Initial Office Ratings and News

With 24.9 million viewers, CSI outperformed its 2006 opener by some 13 percent and in doing so trumped Grey's Anatomy, which returned to an audience of 20.5 mil (down from last fall's 25.15 mil). The Office (9.67 mil) improved on its previous premiere by 670 thou.

NBC has greenlighted a two-hour TV-movie of Knight Rider which could serve as a backdoor pilot for a new series. Variety reports that the plan is to air the flick later this season, and if successful, have a new series ready for fall 2008.
The vision for this redo is to take advantage of current TV special effects to allow K.I.T.T. some Transformers-esque shapeshifting.

Project Runway is back on November 14th. Lauren likes that one.

(TVGUIDE.com)

At Least it was only Merideth...Thank God

I have been waiting for a new episode of ‘The Office’ for so long now that I am pretty sure they could have just filmed them eating lunch and I would have found it hysterical. So I am not sure if my opinion today is skewed or not, but either way – I loved it.

Personal highlights include:

-Michael’s announcement regarding Merideth’s accident and who hit her

-I don't think you understand Jeopardy... I'm sorry... What is "we're fine"

-Kevin

-Stanley

-Creed

-Pam walking in on Michael changing

-“I didn’t see the beginning but I saw where it ended”

-5K = 5000 miles

-Andy’s nipple protectors which didn’t work so well by the end

-Religious beliefs breakdown

This show can really do no wrong for me these days. Count me one of the few million who are very happy to have it back on the air. If you didn’t see the summer vacation interviews which aired at the end of last weeks re-run, I am pretty sure its on YouTube somewhere.

We are in the glory days of single-camera sitcoms and I for one am glad to be a part of it. Once 30 Rock and Scrubs comes back, NBC Thursday night will be officially legitimate for the first time since the late 80’s/early 90’s. Think about it…when was the last time all 4 comedies were great – all four of them? For every Friends and Seinfeld and Night Court and Cheers and Cosby and Family Ties, there was a Single Guy, Veronicas Closet, Suddenly Susan, the one where the four guys lived together with Seth Green, the one with the Brecken Meyer who constantly had sports highlights playing in his head, Union Square, and the list goes on. Fact is, from Earl through 30 Rock – this could be the most creative, clever, smart, and FUNNY group of sitcoms in history. Good times all around.

One last thought on the Office, and here is what I didn’t love so much - when they extended to 40 minute super-sized episodes last year, it felt a little forced at times. When they do 30 minutes, it always leaves you wanting more. But a full 60 minutes made it seem just a bit too long with certain scenes dragging out just enough to make me notice – and that’s not good. Not that I won’t take an hour, trust me, I will. I’m just saying that there is something about containing that show to 30 minutes that makes it perfect.

I didn’t get around to Earl, DirtySexyMoney, Big Shots, Mad Men, or Gossip Girl yet. The pressure is getting to me I think.

Final notes for the weekend – I highly recommend Mad Men on AMC if you are not watching that – all episodes are available On-Demand. This show is so smart, so interesting, and so well filmed and edited. It is about the Ad Agency business in New York in the early 1960’s and I find it pretty fascinating. The acting is top notch and the historical references and male-female interactions are very fun to watch. Of course it’s no WW2 documentary, but it is not a bad look at office workplace dynamics during the time. Try it.

Please note, as stated in earlier posts, there will be no breakdown of any medical dramas or dramadies here. Only Scrubs which I believe still qualifies as a sitcom. I also do not watch Reality TV (except Beauty and the Geek which is quickly dying for me). If you need a recap of The Hills, Rob and Big, Newport Beach, Two-a-Days or any other MTV/VH1 show, I have a couple of friends who collectively hit them all – I will see if they can’t get something going in the comments sections for you.

First Thoughts on Fall

I wouldn't come back here and expect recaps from the night before. That's not going to happen so much. And Lauren and I get behind too - we have a lot to get through each week, and since we start at about 10:00 PM and try to actually get sleep too, sometimes shows have to wait. Like take Tuesday night for instance - at about 11:45 I wanted to start 'Bones'. I have only been anticipating this premiere for 4 months, but Lauren gave me the no-go. Too late, and she doesn't like this show either by the way. And she is wrong.
So I watched Bones last night without her and let me tell you - strong start. I love this show, its really the only palatable crime procedural for me. Granted last night even stepped over the edge a bit, but at least the show doesn't take itself seriously. And that is why its great - the story lines are little more than weekly MacGuffins to give us a chance to enjoy wity banter amongst the squints. Hart Hanson writes a great show and I highly recommend Bones on (Tuesday nights now) which leads into House. Regarding 'House' - Don't watch it, don't need it. I am on medical drama hiatus for at least 5 more years.

