Channelup

It took a couple of weeks but I finally got around to watching the Southland finale. The show will come back next year, but in the Friday purgatory time slot effectively ruining what is otherwise a very promising show; completely different from anything else on primetime, network television. I have written fairly extensively about Southland and what I perceive to be its positives (realistic format, troubled characters, production value) and negatives (lack of character connection, fractured story arcs, annoying voice over at the beginning). All that considered, the season finale showed the limitless promise this show has going forward. The characters (police officers and detectives) are awash with problems like alcoholism, drug addiction, inferiority complexes, relationship troubles, family issues and infidelity while all still being immensely likable. Much of this came through in the finale and the last ten minutes set up some much needed intrigue going into season 2. One of my b

Will be away from the television this week but am coming back full force next week when I... Review The Goode Family , take a look ahead to season 2 of True Blood , wonder why more comic books aren't turned into television shows, talk about Earth 2100 (ABC's special that is probably meant to scare the shit out of us), and pick up other summer programming along the way.

ABC announced its schedule for 2009-2010 and it offers the complete antithesis of what NBC put out there. Earlier I wrote about my imagined meeting of NBC execs and plebes coming up with ideas (or lackthereof) for next season. Let's take a walk through ABC's meeting rooms and get a glimpse of one of their pitch meetings. To start, here is a link for ABC's actual scehdule for next fall. Now on to the meeting: ABC executive: Okay cretons, we have a bunch of time to fill here. We need ideas and we need them quick. Let's put those Ivy League minds to good use. Go A flurry of commotion, papers flying everywhere, everyone's voice going at once shouting louder to be heard above the din: Kelsey Grammar! Lawyers! More Cold Cases! Docu-Comedy! Courtney Cox, remember her? Courtney Cox!!!! Old Ladies! Cougars! Updike meets Desperate Housewives! Small town intrigue! Tiiiimmmmeeee TRaavvveeelll!!!!!!!! ABC Executive: Whoa, whoa, whoa people. Not to worry. I love

This is just an American Idol blog, we will return to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow where I make fun of the clusterf$#% of ideas ABC produced for their fall schedule next year. Until then.... And here is the rest of it.

Kris Allen. Channelup called it. We are geniuses!!!!!! Pop the champagne.. Kris Allen wins American Idol. Channelup's own James Davis called it here. Bow before the intelligence. All kidding aside, this still seems a bit of a shock. Both these guys have careers ahead of them but I think Kris had slightly more to lose than Adam. Interesting result that I am sure will be talked about ad nauseum.

The final vote-off. Or the most important moment in the history of the world. (sorry Jesus). final flurry of thoughts before vote off: "Maggie May" is my favorite Rod Stewart song and definitely in my top 500 songs of all time. (that isn't a knock. I love music.) Mrs. Channelup called the Tatiana reappearance. She defines trainwreck (Tatiana, not my wife). Idol though did a great job tonight of self-deprecation (or the losers from early in the season did a great job). The final Kris and Adam duet accompanied by Queen (minus Freddie) was an instant classic. My god. Queen?! I am speechless.

Here is the 2nd part of my semi-live blog about Idol. Mrs. Channelup explained to me why I should like the Bikini Girl - Kara duet while she wrestled the remote out of my hand as I tried to change the channel. Look Kara is a disaster, we all know this. But she got up there and sang decently well and exposed her bikini body for charity so I can't kill her for that (even though I might kill her in real life). \ Alison and Cyndi Lauper singing "Time After Time." Mrs. Channelup says that Lauper looks like a Tim Burton character. That being said, what a great rendition. I love that song and their voices were perfect matches. Then my favorite contestant Danny Gokey performed. I don't know what kind of career path this guy has, but he is just a guy you root for. Choir director, wife passes away and he goes on the show with his best friend (who got a bum deal by not making the top 24). I am not going to comment on what Adam is wearing because I don't have the k

