Watching The CW

I watched the past three new eps of Reaper. They were pretty good. I have really enjoyed the addition to the cast, at least for a couple of episodes, of Michael Ian Black and Ken Marino, as Steve and Tony, the gay demon neighbors, of Sam, Sock and Ben in their new apartment. These two are both pretty funny and they work really well together. I especially remember Ken Marino from Veronica Mars, where he played Vinnie Van Lowe, the more disreputable PI in town, who sometimes helped Veronica out, but who couldn’t really be trusted. Among other things, Black is well known as the main character on the Sierra Mist commercials. Both Black and Merino have also been together in other shows and movies. I remember them both from Wet Hot American Summer, one of those really stupid funny movies that you either love or hate. But in any case, I hope they are still on the show when the new eps start back up.

This week, Reaper moves back to Tuesdays at 9 pm (ET), and, apparently, re-airs the last three episodes. So if you missed them on Thursdays, you have another chance. This leaves the Thursday at 9 pm slot free for Supernatural to return, albeit only in reruns until April 24, when the last 4 episodes of this seasons start airing. Reaper comes back with 5 more new eps for this season, starting on April 22.

Smallville also begins airing the last 6 news episodes of this season on April 17.

As I watch America’s Next Top Model this week, and they show the girls fussing and fighting, I wonder, do the judges see any of this stuff during the competition? What do they think of it and does it affect the way they think about the girls? Just a thought.

Once again, we start off with Dominique causing conflict as usual. She so needs to go. She just doesn’t understand boundaries. I was sorry to see her get upset, but she causes that havoc all on her own. I really wouldn’t like to see her win, not until she grows up a little, anyway. Fatima was much better this week. We hardly saw her at all.

Tyra took them to the dance studio for a posing contest, to show pain. Anya won and was awarded a one-on-one photo shoot with Nigel. But it was nude on a bed. What was that about? I would be so uncomfortable naked in a room full of men. I would have been glad to lose that contest.

The photo shoot is different types of music: heavy metal, emo, pop, country, folk, punk, house (what the heck is that anyway?), r&b and grunge. I thought Whitney and Lauren did really well.

I like Dominique less and less as time goes on. She is so completely full of herself.

Into panel. I thought all the pictures looked pretty cool this week, and better than I thought they would when I heard what the shoot was about.

So they called up and this is the order: Whitney, Katarzyna, Fatima, Lauren, Anya, Dominique, Stacy Ann. The Bottom 2: Clare and Aimee.

And Aimee is out. I felt sorry for her, cause Clare was so excited, she just jumped up and grabbed the pic and left her back there. But it was time, cause Aimee never really seemed to do well.

I can’t even tell you why I’m still watching Beauty and the Geek. Sheer boredom, I expect.

I feel so very sorry for Tommy, who honestly seemed to feel that Amber was serious about him, when she was really just playing him. I imagine he feels pretty stupid now that he gets to watch the show.

Anyway, this week they have a sports challenge and play flag football. The twist is that each team has to trade a member to the other team. So Jillian goes over with the Geeks and Chris goes with the Beauties. After the switch, the traded person finds out that if the team they are on loses, they are automatically sent home. I’ve never watched this show before, so I don’t know if they’ve done anything like this before and if they should have been more cautious with the trades.

I’m getting pretty tired of Joe, he’s so completely annoying. I’d love to see him go home this week.

The football game itself was dragged out so much that it felt as long as a regular football game to me. The only exciting part was the Pepsi Max commercial in the middle, where they play that song from A Night at the Roxbury and everyone bobs their heads. The upshot is Joe tries to take over the geek team and he’s loud and rude and annoying and gets way too invested in it. The beauty team is only saved by the fact that they have Chris, because he gets them organized and working together. There was a sweet moment for little Greg, cause he actually caught the ball and ran with it, and he was so excited.

There was one injury, as well, when Matt gets tripped by one of the Beauties - whose name I can’t remember and I don’t care enough about to look up. It was a little unclear to me what exactly happened, but apparently he did break something in his arm or shoulder or whatever. He lived. But he did have to go to the ER and didn’t come back until the end of the show.

As for the game, the Beauties won and poor Jillian went home.

Then they went on to the elimination and this week, they did it differently. From this week on, they are going back to the old format of each Beauty teaming up with a Geek. The girls, as the winners, got to choose who they wanted to be paired up with. They decide together who gets whom, and since there is one more guy than girl, obviously whichever guy isn’t chosen is gone.

