DEAR NBC…


Dear NBC,

 

Without question, you really need to renew three of your new shows.  I realize that two of them are on the cusp, but stop for a moment to reflect how great your decision was to order more episodes of The Office that first year. Regardless of ratings, you knew in your heart that the show would gain momentum and succeed. For similar reasons (i.e. tremendous casts and smart scripts), I ask that you take a giant leap of faith, trust the fans, and grant a second season to the following:  

 

30 ROCK

Honestly, I did not like the pilot episode. But the show grew on me and is one of the few sitcoms I’ve enjoyed in years. I cringe at Tina Fey’s missteps and I laugh out loud at Jack McBrayer’s earnest naïveté. I appreciate how Tracy Morgan took it down a notch, and I look forward to every scene involving Alec Baldwin. The man is a comedy goldmine.

 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Coach Taylor and Counselor Tami and my favorite television couple right now; you will not find a more honest relationship on the small screen, and their performances on this show are Emmy-worthy. I love how you make us love and then hate Tim Riggins from one week to the next, how we at home feel awkward right along with Matt and Julie, and that it’s not actually a show about football at all.

 

STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP

This show is a dream for someone like me; I love watching behind the scenes of movies and television. I have never understood the backlash against this program, as it is original, compelling, funny and addictive. Every week I look forward to Matt’s misery, Harriet’s hypocrisy and Jordan’s power struggles. And Steven Webber is a very pleasant surprise; he is a perfect fit for the role and really stands out among the stellar cast.

 

Thank you for listening, Mr. and/or Mrs. Television Executive. You restored my faith in your network this year with Heroes and these other three new shows, so please don’t let me down. And while you’re at it, would you mind giving us just one more season of Scrubs?

 

Your target demographic and ideal set of eyes,

 

Jo

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PRODUCT PLUGS, PART 1


Today has been frustrating. I believe that the early implementation of Daylight Savings Time has severely affected the usage of many online functions, including access to email.

 

So I thought I’d post something a little different while I wait for the return of full internet functionality.  Sorry, no photos today. I’m hoping that this will even post!

 

Here are some websites I personally recommend; most are products that I love, including some from ridiculously talented friends.

 

www.clos.com

Try the Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Yum. Owned and run by a family I know and love, you have to visit their stunning winery if you’re in the area.  

 

www.containerstore.com

Pretty much my favorite store on earth. If you’re organizationally inclined (which sounds ten times better than anal retentive), you must shop here.  

 

www.dillonrogers.com

My only trendy vice; leather bracelets with words & designs that you can also customize.

 

www.giddygiddy.com

If you have a little girl, niece, etc., you have to have these handcrafted hairclips! They are adorable and make great gifts. This is my friend Teri, who is spectacularly crafty and visionary.

 

www.i-deck.co.uk

I researched all iPod speaker systems before purchasing the i-Deck, which blows the Bose system out of the water. I love the deep sound and detachable speakers.

 

www.keenfootwear.com

What can I say…I love comfortable shoes. They’re more durable than Sketchers and offer a better variety of styles, from dressy casual to the great outdoors. My second choice would be: www.bornshoes.com.  

 

www.kukunest.com

My friend Teri just launched this new collection; beautiful children’s bedding inspired by the spirit and adventure of her two daughters.

 

www.lifeisgood.com

It might seem silly, but I love this clothing line for three reasons.

* Their motto: Do What You Like. Like What You Do.

* Their shirts. They are the softest around; destined to become the ones you wear on weekends.

* Their designs. Whatever your hobby may be, it is probably represented in their vast collection.

 

www.mandarinaduck.com

Extremely functional and stylish purses, bags, briefcases, backpacks, etc.

 

www.mattnathanson.com

It is no secret that we’re good friends and I plug his music every chance I get. He is the most talented artist about to emerge. Look for an amazing new album out later this year.

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KITTY KITTY BANG BANG: LOST, EPISODE 3.11, “ENTER 77″


Last night’s episode was refreshing; it felt like Season 1.

 

Thankfully and finally, someone actually asked questions. I have been yelling at the screen since last season, wondering why our favorite survivors haven’t been in a hurry to chat up the Others about all of the mysteries.

 

Here are some observations and theories about “Enter 77.”

