pilot followed the next day by the first 'real' episode. They pleasantly defied my expectations. The pilot did what it had to; at the risk of damning it with faint praise, it performed its necessary and dull task of defining most of the show's parameters adequately. Many main characters were introduced and their relationships were established. They revealed the, for some reason, freezing cold and constantly raining California town of Beacon Hills. And the paraphysics were lightly touched upon (in short, what powers he gets for being a werewolf). It's all done with a laudable degree of organic-ness, and a spoonful-of-sugar's worth of comic relief.

Speaking of, let me introduce you to, in my opinion, the real star of this show: Dylan O'Brien. This guy's acting is what's going to keep me coming back week after week.

Seen here, perfecting his Barack Obama "Staring hopefully into the future" pose.

He plays Stiles, the best friend, son-of-the-sheriff, comic relief and exposition rolled into one. Currently possessed of no supernatural gifts, he nevertheless balances energetic comedy, palatable plot-progression, and in the first two episodes alone, quite a few touching friendly "sidekick" moments. Think Xander and Willow at once. Actually, don't think that. I did, and now it's all I can think about...

Anyway. The show tries to star Tyler Posey as the eponymous Teen Wolf. Shirtless in every preview. I assumed his acting would be wooden, as he clearly exists to be eye-candy. What actually happened… was interesting. As it turns out, I wasn't entirely wrong. He plays the "straight man" for a great deal of the comedy of the show, and he's a natural. Someone wrote him a great many scenes where the appropriate reaction was "confusion" or "blank incomprehension". This person deserves an Emmy. Or possibly a Nobel. Don't get me wrong, Posey has a few scenes where he has to actually act, and he manages to get through them without being hammy (especially the scenes where he's adorably in love). It's just that the producers know what he's good at, and they know how to get it out of him.

Ladies and one-in-ten guys? Is it working?

In conclusion, though I've focused on the characters, the show really has a lot to offer. There are already several mysteries for the main characters to solve, from figuring out the specifics of "being a werewolf" to a good old-fashioned whodunit, as well as many intriguing clues. I can't wait for the next episode to see if any of my guesses are correct.

The show airs on MTV on Mondays at 10pm EST

1-2-3-4, Can I have a little more?

With the start of summer comes the official end of the 2010-2011 television season. The ashes are still smoldering on the battlefield as some shows emerge triumphant (seriously, Vampire Diaries had on the best seasons ever), some shows floundered (Glee--I want you to sit in the corner and think about what you did), and others crashed and burned.

But if you just squint your eyes, you can see the remains of one of my favorite shows this season. Not many people watched it and it didn't get a lot of attention, but it was quietly brilliant. Which is unfortunately not enough to cut it these days and it was canceled after it's first year.

I am talking about Detroit 1-8-7, an ABC drama that went inside Detroit's homicide division and told some of the best stories on television.

I know what you're thinking. "But Maggie, you hate procedurals and there are already so many cop shows on tv, why on earth would you even watch this or mention it since it doesn't even exist anymore?"

I am glad you mentioned that, imaginary blog reader. The answer is that you can still watch episodes of Detroit 1-8-7 online, and honestly, it's a show worth checking out. Just because some shows didn't last long, doesn't mean I don't enjoy them. I still love Pushing Daisies, Firefly, Freaks and Geeks and Wonderfalls.

Detroit 1-8-7 is way grittier than those shows, but Michael Imperioli was genius on it and created one of the more unique characters in recent memory. In fact, everyone on the show was great, the stories were interesting, and Detroit was as much a character as any of the cops. Lord knows I rag on Detroit, but the city has personality and if you think about it, serves as an allegory for America itself. Think of it this way: Detroit is to Detroit 1-8-7 as Baltimore is to The Wire. In fact, Detroit 1-8-7 is like a network version of The Wire. It has less profanity, is easier to follow the plot, and is just as compelling.

So give it a try. You've got all summer; think of this as part of your summer viewing list. I defy you not to root for Detroit by the end.

It's back!

The other day I was randomly flipping channels, and I discovered something interesting. First, that there is NOTHING good to watch at 3:00 in the afternoon, and second, that there are like 10 channels of VH1.

