Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Thu, May 15, 2008 at 8:56 PMRecent TV cancellations boggle the mind
You would think that after eight years of covering TV, nothing would surprise me. But you would be wrong.
Covering this week's upfronts has left me as confused as anyone else.
I simply do not understand why certain shows were canceled and others were renewed.
Case in point, ABC is bringing back "According to Jim," one of the most vacuous sitcoms on TV today. Instead of killing this waste of TV space, ABC decided to cancel "Men in Trees," "Women's Murder Club," and "Cashmere Mafia," three shows that are far superior to "According to Jim"!
Can somebody explain this to me please?
Fox isn't much better. It's killing off one of the best sitcoms its had in years, "Back to You," but keeping the ever predictable marriage comedy "'Til Death."
Really?!
And while I'm glad that The CW woke up long enough to see that it should bring back "The Game" and it should bring back "Reaper" executives fell back asleep and forget to renew "Aliens in America."
I mean hello! When is the last time TV had a sitcom this smart, funny and different?
I need a V8.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Thu, May 15, 2008 at 3:39 AMHell's Kitchen: Goodbye Ben
I know the men lost on "Hell's Kitchen" Tuesday night but I seriously thought Rosann should be the one going home not Ben. He was bad but Rosann was worse.
What else can this woman do to get booted? Undercooked seafood? Come on! Shut it down!
And what about that Jen? Ooh wee! Chef Ramsay was ALL ON HER CASE! I thought she was going to quit!
The comeback award goes to Matt, the guy whose face looks like an ancient Japanese drawing and he's not even Japanese.
Boy can that guy contort his face!
Anyway, he left the men's team and found success on the women's team. Chef Ramsay his risotto was the best he'd tasted on the show.
Go figure.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Wed, May 14, 2008 at 2:38 AMMJW Shimmies out the ballroom on "Dancing with the Stars"
Poor Marissa Jaret Winokur had to wave adieu on Tuesday night's "Dancing with the Stars" just as I predicted.
I wanted to be wrong but she was the weakest link, man.
She was fun to watch. I loved her energy and her optimism. And her spirit.
My hope is that Hollywood will see what I saw and give this woman more work. She's a winner even if she didn't win on "Dancing with the Stars."
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Tue, May 13, 2008 at 7:56 PM"Reaper" gets a reprieve on The CW
Proving that letter writing campaigns can work, The CW decided to bring back our favorite devilish comedy "Reaper."
The series will return for a second season in January, replacing "Smallville" in the midseason.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Tue, May 13, 2008 at 7:40 PMTNT shows Jesse L. Martin some love
"Law & Order" fans who have been missing Jesse L. Martin's character Det. Ed Green ever since he left the show last month have a chance to walk down memory lane this weekend.
On Sunday, TNT will present an 11-hour marathon of memorable episodes in the life of the character, beginning at 2 p.m.
The marathon includes Green's first appearance ("Gunshow") and a special two-episode crossover with sister series "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," in which Green is critically injured.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Tue, May 13, 2008 at 2:02 AMDancing with the Stars: Marissa is the Weakest Link, Kristi the Strongest
The semifinals kicked off Monday night on "Dancing with the Stars" and two things became very clear: Kristi is heading to the finals and Marissa is not.
It pains me to type this, as much as I love Marissa Jaret Winokur, but she is the weakest link America.
It's not her dancing. She can dance. And it's not her attitude. She's a star.
But in a popularity contest like "Dancing with the Stars," I would argue that she is the least popular of the remaining contestants.
Well, that and the fact that Kristi Yamaguchi, an Olympic Gold medalist, is favored to win. Her Monday night jive was a hair off, like Carrie Ann said, but she is the best dancer on the show and she will win it all. You wait!
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Sun, May 11, 2008 at 6:22 AMThere's Something About Laura
Laura Linney is one of the most amazing actresses working today.
I watched "The Savages" recently (if you haven't seen it buy it or rent it immediately) and all I could do was smile at the amazing job Linney did. She is so very good at becoming the character and making you believe and sympathize.
A similar feeling came over me when I watched Linney become Abigail Adams in HBO's seven-part miniseries "John Adams."
She is so strong as AA that the movie could've easily been called "Abigail Adams."
Do yourself a favor and watch the magic when HBO reairs all seven parts beginning June 1.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Thu, May 8, 2008 at 2:30 AMShayna gets Shut Out on 'Hell's Kitchen'
Maybe Shayna shouldn't have mentioned her three-month-old when she faced elimination on Tuesday night's "Hell's Kitchen."
Although she was the slowest cook in Gordon Ramsay's kitchen, she certainly was not the worst.
I mean Matt served the birthday girl's mom overcooked fish and Roseanne served the birthday girl undercooked steak.
But when it came down to the three of them, Ramsay thought Shayna should go home and be with her baby girl.
I think he kept Matt around for ratings because that guy, he's a mess.
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Wed, May 7, 2008 at 6:26 PM'The Daily Show' rips Kwame
For the best laugh of the day (yesterday technically), you have to watch "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" at 8 tonight.
A rerun of last night's show, the fake news pokes fun at Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's text message affair and even uses the Mayor's message to the City of Detroit as the Moment of Zen!
Did I mention there's an R. Kelly impersonator and he sings the words "The Residence Inn in Madison Heights, a place for love"? Oh, you gotta see it.
Can't wait? I understand. Go to thedailyshow.com
Category: Television
Posted by Mekeisha Madden Toby on Wed, May 7, 2008 at 1:32 AMMario misses the beat and has to leave 'Dancing with the Stars'
Karina Smirnoff has the right attitude about losing.
I had the chance to interview her a couple weeks ago and she told me that everything we see as viewers is not reality and that "Dancing with the Stars," above all else, is a TV show.
This is why Smirnoff responded so well when she and her R&B singing dance partner Mario got kicked off "Dancing with the Stars" Tuesday night.
She knew it was coming and ultimately she didn't sweat it.
Good for her and good for Mario and I hope to see his fine physique in more form fitting shirts and pants in the days to come.
And to think, if Cristian de la Fuente hadn't hurt himself, he would've been the one walking off this week.
But he did hurt himself and somehow it's actually made him a better guy and a better contestant.
Go figure.