With all of the glitz and glamour associated with Idol isn't it apropos they sent the two finalists out there in their virgin whites to signify the purity of the whole thing? No, it was stupid and they looked like idiots. So begins the finale. Couple of highlights from the first hour: I know my manhood will be brought into question over this but I really like the song Rockstar by Pink. When the top 12 sang it seemed as weird as can be. I kept thinking that at least half the people up there would rather be anywhere else but probably had an agent (or Simon Fuller) in their ear saying, "Get the F#$% out there and dance and sing your ass off. You need to start earning." The whole thing seemed odd. Giving Norman Gentle an award was a nice way to get one of the truly entertaining and disturbing contestants ever back in to the fold. I can't believe this guy is married to a woman, but hey maybe she just hasn't realized yet. By the way, I said to Mrs. C right befor

For the first time this season, Kris Allen is now favored by the major online gambling sites. Was America so moved by his performance of "No Boundaries," or might I have been right in stating that the state of the competition actually favored him before last night's performance? Before the finale last night, you could have bet 100 dollars on Kris Allen and stood to win 300 if he won. In the hours after the finale, you had to bet 170 just to win 100! Now I'll go on record as saying that last night's performance looked to be a wash to me. If you liked Adam before this, you probably still like him - no matter how awful his performance of Kara's song was. And can we take a quick second and discuss that? Is Kara really a worse song writer than the fledgling millions who produced such classics as "This is My Now!" and "Whatever that David Cook Song is Called About the Time of His Life That is Also Doug's Wedding Song?" Isn't she

Before I begin my Glee review let me say this: I was extremely excited about this show before it aired. “Don’t Stop Believing’” by Journey stuck in my head after every promo. Starting with this mentality can be a curse or a blessing. It may make the expectations too high, or conversely, help to overlook the flaws that come with any new program. Continue reading this review at BlendTV .

Well its Adam vs. Kris and I must say Idol has proven over the last two years that the most talented and current can make the finals. Idol has progressed. Can you imagine Taylor Hicks getting out of Hollywood week at this point? It would be a laugher. Even Ruben Studdard would be nowhere to be found this year. The fans got it right. The ostentatious rocker vs. the acoustic guitarist. Before we get to the performances I need to ask one question: What the hell were the stylists thinking when they dressed the judges tonight? Paula reminded me of the Green Goblin from Spiderman, Simon looked like a Saturday Night Fever reject, Randy looked like Steve Urkel put on 400 pounds, and it wouldn't matter what Kara wore because I would still hate her. The format for tonight was 1. Song of Choice from this season 2. Song picked by Simon Fuller 3. The Song that Must Not be Named co-written by Kara Adam - Mad World . James wrote earlier that this was probably one of the best Idol performa

I am going to walk you through, what I imagine to be, the idea pitch meetings that occurred earlier this year around the NBC offices. Before we start, you can click here to read NJ.com's listing on NBCs's programming lineup. Networks, especially broadcast ones, with shitloads on the line every year must continually come up with new and exciting programming in order to keep hold of viewers. I would assume these same networks aim to hire the best and the brightest entertainment minds to come up with said ideas. After looking at what NBC has in store for next year, I have to begin wondering if they have anyone even working over in these offices. On to the pitch meeting: NBC executive : All right boys and girls here's the scoop. Even though it has turned to a pile of trash we are keeping Heroes , the Biggest Loser , the usual favorites like Law and Order: CMGSG *, The Thursday Night Comedy Lineup, and we are going to ruin Southland by moving it to Friday nights where no

Guest and possibly soon-to-be semi-regular contributor James Davis explains why Kris Allen will win American Idol . Ready to put your co-workers to shame and maybe win a little money in the process? Danny Gokey was seen by many as the only possible threat to Adam Lambert's march to Idoldom, and now he is eliminated. Radio stations across the countries are already crowning Adam and proclaiming him as one of the best Idol 's in history. Bloggers are declaring that it would be a catastrophic upset if Lambert doesn't win in a landslide, and once again dragging the dreary cliché of Chris Daughtry's elimination through the mud for yet another season in anticipation of such a shocker. Meanwhile, Kris Allen has quietly chugged along with some truly elite performances, mixed in with some clunkers. It's tough to quantify the chances of winning for a candidate who can pull off an acoustic version of "Heartless" or "All she wants to do is Dance" while a

