Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Take This Job And Shove It
As promised, I did watch the premiere of NBC's "The Office" last Thursday and am here to present my review.
It sucks.
Okay, okay, I'll elaborate. Actually, it doesn't entirely suck. As a matter of fact, it's probably 10 times better than most of the dreck that passes for comedy on television these days. Unfortunately, the level of comedy being presented nowadays is so low, 10 times more than that is still not a lot.
I may have found the show a lot better if I wasn't comparing it to the original BBC series on which it is based, but as such a huge fan of the original, it obviously can not be helped. The biggest problem I have with the new show is the portrayal of the shows main character, hapless office manager Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell (in the original, the character was called David Brent, played by series co-creator Ricky Gervais). I am actually a fan of Carell, formerly of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," and most recently seen in "Anchorman: The Legend of Run Burgundy," but his performance here left me with a bad after taste. It took me a while to figure out exactly what was bothering me, but I finally figured it out. Originally, Gervais brilliantly played Brent to be a complete ass, but there was always a slight touch of sweetness bubbling under the surface that made you realize that the guy really didn't mean any harm; he just honestly didn't always know how to act. Carell didn't leave me with that feeling, and as a result the character has absolutely no likeability, and it's tough to watch a show when you just plain don't like the main character.
The bottom line is this: the show just didn't make me laugh. Not once. I know I said it last time, but it bears repeating: the original series of "The Office" ran 12 episodes, plus a 2 part Christmas special, and is available on DVD. Check it out, because it is an absolute classic, and skip the tired NBC retread.
It sucks.
Okay, okay, I'll elaborate. Actually, it doesn't entirely suck. As a matter of fact, it's probably 10 times better than most of the dreck that passes for comedy on television these days. Unfortunately, the level of comedy being presented nowadays is so low, 10 times more than that is still not a lot.
I may have found the show a lot better if I wasn't comparing it to the original BBC series on which it is based, but as such a huge fan of the original, it obviously can not be helped. The biggest problem I have with the new show is the portrayal of the shows main character, hapless office manager Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell (in the original, the character was called David Brent, played by series co-creator Ricky Gervais). I am actually a fan of Carell, formerly of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," and most recently seen in "Anchorman: The Legend of Run Burgundy," but his performance here left me with a bad after taste. It took me a while to figure out exactly what was bothering me, but I finally figured it out. Originally, Gervais brilliantly played Brent to be a complete ass, but there was always a slight touch of sweetness bubbling under the surface that made you realize that the guy really didn't mean any harm; he just honestly didn't always know how to act. Carell didn't leave me with that feeling, and as a result the character has absolutely no likeability, and it's tough to watch a show when you just plain don't like the main character.
The bottom line is this: the show just didn't make me laugh. Not once. I know I said it last time, but it bears repeating: the original series of "The Office" ran 12 episodes, plus a 2 part Christmas special, and is available on DVD. Check it out, because it is an absolute classic, and skip the tired NBC retread.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Americans Are Not Funny
Tonight at 9:30 PM, NBC premieres its latest comedy, "The Office." "The Office" is based on the BBC program of the same name. I'm no psychic, but I can tell you this much: this American version of the show will probably follow the same path as the last couple of shows that NBC tried to adapt from England ("Men Behaving Badly" and "Coupling") and be cancelled relatively quickly.
Let's get something out of the way right now. I have not seen the new show and am not condemning it. In fact, I will watch it tonight with high hopes, and review the show right here in the very near future. But the bottom line is that Americans and Brits have very different senses of humor, which is why these kinds of things often fail.
The original version of "The Office" ranks in my personal list of favorite TV shows ever, probably in the Top 5. This is because I really enjoy the British style of humor. Most Americans need to be hit over the head with a joke in order to get it, while the British humor tends to be much more dry, subtle, and understated. The problem that is always run into when adapting British shows is that it becomes too "Americanized," with much broader comedy than the original had, but yet still trying to keep that British quirkiness to it. The resulting combination just doesn't work. Will it work for "The Office"? Time will tell, but I doubt it.
In the meantime, the original series is available on DVD. It ran for two series of six episodes each, plus a 2-part Christmas special to wrap the story up. Ricky Gervais (who also co-created the show) as clueless office manager David Brent gives the comedic performance of a lifetime, but the real heart of the series is the relationship between office drone Tim (Martin Freeman) and the secretary, Dawn (Lucy Davis). Do yourself a favor and check the whole series out. You will not be disappointed.