We did some comedies last night - trying to figure out if this 'Back to You' Kelsey Grammer/Patricia Heaton show is going to fly. Well, I laughed out loud at least twice. Its written and directed by all the Cheers/Fraiser folks and they know what they are doing for the most part. Its a classic office sitcom with laughtrack/possible live studio audience and for now its working for me - mostly because Grammer plays Fraiser and I enjoy that. Does he play anything else really? I think my point is, for 22 minutes its not a total waste of time and the laughs are there. Also Fred Willard is in this show - and I don't really need to add anything to that. He alone is good for 2 laughs.
We followed it up with 'Til Death' which I am going public with for the first time. We watch it, we like it, I laugh at it. Everyone has this show...you know, the one that you shouldn't like. I think the industry calls that a 'guilty pleasure'. Well we watch it, and every week I tell Lauren that its going to suck and then it doesn't. Perhaps its because I can relate to the show seeing as how its about newlyweds living across the street from your classic 'old married couple'. I think I live somewhere in the street between the two - so I get the jokes. Ha ha. This is the first time I have spent any time with Brad Garrett as I have actually never seen one episode of Raymond. He's pretty funny. And a lot taller than I am.

I didn't get a chance yet to fire up week 2 of Gossip Girl last night, but I liked the first episode. A friend told me it was so-so, therefore I am lowering expectations going in. But I like Josh Schwartz shows -- we also liked Chuck on Monday night (more on that next week). But tonight is the return of The Office along with about 10 other shows from Monday - Wednesday I still have to get to. This is a hard job.

One final thought on Gossip Girl. I am in my 30's now...when do I have to quit watching high school dramas? Will I be watching them with my kids? As long as they keep cranking them out every 3-4 years, I'll get in. More importantly, when someone on 90210 drank or looked at pot or considered sex, it was a 'very special episode'. By the time the OC came around, it was ho-hum. In Gossip Girl they are all just walking around screwing and getting high on their way to and from school. By the time my kids get into this stuff I just assume it will be like porn.

Welcome to Ed's Op-Ed on TV, or OP-EDTV

I watch a lot of TV. It's true. I have a lot of opinions. Also true. And I used to like to write a lot, so I figure this trifecta could only mean one thing -- write a blog about what I am watching on TV to my zero adoring fans who have been begging for me to get online and provide some solid entertainment for up to 2 minutes at a time.

I also plan to update you (meaning no one) on whats coming to a TV set near you, or what is most likely going to disappear. I will be poaching most of my news from Michael Ausiello, Robert Bianco, Matt Roush, and Matt Webb Mitovitch -- the kings of worthless TV inside information - but I cannot get enough. If Ken Burns did 14 hours on how these guys get the latest casting news - I would be all in for that.

Speaking of Ken Burns, lets start there. I officially deleted the first 8 hours of 'The War' from FakeTivo #2 last night - unwatched. Its not that I don't care about WW2, I do. I am actually fascinated by it -- but the timing is awful. Its frickin premiere week. Could we not have saved this for December? or early January? Classic PBS arrogance. I think I am going to just have to do this one on DVD. By recording this show in HiDef I was burning muchas percent of DVR space and I have about 100 shows I am trying out right now. And here is one thing I do know -- 6 months from now I can get 'The War' from BlockBuster but I would hard pressed to find the first four episodes of 'DirtySexyMoney' after that show gets buried before November sweeps.

Let me say this about my OP-EDTV... there are a lot of websites out there breaking down TV in a very snarky fasion:
SNARK, noun
Combination of "snide" and "remark". Sarcastic comment(s).
Also snarky (adj.) and snarkily (adv.)

I am not going to do that. I am just going to tell you what I watched. And then you can read it if you want. And again by 'you' I mean no one. But its cathartic for me...and thats really all that counts.

P.S. As I type this, a new version of Sugar's 'If I Can't Change Your Mind' just came on Pandora. Holy Crap - its from Train and it sucks. Why would they do this to such a great song? And the worst part...since Train is mainstream famous and Bob Mould isn't, this song will be a hit for them and no one will ever know how good it really should be. Frickin Train. Also - support Pandora and internet radio.