I am going to to let you in on three quotes that basically sum up the 24 finale (and probably the season). "We don't have that much ACTUAL intelligence." "We can harvest everything we need from his blood." "I can make him talk." SPOILERS AHEAD This season of 24 has been pretty par for the course considering the show's history. 24 employs the "layers of onion" concept to its story arcs. Peel away one and realize that another layer sits there awaiting your attention. Nothing really new here. Each time a bad guy is caught, we find out it was another badder guy giving the actual instructions. That's just the way it goes in the 24 universe. Tonight, in the season finale, we do peel away the onion to find a man named Alan Wilson (Coach Yoast). When Jack is taken hostage we learn the terrorists plan on using his blood and organs to harvest the virus in his blood. This premise was comical at best. Hearing Tony and company talking abo

Fox announced its lineup for the 2009-2010 season and a notable omission (for me at least) was Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Even though I wrote this article about coming to emotional grips with the show's impending doom, I am nevertheless sad. What makes me most depressed though is the seeming lack of creativity coming down the pike for FOX. First Fox will re-up Dollhouse, a show I wrote about here and was massively disappointed with. I heard it picked up near the end of the season, but the first seven episodes were sufficient for me to determine the show was flawed at best, unwatchable at worst. Til Death will air in Terminator's place on Friday nights in front of Dollhouse. Kudos everyone; A terrible comedy leading in for a terrible show. I guess it is Friday night, but some of us are still at home because we have no lives. The two shows with any apparent promise are Glee and Human Target . I have avoided reading reviews of Glee as I want to go in fres

Two 24 junkies (Michael Pacchione and I) sit down and answer the really important questions leading into tomorrow's finale. Will Jack die? Does Elisha Cuthbert write her own lines? What was the biggest plot hole this season? Who was the best "that guy" appearance? All this and more! Continue reading this article at CinemaBlend television .

For those who hang on my every word I wanted to give a quick preview of the week to come - Channelup style. Some new things happening on here this week including some guest contributors and a lot of TV gambling talk. Sunday - a 24 extravaganza where Mr. Michael Pacchione (covers the show for CinemaBlend) and I handicap the odds related to Jack Bauer and company Monday - A 24 season breakdown and last ep recap - Guest contributor James Davis does some more handicapping with American Idol . Lets just say you will be calling your bookie. What he has written is a must read for all American Idol fans Tuesday - American Idol where I pick my winner and man crush for the next 12 months. Sorry David Cook, someone is about to succeed you - I review Glee . A show about the resurrection of the Glee club in a high school. If these last two bullets have left you confused let me reassure you I am happily married to a woman. - Real Housewives of New Jersey - I am a glutton for punishment an

It doesn't matter what kind of f-ed up, crazy, depressing, terrifying or morose storyline the writers come up with, I have yet to watch a cop drama that doesn't end with me wanting to sign up for the police academy. When I say "cop drama" I am speaking of the good ones like The Shield and The Wire (not those cliche-ridden piles of trash that use initials to describe their unit.) Where do you think that real, police officer allure comes from? It certainly isn't in the pleasantries. These police officers in Southland have major, major issues. They are addicted to pain pills, have affairs, fight with their spouses, can't get along with their kids and just generally make a mess of their personal lives. But out on the street these guys and gals are doing something seemingly more important than any of us could ever dream. Imagine going to work each day with a civic purpose? Southland makes this purpose alluring because you can see how important it is to each

No one does a barbecue like a mid level paper company. This episode had a little for everyone: Volleyball, Rolf, and branch logo t-shirts. (Spoilers ahead) Season 3 ended with Pam and Mrs. Channelup crying. This season ended with Jim and Mrs. Channelup crying. We'll get to that in a second. First, the company picnic gave a chance for the writers to find doppelgangers for some of the characters. We met Dwight's friend Rolf, Toby's HR compadre, and the obvious Buffalo branch version of Jim. I talked last week about writers apparent goal to make each character as ridiculous as possible. I thought Company Picnic scaled it back to classic-Office sensibility. (Is it too early to call something "classic Office?" Its been around long enough I suppose.) Tonight we saw the characters little flaws more on the periphery rather than throwing the absurdity right in our faces. Where I thought last week the cafe disco was over the top, the volleyball game offered the

