Archive: March, 2010
Jonathan Storm, Inquirer Television Critic
Will Curly be blind by the end, his eye sockets poked empty by his punchy friends? How many giant mallets will Moe find in his jacket? Will Shemp, or, even more unlikely, Joe Besser or Curly-Joe DeRita make it onto the screen?
The TV world is abuzz with such serious questions, as cable's AMC network announces an April Fool's Day marathon of Three Stooges shorts, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 1. Anyone who watches the whole thing is soey-ten-lee guaranteed to be left with crazy eyes and a fevered brain to match any that the Stooges experienced.
AMC plans to show 24 shorts, back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back, etc., including some of the great ones (not that they aren't all great): "A Plumbing We Will Go," "Pardon My Scotch," "Violent is the Word for Curly," "Three Little Pigskins" (which features Lucille Ball) and, one of my favorites, "Dizzy Detectives." There's also the original "Men in Black," in which the boys, all somehow having completed medical school, terrorize a hospital and the grave chief of staff, Dr. Graves, in the name of duty and humanity.
Jonathan Storm, Inquirer Television Critic
These are two of the best dark TV comedies in a month of Sundays, and even though both are only in the second week of their second seasons, Showtime has already put Seasons Three on the menu. And Comcast customers across the country can watch them free through Sunday.
Nurse Jackie stars The Sopranos' Edie Falco as a New York City nurse who knows more than most of the doctors at her hospital, including how to end-run them to save patients' lives when the docs make stupid decisions. She's also an expert on prescription mood enhancers and pain killers, mostly because she uses just about every one, snagging them in nefarious ways that would amaze even the DEA.
Jackie's one mixed-up chick, hanging on as best she can. The United States' Tara is three mixed-up chicks, a little child and a dude, the possessor of split personalities that got the star of the show, Aussie Toni Colette, last year's best-actress Emmy. Awards-givers go gaga over split personalities, but in this case they got it right. Colette is marvelous, as are the folks who play Tara's family, struggling to maintain a paucity of normalcy as mom and wife continually rambles off the deep end.
Jonathan Storm, Inquirer Television Critic
Just back from a lovely, if not exactly broiling, vacation in the Florida Keys, what should I see in today's Inquirer, but a beautiful old picture of me and an ad for my blog, just where all its fans will see it, over the horoscope and under the comics? Plus, the stars say to me: "Tenison builds." So I guess I had better gear up.
And what better way to get seriously back into the wonder that is television but two separate reports about two of the paragons of American society, Sarah Palin and Jerry Springer? Both these former mayors (she, some dink town in Alaska; he, Cincinnati, which is a dink town in Ohio) will be spreading their wings and sucking in another paycheck.
Springer's hosting Baggage on the Game Show Network, which has changed its name to GSN, but who knows what that means? It's a dating show. Three victims come in, literally, with suitcases and must reveal their personal baggage to the person who will pick one of them for a date. "I'm 40, and I still live with my mom." "I've had seven appearances and participated in six assaults on The Jerry Springer Show." "I tried to run over my daughter's boyfriend with my snowmobile." Providing slightly meatier subject matter than the network newscasts, the show will go opposite them on weeknights at 6:30, beginning April 19.
Jonathan Storm, Inquirer Television Critic
"So here's a great opportunity," I thought. Sarah Palin's on Leno and Mitt Romney's on Letterman, and we can see how lame Jay is interviewing politicians and how sharp Dave is.
Wrong. The lesson of last night's late-night interviews was: The Talk Show: What a deal for any politician. Free air time, questions ranging from high lob softballs to the kind of not-so-hard shots you hit at your kid when you're trying to teach her tennis.
Both comedians asked their guests about their wonderful parents. Both guests got to spout out their core views, unhindered with any meaningful challenge.
Jonathan Storm, Inquirer Television Critic
Pretending it was all just a bad dream, Jay Leno returned last night from one of the worst fiascos in TV history, resuming his job as Tonight Show host after a little more than four months at 10 p.m.
“There’s no place like home,” Leno said in a brief bit reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz finale. Betty White made a cameo.
“It’s good to be home,” he said as he began his monologue after the taped sketch. “I’m Jay Leno, your host. At least for a while.” Touting guest Lindsay Vonn, the American gold medalist, he said, “Did you see her? When it comes to going downhill, nobody is faster. OK, except NBC.”
Jonathan Storm, Inquirer Television Critic
I've been a lonely voice in the wind throughout these Winter Olympics, arguing that NBC was doing the best job it could to please the core audience of prime-time viewers, who are not very serious sports fans (just as a lot of the Olympic flying-flip skiing and ice dazzling terpsichore, are not very serious sports, in the vein of the NHL or the NFL). The prime-time Olympic viewers enjoy the backstories of athletes struggling against alcoholism or the crushing burden of being the most popular person in all of their far-off country, and they would much rather watch ice dancing than ice hockey.
They also adore the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, an amalgam of pro entertainment performances, weird costumes and effects and, of course, parades of fresh-faced international athletes that please the eyes and pull the heartstrings.
NBC cut away from last night's ceremonies to make room for what turned out to be one of the worst TV ideas in a long time, Jerry Seinfeld's The Marriage Ref, in which smug, high paid celebrities make fun of average Americans. Bob Costas told the audience to come back after 11:30, and watch the rest of ceremonies on tape delay. The heck with you, Bob Costas, even if you were simply carrying water for your bosses. And shame on those smug, high-paid NBC executives who have a similar dismissive attitude toward their audience.