Let's get something out of the way right now. I have not seen the new show and am not condemning it. In fact, I will watch it tonight with high hopes, and review the show right here in the very near future. But the bottom line is that Americans and Brits have very different senses of humor, which is why these kinds of things often fail.
The original version of "The Office" ranks in my personal list of favorite TV shows ever, probably in the Top 5. This is because I really enjoy the British style of humor. Most Americans need to be hit over the head with a joke in order to get it, while the British humor tends to be much more dry, subtle, and understated. The problem that is always run into when adapting British shows is that it becomes too "Americanized," with much broader comedy than the original had, but yet still trying to keep that British quirkiness to it. The resulting combination just doesn't work. Will it work for "The Office"? Time will tell, but I doubt it.
In the meantime, the original series is available on DVD. It ran for two series of six episodes each, plus a 2-part Christmas special to wrap the story up. Ricky Gervais (who also co-created the show) as clueless office manager David Brent gives the comedic performance of a lifetime, but the real heart of the series is the relationship between office drone Tim (Martin Freeman) and the secretary, Dawn (Lucy Davis). Do yourself a favor and check the whole series out. You will not be disappointed.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Tom Snyder's Greatest Hour
Let's all take a trip now. Back to October 31, 1979. Late-night TV host Tom Snyder's "Tomorrow" show, in honor of Halloween, featured Snyder interviewing KISS.
A very brief history lesson is in order, first. At this point in their career, the band was just starting to come down from the heights of their popularity in 1977-78. Drummer Peter Criss was really strung out (he left the band soon after this appearance), and had not even played on the most recent album, "Dynasty." Guitarist Ace Frehley had issues with alcohol and was also becoming disillusioned with being a part of KISS (he would leave the band soon after Criss). Despite the internal struggles threatening to tear the band apart, leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley tried desperately to hold things together. Which brought KISS to Tom Snyder's "Tomorrow" show on that fateful Halloween night to plug the latest album and tour, and generally discuss their career.
Gene and Paul had always traditionally handled most of the band's press and interviews, and were probably intending to do so this evening, while Peter and Ace sat silently by their sides, maybe saying a few words here and there (Snyder even mentions early on that he had been told that Ace would most likely be extremely quiet and the most difficult to get anything out of).
One unforeseen problem, though, changed EVERYTHING and made this possibly the funniest hour of TV EVER: Ace showed up COMPLETELY HAMMERED. He was blitzed out of his mind. Here are Gene and Paul trying to conduct a civilized interview with a respected journalist on network television, and their guitar player is totally wasted. The fun begins.
It all starts innocently enough, as Snyder introduces the band, although he calls Gene the bass player, pronouncing it like the fish instead of the instrument, and everybody chuckles. Upon first glance, Peter looks completely sedated and out of it, although he does start to come alive a little later. The first hint that something is up comes almost immediately: playing off of Snyder's bass snafu, after being introduced as the lead guitar player, Ace jumps in, proclaiming, "I'm not the lead guitarist, I'm the trout player!" And he starts cackling. Loudly. The interview begins, but within 2 minutes Gene and Paul are clearly agitated because every time they start to answer Snyder's questions, Ace (and to a lesser degree, Peter) interjects, mostly just to continue his cackling. Despite the trademark make-up, you can clearly tell that Gene and Paul are NOT amused. Which makes everything even funnier. As Paul is answering a question about what it is like to be onstage with all the kids screaming and crying, Ace jumps in with "Crying because they spent all that money!" And more loud cackling (I keep calling it cackling, because, well, you just have to hear it. "Laughing" just doesn't do it justice). This joke in particular gets Ace rolling, and Gene can be seen VERY clearly giving Ace the evil eye. Upon discussion of how the band got together, Gene begins recounting how he used to live in Queens, not far from Paul's house, and he would see Paul around. Ace: "Gene's into telescopes!" Gene, for the first of several times, looks over his shoulder and cries "Mom!" which is an indirect way of calling for the band's management to do something to control Ace. Thank goodness for us, no such help was forthcoming. Things continue, and Ace is trying to answer Tom's question about their costumes:
Tom: "But you're kind of like a spaceman."
Ace: "No, actually, I'm a plumber!" (cacklecacklecackle)
Tom: "Well listen, I have a little piece of pipe backstage I'd like to have you work on."
Ace (eyes widening with glee): "Tell me about it!"
At this point Ace is laughing so hard he almost falls out of his chair. Tom recognizes that Gene is not happy with Ace's antics, and as Ace gets progressively out of hand, he pleads with Gene several times over the rest of the interview to get Ace under control. It's not clear what the hell Snyder expected Gene to do to curb Ace, just as it's not clear what Gene expected when he made his pleas to management earlier.