So here are the teams:

Cara and Chris
Amanda and Tommy
Leticia and Matt
Randi and Greg
Kristina and Jason
Tiffany and Jim

Apparently, Tiffany’s choice was a shock, because she was supposed to pick Jonathan. So that left Tara to chose between Jonathan and Joe. Unfortunately, they ended the show right there, with a “to be continued,” so I guess I have to watch again next week, if I really want to know. It all depends on whether or not Jim was supposed to be the one that left, in which case Tara was supposed to pick Joe. Which she can still do, but then Jonathan, who was supposed to stay has to go. Personally, I’d rather keep Jonathan than Joe, but no one is asking me.

The CW’s Gossip Girl is presently filming five new episodes, and is scheduled to return on Monday, April 21 at 8:00 pm ET. If you regularly read this blog, or even just glance at it occasionally, you’ll have realized that I don’t watch Gossip Girl. I can’t really say I have anything against it, it’s just not my thing.

So, for those of you like me, who don’t know much about the show, I thought I’d do a little research and see what’s the what. Apparently, the show is aimed at a teen audience, as many shows these days seem to be. That’s probably the main reason I never got interested in the show. I’m definitely no teenager. (Although, I am pretty immature, if that counts.)

The setting is a prep school for privileged teens on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The crowd is entirely young, thin, rich and beautiful. And somewhat vicious, I think. No one knows who the Gossip Girl is, but she knows them and her blog keeps their exclusive group connected through website and text messages, with the latest scandal. Add high fashion, partying, reckless living, sex and intrigue, and I think you’ve got a good idea of what you’re getting. Maybe it is my kind of show after all.

In any case, I know many of you do watch Gossip Girl and I thought you might enjoy some candid pics I found of Serena (Blake Lively) and Dan (Penn Badgley) during on the set filming in New York City.

On America’s Next Top Model this week, I didn’t think the show was that good. I guess it’s cause I’m still a little confused about the posing stuff. I don’t really understand the difference between commercial, catalog and couture. All the poses look the same to me. But I guess that’s why I’m not a model.

I’d barely seen ten minutes of the show, when I began to wish we’d lose Dominique this week. Mostly cause I’m so tired of her talking about herself in the third person. But then things hardly ever happen the way I want them to happen. At least Fatima got a little scared by being in the bottom two last week, maybe it will make her a little more humble.

I hated to see Whitney in the bottom two, because they never keep a plus sized model very long on this show and I just don’t like it. Of course their idea of plus sized is a size 8, so I’m always kinda crazed that anyone would consider Whitney fat. She doesn’t look fat to me at all. Just normal sized. Plus, she’s easily has the most classically beautiful face there. But I think that’s a big problem with our society today, cause everyone shouldn’t feel like they have to be a size zero to be pretty. Personally, I’d love to see a plus sized person win.

In the end, I guess it was better to see Marvita leave. I have to say though, that as I watched the rundown of her pics to date, I could see that she got progressively less good, but I feel really sorry for her. I think she could have done better if she had more time. Now where is she gonna end up?

I have some exciting news for everyone. Well, especially for me. You can now pre-order American Idol alum Chris Sligh’s new CD at his website. It comes out on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, and if you pre-order, for only $10, you can get an autographed copy!!! If you want to hear some of his music (provided you haven’t any of the many other times I’ve mentioned it), you can check him out at his myspace.com/chrissligh. There are six songs up there now that you can listen to including the first single, Empty Me, which is also available now at iTunes.

I realized that I’ve mentioned time and again how much I love Chris Sligh. He’s absolutely one of my very favorite artists ever to come out of American Idol. I’ve been watching this show since the second season and in all that time, I’ve really only liked about four people. Well, liked enough to buy their CDs anyway, and this is one CD I’ve really been looking forward to buying.

If you read my other blog, watchingsitcoms.com, you’ll see that I review American Idol each week, and I get way more excited and involved than someone my age really should over a TV show. That being said, you can begin to understand what it means that as much I love the show, I still haven’t liked that many people that I was willing to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, and buy their CDs.

Just as a reminder, you can also buy Chris’s previous CD, Take A Chance on Something Beautiful, with his band, Half Past Forever, on Amazon.

Beauty and the Geek. OK, I gave it another chance. Just cause I had some time and felt like wasting it. I have a friend who really likes this show, so I thought, maybe. Add that to the fact that I need to have stuff to write in this blog about that’s actually on the CW, and it seemed logical to watch it. Even after I already hated the ep I watched last week. Obviously, I don’t catch on quickly.

Anyway, as I watch this week, I have some thoughts.

First of all I think that these chicks are very oversexed. It’s like they can’t help themselves. And yet, they are just using these poor guys, who actually think that beautiful girls might honestly like them.

