Life on Mars Is Sort Of Awesome

ABC's new cop-drama Life on Mars is a BBC rip-off about a cop who gets hit by a car and wakes up in the thick of the 1970s. No cell phone. No DNA. No clue as to whether this is all a figment of his subconscious or whether he's some sort of time traveler.

I missed last Thursday's premiere but I caught up last night on ABC.com. After one viewing, I encourage all of you edubbers to do the same.

Like LOST, Life on Mars takes what might otherwise be a pretty ridiculous concept (man goes back in time) and does some really innovative things with it. They not only explore the challenges of learning how to adjust to life in the past, but the much more difficult aspect of living in a world where no one believes you and seemingly, no one can help you escape.

Unlike LOST, this show doesn't warrant a lot of clue tracking. No pause button required, no ridiculous mysteries, no wayward polar bears. It's a pretty groundbreaking show that doesn't require a PhD or a ridiculous amount of time to kill.

The cast is also a treat. Jason O'Mara plays our protagonist, Det. Sam Tyler, a brooding, silent type with a kind heart. Michael Imperioli (formerly of The Sopranos) returns to TV as one of Sam's 70's cop colleagues. He's joined by the legendary Harvey Keitel who plays Lietenant Gene Hunt, a take-no-prisoners, kick- him-in-the-face-ask-questions-later kind of guy. Judging by how many fistfights there were in the first episode, I'm guessing he's not alone.

The ladies of Life on Mars are also superb. Gretchen Mol and Lisa Bonet add some great balance to this testosterone heavy cast. We only see Bonet for the first few minutes of the pilot, so hopefully she makes a return in the second episode.

Life on Mars is already getting some very positive reviews and was just selected Number 1 on Metacritic's Top 10 new shows this fall.

Not too shabby for a BBC knock off.

Photo: http://seat42f.com/

Reminder: It's edubtv.com now. Adjust folks. Adjust.

Obama Takes Over Your TV

Barack Obama shelled out some major bucks and purchased a half hour of airtime on CBS and NBC to run a half-hour infomercial on his campaign, his life, etc. The special will run on Wednesday, October 29.

This is a really expensive venture (each slot costs about $2 Mil) and rumor has it he may have enough money in the coffer to buy time on Fox and ABC too.

But the best news of the night? Obama's special will pre-empt Jay Mohr's latest shitshow Gary Unmarried. Womp, Womp.

Photo: http://www.rockunion.ie/

Wipeout...My Thoughts Exactly

I caught wind of ABC's latest television offering, Wipeout, last night and saw the sad and unfortunate future of broadcast television starring me in the face. People running through a muddy obstacle course, bouncing off giant rubber balls, getting spun around like a washing machine then trying to race for a prize, and all of this with commentary provided by two dudes who may in fact be the most uncharismatic hosts in history. (Was Roger Lodge not available?)

Wipeout crossed the very thin border between novelty and ludicrous. If it got good ratings last night, expect to see a lot more where that came from.

But don't let this diatribe fool you...I'm still kind of geeked out about Hole In The Wall.

Human Tetris? Come on! Even I know fun when it slaps me in the face.

Photo: KPIC - Oregon

Best. Reality Show. Moment. Ever.

If you missed The Mole on Monday, you not only missed an hour of mystery game show fun, you also missed the best exchange ever captured on film.

In the clip, Nicole, everyone's favorite sassy villain has just about had it with Paul and she lets him know about it.

Spoilers galore, so only watch if you already know who got the boot. If you missed the episode and need a recap, head over here.



It's a shame no one is watching this show.

Monday Updates

Lots of little stories tonight:

• Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott welcomed a daughter today. Stella Doreen McDermott is the second child for the couple. Doreen is actually the name of Dean's late mother. However, does anyone find it curious that's also the combination of Tori + Dean? Creepy!

• In sad news, journalist Martin Bashir, best known for conducting an in-depth interview with Michael Jackson a few years back, has a tumor on his pituitary gland.
  

• David Alan Grier may have the cutest child ever.
  

• Queen Latifah may finally be getting married to her longtime girlfriend. I'll believe it when I see it. We've been duped before.
  