This has been a VERY truncated synopsis of the show; It really has to be seen in its entirety to be truly appreciated. Ace's incessant cackling, in particular, has to be heard, as mere words can not do it justice. Suffice it to say that one need not be a fan of the band to appreciate and enjoy the comedy value contained in this program, and it holds a valued place on my shelf to this day.
A very brief history lesson is in order, first. At this point in their career, the band was just starting to come down from the heights of their popularity in 1977-78. Drummer Peter Criss was really strung out (he left the band soon after this appearance), and had not even played on the most recent album, "Dynasty." Guitarist Ace Frehley had issues with alcohol and was also becoming disillusioned with being a part of KISS (he would leave the band soon after Criss). Despite the internal struggles threatening to tear the band apart, leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley tried desperately to hold things together. Which brought KISS to Tom Snyder's "Tomorrow" show on that fateful Halloween night to plug the latest album and tour, and generally discuss their career.
Gene and Paul had always traditionally handled most of the band's press and interviews, and were probably intending to do so this evening, while Peter and Ace sat silently by their sides, maybe saying a few words here and there (Snyder even mentions early on that he had been told that Ace would most likely be extremely quiet and the most difficult to get anything out of).
One unforeseen problem, though, changed EVERYTHING and made this possibly the funniest hour of TV EVER: Ace showed up COMPLETELY HAMMERED. He was blitzed out of his mind. Here are Gene and Paul trying to conduct a civilized interview with a respected journalist on network television, and their guitar player is totally wasted. The fun begins.
It all starts innocently enough, as Snyder introduces the band, although he calls Gene the bass player, pronouncing it like the fish instead of the instrument, and everybody chuckles. Upon first glance, Peter looks completely sedated and out of it, although he does start to come alive a little later. The first hint that something is up comes almost immediately: playing off of Snyder's bass snafu, after being introduced as the lead guitar player, Ace jumps in, proclaiming, "I'm not the lead guitarist, I'm the trout player!" And he starts cackling. Loudly. The interview begins, but within 2 minutes Gene and Paul are clearly agitated because every time they start to answer Snyder's questions, Ace (and to a lesser degree, Peter) interjects, mostly just to continue his cackling. Despite the trademark make-up, you can clearly tell that Gene and Paul are NOT amused. Which makes everything even funnier. As Paul is answering a question about what it is like to be onstage with all the kids screaming and crying, Ace jumps in with "Crying because they spent all that money!" And more loud cackling (I keep calling it cackling, because, well, you just have to hear it. "Laughing" just doesn't do it justice). This joke in particular gets Ace rolling, and Gene can be seen VERY clearly giving Ace the evil eye. Upon discussion of how the band got together, Gene begins recounting how he used to live in Queens, not far from Paul's house, and he would see Paul around. Ace: "Gene's into telescopes!
Tom: "But you're kind of like a spaceman."
Ace: "No, actually, I'm a plumber!" (cacklecacklecackle)
Tom: "Well listen, I have a little piece of pipe backstage I'd like to have you work on."
Ace (eyes widening with glee): "Tell me about it!"
At this point Ace is laughing so hard he almost falls out of his chair. Tom recognizes that Gene is not happy with Ace's antics, and as Ace gets progressively out of hand, he pleads with Gene several times over the rest of the interview to get Ace under control. It's not clear what the hell Snyder expected Gene to do to curb Ace, just as it's not clear what Gene expected when he made his pleas to management earlier.
This has been a VERY truncated synopsis of the show; It really has to be seen in its entirety to be truly appreciated. Ace's incessant cackling, in particular, has to be heard, as mere words can not do it justice. Suffice it to say that one need not be a fan of the band to appreciate and enjoy the comedy value contained in this program, and it holds a valued place on my shelf to this day.
Friday, March 11, 2005
What Are They Thinking???
Spike TV has just announced that they will not extend the contract for Vince McMahon's WWE, meaning that in September, the five weekly hours of wrestling programs currently airing on Spike will have to find a new home. On the surface, this appears to be a good move on Spike TV's part, considering the runaway success of all their other progra...wait a second. WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE GUYS THINKING??????