 

Mikhail mentioned being stationed at a military listening post. Penelope Widmore has that team of Portuguese-speaking men at a listening post somewhere surrounded by snow, looking for Desmond via an electromagnetic anomaly. Oh yeah, and they were playing chess, just like Locke was on the computer in The Flame…


 


Mikhail said that his house, The Flame, was the communications hub for all hatches. Does that mean that The Flame is in the middle of the map that Locke saw on the hatch blast door?



 

Freakin’ Locke. He was responsible for the implosion of the main hatch, and now for the explosion of The Flame hatch. Sigh.

 

Then again, is it possible that Locke’s actions weren’t the reason that The Flame blew up? There were cameras inside, watching all of the action as they do in all hatches. And there was at least a minute delay between the time Locke pushed the numbers and went outside, and when it actually detonated. Perhaps someone in another hatch pulled the switch because they saw it had been compromised.



 

Now that The Flame is gone, are all hopes of communications with the outside world gone? The satellite dish is gone, and I assume that because it was the hub, the cables running underground to all other hatches will also be affected.



 

When Locke was pushing buttons on The Flame computer, as directed by Dr. Candle from the Orientation films, one of the options was to enable the sonar communications. This adds fuel to my theory that there is an underwater hatch…

 

Was The Flame the only hatch prepped with explosives in case of emergency/infiltration?



 

Why, if the Others are supposedly against killing people, would Mikhail shoot Klugh rather than let her be taken by the Losties?

 

So now we know there are 2 sets of Others: Ben’s group and the “Hostiles.” Mikhail said there was a ‘purge’ which resulted from a war between the Dharma folks and the Hostiles.  Obviously the Dharma folks lost the fight, as there are none of them left. Are the Hostiles the ones with dirty feet who walk without leaving footprints? And was the ‘purge’ the same thing as the ‘incident’ that the Orientation Films referred to?

 

Mikhail had a fridge full of meat. Was it cow, boar, or what?

 

Also, if they’re hungry and almost out of Dharma food, why on earth didn’t Kate and co. take the cow back to the beach with the other supplies they’d gathered?!

 

I don’t know about you, but Mikhail seemed to recognize Rousseau, or at least her name. That woman is SO not telling the truth…

 

Mikhail said that the satellite hadn’t worked for years, but Ben had a video of the Red Sox World Series, which took place only months earlier (remember that the show is currently taking place in late 2004).



 

As soon as I saw that satellite, I expected Sayid to head right for it. He has been the island’s communications guru. After Mikhail told him it wasn’t working and that it could contact the outside world, why didn’t Sayid try to fix it??

 

We’ve now met two ex-military people who were recruited by Dharma and lured to the island because they had a chance to ‘save the world’ – Kelvin (Desmond’s old hatch mate) and Mikhail.



 

Kelvin’s first hatch mate, Radzinsky, apparently shot himself to death. What if he didn’t succeed; what if it is Mikhail and that’s why he has the eye patch? Remember that it was Radzinsky who drew the map on the hatch blast door in the first place, so had he lived, he would have known where to find and/or take over the hatch hub…

 

Sayid lived in Paris after escaping from the Iraqi Republican Guard. Isn’t Rousseau French?

 

I’m not sure if Sayid admitted to torturing that woman in the hopes that he’d be released, or if he really did do it. Although he claimed that he never tortured women, in his Season 1 flashback he was supposed to do so to Nadia before realizing her true identity.

 

Although Sayid had the opportunity to kill Mikhail, he didn’t. Just as the woman’s husband chose not to kill him in the flashback. Mercy, mercy me.



 

Add Sayid’s cat, Mikhail’s cow and Mrs. Klugh’s horse to the growing list of animals that have appeared on the island.



 

Obviously the cat Nadia was meant to represent Sayid’s long lost love, Nadia. Remember that when she escaped the prison with Sayid’s help during his flashback in Season 1, she wrote the following on her photo for him: “You will see me in the next life, if not this one.” Thus, the cat.

 

As we saw when Eko died earlier this season, it seems like the Black Smoke takes many forms, as manifestations of people’s pasts and memories. So was Nadia the cat another version of the Black Smoke?

 

On the map that Sayid took from The Flame, there is a place called The Barracks. Is that where Other Village is?

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TOP 12 REASONS I HEART ‘HEROES’


Here are the Top 12 Reasons I Heart Heroes, in no particular order:

 

1. The catchphrases. “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” and “Are You On the List?” are not cheesy to me; then again, I am a network executive’s dream demographic and am sucked in by that kind of promotion.