• The TV Land Awards were on last night and all of your favorite stars from 20 years ago and a few of the new ones were out for the event. Best Week Ever has a great rundown of the night.
  

• I'm currently in the middle of The Mole. The older woman just had the quote of the night, "Thanks goodness I'm a fluffy lady."

Photo: Jossip.com

What Can Big Brown Do For You?

Well apparently he can't win the Belmont Stakes! I have been waiting all week to see the huge favorite Big Brown ride off into the stud farm sunset as a triple crown winner. Unfortunately, the race itself was a mile and half of pure boredom. 38-1 favorite Da' Tara took an early lead and held on for the win. Meanwhile, Big Brown's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, held him up towards the finish line and helped earn him a pathetic 9th place finish.

Horseracing needed this day to help bring back their dying sport. After the death of 8 Bells in the Kentucky Derby, Big Browns domination of the first two legs of the triple crown were a ray of hope after a such a terrible moment in the first race. I probably won't watch horseracing again till next May, but this horse was a true champion and it was sad to see him run out of gas at the end of his defining moment.

Enjoy the rest of your life Big Brown, cause I know damn well no one is paying me $300,000 to sleep with them--but you might be doing that several hundred times over the next year. You're officially my new hero!

Yes She Can!

Set your Tivos folks: Michelle Obama, wife of presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama, is guest hosting The View on June 18.

She was originally offered to come on as a guest but she insisted on serving as a co-host just like Cindy McCain did in April.

No guests are scheduled just yet. Michelle is kind of a fashion plate so I'd like to see a fun designer or a successful model. Heidi Klum might be a good match. Since Project Runway returns to the airwaves in a few weeks, her appearance would be pretty timely.

It might also be fun to do a teaching segment. Let's see her cook something, make a craft with her kids, or salsa dance. She seems like a carefree lady and that might be a good piece that shows she can still cut loose....in case that dap she gave her husband last night didn't convince everybody.

The Mole Is Back! Better Than Before?

Dare I say I don't miss Anderson Cooper. Tonight's return of The Mole was great. I was hesitant when it was announced that parts of the game would change. From the looks of it, the only thing worth mentioning is that there are a few less questions on the quiz...other than that, it's the same show I fell in love with years ago.

The games are just as suspenseful and fun as I remember with an exciting combination of mental and physical prowess. The Robinson Crusoe game was very telling. The players selected Nicole as the whiniest person out of the bunch. This meant she got to control the rest of the game. Nicole got to select the players who'd serve as scavengers, timers and appraisers. Some of her selections were spot on (way to pick the old woman as an appraiser, she might love antiques) and some were a little suspect (the heavyset guy probably wasn't the best choice to be running back and forth on the beach in a time crunch).

Now what happened next was not shocking to anyone who's ever seen the show before but these people seemed kind of surprised. Whenever the host asks you to pick someone out of the group, this person inevitably gets a privilege. This time, Nicole had to sleep on the island by herself (ala Robinson Crusoe) while the rest of the players went back to the mansion. However, this also meant she didn't have to take the quiz, effectively earning an immunity.

How did Nicole get selected as the whiniest person in the group? She raised hell the night before and complained about sleeping outside to anyone who'd listen.

The Mole frequently meets with producers and knows what's coming up the next day. She could just be a bitch, but I think it's more calculating than that. Nicole knew they were going to ask about who whined the most, so she took the opportunity to label herself as a complainer, thus ripping an exemption from one of the players. Plus, in spending a night away from the game the other contestants didn't get to know her. That's less information they'll have for the quizzes. It's a great way to start the game.

Think about it.

It's early yet, but that's my guess after one episode. We'll see what happens next week.

ABC won't let me embed clips but you can check out some highlights , player bios and even take an online Mole quiz right here.

Welcome back Mole. You were missed.

The Mole Returns Tonight

A small piece of my heart has been missing for 4 years. Tonight, it will be whole again when ABC's mystery game show, The Mole, returns to television.

I'll be back to dish about the wacky cast of characters after tonight's season premiere. This is a moment I thought would never come.

You can find me smiling wide eyed at the television tonight at 10/9 central on ABC.