Then there’s the challenge of a talent show. Do beautiful woman even need talent? Why is that fair? I’m glad the chicks didn’t win the talent competition, cause I was afraid that stupid men would put them through just on their sexiness alone. Not that the guys are that talented, but next to the girls they were amazing.

I still wonder how these chicks can be happy, how they can think they are living fulfilling lives, while they are so incredibly stupid. It doesn’t make any sense to me that anyone can be truly happy when they have absolutely no ideas in their head other than celebrity gossip and going out to parties. I’m not saying they have to be Rhodes scholars or anything, but can’t they even have a clue?

In a way, I was happy to see the end of Amber, cause she was so manipulative. But she wasn’t the only one and it almost didn’t seem fair that her calling the others out for the same thing, should have made all the guys mad at her. But, you know, only almost.

Talk about product placement. What do you think Stride had to pay to be so prominently featured in this week’s episode of Smallville? I nearly cringed at the obvious advertising. The ep itself was about gum which was laced with kryptonite, which made Pete Ross, who found a pack and was chewing it, turn into a super hero. There were big Stride signs all over a warehouse, where secret concerts were held. Pretty shameless promotion, really. And apparently the only group that played there was OneRepublic, since they seemed to be there every time someone entered the place.

Chloe had a line, which she had to deliver with a straight face, about “chewing that next piece.” Yikes. Does Stride really need that? Is the mere thought that you might end up with some kryptonite gum gonna make more people buy Stride? (You won’t find any, by the way, cause there was only one box worth and Clark got rid of it.)

Here’s a question that as far as I could tell they didn’t answer on the ep (although I was so busy being turned off, maybe I missed it) but how did that one box come to be kryptonite-licious in the first place? Also, what were the chances, in a warehouse full of boxes of gum packets, that Pete would chose that one to rip off a package from? Maybe I’m being too hard on this show, but its just so ridiculous and they take it so seriously.

What amazes me most of all, is that someone wrote this ep. I mean, they thought it all out and then had someone put up those big Stride posters. I just don’t get that.

I found an interesting little article about this year’s crop of beauties on America’s Next Top Model.

Apparently, the young ladies aren’t exactly house trained. It’s been alleged by the owner of the apartment where they stayed in New York City that the wrecked the place, causing $500,000 worth of damage. This was a $6 million loft apartment, mind you. Allegedly, the had food fights, leaving food and make up stains all over the place. They also broke a chandelier that cost $15,000. There was also water damage, and holes in the ceiling and wood floors. The owner is considering a lawsuit against the show.

I found this pretty interesting, because I’ve always thought those girls shouldn’t be left to their own devices. They pretty clearly show each cycle that they aren’t mature enough to live on their own without major conflict. Personally, I think it would add a whole new dimension to the show to see a house mother living with the girls. Someone who could sort out the little domestic disputes and keep an eye on any indiscretions.

Maybe it wouldn’t go over well with the viewers, since it might cut down on some of the drama on the show, but I think it could also make for some other interesting happenings. She could be like a spy, and sit in at panel for the behavior perspective. Even though when they have attitudes, it usually comes out on the shoots, sometimes they don’t find out about stuff that they should. And even if its not necessary that they have some of those facts, it would be more fun if they did.

So think about it. Would you like a house mother on ANTM?

I had to DVR America’s Next Top Model again this week as I wasn’t around to see it live. But I actually like that better, since I can fast forward through anything I just don’t want to deal with. It was also a good thing I did, because I was so annoyed by Dominique’s crap, I had to go back and watch it again. Why is she so conceited???

Then there is Lauren on the other side, so completely humble. And Amis is just annoying. She looks like she should be old enough to know better, but I have to remember that they are all still very young.

Fatima acts like she’s above the rest of them. She really didn’t walk well, either.

I didn’t like those chicks picking on Whitney. I’m not sure if she does really stir up trouble, but it seems to me that she mostly tries to defend people who are being picked on. Although, she did side with whatshername last week (the one who was eliminated and whose name I have already forgotten and am to lazy to go look up) in the Barbie doll fight, which wasn’t cool.

Katarzyna definitely should have won the walkway challenge, but I felt bad when she chose Amis and Marvita to go with her. Neither of them was as good as some of the others.

As an aside, watching Saleisha (from last cycle) in the Cover Girl commercials is a bit uncomfortable. She talks like a robot. This. is. my. life. as. a Cover Girl. Its just weird.

As for the photo shoot, it was really gross for them to have to put on that raw meat. I’m not a vegan or anything, but after that I’m about ready to be. I’m a firm believer in having my meat thoroughly cooked - burnt even - so raw meat makes me want to yak.

If it was my call, I’d get rid of Amis or Fatima. Both are annoying.

