Fingers, Eyes and Toes Crossed for this to really happen

As we all know this year's Emmys ceremony blew chunks!!!!! But one of the only bright lights of the entire show was Ricky Gervais' skit. Turns out we weren't the only ones to have noticed. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ricky has just been shortlisted to host next year's Oscars!!! Words can't express how excited we are over here at TVholics Anonymous..... Maybe we should start a petition... What do you think?

Survivor Returns!

Ah, the fall season truly begins for us here at TVholics Anonymous tonight with the return of Survivor over at CBS. Now in it's 17th season, the daddy of all reality shows still manages to bring drama, backstabbing and laughs to us loyal followers. This year takes us to what is touted as earth's last eden, Gabon, Africa. I loved the season that was set in Kenya so I am very excited for them to return to the continent. How can anyone resist the possibility that one of the contestants could very well be eaten by a lion or trampled by an elephant????

I managed to watch the TV Guide Channel's sneak peek at the new season a few weeks back and so far I am rooting for Charlie!!!! Just something about him makes me think that he will be the bitchiest and most conniving out of the lot. I can also already tell that Jessica is going to bug the hell out of me. As for the others, none really stood out to me but it's still very early days.

Let the games begin!

Off the Wagon MIke: Big Brother Finale

Hey, Off the Wagon Mike here with a quick write up on my thoughts on the end of this season of Big Brother. Congratulations have to go out to Dan for winning and for playing a really good game all the way through. He went from one of the first targets, to playing under the radar, to being a target again after making some big game moves, but he stayed true to his alliance and used them to get himself to the end, and he picked a perfect final two ally in Memphis, who the entire jury did not seem to like at all.

I'm also very glad Keesha won the Jury prize. She deserved it and if it kept money out of Jerry's pocket, it makes me happy. Plus it was fun to see April realize that America loved Keesha and not her. It was also funny to see Libra be the juror with the only voice of reason and tell everyone this was a game and not personal. I started the season hating her, but eventually I got to like her. April, Ollie, Jerry and Jessie on the other hand, I still can't stand. Seeing Jessie on the finale was obnoxious, but it was great to see Brian and Stephen trash the houseguests for their nasty behavior. It was odd that Angie did not get a chance to say anything though, but she didn't say much in the house, so why change that behavior now.

Big Brother has officially been picked up for another season and will be back next summer. It will be good to get a longer break away from the show, having two editions on this season burned me out on the show a bit. Also, the show needs to speed up the last few evictions. Once the final five is set, there isn't much suspense left as to who will go. They need to take a page from Survivor and have the final four be one episode. Well, that's it for Big Brother. It was a pretty good season overall, probably my favorite since season six. I'll be back here writing about Survivor and maybe some other shows. Also, to anyone reading this, watch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles over on Fox, it's a great show and needs help in the ratings. Til next time.

The 2008 Emmys

I'll admit for all of my TV addiction, I have never really been one to watch the Emmy's. Don't get me wrong I faithfully watch the Oscars every year, even the Golden Globes I will tune into time and again but what is it about the Emmy's that has never really excited me??? I guess it might be because I don't really get into the shows that are so popular with the masses and usually nab all of the nominations. I proudly confess that I have never seen an episode of Friends, Desperate Housewives, Heroes or a gaggle of other top ten shows that are usually up for the award. Now that alone is not enough of an excuse because as I said earlier I never miss the Oscars yet I am not a big film goer in the least. Don't get me wrong, I have tried some of the big shows that critics just rave on about like I have seen an episode of Seinfeld, but that was only because it was based on someone I knew. ER was never on my "to watch" list even though I like the occasional medical drama like House (I do really hope Hugh Laurie wins this year.) For the most part, prime time network television just doesn't float my boat. Now dramas and comedies on the cable channels, that's another thing. But sadly I don't have the premium channels so I am usually light years behind on those. Case in point, I have yet to see the final season of The Sopranos. (I know blasphemy!)

As usual, I digress. The premise of this year's awards is that the hosts are compromised of the five nominated hosts for the reality television genre, who will be taking turns at emceeing the awards. I'm not sure how well this will work. Firstly, how is the most inane game show ever produced, Deal or No Deal considered a reality show! This is reminiscent of Jethro Tull being nominated and winning the Grammy for Best Heavy Metal album! It just isn't right. Honestly, a person signs up for the show, comes to LA and randomly opens boxes that may or may not contain lots of money. There are no cat fights, no shomances, no back dooring, wacky challenges, nada. Without those vital scenarios, we simply have greedy people showing up in hopes of a big payday, which is the ultimate reward in reality television but without the drama and character building this is just a game show, plain and simple. Also, why do the Emmys really need a theme like this? For the most part, people just tune in to see who came with you, who wore the worst outfit and who looked the most disgruntled when they didn't win, don't they?