It's LOST Finale Night

I won't try to guess what's going to happen on tonight's 2-hour finale. The rest of the blogosphere, however, is a-buzz with conspiracy theories. Like the helpful sales associate at Target who tells you you can find that lotion at Wal-Mart, I've decided to send you somewhere else for all things Oceanic 6.

Three Important Questions Prior To Tonight's Lost Season Finale - TV Addict

Who's In The Coffin And Other Thoughts About Tonight's Season Finale of Lost - Televisionary

Hurley's Words And Other Lost Goodies - Pop Candy

Lost: Internet Obsessives Have One Last Chance To Speculate - Vulture

It's Lost Finale Crazy Prediction Time - Best Week Ever

If these spots aren't satiating your fix, bookmark TVaddict.com and follow along with his live-blog tonight.


PS: I hope Jin doesn't die.

Killing Time On The Interweb

I've come across some amazing links the past few days. Who would I be if I didn't share these nuggets with the edubTV public? A jerk that's who.

• Thank you PEOPLE Magazine.com for making this bad-ass Gossip Girl vs. Golden Girls quiz. Do I feel like an idiot for getting half of them wrong? Perhaps. But who knew Blanche never flashed a bartender to get free drinks? I bet I could find that in a deleted scene or two.
  

• NERD ALERT: Someone took the time to put every LOST flash-forward in chronological order. I watch this show every week and I cannot wait until it makes sense.
  

• Like a compass pointing towards magnetic north I was pulled towards YouTube today and my fingers crisscrossed the keys as if guided by the hand of a higher power. Where did I land? Pepper Ann. I used to love this oft-forgotten Saturday morning ABC cartoon and today I realized just how similar I was to this mop-topped, spectacled awkward teen...still. I might make the theme song my ringtone. Too much?
  

eduTV Guest Blog: I like When Girls Kiss Girls

SPOILER ALERT!!

Ok, I just finished catchin' my breath after what I thought was a pretty solid Grey's Anatomy. Yang sprang out of her funk (finally), Meredith was her usual dramatic self, George is retaking the intern exam, and some stupid kid jumped into a pool of cement and almost died. Whew, a fun-filled two hours and what did I decide to blog about? The end of show lip locks. Go figure.

• George and Lexie Grey--Who didn't see this one coming? This potential romance had been building all season long and should make for an interesting storyline next year, especially since they're living together.

• Chief and his sassy wife--The writers have been hinting at a possible reconciliation for a few episodes, and it was good to see those two crazy kids back together. Only thing that creeps me out is the chief looks like my dad and his wife looks kinda like my mom, so lets keep the pillow talk scenes to minimum, I'm trying to keep my psych bills down.

• Meredith and McDreamy--After 11 failed clinical trials, the 12th was the charm. They saved a life and in the process may have rekindled their relationship. Meredith and Derek shared a moonlight kiss amidst a sea of candles, that would have made any pre-teen girl shed at least a couple of tears. I'm sure they will break up atleast 7 times next season, but hey, I'm just loving the ride man.

• Izzie and Karev--Whats the cure for your quasi girlfriend getting diagnosed with a multiple personality disorder? Ummmmm, oh yeah, begging a hot blond friend to make out with you. Not the classiest thing Karev has ever done, but neither is that beard he's been sporting this season. I don't see this going anywhere, but lets keep an eye on it.

• And finally, the big one, you thought it might happen, but you and your other cubicle monkeys didn't think the writers had the balls to do it. Well they did, Torres and Hahn totally kissed...with tongues. Yikes, I actually just cringed writing that. I thought this kiss was for pure shock value and maybe to freak out the red states a little bit. I can't wait to see how they weave this one into the story line next year. The on call room just got a little more awkward.

The Bachelorette: Wow, I Kind Of See Why I Avoided This

Tonight I started my assignment for CollegeCandy as the weekly reviewer for The Bachelorette. I've never seen the show or The Bachelor so it was a new experience. At two-hours long, it was a draining one at that.

Since my full review will be posted tomorrow, I'll just mention three things I learned about this show.

• It is cheesy as hell. There's repeated buzz phrases ("Love of my life," "So excited," "America's Sweetheart") tortured gazing at the camera and a mansion that looks like Mr. Belvedere's bedroom.