2. The ‘wow’ moments. This inaugural season reminds me of Lost’s freshman year.


3. I met Milo (a.k.a. Peter Petrelli). He was unbelievably nice.

4. Peter Petrelli’s hair. It has never distracted me, unlike most devotees.

       

5. Claire’s indestructibility. Last week when she emerged from her house as a veritable charcoal briquette and then morphed back into Cheerleader Claire before our very eyes, my jaw was on the floor.

       

6. Sylar and those eyebrows. Creepy good. An awesome TeleVillain.

       

7. Greg Grunberg (a.k.a. Matt Parkman). From Felicity to Alias to this. The man is golden, and I will continue to follow his yellow brick road of a career.

       

8. Beaming Beeman, the official Blog of Director/Producer Greg Beeman. 


9. Jack Coleman (a.k.a. Mr. Bennet/HRG). When I was younger I used to watch him as the very blonde Steven Carrington on Dynasty…which ended 19 years ago. What a triumphant, welcome return to the small screen.

 
      

10. The mythology and the mystery. This show is as strong as The X-Files and Lost when it comes to those two categories; each episode is ripe for conspiracy theories and rampant speculation. There are clues, answers and Easter Eggs throughout. I love it.

 

11. Suresh. He’s pretty, he’s smart, and he’s a scientist. Ergo, I like him.

      

 

12. The symbol. Much like the Dharma logo that appears in almost every episode of Lost, the Heroes symbol (which is one half of a double DNA helix) shows up on Isaac’s paintings, on Jessica’s back, on Hiro’s sword, on The Haitian’s necklace, etc. 

      

 

FYI: Did you know that Radioactive Man Ted Sprague (Matthew John Armstrong) is married to Mrs. Bennet (Ashley Crow) in real life?! And, both actors also appeared on the now defunct series American Dreams…as did Milo Ventimiglia. For a time, they weren’t the only Armstrong and Crow duo (Lance and Sheryl)… 


      

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STAR SIGHTINGS IN VEGAS


I just returned from a weekend in Vegas for a Bachelorette Party.  I am operating on very little sleep and have to fumigate my wardrobe, but it was worth it. Aside from the usual bride-to-be debauchery, there were a few star sightings…

 

At Tao last night (which I highly recommend if you can get in and have dancing/drinking endurance), we ran into M. Night Shyamalan (director of The Sixth Sense, Signs, etc.)…again. He was also at Body English on Friday night.    



 

But the real highlight for me was meeting Milo Ventimiglia (a.k.a. Peter Petrelli from Heroes)! What an unassuming, sweet guy. I shook his hand and continued to geek out about it for the rest of the evening.  



 

Last night (well, early this morning really) there was also a strange appearance by P. Diddy’s Making the Band 3 girl group Danity Kane, who got up on stage, lip synced their song ‘Show Stopper’ and then danced on stage for a while to other hits by other artists.



 

So now I’m off to catch some zzz’s. Thanks for the good times, TS/RM/SZ/ME/LC!

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DHARMA DRUNK: LOST, EPISODE 3.10, “TRICIA TANAKA IS DEAD”


For once, I don’t have much to theorize about last night’s episode. It made me laugh, which is rare for this show. Sawyer’s multiple pop culture references and nicknames were great.

 

I may have more thoughts about it next week, but for now…

 

REPEAT THEMES

 

1. Transportation on the Island

We can now add a VW Bus to the modes of transportation that have mysteriously appeared or were lured to the island: the Black Rock ship, Desmond’s sailboat, the real Henry Gale’s hot air balloon, Yemi’s small plane, etc.

 

 

2. Daddy Issues

Add Hurley to the growing list: Sawyer, Kate, Jack, Jin, Locke, Walt, etc.

 

3. Psychics

Those who have visited them or have such capabilities: Hurley, Claire, Desmond, Rose, Walt, etc.

 

DANIELLE (a.k.a. ROUSSEAU/CRAZY FRENCH LADY)

 

I have never believed her story, because nothing adds up. For someone who has spent 16 years on an island, you’d think she would have found the Others’ village by now and also know the whereabouts of her daughter Alex. Remember that she ‘captured’ Ben (when he was Henry Gale) in her net before the survivors then took him and held him captive in the hatch. I think she is either in on it with the Others or used to be a part of them.

