tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15543127.post8285379123299656177..comments2023-10-19T11:09:08.952-05:00Comments on Fin de cinéma: 2008 List #1: The Best (and Worst) of Televisionreassurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129227726045849803noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15543127.post-50585614936558272812008-12-21T21:38:00.000-06:002008-12-21T21:38:00.000-06:00Nice List. I respectfully submit "John Adams" as o...Nice List. I respectfully submit "John Adams" as one of the premier viewing events of '08. No matter what performances come along in the very short rest of the year, I doubt anyone can top Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti.<BR/><BR/>I'm about to roll up my sleeves and dig into "True Blood" which is backlogged on my DVR right now.<BR/><BR/>And one note about "South Park"- the Heavy Metal episode is classic, but I loved, loved, loved the World of Warcraft episode.<BR/><BR/>Nice blog by the way. I just found it when Girish linked it out.Joe Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10160822944514723178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15543127.post-57542987874950234432008-12-21T09:14:00.000-06:002008-12-21T09:14:00.000-06:00Great list. Random thoughts... Tina Fey is of cour...Great list. Random thoughts... Tina Fey is of course brilliant, and her Palin has been pretty much the only reason to watch SNL of late, but I'm sorry to say that Kristen Wiig mostly just annoys me. She plays basically the same character in every sketch, with the same mannerisms and vocal tics, and she is the best representative of what has become SNL's primary mode of operation: running a single joke into the ground through repetition, until it is drained of whatever comedic potential it originally possessed. Her Target Lady sketches make me want to scream, and not with laughter... Glad to see someone else still likes <I>Lost</I>, which can be maddening at times but at its best is just lots of fun, especially in its high concept episodes centering around time travel... I am a HUGE <I>South Park</I> fan, but I've been sadly disappointed by these last couple of seasons. It seems to be stuck in a rut at this point, with fewer really great episodes than ever. There are flashes of brilliance like Randy saying "niggers" on Wheel of Fortune, or the amazing <I>Heavy Metal</I> parody with Kenny and Randy, but too many recent episodes seem like pale retreads of past glories, none more so than the Indiana Jones thing, which though kinda funny, has already been done much better when they ripped into Mel Gibson and even the last time they took on Spielberg/Lucas over changing their movies... <I>True Blood</I> has been lots of fun so far. It's a mess in a lot of ways, and your criticisms are certainly valid, but each episode usually has something to keep it interesting. My favorite bit so far is the formerly Christian vampire who now feels let loose from her morality; I'm glad to see that she seems set up to play a bigger role in season 2... One big omission to me is another Showtime series, <I>Dexter</I>, though this season was a whole lot of really promising setup all leading towards a disappointing resolution. There were times this season where I was really excited for this show in a way I rarely get about TV, but now that it's over, season 1 is still the series' best run. It's always fun and interesting, though... On the other hand, <I>Chuck</I> has surpassed all my expectations for what it could be -- once a light, airy trifle that I enjoyed but could do without, I now look forward to it without fail; the perfect blend of silliness, action, and warmth, and this season featured what must surely be the only network TV tribute to Orson Welles' <I>Lady from Shanghai</I> ever.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15543127.post-17341411528841806872008-12-20T11:13:00.000-06:002008-12-20T11:13:00.000-06:00Damion, you won't be disappointed.Damion, you won't be disappointed.reassurancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17129227726045849803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15543127.post-92131054574599367122008-12-20T08:20:00.000-06:002008-12-20T08:20:00.000-06:00Joe,What an amazing list! I must check out Summer...Joe,<BR/>What an amazing list! I must check out Summer Heights High now. For some reason, I had been skipping it.qtahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01907222771263313661noreply@blogger.com