• These men are crazy. They jump in frigid pools (great way to showcase your manhood), they force the bachelorette to rub their chests, they make her crab salads, they twirl her around, they give her bear hugs, they speak to her in Greek, they rip off their shirts, they kick citrus fruits off of each others heads. In any other first date situation, DeAnna would call the cops, or at least leave shortly after dinner. But in the glamorous world of reality dating competitions, she encourages the behavior and lets the weirdos move in to a mansion with her.

• The men may be crazy but the fans are seriously nuts. DeAnna was a fan favorite when she made it to the final two on Season 11 of The Bachelor. In a move that rocked Bachelor history, Brad not only didn't choose DeAnna, but he didn't choose anybody. The fans took their sadness to the internet, throwing together some tribute videos that can only be described as alarming.
  

I'll be watching every week so we'll see how this whole thing shakes out. Right now, I'm rooting for Jason, the single Dad from Washington. I'm pretty sure he's the least crazy...but that's not saying much.

Longest Desperate Housewives Ever

Despite being two separate episodes strung together with a title screen, tonight's Desperate Housewives finale still managed to pack a pretty solid wallop of suspense, outlandish mystery, whimsy and humor.

If you haven't had a chance to commit to tonight's epic, it's probably best you bypass the rest of this post. For those of you who tuned in, let's dish.

• Maynard? Not a bad name for a baby...goat that is. They couldn't compromise and make Maynard a middle name? I digress. Regardless, Maynard will end up in the newborn baby mystery spot. If you don't watch a lot of TV, this is where all the newborn babies go when their parents are out having fun and getting into hilarious hijinks. (See: Emma on Friends, Ben on Desperate Housewives, etc.)

• Anyone else glad Kayla's gone? I would be happy if that storyline is just gone forever. Tom can mention her in passing but if she ever finds her way back to Wysteria Lane it will be too soon.
  

• Katherine's husband Wayne went from zero to batshit nuts in about 40 minutes. At first he was kind of a stereotypical abusive husband character, more intimidation than anything else. Then tonight, he kidnaps, he almost kills, he tortures, he threatens. WTF? Did it seem sudden for anyone else or am I just a poor judge of TV characters?

• And speaking of which - Romanian orphanage? Katherine Mayfair is officially the most desperate of the desperate housewives.
  

• I missed whether or not Gabby made it out with the duffle of money. Any chance she'll hold on to it?

• And what are our thoughts on the 5 year jump? We knew it was coming. Do you think it's here to stay? Are you happy with how everyone's making out? Why are Gabby's kids so unfortunate looking? Or was that the messy make-up? Need to see it again to believe what you just saw?
  

So much to think about this summer.

Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's 1972!

ABC is putting its chips in the BBC basket and making a re-make of a popular British drama for the fall season. Life on Mars follows a police officer in the prime of his career. Too bad he gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1972. Is he dreaming? Is he in a coma? Or could this really be happening?

It's a little less "out there" than Pushing Daisies and more creative than Eli Stone. My concern is that people are little worn out on the whole "time-traveling" thing. Journeyman didn't do so well and it's one of the most troubling aspects of LOST.

But check out the trailer and see for yourself. Do you think it can survive? One thing helping it out? It's got the post-Grey's Anatomy time slot. If you can't make it there, you can't make it anywhere.

A Minute For Brothers & Sisters

I'm assuming Justin and Rebecca will date once it comes out that she's not a Walker. However, in real life, wouldn't that be too much to overcome? Would the Walker family really let that relationship happen? Though they're cute together and the audience likes them as siblings, how will America take to them being a couple?

Just thinking out-loud and readying myself for the potential awkward television that will be their relationship.

Any thoughts?

Hump Day Update

Why does so much good TV news happen just in time for the Hump Day update? The world may never know.

• Aging, (literally) slap-happy, supermodel Naomi Campbell is doing a guest appearance during the season finale of Ugly Betty. I don't know how they'll write in all of the cast's black eyes and broken arms into the episode. That's what makes them professionals people.
  

• In other diva-of-color news, Jennifer Lopez is working on a reality show with TLC. It's going to focus on how she juggles mommy-hood with all of her business ventures. It will be like Jon & Kate Plus 8, except more like Jen & Marc Plus a 100 person staff and millions of dollars.
  