Parks and Recreation ends its six episode run with the knowledge that: A. They have been picked up for another season and B. A giant hole still is still waiting to become a park Tonight we see a different side of Leslie where she, for the first time, isn't the most ridiculous person in a conversation. Her trick blind date set up by mom is with a guy even more socially stupid than Leslie. I like the emotion this illicited from Miss Knope when she became more than a little annoyed at his lack of social cues (and grandkids). I have been waiting for this deeper insight into characters, especially Leslie who up until now has been little more than a female- Michael Scott without the mean streak. I understand the differences: Leslie tries at her job, Michael just thinks he does. Leslie works for things she wants whereas Michael feels he deserves everything he wants. But tonight's episode went some way in making her seem a little more real. They toned down her inanity and just

Again between two guys a hell of a lot smarter than you. Me and James. Just a reminder Channelup is in Italics, James in regular font. Yo buddy Last night's lost was nothing if not interesting. I liked it (thought it could have been an hour and a half) and thought it did a pretty good job setting up next season. Writing about it was insanely hard as I had a lot of trouble gathering my thoughts and putting them in a coherent format. I obviously wanted to avoid just straight summarizing, but there was so much going on. Anyway I thought I would add a couple of more thoughts that didn't make it into my post. - I kind of mention this but the good/evil thing is really going to be the main focus of the last season I think. Ben and Mystery Island guy leading the charge to keep the island secret from everyone with others (Richard Alpert maybe? Shadow of the statue group?) fighting for their own end games. That storyline has the potential to be awesome and maddening at the same

Some quick, nitty-gritty Idol thoughts as I see one of my all-time favorite contestants go home. I am not sure I rooted for anyone as hard as I rooted for Danny. Just watched the vote-off on warp speed replay. I rarely like the vote-off as it is an hour ratings grab for two-five minutes of actual entertainment. I do, however, enjoy this week in the season when the top three head back to their hometowns for some family time, keys to the city and mobs of adoring fans lining the streets in the their honor. The return-home week always comes off as the first time each contestant begins to fully grasp what their lives have morphed in to. Last year, David Cook's entrance to his high school football field where thousands waited to cheer is something I always think about. He got a little choked up at the idea of, "Wow. They are all here for me." It is a special moment that seemed to hit Danny and Kris especially tonight. Where I think Adam believes he truly was meant to do no

Well that was interesting. Mrs. Channelup and I went to a friend's house to watch the finale so I was stuck writing notes on little pieces of paper and trying to not be anti-social. (Spoilers ahead) I was apprehensive about watching it outside of my own living room because I thought there would be needless distractions. Man was I wrong. Watching Lost is an activity best shared. So much is going on, it is good to have some different viewpoints. That being said, Mrs. Channelup and I walked home and I just kept saying over and over again, "How the hell do I write about this?" She replied, "You'll think of something. You have a gift." I agreed and sprinted home. I think I am just going to do this bullet point style with some quotes. How else would I even begin to sum up two hours of Lost ? "They come fight, they destroy they corrupt. It all ends the same." - unknown character "It only ends once. Everything before that is just progres

Well Lost wraps up a fantastic season (dare I say one of the best?) and the Channelup family is headed to a Lost party. I am dressing as Sawyer and Mrs. Channelup is going as the smoke monster. I usually write at a breakneck pace during the episode so I can post my thoughts immediately after its over. That won't happen tonight unless I am allowed to bring my computer, not talk to anyone, and shhhhhhh any side conversations that might spring up during the two hour finale. Because of this I wanted to get some pre-show thoughts in. Has there ever been another show that could spark so much debate, questioning, conversation, and camaraderie among internet loser bloggers who have nothing better to do than sit around and think about the secrets of the island (present company included)? The reason this season, in my mind, has been so successful is the writers have seemed focused on getting more answers and working us towards an endgame. This season took no episodes off, rarely introd

I have not watched any of the other Real Housewives but, as a Jersey resident, it seemed like this was a no-brainer. I went into this program with mixed feelings. On the one hand I prayed the Garden State wouldn't come off looking too bad. But then with my other hand I prayed even harder this would be the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen. God met me somewhere in the middle. Going into this show assuming the worst made the Real Housewives of NJ almost bearable. Look, we are a culture of people bred on My Super Sweet Sixteen , The Real World , Hole in the Wall , Fear Factor , and the Osbournes to just name a few. It takes a great deal to be labeled "shocking." Nothing in this program is shocking. Luckily, for us it takes a whole lot less to be labeled "trashy." And guess what? Trashy is entertaining. The Real Housewives of New Jersey is what happens when you take some egotistical, moderately intelligent, insanely superficial people with inferiority