WWE's flagship program, Monday Night Raw, is routinely the highest-rated program on cable TV, attracting well over 2 million viewers every Monday night. It has, to be fair, had much higher ratings in the past, but even now it is still popular enough to remain at the top of the cable TV heap. In fact, if cable shows were ranked in the Nielsens alongside broadcast shows, Monday Night Raw last week would have been the ONLY cable show ranked in the top 100. USA network, which previously carried wrestling before Spike took over 5 years ago, is rumored to be the front-runner to pick it up in September.
But back to Spike. This is clearly a network in trouble. I'm not going back and researching this right now, but some new guy is coming in as president of the network, and wants to put on more original scripted programming. Great idea, boss. Let's come up with all these new programs, and then cancel the highest-rated show on cable, where we could have advertised these new shows during the only time when people actually are watching the network. Brilliant plan. Spike TV has been doomed from the start. Originally known as TNN (The Nashville Network), a few years back they changed it to mean The National Network. Their slogan was "The Network With POP!" Nobody knew what the hell that meant, and the network remained in obscurity, with only WWE as its saving grace. A drastic shift in programming came, and the network changed again, this time to Spike TV, "The First Network For Men." I was pretty sure ESPN could have made that claim 25 years earlier, but I digress. Despite these changes, wrestling is still the only thing anybody watches on this channel 5 years later.
The bottom line is this: I watch A LOT of TV. I am a 33-year old male. I am supposedly Spike TV's main demographic. I could not tell you another show that is on that channel besides wrestling. Whoops!
I give it 6 months after WWE leaves in September before Spike undergoes another drastic change, or goes under completely.
WWE's flagship program, Monday Night Raw, is routinely the highest-rated program on cable TV, attracting well over 2 million viewers every Monday night. It has, to be fair, had much higher ratings in the past, but even now it is still popular enough to remain at the top of the cable TV heap. In fact, if cable shows were ranked in the Nielsens alongside broadcast shows, Monday Night Raw last week would have been the ONLY cable show ranked in the top 100. USA network, which previously carried wrestling before Spike took over 5 years ago, is rumored to be the front-runner to pick it up in September.
But back to Spike. This is clearly a network in trouble. I'm not going back and researching this right now, but some new guy is coming in as president of the network, and wants to put on more original scripted programming. Great idea, boss. Let's come up with all these new programs, and then cancel the highest-rated show on cable, where we could have advertised these new shows during the only time when people actually are watching the network. Brilliant plan. Spike TV has been doomed from the start. Originally known as TNN (The Nashville Network), a few years back they changed it to mean The National Network. Their slogan was "The Network With POP!" Nobody knew what the hell that meant, and the network remained in obscurity, with only WWE as its saving grace. A drastic shift in programming came, and the network changed again, this time to Spike TV, "The First Network For Men." I was pretty sure ESPN could have made that claim 25 years earlier, but I digress. Despite these changes, wrestling is still the only thing anybody watches on this channel 5 years later.
The bottom line is this: I watch A LOT of TV. I am a 33-year old male. I am supposedly Spike TV's main demographic. I could not tell you another show that is on that channel besides wrestling. Whoops!
I give it 6 months after WWE leaves in September before Spike undergoes another drastic change, or goes under completely.
Monday, March 07, 2005
What's Wrong With This Picture?
There's a commercial currently running on TV that you may have seen. It's for Visa Check Card, and it appeals to my geek sensibilities by prominently featuring some Marvel Comics superheroes. Something about it has bothered me since the first time I saw it, and I've finally figured it out.
For those who have not seen it, it starts with a woman standing alone in a parking lot at night, frantically screaming for help. In answer to her cries, several heroes, among them Spider-Man, Thor, Captain America, and Wolverine, rush to her rescue. Upon arriving at the scene, her would-be saviors are informed that they have arrived just in time, because she has lost her Visa Check Card! The heroes are not only disappointed that there are no villains to open up a can of whoop-ass on, but also pissed off because the woman has wasted their time. After all, Spider-Man (doing a REALLY BAD Tobey Maguire impression) informs her, the Visa Check Card automatically protects her from fraudulent charges. Dejectedly the costumed do-gooders shuffle off into the night.
Did you catch it? Do you see the problem?
Of course!!! Spider-Man NEVER would have responded to the alleged incident, because his Spider-Sense would have told him there was no danger all along!
Jesus, I am such a dork.
For those who have not seen it, it starts with a woman standing alone in a parking lot at night, frantically screaming for help. In answer to her cries, several heroes, among them Spider-Man, Thor, Captain America, and Wolverine, rush to her rescue. Upon arriving at the scene, her would-be saviors are informed that they have arrived just in time, because she has lost her Visa Check Card! The heroes are not only disappointed that there are no villains to open up a can of whoop-ass on, but also pissed off because the woman has wasted their time. After all, Spider-Man (doing a REALLY BAD Tobey Maguire impression) informs her, the Visa Check Card automatically protects her from fraudulent charges. Dejectedly the costumed do-gooders shuffle off into the night.