 

QUESTIONS

 


There was a bus in the jungle…but no roads or tire tracks. The map Sawyer found inside was a blueprint for roads that don’t exist, so how did the bus get there?

 


Here is the same question I have for all of the boats and (alleged) submarine: where do they get fuel for the bus?

 

Hurley’s former boss/new Mr. Clucks employee Randy took off with Hurley’s girlfriend. Was this before or after Randy became Locke’s boss at the box factory? (And yes, it is the same actor who has played both roles)

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OSCARS 07: OUT & ABOUT


Some quick post-Oscar thoughts…

 

Ellen

The Oscars are my Superbowl and Ellen was my MVP. I loved her from start to finish. I didn’t miss the mean-spirited pop culture references that hosts of old used to throw out there. She was true to form and made me laugh. Not her fault that the show ran long. I hope they ask her back next year.  The ratings are up by about a million, which is a tribute to her talent and popularity.

 

One Giant Step Forward…

Last night signified a huge milestone both for the country and the entertainment industry; Ellen was only the second woman to host (after Whoopi) the Academy Awards, and certainly the first openly gay person to do so. I love that the camera focused on proud girlfriend Portia and proud mom Betty a few times; I certainly don’t recall ever seeing Billy Crystal’s wife during his stint as host. And although I’m sure there were folks who were less than thrilled with Ellen hosting and Melissa Etheridge’s smooch and speech combo…I don’t care. It was a momentous occasion for them and for the worldwide audience. I couldn’t stop smiling; it made my day that Melissa kissed and then thanked her wife. The woman won an Oscar, it was her moment, and she did what came naturally, just as all other winners do.  A few months ago, Grey’s Anatomy actor T.R. Knight made a statement when he publicly came out: “I hope the fact that I’m gay isn’t the most interesting part of me.” I believe that Ellen and Melissa would agree with that wholeheartedly.  

 

Just a Thought…

I wonder who would win an arm-wrestling match, Jada Pinkett Smith or Jessica Biel?

 

“Original” Score?

I love the CD and the artist, but does anyone else find it odd that the main theme song from Babel, Gustavo Santaolalla’s song “Iguazu,” is from the Deadwood soundtrack (which was released a year earlier than the Babel soundtrack)? If a song is recycled/repurposed, how does it qualify for Original Score?

 

Favorite Moments

Arkin’s win

Whitaker’s speech

Melissa Etheridge’s win & speech

Pilobolus (the dance troupe who formed the iconic movie images)

Scorsese’s win

The sound effects choir

Jack Black, John C. Reilly & Will Ferrell

 

And now, for more trivial observations…

 

Awkward Moment of the Night

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst presenting together. The animosity between them was visible…and entertaining. Rewind your TiVO and watch for her shoulder bump, followed by his stink-eye glance askew at her, and then her head turn/stink-eye at him right before they roll the nominees on screen. I know they were there to promote Spiderman 3 (as if that is even necessary), but these ex’s are clearly uncomfortable sharing the same few feet of space.

 

Of course it’s on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fBkujAxCMs0

 

In Need Of a Hairbrush

 

Cameron Diaz

Robert Downey, Jr.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

 

Attire Analysis

 

Bed, Bath, and WAY Beyond: Drapes as Dresses

Beyonce

Kirsten Dunst

JLo

 

Blue is the new Black (and I like it)

Emily Blunt

Portia de Rossi

Ellen Degeneres’ navy ensemble with vest

Melissa Etheridge’s tuxedo jacket

Jodie Foster

Maggie Gyllenhaal

 

Bow, Hell No!

Anne Hathaway

Nicole Kidman

 

Favorites

Cate Blanchett

Daniel Craig

Leonardo DiCaprio

Djimon Hounsou

Diane Keaton (no pantsuits or high collars!)

Queen Latifah

Helen Mirren

Kate Winslet

Reese Witherspoon

 

Memo: “Flesh is Not a Flattering Color”

Penelope Cruz

Gwyneth Paltrow

 

UGH

Jessica Biel

Abigail Breslin (regardless of her age, someone should have prevented her from wearing an Easter Basket)

Cameron Diaz

Eva Green

Jennifer Hudson’s sci-fi/tanning foil jacket

Quincy Jones

Anika Noni Rose

Kelly Preston

Naomi Watts

Rachel Weisz


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