Blog Archives
A-scare-ica: The Rise of Horror in American Television
I have a theory that nightmares are our brain’s way of saying “hey, your life could be worse,” which is why the horror genre is increasingly becoming popular in television. So what if you have crippling debt because of student loans. At least, you don’t have to kill your zombified friends and family. According to this CBC article, that’s why zombies are so popular.
There is no doubting that times are tough. When you find yourself in times of trouble, mother television comes on to make things all better. Since the dawn of primetime, TV has always been an escape from our daily lives. It’s why we never saw our favorite nuclear TV families broken apart by war. Instead of living vicariously through our favorite TV characters like we used to, we’re saying, “hey, my life could be worse”.
True Blood (HBO)
True Blood came out in the height of that whole Twilight fad that some of us don’t like mentioning being part of. I remember girls complaining that True Blood was a blatant rip off of the saga. Aside from having vampires, the protagonist happens to have telepathic abilities, just like a certain sparkly vampire. Except The Southern Vampire Mysteries that inspired the TV show came out before Stephanie Meyer dreamed up Twilight.
The difference between True Blood and any other vampire movie or TV show is that it dealt with current issues. Gay rights to be specific. This is made obvious by the “God hates Fangs” sign in the intro, which is a lovely jab at The Westboro Baptist Church. The show has continued to use vampires as an allegory for the LGBT community. You know, vampires are people too!
Despite airing in the summer, which is usually a death sentence, this show became insanely popular. So popular that HBO has been pushing out more and more TV shows ever since its 2008 debut. Since so many people took time out of their busy summer schedules of doing nothing, it showed that horror is something channels should strive toward.
Shows That Should Be Forgotten: ‘Pink Lady and Jeff’
Pink Lady, better known as Pink Lady and Jeff, is a notoriously bad show. It regularly makes it onto Worst TV Shows Ever lists. There is no good excuse NBC can come up with for having produced this train wreck of a show, which put the final nail in the coffin of the already dying variety show genre.
In 1980, NBC President Fred Silverman decided to create the show Pink Lady featuring the Japanese singing group Pink Lady, which had two members: Mie and Kei. He called in Sid and Marty Kroft, who are were known for their surrealist children’s show like H.R. Pufnstuf, to produce the show. Everyone quickly realized Mie and Kie didn’t speak a word of English, so NBC brought in comedian Jeff Altman. This should have been about the time NBC cancelled production of the show, but production went ahead anyway, leaving Mie and Kei to learn their lines and the English-language pop hits performed on the show phonetically with predictably terrible results.
‘Saturday Night Live’ Loses Another Castmember
Jason Sudeikis leaves Saturday Night Live. Last night, Jason Sudeikis announced on the Late Show with David Letterman that Saturday Night Live‘s 38th season was his last with the long running sketch comedy show. At the end of the past season, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen also left the show.
‘Hollywood Game Night’: Fun Show, Obnoxious Host
Hollywood Game Night combines elements from all of the classic game shows, specifically Password and Body Language, and makes them modern. It may also be the first new game show that allows the viewer to participate at home, which is something that Minute to Win It and The Winner Is lack. Watching people make fools of themselves on television is only fun for so long.
Television is usually a passive experience, but the reason why Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and The Price is Right have been around for over 30 years is because people love to feel like they are participating at home in a way that doesn’t involve consuming large amounts of alcohol. Hollywood Game Night‘s producers understand that. Although, host Jane Lynch did recommend a Hollywood Game Night drinking game five minutes into the show; it was tongue in cheek.
Richard Branson is The Man
Richard Branson is awesome. The British billionaire is the only person who can talk about a Pamela Anderson shaped cola bottle and legitimizing the mile high club and not come off as a total sleaze. Despite his antics, Branson has somehow managed to stay married to the same woman since 1989. In the clip below, Conan interviews Branson as Branson shamelessly flirts with Salma Hayek.
Conan’s New State Quarters
In honor of Independence Day, today’s video is from one of Late Night with Conan O’Brien‘s most patriotic skits: New State Quarters.
It’s a Done Dean! Community Fans Rejoice for a Harmon-ious Return
Last year, fans of Community were heartbroken to hear that showrunner Dan Harmon was fired. NBC realized that they “Britta’d” things up, so they “Chang’d” their minds. Deadline confirmed yesterday that Dan Harmon and co- executive producer Chris McKenna are returning for Community’s fifth season. There are also reports that Dino Stamatopoulos is returning as a writer, but let’s hope that he also comes back as “Starburns.” The show’s renewal comes after a very shaky and lackluster fourth season. Last year, it was placed in the Friday night “death slot”, and then the premiere was pushed back to mid-season.
Cool TV Video of the Day: Conan O’Brien and Adam West’s “Lookwell”
Adam West looking awesome, while eating a Popsicle.
Lookwell is exactly what you would expect when Conan O’Brien, TV Funhouse‘s Robert Smigel, and Adam West team up to produce a sitcom, which is totally not a bad thing. While the show did not make it passed the pilot, NBC aired Lookwell‘s only episode in July 1991 and the show was reran on the cable network Trio, which is now defunct.
Cool TV Video of the Day: Rod Serling’s “Patterns”
Rod Serling may be best known for The Twilight Zone, but that doesn’t mean his other work is not worth watching. On January 12, 1955, the NBC anthology series Kraft Television Theatre aired Patterns, which marked Serling’s first major success. Not only would Serling go on to win the first of his 6 Emmys, but Patterns became the first drama repeated because of its popularity. However, television was not yet in the habit of recording live television, so the actors had to perform everything over again on February 9, 1955. Fortunately, the second live performance was captured on kinescope.
Newspapers Want To Be On NBC Reality Show
According to The New York Times, NBC thinks it can help print journalism, which is in dire straights, with a reality show. For some reason, small town newspapers believe it. While small town newspapers are a bastion of quirkiness, the fact that NBC told The New York Times that 150 of them responded to a casting call in 10 days is baffling. Any self-respecting newspaper would never agree to be on a reality show, mainly because someone on the staff has actually sat through an episode of Jersey Shore.
Wait! What's A Dial? 