After looking over the nominees, I might just record the show so I can race through to see if anyone gave a drunk acceptance speech or even better slipped and fell on stage. So, am I alone in my lack of enthusiasm to what should be a must watch awards show for any television addict?

Dear John: Project Runway

My Darling Project Runway,

I don't even know where to begin because I am that distraught at the moment but better to just get it out in the open. It's just not working out for us anymore. There I've said it.

I know how could this happen. From the moment I set eyes on you four years ago, I was absolutely smitten with you and thought that our love would be everlasting. I looked forward every week to our special Wednesday night dates. I turned down overtime at work, broke dinner dates, made excuses for you, just so we could be together. And now, I watch you and the passion is gone. I can't even pinpoint where it all went wrong but these last few weeks, my heart has just sunk with disappointment and despair. Where did the spark go?

Remember our first year together, back when we hung out with that modern Quentin Crisp character, Austin or those bitches, Wendy and Kara Saun??? Remember the glee we shared with Tim, Heidi, Michael and Nina watching everyone blossom from challenge to challenge??


Then for our anniversary, you introduced me to the amazing Santino, and the gorgeous and talented Daniel V. There was never a dull moment back then. Eclectic is the only way to describe how it was back then. Feathers flying, fabric flowing..... Magical times

A few months later we were back at it. This time I took an instant liking to Jeffrey and knew right off the bat that Laura and I would never get along. But that didn't matter, you still stunned and amazed me with all of the hidden talent and the drama. And when you kicked Keith out, that just showed me how much you truly cared.


But then there was the time when you had to go away for far too many months. I sat awake at night wondering what had happened. Was it me? Was it you? Or was it just that you had things to take care of? Either way, you came back better than ever. You introduced me to Christian. Just one word can sum him up - Ferosh!!!!! I knew from the second that I saw him that we would be everlasting friends. Life again was worth living.

Alas, this summer our relationship just waned. No longer did we see eye to eye. Instead of all of your cool friends, you started hanging out with oompa loompa wannabe Blayne and that creepy leather woman, Stella. Sure you showed Jerry the door nice and quick but still this new group of friends you are hanging out with just are so, how shall I put it, boring! Where's the pizazz? Where's the passion? Instead we just see the same old thing week in and week out. Kenley is just a stubborn snotty sore loser who makes the same thing time after time. Terri will always whip up a multi-piece suit (mind you, a well constructed one.) Joe, well, I can't even find words to express what I think of him! How you two became friends is still a mystery. The only one I can even remotely show any emotion for is Leanne with her amazing attention to detail but still I was hesitant of her to begin with since she can be so meek.

It's not just your friends though! The spontaneity is gone. Back in the day you would surprise me with amazing challenges but now it's just the same old routine with new characters, if you can even call them that. It's like I know what to expect before you arrive.

So there you have it, I wish you much love and luck in your new venture over at Lifetime. Please keep an eye out for Tim for me. Something just tells me that he's the one who will be most affected by our break up and your subsequent move. Just remember to make it work!

Auf Wiedersehen Pet,

TVA
xxx

The Biggest Loser: Families

Another guilty pleasure of mine has got to be The Biggest Loser on NBC. Mike TV was my pusher on this one. He coerced me to try it just the once to see if I would like it. I got hooked and, voila, we have a new obsession was born.

Last year, I was laid up in bed for a few weeks (in my world, a perfect scenario) and as luck would have it during many a sleepless night, reruns of all the past seasons were being aired so not only did I get hooked to the current season but got the whole back catalog at once and even one season of the UK version!!!! (During this time, the same thing also happened with The Amazing Race. "Oh, just try it," they said, "It's not bad for you" and once again thanks to Mike TV as well as Off the Wagon Mike, and the fact that they were rerunning all seasons back to back, there I was drooling for my next weekly fix. Thanks boys!)