Did you catch it? Do you see the problem?
Of course!!! Spider-Man NEVER would have responded to the alleged incident, because his Spider-Sense would have told him there was no danger all along!
Jesus, I am such a dork.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Finally!!!
Today, after far too many years of waiting, one of the greatest motion pictures of all time is FINALLY being released on DVD. The fact that millions have been kept waiting to see this cinematic masterpiece in all its widescreen digital glory has been one of the greatest injustices of our times.
I am, of course, talking about D.C. Cab.
Released in 1983, this comedic gem was directed by Joel Schumacher. This was only Schumacher's 2nd feature film (after 1981's "The Incredible Shrinking Woman"), and he has since gone on to quite a distinguished career, directing the absolute classic "The Lost Boys," along with "St. Elmo's Fire," "Flatliners," "Falling Down," "The Client," "8MM," and "A Time To Kill." He also almost completely destroyed the Batman franchise a few years ago. But I digress.
Seriously, I really DO love D.C. Cab. It is one of the greatest comedies of all time, with lots of great one-liners that still make me laugh out loud. The film was advertised as a Mr. T vehicle, and, to take nothing away from T's performance, this is not entirely accurate. This is actually an ensemble piece, with Adam Baldwin (no relation to the other Baldwins running around Hollywood today) and Max Gail ('Wojo' on TV's "Barney Miller") getting the most screen time. Also featured are Gary Busey, Paul Rodriguez, Whitman Mayo, Bill Maher, Marsha Warfield, The Barbarian Brothers (!), and Charlie Barnett. Barnett absolutely steals the movie as Tyrone, who is obsessed with pop singer Irene Cara and drives his cab with his hair up in rollers.
I can not recommend this movie highly enough, and with a suggested retail price of only $9.99 (I actually pre-ordered it from deepdiscountdvd.com and paid only 6 bucks, with free s&h), there are no excuses to NOT check this neglected classic out. I can promise you that you WILL laugh. A lot.
On a side note, while doing research for this post, I found some bitter-sweet news. Charlie Barnett passed away from AIDS a little while back. I also discovered that Barnett was a mentor to Dave Chappelle (and shame on you if you don't watch Chappelle's Show), and taught Chappelle quite a lot. In tribute to Barnett, Chappelle is making a movie called "King Of The Park," based on their long friendship. I look forward to seeing it.
I am, of course, talking about D.C. Cab.
Released in 1983, this comedic gem was directed by Joel Schumacher. This was only Schumacher's 2nd feature film (after 1981's "The Incredible Shrinking Woman"), and he has since gone on to quite a distinguished career, directing the absolute classic "The Lost Boys," along with "St. Elmo's Fire," "Flatliners," "Falling Down," "The Client," "8MM," and "A Time To Kill." He also almost completely destroyed the Batman franchise a few years ago. But I digress.
Seriously, I really DO love D.C. Cab. It is one of the greatest comedies of all time, with lots of great one-liners that still make me laugh out loud. The film was advertised as a Mr. T vehicle, and, to take nothing away from T's performance, this is not entirely accurate. This is actually an ensemble piece, with Adam Baldwin (no relation to the other Baldwins running around Hollywood today) and Max Gail ('Wojo' on TV's "Barney Miller") getting the most screen time. Also featured are Gary Busey, Paul Rodriguez, Whitman Mayo, Bill Maher, Marsha Warfield, The Barbarian Brothers (!), and Charlie Barnett. Barnett absolutely steals the movie as Tyrone, who is obsessed with pop singer Irene Cara and drives his cab with his hair up in rollers.
I can not recommend this movie highly enough, and with a suggested retail price of only $9.99 (I actually pre-ordered it from deepdiscountdvd.com and paid only 6 bucks, with free s&h), there are no excuses to NOT check this neglected classic out. I can promise you that you WILL laugh. A lot.
On a side note, while doing research for this post, I found some bitter-sweet news. Charlie Barnett passed away from AIDS a little while back. I also discovered that Barnett was a mentor to Dave Chappelle (and shame on you if you don't watch Chappelle's Show), and taught Chappelle quite a lot. In tribute to Barnett, Chappelle is making a movie called "King Of The Park," based on their long friendship. I look forward to seeing it.