I could barely look at the pics, cause the meat thing really grosses me out. And I notice in Tyra’s picture, she didn’t have to wear any meat.

So Fatima stays and Amis leaves. I think that’s probably right, cause Amis didn’t seem to care that much. I must say, that she was very mature in her final words, so maybe all her goofiness was just her being nervous. I hope she does well in the future.

I watched the season premiere of Beauty and the Geek. I’ve never watched this show before, so this is new for me. Apparently, this year, they are changing it up and it’s going to be Beauty versus the Geek, as opposed to other years when it was set up in teams of a Beauty with a Geek.

Question: How do they find such stupid pretty girls? Are all pretty girls stupid?

And why did Ashton Kutcher develop this show? (clearly, he’s more than just a beauty, the guy must be worth millions) Did he ever see himself as a geek trying to attract beauties?

These guys are almost cute in a geeky way. Oh, right. What scares me with a show like this is how people aren’t afraid to act like idiots and embarrass themselves on national TV. I could never do it.

As for the girls, yes they are pretty, but how can they be so stupid. They’re pretending, right?

My first thought is that the geeks will win, mostly because everyone knows how difficult it is to get a bunch of women to work together without discord. Especially a bunch of dumb women who think they are all that. Although girls like to talk a lot, so they will at least communicate.

The first challenge is to get phone numbers from strangers. Sending these guys out to a bar to get phone numbers from opposite sex doesn’t seem fair but, of course, they are leveling the playing field by giving the beauties a “make under” so they won’t be able to rely on their looks. Some of the girls looked really bad, but a couple weren’t too awful.

Question: Why can’t they just tell people it’s a contest and they need to collect as many phone numbers as possible to win? I would.

I guess I identify more with the geeks, because I’m not much of a one for loud parties and mixing with strangers. Also, I fast forwarded through the chick fight, cause I can’t stand that kinda crap. Maybe I’m just more like a guy.

The beauties won the challenge, which seemed probable from the beginning, because even if they are ugly, they still have better social skills than the guys do.

The chicks pick five guys to go into the elimination room where they get an elimination quiz question. I remembered the chick’s number, too, does that make me really geeky? Actually, I answered all of the questions before they did, so I win!

Well, after one episode, I find that I just don’t care enough about these people to keep watching, so its doubtful that I will.

In my Internet travels today, I came across an article detailing the shows that the CW is renewing for next season.

The show I’m most excited about is Supernatural. I was nervous and so was the show’s creator, Eric Kripke. But luckily for all of us, the CW has renewed Supernatural for a fourth season!! And there’s still new eps to air this year, so as far as I’m concerned, its all good.

The CW also renewed Smallville for it’s 8th (and probably last) season. I’ve read elsewhere that they are probably gonna use this season to tie up all the ends and bring Superman up to true Clark Kent adulthood. I’m just not sure how they plan to make him a nerd with glasses.

Other shows renewed by the CW are Gossip Girl for its 2nd full season, One Tree Hill for a Season 6, and sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris. Also, America’s Next Top Model was renewed for both an 11th and 12th cycle. No word yet on new shows Reaper and Aliens in America. I’d like to see Reaper renewed cause I think the show has potential. Don’t forget that there are still three new eps of Reaper to watch starting this week on Thursday, March 13 at 9:00 pm. You should check it out and see what you think if you haven’t seen it yet.

Finally, don’t forget Beauty and the Geek. The fifth season premieres tonight, Tuesday, March 11 at 8 pm. It’s worrisome that it would premiere opposite the Top 12 singing from the Lennon/McCartney songbook on American Idol, but that’s why we have DVRs, right?

I’m been enjoying New Amsterdam. I was a little confused with what Fox has been doing with the show, moving it all around with new eps, first Tuesday, then Thursday and now Monday this coming week. I guess they just wanted to get it an audience by showing it after American Idol. Tonight, it moves to it’s regular day and time on Fox, Monday at 9:00 pm ET. I’m not sure if moving a show around like that is a good idea or not. I think it gets confusing for people. Whatever.

John Amsterdam (it does appear that he changes his name occasionally) is a New York City Detective (and he changes his job), who originally came to America in the 1600’s. She saves an American Indian girl by stepping in front of a sword. To thank him, she heals him and makes him immortal, saying he will stay that way until he finds his one true love. OK, it’s hokey, but it works.

As the story unfolds, you see John remembering times past. He has had hundreds of girlfriends, several wives, 36 dogs, and at least two children, he’s been a soldier, a lawyer, a furniture maker and a police detective. And that’s just what we find out about in the first couple of eps. I can just see the possibility for so many stories to be told with this premise. The characters so far seem rich, colorful and interesting.