Remember VH1? It was like MTV for the older crowd. For those who couldn't handle Beastie Boys and the constant screaming teenagers. Also, it had Behind the Music which was like the most melodramatic show ever and was good for hours of entertainment. Especially when they tried to convince me that Ricky Martin was straight by going on and on about his former relationship with this woman and how he would always have feelings for her. Nice try, Behind the Music. You can't fool me! No man who shakes his bon bon like that is straight.

ANYWAY, there I was flipping channels, and I landed on VH1-23 or something and lo and behold! They were showing Pop Up Video! I was obsessed with that show when it initially aired; I loved all the little behind the scenes nuggets (which I was never really convinced were true) and the wry sense of humor of the bubbles. Also the little noise the bubbles made when they popped up. I thought it was cute.

And guess what? Pop Up Video is coming back! I have to admit, this news left me positively giddy which is probably an over-reaction, but who cares? I cannot WAIT for them to tackle some Gaga videos. And apparently they are also doing some hip hop videos. But wait. Do people who watch VH1 even watch hip hop videos? Well, they will now. Now if they will only run another I Love the 80s marathon....

Tell me more! But let's pick a less creepy song...

Secret Girlfriend of the Sneak-Peek

While in Vegas last week, I got to attend a TV screening at MGM Grand - we sat in a computer lab and watched a show, using a little dial to indicate how much we were enjoying it. Sounds a bit weird, I know, but it was hella fun for a television enthusiast/amateur critic such as myself. What made it even more entertaining was the show itself - we got to see the pilot of the upcoming NBC show, 2 Broke Girls, starring the gorgeous and funny Kat Dennings.

Rawr.

You may recognize those luscious lips from such films as Charlie Bartlett, The House Bunny, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and most recently Thor. To each and every role Dennings brings a quick wit, a sharp tongue, and undeniable sex appeal. Also, boobs.

Damn girl, put those things away. There are children present.

In 2 Broke Girls, Dennings stars as Max, a sassy yet lovable waitress working in a shady Brooklyn diner. Her world is turned upside down when Caroline (played by relative newcomer Beth Behrs), the newly destitute daughter of a Bernie-Madoff parody, gets a job at the diner and moves in to Max's apartment. At first, Max is disgusted by Caroline's privileged attitude and inability to pull her own weight - but Caroline eventually shows herself to be a good-hearted (if sheltered) person, with enough ambition to carry them both to fame and fortune. That is, if she can learn a lesson or two from Max about common sense!

Okay, I'm done with cheesy announcer voice.
Don't look at me like that!

IMHO, Dennings has served her time as a "hey, it's that girl!" and is due to step into the spotlight in her own show. Obviously I'd love something more innovative than rehashing the odd-couple trope for the billionth time, but would it play in Peoria? The show is also set to occupy a pretty choice spot: Mondays at 8:30 EST, right after HIMYM. Bottom line, it's a show that seems to have a chance of survival, which could potentially give us hours and hours of Kat Dennings - I'm calling it a win!

A lapsed Gleek attends Glee Live

Hello, friends - your long-lost contributor Monkey Sri here. I have a confession to make - I have not set up the cable or internet in my new apartment. Shocking, I know. I am waaaaaay behind on my TV/Hulu-ing, and subsequently my blogging. And as a result, when Maggie and I attended Glee Live in Vegas last week, I had not seen the latest four episodes.

Cue the gay gasp.

This did not diminish my enjoyment of the live show one iota. The show opened with the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, aka Harry Shum, Jr's (Mike Chang) dance troupe. They do amazing routines that play out like mini-movies - totes worth a click-through.

I won't go through all the songs performed by the Glee kids - here is the complete set-list, with tons of clips. I will just say this - "Kurt" is an will always be my fave, and I need to get Chris Colfer to be my gay best friend. These firm convictions were only strengthened by seeing him and the girls do the "Single Ladies" dance live. BRILLIANT.



Other highlights included Amber Riley (Mercedes) and Naya Rivera (Santana) performing "River Deep, Mountain High" - Do I love them? My, oh my! - and Kevin McHale (Artie) getting to get out of his wheelchair for "Safety Dance." In short, all my favorites got their time in the spotlight - though every single cast member brought the noise and the funk, so it was a thrilling show from start to finish. If you have a chance, go see this show! If you don't, you'll just have to content yourself with the awesome TV show, the Glee Project competition on Oxygen, the upcoming Glee 3D movie...