It's the 300th episode, my three favorite contestants are all still in it, Kara's approval ratings are way down and its the "going back to our hometown" week. Oh its a good night in the Channelup household. Tonight each contestant sang twice. One judge's choice and one song of their own. Will do this in recap format tonight for speed. Let's go to the top 3. (blogging note: I am typing my comments in real time, but am posting as soon as the show is over) Danny Gokey - Paula picked Dance Little Sister by Terrance Trent D'arby. Danny had never heard of this song and neither have I. Neither had anyone else I have ever known. I'll be honest, I had to look up TT D'arby on wikipedia just to make sure I spelled his name correctly. Guy is kind of famous. Who knew? Anyway, Danny made due with what Paula gave him. The song was a little corny, but at least it was Paula's fault. Kris Allen - Randy and Kara picked Apologize by OneRepublic. This

I wrote a couple of times already here and here about Southland and why I thought it was a show that could really go somewhere. The premise, the actors, the footage and the writing all had promise and were believable. I even had conversations at a party recently extolling the excellence in the show. So why haven't I been watching? I watched the first two episodes and that had been it. While the logistical reasons at the time made sense, my lack of viewership had no excuse beyond laziness. Mrs. Channelup kept asking, "When are we going to watch Southland?" or "When are we going to catch up with this show?" I kept saying "soon," and then putting it off for another week. I would spend time on Thursdays writing about The Office and Parks and Recreation , lose interest in television and go to bed. Another Southland episode missed. One thing I wrote about the show at the time was its real, gritty feel. The camera work reminded me of the document

My buddy Mike typically covers 24 for CinemaBlend, but I being the Jonathan Papelbon of that website, needed to step in tonight for the save. Read my recap and review at CinemaBlend .

After a Channelup family reunion we watched Satuday Night Live. Justin Timberlake was the host. Timberlake is an all time classic host and he brought it tonight. This will be short. I mostly just want you to download his Titanic-like skit focused on the supposed "Timberlake-lineage" where he admits to banging Britney Spears. I will find a link. But it was followed by the sequel to "Dick in a Box." This will soon be an internet sensation just in time for Mother's Day. Timberlake is a star that just gets it. Part of being an insane celebrity is being able to laugh at yourself. Timberlake gets this more than most. He understands that his fame comes with a sado-masochistic price and he is willing to pay. Channelup's mom made a great point tonight considering JT's success on SNL. He is so talented in so many areas that the writers must have a field day in writing his skits. He can literally do anything and do it well.

The Office hasn't been the same since Michael came back. At least that's his claim and it precipitates the inception of the "party room." Who wouldn't love this in their job? A room where they played techno music and everyone raved all day? Scratch that, I would hate it. Michael doesn't have the same connection with the larger staff at Dunder Mifflin as he had with his workforce of three at Michael Scott Paper (Pam and Ryan). He yearns for the same connectivity and tries to achieve it through exxpresso (sic) and house music at annoyingly loud decibels. He turns the old Michael Scott Paper into a meet-and-greet disco type place for office workers to kick back and relax. Unfortunately, no one can take it easy with Michael around. Nor do they want to. It isn't until Michael gives up all hope of the space that the two Kelly's (secretary and customer service) take it over and make it into the party atmosphere Michael dreamed off. I loved how th

Unlike you, I am from the Channelup lineage, so I understand Leslie. She hails from the Knope dynasty; a powerful Pawnee, Indiana political family. We are cut from the same cloth. Much like the Kennedys, Rockefellers, and Carnegies we aspire to political and social excellence. We don't take 'no' for an answer and we strive for world domination. (or at minimum to be mayor) Leslie's mother is up for a big time award. You may have heard of it: the Tellyson Award for excellence in public service. Its like the Nobel Prize but for smalltown yokels with their priorities all askew. Some people get the insignificance (Mark and Ron) while others people thrive on it (Leslie and her mom). Before attending the award ceremony, Leslie's warped sensibilities point her in the direction of the local barber shop. She strives to be "one of the guys," which precipitates her getting a Hillary Clinton/boy hair cut. Poor Leslie. All she wants to do is enter the boys c