Deep Brady Bunch Thoughts

Of course I was filled with joy at the prospect of a Brady Bunch reunion at the TV Land Awards. Just some random musings as I watched what was surely a seminal moment in pop culture:

-Why does Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) style her hair as though she were Leather Tuscadero in 1983?

-Is Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady) wearing a big coat to disguise how much weight she did (or didn't lose) on Celebrity Fit Club? [Spoiler Alert! Do not watch the clip through to the finale if you don't want the answer to the weight loss question.]

-But on the other hand, why does Barry Williams (Greg Brady) wear a coat on stage? Is he on his way to flash someone?

-The Norma Desmond Award: I'm calling it a tie. YOU decide!
Is it Christopher Knight (Peter Brady) for approaching his 'acceptance' speech as though he'd just won an Oscar...
OR
Barry Williams for his unspeakable glee every time the camera was on him, and who was in, like, every shot of the musical finale.

-Where oh where are you, Eve Plumb/Jan Brady???

Sinking to a new low

As I was watching the channel 7 news (ABC in NYC) incessant coverage of ALL THE RAIN, I couldn't help but be particularly sickened by Jeff Rossen's media whore approach to this 'story'. As he pointed out a person trapped in his car who was sinking rapidly, he proclaimed with sincerity "Don't go out in the storm, this is what can happen to you!" A cautionary tale, right? What a great guy, right?

Um, in his next breath, he reveals he and his camera folk can probably get him out...and they'll try AFTER the broadcast. I guess because he needs a few more shots of this poor guy potentially drowning in his car.

If my quick trip to good old Google is accurate, this moron is the same character that was in Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" - the idiot reporter who kept checking his hair in between takes of covering the carnage.

Hey, Jeff, the rain is totally making your hair frizz.

Tis the Season...

With the kickoff of the Sopranos final episodes, it got me to thinking about finales. Sure, you can probably rattle off some great (and sometimes controversial) endings. Bob Newhart: "It was all a dream"; Sex and the City: Carrie goes to Paris/ends up with Mr. Big. The Seinfeld Trial.

But what about SEASON finales? Which ones left you thinking, HOW can I wait all summer for the answer??! Of course, I'm talking beyond Who Shot J.R.? I was thinking about this for awhile, and Friends really cornered the market on great cliffhangers. Just think, going all the way back to THE ONE WHERE Rachel rushes to see Ross at the airport once she finds out about his feelings for her...and he's getting off the plane with new girlfriend, Julie. But that was the kiddie pool compared to THE ONES WHERE: Ross says Rachel at his wedding to Emily; Chandler and Monica decide to elope in Vegas and discover a very drunk Ross and Rachel have beat them to the chapel and, finally, THE ONE WHERE everyone thinks Monica is pregnant as she marries Chandler, only to reveal in the final few seconds that RACHEL is the one who is pregnant.

Junior runner up: Felicity must decide: Noel or Ben?

But, I don't want to be TOO stuck in the past, so thinking about the shows that are, like, still airing, that's no contest. Screw Lost. Grey's, you still have me won over in that department. Season 1's surprise introduction of Derek's WIFE after a season long courtship of Meredith was just the warmup for Season 2's explosive affair between Derek and Meredith at the hospital "prom". And if that weren't enough, Izzy risks everything (including unknowingly, Burke's life) to get Denny his heart. After a successful operation and one spontaneous marriage proposal to her (paging Florence Nightingale), he kicks it anyway.

I gotta get me some more of that good tv!!!

Feast or Famine

How many weeks of reruns, retrospectives, and just plain nothing to watch on Sunday has there been? Suddenly, it's a tv bonanza! New Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters, but that of course had to take a backseat to the Sopranos (8 eps to go!) and Entourage. But wait, over on A&E, I had a morbid curiosity to check out "Sons of Hollywood" since the promo team at A&E actually did a good job of teasing me with scenes of Randy Spelling getting the news about his dad Aaron Spelling's death. They also made me want to watch Gene Simmons Family Jewels with a teaser about Gene's facelift. Both are on my DVR, hopefully Randy's show is better than his big sis?

Meanwhile, back in Sopranos-land...so good. So so good. And over on Entourage...is it just me or was the boat guy that Turtle was negotiating with the guy that played Mr. Treeger on Friends...you know, the super that made Rachel cry and made Joey help him learn to dance? Why am I cursed with this useless gift????

R.I.P. Six Degrees

Stop the Bleeding!

On the heels of my earlier post (bitch session) lamenting all the clip show rehashes...ABC just announced that on April 12th they will air "Grey's Anatomy: Every Moment Counts", a retrospective of the best moments of the last 3 seasons. And this week looks to be a repeat, too, so no new Grey's for awhile as far as I can tell. Do we really need all the clip shows to catch up when all we do is watch old episodes over and over?! Sigh. At least it's being hosted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (the dearly departed Denny). Yum.

Sibling Rivalry

You know, despite my kvetching about some of ABC's recent programming decisions, at least they have lots of programs worth talking about! Brothers & Sisters has quietly hit its stride and is becoming a really good show. The characters are all so humorously flawed and it's become quite engaging to watch...Rachel Griffiths is a standout and you can just feel her ANGST in every scene. Rob Lowe is fabulous and quite lovable, let's hope they keep him around. Even Calista Flockhart is rising above her Ally McBealisms and becoming pretty good.
Meanwhile, it occurred to me during last night's closing music montage wrap up (are there any dramas left that don't end their shows this way by the way?) that Amos Lee has become the king of the drama soundtrack. If my facts are correct, besides Brothers and Sisters, his music has popped up on Grey's, What About Brian, Six Degrees, and over at NBC on ER, just to name a few. Check out his songs "Colors" and "Sympathize" and maybe it'll put you into a montage mood...

Desperate for the truth!

I'm beginning to even bore MYSELF with yet another rant against the network establishment but...stop luring us to your shows under false pretenses! ABC's promo promised an ALL NEW Desperate Housewives but it was the 'ol bait and switch...just another damn clip show. If you're so keen on the clip shows because they are a cheap way to fill the hour, then how about using them where they make sense...like as a refresher prior to the return of Six Degrees, the show no one had seen in months! And is it just me or have there been an unusual amount of clip/catch up shows during Desperate Housewives' entire run? This show is not exactly hard to follow, we're not dealing with LOST here...Sigh. Didn't NBC do the same sneaky thing with The Office a few weeks ago? At least my DVR still loves me. It didn't lie. It revealed to me that this was a highlight show. Thanks DVR. This is why I love you, because you always tell it like it is.

Hey kids, just a reminder, with a night filled with NEW episodes, last week CBS kicked ABC's repeat laden booty in the ratings on Thursday night. This week, Grey's is once again scheduled to be a repeat...unless the suits go into crisis mode and move up the new shows...which they might want to consider doing since they're not exactly doing October Road any favors with the sloppy seconds lead in...