So tonight brought the season premiere of The Biggest Loser: Families. For old time's sake I dvr'ed it so I could cuddle up under the duvet to relish in the latest offering. This year's twist is pitting married couples up against parents and kids. Brilliant!!!! Basically, is blood thicker than water? Bob gets the couples while Jillian gets the relatives. Personally, I would want to be on Jillian's team. Even though she scares the shit out of me,the results she gets are astonishing. It stuns me during the final weeks, when people lose more than I weigh in just a few months without the aid of a surgeon!

What always perplexes me with these types of shows, is how surprised the contestants act when they are find out they made the show be it in their home, a restaurant, etc. Isn't the camera crew and the fact that most of your friends and family are there, a little bit of a giveaway?? Or maybe these people are just used to having themselves professionally filmed just hanging out at home???

My other gripe and, honestly, I'm not being mean or anything but..... When they go on the scales for the first time, 90% of them are stunned by how much they actually weigh. Now if you are like me (and I'm not claiming to be Twiggy by any means) and you are always striving to lose those extra pounds or you are neurotic and weigh yourself every day, you generally have a realistic idea of how heavy you are. But it seems in the case of these "chubbies," shall we say, they have no serious clue as to how overweight they are. Aren't the XXXL clothes that they are pouring themselves into a slight clue that just possibly they might be obese??? Or like the appearance of the TV crew, this fact might have just escaped their notice or seem like just another everyday occurrence?

And just one more issue I have, why is it ok for moobs to be shown on network TV but a boob has to be censored??? Are they not basically the same thing apart from one can excrete milk and the other can't. Hell, all of the men on The Biggest Loser require a bigger bra than me that's for damn sure!!!!

Please don't get me wrong, I think this show is amazing with the results that they get. But, I do question the methods by which they get there. You can't tell me losing 20+ pounds in one week is healthy!!!! And how many people can really spend all day in a gym with a trainer and have a nutritionist at their disposal.

At times it can be touching, even inspiring and at other times, you are screaming at the screen because one of them will backdoor a more deserving team member or someone just slacks off or, even worse, gorges on one of the temptation rounds. So sit back and enjoy the emotional rollercoaster just don't stuff your face while you do it!

25th Annual MTV Video Music Awards

God, how old did that make me feel??? I can't believe I have been watching the MTV Video Music Awards, aka the VMA's, religiously for 25 years. I can still remember the first one back in 1984 co-hosted by Dan Ackroyd and Better Midler. If memory serves me correct, there's a 99% chance that my mother got me out of school early so I could watch all the hoopla. Of course that year marked the first live performance of that little known singer, what was her name again, oh yeah, MADONNA as she writhed around in a wedding dress while singing Like A Virgin. Oh those were truly the glory days of that new genre known as music video. But what I would like to know is how do they determine the nominees these days?

Whenever I have turned on MTV over the last, say, 10 years or more I haven't seen one damn video on the air. Sure they did bring the whole genre of reality TV to the forefront of America with The Real World but honestly when do they play these supposed music videos that the channel is doling out awards for? I used to live for Sunday nights when I was a teenager for 120 Minutes to air or it would always be a special event if a video was making its world premiere like David Bowie's mini-movie video for Blue Jean or the extended version of Duran Duran's Wild Boys.

But back to present day, let's have a gander at what the show had to offer. This year we were treated to Russell Brand as our host. As I have said earlier, he's fantastic!!!! His joke about "Wear a condom or become a Republican" was BRILLIANT!!!! Do I think most people will get him, I'm not so sure. British humor, for whatever asinine reason, is either hit or miss here in the States.

Was I the only one to drool over Rhianna's exquistitly handknit Rodarte tights when she took to the stage to open the show??? I probably was, but screw it, I will admit it - I have my girlie moments, damn it!!!

And was is just me or did that sound stage look teeny tiny??? I remember at their height, the VMA's would sell out places that held 5,000+ people. But apparently not this year, it felt like everyone attending were either nominees, presenters, performers or just paid extras.

I will confess that I did have to google quite a few of the presenters and performers. I'm woman enough to admit that I am no longer on the cutting edge of youth culture. Hell, since the iPod came out I rarely, if ever, listen to the radio and since MTV doesn't seem to have videos on their rotation any more, can you really blame me for not knowing that Pete Wentz was in Fall Out Boy (being the gossip reading whore that I am, I did know that he's married to Ashley Simpson, Jessica's sister.)

As to my favorite performances, I have to give a shout out to Christina!!! How can't I like a song that praises being a Super Bitch???? Now, that's my kind of super hero. Also at the top of the list was Kid Rock. Why, because he is what rock music should be about: gritty, innovative and with a soul. And Pink looked amazing!