• Orlando Brown, best-boy-friend to Raven on Disney's popular That's So Raven, went missing for just over a day. Apparently he left his manager's house yesterday morning to make a quick 7-11 run. When he didn't return, the search was on. Brown turned up today and said he just needed some time to himself. I think this is just a publicity stunt for his new album and Disney show. Too soon to say? Come on, no one else thought that? I bet half the people who read his name today thought Orlando Bloom went missing.
  

Sunday Night Round-Up

I missed the 9 PM John Adams so I have to wait for the West Coast feed at 11. So far, its been a very long wait. The worst part? I will probably fall asleep before the 90 minute installment ends. What better to occupy my time than writing to all of you?

• If you loved the return of Comedy Night Done Right (I'm personally still tied to Must See TV) then why not take home the merchandise? Now you can own your very own Serenity By Jan candles (including a Bottled Water scent) or a MILF Island t-shirt. Better question? Why haven't they started selling a Michael Scott edition of the George Foreman Grill
  

• Viva Hollywood, a reality show about Latino actors competing for a starring role on a telenovela, premiered today. I saw an airing this afternoon and while it's not as fun to watch if you don't know telenovela conventions or stars, the drama is still there. Plus one of the wannabes drinks a lot, one isn't there to make friends and the rest of the girls are slutty. It's pretty much just like every other reality show.
  

• Desperate Housewives returned to the air tonight. The show was awful last season and was in the middle of a fantastic comeback before the Strike. Hopefully the break didn't slow their roll and the ladies will be funnier than ever. My secret hope? They take risks without being crazy.
  

• There's a new sitcom premiering on My Network TV tomorrow. It's about an ex-con who moves into his uptight brother's house. It's called Under One Roof. It stars Flava Flav and I will watch it so you don't have to. It's the least I can do for you.
  

Misguided Is Exactly Right

I just finished watching a sneak peak of ABC's new comedy Miss/Guided. It's produced by Ashton Kutcher (which by the way, what show isn't these days?) and stars Judy Greer (Arrested Development, Love Monkey) as a good intentioned but utterly clueless guidance counselor Becky Freeley.

Becky returns to her old high school to espouse her wisdom and experience on the next generation. The show uses talking head interviews and flashbacks to tell the story of Becky's nerdy existence. From her egregious orthodontia, constant stumbling and poor fashion sense, her dorkiness is on the border between endearing and over the top.

The show's conflicts arise from her former high school rival (cue pretty popular girl) getting a job at the school and she falls for Becky's crush, another teacher. Luckily the story has infinite storylines in Becky's students and the rest of the hapless staff, including the Vice Principal (Chris Parnell of SNL fame).

But something about it didn't work. It was charming, but not very funny. It felt like it was trying to tap into the sensibilities of other comedies but missing the good stuff. Becky's pure heart but poor execution reminded me of Michael Scott, but she was amazingly more out of it than he is. It had the documentary feel of Arrested Development, but without the rest of production conventions the flashbacks and interviews seemed out of place.

Since this wasn't the series premiere but rather a sneak peak, I am not giving up hope. Like its main character, the show has great intentions and with a little fine tuning it could be all right (think early Malcolm In The Middle). But know that in the first 5 minutes of the show, I thought I was watching Fox (think late Malcolm In The Middle).

Apparently the series premieres on Thursday at 8/7C with a guest appearance by none other than Ashton Kutcher. Hopefully his star power will warrant a better showing.

What Gives?

I have to admit I really liked Oprah's Big Give. Not only did it make me feel warm and fuzzy inside but it was really "fun" to watch. I throw that in quotes because not all TV is fun. Some makes you think, some makes you cry, some make you laugh. This was different. While I watched, I was sincerely enjoying myself. (It might have just been from watching Nate Berkus)

Anyway, the show got great numbers for its series premiere and tomorrow will be a test of its staying power. With Oprah at the helm, the show will undoubtedly be a success; but I am proposing it will do one better.

You heard it here first: I think Oprah's Big Give will unseat Amazing Race as the Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program. Amazing Race has won the honor all five times it's been awarded. But for the first time, there really will be a race for the win...and it's going to be a dead heat.