Throwing Chairs

Perhaps I was naive. Perhaps I was just foolish. But I honestly thought that the age of the Jerry Springer-esque daytime television show had passed. I remember when Jerry Springer and those kind of shows were all the rage; they used to show episodes in the college late-night dining area and people would cheer and catcall whenever so and so ghetto trailer park person (sure it's a stereotype but that doesn't mean it's inaccurate) would physically attack the other ghetto trailer park person, screaming and tossing chairs around. Despite being a "reality" program that kind of behavior always felt so unreal to me. Those people were in on the joke, right?

When Jerry Springer and his show bowed quietly out of sight it was like the nation released a collective sigh of relief. "At last," we thought, "we can move on to more mature programming like The Bachelor, Celebrity Apprentice, and Jersey Shore." At least that was what I thought happened. But I guess I was wrong.

Because last week, while working at home and changing out of my gym clothes, I switched on the tv and there it was. Maury Povich doing a "who is the baby daddy?" themed show where people without jobs or anything useful to do except fornicate (badly--or well depending on how you look at it) yelled at one another. Actually, everyone yelled. The guests, the audience, it's just a whole bunch of people screaming profanities at one another.

Needless to say, I was surprised to see this. I thought we had moved on from this kind of thing. Maury just sits there with a little smile on his face and a "don't blame me" expression and that makes ME want to scream and throw chairs around. Because I have to wonder--who are these people? What are their lives like that they think going on this show is a good idea? Can they not afford the at home DNA kit? Do they have so little self-respect and self-worth that they think being on television makes them a good person? And is this really my fault (i.e. America's fault) for making this kind of culture and behavior ok? And how does Maury Povich deal with this kind of thing every single damn day?

I don't have any real answers here, just more questions. And a feeling of sadness that this kind of thing passes for entertainment. Maybe the people who watch these shows just feel better about themselves after seeing how messy the guests' lives are? Maybe being judgmental and smug and acting like the over-educated under-sexed East Coast liberal that I am makes ME feel better about myself? I don't know. But I do one thing--in my family we don't throw chairs. It's just rude.

Same Stuff, Different Day

Doctor Who has returned! For those not in the know, the umpteenth season of Doctor Who began airing on BBC America last Saturday. The good news is the episode was really good. The bad news is I feel like I have seen it before.

I wasn't all together pleased with last season (remind yourself of why I was disappointed here). After all the hype and expectation surrounding Steven Moffat's take over of the show, last season left me feeling kind of cold. Sure things got better at the end, and Matt Smith and the last moments of the season finale (where Amy "remembers" the Doctor back to life) were awesome, but overall I felt very ho-hum about the whole thing.

Last Saturday's premiere episode had a lot of things going for it. The entire production moved to America and we got some very cool shots of the Doctor and his companions (including River Song) frolicking in the Southwest, as well as Matt Smith adorably proclaiming that Stetsons are cool. Yes, yes they are. Oh, and remember that part where the DOCTOR GOT SHOT AND DIED. Like, for realsies. First he got shot. Then he started regenerating. Then he got SHOT AGAIN AND DIED. Yikes. I'm not sure how they're going to get themselves out of that one. But at least it was completely surprising and unexpected. Unfortunately, that was kind of the last thing about the episode that was.

Look, there's no doubt that Steven Moffat is a brilliant writer. I think fans of the news series of Doctor Who would almost universally list his episodes as their favorites. The Girl in the Fireplace, the Doctor Dances, Blink...these are genius. But I'm getting the impression he is beginning to run out of tricks and has been dipping into the same well a bit too often. The Impossible Astronaut featured a creepy child's voice (The Empty Child), a silent alien enemy that messes with your mind and sight (Blink), a lumbering astronaut (Silence in the Library), and frankly, a derivative episode title (The Impossible Planet).

Was it entertaining? Hell yes. Did it have me on the edge of my seat? Absolutely. Was it scary? Affirmative. But did it feel fresh? Eh. I'm excited to see part 2 on Saturday night and anything that puts Mark Sheppard on my tv is ok by me, but again, I can't help but feel a teeny bit let down. I'm hoping things will take a more surprising turn with second episode, and maybe Moffat can break away from his standard plot devices soon. And there's always the Neil Gaiman episode to look forward to...

Doctor Who airs on BBC America Saturdays at 9:00pm EST (they are also rerunning The Impossible Astronaut at 8:00 this Saturday in case you missed it).