Albeit a bit predictable, Britney won all the big awards. Did she deserve them, why not? She's come a long way over the last year and let's face it MTV needs Britney just as much as she needs them.

Now for the horrid, how freaking hideous was the opening of that Jonas Brothers song??? I felt like the VMA's had taken a page from The Secret Life of the American Teenager with that horrendous closing scene from the last episode where the whole school followed Amy with the marching band as they escorted her to class. And did Jordin Sparks, yes, I knew who she was (I'm an avid fan of American Idol,) have to reiterate the abstinence only message of the hypocrisy, known as a purity ring. The Republicans, it seems, have even managed to infiltrate what used to be the most notorious awards show around. What happened to moments like Courtney Love drunk off her ass shouting at Madonna or Motley Crue brawling with Guns N'Roses. Where, oh, where did it all go so very, very wrong???? I don't think I have ever heard the expression: chastity, drugs and rock'n'roll, have you?

So there you have it, my take on the 2008 MTV Awards. As always TVholics Anonymous cares about what you think. Did the awards live up to your standards?

Crucial Viewing: Skins

I know I have said it before but I shall say it again, you NEED to be watching Skins every Sunday night at 10:00pm on BBC America. It's just such a genius show and a fresh and realistic look at teenage life.

Not only does it have lots of sex and drugs but the music is FANTASTIC!!! I had the pleasure of watching the original episodes months ago via UK Soaps. What I didn't know at the time was that there was a major issue when it came to worldwide distribution (thanks to the insanely high prices of the rights and clearances that the music companies charge), which unfortunately meant that the rest of the world doesn't get to experience the original soundtrack. Why is this such an issue, well the music featured on the show was in itself a phenomenon. I found a great site that can fill you in on all of the songs that were sadly not included in the DVD boxsets or foreign markets. So go check it out it.

BBC America sent me this great interview with Nicholas Hoult (Tony) and Mike Bailey (Sid) discussing how the producers of the show instead of relying on what was being featured on the music charts at the time actually took the time to find out what kids were listening to be it underground, hip hop, old school, etc...

This could be very cool!

Who didn't love that brilliant classic The Wonder Years???? I don't think I ever missed an episode. Well, looks like we could get a more modern version coming to our screens in the near future. It was announced today that there is a series in development that would be an 80's version which would be a cross between Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Ice Storm. How freaking awesome is that if indeed it's done correctly?????

Peace Out; Snoopy aka Bill Melendez

There seems to have been quite a few recent television related deaths lately and the fall season hasn't even started yet. It's with great remorse that I announce that Snoopy has moved to the dog park in heaven. Well, not Snoopy exactly, but Bill Melendez, the voice of Snoopy (oddly enough I don't remember him actually talking but more like he made quizzical grunts.) Not only was Bill a talented voice but he was also the main animator for all of those great Peanuts cartoons that we would watch every holiday with the prerequisite case of Zingers that I always made my mom buy me for such tv-filled occasions. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown just won't be the same this year.

Peace Out: Jerry Reed

Another Peace Out piece here. Sadly, Jerry Reed passed away yesterday. Can he be considered a television actor??? Oh yeah he can. Don't y'all remember his adventures with those pesky kids in the Mystery Van from Scooby Doo??? As a kid, I had no idea who he was other than some guest character on that show and on one of my other childhood favorites, Alice (I think he played the beau of everyone's favorite floozy, Flo.) True, he is better known as a Grammy winning guitar picker and singer, who starred in Smokey and the Bandit but to me he will always just the good ole boy who got to hang out with Scooby and Shaggy as well as Mel and Vera. Keep picking those guitar strings, Jerry, we will miss ya!

WTF - Isn't This Already a TV show?

Well looks like life is imitating art yet again (well, television is an art, ain't it?) The news has surfaced that the GOP Vice Presidential candidate, Governor Sarah Palin's 17 year old Catholic girl school going daughter is up the duff. Is it just me or is the presidential campaign trail looking like an episode of that guilty pleasure, The Secret Life of the American Teenager???

Let's see,

teenage pregnancy - check






the token African American BFF- check





the senile grandparent - check




a trophy wife/stepmom - check





a Down Syndrome character - check






lies and deceit - double check




empty promises of better episodes - check

Scary part is unlike a bad tv show, I can't change the channel and make it go away. God help us all!!!