Anyway, it looks like there are at least four more episodes to air this month, and I’m looking forward to them. If you didn’t catch them last week, remember, due to the miracle of the Internet, you can watch full episodes online and get caught up.

I hope this show doesn’t fall to the Fox curse of good shows that get axed before their time. Although, this is Fox (and ifyou read my blogs, you know how I feel about Fox and how they kill shows), so I’m not holding my breath.

I don’t mean to get all political or anything, but I saw the news today and now it’s bothering me. I don’t watch the news too much, cause I’m just not that interested in current events. Also, I can’t really watch too much political stuff, cause it always makes me angry. But we happen to be having a bit of snow here in the Northeast (they say where I am we might get 2 ft, which is fun) and we had the weather on, which then turned into the news.

The story that made me a little steamed is where Barack Obama’s aide resigned after some remarks she made about Hillary Clinton. First of all, I’m sure we can all agree that her remarks were definitely rude. But why isn’t an apology enough? I mean, did she have to resign? Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and we have the freedom of speech that allows us to express our opinions. Obviously, it’s wrong to be rude to others, but still an opinion is just that, an opinion. It’s just a little name-calling. Isn’t that what happens in politics all the time? Besides how do we know its not true. From what I know about Ms. Clinton, I’d say she is definitely willing to stoop to anything to get what she wants. She was willing to forgive her sleazebag of a lying, cheating husband to keep the power of the White House. I know what you’re saying, don’t judge because you don’t know what you would do in the same position. But I can tell you this, if my husband ever cheated on me with some young chick from his office - in his office - I wouldn’t sit around and suffer the humiliation of everyone finding out about it. One of us would be out of the house so fast, heads would spin. I mean, either he’d be going or I would. I don’t care what it would cost me in power or money or anything else, cause my self-respect is more important and it can’t be replaced. Obviously, Ms. Clinton feels differently and the power was more important than anything else. So, again I say, maybe what that aide said was true. Still rude, but true. So why isn’t an apology good enough? (Did you ever notice that the more liberal people are, the less liberty they tend to allow others?)

The last part of the story was where Ms. Clinton apparently retaliates (cause, obviously, we’re all six-year-olds and when someone calls you a name, you have to call them a name, too, right?) Anyway, she said something about how Obama’s people say one thing and he says another, referring to his stance on the war, and that people won’t know what to believe.

Mr. Obama’s response was that he would end the war in 2009. That’s got to the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I don’t know if anyone told Mr. Obama, but you can’t stop a war by just saying so. I’m sure its a lovely thought, but its certainly not honest or practical. He can pull the troops out, but that doesn’t end the war. It is, however, a slap in the face to all those who have sacrificed their lives; it makes their lives and their sacrifice worth nothing. If we don’t accomplish and complete what we started, what was the point of their deaths?

If that’s his plan, then he’s a monster, too.

I usually enjoy makeover night on America’s Next Top Model. I like it, cause we usually get at least one meltdown. And that’s fun. I guess I could have called that it would be Fatima. She’s really getting on my nerves. Fatima is too rude, Allison is too full of herself, Dominique is too overbearing, Amis is too opinionated. And that’s just in the first 5 minutes.

I was glad that neither Allison or Fatima did well on the Cover Girl challenge. They are both annoying. Although I don’t think I like Clare’s looks that much. Also, I didn’t like that Whitney was siding with Allison in the doll-playing stuff. I mean, what was that? Are they 4-year olds, with all the name calling?

Does it seem like so many of them went from dark to blond or red? Why do you think that is? I like dark hair. I definitely liked Whitney better with dark hair. I also think that Anya’s lighter hair makes her nose look bigger. Aimee looked good. I don’t know what they did exactly to Marvita. It looked OK, but I couldn’t really tell what was happening on top. Lauren ended up looking very sexy. Katarzyna (could she also change her name, cause I don’t think Tyra says it the same way twice) looked good with dark hair. Claire just looked weird. Allison also looked better with darker hair. Dominique looks way better without all the frizz. Stacey-Ann looked OK, but it wasn’t what I would have picked for her. Amis didn’t really look too different, but I liked the longer hair. Fatima looked way better. The tears were not necessary.

As I watched the photo shoot, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for these chicks who think they are so hot, but in reality suck. No wait, I don’t feel sorry for them. Never mind. As for the photos, none of them looked that great to me.

So on to the cuts. Let’s hope we lose either Allison or Fatima. Or Dominique.

Allison was pretty on the outside, but she was not a nice girl. So she’s not really a loss. But I have a question, what color was Dominque’s hair supposed to be?